(NaturalNews) Although some still regard prepping to be an activity favored by survivalist “wackos” who fear a cataclysmic Armageddon-style event, more and more American families are beginning to see the value in preparing for a number of possible scenarios in which the stockpiling of food, water and other essentials could prove to be a very wise investment.
The Oxford Dictionary defines “prepping” (in this usage of the term) as:
The practice of making active preparations for a possible catastrophic disaster or emergency, typically by stockpiling food, ammunition, and other supplies.
In practice, prepping can range from simply making sure a household has enough basic supplies to survive a temporary power outage or major weather event – such as a hurricane – to preparing for a long-term crisis, such as a massive power grid failure.
A lengthy power grid failure lasting for months (or perhaps years) could be conceivably triggered by a serious solar event or even a cyberattack on the nation’s computer-controlled electrical power infrastructure.
As unlikely as some of those scenarios might seem, they are indeed within the realm of possibility. Other long-term emergencies might include the imposition of martial law due to an economic collapse (which many predict may happen in the very near future) or – god forbid – a nuclear war.
And although many preppers fear the worst, millions of others simply recognize the wisdom of preparing for the unforeseen in the face of a future which appears to be becoming increasingly dangerous and unpredictable.
Prepping does seem to be a peculiarly American phenomenon, and there are perhaps some very good reasons for that. America’s relatively short history is imbued with a tradition of self-reliance based on the realities of surviving in a vast wilderness which often presented formidable challenges, some natural and some man-made.
