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preppers vs. survivalists

9K views 66 replies 47 participants last post by  Tachmonite 
#1 ·
What's the difference between them?

Falcon
 
#5 ·
Survivalists eat bugs n' stuff! Preppers eat freeze dried food, just add hot water and wait 10 mins. Lolol!!! :eek:P
I agree there are various levels in skill, knowledge, desire and kit between the two but in a SHTF situation I'm sure we'd work very well together for the same cause...freedom... and that's all that matters! :eek:)
 
#10 ·
Both are relative, speculative words. Nothing more.

I am a home steader, a prepper, AND a survivalist.

I can readily identify wild foods, prepare game, use bush craft, and use what is around me to survive. That makes me a "survivalist".

I have reserves, tools, books, experience, #10 canned foods, and more guns then most people have ammunition. That makes me a "prepper".

I am self sufficient. I have raised bed gardens, I farm and live off my own land. I have goats, chicken tractors, and I could grow enough food to feed 10 families tomorrow if I had to. I am throw switch off grid, ready to adapt to a life time of issolation. That makes me a "home steader".

However, I am incomplete with out all of these representing me. I could not be one with out the other.

So if a word was to describe me, I would rather it be something more universally fitting. Perhaps a blanket term, that doesn't need further defining. In my experience, this doesn't exist.

Our ideas, goals, fears, and life styles while in many ways echoed, popular, even growing sociably acceptable, are in no way universal. Any term or classification would be both subjective and a source of controversy.

I guess, at the end of the day, I am just Crutch... or drunk. Depends on where you end the day.
 
#31 ·
However, I am incomplete with out all of these representing me. I could not be one with out the other.

So if a word was to describe me, I would rather it be something more universally fitting. Perhaps a blanket term, that doesn't need further defining. In my experience, this doesn't exist.
How about this for a general term: Free Man. I like it. :thumb:
 
#13 ·
I mean no offense by this. I say this with respect.

A 15 year old just solved our issue.

We are realists to the reality we for what ever reason foresee.

Well done survival kid. :)
 
#16 ·
Words are an odd thing, sometimes they mean different things to different people.

In my mind, PREPPER means someone who stockpiles supplies and equipment.

SURVIVALIST is someone who has dedicated a fair bit of time to learning the skills needed for survival.

Most people on these boards are probably trying to be a hybrid of these two things, the best of both worlds. But I do suspect that a fair sized portion is more prepper than survivalist. That includes myself, much to my disappointment.
 
#18 ·
Here's how I see it;

A person can be a Prepper, without neccesarily being considered a Survivalist.
A prepper, is one who prepares.

Now "prepping", can be little more than just be possessing a slightly bigger stack of cheetos than the average person. Or on the other hand, it can mean owning an underground bunker 75 miles from civilization, with a 25-man MAG group on 2,500 acres, too.
The key thing distinguishing a prepper, is taking some sort of physical step toward preparations for a shtf or hard times event.


A 'survivalist', unless he really is a bonafide Jerimiah Johnson, mountainman extraordinaire (or at least figures he is) , is usually also a prepper to some extent or another. In my subjective opinion at least; just because you're hardcore, and mastered snatching up lizards barehand and eating them raw, doesn't mean you have to solely rely on it.

Survivalist I believe, formerly tends to refer to people interested in practical skills, useful to survival in varied environments.


Some people don't like the term survivalist. It's, well it's a bit formal sounding, and for some people the word has a real negative connotation coming with it.


Both words are used interchangably to refer to people.

My thoughts.
 
#21 ·
A survivalist is someone who believes he or she will ensure his or her personal survival of a catastrophic event by arming him or herself and living in the wild.

A prepper is someone who believes that catastrophic event may come in other forms, such as a financial collapse, and prepares for many different scenarios.
 
#27 ·
Does it really matter?

I mean is there an offical book somewhere where our definition must
proper and perfect according to some survialist/Prepper gru who decides who gets called what??

Take a guy living in Montana on 200 acres completely off the grid and grows 90% of his own food might look like a light weight survivalist compared to a guy living in Alaska who hasn't seen another human being in 20 years, and lives in a cave. Maybe they both consider anyone who has a job, house, a car, bills but learns survival skills and prepares and pays taxes as a dime-store survivalist.

There are probably people who have stored (10) days of food and water and call themselves "survialist", I just don't really care if they make the decision to call themselves survivalist or preppers or what ever.

For me, it just comes down to a simple fact that I want to provide for my family under difficult times, I don't have or require a need to label that.
 
#30 ·
From Wiki

A prepper is an individual or group that prepares or makes preparations in advance of, or prior to, any change in normal circumstances or lifestyle without significant reliance on other persons (i.e., being self-sufficient), or without substantial assistance from outside resources (e.g. government) in order to minimize the effects of that change on their current lifestyle.[1]

Preppers are sometimes identified as modern-day survivalists or neo-survivalists[2] but are different from the stereotype of past survivalists. Prepping has also been dubbed as survivalism light.[citation needed] Many do not identify themselves as doomers or follow the 2012 phenomenon.[3]

Preppers have many different mindsets and cover a broad spectrum of survival and preparedness interests. Some preppers prepare for economic disaster or to escape genetically modified foods through organic farming or urban gardening. Some may prepare for the possibility of a complete breakdown of society while others store up extra food and water for a more localized disaster. In addition to natural disasters, terrorist attacks, as well as other crises, preppers also prepare for personal disasters and economic hardships, such as unemployment or the loss of a loved one.[4]

Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists) who are actively preparing for future possible disruptions in local, regional, national, or international social or political order. Survivalists often prepare for this anticipated disruption by having emergency medical training, stockpiling food and water, preparing for self-defense and self-sufficiency, and/or building structures that will help them to survive or "disappear" (e.g., a survival retreat or underground shelter). Anticipated disruptions include:

Natural disaster clusters, and patterns of apocalyptic planetary crises or Earth changes, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards, and severe thunderstorms.
A disaster brought about by the activities of mankind: chemical spills, release of radioactive materials, nuclear or conventional war, or an oppressive government.
General collapse of society, resulting from the unavailability of electricity, fuel, food, and water.
Monetary disruption or economic collapse, stemming from monetary manipulation, hyperinflation, deflation, and/or worldwide economic depression.
A sudden pandemic spreading through the global population.
Widespread chaos, or some other unexplained apocalyptic event.

Wonder when the new word comes out that means you do both?
 
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