First let me explain what a Bug-Out-Bag (B.O.B.) is. There are many different takes on what this bag is for, but the idea is having a backpack that is pre packed with everything that you would need to survive for at least 3 days in a situation of displacement. Without getting into some of the more extreme ideas about what kind of situation could provoke "bugging out", let me cover some of the more common. In my own family life, living in the mountains meant living with the threat of forest fires. We faced several "recommended evacuations" and stayed home, however, we did face a "mandatory evaluation" and my entire family, wife and 5 children, were completely displaced for several days. At the time, I didn't have any idea of a "bugging out" concept, but that was a real eye opener for me. Of course, any natural disaster could provoke a serious displacement of people, are you ready for that, or will you just be another victim, waiting for the government to come help you? Some people have several bags, stashed in their garage or somewhere, ready to grab and go. That is the idea. READY TO GRAB AND GO -or- BUG OUT! Don't forget to build one for your pet if you plan on taking them with you... What should be in a B.O.B.? Here are some thoughts: - Clean change of warm clothing for everyone. - Calorie dense foods, with long shelf life. - Portable stove and fuel. - Water filtration system, and water storage. - Prescribed Medications. - A tarp for shelter, and some emergency blankets. - A survival knife and survival tool (both, so you always have a backup knife) - Ammunition (assuming you have a gun, and will grab it on the way out) - Fire starters (have several different kinds) - Flashlights - Binoculars, or a Monocular - Paracord (great for a bunch of things) - First Aid Kit - Hygiene Kit (don't forget the ladies) - Cash (preferably small bills) There are many other thoughts on what to carry in your bag, or bags, but ultimately it is up to you to determine what you will need. But for goodness sake, don't wait until you need one to build one, it will be too late then.
 No, this isn’t a trick question and I do think there are very big differences between someone who calls themselves a survivalist and someone who prefers to use the term Prepper. Regardless of what I think though these two terms are interchangeably used to describe a wide swath of people. These people all have different motivations and philosophies on what they are doing and why. Survivalists and Prepper are just labels. Labels like this though can pigeon-hole people into thinking they need to act a certain way or it can cause assumptions from others based upon their own perceptions of what these words mean.
How are Survivalists and Preppers alike? Let’s start with the easy stuff first. What do people who call themselves Survivalists have in common with a Prepper? I think at their core, Survivalists and Preppers both have a deep desire to live. This is not a fear of dying but rather a strong yearning to live life on their own terms. You will find tenacity in both Preppers and Survivalists to try to see the options they have before them. If you give up easily or become defeated too quickly you probably don’t deserve to call yourself a member of either team just yet.
Both Survivalists and Preppers like to prepare for unforeseen events, but I do believe Survivalists have a slightly more cavalier attitude about their chances for survival. Survivalists may give more weight to learning how to forage in the woods and eat grubs while their Prepper cousins might be more comfortable storing food to last as long as possible or creating a garden with heirloom seeds. The grub worms and fiddle-head fern salads can wait as long as possible, thank you.
Along with the desire to live I think Preppers and Survivalists both have a positive mental attitude towards overcoming obstacles when it comes to survival. They both hold a belief that with the right training, mental outlook and circumstances, no situation is ever more than they can bear. I have spoken to a lot of people who seem to want to shut down in the face of adversity or impending doom. Their response to my questions about prepping are usually something like “well we are all gonna die anyway, so what’s the point?” and this is 180 degrees from how I think we as humans should be.
What if the early settlers of our country just said, “I quit.”? They faced starvation, disease, death on a daily basis and still managed to carve a country out of the wilderness with zero government assistance, WIC vouchers, National Healthcare, MRE’s, GPS, Bug Out vehicles or smart phones. Do you think they had a desire to live and a positive mental attitude? We come from those same people who braved the elements, sailed across seas for months and landed in a foreign land with not much more than the clothes on their backs. They were the original Survivalists and Preppers and their blood runs through our veins.
How are they different? As I said above, I think these terms get used interchangeably all of the time and in certain context the meaning may be blurred. For instance, there are a lot of websites that have Survival in the name that I look up to and respect greatly. They offer a ton of useful information on Survival, and I have linked to several of them on our resources page. I am not referring to the word Survival here because I think we all want to survive something.
