What started you?

**Kaw77** · 09-27-12, 14:07

I lived in the state of Washington for a few years - in the Seattle/Redmond area.
The state had a very visible 3 day survival program that they pushed very consistently and persistently due to the possibility of natural disaster scenario.
Earthquake being the chief focus; 3 days of food, water, essentials were the main idea. Online instructional s, giant billboards on buses, public service commercials.
In retrospect - this may be what started me on the prepper path more seriously - but the blizzard of '75 in Omaha where I was stuck in an office for 3 days with no spare clothes, sleeping bag etc was a eye opener also.
What started your 'path' as a Prepper?
Thanks for your responses

**Stan_TheGunNut** · 09-27-12, 14:46

Hurricane Fran back in the mid 90s when I was in college. Went without power for about 10 days. Trees were blocking roads, lots of businesses were closed and even if they were open one could be stuck in their neighborhood due to downed trees....and this was about 100 miles inland in Raleigh. So that's what got me started, but I can't say that I was really serious about it until more recently.

**PA PATRIOT** · 09-27-12, 16:09

April 29, 1992

That day I seen how quickly urban areas can become hostile in short order with little real incentive and the only true goal being to loot, maim and destroy property.

I always had a small stash of food/water and ammo were we could survive Bugged In for a few weeks, but if forced to run we had no were to run to if the major city I resided in went down the shitter do to what ever reason.

So two bug-out locations and a substantial bit of gear and food later allows me to better protect my love ones should the need a rise. Hell its only money and I have a life time to make more but I can never replace my family should something happen and I could never forgive myself if a few dollars spent now could avoid injury or death later.

**nineteenkilo** · 09-27-12, 17:26

I guess I come from a long line of preppers being from the Southern Appalchia region. I never considered it 'prepping' until a few years ago (roughly 2001-02) when I began to get a vague uneasy feeling about world events. I was in service at the time and didn't devote the effort necessary to stockpile. Now, I'm a die hard and I do the best I can to gather supplies and information.

I'm miles from where I started, but light years from where I want to be.

**juliomorris** · 09-27-12, 17:28

I have always kept extra food and other supplies because I have been through several natural disasters from tornadoes to volcanoes. But have really been stepping it up in the last few years as I watched our country go down hill.

**Caeser25** · 09-27-12, 17:38

It started in 2007-2008 after taking a workshop at work with the company that services our 401ks becoming interested in economics. Then meeting with a career counselor at work that advised me do some research before jumping headfirst back into school for economics to be a financial planner. I started peeling back layer after layer of economics, economic history, banking, and money/currency.

**BG1960** · 09-27-12, 18:04

Hurricane Rita. They told us to GTFO, and after all my friends and the OL chewed on me, we did. Only took 12 hours to make it from Houston to Columbus. ( 75 miles ) About midnight I was refueling my vehicle with fuel from fuel cans I had felt foolish fillin' the day before. Things were not all that great. People were getting frantic, I was glad I had my 1911 & M1 Carbine ( only guns I owned at the time ). I had to run one group off, they came slinking up to me & the wife while we were feeding the canines. I had parked at the far end of the Rest Area, a long way from the rest. I had all our fuel and water cans under a tarp so people wouldn't get any ideas. These guys got the hair on the back of my neck up.

Friends would call me and tell me that the Government was sending tankers with fuel. I told them no way they can get them to us, no way they can fuel all these vehicles - I could see we were on our own. The only Law Enforcement I saw was herding traffic. The one at the Columbus Exit was blocking the ramp and announcing on the PA, "NO FOOD, NO WATER, NO FUEL - KEEP MOVING" over and over. Looking down off the overpass, I could see nothing but wall to wall people milling around. It was like a disaster movie.

I got busy after that. I don't really look for the Apocalypse, but I have a bit put up. We'll do better than most.

**Moose-Knuckle** · 09-27-12, 20:10

My father raised us to be self-reliant.

He grew up in the rural Ozarks during the 40's. Most people don't believe me when I tell them, but the house he was raised in did not have indoor plumbing or electricity. He put himself through college as a grocer clerk, one day the store he worked at was robbed. When he had a gun stuck to the side of his head he had a light bulb moment. He had another light bulb moment when he watched Panic in Year Zero in 1962 which of course was the height of the Cold War. My dad never told us that the world was going to end or anything like that, we were not raised in fear. More along the lines of "hope for the best, plan for the worst".

I'm a better man for it and I'm truly thankful I was brought up that way.