What Exactly Does Being a Survivalist Mean?
First, let’s take a quick look at the official Wiki definition of what a survivalist or survivalism is:
Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists or preppers) who are actively preparing for emergencies, including possible disruptions in social or political order, on scales from local to international. Survivalists often acquire emergency medical and self-defense training, stockpile food and water, prepare to become self-sufficient, and build structures (e.g., a survival retreat or an underground shelter) that may help them survive a catastrophe.
A Survivalist, in my opinion, can be a rather subjective term in the varying degrees someone takes their emergency preparedness and how far they stockpile supplies, train or learn their skills.
You have survivalists, preppers, doomsayers and we might as well throw in the zombie apocalypse enthusiasts who are all preparing on various levels to self sustain their livelihood in case of….????
The recent years of reality TV and media influence has really painted a picture of survivalist & preppers as extreme fanatics who are convinced that the world as we know it is doomed any day now.
Are there extreme survivalists out there that fall into that line of thinking? Well sure. But not all survivalists have devoted every minute of their day to preparing for a future they can’t predict.
There are plenty of low key people who take the time to learn survival skills, stockpile emergency supplies and create disaster plans that can safeguard their livelihood in case a catastrophe happens in the future. That person could be you, your neighbor, a family member or a friend and you might never know that deep in their basement they’ve stockpiled enough rations and gear to weather out 2 years of fending for themselves.
I believe to call yourself a survivalist, you do need to actively educate yourself, get training, practice survival skills, update or add to your gear and food storage and more.
How a person individually defines their emergency preparedness and how often they engage in education is truly up to them. Some survivalists consider a months supplies adequate while other survivalists won’t settle for less than 5 years of self sustaining preparation.
Taking the steps to be prepared for the ‘in case of emergency‘ moments in life is the key here and if you’re reading this, then I’d imagine you are interested in discovering how you can safeguard your family or you’ve already started your training and just need more information.
Either way, just like you buy car insurance or pay a monthly health insurance premium, a survivalist is preparing for a future that no one can predict and there is nothing fanatical, radical or irrational about that!