Im fairly new to this prepper/ survivalist community. I thought of myself as a survivalist, but after reading some American content it seems many are planning for the disaster coming, whatever it may be. On top of that there is, or seems to be the feeling that the government will have somekind of hand in whatever comes. Im planning on a disaster, but dont buy into the theory of governments unleashing , on purpose at least, some kind of mass virus.Or rounding up citizens and placing them into holding facilities. Canadian content seems less intent on "aggressive" survival. So am i a prepper or a survivalist? What makes one not the other? What are you? And why one or the other. I know kind of a loaded open question...but give me the 4-1-1.
Thanks, The Beav.
I love loaded questions. here is one back at you. Is a prepper just storing food and water and a survivalist storing food, water guns, medical, and mentally ready for every thing. ?.
If that's the cases I would be a prepper that would like to be a survivalist but can't afford to be.
and as fare as I can tell from my friends in the USA, they just might have a up rising there of the population when there monetary system screw them over, the population might all get so pissed off they might over through there government get rounded up and put into camps.
"Is a prepper just storing food and water and a survivalist storing food, water guns, medical, and mentally ready for every thing. ?
If that's the cases I would be a prepper that would like to be a survivalist but can't afford to be."
Yes, what you said.
I feel there is a distinction between a prepper and a survivalist, but having said that I also think there is a narrow, blended area as a prepper slips into becoming a survivalist, assuming they set out to evolve in that direction. I am a prepper ... lite. I know I'll never beable to be self-sustaining (gardening, hunting, owning land with its own water) But, short of winning the lottery, I will continue to prepare, in my own small way, to withstand economic downturn, illness, epidemic, unexpected guests, and other minor calamity. I have managed to make BOBs for myself and 2 kids (young adults), created an impressive pantry (to me, at least), bought and started using an Excalibur dehydrator, stored 30 gallons of water, and collected quite an assortment of camping equipment. My home defense is a metal baseball bat and all the rage a middle-aged woman can muster.
Yeah, I'm a lot better off now than I was 6 months ago.
yes, us middle age women can kick ass with a baseball bat. the Excalibur dehydrator, the Cadillac of dehydrators. We can only do what we can do. One can dream of some wealthy persons who has no idea how to plant a seed or build a home and would get together with me and pay to build my sustainable dream life style.
A survivalist is a prepper that has taken steps to protect what they have so diligently and painstakingly prepared. Because really, if you can't defend it than I truly believe someone WILL take it. Why wouldn't they? If it was a question of my children starving to death and I knew the fellow next door was well stocked, well...
But the very term 'Survivalist' has developed into a stereotype that I don't care for.
nice response bitbybit. I think its a little more clear now. yes I guess it all comes down to the means or lengths you'll go to to protect what you have so diligently worked at. I guess Im a prepper but can easily seemyself as a survivalist as well. with kids relying on me, i cant have what ive worked for just taken away. Most importantly when it matters most. Thanks for the response.
The Beav
"Is a prepper just storing food and water and a survivalist storing food, water guns, medical, and mentally ready for every thing. ?
If that's the cases I would be a prepper that would like to be a survivalist but can't afford to be."Yes, what you said.
I feel there is a distinction between a prepper and a survivalist, but having said that I also think there is a narrow, blended area as a prepper slips into becoming a survivalist, assuming they set out to evolve in that direction. I am a prepper ... lite. I know I'll never beable to be self-sustaining (gardening, hunting, owning land with its own water) But, short of winning the lottery, I will continue to prepare, in my own small way, to withstand economic downturn, illness, epidemic, unexpected guests, and other minor calamity. I have managed to make BOBs for myself and 2 kids (young adults), created an impressive pantry (to me, at least), bought and started using an Excalibur dehydrator, stored 30 gallons of water, and collected quite an assortment of camping equipment. My home defense is a metal baseball bat and all the rage a middle-aged woman can muster.
Yeah, I'm a lot better off now than I was 6 months ago.
