READING MATERIAL: Prepping for Beginners

Prepping is currently a big topic. The colleagues from the magazine VISIER, who always produce very useful special issues, have approached the topic. And they deliver an informative issue for all those who want to explore the topic without having to be ashamed.

Prepping is of course just a new term for many things that have been around for a long time. Crisis preparedness was not an issue for so long as long as the present was not perceived as crisis-ridden. That has changed lately. Some places no longer say "civil defense," but prepping.

Most of us live in the city. Most of us have to survive in the city. So, it makes sense to deal with how to get through here best.

The countryside is a romantic vision for many people, hence the boom in bushcraft and survival. Sometimes it's simply about learning simple techniques, like how the individual can survive in the countryside (we don't mean using a credit card and visiting McDonald's) or overcoming the urban dweller's alienation from nature. Preppers are a bit like scouts with drop-out visions.

And much of it revolves simply around the right equipment that the prepper must have with him, just when he needs it. Not so easy. One of the main problems besides food, drink, a safe place for the night. And the question: how long do you need the improvised stuff and when can you go back to the cozy living room.

This is one of the very essential contributions in the magazine, for which the reader must be thankful to VISIER. Some people with visions of civilization's demise bring disgrace to the scene and also attract the attention of the domestic intelligence agency. Anyone who fantasizes about weapons and doomsday quickly has a problem. VISIER shows the legal framework in which modern self- and civil defense takes place.

No fight without fuel. It's as simple as that. Food remains one of the basic needs. It doesn't always have to be the consumed beetle, but the worldly prepper can also prepare for immediate emergencies.

And only then comes the rest of civil defense. There's no need to reinvent the world, as others have already thought about this: HERE is the storage checklist from the Austrian Civil Protection Association.

Self-protection at home is an increasingly big and important topic.

This is a more complex topic that every individual must prepare for. What medications are needed? It is always useful to have professional medical training. In case of doubt, we advise against using globules and colloidal silver in disaster situations. It could easily become even more catastrophic ...

And the citizen is not alone. In Germany, for example, there is the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance. It's worth looking at their webpage, as it also has very interesting downloads.

And there is a lot of useful literature on the subject that helps with orientation, which is presented in this special issue.

CONCLUSION: A very good magazine, which is purchased with profit for those who want to approach the topic of crisis preparation and prepping.

The VISIER Special 89 "Prepping & Crisis Preparedness" is currently available in newsstands for Euro 9.90. In case of doubt, it can also be ordered online from the publisher.