Subculture of Americans prepares for civilization's collapse

Reuters ^ | Jan 21, 2012 | By Jim Forsyth

[Jet Jaguar]

When Patty Tegeler looks out the window of her home overlooking the Appalachian Mountains in southwestern Virginia, she sees trouble on the horizon.

"In an instant, anything can happen," she told Reuters. "And I firmly believe that you have to be prepared."

Tegeler is among a growing subculture of Americans who refer to themselves informally as "preppers." Some are driven by a fear of imminent societal collapse, others are worried about terrorism, and many have a vague concern that an escalating series of natural disasters is leading to some type of environmental cataclysm.

They are following in the footsteps of hippies in the 1960s who set up communes to separate themselves from what they saw as a materialistic society, and the survivalists in the 1990s who were hoping to escape the dictates of what they perceived as an increasingly secular and oppressive government.

Preppers, though are, worried about no government.

Tegeler, 57, has turned her home in rural Virginia into a "survival center," complete with a large generator, portable heaters, water tanks, and a two-year supply of freeze-dried food that her sister recently gave her as a birthday present. She says that in case of emergency, she could survive indefinitely in her home. And she thinks that emergency could come soon.

"I think this economy is about to fall apart," she said.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

there are really only two people in that picture.

The guys are different. Check the ears and the chins.

[matt1234]

“following in the footsteps of hippies in the 1960s”......

I call BS on that one

Yup. I stopped reading right there. However, FReeper comments are still valuable.

[cuban leaf]

—The guys are different. Check the ears and the chins.—

You are correct.

[Ab Alius Domitor]

You must be in Texas Bro! Pigs everywhere. We are getting close to being the same in NC. I love pork too|||||||