"Doomsday Preppers" series as tool

[NamelessStain]

Every episode seems to have 1 person who is a little "off". Episode 6 was the seed man. There is no way he'll be able to ruck 99% of that stuff and I don't think that is anywhere in his plans. He'll have to rely on some transportation or stay put. I sensed he didn't even listen to the "experts" when they gave their evaluation. That "Your wrong" mentality.

The first guy at least made changes to his plans to have an alternate location after the evaluation.

The last family: kudos to them. They have turned it into a business which they believe in. So many others are just jumping on the bandwagon to make money.

[Thor]

I have been avoiding all these shows cause I figured they were just "shock TV" looking to paint us all as kooks.

Anyway I happened to be up late last night and I was in bed watching TV when this show called Doomsday Bunkers came on. It was about this company that makes bunkers for anyone with the money to buy.

What got me was they seemed to be having issued with their doors. They initially bought some FEMA certified door for the bunker and shot a 2x4 at it, at something like 300 MPH, it sliced through the door like a hot knife through butter. They said it was FEMA certified to an F5 tornado.

But then said said that's not good enough and proceeded to build there own door. They made a big deal out of how strong the door was and even brought out a SWAT team to try to breach it. Three guys with M4s all shooting at it at the same time. Lots of holes but nothing penetrated the inside layer. I had to stop there and think, heck even I can afford a slab of steel thick enough to stop a 5.56mm round. Okay so I don't think the door passed the rifle test, but apparently they did so they moved on to test two.

They said they were using a three pound door breaching charge taped to the door just under the bolt. What I saw was a water jug filled with reactive target powder taped to the door. In fact, the way they set it off was by shooting it from a distance, not the preferred method for detonating any door breaching charge I have ever seen.

So they set it off and there was an impressive BOOM. They went back to the door and said IT HELD! IT HELD! But I can see light through the door jam, the more they move the camera the more of the inside of the bunker I can see through the door jam. They said it passed the test cause the door bolt was still in place. But my feeling is if I can see the door bolt (which at this point you could) then I can cut the door bolt.

[Tater Raider]

Well, in fairness even though they could cut the bolt and you could see daylight though the door, the door was still closed so their claim, while dubious, is still valid.

[Orphancow]

At first I thought "Holy Crap, this show is going to be to the extreme end of pyscho-paranoia." I realized most of these people are on the far side, but I find it Interesting that most (maybe good chunk) of them are preparing for a failed economy, and war on our land. I will say that a few have given me some idea...a few, so i will at least watch it in hope to find a few good ideas.

Good news is some of my friends .....especially the in-laws at least do not snicker as much anymore. Seems like the son in law is making some strides! Hallelujah!

[tedbeau]

Every episode seems to have 1 person who is a little "off". Episode 6 was the seed man. There is no way he'll be able to ruck 99% of that stuff and I don't think that is anywhere in his plans. He'll have to rely on some transportation or stay put. I sensed he didn't even listen to the "experts" when they gave their evaluation. That "Your wrong" mentality.

The first guy at least made changes to his plans to have an alternate location after the evaluation.

The last family: kudos to them. They have turned it into a business which they believe in. So many others are just jumping on the bandwagon to make money.

The seed guy is an idiot. First off, in a TEOTWAWKI scenario I don't really think it's necessary to have 150 varieties of tomatoes and 120 varieties of corn; I'll eat whichever one I have. Secondly he can't EAT any of them until he waits for them to sprout, grow and bare fruit. He'll probably starve to death before then because he has no FOOD on hand, just seeds! Then he buys tents to "secure" his seeds in. How secure are tents?
I did find it humorous that that guy got into a gun fight with some guys wanting to trade "Seeds" with him, and the paper labeled it a drug deal gone bad. Obviously the other guys were looking for seeds for something other than oregano. Lesson learned here, if you have a greenhouse in your yard and grow lights running all the time, you can pretty much expect the local drug cartel is going to take notice.

[sspilla]

Sadly I think so many of them are so"off" (seed guy, algae guy, road kill guy, miniature pinscher guy, and manic-cooking woman pretending to shoot a gun) that they detract from the value of show and make the normal folks look off.

