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Post by milspec on Jun 22, 2021 8:03:53 GMT 10
Whilst thinking about some of the excellent skills you guys have, it occured to me how useful it would be to have a PREPCON event in Australia. We rely on such a diverse range of knowledge, skills and equipment. A PREPCON event could be very useful and a solid economic event for a hosting city. It could also boost the legitimacy of prepping.
I'm thinking stalls and demos (where practicable) with...
Advanced first aid training Food preservation skills & equipment Ham radio / comms Blacksmithing Bushcraft Bush foods Firearms awareness material Archery Trekking/orienteering Off grid living systems Gardening Beekeeping Butchering Self defense skills Basic mechanical skills Financial independence awareness Equipment & supplies stalls ... a very long list there related to the above.
We all have areas from those lists where we are strong/weak so I imagine an event like that would have some benefit to most preppers. Many preppers tend towards low profiles but an event with such a diverse range of stalls can be readily passed off as "interesting" and worth a look. Maybe you'd run into a neighbour or two, personally I would consider that a good thing. If that idea bothered you though, you could attend a similar event in another region.
Anyways, that was a random thought for the morning. Time to go and service the tractor and go and do some mulching!
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spatial
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Post by spatial on Jun 22, 2021 14:40:11 GMT 10
I think it is a great idea. Start small and expand.
Every year I watch YT vids on the British gatherings and a few of the US.
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Jun 22, 2021 18:06:01 GMT 10
I may be able to give a talk/demo of ham comms and solar, being a retired solar installer and ham operator.
I went to the bank the other day to check my balance, and fell off the roof.
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captain
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Post by captain on Jun 22, 2021 20:55:04 GMT 10
I’d probably go to such an event - as long as it was within a 4-5 hour drive maximum from me and I didn’t have to give my name and address to attend.
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lonewolf
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Post by lonewolf on Jun 22, 2021 23:21:02 GMT 10
back when i lived in sydney it was called the penrith gun show and or the gun show at the olympic showgrounds next to oz-comicon. But yeah an event or expo specifically like this would be great.
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frostbite
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Post by frostbite on Jun 23, 2021 5:45:18 GMT 10
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Post by Joey on Jun 23, 2021 7:58:17 GMT 10
Righto Ivan ROFL
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on Jun 23, 2021 9:45:34 GMT 10
I would enjoy an event like this...
Problem I see is "prepping" in the title could give a negative impression..
Possible better names.... Independent Living Show Frugal Living Exposition Rural Living Seminar
Anyway.... Like said.. Start small with an open field or parking lot.. Farmers market style with pop up shades and tail gates.. Kind of like the "Loot in the Boot" sales we used to have here.. Maybe to resume this fall, if we are lucky...
Thoughts, ideas, suggestions, experience, helpful hints.. ?? ??
Suggestions ?? ??
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spatial
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PREPCON
Jun 23, 2021 12:48:54 GMT 10
Post by spatial on Jun 23, 2021 12:48:54 GMT 10
I prefer the British way of doing things. A few links to some of their 'Bushcraft/survival" gatherings. They get TV personalities to attend and go all out.
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bushdoc2
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PREPCON
Jun 23, 2021 13:07:54 GMT 10
Post by bushdoc2 on Jun 23, 2021 13:07:54 GMT 10
I would enjoy an event like this... Problem I see is "prepping" in the title could give a negative impression.. Possible better names.... Independent Living Show Frugal Living Exposition Rural Living Seminar Anyway.... Like said.. Start small with an open field or parking lot.. Farmers market style with pop up shades and tail gates.. Kind of like the "Loot in the Boot" sales we used to have here.. Maybe to resume this fall, if we are lucky... Thoughts, ideas, suggestions, experience, helpful hints.. ?? ?? Suggestions ?? ?? "Treechangers" club
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Post by milspec on Jun 23, 2021 21:40:40 GMT 10
I would enjoy an event like this... Problem I see is "prepping" in the title could give a negative impression.. Thats where our thinking differs. I would use the name as a means to promote & legitimise prepping rather than hiding behind a facade. I would certainly not treat it as a gun show, that would be playing into the hands of the anti gun lobby. That said it absolutely goes without saying that some elements of the media and left brigade would twist any narrative to paint a negative picture of the event. So it would be important to structure and market the event in a well rounded manner spanning a wide gamut of areas that are applicable to prepping.
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norseman
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Post by norseman on Jun 24, 2021 0:18:44 GMT 10
I would enjoy an event like this... Problem I see is "prepping" in the title could give a negative impression.. Thats where our thinking differs. I would use the name as a means to promote & legitimise prepping rather than hiding behind a facade. I would certainly not treat it as a gun show, that would be playing into the hands of the anti gun lobby. That said it absolutely goes without saying that some elements of the media and left brigade would twist any narrative to paint a negative picture of the event. So it would be important to structure and market the event in a well rounded manner spanning a wide gamut of areas that are applicable to prepping. "Problem I see is "prepping" in the title could give a negative impression.." .................... Then imagine how the tag "Militant Survivalist" would go down!
