Bunkers, Food, Armor: Disaster Prep Hits Mainstream
I’m not sure when the tipping point occurred, but at some point recently the “prepper” movement exploded and became mainstream.
Preppers are folks who detect the possibility of calamity and decide to increase their odds of surviving it by putting aside supplies. “Putting things by” — essential throughout most of humanity’s existence — was common in the United States up until advances in transportation logistics brought about the “just in time” shipping model. Suddenly, we could get almost any supplies delivered fresh and year-round to massive community stores. What our grandparents called “lean times” became a thing of the past for even the poorest Americans.
The expectation that we could always get whatever we wanted whenever we wanted it took a couple of hard jolts around the turn of the 21st century: predictions regarding the “Y2K bug” created a resurgent interest in self-sufficiency, which was further rekindled by the 9/11 terror attacks. A decade later, fears of nuclear terrorism, misunderstood popular views about the end of the Mayan calendar, and ginned-up fears of catastrophic climate change, economic collapse, and violent weather patterns have grown what was once a fringe culture.
I didn’t realize how mainstream it had become until Costco sent me an e-flyer: “Get Your Home And Garden Stocked For An Emergency And Save!” It promoted emergency preparedness, the top suggestions being a month of food storage supplies and emergency garden seeds.
Modern prepping has come a long way from the survivalists of the late 1990s. That wave focused on military supplies, weapons, and tactics, and was in many ways limited by their options. Earlier survivalists had even fewer options — they focused on hoarding and protecting supplies in remote cabins. Yet today’s preppers have a dizzying array of gourmet shelf-stable foods, “green” power options, and even custom-built housing to meet their particular survival needs. Additionally, enterprising companies now cater to nearly every desire the preppers can dream up.
National Geographic’s Doomsday Preppers series featured an episode with prepper Peter Larson, and displayed the work of Paul Seyfried and Utah Shelter Systems. An underground bunker built by Utah Shelter Systems was the core of the Larson family’s preparation plans, and with good reason. The underground bunkers manufactured by the company and shipped almost anywhere are designed to withstand nuclear, biological, and chemical disasters, and being buried yards underground, they are secure from all but the most determined marauders.
So what kind of person drops a bare minimum of $47,590 on a complete shelter and tens of thousands more on land, installation, and provisioning? Mr. Seyfried fiercely guards the confidentiality of his client list, but will volunteer that it includes “international bankers, hedge fund managers, attorneys, doctors, oil company geologists, business men, and movie producers.”
Like any business, the bunker business has cycles and has seen business expand and contract as events bring awareness of their products. After 9/11, the company experienced an increase in sales in the Northeast, centered around New York. Texans have purchased the largest number of shelters, and they range across the Southeast and Southwest, typically as shelters against the common natural disasters that strike the southern part of the country. The most commonly purchased shelter is the $60,750-plus 10′x50′ shelter which offers the best cost per square foot, and customers typically order more bunks to add capacity. Most bunkers go to individual families, but there are some small bunker communities of well-heeled preppers coming together for mutual support.
The vast majority of preppers want to set aside shelf-stable foods. Many are looking for just several days or weeks worth of supplies to get them through “normal” seasonal disasters, such as hurricane season in the Southeast, the blizzards that hit in northern parts of the country, or the threat of tornadoes that extends across the Midwest and South. Brandon Garrett of The Ready Store sees customers across the country come to his company for 72-hour emergency kits, food storage items such as dehydrated or freeze-dried foods, and other emergency supplies.
Disasters aren’t the only thing preppers are spending their dollars on. Some look at the economy and prep for the very real possibility of unemployment. Garrett reports:
While some might be preparing against floods others might be preparing against drought or unemployment. I think the major psychographic that connects our customers is a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. They want to be prepared for anything that may be in the future — whether that is a natural disaster, a man-made disaster, or unemployment.
Many of The Ready Store’s customers follow a pattern that seems to apply to similar stores as well. Customers will often buy a decent initial food supply — such as a three-month supply — and augment that base of supplies as their time and budget allow.
Preppers are also cognizant of the fact that if an event does strike, being prepared is just part of the equation. As we witnessed in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, even the normally law-abiding will resort to out-of-character barbarism if they think it necessary to ensure their survival or the survival of their families.
