# Why the younger folks dont prep...



## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

I been thinking about my kids a lot lately, 
They were brought up in my home where we have always stocked up "for a rainy day". 
Extra freezer and fridge in the garage, or overloaded pantry and utility room ...extra food , 

The usual and the unusual stuff that we just stocked up on.
My kids , and friend always remarked about me having 2 of every tool.

In the past 15 yrs or so....I have become a real prepper, that's another story,

NOW my kids are all in their 40s, and they are too busy enjoying life , 
Dollywood, Six Flags, Venture River, Baseball games, sports , 
Partying...( yall know what I mean) without a thought about whats possibly/probably coming, that will be devastating to their families.

It really worries me, that they seem to have their heads buried in the sand.
Its not just my kids ....its all their friends too, all that age group 30 to mid 40s, at our church are in the same mode.

I cant prep for all of them.
I give up talking to them , they just snicker ....and I can hear it, even though they don't say it...."you old fool"

They didn't say that during the ice storm for 21 days , while I fed them and kept them warm.


Is there any thing yall would advise me to do or say , that you have experienced , would possibly help?

Do yall see this problem, or is it just me?



 Jim :scratch


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

My Mom & Dad lived the "1950's" lifestyle a I grew up. They worked full time jobs but they also hunted, had gardens, canned food, keep pantries and storage rooms full of extras, rotated food storage, maintained a good stock of guns & ammo, had extra first aid supplies, stocked other "emergency" supplies, went camping often (and made it into a more rugged experience then a pop up camper in a state park), and taught us about how to make do. When I was in my teens all I cared about was females, motorcycles, football, and guns. My 20's did not change any of that but added badges & handcuffs to the list. When my 30's hit and as my family grew my sense of responsibility did too. That lead me to return to my childhood and I began to replicate my parents be-prepared mentality. By the end of my 30's I am pretty sure I was a full on prepper. My kids help me and we talk a lot about the importance of OSPEC, preparedness, having skills, etc. I try and make it just a part of life like my parents did only with the addition of discussion and explanation instead of just providing the example. My oldest who is now out of the house has already departed from it to some degree. The OSPEC is strong with her, but the preparedness is not. She is very busy living her new life as a married career woman. They are focused on buying a house and matters like that. I am hopeful that eventually she will see why preparedness is important and why I kept my family as ready for the unknown as I (did) do. I have also slowly been working on her knew husband. Sometimes it takes an event or a good scare to open someone's eyes. Sometimes it takes time and maturity. But no matter what you can't do it for them unless you're independently wealthy. They have to make the choice and pursue the lifestyle on their own. All we can do is lightly encourage and walk away.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

I didn't take prepping seriously until our second child then the responsibilities of being a parent inspired me to "take the plunge." I was about 30 at the time but I also had a strong interest in gardening, hunting and self-sufficiency.

Our children don't do much in regard to prepping. They have the optimism (and ignorance) of youth.


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## VoorTrekker (Oct 7, 2012)

Prepping for young people may be a matter of budget. For me it was. I grew up with the Cuban Missile Crisis, poverty, lack of career and employment opportunities. I learned to be ready for hard times during great times.

For the rest of them, not preparing is a matter of vanity and being casually cavalier. Too bad for them when a crisis takes down the status quo of these current "good times." 

If people don't believe that bad times can happen, if they disbelieve that terrible times are coming, if they disavow that a global economic/pandemic/warfare and privations are imminent; I say disregard them and close your eyes to them and harden your heart.

You are not Atlas. Don't try to carry the world on your shoulders for ungrateful and obstinent (which isn't really a word...) people who will never act in your best interest. Survival is a community project. Keyword, community. Participation by all members with equal effort and enthusiasm. 

One must learn to "close the door." The storm will consume all whom are exposed.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

This topics hits home with me. About the only thing any of our kids stock in relative quantity is frozen, canned and dry food. They're in their 20s. Other needs such as emergency vehicle kits, BOBs, GHBs, emergency home cooking and heating, etc have not become part of their routine...at least not that I'm aware of. They have seen some situations where a portable generator would have made life easier during power outages, for example, but I think they're still at a stage in life where there are too many things going on with periodic job changes (some have relocated) that keeps them from going deeper in their preps. Most have guns, some don't.

As mentioned earlier, it may take an event to give them first-hand insight as to the importance of stepping things up and putting forth more thought and resources.

