Thread: Doomsday Preppers: Crazy People or Smart Planning

Right now National Geographic Channel I'm watch the show Doomsday Preppers. The act of prepping for disasters is a smart thing to do, but the level that these people go is insane to me. Store up years of food, buy an huge arsenal of weapons, and more often have very poor planning for "bugging out". The part that gets me on the show is the reasons that these people are prepping for. Hyperinflation, an epidemic of some sort, 2012, China causing an US economic collapse and my favorite a polar shift. POLAR SHIFT, REALLY!!! I might have been sleeping in science class, but polar shifts take thousands of years to occur.

Right now I'm watching a young twenty something girl from Houston, TX "prepare" for the oil crisis. She carrying a 90 lb. bag and walking across Houston to her "bug-out" location that has her truck. The part that me confused at her is she will use a knife to defend herself even though she has hand guns with training. Don't use a knife, use the gun stupid.

Those are my thoughts, what are yours of the show or preparing for when the poopy stuff hits the fan.

I've heard about this, I think they're crazy and Nation Geographic is cashing in on their speculation and the popularity of this apocalypse preparation fad.

However, I will say this, I am preparing myself for a economic doomsday as that is something that I can see occurring...

I've watched this series a couple times and I think some of them are beyond nuts. That said, some of them do have pretty legit skills. I really liked the episode about the guy that knew bird languages and was teaching them to his children. Again nuts, but it is good entertainment.

I don't think it's a bad idea to be prepared for certain emergencies... if you live in an area prone to natural disasters for example, making sure you're as set up as you can be can't hurt.

But the rest of it? Planning as though you're seconds from a zombie apocalypse? I don't know, it just seems like a lot of trouble to go to for something that's pretty unlikely.

Originally Posted by HK86

I don't think it's a bad idea to be prepared for certain emergencies... if you live in an area prone to natural disasters for example, making sure you're as set up as you can be can't hurt.

But the rest of it? Planning as though you're seconds from a zombie apocalypse? I don't know, it just seems like a lot of trouble to go to for something that's pretty unlikely.

Yeah, agreed. Those on Doomsday Preppers are all end of days type of preparations. Some guy built a multi-million dollar underground bunker that could survive a nuclear attack. Just couldn't fathom spending that kind of coin on something like that.

there's definitely a marked difference between people who plan ahead and people in this show. i mean, if you have some canned food tucked away in case of emergencies, or an emergency kit made up, that's not crazy, that's smart planning. but if you've memorized the entire map of new york city and have 50 different locations to get out of the city in case of a (supposedly) imminent alien invasion by the independence day aliens, i think it might be time to get a bit of help.

I personally carry a survival kit in my truck. It consists of several days of emergency food and water, some thermal blankets, a tube tent, matches in a match tin, an old hand held com radio i kept when working on my pilots license, a flare gun and a few other things for survival. this kit could be used for anything but the only thing I see myself using it for is when I eventually get stranded by a blizzard for a day or two or when I finally run out of gas up in the back country. (which will be my own damn fault mind you.)

See Garth, that just sounds smart, not over-the-top crazy

I guess if I had millions of pounds to spend on anything I wanted, and I bought a massive house, I might have some kind of basement/bunker think underground included just for keeping valuables and a bit of stored goods like food, emergency supplies, etc etc. But it'd be a nice extra, not my main focus!

And if the shit really did hit the fan, I'd grab my hunting rifle and head for a cave I know of on the outskirts. Good hunting, fishing and foraging in that area and I know the terrain like the back of my hand.