Prepper Dictionary
# 10 Can:Tin Can of food approximately 7" x 6-1-4"
72 HOUR KIT:Asurvival kit that contains all of the items you would require to survive an emergency for 72 hours.
ABAO: All bets are off.
Alpha Strategy: Storing extra logistics, as a hedge against inflation, and for use in barter and charity.
ALICE: All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment
Alpha Strategy: Storing extra logistics, as a hedge against inflation, and for use in barter and charity. This term was coined by economics writer John Pugsley.
Anthracite:The best type of coal, most clean burning, with fewest impurities.
ANTS:Americans Networking To Survive. A survival network of individual preppers committed to providing supplies when a disaster strikes.
APC: Armored Personnel Carrier. Also the brand name of a manufacturer of short-term backup power supplies.
Apgar: A scoring system used to evaluate the health of newborn babies, typically taken at one minute and five minutes after delivery
AR-15:This Is the semi-automatic civilian version of the M-16 and M-4 rifle.
ARC: American Red Cross (Nicknamed "The Red Curse" by some SurvivalBlog readers)
ATL: Attempt to Locate. (Law enforcement term.) See also: BOLO
Avgas:Aviation gasoline. Petrol for piston engined planes – not to be confused with Jet fuel (a kerosene). Comes in various grades, the most common being 100LL (LL = lightly leaded).
Black Swam:An Extreme, unexpected event.
BIB: Bug-In Bag. A kit of essentials designed for "hunkering down", in place
Biochip: See RFID and NAIS.
BoB, BOB, or B-o-B: Bug-out Bag. Synonymous with G.O.O.D. Kit. See also: BIB, GOOD and INCH
BOL, B.O.L., or B.o.L.: Bug-out Location. Synonymous with retreat
BoV or BOV: Bug-out Vehicle. Synonymous with G.O.O.D. Vehicle. See also: POV
Buddy Burner:Also called a "Vagabond Burner," a buddy burner is a home made fuel source for cooking. A popular buddy burner is made with Paraffin wax that's melted and poured into a tuna can that's filled with rolled cardboard. The device is then placed underneath a ventilated coffee can, which serves as a stove to the buddy burner.
Bug-In:hunkering down, staying at your location until it is safer to bug out!
Bug-Out: To bug out means to get the heck out of dodge. Bail out out of a potentially dangerous situation to a safer one.
Bug-Out Bag: A bug out bag will contain essential survival gear to enable you to get to your bug out location.
Bug-Out Location: Where you plan on riding out the catastrophic event that has caused the SHTF.
CalGly:A mix of Calcium Chloride and Glycerol, used for preserving seeds
Carrington Event: A naturally occurring EMP-like effect, caused by a large Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) of the Sun. (See also: CME and EMP.)
CM: Compressed Meals (The U.S. Army' new alternative to MREs, with a freeze dried entree. These are about 2/3s the size and weight of an MRE.
CME: Coronal Mass Ejection. (Solar flares.) See also: Carrington Event and EMP.
C-Ration: Combat ration. The U.S. Army canned field rations that were replaced by MREs in the mid-1980s.
Collapse Event: Any event that results in TEOTWAWKI.
Combat Tupperware:A term originally coined, derisively, to describe the polymer framed Glock pistols. These days it can refer to other similarly polymer framed pistols (of which there are now many), and while some people still use the term derisively, other people use it self-effacingly or ironically, because the reality is a Glock is an extremely long lasting, durable and reliable pistol at least the equal of steel pistols.
COMMS: Communications
COMSEC: Communication Security is the discipline of preventing unauthorized individuals from accessing communications in an intelligible form, while still delivering content to the intended recipients.
CONUS: The Continental United States, ‘The Lower 48′.
CYA: Cover Your Assets
Deep Larder:Your long term food storage.
DLP: Defense of Life and Property
Doomstead: Synonymous of survival retreat
Dutch Oven: Very versatile item of cast iron cookware that is most often used in off grid cooking.
E-Tool:An entrenching tool – a small collapsible space, maybe also light-weight. Can do double duty as an improvised weapon.
E85:A type of fuel comprising 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
E100:A type of fuel that is 100% ethanol
EDC:Everyday carry, what a person caries on them on a daily basis.
EMP: Electromagnetic Pulse. Described at Wikipedia. See also: Faraday Cage and TREE
Faraday Cage: A shielding enclosure for electronics. A Faraday cage or box protects by blocking out static and non static electrical fields.See also: EMP and Carrington Event
FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Fiat Currency: Any paper currency that is issued at will, without convertibility to precious metals or other tangibles. (From the Latin "Let it be done.")
FIFO: First In, First Out—used for food storage rotation.
Food Grade Bucket:Food grade buckets will store food for upwards of 25-years, keeping food airtight, safe and dry. A pail of dehydrated potatoes is packed in a food grade bucket with oxygen absorbers. Opening such a bucket requires a special tool.
Food Insurance:Food insurance is not an actual policy offered for sale, but rather a prepper's phrase for the peace of mind in knowing that one has secured long term food reserves.
