You have a point. In my life, though, it has been my lot to receive considerable care from those who are of usually evil intent because they knew my predilections, and understood that I would likely return consequences they were reluctant to face if they attempted to steal from me, or otherwise interfere in my world. Had they thought me to be unarmed, things would not have gone that way.

 

If preppers are to be taken seriously, they must avoid the militant stereotype.

Taken seriously by who? I'm not out to convince anyone of anything, and I don't have a platform. Am I supposed to be paying attention to public relations? I don't give a crap what anyone says about preppers... I'm not advertising the fact that I am prepping. Ain't nobody's business but my own.

 

Exactly, well said! Have what you have because you feel the need, don't worry about what the next guy says.

 

I agree absolutely. I am a very long prepper and my inner circle of friends are all very aware of that.

A couple of my friends were over for beer and snacks after a day of range time and I got one of your emails announcing a new video. I turned it on while we were talking and the first thing that was said was "what's with the FOBIT holster?"

I am a retired senior Infantry NCO and most of my friends are all veterans of combat in the ME either in Desert Storm or in IF/EF. Very few people wear thigh holsters when they are involved in infantry ops or at least they don't after the first time they have to take cover immediately and land on the thigh where the holster is located. Actually, those in actual beyond the wire ops are not even issued pistols. In the average Infantry company, there are only 11 pistols authorized in the whole unit.

As a suggestion following along with your article, why wear a pistol at all?

Other wise, the vids are always pretty good stuff.

 

I agree absolutely. I am a very long prepper and my inner circle of friends are all very aware of that.


I am a retired senior Infantry NCO and most of my friends are all veterans of combat in the ME either in Desert Storm or in IF/EF. Very few people wear thigh holsters when they are involved in infantry ops or at least they don't after the first time they have to take cover immediately and land on the thigh where the holster is located. Actually, those in actual beyond the wire ops are not even issued pistols. In the average Infantry company, there are only 11 pistols authorized in the whole unit.

As a suggestion following along with your article, why wear a pistol at all?

Now THAT is ****ing sad. In WWII and Korea hell even Vietnam small town and some city police chiefs here in the USA made it a point to hand out (confiscated) pistols to those from their locale that were drafted/enlisted so that service members could defend themselves in foxholes and thick foliage if attacked.

 

Fearless leader you're wrong.

If anything we need to get more militant - the social justice warriors, black lives matter and muslim missionaries from the religion of peace certainly don't seem to be getting less militant

Si vis pacem, para bellum

 

Thank you for posting your honest opinion.

 

I fall into the middle ground between kev and WTR100. I agree with kev in that it is critical to be proficient in the older skills. Growing/preserving food. Hunting/gathering, tinkering/fixing things, woodcraft, healing arts, etc. ...and that there seems to be a strong emphasis in the fireams/military aspects of prepping (at least as part of a stereotype put forth by those "not in the know"). I also feel that wtr100 has a point in that there comes a time for all good men to stand up and be counted. Especially when the groups he mentioned are gaining momentum. It's hard to stop a runaway train going downhill.....

Me?: I've spent many years learning how to garden, preserve, hunt, butcher, make things, fix things, etc. Along the way I've learned how to shoot, reload, and have collected a lot of guns and ammo. What I'm not good at is small unit tactics and the things that our esteemed members with military backgrounds have been trained in. There's always more to learn and things to do......

I see value in both sides of the coin.....

 

I know where you're coming from Kev but I also know that my great grandparents carried a muzzle loading rifle while they were plowing and doing the other farm work. They were armed when they took the horse n' wagon to town.



Then I decided I ought to read your article. There are a lot of people who get negative thoughts about the gun culture. I being a first class gun nut even shudder at some of the utubes that abound. That being said, I believe as time goes on and things progressively get worse (and tell me a period in recent years where they haven't gotten progressively worse) people will come to realize that it wasn't the nuts who carried the guns, it was the thinking ones.

