The term “Zombie Apocalypse” comes up every time I mention prepping and that bothers me because I consider prepping more “being prepared” than waiting for the end of the world type scenario.
Here’s an example: We went from upper 80º highs to 20º lows almost overnight this week. There was even the mention of snow in our forecast. That’s about how it happens every year here. We’re out with shorts and flip flops and the next day, we’re bundled with coats and gloves.
Our friends had gone to town Thursday after the cold moved in on Tuesday night and they were laughing . . there wasn’t a heater to be found in this town. A couple of weeks, we had looked at Home Depot, Walmart and Tractor Supply, trying to decide what heaters we wanted to uses for the greenhouse and we had ended up ordering what we wanted (and yes, they’re here already) but we were back in town Monday and looked at the heaters again because we wanted to get a couple of electric portable heaters to run in the house during the day while using energy provided by solar (instead of propane central heat). There were plenty of heaters everywhere – Home Depot, Walmart and Tractor Supply. But, Thursday, after the cold arrived, our friends said there was not one heater at any of the places. While they were in Walmart, someone returned two heaters and before they ever made it back to the shelves, someone else bought them.
That’s exactly how quickly bottled water, food, toilet paper . . things like that . . will go if there’s ever an emergency, or even a perceived emergency. We don’t have to have a bunker full of food (I do not!) but we do need to keep at least enough supplies to get us through several days if something happens.
Seriously, it’s an example of how quickly things fly off the shelves. Monday I’m guessing Tractor Supply had 40 or more heaters and there were probably the same number at Walmart. I was looking at something else when Vince was looking at them at Home Depot but by Thursday . . none.
The heaters will be re-stocked in our town probably by the end of this week but my question is . . why did all these people need heaters NOW? What did they do for heat last year? It isn’t like we had an influx of residents who live in houses with no heat. It isn’t like there’s a shortage of propane and people can’t fill their tanks and the cost of propane in this area is way down from what it was last year. I’m guessing lots of people got greenhouses and needed heaters! 🙂
Sharon in Michigan says
Right on, Judy!
Judy H says
I was just out tending to my Earthboxes – removing sheets I placed over the lettuce, etc. One of these days I hope to have a greenhouse! I know who to turn to with all my questions when I get it, too! 🙂
Speaking of preparedness, canning, and such….I’m about to go can some cranberry salsa! But THAT’S not something particularly necessary in an emergency to anybody north of Texas, LOL! We must have our salsa! 🙂
Susan says
Those of us who ever lived in the southwest anywhere need it! No matter where we live now! =)
Norece says
I totally agree.
Mary C says
I usually read how you and other people prep–for us its bad weather in the winter when we get big snowdrifts that close the roads down for two or three days, or in the summer when the bad thunderstorms hit and we don’t have power, or even when we have people drop in unexpectedly I can dig into my “stash’ to make a meal–some people don’t get why we do it
Dianne says
Absolutely, things will fly off the shelf around here also. First time power is out from ice or snow storm the generators will all disappear!
We woke up at 3:20 this morning to no power here. Temp was 24 outside, not sure why it was off but it came back on in an hour our so.
I’m sure folks will be out purchasing generators today in the area if they do not have one.
Be prepared folks!
Linda says
Prepared yes, but if it’s really the “end of the world” I don’t even want to be here. Every winter I think it would be nice to be snowed in for a week, but with electricity so I can have my lights, heat and running water. 🙂 Really, I think TV shows like “Doomsday Preppers” give people who try to be prepared for disasters a bad name.
JudyL says
I don’t know . . if it’s the very end and things are terrible, I don’t want to be here either but if it’s just standing in line to get food or food is outrageously expensive and hopefully things will get better some day, I’ll hopefully be able to stay and manage to survive. Yes, I think you’re correct. Some of those prepper shows make anyone who’s trying to be prepared look like a goofball.
Diana in RR,TX says
Unfortunately there will always be people who wait until the last minute and then be upset because the store was out of what they wanted! Makes no sense but that is the way it is. But we won’t be among them.
SaraF says
We saw a similar situation with sump pumps after flooding around here 2 summers ago, and with gas generators several years ago when ice took our the power lines. Many farm folks were without power for 2 weeks that time. And the generators got sold as fast as they could ship them in and unload them.
Susan says
Amen. My heat pump burned out, and knowing the cold was coming an I didn’t want to rely on propane 24 hours a day (’cause I can’t get an outside tank here), I bought a nice 2 for 1 deal last week and split the cost with a friend who wanted one for her basement area. I should go in and check on Monday to see how many are left! Even if I hadn’t found one, I wouldn’t have been freezing with the back-up propane one, but I have a rule – if you use your back-up product, it has to be replaced immediately, no waiting!
katie says
There’s always some one who waits til the last moment. I have a Tailor Shop and you would not be surprised at all the people who wait til the first cold night or snow to bring in their jackets to get repaired. Why not bring it in, in the spring before you put it away, so then it would be ready when you need it??? I have almost 4 weeks of Jackets and other things to get fixed, mostly zippers.. I just want to say ” Think ahead people”!! But you can’t say that to customers unfortunately…
Penny in S CA says
Perhaps some are prepping or planning ahead for winter/weather. Re: heaters ~ I think many that don’t have solar are trying to avoid higher utility bills by heating one well used room with a portable heater rather than heat the entire house and others ……….. well they might just be following the crowd ~ who knows?
Deb Miller says
I am not a big “prepper”. But I do like to be prepared. We have a wood stove for the sauna, and it would keep things warm for a while if something happened, we have a small generator for the campers and a bigger one for the house, but have never even put gas in it! Guess that’s a good thing! We have off peak electric heat and a small house. The hub loves to have a pantry full of food, since he cooks, but when I cook I CANT STAND not having the ingredients I need. Someday we will have a garden again and do canning. We are heading to Australia for Christmas for a month, and going to be on the plane for 24 hours. That doesn’t include the waiting. I will go nuts. I bought adapters, a battery pack to recharge things, and a kindle paperwhite because the battery lasts forever, and it doesn’t on my iPad. I guess I just can’t stand the thought of not having what I need when I need it. Maybe a survivalist, more than a prepper…hmmm…kinda the same thing…but a tad bit different?
That was my first thought too…what did everyone do LAST year? Or are they hoarding? Someone should study this social behavior and write a paper…
Betty Woodlee says
I know a lot of people that don’t keep things, no matter what it is. If they are not using it at that time they will often just throw it away. Go figure!