HOW TO BEGIN PREPPING: A primer on minimalism and the intentional and simple lifestyle
This is my first post concerning my prepping life lessons, and lifestyle. I’m not much for camping, still I see the importance of life hacking, simple living and survivalism. That is why I wrote this series of prepper posts
Just in case you are new to the idea, prepping is a process of gathering and storing materials and making plans for survival in the event of a major disaster (natural or man-made) or cataclysm (such as worldwide economic collapse or war).
There are a wide range of ideas and motivations for why any person might develop an interest in prepping. As you learn more about prepper culture you will often here the Anagram SHTF, which means a “Shit Hits the Fan” event. A SHFT is shorthand for the major disasters (natural or man-made) I have mentioned
There is no one book or approach that can offer an exhaustive list of prepper “manual” tool— Tools you will need if the electricity goes down. Still, what I hope to do here in this series is showcase the most important items that can vastly increase your chances of surviving a long-term disaster… and make living through a short-term one a lot easier and more comfortable.
In this series of posts you will learn hundreds of tips, shortcuts, techniques, and hacks. In the books you will find thousands of tips, etc.
I think that most intelligent people recognize that whatever the political and economic climate, bad things do happen, good times often disappear, and bad times take over. Today, we live in a time of political divisiveness, increased violence, a breakdown of civility, a lack of respect for facts and education, and a greater divide between the haves, and the have-nots.
For many of us, now is the time to think about our situation. This means that we really need to contemplate on how we live, our security, the security of our families, and our communities, as well as the general stability of society.
When I speak about prepperism I’m actually referring to a much more expansive concept concerning Prepperism and Survivalism — The Anagram PLSS (meaning the “prepper/lifehacking/simple living/ and survivalism life style).
Why Prepperism
Though I am optimist by nature I believe it is important to pragmatically and sensibly strategize, prepare, survive and prosper (and even help others) when extremely bad things happen to us and to those around us.
More than ever, many of us are resonating with this idea of simplifying our lives and being prepared for various challenges that may confront us. Many of us are thinking of going back to the land and living a more intentional balanced, simple, and holistic lifestyle. Some even speak of going off grid.
Because of climate change, and scenarios like Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans, and storms in Puerto Rico, as well as weak, incompetent, and late responses from FEMA and the U.S. Government, many people have decided to prepare for the worst. Add to this the continuing impacts of broad-scale inflation, heightened fuel prices and rising energy costs.
With the water shortage in the Western United States, and rising water levels, and flooding throughout Asia, and it is clear why the PLSS lifestyle, and specifically prepperism is no longer considered the radical idea of right-wing dystopians that it once was. The fact is that many well-educated folks see the potential for social collapse, especially in the Western world and cite this as motivation for exploring the PLSS life. Some even think it is important to be well-armed. Thus, some non-militaristic and progressive thinking survivalists have learned how to responsibly own and use weapons and because of this have developed an unintended militaristic image.
Because of many requests from members of my Self Improvement for Beginners, and my Harrison’s Applied Game Theory Groups on Facebook, I began to organize this book series, as well as a series of courses, and coaching programs on this lifestyle. I also began writing regular blogs on the subject.
In life, no matter we do, it is wise to be prepared for any challenge that might arise. That is what this book series is all about!
When I decided to write on Medium.com about the prepper life, it made me think of The Whole Earth Catalog (WEC). WEC was an American counterculture product catalog, and magazine and published by Stewart Brand between 1968 and 1972, and occasionally thereafter, until 1998. The magazine featured articles and essays and articles, on ecology, “do it yourself” culture (DIY), self-sufficiency, alternative education, natural healing, and holism.
In his June 2005 Stanford University commencement speech Steve Jobs compared The Whole Earth Catalog to the Internet search engine Google
My purpose in all my prepper oriented writing is to create a comprehensive “how to” guide but also to make you aware of all the resources you will need to choose from to become an effective prepper. These you can research further online, or in the many articles I will be posting
I have chosen not to list specific companies or products since these are always changing and evolving.
I also invite you to join my Self-Improvement Lifestyle Community on FB.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/455029215769173/
Here is an article from my archives, on winning the game of life
Here is an article about 4 Simple Tips (…and Much More) to Support Your Self -Improvement
https://readmedium.com/4-simple-tips-and-much-more-to-support-your-self-improvement-611d5efc46c3
Here is a Prepper video on Ticks.
Ticks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd9wHOXHFgQ
This piece is an excerpt from my book…
Survivor Life Hacks: The Best Guide for Preppers: Part 1 — An Introduction and History of Intentional Living…See more about the book by clicking below
Survivor Life Hacks: The Best Guide for Preppers: Part 1 : An Introduction and History of…
Author: Lewis Harrison is the Executive Director of the International Association of Healing Professionals, a philanthropic educational organization that offers programs around the world in among other things, the prepper lifestyle, and Intentional Living. He is also Independent Scholar and a Results-Oriented Success Coach, with a passion for knowledge, personal development, self-improvement, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. You can read all of his Medium stories at [email protected].
For a decade, Lewis was the host of a humor-based Q & A talk show on NPR (National Public Radio) affiliated WIOX FM in NY.
“I am always exploring trends, areas of interest, and solutions to build new stories upon. Again, if you have any ideas you would like me to write about, just email me at [email protected] or check out all of my books, blogs, and videos through my portal www.asklewis.com
