# The Line Between Prepper and Crazy. Where is that line?



## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

I discovered the entirety of Doomsday Preppers season 1 posted on YouTube. I am going to refrain from posting any kind of link because I suspect they are not legally posted there.

Anyhow, watching some of these people really makes me question where the line between prepper and crazy rests. In watching this show, a lot of the people seem perfectly 'normal' and have families, jobs, and lives. Other people are just a little eccentric, yet others totally fit the hoarder or 'loose cannon' profile. Then you have these folks who are prepping for very specific events that are extremely unlikely to ever occur. They uproot their family to keep them safe from this type of event and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars prepping that goes beyond any kind of reasonable logic. 

What do you guys think? Where is the line between crazy and prepper?


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## Apocalypse (Aug 14, 2012)

When you run out of money.


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## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

Absolutely. I think spending all your money on prepping is a really bad decision. 

I think organization of preps can be a real indicator as well. A lot of the folks whose food preps are all over the place, poorly stored, not labeled and rotated tend to strike me more as food hoarders than anything else. I think preppers should be highly organized and orchestrated in their activities to be the most effective with their prepping. I cringe seeing people with disorganized junk all over the place. I always think, 'Well that's great you got a lot of stuff, but how are you going to find any of it when TSHTF?'


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## nadja (May 1, 2012)

On another site I am on, those people advertise for people to sign up with them to be on tv. First of all, they have all almost had trouble from Aunt you know who since then. I would avoid posting anything in relation to them in any way. I would't even make comments if I were you. Mum is the word !


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## PrepperRecon.com (Aug 1, 2012)

Preppermama, I agree, a lot of people have created their own personal shtf moment by getting into debt preparing for something that may or may not happen. Preppers are "insuring" themselves against disaster by prepping. No one would go into debt to buy heath, home or auto insurance, but some people seem to lose that perception in prepping. Additionally, the fringe wing nuts make better TV ratings.


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## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

I personally question why some of these people would even go on the show.

A. Everyone knows where you live once the show airs, effectively throwing your anonymity to the wind.
B. People know in detail most of your preps. When TSHTF, guess whose house they're heading to: YOURS!
C. Your secret bunker location isn't so secret anymore, inviting extra guests and unwanted looters. 
D. The government is going to red flag you and start monitoring your activities. Lots of preppers have had issues since going on the show. 

Some of the preppers on the show actually made me cringe with their preps: 
- People storing 100s of small propane cylinders inside their house and sleeping quarters. If one of those propane seals were to fail, you could kill your whole family in the blink of an eye. Propane should never be stored in living quarters like that. 
- Bunkers with only one exit. What happens when the main door freezes shut or outsiders get mad at you and block your door from being able to open. That's a death sentence for your whole family. 
- The couple who had allegedly buried $30K in silver around their yard. HELLO? You're advertising this on national television. That's an invitation for people to come rob you.
- Running generators without proper ventilation. There seems to be a whole fringe of people who own generators, but have no idea how to properly use them. I suspect if TSHTF for real, there would be a large number of people dieing off from carbon monoxide exposure as the result of improper generator ventilation. Happens at least once a year here in Maine.
- The anti-gun preppers who think they're gonna be able to bug in or bug out and survive without weapons. I don't go camping in a normal state of affairs without a gun because it's easy to be robbed or attacked by an animal in the north woods. Those people will be the first to go.


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## WVTactics (Mar 26, 2012)

To be honest what if those shows reach out to people, get all of there information, SHTF, ROB THEM!!! It sound logical to me.


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## Watercanlady (Jul 23, 2012)

There are a lot of people out there who think anyone who stores more than a weeks worth of food has already crossed the line onto the crazy side.


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## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

Watercanlady said:


> There are a lot of people out there who think anyone who stores more than a weeks worth of food has already crossed the line onto the crazy side.


That's actually an excellent point. I guess 'crazy' is in the eye of the beholder.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

well i dont worry about a lot of the variable im very quiet about being a prepper, but from my position stress being prepared. i have 2 community meetings a year, push bug out backs and being prepared for 2 weeks. as we are in earthquake land. but i wou,dnt go on tv if i was that paranoid digging holes in the ground , and i wish i could. lol some preppers are over the edge. i saw one show a gal was right nect to the capitol could even see it from living room windo. i mean shes close. she had rooms full of crap. is she serious? thats the first place the gobmint will take over she is in bad shape beign right next to the captiol martial law ground zero! some people just dont think. she says she bought there so she can watch the government. best place to watch the gubmint is from the hills, through binoculars. lol


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

So, you are saying that prepping is only a matter of hoarding a specific sort of items? :grin:


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## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

Which statement are you responding to, Denton?


