People who prep for disasters and emergencies put a lot of time, money, and effort into collecting essential items. For some, the process is second nature. But for others, prepping may be seen as excessive and unnecessary. But when we consider what our grandparents or great-grandparents did to prepare, modern-day preppers don’t seem so crazy. In modern times, we are very used to being able to run to the store to pick something up, or even to just order it online and have it sent to our house in a couple of days. But this is a very recent thing. With the current supply chain issues, many people are looking for ways to stock up on essential items to prepare for shortages. Preppers have been doing this for years, but they have dealt with being called hoarders. So, when it comes to prepping vs. hoarding, is there a difference?
The basics of prepping
Most preppers are not the people running to the store to clear shelves when an emergency arises. They plan ahead and try to keep a stock of emergency supplies on hand. Preppers follow trends and over time, it helps them see potential shortages. They stock up on items as they’re available so they don’t feel the need to hoard and panic-buy in the event of an emergency. Hoarders may accumulate all sorts of items, many of which are not needed or necessary, and they often buy much more than is needed. Preppers sometimes get a bad rap because people look at them and see excess. But, most preppers are good people who prefer to live their lives in a way that feels secure and independent so they don’t need to rely on anyone but themselves to survive.
Prepping vs. hoarding
Both preppers and hoarders tend to accumulate lots of stuff, which they believe will be useful in the future. The difference is that preppers accumulate valuable items that are functional for use in an emergency situation. Hoarders tend to acquire items with little to no value like collectibles, excessive amounts of clothing, and even what most people would consider to be garbage. Hoarders are also usually quite disorganized and they tend to keep cluttered homes. A good prepper has everything organized, sorted, and they usually know how much they have of every item.
I’m no expert prepper, but I’ve been reading up on the subject lately and have watched a lot of Youtube videos to help me better understand the prepping mindset. From what I’ve seen, prepping is all about security. Many people look down on preppers and I think this comes from a place of fear. It takes a lot of thought and planning to prepare for emergencies. Some people simply don’t want to use their resources to prepare for the future. But everyone can benefit from emergency preparation. Consider what types of natural disasters happen in your area. Also, think about what you would do during an economic collapse or a man-made disaster. Do what you can within your means. A little research goes a long way in helping one feel prepared for any type of emergency situation.