 

I like what you wrote, I don't think Guns are as important as some people think they are. Although a gun is essential, I think if you have a gun or not should be something very few people should know about. Your firepower should be your very best kept secret.

 

He who beats his gun into a plow. Shall plow for he who doesn't.
(Or some such. You get the drift.)

 

Strictly my opinion, is that its best to prepare like our predecessors, maintain community ties, AND to have some firearms with ammo. I don't know that we would actually NEED the firearms but better to have and not need as the saying goes. The only reason I have multiple firearms is that some belonged to our son and we inherited them. Kind of a crappy way to get them, would much rather he was still here and we could talk about them.

 

I agree with your point, but I think your article would read better if you anchored it with some definitions and general premises. I would start by expanding upon this sentence:

In the 1990s there was a shift in the prepping community from being self-sufficient, to tacticool and preparing for an armed conflict.

I think this is the thesis of your article - that prepping is about being self sufficient, not being materialistic. However, it's hidden in the last section and loses its effectiveness.

 

I hate that website

 

I have a different opinion. I am not anti-gun by any measure, but I don't carry or even own one anymore. Traveling with guns is just too much of a PITA as I travel across multiple jurisdictions and even cross international borders. I am a prepper only in that I have a lot of skills from advanced first aid to strong mechanical and electrical skills. I can build a small home by myself. I can go into a junkyard and build a functional vehicle from the parts I find there. I can grow food and nurture small animals. I can cook from scratch and have a fair knowledge of medicinal plants. BUT I cannot even get a concealed weapons permit because I do not have a permanent physical address. I like guns and other weapons, but guns just do not fit in with my preferred lifestyle. If I ever settle down, a rifle will be my very first purchase; followed quickly by a couple pistols and a CWP. Until then, it just isn't worth the hassle. Situational awareness has kept me safe and out of trouble for over 20 years on the road.

 

Very well done. And I agree. I remember the 90's very well. The gun shows got downright weird.

My Mother was born a farm girl during the Depression. I'm amazed at her skill sets to this day. Basic survival skills that are still a habit even now. From gardening to canning to repairs to making things to hunting to tolerating and perseverance.

Give her a .22 rifle and she can out shoot me. I'm glad I paid attention.

 

I promote self defense and self sufficiency...i am gun centric because that's what I like the most. I have lots of food and other gear too, but I've helped people build over 20 ar15's
.

I have helped people with food, but Guns are usually the gateway

 

While I agree that self sufficiency skills are critical there's something I think you're missing Kev.

"If you can't defend it, you don't own it"

 

So true. The knowledge and skill to defend what you own, is just as important as the knowledge and skill to acquire that property.

 

i have read the article and I agree, somewhat.

People tend to forget the generation that fought in WWII and the Korean War really took the Atomic Age seriously, as they should have. Times leading right into the Cold War there were several incidents that could have turned into WWIII. Those guys built bunkers and SPAM really sold off the shelves at warp speed. Not to mention the fact that many of M1, Mauser and getting their hands on Full Auto before they needed a stamp.

I am sure that many on this board has 'that crazy uncle' who still lives in the days of Korean War and Vietnam...now we are looking more and more like that crazy relative and the media wants to villainize 'Preppers'.

I do like Uncle Si though...

 

Overall, I think you are correct Kev.

I urge folks to live in middle America where guns and hunting are considered normal.

Then focus on feeding your self and your family no matter what happens.

Buy a Farm, Learn to Fish, and Try to Keep Your Big Mouth Shut.

 

I've never been a prepper, just a nasty old survivalist. I became a survivalist on August 15, 1971 when Nixon closed the gold window. The dollar was no longer convertible into gold. Survivalism was about protecting assets at that time. It ended up being the beginning of big money for survivalists. We bought and sold mining stocks and gold coins. Although it was illegal for Americans to own gold, there were so many legal loopholes that it didn't matter.