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

preppermama said:


> Which statement are you responding to, Denton?


Beats me, just the question in general. I had a thought run through my mind and I shared it.
Any idea how many times that get me in trouble each and every day? :shock:
:grin:


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## nadja (May 1, 2012)

Only you can decide what you need of what and how much. When you ask other people a question like this, you are only going to get more confused. Everyone's specific needs and fears are different. 

Here is an example: Me, I think I would have to say , that my greatest fear at the moment is total economic collapse. But, should that turn around, then my next greatest fear would have to be a super large solar flare that would take the entire grid down for years to come. Pretty much the same result. But again, everyone is prepping for something different. 

Now, were I living in the greater L.A. area, my greatest fear would shift to a super earthquake and being able to get out of the basin as fast as possible. So Crazy ? so what, don't tell people what your prepping for or how much you have put away. Especially don't talk to your neighbors and friends about it. Should you do that, the "I know where to go now " mentality comes into play for a lot of un preparred people. You do not want that.


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## Watercanlady (Jul 23, 2012)

I guess I like to be a little crazy at times....


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## WoadWarrior (Oct 10, 2012)

I think the real difference occurs when you forget why you are prepping. Or more importantly, when your prepping doesn't match your reasons. For example: for a Government gone crazy... you prep with 5 assault rifles and 2000 rounds of ammo. Natural disaster... you prep with 5 assault rifles and 2000 rounds of ammo. Economic collapse... you prep with 5 assault rifles and 2000 rounds of ammo... oh... and some twinkies. Basically... your prepping should match some type of reality for your situation. 

Here's an example reason to always have a 72 hr BOB ready: I live in Colorado Springs... and in case you guys missed it in the news... he had a fire here a few months ago. It started outside of town in the mountains but quickly spread into town... yes... I said INTO town. We lost over 450 homes and had two deaths in about a 24 hour period. I spoke to one of my friends afterward and he explained that while in "pre-evacuation", they were given two hours to grab what they could from home and split. 10 minutes later... sirens and loud speakers demanded their immediate departure. My friend and his family ran out of the house with only what was in their hands, got in their car and watched their neighbors house start to burn in their rear view mirror as they drove away (luckily for them... they only had external structural damage, broken windows from the intense heat, and a smoke filled house. That being said... assault rifles and vast stores of food wouldn't have helped them. And unfortunately... they didn't have a BOB... no extra clothes... no food... but they had photo albums and important papers and friends they could get to. 

Weapons, alternative power sources, off-road vehicles, food stores, medicines, etc... all have a place in prepping.... The question is: Why do you have them? If you can justify them and truly understand why you need them (and don't make your family suffer in the process of getting them), then you are probably a prepper. If you collect crap... just to have the best or most crap... then you've probably crossed the line. Besides... it's like your living room furniture... if TSHTF... can you really take it all with you when it comes time to split?


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## WoadWarrior (Oct 10, 2012)

preppermama said:


> I discovered the entirety of Doomsday Preppers season 1 posted on YouTube.


Hmm... I couldn't find episode 12. Drat.


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## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

I think it got taken down. It was up the other day.


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## WVprepper (Jun 28, 2012)

Do what you can when you can.. We have to live now too.


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## Apocalypse (Aug 14, 2012)

That's why I just have a BOB. I workout with it 4-5 times a week to get used to the weight and make it as light as possible. If a SHTF moment arises, I just simply grab it and go immediately. 

It's a one time investment so rather than spending "X" amount of money, you just do it once and won't have to worry about going overboard.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

I have about 1 month of food in the house, 2 bob bags. a few guns for my sporting family enjoyment  and ammo...
out of town a safe house with hand tools, guns ammo, seeds, how to books and water. its high desert, land and environment not sustainable long term but it allows , me a pressure break to think what next.

i think ammo will be more valuable than gold. its the gold boullion. should it go on quite a while or other variables. she with the gun makes the rules. she with the gun and ammo continues to make the rules. 

if i owned land it would be different. i have a garden and do more self sufficient supplying as a life style, not a fear. my deal is social melt down.


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## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

They actually had a rapture prepper on Hoarders last week. It's episode 71, Lynda. The episode is streaming on the AETV website here: Watch Hoarders Full Episodes & Video Online - aetv.com

There was zero organization of her preparations and as the therapists worked through things with her, they figured out that Lynda was really just using God as an excuse to cover up her hoarding behaviors.

BTW - I don't think hoarders are crazy, they just need some help getting back on the healthy path. My dad is a disorganized prepper/hoarder, which I guess is where my fascination with the line between what's OK and what's not originates.


