Common Myths About Preppers

Myths BUSTED – Don’t Believe What They’re Saying!

(ModernSurvival.org) – Preppers have gotten a lot of flak in the past, often called paranoid and worse. Shows like Doomsday Preppers haven’t helped public perception, either. These TV shows shine a spotlight on individuals who are truly the most extreme outliers of the prepper community. In fact, for most real preppers, the term “doomsday prepper” is offensive (and they wouldn’t be caught dead giving away their secrets on national television).

The truth is, there are many myths about preppers out there. Here are a few:

Preppers are Paranoid

The most common argument against embracing a prepper lifestyle is, “You’re just being paranoid.” Preppers are actually far less prone to fear than the average person because they are prepared to handle an emergency situation. Their investment of time, money and training to face a disaster and survive tend to create confidence rather than paranoia.

Disasters, both large and small, are far more common than most people think. Learning how to handle an emergency isn’t being paranoid; it’s having a realistic view of the world.

Preppers are Hoarders

Anyone who has watched a Hollywood production on prepping has surely seen giant stockpiles with years’ worth of food and enough guns to arm a small army. This is far from normal. The average prepper may have emergency food and self-defense tools stashed away, but very few people have the funding to purchase a decade’s worth of supplies.

Most preppers have a stockpile large enough to get them through a few weeks in an emergency, but they tend to focus on the skills necessary to survive, should a situation become severe. Remember, Hollywood looks for the most sensational and extreme examples they can find to boost ratings.

Every Prepper Has a Hidden Bunker

Sure, a lot of preppers would love to have a hidden bunker in the woods to retreat to if SHTF, but these are extremely expensive. First, a prepper would need to have property capable of hiding the bunker, and then there is constructing the bunker itself. The price tag for such an endeavor is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Just like the hoarding myth, very few preppers can afford the luxury of a hidden bomb shelter.

All Preppers Are Obsessed With “Doomsday”

Yes, the term “the end of the world as we know it” (TEOTWAWKI) gets tossed around a lot in prepper circles. However, it is generally in a joking manner. Sure, peppers exist who are obsessed with a nuclear apocalypse or a comet wiping out civilization, but the average prepper is more concerned with surviving a winter storm, house fire, or natural disaster.

More concerning is the popular thought that preppers actually want the world to end. While preppers do prepare to survive the worst, they never want to see it happen. No one in their right mind wants to see society collapse, leading to the deaths of millions of people. A true SHTF scenario would be a nightmare that even the most well-prepared would be hard-pressed to survive.

Embracing the prepper lifestyle isn’t about paranoia, hoarding, bunkers or doomsday scenarios. It’s about being ready to face any kind of emergency and come out of it alive. For most, prepping is simply another form of insurance — worth investing in, even if you hope never to have to use it.

For more information on the threats that real preppers prepare for, check out our article on the 95/5 rule.

~Here’s to Your Survival!