Interview: Ask a prepper – Jack

In a new installment of ask-a-prepper we talk to Jack of preparedplanet.org . Jack is unique in some ways as he is a teenage “prepper” with a lifestyle more often than not reserved for adults. 

1. How long have you been prepping for?
a. I’ve been prepping for about 2 years now but I’ve been an outdoorsman all my life.

2. Any reason why you began prepping? A specific event?
a. I guess you could say yes. In 2013 two days after I turned 15, I found my dad dead in our basement. He had been the one who go me interested in the outdoors through camping and I wanted to help others experience the greatness of it. That’s why I created my website. It pushes me to improve my skills and physical preps.

3. Do you live in an Urban setting or a rural one?
a. I live in an Urban setting. That means that I don’t have a lot of room for prepping. I do live close to a park and river where I can practice different skills.

4. If the time comes are you bugging out or in?
a. It depends on the situation. It’s hard to get out of the city on a typical day; a disaster would make it next to impossible. That’s why I have multiple ways of bugging out (water, foot, bike, and car).

5. Has prepping changed your lifestyle?
a. It has in a good way. Prepping is something that I’m very passionate about and it’s something that I really enjoy doing. It doesn’t involve every aspect of my life, but it certainly effects a lot.

6. Do your preps include an underground shelter or bunker?
a. No, I personally think that they are a waste of time and money.

7. If times ever got tough would you work solo or with a support group?
a. I would work with a group. Everyone that I would work with is experienced in the outdoors and I’ve known them for a long time.

8. If you could give a new prepper some advice based on your past mistakes, what would they be?
a. Mistakes are good. You learn from them and they help you improve your preps. My only advice would be to keep going. You can only get better at it.

9. Can you share any tips for the elderly or low income families who wish to prep but are unsure of how to start based on said age or income level?
a. I’m only 16 so I have to prep on a low budget. I buy a lot of my supplies from websites like ebay where things are cheap. Other places where you can buy things are a low price are garage sales and flea markets.

10. Doomsday Preppers. Has the show hurt or helped the prepping community?
a. I have had the experience of being on the show but I can’t say much about it. I will say that it isn’t faked. Pretty much everything we did was on the spot. However I do think that they have an issue of making preppers seem crazy which they need to work on.

11. Does your extended family or friends give you slack about prepping?
a. My family encourages it in a sense. They know it’s something that I really care about and think it’s cool that I am so interested in it.

12. If nothing happens in your lifetime or children’s lifetime for that matter, would you feel that you wasted your time and money?
a. Not at all, I would rather be prepared for something and have it not happen instead of something happening and me not having anything.

13. Want to give some advice to a new prepper?
a. Learn from experienced preppers. Youtube is a great place to start. I started with a bug-out-bag and slowly improved from there. These things take time, just keep at it.

14. Here is a fun question. If you had to pick one item to aid you on a deserted island… what would it be?
a. A knife. A knife is the most basic and versatile survival tool and I wouldn’t want to be stuck anywhere without one.

15. Last words or thoughts you wish to share?
a. Keep prepping. It’s a great thing to do and you will learn a lot from it.

We thank  Jack very much for his time and if you the reader feel inclined, please visit his excellent webpage preparedplanet.org and facebook page fb.com/prepperplanet.