Posted on 07/13/2015 8:20:26 AM PDT by PROCON
BY ALL APPEARANCES, Bob Valenti is your average upwardly mobile suburbanite. The 40-something father of two has a couple of advanced degrees and a high-paying job at a high-flying technology company. He has an aggressive retirement plan and plenty socked away in college funds for his kids. As of last year, he also has a plan for surviving the end of the world as we know it.
A few years ago, Valenti (who asked that his real name not be used, for reasons that will be clear soon enough) and his wife traded their Chicago townhouse for a gorgeous $800,000 residence in Downers Grove, a suburb west of the city. The idyllic, 12-room house features handsome walnut cabinetry, a sprawling yard, and a basement that holds the beginnings of what will ultimately be a year's stockpile of food and emergency supplies. Valenti recently ordered a box of 50 lighters and is squirreling away batteries, which he believes could someday be highly valuable for bartering. He has 25 pounds of meat in his freezer and another 50 at an undisclosed location out of town that he refers to as Plan B. Should he and his family need Plan B, he has a couple of 30-pound packets of "survival seeds" there for jump-starting their own farm.
Valenti, who otherwise seems like a perfectly reasonable man, is preparing for society's collapse, which he believes could come any day now in the form of a global pandemic or the implosion of our highly leveraged financial system.
(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.com ...
Twilight Zone, Bomb Shelter...
Is that why he asked me if the TV was telling me to do things? I couldn't answer that in the affirmative since it has only ever told me to await instructions and not tell anyone.
Yup, that's how neighbors will act when the SHTF.
Back when “Y2K” was looming, I described the extensive worst-case SHTF scenarios to my father. He listened attentively, nodded, and said “if that happens, I’ll throw another log on the fire and go back to my book” - not because he didn’t care, but because he has integrated “prepping” so deeply into his lifestyle that, despite looking like a normal life, TEOTWAKI would hardly affect him.
Get with it. I've already been introduced to Son of James.
Item that jumped out at me was batteries being used for barter. I hope he’s purchasing rechargeables. Otherwise batteries have a shelf life and I’d guess within a year or so they won’t be worth their weight anymore. Am I wrong in that belief?
They’re only “paranoid” until the collapse happens...
A couple places in Proverbs talks about the prudent seeing danger coming and take refuge or avoid it, where as the simple (foolish) go on and suffer for it.
22:3 and 27:12
While I’m doing a little prepping myself, the real prep is getting your heart right with your Creator as He said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
Preppers’ PING!!
Hat tip to PROCON for the heads up!
Your father is typical of the people I know that I consider real preppers. Paranoid are scared of something. Real preppers are calm and not scared of much of anything. Why? They are prepared!
You either prepare and stand on your own beholden to no one or you become dependent on others to provide your basic needs and become their serf. Me I dont want to be beholden to anyone for providing what is needed for me and mine. I certainly dont want to have to kiss some gubberment third class bureaucratic to try and coax some help from them, I dont want some jack booted thug herding me in line and telling me where to stand, sit, eat or sleep. And last but not least I dont want to be shut up in with a bunch of zombies and have to worry about not only trying to get basic necessities but having to fight to keep what I manage to get.
The last thing the Leftist want is for you to not depend on the ‘Gubbermint’ to provide and control your needs. They also want to make sure everything is ‘fair’, with them deciding what is ‘fair’.
Having lived in both places, I can attest to all you state.
Only a fool wouldnt own a gun, unless you like being robbed or raped or killed or all three. Lots of animals out there on two legs.
Yea, verily yea.
Batteries (non-rechargeable) have a shelf life of a few years. I buy a substantial supply each year and donate my year-old batteries to a local children's hospital, which is grateful to get them. I always have more than I can imagine needing, and they always have enough to last most of a year.
I shall sup upon his, and his readers, corpses.
What's wrong with farming? I think it sounds easy. You scatter your 30 pounds of seeds on any dirt, wait 30 days pulling a couple of weeds a day, and then you have your own grocery store full of produce. What could go wrong?
Great article. Enjoyed it.
Prepping means that you don't have to wait for the lights to come back on.
“Why not just call 911 and let the skilled professionals handle the problem?”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.