I'm no where near where I'd like to be. I recently acquired a med-lg pressure-canner...was on my list for several years...just wasn't a top priority. Maybe there are not many of us (non-homesteaders) who have reached a comfortable stage with preps, as there is so much to gather if it wasn't your lifestyle from day one. I go in spurts and concentrate on certain deficiencies, then coast for a bit to evaluate ...sometimes it's money issues with too many unforeseen bills such as medical expenses that slow me down...that's a stage I've hit again, recently.

I do think some of the younger generation will see the importance of being prepared, while some won't. Those that take that first step will be challenged with the same hurdles as we have, and are continually challenged with. We can't change that, no matter what we think...it's a choice they have to make. While we can influence them to a certain point, we don't have control over what tips them over the edge and puts them on alert. That tipping point will come, or it won't...that's just the way it is. For me, it took a near miss with a tornado 11 years ago that nearly took my family from me while I was at work to wake me up...I had some preps and skills, but nothing like I do now. I was in my mid-40s, but I don't think age has anything to do with it...maturity, probably. If it wasn't your lifestyle in the past, I think for some, it takes something to trigger you into being active with the intent of readiness, instead of being reactive or passive with no intention of taking full responsibility for yourself/family when shtf. Whatever that trigger will be, nobody knows...when it will be, well, hopefully is not too late...time flies before shtf, then seems to creep by, afterwards. Translated as: prep while you can, before you can't.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I grew up with a family that were preppers, and still are. My folks were children of the depression. We lived a half an hour from town so if you needed a jug of milk or three screws it was an hour and a half minimum, you kept lots on hand and you learned to make do. I don't think I was a prepper till my fifties. Okay,the word prepper didn't exist till I was in my fifties.

I got out of the army when I was twenty-two. A year or so later I bought a house. My prepping was mostly focused on paying off the house. I kept extra food and other supplies more out of habit than design. It was just the way I was raised. In my late twenties I paid the house off and focused my resources elsewhere. 

Illness, for six months or so, in my early thirties left the cupboards bare, the bank account empty, and the job gone. Prior to the illness having extra food was a convenience. After the illness the perceived need was greater.

The partying started in high school. I still drink with those guys. They are preppers too though we rarely discuss the matter. 

Some will come to prepping on their own. Some, like myself, will come to it out of habit and the example of parents. Some will drift away. For the most part, if you raised your kids as preppers then they will come around. When I paid off my first house I didn't know I was prepping, I just hated debt. Some, like myself, will understand and focus after a setback.


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## icMojo (Jul 6, 2016)

My father had a large family and lived in a small town in Southern Illinois during the depression. He had it bad, they were dirt poor. He left home at 15 and hitchhiked to Chicago and got a job as an iron worker. He was a WW2 Marine.

When I came along, he quit the job he got after the war and started a farm with my uncle. When he died, he wasn't a prepper, but he had socked away all sorts of really useful or hard to get things. Tools, parts, notebooks, gold and silver, his "deer gun" and shotguns for the whole family plus a pistol.

I spent about 35 years living with my head in the sand. I had to figure it out for myself - then kick myself wasting so much time and money on stupid things that didn't and don't matter. My sister still lives like that and can't or won't even acknowledge that there is reason to have some stuff laid aside.


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## icMojo (Jul 6, 2016)

Coincidentally ... http://personalliberty.com/how-to-protect-loved-ones-who-wont-prepare/


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

As some one in the mid 30's I feel that I have to defend my people because "people in their 30's lives matter" LOL. Not all of us are like that but a lot are. The late 80 through the 90's were pretty damn good times. Thats what formed us. As for me we got a VCR in 1990 when I was 8 and the only movies we had were Batman and Red Dawn, so I grew up scared of a Russian invasion, yeah I know now that was super unlikely during that time but hey it was scary ok? A lot of the younger kids, the ones in elementary school on 9/11 seam to have it figured out. Their parents lost a lot in 2008-2010, right at the age I was learning to use a computer and digging how you didnt have to rewind a Compact Disk. I was a pretty big lefty until 2011 or so when I started figuring out what the left was really about. I think you should buy your kids some prepper fiction and ask them to read it or get them some shows like Jerico. Then talk with them about it. I could loan you Red Dawn. LOL


