Inside the fascinating, bizarre world of ‘Prepper Pinterest’

One thing in the article that really stuck out was, “Prepper Pinterest has exploded in the past year, according to the site itself: The total volume of prepper pins is up 87 percent, and repins of prepping posts have nearly tripled.” That is a huge number. Pinterest used to be pinning pretty pictures or whatever, I never understood the point but I will admit there is some great information on Pinterest.

As I have moved along on my survival/prepper journey I have moved more and more towards the self-reliance aspect. At times I get quite disgusted by the materialistic side of "survival". Too often I see people plunking down the money, failing to stop first and think, "Can I make this?"

Whether you use Pinterest or not, it is an interesting article. I don't care whether you have Pinterest or not, what is the article saying to you? I see a growing trend, self-reliance & a return to basics.

 

"Can I make this"? .... straight to the point.

makes me think of that show "Live Free or Die".... and how "Thorn" does it....
I remember the episode where it was truly "chilly"....
-and he was forced to make his own mittens to keep his fingers functional.
(at that time he was living in a hut / in freezing weather).
that spring he was building an A-frame shelter with wood-nails and from lumber he shaved down himself.... etc.. etc... etc...
(he did cheat later using some steel nails to speed up construction of smaller members)
but the main members were "nailed" together with wooden pegs (when the wood dried / shrunk it'd tighten on the pegs)

but yes.
same mentality. "can I make it" ..."with what I have around me"?

 

Pinterest has 100 million users. If prepping is surging we should be asking who they are? IMO it is the result of the middle class that is sinking so they are having to find creative ways to maintain their lifestyle. DIY is money saving.

IMO a large percentage of preppers do not have that mentality. It is stock pile, buy the gadgets, gear etc.. But I think the pinterest rise shows that there is a group and a trend to learn to use your brain, be creative and learn to make due.

 

As someone with not one but two "prepper" boards on Pinterest, all I can say is LOVE. I have tons and TONS of DIY pins for everything from rocket stoves to wind generators to building your own bug out camper and more.

Pinterest isn't just pinning pretty pictures. Every picture links back to the original article. It's how I found out how to make homemade vinegar, ferment chicken feed, feather sex day old chicks, can everything from beans to bacon, make hot process soap in a crockpot, design our aquaponics system, build a better (and cheaper) rabbit stand system, on and on and on. Prepping aside it's where I found out how to sand cabinets to repaint the right way, how to fix the busted belt on the dryer, how to shut off that damn "time to change the oil" light on the car, and how to make my own compost tumbler. And it's how I keep track of them all. Forget the text bookmarks that half the time show the URL instead of what's at the link. Now I have a photo to trigger my memory so I know that's the link I'm looking for.

 

In your opinion about the middle class sinking - for what it's worth I concur. Published fact that middle class income has dropped ( probably much more than what the so-called experts are willing to telling us) in terms of real dollars since 2007.
Now it appears as though we may be headed for yet another economic downturn, and the FED (UP) has kept interest rates so low for so long it can take no action should that materialize.
By no means am I a financial expert. Just a casual observer.

 

i was slow about joining pinterest..but im glad that i did..i've seen some good ideas there about gardens and different ideas for storage.plus i've made a few pins as well..

 

Ranger Faradey, January 21, 2015
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To the visitors to sites like Pinterest, it's often a matter of caveat emptor with regard to the information being recommended or offered for consumption there. There are no fingers missing emotes there to indicate the pinner's success / safety at what they are promoting.

 

I feel you're Right @Motomom34 - I'd say its the "sinking" middle class
I'm one of them.
in my own case, I simply (now that I see the new "trend") I'm so outraged at the direction of America / theEconomy
that I just simply wanna get ahead of the power curve and "move" before I'm forced to move with the hoards.

