Meet the Preppers
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Megan Hurwitt, The Young Urban Prepper
“I’m prepping to survive a catastrophic oil crisis.”
Producer's note from Nick Weissman: "Preppers come in all shapes and sizes. Such is the case with Megan Hurwitt, a metropolitan party girl living in the fourth largest city in the country: Houston, Texas. To see her driving through the sunny downtown streets in her Mustang convertible, one might not suspect that in her nearby apartment Megan has an impressive gun collection, a seed bank, and an intricate plan for evacuating the city.
Megan revealed that she carries a compact “go bag” with her at all times. Inside the small gadget bag you’ll find a compact mess kit, survival knife, compass, flint, pepper spray, family photos, as well as a few other hygienic essentials. I was surprised to learn that it even had an SD card with important financial, identification, and medical documents in case she has to leave in a hurry. I guess you could call it an end of the world purse. At that point, I knew that there was an interesting story to tell about urban prepping.
The second day of shooting, after a day of survival training with a local expert, Megan invited the crew on a trial run of her escape plan through the moonlit streets of downtown Houston. Fearing that the country is susceptible to a major oil crisis in the next few years, and knowing that roads/highways might quickly become inaccessible (as they did during Hurricane Ike), Megan plans to backpack south through the city to an awaiting bug out vehicle. The challenge, however, is passing through town efficiently, safely, and undetected. Though the path proved to have more hurdles than she anticipated, the journey itself was certainly visual for us to capture, set against the night skyline."
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Dennis Evers, The “Godfather” Prepper
“I’m prepping to protect my family against global chaos caused by hyperinflation.”
Producer's note from Jeremy Levine: “Dennis has a big family. And when I say a big family, I mean A REALLY BIG family. With 11 children, and a growing army of grandchildren, he’s been a prepper for years now—before he even knew he was prepping—because you need to store a lot of food to feed an army of kids. We came to his farm in rural Colorado to show how he’s trained his kin to function as a self-sustaining unit that could survive an economic meltdown. When we stepped out of our white soccer mom minivan onto his farm, it was like walking into a mini theme park, which makes sense, because he makes train signals for amusement parks across the country. Look down wherever you are, and you’ll find brightly colored sculptures made out of recycled materials. To the right, an entire mini-street of a fake mini-town, complete with its own church and convenience store.
Dennis is a tinkerer and he and his family made all of this. I looked on in awe. I’m pretty helpless at manipulating real-world things outside of the screen of a computer and I can’t imagine how he learned to do all of this. It’s a fantastic place and his family is just as warm and inviting as the scenery. It’s rare and completely unexpected that the people you are filming prepare a meal for you. It’s way more rare that they insist that they will prepare ALL of your meals with delicious farm-fresh ingredients while they also feed their children and grandchildren who come and go all week.
While I’m not a prepper, I really respect the world Dennis and his family have created. They are largely self-sufficient, they can live off the land, they have an intimate relationship with the food on their plates. And when they see a problem, they fix it. When they think of an idea, they try to make it happen. The results can be seen with the hundreds of colorful sculptures keeping guard on their land, ready for what the world may bring.”
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Kellene Bishop, The Gourmet Prepper
“I’m prepping for a collapse of our financial system that will mean the end of the world as we know it.”
Producer’s note from Jeremy Levine: “Kellene lives in Orem, Utah, surrounded by picturesque mountain peaks and strip malls. And she’s a force of nature. When we met her in her deceptively small home (it looks small from the outside, but inside you’ll find a labyrinth of never ending rooms), she leaped from room to room as she gave me a tour of her house with seemingly boundless energy. So it came as a surprise when she told me about her recent fibromyalgia diagnosis, a tough disease where pain is amplified throughout the body. Her focused determination and dedication to the ins and outs of prepping seemed all the more remarkable.
Kellene’s prepping comes from her faith as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which espouses the virtues of self-sufficiency and preparedness. While Kellene is most concerned about a total financial collapse, she believes it’s important to be prepared for whatever the world may throw your way and talks to her blog and radio followers about the ten principles of preparedness. Whatever happens, she wants to live out the apocalypse in style. She has huge quantities of food stored throughout the house with which she prepares gourmet meals. Kellene doesn’t plan to give up her chocolate lava cake or four-cheese Italian risotto when the end comes. One of the things I like best about Kellene is that she is very community oriented.
