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Doomsday Preppers - a new series

13K views 132 replies 36 participants last post by  Mr Fixit 
#1 ·
#80 ·
Like anything else on TV these days you just have to take it all with a 'grain of salt'...

While we are watching the extremes- there are good points that need to be considered.

BOB ~ Bug Out Bags: These are excellent to have in case of any scenario. For those that don't know what they are: a prepared easy to carry bag ready at a moments notice that will sustain your family for up to 72 hrs with no additional help or support being offered. There are plenty of websites that can give you lists and ideas of what to have readily available but remember that each family is different and the lists should only be used as guidelines. The bag should also be made with the mindset that there is always the possibility that you will be spending those 72 hrs camping out in the woods instead of parked in front of the TV on a hotel bed. So plan ahead accordingly.

There could be a multitude of reasons that you would have to bug-out and they all don't have to do with the end of the world as we know it. There could be natural disasters, man-made disasters (case in point: I live near a railroad track. One day a train could derail with deadly chemicals and I have just 5 mins to leave my home).

My cats have a BOB even (contents: small bag litter, small litter pan, 2 bowls, gallon size bag of dry food, 3 cans canned food, spoon, full water bottle, treats) We keep a full size dog cage with kitty house and blanket ready at all times (obviously this is going to be a little more difficult running down the road with during a crisis so this is mostly if we are able to drive out) in the case of leaving on foot we have a smaller, much more cramped kitty carrier that breaks down. Their necessities are kept in an easy to throw over the shoulder bag.

All this is kept in the basement bathroom closet where we go in the event of a tornado. Think about it- if your house is demolished in a storm the last thing you can think about (or even find) is the necessary items to sustain you for even the next 24 hrs. Or if you get that knock on the door and are told to evacuate and we don't know when you can come back home. Or heavens forbid, the doomsdayers were right all along and you have to run for your lives.

It's just smart planning that's all. Kinda like one day you know you will retire and need to have a source of income so you start saving early on and live now like you have some common sense.

That's just one girls thoughts on the whole thing anyway....
 
#82 ·
i just got forks over knives and am just started reading it. want to get the engine 2 diet book both talk about eating a plant-based diet. and there was one story where this firefighter lowered his cholesterol which if i recall correctly was 426 down to 196. so my whole family is getting read to implement the new eating style. dd is almost there anyway, ds does enjoy his chicken occasionally.
 
#84 · (Edited)
Just some random thoughts...


Doomsday is defined as: the end of the worlds existance.

Prepping for this to me is: put your head between your legs and kiss your butt goodbye.

So, if you're going to prep for anything, I think the most likely scenario is a natural disaster or job loss. Job loss is included in a financial meltdown if you want to take it to that extreme.

Regarding a natural disaster... we need to look no further than Darlene. Her and her husband lived through it. Knowing what I know about it, if she would have stockpiled tons of food the way the show is depicting, she would have had no way to move it and it would have all been wasted.

So I guess my point is: Does your "plan" include all of your stockpile being destroyed??
 
#86 ·
I just have a problem with a NON doctor and/or medical professional ( not that they are always right) giving advice and making claims.

If someone is going to make claims or give medical advice, they should back up those claims with facts, not just personal opinion.
 
#87 ·
Regarding Lipitor: my doctor also gave me literature that stated if I had any muscle weakness to notify him immediately.
Here is a link from the National Institute of Health

http://http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000009/

What side effects can this medication cause?

Atorvastatin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

diarrhea


constipation


gas


headache


joint pain



Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor immediately:

muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness


lack of energy


fever


chest pain


nausea


extreme tiredness


unusual bleeding or bruising


loss of appetite


pain in the upper right part of the stomach


flu-like symptoms


yellowing of the skin or eyes


rash


hives


itching


difficulty breathing or swallowing


swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs


hoarseness



Atorvastatin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].
 
#88 ·
http://http://www.drugs.com/sfx/lipitor-side-effects.html

This link is written for professional medical workers and discusses the muscle, skeletal, neurological (including memory problems), renal (including renal failure) and other side effects that can happen with Lipitor and other statins.


BTW, I have been on statins for years with no apparent side effects.(Even have some in my stockpile for when TSHTF) Doesn't mean it doesn't happen to other people.
 
#90 ·
I've been wondering all along about these huge stockpiles in the case of a natural disaster where your house is destroyed and the stockpile along with it. IMO, big stockpiles are best in the case of job loss or prolonged illness or other non-destructive event. If the stockpile gets destroyed, all the money tied up in it is wasted.

