Doomsday preparedness became the norm in the mountains, but it extracted a certain quietness from childhood, a memory that still stings. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark
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Survivalists nestled in the Rocky Mountains have cultivated their own farm animals, embraced an analog existence, and even shunned contemporary healthcare in their effort to guarantee their survival through the apocalypse.
This lifestyle has persisted for decades, and these preppers gather within small communities, accumulating resources in anticipation of the world’s end.
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One of the most notable individuals to break away from survivalism is Tara Westover, who left her family after her time at Brigham Young University, a staunchly Christian institution. It was there that she became aware of the Holocaust for the first time, as recounted in her memoir, Educated.
As an instance, Westover detailed that her father adhered to a different perception of God compared to other Christians. She penned: “I’d been cognizant that even though my family attended the same place of worship as everyone else in our town, our faith diverged.
“They placed their faith in God’s capacity to cure; we entrusted our wounds to divine intervention. They focused on getting ready for the Second Coming; we were already in a state of readiness.” The Westovers were prohibited from visiting hospitals, dedicating themselves to working the land from dawn till dusk.
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Bob Keller operates his own survivalist store in Cross Lanes, Charleston. He raises livestock, provides dried provisions with extended shelf lives, and markets water purification solutions.
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“I am acquainted with individuals in the local vicinity who are in the 97 percent self-sufficient range,” he conveyed to 100Days in Appalachia.
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Keller maintains a herd of goats, elucidating his selection of this particular livestock: “They are diminutive, yet they possess the highest butterfat proportion of all dairy goats.
“They reproduce, they deliver offspring, they yield milk, and provided that you maintain a milking schedule, they will continue to produce milk.
“People truly do not apprehend the amount of sustenance that can be derived from a 10 by 20 section of their home yard.”
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In 2020, just before the pandemic struck, Keller noted a heightened curiosity in survivalism. He commented: “My business, by and large, is experiencing a rapid upswing.”
“I mean, even our primary schools are installing gardens, correct, to educate children about the origins of food. Because the kids are ignorant of where food originates.
“I believe it’s an outcome of 21st century America. We were raised with the notion that in the event of a problem, simply procure the solution.”
“In rural areas, these self-sustaining proficiencies and pursuits remain vibrant. When examining states with lower population densities, one observes a considerable amount of this activity taking place.”
Ed Klein underwent a radical transformation after viewing “The Wilderness Family,” a narrative about a family that fled Los Angeles to construct a cabin and settle in the wilderness.
Klein relocated his kin to rural Wetzel County during the 1970s. Initially, the family resided in a tent in 1978, but subsequently, his wife departed, followed by his children.
Presently, he inhabits a three-story cabin that he constructed himself, complete with a cabin, woodshop, and greenhouse. Klein remarked: “How could one possibly regret this?” He regards it as “a gift.”
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Joe Hollis, whose passing in 2023 at the age of 81 was met with sorrow, lived off-grid for half a century. Hollis similarly rejected conventional medical practices, cultivating a garden of herbs, primarily of East Asian origin, to address any health concerns.
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He disclosed to Peter Santanello: “The Chinese government began to notice that specific regions of the nation had an extraordinary prevalence of centenarians – so I undertook an investigation, and it turned out they were all consuming this beverage, referring to it as immortality tea. The American Medical Association does not hold herbs in high regard.”
Hollis espoused a conspiracy theory suggesting that this stems from the herbal practitioners being deprived of financial support, with funds being directed towards mainstream medical institutions. Hollis asserted that in the event of a grid shutdown, he could sustain himself “indefinitely.”