Why I am thankful to be a prepper

2020 has been quite the year, with man-caused and natural disasters making the headlines almost daily. The panic buying when shut downs loomed saw people fighting over hand-sanitizer and toilet paper.

It brought a massive uptick in orders for preparedness companies like My Patriot Supply, Emergency Essentials, and Auauson Farms just to name a few. People were in a state of absolute panic that their families were going to starve. Delivery services such as UPS and FedEx were just as overwhelmed by the sudden increase in demand that came when so many brick and mortar stores had to close their doors.

One of the things that being a prepper means is that you have peace of mind. You know that your family is taken care of and that you can avoid the danger of exposing yourself to the panicked mob trying to buy essentials.

When you are a prepper, your mindset is to be as self-reliant as possible in every aspect of your life. It is empowering to know that your family knows basic survival skills, even for simple things like changing a tire, or knowing how to find water or start a fire.

It also means you have an opportunity to be a blessing to others. You may be the only one carrying a flashlight when a blackout occurs, or who has a multi-tool needed to fix something. Your first aid skills may save a life or prevent serious complications. That situational awareness may help your family and others escape from a dangerous situation.

Being self-reliant reduces anxiety, and teaches you how to think through situations. You have probably heard of the ‘fight or flight’ response but there are actually three responses. “Fight, Flight or Freeze”. Unfortunately, many people become so overwhelmed by anxiety that they freeze. And even with prodding may not be able to take action. But knowing (and practicing) basic skills means that you are not as likely to freeze, or if you do it will be momentary at most.

Your prepared state of living means that in times of crisis you are less of a drag on the system. If more people were prepared even for durations as short as 30 days there wouldn’t be the run on stores, there would be less people needing rescuing etc. And the less people that need help, the faster those that do need assistance get it.

And finally, I am thankful that prepping is environmentally friendly. I am certainly no tree-hugger, but I do appreciate an environment that is healthy. I want the rivers and lakes around me to provide fish that can be safely eaten by my family. I want the water in my well to be safe to drink not contaminated with various poisons. And I want a wilderness environment that provides a healthy ecosystem.

No matter when you started prepping, every additional skill you learn, every item you set aside all adds up to you being better prepared for whatever 2021 brings us, and it is all something to be thankful for.