Our most likely natural disaster here would be a wildfire. There is no way a stockpile would help us in that case, and no reasonable way to save it. If I had minutes to leave, or even hours, I damn sure wouldn't be worrying about how to move hundreds of pounds of food. I'd be worrying first about myself, my husband, and my pets, then small valuables including cash on hand, credit cards, and important papers, then our camper, and then any small amount of supplies we could take to see us through a few days. If I had time and space, then it would be heirlooms or other personal items.

I've thought the same sometimes about the non-food items I have in my house, like craft supplies and other things I have a lot of money tied up in, that would be difficult to quantify for insurance purposes after the fact. I'd hate to think it would all be a total loss, but it most likely would be.
 
#92 ·
I've been wondering all along about these huge stockpiles in the case of a natural disaster where your house is destroyed and the stockpile along with it. IMO, big stockpiles are best in the case of job loss or prolonged illness or other non-destructive event. If the stockpile gets destroyed, all the money tied up in it is wasted.

Our most likely natural disaster here would be a wildfire. There is no way a stockpile would help us in that case, and no reasonable way to save it. If I had minutes to leave, or even hours, I damn sure wouldn't be worrying about how to move hundreds of pounds of food. I'd be worrying first about myself, my husband, and my pets, then small valuables including cash on hand, credit cards, and important papers, then our camper, and then any small amount of supplies we could take to see us through a few days. If I had time and space, then it would be heirlooms or other personal items.
Thank you. :) You put it much better than I did.

I have to believe that most stock piles are kept in the house. House destroyed by tornado, flood or fire = stockpile gone. Does insurance cover that?
 
#93 ·
I would think insurance might cover it as personal property but you'd have to be able to show you actually had that stuff. How? Not only would the paperwork for it (receipts) most likely be destroyed, but it's the kind of thing where the inventory would always be changing, so what you had last month isn't necessarily what you have the day of the loss. It's not like a TV or a car where you have the same one for years. Anyone could walk into the insurance office and claim they have $5,000 worth of food in their basement, but I would think the insurance company would expect some proof before they paid out.

I'm not sure at all how claims like that would be handled. I'm sure it varies, like everything else having to do with insurance.

Those who TRULY believe the world is ending will not be stockpiling. What would the point be?
 
#95 ·
I think you would have to get a rider on your home insurance insurance to cover $5,000 in food. Much like you have to have a rider for expensive jewelry, or expensive musical instruments.

I think some of the extreme coupons on the extreme coupon shows alluded to this as fact.
 
#94 ·
A very good point...

if people really thought the world was going to end they would not be stockpiling(hogwash in my eyes) but i think alot of people like myself believe the world is not going to end...it is going to continue to exist...it is just going to throw curveballs at us such as natural disasters, economic collapse(even further than now) etc... and by stockpiling we are preparing for times when we might not be able to purchase items at the grocery store or not be able to afford them...
 
#96 ·
I think it's always good to have some preparation for the down times. When it becomes an obsession or starts to interfere with being able to enjoy life, or causes people to live in fear in a daily basis, then I think it's time to take a step back and look at the positives, of which there are many.

There have always been natural disasters, and economies have always run in cycles. We're in a down cycle right now. Personally, I think it's starting an upswing again based on things I see happening locally which IMO are indicators of things happening nationally and maybe globally, although if gas prices go up very much it will be a setback.
 
#98 ·
I think it's always good to have some preparation for the down times. When it becomes an obsession or starts to interfere with being able to enjoy life, or causes people to live in fear in a daily basis, then I think it's time to take a step back and look at the positives, of which there are many.

There have always been natural disasters, and economies have always run in cycles. We're in a down cycle right now. Personally, I think it's starting an upswing again based on things I see happening locally which IMO are indicators of things happening nationally and maybe globally, although if gas prices go up very much it will be a setback.
The voice of reason, IMO. :) Thanks SD.
 
#99 ·
You probably do have to have proof like a recent video.

For jewelry you have to have a insurance paper stating the value.

So yeah, it would be different but I'm betting it could be done. It would sure make your stockpile cost more though. Paying a premium to have it insured.
 
#101 · (Edited)
Thanks, Russ and Imagine.

I think it would be lumped under personal property, but of course it would depend on the policy like everything else. I'm sure this comes up often, because even if you don't have your whole basement full of food, even just replacing what's in a freezer and pantry for day to day use can run into a lot of money. So there must be a way for insurance companies to handle it.

