The term "prepper," "preppers," or "preparers" has emerged internationally to refer to individuals or groups who prepare for any type of disaster or emergency. These individuals seek to be prepared for catastrophes, whether natural disasters such as an earthquake, hurricane, virus, etc., or civil emergencies, riots, blackouts, social conflicts , or pandemics. Therefore, they aim to be prepared to respond as appropriately as possible to the risks they may face.
A prepper or preparedness expert prepares in all areas of training to be able to deal with any emergency, using whatever methods are necessary. To do this, it's important to assess the most likely local risks to which you may be exposed.
The prepper movement began in the United States in the 1960s, primarily during the Cold War, but has spread to such an extent that Western countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Spain, and Australia have joined the prepper movement.
It's not known for sure how many preppers exist in the United States today, but it is known that in 2010 there were an estimated 4 million preppers, a figure that has been increasing, and the number of blogs, podcasts, and websites has multiplied significantly, becoming a growing social phenomenon.
In addition to providing food and water, they spend many hours training and performing a variety of activities. They practice step by step how to act and protect themselves. Some even undergo rigorous training to prepare for any eventuality in which they might have to walk for days.
Many also build shelters to be safer, some groups even have bunkers or hidden shelters where they have VHF or HF radio/radio communications systems.
They also receive training in other subjects such as transmissions and communications, first aid, survival courses and survival techniques, NBCR warfare, etc.
Below we leave you a small glossary of the most used terms in preparationism
DICTIONARY OR GLOSSARY FOR PREPPERS:
TO:
ABC : Airway, Breathing, Circulation. This is the order in which things are assessed when dealing with a sick or injured person.
AGW : Anthropogenic Global Warming. Global warming caused by the direct action of humans.
Alpha Strategy : This is when you will save more long-term preparations than your family needs, specifically for bartering or charity in a crisis situation.
B:
Bugging : Staying put in your current location during a crisis or collapse situation.
BOB : Bug Out Bag. A bag filled with everything you need to survive away from home for at least 72 hours. The bag should contain essential items such as food, necessary tools, a compact food supply, a filtration device, and personal items, such as prescription medications or spare lenses, that fit your circumstances.
BOL : location or shelter. This is a refuge for those who are relocating their home should it be compromised.
BOR : route. This is a map with at least two routes you can follow clearly marked on it before it's time to leave your area. (You should practice traveling the route, looking for problems along the way, and locating stops for shelter, water, or food.)
BOV : Out of Vehicle. Your vehicle of choice to move from your current position until you leave.
C:
Cache : Storing goods in locations along your route to get home in your BOL. The term is also used to refer to supplies you've buried for safety reasons.
CC : Concealed Carry. This refers to carrying a firearm on your person so that it is hidden from view.
CME : Coronal Mass Ejection. A plasma ejection from the sun that travels toward Earth and can fry electrical transformers, causing widespread, long-term blackouts over large geographic areas. Also known as solar storms.
D:
DECON : Decontamination. To control or contain a chemical, biological, nuclear, or radiological attack or emergency. DECON A : Decontamination Area. The sealed zone in which decontamination is carried out.
AND:
EDC: A small kit that you have with you every day.
EMP : Electromagnetic Pulse. A natural or man-made pulse of electromagnetic energy that can be strong enough to knock out the electrical grid over a wide geographic area.
F:
FQA : First aid kit. Not the basic kit with a few bandages and some Neosporin, but a tactical kit packed with supplies for treating major traumas like gunshot wounds.
FIFO : First in, first out. The basic principle of food stock rotation.
FRH : Flameless ration heater. A water-activated chemical heater is included with the MRE (see below for MREs).
G:
Genny / Geni : Emergency power generator.
GMO : Genetically Modified Organism. Many preppers are against genetically modified foods.
GHB : Day bag. This should contain everything you need to make your trip from work or school to your home a success in case of an emergency.
GOOD : A rapid evacuation. Usually in the context of an event that has made your location dangerous to remain in.
H:
Ham : Slang term for an amateur radio operator.
HEMP : High Altitude Electro-Magnetic Pulse (see EMP)
Hunker : To remain safely in the country for the duration of an emergency. (Also: Bugging In)
Gray Man : This is a method of camouflaging oneself from view. They blend in, not being visible or easily describable.
YO:
IFAK : Individual First Aid Kit. Usually a small, portable kit containing enough supplies for one person.
INCH : Code for letting your family or group of survivors know you can't get home and they shouldn't be waiting for you, as you need to continue with the plan you made as a group.
L:
LED : Light-emitting diode. Small bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. They are extremely long-lasting, making them popular for emergency lighting.
Law: (law) authority agent
M:
MAG : Group Mutual Aid. A group of people who meet regularly to discuss prepper topics and offer ideas, support, and assistance to one another.