[NamelessStain]

Sadly I think so many of them are so"off" (seed guy,

Yup, many flaws in his overall plans imo. Way too many to cover here.

algae guy,

Are you referring to the guy who turned his pool into a Tilapia pond? If that's the case, I'd have to disagree with you. Sure he's a bit more focused but I don't think he's "off". He has a self-sustaining system which provides clean water, food, and shelter. His biggest issue is that 20 people know and it's not built for that many.

road kill guy,

Yea, some of it was just a bit over the edge. "Here's your jerky placenta" set off a flag to me, but for some people with that culture, it's acceptable. No firearms since "others" won't have them, I'd have to disagree. Most of his other stuff was knowledge based and knowledge is the one thing you can't take away from someone.

miniature pinscher guy,

Wasn't there a post somewhere on the forums about the state taking away his weapons?

and manic-cooking woman pretending to shoot a gun) that they detract from the value of show and make the normal folks look off.

Sorry, after 6 months into a PAW if you are morbidly obese, that will set off a red flag to anyone who sees you and make you a target imo. Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly a chiseled sculpture of a Greek god (maybe 2 Greek gods), but I know I'll probably lose most of the excess weight due to activities. I'm also currently exercising and getting in better shape.

Again, these are just my opinions.

[sspilla]

All excellent points. Regards.

[Honeypot]

Is this series available on HuluPlus or any other Roku channel?

We don't do cable, but a prepper friend has a Roku box, and is also intrigued by this series.
We're also thinking of getting one, depending on the results of an upcoming Roku crackathon.

[NamelessStain]

My opinions on Episode "Into the Spider hole":

First guy, solid location and has built up his stores. He knows his terrain and will use it to his advantage. In this scenario, a Gillie Suit makes more sense since it's at his BOL and not an item in his BOB. That combined with his intimate knowledge of his AO, it's more useful imo. Training his "junior rangers", why don't I see their parents? Just a bit creepy for me. Then he argues with the evaluation. It's not like the experts are telling him he sucked, they just suggested storing some other food somewhere else and worried about sanitation in the spider hole. To me, both seem like good suggestions.

Next group with a young daughter. Good preps, but I didn't see a BO plan in case they can't stay in the basement. I also glad they are educating the daughter without all the scarey boogyman stories. After their drill to get in the basement the wife says something to the effect of "I think we can do it faster", my initial thought was "leave the pets". Don't get me wrong, if I have time to grab the pets, I will. But I wouldn't consider it a requirement.

Last group. I had flashbacks of the group in Connecticut (I think that's where they were) except this group lives in a bunker. Happy thoughts only take you so far. If you don't have the support to maintain the structure, it won't help. I also didn't see any off grid power generation, which baffled me a bit.

Again, these are just my thoughts and opinions.

[Tater Raider]

He seemed to be grounded in reality (last group), considering that he would do what he needed to on the protection side, but unwilling to discuss it as he wanted to avoid a fight if at all possible. I respect that.



EtA: Take ZS as a whole. You have people on here that are pro and anti-gun both and they manage to exsist side-by-side mostly peacefully because we don't label them (whoever "them" happens to be) idiots. So if he and his honey want to do a drum circle and pass a stick around them bully for them - those folk have a role in rebuilding society should a doomsday event occour.

Also, I think it difficult to show everything a group has done prep-wise in 15 minutes and think they focus on the strongest and weakest areas of their preps while making the individuals involved look... interesting?

[funkychicken]

Episode 7 "into the spide hole" was good. Spider hole guy was strong all the way around. Practical Preppers did give him some good things to add. He can put some food into his spider holes and work on sanitation. I'm not sure about putting a spider hole on a trail plywood sounds different than just dirt when you step on it. Also when getting into the hole and putting the lid on. How do you know there is enough dirt on it to conceal your location?
The middle couple with the 6 y/o daughter, are doing fine. Screw the pets and come back for em later if your retreating to the basement. Apocolyptic dreams? Way cool!

