Different Types of Preppers

When you think about it, there's no single size that fits all when it comes to being a prepper. Another reason you can't fit all preppers into one category is that we all prepare in different ways and are at different stages of preparation. One person might be at the very beginning, while another is dealing with the details. In such a situation, people who have progressed to the later stages don't want to deal with those who are just starting out. It's seen as a waste of time and energy. This is even true within a Prepper Community. It's wrong to want to join a community thinking, "I'll learn a lot from them." Because even the most advanced preppers have progressed through their own research and experience. Someone who tries to become a prepper by looking at warnings like "buy this, do that, pay attention to that" is trying to turn a mill with borrowed water.

Here are 7 different types of preppers I've found. If you can think of others, leave a comment below.

Lifestyle Prepper

Lifestyle preppers can be divided into several categories; how far we can go depends on our situation. For some people, this means a farmhouse, and for those living in suburban or urban areas, it means food storage and error planning.

Each person's situation is different, and a lifestyle preparer does the best they can with what they have. Anyone who's been in this for a few years, regardless of their life situation, is a lifestyle preparer.

Over-Preparer

In my opinion, over-preparers fall into two categories. The first category is people who have the money to buy all the cool gadgets we wish we could have. The second is people who only focus on one worst-case scenario.

While I wouldn't mind having the finances to do (and buy) everything I want for preparation, I would make sure my preparation plans were multifaceted. It drives me crazy to hear people say, "I'm preparing for this." What I hear is, "I'm not preparing for this and that." So it's better and more rewarding to prepare for multiple worst-case scenarios simultaneously.

Gateway Preparer

At some point, we've all been gateway preparers; that's where we all started. Our reasons for being interested in preparation vary, but initially, we all face the same challenges.

The gateway preparer is hesitant and unsure which direction to go. The best thing a gateway preparer can do is find some lifestyle preparers to get the information they need. Doing so will help them avoid spreading fear and misinformation.

The Survival Preparer (Bushcraft)

This is where we stopped before others convinced us to get more involved with preparation. Many of us grew up camping and hiking and, as my mother would say, “doing the rough work.” While I’m not Dave Canterbury, I enjoy it; I enjoy being outdoors and learning new skills.

The reason this fits so well with preparation is the “rough work aspect.” Preparation teaches you how to survive if all goes wrong, and wilderness skills teach us the same thing.

The Stay-at-Home Preparer

Some families have one parent who goes to work every day and another who stays home to care for the family. The person who stays home is the one who does most of the family planning.

Ensuring the house is functioning smoothly and that the children are being looked after is the job of the stay-at-home parent. The same applies to any disaster scenario, whether it's a personal doomsday scenario or a large-scale catastrophe.

Closet Preparer

A closet preparer is someone who isn't confident about their preparedness and doesn't want to let anyone know what they're doing. This could be out of fear, or ridicule, or fear of someone finding out what they have.

To some degree, we are (or should be) closet preparers. The issue of operational safety is paramount because we don't want everyone in the neighborhood coming to our aid.

Preparer Imitation

These days, with everyone able to say whatever they want online, it's hard to tell how honest someone is. These keyboard warriors are always right and always have something better than you.

This type of person should be ignored because no matter how much someone else has (or knows), it won't affect you one bit. This is also a dangerous type of preparer because all their talk is meaningless when the SHTF (Stay-at-Home) happens.