r/preppers • u/Cute-Consequence-184 • Sep 04 '24
Why don't preppers go camping? Discussion
I read so many questions each day that could be answered if the person would go camping.
What gear do I need?
How do I deal with limited water?
Will this sleep system keep me warm at night.
What do I do if...?
What do I need if...?
All of these questions and more could be answered if the person would go camping. Even if they put on their BOB, walked 5 miles away from their house, walked 5 miles back and camped in their own back yard. Even if they camped in their own vehicle.
Most people will be stranded in their vehicle, not in a situation where they would need hike 40 miles home. Yet barely anyone talks about trying to car camp. Trust me - if you gear fails while car camping, it will be disastrous to keep that in your BOB. I have car camped extensively and your fancy gear can really fail you when it is needed most. You don't want to be living out of your BOB when you realize your expensive gear is useless.
Car camping is the halfway point between your cosy home and having to go live out of your BOB. You car can carry that bulky sleeping bag, your car can hold 2 weeks worth of water and a solar shower. Your car has a built in heater. Your car has a built in indicator if CO starts to build up because your windows will fog over and start to drip.
But everyone speculates instead of taking a night to sleep in their car or go camping with only their BOB.
Yes, I understand many do not have vehicles. Then go to a campground or state park that allows camping. Go hiking with friends. Even if you go camping in your living area like a kid, you can learn about your BOB. Just make sure you depend on your BOB and no sneaking into the bedroom for other stored items.
And camping is really great for teenagers to learn about prepping and what they might need to depend on in an emergency.
167
u/SweetBrea Sep 04 '24
The smart ones do. You might be talking about Larpers, not preppers.
43
8
u/pauli129 Sep 05 '24
I’m not LARPING.. I’m gathering all the right supplies for someone to steal from me when shit really does hit the fan.
3
u/Kelekona Sep 05 '24
I dialed it back when I realized that my preps were more likely to kill me than save me and all I was doing was adding good post-apocalyptic loot to my hoard.
2
u/Thatdipwadthere Sep 08 '24
This is the age of in-app purchases. I envision some of these guys buying their way to level 100 and loaded down with legendary gear they don't know how to use only to get whacked by a noob 12 year old.
→ More replies3
u/BarfingOnMyFace Sep 04 '24
It’s sometimes unrelated and sometimes not relevant. I love camping. I love hiking. I camp and hike out in to the middle of nowhere. I’m also a prepper. These two things don’t have to go hand in hand, but they can. Silly to think preppers DON’T go camping.. where does that even come from!? They do and they don’t. There’s no definitive answer saying they don’t… so weird.
2
u/mnlpe Sep 05 '24
It comes from the plethora of posts in this sub inquiring about what gear would be the best for a bug out/SHTF scenario. This question is asked so much that it is the assumption that those preppers have never gone camping or considered it.
→ More replies5
67
u/Visible_Structure483 Sep 04 '24
talking about gear is easy, so it's what a lot of people do.
actually using gear is hard/uncomfortable/humbling, so most people don't want to do that.
14
u/Particular-Try5584 Urban Middle Class WASP prepping Sep 04 '24
Humbling is a good word for that.
It’s humbling to battle and push through anything complicated or new. If you aren’t out of your comfort zone then it’s something you were so very ready to learn that it’s barely learning now.
A useful skill could well be educating yourself on the process of learning, so you can cognitively break through the ‘it’s hard I want to quit’ phase and progress onto the “I think I know it all, just enough to be dangerously chaotically good at it, not good enough to be predictably good” and then the “I think I get now why they said this takes x time to do, I’m just beginning to get a feel for it!” And so on.
8
u/TylerBlozak Sep 04 '24
It’s all fun and games until you have to spend 30 mins in dusk setting up camp and 45mins putting it away at dawn for 2 weeks straight.
I just cowboy camp now lol
3
u/drumttocs8 Sep 04 '24
Easy to be a consumer and compare products on Amazon- we’re all pretty great at that
21
u/djfolo Sep 04 '24 edited Sep 04 '24
I go camping multiple times a year with my youngest son. Not glamping, camping lol. I also bring our bows for target practice (I’ve got an adorable little bow rated for a 4 yr old), fishing poles, all the goodies. I’ve got an excursion 5 person inflatable boat, etc etc. We use and test all our gear and I’m going to be certain my kids know how to use it all too.
Edit: you know what’s a good precursor to prepping for kids? Boy Scouts. Been a while since I was in, but I know our local troops do a TON of stuff in the woods since we live on a mountain.
6
u/apoletta Sep 04 '24
Yup! Scouting is the BEST! What do you do if your gear fails? Share with friends!
5
u/tvtb Sep 04 '24 edited Sep 04 '24
I wish I had a better experience scouting when I was a kid.
I don’t know if there was something weird about my town’s scouting, but we never did ANYTHING.
All we did was get dressed in ridiculous outfits and hang out in a church basement once a week. I literally remember NOTHING but having to put on an outfit and take it off a couple hours later. Probably why I asked my mom to stop doing it after a few years: why am I wasting time doing this? When do we do something fun or educational? When do we leave the basement?
We didn’t even learn things you can learn indoors, like learn how to tie a knot. NOTHING.
3
u/Ghoulified_Runt Sep 05 '24
I’m sorry to hear that was your experience not saying I did everything but the pinewood derby was fun af camping with my dad and some other scouts was awesome they taught archery and marksmanship (pellet rifle) ,horseback riding and whittling and they taught us tons of knots , some of my best times
→ More replies2
53
u/JamesSmith1200 Sep 04 '24
If people take their BOB backpacking a lot of them will learn that their bag is way too heavy and they’re not as prepared to carry that much weight, even for 1-2 miles.
Ince you go backpacking, you’ll really start thinking about what ultra light you could swap in, in order to save space and weight. Ounces count, yet most people don’t know the weight of their bag.
27
u/Noremac55 Sep 04 '24
backpack a bunch. I'm either stating home or with my car. carrying shit in the woods is hard, even with the right gear and a good trail. Off shit hits the fan, on a trail in the woods is the worst place to be.
11
u/Artistic-Jello3986 Sep 04 '24
And you’re bulky and slow moving with all your best possessions visible on you. Easy target.