Hippies in the bunker. F-me! $40k for a missile silo in the 80's!! 20k sq feet of space underground. I wish my mom had bought one in the 80's! I was only 6 in 82, damn it. I'm sure there is a generator in that silo. if not he has the room for one. I'm just jealous of their pad. Other than that they will be fine if SHTF. Either they ran out of crazies (um.. unlikely) or like I have said before they are listening to viewer feedback and not portraying them as nut bars. Or maybe I am just going a little crazy myself?

Someone mentioned paw chef lady earlier and I agree she is slightly off. No sane person brags about being 100lbs overweight. Especially in the paw. I did like here mineral oil egg deal and the cheese wax. I'm gonna get some cheese wax.

[AnonEmous]

I just watched the episode with the "Family with the German Shephards" and 4,500 sq. ft. home with food for 2 years for 10 people. What really made me think he is an a$$klown is that he is teaching his kids how to steal gas from cars. And just how would he react if he found his car drained with a hole punched in his gas tank?

Makes me appreciate the rules and regs here that much more.

The other thing was the guy's weight. He honestly looks like he could be prepping for either type 2 diabetes or high cholsterol. So he and his wife spend an hour a day prepping, but apparently no time to get in shape to be able to run 1/4 mile without collapsing? Yeah, maybe that comment is not fair, but him almost being proud of the fact that he is teaching his kids how to steal gas really made me see him differently.

[ineffableone]

I have been following the other Doomsday Preppers thread
Doomsday Preppers (2nd) 02/07/2012 Nat Geo http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=88624

I posted these videos up on that thread but thought I would share them here.

A cool video from Engineer775 (one of the members of Practical Preppers, and featured on the pilot) about the exposure from Doomsday Preppers thought I would share

Prepping and the Media

Southernprepper1 and I have been given a lot of opportunities lately, whether on radio, TV, or conferences to encourage people to prepare. We had a good time with our local News Channel 4 and I turned the camera on them at the end of the shoot. The segment should air This Wednesday @ 6pm EST. (already aired)
http://www.wyff4.com/index.html

Prepping and the Media Part 2


For the actual news report visit http://www.wyff4.com/r-video/30562895/detail.html
They seem to have done a pretty good job and put a decent view forward.

Also video of Doomsday Prepper Tim Ralston getting more prepping convo going in media by doing a segment on Access Hollywood of all places.

Tim Ralston (DOOMSDAY PREPPER) on Access Hollywood


As I mention on the other thread Tim is not my favorite of the people on Doomsday Preppers, but this was a pretty good piece. Light no heavy interrogation or making fun of. Validation from those interviewing on how prepping made some sense to them. I think when they called him a warrior they were not trying to make him out as an extremist survivalist but actually compliment him, but he quickly turned it away from that possible thought of extremism. He hardly talked about his product he was pitching, and over all got a very wide cross section of people who don't normally think about prepping to be exposed to it in a decently possitive way.

Over all I think the Doomsday Prepper show is getting more people exposed to this concept and showing that it is a diverse category of people. Typical suburbanites, hermits, hippies, rednecks, even truck drivers. I think this is helping people see that prepping does not have to be crazy gun hoarders, though the show does portray some as such, they also show people with no guns.

Yes the show over dramatizes, and distorts the people on the show to make it seem more exciting. They force people to pick just one extreme senerio rather than let them explain really it is the smaller disasters that the preps are more likely for, but being prepped for complete collapse brings security for small disaster.

So yes I see the show as a tool to help dialogue with family, friends, even strangers about the ideas of prepping. Even if it just gives you a point to say "that is so not how I would do it."

[moab]

Ya. This series back fired on me. My wife and son think preppers are all a bunch of crazy people now. Actually scared them that I am into prepping. So I turned it around and said I'm just preparing for camping out with the family and preparing for earthquakes.

[KnightoftheRoc]

Ya. This series back fired on me. My wife and son think preppers are all a bunch of crazy people now. Actually scared them that I am into prepping. So I turned it around and said I'm just preparing for camping out with the family and preparing for earthquakes.

