Is "preparedness" a state of mind?

[Pattree]

…… but do we really?
OF COURSE the fact that I can’t find diesel this morning is something that I have chunnered about. The shortage of toilet rolls a few years ago was, for some, an inconvenience but was it a shock? Maybe. Dunno.


Also:
Arising from that conversation with one of my daughters (mid 40’s mum, socio-politically active) the question arose:

Is prepping a predominately middle class concern?

Edited to amend ^^^^^

 

[Tengu]

Ah.

Reword?

`Is prepping a middle class word?`

 

[TeeDee]

…… but do we really?
OF COURSE the fact that I can’t find diesel this morning is something that I have chunnered about. The shortage of toilet rolls a few years ago was, for some, an inconvenience but was it a shock? Maybe. Dunno.


Also:
Arising from that conversation with one of my daughters (mid 40’s mum, socio-politically active) the question arose:

Is prepping a middle class concern?

Well maybe not you - because , as I'm paraphrasing from some/many of your posts you are indeed old and wise..

Others? Not so sure - people do see to be surprised by much of stuff that they took as a given.

You need to explain to me by your definition or meaning of this - apologies , this may well be my own lack of understanding :-

"socio-politically active" ???

 

[HorseGuy]

< No free WiFi >

 

[Pattree]

You need to explain to me by your definition or meaning of this - apologies , this may well be my own lack of understanding :-

"socio-politically active" ???

No I don’t, really I don’t. It won’t help the discussion.

I merely wanted to indicate that she isn’t a child and has a developed social philosophy.

She is very aware of anything that tends to be socially exclusive and acts to oppose any such tendency.

I used the term merely to indicate that she is aware, informed and active regarding inclusivity and social advantage/disadvantage.

I do feel that there is sometimes a smug superiority associated with some of the writings of “we who are prepared”.

I don’t want to expand on “middle class” either but shall rely upon (and not go beyond) the broad and generally accepted meaning of the term.

 

[demented dale]

Its interesting to see and think why the BBC may run , on a fairly regular basis , a piece of the prepping community - It 'feels' like the war sabre rattling of concerns of Ukraine / Russia spilling out has now is quieter than before ? ( Just me?? ) and the government have backed down from pushing the citizens to prepare rhetoric.

So why do the BBC keep running pieces on Prepping ? We all know it exists ? I don't see it as new News to anyone?

Odd.

I would suggest that it is not about news but more to reinforce a narrative by repetition. If scarcity (real or not) is the latest thing then there are many new laws, measures and restrictions that could be brought in on the back of it. Just a thought. DD xx

 

[TeeDee]

.

Conversation turned To Preppers. We thought that if the apocalypse happened the pathways would be clogged by 4x4’s and it might be difficult to find a wooded space for your hammock and tarp plus your pile of dried food as folk found themselves camo shoulder to camo shoulder along the Severn.

The thought amused but I do wonder just how much this sort of response has been thought through. There are a number of apocalyptic zones in the world right now. It makes me proud of the innocents that are suffering most in the absence of central support and who are organising, cooperating and sharing in order to survive.

……

Also:
Arising from that conversation with one of my daughters (mid 40’s mum, socio-politically active) the question arose:

Is prepping a predominately middle class concern?

Edited to amend ^^^^^

No I don’t, really I don’t. It won’t help the discussion.

I merely wanted to indicate that she isn’t a child and has a developed social philosophy.

She is very aware of anything that tends to be socially exclusive and acts to oppose any such tendency.

I used the term merely to indicate that she is aware, informed and active regarding inclusivity and social advantage/disadvantage.

I do feel that there is sometimes a smug superiority associated with some of the writings of “we who are prepared”.

I don’t want to expand on “middle class” either but shall rely upon (and not go beyond) the broad and generally accepted meaning of the term.

If the crux of your points and generalisations is that prepping is a middle class concern - probably , I've no idea - we all worry or are concerned about different things and spend whatever our money ( relative ) and time on accordingly.

Maybe you/she/me just have more exposure to the middle class and how they are mis/represented.

 

[TeeDee]

Is bushcraft a middle class concern ?

