Dooms Day Preepers ?

Unfortunately this is true for so many people out there. If the choice was starve to death slowly or risk punishment to survive and then still get 3 hots a day in jail I think most would kill you for your Cheetos. But it seems like all those people on the show are prepping for only occurrences that will make people turn insanely violent which is kinda dumb and pretty unlikely. Even in Katrina there was some looting and violence but not on the scale these 'preppers' say will happen. I'm sure out of pure survival instinct, most people who end up having to steel and loot to get supplies to live, will first exhaust all the options like abandoned stores, restaurants,etc before raiding a home with a possibly armed inhabitant waiting inside the door.
RRR1977 said:
Sorry, but your wrong. People are animals. Law an order only exists because of the threat of the punishment, and an abundance of goods. Remove either, and you will see a drastic change. I've seen the best and worst of mankind during my life, and I truly know what people are capable of on both ends of the spectrum.
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RRR1977 said:
Sorry, but your wrong. People are animals. Law an order only exists because of the threat of the punishment, and an abundance of goods. Remove either, and you will see a drastic change. I've seen the best and worst of mankind during my life, and I truly know what people are capable of on both ends of the spectrum.
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I don't agree. i think its a small minority of people that will automatically revert to violence against their fellow man for food. not saying it wouldn't happen, just that it would take longer than you'd think. pillaging a store or warehouse is one thing, breaking into a occupied home for food is another.

home invasions happen i know, but even among criminals its a minority. I'm sure its not out of honor but out of fear that keeps the majority from doing it.

after Katrina (going against popular belief here) it wasn't as bad as most think it was. people stole food and water from stores(and electronics and tennis shoes) but not as much looting from the occupied homes as some would have you believe. I know this because i was there, spent almost a year and a half there after Katrina, not in the nice parts either. some of the people that you would think would be the worst ended up being some of the good guys. i saw gang bangers driving around handing out ice and water, saw cops "securing" stuff from stores and abandoned houses.

the world goes to hell I'm not gonna trust my life or my families life to anyone i don't know well, but i don't think it will be every man for himself either.YMMV

I hope.
 
Holocausts happen because people in power marginalize their enemies and put them on par with bugs and rodents. Hitler compared the Jews to rats, in Rwanda, the Hutus called the Tutsis cockroaches. After being convinced that the "enemy" is sub human, then killing them becomes easy.

On another note, it's easy to get into a preparedness mindset. Growing up in Nebraska we always had a pantry full of food because you could be stuck in your house without power for a week or more due to a storm. Then I lived on the Gulf coast and did the same thing because of hurricanes. When I moved to AZ I started a pantry, then realized that I couldn't really come up with a scenario that would make me stuck in my home for a week. If the power went out I wouldn't worry food, but staying cool.

Chad
 
I watched the shows with a little bit of skepticism. Like someone else mentioned, it seems like most are on the fringe of being obsessed. Of course, these types of shows always go after the kooks, everyone likes to slow down for a wreck they say. I got to wondering what others on the survival forums and blogs were saying, most were saying about the same, that it didn't represent their views or lifestyle. A couple weren't so nice, like this one...Doomsday Preppers

I will say this though, for those of you who think your 72 hour kit will be all you need, then you haven't experienced being without power or water for a week or more. My brother lived outside of Houston when Ike hit. They were without power and water for 3 weeks in their area. After 1 week he called and asked me to bring some generators and a/c window units and some food, water and fuel. I arrived and it looked like a war zone. Trees and power lines down all over the place, cars abandoned on the side of the road, etc. He said the power crews hadn't reached their area yet and didn't know when they would. I stayed a few days and helped him clean up. I was also curious as to how everyone was making it. Here's a few things I saw.

A day or so after I arrived, the local Wal-Mart Super Center partially opened (only the market section). We stood in line to get in, a LONG line. It was also CASH only. Then once we did get in, I actually saw most of their shelves bare. It was eerie seeing so many shelves with nothing on them! Then on our way back, we heard about a convenience store that had brought in a generator and had a shipment of gas brought in. We swung by and there was a line of cars nearly a mile long waiting to get gas. And if that wasn't enough, there were people standing in line who had walked up. There were two State Troopers standing guard at the pumps and two more directing traffic. Surreal.