I'm not sure what part of this disturbs me more. There's the fact that you had to turn it around- effectively, lying to your family (even though the motive is good), or the fact that, despite knowing YOU, they still made the connection that preppers are nuts, you prep, so therefore, you must be nuts- what other behaviors are you showing them, that they'd jump to this conclusion?

I'm not making any judgments here, but for most people, maybe you included, lying to your family is an uncomfortable position to be in, even with the best intentions at heart. It's not like you're telling them "I'm not getting you anything for your birthday this year", while already having their gift.

What if you turn off the power to the house one day, unannounced? Show them how prepping for a power outage works, and can be pretty smart, instead of 'nutso'. Something like that could move you out of an uncomfortable situation, while still making your case (even if it doesn't convince anyone), without having an actual disaster to deal with.

[ineffableone]

Ya. This series back fired on me. My wife and son think preppers are all a bunch of crazy people now. Actually scared them that I am into prepping. So I turned it around and said I'm just preparing for camping out with the family and preparing for earthquakes.

KnightoftheRoc has some good points don't forget also FEMA suggests prepping at least a 72 hour bag. Every state has an emergency disaster plan, and pamphlet. You might want to look up your state's as they can be quite helpful for easing the nerves of the "normals" to see the government has actually recommended you do this.

A good place to start is http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/Preparedness/Resources_Network/emergency_preparedness.aspx
or http://www.ready.gov/

Your not crazy your just doing your patriotic civic duty to prepare.

[moab]

I'm half joking. I didn't get any ultimatums or anything. They just laughed "at crazy old Dad again!". That kind of thing. But really I can do the same without even telling them what it is by preparing for camping and an earthquake. Which is pretty much the same thing. I left out the Zombies part. LOL!

But the show is a little weird. They kind of go out of there way to show these people as nuts. And refute all their claims at the end of each section. Not a great poster child for the movement IMHO.

[Tater Raider]

I'm half joking. I didn't get any ultimatums or anything. They just laughed "at crazy old Dad again!". That kind of thing. But really I can do the same without even telling them what it is by preparing for camping and an earthquake. Which is pretty much the same thing. I left out the Zombies part. LOL!

But the show is a little weird. They kind of go out of there way to show these people as nuts. And refute all their claims at the end of each section. Not a great poster child for the movement IMHO.

I do not think the claims get refuted - they lay out the odds according to experts, and some of those odds (economic collapse specifically) have changed according to what they have said since the first episodes.

Most likely: EMP and economic crisis. they have explictly said the economy can't be ruled out and effects from EMP on today's system are kinda up in the air, especially fallout from the power grid going down.

Least likely: Pole shift. - this is the only one they have come close to flat out saying, "No, it can't happen." Instead, they say, basically (but not explicitly), until the world is back to one continent it can't happen. If it gets them prepping I'm fine, but I don't consider it a realistic circumstance.

Then again I explicitly state I'm prepping for Zombies. In public. I'm pretty sure polar shift is more likely, but you can never know...

But yeah, they make some of these folk look nuttier than a freakin' fruitcake and I take that with a grain of salt - NatGeo is in it to make money.

[funkychicken]

I'm surprised nobody has picked "The Zombie Apocalypse" as what they are prepping for. Maybe the last show.. If your prepped for zombies, everything else is childs play.

[jeepinbandtrider]

I like ol'boy who blew part of his thumb off doing a bug out test with his late model Jeep loaded to the gills with stuff...............he's prepping for an EMP He made no indication of a backup method of getting to his bug out location on foot or anything.

Something tells me if an EMP did hit we wouldn't get a lot of warning on it.

[Tater Raider]

I like ol'boy who blew part of his thumb off doing a bug out test with his late model Jeep loaded to the gills with stuff...............he's prepping for an EMP He made no indication of a backup method of getting to his bug out location on foot or anything.

Something tells me if an EMP did hit we wouldn't get a lot of warning on it.

No, but if you are prepping for an EMP and your vehicle has computers and you have any doubts about it surviving an EMP, get space programmer and computers and put them in a grounded ammo box (faraday cage) and you're golden.

[jeepinbandtrider]

Space programer?

[Tater Raider]

Gah!

SPARE

sorry.