Do you ever get make fun of?

sure.

Plenty of harassment, mostly in passing. I don't much care. My personality makes up for a lot by joking around and having fun. I think a lot of the comments stem from the idea of actually needing it and makes the commenter feel uncomfortable, the making like it's absurd returns them to comfort.

I want to have a certain kit on me 24/7, I work by the coast, on a tiny island here in the pacific. Earthquakes? check. Tsunamis, check. Racial tension, check. I want to get home to my family and i got city and jungle between me and home. I'm not going to sit in my car or wait for a bus when disaster strikes.
 
jvb423 said:
I guess a lot of us don't see it as being paranoid. We see it as being prepared for a worst case scenario. But, it's also a fun "hobby" to think of different wcs and putting together kits that would cover the majority of them. What would you do if you were at work on a "normal day" and a nuclear bomb went off like in the tv show Jericho? How far away do you live from home? Do you live in a big town where traffic would be a problem? Etc... There are hundreds of different things to address in this scenario. So we put together GHBs. What if you were at work and an EMP was detonated like in the book "One Second After"? Again, a GHB. What if you were ordered to evacuate because of a hurricane but all roads leading to home were clogged and you didn't have much gas in the tank? What if any of these scenarios happened on a normal day but it is your wife at her job and the kids at school that you needed to get to? Like I said, hundreds. A fishing kit to the grocery store? I guess it depends on how far away from the store they live and how long it would take them to walk home if they had to and if there were a lake or something in between. So we think of these survival situations and try to be ready for them.
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in bold man.. paranoid?? are you kidding??

besides when hurricanes are coming we all know. they just dont appear. you have weeks or days to prepare. during that time i am prepared. also my job knows when (before hand) crap is going to hit and they let us go home. i know all the back roads home and etc.. btw how the hell you gonna fish in a hurricane?? :rolleyes:

now those of you that live out in the sticks this is a total different ball game. i totally understand kits and etc having to be a necessity. but most of us do not really need a fishing kit in the car, i mean really.. i also understand that not everybody's BOB will be the same. it all depends on your geographical location. again though, most folks that carry all this stuff do not really need to do so. so be prepared to be flamed.. thats basically what i am getting at.. i wont flame you personnaly but many others will.
 
Yes. Mostly from my wife.
 
jvb423 said:
I guess a lot of us don't see it as being paranoid. We see it as being prepared for a worst case scenario. So we put together GHBs. What if you were at work and an EMP was detonated like in the book "One Second After"? Again, a GHB. What if you were ordered to evacuate because of a hurricane but all roads leading to home were clogged and you didn't have much gas in the tank?
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You bring up a good point there.
 
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I used to get more ribbing about it, but the last few hurricane seasons have pretty much nipped that in the bud. When Ike hit here in 2008, much of Houston was without power for several days and in some places a few weeks. Most of the city pumps went out and people were without running water of any sort (unable to flush their toilets).

Everyone went on and on about what a horrible experience it was. It didn't really bother my wife and I. We had plenty of water, food, and supplies. We knew how to cook without electricity, how to dispose of human waste without working toilets, etc. Going through that went a long way to show people how tenuous society is. A lot of people saw the average city-dweller is one bottle of water and one tank of gas away from panic. Locally, when someone around here asks, "Why would you need _______?" I can remind them that during those hurricanes my wife and I lived fairly un-interrupted while they were standing around in gas-lines to power their generators and looking for open grocery stores.
 
I get it in the neck all the time for being into survival stuff, kit and blades. I also get asked about that stuff all the time. Seems most people have a short memory when it comes to some things.

I'm not into watching sports so that alone is enough to start the slagging, when you add a 'fringe' hobby to the mix then i'm a big target. To be honest though it's water of a duck's back to me now.
 
jvb423 said:
So, is this still on topic? I think it just happened to me.
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Think you're right. :grumpy:
Seems to me that it's a lot easier to dismiss things entirely rather that prepare for them, while ridiculing those who do prepare to make yourself feel better.
 
all the time. i get called bear grylls, survivor man, indiana jones (cause i wear a brimmed hat).

and i'm not even that dedicated. I just watch the shows and bought some knives, and hiking clothes (mainly cause I traveled overseas a few times).
 
No one knows what the hell I'm into, so no one teases me:thumbup:
 
hung-solo said:
yes under those circumstances i do but every day? every normal day? no i dont. i do keep a first aid kit. :D but a fishing kit? lol no i dont.. but keep in mind i also keep warm clothes in my truck in the winter too. i am prepared but not paranoid prepared. also you are warned when snow storms and hurricanes are coming.

you live in NC?
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Nope. But, at one point I was a pretty regular visitor. Pretty place and I really like Greensboro. I've given thought to moving down there once the Master's is finished.
I live in Kentucky, just about 5 hours north.

