[brewmaster15]

There is at least one group of people out there right now that are feeling very vindicated. For years "Preppers" warned that these things would happen and they stocked up, learned self sufficiency skills etc. Some went as far as building underground bunkers. In the wake of natural disasters long term food storage companies thrived as a small but growing number of people stocked up. Preppers were often ridiculed for their efforts though. Theres an irony there in that while everyone has been scrambling to find toilet paper, foods, and necessities, Preppers have been rewarded by years of planning on having to rely on themselves.

This pandemic has shown us alot of weaknesses in how we do things and what we expect for services from our countries and economies.

I'm wondering what we/you have learned from all this? When this Pandemic is over will you do things differently? Are you already looking at things differently. Will you keep several weeks of foods and supplies on hand now that you have experienced one of the scenarios "Preppers" prepared for?

Its fair to say that this Pandemic will have long lasting and far reaching effects on us as societies, but what about you as individuals?

Do you think this Pandemic will bring "prepping"into main stream from where it was at the fringes?

al

[timb64]

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day!

[reeftool]

We certainly aren't extreme "preppers" but we have always maintained a pretty large stock of essential stuff. Not so much out fear of some impending disaster but by buying larger quantities of various products when they are on sale can save you a ton of money over time. We also live in snow country and can get snowed in for a few days. We always stock up in the fall and only shop for perishables over the winter months. With the higher utility bills and heat bills, it's nice to not have to worry about groceries.

For years, there have been requests for people to have 2 weeks of food on hand at all times for things like tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, snowstorms, etc. This has been largely ignored by most and even ridiculed by some. A week doesn't go by without seeing a news article about how vulnerable our power grid is. Warnings have been posted for years about epidemics that will come with little warning and yet, covid-19 is a big "surprise". Hopefully, people will wake up and maybe be a little better prepared. You don't need a bunker but at least have enough on hand to get you through a week or two.

[luftfluss]

There is at least one group of people out there right now that are feeling very vindicated. For years "Preppers" warned that these things would happen and they stocked up, learned self sufficiency skills etc. Some went as far as building underground bunkers. In the wake of natural disasters long term food storage companies thrived as a small but growing number of people stocked up. Preppers were often ridiculed for their efforts though. Theres an irony there in that while everyone has been scrambling to find toilet paper, foods, and necessities, Preppers have been rewarded by years of planning on having to rely on themselves.

This pandemic has shown us alot of weaknesses in how we do things and what we expect for services from our countries and economies.

I'm wondering what we/you have learned from all this? When this Pandemic is over will you do things differently? Are you already looking at things differently. Will you keep several weeks of foods and supplies on hand now that you have experienced one of the scenarios "Preppers" prepared for?

Its fair to say that this Pandemic will have long lasting and far reaching effects on us as societies, but what about you as individuals?

Do you think this Pandemic will bring "prepping"into main stream from where it was at the fringes?

al

Not really. I mean, outside of the state's coronavirus mitigation actions, loss of employment, and concern about contracting the virus, this situation has been merely an inconvenience. We didn't lose electricity, fuel, TV/Internet access, cell service... food has been readily available, although selection has been slightly reduced and prices have increased a bit... really I'm still just a spoiled First-Worlder, if perhaps now a skosh less spoiled.

[Wheatfield]

There is at least one group of people out there right now that are feeling very vindicated. For years "Preppers" warned that these things would happen and they stocked up, learned self sufficiency skills etc. Some went as far as building underground bunkers. In the wake of natural disasters long term food storage companies thrived as a small but growing number of people stocked up. Preppers were often ridiculed for their efforts though. Theres an irony there in that while everyone has been scrambling to find toilet paper, foods, and necessities, Preppers have been rewarded by years of planning on having to rely on themselves.

This pandemic has shown us alot of weaknesses in how we do things and what we expect for services from our countries and economies.

I'm wondering what we/you have learned from all this? When this Pandemic is over will you do things differently? Are you already looking at things differently. Will you keep several weeks of foods and supplies on hand now that you have experienced one of the scenarios "Preppers" prepared for?

Its fair to say that this Pandemic will have long lasting and far reaching effects on us as societies, but what about you as individuals?

