I have many people in my family who think I'm weird, and others who know me thing I'm insane... so I wrote something just for them. Feel free to use it for those you are trying to help show the "the light". Because we are trying to get this published in some magazines, I just ask that you keep my name with the artcle, otherwise, I don't care if you use it. I hope it will open some eyes and start the process.

What is a “Prepper”? (Eyes open in terror at the word)

So many people hear the word, “Prepper” or “Prepping” and their eyes get big and they shudder. In their minds eye, they see a basement with rows and rows of shelving stocked from ceiling to floor with food and water and toilet paper, and they wonder… “Are these people insane”?

The real question to ask here, ‘What is a “Prepper”?’ Hmmmm…. Is it REALLY stockpiling food for generations to come like so many people think? (Remember the Y2K “preppers”?) Or…. Could it possibly be even…. Oh no… that’s absurd…. Wait… could it be? Hmmmm….. Could it really be as simple as being PREPARED for any emergency situation? NOOOO!!!!!!! Really? Wait…. Let me think about this new concept… new spin on this idea… hmmmm….. Let’s see…. What is an emergency situation? A hurricane, an earthquake, a tornado, a flood, a blizzard, a forest fire…… hmmmm…. Yep… I’d say those all constitute as an emergency…… so what if I have an Emergency Kit or an Earthquake Kit or 72 Hour Emergency Kit? OH NO!!! I’m a dreaded “PREPPER!” Really? Isn’t it nice to know you can be prepared? Hmmmm…. Maybe prepping isn’t what I’ve thought or what the stigma of “prepping” really is all about……….

You hear the tornado sirens going off and you rush to your basement with your family and pets. Tornado comes and levels your house and you are safe…. No one is really hurt…. But… you have no clue how long you are going to be down there. A few hours pass, and your kids complain they are hungry and thirsty and bored and have to use the bathroom…. What do you do? You have nothing. No water, no food, no way of using the bathroom….. and you begin to think of all the times you’ve heard how you need to have an emergency kit, 72 hour kit, a Bug Out Bag or a Bug In Bag. You shake your head, if only you had paid attention and had PREPARED ahead of time for such an emergency. But…. Had you been prepared, you would have then become…. A dreaded PREPPER! Oh no… can’t be doing that! Don’t want the stigma…. Tsk tsk tsk tsk….

Prepping and being prepared is NOT about hording years and years of food and supplies in your basement or bug out location. It’s about being prepared! What makes YOU comfortable in being prepared? Some… yes… they feel safe and secure in knowing they can feed their families for 20 years… while others are comfortable in knowing they have an Emergency Pack or a 72 Hour Emergency Pack. Others have put away a month’s worth of food, some 3 months, some 6 months, some even a year’s worth. I’ve heard stories of people losing their jobs and had no way of caring for their families. If it hadn’t been for the food they had set back in case of hard times and emergencies, their family would have struggled a lot harder, but it got them through till they were able to find another job and get caught up on their bills once again. Is that such a bad thing? It is our duty to care for our families….. does that mean putting away a few months worth of food… “JUST IN CASE”?

You must make the decision on what YOU are comfortable with. You don’t have to stock up years of supplies to be prepared. Learn skills that will help you… and don’t just “book learn”, but apply those skills, practice them, learn them.

The Great Depression lasted, what 10 years? How many of you have talked to your grandparents, or your parents who lived through those times? What was it like for them? Some didn't feel the affects as much, while others know what it is like to lay in bed at night, stomach pains keeping them awake because they didn't get anything to eat for a few days. History repeats itself, over and over and over again. Some say we are due for another "Great Depression" with food shortages. What are you doing today to prepare for such a life changing event? Many people don't believe there could be such a devastating catastrophe again. Really? Who knows? Only God knows for He is the only one that knows what the future holds. So, what are YOU going to do? Sit still and believe there will be no such thing, or are you going to be like the wise ant, and store up for the winter? How long will this "winter" last? Many people talk about "Doomsday". Really? Could another "Great Depression" be the "Doomsday"? What IS "Doomsday"? Could it simply be a massive change in life from what we know of it TODAY? Others believe it is the "End of the World". You must decide for yourself what it is. Will it actually happen? Who knows? But it is better to be prepared in any situation. A tornado can be your "Doomsday", destroying your life as you know it. A hurricane, and earthquake, a flood, or even a forest fire can be your "Doomsday". Sickness, loss of jobs, or even a death in the family can be your “Doomsday”. Getting lost in the mountains can be your “Doomsday”. How will you make the most of it? What are YOU doing to prepare for your "Doomsday"?

Written by ~Jennifer Lappin, Owner of Rocky Mountain Survival Gear, LLC~