I just remember going through NC down to Havelocke and seeing the SHTF that was the Hurricane back in the late 90's and thinking: "Jesus Christ I'd hate to be hung out here without some kind of kit..."
I also remember watching the news on tv of NC having such a terrible time with the ice storms: cars sliding all over the place, traffic backed up for miles, people looking like downed penguins. Sometimes those things start out as rain and end up as hell frozen over -- the change taking place "right damn now". My wife's family from down in Goldsboro (I dig her aunt, she's a neat old gal) was telling me about all the people who were losing their minds.

There's a big difference between paranoid and prepared, you're right. I thought you meant carrying anything like that at anytime where it "isn't needed" was paranoia. I carry an Altoids tin with a few knicknacks in it sometimes.

There will only be one day when I carry a full kit to work (provided I don't start my vacation on the 21st!): 12/22/12. I ain't saying the day will be what folks are afraid of...but that doesn't mean it won't be, either. :D
 
What would you do if you were at work on a "normal day" and a ... couple of planes fly into the World Trade towers next to my old job site?

No place is safe. We are not paranoid. Other people are careless.
 
People laughed and made fun of Noah's survival kit, until it started raining.:D

I believe in being prepared, who cares what other people think. I get teased a little at work but its all in good fun. Most the guys have guns, knives, some outdoor gear, they just don't see it as something to stay on top of.

To each there own.;)
 
Who teases a guy know to carry multiple knives?

But seriously, a bit now and then. But it's mostly good natured stuff from my friends, and they've either started to carry some gear of their own or frequently appreciate that I have mine.

TheGame said:
As far as being made fun of -- not really. Everyone around me always talks about if they ever get lost they want to be with me or my dad though. Go figure.
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I get that a lot too.
 
Last Sunday, I tagged along with a couple of neighbors who were competing in the Susan G. Komen triathalon. Competiters attend a pre-race meeting the night before the event to collect their race packets and have their race numbers marked on their upper arms and thighs. One of the gals had neglected to get inked.

Here's a conversation we had that morning during the drive to the race:

"Oh $#!+, I forgot to get my race numbers written on my skin!"

"I think I have a Sharpie (mini)...yup, here you go."

"Why do you carry a marker?"

"Ummm...you know, sometimes they come in handy."

"Well, how often do you need one?" Indignant.

"I dunno. It's 6 a.m. and it's already been used once today."

:rolleyes:
 
I don't get teased. I think it's because I work with decent people, but it could also be because people know me more as an outdoorsman than as a survivalist.

Taking preparedness in mind and acting (or packing) accordingly just makes sense.

That said, as with anything else, there are people who really project survivalism as a lifestyle, and they are understandably going to attract some attention. Especially when this manifests as a 'gear junkie' mode of attire.

In my line of work, it is necessary for me to carry a pen and notepad at all times. I keep an extra pen handy, just in case. That's good preparedness. If I carried a full collection of pens and markers of varying sizes in a Maxpedition chest rig with a half dozen waterproof notepads as backup and a waved sharpie ;) in my pocket, I might seem a bit silly to some.

All the best,

- Mike
 
Nope, never!

The people that are close to me in my personal life or even my professional life would never, at least not yet anyway. I'm the one they come to when they are in trouble, have questions or need something.

As for the people that really don't know what I have, can do or what I know are usually very impressed and want to know more when they first find out. I have been asked many questions as to what I do, what I carry and/or why I have or carry what I do all the time. I'm very good I guess at explaining it to people because they very often agree and find it interesting.

I don't know why but I was never that kid or guy that got picked on or made front of, nor was I the kid or guy that did that to others. I always treated people very well and with the same respect that I want to be treated with.

My wife says that I intimidate people and always have to control the situation and force people to fear or respect me but it's really not the case, I'm just very purposeful in what ever I am doing - this includes when I just walk into a room or meet someone. I'm very direct and own or control my space I'm in at that moment. maybe because of that I'm not the guy people seem to want to screw with. :D
 
Nah....I dont get teased. I get questioned alot though....Ive helped many of my buddies get started in their own preparedness.
 
martoonisotu: That's the attitude that confuses and bothers me: That being prepared for emergency, or even simple everyday occurrences is silly. Like real life is middle school and it's somehow uncool.
 
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