Unlike many Preppers I met on my journey, Kellene isn’t looking out only for herself. She teaches a rape prevention class, because as society falls apart, women are often the first victims. She also cooked a huge gourmet meal—deviled eggs, four-cheese Italian risotto, pork roast with pear butter barbecue sauce—from her long-term food pantry for her friends and neighbors (all of whom prep in one form or another). She told me that she plans to do the same and help feed others if the world comes to an end. She stressed it would be on her terms, and she has enough guns and self-defense training that I believed her, but I found it heartening that she would be looking out for others in case of a disaster. One of the downsides of a busy production schedule is you often don’t get to eat when everyone else does. So unfortunately, the crew and I only got the cold leftovers of this epic gourmet meal. Even still, the food was good. In the improbable chance the world ends in my lifetime and I had to choose one place to wait it out, I think I’d choose a place with the freshly baked smell of a four-cheese Italian risotto."
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David Sarti, The Hillbilly Prepper
“I’m prepping to survive an EMP detonation that will wipe out our nation’s transportation system.”
Producer’s note from Topaz Azides: “Getting to know David Sarti was a lot of fun. He is smart, knowledgeable, quick-witted, and just straight up funny. From the moment he greeted us at the gate on his ATV with his four miniature pinschers, my team and I knew we were in for a roller coaster of a ride. David can speak to the moon. I mean it. He can actually send radio signals off of the moon and hear it back on his HAM radio a few minutes later. For all you folks already acquainted with HAM radio, this comes as no surprise, but for this city slicker? I'm still in shock. David was a wealth of knowledge when it came to communication, and how to make prepper items on your own. What you can’t buy, you make.”
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Christopher Nyerges, The Street Survivor
"I'm prepping for a killer earthquake that could completely flatten the city of L.A."
Christopher Nyegres, afraid of the catastrophic failure of the modern food sources, has trained himself to live off of only what the land provides. Doesn't sound like a challenge? Christopher is prepared to do it in Los Angeles County.
Producer's note from Nick Weissman: "What would happen if four million people were suddenly without highways, electricity, water, or food? The USGS predicts that in the next 25 years, California has a 60 percent chance of a magnitude 7 quake or higher. Though 60 percent may seem low, if “the big one” does occur, the city and its population could be without vital necessities for weeks. Christopher Nyegres is prepared to live off the land.
Just like the Tongva Native Americans did when they occupied the land surrounding Los Angeles, Christopher has learned to live off the common shrubs and weeds that grow nearby. Some plants he uses for food, some he gathers for medicinal purposes, and others he uses to harness water in the event that potable water is unavailable. Christopher carries a flint for fire, but as a fail-safe, he can also make fire with a wood-carved drill and a shoestring. Armed with plant knowledge, a nonconventional bug out bag, and ever-expanding arsenal of urban survival skills, it was clear to our crew that Christopher is at ease with whatever Mother Nature throws at him."
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Kathy Harrison
"I’m preparing for a black swan event like a catastrophic new Madrid earthquake."
Producer’s note from Topaz Azides: “The first thing I noticed when pulling up to Kathy and Bruce Harrison’s home was simply how beautiful it was. Bruce single-handedly fixed up the Civil War-era house. Kathy made the garden blossom. It was readily apparent that this was a tight family unit with lots of love. The key word at the Harrisons' is self-reliance. They grow a lot of their own food, and can just about everything. Kathy, as humble as she is, is pretty much a master canner. Bruce, who is even humbler, can pretty much make anything out of wood. You want it, he'll build it. They make for a dynamic power prepper duo. We had two beautiful days there in the sun, pressing cider, learning to can, and even getting to play around with bees.”
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Paul and Gloria
"We're preparing for a polar shift that will cause a sudden climate change and change life as we know it forever."
Producer's note from Nick Weissman: "Both former soldiers, Paul and Gloria are a very kind and welcoming off-the-grid couple. While Paul tends to their 35 goats, 16 ducks, and four pigs on the property, Gloria happily dries corn in the double-wide kitchen while a venison dinner roasts in a nearby Crock-Pot. Together in this doomsday pod, they join in a feast with other members of the group as the Texas sun set over their humble home."
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Dennis McClung
"I'm preparing for a coronal mass ejection in 2012 that would likely take out the electrical grid and knock civilization back to the Stone Age."