The past response to the threat of violence has typically been to acquire firearms, preferably guns with more capacity and range than anyone you expect to be causing trouble. It hasn’t been until recently that the thought of stopping any inbound fire has become socially acceptable. A company called US PALM is in the process of changing that by creating and successfully marketing body armor designed for the civilian market.
The “Defender” series of soft body armor is the company’s civilian-focused entry-level armor, designed explicitly for the nightmare scenario of a homeowner hearing a door or window smashed open in the middle of the night. The Defender is designed to strap on in less than five seconds, and provide the homeowner with a level of protection against most common handgun (up through .44 Magnum) and shotgun ammunition one would expect in a home invasion scenario. Priced inexpensively (for body armor) at $199 for a single front panel and with the option of adding rear panel for just $99, Defender has also taken off among preppers, allowing them to armor themselves and their families with at least front panel protection for the cost of a set of rifle-stopping armor worn by our troops. It has sold particularly well in the Ohio River Valley, though Rob Anderson, US PALM’s director, won’t hazard a guess as to why Defender sells so well in that area.
The media still demeans the more extreme preppers making bizarre preparations for what most people consider unrealistic scenarios — such as polar shifts or the Mayan apocalypse — but with the current global economic situation, the carnage of recent natural disasters, and the fragility of power grids, other scenarios are no laughing matter. “Putting things by” like our grandparents did is now regarded by many as a wise investment against uncertain times, and like any market, there are smart businesses willing to cater to this growth market.
Also read:
Please don’t use the word “hoarding.” Don’t you know, we have to get our stuff before the hoarders come!
Seriously, I have always thought it would be a good idea to have six months to a year’s worth of food, because if I lose my job and it takes six or eight months to find a new one, at least I didn’t have to worry about putting food on the table during my job search.
Also, in the event of a true disaster, you are not in need, and there will be more emergency resources available for the folks down the street. I’m really into that independence thing.
I have absolutely no problems with the “preppers” AT ALL. I lived in New York City in 1977 and saw firsthand what happened when riots took over the city streets and law and order totally broke down. We all have seen what happened during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and all of the riots that took place during the late 1960s.
And people still don’t know what would have happened if the US banks DID collapse in 2008. Imagine if you put your debit card in an ATM machine and nothing came out? If the banks collapsed, most credit cards wouldn’t work, either. So even if you could go to a grocery store, what would you buy the groceries with? And I doubt they would start taking gold or silver. You wouldn’t have enough time for that type of barter to kick in. People would start getting hungry real fast, and a few cops in riot gear wouldn’t stop them from feeding their families. Civil rule would have broken down, rioting would have taken place, and looting would have been commonplace. Home invasions could have been normal as well, marking the real end of our civil rule. Nope, we could have been real close to a total collapse of our society, all because ATM cards and banks could not hand out cash.
So being prepared is NOT so crazy as it sounds. Have at least enough food in your house for a month for your family. The more pressing reasons for this are also natural disasters, such as severe rain storms, hurricanes, and tornados. Power outages are very common in the suburbs during severe weather, so not having enough flashlights, batteries, lanterns, and food is just stupid. Our family has gone through a number of severe storms in our suburb in New Jersey and have lost power for days. Our supermarkets were closed due to the power outage, so nothing could be bought. But since we had food storage and enough power supplies on hand, we have always made it through with few complaints.
So be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. That way, you’ll be able to make it through just about anything.
I’ve pointed out to several people that one of the things we’re looking for as we house-hunt in another state, is the capability of providing some of our own food since it looks like that will be a very good idea over the next several years. NO ONE has scoffed, and several have shared some ideas. Many Americans have a yard with grass that could easily be converted into a garden, but of course it will take a few months at least for any yield.
From our years in FL, we learned that everyone should have a manual can opener, some extra food, and as soon as something begins to happen, fill up your bathtubs with water. Add bleach (idk how much, that would be the next level of prep) But I think most of us can get by with a few days of little food (hey, looters aren’t going to steal my thighs, right?)
“…fill up your bathtubs with water. Add bleach (idk how much, that would be the next level of prep)…”
I found this on cdc.gov a few years ago: To purify 1 gallon of water, add 1/8 teaspoon Clorox. Stir well, then let sit 30 minutes before using. (I assume CDC meant plain, not scented, Clorox.
