How do Preppers Prepare for the Corona Virus (Covid-19) - What Do Preppers Do?

Canned food rests on shelves. (Paul Buescher)

What are Preppers doing with regards to the Corona Virus (Covid-19)?

In this article I will share:

• What Preppers are doing during the Corona (Covid-19) crisis,
• What's the difference between a regular Prepare and a DoomsDay Prepper.
• Preppers and how they differ from Homesteaders.

As I have mentioned in other blog posts, we are not "Preppers" - My family and I are "Homesteaders" - we are not prepares.
(What's the difference? See below the 8 Key Differences between Homesteaders and Preppers).

What are Preppers doing now that the Corona Virus is upon us?
The people that I talked to said they aren't doing anything but relaxing and chuckling at the unprepared general public. Why? Keep reading.

Why?
Because the Preppers have already prepared for events such as this by purchasing:

• A food supply for at least 2 weeks (or more), 
• Sanitation and medical supplies,
• Cash and Tradable good stock piled, 
• Finances in order, 
• Relax, but being vigilant (following a variety of news reports from multiple sources)

Preppers are not the same as "DoomsDay Preppers". 
DoomsDay preppers are preparing for the End of the World or SHTF (think Zombie Apocalypse), and there is no going back to the way life was before.
Preppers, on the other hand,  are people who are planning for a 2 week to a 30 day period, and they expect life to return to normalcy. 

DoomsDay Preppers think: "Bullets and Bunkers", and the End of the World as we know it. An example is a Zombie Apocalypse.

Preppers think: "Beans and Bread", and the world will return to normal. An Example is Hurricane Sandy.

Do you understand the difference?

Now that you understand the What Preppers are Doing for the Corona Virus, and how they are not like DoomsDay Preppers, let's move on to Homesteaders, and  8 Key Differences between Preppers and Homesteaders.

1. The Lifestyle
People who are concerned solely with prepping aim to store enough food and supplies to last during a disaster, but otherwise they may lead “normal” 21st century lifestyles. In fact, you may not be able to distinguish a pure prepper from a non-prepper unless you see their long-term storage pantries. Preppers can actually buy all the items on a list and store them in a room in their apartment or house. Once it is purchased, then it sits there and waits for an event such as the Corona Virus.

A Homesteader chooses to purchase property, animals, and live off the land. Like a rancher or a farmer. Think John Wayne as a family farmer - raising crops and animals so that his family could live off the land. 

2. Food
While both groups store food, we go about it differently.

Preppers have food on hand for 2-4 weeks (some might even have enough for a year. They do this by buying an inventory. Often times in bulk from various types of retailers/stores/online shops. (prepper food)

A Homesteader seeks sustainability on a long-term basis. Instead of purchasing our inventory from a store, we grow and raise our own so that it is always available.

3. Water Storage
Most pure preppers store water. They also focus on ways to filter and purify water in the event of a disaster. Some preppers have wells with manual pumps in place and/or water catchment systems. (prepper water bottle)

Homesteaders generally don’t store large supplies of water. We  have a well, a spring on our property, and any others have a system for collecting rainwater for the gardens and the animals.

4. Shelter
Some pure preppers have a shelter located in the country that they can retreat to in times of emergency. Defensibility is considered in the construction and location of these structures. Although some preppers live at these shelters, they usually tend to be more like hunting cabins or weekend retreats rather than homes.

In contrast, as homesteaders we work our land we live on and we do not have an emergency retreat. Our home is our retreat.

5. Survival Skills
Both preppers and homesteaders focus on learning survival skills such as hunting and finding food and water. (At our home, we have streams, a spring, and we have bamboo for water. The ocean is only a short walk from the house, and fish are plentiful.)

Pure preppers learn these skills in order to survive during a time of disaster. As Homesteaders, however, we learn these traditional skills as a way to maintain our self-sufficient lifestyle.

6. Off Grid Living
Both preppers and homesteaders like the idea of off-the-grid living. Not being dependent on public utilities is an advantage for both groups.
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A key difference is that preppers feel that being off the grid is important only during a critical disaster, while as a homesteader, we enjoy the savings and self-sufficiency that being off the grid 365 days a year.

7. Security
Both preppers and homesteaders may own guns; however, there are differences here, too.

Since preppers are aiming to be ready for a chaos scenarios, they may store large amounts of weapons and ammunition in an effort to protect themselves from looters and other criminals. However, homesteaders generally use their guns for hunting or for protection from unwanted animal intruders.

8.Medical Needs
Since preppers are planning ahead for a huge event that could affect hospitals and medical services, they often purchase and store large amounts of first aid and medical supplies. They also learn about natural remedies for emergency situations.

As Homesteaders we educate ourselves on natural remedies and grow medicinal herbs (we also have 21st century meds on hand). In the near future, we will be taking a CPR course and getting a defibrillator. As Homesteaders, we do not stockpile medical supplies beyond what they would need for normal non-life-threatening situations. 

Note: if you want to read about how a Medicine Woman saved my life, then read
"Like Winning the Lottery"  ~  available on Amazon.

In Conclusion
The terms prepper and homesteader are often used interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing. I have been told that homesteaders are preppers but not all preppers are homesteaders. From my experiences, I have learned that many homesteaders start out as preppers, but, as they educate themselves on prepping, they begin to see and desire a more self-sufficient lifestyle.
 What about you? Are you a prepper or a homesteader? Perhaps you are a bit of both.

Have you ever considered being a homesteader? 
Would you like to learn more as a neighbor?

If you'd like to an opportunity to be a neighbor and a homesteader in paradise, let me know. Send me a message on Facebook. www.facebook.com/likewinningthelottery/

Written by Greg Pasden
World Traveler, Author, Adventurer, American Expat in Asia