Martial Law : When the constitution and ordinary laws are suspended and the highest-ranking military officer is in charge, as opposed to an elected official. This is reserved for times of extreme crisis.
MRE : Meals Ready to Eat. A term for pre-cooked meals that can be opened and eaten on the go. These are widely used by the military and often have a small flameless heater. (See FRH)
MSM : Mainstream Media. This refers to the news network and large corporate newspapers. It is not the most reliable source of information in many cases, due to political bias.
N:
N95 Mask : A protective mask that filters out at least 95% of airborne particles.
N100 Mask : A protective mask that filters at least 99.97% of airborne particles. Use this option if the contaminant or virus is composed of smaller particles.
NAD : Not a Drill. A term used by the military and police to indicate a serious and legitimate event. If you hear this, start moving.
NBC : Nuclear Chemical Biological. Used to describe nuclear, biological, or chemical contaminants, weapons, or attacks. It is also used to describe gear designed to protect the wearer from such contaminants. R is now added for radiological accidents.
NWH : Nuclear warhead. The nuclear device attached to the end of a missile.
EITHER:
OPSEC : Operational Security. A military term. Keeping your operations secure means taking care not to reveal seemingly benign bits of information that could be gleaned by someone intent on raiding your supplies or home. In other words, "A closed mouth doesn't catch flies."
Q:
PAW : A post-apocalyptic world. What remains of society and technology after a massive disaster.
PCW : Post World Collapse (See post-apocalyptic.)
PDW : Personal Defense Weapon. A weapon you carry on your person, such as a small firearm, knife, etc.
PSK : Personal Survival Kit. A small first-aid kit, often in a tin can, containing essential items to get you out of a pinch, such as a mini compass, signal mirror, fishing hooks and line, flint, etc.
Q:
QT : Quiet. To do something quietly or speak discreetly so as not to attract attention. This can also mean to do something secretly.
A:
Recon : Reconnaissance. This is a mission to secretly gather information about a person or place. Often, one person in the group will go ahead and check things out and make sure the situation is safe before the others arrive.
Rule of three : Generally considered the cut-off point for human survival: 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.
S:
SERE : Survival, Escape, Resistance, Evasion. Basic skills for wilderness survival, search and rescue operations, and evading or escaping capture.
Sheeple : People who blindly obey or believe what they are told without applying critical thinking.
Shelter-in-Place : Staying where you are during an emergency instead of trying to get home/out of the area. This is recommended when travel would be dangerous.
SHTF : This is an acronym that preppers use for an epic, potentially life-changing disaster.
SITREP : Situation Report. When a member of a survivor group reports to the group's "manager" after a tour of duty. Alternatively, someone returning from a scouting mission reports what they've seen and heard.
SWOT : Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. A paper exercise used to evaluate your plan or location.
T:
TEOTWAWKI : The end of the world as we know it. An acronym used to describe an event of apocalyptic, life-changing proportions.
TPTB : An acronym used to describe politicians, millionaires, and politicians. (Generally considered a derogatory term.)
V:
VEI : Volcanic Explosivity Index. A scale that measures the “explosiveness” of a volcanic eruption so that events can be compared with each other.
W
WMD : An acronym used to describe weapons of mass destruction. Weapons that are capable of causing widespread death and destruction, usually chemical, biological, or radioactive in nature.
WROL : Without the rule of law. The anarchy that follows a social collapse or breakdown.
AND:
YOYO : You're on Your Own. An acronym used to refer to a situation where there are no first responders, no law enforcement, and no medical assistance. You have only yourself to rely on.
Z:
Zeer Pot : An off-grid cooling method in which a large clay pot houses a smaller clay pot. The space between the two is filled with sand, which is then moistened. Evaporation keeps the food inside many degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature.
ZOMBIE : Not the walking dead kind, but a person (or group of people) wandering around trying to figure out what to do next. After the shock of their new reality has subsided, they will become hungry, desperate, and dangerous.
Preppers, or preparedness activists, don't see preparation as a goal to be achieved, but rather as a path to be followed. Their lifestyle consists of being prepared for anything that may happen: whether it's natural disasters like an earthquake, a hurricane, a virus, etc., or civil emergencies, riots, blackouts, or conflicts.
Be careful! They're not hoarders. Hoarders are those who literally stockpile masks or hand sanitizers as the coronavirus spreads. In fact, hoarders are the exact opposite of preppers. They're enemies of panic and believe that the feeling of tension must be constant because their lives revolve around preparation.
Preppers practice preparedness as a lifestyle, which requires them to educate themselves, studying materials, procedures, and techniques in the event of an emergency where their own and their group's survival is the last and only way to survive.
