Doomsday Preppers – Season 2

Doomsday Preppers Season 2 Preview

It’s the show we love to hate and it’s back for round two!  The second season of NatGeo’s Doomsday Preppers premiers Tuesday, November 13, 2012.  The second season is kicking off with two back to back shows!

You can expect the same sensational reasons for prepping, preppers who appear to be crazed, advice and assessment from the experts, Practical Preppers, and then, after the show, armchair quarterback responses all over the internet on what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong; including mine here! 🙂

New this season is a new way that the experts score the featured preppers.  Out of 100 points, the featured preppers are scored on food, water, shelter, defense and an xfactor.  Each category is worth 20 points.

The whole reason I do what I do here on PW, TPR and Ed That Matters is to foster learning and education.  I hope that as you watch the show, you will take away the do’s and don’ts of preparedness.

Before I get to the actual review, last season I gave recommendations on how episodes of Doomsday Preppers could be used.  Here they are again for your consideration.

How should you watch this show:

1. Watch it for ideas and reminders of the preps you still need to get.

2. Come up with your “expert assessment.”

3. Bring it up around the water cooler as a way to talk about preparing for _____.

4. Do your own research on the reasons the TV preppers  are preparing.

5. Use it as an excuse to sing “It’s the End of the World” by R.E.M.

S2E1:  Am I Nuts Or Are You? Tuesday, November 13, 2012, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Big Al – Big Al is preparing for nuclear war with Russia.  He has built an underground (5 feet) shelter that is 1,800 miles away from where he lives.  During the show, he believes that his shelter is not deep enough for nuclear fallout, so he purchases an old fuel tank to place 10 feet underground.

Positive Prepper Lessons – Al has a lot of food in cans saved up and over 1,000 gallons of water.  Food and water are the very basics.  You don’t have to spend a ton of money on freeze dried, MRE’s or dehydrated food.

My Expert Opinon* – People are going to have issues with Big Al’s weight. He mentions this in the follow-up update.  Also, the BOL is 1,800 miles away…1,800 miles!!!  That’s too far for me.  The triggers that Al mentions as reasons to head to the BOL are all economic, not nuclear.  Lastly, I think Al wants to promote his Doomsday Preppers song. Oh wait, get a female companion too!  You don’t want to survive TEOTWAWKI in your BOL by yourself!

Expert Score = 69

Jason Beacham – Jason is 15 years old and is preparing for a financial collapse.  Jason doesn’t have a job or allowance, so he acquires his preps.  He seems to have a decent grasp on a collapse scenario sprinkled with a little Rambo and apocalyptic movies.  He formed a G.O.O.D. group with two other friends and runs bugout scenarios.

Positive Prepper Lessons – Jason knows the importance of improvising and working with what you have.  He has the basics down and can talk the talk.

My Expert Opinion* – Jason doesn’t plan on taking his family with him when he G.O.O.D.  WHAT? WHAT! WHAT? That’s just wrong!  He is overly focused on improvising weapons and gas masks!  If he is truly worried about an economic collapse, he should find ways to make money…start a blog from a 15 year olds perspective, sell paracord bracelets, start a class on preparedness, etc…  He should also find an older prepper to help mentor and lend some balance to his ideas.

Expert Score = 50

Braxton Southwick – Braxton is preparing for a biological terrorist attack.  Braxton has a big family, consisting of older teens, a big help in my opinion.  However, they aren’t all on the same page.  Braxton’s plan is to bugout to the family cabin in the mountains.  He has a decent plan in place: multiple vehicles, self defense, means to carry gear and food, even a way to take the chickens!

Positive Prepper Lessons – Drills and scenarios are more important than one might realize.  Braxton does a good job of providing a scenario for his family to understand what could possibly happen.  It is also a good idea to run through scenarios to see how others might react.

My Expert Opinion* – Braxton says that his only option is to bugout if something happens.  I don’t like only having one option.  I wonder if he would think of using the off-road motorcycles in some sort of bugout scenario. I like that he has such a big family and the kids are older.

Extra: Watch Braxton’s wife’s face when he gives the update.  Classic!

