What are your reasons for / How did you get into prepping

I think your story may also true for many people. It makes sense to store some goods especially if you save money by doing this. From there it progresses and eventually you realize that you could manage for quite some time if something terrible happened. However I also think that people that start this way probably have a strong self-reliant mindset. I have been prepping so long I can't remember any particular reason why I started, I think I have always done it.
Nearly everyone will have a different reason with possibly a common theme of taking care of their family. There should be some interesting posts, this is a good question to ask crankybull.

Back in the early eighties, when I was in college, I came across a book. I don't remember the authors name or even how I came across the book. I do remember the title though, We Are the Earthquake Generation. I know the author was a geologist and the book was about the authors research and corollation between earthquakes and predictions made by Edgar Cayce. That got me started.
My reasons for continuing are different nowadays but I'm no less serious about it now than I was back then. In fact, I would have to say that I'm far more serious about prepping now than I was then. At that time I didn't have a family, now it's mostly about them.

In 1989, the eastern region got hit with a huge ice storm. Trees were down all over the street, public transit was non-existant in the city, and the power was out for several days. I must admit that I got caught with my pants down. Next to no food on hand, a couple candles, and no radio or anything like that. I promised myself never to be in that situation again. People were leaving refidgerated foods out on their balconies and those that could be reached from the ground lost it all to thieves. I must admit that I was not living in the best area of town either, and it really opened my eyes as to how fast society will degrade when the stores are empty and closed. There was no money to be gotten from the bank machines, no gas being pumped, and if you were lucky enough to find some candles at the local corner store, they were selling for $2.00 a piece, up from .25 just a week earlier! My only saving grace was my gas space heater in the apartment that didn't rely on electricity. There were people dying from using propane BBQ's for heat indoors, and crime went through the roof, as those homes that had alarm systems were now vulnerable. This taught me not only to have supplies on hand, but that the city was no place to be during a crisis. True, the power was out for longer in the rural areas, but I honestly think that it is much safer out here in the sticks. And if I do need to put food outside in a snow bank, at least I know that I only have to worry about 4 legged looters!
It wasn't really hard to make the transition to being a prepper, although I only found out about the mindset and these types of groups about 2 years ago. I simply looked back at how my parents did things when I grew up...gardening, canning, that kind of thing. I asked my parents how things were done when they were young...how my grandparents got by. It was eye opening just how far away from self reliance we have become in just two generations! I know that finding people who lived through the depression is getting more and more difficult, but at least you should be able to find people who were taught by the depression survivors. My mother can remember her father bringing home deer from hunting and my grandmother butchering it in the country kitchen and pressure canning it, not for emergency food, but just to live off day to day. I truly believe that the less one relies on modern conveniences such as weekly (or in some cases daily) trips to the grocery store, or 24/7 access to money from bank machines, the less affected they will be when these things simply aren't there anymore!

Yoyu raised one good point that some people fail to understand or think of in a breakdown situation. Wintertime, if the power is out, food can go out in the snow or put snow/ice in a pot and put it in the fridge. in summer time it is good to have an RV type fridge that works on propane, or drape a metal food box with a wet cloth (keep bottom of cloth in a bowl/pot of water), the evaporation will keep food a little cooler.

It's funny that you mentioned the ice storm... well maybe not funny but my wife was living in Montreal at that time and she lost her hydro for quite a few days (says she enjoyed it...lol). It also reminded me of the big blackout of 2003... I sure wish I had of been more prepared for that!

CrankyBull - I got your message but for some reason can't reply to it. Please email me directly at shaun2479@hotmail.com
Thanks!

I sometimes feel like the odd one out on this but I was just raised this way, My folks and grandparetns just lived what would "now" be considered a prepper lifestyle, Grandparents just called it life, folks called it back to the land living, add in the fact that my hubby and l lived in canadian artic for years including in fly in and fly out zones where you were using the sealift to bring in a full years worth of food in one shot and when we moved down and got the farm, we just kept going from there..

Yoyu raised one good point that some people fail to understand or think of in a breakdown situation. Wintertime, if the power is out, food can go out in the snow or put snow/ice in a pot and put it in the fridge. in summer time it is good to have an RV type fridge that works on propane, or drape a metal food box with a wet cloth (keep bottom of cloth in a bowl/pot of water), the evaporation will keep food a little cooler.

During the ice storm, I froze 2l coke bottles in a snow bank and rotated them into my fridge. I didn't want to put any food on my 1st floor balcony, as food theft from balconies was rampant in my area.

