We’ve all had a great laugh at their expense over the years.
Preppers are those who actively prepare for all types of emergencies from natural disasters to civil unrest.
These are strange individuals who seem to be labelled “nuts” by the rest of their community.
But today, with the COVID 19 Caronavirus reaping havoc around the world, suddenly the skills that preppers hold dear are now required by everyone…because it’s now a case of “survival of the fittest” meets “always be prepared.”
Tough Love.
Right now, the vast majority of individuals contracting COVID 19 are pushing through it just fine. Just by being not hospitalised, yet certainly not 100%.
Even the walking wounded showing symptoms are being turned away from being tested or admitted due to those a whole lot worse for wear in many major cities that are completely overwhelmed.
Many dying are those who are old and infirm, or have underlying health issues such as genetically inherited diseases or obesity bringing it’s own problems, as well as other underlying health issues.
I’m well aware that here in New York, many beds are being taken up by those very individuals who are paid to protect and help us at times of need like this one today…cops, firefighters and nursing staff. Many of these individuals again already had health issues such as obesity and it’s other underlying health issues, as I previously mentioned in my last post on this blog.
So, we’re now in a place of reflection, in order to move forward with our lives, and therefore be in a better place to tackle the virus, or indeed any other drama next time up…as I’m being constantly told by the professionals that it will strike again.
Start by thinking like a prepper!
A prepper (if taking the skill seriously) is first and foremost fit. That individual skill alone will put you in a great place to begin with.
It’s all about natural selection. A tree, an animal and even a human can be wiped out at a moments notice, through natural occurrences. Whether it’s a fire, a flood, or indeed a virus. The tree, the animal and the human will always survive, but which individual from the species?
In the jungles of the world, I’ve seen beautiful trees growing, and flourishing one minute. Then when I’ve returned to the same area months later, I’ve seen those same trees rotting to the ground…attacked by a virus. However yards away, the very same tree species has survived. Did those trees adapt, or were they somehow exempt from the virus? Is the tree that survived “fitter” (healthier) than the tree that didn’t?
All my adult life, I’ve taken it that that is simply the case…sometime chicken, sometime only feathers…once again all part of natural selection.
Let’s face it, we’re already seeing that we live in locations where the government can’t keep us safe from a major catastrophe…as if we hadn’t guessed already.
Reactive and not proactive, as for governments, economics always outweigh the health of the electorate. Just look at the split between the government and health professionals right now. Economy v health…every time, that’s the reality. It’s tough for all sides when both subjects are important, and both subjects affect every one of us in differing ways.
Which means that proactively, if we don’t look after ourselves, then who will?
So health and fitness, coupled with personal hygiene is everything. Whether operating in my time in the jungle as a long range reconnaissance patrol member back in my military days, or a retired older man living in the jungle of New York and it’s burbs as I do today.
When you can eat sensibly, maintain a healthy weight, have a good sleep pattern, and train well for your age group, also by looking after your personal hygiene…you’re now in a strong position towards survival.
Only then can you move forward with being in an advantageous position over those others around you.
You now have it in your mindset that you alone are ahead of the game. So what’s next?
Make a plan…be aware of your surroundings. What’s the situation likely going to be? Are we nearing social breakdown? What am I going to need to move to a safe area and survive, versus riding this out with all I need as I’m already in safety? Remember, this is for the next serious drama, as we’re already coping or not with the present one. It’s all about being proactive. It’s all about hammering through the “what if’s.”
Always be realistic!
I’ve seen preppers who have spent millions of $$$$$ on stuff that they either didn’t need, or was definitely not realistic to their individual plan of bugging out.
It all depends on what the drama is. Who you are. How many are with you if not alone. Moving (bugging out) or staying. Mode of transport…vehicle or boots? Security, food, water, shelter, fire. Again, all of which will be prioritized depending on where you are and the seasons.
Some food for thought in these treacherous times.
I can’t tell you what to do, I can’t hand you a plan of action, I can’t even tell you what to take…there are a thousand and one scenarios for each individual… this is purely food for thought, and to allow you to be better prepared, and to help yourself stay alive the next time.
In today’s lifestyle though…I can tell you one thing for sure, stay away from the donut shops.
So what does the future hold? Well, we’re already seeing it.
It’s all about survival of the fittest…as it always ever has been.
Bob Shepherd 
What extra precautions have you taken that you hadn’t taken at the start of this pandemic? Best wishes and stay safe
Only moved certain plans further up the priority listing. We had bags packed as the virus began to spread from China. I believe that we can get through the pandemic…but more prepared for any social breakdown. Keeping things grounded and realistic day to day. All the best and stay safe and healthy back Paul.
Very few ‘old timer’ preppers plan to an A to Z of scenarios.
Even fewer lay in vast amounts of stores and equipment.
However, most have transport plans as the time may come when getting out of harms way is going to be way preferable to hanging around trying to survive against the odds.
Getting out of harms way (bugging out) means getting to somewhere safe(r) than where you are at that moment. Thus, it is recognized by us OT preppers that moving several tonnes of stores and equipment isn’t exactly the brightest of ideas.
So, if you are going to head for a refuge, that’s going to have been Moderately Equipped before the main event. With the thought,”What if we can’t reach it?”
However, most are not so lucky as to have a refuge and for them it’s all about the journey to safety and surviving there until they get rescued.
If that’s you, you take what you have carefully thought out.
Not with the mindset of cramming everything you can into your vehicle (aka BOV aka bug out vehicle).
The why is simple. What if you break down, or enter the traffic jam from hell and cannot go forward or back, or are stopped by law enforcement aka local government.
So whatever you take is calculated against you ending up on foot and carrying it!
Which brings me to fitness.
What’s the average fitness, age, profession, education, gender, skill set, or marital status of a prepper?
Trick question.
None of the above has been quantified except by people who aren’t preppers and have absolutely no idea about what they are talking about.
Prepping is known as something that is uniquely individual,
As is the level of fitness as some are also disabled.
Yet just being disabled doesn’t mean you won’t survive and most disabled preppers (and those who aren’t preppers) are usually VERY resourceful by the nature of the life they are living. Add those with a long term illness, and they generally KNOW how to work within their physical limitations.
Adapt, improvise, and overcome.
Train to achieve a wide variety of skill sets is the norm.
Practice those skills as much as you can.
And as for fitness?
You keep yourself as fit as you can but within your limitations.
And lastly a story.
Once I was ridiculed about my fitness to survive as I have to use sticks to walk.
According to this particular ‘man mountain’, I didn’t stand a chance.
So I offered him a challenge. My skill set over his brawn.
He agreed. The challenge was simple although he turned it down.
It went:-
You run and I’ll see if I can stop you escaping. He laughed at me.
Then he turned white as I got my rifle from the trunk of my car.
Funny bit about it is I’ve never seen him again.
Preppers think their way out of problems.
In prepping terms it’s called S.T.O.P
‘S’top what you are doing
‘T’hink about what you need to achieve.
‘O’bserve what you have to do and what you have to enable that task.
‘P’ stands for ‘Plan and proceed’.
Sure you might need a bit of brawn to succeed in anything.
Although brawn without a brain means little, and that my friend, in a nutshell, is the mindset of the old timer prepper.
Paul Gray.