This world has certainly thrown us some curveballs in the last couple of years. Pandemic, contentious elections, power-hungry elected leaders, meddling global elites, failed military operations, shutdowns, lockdowns, inflation, and more have caused their own kind of chaos that has rarely been seen before. At least, not usually at the same time.

I have been a prepper for a long time. Never in my dreams would I have thought I would have seen all of this in such a short time span. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought the world would be thrown into chaos like it is now. As a student of history, I read about military coups, wars, political takeovers, and like events with awe and wonder. Being a citizen of a free country, I never dreamed that I would see these events happen on our soil.

However, I have realized for a while now that we have been played. We have been manipulated and twisted into a country that could be easily turned into a socialist country. We are having a fear of sickness and the loss of freedoms used against us. People are being manipulated using their emotions and fear to conform. From this prepper’s perspective, it’s tough to watch.

With that said, I have struggled to write about prepping at all. While I feel that the need to inform others should always be greater than my need to hide, the prying eyes of technology have made me a bit wary of talking about prepping. The way people have become snitches has made me want to keep everything I do on the down-low. It’s too easy now for people to report a post or a user because they didn’t like what they posted. You can cancel someone easily with just a left-click of a mouse or a tap of a finger.

I have been practicing personal OPSEC when it comes to prepping for a while now. You will never see pictures of my food storage. You will never see pictures of my gear and equipment. I talk in general terms here about what you should do and very little about what I do. That’s for a reason. I have an insane need to keep my stuff away from prying eyes. I get nervous when people outside of my family and a few select friends see what I have. Unfortunately, if I want anything fixed in my house (outside my knowledge), I have to let people do their thing and have faith I won’t see them when they are desperate.

However, my personal OPSEC doesn’t stop me from encouraging family and friends to keep prepping. My college-bound kid and I will go shopping before she goes back to get some shelf-stable groceries and supplies to weather any problems. I texted my two oldest kids and told them it would be good to add to their food storage and get their supplies stocked up. I had two phone calls Sunday night with close friends talking about world events and the need to be better prepared (they both already are, but we challenge each other to do better). I have friends who have done a complete 180 and now have food storage. I talk to customers and random people in the stores about how it doesn’t hurt to put some extra things away. 

I just don’t talk about what I have. I don’t want to invite that much trouble to my door. I’m not kidding myself that I won’t have problems. I will. There will always be someone desperate to want what you have in your house, your garage, and on your property. However, by blasting what you have on social media and telling anyone who will listen, you will potentially make yourself a bigger target if someone wants what you have and has the means to take it. 

I have been leary of social media for a while. Now, especially with the censorship and dissemination of information, I have been less and less willing to talk about what I have and what I have been doing. I am more willing to talk about it in private prepping groups on Facebook like Prep Club (it’s back, but answer the questions!) and Real World Prepping. I started a Patreon account so I could be a little more open on there without the issues. I know Patreon costs money to support your favorite bloggers/writers, but I really appreciate the support and it helps keep the blog alive. I still encourage everyone to sign up for the emails from their favorite bloggers and writers. 

Social media and the world, in general, don’t want us to continue on this prepping path. They do not want us to be self-sufficient. They do not want us to think for ourselves and make our own decisions. That is not their way right now. By talking about what you specifically have on public forums such as those, you invite that trouble to your door. Worse yet, you could be turned into authorities for having too many guns or something else if the national situation gets any crazier. 

So, by all means, keep encouraging people to be prepared. The more people that are prepared, the fewer people you have to worry about in the long run. Keep your stocking up on goods on the down-low with smaller trips and distracting comments. Live your life and keep your head on a swivel. Support those people who want to prepare, but don’t blast your personal stash on the internet. 

Thanks for reading, 
Erica

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