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

The other day I had a pleasant opportunity to meat and have a lengthy conversation with a veteran, he is 94 years old, and he is a pepper after having been through the Great Depression and several wars I happen to think that this young man is qualified to talk .He stated that we take life for granted, we assume that everything is up for grabs, we think that because we lived in a somewhat free democracy that we deserved everything for free which leads to greed ,we give too much to our kids today they grow up lacking responsibility and common sense this computer generation lacks the knowhow to survived that is why we see chaos and riots the minute an event happens ,we need to slow down and assume more responsibilities rather than depend on our government and government most protect and served the people rather than the status quo.I don`t need to add to much to what he said except that he made perfect sense ,we depend more in technology ,many hardly know how to change a flat tire today ,or fix a leaking faucet how can they be expected to know how to prep when they are too busy playing with their cell phones.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

It's not a mystery to me why a lot of folks my age (mid 30s) don't prep. We live in a wonderful time where things come easy. We also live in a bubble where scary things are far enough away they seem like fantasy beamed onto TV for a lot of folks. Also prepping is certainly not the most convenient lifestyle. It takes planning, money and work to put by a stock of food and rotate through it. It also takes motivation and commitment to gather necessary skills. Unless you were brought up with the mindset, have hobbies that lead you to learn those skills, or have lived a broader life that has opened your eyes to the negative consequences of not being prepared than it is very easy to believe the lie that everything is and will be okay making living the convenient life the most sensible path. I hope for all their sakes they don't have to learn the truth in their lifetimes. As for me, I enjoy preparing and learning skills I believe are important. I've lived a broader life and seen first hand how precarious our kushy life really is and believe it's my responsibility to protect my loved ones by being prepared to help them survive and thrive in a bad situation. Try telling that to someone who wraps their mind in the comfortable blanket of the lie. It's useless most of the time. I think most times it has to be learned or realized on their own before they are granted the motivation to live more self sufficiently.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

My parents remembered the Great Depression. Mom always grew a garden, and she always had a chest freezer slap full of food. She knew what it was like to feel hungry day after day, and determined that if she could prevent that by putting stuff back she would.

Because we are Christians and the Lord showed us what was coming about 28 years ago, we have been prepping since before the word was coined. We've never had much wherewithal to do it with, but we've kept chickens and dairy goats and a garden, filled up a pantry when we could, and done other things to get ready for terribly hard times.

Our 4 kids grew up with that around them all the time. Sometimes they've simply not-wanted-to-hear-it-anymore. Young people want to dream and plan, to think they have a good future out there somewhere, if they simply pursue it. I understand that. But as they've gotten older -- now 31 to 23 -- and as the grandkids have started coming into the family, they have returned to preparing. With wisdom and responsibility they have begun to see the prudence of having certain things put back for a rainy day.

One son has a no-debt house that he built himself. He's taught himself blacksmithing. Second son served in the Army and learned some neat tricks there, now married with a son of his own. All my kids learned at an early age how to build an out house and milk a goat. They all have the knowledge, but as adults they now have to decide what to do with it.


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

I think the last couple of post hit the nail on the head. I was actually talking to my son about prepping yesterday, (He will be 7 in November). And I was surprised that hes a mixed bag. He accepts it as normal that picking up chickens and getting your food from the ground is just what we do. But he dosnt love it. He loves playing video games and playing with Lego. And it made me think, Im kinda the same way. Its what we do, not who we are. For some people its a life style and for others it a style of life. We are working slowly toward our goals but its because I like it. I also like Lego and frozen pizza just like my son. You should make life comfortable, not a struggle, but sometimes things worth doing are a struggle. Figuring out what works for you and your kids is maybe the main challenge.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

I'm 42, at least for a few more hours. I don't know that there's not many younger folks prepping. I'm sure there's not that many but heck, there's not that many of us period! They may be on those other boards where the Rambo-I'm gonna-live-out-in-the-woods-with-the-clothes-on-my-back-&-this-Altoid-box-of-supplies types hang out.

We prep for our grown kids & grandkids. They've got enough to maintain until we can get to them or they can get home.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

Happy Birthday, tsrwivey! artydance:


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## OutInTheWoods (Jun 13, 2016)

Yes, Happy Birthday, you young thing. :lalala:


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## OutInTheWoods (Jun 13, 2016)

tsrwivey said:


> I'm 42, at least for a few more hours. I don't know that there's not many younger folks prepping. I'm sure there's not that many but heck, there's not that many of us period!


