Prineville Oregon's "Prepper Up" store opened in 2014. Situated in the high desert of Central Oregon, Prineville is known for rugged individualism, outdoor recreation and conservative politics - a logical spot for the owners. What is a "Prepper?" It's a synonym for "survivalist" that came into common usage during the late 1990s. It's used interchangeably with survivalist much as retreater was in the 1970s. It refers to one who is prepared or making preparations. In popular culture, survivalism has been associated with paramilitary activities. Some survivalists do take active defensive preparations that have military roots and that involve firearms, and this aspect is sometimes emphasized by the mass media. 
The potential for societal collapse is often cited as motivation for being well-armed. Thus, some non-militaristic survivalists have developed an unintended militaristic image, and the term survivalism has been used to signify unrelated right-wing reactionary paramilitary activities.

Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups who are actively preparing for emergencies, including possible disruptions in social or political order, on scales from local to international. Survivalists often acquire emergency medical and self-defense training, stockpile food and water, prepare to become self-sufficient, and build structures (e.g., a survival retreat or an underground shelter) that may help them survive a catastrophe. Economic troubles emerging from the credit collapse triggered by the 2007 US subprime mortgage lending crisis and global grain shortages prompted a wider cross-section of the populace to prepare.

I produced this 10-minute radio show for Bend Oregon's community radio station, KPOV, in the spring of 2014. It's now November 2025 and, upon learning that the store closed earlier this year , and watching recent political turmoil in the US, I decided it's a good time to revisit this show.