FOB: Forward Operating Base
Food Grade Bucket: Food Grade Buckets. Make sure they are HDPE #2.
Force Multiplier: A capability that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment.
FRS: Family radio service. An unlicensed UHF FM band for personal walkie-talkie radio use, under-powered and not as good as GMRS which uses the same frequencies but allows more power.
FUBAR:F*cked Up Beyond All Repair
FUD: Fear, uncertainty and doubt
Gamma Lid: An air tight lid for bucket style food grade containers.
GDE: Gris down event. Any event that affects normal life such as unemployment, cancer, nuclear war, space invasion.
Genny: Slang for generator
Geocaching:Geocaching is a game where you find hidden caches of various things using clues and GPS coordinates that are hidden and are commonly used for bugging out when danger or evacuation is needed.
Golden Horde: In historical contexts, the Mongol Horde of the 13th Century, but in the context of TEOTWAWKI, the anticipated large mixed horde of refugees and looters that will pour out of the metropolitan regions WTSHTF.
GMRS:General Mobile Radio Service – a UHF FM band used for commercial walkie-talkie radios, but now generally unofficially used by any unlicensed operator. Shares same frequencies as FRS, but is allowed to use more powerful transmitters, giving slightly better range.
GMO: Genetically Modified Organism. Usually relates to seeds.
Goblins:A slang term for criminals and other bad people
G.O.O.D.: Get Out of Dodge--the author’s generic acronym for leaving the big city in a hurry WTSHTF. (Acronym coined by JWR). I also use the term “bug out” and the British soccer term “take the gap.” The term Get Out of Dodge kit is synonymous with Bug Out Bag. See also: BOB, INCH, and WTSHTF
Ham: (A slang term for an amateur radio operator. It is not an acronym and therefore should not have all the letters capitalized (HAM" , as is often seen in print.).
Hardened (electronics): See: EMP
Hard Money: Currency that is either redeemable in precious metals, or issued in the form of precious metals.
HEMP: High altitude electromagnetic pulse. See EMP.
HEPA (filter):High Efficiency Particulate Air (filter) – for cleaning out contamination from air such as inlets into fallout shelters.
HDPE: High Density Polyethylene is used in milk, juice and water containers in order to take advantage of its excellent protective barrier properties. Most five gallon "food grade" buckets are made from HDPE.
Heirloom Seeds: Non-GMO seeds that can be planted and replanted after every harvest.
HEMP: High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse. See also: EMP.
HX: History. Refers to the background information of a situation. Also used to refer to medical history.
IFAK: Individual first aid kit.
INCH: I'm Never Coming Home (kit). An "INCH" kit is the gear that you would take in the event of a worst case, wherein you would only have one trip "Out of Dodge." See also BOB, GOOD, WTSHTF, and INCH.
Inverter:A device to convert DC electricity to AC electricity – for example, to create ‘mains’ power (ie 110V 60 Hz) from a car battery (12V DC). Inverters vary enormously in terms of power, efficiency, and the ‘quality’ of the sine wave of AC power they create.
Isolated Retreat: A privately owned stronghold designed to be almost entirely self-sufficient and self-contained. Also, often called a Remote Retreat
JBT: Jack Booted Thug
JIC: Just in case.
JIT: Just In Time (inventory control system). It means there is little inventory of stock, and no ‘supply cushion’ in case of disruptions anywhere in the supply chain, making the end purchasers more vulnerable to problems. Supermarkets only carry a couple of days stock, their warehouses also carry only a few days stock, and so on along the supply chain, so that if transportation is disrupted to a region, in less than a week there’ll be no stock of food and other essentials anywhere in the region (actually, panic buying will mean the stock disappears much faster).
"Junk" Silver: 1964 or earlier mint date circulated U.S. silver dimes, quarters, or half dollars with little or no numismatic value. These coin have a silver content of 90%.
JWR: James Wesley, Rawles (The primary author/editor of SurvivalBlog. You can assume that all feature articles and any comments that are not under a byline posted at SurvivalBlog were wrirten by JWR.)
Kindling: Small dry twigs and sticks used to build a fire.
KISS or K.I.S.S. : "Keep it Simple, Stupid!"
LAWKI:Life as we know it – our modern life, surrounded by conveniences and comfort, and all terrifyingly vulnerable to disruption.
Living of the Grid:Surviving and thriving by producing your own resources such as power, water, heat, etc.
LOS: Line of Sight. Many communications technologies require an unobstructed path between transmitter and receiver, as in microwave radio, satellite communications, and laser/infrared optical communications links.
MAD: Mutually Assured Destruction
MAG:Mutual Assistance Group. Made up of individuals in a specific geographic area. These individuals meet for the purpose of discussing, sharing ideas and planning for emergencies in their area.
Mall Ninja: Someone that values style over substance
MOE: Measures of Effectiveness
MOI: Mechanism of Injury
MOLLE: Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment
Molon Labe: Greek for "Come and Take [It]" --the rallying cry of the modern Second Amendment Movement. Also the title of a novel by Boston T. Party.