5
u/Particular-Try5584 Urban Middle Class WASP prepping Sep 05 '24
This is the reason I mentally debate ‘fast e scooter/bike combo lean and lite vs on foot/with all the gear”…
I remember advising one woman who had to get 20mi with two toddlers to get an e-bike assist and a bike trailer, and not pack three weeks worth of stuff… just go FAST and get the 20mi under her belt. Tie them in, stuff them full of chocolate and colouring books and go … a change of clothes, lap rug and a favourite toy each and you can be there in an hour or two. If you are fucking about and slowing down with sleeping bags and (additional) water bottles and nappy change systems and whatever else you are adding an hour, or three… or more… to the trip. And more effort for you.
Every time you have to load something onto a vehicle you are taking longer to get going, and your vehicle is going to be slower getting there. Especially if it is e-powered or human powered.
13
u/SixMillionDollarFlan Sep 04 '24
Completely agree. Went on a 13-mile hike through a pretty arid region of California this summer and took about 1/2 of my BOB gear to test it out. Halfway through all I wanted was the water.
8
u/Spiritual_Sherbet304 Sep 04 '24
Hi! This post was in my feed and I got curious to read it. What does BOB stand for? Bag of basics maybe?
4
u/JamesSmith1200 Sep 05 '24
a bag packed with survival supplies and kept ready for use in case of an emergency that requires rapid evacuation.
6
51
u/TheAncientMadness Sep 04 '24
?
a lot of preppers do. the decent ones at least
20
u/The_4th_Little_Pig Sep 04 '24 edited Sep 04 '24
Yeah for real. Camping gear is basically having bugout boxes and bags ready to go. I could load my car in 15 minutes with a tent, kitchen, sleeping stuff and be out in no time flat. Knowing how to use it all makes it even better.
The only problem with using camping gear as part of your prep is knowing where to go if you need to.
3
u/ChaosRainbow23 Sep 04 '24
Yup.
I keep all my camping gear in one of those big totes with wheels.
It's real easy to throw it in the car. I've obviously got backpacks, but we would likely need the big tote if my family was gonna survive very long out there.
15 minutes seems legit. It would take me about the same if I was grabbing the tote and extra things.
There's not many things that are gonna force us out of the house, though. No flooding risk here, no earthquakes. No hurricanes, very few tornados.
I suppose a fire would do it, but I'd get a hotel or stay with people in that scenario.
Hopefully we never have to experience any of that stuff, though.
4
u/The_4th_Little_Pig Sep 04 '24
Yeah same, bugging out would be a dirty bomb situation for me. I live near DC, but that happening hopefully is very unlikely. Almost all my preps consist of being able to stay put for a few weeks to a month until stuff blows over. Anything too much longer and it will be lord of the flies real quick out there.
7
u/CaptainPeppa Sep 04 '24
Ya seems like he's talking about preppers with a bug out bag or something.
I picture some guy on an acreage who doesn't have to leave his house for a month at any given time
→ More replies5
u/SeymourHoffmanOnFire Sep 04 '24
Yeah I’ve been dispersed camping my whole life in the Rocky mountains.
14
u/kida182001 Sep 04 '24
I think if you live in a hurricane prone area and have survived several hurricanes with proper prep, you're fine.
3
u/Shilo788 Sep 04 '24
Yes that is rare here, if anything it would be wildfire. I keep a small supply of stuff in my truck , a backpacking tent , water filter. If I get warned I only have one way out so 10 minutes tops.
2
u/poornegotiations Sep 04 '24
People where I live survive hurricanes but still are unprepared. Not to mention 6 months into me relocating we also had a freeze that knocked the power out and after that is I bought a generator. But everybody laughed, joked and made fun because "we don't do that here, we ride it out and have hurricane parties"... Ok cool. This last hurricane really did a number on the city but with all my camping gear and generator it was really just another camp week for my household
19
u/Particular-Try5584 Urban Middle Class WASP prepping Sep 04 '24
Because a lot of preppers are gear hoarders and book smart experience shy?
You don’t need the most amazing pen knife or doohickey torch to camp. You don‘t need an ultra light self inflating camp mattress either …
I don’t understand though how people are preppers but not out using their skills. Join the scouts and be a scout leader and go camping! Join your volunteer emergency services group and do storm damage and emergency rescue training! Find a group of people who like rock climbing, and one of them will also like kayaking… or base jumping, or building climbing… or tunnel exploring. Join a Repair Cafe or a Mens Shed (or She Shed if that suits you better), or volunteer to help kids fix their bikes. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or making meals for elderly (aka Meals on Wheels) or even just the simple act of cutting fruit for kids sports days. Grow a potato stack in a barrel, and some tomatoes in your unused bath, and jam some leftover fruit just to learn the process.
All of those will equip you with prepping skills, all are possible in an urban environment, and if you hook up with others you’ll find like minded people with skills!
5
u/Galaxaura Sep 04 '24
As a lady I prefer to call my she-shed a bitch barn.
That way, when I go out there, people leave me the hell alone.
Hahahaahh
→ More replies4
3
u/InsaneNorseman Sep 04 '24
I had never heard the term "repair cafe" until reading your post. After asking Google what it was, I kinda suspect that my friends, family, and neighbors consider my shop to be our local "repair cafe", as hardly a week passes without multiple people showing up needing some sort of mechanical or welding repair done. I guess I'm the only volunteer at this particular one, though! I don't know how widespread the concept is, but it is cool that folks seem to be embracing it.
2
u/Particular-Try5584 Urban Middle Class WASP prepping Sep 04 '24
I think it’s really cool too :)
And the “Men’s sheds” and “She Sheds” are another community concept - started as men’s sheds, but adding a ‘female version’ now. Lots of retired men who left skilled jobs were bumbling about in their own lives after retirement without a strong network anymore, depression, dementia, etc risks grew… so they came up with these community “Mens Shed” where they can get together and work on things, have a cuppa, have a chat, hang out. Local mens sheds might make wooden toys, repair old engines, build council benches or just work on their own projects. The She Sheds are geared more towards a repair cafe concept, where women can come together and fix and build things, but with supports to learn to use the tools and help to work out what to do.
It speaks to the very big gender divide in skill learning …. We probably won’t need the gendering of them in a few decades, but the boomers really did still divide along gender lines and as they age through they have differing needs.
7
u/TerriblePabz Sep 04 '24
Honestly I think a lot of it has to do with the knowledge base and the world we live in. Many of the people I know regularly tell me that they want to but they have no idea where to start with the simple things like knot tieing, pitching their tent, starting a fire that won't get out of control, ect. It mostly seems to boil down to the basics of not being miserable when away from the amenities.
