Prepper -'lite' or full on survivalist

[Arzosah]

Having kids does change it but having grandkids takes it to the whole new level
Two more babies on the way taking tally to 13 grandkids 6 for me 7 for OH so with the prepping there is always baby milk baby anything included ..when covid first hit my daughter was outside the chemist crying on the phone to me all the baby milk had gone from every shop/supermarket/ chemist .. the lactose free stuff at that
So ...in the stash were three tins of lactose free baby milk and nappies various baby creams etc
Watching her come to house standing outside window with the 3 kids one in a sling barely a few weeks old was heartbreaking ...very worrying
She is also a prepper now and a blooming good one at that
All she says is mum was right

GeeGee - what a nightmare for your daughter. And you!

My brother has several grandchildren, and my sister has one - but I've been involved with her single grandchild much more than the others, and I belong to the encrypted service where they share photos and short videos, so I "know" her much more than the others, and I'm consciously now thinking that though I don't expect to survive long if there's full End Of The World stuff happening, because I'm too old, too chronic fatigue-y, blah blah, I really hope that my sister's adult offspring and her tiny wee grandchild would be able to take my stuff for their own use - not just food, but water purification, books, equipment such as it is.

If it was EOTW I'd expect the preps to help the next generation adapt and survive, with fewer casualties than the run of the general population. So, in relation to my preps for *me*, as things stand - they're meant to get me through the "prepper-lite" and "prepper" problems, without having to rely on busy relatives, or neighbours of uncertain disposition.

I wanted to be a survivalist back in the day, but I'm actually prepper-lite its quite a reality check

[Frnc]

Bit of a mixture. I have enough drinking water and food for maybe two months, so I could up that a bit. But if there is no food or water for two months, there might never be any.

I don't have a solid fuel fire and can't get one now, so if there was no gas or electricity I'd have to rely on warm clothes. I could cook outside using twig stoves after my gas and meths ran out.

I've tried to grow food, but didn't have much succeess. I might try again next year. My preps include learning wild edible plants and some fishing gear. However I'm under no illusions that this would keep me alive for much longer. But at least I tried.

I do prep for evacuation, including multi-day. I have no car, so it's push bike and tent. However I would only evacuate as a last resort, or if instructed by authorities.

[grenfell]

Pragmatism
I've sometimes described myself as a pragmatic communist and equally I'd describe myself as a pragmatic prepper. What that means is that in reality the prepper-lite tag is the one that fits better. A lot of the survivalist stuff is in my view at the very best pure hollywood fueled fantasy . As I said in the "how long preps last" thread if food disappears off the shelves then there is something far more serious than a single prepper has happened. The idea of sitting comfortably in one's home/bunker while the world around goes to hell in a handcart is just mental and detached from reality. Very few of us have the wherewithall to afford to build and stock some sort of impregnable bunker to sit out the end of the world , wandering a post apocalyptic world with a rifle shooting zombies isn't really an option which pretty much leaves trying to survive by building a community an idea that seems to go agai st the grain with a number of so called survivalists. Nobody wants to willingly die but I don't really get the concept of living out the end of the world alone when other alternatives are available.
In short prepper-lite , top end if you like , prepare for those things that can be prepared for , bad weather , strikes , local incidents , and my own personal focus slow decline rather than nuclear war , alien invasion type of secenerios .

[Omega]

Prepper-lite based on this classification
I treat this as an escapism from reality, way to analyse my inner problems. However, I should not lose connection with reality and not get carried away too far. I feel when something affects the quality of life and that of people surrounding you negatively, then it is time to stop it
UHNWIs are the best preppers, so I try to improve my financial situation and build a glass floor for my child

[grenfell]

UHNWIs are the best preppers, so I try to improve my financial situation and build a glass floor for my child

I had to look that one up as I didn't know the acronym but I have to say you're right even if the concept is a little uncomfortable. Correct also to say improving your financial situation is only a good thing...