I suppose if there was something like a fire, an adjustor could actually see the remains of canned goods and things like that, which would be proof the food was actually there.
 
#104 ·
Thanks, Russ.

I think it would be lumped under personal property, but of course it would depend on the policy like everything else. I'm sure this comes up often, because even if you don't have your whole basement full of food, even just replacing what's in a freezer and pantry for day to day use can run into a lot of money. So there must be a way for insurance companies to handle it.

I suppose if there was something like a fire, an adjustor could actually see the remains of canned goods and things like that, which would be proof the food was actually there.
I think most insurance companies have limits on their payouts for items though. I know we have to a special rider on our homeowners insurance to cover the replacement of our guns/ammo. They had a cap on what they would cover and our weapons' value exceeds that. I think someone else has mentioned that some of the people on extreme couponers (whatever that show is) have an insurance policy on their stockpile.
 
#102 ·
I can see signs of economic growth all over in our region. The naysayers who enjoy being negative will say it's all political but that's a hard argument to make when new businesses are moving in, job openings are being posted, and people are being hired.

Shipping of iron ore was way up last year. That means there is an increased demand for steel, which means there must be an increased demand for products made of steel, which in turn means an uptick in jobs to make the items from the steel, or soon will be. Somebody's building something somewhere. And that's just one segment. Steel is only one component that goes into steel goods, so there are other manufacturers that have to employ people to supply the additional components. The ripple effect will means more jobs all the way around.

New vocational courses are being added to some of the community colleges here, because there is an increased demand for skilled labor for certain manufacturing segments here.

I believe there's reason for optimism and it's not just wishful thinking. Stuff like this is not a 'feeling' but instead is based in fact. We're not out of this recession yet, but it does seem like we're starting to turn around as a country.
 
#105 ·
You can have an insurance policy or rider and it will cover food storage, as long as the items were obtained before a disaster.You will need photos, an inventory, an estimate of value and proof that you have the storage capacity for the items claimed.It would not hurt to have receipts. You can keep the inventory items and other paperwork in a safety deposit box or other personal areas away from the home.You agent can have an updated inventory file with the needed items.All stockpiles of this sort are most likely meticulously inventoried, and many foods are shelf stable for up to 30 years, reducing the need for continual rotating.I would check with your TRUSTED insurance agent. Just as I would not live by a stream without flood insurance, I would not stockpile these huge amounts without a replacement policy.To do so would be foolish in my opinion, some I am sure would be willing to take that risk for reasons of their own. It comes back to bite them.
I agree that prepping can become obsessive, and it appears to take over peoples lives. What I do notice is that many of these couples seem to do this as a form of activity that they enjoy doing together. It may be their form of togetherness and building and working together for a common goal. To me personally, it is a better shared activity than shopping with a credit card at the mall.( It is not good to prep for the future with a credit card at the mall.Grin) To each his own.What a wonderful gift for a food bank, friends or family, or just a food savings, if times look up. What a blessing of food and necessities in times of trouble.One thing I know about life(for now) is that it goes on.
 
#109 ·
I agree that prepping can become obsessive, and it appears to take over peoples lives. What I do notice is that many of these couples seem to do this as a form of activity that they enjoy doing together. It may be their form of togetherness and building and working together for a common goal. To me personally, it is a better shared activity than shopping with a credit card at the mall.( It is not good to prep for the future with a credit card at the mall.Grin) To each his own.What a wonderful gift for a food bank, friends or family, or just a food savings, if times look up. What a blessing of food and necessities in times of trouble.One thing I know about life(for now) is that it goes on.
I finally have a "life partner" and we work great together...he sees it like I do. We are far from being out of the woods.

They just passed a bill to lower Social Security Payroll Taxes. Which means that Soc. Sec. will probably go bankrupt a lot sooner than later.

That in and of itself, to us, would be considered a disaster. We are both disabled. I tried getting off of disability against doctor's orders and crashed and burned. I can maintain employment for a max of 6 months and then I crash and it takes several months just to recover enough to do normal every day things again.

My partner has a bad heart. His valve is shredded plus some other health problems.

We are preparing to be as independent as possible, which is a little difficult on a little over $1,500 a month between the two of us.

We live in FL and we don't use air conditioning. We burn wood for heat. I cook from scratch and I economize, economize, economize. However, seeing as our income automatically is reduced in less than ten years from now, we are also having to work hard at getting things squared away for when that time comes.

Backwoodsgirl
 
#106 ·
I agree, Russ, where is the dang TY button!

That makes sense, McD and Annymoll. I think most anything that wouldn't be in the average home would have to have a rider.

