Doomsday preppers.

[Paul98]

They would do much better getting some mental help for their irrational fears.

Then their are just people who enjoy doing this, and they live in their own little make believe world. Where the world will end like a movie.

 

[Texashiker]

Its kinda sad that some people spend their whole lives afraid.

I think there is a fine line between being prepared and being afraid.

Do you happen to remember the duck and cover commercials on TV back in the 1970s? Did your school do any duck and cover drills?

I remember my 1st grade teacher (1975) talking about what a nuclear bomb looks like. The students were told not look at the bright light or you will be blinded, do not look at the windows because the flying glass will get in your eyes, duck under your desk and cover your head with your hands.

Times are different before the fall of the USSR. We did not live in "fear" per say, but we did live in a state of readiness.

Some of the doomsday preppers take it a bit far, I have to admit that. When prepping consumers your life, like anything else, there is a problem.

They would do much better getting some mental help for their irrational fears.

Do you happen to know your history? Such as what happened during 1348 - 1350 and 1665 - 1666. How about events such as the LA riots, or Hurricane Katrina.

 

[mmntech]

Allegedly there's a massive bunker under the Watchtower HQ, about 30min north of me. Then there was that Canadian dude who made his own fallout shelter out of school buses.

I can understand preparing but only too a degree. If I lived in a hurricane zone or a tornado ally, I'd want to make sure I was able to "bug out". But I live in Ontario where we rarely get severe weather. The worst that could happen is the nuclear plant melts down, but the odds of that are astronomical. As are the odds of an actual doomsday happening within our lifetime. These doomsayers are all crazy. This particular fellow likely got a touch of the PTSD in Nam.

 

[Modelworks]

the EMP Family pissed me off and had me laughing at them. Bottom line is they are practicing bugging out to their super secret safe location which is 3 shipping containers buried in the desert. problem is you dumbfucks is if there is a EMP blast YOUR FUCKING CAR IS NOT GOING TO WORK!!!!!!

EMP is so misunderstood , car will be fine. I have seen all the military documents on preventing EMP damage and the preparations are not hard at all and most devices are not going to be damaged. For EMP to damage something you need a gathering point for the energy to build and travel into the circuit. A circuit board laying on a desk isn't going to be harmed. Inside your pc the damage would come from the wiring on the outside of the case, the mouse, and keyboard wires could work as antennas for the energy but even that isn't likely. EMP damage relies a ton on resonant frequency, things that share the resonant frequency will work like an antenna and capture the energy destroying the device, things that don't match the frequency are unaffected. The military is concerned because they have a lot of antennas up that are used for communication, in those circumstances an emp can be very bad.

The military guides suggest burying com cables 4-6 inches, yes just 4-6 inches of dirt can mitigate the damage from an emp. They don't even recommend any tactics or precautions for vehicles because they are unlikely to be harmed. Things like power lines, long wires, antennas, towers, are the main threat.

 

[Childs]

I think there is a fine line between being prepared and being afraid.

Obviously the show can skew things so that the family appears a certain way, but thats the impression I got. It was like fear bonded the family together, in a creepy cultish way. One of the families openly wanted a disaster to validate their lifestyle. They aren't hurting anyone and its still a relatively free country so more power to them. It just gives me pause when you see people like that because scared people act desperately when its not called for, with horrific conscequences.

 

[Texashiker]

It just gives me pause when you see people like that because scared people act desperately when its not called for, with horrific conscequences.

Kinda like the followers of david koresh.

They were preparing for some kind of end of the world event, and sure enough up rolls the ATF. It seemed to me they were a means to their own end.

 

[olds]

Most of the people on those shows are nuts.

But, it's just common sense to be prepared for the unknown.
We have 3 day bags (backpacks). Everything we need to survive on the road for 3 days. Food/water/first aid/antibiotics/clothing/fire starter/light/etc.
We could go a month if we sheltered in place.

Some people weren't prepared for Katrina and suffered because of it. They didn't have food//water. Cops were murdering people.

If there is a SHTF scenario, we have weapons for close quarter combat and a minimum of 1000 rounds per caliber. Probably have almost 5000 for my M4. Still need something for long range. Something in 308.

If it's TEOTWAWKI, who cares? Most everyone is dead anyway.

 

[lokiju]

Those folks are stupid beyond stupid.

It's one thing to have some supplies laid in should there be some kind of emergency, (tornado, hurricane, earthquake, etc.) and even a few guns and ammo isn't a bad idea, but these folks have gone "full retard" with the concept.

This.

I have a "bug out bag" that's not really all that ready to use but comes from years of growing up in south FL where hurricanes were a real threat. How I have a wife and a child to consider and live in a area that tornadoes seem to have a bulls-eye on.

I keep a hand crank emergency radio that also has a flashlight built in, some water purification tablets, some compress towels, a flint fire starter and even a small solar panel that has a built in battery and adapters to charge cell phones and gadgets off of as well as a few other misc items in it.

I've spent to many times going through hurricanes and being without power for a week or more. This is when you have to make your way through the fallen trees and traffic lights and drive far distances in dangerous situations between road hazards, no functioning traffic lights and idiot people not being extra careful and mindful of others. I've waited over an hour in a gas line for the one gas station around for many miles that had gas and power just to have them run out before I got to the pump.

It sucks and being just a little prepared makes a huge difference.

For me it's about being prepared for the unexpected in a natural disaster situation or even something like a home fire.

Some folks just go way off the deep end and prepare like the world is going to go into full collapse and they'll be living a real live Fallout 3 or something.