When I speak of “Survivalists” with a capital S I am referring to people who will label themselves as such. I think Survivalists lean more toward the ideal that Bear Grylls and Les Stroud have promoted with their respective TV shows showing how they both can survive in the wilderness on all manner of strange tricks and skills that the normal person would never be in a place to use. I think some Survivalists see themselves as being deserted in a jungle somewhere with only a rusty coke can and a bandana to survive. Now, if this happens to you, would all of those Bear Grylls skills come in handy? Absolutely, but to base your entire understanding of the possibilities of what this life can throw at you on a couple of reality shows seems to miss the point to me.
To quote our current President, “Now, let me be clear” I love watching Bear Grylls and Les Stroud and other shows I can’t remember. Those shows do pass along knowledge that you can use and this applies just as much to the suburban prepper as it does to the Survivalist. I just prefer to take that knowledge and try to apply it to a different potential reality.
Preppers on the other hand do not seem to have most of the same scenarios in mind when they are preparing for an uncertain future. Preppers typically have one or more situations they view as inevitable and they make plans to mitigate the bad effects you could be faced with in that situation. For example, if a Prepper lived in Tornado alley, they would rightfully be concerned and their preps would almost certainly start with safety should a Tornado strike. They could go one past that and plan for survival after the tornado with food, water and shelter options that could help them and their neighbors in the days and weeks after any type of natural disaster like that.
Preppers also do not seem to make plans with only themselves involved. Preppers like to form groups and communities and try to get others involved, engaged and on-board when it is prudent to do so. I know there are survivalist groups as well, but they still seem to be more likely to want to be away from people before there is any actual need to.
Survivalists that I have run across definitely have a different way they present themselves when the subject of hypothetical grid-down scenarios are presented. I do get the sense that in some cases, they seem to have a “let them go to hell” mentality and I don’t think that is what Preppers would agree with on the surface. Now, I will freely admit that I haven’t met everyone, don’t know what is in anyone’s heart but mine and I could be very guilt of gross stereotyping here. If that is the case I apologize and I would love to hear your side in the comments below. I am not trying to pick a fight, just comparing and contrasting some people/themes based upon my observations.
Lastly, Preppers seem to be looking for a lifestyle change on top of their preparations. Eating more Organic food, living healthier lives, becoming more self-sufficient are common themes and this transcends any natural disaster. It shows a desire to have a better life and that is something I think we could all use.
Which one is best? I don’t think it is as black and white as I have made it out to be in the paragraphs above. I certainly think that if the SHTF we would all be in for a huge reality check and there is no telling how we each might act. Who knows what type of situations we may be faced with and what will be necessary in order to live and keep our families safe. We might all end up being in the same boat, bashing each other over the head with the last broken oar. I hope not.
I like to identify with Preppers, but I do know that if faced with certain triggers, I might fall squarely into the Survivalist camp that I was painting with a broad brush a little earlier. I guess we are just two sides of the same coin, but we are both made of the same mettle. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that at all.
 We don't like to think about the possibilities, and that is why so many people fail to prepare. But failing to prepare, is preparing to fail.
Zig Zigler said "Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes."
We don't want to think about the possible dangers, for fear of being "Johnny Raincloud", but if we don't consider the obvious dangers, we won't be survival minded.
There are many threats at the doorstep of America these days. Threats from radical terrorists bent on our destruction, serious government mismanagement, natural disasters, disease, drought, etc, etc....
Consider Katrina, Fukashima, 9/11, and the U.S. financial market crash in 2008.
Sometimes it seems like the perfect storm is brewing. So are we to ignore those things, and not prepare, when people are relying on us for their care?
Some don't want to be one of those "doomsday preppers", some think it is a lack of faith and trust in the Lord, and some are just too busy to think about it.
Those are convenient concerns when everything is going well. But around the world, people have experienced major catastrophes on may levels, are we to think that America is exempt from the reach of crisis?
That is the kind of thinking that will sort out those who thrive, those who survive, those who become victims, and those who die, when disaster comes.
If it comes your way, will you just survive, or thrive?
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