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## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

shotlady said:


> I have about 1 month of food in the house, 2 bob bags. a few guns for my sporting family enjoyment  and ammo...
> out of town a safe house with hand tools, guns ammo, seeds, how to books and water. its high desert, land and environment not sustainable long term but it allows , me a pressure break to think what next.
> 
> i think ammo will be more valuable than gold. its the gold boullion. should it go on quite a while or other variables. she with the gun makes the rules. she with the gun and ammo continues to make the rules.
> ...


Our preps are right on par with yours, shotlady, except I own my land in a rural place. My goal is to have 6 months of food supplies on hand to potentially get us through a winter if the SHTF in October. I will definitely stop my food preps there.

I actually think survival in a SHTF scenario is 70% brains, 10% physical ability, and 10% stuff. For that reason I prep skills before stuff.

I agree with you that ammo will be more valuable than gold and silver. I think a lot of items will fall into that category. Stuff like gas, butter, sugar, winter jackets, stuff that can't be produced or grown locally.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

its so nice to have rual land isnt it.
i totally agree with you life is 10% skill- which is learned and 90% of you bringing it! one isnt any good with out the other!
i have ten thousand million things right now as i have 20 gift bags going to send to my sons company for xmas. things have to post marked by 10/25 to get there in time for xmas! so my house looks like im a crazy woman. 20 tooth pastes, 2 wet wipes, etc... all is organized. but id still hate for a person to peak in and think im nuts!


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## Watercanlady (Jul 23, 2012)

Shotlady, thank your son for his service...... I know when our son was in Iraq I sent huge boxes and boxes and boxes... He said mom the guys love when I get a box. I sent tons of stuff for him to share with all of them. Similar items to yours, other items were eye drops, candy, homemade cookies, I packed the cookies in tins with popcorn and he said they loved the popcorn even stale. I told him it was just for packing... He said tasted pretty darn good....


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## nadja (May 1, 2012)

ShotLady and others. You can sometimes purchase rural land, that is with no improvements for very little down. IF you were for instance to come up to this area, you could probably buy a very remote 40 acres for as little as $5,000.00 down. From there, you could maybe bring in a shipping container (conex) and stow it in a hidden area and then you could possibly stock it with much needed "later" items. There would be a lot of options at that point.


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## Lucky Jim (Sep 2, 2012)

preppermama said:


> ..where the line between prepper and crazy rests?..


It's fine to have a healthy interest in survival, but if it becomes a crazy obsession it might not be healthy at all..
If we divide preppers into a scale of five like this-

1- Hardcore devoted prepper
2-Seriously into prepping
3- Healthy interest in prepping
4- Some interest in prepping
5- Low key interest in prepping

I'd rate myself about '3 -healthy interest', which means I keep my fridge and kitchen cupboards well-stocked with enough food and fresh water to last me at least a couple of weeks when a disaster hits, tiding me over til I can figger out what's going on and plan my next move.(the *PLAY IT BY EAR *strategy).
I also have the usual collection of multi-tool knives, a compass, pocket telescope, pocket radio, maps, tents and camping gear etc, and always keep an eye out for new items and backups.
On my current wanted list is a clockwork radio and night vision monocular.
I've also got a small collection of survival books and videos which I'm always adding to, for example I'm currently reading Bear Gryll's autobiog from which I'm getting some great tips on survival mindset..


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## Watercanlady (Jul 23, 2012)

I would rate myself as a 3 also. I like to can my own home grown items for taste and no preservatives.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

im a 3 lucky!

thank you watercanlady! i have two marines. i shall thank him.
its horrible to say this. but i know the supply trucks get hit and the kids over there are on mre rations and pretty close to starved. this is horrible to say. but its my truth... if it comes down to saving his ass if hes in a dicey situation. i want it to be a yes... so the other kids will keep getting great boxes. wheres theres a bradley, theres boxes from my sport bike group, blue star moms, uso, and mom boxes... as well as from his wife, other parental units and grandparents. i am saturating his ass and his platoon that is has to over flow and make him a known goody source. and hes a genourous kid i know hes sharing when i send one for just him. but we make sure the whole platoon gets boxes regularly. its in everyones best interests that kid makes it back to camp everynight and ultimately home.

i need. i need... more than anything else in the world for that baby to come home. he is my heart and he is why i breathe.


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## rob (Dec 5, 2012)

"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake."