Do you think this Pandemic will bring "prepping"into main stream from where it was at the fringes?

al

People who can afford it may start hoarding more, the people who cannot afford it will go on like they always have.

[newmikey]

Not sure what you experienced in the US but here in the EU I have been able to do my shopping almost as usual with the exception of the first 2-3 days of the lockdown when those damned preppers were emptying the stores almost as fast as they were being resupplied. I don't think we have skipped even a single part of a single course of a single meal throughout this whole crisis. Prepping? Don't be daft!

[brewmaster15]

Not sure what you experienced in the US but here in the EU I have been able to do my shopping almost as usual with the exception of the first 2-3 days of the lockdown when those damned preppers were emptying the stores almost as fast as they were being resupplied. I don't think we have skipped even a single part of a single course of a single meal throughout this whole crisis. Prepping? Don't be daft!

I think you have it very wrong. "Damned Preppers ?" Preppers weren't the ones emptying the stores.. It was the ones that were not prepared that rushed to the stores.. A prepper builds their stores up over a time long before its needed, as in months and Years... Hence " preppers" Prepare.


Wouldn't be much of a prepper if they waited until an emergency to Prepare.

al

[RoxnDox]

We will just keep the groceries stocked up at the current level, that will keep us fed for 2-3 weeks. In my mind there’s a big distinction between those who reasonably prepare for natural disasters, and “preppers” who are the ones with the bunkers, weapons stockpiles, perimeter alarms, etc etc.

Preparing good.

“Prepping” for TEOTWAWKI bad, nutso, potentially dangerous to others...

[brewmaster15]

We will just keep the groceries stocked up at the current level, that will keep us fed for 2-3 weeks. In my mind there’s a big distinction between those who reasonably prepare for natural disasters, and “preppers” who are the ones with the bunkers, weapons stockpiles, perimeter alarms, etc etc.

Preparing good.

“Prepping” for TEOTWAWKI bad, nutso, potentially dangerous to others...

agree there on both counts.



Seems common sense to me that we should have a few weeks of what we need for when we need it and can't get it.... Its come in handy where I live during the aftermath of storms. Thats a principle I think many in more rural areas do routinely... Urban areas, not so much.


al

[RoxnDox]

Here in the PNW we should all be prepared for a month of being on our own for food, water, and power, but very few live up to that. Which is why we’re going to be well and truly f*cked when the Cascadia Subduction Zone breaks again and delivers us a 9.0+ earthquake. Not IF, but WHEN...

Our house has a generator, but it runs on our natural gas line. So if that goes, we have one fireplace for heat and a camp stove for cooking. Enough fuel for that for a couple of weeks.

[Serkevan]

agree there on both counts.



Seems common sense to me that we should have a few weeks of what we need for when we need it and can't get it.... Its come in handy where I live during the aftermath of storms. Thats a principle I think many in more rural areas do routinely... Urban areas, not so much.


al

I know people who have been through several wars - you won't catch them dead without enough non-perishable food and water for at least a month. On the other hand my grandparents lived in post-war Spain where rationing was in effect (we still have the rationing stamp card from 1943); at my grandma's house there have always been some liters of oil, a dozen kilos of rice and flour combined, and a chest freezer more or less always full.

Curiously, "simple" hunger lead to freezer stock up (at least in my family - although freezers weren't a possibility for decades afterwards), while war teaches you to get room-temp-storage food because infrastructure can get damaged more easily.

In my case, a month of food would barely fit the pantry, but I do have enough stuff for a week or so - it's anyway stuff that I end up eating regardless, so it's a matter of rotating it out while keeping a stock with months or more of remaining shelf life.

[mkgd1]

We are preppers to a certain extent. We started when we were in Southern California with earthquake preparedness we had a large upright freezer and the obligatory (for SoCal) spare fridge freezer in the garage. When we moved here, the new house has a finished/insulated garage and a large pantry/utility room. It also came with a 25 cu ft. fridge freezer. So now we have two extra fridge/freezers and a freezer in the garage. All kept pretty well stocked with stuff bought on sale.
I was in Lowes yesterday in nearby Bullhead City and saw a sign in the appliance aisle to the effect that microwaves were limited to one per customer, due to the current environment??? We had a chuckle that it must be more people staying home and living on hot pockets. In the next aisle there was a sign "Freezers are sold out we do not know when they will be back in stock"
So yes, it looks like more people are increasing their food inventory.

