Are Preppers Selfish?

By Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD)

I came across a very fascinating rebuttal by SHTF plan to an article written by an emergency manager,  Valerie Lucus-McEwen. She wrote an article entitled "Doomsday Preppers are Socially Selfish" that was not only critical of the silly reality TV series "Doomsday Prepper", but used it as a means to attack all preppers.

 "You might wonder why someone like me, who has been in the business of encouraging disaster preparedness for a very long time, is so critical of people who are doing just that. It’s because they are being socially selfish – preparing themselves and the hell with everyone else.  Instead of spending time and energy making changes that would benefit the larger community, in their very narrow focus of loyalty they are more concerned about themselves," Lucus-McEwen explained.

What is the first rule when an airplane is going down and the oxygen mask drop down?

Grab your oxygen mask first and then help the people next to you.

Why?

Because if you pass out, you won't be able to help your kids. I think that people need to help themselves before they can help others. With that said, I most definitely don't approve of the show "Doomsday Preppers." For the most part, it showcases the most extreme and ridiculous personalities in the emergency preparation community.

Here's another interesting part.

"Emergency Managers can’t afford that kind of attitude.  It is diametrically opposed to everything we do. Our job is to prepare individuals and communities and jurisdictions and regions and – ultimately – the globe for disasters, knowing we won’t always succeed."

Let's get real. The more people prepare, the less they will need people like her. Emergency managers can help people during a crisis, but are always very limited. And usually end up spending most of their time helping idiots who never kept every food and water in their homes. The only real solution is for more people to become personally responsible for their own water, food, safety and shelter after a crisis. Simply put, we can't help others until we help ourselves. Is storing food and water for emergencies selfish?

Of course not.

Some preppers are selfish, but the choice to prepare is not what makes them selfish. We should not associate preparing for a rainy day to selfishness. It's called self-preservation and it's why humans have made it this far.

Water is the Most Important Aspect of Prepping

By Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD)

The moist air is thick and heavy. The city's asphalt streets sizzle. Another scorching hot day in Flint, Michigan. But this heat wave is just the beginning of 2012's second temperature surge. The first heat wave knocked out power systems across the Eastern U.S. and left thousands of temperature records along the waist-side. This summer has been one for the record books. But it has also awaken my core survival instincts. For the first time in my journey as a prepper, I realized that my priorities were not correctly aligned. For too long, I have endulged my fascination with firearms to the point that I have failed to see what represents the greatest threat in a crisis situation: dehydration.

In all likelihood, I will die of dehydration before I am forced into a gun fire. And since I already have six guns, how can I justify buying another one when my water preparation is so weak.

Although, I have 6 five gallon containers filled with tap water, four cases of bottled water, a Katadyn Water filter and several packs of purifying tablets, an honest assessment of my supplies would force me to conclude that this would not be enough for a family of three to survive on for very long. This summer of unbearable  heat has forced me to re-examine how prepared I really am for a situation were I would have to produce my own clean water.

Let's keep in mind that many modern water systems rely on electric pumps to force water to millions of homes. If the electrical system is compromised, then millions of Americans may find themselves in a situation were they will have to boil, purify or filter their own water.

So I've decided to take action. A friend on youtube suggested I build a sand bio filter to remove germs from the water in the nearby creek. The concept is brillantly simple. You use fine sand in a 55 gallon barrel to filter viruses and harmfully substances from the water. But the top level of water serves as a natural bio system by using good bacteria to destroy bad bacteria.

It's a good idea, but it's not for me. Filling a 55 gallon barrel would be problematic for an urbanite such as myself, because it would be very difficult to move. So I've decided to invest in a Berkey Water system. It's light weight and it uses a carbon filter to remove virtually any harmful biological organism. I've also decided get some water containers that are not clear. The idea is to protect the water from the effects of sunlight. I'm also going to expand into trapping rainwater.

There's nothing wrong with owning a lot of guns, but if you don't have any water, your body will break down very fast. Water makes almost everything easier. You need water. I need water and more of it. In an emergency situation, I will need water to cook food, washing my body, stay hydrated, prevent infection and possibly keep someone's body temperature down. So I'll still buy another pistol this year, but not before I make sure I can filter hundreds of gallons of water.