Our neighborhood, I could probably count on one hand the number that prep - if you're doing it you know the signs.



tsrwivey said:


> They may be on those other boards where the Rambo-I'm gonna-live-out-in-the-woods-with-the-clothes-on-my-back-&-this-Altoid-box-of-supplies types hang out.


While the 'sheeple' will be the first to go in an EOTW situation, these 'woodsmen' aren't going to be far behind.



tsrwivey said:


> We prep for our grown kids & grandkids. They've got enough to maintain until we can get to them or they can get home.


Luckily, both kids got jobs in the area, so prime gather spot is our place - and they know to bring anything they have with them.


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

I lived in the Bahamas as my stepdad worked for NASA before it was NASA(RCA/Pan AM)We lived on Grand Turk and my mother was one of 4 white women.I was very young(at 14 years old) but remember when we had bad weather no boat could bring in supplies. Since we were "Brown-baggers" and lived off base we weren't allowed to eat on base except on very special occasions. The local ladies helped my mother to ration food and cook fish different ways(They were wonderful to us).Although we were very poor before mother married our meals was a pot of beans and a pan of cornbread on the back of the stove many times. We didn't have electricity,or running water on the island,so I brought alot of that knowledge with me.Both of my kids are like minded,although the girl lives in Tn and with one of their "ice storms" and no electric for several days she was very glad that I had bought her kerosene lanterns,colman stove and heaters.Needless to say she is much more aware now for sure.The son lives in Ky near me and he hunts,fishes and is a good ole "country boy".I think they both need to organize and stock up more but money plays a very big part in having "extra" for them.I've been playing "catch-up" myself for the last couple of years and I have a ton of things I need to organize too..Being a lone female does have it disadvantages at times and I have to say I'm picky about my men friend if I had one. If they aren't like minded,I'm not interested.Besides I'm set in MY ways way to much.


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## Mase92 (Feb 4, 2013)

Kids probably don't prep for a few reasons.

1 They live at home still. At least a lot in this generation do.
2 They think they are invincible.
3 Most live paycheck to paycheck or worse, don't work. They party and socialize with any expendable income.
4 We here are older now, things don't come as easy as they once did, things matter. Our parents changed as they got older and my grandparents were always preppers. Kids, they are always different to us.


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## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

I'm in my mid 40's and I remember both of my grandparents, cellars abd basements being chucked full of canned goods and food stores. My grandfathers garages and barns were a place of mystery and awe for a youngen to explore and wonder what each of the meticulously kept tools on the walls were actually for.

So I know both of my parents were raised with that mentality, but growing up that was not how we lived. We rarely kept any extras aside from water since we lived in tx near the coast. 

20yrs of traveling the world in the army showed me just how quickly and savagely your world can fall apart. It's only been in the past 10-15yrs that I realized I was a closet prepper. lol. Always trying to stash extra food, ammo and stuff away for that rainy day. Once the wife started seeing the world as I did, (it's falling apart quickly) then she was on board with prepping and saving. All of our children understand why we have extra stuff, and live in the sticks and hour from the nearest city, closest neighbor a mile away, yet they choose to live like most other 20 somethings. 

My biggest challenge should shtf is trying to get my kids from opposite ends of the East coast to us in TN and still maintain security and safety for the homestead we already have.

Jim I don't think it's just yours it's a generational issue.


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## bigg777 (Mar 18, 2013)

AND the NUMBER 1 reason younguns don't prep . . . Drum roll, please . . . The Government will take care of all their needs.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

I like to watch people, you actually learn a lot from it especially at the grocery store. At the major grocery store that my daughter works I seat and wait for her and I have plenty of time to see the garbage people spend money on, especially the new cell phone generation ;sodas ,chips ,micro food and no basic supplies like extra flour, sugar ,lard , not even can goods ,everything has to be organic and in mini plastic bags .At my friend`s house on the 4’th we had a large group, many young couples and the elders ,I took a nice cheese cake and a large loaf of Italian bread ,my friend told them that I had baked the bread and everybody started to ask questions that led to a nice peppers forum ,I actually had everybody listening on the subject; except for my friend non had a portable stove or lanterns ,they all spend a ton of money on cleaning supplies not knowing the benefits of baking soda or vinegar , and except for the box ready baking junk non knew how to make a batch of fresh biscuits or what a Crock Pot was .Yes we have problems and if we don`t take the time to teach our children a thing or two they will have worth problems .I make it a point to repeat myself on everything I do at home from cooking to working on the water heater ,my girls can do great around the house they have a lot to learn but with more teaching and practice they will do better.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

tsrwivey said:


> I'm 42, at least for a few more hours. I don't know that there's not many younger folks prepping. I'm sure there's not that many but heck, there's not that many of us period!