Producer's note: "The McClung family is a microcosm of the show as a whole. They were a great family who lived in a suburb of Phoenix. They were typical by actuarial standards, two kids, a dog, a well-kept house ... and then not so typical by any standard, with 1000 tilapia fish in the deep-end of their swimming pool, eight chickens in their backyard, two pygmy goats, and a video version of a Maya calendar on their flat-screen TV that counted down the seconds till the end of the world.
I left the McClungs' entirely impressed with their ingenuity and dedication, charmed by their children, wanting a pygmy goat for my apartment."
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Kevin O'Brien, The G.O.O.D Prepper
"I'm uprooting my family in preparation for the polar shift of 2012."
Producer's note from Nicholas Weissman: "How much would you sacrifice to protect your family in the face of disaster? Kevin O’Brien, a restaurant manager in the low-lying area of Jacksonville, FL, is taking no chances. Kevin has seen the effects of extreme weather as hurricanes terrorize the Atlantic coast near his suburban home. Though his family has dodged many bullets in the past, their current property -- hovering only 15 ft above sea level -- is susceptible to worst case scenario: a rapid and destructive polar shift.
Knowing that his family cannot sit and wait for the coming tsunamis, floods, and unprecedented climate shift, Kevin has taken fate into his own hands and decided to uproot permanently to higher ground. With his wife, son, two daughters, and newborn infant, Kevin will pickup their entire life and move 700 miles north to the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee. Here, they have purchased a 100-acre property where they will build a climate-protected structure known as an Earth Ship. It is a big change for anyone, but the Obrien’s see it as an absolute necessity."
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Michael Douglas, Man of the Land Prepper
"I’m preparing for a crumbling of our society due to overpopulation."
Producer's note from Jessica Van Garsse: "If the number of times one has been named after a saint is any indicator of character, then Michael James Patrick Douglas is no exception to the rule – he’s as gentle a soul as his name is a mouthful. I actually understood his name to be Michael Patrick, and called him such for the entire first day we spent filming together. He finally, ever so delicately, corrected me. He’d run out of room on the form, he explained sheepishly.
To understand the kind of person Michael is, you need only to observe the way he walks. Michael makes his own clothing and shoes from animal hides – since he believes the only way to survive the earth’s imminent crumble under overpopulation will be to return to our hunter-gatherer roots. These clothes allow him to be free of relying on stores and modern economy. They are also totally silent to move in, allowing him to more effectively hunt, and avoid being hunt-ED. Each step Michael takes in his cloth-covered feet is thought-out and delicate. It’s like a dance, as he gingerly places each foot down, toe-to-heel, making no sound at all, nary a footprint. I should also mention that he walks this way all the time. I mean, all the time - when he’s making breakfast in the kitchen, going to get the mail, or in town grocery shopping."
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Preston White, The Johnny Appleseed of Preppers
"I’m preparing to survive a catastrophic nuclear accident."
Producer's note from Jeremy Levine: "Preston is a computer programmer by trade who believes that radiation from Fukushima will soon be descending on the United States, ending life as we know it. In fact, he believes that the radiation that has already hit has already altered the genetic makeup of the most important asset for humanity’s survival—seeds. The source of food. The source of life.
Preston, however, is prepared. He has collected over 30,000 seeds which he stores in a dedicated fridge. (When he laid all of the seeds on the floor, it was a pretty stunning site—mountains upon mountains of seeds.) With his seed collection complete, he’s now building a complex of modified tents he hopes can withstand large doses of radiation; one tent for growing food and an adjacent tent for sleeping and cooking. We set out to film Preston as he began to build his new, supposedly radiation-shielding tent community in his backyard."
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Becky Brown, The Good Girl Prepper
"I'm prepping for civil unrest due to the economy downfall resulting in the government taking over my city!"
Producer's note from Jessica Van Garsse: "Take a look at Becky Brown - a blond-haired, sweet girl diligently working towards her business degree and whole-heartedly devoted to her church – and probably the last thing you’d guess about her is that she is a fierce shot with a sniper rifle.
Like some of the other preppers I’ve met, Becky is a member of the LDS. Unlike the others, she lives in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, just blocks from the headquarters of the LDS church and the gorgeous and famed Mormon Temple. Becky’s faith plays as prominent role in her life as that landmark does in her skyline – she’s actively involved in charity, leads spirituality classes, and on a personal level, lives her life in accordance with the teachings of the church. Oh, she also owns a tazer."