Fortunately I foresaw the upcoming problems (still foreseeing what hasn´t come up so far of course),
or maybe I was just lucky but I did install some solar etc. years ago - not because it was so fashionable,
just because I wanted t be "off-grid" - survivalism as a hobby was, well, always fascinating but rather
something you would want to read about rather than do yourself.
Now from that point of view, am I closer to a prepper or what ? I think it´s just a term,
I am not expecting everything to go down SOO swiftly nor do I see anyone spreading viruses
(even radical islamists ain´t that crazy - they are actually quite intelligent, apart from the
religious stuff which is of course their way of drawing in their soldiery).
Naw, I just expect serious food shortage problems and some civil rioting maybe,
also of course thievery will be on the rise - I have been watching that already.
I am surprised to hear about baseball bats, I would never dare using one as a weapon
against someone who is in any way seriously aggressive... I always thought we Europeans
were the ones forbidden to buy weaponry but everybody here has a shotgun (hunting of course)
and I have a "nine" with man-stopping ammo, spare mags, defensive stuff and some serious stabbing gear,
night vision and more - maybe I am neither survivalist nor prepper,
could it be I am just being paranoid ? Call this my hobby so far.
But they all told me I was paranoid when I bought the solar panels -
right now all that is really occurring over here is
"a guy with a good job and no debt walks into a supermarket to buy a Sony Play Station
on credit and they turn him down".
A friend told me that happened to an acquaintance of his and he was really, what ?
Astonished !
Can you believe it ? 🙄
Of course - this is just the beginning.
Something to think about.
Just this weekend I was working in the yard on an old tractor that I've had lying around for a while. I look up and here comes two guys walking down my driveway like they own the place. Their truck has run out of fuel and they need some diesel to get going again. The manner in which they approached me in my yard surprised me and my guard went up. I said no to the fuel and they would need a mechanic to get the truck running.
Then one said the oddest thing: "That tractor is EMP proof. That's good to know." They soon left but not before taking a good look around as they did.
A coyote ate my best mouser the other day and I'm gunning for him. So my SKS was sitting on the tailgate. They saw that too and I'll admit I'm surprised at how ballsy the two were. So much for Opsec.
When you live this close to the USA, its best to prepare for any thing. In Ontario Canada we pay a crazy amount of money for our hydro power, so off grid is cheaper. We are still paying down the dept when the build the nuclear power before I was born. The insane world we live in.
Hmmm ...well I am prepping for survival ... I guess both! No guns and ammo, but everything else including security is under serious scrutiny.
The way I look at it, a Survivalist is someone who is prepping to survive a disaster and a Prepper is someone who wants to survive a disaster by prepping.
I may be way off base here but I think that the term prepper came about because of those of us who practiced survivalism but didn't want to be lumped in with the stereotypical militant image. I know I was prepping when we were still refered to as survivalists. I also know that even though I have guns, I am not a militant type. People thought of survivalists as sneaking around in the woods all done up in camo gear but they don't think of preppers that way. The funny thing is, I did used to sneak around the woods dressed in camo gear and an assault rifle but I was in the army at the time and it was my job.
I think people have an image that immediately comes to mind when you say survivalist and a different image when you say prepper. The difference is only in the individual perspective. But hey, what do I know.
Those who are unwilling to defend freedom, will become unfree.
Unfortunately, I agree with your point of view on the stereotype. In my view, prepping IS survivalism. We PREP to SURVIVE whatever comes our way. However, the general n has that image of militant, gun toting, redneck survivalists. All in all, if you are a prepper, you are a survivalist...just with a nicer, more socially acceptable name.
I am a prepper hoping not to, but ready to, become a survivalist
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on" T. Jefferson
A survivalist and a prepper are one in the same to varying degrees.
They are both trying to acheive the same thing.
I see myself less as a prepper or a survivalist and more as a realist. Like the squirrels in the back yard, I'm just trying to keep my head down, my ass up, and hide my nuts. If I have to beat anybody up in the process that would by really unfortunate because my wife, aka the 'heathenwench' will have at them after I run up the tree. Look out. 👿 But I have the last word in our house. She says 'come out from under that bed' and I say 'NO'. 😆