Be prepared, not paranoid.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I watched the better part of one episode. Total nutters all of them.

 

[DrPizza]

I prefer to live in the area of the country where about the worst possible thing that can happen is the power goes out for a couple of days. I have a generator. I keep the tractor filled up (and can get the gas easily from the tractor), a 5 gallon container of gas, and the generator filled up. Good enough for me. I can't recall a time when I had less than 2 or 3 weeks worth of food in the house.

 

[Exterous]

I like the one where the father and kids go into the 'foxhole' while the wife stands guard

 

[Oyeve]

The people who do this must assume that they will be nearby when all hell breaks loose. The dad could be forty miles away at work, the kids at school and mom could be anywhere. Getting to your shelter is useless if you're stuck in traffic.

What makes you think they have 9-5s?

 

[Red Storm]

What makes you think they have 9-5s?

Or that most of them live anywhere near "traffic"?

 

[olds]

The people who do this must assume that they will be nearby when all hell breaks loose. The dad could be forty miles away at work, the kids at school and mom could be anywhere. Getting to your shelter is useless if you're stuck in traffic.

All families should have plans in place on where to meet.
Can't get home, meet at X.
X is affected, meet at Y.
Wife can't get to Y, meet at Z.
Etc.

 

[KaOTiK]

Those people are a bit...extreme. But being prepared is good regardless. I keep 2 weeks of supplies for 3 people at my house and a very large amount of gas for my generator. I do this simply because I live in FL and hurricanes. Last hurricane that hit, the power was out for a week, I was the only house in the neighborhood that had gas for their generator for more than 2 days lol. It was funny to go around the neighborhood and you wouldnt see any lights at all, except my house

 

[0roo0roo]

they also have a bunker show..its amusing to say the least.

 

[leeland]

The main part I always question with these types of people is this...

Say they are the most prepared people on the planet and something terrible happens...

The SECOND anyone finds out they have 'stuff' they are going to be constantly hounded / attacked for their valuables ( gas, food, tools, guns, ammo ) and it isn't that these people can just pick up and leave...they are stuck there because of all there crap.

I could see something like this working if you were out in the country, with little to no population around you...but if you are one of these people are in a generally populated area it seems totally pointless to me because all the people who didn't plan...are just going to come steal your shit...and even if they defend themselves on a couple...once the word gets out it would be inevitable.

 

[0roo0roo]

well to be fair they tend to be armed. not sure how many dead bodies normal folk are going to crawl over to get to a preppers food.

of two minds on this, because its not exactly burning money since they are inadvertently preparing themselves for natural disaster which is good..., too bad some of them are doing it for stupid reasons like magnetic pole shifting or whatever.

the bunkers one is a little more questionable, people spending hundreds of thousands on non productive stuff in a down economy is kinda burning money.

 

[DominionSeraph]

well to be fair they tend to be armed. not sure how many dead bodies normal folk are going to crawl over to get to a preppers food.

This is the US. Everybody is armed.

 

[0roo0roo]

This is the US. Everybody is armed.

if you are armed you can pick an easier target

80 million..

 

[DominionSeraph]

if you are armed you can pick an easier target

Cats are worth more than conservatards, though.

 

[Jeffg010]

I would think trying to move they would be better off with motorcycles then a big old bus. If there is a reason they need to move I'm willing to bet that everyone else is doing the same thing. I know I could drive on a sidewalk into the woods and through people yards with a motorcycle better then some big ass bus. What I would do if I was them is have both places stocked and have a backpack full of stuff to live off for the ride up to the second location. They are not going to get very far if every else is trying to move out.

 

[AdamK47]

This show has got to have super high ratings in Utah.

 

[DominionSeraph]

I would think trying to move they would be better off with motorcycles then a big old bus. If there is a reason they need to move I'm willing to bet that everyone else is doing the same thing. I know I could drive on a sidewalk into the woods and through people yards with a motorcycle better then some big ass bus. What I would do if I was them is have both places stocked and have a backpack full of stuff to live off for the ride up to the second location. They are not going to get very far if every else is trying to move out.

I haven't seen the show so I can't comment on anyone's specific plan, but the problem with motorcycles is that you do have to supply a fixed alternative location beforehand as they don't have anything in the way of carrying capacity. If your site is compromised you now have nothing. A bus serves as its own alternate site and can carry (literally) tons. Early on in a disaster people won't be murderous, so having a bus stuffed with armed people will be sufficient to deter the opportunists. Later on it will be a liability as raiders won't hesitate to riddle it with bullets until everyone inside is dead, so that's the point where you have to have the fortified fixed position or easy mobility, but the bus will serve to transfer over to either.

 

[Doppel]

I'm still watching this show, chowing down on it like a pig in sh*t.

I'm extremely impressed with some of the setups SOME of the people have. The first show with the people in the metal shipping container compound really were good to go when the zombie apocalypse comes. Others really are just wasting their time. I still don't understand what the people with the bunker under their garage are going to do (episode two weeks back). It just made no sense and their plan to walk to their yacht was idiotic as well.

In some cases the entire family is in on it, in others it clearly causes friction between family members.

Of course, they all say "I'm not obsessive, I'm just preparing". And of course to us they all look obsessive. The obvious point to make in all of this is that absolutely every one of the people I've watched (I think) are seriously sacrificing their future in a non-doomsday scenario. So, if doomsday doesn't come they'll be eating their doomsday supplies when they retire because they have no money left. At some point in the future doomsday will come, but the chances of it being in their lives are statistically low. The chances of retirement without money now much, much higher.