THE LANGUAGE OF PREPAREDNESS

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THE LANGUAGE OF PREPAREDNESS

by Flint-APN Organizer/VPN Blog Contributor

One of the many facets of the preparedness community is the terminology or lingo used to describe certain aspects of prepping or preparedness activity. Much of the prepper lingo is a series of acronyms that often are straight to the point, just brief in spelling. A couple of acronyms are derived from the military and are used to clean up the language a bit.

Okay, lets take a short look at Prepper Lingo 101. Here’s the most well used terms in the prepper repertoire:

ANTS – Americans Networking To Survive. A survival network of individual preppers committed to providing supplies when a disaster strikes.

BOB – Bug Out Bag: This is a duffle bag or back pack equipped with essential emergency supplies that can be quickly accessed if you have to move to another location.

BOHICA – Bend Over, Here I Come Again. Communication slur to announce a repeated maneuver.

BOL – Bug Out Location: Where you will rally for your primary or secondary location.

BOV – Bug Out Vehicle. The transportation type you will use to get to your BOL.

Bug In - When an individual or group decides to stay put to ride out a disaster.

Bug Out - Another word for evacuate.

COMMS - Short for the use of communications.

EDC – Everyday Carry. What armament a person may carry on their person on a daily basis.

FAK – First Aid Kit.

FUBAR – Fouled Up Beyond All Repair. Can be used as a expletive when a situation or equipment is beyond recovery or ability to repair.

GHB – Get Home Bag. Bag or backpack stocked with essentials kept at work, school or in a vehicle. Reserve supplies needed until you reach your primary location or rally point.

GOOD – Get Out Of Dodge. Basically, get out of the town or location you are in. An act of evacuation.

HDR – Humanitarian Daily Ration. This is a reduced portion of the MRE. HDR’s are used primarily by international relief organizations and government relief to areas in which some foods are not accepted due to culture or religious beliefs. Contains no animal meat or by products.

HX - History. Refers to the background information of a situation. Also used to refer to medical history.

INCH – I Am Never Coming Home. Sometimes referred to the type of BOB you are preparing. In essence, you are taking the absolute essentials with the knowledge you may not be returning to your home due to crisis.

Multi-Tool - A combination tool or survival knife which may include several types of tools. For instance, knife blade(s), screwdriver, file, can opener, pliers, etc.

MRE – Meal Ready to Eat. This is a military ration of food. Typically the shelf life is for several years. The contents are sealed in a tough plastic wrapper. Various types of foods can be MREs. MREs are typically found in BOB for when you have to Bug Out.

NBC – Nuclear Biological Chemical. Refers to an disaster event involving nuclear, chemical or biological means. Also can refer to the equipment necessary to survive such a disaster.

OPSEC – Operational Security. A critical component of the preparedness community. Meaning to assure that logisitical, personal and location information is kept private to maintain the integrity of a preparedness plan.

ORP – Optimal Rally Point or Operational Rally Point. A key location designated to mobilize for a disaster.

PSK – Personal Survival Kit. Essential tools and necessities used for survivalist methods.

SHTF – Shit Hits The Fan. This refers to a the occurrence of a serious disaster or crisis. In some regards this may be more of a local or regional disaster. Although if its TEOTWAWKI, then SHTF really means a dire situation.

TEOTWAWKI – The End Of The World As We Know It. This means a catastrophic world event has occurred. In many regards, this refers to the possible end of civilization or humanity.

WWL – World Without Law. Referring to a total breakdown of society. The scenario where the laws as we know it today do not exist.

The preparedness community continues to grow its lingo as time goes by and as new methods/equipment are introduced.

Thanks for the Great post!
-Prepper Chicks

Rain Barrels: Why Bother???

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Doomsday Preppers: Part 1, Practical Prepping

By Steven Sandberg

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. -- Several disasters and other emergencies around the globe have helped bring to light the movement of "prepping."

In the first of a three part series, NewsWatch 12's Steven Sandberg gives a look at some of the people preparing for emergencies. Some groups take it to extremes; but for many others, it's just common sense.

"Always be prepared." For Joel Wallace, it's more than a motto - it's a lifestyle.
"Do a little bit at a time, just think about, what would I do if this happened to me?" he says.
One look around his house, and it's clear he takes it to heart. He has a full stocked pantry, and emergency food when that runs out. Wallace's house can run on solar power if he loses electricity, and underneath his shed are two thousand gallons of stored water. He's been going it for years to keep his family safe if an emergency were to strike and he does it because it's just good common sense.
"Hopefully I'll never have to use this, but I go through it once a year and make sure there's anything that has to be replaced," Wallace says.

More people are doing the same.

"It kinds of ebbs and flows," Wallace notes. "I've seen it over the years. When the economy gets tough, you'll sometimes see people do it, but that's kind of tough because things get expensive."
In the wake of last year's tsunami and nuclear incident in Japan, several earthquakes, and concerns about the global financial crisis, those fears have spawned a movement to prepare for disaster.
For many people like Wallace, it's good to practice, but he knows the chances of such a disaster are rare. But for groups called "preppers" it means getting ready for what they think is inevitable.
Several TV shows have profiled the preppers, stockpiling food and supplies for some impending disaster. But online, it tells a different story.

People at preppergroups.com say they were portrayed as extremists. Newswatch12's Steven Sandberg attempted to contact preppers in Southern Oregon to set the record straight; but once he mentioned he was a reporter, his account was deleted, and he was told no one wanted to talk to him.
Joel Wallace says he can understand that; stocking up is not something people like to advertise.
Having a well-stocked pantry is important in the event of a natural disaster, but sometimes an emergency doesn't take the form of a fire or flood.

"People lose a job and they can't afford to buy the food they're used to buying," says Wallace. "Truckers strike that may cripple trucking into the valley, there may be a big snow storm that prevents trucks from getting into the valley for a while and we see shelves on the grocery store empty out pretty quick."

No matter what happens, even if there's just a slim chance, Wallace wants to be ready.
"Teaching people to stock up a little bit, have a little extra supply on hand of everything," he says.

In the next story of this series: cashing in on emergency preparedness. We'll take you inside the business of prepping, and what it means for the stores selling those supplies.

http://kdrv.com/news/local/246111