Preppers are often considered to be living on the fringes of society, and I’ll admit a minority of them can take it to extremes. That said, it may be better to be extremely prepared than extremely unprepared.
Our grandparents understood this. They could hunt, grow, can, and store their own food. They had access to non-municipal water sources. They could heat their homes without dependence on piped in gas or electric power. In just a couple short generations we have lost almost all of our survival skills!
What would you do if you could not get to the grocery store? How would you survive if you lost access to local utilities such as water and electricity? You may not believe that could ever happen. I hope your right.
The reasons that people choose to prep are countless. Let’s discuss a few of them below and see if any of them may be a concern for your family.
Unemployment
As of February 2013, the number of Americans that were unemployed and had been for at least the last 27 weeks was 4.8 million. That does not account for those that have been unemployed less than 27 weeks or so long that their benefits have expired. It also does not account for those that are underemployed and unable to make ends meet. Could you be downsized or loss your ability to work due to injury?
Imagine the peace of mind you would have if there were a couple BUK-KITS (link this word to product page) of necessities squirrelled away in the garage.
Tornadoes
Americans were struck by 932 confirmed tornadoes in 2012. The actual number is likely much higher. Tornadoes can destroy property, cut off electrical power, taint water supplies, and destroy or block roadways, preventing emergency responders from reaching you. Even if your home is tornado proof, you could be trapped in an inaccessible area with little food and water, no utilities to cook and see by, and no access to medical care.
Imagine the peace of mind you would have if there were a couple BUK-KITS of necessities squirrelled away in the basement.
Hurricanes
There were 10 Hurricanes in the 2012 season, Including the most expensive hurricane in history, Hurricane Sandy. I still remember the images of people stranded on porches and roof tops praying a helicopter would fly by and drop them a bottle of water or MRE after Hurricane Katrina. So many lost their lives in that storm. I don’t believe there is any way to know how many fatalities were from the storm itself and how many were a result of a lack of food, water, and medical attention.
Imagine the peace of mind you would have if there were a couple BUK-KITS of necessities squirrelled away in the closet.
Earthquakes
There were 64 earthquakes in the United States in 2012. The recent earthquake off the shore of Japan resulted in a tsunami and nuclear crisis that should be a reminder to us all how devastating they can be. Much like tornadoes and hurricanes, they are likely to create a situation in which you will be unable to access your normal sources of food, water, and medical attention. How long could you make it if you were truly on your own and competing with everyone around you for the limited resources available?
Imagine the peace of mind you would have if there were a couple BUK-KITS of necessities squirrelled away in the attic.
Winter storms
The kids may be staring out the window singing “Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow.” But as adults we know the dangers winter weather can pose. In the biggest snow storm of 2011, Philadelphia received almost 15 inches of snow in a matter of hours, and many municipalities declared snow emergencies. Schools and businesses can and will close. Power outages can leave you stranded in cold, dark homes. Road closures, accidents, and slid offs can leave you stranded in your vehicle for hours. Road conditions will slow down or stop first responders from helping you in an emergency medical situation. How long could you keep your family safe and comfortable in your vehicle if you were stranded in a snow storm with no food, water or heat?
Imagine the peace of mind you would have if there were a couple BUK-KITS of necessities squirrelled away in the trunk of your vehicle.
Economic Collapse
The entire world is currently tettering on the edge of economic collapse. European nations are falling one by one. China is described as a paper dragon with a slowing economy and ghost towns. The US national debt currently stands at 16.x trillion dollars and continues to grow with no real plan in place to pay it back. Every great empire in history has eventually fallen and it would not be wise to think that America will be any different.
The US dollar is not backed by gold or any other tangible commodity. It is backed only by the full faith and credit of the US government. Well, our credit has been downgraded, and many are losing faith. As the worlds reserve currency, if the dollar were to ever lose it's value, the entire modern world would go into turmoil. Stores would not accept your dollars. Unemployment would run rampant. The stock market would crash, and everyone would be on their own. If the dollar fails it will surely be replaced by some other form of currency, but how long will that take and what value, if any, will your dollars hold in this new currency? Consider investing some of your wealth into commodities and tangibles such as gold, silver, food, and toiletries.
Imagine the peace of mind you would have if there were a couple BUK-KITS of necessities squirrelled away in your home.
EMP/Solar Flare
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a burst of electromagnetic radiation that may couple with electronic systems damaging current and voltage surges, effectively melting the circuitry.
In written testimony delivered to the United States Senate in 2005, an EMP Commission staff member reported:
Many foreign analysts–particularly in Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia–view the United States as a potential aggressor that would be willing to use its entire panoply of weapons, including nuclear weapons, in a first strike. They perceive the United States as having contingency plans to make a nuclear EMP attack, and as being willing to execute those plans under a broad range of circumstances.
Russian and Chinese military scientists in open source writings describe the basic principles of nuclear weapons designed specifically to generate an enhanced-EMP effect, that they term "Super-EMP" weapons. "Super-EMP" weapons, according to these foreign open source writings, can destroy even the best protected U.S. military and civilian electronic systems
A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the sun’s surface or the solar limb, which is interpreted as a large energy release. Massive solar flares are sometimes associated with CMEs which can trigger geomagnetic storms that have been known to knock out electric power for extended periods of time.
Imagine the peace of mind you would have if you had a couple BUK-KITS of necessities squirrelled away in the basement.
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that has spread through human populations across a large region. Examples of past pandemics include Cholera, Smallpox, Measles, Leprosy, and Yellow fever to name a few. There are many pandemic threats that concern scientists today. Some of these include, Viral hemorrhagic fevers, antibiotic resistance, SARS, and Avian Flu. In fact China is currently dealing with an outbreak of Avian Flu at the time of this writing (4-9-13.)
Imagine the peace of mind you would have if you had a couple BUK-KITS of necessities squirrelled away in the shed.
