US Families Prepare For 'Modern Day Apocalypse'

Sky News UK ^ | 12/22/2014 | Dominic Waghorn

[bkopto]

An increasing number of Americans seem to think so, and they're preparing for the end.

They call themselves preppers. Mainstream suburban Americans hoarding supplies and weapons while leading otherwise perfectly normal lives.

It's a national phenomenon and it's supporting a doom boom industry worth many millions.

Braxton Southwick is a typical father-of-six in Salt Lake City, who believes the nice suburban neighbourhood he lives in could soon be swept away by some kind of modern day apocalypse.

Like other preppers, he's afraid of some impending catastrophe but also what that will do to American society.

"I think that is what I'm scared of the most," he told Sky News, "Not the actual events. I've already prepared for that. It's the aftermath, when there are no police, there are no military to protect us, we're going to be protecting ourselves."

The trigger could be a terrorist attack, a monetary collapse, cataclysmic failure in power generation, or a natural disaster. Preppers fear what comes next and have no faith in either their government or human nature.

"Once people use up all their resources, they're going to come after the people that prepared and had more resources. So basically we have to take care of ourselves."

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

At their heart, the left believes the economy is a zero sum game. If someone gets richer, they had to have taken if from someone else, probably by cheating or exploitation.

That's why we need to take back "fair trade" from the Leftists. They stole our term and forced theirs ("capitalism") on us.

We don't have to play along.

[Hugin]

Why do you have so much Chianti and fava beans in your prepper pantry?

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Kackikat:" I think we have some opportunities to catch up, if something happens,
a few days maybe except for food as that must be maintained sensibly..."

Don't buy foods in "easy Open" cans, with the ringtop on top of the can
The "easy open" can is NOT designed for long term food supply, even if it is a known Commercial brand,
if you have the choice, go for the 'off brand', or 'store brand' in a regular can, because it is properly sealed and will store for a longer period of time.
Always ROTATE your canned goods; keep an inventory according to expiration date; they are still good beyoond that date, but maybe not quite so tastey.
Store what you eat (not exotics), and eat what you store.
Also, remember the "Prepper Rule" that one is none, two is one (always have a back up) whether it be a can opener, bottle opener, batteries, flashlight, etc., etc...
Always have a backup plan ....always ....always !

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Hugin:" Why do you have so much Chianti and fava beans in your prepper pantry?"

Don't pull her finger with a lighted cigarette in the same small room !
Then you will know the answer !!

[IncPen]

Interesting.

[bobby.223]

Lotsa water up here! My well is set up for hand pump operation also if the power goes down plus there is year round water coming down thru the property from way up top, above and below ground. (I have a few different filters/tabs/procedures for ‘cleaning’ that water if I ever need it). I have been prepping for quite a while and am pretty much set with wood/food/ammo/weapons/first aid and security etc. etc. etc. but there is always something to add!

[bobby.223]

Dittos to all of that ‘Kilt, especially the back up plans thing! That plus the 7 ‘P’s’ go a LONG way to keeping that big dipstick, aka Mr. Murphy, off our tails when things go sideways.

[Billthedrill]

I do wish the author would spare us the two-penny psychoanalysis and actually do some reporting. The deep, dark, paranoid, pathological reason that I have a house full of supplies is that it's winter, you moron! And the gummint isn't going to send kind social workers out to diaper and powder my butt when there are trees across the road and the snow is falling horizontally.

I don't get the mockery, I really don't. I'm not expecting zombies or reptilian aliens sucking my precious bodily fluids, but I am expecting trouble because trouble happens. The power goes out - it happens, and sometimes it stays out for an inconvenient time. Access to the property is sometimes cut. Running water sometimes doesn't. People get injured and need help. And yes, believe it or not, there are bad people and animals out there that will try to hurt you. Really.

I feel like I'm talking to a four-year-old. Has this guy never experienced any adversity in his entire pampered city-boy life?

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Billthedrill:" I feel like I'm talking to a four-year-old. Has this guy never experienced any adversity in his entire pampered city-boy life?"

Bill, my mom was brought up DURING the DEPRESSION
She even saved and cleaned used aluminum foil until her dying days.
The closest that most ;people have expierienced is an inconvienence ... but never a depression !
Most people have no idea : no money , no jobs , no income !
My father was raised by a single parent mother whose home was a 10 X 24 foot hambrger stand, and she put in a loft for the kids herself (with a coal stove).
You become inventive , you make do .. or ...you die !
It's no joke !

[Billthedrill]

I am baffled, I really am. I mean, look at the guy. Two missed meals and he’d be whimpering for a FEMA blankie and a social worker bringing him hot chocolate. Somewhere in this guy’s ancestry a cave man hunted mastodons with a sharp stick. And this is the result?

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Billthedrill:" Somewhere in this guy’s ancestry a cave man hunted mastodons with a sharp stick. And this is the result?"

Yeah ! It's called the progression of society
Everybody owes him his ability to live like he wants, with no consequence.
We owe him electricity
We owe him food
We owe him water
we owe him protection
We owe him housing
And when he doesn't get what he wants, ..when he wants... He gets p*ssed. That's what government is for ,..right ?

[Titan Magroyne]

>>> Dangerous weather, terrorist attacks and economic collapses are all best dealt with by higher authorities, he said.

Because as everyone knows, roosting on one’s fanny whilst whining of misery to reporters and blogs, or rioting and burning one’s own neighborhood, are the surest means to improve one’s lot in life following a disastrous event.

[Titan Magroyne]

bmfl

[Hardens Hollow]

Can you add me too? thanks

[Gene Eric]

>> Braxton Southwick is a typical father-of-six in Salt Lake City

I LOL’d knowing this is a Sky piece...

Meanwhile, Der Spiegel reports that Joe-Six-Pack, Helmut Wagner of Montana, is armed to the teeth with his vintage Haubitze.

[outofsalt]

."Sociologist Barry Glastner wrote The Culture of Fear." "Spoken like a good little collectivist."

Yep.
"Featured prominently in Michael Moore's Academy Award winning documentary, "Bowling for Columbine," Glassner has appeared on numerous television programs, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Today Show," "Good Morning America," "Hardball," "The O'Reilly Factor," “The Dennis Miller Show,” and "Nightline," and various news programs on CNN, CNBC, and MSNBC, and on radio shows including National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition,” “All Things Considered,” “Fresh Air,” “Talk of the Nation,” and “Marketplace,” and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s “Ideas” program."

[rfreedom4u]

I recently gave a presentation at work (in Houston) to about 35 people on winter weather. I asked how many would be able to live on what they have in their homes for a mere three days if they were not able to leave their house and had no utility services. Only four people raised their hands.

They were surprised when I told them that even the FEMA website recommends they have a minimum of three days supply on hand.

[Mich Patriot]

His preps include a 3 month supply of hair mousse ..."

So basically, a 55-gallon drum? :)

[tbw2]

I think UN Peacekeepers distributing aid were a good example of what could happen. The food was supposed to be given away freely, but they demanded sexual favors from the prettiest or sold it.

[ez]

Lol.