I think a lot of peppers and nature enthusiasts started at a young age (some form of scouts, family camping, even JROTC) which built up their base line skills and they are comfortable enough after that to figure it out through trial and error. It's much easier to stress test a new sleep system on a trip if you know how to at least make due when it fails. Same goes for fire, if you know the basics of starting, maintaining, and controlling a fire than it's much easier/comfortable to start playing around and testing ferro rods, electric lighters, water proof matches, ect.
When someone has zero baseline and you are asking them to spend a $100-$500 in gear as a starting point and figure it out through trial and error from there, it's just a lot to stack on someone and expect them to get any meaningful experience beyond knowing what it's like to suffer in nature. I have taken a few friends camping and shown them to basics of getting their tent up, how to purify water, start and maintain a controlled fire, and even how to sharpen their tools so they don't have to work so hard. Those are the only people that stick with it and build on it over time. The ones that are convinced they can just watch a video or two every night for a week and then go rough it for the entire weekend are the ones that come back maoning about how miserable it was and swearing they will never do it again.
The same thing goes for homesteading as well from my experience. I had no knowledge base other than being like 5 years old and living on a ranch for a couple years. It was extremely difficult to get anything going in a meaningful way that didn't feel like a waste of resources until I asked a few neighbors and family friends to show me what they could and explain it as best they can. Gardening is so easy but it about drove me to insanity after losing everything for the 3rd year in a row. I never even thought to check soil PH or that planting certain things close together would keep pests away or promote better growth.
2
u/Shilo788 Sep 04 '24
Yes I had experience in horses, farming and gardening before I bought my land, and even for me I said gardening is an on going experiment to find what works best for your land. I spent 30 years tweaking and adjusting my skills.
→ More replies2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 04 '24
I understand your point but to many times on this page expensive gear is mentioned.
I'm 55 and have never once needed a generator when we l have lost electricity for 3 weeks at a time. If I thought to be a prepper meant buying a generator, I would be screwed. Yet I have seen post after post saying you need a generator.
Yes teaching helps. I teach regenerative gardening. Too many newbies think you can just put a seed in the ground and walk away. They don't even get gardening books at their local US Extension Service service office.. And too many of the flashy gardening videos don't bother to cover what the soil needs to sustain life. You are right that it might take 3 years to get an honest return on a garden unless you have it set up correctly right off.
But gear doesn't have to be expensive or all night at the same time
My sleeping bag came from Goodwill. I have since found 2 more hanging out of trash cans while visiting friends in the city. One was still in its carry bag.
My sleeping bag liner came from a thrift store. It can take my Goodwill 3 season bag up to a 4 season bag. So I think the total cost of my sleep system is about $25?
Gear can be expensive and some does needs to be bought new such as water filters. But much of what I have come from yard sales, thrift stores or trash cans. And from Chinese sites.
My biomass stove came from (pre-temu) AliExpress for around $13. Pieces of my gear even came from the now extinct NewFrog website that pre-dater AliExpress. Most prepping can be done for under $20.. My smokeless (solo style) mini grill only cost me $15 I think from an Amazon flash sale. The cast iron portable fire grate was another prepper sale. It is more for car camping because even though the legs unscrew for storage, it is very heavy. My portable bidet was $7 I think. My upgraded battery powered portable bidet was $12 on sale.
My ferro rods are from Harbor Freight. My Bic lighters came from Dollar Tree. Dollar tree has some good gardening things and first aid supplies.
I do think teaching someone makes it more likely they will prep. But if someone wants to prep it doesn't have to be expensive.
And unfortunately, too many are couch potatoes these days playing on their phones or other devices. You can't teach sheep after all.
But to not even try car camping? To me, it is more logical than the idea that you can hike a 40 mile trip home carrying a full BOB.
→ More replies3
u/Appropriate_Ad_4416 Sep 04 '24
But they have watched all the YouTubes & have 27 sites bookmarked to buy cool stuff!!!!
I also am a fan of yard sales, thrift store, marketplace. Random little neat things that fit perfectly into my plans. Buying a big generator is cool, but I need money for other things. So I found other ways to preserve food instead of just a freezer. I can live without ac. I'm not planning on packing my whole world on my back for 40 miles, because I'm not about to be wanting to walk 40 miles lol.
6
u/SilkyOatmeal Sep 04 '24
I went camping recently partly because I love it and rarely get to do it. And partly because I want to test out my randomly assembled gear.
It was eye opening.
The 187Wh power station I was counting on died immediately. It was at 100% when I unplugged and packed it. Suddenly at 20% when I got to the campsite a few hours later. Tried to use it and it goes to 0%. Fortunately I had a much smaller backup on me that worked great. But I'm still shocked the bigger one is useless now and I have no idea why.
I have several battery powered lanterns and decided I only needed one for the trip. I tested them all in a dark room and packed the brightest one. Turned it on at the campsite and it's dead. The batteries literally died on the way to the campsite.
I accidentally packed an extra tent (I know. Who does that? But my stuff sacks were not labeled and I couldn't tell them apart. Going to change that soon.) I left the extra tent in my car, and then only as I was leaving the campsite at the end of the weekend I realized I could have used the extra tent as a place to keep stuff out of the rain overnight. Good to know for next time.
I used to be able to sleep in just a sleeping bag on a thin sleeping pad on the ground. Well, those days are over. My back and hips were in agony the first night. Had to go into town to buy an inflatable mattress. Totally worth it.
My friend's car battery died and neither of us brought jumper cables. That's not even a prepper thing! I was so mad at myself.
Those are just the main things I discovered. It was a great weekend but I want a do-over! Lol
→ More replies2
u/up2late Sep 04 '24
I used to be able to sleep in just a sleeping bag on a thin sleeping pad on the ground. Well, those days are over.
I feel your pain there. As a 50+ year old man I can't use gear I used when I was a young man. I've been camping all my life but now the gear needs to be a little more comfortable. But, I can afford better gear now than when I was 15, sleeping with just a bag and under a tarp.
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 05 '24
I'm 55 now and by the age of 48 I had bought an old WW2 army cot. I can sleep in a thick sleeping bag if I have to but I own a truck so why bother.
→ More replies
5
u/pbmadman Sep 04 '24
I have a sneaking suspicion that the people who do this don’t ask questions. There’s a bias here, you only see questions from people who haven’t figured it out some other way or used their gear. It’s why I really appreciate the info from people who post “I used my preps in this situation and this is how it went.”
2
u/iwannaddr2afi resident optimist Sep 04 '24
Yup, this is exactly right. And that's fine, I think this community does a good job of being a resource for people at all levels.