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Tim Horton
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Jun 24, 2021 1:38:24 GMT 10
Post by Tim Horton on Jun 24, 2021 1:38:24 GMT 10
Thats where our thinking differs. I would use the name as a means to promote & legitimise prepping rather than hiding behind a facade. = = = "Problem I see is "prepping" in the title could give a negative impression.." .................... Then imagine how the tag "Militant Survivalist" would go down! + + + Yes... Good point and such to call it what it is... Honest, strait forward and to the point for those who it would be useful to.. I guess my thought, fear behind this being, unless on private land, will it be a problem to get a venue for this kind of event.. ?? Even an empty parking lot could be a problem if it gets thought of or labeled by woke or political correctness..
Or am I overthinking this ?? ??
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frostbite
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Jun 24, 2021 6:44:33 GMT 10
Post by frostbite on Jun 24, 2021 6:44:33 GMT 10
"Problem I see is "prepping" in the title could give a negative impression.." .................... Then imagine how the tag "Militant Survivalist" would go down! Awesome idea mate. A Militant Survivalist workshop, keynote speaker our good mate Dr Simon Henry. We can run a workshop on how to become a militant in 12 easy steps. Numba 1 and Numba 2 in the same place at the same time, sure to be a leghumper best seller.
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spatial
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Post by spatial on Jun 24, 2021 8:05:01 GMT 10
I have tried to organsie a few forum get togethers, had one in Maitland a few years back - a few people said they would be there. It ended up just two families. Preppers have too many issues with big gov = big brother, conspiracy theories..
How about a "Preparedness Expo", get speakers from SES and Rural fire services (RFS), emergency planning for fire - floods, blackout local civil unrest {that would be pushing some boundaries}, what is in an emergency evacuation bag!, emergency food storage, blackout kit, water purification etc.. - that would get a lot of mainstream interest, but would take a lot of organizing, can get vendors that sell 'prepper type goods' .
Personally just a camp out with like minded people with a few key skill set demonstrated - no media or anyone else need to be involved.
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frostbite
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Post by frostbite on Jun 24, 2021 8:26:09 GMT 10
"Personally just a camp out with like minded people with a few key skill set demonstrated - no media or anyone else need to be involved."
Which is exactly what's been happening at my retreat annually for the last 15 years.
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Post by Stealth on Jun 24, 2021 13:46:53 GMT 10
I think you'd have more bites with something like 'Bushcraft' or 'Homesteading' or even 'Back to the land' in the title. I agree with Tim in that you'd probably scare more people off than you'd attract in with a name like 'Prepcon'. The association with the words 'prep' or 'prepping' are too strong just yet, thanks to stupid TV shows and the American habit to take a concept and run with it. You could provide all the services/booths mentioned without having to have a reference to prepping in the name. If I'd seen something with a name like that come up when I first was interested I would have felt like it was too hard-core for me and I'd have been too intimidated to go even if I was interested.
That being said, it would be beneficial to have stores with survivalist names present. Companies with names like that would be great, because you provide a soft entry into the concepts without having people slam their minds shut before you even get to tell them that we're not what they think we are. We're NOT all gun-toting, gap toothed yokels or ex-combat wombats longing for the good old days. We're young families. Older couples. Singles. Grandmas and grandads. Retirees and uni students. But those type of people aren't going to see their own reflection in the attendees if they're scared away in the first place by the implication of a word that doesn't really get a fair rap.
Not to mention some really beneficial vendors/speakers might be turned off as well. Someone who runs a homesteading youtube channel where they teach you how to make humanure set ups probably isn't going to feel welcome or accepted by something that sounds like it's for the crazy bleeding edge types. Whether we like it or not, that's how the community has been marketed for decades. I'd like to force everyone to open their eyes and just LOOK at what's going around them, because no doubt we'd have no lack of people jumping into the community with both feet! But sometimes, the softly approach gets more sustained interest. You can always change the name of an event later when more people are comfortable with the concept.
I'd be interested to go to something like that though. And I honestly think that as the days go by more and more people are starting to wake up to the realities of the current global and economic situations.
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Post by milspec on Jun 26, 2021 5:44:24 GMT 10
As usual with our forum, some good replies with balanced views and arguments. Good job peeps. Its a sad fact that some in the MSM would use the event as clickbait to paint preppers in the stereo typical negative imaging.
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tomatoes
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Post by tomatoes on Jun 26, 2021 12:52:42 GMT 10
I have tried to organsie a few forum get togethers, had one in Maitland a few years back - a few people said they would be there. It ended up just two families. Preppers have too many issues with big gov = big brother, conspiracy theories.. How about a "Preparedness Expo", get speakers from SES and Rural fire services (RFS), emergency planning for fire - floods, … Yes! With everything that’s happened in the past couple of years, I think “preparedness” is a good term and doesn’t have the same negative connotations as prepper.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2021 18:57:46 GMT 10
"Community Resilience" is a term that hasn't been associated with US style tacticool prepping. And even the Guardian would have a hard time smearing that term as it has the word root "commune" in it...
Heck, if you added "increasing socio-ecological adaption capacity" to the flyer then maybe even a few billionaires would donate money (or at least a few pallets of bricks) to the event.
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