 

[slowworm]

It still seems like many people want to label a normal person or a normal activity as a prepper or prepping. I doubt many that keep a bit of spare food about and a decent first aid kit regard themselves as anything other than sensible. Not content with one label now we've got to add another such as middle class, why?

So far this week we've had our water stop working, power go out and our router/phone go down - all separate problems. Thankfully because I keep spares I sorted our water supply, the electricity came back on after a couple of hours so battery devices covered the outage and we could use our mobiles whilst the land line was down.

Being able to cope with such problems is normal life for us.

 

[TeeDee]

It still seems like many people want to label a normal person or a normal activity as a prepper or prepping. I doubt many that keep a bit of spare food about and a decent first aid kit regard themselves as anything other than sensible. Not content with one label now we've got to add another such as middle class, why?

So far this week we've had our water stop working, power go out and our router/phone go down - all separate problems. Thankfully because I keep spares I sorted our water supply, the electricity came back on after a couple of hours so battery devices covered the outage and we could use our mobiles whilst the land line was down.

Being able to cope with such problems is normal life for us.

I remember the good old days where if you mentioned you were into Bushcraft you'd be labelled as a wack job survivalist.

 

[Broch]

I remember the good old days where if you mentioned you were into Bushcraft you'd be labelled as a wack job survivalist.

Or a Ray Mears disciple

 

[TeeDee]

Or a Ray Mears disciple

You misspelt 'Zealot'

 

[Broch]

I try not to upset people unnecessarily

 

[Chris]

You misspelt 'Zealot'

Weird, got a notification that someone mentioned me.

 

[TLM]

I remember the good old days where if you mentioned you were into Bushcraft you'd be labelled as a wack job survivalist.

there seems to be some cultural differences, here if your hobby was "eräily" (roughly translates to BC) you were considered slightly idealistic, rustic dinosaur who for some strange reason avoided sensible modern trends; who in her right mind would voluntarily be eaten by mosquitoes and be exposed to totally uncivilized forest in Lapland?

 

[Toddy]

You try being a wee Scottish housewife

I just keep quiet, my neighbours think I'm weird enough doing the Archaeology.

 

[slowworm]

there seems to be some cultural differences, here if your hobby was "eräily" (roughly translates to BC) you were considered slightly idealistic, rustic dinosaur who for some strange reason avoided sensible modern trends; who in her right mind would voluntarily be eaten by mosquitoes and be exposed to totally uncivilized forest in Lapland?

I wouldn't mind being called a idealistic rustic dinosaur.

Perhaps I'm looking at it all the wrong way around? I think I'll start calling anyone who can't cope with a few days without all mod cons, take aways etc as "the non-prepared". (After a few more years of the current western governments I may well be saying look at those non-preppers - how weird, and cold, and hungry, ....")

 

[Pattree]

……. and how can I help them.

 

[TeeDee]

……. and how can I help them.

The thing is Pattree , whilst I do get what you are saying and I have in the past helped others ( old couple across the way and lovely pair of girls up the street during some events ) whilst you may want to see those that prepare as being innately self serving - they are actually helping by creating self resilience and non dependency - non-fragility if you like.

So that does allow then for those that 100% do need help to receive help from whatever services and facilities are running to address the issue.
I don't think there is any shame in attempting to being accountable and responsible for putting ones own gas mask on first.


So question back to you - how would you want those people that do , help others ? what is your prescription?


There is a fable about Ants and Grasshopper but it doesn't delve into the socio-economic demographics or disparity between what classes exist in the insect world. But it is just a fable.

 

[Toddy]

I think it needs a community effort really. Very few of us have acerage enough to grow it all.

I'm lucky, I'm friends with the local poacher....he and my wee bother used to roam and hunt together....but he forages too, and he grows, and so do I, and so do a fair number of others around us.

So, H has a surplus of leeks and tomatoes, and I'm overwhelmed with apples and rasps, chillis and rhubarb and P is trying to use up pears, while Mrs R round the corner has so many peas and carrots......you get the idea ?

H turned up with half a stone of sloes last year ( and a brace of pheasants and another of ducks), but the squirrels got most of his pears, so P happily passed along and he shared the sloes and spuds too. Then my quince ripened....

Spread it around, and everyone gets fed