A prepper is someone who takes personal responsibility for their own care during an emergency situation by performing emergency preparedness activities prior to a disastrous event. The world’s economic and political systems are more connected now than perhaps any other time in recorded history. In the past, natural disasters impacted only isolated regions, but now they affect the supply chain activities of multinational companies. Subsequently, governments around the world have increased their support of emergency management activities and have recommended disaster preparedness action items for individuals and families. Here are some of the common activities that are performed by preppers as they get ready for a variety of emergency situations.
Identify Water Supply
Prepping for emergency situations is all about cultivating basic survival skills, and having access to clean drinking water is one of the most important elements of survival in any situation. Humans can survive many days without food; some people who are carrying around extra fat stores can last longer than others. However, no one can survive for more than a few days without potable water. Depending on the extent of their survival preparation activities, some preppers store enough clean water in or around their residences to sustain their families for a few weeks. Other preppers who want to plan for emergencies that will impact them for longer periods of time locate nearby springs or dig deep wells near their homes so that they can access water even if power grids go down. These preppers often invest in premium gravity-fed water purifiers such as Doulton, AquaRain or Berkey water filtration systems to protect their health during emergencies.
Food Preparation
Most preppers conduct mental scenarios of how they will feed themselves and their families during emergencies. They imagine that many of their neighbors will be fighting at grocery stores for nutrition-poor food items when disasters strike, and they want to avoid this type of situation at all costs. Some preppers store dried foods such as beans, corn and other grains in moisture-proof containers that are designed for long-term food storage. Other preppers start backyard or green house gardens so that their families will have fresh produce if they are unable to get food from local grocery stores. Learning about edible weeds and other foraging techniques is another activity that savvy preppers and their families do for emergency preparedness.
Acquire Knowledge of First Aid
Many emergency situations such as hurricanes, tornadoes and floods can cause even healthy people to become injured or sick. Preppers get ready for these situations by obtaining home health care knowledge and supplies. These people often take courses on herbal medicine, and they make sure that they have key herbs available for all types of emergency scenarios. A prepper may also brush up on their cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills and learn how to set broken bones. Almost all preppers will have first aid kits that minimally contain bandages, antiseptic wipes, burn cream and first aid tape.
Conclusion
While mainstream media outlets often link preppers to conspiracy theory, many preppers are simply trying to keep their families safe and intact during any situation that could arise. They understand that help from government agencies may not be available for them when they need it, and they have decided to take matters concerning emergency preparedness into their own hands.
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