Quite a few of his neighbors had generators. However, people would come in at night and steal them while they were running. You had to have them chained up and/or stand guard over them.

He also said the first FEMA food distribution centers opened about a week after the hurricane hit. The first ones in his area with food, water and ice to hand out (around 3 days after the storm blew through), were religious orgs like the Southern Baptist and the Mormons. Guess it takes a while for the Feds to coordinate and implement.

After a week when the food, water and ice started running short, peoples tempers were also very short. You heard more and more about fights breaking out while people waited in line for their MRE's, a case of bottled water and their bag of ice. I couldn't imagine having to do this every day, sometimes more than once a day if you had no food, for weeks on end. From what we heard on the radio, they had a lot more problems down in town with looting and fighting.

This experience alone made me start putting more food and supplies back. From what Bro said, there were some people inside the city that were without power over a month. I may never need all my food and supplies, but if I do, I have it...and intend to keep it ;)
 
I agree 100% that it should be called Doomsday Hoarders. That’s all I’ve sent his show to be. It’s a showcase for hoarders who seem to be masking their issues under the guise of being prepared, which many of them were not.

That gourmet chef woman in Utah was horrible. Her quote, “I’ll be the only survivor that will still have to lose 100 pounds” was sickening. She lives in a very suburban area, many know she has hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of food, in an easily breachable home, with your defense being two people. You’re screwed lady. Unfortunately this is why I see the show being about hoarders (For the most part. I did see the one with the lone guy eating sidewalk salads). They ultimately are unprepared.

I was hoping it would be less about food-hoarders and more about people who have very usable skills, paired with their emergency plan. The one big family one with all the family members having skills was the closest I’ve seen to that.
 
Stocking up may work for the short term such as a big storm but for a global disaster mobility and flexibility will be key for survival. Having a big stockpile of goods is more of a liability than an asset and presents a big target to potential enemies. Survival will depend on being able to adapt to the changing often unreliable conditons that would follow a major disaster, to do that one must be prepared to move at a moments notice and perhaps keep moving.

It would be better to have a well stocked bug out bag with ample ammunition. Ammo can be used in many ways, including using it as currency for bartering.
 
Last April here in Alabama, the tornadoes that came through caused us to be without power for 5 days. A guy was shot and killed trying to rob a gas station at 2am by the store owner who was sleeping inside the store. There are people who will see disasters as openings to help themselves to whatever they can get their hands on. We actually had a 7pm curfew during that time, because I guess they thought there was nothing a person needed to be roaming around for at night when no stores were open and all power was off. There were 3 hour waits at gas stations so people could get enough gas in a jug to run their generators. All generators in the area were sold out almost immediately following the power outage. Now even a year after the disaster, homes that have construction going on are being robbed for kitchen appliances and other things. During those 5 days hunger and survival were not issues, but there were still those people who were willing to risk getting killed or going to jail because of their greed.
 
I see no reason to stockpile (hoard) food for years like some of them. If civilization fails, we'll need agriculture, and the farmer shall "inherit the earth".

One woman is obsessed with a virus, so she's prepared to be sanitary? She has no supplies, or stores of food, water, defenses, or bug out bag, vehicle, or location.
She's scared and over reacting, and not in a correct way. Masks, gloves, and plastic suits aren't going to save you from starvation, dehydration, or a home invasion. If you're scared of the "Virus" better buy a farm, away from the population zones. Just be self sustaining, as much as possible.
 