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Donna Nash, The Momma Prepper
"I'm preparing for a world-wide pandemic."
Producer's note from Jessica Van Garsse: "Donna Nash is not REALLY a prepper. Or so she tried to convince me, many times over and insistently, each time we talked on the phone in the weeks leading up to our planned shoot. Donna was enthused about the project, and always lovely, but worried she was not “extreme” enough, that she wasn’t “enough of a prepper” for us. She was “sure we’d be disappointed”, because she didn’t see what she was doing as being “real” prepping. When I met Donna, I understood why she said those things – but I also saw that she was quite wrong.
On the surface, she had a point – Donna is a vibrant, blond-haired blue-eyed suburban mom, the kind you imagine always had chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven waiting for her children when they got home from school. She’s well-dressed, modern, and takes pride in her sprawling, gorgeous and richly-decorated home. She loves her family, her community, and life, and is full of easy-going, happy energy. Though her children are now grown, Donna remains a mom through-and-through – like a true one, she just wants everyone to be happy, and to take good care of them.
So, yes - admittedly, the last thing you’d ever venture to guess about Donna is that she’s a prepper. And yet, she is, in many ways, the truest form of one. Because Donna believes without a doubt that our world is in peril (her fear of a widespread pandemic which could wipe out the entire earth’s population is indeed a terrifying thought, and one which keeps her up at night) - and she is doing everything she can to save herself and those she cares about.
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Martin Colvill, The Trucker Prepper
"I’m preparing to survive, the next great depression caused by a world wide economic collapse."
Producer's note from Jennifer Redfearn: "After the recent economic crisis, Martin Colvill lost his home, and now lives on the road in his big rig with his wife Sara and their two mini dachshunds. If the economy tanks and lawlessness reigns on the road, Martin fears his truck may become a hijacking target. His brother, Red, is helping Martin prep for the worst-case scenario. While we were with them we filmed an exercise in how to avoid a truck hijacking with a team of civilians and former soldiers.
I didn’t realize how visceral the exercise would be when prepping for the shoot from the office. When one of the former soldiers ran from the scrubby brush into the deserted street firing blanks at Martin, everyone’s adrenaline soared. Martin was transported from Martin the genial truck driver to Martin the road warrior, and the crew was struck by how seriously all of the role players acted out this potential threat.
Some other great takeaways from Martin are: mini dachshunds make excellent scavengers, and you can, in fact. disguise a bright white big rig by the side of the road."
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Riley Cook, The Mountain Cabin Prepper
"I'm preparing my family to survive a polar shift."
Producer's note from Jessica Van Garsse: '“So… um… I have something to ask you,” began Riley Cook, his voice dripping with trepidation as we spoke by phone the day before I was to arrive in Colorado. (I was intrigued.) “And I don’t want you to be freaked out….” (I wasn’t.) “My parents want to have you over for dinner.” (Now touched, yet confused.) “And, well, I’m sure you’ve seen preppers eat some freaky things.” (I had.) “And I promise we won’t serve you anything horrifying.” (As long as it’s not roadkill – once was enough.) As it turns out, Riley’s mom makes a mean pot roast - and anyone who spends as much time on the road as I do knows that a good, home-cooked meal is a rare treat. Even more of a treat was how Riley’s large, close-knit, and incredibly warm family welcomed the crew and me to their Sunday night dinner table with open arms and -- for the two days following, into their lives. Despite having a big family to take care of, they looked out for us as well."
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Tim Ralston, The Inventive Prepper
"I’m preparing my family for the total destruction of the power grid."
Producer's note from Jeremy Levine: "It wasn't long after I met Tim Ralston that he suggested testing out his invention, the Crovel -- a self-dubbed "swiss army knife of shovels" -- on a pig corpse. I wasn't sure if he was serious. But then we showed up and there it was, marinating in a puddle of murky red water in his bathtub. Tim and his friends hoisted it in the backyard, all the while I was telling myself, "this isn't happening." The stench was overwhelming, and it didn't get much better when -- with a few deft swings of the Crovel -- Tim sent pig guts exploding all over our crew. That night in the hotel room I threw out my splattered shoes and prepared for the next day."