Draconian gun control arrived in America with the passage of the infamous Gun Control Act. It quickly became evident that they really wanted us in prison. We added more guns. The market in guns rose to the sky as we no longer had the inexhaustible supply of military surplus.

We began to store food and other supplies. The vast majority of us knew nothing about farming and had little or no interest in learning. Many of us lived in areas where there was no agriculture. That's just as true today.

We didn't look or act like Third World guerillas. We wore the same business suits that wed always worn. Our wives wore feminine clothing. As the years passed, we speculated on a return to the Stone Age, usually as a result of nuclear war. The Soviet Union was a very active enemy. It all ended with the election of Ronald Reagan. We kept out food supplies and hard investments including guns, but most of our concentration was on making money as it always had been. We still camped in the snow when we made our ski mountaineering excursions. We played with our guns. Survival experts were largely out of work, however. Nobody wanted to be a farmer regardless of what they said. We were more gourmets with out hydroponic tomatoes and herb gardens.

We never stopped talking about guns, explosives, etc. Why? Because it was fun, just as it is today. Donald Trump will kill survivalism and it's silly daughter, ''prepping,'' today just as Ronald Reagan did thirty-six years ago.

People today who wish to have gardens should have them and enjoy them just as I do my herbs and hydroponics. I have five chickens as well. They produce tasty eggs and beg for treats as much as dogs or cats. Mine all have names.

People who are just starting today should concentrate on traditional investments. Money must come first. Buy the guns you like, numismatic items, and any other hard investment collectibles that strike your fancy. We are entering a new period. People either need to adapt or they will fail.

 

I honestly dont talk guns when I talk about prepping. I talk about shopping, honing skills, sales, thrift store shopping. I want it that way. I want people to not know everything. Weapons are there for self defense. What I have, I don't talk about.

 

I would agree at face value. No, guns and ammo shouldn't be the focus for the majority of your preparation; and no, you should look like a militant knucklehead. Sure, the majority of SHTF situations are likely more regional, local, financial, etc., but don't discount the worst disasters most societies face are inflicted by their own governments and areas where law enforcement is nonexistent. This has been proven repeatedly throughout history. Venezuela and several areas in Africa are recent examples.

You shouldn't focus on just the militant aspects nor should you look like a crazed militant, only to avoid attention and maintain OPSEC. However, you should be prepared to be militant and your voting should send a militant message at every local, state and national election. Our government must see a law-abiding, but militant-supporting population or they will push agendas that will attack every other area of your preparations...ordinances against gardening, raising poultry or other farm animals, no private wells, water-rights restrictions, eminent domain, no-hoarding laws, and several other regulations and restrictions that will affect all other aspects of being prepared. Don't think you can neglect the one God-given right that protects all other liberties and freedoms. I've been to dozens of countries where the citizens are subjects and many have given up their freedoms for security and the irony is that their own government threatens their security and safety routinely for their own retention of power and control. You shouldn't necessarily look or just focus on the militant aspects, but should be prepared (and trained) to go "militant" when necessary...otherwise all your preparations are just focused on being a prepared slave.

ROCK6

 

The emphasis on military style semi-autos will diminish now as fears of gun bans subsides. The firearm industries will miss having Obama as President and the potential of Hillary as next. Their calls for more gun regulations really boosted sales.

Probably will not do anything to reduce the stereotype though since there are never a shortage of those that enjoy practicing for armed conflict breaking out.

 

Probably will not do anything to reduce the stereotype though since there are never a shortage of those that enjoy practicing for armed conflict breaking out.

Some contributions to that stereotype is the reality that we have had extremists attacking soft-targets and civilians. Add in that several of our larger cities are literally combat zones and if that spreads to rural communities our derelict media and apathetic society will continue to ignore and look the other way until it's at their doorstep. Armed conflict is occurring daily and exponentially on the weekends in cities like Chicago (not surprisingly a gun-safe city for the most part despite the recent rulings).