Like I had said in a previous thread, I did like the couple with the shipping container home and the buses, partly becuase I've wanted modded school buses since I was 13 and shipping containers caught my eye a couple years ago but mainly as a secondary location. They had extra people in their group with Military training which although not a survivalist, a soldier would still know the basic bush skills. Plus they had numerous escape routes, and added caches along their routes. And the family/friends that all took on an individual task were pretty well prepared. The dad taught his daughter tons of metal and wood shop skills, they had a techie couple to handle electronic surveillance, alarms, etc, and his son appeared to be a decent choice for defense though he might be a bit on the Rambo side assuming he can take out intruders with just a bow and arrow.
Thanks for the story Mudbug. Its always nice to hear accounts of real experiences from folks who were there. That's probably the worst type of scenario most people in America will experience in their life. I'm not very worried about and EMP or Caronal Mass Ejection. And I kinda worry about a guy who fights fires and is responsible for saving lives yet is dumb enough to believe that the Yellowstone super volcano would affect him in NY. It even states on the show that at the very most it would reach the Dakotas. And despite NY's laws, in a city like that you had better get a gun or two and put down those knives you bought while watching Cutlery corner at 2am;) I think he just watched 2012 and based his prepping fears on the factuality of the movie:rolleyes: And instead of learning knife moves from a krav maga instructor maybe try Kali.
Love it or hate this show breeds good conversation and will probably last a few seasons just due to its Jerry Springer type style. I personally will continue to watch and can't wait for tonight's madness:D
 
Out of all the "Disaster Scenarios" I've seen played out in the show, the one that worries me the most is the one that's missing: a "Contagion" type ordeal (if you haven't watched the movie, do it, you'll see what I mean).

Scientist/pathologists agree that conditions are ripe for a super virus. Overpopulation, contamination of water sources, bio-engineered foodstuffs, bad foodplant/factories oversight, bad practices, poor vermin/wildlife control, etc, all not only increase the chances of this happening, but also that potential to magnify transmission and mutation of viruses.

Remember the West Nile Virus? Or perhaps SARS? Or Maybe H1N1? Is it too unlikely that those could be potentially multiplied X10? Or more?

Emergency preparation is far more realistic that Doom-prepping, especially for city folk. Modern living has made us too complacent, too trusting of outside authorities to look after us in an emergency. Sadly, as the events of Katrina exposed, it takes the government a long time to do anything (provided they're prepared).
Any sensible citizen has a personal responsibility to look after himself and his family, and realistically, this means having enough supplies to last for at least a week, that is, until the cavalry can formulate an evacuation/vaccination/extraction plan and get the to safety. That much they've shown they're capable of.

Lastly, and not to drag this any longer, you'd like to have enough supplies if only to limit certain contingencies. For instance: even if the disaster is not catasthropic and you're able to leave your cozy abode in search for food/water/fuel, your expose yourself to the following: shortages, price gouging, closed/blocked roadways, closed establishments, personal injury due to crashes/falls, frenzied consumers (I've seen it happen in a minor snowstorm), and why not muging?

It is my wish that everyone should be safe and prepared during emergencies, and although extreme, I believe "Doom Preppers" exposes its audience to a different level preparedness that ight cause them to analyze their current situation, and adopt more realistical/sensible approaches to a safer ordeal. To many, that can be enough.

JW360
 
Esav Benyamin said:
If most people would rather starve to death than behave violently towards their brothers, why do we have holocaust after holocaust?

The problem is, most people are not brothers and do not see the 'other' as worth respecting. Within a reasonably homogeneous society, we recognize our common characteristics. Unassimilated minorities are harder to love, philosophical principles notwithstanding.
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What he said.

Have not seen the show. The previews of fatsos in gasmasks was my buzzkill.

Civilization is only 2 or 3 meals thick. People are getting to where they will run over slowpokes in traffic. Wait till some disaster hits, and they miss a few meals. Then you'll really see something.

I was proud of the decent and selfless way New Yorkers faced the 9-11 attacks. In California, we'd burn the place down if we miss our coco-moco-latte.
 
Bufford said:
Stocking up may work for the short term such as a big storm but for a global disaster mobility and flexibility will be key for survival. Having a big stockpile of goods is more of a liability than an asset and presents a big target to potential enemies. Survival will depend on being able to adapt to the changing often unreliable conditons that would follow a major disaster, to do that one must be prepared to move at a moments notice and perhaps keep moving.

It would be better to have a well stocked bug out bag with ample ammunition. Ammo can be used in many ways, including using it as currency for bartering.
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This is my thoughts also...Being mobile is key !
 
