You Don't Have to be a "Prepper" to be Prepared

“Prepper” is a strong word with strong connotations attached to it. You might visualize a paranoid bearded man standing in a garage stuffed with canned food and rifles. (That is, of course, a stereotype.) You may be concerned about the state of current events at home and abroad and wonder what you could do to be prepared, but balk at being called a “prepper”. Maybe you just feel so overwhelmed by it all that you don’t know how to start.

You don’t have to stockpile a year’s worth of food, store 5 rain barrels in your backyard or become a gun collector. Although it may sound trite, a great way to treat your preparedness is like a Boy Scout. An anecdote from usscouts.org illustrates this well:

“"Be prepared for what?" someone once asked Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting,

"Why, for any old thing." said Baden-Powell.“

The point of the Boy Scouts is to teach young boys how to be prepared for emergencies and for being productive members of society, not by teaching them how to hoard emergency supplies. Time spent in the organization is intended to imbue them with the knowledge and skill to be mentally and physically prepared for whatever life throws at them.

So why not view your “prepping” like a boy scout? Rather than just stockpiling items (although it is wise to have a small stash of food, water, first aid supplies, etc. on hand,) work on expanding your survival knowledge and skills. Do you know how to pick locks? How to blend into a panicked crowd? Are you prepared to feed yourself and your family without electricity for an extended period of time? Not only will expanding your skills and your knowledge base make you more prepared for an emergency, but you’ll have greater peace of mind that whatever life throws at you, you’ll be able to handle it.

And it’s much harder to be accused of being a paranoid prepper when the main thing you’re hoarding is valuable skills.