Hi all. My first post, may be my last depending on your replies, been reading up and watching the Youtube, simple question. Why are some Preppers so paranoid? They seem to be so afraid of hordes attacking them for their stash of goods that they hide themselves, do not discuss with anyone what they are doing and weaponise their retreat ready to kill.
Have I been watching too many American vids? Is the situation in the UK different? If I were to post my whereabouts asking for face to face meetings where I could learn from the more experienced, would you all run a mile and hide in your protected bunkers?
I see that there was a UK 100 person meet recently are these likely to be held all over the country?
Sorry if this post offends, just interested in your thoughts.
Paranoia
Re: Paranoia
paranoia? not really, more a case of being prepared for any and every eventuality. as for meets, you could try and organise your own, in your locality, and see what response you get.
Adapt or Die, there is no middle ground.
Re: Paranoia
Not Paranoia, just common sense.
I wouldn't tell a bloke I just met in the pub what car I had, where it was parked and that the spare key was in a jam jar in the garage. So why would I do it on a Forum?
Trust has to be developed over a period of time, that can be started by posting on some threads, or as you have done here, posting a thread yourself.
Meets do occur, often by PM as an open "No you're a Nutter" often offends.
The UK 100 Meet was organised by the Youtube community and again, although some great info can be gained from such clips, most people prefer the anonymity that comes from good OPSEC.
I hope my answer doesn't put you off contributing more to the Forum and that you stick around for the long haul.
HTH.
I wouldn't tell a bloke I just met in the pub what car I had, where it was parked and that the spare key was in a jam jar in the garage. So why would I do it on a Forum?
Trust has to be developed over a period of time, that can be started by posting on some threads, or as you have done here, posting a thread yourself.
Meets do occur, often by PM as an open "No you're a Nutter" often offends.
The UK 100 Meet was organised by the Youtube community and again, although some great info can be gained from such clips, most people prefer the anonymity that comes from good OPSEC.
I hope my answer doesn't put you off contributing more to the Forum and that you stick around for the long haul.
HTH.
Two is one and one is none, but three is even better.
Re: Paranoia
Have you been watching too many American videos? Probably yes as they do seem far more extreme than this side of the pond.
Why is there so much paranoia ? This I largely think is down to simple change in societies attitudes. Decades ago there was more trust amongst people , house weren't always locked and it was common sense to have a full pantry and food in the garden. Attitudes have changed and people who do that nowadays are seen as a bit odd at best and even anti social at worst , so it is just simpler to keep quiet and say nothing. More sensible than actual paranoid.
Why is there so much paranoia ? This I largely think is down to simple change in societies attitudes. Decades ago there was more trust amongst people , house weren't always locked and it was common sense to have a full pantry and food in the garden. Attitudes have changed and people who do that nowadays are seen as a bit odd at best and even anti social at worst , so it is just simpler to keep quiet and say nothing. More sensible than actual paranoid.
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Vespa
Re: Paranoia
I'm paranoid (my sig line admits it), but hardly armed to the teeth.
I prep for two things, the short term personal emergency. Local power cut, village being cut off due to bad weather, roof blowing off my house etc.
Longer term I'm expecting a poorer living standard for all and a deterioration in social cohesion, I have food and other stuff laid down to ease my own position should this be so, but it doesn't include a vast arsenal. I expect to be the grayest of the gray and that wont be possible if every one knows what I have, if they did then then that would would defeat my own personal strategies.
So I am paranoid, but that's not a bad thing, it's a good trait to have. I have no intentions what so ever of meeting other preppers even though I know from postings on this forum that there are a fair few with in five or ten miles of me, nothing personal, just the way I am.
Keep posting and if you don't want to post keep lurking (one more of us means means one less of them to worry about if the SHTF), you'll not only learn a lot but you'll also learn that the vast majority of preppers aren't gun totting maniacs, not in the UK at least. In fact paranoid or not you'll find we're mostly the most sane people on the net, or at least I think so.
I prep for two things, the short term personal emergency. Local power cut, village being cut off due to bad weather, roof blowing off my house etc.
Longer term I'm expecting a poorer living standard for all and a deterioration in social cohesion, I have food and other stuff laid down to ease my own position should this be so, but it doesn't include a vast arsenal. I expect to be the grayest of the gray and that wont be possible if every one knows what I have, if they did then then that would would defeat my own personal strategies.
So I am paranoid, but that's not a bad thing, it's a good trait to have. I have no intentions what so ever of meeting other preppers even though I know from postings on this forum that there are a fair few with in five or ten miles of me, nothing personal, just the way I am.
Keep posting and if you don't want to post keep lurking (one more of us means means one less of them to worry about if the SHTF), you'll not only learn a lot but you'll also learn that the vast majority of preppers aren't gun totting maniacs, not in the UK at least. In fact paranoid or not you'll find we're mostly the most sane people on the net, or at least I think so.
Re: Paranoia
Hi,
thanks for your replies.
I'm just about old enough to remember the power cuts of the 1970's. Don't remember any reports of gangs roaming the streets breaking into shops etc just my family sitting around candles listening to the battery radio. Although there was a UK baby boom 9 months later.
On a few decades and riots and looting do seem to come around every 10 years or so, either due to a perceived fault by the police or natural disaster.
Am myself preparing for power outages. With the rising cost and lack of supply it seems logical to me that something has to give.
So am agreeing with Vespa on his aims but not his paranoia and I guess I'll just have to keep on reading the posts and asking questions on solar power, battery storage, water filtration systems etc.
