Crisis spurs spike in 'suburban survivalists'

AP/Breitbart.com ^ | 5/25/09 | GILLIAN FLACCUS

[Kartographer]

Now, the 54-year-old businessman and father of five has a backup generator, a water filter, a grain mill and a 4-foot-tall pile of emergency food tucked in his home in the expensive San Diego suburb of La Jolla.

Wiseman isn't alone. Emergency supply retailers and military surplus stores nationwide have seen business boom in the past few months as an increasing number of Americans spooked by the economy rush to stock up on gear that was once the domain of hardcore survivalists.

[Kartographer]

I guess it's the Boy Scout in me to be prepared

[vladimir998]

I can’t blame people for wanting to stock up on things. With Obama as our “Dear Leader” who knows what might happen!

[atomicweeder]

The most important thing to do is to organize a neighborhood defense plan with your neighbors.

When the gangs come looking to loot, the best deterrent is a large armed presence in your neighborhood.

[Daffynition]

But do you have Cheeseburger in a Can?

From Switzerland - Cheeseburger in a Can! A Swiss company has created this easy eating solution. It's an all-beef patty, lettuce, tomato and cheese on a sesame seed bun - sold in a can that retails for about 5 bucks and can stay fresh for up to a year!

[omega4179]

already posted

[Cheetahcat]

We are on our own in the age of Zero so be prepared!

[GonzoGOP]

Having some canned goods, a few gallons of water, a generator, and a supply of batteries on hand does not make you a survivalist. It just makes you prepared for a big storm or a riot. Now a years supply of food, fuel and ammo, that's a different story. A happy story, likely to have a good ending, but a different story.

[goodnesswins]

We’ve started by having monthly “happy hours” at our house, and now with a Neighborhood Watch group.....ours is a very new group of houses (@26) and we’re trying to figure out WHO is on OUR side.....although, IF the SHTF....I think they’d ALL be on our side. But, good advice....get to KNOW your neighbors!!! Plus, find other freepers in your area!

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Please Help Keep The Lights On

[blam]

There was no mention of guns and ammo in this article. Now that everyone knows who he is and who’s got the food, guns will be required to hold onto his stash.

[Red6]

No it's smart.

The police is reactive and deals with crime AFTER it happens. Likewise, FEMA the Red Cross etc. deal with a disaster AFTER it happens and what you get, when, how much etc. is all questionable.

The wise man accepts the fact that he does not own nature. Volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, avalanches, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes/typhoons, massive fires, epidemics, war, technological/infrastructural failures, civil unrest happens and preparing accordingly is the prudent thing to do. The ones laughing and calling those preparing names, claiming they are silly idiots who cling to their guns and God, they are the ones who like after Katrina seldom look back and ask why they didn't make basic preparations. Their abdication of all personal responsibility to prepare is the same reason why these folk beg Obama for social health care or breathing more life into the dead social security. They are the ones who see no need in owning a gun and in fact see it antiquated and silly. Ultimately as humans we are responsible for ourselves first and foremost and no government can substitute for this.

[waterhill]

How does one arm a cow? Bovine have no fingers: I am alone...

[2Jedismom]

Ping!

[BobL]

The way I see it, at best we’re heading for huge inflation, with the printing of all this money, due to the inability to pay interest on the national debt. So just about any product, be it soap or motor oil is as cheap as we’ll likely see in our lifetimes.

That’s best case. A worse case will be shortages, as the government tries to placate people screaming about inflation by trying to control prices. With shortages, you wait in line to buy rationed quantities of goods...life is miserable. So why not buy your soap and motor oil now...when you can still buy unlimited quantities (I have about 300 bars of soap stockpiled).

That is a worse case...just a miserable life. The worst case is civil breakdown. Then have guns ready and hope you can fight off the barbarians. I don’t expect to do well in that case...heck, I cannot even find ammo.

[John123]

From Switzerland - Cheeseburger in a Can!

Is it any good?

[org.whodat]

Does it taste like chicken are spam??

LOL!!

[familyop]

"How does one arm a cow? Bovine have no fingers: I am alone..."

LOL, and agreed! I have a place out in the middle of nowhere and off of the grid. There's only one road from the nearest big city (which is very far away). ...not to hide from any disasters but just to live in peace and away from the rat race.

...tried to find a simple, manual, outdoor switch for a generator to fill the cistern from the well and charge batteries, until we get the solar systems built. I'll have to buy it locally, because the search engines were clogged with hits from online stores with transfer switches for suburban grid tie systems.

I can't relate to the subtle panic going on in the cities, and neither can my ruminant neighbors (including cattle, yaks, buffalo, antelope, goats, elk, deer, etc.).

[waterhill]

You have a cistern? What are you, a Hick? lol...

I don’t have one, yet... I am jealous... you ROCK!

[ladyjane]

It’s okay to get to know your neighbors but be careful about your neighbors learning about you.

If you do all the work to prepare for an emergency and they don’t, it could mean trouble. Yes, they are nice people but if they get hungry...

[goodnesswins]

OH, yeah....we KNOW that......our neighbors know NOTHING about OUR plans/storage/ammo, etc. and we keep it that way...but, we want to know ALL we CAN about our neighbors, just in case.