OK...read this and consider that this is just my opinion, so keep the hate mail to a minimum.
I had the opportunity to communicate with one of the preppers on the show that I knew before they appeared on television.
Of course, everyone on the show is bound by contract with regards to revealing certain things, but let's just say they spoke volumes without really breaking any contract!
With research, and not inside information from anyone having appeared on the show, I can say with justifiable certainty that some scenes are embelished to great extremes.
One scene from I believe the first episode, showed a truck delivering pallets of food in the middle of the night in a very close knit suburban neighborhood.
Now think for a minute...if you were trying to be inconspicuous, would you have a rather large and noisy panel truck pull up in front of your house and offload pallets with a very noisy tailgate lift in the middle of the night? NOT ME!
Neighbors will be woken up, and out of natural curiosity, check out their windows to see what was going on...not exactly a covert operation!

As for the government, well, here is where I expect to get some comments.
There are very extreme people in this world. I'm not referencing preppers specifically, but SOME preppers would certainly fit this description.
Often, these more extreme preppers will be touting their anti government beliefs to the point of attracting some very unwanted attention.
Should we be questioning our government? Of course. Should we be critical of corruption and mismanagement within government ranks? Of course!
Should we be stocking up arms and ammo to fight them? Not so sure on that one.
The problem begins with extremists that start spewing half truths and misinformation to "rally the masses" against government with the sole intention of selling books, website subscriptions, preparedness supplies, magazines, etc. and then call themselves preppers.
These are the ones that make the government pay attention and regard the prepper movement as being problematic...and from their point of view, justifiably.

As to terrorism, there are some similarities in regards to stockpiling supplies. Unless a terrorist is going to drive a car bomb into their target, or ride a plane into the World Trade Center, they will obviously attempt to avoid capture after they commit whatever act they have in mind. Therefore, it stands to reason that they will have supplies and equipment that will help them do this, much the way preppers do. Similar supplies, different intentions. Does that mean that the government should regard preppers as terrorists? No, but I can understand why they take a second look at those that display this kind of activity. I don't think that Lisa Bedford, AKA The Survival Mom was ever suspected of terrorism. Much of the issue is the words of government officials being twisted, which, by the way, many politicians make it way to easy to do.

Here in Canada, the government spends a crap load of money promoting the 72 hour thing, and I don't believe that they give 2 hoots if someone has more than a week's supply of food on hand. The government knows that after a disaster strikes, there will often be physical issues getting into the area with help and supplies, thus the push for people to be ready to get by for the first few days while they clear roads, organize troops, and travel into the affected area.

Ditto, What Denob said. I dont think many preppers get that several of these survival experts and bloggers are 100% frauds. They want to scare you out of your money or keep you coming back for the number count so they can sell expensive advertising space. Gospel tent road show snake oil salesmen.

As for the Terrorist thing...perhaps you have to ask yourself if you are a terrorist. If you are planning a fight...why the hell would you be upset that the other guy noticed

Me,...Im too busy trying to figure out how to keep me and mine alive.

Ditto, What Denob said. I dont think many preppers get that several of these survival experts and bloggers are 100% frauds. They want to scare you out of your money or keep you coming back for the number count so they can sell expensive advertising space. Gospel tent road show snake oil salesmen.

As for the Terrorist thing...perhaps you have to ask yourself if you are a terrorist. If you are planning a fight...why the hell would you be upset that the other guy noticed

Me,...Im too busy trying to figure out how to keep me and mine alive.

ditto here too

A good thread, lots to consider. If Doomsday Preppers was initiated by a government ( which personally I do not believe for a minute) it had some unexpected results. First of all it became Nation Geographic's top rated show. Now if a government initiated the exercise to identify, keep under surveillance and possibly at some point "control" preppers then they failed. As a direct result of these shows there has be an explosion of interest in prepping. Ranks of forums like this one have blossomed as a result. There is good reason for this. People who were otherwise unaware have been shown that there are real threats out there that could disrupt their daily lives. As a result they too now think that it is a good idea to get some food supplies in just in case something, anything does happen. All the money that all the governments all over the world have spent trying to get citizens to put together a 72 hour emergency kit could have been saved. All they had to do was air Doomsday Preppers.

Denob wrote: "Should we be stocking up arms and ammo to fight them?" No! Absolutely not! Anyone who is stockpiling firearms or ammunition with the INTENTION of conflict with the government IS A POTENTIAL TERRORIST. We live in a free society that we can have a say in directing and changing by exercising our right to vote. If that is not enough for someone they are FREE to move to another country. There is nothing wrong with owning firearms and ammunition if you are a hunter, a sportsman or a collector. Just be sure that you are doing it for the right reasons if you choose to take this path.

Prepping is about self reliance. We live in society, we depend on each other and we depend on the government but when all else fails we want to be able to depend on ourselves. A worthy goal to be sure.

...with the sole intention of selling books, website subscriptions, preparedness supplies, magazines, etc. and then call themselves preppers.
These are the ones that make the government pay attention and regard the prepper movement as being problematic...and from their point of view, justifiably.

Completely agree with everyone's mindset here except the quote below by ICRCC which is something I never considered. The only thing I'll add to the above statement is a spin-off of what Alex Jones speculated David Icke to be all about. Ironic how they're friends now but years ago Alex did say that he's in it for the money, fame or he's just plain crazy. I think this analogy can be applied to the 'extreme' preppers. And yes, I would actually want the government to keep an eye on 'extreme' preppers. I've met a few of them through my network and they're are some out there that are f#$king crazy.

First of all it became Nation Geographic's top rated show.... as a result they too now think that it is a good idea to get some food supplies in just in case something, anything does happen.