Prepping as a shared hobby. Now there's something I hadn't thought about! :D
 
#111 ·
Well,I have to go on record to say that no one solution is going to cover all situations.
If you stockpiles for possible job loss your NOT going to take it all w/ you in case of a tornado. Maybe then you need to store some at a friends house or a cabin?
And if your going to bugout maybe dehydrated or MRE's instead of cans.lol
And paperwork should be stored at 2 locations anyway.
I was discussing that we may want to keep food at a few locations in the house. We have a lg. tree I will cut asap but in the meantime just the right storm...
And if theres a riot or looting (lived thru the Detroit riots as a child) it might be good to store it several places??

Just a few of my "brilliant" thoughts!
You can't plan for everything but you should plan for something.
 
#113 ·
Civil unrest can happen at anytime, anywhere. And the way people are acting anymore I think we are all a lot closer to cracking up than we realize.

Look at New Orleans or LA during the Rodney King fiasco. These should be a real eye-opener to those that think the world is only full of rainbows & sunshine. Luckily these were isolated incidents and things were brought under control much more quickly than if there had been multiple unrest in many places at the same time. We only have so many forces available to control the masses and they cannot be everywhere at once. (And we have shown what we are capable of doing to one another).

While I am far from a Doomsdayer- I am however, a realist. And I realize that things can happen. Living in a small rural town (as opposed to living in a big city) I feel we are actually safer here but there are no guarantees.

With that being said, my family members that do reside in big cities have been instructed by me that if unrest does occur that they should abandon their properties (there is NOTHING material that is worth DYING over) and head my way. Their specific instructions are to grab all their available food stuffs, hba's & pick up the older family members that no longer drive and head for the hills. We have our home here and also a cabin in the woods about 25 mins from my home. If I felt our safety in my home was compromised we would all head for the cabin. (Sits in the middle of 120 acres and a pain in the rear to get to. People won't be heading out here to steal from us- that will only happen if there is truly nothing left of the world outside).

Once again, it's not an obsession with the end of the world- it's just another plan to try to stay one step ahead at all times....
 
#114 ·
Admittedly, I did not read this entire thread. My thought on the show is that preppers are, by nature, a somewhat paranoid group of people ~ no prepper worth their salt would go on national TV and show to the world everything they have stock piled.

Jason and I prep. Our thought process is to think of the most likely scenario that could happen and prep for that and chances are you are probably prepped for a lot of other things, because of that.

We live on the West Coast, just outside of Seattle ~ our most likely disasters are multi day power outages (up to 14 days sometimes) or a great big, rock the world earthquake (they've been saying we're due for one for about 100 years now).

In both of those situations, because we live on a peninsula that would be difficult to get it if the bridges go out, we envision we would not leave our house for quite some time. We're prepared for that.

We've also done a lot of research on the Argentina economic collapse and see a lot of parallels between what happened there and what is appearing to happen here. Again, we are set up to not have to leave our house for quite some time.

We are also able to defend our property in the event it comes to that (not as likely) (although robberies in our small, quiet corner of the world are very much on the rise lately).

Another possible scenario is a house fire (or damaged house due to downed trees/earthquake/storms/etc...) where we would have to leave. We do have BOBs with changes of clothes, some cash, some granola bars, etc....enough to get us either to my inlays house or a hotel where we could get through 24-48 hours until I could get to a Walmart, etc...to get some more clothes, toothbrushes, some food, etc.....

No, you cannot be prepared for everything. You simply pick one or two events that you feel are "likely" to happen and you prepare for those....
 
#115 ·
Admittedly, I did not read this entire thread. My thought on the show is that preppers are, by nature, a somewhat paranoid group of people ~ no prepper worth their salt would go on national TV and show to the world everything they have stock piled.
Have been my thoughts exactly all along....
 
#118 ·
I am sure they are getting paid to do it.

Did you see the one with the man who declared himself a doomsday prepper and entrepreneur? He was making and selling his own doomsday weapon/tool combo thing. I think he said it he even patented it.

In the update He said business had really picked up after national geographic filmed. I guess was even before it actually appeared on national television as the episode said new on the schedule.
 
#117 ·
Too bad we are all going to show up at their homes now at the end of the world coz now we know where they all live.....lol
 
#121 ·
I think prepping to a point is really smart. However i feel really sad for anyone prepping and living their life in fear of what could happen. I watched parts of this on the national geographic channel on the net. I though some of the people were really very smart and creative. Some seemed a it crazy!
 
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