Chris Weatherman (aka Angery American) Takes the Fiction Out of Prepping 

Ask anyone who's into prepper fiction about their favorite author, and the chances are that Chris Weatherman (AKA Angery American) is high on their list. Chris Weatherman is not just a prolific author (check out his Angery American Amazon page here). He's also the real deal when it comes to preparedness.

In this interview, Chris Weatherman provides an eye-opening reality check that should leave us all thinking about fact versus fiction. Check out what Chris had to say in the following show notes, then tune in to the interview.

Romance vs. Reality

Chris notes that many people have a romantic, action-movie view of prepping. Romance sounds great. However, reality sucks.

Preparedness is fun to talk about and plan. Unfortunately, the reality of what we are planning for is anything but pleasant. If we have to put our worst-case scenario plans into action, we may be in for a tough time.

Going it Alone

Many preppers think they can and will face a worst-case scenario on their own and go it alone. You can’t go it alone. Everyone needs sleep.

If the world is in such bad shape that you’re bugging out when it’s hit the fan, you’ll need others. In Going Home, the book that put Chris Weatherman on the map, Morgan Carter, his main character, found himself miles from home when it hit the fan and has to attempt to make his way home to his family. While he starts his journey alone, it's not long before Morgan teams up with others for the sake of safety.

And the scenario he describes isn't really that fictional.

Prepping Groups

When asked about prepping groups, Chris Weatherman advises that the best group of people is people you’ve known for a very long time.

If you don’t have a group, start building one now. Websites such as MeetUp.com work great. You should consider building your group around a variety of skill sets. This will improve your overall resiliency and capability. Don’t forget communications. Groups need to be able to communicate internally to remain effective.

Remember, building teams take time, so get started!

Personalities

When building a preparedness group, you need to create relationships. As you do, you’ll learn about people’s personalities. When learning about personalities, you may want to consider the following:

What stresses people?

How do they react to stress?

Do they have the needed skills?

Are they safe and not reckless?

Do they act responsibly?

Are they just an eater? (An eater is someone who takes more than they contribute.)

The best way to draw out character flaws and see the real person is through mutual suffering. Training in difficult and less than ideal conditions is the best way to reach meaningful levels of mutual suffering.

Careful training and team-based pain also build camaraderie and cohesiveness.

Despite popular opinion, training does not need to focus on weapons! Learning new skills and gaining non-weapons-related knowledge is essential.

Remember, practicing and training with gear under challenging conditions not only stresses people but puts your equipment to the test, too.

Coping with Difficult Situations

Many non-preppers say they will give up and die in a dangerous situation. This is not usually the case because the human instinct is to survive. A drowning person will try to live.

One key is to prepare now so that you give yourself a better chance later.

Everyone can have a positive impact on their situation and chances for a successful outcome. It just requires forethought and effort.

Equipment

Gear and supplies don’t need to be expensive.

Many times, lower-cost items work just as well as more expensive brand names. Buy things that work now, then over a period of time,