The external threat is low, but the lone-wolves are quite active, more than many here realize and if law-enforcement stopped containing the urban violence, you would see a significant spike in armed conflict all over. We have paid "agitators" stirring up violence all over and at some point that powder keg is going to affect everyone to some degree.

Armed conflict occurs when then there is limited law enforcement or emergency services in the aftermath of serious weather-caused disasters, when there are financial collapses (have you see the reports form Venezuela recently?), fuel restrictions or any other inflation applied to necessities.

I'm all about keeping a low profile, improving my self-sufficiency and maintaining OPSEC, but make no mistake that violence (especially armed conflict) is ALWAY on the coat-tails of major disasters. To make light of or ignore the importance is as ignorant as ignoring food, water, heat or medical supplies.

Kev's point is important. Even if not armed, I would much rather have my immediate neighbors and even the larger community as self-sufficient as possible. The black-clad survivalist ninja decked out with guns, knives and ammo is counterproductive to expanding the prepared-minded population. But don't think that armed conflict isn't already a threat to many locations in this country and to think even the most remote area is immune is naïve and short-sighted.

ROCK6

 

Kev,

My view is very simple. You can store all the food, water, clothes and medical supplies in the world...

But, without a supply of arms and ammunition....

You have no way to keep it.

 

Kev,

As a gunsmith I hate to agree, but I do.

Too much attention is put in only one area of prepping, guns.
Yes one must defend what one has, but if you don't have any beans or bandages because you spent all your cash on Wilson Combat toys, you chose poorly.

Too many people obsess over firearms. There I said it.
(I take it back, I kid, I kid!)
But seriously, how many people who would be converted easier with some time and a different path have been scared away by 'black helicopter' talk? The UN is coming for your guns!!!

Few of us ever "need" our guns.
But we all need to eat, to drink.
Balance is important.

A thread from a while back (2012) by MTShawn comes to mind.
http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=230112

How many gunfights were they in?
How often did they eat?

Over the years I have cultivated a number of friends who certainly weren't members of the gun culture, or preppers per se. One older lady was an herbalist and canning whiz. Teaching canning at the local extension office, she wanted some cheap meat. I gave her some frozen venison. After months of conversing, she finally broke down and bought a hunting license. Using a borrowed rifle she shot her first deer. Canned it lasted her nearly a year.
She bought a nice rifle the next spring and a decent handgun the next summer. Her first at the age of 50.

Coming in the back door, she came to firearms slowly, but she did come around. Had she been pushed hard with "you need an AK and 10K rounds of ammo before the Kommies invade", she would have run away quickly.
FYI, she's now a better shot than most, hitting 7 of 8 running coyotes that were after her chickens.

 

I think that everyone needs to remember that self-sufficiency is the goal of prepping/homesteading. Becoming self-sufficient in gardening, procuring protein, canning, hygiene, first aid, etc., also includes being able to protect and defend oneself and family in a WROL situation. So, we can downplay firearms and training so that we look more PC to the masses but is that what really counts?

Being PC is a very dangerous concept in a SHTF scenario. OPSEC is way more important than being PC, shut up and carry on, the masses are not your friend in preparing for societal breakdown. Don't forsake becoming well rounded for becoming the ultimate TEOTWAWKI warrior, that is foolish.

 

I think that the focus should be to find a manner of self sustainment, and have the fire power to maintain that status. Does that mean everyone needs an AK or AR? No, but you need a means of protection. For a lot of people an AR is a huge investment, even on the low end of the price spectrum. For the same $450-500 that a lower end AR currently costs I could pick up a new shot gun and an inexpensive pistol, and that would cover 99% of situations at most places I've lived.

I tend to think that prepping should be done in stages if you're on a budget. A supply of water first (which can be done inexpensively), extra cans of food, the aforementioned choice of two guns, more food/water/medical, then get into extra guns.