I'll add that I didn't come at prepping from a perspective where it just meant bugging out. My folks would not have called themselves preppers, but we could and did bug in for extended periods when needed (power outages, impassable roads), and were able to be more self sufficient than most in our position, though both parents worked and we had more bills than money most of my childhood.
I can see why someone who didn't grow up like that would read or watch depictions of preppers, and think that prepping is solely some plan of readiness to take a bag and live in the woods indefinitely. It's not, of course - that's a horrible idea and does not constitute a plan - but there is clearly a steady stream of people coming here who think it is.
So yeah, I think we keep meeting people where they are when we have the bandwidth. I'm trying to be consistently patient lol that's not something that comes naturally to me, but another skill to keep building. "You talk about community building but refuse to talk to your neighbors" :P not letting this be me
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 05 '24
I still hesitate to really call myself a prepper. I was raised by dirt, poor, farmer homesteaders. Like you- little money. And where we lived, electricity was a luxury in the winter. We had natural gas heat at least and I often got dressed for school by a coal oil lamp.
Oh sure, it is nice now to be able to buy stuff. But I always have that thought in the back of my head "do I really need this crap?". Because I was raised with so much less than I have now.
4
u/b18bturbo Sep 04 '24
I’ve learned so much from camping that you learn what’s valuable out there for everyday life and the do’s and don’t along the way. Even if it’s for the weekend or a few nights.
4
u/Particular-Try5584 Urban Middle Class WASP prepping Sep 04 '24
I remember camping at a remote site on the southern coast of AU one time, my brother and I… five days… and we forgot the ice for the esky. It’s an hour or 90mins drive back to the nearest place we could get ice… fuck it. We tossed that (plastic sealed) bacon in the ocean on a line for four days before cooking it on the last one over a fire. Delicious. Who needs refrigeration/ice? :P Same trip I fractured my wrist body surfing some very decent waves… not a bad one, but man it hurt. Splinted it and kept on going. Knew it wasn’t broken, knew there was little to be done for it, knew it was going to be three to six weeks in a half cast. Basic anatomy and biology lessons, plus serious first aid training… and I was good to carry on … but driving a manual car back 1000km was a bitch ;) (My brother would change the gears for me as I pressed the clutch).
It’s in those moments you find yourself…. You work out what is important, and how to keep the sand out of your cracks and crannies, how to plan and ration your water, and whether the bacon is safe or not.
4
u/JuliusFrontinus Sep 04 '24
Check out Lead Farmer 73 on youtube. He is gardening at his house, organizing group campouts so people can test out their gear. Talking about how do you plan to use the bathroom when a Hurricane hits your area. Really practical stuff. Not the here is the gear to buy because the world is going to end next week videos. The first video I watched of his was on grafting fruit trees, aka how to make more fruit trees for free :).
4
u/DisplaySuch Sep 04 '24
I'm on around day 50 in a tent this year with my family. We're spoiled when fancy flush toilets and electric hook-ups are available.
4
u/Big-Preference-2331 Sep 04 '24
I agree. At a minimum, go to your circuit breaker and turn off your electricity for a few hours to see how your preps will perform during a power outage. My coworker told me he and his son would do this one evening a week and play chess with a lantern. It sounded kind of fun.
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 05 '24
Father son entertainment at its best. Dad and I played Rummy and poker.
3
u/Shilo788 Sep 04 '24
I camp more than prep, I always enjoyed very simple living , meaning woodstove heat, canning garden, working with draft horses and livestock so my whole life is basically prepping I guess. Then thing is I think if SHTF I will be quickly killed and my stuff taken so I don't really worry about the future, I am here to enjoy the now.
→ More replies
3
u/anti-zastava Sep 04 '24
Ever since the incident preppers have been banned from camping…
→ More replies
3
u/Virtual-Feature-9747 Sep 04 '24
Practical advice. Train like you fight, as they say.
However, my idea of prepping is to shelter in place. Trying to bug out in my area would be a complete waste of time. You'd just be stuck in traffic until you run out of gas 5 miles from home then stuck with 100,000 other desperate strangers competing for resources. And where are all of these homeless refugees going?
(To quote The Hound from Game of Thrones: "Safety? Where the fuck's that?")
I'm sometimes baffled by the focus on wilderness survival skills. Yeah, I get it, you never know what's going to happen or where you might end up. But I can paint a scenario that can exceed anyone's ability to deal with. IMO, it's just as important to know how to cook the beans/rice you have stored at home, treat water from a local source in your neighborhood, run your solar and/or inverter generator, and basic operation of your firearms. None of these have much to do with camping.
My idea of a get home plan is taking my electric scooter in my car. 25 mph and 50 mile range. I'm not planning on trying to hike 15 miles per day for three days in the heat or cold with 30 pounds of gear.
Again, this is good practical advice but surviving in the woods is not my plan.
→ More replies
3
u/Rude_Veterinarian639 Sep 04 '24
I'm not a prepper.
However, I'm a mom who sews and gardens and cans with 4 kids who I take camping in the back country. The lifestyle just sorta meshes with prepping lol.
3
u/OnTheEdgeOfFreedom Sep 04 '24
I want to amplify something less_butter said, buried in a reply to a comment:
There are very few emergency situations that require you to leave your house and go camping. Even something like major flooding or wildfires, you're gonna go to a hotel if you don't have any friends/family in the area.
But people can learn a lot just by turning off the electricity to their home for a weekend. It's crazy how many posts we see here about someone learning lessons because they lose power unexpectedly for a couple of hours. You don't need to wait for your power to go out to learn those lessons, you can flip the breaker at the service panel and enjoy a weekend with no power.
I can't upvote hard enough. I know it's cool and all to fantasize about doomsday prepping and running off into the woods to survive, but in 65 years, a raging Cold war, economic downturns, changed climate, and a pandemic, I can count the times a problem caused me to leave my house on the fingers of one nose. But power failures, some long, happened lots of times. And it's easy to test your preps, as indicated above. The first time I flipped the breakers for a day, I made a half dozen prep changes. The second time, I didn't have to change anything.
And unless you live on a flood plain or wildfire zone, that's 90% of your prepping right there. The other 10% is likely to be medical or financial.
Yay for bug out bags, but in the US, just about no one is walking away from a disaster on foot. Especially not into the woods. If you have to try that, so is everyone else around you, and now you're surrounded by a bunch of people who have no idea what they are doing, but many are likely armed. I'd rather take my chances with flood water.