[reeftool]

agree there on both counts.



Seems common sense to me that we should have a few weeks of what we need for when we need it and can't get it.... Its come in handy where I live during the aftermath of storms. Thats a principle I think many in more rural areas do routinely... Urban areas, not so much.


al

The day after NY state declared a state of emergency back in March, I went in a couple of stores to get our normal shopping. People were lined up 8 deep in the checkout lines with overflowing carts. I had about a dozen items, mostly fresh fruit and produce. I almost just walked out because I didn't want to wait but they opened up another register and I got right through. My freezer was pretty full (and still is although although getting lower) and I didn't really need much. The things we buy weekly never were in low supply. People weren't buying fresh fruit and veggies and still aren't. The prices have actually gone down except for eggs for some reason. Many of my neighbors have chickens and sell eggs off their front porch but I don't eat them much.

It's also a 30 mile round trip to go to a super market. We do have a small grocery store here but we don't do much shopping there except for occasional items we may run out of. I guess small, rural towns have a different mindset. Here, a lot of people do a big shopping trip once a month and pick up some extra items like milk at convenience stores. Funny thing, back in late March, people from the larger towns closer to Albany went driving up here to buy things like paper towels and toilet paper because our Dollar General had plenty and the big chain stores were all sold out.

[brewmaster15]

The day after NY state declared a state of emergency back in March, I went in a couple of stores to get our normal shopping. People were lined up 8 deep in the checkout lines with overflowing carts. I had about a dozen items, mostly fresh fruit and produce. I almost just walked out because I didn't want to wait but they opened up another register and I got right through. My freezer was pretty full (and still is although although getting lower) and I didn't really need much. The things we buy weekly never were in low supply. People weren't buying fresh fruit and veggies and still aren't. The prices have actually gone down except for eggs for some reason. Many of my neighbors have chickens and sell eggs off their front porch but I don't eat them much.

It's also a 30 mile round trip to go to a super market. We do have a small grocery store here but we don't do much shopping there except for occasional items we may run out of. I guess small, rural towns have a different mindset. Here, a lot of people do a big shopping trip once a month and pick up some extra items like milk at convenience stores. Funny thing, back in late March, people from the larger towns closer to Albany went driving up here to buy things like paper towels and toilet paper because our Dollar General had plenty and the big chain stores were all sold out.

Its kind of funny ... finding chicks and young layers is very hard now in Ct... elsewhere too from what I have read. I Keep hens and have for many years.. but while trying to get a few young ones for the coop it was extremely hard.I guess alot of people decided to try their hand at it since the Pandemic. Whats funny is these folks have never raised hens. Alot of them are buying chicks now.. its going to be a long while before they get eggs! Im expecting to see alot on craigslist when the reality sets in.

Still I am glad that I took up back yard chicken keeping..
al

[mkgd1]

The day after NY state declared a state of emergency back in March, I went in a couple of stores to get our normal shopping. People were lined up 8 deep in the checkout lines with overflowing carts. I had about a dozen items, mostly fresh fruit and produce. I almost just walked out because I didn't want to wait but they opened up another register and I got right through. My freezer was pretty full (and still is although although getting lower) and I didn't really need much. The things we buy weekly never were in low supply. People weren't buying fresh fruit and veggies and still aren't. The prices have actually gone down except for eggs for some reason. Many of my neighbors have chickens and sell eggs off their front porch but I don't eat them much.

It's also a 30 mile round trip to go to a super market. We do have a small grocery store here but we don't do much shopping there except for occasional items we may run out of. I guess small, rural towns have a different mindset. Here, a lot of people do a big shopping trip once a month and pick up some extra items like milk at convenience stores. Funny thing, back in late March, people from the larger towns closer to Albany went driving up here to buy things like paper towels and toilet paper because our Dollar General had plenty and the big chain stores were all sold out.

I just read a story on line originally from the LA Times. People from Las Vegas were driving up to the small towns of Alamo and Caliente to buy toilet rolls from the small stores there. After the big panic was over in Vegas and TP came back to the stores.
The owner of a hardware store in Caliente drove down to Las Vegas filled his truck with the stuff and brought it back to supply the locals.