I keep a dropper bottle filled with bleach alongside my water storage. I’ve also labeled the correct dosage so that I don’t have to look it up every time I use it.
And, yes. Use plain, unscented bleach.
We had a water main break in our neighborhood a few months ago. We immediately started filling the tub and other water containers, but the water that came out turned brown within a minute. There was no time to get clean drinking water.
Fortunately we have always believed in preparing for scenarios like this. We’ve got about 150 gallons of clean, stored water in the basement and plenty of bleach to purify more if needed. We used the dirty water in the bathtub to flush the toilet (which takes a lot of water by itself) once we lost all water pressure. Since then we’ve also added a high quality water filter to our supplies, so we can filter dirty water, like what came out of our faucets, without having to add bleach.
It just goes to show. You never know what challenges life will throw at you and, while “the big one” may never come, it still pays to be prepared.
It is a sad day when Americans can not trust their government anymore. What would Brian Terry say if he was here, and knew about the gun walking to make Americans look bad, and get tougher gun laws? Would he be motivated to prep, or secure his area more strongly?
The CFR controled government of globalists continue to spend money the government does not have. Why? The global GATT treaty is being formed requarless of what some countries think about it, and open borders in the southern USA appears to be a end run to create a North American Union complete with schools dissing the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the American flag.
Is it any wonder then why Americans are planning for the worse? Weapon, and ammo sales are up.
It was a sad day when Americans got so tamed they thought they could trust their government.
While a lot of people love to make fun of preppers, I believe that it is entirely reasonable to take reasonable precautions. At a certain level, This sort of preparedness is no different from having a savings account in case of emergency.
Too many preppers violate the first rule of operation security however. No one should ever know you have a stockpile.
One of the reasons for stockpiling food and other survival items is that the investment climate is a lot more risky than it has been in the past. Plenty of people lost a lot of money in the stock market over the last decade or so and they are once burnt twice shy. Then there is the issue of inflation just over the horizon.
And there is the matter of trust. Under the current administration it requires a lower level of paranoia to think that the government might pull some kind of Argentine style confiscation of retirement investments. And speaking about trust issues, we have the example of MF Global looting the accounts of its investors and then transferring $1.6 billion to their Wall Street buddies at JP Morgan and Louis Freeh is talking about awarding some of what little money is left to the MF Global executives as bonuses rather than to the defrauded investors.
Given the current uncertain environment, investing in several years worth of food, a place to keep it and the means to protect it makes more sense a lot of other things you could do with your money.
fwiw
the mma fighter forrest griffin has a book called “when the sh*t goes down: a guide to surviving to apocalypse”
it will take an hour or so to get through and definitely had me laughing out loud in the barnes and noble store
not for the easily offended it does have some basic and valuable information for those who want a laugh and a few pointers for surviving when civilization goes mad max
(i think it only cost $4 or 5 bucks now)
– for the aftermath of disasters such as quakes since there won’t be help for days. Maybe the difference is that preppers also stock ammo.
For what it’s worth, the character Sheldon on the hit show The Big Bang Theory is a prepper. He frequently mentions his emergency backpacks and food supplies in some humorous context, but interestingly enough, the writers don’t make fun of his fanatical disaster preparedness itself.
Maybe the writers live near a fault zone themselves?
I live about a hundred miles north of New Orleans. After Katrina, our town welcomed tens of thousands of refugees from there and from the Gulf Coast. In addition, we also suffered massive damage to homes and businesses. Many people were without power for weeks. We learned that the government recommendation to have a 72 hour supply of food and water was woefully inadequate; 72 DAYS would be more like it. People in this area may not refer to themselves as “preppers” but most of us took Katrina’s lessons to heart.
Really it’s good to be prepared for all the cases…
What I find interesting about “preppers” now, and the “survivalists” of days gone by, is that neither one seemed to grasp the concept of “if it all goes down, it’s not necessarily coming back”.
While the idea of having at least a week’s supply of essentials plus necessary survival gear is something of a tradition here in southeastern Ohio (which probably explains the bullet-resistant vest sales), the assumption is that once things settle down, it will be back to business as usual. That isn’t always so, as history has proven.