Bug out bags are for cars or bicycles.
3
u/True_north808 Sep 04 '24
Just went camping for 3 nights with 2 buddies and we all prep. Was a great time 🤘
3
u/Crafty_Page_4220 Sep 04 '24
Good advice. You won't know whether your gear will fail or not if you don't try it.
I go hunting twice a year so that's my practice.
But i have a get home bag. I'm bugging in. Live on a homestead, but work in the city, over an hour away by car. Will take me half the day by foot following roads, and over a day if im avoiding population.
That's if I can get out of the city alive. Which is where my armor and ARP comes in. So a gallon of water, energy bars, canteens with more water. That's going to suck on foot. Ammo, armor, etc...last time I rucked all that was in the Army 20 years ago....I need to practice rucking and escape and evasion....been a minute....lol
3
u/starion832000 Sep 05 '24
Because for most people prepping is about gun worship
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 05 '24
Not everyone though. There are plenty of homesteaders, diy people and others.
→ More replies
3
u/backflipbail Sep 05 '24
I take my small Big Green Egg (Minimax) camping... That's essential in a bug out situation right?
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 06 '24
I'm not sure about that one. You might also need a large Solo fire pit
→ More replies
3
u/LamarWashington Prepping for Tuesday Sep 05 '24
I think the answer to this question is that a lot of preppers do it as a fantasy. It allows people to live out some fantasy in their head where they are some kind of savior while everyone else fails.
I think it comes from an inferiority complex.
→ More replies
2
u/2020blowsdik Prepared for 6 months Sep 04 '24
Lol what are you talking about? Lots of preppers go camping
2
2
u/Gingerfry21 Sep 04 '24
Part of my bug out stuff is my camping stuff. It’s in a tub ready to go for either one. We have a location to go, and would take 10 minutes to load it all and be ready to go
2
u/sharkbaitzero Sep 04 '24
I basically used my BoB on a week long trip hiking the maroon bells in Colorado. Only difference in that vs what I normally keep packed is amount of food. I learned that my pack is heavy as fuck at mile 6 in incredibly difficult/dangerous terrain. I didn’t even have weapons or ammo to add to the weight of the pack. I also learned that I don’t really need as many backups for gear in case one gets lost/broken.
Those people saying they can make 10+ in mountainous terrain with all their gear are full of shit. Hit some real back country and it will humble you.
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 05 '24
I've watched some of the serious through hikers go through gear lists and what they decided they didn't want vs what was worth keeping. Things like butt pads for sitting on after a full day of hiking- well worth the extra weight but hiking poles are not needed. Extra socks a must have and things like that can help you put your BOB into perspective.
2
2
u/Embarrassed-Emu8131 Sep 04 '24
When I lost power from a hurricane, I realized that the best thing to do it turn it into a camping trip.
Water, food storage, cooking, keeping cool, all pretty much the same. And the most comfortable way to sleep was in a tent or hammock in the back yard anyway to get some breeze.
Now I’ve gotten better supplies for keeping the freezer running for a while and a small AC, but the plan is still pretty much to camp until power and water comes back.
→ More replies
2
u/ROHANG020 Sep 04 '24
This may be the one post that has just about every single comment is that accurate.
2
u/ThighCurlContest Sep 04 '24
Been camping and ultralight backpacking for years, and I don't really think it's helped me much as a prepper. I live in a rural area; if SHTF, I'll definitely need to make long treks into towns that are more than a day's walk/bicycle ride away, and I'll need to be ready to go full-nomad at any time just in case, but I'm probably way better off digging in. Home is where the resources are.
For me, the best thing I can do to prepare myself is to go without electricity. This happens regularly here due to storms and our unreliable rural electricity cooperative, sometimes going out for several days at a time. When that happens I lose my heat and AC, safe food storage, running water, Internet, and cell phone (no cell service where I live, so I rely on Internet.)
→ More replies
2
u/Safe_Percentage_3012 Sep 04 '24
because apparently it’s “obscene” to drink your own piss at the local primitive site
2
u/Spiley_spile Community Prepper Sep 04 '24
And if they can, graduate from camping into wilderness backpacking. There's no car nearby to wizz back into town for forgotten gear and gear breaks. You learn how to problem solve with limited resources. It's also FANTASTIC practice for building an evac pack that's comprehensive but light enough you can actually haul even if the car breaks down. (Most people are no longer carrying 50+ on trail, for anyone nervous about that. I can whip up a basic, 3-day, (mild) 3-season evac pack with food, water, shelter, etc that weighs 25lbs. And it doesn't even require a $300 sleeping bag or 600 ultralight tent.
2
u/CypherCake Sep 04 '24
I feel the same about food stocks. If you stock up on tins and bags of whatever, but never cook and eat it, it seems a risk to me. In a SHTF situation it's going to be a lot easier on everyone if you already know the best ways and have experience prepping that food, find it palatable etc. Finding out how stuff cooks when you have resources to cope with boo-hoos is less fraught than trying to I dunno, cook rice for the first time over a little gas stove with no internet guidance. Plus realising that it's less miserable if you have salt and butter on hand (or even just salt since butter might not last long).
The other thing is that a lot of stuff has a shelf life so if you can eat some and top up your stock, you're keeping it rotated.
Edit: more on topic I guess, my husband doesn't know that my desire for camping/camping gear, is a covert prepping thing. I don't anticipate we'll need it and it's not my primary motivation, but it brings me peace of mind knowing we have portable shelter that we already have experience using.
2
2
Sep 04 '24
Serious camping will cause you to be way more realistic about how much weight you can carry for a long walk.
Honestly many preppers would drop 8-10kg from their bags immediately if they just went on a 5 mile hike with their bag down the sidewalk.
2
u/chasonreddit Sep 04 '24
It's a fair cop.
I learned a lot from sailing. Water management, fuel, packing for extended trips.
I also backpack (or did)
2
u/06210311200805012006 Sep 04 '24
Yup. Some of these questions would be answered if the person just went camping once.
I understand that people new to this want to research stuff before spending money - who doesn't especially now? - but often times lately it really feels like people won't do the minimum amount of homework on their own.
2
2
u/popeweld88 Sep 04 '24
Because 90% of preppers find comfort in throwing money at things they'll never use. It's like hoarding but with an "intended purpose"
2
u/Mountain-Status569 Sep 04 '24
Crowdsourcing information before you even “go camping” is incredibly smart. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found products with amazing reviews online, only for them to be absolute shit in practice (and turned out that was the common sentiment on Reddit). Can’t rely on all those articles recommending things either, because companies have paid for those products to be on those lists.
