Are doomsday preppers and underground bunkers...

illinoisguy · #1 03/15/12, 10:40 PM

These two shows....are these people really prepers?

One guy stores 100's of types of seed in his fridge...but doesnt have land
another one is storing enough food for his lifetime and more....
another family has gas masks and suits....
many spend 8+ hours a day prepping...

Are these really preppers? In my opinion, these people are more of a compulsive/paranoia personalities if not bordering on obsessed.

I prep. I have a large food storage. I am expanding my garden to grow more. Then again, gardening is a hobby for me. Yet, what most all of these people do does not seem healthy to me.

springvalley · #2 03/15/12, 10:55 PM

I agree with you, if you do nothing but think about "what if" it will consume you. And I`m not sure if that is healthy for anyone. > Thanks Marc

norcalfarm · #3 03/15/12, 11:09 PM

I agree. To me it's a lifestyle not driven by paranoia. My 'prepping' if you want to call it that is more of an attempt toward self-reliance and knowing that if something happened, I could live off of my land and reserves. If something doesn't happen I just get to live a little healthier life. Should something happen, I probably won't be eating the things that I want to but I would have food. I have assurance that I could survive without grocery stores. My biggest issue here in California would be water shortage in the summer.

Jason

Sonshine · #4 03/15/12, 11:21 PM

I think what most of us here do is the same as our parents or grandparent did, homesteading. I have to admit though that I do more than prep food supplies. I don't obsess about prepping, although their are times that I'm more obsessed than others, I just believe in trying to do all I can to make sure my family is safe whatever happens, to the best of my ability and finances.

unregistered29228 · #5 03/16/12, 04:55 AM

I think a lot of those people on the shows are wacky or paranoid, too. I wonder if they aren't encouraged to be more "dramatic" to make the show interesting. They must be doing it for the money, because they're going against what most of us believe as they talk about and show their preps on national TV.

I was obsessed with prepping for the first year or so, until I felt we had enough food, medical stuff, non-electric equipment, water storage and knowledge to get us through some hard times. We still would really struggle to be self sufficient, but thoughts of when TSHTF don't keep me up at night like they used it.

45n5 · #6 03/16/12, 05:34 AM

i think they are preppers, in their own mind, and in their own way

the couple episodes of bunkers i saw, the peeople seemed legit

but the tv will try and point out the eccentric parts of their prepping as much as possible

Rockytopsis · #7 03/16/12, 05:44 AM

I watch the shows and I would like to meet that one lady whos husband has the goats trained to bugg out. She is a excelent shot and I believe a good cook and if she lived close to me I would be taking her shooting course and listening to her prep ideas.
However I think that they are a little eccentric
But still would like to meet that lady.
Nancy

EasyDay · #8 03/16/12, 06:05 AM

Yep, many of them seem more than a little "whack" to me.

As I've said before, people need to focus more on skills and less on stores. Sure, we need supplies, but storing 10 tons of #10 cans are useless if you must flee the area at a moments notice.
Prioritizing is essential in figuring what's a "basic need" vs. "don't want to do without" stuff. They get so wrapped up in it, they lose sight of reality, IMO. And it's costing them ($$$) BIG time!

Meh... I'm preaching to the choir here, for the most part. Sorry.

ETA: Anything stored is worthless if you aren't willing to DEFEND it. (Referring to the folks with tons of food stores, but don't feel the need for arms & ammo.)

Jolly · #9 03/16/12, 06:56 AM

One or two people will never mount a sustained defense against a roving band of armed men.

Talking about the shows mentioned, I noticed the bunkers had air vents. A couple of gallons of anything volatile, or a bit of ammonia with a bleach chaser will get you a bunker...

baldylocks · #10 03/16/12, 07:22 AM

Even the Dervais family seemed more extreme than I imagine they truly are. I think the producers stitch it together that way. Still, I lie it because it allows me to look at what they have done and identify their issues and/or mine which is a good education!

Smalltowngirl · #11 03/16/12, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jolly

One or two people will never mount a sustained defense against a roving band of armed men.

Talking about the shows mentioned, I noticed the bunkers had air vents. A couple of gallons of anything volatile, or a bit of ammonia with a bleach chaser will get you a bunker...

I thought the same thing; heck in that one situation the whole bunker flooded due to water seeping in through the air vent. Up until then I guess nobody considered chemicals or radiation infiltrating through those same vents.

sidepasser · #12 03/16/12, 08:22 AM

What gets me is that the doors open to the outside on those bunkers. What if a tree falls over on top of your bunker? What if any type of debris falls on top? you won't be getting out anytime soon. My grandmother had a "cellar" for tornados and food storage (root cellar). The door opened to the inside and she had an "iron bar" that she could use to make sure no one could get in if she didn't want them in, it fit in a slot across the door. tornados "suck" things upward, a door that opens to the outside has less resistance to that, whereas a door that opens inward has the door frame to help hold the door in place.

Just thoughts I had while watching the show about the bunkers.