[Kiwififer]

Pragmatism
I've sometimes described myself as a pragmatic communist and equally I'd describe myself as a pragmatic prepper. What that means is that in reality the prepper-lite tag is the one that fits better. A lot of the survivalist stuff is in my view at the very best pure hollywood fueled fantasy . As I said in the "how long preps last" thread if food disappears off the shelves then there is something far more serious than a single prepper has happened. The idea of sitting comfortably in one's home/bunker while the world around goes to hell in a handcart is just mental and detached from reality. Very few of us have the wherewithall to afford to build and stock some sort of impregnable bunker to sit out the end of the world , wandering a post apocalyptic world with a rifle shooting zombies isn't really an option which pretty much leaves trying to survive by building a community an idea that seems to go agai st the grain with a number of so called survivalists. Nobody wants to willingly die but I don't really get the concept of living out the end of the world alone when other alternatives are available.
In short prepper-lite , top end if you like , prepare for those things that can be prepared for , bad weather , strikes , local incidents , and my own personal focus slow decline rather than nuclear war , alien invasion type of secenerios .

Wise words. I don’t think we have strived through survival of the fittest, we have survived through cooperation of intelligence. I saw this during lockdowns when my wee neighbourhood reached out to each other, cooperated and kept older and vulnerable people going through going shopping, running errands and making sure they were safe. A very small example but we got everyone through it by minimising risks etc.

[Frnc]

Pragmatism
I've sometimes described myself as a pragmatic communist and equally I'd describe myself as a pragmatic prepper. What that means is that in reality the prepper-lite tag is the one that fits better. A lot of the survivalist stuff is in my view at the very best pure hollywood fueled fantasy . As I said in the "how long preps last" thread if food disappears off the shelves then there is something far more serious than a single prepper has happened. The idea of sitting comfortably in one's home/bunker while the world around goes to hell in a handcart is just mental and detached from reality. Very few of us have the wherewithall to afford to build and stock some sort of impregnable bunker to sit out the end of the world , wandering a post apocalyptic world with a rifle shooting zombies isn't really an option which pretty much leaves trying to survive by building a community an idea that seems to go agai st the grain with a number of so called survivalists. Nobody wants to willingly die but I don't really get the concept of living out the end of the world alone when other alternatives are available.
In short prepper-lite , top end if you like , prepare for those things that can be prepared for , bad weather , strikes , local incidents , and my own personal focus slow decline rather than nuclear war , alien invasion type of secenerios .

Wise words. I don’t think we have strived through survival of the fittest, we have survived through cooperation of intelligence. I saw this during lockdowns when my wee neighbourhood reached out to each other, cooperated and kept older and vulnerable people going through going shopping, running errands and making sure they were safe. A very small example but we got everyone through it by minimising risks etc.

Survival of the fittest is just a shift in the gene pool, bad mutations are less likely to reproduce. Human did indeed survive through cooperation for hundreds of thousands of years, right up to around 10,000 years ago. Hunter gatherers live by reciprocal altruism, ie you share what you got, and next time, someone will see you right. Hunting etc had to be done in groups anyway. Obviously they all helped put tents up or build shelters. Even some of the early towns were run like this, with no rich or poor. In the modern world it's mostly all gone of course. But I think in shtf, cooperation with neighbours will be as important as your stash. There are examples of it in shanty towns, where collapse has already happened. Also after disasters, cooperation increases.

[Nurseandy]

Def prepper lite here too, we have some extra food, we have skills and arent phased by extendedpower cuts but wouldnt be able to continue if society collapsed. I go wild camping on a weekly basis and indeed revel in the bad weather, however to try and do the survivalist thing particularly with family in tow is a non starter.

[Medusa]

Prepper lite here too. I wish that that I was a little higher up the classification but we can only do what we can do. The preps we have kept us and some family members fed/stocked up and we rarely run out of anything if things are a bit tight or there's an issue with utilities. In an ideal world I would have a stash of gold, a woodland for fuel and a bit of land with its own water source and a few animals and some poultry and a much larger storeroom. We have some skills between us, can manage to live simply if needed andI keep saying that I am more prepared than some and much less prepared than others and for now that will have to do.

[ForgeCorvus]

Ramble deleted.