DeMorgen - newspaper article: Ten years ago, if you grew your own vegetables, did not run your heating on gas or even had a pantry with dry food and water, you were quickly dismissed as a eccentric. Today, emergency kits are mainstream. Is there an 'I told you so' vibe among first-time preppers?
Jan: 'You can help your neighbours, but not the whole street'
Text: Ans Boersma (demorgen.be/author/ans-boersma)
Photo: Thomas Sweertvaegher (www.switnphoto.com)
"Even before corona, I started preparing for emergencies. I heard blowing here and there that something was coming our way (What exactly did you hear then?). 'What do I have in the house, and what do I need to survive?" I asked myself then.
His social circle reacted lukewarmly at first. "I warned my colleagues, but that was not widely accepted. Friends and family thought it was exaggerated. 'That's not going to happen anyway,' they said. It also puts people off thinking about this. But being prepared has nothing to do with fear: it is thinking calmly, drawing your plan and making sure you are independent."
Jan laughs: "I did get it right. During the first lockdown, when everyone was arguing about toilet paper, I was able to stay in my seat."
"I consider myself a prepper of the light kind. I am prepared to live self-sufficiently for about four weeks. Think food, shelter, heating, communication: the same as the government now recommends, but a little longer than 72 hours."
What started as a rational thought exercise for Jan slowly grew into a life attitude. "Prepping does not start with stockpiling, but with knowledge. Most people buy stuff to reassure themselves. But you must first learn to think: what do I really need to survive? And also: what do I need to keep feeling good? Because prepping is also mental. You not only need to be able to cook without electricity, but also make sure you have some books or other entertainment. Then a power cut or a week without water is no problem."
He doesn't hang his preppership on the big time. "If your house fills up with food and equipment and society crashes, then your neighbours might become your greatest enemies," he says. People putting everything on YouTube? Not so wise. If you are prepared, you keep that quiet. You can help your neighbours, but not the whole street. That's the selfish side of prepping. But you have to realise: the moment there is instability, you get back the law of the jungle."
Jan has been working in 't Amerikaantje, a Belgian shop specialising in army equipment, survival gear and outdoor equipment, for more than 20 years. In the shop, Jan clearly notices an increased interest. "Since corona and with the tensions around Russia, I hear it every day: people are worried. Some come in and want to buy everything, for them an emergency kit is useful. With it, they are basically buying a piece of peace of mind.
Does it feel like he has been proven right, after years of shouting in the desert? No, he says firmly, "I don't think: ha, you see. I share my vision, but that remains what it is-my opinion. My responsibility lies with myself. I can advise people, but what they do with it is their own choice. Everyone has to make their own thinking, and also be prepared to bear the consequences."
Jan has no intention of pushing his preparation to the next level. "If you really want to become completely self-sufficient, you need land, a big storage area. There are people preparing for nuclear threats, but that is practically unfeasible. Shelters, air filters, emergency generators - that costs a huge amount of money. I stick to a pantry. I always have extra water and food in the house. I can heat, filter, cook. But you won't find a bunker with me."
From DeMorgen, the full article:
https://www.demorgen.be/beter-leven/drie-preppers-over-waarom-zij-zich-voorbereiden-als-de-maatschappij-crasht-worden-je-buren-misschien-je-grootste-vijanden~b9519dcc/