Preppers vs. Survivalists: Understanding the Key Differences
Introduction
People often get confused between the terms “preppers” and “survivalists,” but they are different in a few key ways. These differences arise from multiple aspects, and this section explains them in detail.
Mindsets
A prepper gathers and accumulates supplies with a specific goal in mind: to sustain themselves and survive specific emergency scenarios. As a result, their approach to this accumulation of supplies is very methodical and planned. This planning is crucial to them in an emergency, like a riot, where they need to plan their escape routes.
On the other hand, a survivalist focuses more on developing their skills and ability to survive without economic activity or public utilities. Their activities aren’t as methodical and well-planned as those of a prepper, and they tend to focus on using naturally available resources for food and shelter.
Social Interaction
A prepper believes in the power of building like-minded communities that share resources and knowledge to benefit everyone in an emergency.
In comparison, a survivalist is typically a solitary individual who prefers to be independent and self-reliant. While they tend to live alone, they may live with a small, trusted group of individuals at most.
Skills
A prepper focuses on organizing their resources to ensure they have every supply needed to maximize their chance of survival in an emergency.
A survivalist focuses on building more practical skills, such as farming, hunting, foraging, and so on, to keep themselves alive and healthy on a daily basis.
Pros and Cons of Preppers and Survivalists
| Pros / Cons | Preppers | Survivalists |
| Pros | – Live in large groups of like-minded individuals. <br> – Benefit from safety in numbers. | – Possess skills that help them survive even without supplies. <br> – Independent and don’t rely on large groups. |
| Cons | – Involvement of large groups can lead to disagreements. <br> – Frauds can affect the well-being of the whole group. | – Solitary life can lead to a limited approach to preparedness and survival. <br> – May struggle to manage vast resources during extended emergencies. |
While both preppers and survivalists have pros and cons, deciding which approach is better can be difficult. However, you could say that a prepper makes life easy by relying on public utilities and the benefits of the supply chain daily, but they are also prepared should they have to be self-sufficient.
On the other hand, survivalists spend most of their time surviving, leaving them with no room for any economic activity or other avenues for their development.
The Future of Prepping
The future of prepping will benefit from an increase in accurate data and information. Further, with events like pandemics becoming commonplace, the need for prepping is bound to increase, with people taking control of their preparations and survival. Additionally, with armed conflicts and climate change on the rise, prepping is set to witness greater popularity worldwide.
FAQs
What does it mean to be a prepper? A prepper builds a stock of resources due to a strong belief in a calamity occurring in the future.
What type of people are preppers? Preppers are individuals who prepare for different kinds of disasters (both man-made and natural).
What is the preppers rule of 3? The Prepper’s Rule of Three states that one can survive for three days without fresh water or sleep, for three hours in extreme heat or cold, and for about three minutes without air to breathe.
What are the traditions of preppers? Preppers have built a culture that focuses on self-reliance. They systematically stock up on essentials and share knowledge and resources among their communities for their collective benefit.
Wrap-Up
Disasters happen all over the world and at any point in time. Sometimes, they can be hard to predict, but on other occasions, you can see them coming from a mile away. However, prepping can be a helpful practice that can ensure your and your family’s survival if you happen to find yourself cut off from all supplies, even public utilities.
So, to answer the question, “What is prepper?” A prepper is someone who makes sure to stock up on all the essentials to increase your odds of survival in such situations.