Nobody expected the Roman Empire to collapse, for instance, except the ecclesiastics who made a point of keeping well-stocked larders and even better-stocked libraries. The latter were full of all sorts of handy items, like Roman guides on managing government. They were of little use to feudal barons in the early medieval period, but were certainly useful to first Charlemagne, and then during the Renaissance.
While in the short term MREs and 5.56 x 45mm NATO may be of great utility, long-term knowledge would be a far more useful thing to have in your “stores” for the long haul. Which is why in addition to my “go-bag” (72 hours’ worth of supplies, etc., mainly for events like power outages), and longer-term emergency stores, I also have long made a point of having a section of my library stocked with books on how to do things without the help of modern technology.
If society were to undergo a full collapse, most modern technology would go with it. Meaning no cellphones, no GPS, no Internet, and oh yes, probably no electricity, either. The later may happen anyway, if the deep-ecos have their way, and I’m sure they’ll be “shocked” when after they’ve succeeded in getting rid of our power systems to save Holy Mother Gaia from global warming, they won’t be able to recharge their Chevy Volts. Or even their Ipads.
In such a situation, knowing how things were done before computers, electronics, or even Thomas Edison might just be useful. Which is why I have books (yes, real paper ones) on blacksmithing, homebuilding with traditional materials, animal husbandry, farming, gunsmithing, medicine, and a variety of similar subjects.
A good example is the old Popular Mechanics Do-It-Yourself Encyclopedia, copyright 1955. It is a twelve-volume set on everything from “The ABC’s of Color” (mixing paints) to making a “Youngster’s Chest-Bed”, and everything in-between. All without modern technology, because in 1955 it didn’t exist yet.
You can pick up such an encyclopedia (this one, the Popular Science version, or any of half-a-dozen other similar ones) at most decently-stocked antique stores or used book stores for under $50. (Mine was inherited from my parents, who bought it new in 1956.) Such sourcebooks should be considered a mandatory part of any library, if you anticipate things going south in a big way and not coming back.
In such a situation, knowing how to build a reliable and safe septic system for a farm with salvaged materials, and run it without electronics of any kind, will probably be more useful than knowing how to WiFi your house.
cheers
eon
NEW RON PAUL AD DESTROYS THE ENTIRE ESTABLISHMENT and flushes the remaining pieces
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRX3fUwUtIE&feature=youtu.be
While I believe the Preppers show is a bit demeaning in how they portray people. I believe anyone that doesn’t prepare for some sort of disaster is absolutely insane. It doesn’t take a whole lot of examination to see how fragile and interconnected society is. Take a look at what is left at a store before a hurricane comes to town. The shelves are bare.
It doesn’t even take a hurricane. Where I live, if we get a forecast for 6 inches of snow, the stores are emptied in no time.
We’ve had power out for more than three days at a time, and could not get in or out to get to a store, either.
We’d have to be brain-dead STUPID to NOT be prepared for AT LEAST a week on our own. If we ever get another 48-incher we’ll probably be trapped for at least that long.
And that’s not considering any kind of political or social collapse.
When Y2K came around, we prepared by buying food in bulk ahead of our needs. When it fizzled, we just ate up what we had bought. Didn’t cost us a thing, really. We just moved some food spending up a few months.
On the other hand, I know people who spent tens of thousands on freeze-dried foods that were essentially useless afterwards.
The point is, there are smart ways to do this, and stupid ways to do this.
I have heard that 1/100 people prep (no cite for stat, sorry).
If each person has even the smallest family and social unit (and preppers seem to work in groups) I am guessing that increases to around 5-10/100, or up to 5-10% of Americans who, on some level, feel the need to prepare for a disaster of some kind or other.
I do not know if I should be reassured by this proactive survival mechanism, or be stunned that this many people may think we live in such fragile times. But as Elena said (comment 10), it’s good to be prepared for all cases.
And remember, if you have pets, they need food and med supplies, too!
G.
Not if you’re sensible about your pets.
If you are, they need food and water.
All I can add is that the Dilbert comic had a strip a while back. Dilbert tells one of his office mates that he has food, water, supplies and all. She replies, “I have your address”.
I’m fairly well prepped and I have told no other person. I keep my big dog healthy in the event that I am forced to eat him.