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Pat Brabble, The Mancave Prepper
"I'm preparing for the downfall of society through hyperinflation."
Producer's note from Nick Weissman: "We all have secrets. Pat Brabble’s just happens to be a 15” by 15” mancave stocked with over seventy weapons and enough ammo for a small army. As a former gun broker, Pat has access to all the benefits of a Class 3 gun dealer license. This license affords him the ownership of both semi-automatic and automatic weapons. I can tell you first hand: he knows how to use them.
When we arrived at the Brabble home, we found Pat and Lynette to be a considerate tight-knit couple. Thy are not shy about their prepping or their politics: they stepped up their prepping after the 2004 election, and denounce the current administration.
Pat and Lynette don’t drink, but in their secret barn they have over $1500 of alcohol. At first it seemed like a contradiction of their values, but Pat and Lynette consider it a matter of practicality. After the collapse they will use it for trade, disinfectant, fuel, and – as we saw when Pat lit up a Molotov cocktail -- even protection.
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Jason Charles, The New York City Prepper
"I’m preparing for the Yellow Stone National Park Super volcano to explode."
Producer's Note from Topaz Adizes: "I was looking forward to meeting Jason as I live in New York City myself, and I wanted to know more about the ins and outs of being an urban prepper. Jason – who spends his days saving lives as a firefighter -- was more than up to the task. Looking at the way Jason has maximized his limited space to store preps was my first lesson. The key, I learned, is to start slowly, but to day in day out to keep working and consistently build upon and replenish your supplies. We had a great time with Jason and his family, and even though he didn’t show us his ninja moves with one of the four katana swords he keeps in the living room, I’m sure there will be a day when we get to see this tank of a man yield it."
Shes an intelligent, realistic, sexy woman,,,Id like to have a woman like her to face the. apocolypse with
Becky Brown is a wonderful example of what women can do. I applaud her for her intelligence, drive and dedication. She is Absolutely Gorgeous !!!! Where are the women like her hiding. Marry me Becky!!!! For real. baustin40965@yahoo.
Many of the men on this show are domestic violence abusers. They are abusing their children. Forcing their children to do endless training drills is abuse. Forcing their children to go along with their paranoid and insane worldviews is abuse. Many of the men on this show are terrorizing their children and controlling them in ways that are beyond creepy.
Also, where are the mothers of some of the children in these segments? Why are they not on-screen? I know the answer -- because they are the victims of domestic violence. "Mental" and "emotional" abuse are just as terrifying as physical abuse. Many of the male doomsday preppers are abusing their families.
@Lauren Vachon You need help. Survival training is not abuse. They may seem extreme to you an I but when **** hits fan they ready. My Oldest son is ex-army medic. He still trains harder than any of these ppl. My youngest is not so advide but he to trains harder. Not everyone that expects good old fashion quality that made this America strong and win 2 World Wars is an abuser. Sorry it happened to you.If ya don't like it turn chan, You don't know these people. " Let him without sin cast the first stone.
@Lauren Vachon Woman! Get back to the kitchen where you belong.... Daddy needs a sammich.
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@Lauren Vachon You sound like a liberal troll on this site. Guess you should turn your channel. But then again sounds like you got the wrong end of the stick if you don't mind the pun. Guess you should drag your kids the church as well or is that bad as well forcing religion on them that is.
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@Lauren Vachon If you dont like the show, just tune out. Making assumptions about abuse and insulting people for their lifestyle choices makes you look like a judgemental hater. I think your comment represents a good example of why its better to keep your opinion to yourself.
Cheers.
If there is an EMP it will destroy the computers in your car preventing that from running and destroying all your plans.
better store your car in a shipping container too dude
@john oe Not if you dont get an only ass car with no CPU ie something made before the 1960s. Dar. Just keep a battery in a cage and your good simple minded people.
im a new prepper just getting started trying find other preppers in or around my area im in paris illinois would like to join a group or get help starting out and what do do?
am a 15 year old prepper and i belive that there is no harm in being prepared and putting ourselfs out now be can enure a better fututre for generations to come i want to protect my family and i interd to prep for the rest of my life i have stored food and collected equipment i also have savings for dark time ahead also i have found a bug out location and a self protection plan
@ALex Steadman way to go Alex. With your generation the worlds fate will be decided. Living a self sufficient life style and treating the earth well shows wisdom beyond your years. Kudos and keep up the good work.