Last night’s episode of 60 Minutes on CBS had a segment on the “survival condo” and prepping trend. These kinds of shows are very often slanted to present “preppers” as a fringe society full of conspiracy theorists with crazy setups. This one was a little more fairly balanced.
The fact that this subject is becoming more and more understood and presented in a more normal fashion speaks to the general public’s realization that prepping is something we all should practice to a certain degree. Not everyone needs or has the ability to have a “bugout property” or missile silo bunker, but everyone can prepare for natural disasters and such. What’s wrong with that? Nothing. Its smart.
FEMA recommends families have two weeks of supplies on hand at all times in the event of a natural disaster so they can manage until help arrives. That’s a good start. But we can do more, and it doesn’t take a fortune to do so. Just look at the folks in the Ft. Meyers, Florida area still cleaning up after Hurricane Ian. Fresh water, sanitary waste treatment, power outages, communications, etc., are all things with which many are still dealing. Having the basics (water purification, food supply, a radio, some cash, alternate power generation, etc.) are things every household should have regardless the cause of the disruption. One individual interviewed in the 60 Minutes episode recounted how he had to bugout due to a wildfire, and in doing so realized his lack of preparedness with regard to important documents.
We often overlook having backups of important papers when it comes to preparedness. In 2016, I wrote a blog post on this subject. Read it here. I have a binder with copies of important insurance papers, birth certificates, housing documents, deeds, bank account info, etc. that I can grab in seconds. If disaster strikes, I can prove who I am, what I own and gain access to online records and such to rebuild. Every family should have one of these.
Over the past few years as I’ve operated Retreat Realty, I’ve seen a shift from mostly hard core preppers to average families that recognize a need for a back up plan as they see more and more uncertainty in the world around them. Today we have threats of hurricanes, wildfires, power outages, pandemics, civil unrest, financial collapse and even nuclear threats. Every one of these is a legitimate concern and calls for some sort of preparation. That’s where Retreat Realty comes in. We can assist those who have the ability and desire to go a step beyond a two week supply, to that of owning their own homestead or bugout property. We don’t presently have any with high tech bunkers, but all of our listings are slanted toward that of sustainable living which dovetails nicely into prepping. So if you’re feeling concerned about the world around you, call us today and we’ll be glad to assist in your search for the ideal homestead.