Happy birthday! I remember when I was 43...almost.

I've always heard that less than 3% of the people prepped. I'm starting to doubt that number. We had a newbie recently talk about the homes he visited and how many of them prep. Sentry recently spoke on how many cops probably prepped but none spoke of it so the numbers were indeterminate. Fourteen months in a row of record NICS checks. There are lots of people on the net selling training, food, or supplies directed towards preppers.

We have way more lurkers here than members and anybody that knows very much about prepping knows about OPSEC. That may be why some choose to lurk. Then there are the people that don't know they are Preppers. If you called my folks preppers I'm not sure they would know what you were talking about. If they did they would just roll their eyes. The press likes to make us look like a bunch of weirdos, so there is another disadvantage to coming out of the prepper um...bunker.

While I was certainly a prepper in my twenties and thirties I was not as focused as I was later. All in all my guess is that there are more of us than we can even guess.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

My teens years were spent prepping by working to support my wife.

In my 20's my prepping consisted of remodeling a 100 year house and providing meals and a dry warm place to sleep for my family.

30's prepping by working a full time and a part time job so the kids could participate in sports and band (flutes are expensive!).

In my 40's prepping was making the final mortgage payment and listening to the wife complain about the house remodeling not being finished (roof, windows, siding, electrical, plumbing and kitchen were done, plus addition of the garage). Feeling bad because I couldn't pay for the kids college educations.

50's was completing the MAG agreement. Moving to the country. Discreet property defense improvements. Providing firearms to the kids. Alternate source of water. Acquiring camping gear (Bug Out) and emergency food and more.

I said all of the above to say this. The type of Prepping is related (IMHO) to a person age and disposable income.


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## sgtusmc98 (Sep 8, 2013)

As said earlier to me (43) it seems that through the 80's and 90's the economy was good. My parents had no real skills but they were very frugal, my father grew up very poor. His father was an alcoholic and a carpenter. My grandfather built his house so they didn't owe on it. Throughout my early life I always heard my dad say that if they had owed any money on the house they would have been homeless.
Even though that was on my mind I didn't think much about prepping because I hadn't heard of it and everything was consistent in our house. Both parents worked the same job, dad always came home at 6:00, but we never had video games, cable or air conditioning (that's what sweat was for).
Too me it did seem a little silly to sacrifice that much when you might die in a car accident tomorrow.
I don't know what really changed me, military some, awareness of the politics of the world a bit, a book called "the millionaire next door" ( not a prepper book but a look at whose really wealthy), a small passion of wilderness survival, being tired and scared of people's dependence on new technology, bs political correctness, and the not so slow loss of our rights. Globalization and an incomprehensible national debt also get thrown into the mix. 
If I didn't have land I may have never became a full prepper. Not saying that's right because it's not but it is a fun hobby for me. I enjoy learning things of old, growing crops and pretending how I would make it if the lights didn't come on in the morning.
If I was in an apartment it would be harder for me to get into, it would definitely be more focused on a bug out vehicle and wilderness survival as opposed to homesteading.
Unfortunately I believe a lot of our society is focused on spending now and not saving for later. Credit cards messed up the economy (and mine) a lot. Money is nearly fictional when you work all week for $300 but have $30,000 of credit in your back pocket. Besides you can't do that to me! Right?
It blows my mind how many people really don't think they are touchable, and for a second the thought of breaking both their legs comes to mind. All that last bit just to say everyone is vulnerable but some to lesser degrees than others, to those that think they are invincible are probably the most vulnerable. Ignorance is bliss I guess.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

Today's generation of adults under 30 is more ignorant than any generation in American history. The educational system continues to be dumbed down. Most young people are ignorant when it comes to economics, history, geography, and authentic Christianity. 

They're also the most coddled and babied generation in history. Probably half of the 25 year olds have never lived on their own. The things they don't know about adult life would fill a library. They were taught that socialism is good from grade school through college. All they know about current events comes from the main steam liberal media. 

So how could you expect them to know that the western banking system is on the verge of collapse, the dollar is on the verge of collapse, and that America will be the new Venezuela before we know it?


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