I may be booted from this forum for saying this, but, I don't care if the world around me feels I'm crazy. After killing everything he touched, the general population voted to reelect Obama. The collection of our smartest humans world wide, the UN, has an ambassador to space aliens. I'm not kidding, either. She is an astrophysicist named Mazlan Othman. There are dozens of politicans demanding civil rights of marriage to homosexuals. The Weather Channel can't accurately tell me if it will rain next week, but they want me to believe that if I don't buy a hybred, they can tell me what the weather will be in 100 years? Are these the people I am suppose to emulate? How about the fellow who said earier this week that if the NFL giant football player didn't have a gun, his petite girlfriend could never have been murdered? We live in a world that has taken a Sunday afternoon drive into the Twilight Zone, and if they feel that I don't think like them, they may be on to something, there. The world and I may have to agree to disagree on which of us is crazy. BTW, I had a couple assignments that require evaluation, and I did pass.


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## WVprepper (Jun 28, 2012)

We make small purchases most of the time, and a larger ones once and awhile.. We don't spend everything we got on preps.. I do look at things all the time on the net to learn new things.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Does not really madder what others think. Our life our hard earned resources that go into it. Anyone that can not see we are headed for a break down needs to open their eyes.
I know we will be secure, we will eat stay warm and dry. We will be around long after many are not. 
Last if there is nothing to prepare for then explain why does FEMA has their tails covered.
http://coldwar-ma.com/Fema_Bunker.html


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## Mainzer (Nov 10, 2012)

*I view prepping like I view insurance. I carry car insurance, home owners insurance, etc., etc....but the process of researching and buying it doesn't "consume" me nor is it the subject of many conversations with others. Actually, I don't think my house will burn down or that my car will be totaled. Likewise, I don't think a "major survival situation" is imminent (ask me again a year from now). However anything CAN happen and when I least expect it so I keep my eyes open, my ear to the ground, my lager full and my weapon cleaned.*alettewoodenboxes:


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## Sr40ken (Nov 21, 2012)

I think the line is fluid. It depends on the scenario. I prepare for several. I have my home here in the city and we have 120 acre in a rural area(200 mile trek) also access to rule property 500 miles away. I think we prepare for natural disasters and economical/gvmt failure. Maybe a combination of gvmt and natural disater. Will we have full transportation as we know it or will we be on foot? Too many varibles to put "the line" on one spot.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Rob we would find much to agree on. Some logic in the statement when I find everyone in agreement with me it is time to rethink my position


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## rob (Dec 5, 2012)

Smitty901, we live in a very stupid world were those praised for their genuis are about as dumb as bricks. I wish they would issue patches that I could sew on my shirts with honor that read, "We in Washington and the UN object to whatever this guy thinks". I would have it printed on my business cards. I would get a signeture thing under my posts and brag about their disapproval of me. I would be able to say with pride that my critics are some of the dumbest people to have been born.


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## Alpha-17 (Nov 16, 2012)

Wait, there's a difference? :shock:


Seriously, line is when you start causing harm to yourself or others. Short of that, don't see any need to tell people how to prep.


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## Jazzman (Jun 8, 2012)

shotlady said:


> I have about 1 month of food in the house, 2 bob bags. a few guns for my sporting family enjoyment  and ammo...
> out of town a safe house with hand tools, guns ammo, seeds, how to books and water. its high desert, land and environment not sustainable long term but it allows , me a pressure break to think what next.
> 
> i think ammo will be more valuable than gold. its the gold boullion. should it go on quite a while or other variables. she with the gun makes the rules. she with the gun and ammo continues to make the rules.
> ...


 Ahhh yess , the "gold bullion question" , next time you run into some clown that runs on and on in nauseating fashion about gold just ask 'em how they're gonna chew it..........you are correct , ammunition will be a much more viable form of trade goods , as will alcohol,tobacco, chocolate , coffee , extra antibiotics and other medical supplies etc.

A word on something though , many locales within the High Desert are much more viable long term than it appears at first blush , all one needs is the education as regards the environment and the grit to apply it , keeping mind that the term " High Desert" is a catch-all term covering a wide variety of terrain , Lone Pine..Whitney area is not Death Valley is not The Great Basin is Not the Mojave etc.etc....

Don't know where your bugout locale is but topo and terrain maps will prove advantageous as will intimate knowledge of the available flora and fauna , natural water sources and how to locate them etc.etc.