You have to see that the only ones that would choose to be on this show , would not be the wisest "survivalists". No smart, practical person preparing for the worst would put their selves in the limelight like that, ever. So this is who we have to choose from to be on the show. I just like to watch it as most things are crap on TV these days, so If I get just one idea I can work with, its worth it. But at this point most these guys are screwed if it ever really does go totally bad.

I agree that most people will help and keep others in line, but there will always be some that will do what they want. But location is a big factor in this, like one here has already said, let anything happen like this in a place like L.A. and it will be a nightmare, look at the riots that have taken place there for some of the most stupid reasons. Katrina was bad, but only really bad for the first few days, then people had left or realized what had to be done. Sure it took a while to get things back to normal, heck its still not all the way back to normal, but about the first 3-5 days it was not a safe place at all in regards to violence.

I live in N. Texas so tornados is about the only thing that has a good chance of occurring, the occasional storm that kills power for a few hours is normally the worst that happens. I think having enough food and water for a week or 2 is about right for the most likely scenarios at a minimum, sure more is fine, but a year or 5 is overkill in my opinion. A generator is always nice for more than just emergencies and a 5g can filled on hand will ensure you will get by for a short while in a pinch.Have enough ammo that you would normally want to have on hand anyways and the other usual emergency supplies and you will be way ahead of the common suburbanite

Long term SHTF type scenarios, its a whole new ballgame. There is not a totally right answer. Sure its better to be out on a farm if you can, but even that has its problems, read any fiction book about the end of the world as we know it and the farms are swept over in very short order, you cant stop the hordes of unprepared locusts that will spread out through the countryside. This is when you have to do the real community, tight knit group stuff to stand a chance, but the odds of this happening in the US in our lifetime is very unlikely thank goodness. Sure things are looking bad, and will more than likely get worse, but believe it or not, it has been worse in history before and well, we are still here.
 
Lol. Love this show. It has some good ideas, but some of the stuff these people prep for is unbelievable. The only thing I want to say, may offend some people. If this happens to you, relax.....I am basing my comment on things I have seen in my life.

Just because you think you are a survivor....doesn't mean you are. When the real deal happens, you may find yourself on the mentally/physically/logistically unprepared side.

Once again this is not directed at anyone, just a general statement. I am sure I will get a few agree's and a few disagree's on this, which is normal. I am also sure a few trolls will start with BS statements and direct attacks. I just know (not think), that people think they are capable/confident till the real deal hits (any situation).
 
I think that we have to be very realistic in what we prepared for. It has worked for me in the past to list the scenarios and then assign probabilities to each.

My point is lets prepare but be realistic. And please whatever you do don't deplete your retirement savings or your kid’s college funds in order to buy prepping stuff. At the end having some money to fall back when you are old, or providing your kids with a means of sustenance is also survival and the probability of happing is greater than many other scenarios.

Just my boring 2 cents.
 
If and when the grid collapses, do you think the same idiots who fight over sneakers are going to be reasonable when they can't get food or water?? Can't eat all the bling they wear and drive, but you can get together with like-minded idiots and larger roving bands present major problems. I agree with earlier comments about the best and worst of man......we are capable of both and with today's "instant gratification" mindset, you are seeing more of the worst and less of the best. Better to be overprepared and not need it than to be underprepared and screwed........Natgeo found the fringe just as the media always does......this doesn't represent the majority of "preppers" who are simply people who see what is coming over the horizon.
 
Christopher Nyerges, a survival instructor and author, is the only one of these people in the various episodes that I believe has any real skills whatsoever. The "doomsday" scenario of living in metal containers (which will NOT stop a 7.62x39mm round from a Kalashnikov-style rifle, or any other centerfire cartridge) and having a bus full of supplies is almost laughable. As far as traveling along the roads, what do you suppose will happen when they come up on the first roadblock set up by the military or DPS (Texas)? I believe they will be turned back. Not something I happen to agree with, but a reality nonetheless. Overweight people with firearms do not impress me.

An entertaining show, however.

Regards,
Ron
 
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