When did you realize 'prepping' was mainstream?

[DarkLight]

I've been slowly transitioning from the 'must have now' mentality that I used to have where I would put something on credit and live beyond my means if necessary to one of a more...sustainable and within my means lifestyle over the last several years. That has included adopting some of the prepper mentality if you will but it has really struck me recently that prepping has become mainstream.

I know we've talked about the shows on the discovery channel (Doomsday Preppers and the like) but things like that still paint people as fringe and wacko and nut-jobs. When it REALLY hit me was when I was looking at one of the catalogs we got in the mail today and I saw a backyard chicken coop, a backyard beehive and modular raised bed gardens. Now the gardens weren't new for this particular catalog but the coop and beehive were absolutely recent additions.

The reason these additions stuck out was because it was a Williams Sonoma catalog!

[Echo2]

JohnBoy and Billy had a fellow on this morning....speaking of prepping.

[4suchatimeasthis]

Sams Club...I got my catalog last week and saw this (http://www.samsclub.com/sams/augason-farms-ultimate-emergency-food-storage-kit-1-year-1-person/prod5440207.ip)

freakin' Sams Club. If that's not mainstream, I don't know what is!

[2die4]

Sams Club...I got my catalog last week and saw this (http://www.samsclub.com/sams/augason-farms-ultimate-emergency-food-storage-kit-1-year-1-person/prod5440207.ip)

freakin' Sams Club. If that's not mainstream, I don't know what is! Hurricane Sandy woke people up and businesses are capitalizing on that. Or playing on the Mayan end of the world fears. It will be interesting regardless, to see how much prepping items will be mainstream come the new year.

[Echo2]

Hurricane Sandy woke people up and businesses are capitalizing on that. Or playing on the Mayan end of the world fears. It will be interesting regardless, to see how much prepping items will be mainstream come the new year.

They'll forget pretty soon.

[2die4]

They'll forget pretty soon.

I hate to agree with you on that one but you're right there buddy.

[Echo2]

9/11....Katrina....etc...

[rentprop1]

9/11....Katrina....etc...


what have you heard on Japan recently ?????...you know that Sendai airport is about half finished ?? something about that Asian work ethic

[Echo2]

Haiti.....Cuba....wasn't there a volcanic eruption not long ago?

[Grumpy Old Man]

IIt's a fad! In 6 months there will be folks with a lot of goods,but no skills. Knowledge will be a viable commodity

[prepguide]

I'm going to take a different tack by saying that I personally don't believe that prepping has gone mainstream. There is certainly a rise in awareness of prepping, more people are stocking up on a few things here and there and yes there is a very small number (compared to the total population) who are getting serious about it however...Those with an entitlement mentality FAR outnumber us and until that paradigm shifts the other way then prepping isn't mainstream in my opinion.

Even among those who are adding more to their pantry and gun cabinets how many of them are in the correct mindset of training with their equipment, reaching out to others of like mind, improving their physical health, learning new skills and so on? To me the proper mindset is the one essential resource that is required to truly be a prepper, not just having a huge stockpile of "stuff".

My .02 worth

[Sniper-T]

It's a fad. After Dec 22 comes and goes, sheeple will laugh at themselves (haa baa haa baa), and will start bombarding kijiji with their preps. Same as they did after the millenium, and after every blizzard. Stores around here had to put a "no return" policy on shovels, because people would buy then before/during a storm, and then take them back 2 days later after the snow was moved. :rolleyes:

[Echo2]

I'm meeting a fellow this Sunday to see haw far he wants to take his preps for his family....I'll let you know how it goes.

[Gunfixr]

I didn't realize prepping was mainstream.

Businesses market what they think will sell. All they care about is profit, which is, after all, what running a business is about, so that's no surprise.
They pay folks big money to figure out what will sell, and then they sell it.

The Mayan calendar thing, Doomsday Preppers, etc. means people will be buying "preps", so stores are selling "preps". As I'm sure we all know, prepping is a lifestyle, not something you buy. While buying supplies is a good thing, and certainly doesn't hurt, it doesn't make you a prepper.
No more than buying a piano makes you a musician, to quote someone more knowledgeable than myself.

[msomnipotent]

When my mother started bitching about it. My parents are usually 10 years behind the curve, so if she knows about it, everyone does. She is even starting to utilize this thing called the internet now.

[helomech]

I can't wait for all the good deals after Christmas.

[Jimmy24]

I can't wait for all the good deals after Christmas.

Shoot, like I said in another thread, wait till 12/22/12...ebay and Craigs List will be full of deals...Christmas gifts to ourselves....

Jimmy

[Gunfixr]

After this shooting, I've seen some things that are trying to make preppers in a bad light.

We need to be vigilant, both for OPSEC, and to not encourage the bad image that the media may/will try to put on us.

[msomnipotent]

After this shooting, I've seen some things that are trying to make preppers in a bad light.

We need to be vigilant, both for OPSEC, and to not encourage the bad image that the media may/will try to put on us.


My daughter opened her mouth at school yesterday, so now I wouldn't be surprised if I got a call from the teacher. I had to explain to her that she shouldn't tell people that we have all kinds of things for emergencies in our house and that I buy and sell guns all the time, because I don't! I traded one rifle, and I have one 22 and one 45. That is all. And then she told the teacher about the strap I have in her back pack to keep the door shut, and the flash light and extra money...

Sigh. I have told her several times not to say anything, but she is only 8 years old. I think she understands now, but I will have to figure out a way to do some back pedaling on this. I don't think she could have picked a worse time to blab.

[Sniper-T]

It might raise a few more questions, but...

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h146/frostus27/duct-tape.jpg

;)

lol

[Stormfeather]

MsOmni. . . all easily explainable if they ask, by saying its a fire dept program for safe kids. Most folks pretty much hear that and dismiss it without a second thought. As for the gun stuff, if anyone asks, was getting rid of some inherited of wall hangers.

[msomnipotent]

I asked her again to repeat exactly what she said to the teacher so I knew what to say in the email, and now she will only admit to the belt and money in her back pack. So either she is covering her ass, or I would have looked like a total loon sending an email to her teacher about not selling guns or stockpiling emergency supplies for no reason. I think I will just lay low until the next conference.