New Preparedness Website Seeks to Simplify the Process of "Prepping"

Dec. 22, 2012 - PRLog -- (Houston, Texas)  
The business of preparedness, survival, and self-sufficiency is booming.  Superstorm Sandy, worldwide nuclear threats, and a soft economy have all increased the feeling that some unseen catastrophe looms just over the horizon.  There is a group of folks who don't want to depend on governmental agencies to take care of them, so they have taken things into their own hands.  They are the so-called "preppers."  A new website, http://www.StepByStepPrep.com, aims to guide new preppers through the daunting process of prepping in concise, prioritized, identifiable, and achievable steps.
Once considered a shady subculture of "survivalists," prepping has now become more commonplace.  Shows like "Doomsday Preppers" have hit the mainstream and "self-reliance" expos are popping up all over the country.  The word, "prepping" alone is searched nearly 50,000 times per month.
So, what are these people looking for?  There are numerous perceived threats in the worlds of preppers.  For one person, it may be something as limited as a hurricane.  Another may be more concerned about some global issue.  Regardless, the theoretical end-result is the same:  a break-down in the supply chains upon which society currently depends.  
"Our goal is to be able to survive without relying on the government," says one south Texas prepper.  "For us, this is not about 'doomsday.' Rather, it is a return to the values and lifestyles of our grandparents."
The internet is loaded with information, advice, products, and groups which relate to preparedness.  In fact, there is so much information, it is difficult for one with a casual interest in preparedness or even the newly-devoted prepper to know where to start.  Too frequently, newcomers are bombarded with infinite products to buy without the guidance to help them decide when, how much, and why to purchase.  They end up distracted and paralyzed.  Their "preps" don't advance, and they may even quit the effort altogether.
Enter "JDPrepper" and her new website: http://www.StepByStepPrep.com.  "When I first started prepping, I made some very basic, very common mistakes," she says.  "I want to help people make real gains in self-reliance by simplifying this very large, complex task."
Though prepping herself for years, JDPrepper only recently founded Step By Step Prep.  On her own initial forays into the world of prepping, she realized in short order what was missing among the numerous "top ten" lists, prepper advice forums, and infinite "must-have" products.  She says, "What I saw was a tangled web of wonderful information; what I needed was a streamlined, step-wise approach."
In a world where daily living just keeps getting more expensive, Step By Step Prep starts by acknowledging the common limitation of resources with which to prep. The site then works to make every dollar produce real results.
JDPrepper reports that while many "newbie preppers" charge in with an initial investment of cash buying various gizmos and gadgets, this "shotgun approach" to prepping results in no observable progress towards self-sufficiency.  "They have a bunch of 'stuff,' but don't feel any more well-prepared," she says.
She decided to prioritize preparations and present them is a logical order so that the most important are taken care of first.  "This gives people a sense of accomplishment and a psychological boost to keep on preparing," she says.
She credits her prior professional life as a scientist with developing her research expertise thereby allowing her to effectively evaluate volumes of information.  From that research, she develops specific recommendations; however, she doesn't expect her readers to just follow her lead.  Rather she demonstrates the logic of her approach by also supplying optional approaches and the "pros/cons" of each.  
"This way," she says, "people are able to do what works best for them and their families.  They complete each step as they can afford it and every step is a solid, identifiable, achievable move towards the comfort of self-reliance."
She says that the more she wrote, the more she realized that typical prepper sites did not offer many of the products that she herself uses, "So I came up with our 'Unique Prepper Boutique'."  At http://StepByStepPrepShop.com, products support new and experienced preppers alike.
JDPrepper concludes, "I'm like anybody else--I could certainly use additional income.  However, my true goal is to spread the message of preparedness and encourage action by making it as manageable as possible.  If I help one family, then I consider it mission accomplished!"