I sometimes feel like the odd one out on this but I was just raised this way, My folks and grandparetns just lived what would "now" be considered a prepper lifestyle, Grandparents just called it life, folks called it back to the land living,

Same here, it was just the way I was raised. My grandparents had a farm and you learned at a young age that if you did not can, dry or pickle everything that you could then you did without. It wasn't until I found this place that I found out there were others like me 😀

About age ten...The dept had reached 3 billion. Gold had just doubled in price to 300$ an ounce. The population was changing from 3.5 billion people when I was born, then to 4 billion. I understood how the exponential function worked so it was obvious that our fate was self distruction. I watched my parents indedted servants to a 25 year morgage for a postage stamp next to other postage stamps. This was normal. Normal people were clearly insane. There was no use living a normal life from that point on.

Not to be overly pessimistic but much of what you say would depend on your definition of "normal". 😕

Earthquake on the coast of BC. Plus grew up on a farm where we canned and put items away for the winter. So in a way I've always done it.

Well, native American roots and about a half dozen others. Camping since age 30 days 😀 Military upbringing. All the opportunities to learn about survival. Air cadets. Cubs as a boy. Had eventually those nuclear drills and had a fully stocked basment. Later in life out west I met local natives, Metis too. Life just evolved this way. Hunting, tracking calling moose, fishin camping. Drinkin scrappin..oh..heh..chasing the gals. 😀
Raised my family on moose meat, deer, bear, beaver. Some beef for change..etc. Got into gardening. Worked a couple farms. Learned all the things a fellow needs to know for self sufficiencies and just kept growing into it. Logging, mining oil field, trucking welding carpentry plumbing.. stayed away from electric..allergic to shocking experiences.
All kinds work over the 50 years or so til early retirement. Started young. Finished high school at 25. Few University courses along the way. Avid reader of many university texts. Self educated. Still learning.
Mechanics, trucking, heavy equipement..cowboyed in the Cariboo one round up, that was enough of that. City jobs, bush jobs..placer gold mining Yukon. Still do a little prospecting.
Stone and wood sculpting for about 30 years on and off. Ceremonial objects for elder etc. Posty. Vast experience. Ran with wolves in Yulon, fed them couple months before I left my 303 at the cabin 😆
Never a problem..cept they ate my buds 4 huskies one moon light Dec night..wow. Fast lunch. Bud was choked.
So 5 offspring and about 8 r 9 grand kids and a couple or three Great Grand kids..all over the country.
Maws soon 87, that's my ol mother. Still hangin in there with me. She wants to die on my land..our land. SO that's how it will play out..no hurry though.
Got my approach and culvert in with a nice pad close to the road. Move back in later to the higher ground..see all over the province from there. Still payin for it. Local outfit did a excellent job too for cost so I kicked a lil bonus there.
Don't know many people yet. Our land lord is a kind soul and helps out with rides to super store since I don't drive yet, no license. So I help out with renovations and other lil jobs, buck fire wood. Be getting that going as able. Get a 4x4 and really get around then.
All my experience paid off big time on site. Was a learning curve with electrical troubles in 5th wheel etc.. but came through just abit rusty after a 3 year stint in an apartment no camping or any getting away.. Was a tough road.
Not going to rehash all the ills of the world or doom n gloom stuff. Don't feel that way. Things always improve even if they can be down right brutal at times. I just trust in a higher order of care than my own knowledge and personal power.
Positive yet realistically aware of the whole global scene and most the behind scenes agendas unfolding. Feel strongly we create our experiences by our thoughts, mind set. Expectations and fears all have a part in our personal success's n failures. Some is meant to teach or harden us to realities for growth.
My camp is outfitted with solar pv and generator, lumber, tools, tools tools..gave over to my son so he can start prepping. Replacing things. As I said may go get it if sonny isn't ready to face facts yet.
Life is good here. 😀 Be well.

I have spent my whole life up to this point hunting, fishing and spending weeks at a time living under a tarp and cooking over a fire (my idea of a vacation...lol). However, three weeks ago I had my eyes opened big time! My wife and I live in the small town of Nackawic and we have a 6 month old little boy who we love more then life itself (as any parent would). About three weeks ago we had a good snow storm and we lost our power for about 3 hours, not to big of a deal when it was just her and I. Now that we have a baby to care for we really had our eyes opened and at this point we realized that we need to be better prepared.