As extreme weather events become more frequent and more intense, it makes sense to have a plan in place or develop useful skills that might come in handy during an emergency.
According to one post on the r/preppers subreddit, in order to develop these skills, we should be looking to a source that some might consider unlikely: our grandmothers.
"Nana skills are the best skills," the poster wrote. "I was told today all my preppers skills are old lady hobbies. Gardening, canning/food preservation, sewing, midwifery/emergency medicine, cooking from scratch, herbalism (including poison making), walking my neighborhood and forming a community. I just need to learn how to knit or crochet and get chickens. The old women in my life taught me so much."
Setting aside the slightly concerning reference to "poison making" — which surely is not something you will need if your power goes out for a few days — this poster makes a lot of great points.
Though many self-professed preppers seem to view themselves as the protagonist in a post-apocalypse action movie, older generations might be better equipped than anyone to survive emergencies, what with their accumulation of life experiences and various useful skills.
Many of the other members of the subreddit agreed with the original post — and they also had a lot of insightful thoughts to share about the vibe around "prepping" writ large in our society.
"This is where I diverge with the Prepper community hard. A lot of preppers I've interacted [with] are the stereotypical 'imma sit in my bunker with guns and cans of brown meat and be the last man standing!' When in actuality, the ones that will survive anything are the ones that build community, work together, and have a wide array of cottage skills to make the community as self-sufficient as possible," one commenter wrote.
Another commenter said: "Thankfully, that mentality does appear to be changing a little bit. I was born into the prepper community and given the 'sit in my bunker and shoot anyone I don't recognize' mindset. There has been some cultural shift as more people enter into the hobby."
"These 'old lady' skills aren't something you can be proficient at immediately. They are perfected over time and with much practice. If you have such a mentor consider yourself very fortunate," someone else chimed in.
🗣️ What supplies do you keep on hand in case of a blackout?
🔘 Just a flashlight 🔦
🔘 A few camping lanterns 😎
🔘 A full-on emergency kit 🆘
🔘 I don't have anything 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Indeed, another member of the subreddit who lived through six days without power after Hurricane Milton recently made a post in which they wrote that, surprisingly to them, the most successful aspect of that experience was how their neighbors came together to help each other. The least successful thing was their attempt to hoard gasoline.
Learning to garden and lean on your community are smart ways to prepare yourself for times when increasingly extreme weather conditions could affect your home and life.
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