MRE: Meal, Ready to Eat (U.S. Army field rations)
MSM: Mainstream media. Generally assumed to be biased towards the left wing, anti-gun, and derisive about Prepping
Multi-tool:This is a combination of a survival knife and a wide assortment of other tools (pliers, saw, wire cutters are some examples).
MURS:Multi Use Radio Service. Unlicensed VHF FM radio service, generally superior to FRS/GMRS, but the equipment is more expensive.
Mylar Bags: Food grade bags made out of space age aluminum material which is used for long term food storage in conjunction with oxygen absorbers.
N95:When used in the context of masks, refers to a lightweight air-purifying type respirator mask that covers the nose and mouth, and which filters 95% of airborne particles 0.3 microns in diameter (or larger). There are also N99 and N100 type masks (the N100 filters 99.7% of particles). The N signifies it is not oil resistant (R rated masks are oil resistant and P rated ones are oil proof).
NBC: Nuclear, Biological Chemical. Refers to an disaster event involving nuclear, chemical or biological means. Also can refer to the equipment necessary to survive such a disaster.
Ninja: No income, no job, no assets,
Non-GMO Seeds: Seeds that may be planted and re-planted after each harvest. Often referred to as heirloom seeds.
OPSEC:Operational Security
ORP: Optimal rally point or Operational rally point.
Oxygen Absorbers: Also known as desiccant packs. Used to pull oxygen out of a sealed container for long term food storage.
Phantom Load:Power consumed by electronic items even when they are switched off (eg used to keep a clock running, to keep ‘listening’ for commands from a remote control, to keep the electronics on ‘standby’, etc). Phantom loads are of little relevance in normal life, but if you are trying to become energy independent, they become very important.
Paracord: Word comes from parachute cord, which is a woven braided sheath made of durable, lightweight nylon rope. usually rated in pounds.
PERK: Personal emergency relocation kit
Pollyanna: Someone that is in denial that TEOTWAWKI could occur and remains cheerfully optimistic, even confronted with evidence to the contrary.
Prep, Prepping: Slang for prepare.
Prepper: Slang for prepared individual. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a Prepper is a person who believes a catastrophicdisaster or emergency is likely to occur in the future and makes active preparations for it, typically by stockpilingfood, ammunition, and other supplies.
Preps: Slang for preparations.
PSK: Personal survival kit.
PV:Photo voltaic. Usually used to refer to solar cells – devices that generate small DC currents from solar energy.
Redundancy:as it relates to disaster preparedness is the practice of incorporating backup plans and/or gear items into an individual’s or group’s established preparedness strategy.
Retreat: A place of refuge that is prepared in advance. Usually in lightly-populated rural regions. Also sometimes called a Bug=Out Location. (See also: BOL.)
Rover Packs: Organized gang of looters.
SERE: Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.
Sheeple: People herded like sheep oblivious of what is happening around them.
Shelf Life: The useful life of of product in home storage. In the context of foods: The period of time that a processed food can be stored before changes in color, flavor, texture or the number of micro-organisms make it unacceptable. In the contexts of nonreversible consumer batteries: The period of time that a battery can be stored and still have at least 85% of its original charge.
SHTF: Sh*t Hits the Fan. Commonly used to describe the time of an emergency.
SIP: Shelter in place.
SNAFU:Situation Normal, All F*cked Up
SOL: Sh*tOut of Luck, or, Simply Out of Luck
Solar Flares: Similar to CME, coronal mass ejection. An ejection of sun particles in the form of radiation.
Solar oven: Or, solar cooker. Made of aluminum reflectors to harness the energy of the sun to cook food.
SOP or S.O.P.: Standard Operating Procedure(s)
Survival Seeds: Also referred to heirloom seeds or non-GMO seeds.
Survivalist:Often used interchangeably with Prepper, but usually considered more hard core than their Prepper counterparts. Survivalist see the disasters they are prepping for as so likely to happen that they have abandoned “normal” life pursuits and are almost totally dedicated to preparing for the disaster.
T-Pack:Bulk trays of food to feed army squads (as opposed to individual CM or MRE rations)
TEOTWAWKI: The End of the World as we Know It (Spoken “Tee-ought-walk-ee”).
The Crunch.:When the SHTF
Tinder: Used to start to build a fire. Fine flammable material that will easily catch a spark.
TSHTF: The SH*T Hits the Fan.
Unhardened (electronics): See: EMP
WAG: Wild assed guess.
WROL: Without Rule Of Law. (A lawless situation.)
WTSHTF: When the S*** Hits the Fan.also synonymously use the terms TEOTWAWKI, The Crunch, worst case, and the old military saying “when the balloon goes up.
WWL: World without law.
YOYO: You're On Your Own. (When government ceases to provide essential services such as fire department and police department protection, and when utilities no longer provide water, sanitation, electricity and phone service.)
Zombie: The name for the unprepared and often aggressive masses who will look to take what you have painstakingly prepared.