Thanks
thanks for your replies.
I'm just about old enough to remember the power cuts of the 1970's. Don't remember any reports of gangs roaming the streets breaking into shops etc just my family sitting around candles listening to the battery radio. Although there was a UK baby boom 9 months later.
On a few decades and riots and looting do seem to come around every 10 years or so, either due to a perceived fault by the police or natural disaster.
Am myself preparing for power outages. With the rising cost and lack of supply it seems logical to me that something has to give.
So am agreeing with Vespa on his aims but not his paranoia and I guess I'll just have to keep on reading the posts and asking questions on solar power, battery storage, water filtration systems etc.
Thanks
Re: Paranoia
things are different now to the 1970s, attitudes are different, you'll probably remember the "mark duggan" riots of a few years ago, Police were next to useless and that was just in a few cities, now imagine something similar but on a larger scale and not over some gangster but say food shortages and more widespread. paranoid? some would think so, me, I just like to be prepared for any eventuality.
Adapt or Die, there is no middle ground.
Re: Paranoia
There are some people who are paranoid and call themselves preppers. On the internet, especially youtube videos, the mad people come to the surface and are more viewed than the sane people. Thats the way of the internet and popular media in general. Jerry Springer for instance pulls large crowds, but its just a circus and he confesses that its not a chat show, it is a circus.
People like insane entertainment. In the United States, there is some genuinely scary politics going on and the people amongst those groups are happy to earn big adsense revenue from their youtube videos and flashing off their big sexy AK 47s.
Its a circus.
I, on the other hand, have experienced very serious times without money in the past and that has lead to having little to no food. I don't want to end up there again, so I have food in stock. not much, but enough to help me through a bad time. I want to stock up on "kit" (as my parents call it) that can be used to help me live a healthy life with not much money, eg., sprouters etc.
The learning I am doing about Tofu at the moment is also going to help me have a good and healthy life if and when I am low on finances.
The first aid kit I have purchased has already been useful. No paranoia needed.
When winter comes, I want to stay warm, hence thermal underwear.
No paranoia needed.
There are people who are mental who pick a name for themselves, but why bother to listen to them?
There are things that others are concerned about that just don't worry me at all.
I also hope I am picking up a few skills on the way that might be useful.
People like insane entertainment. In the United States, there is some genuinely scary politics going on and the people amongst those groups are happy to earn big adsense revenue from their youtube videos and flashing off their big sexy AK 47s.
Its a circus.
I, on the other hand, have experienced very serious times without money in the past and that has lead to having little to no food. I don't want to end up there again, so I have food in stock. not much, but enough to help me through a bad time. I want to stock up on "kit" (as my parents call it) that can be used to help me live a healthy life with not much money, eg., sprouters etc.
The learning I am doing about Tofu at the moment is also going to help me have a good and healthy life if and when I am low on finances.
The first aid kit I have purchased has already been useful. No paranoia needed.
When winter comes, I want to stay warm, hence thermal underwear.
No paranoia needed.
There are people who are mental who pick a name for themselves, but why bother to listen to them?
There are things that others are concerned about that just don't worry me at all.
I also hope I am picking up a few skills on the way that might be useful.
reperio a solutio
Resident and Co-Ordinator of AREA 2
Area 2 = Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Bucks
Resident and Co-Ordinator of AREA 2
Area 2 = Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Bucks
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Hamradioop
- Posts: 2089
- Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:21 am
- Location: Area 1: north wessex
Re: Paranoia
A lot of those people at the 100 Prepper met are not necessarily preppers. Some are outdoors men/ Bushcrafters/ wild campers and at least one Radio ham. the video can be seen here:
“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.” ― Edward R. Murrow
"Remember Politicians are like babies diapers they both need changing often for the very same reason" - Mark Twain
If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal.
"Remember Politicians are like babies diapers they both need changing often for the very same reason" - Mark Twain
If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal.
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featherstick
- Posts: 1124
- Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2014 9:09 pm
Re: Paranoia
nickdutch wrote:There are some people who are paranoid and call themselves preppers. On the internet, especially youtube videos, the mad people come to the surface and are more viewed than the sane people. Thats the way of the internet and popular media in general. Jerry Springer for instance pulls large crowds, but its just a circus and he confesses that its not a chat show, it is a circus.
People like insane entertainment. In the United States, there is some genuinely scary politics going on and the people amongst those groups are happy to earn big adsense revenue from their youtube videos and flashing off their big sexy AK 47s.
Its a circus.
I, on the other hand, have experienced very serious times without money in the past and that has lead to having little to no food. I don't want to end up there again, so I have food in stock. not much, but enough to help me through a bad time. I want to stock up on "kit" (as my parents call it) that can be used to help me live a healthy life with not much money, eg., sprouters etc.
The learning I am doing about Tofu at the moment is also going to help me have a good and healthy life if and when I am low on finances.
The first aid kit I have purchased has already been useful. No paranoia needed.
When winter comes, I want to stay warm, hence thermal underwear.
No paranoia needed.
There are people who are mental who pick a name for themselves, but why bother to listen to them?
There are things that others are concerned about that just don't worry me at all.
I also hope I am picking up a few skills on the way that might be useful.
What Nick said.
Plus my own bits - prepping for me is ot about the zombie hordes, it's about increasing my self-reliance. This includes such things as growing my own veg, fixing things, making other things, and not being completely reliant on external inputs. I'm a long, long way from where I'd like to be, but every little helps - this morning I put my squash plants outside to start hardening off, with a bit of luck we'll be eating our own stored squash well into 2015.