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## Jazzman (Jun 8, 2012)

rob said:


> "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake."
> 
> I may be booted from this forum for saying this, but, I don't care if the world around me feels I'm crazy. After killing everything he touched, the general population voted to reelect Obama. The collection of our smartest humans world wide, the UN, has an ambassador to space aliens. I'm not kidding, either. She is an astrophysicist named Mazlan Othman. There are dozens of politicans demanding civil rights of marriage to homosexuals. The Weather Channel can't accurately tell me if it will rain next week, but they want me to believe that if I don't buy a hybred, they can tell me what the weather will be in 100 years? Are these the people I am suppose to emulate? How about the fellow who said earier this week that if the NFL giant football player didn't have a gun, his petite girlfriend could never have been murdered? We live in a world that has taken a Sunday afternoon drive into the Twilight Zone, and if they feel that I don't think like them, they may be on to something, there. The world and I may have to agree to disagree on which of us is crazy. BTW, I had a couple assignments that require evaluation, and I did pass.


 Oh boy.

Your seriously think that Romney would be much different from O'Bummer? If so then you're deluded , and insofar as it goes what business is it of yours who wants to marry who? Are you another who wishes to constrain " civil rights " for all those save yourself? Gonna hand us chapter and verse from Leviticus next? If so you're due for a bit of a surprise.

See Freedom and Liberty are for *A L L* moral and ethical individuals , not just for the indoctrinated who subscribe to the notion of a given Theocracy and oriented towards the perpetuation of same , perhaps you would find it advantageous to the development of your mindset to explore the concept of Z.A.P./N.A.P.? Unless of course you'd rather be resident within the herds of mindlessly bleating sheep who actually believe that there is any sort of difference in the two major abusive political "parties" and wish to follow in mindlessly bleating indoctrinated lockstep within said framework , shuffling along behind the figureheads like something from Orwell's Animal Farm reciting the equivalent of " two legs baaaaaaddd, four legs good."......


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## Sr40ken (Nov 21, 2012)

Alpha-17 said:


> Wait, there's a difference? :shock:
> 
> Seriously, line is when you start causing harm to yourself or others. Short of that, don't see any need to tell people how to prep.


Very well said!


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## crystalphoto (Nov 8, 2012)

Watercanlady said:


> There are a lot of people out there who think anyone who stores more than a weeks worth of food has already crossed the line onto the crazy side.


I've found that it's not bad being crazy.


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## rob (Dec 5, 2012)

"Your seriously think that Romney would be much different from O'Bummer?"

I feel that Romney would probably not be good. Obama has proven to be a disaster. Which is worse. With Romney, you at least have a chance that he'll be better. Perhaps you didn't notice that as far as questioning their sanity, I didn't say anything about those who voted for Obama in 2008. They were merely wrong. That's not crazy. Seeing first hand that he is intent on tanking the economy and socializing everything he can get his mitts on, and voting again for him would be like a fellow who everytime he eats chocolate suffers severe stomach pains resulting in hospitalization, yet, everytime anyone offers some chocolate he just fills his face, anyway. It's the same thinking pattern behind drug addiction. Imagine some asks him which one he wants, chocolate or strawberries? Strawberries might give him a rash. If he picks strawberries he is taking a chance that he will be allergic to strawberries. There is no promise that he can safely eat strawberries, but if he eats chocolate, he knows how that story will end, and it ain't pretty.


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## Jazzman (Jun 8, 2012)

rob said:


> "Your seriously think that Romney would be much different from O'Bummer?"
> 
> I feel that Romney would probably not be good. Obama has proven to be a disaster. Which is worse. With Romney, you at least have a chance that he'll be better. Perhaps you didn't notice that as far as questioning their sanity, I didn't say anything about those who voted for Obama in 2008. They were merely wrong. That's not crazy. Seeing first hand that he is intent on tanking the economy and socializing everything he can get his mitts on, and voting again for him would be like a fellow who everytime he eats chocolate suffers severe stomach pains resulting in hospitalization, yet, everytime anyone offers some chocolate he just fills his face, anyway. It's the same thinking pattern behind drug addiction. Imagine some asks him which one he wants, chocolate or strawberries? Strawberries might give him a rash. If he picks strawberries he is taking a chance that he will be allergic to strawberries. There is no promise that he can safely eat strawberries, but if he eats chocolate, he knows how that story will end, and it ain't pretty.


 You still not seeing it , they are just two faces of the same coin. O'bummer wants a Socialist State , Romney would have us all as slaves to the ultra-rich.

I'll be selling a kit to cure the ills inside the Beltway soon........for a small sum you'll get your choice of colors in a lamp-post , a brand new length of rope and your choice of politicians.

Repeat as necessary.


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## Mainzer (Nov 10, 2012)

Smitty901 said:


> Rob we would find much to agree on. Some logic in the statement when I find everyone in agreement with me it is time to rethink my position


*Great minds think alike Smitty901....yeah, that scares the dog pucky out of me too!*


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## AsteroidX (Dec 11, 2012)

This has been a bad week for sanity.


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