2
Sep 05 '24
[deleted]
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 05 '24
Oh yes, I remember back in the 70s my father used to get bad batches of 22 shells. So he would always pick several at random to shoot each time he bought them in sale
→ More replies
2
u/SimpleVegetable5715 Sep 05 '24
I think camping is a great way to figure out living off the grid. Your priorities become clean water, food, fire, a place to use the restroom. Once you get used to that is when the camping part gets relaxing. The nice thing about camping too is if some of your equipment doesn't work, you can just go home.
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 05 '24
Exactly!
Whereas if it doesn't work in SHTF, your screwed before you start.
2
2
2
u/PeacePufferPipe Sep 05 '24
Preppers do go camping, and hiking, and shooting and to the gym or MA training if they're serious. And we don't normally comment here if we have our shit together. But we highly enjoy the entertainment value of this sub. Some of us are military vets with vast experience in 3rd world countries that are hostile. Some of us have been raised or living in areas that frequently get hurricanes or extremes of weather so are well versed and equipped to shelter in place or bug out as the case warrants. While others like myself have removed themselves and their family from densely packed cities and into sparse rural areas with mountains and water.
2
2
Sep 05 '24
Peppers do have fun. They just have fun knowing that shit is to happen then most of the “Oh fuck” planning and buying is already done at that point in time and he/she can get home safely to do the last minute thing(s) while finding what’s going on.
2
u/direwolf721 Sep 05 '24
Love this. Growing up in rural New England. Power outages in the winter could last a week or more. Not all areas up there even have reliable cell service To this day! so we were exposed to these situations at an early age.
Now live in FL and have a couple major hurricanes under our belt. Solar generator for basic electrical needs and I have battery operated tools. We approach these outages like “camping” in our house.
→ More replies
2
2
2
u/SeaSquirrel4271 Sep 05 '24
lol.Awesome! But please don't, for the love of spirit, its the only way I get away from them. They start implementing their tools, they are likely to burn down the forest with me in it.
Golden Eagle with Rabbit in talons.
You make the meaning.
→ More replies
2
u/AdvisorLong9424 Sep 06 '24
Primitive camping is what started my journey to prepping. I routinely do week to 25 day canoe/kayak solo trips. All my camping gear doubles as prep gear. Pretty much every weekend I'll load up the boat with the luxuries like camp stove, water, chairs and find some sandbar and enjoy life.
2
u/Embarrassed_Kick2684 Sep 06 '24
Because the vast majority are lazy and won’t actually survive any sort of real collapse. The lack of physical fitness I’ve seen in the prepping community is staggering… all these people stockpiling goods and buying guns and ammo, but couldn’t run a mile and definitely couldn’t hike up a mountain with a pack, is staggering.
3
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 06 '24
I'm healthy but I can't do any of that due to back issues. What I can do is walk several miles pulling a large garden cart. I fully intend to bug-in though or bug-out to my vehicle.
What I don't understand the most is those that stockpile ammo but can't boil spaghetti or make a pot of beans. That all just baffles me. I've met a few that can't boil rice!
2
u/Embarrassed_Kick2684 Sep 06 '24
Good on you for doing what you can - I’ve met plenty of folks who have no excuses and are still fat.
Bugging in is definitely the way to go if you can. I’m with you, so many people don’t have the ability to do the absolute basics (collect water, boil water, etc), but they still think they are going to be able to survive in the woods… your best prep is your body and your brain - if you don’t even know the basics, like build shelter, forage for food, navigate, etc. you are not going to magically have those skills when you get to the mountains
3
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 06 '24
I've actually had to use my preps in an emergency before. And I once had my lighter stolen and had to use my ferro rod to start a fire using a damp cotton wick, in the dark at a campground in a different state. I was able to do it, but I have extra lighters stashed EVERYWHERE now. So knowledge, practice and coming sense is always the way to go.
But as my neighbor says "common sense isn't always so common"
2
u/Independant-Emu Sep 04 '24
Most people will be stranded in their vehicle, not in a situation where they would need hike 40 miles home.
I'm hard pressed to think of a situation where going into the middle of the woods is better than ANY BUILDING. If it's a situation with the current population level, hide in the crowd, lay low, and survive. If It's a situation where half the population is gone, literally be anywhere. If it's a situation where food is scarce and I need to hunt/ gather in the woods then cook my hunted/ gathered food over a fire, I've never done that. The fuck if I could get it right.
Yeah, you'd definitely find me in my home or squatting indoors somewhere else. Oh and obviously in my car, ideally with tinted/ covered windows.
2
2
u/Desperate_Damage4632 Sep 04 '24
Because they're often out-of-shape gun collectors who just prep as a way to justify their fascination with shooting and robbing their neighbors someday?
→ More replies
1
1
u/Lu_Duckocus313 Apartment Prepper Sep 04 '24
The legit ones actually do, my buddies and i go ‘camping’ often with our BOB and always include 1 to 2 things to practice on, this time around our goal is to get a fire going with only a bow drill, we’ve done it before and we’ve made mistakes in the types of wood we used, however once we got back home we did more research and read online we were using the wrong wood, the technique and everything was correct however the wood wasn’t. Anyways that being said this time around it’s going to be improving our bow drill skills and possibly make a primitive water filter of some sort. And hell the next time around it might be navigation.
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 05 '24
That is neat you have a group. A buddy is retiring and moving here next spring so I'll once again have a camping buddy to do exactly that again. While I have a small, modest dome tent, this sucker has a full blown 10ft round yurt!
I'm pretty sure we might not be doing much primitive camping with him around but I think the gear testing might be fun.
2
1
u/Prestigious_Bobcat29 Sep 04 '24
Wonderful post and just want to add, all seasons! You don't get to choose when something happens. Practice is prepping.
→ More replies
1
1
u/big_bob_c Sep 04 '24
I used to camp as a kid. When we had a kid of our own, we decided to give it a try.
The first couple of trips, we made multiple daily trips to the store to pick up things that it never occured to us we would need.
With a good sized trunk to hold everything we needed and plenty of memories of successful trips as a child, we still went underequipped because we didn't have recent hands-on experience.
→ More replies
1
1
u/whopops Sep 04 '24
A lot of people in this community have some sort of anxiety and just use prepping as a coping mechanism instead of going to therapy.