Expert Score = 71

S2E2 – You Can’t Let Evil Win – Tuesday, November 13, 2012, at 10 p.m. ET/PT

Johnny O – Johnny O is preparing for a terrorist attack/nuclear meltdown on a nearby nuclear power plants.  He is married and has two small kids.  His wife’s twin lives with them too.  If there was a theme to Johnny’s life, it would be redundancy.  I mean, redundancy for his redundant redundancy.

Positive Prepper Lessons – Redundancy is a key that many people talk about.  I think it is important to have back-up plans.  Johnny also brought up the .22 rifle, the prepper’s rifle.  I did like that I saw a garden in this segment.  I was beginning to wonder…

My Expert Opinion* – During the bugout drill, the kids didn’t go with Johnny, his wife and his sister-in-law.  I think that is something that needs to be seriously considered.  I do think that Johnny is preparing for a very reasonable scenario.  The map on the show showed 4 nuclear power plants in Pennsylvania.  If it wasn’t for a job or something like that, I don’t know if I would want to be that close to 4 of them!  I do like one of Johnny’s statements, “Who are you going to turn to when something goes bad?  You are going to turn to the person who is prepared.”

Expert Score = 68 ( I thought it should be higher)*

Wilma and Gary Bryant – Ok, here it is, the wack jobs!  I say this not because of their frugal homesteading lifestyle, but of their comments, reason for prepping (I know they have to choose one, but come on!) and looks.  Just comb your hair, why do you have to look like a caveman?   Wilma and Gary are prepping for a series of F5 tornados that will wipeout the country.  Not one tornado, but a continual series of F5 tornados!

Positive Prepper Lessons – Life happens! This isn’t necessarily positive for Wilma and her daughter, they have insulin dependent diabetes.  I know how stressful this can be, I have a family member in the same situation.  But it does bring to the forefront the seriousness of planning, the need for medicine and a plan for our family members who do not have enough medicine or a means to store it properly.

My Expert Opinion* – Those who believe that you should dispatch an animal humanely should not watch this segment or even stop reading HERE.  Gary gets Wilma to kill a chicken by putting two nails in it’s neck and stretching it out so that she could cut the chicken’s head off with an axe.  Gary says that it is the most “humane” way to do it. Uhm…I don’t think so!  Watch a freakin’ video or read a book on how to do it!  I’m not a PETA supporter or anything, but it was wrong!

Also, at the end of the segment, during the update, Wilma says she and Gary are going through a nasty divorce and they are going to court to see who gets all the prepping supplies.  Later, she comes back on and says that she won the settlement, but that they are “up there with guns.”  I will say she looks a lot different with make-up, combed hair and something decent to wear. You have to make sure that your relationship is in good shape, because preparedness, survival and just plain marriage can be stressful if you’re not putting the time in to your relationships.

Expert Score = 64

Robert Earl – Robert and his wife fear a doomsday flood from the ice in Greenland melting.  They are living high in the desert of Texas.  I guess if there is a flood, the desert won’t be the desert any longer.  Gary and his wife have 21 dogs!  Yeah, I said 21 dogs!  They live in a temporary RV until they can get their home built, made from cat litter buckets and other recycled material.  But his priority is a smoke house made from used beer bottles.

Postive Prepper Lessons – Gary and his wife are retired and they can do whatever they want to do in their retirement!  They are active seniors, working the land, learning new skills and trying to be more self-sufficient.  I think that is always positive!

My Expert Opinion* – If you want to live in the desert ok, but 21 dogs?  I’m also a little worried about Gary’s direct use of black water in the garden.  From what I understand, humanure needs to break down a little more than what they are allowing.  I like the idea of building a home from recycled materials.  I think we should do more of that, as much as possible.  I just need to convince the wife! 🙂

Expert Score = 63

*I’m not really an expert, I just play one on the internet.

Well, there it is folks!  The new season is going to have a little of everything for everyone.  The unprepared will still make fun of it and call Preppers crazies and Preppers will call the show sensational and an unfair portrayal of preparedness.  In the end, take what you can use and let the rest be for entertainment purposes!

 Season Two of Doomsday Preppers Premieres Tuesday, November 13, 2012,
At 9 & 10 PM ET/PT; Airs Weekly Tuesdays at 9 PM ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel