Ever since I first began to take an interest in prepping, it seems that someone is always trying to classify the different types of individuals who make up this lifestyle and put us into a box. Back in 2007, when I was beginning to search out websites and blogs, the concepts that caught my eye were probably more aligned with more of a militia mindset, then it became survivalists, then Doomsday Preppers started gaining ground when the NatGeo show came out and really blew up from there. Elite preppers followed the trends of multi-millionaires buying up land in foreign places and constructing fortified bunkers. The latest repackaging by means of classification is Liberal Preppers.
What are Liberal Preppers and are they any different from those who can’t stomach the thought of describing themselves as anything left of Die Hard Conservative? Is the latest attempt at branding preppers any different and if so, who are these Liberal Preppers? Do you have anything to worry about as a new crowd shows interest in what was something you thought was uniquely yours? Could some of your own friends be preppers incognito?
Today I want to discuss this whole new term and break down the similarities and differences between Liberal Preppers and everybody else who used to simply call ourselves Preppers to figure out what this means for the prepper movement at large.
Who are these so-called Liberal Preppers
Liberal Preppers have come to the whole concept of prepping the way I would assume many of you have. They became concerned with what they perceived in the world around them and realized that should their worst fears be realized, they would be in serious doo-doo without taking some precautions up front. Liberal Preppers worry about some of the same things we do like having enough food to feed ourselves or our families so they are learning about canning. They worry about the political landscape and how the current administration policies and regulations could impact them negatively. They are concerned about geopolitical unease and the threats of war. Essentially, like any prepper, they want to do what they can in order to set themselves up for success and not be a victim of their own laziness should the worst happen.
How is a Liberal Prepper any different than a ‘Regular’ Prepper?
So, reading the list of concerns above, you might be asking yourself how is a Liberal Prepper any different from me. How is the steps they are taking to get knowledge, to gain a level of preparedness different from what I have been doing for years? My take on this is that there is nothing different about the steps they are taking. Humans need the same basic things that I have harped on for years. We all need water. Everyone needs food. You will die without shelter and you will be safer with some form of security. This is a universal truth.
What is different is their motivation.
Liberal Preppers are motivated by the flipside of things that you who have been called preppers for years are usually motivated by. Liberal Preppers are concerned about the new Trump Administration where older preppers were likely concerned about the Obama administration or the threat of a Hillary presidency. It is because of this that I think the term Liberal Preppers is a misnomer. Liberal Preppers assumes that you also have Conservative Preppers. What about Independent Preppers?
Your political bent shouldn’t really define you as a prepper but the current political landscape is always a major factor when people start to worry about the future. Both Liberals and Conservatives as well as Independents, Progressives, Main Streamers, Traditionalists all could be more accurately called Political Preppers.
Political Prepper – Noun – A person who makes preparations out of fear of the current political climate or leadership.
We have lots of the same types of worries on the other side here, but we just call ourselves preppers.
What does all this mean anyway?
Prepping is a lifestyle that I think everyone should engage in to the extent that your time and resources allow. I believe every human should take steps to make themselves less reliant on systems around us that bring us water and food. I believe that we don’t need to see the scenes repeated after Katrina and Sandy of people standing around screaming for the government to come help them. I think each parent should be able to take care of their children if the gas stations close, the grocery stores are out of food and the hospitals are unreachable. To a point.
Prepping for most people is really just providing a support net to get them over the initial duration of the most common emergencies we can visualize finding ourselves in. We stock up food and water, but most of us aren’t planning to go completely off-grid for 2 years in a concrete reinforced bunker but that’s ok. Most disasters aren’t apocalypses and simply having a few weeks’ worth of food and water can mean the difference between life and death. Your politics might be driving your rationale for prepping but you are trying to achieve the same personal goals as all the rest of us.
The Prepper Journal has always tried to appeal to anyone trying to take practical steps to be more prepared to take care of their family in a short or long-term disaster. We have people who love guns, who wear MAGA hats, hold lifetime memberships to the NRA as well as vegans, pacifists and yes, Liberals. I have shared the stories of my own life of close personal friends and even family members who hold diametrically opposing positions on social and political issues but we still get along just fine. The comments section at the bottom of every article is open to anyone regardless of your personal philosophy and I would say that mix has created some very interesting and instructive conversations.
Prepping is not an exclusive party and my goal has always been to get as many people prepping as possible. I say to anyone who is new to these concepts and calls themselves a Liberal Prepper, welcome! I’m glad you are interested in taking steps to get more prepared. I hope you will join the conversation here at the Prepper Journal. I think you will find that you have more in common with your other fellow Preppers than you might even know and I think we all can learn a lot from each other.
Here are a few articles that can help you get started:
- How much food is enough? Understanding how long your food stores will last
- 7 Prepper Food Storage Mistakes
- Act Now to Ensure You Have Food Security For Your Family
- Survival Basics – Water
- How to Get Survival Water from a Tree
- Sponge Bath: Keep Clean without Running Water
- 100 Year old way to filter rainwater in a barrel
- Prepping 101 – Best Gun For Home Defense
- 10 Tips for Taking a Woman To the Range
- Bird Shot: Better Home Defensive Round?
- Top 5 Firearms You Need To Get Your Hands on Now
- WROL – Protecting Your Family When The Bad Guys Come Down Your Street
Good luck and remember that you can always ask any question in the comments of this or any article. The Prepper Journal has a diverse, intelligent and experienced audience who has always shown they are happy to provide their own advice and experience on any issue you are facing.
What are you prepping for?