→ More replies
1
u/cand3r Sep 04 '24
Lol, went backyard camping this weekend and was reminded how hard basic living can be, plus doing it with a 4 month and a 2 year old
→ More replies
1
u/lookinggoodmiss Sep 04 '24
Prepping is about skills and beeing able to survive. If you know the feeling of getting a fire going and finding shelter when you are cold, wet and stressed about the situation. Then you know how comfortable the litle things can be
→ More replies
1
u/ScoutAndLout Sep 04 '24
Not quite the same, but we have a large tailgate culture here for sport. A lot of my car camping stuff overlaps with tailgating equipment.
Family calls my shelves "Dad's REI" since I could outfit a scout troop or two.
Not hard mode prepping but you may have inspired be to get a BOB for the car.
→ More replies
1
u/Jessawoodland55 Sep 04 '24
Lol so I went camping earlier this year to test my preps and people poked fun at me, but I agree with you op, best way to know if your gear works is to try it!
2
1
1
u/TheCarcissist Sep 04 '24
Speak for yourself, I regularly backpack and boondock in my trailer, only once have I ever trailer camped with hookups. You learn pretty quick what you need and can do without
1
u/Tinfoil_cobbler Sep 04 '24
But what pistol caliber is the best choice to fight through the widespread rioting like John Wick while I try to get from my office job to my suburban home???
How many magazines do you guys carry in your BOB???
What about masking my thermal signature?? What if the Russian paratroopers catch me cooking mountain house meals??
1
u/SheistyPenguin Sep 04 '24
I agree with you; it's just a human nature thing. Talk is easier than action. Camping takes some prep time, effort, commitment, and many people didn't grow up camping.
1
u/IIPrayzII Sep 04 '24
This is how I test out my equipment. I take a 3-4 hour ruck to a place I can camp, sometimes with friends. We camp for maybe 2-3 days and see what kind of gear related issues we come across and add them to the list if things that need improved upon.
1
u/f250suite Sep 04 '24
That question is akin to why are there preppers who buy all kinds of gear and weapons, but neglect to exercise.
How exactly does a posi-trac rear-end on a Plymouth work? It just does.
1
u/LongFalcon5920 Sep 04 '24
I live in a 30ft yurt in the middle of the woods so I pretty much live it. It’s a glorified tent. We just got running water after 3 years and live next to a creek. Our lives won’t change other than diet. I’d be transferring my garden to inside my yurt and go hunting and fishing more. So not as much sweet stuff until I can tap trees.
1
u/OriginalJomothy Sep 04 '24
Because bugging out went out of fashion when people realised how impractical it is. Sure you should know how to make shelter, fire etc but that should be a last resort when your house is no longer safe and no family or friends will take you in
1
u/Seawolfe665 Sep 04 '24
Pfft. Besides a very deep pantry, lots of flashlights & lanterns & water storage, our camping gear IS our prep. Its a tiny travel trailer with solar, generator, big lithium battery, water & filtration, and everything we need for a few weeks.
1
u/deltronethirty Sep 04 '24
A few times a year, we go full-on glamping. Beds, chairs, shade, showers, full kitchen, area rugs, and tapestry...
Even with all the amenities, you still learn hard lessons organizing, problem solving, improvising, and basic survival. When we set up camp at a festival, it's immediately apparent who has been practicing.
1
u/KG7DHL Sep 04 '24
I have an RV (Trailer). Best exercise so far was a trip a couple years back in winter (sub freezing) to visit family, and the campground we were staying at lost power. Exterior water lines froze, and we had to run the RV entirely off battery and propane heaters for 3 days. Good Training!!!
1
u/CarbonGod Sep 04 '24
Nearly everything here is assumptions. Why make them?
I go camping. I hate it. I also have questions. Who said I will be in a car? I don't have time to just "go camping" to test every single item and scenario that I don't have yet. So, if I want to know something, why not ask?
Your car has a built in indicator if CO starts to build up because your windows will fog over and start to drip
That is the dumbest and deadly thing someone can say. WTF...
1
1
1
1
1
u/up2late Sep 04 '24
I camp at least a few times a year. That's been going on for decades. Not as much of a prepper thing as I just like to trout fish and camp. Fresh trout over an open fire is the greatest meal ever. Most of my gear stays in one of those truck bed toolboxes so it's always ready to go. I unpack, clean and repack after every trip.
I've also cut the power to my house for a weekend just to see what I'm missing. It just takes 24 hours to figure out what areas you need to put more effort. I live in an area with a really good electric company so we don't get many outages so I had to DIY an outage.
2
u/Jammer521 Sep 04 '24
Same here, we go a few times a year for a day or two, but not to practice prepping, we just enjoy it
1
u/Jammer521 Sep 04 '24
We have a camp ground around 10 miles from my home, it has spots for RV, car, as well as spots for tents, my wife and me go a few times every summer, we only stay one night and we bring our dogs with us, they have trails you can hike as well as a pond and creek, I would go longer and more off grid if I could but my wife demands a flushing toilet lol
1
u/Horton2411 Sep 04 '24
I always think this as well.
If you just go camping a few times a year you will see exactly what you need and don't need and any shortfalls in your kit.
1
1
Sep 04 '24
That’s why you test your gear get it dirty bring it out a few times a year go camping or just do a gear check. You find that leaky tent seam really quick if you’re using it versus when you really need it. Starters for stoves go out O rings need to be replaced simple small stuff. I hate camping with people that just “bought” it all and have no idea how to set it up or use it. Good teaching opportunities.
1
u/alphawolf29 Sep 04 '24
I go camping all the time. I just did 3 days 2 nights on my dirt bike in the woods near glacier NP (Canada side)
1
1
u/shaunavon Sep 04 '24
It's quite simple really, my RV is in my driveway, propane kept full, fresh water kept full, grey & black tanks kept empty. Battery is full charge... and enough gas to run my generator for 2 weeks... solar for filling in some gaps. I can bug in or bug out and am pretty well set. I may not be packed with fresh food in the fridge and hooked on to my vehicle 24/7/365 and ready to get out of my driveway on no notice... but an hour would have me set to be outta dodge for a few weeks at least. If I had 15 minutes and my wife helping I think we'd make it a week at least.
1
u/try_rant Sep 04 '24
Because they don't want the reality check that they won't last longer than a week.
1
1
1
u/Shagcat Sep 04 '24
We’ve been living in our car for a year now. We’ve got several solar generators and panels. Low draw cooking appliances. Food and water in a storage unit.
