Sign-In
Cart
The Politics of Prepping: Why Readiness Isn't Red or Blue, Republican or Democrat
Paperback
Series: When the World Stops, Book 9
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Jul 17 2025
Pages: 58
Weight: 0.35
Height: 0.12 Width: 8.50 Depth: 11.00
Language: English
If you tell someone you're a prepper, you can almost see the image that flashes in their mind. A guy in camo, living in a bunker, muttering about conspiracy theories and hoarding ammunition like it's a competitive sport. Somewhere in there is probably a generator, a doomsday clock, and a flag that's seen better days. That image? That's not me.
I'm Scott Lochlan. I live in Montana with my wife Regina and our three teenagers-Logan, Smith, and Harper. I hunt, I fish, I fix fences, I patch roofs, I coach baseball when I can. I'm a lifelong Democrat. Not the kind you see shouting on the internet, but the kind who still believes in common sense, conservation, and community. The kind of Democrat who owns a chainsaw, recycles religiously, and still thinks JFK was the last president who really nailed it. And I prep.
I prep because I've seen winter storms shut down half the state. I prep because Regina once broke her ankle while we were backpacking 12 miles from the nearest road. I prep because wildfire smoke doesn't check your voter registration before it chokes your town. And mostly, I prep because I believe it's my job as a husband and father to keep my family safe-no matter what headline is leading the news that day.
We've allowed prepping to become politicized. We've let it be defined by extremes-by the loudest voices on podcasts or in forums that don't represent most of us. But here's the thing: preparedness is for everyone. Disasters don't care who you voted for. Power outages, hurricanes, civil unrest, pandemics-they don't ask for your ideology before they hit your doorstep. And when they do, you'd better be ready.
I've got friends who think differently than I do on just about everything political. Guys like Kyle Harrison, who runs The Preparedness Post, are solid, conservative, liberty-loving Americans. We argue, we rib each other, but we also swap survival tips over coffee and talk gear like some people talk football. We've both buried pipes of rice and beans in the woods. We've both taught our kids how to use a ferro rod and how to stay calm under pressure. And we both agree that preparedness isn't crazy-it's just smart.
This chapter is about taking a wrecking ball to the caricature. It's about redefining what it means to be a prepper in a divided country and showing that readiness isn't red or blue, it's just responsible. It's about people like you and me-ordinary Americans with families, jobs, and a deep desire to be ready for whatever comes.
We don't have to wear tin foil hats or retreat into bunkers. We just have to care enough to prepare.
Also from
Lochlan, Scott
How To Hunt After An EMP Attack: When the Grid Goes Down, Here's the Animals You Need To Hunt and How To Hunt Them
Lochlan, Scott
Paperback
In the Heart of Bear Country: Lessons on Survival, Self-Reliance, and Family From Life in Bear Country
Lochlan, Scott
Paperback
The Off Grid Hunter: Adapting to Life as an Off-Grid Hunter in a World Without Power
Lochlan, Scott
Paperback
When the Wolves Start Howling...: Surviving When the Wild and the World Both Turn Against You
Lochlan, Scott
Paperback
When the World Stops and Nature Takes Over: A Prepper's Guide to Nature-Based Survival
Lochlan, Scott
Paperback
Also in
Hiking & Climbing
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Minneapolis and St. Paul: Includes Hikes in and Around the Twin Cities
Watson, Tom
Watson, Tom
Paperback
The Everest Mystery: Sandy Irvine, George Mallory, and the Truth Still Buried on Everest
Summers, Julie
Hemmleb, Jochen
Hardcover
Fire, Water, Shelter: A Guide to Modern Bushcraft Skills for Surviving and Enjoying the Great Outdoors
Marshall, Ryan
Paperback
Canning & Preserving: The Techniques, Equipment, and Recipes to Get Started
Harmeling, Michele
Paperback
Hike Strong: The Complete Guide to Building Mountain Strength, Endurance, and Confidence for Hiking and Backpacking
Appleton, James
Paperback
Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
Montgomery, Ben
Paperback
The Emergency Playbook: A Bunker-Free Guide to Disaster Preparation
Edelman, Amy
Begley, Chris
Paperback
SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere
Wiseman, John 'Lofty'
Paperback
Tree Finder: Identifying Trees by Their Leaves in Eastern North America
Watts, May Theilgaard
Paperback
Gun Trader's Guide, Forty-Fifth Edition: A Comprehensive, Fully Illustrated Guide to Modern Collectible Firearms with Market Values
Sadowski, Robert A.
Paperback
The Trails of M-22: 48 of the Most Beautiful Paths Along Michigan's Most Beautiful Highway
DuFresne, Jim
Paperback
Women Who Hike National Parks: Walking with America's Most Inspiring Adventurers
Rochfort, Heather Balogh
Paperback
The Bushcraft Boxed Set: Bushcraft 101; Advanced Bushcraft; The Bushcraft Field Guide to Trapping, Gathering, & Cooking in the Wild; Bushcraft First A
Canterbury, Dave
Hunt, Jason A.
