Back From Camp!
Well, took a few days off from most of the interwebs while I was away at Prepper Camp. Prepper Camp #4 is wrapped up and planning has begun for Prepper Camp #5.
What is Prepper Camp? Well, years ago Rick AKA Survivalist Gardener and Jane AKA Survivor Jane had been to a few preparedness shows and didn't like what they saw. Just basically a huge sales pitch by people who may or may not practice what they preach. So, Rick and Jane contemplated starting their own camp with people they knew in the prepper world as instructors. Apparently someone with higher authority than Rick and Jane also thought it was a great idea, because Rick ended up selling a goat to a person and going out of his way to bring that goat to the location. This out of the ordinary action, led Rick to Orchard Lake Campground, outside of Saluda, NC., the owner of the camp was the person who purchased the goat. With this random act of trade and a little conversation, Prepper Camp was born.
Prepper Camp is three days of classes, with six classes going on each hour. The classes repeat, so if you miss one, because you are in another one at the same out, you have two more chances to see it. Obviously, there isn't enough time to see every class in the three days. The speakers, who live what they preach do the classes for free, but they also setup booths, so that people can help support the speakers by purchasing their products and services.
Prepper Camp is for those who are just getting started in the self-reliance world and those who are started, but need help or ideas for moving to the next step or improving what they have. And since the speakers are also available outside of class time, you can pick their brains for even more information later.
This year, on Friday night, Carolina Preppers Network was there to talk about their group. I didn't attend, but the tent was packed. I sat on the hill enjoying the cool night air.
On Saturday night, William R. Forstchen author of One Second After was going to be the headliner. Unfortunately, he hurt his back and was unable to drive down to Saluda. Luckily, the three monkeys of Politically Correct were all attending Prepper Camp, so we became the headliner.
We only talked for an hour, but the audience wanted more. It was already a long weekend, so we had to cut it short so that Rick wouldn't collapse the next day of exhaustion. Anyway, I had a great time.
Also, I because an un-official volunteer and helped setup the audio visual items for the speakers tents. Rick and Jane appreciated the extra help and gave me some presents, which are pictured above.
If you are interested in going to Prepper Camp next year and think it might be too far away, we had people from Texas, St. Louse, Arizona and upper New York. The camp itself isn't expensive, it is the commitment to getting yourself there that is the cost.
Can't say I'm a huge fan of organized retreats like that but I get that outside of the military there's no real good way to for new survivalists to get started and learn the ropes. How much did the ticket run you?
$52 for the entire weekend.
If you RSVP quick enough, you can get a RV site or a regular site, else you stay in Tent city. That wasn't very pricey either. I think the entire 3 night RV hookup was $125.
In comparison, I go to the local gun and knife show and it costs me $10-15 just to walk around.
Survivalists are another thing, not the same as self-reliance. I see survivalists as people who could be dropped in anywhere and make their way out. This is focused on people setting up a location for living or going to during TEOTWAWKI. Like homesteading, but the added parts of getting off grid and preparing for bad things.
The price is definitely right for an event of that length. I was thinking it'd be a few hundred as typical of a convention, which this technically is in a way. They're probably keeping the cost down by not paying the speakers as you mentioned and not going through all the bullshit of lining up sponsors who have to be appeased through promotion kickbacks.
I'm personally used of thinking of it as one and the same but that's the army background there talking. It's the survivalist mentality in every situation/location. Definitely there's plenty of value to just being around those who teach getting away from relying on the gov't and utilities for everything plus learning some actual skills to make that happen.
Yes, Rick and Jane wanted to get away from the typical convention types. They basically charge enough to cover the costs of all the rentals to get things setup. Volunteers help get things setup and taken down.
As long as you don't use "sustainable", I'm okay with whatever you call it. ;)
LOL sustainable green holistic lifestyle empowerment?
Ugh... I can just smell the patchouli off of that comment.
Also, they only sell 1,000 tickets.
So, you don't have over crowded tents where you can't see the demonstrations or hear the speakers. I think I overheard that the Wild Edibles speaker walked around 100 people for one of his classes to show them the edibles at the camp.
More than I thought, now that makes sense. Were there any issues with managing this many people in the off-time?
No. The classes go from 8 am to 6:30 pm, with an hour or so lunch break in the middle. Then there are the 2 night speakers on Friday and Saturday. There are vendors, half of which are the speakers. Apparently some of the vendors from last year went out of business due to people thinking everything is okay now and of course, Amazon.
I think now that several hurricanes in a row hit, business will be booming.
Well, you would think, but those who only did prepping because they thought FEMA was going to round them up, probably weren't serious in the first place.
I notice there's a growing crowd who have zero understanding of emergency preparedness and stay in their homes because they think that FEMA will round them up into "tax slave concentration camps". Reminds me I've been meaning to do a post about FEMA.
Well, I'll have to give you a follow to see that one.
I served the army here and totally hated my time in the jungle. Respect to ya!
Well, spending a few nights in an RV isn't exactly the jungle. ;)
Haha oh
I love to go out with the tent in solo mode. Now I can't do it as much as I would like. Of course of my three years in the army time outside the base is the best memories I keep. Hard and intense times but the most lasting friendships I made at that time.
I hope you enjoyed the weekend. Welcome back!!
Thanks.
Nothing difficult about this camp. You don't even have to hike in your tent.
I think it would probably be good to setup some sort of socialization portion to the event, since people were most likely to only chat with people near their camp location and the camp grounds are fairly large.
We must never leave aside the social part. After all, any situation we face will be much easier to overcome in community.
Congratulations @deanlogic! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPAwesome, very cool gifts. Sounds like it was a really fun weekend, packed with friends, knowledge sharing, and fun times. Glad to have you bsck
Thanks.
It was enjoyable. Way too much information to absorb. Lots of walking around for me. I drank more beer over the weekend than I had all year and I still lost 2 lbs.
Haha o wow, needed all those carbs for the marathon of walking
Sound like fun... I will look into this
I say there will be a 5th...I am pretty sure there will be one. Every year after Rick and Jane get done, they curse doing another one, but they get such positive feedback, they do it again.
They will have information up in November for the 2018 year. The date might be different due to a conflict with another event happening in the area.