Popularity does not mean something is true or not true. However, the standpoint of the show being popular in terms of converting otherwise normal citizens into self-aware citizens is a good point. Although 'new' preppers may arrive on the scene because of the show they have years of work to do with their food stores, supplies and research to catch-up to where more serious preppers (like us) stand today. Realistically, I'm guessing only 90% of the new people that became preppers as a result of the show don't live and breath it the way that we do here. The other 10% need to play catch-up.

Now if a government initiated the exercise to identify, keep under surveillance and possibly at some point "control" preppers then they failed.

We don't know. Perhaps identification and location is their only motive in which it would be a glowing success. I don't necessarily believe that the government is a part of a conspiracy with NatGEO's Doomsday preppers although it is quite possible. You can see the many advantages for them and how it would be in their best interest. Plausible and ingenious if that's the case. That's all I'm saying.

I'm certain if the government really wanted to track certain types, they could do just as easily as taping an episode of DDP.

Just as an example of such a way, look at buying ammo in Ontario as a gun owner. You are required, as per the firearms act to show valid id (like your pal) to be able to purchase. And as per the Ontario Ammunition Act, your name and address gets recorded by the retailer. So now the govt has clear record of what your buying and when and where and how much.

There are plenty of ways that a govt agency can monitor who sells what and who is buying it. And they don't know but suspect is but a warrant answer away.

The question is, are they organized enough to put all the bits together? And what if they were? Nothing to fear if nothing wrong is being done.

I think the bigger concern is the public perception of the right or wrong - well wrong is poor choice of words maybe. The perception of crazy vs the wisdom of meeting problems head on, let's say. I worry more about what my neighbour's thinks I'm up to, because he/she will likely be the cause of the govt paying me scrutiny then anything.
Not sure about others here, but everytime I leave my home with hunting clothes on and guns in my case or sock - being that they still blatantly recognized as a firearm either way - I never know if I'm coming back to a meeting with the local police and swat because 'someone' seen a firearm. Granted, I don't know my neighbour's well at all either.

The ability to collect and collate information has become infinitely easier with modern tools. If present trends continue, a push of a button will reveal where your cel phone has been, what your net surfing habits are, and how often you spend disposable income. Data mining can be tweaked to extract identities which fit a profile. Google and YouTube do this with sophisticated algorithms used in their target marketing.

Do the means exist to build a database of preppers? Yes. All it takes is the will. We are all living in a fishbowl.

The ability to collect and collate information has become infinitely easier with modern tools. If present trends continue, a push of a button will reveal where your cel phone has been, what your net surfing habits are, and how often you spend disposable income. Data mining can be tweaked to extract identities which fit a profile. Google and YouTube do this with sophisticated algorithms used in their target marketing.

Do the means exist to build a database of preppers? Yes. All it takes is the will. We are all living in a fishbowl.

People voluntarily give up this information and more.....its called Facebook. 😆

A wise man once said: "Those that have nothing to hide, hide nothing".

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Individuals in Canada have a right under section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to be free from unreasonable searches and unreasonable seizures of their property and their personal information. Section 8 says: Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.

Although the word privacy does not appear at all in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, from the first days of its application in the 1980s, section 8 has been interpreted as a shield against unjustified state intrusions on personal privacy. (1) Through a series of cases decided by the Supreme Court of Canada, this principle has been recognized as a core value of our society.

When searching for possible terrorists the word "unreasonable" may be open to some interpretation.

If the government was so bent on keeping track, why did they abolish the firearms registry? There is far too much fear-mongering amongst the prepper community. I'm with Denob on this one.

The question is, are they organized enough to put all the bits together? And what if they were? Nothing to fear if nothing wrong is being done.

I agree with that and with your entire response

The perception of crazy vs the wisdom.

...a perception created and manipulated by the powers that be. You had some additional 'excellent' points in your response.

...ability to collect and collate information has become infinitely easier with modern tools...do the means exist to build a database of preppers? Yes. All it takes is the will. We are all living in a fishbowl.

Yes, however, the smarter preppers like you and me have taken great measures in being covert.

A wise man once said: "Those that have nothing to hide, hide nothing".

True, however, we have good reason to play the 'cloak and dagger' game. We don't want 5000 people showing up at our house because they know we have supplies. We don't want to be stereotyped or typecast as crazy because we prepare. In our realm or logic it's better to blend in with the crowd in spite of the fact of having nothing to hide.

Although the word privacy does not appear at all in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, from the first days of its application in the 1980s, section 8 has been interpreted as a shield against unjustified state intrusions on personal privacy. (1) Through a series of cases decided by the Supreme Court of Canada, this principle has been recognized as a core value of our society.

Canada is beautiful. Gotta love Trudeau for giving us the power of freedom through the Charter. I believe it was established back in '85.

In any event I can say that I know of survival organizations that have been investigated by all levels of enforcement leading right up to CSIS. In they end they couldn't find anything wrong because they weren't doing anything wrong. But the part that bothers me is that they government may wish to keep track of individuals like us. And to be honest, there's a lot of nutcase preppers out there so I suppose I can't blame them. The truth of the matter is that some of us are hard working and honest people. We shouldn't have anything to fear. In fact, we should be commended for our efforts.

Back to the original topic at hand the idea of DDP as a gateway to a database is one of many ways the government could keep tabs on all of us and it's plausible that it could have been intentional (although I don't necessarily believe that to be the case). At the very least its a spotlight on hard core preppers which may invite some unwanted attention.

It's scary, disappointing and sad to think we may be on a list somewhere because our only concern was to ensure the future safety and security of our families. I hope that if such a thing exists then they have two columns. One of them of which being people that genuinely care about their survival in event of a disaster but pose no threat to society as they're honest, good people with no intention of anything else.