Defining Prepping and Survivalism

Defining Prepping and Survivalism

There is an interesting few threads running on SUK about WHAT IS PREPPING and SURVIVALISM

As compared to Camping / Bushcraft / Wilderness survival


So in MY opinion I would describe it thus


PREPPING AND SURVIVALISM is the term used to describe an entire LIFESTYLE or SKILLSET(s) a sub culture of mainstream society if you wish.


PREPPING or SURVIVALISM is the COLLECTIVE term used to describe people who adopt in full or in part a lifestyle involving self-reliance, self-determination and mastering to a modest levels as many practical skills as they can.


In no particular order the SKILLS and CRAFTS that Survivalists and Preppers tend to learn or adopt are things like


Growing as much of their own food as possible

Small Scale Agriculture such as raisng chickens and rabbits for food

Small scale brewing

Jam and preserve making

Permaculture skills

Food preservation

Home Security risk assessing and adaptations

Self Defence skills

Researching and archiving skills

Medical skills and Homeopathic skills

Designing, building, operating and maintaining their own off –grid power generation systems

Building their own wind turbines

Vehicle adaptation and Maintenance

Vehicle fault diagnosis

Tyre Changing

Making their own biofuels

Wilderness and Bush craft survival skills

Urban foraging and survival skills

Political sciences and risk asessment

Ploughing and tractor driving

Winter driving skills and winter vehicle preps

Reconnaissance and report writing

Knitting, weaving and cloth making

Rappelling and abseiling and other mountaineering skills

Light engineering such as building their own wood burning stoves and DIY water treatment systems

Skill at arms with various tools from Bows to rifles, to staffs to bare hand fighting

DIY skills for adapting the home to be more suited to prepping

Off road driving skills

Sail and power boat operation

Canoe and Kayak use

Mountain biking skills and bike maintenance

Angling skills

Horse riding

Emergency dental repairing skills

Communications and Signalling skills (EG CB / Ham radio setup and use)


In summary the skills and crafts list can go on and on, but as you can see Bushcraft and Wilderness survival are only individual PARTS of a greater skillset that make up the whole sub culture known as Prepping and Survivalism.


And as a wise chap pointed out to me in an E mail only last night, not only is Bushcraft and Wilderness survival NOT Prepping and Survivalism (it’s a part of the whole or an ingredient in the cake).


Very often those who are such strong advocates of learning Bushcraft and Wilderness survival in some (not all) cases they do so as people who live in large towns cities and ignore the greater need to master URBAN survival skills first.That is a concern the community needs to address.


Hope that helps clarify the occasional confusion

I see (British) preppers as the ones who prepare for unemployment, sickness, rising prices, the odd power cut and maybe a summer trades union strike, all very small events and all very short term, maximum 6 months duration and then its "business as usual". I see (British) survivalists as people who are looking more long term, governmental collapse, inflation/devaluation, riots/looting, empty shops, societal collapse, TEOTWAWKI that sort of thing.

To me, a prepper is someone who prepares for contingencies that may impact their way of life. This includes trying to find ways to be self-sufficient, but for a group of people.

To me, a survivalist is someone who can live off the land, hunting, trapping, killing, or picking his own food, making his own shelter and fire, etc. (i.e. the basics of life or survival).

I would never call myself a survivalist, even though I have some small amount of those skills. But I do consider myself a prepper.

we have a lot of people in the UK who ONLY prep for the personal events, as I've said unemployment/sickness, very short term events, survivalists seem to have a more long term view more philosophical.