I've a strong back and skills
I'd RATHER give it all contributing to a small colony that's establishing itself to live ENTIRELY independently.
to me, that's a better investment than wall street. (but that's just MY feeling)
I'd LIKE to be wrong about it (don't think I am)
but even if I AM wrong...... I get to "retire" to a "working retirement" that I'm a functioning and contributing member of.

And I actually believe there's opportunity for continuing "technical" work of various types. The science and technology side of me will not go to waste there.
and I've still NOT joined P-interest

 

@BTPost, many of them are the source,

 

And we all know he is superior to 100 million other people.

 

No source is useless to me if I learn one little thing I did not know, see something that shows me how to do something I did not know to do or perhaps gives me a thought I would not have otherwise had. I fly through Pinterest but every once in a while something makes me stop and I am usually glad I did. This forum is one of a dozen sites I read every night. I do not have a group of like minded individuals close; so you be it.

 

I noticed when I was reading the article that, when I clicked on the imbedded link to check out the "Luxury Bomb Shelter, I noticed in the upper right corner of the page it had my first name, a box in which to type and my Facebook profile pic. The interesting part is that I have never "joined" Pinterest and don't mention prepping on my FB page...nor do I belong to FB prepper groups.

Just sayin'...

 

To quote @JohnSteven

At what point does trying to maximize the available resources become stockpiling and buying gadgets? Your grandparents grew up in the same era as my parents did. Probably the most obvious thing I learned from my dad, was that if I had something that I might really be glad I had available at some future event, and I didn't have another one...I should keep it, and if I saw something that fit the bill and the price fit a combination of the likelihood of using it and the importance of having it if it becomes useful, I should buy it. (of course along the line I personally adopted the prepper maxim of 2 is 1 and 1 is none...but mostly because he also taught me about the proper application of Murphy's Law)

I am all for mad skills, and have managed to put together a pretty good arsenal of them (when I can remember them and my body will let me use them), but frequently the correct tool makes your odds of success a lot better...or even a little better is good if the event is likely to happen.

At this point in my little journey, many of the things for which I have prepared have a much lesser chance of happening in my lifetime than they did when I started preparing...but not only have many of them already happened, the younger folk I care about will have those resources and whatever skills I was able to pass along (along with others they have acquired on their own).

So, I guess the question lost in all of these ramblings is...what's wrong with stockpiles and gadgets anyway?

 

YES the
Old Fart Snow Monkey
has it right

 

Internet information is like any, let me repeat, ANY source, you have to use discernment. Just because there is a lot of info on the internet doesn't make it accurate. The expectation that it will be accurate is just silly. We all have brains and know how to use them. The world isn't black and white there is a whole range of ideas and people's capacities.

The most curious phenomena for me is, with a huge growing interest in prepping why isn't this site growing faster? It has more resources than many sites and isn't as inflammatory. My theory is that the entry cost into this site is too high. There are a quite a few older members that have to assert their need to dominate and be 'right'. Its like a dog pissing on its territory. This attituded and territorialism COSTS THIS SITE NEW MEMBERS. So once you get past the 'who are you and why cant you get to know us before posting' phenomena. Then new members stop getting attacked. Get to know us? people are here for the information not the personalities.

Pinterest doesn't have all of the above so its successful because people contribute to it and then repeat the info it other places. Who wants to repeat all the arguments that happen on this site from the same members over and over marking there territory.

 

Pinterest is a different site serving different interests and needs.

Being a non member (aka visitor) gives access to most of the site, with the exception of the Inferno, the Site Supporter's Forum and the Home Schoolers Forum. Being an ordinary (non site supporter) member, will get them into the Inferno as a bonus. I dare say many visitors get what they need without needing nor wanting to become members. The veteran members' attitudes to new members varies quite considerably depending on the new member's demeanour, behaviour; and general commitment to the Site's CoC. Most civil, respectful, contributing new folk get a pretty fair go. For some, they have to work a little harder to gain acceptance: particularly bleeding heart liberals who voted for Obama, and look like supporting H.C.