Hardcover
The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
Winter Tree Finder: Identifying Deciduous Trees of Eastern North America by Their Bark and Twigs
Watts, May Theilgaard
Paperback
Mushrooming Without Fear: The Beginner's Guide to Collecting Safe and Delicious Mushrooms
Schwab, Alexander
Paperback
Outdoor Kids in an Inside World: Getting Your Family Out of the House and Radically Engaged with Nature
Rinella, Steven
Paperback
How to Survive in the Woods: Camping, Fires, Trailing, Tramping, Getting Lost, and Finding Your Way Home
Verrill, A. Hyatt
Paperback
Lonely Planet New Zealand: Plan the Trip of a Lifetime Detailed Itineraries & Maps Insider Tips Covers Auckland, Queenstown, Wellington, Taranaki and
Carlson Liz, Dragicevich
Peter, Fea
Atkinson, Brett
Paperback
Modern Bushcraft: The Complete Guide to Outdoor Survival, Shelter, Firecraft, Foraging, and More
Macwelch, Tim
Hardcover
Camping and Woodcraft: A Handbook for Vacation Campers and Travelers in the Wilderness
Kephart, Horace
Paperback
Surviving the Trail: Five Essential Skills to Prepare Every Hiker for Adventure's Most Common Perils
Scanlon, Rob
Paperback
Cascadia Revealed: A Guide to the Plants, Animals, and Geology of the Pacific Northwest Mountains
Mathews, Daniel
Paperback
Trekking the Tour Du Mont Blanc: Classic 170km Hut-To-Hut Hike with Two-Way Route Description
Reynolds, Kev
Paperback
How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter and Self-Preservation Anywhere
Angier, Bradford
Hardcover
Training for the New Alpinism: A Manual for the Climber as Athlete
Johnston, Scott
House, Steve
Paperback
Fern Finder: Identifying Native Ferns of Central and Northeastern North America
Hallowell, Barbara G.
Hallowell, Anne C.
Paperback
Miscalculated Risks: Attacked, Crippled, Paralyzed, Drowning, Unconscious and Freezing in The Wild (Just Not All at Once)
Cooper, Michael
Paperback
Thirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women's Ascent of Denali
Randall, Cassidy
Hardcover
Moon Best of California State Parks: Top 50 Parks in the Golden State
Blough, Jenna
Anderson, Kayla
Moon Travel Guides
Paperback
Dog Hiking New England: 45 Dog-Friendly Trails in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island
McMahon, Jill
Valenti, Kristen
Paperback
Crisis on Mount Hood: Stories from a Hundred Years of Mountain Rescue
Van Tilburg, Christopher
Paperback
Hike Strong: The Complete Guide to Building Mountain Strength, Endurance, and Confidence for Hiking and Backpacking
Appleton, James
Hardcover
Emergency Communication 101: The Essential Guide to Maintaining Contact During and After Any Disaster Scenario
Bassett, Joe
Stewart, Creek
Paperback
The Ultimate Guide to Wilderness Living: Surviving with Nothing But Your Bare Hands and What You Find in the Woods
McPherson, Geri
McPherson, John
Paperback
Best Rail Trails Wisconsin: More Than 70 Rail Trails Throughout the State
Revolinski, Kevin
Paperback
The Official U.S. Army Survival Manual Updated
Underwood, Peter T.
U S Department of the Army
Paperback
Urban Trails: San Francisco: Coastal Bluffs/ The Presidio/ Hilltop Parks & Stairways
Kenin, Alexandra
Paperback
Essential Knots: Secure Your Gear When Camping, Hiking, Fishing, and Playing Outdoors
Berger, Karen
Paperback
The Cotswold Way: National Trail Two-Way Trail Guide - Chipping Campden to Bath
Reynolds, Kev
Paperback
Lonely Planet Nepal: Plan the Trip of a Lifetime Detailed Itineraries & Maps Insider Tips Covers Kathmandu, Himalayas, Trekking and More
Fegent-Brown, Lindsay
Mayhew, Bradley
Bindloss, Joe
Paperback
Beer Hiking Pacific Northwest 2nd Edition: The Tastiest Way to Discover Washington, Oregon and British Columbia
Wood, Rachel
Fralic, Brandon
Paperback
The Outdoor Archive: The Ultimate Collection of Adventure & Sporting Graphics, Illustrations and Gear
Anderson, Chase
Pumphrey, Clint
Hardcover
Advanced Bushcraft: An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival
Canterbury, Dave
Paperback
Hiking the Appalachian Trail Through Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee: The Mile-By-Mile Guide to 471 Miles of the Southern Region of the Appalac
Niven, Joshua
Niven, Amber Adams
Paperback
The Natural Navigator: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
Not Without Peril: 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire
Howe, Nicholas
Paperback
Moon 101 Great Hikes San Francisco Bay Area: Plus the Best Places to Eat, Drink, and Camp Nearby
Brown, Ann Marie
Moon Travel Guides
Paperback
Bushcraft First Aid: A Field Guide to Wilderness Emergency Care
Hunt, Jason A.
Canterbury, Dave
Paperback
Beer Hiking Chicago: The Tastiest Way to Discover the Windy City
Sedgwick, Jessica
Ochwat, Dan
Paperback
Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship
Ryan, Tom
Paperback
Foraging for Wild Edible Foods: A Folding Pocket Guide to Sustainable Practices & Harvesting Techniques
Kavanagh, James
Paperback
Western Washington and Oregon in Bloom: Find and Identify the 150 Most Common Wildflowers
Turner, Mark
Kuhlmann, Ellen
Paperback
Wild Wonders: The Untamed and Enigmatic Animals That Inhabit Yellowstone National Park
Cook, Julia
Hardcover
The Climbing Bible: Practical Exercises: Technique and Strength Training for Climbing
Mobråten, Martin
Christophersen, Stian
Paperback
The Prepper's Water Survival Guide: Harvest, Treat, and Store Your Most Vital Resource
Luther, Daisy
Paperback
The Camino Portugués: From Lisbon and Porto to Santiago - Central, Coastal and Spiritual Caminos
Miller, Howard
Davis, Kat
Paperback
Berry Finder: Identifying Native Plants with Fleshy Fruits in Eastern North America
Miller, Dorcas S.
Paperback
How to Eat in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Foraging, Trapping, Fishing, and Finding Sustenance in the Wild
Angier, Bradford
Hardcover