#13 03/16/12, 08:54 AM

If you're watching it on television, particularly if it's a regular show, then it's a near certainty that it's been 'spiced up' to make folks seem larger than life.

That said however, there has always been within the movement a small minority of folks who have fallen into the folly of living to prep rather than prepping to live. They are the ones for whom the failure of the disaster they are prepping against to occur will become a disaster in itself. Not all of them, just those who went so far that they were no longer able to get by in the everyday world.

Of course for every person such as that there are a million folks who it never occurred to them to prep at all. The only sort of television show most of those folks will end up in is the evening news. We see them after every major disaster.

Ohio Rusty · #14 03/16/12, 09:59 AM

I have a catch phrase for these extreme folks ..... "... out on the lunatic fringe."

Ohio Rusty ><>

Somewhere between culture and agriculture.

illinoisguy · #15 03/16/12, 10:15 AM

The air vents....I was thinking the same thing when watching. Sure, a grenade would not open the door, but, a cup of gasoline down the air vent would get those people out in a hurry...or any other noxious chemical for that matter. Or better yet, plug up the air vents and cut off all oxygen.

Which leads me to my next point. Did you see the guard rails that were flame throwers. Once again, a cup of gasoline down the air vents added to the flame thrower rails will quickly create a mini mushroom cloud.

In my opinion, there is no impenetrable fortress that we commoners could build. Wire fences can be cut in minutes, underground bunkers weak area are air vents. The best defense might very well be just fitting in...the gray man theory. Don't talk it publicly and be careful who you tell.

Here's a plan.....buy gopher hole smokers from walmart....3 for 10 bucks, light it and drop it in the underground bunker's vent. When the family comes out, each of them get double tapped. So for 10 bucks, and a few bullets, someone else has your prep items.

Ohio dreamer · #16 03/16/12, 01:27 PM

I keep in mind when watching these shows that their main purpose is entertainment. They are NOT mean to be educational. Some things may cause some people to think (the shows have opened up many good conversations at DH's work), a few of us to go Humm...I hadn't thought of doing it that way...I should look into that, but the majority of the population watch it to get a "good laugh at the crazies".

ryanthomas · #17 03/16/12, 02:16 PM

I can't speak for the shelters on those shows, but serious shelters have good ways of protecting the air supply. Many have disguised/hidden air vents with filters on the inside to protect the inhabitants from smoke or chemicals. Often they will also have a "trap" to stop objects from making it all the way inside the shelter. I saw one somewhere that had what they called a grenade trap, to catch a grenade right about waist level so it blows up the person who dropped it in. The doors opening outward, I think that makes it sturdier to resist heavy things on top of them. The good shelters will have a secondary emergency exit.

Ruby · #18 03/16/12, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockytopsis

I watch the shows and I would like to meet that one lady whos husband has the goats trained to bugg out. She is a excelent shot and I believe a good cook and if she lived close to me I would be taking her shooting course and listening to her prep ideas.
However I think that they are a little eccentric
But still would like to meet that lady.
Nancy

I have met this couple, they really are preppers. They teach classes for small community preparedness. They use to give classes at their house. My daughter and I went down and stayed the weekend. I think we gave 25.00 each and camped in our tent on their land. They has a class on cooking with solar, one lady had 3 different kinds of solar cookers. She made sweet potatoes, pinto beans and fried an egg. Another taught square foot gardening. and the lady your talking about made jam while we were there. He also has plenty knowledge about hydroponics. He even raises his own fish food.

They have a website and also a Yahoo e'mail loop. I will try to find their links and come back and post them here. They are a little "different" in their beliefs but everyone is intitled to their own faith. They are a very nice couple.

Here is the link to their Yahoo group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CICoEV/

Sonshine · #19 03/16/12, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EasyDay

Yep, many of them seem more than a little "whack" to me.

As I've said before, people need to focus more on skills and less on stores. Sure, we need supplies, but storing 10 tons of #10 cans are useless if you must flee the area at a moments notice.
Prioritizing is essential in figuring what's a "basic need" vs. "don't want to do without" stuff. They get so wrapped up in it, they lose sight of reality, IMO. And it's costing them ($$$) BIG time!

Meh... I'm preaching to the choir here, for the most part. Sorry.

ETA: Anything stored is worthless if you aren't willing to DEFEND it. (Referring to the folks with tons of food stores, but don't feel the need for arms & ammo.)

This is what I'm always trying to explain to people. Why have 10 yrs supply of food when you can grow your own? Seems to be that in order to truly be prepared you have to adopt a self sustaining system. Know how to grow and preserve your own food. Learn how to forage and hunt. Learn how to find water and make it safe to drink. Know how to cook on an open fire and how to start the fire. Well, you know what I mean.....

Sonshine · #20 03/16/12, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smalltowngirl

I thought the same thing; heck in that one situation the whole bunker flooded due to water seeping in through the air vent. Up until then I guess nobody considered chemicals or radiation infiltrating through those same vents.

Or smoke from someone trying to smoke them out.