Homesteader? Prepper? The two words have become mainstream tags for folks who seemingly can survive cultural or personal emergencies and traumas without dependency on anyone else. But along with the popularity of the words (or labels) has come a combination of both positive and negative connotations. Are we just one or the other? Or can you be both? We believe there are 5 ways to know!
As we dug into this almost philosophical question the first step for us was to define each label. Are homesteading and prepping really two different things? After doing some googling and discussing, here are the most fitting definitions we could find-
Homesteader- leads a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. It is characterized by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of food, and may also involve the small scale production of textiles, clothing, and craftwork for household use or sale. Modern homesteaders often use renewable energy options including solar electricity and wind power. Many also choose to plant and grow heirloom vegetables and to raise heritage livestock. Homesteading is not defined by where someone lives, such as the city or the country, but by the lifestyle choices they make. ~derived from Wikipedia
Prepper is someone who actively makes plans to survive any situation including, but in no way limited to, natural disasters, financial crises, or any emergency situations. A common focus among preppers is self-sufficiency, rather than relying on help from society or governments. This act of preparing yourself for all situations is called prepping. ~derived from Prime Preppers
Are you either? Are you both? How do you define your lifestyle choice? After reading multiple definitions and deciding on the two above, it seemed only natural to dive into a further discussion of the similarities and differences between homesteading and prepping. Here are our thoughts~
at first glance~
It was definitely easier to find more detailed definitions for the homesteader. Being a homesteader appears to be a more mainstream, socially acceptable lifestyle. The definitions we found we all contained the same concepts as the one we noted above. It seems that society can define the homesteader more “acceptably”.
Prepping, or being a prepper, on the other hand was more difficult to define in detail. Let’s be honest- “prepping” is not always viewed by everyone as a socially acceptable way of living. Many of the definitions included words like “hoarders”, “right-winged”, “ultra-conservative”, and “doomsday”. We don’t agree with those words and appreciate the definition we noted above. We believe that prepping is all about preparing. We believe true prepping is without fear, without a doomsday philosophy, that it’s just intentional planning and preparation for life’s unexpected events.
With all that said and defined here are a few things that we see as differences between homesteaders and preppers-
Homesteaders choose a current lifestyle of self sufficiency for their family, finances and often to maintain a heritage or old fashioned life style.
Preppers are also focused on self-sufficiency but there is a stronger focus on the future. Much of what preppers work toward is the unknown of what could happen down the road.
Homesteaders are often self-employed or utilize the homestead for their income source.
Preppers are extremely varied in employment and location. They can be full time workers in the city or they can be in a cabin in the woods.
Homesteaders have a strong sense of responsibility and loyalty to the stewardship with which they have been blessed. This includes the ground and gardens, the livestock and animals, their families, and their life in general.
Preppers on the other hand are viewed as survivalists. Yes, they feel a sense of responsibility and stewardship, but more often due to the thought of “what can this do for me in a crisis situation?”. This can sometimes indicate they have less loyalty and can include thoughts of defending or even abandoning their location.
So are you a Homesteader or Prepper? And how do you know? Here are the 5 ways we think you can tell-
These are what we see as the top 5 similarities between homesteaders and preppers. This is our list in order from what we think is the most widely recognized to what we believe is the most unique (and important!) thing they have in common-
#5- Food Storage– this is pretty much what everyone thinks about when they think of either preppers or homesteaders. Whether you think they are hoarders, they can and freeze everything they grow, or they have closets full of food, this is a pretty common similarity.
#4- Medical Self-Care Knowledge– or in other words herbs and home remedies. Yes, this is also pretty common on both sides. From the research we have done, and from personal experiences, we can confidently say that both homesteaders and preppers have a pretty solid skill set when it comes to basic first aid, herbal and natural medicines, and natural preventive health care.
#3- Self-Sustainability– As we mentioned in our definitions, both preppers and homesteaders core belief is in a self-sustainable lifestyle. Both live in a way that they fully believe they can take care of themselves and their families with little need for any support from outside sources.
#2- Life-Long Learners– This is something that we haven’t seen mentioned when reading about preppers and homesteaders. But we have discovered this from years of being around both. Homesteaders and preppers are some of the most well-rounded, common-sense and traditionally educated people we have met. These are the folks that you can go to with a question about pretty much anything and they are going to have at least a basic knowledge level of the subject. If they don’t know a lot about what you are discussing, they will certainly know a resource and have the ability to research and learn more. Asking a homesteader or a prepper a question is like putting a spark to a fire- they light up and get a motivation to share or learn like you won’t see with many other folks. They are constantly seeking something new to learn and never pass up the opportunity to add to their intellect. Whether it’s gardening, animal husbandry, food preservation or tactical knowledge, each group has a well-studied knowledge base. The skills and abilities they develop are all a part of their intentional living and plan for life.
And our #1 similarity between Homesteaders and Preppers-
#1 Self-Confidence- The skill set, the desire, the tenacity, perseverance and ability to deal with ambiguity that is essential to both of these lifestyles requires a great deal of self-confidence. We aren’t talking about self-confidence in that I-know-everything-and-no-one-can-teach-me-anything kind of way. We are talking about the self-confidence that gets people up each morning, the kind that keeps them moving forward and learning and growing. The kind of self-confidence that tells them “I can do this if I try”. We are meaning the kind of self-confidence as defined by the University of South Florida as- Self-confidence is an attitude about your skills and abilities. It means you accept and trust yourself and have a sense of control in your life. You know your strengths and weakness well. This definition sums up our thoughts about both preppers and homesteaders, and really confirms our belief that self-confidence is the #1 similarity between these two lifestyles.
So much of our society looks down on both prepping and homesteading. People believe the negatives that they hear and read. They often believe that these are just “simple” or “crazy” folks that either don’t have, or are turning their back on, the skills that society deems necessary for success. In our opinion, homesteaders and preppers are the cream of the crop in society. They hold a deep set of personal values with a desire to continue bettering themselves through this journey we all are on. We believe these lifestyles are intentional and create strong communities and connections.
So which are you? Are you a homesteader or a prepper? Or maybe, just maybe, you have found that balance between the two and are a little bit of both. No matter how you label yourself we hope that you continue to learn and grow, and that God will continue to bless you and yours.
If you would like to learn more about homesteader and prepper skills, click on any link in the post, or check out the link below- and as always, thank you!
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