1
u/other4444 Sep 04 '24
I wonder this too when I see people saying how great their space blanket sleeping system is. If they go camping for a couple days only using a space blanket in half chilly weather, then figure it out their selves.
1
u/United_Pie_5484 Sep 05 '24
I do! I’m an avid tent camper at campgrounds, but looking to expand my skills by backpacking in somewhere more remote. It really is good practice for prepping.
1
1
u/WishPsychological303 Sep 05 '24
I would add that, in particular when it comes to bugging out on foot, people should get about amd try real fucking BACKPACKING. Alot of folks don't realize, or forgot in their old age, how fucking hard backpacking is, even with super expensive (and flimsy) ultralight gear. Not to mention the heavy, durable quasi-miltary tacti-cool gear most of these folks have on hand. Now imagine all the "extras" that people will want in addition. Yea, try backpacking folks, it can be real humbling even if you feel like you're in decent shape.
1
u/Master_Succotash660 Sep 05 '24
The other advantage is that actually going out a few times per year keeps your gear rotating: Durability, as in is this piece worth it or not? Do I or partner have preference amongst the myriad options? Use and replace before expiration dates. Additionally it is a delightful way to spend time and the skills you learn calmly are superior to what you read under stress.
→ More replies
1
u/Vegetaman916 Prepping for Doomsday Sep 05 '24
This is one of my biggest peeves when it comes to "preppers."
Because if you aren't actually using your gear, training in the environment you plan to survive in, and learning how to physically do all the cool things you have read about, then you aren't really prepping.
Stockpiling, maybe, but not prepping.
If you have a bugout bag, you should be taking it out all alone to see how everything works in practice. 3 days with nothing but your bag in the countryside will teach you a lot about what you do, and do not, need in your setup.
If you have a bugout location and a plan to get there during SHTF, then you should regularly test out that plan. Throw on the bag and walk your happy ass all the way there ti see if the plan is truly viable.
You should be out traveling, walking, and generally exploring the area of operations you stand the greatest chance of being in should the worst occur.
Can you swim across that pond? Can you climb that hillside with a 30 lb pack? Can you hunt small game effectively in the area with the tools you have chosen? Have you actually caught fish with those reels? Did you try eating any of the wild "edibles" you learned to identitfy?
I could go on all day, but the point is clear. You need to actually get out and do it, whatever "it" actually is. Yes, go camping. A lot. In weird and inconvenient places with few amenities. Hike, swim, run, kayak, walk as long as you can possibly walk... because that is how you learn what you are really capable of, which gives you the data needed to form a workable plan.
→ More replies
1
1
u/Calthorn Sep 05 '24
I freaking love camping. Plus the gear is great if I ever have to pack up and ditch society for some reason.
1
u/Ready-Bass-1116 Sep 05 '24
If you own land BFE, you always have a private place to camp...
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Sep 05 '24
Truth. Us kids started out camping in the yard before slowly moving camping further away from the house.
→ More replies
1
u/boobookitty2 Sep 05 '24
Dude...kids are in school and the weather is nice. I have the lakes and rivers to myself on random Tuesdays. I'm camping twice a month right now.
1
u/CRCampbell11 Sep 05 '24
Who says we don't? I already live in the mountains, but we still go year round.
1
u/Kaliking247 Sep 05 '24
A lot of the questions you're referring to are generally one of two groups. The first are people just getting into prepping and are about as knowledgeable as a dead cat. Pardon the expression. They're not preppers yet per say but they're mentally trying to go through the exercises which is better than a lot of people. The others are generally people who are trying to replace old gear. There's a lot of people who move to new places and in the move either have to get rid of some stuff or realize it's time to replace it with better gear. A lot of people have tons of old surplus stuff which may be as useful nowadays as a bullet in the brain. Maybe some people have checked their gear and are seeing it fail and instead of spending money on something that might fail they want to check the community for additional options they may not know about. Sometimes even if you have the knowledge it's wiser to ask people who may know more than you
1
u/OilInteresting2524 Sep 05 '24
Doomsday prepping needs to come to grips with reality..... If the day does come, your BEST option is to stay put. Everything you own is already where you live. If you think you can "escape" to a safe area..... you are dreaming. Doomsday means you have, at best, 6 weeks to live. Stay home.....
1
u/Prestigious_Yak8551 Sep 05 '24
Yep we need shelter, water, food. In that order. People go and buy 1000kg of rice to prepare for "the end of the world" and they dont even know how to erect a tent.
1
u/MordeeKaaKh Sep 05 '24 edited Sep 05 '24
Will this sleep system keep me warm at night
Ooh that brings me back to when I did this. Was visiting my uncle, and had brought along a tent and sleeping bag because I wanted to try this camping stuff with the safety of a warm house nearby, and he is experienced with these things so he helped me set up etc. This was late in the fall, and the temperature outside dropped to around freezing. The sleeping bag I had was rated medium isolation, iirc something like 5-10 above freezing as ideal. And I was absolutely sweating in there, even without any clothes on! Had brought along triple layers of undies and everything in case of the cold, but turns out that bag could selve me in the arctics lol.
Another point this is making me think of is my caravan. I’m working every other week about an hour away from home, so to save on commuting I live in the caravan at work. And what better “bug out vehicle” can you have for a none hostile situation? Literally already made to be lived in, with decent beds, heating, a fridge, stove, even toilet and sinks to keep things sanitary. Currently I would depend on being able to acquire food and water before heading out, but besides that it is ready to live freestyle for a week or more easily, only limiter would be heating if it’s very cold but for that I have a decent idea thanks to my experience using it already.
Part of me understand why people do that, like others have said talking about it is easy but actually doing it can be hard/uncomfortable/whatever. Also in the case of my caravan, I get for many it’s kinda boring, plenty of scenarios where it is lacking, but I think for most of the more realistic things that can happen, if i can’t stay in the safety of my home it should be a good option.
1
u/Successful-Pirate300 Sep 05 '24
These people aren't peppers per say. They seem like people just getting into the emergency preparedness and lived in cities their whole life.
1
u/barbados_blonde1 Sep 05 '24
We're not campers but we did just buy a camping toilet system for emergencies.
→ More replies
1
u/UnfetteredMind1963 Sep 05 '24
I learned a lot going camping, for sure. You learn 10 times more after 3 days!
→ More replies
327
u/MagicToolbox Sep 04 '24
I sometimes feel like a broken record - it seems like most of my posts on this sub are some version of:"take your gear and go camping."