The acclaimed post-apocalyptic TV series The Last of Us, based on a hugely popular video game, featured a character – Bill – who has managed to live through the nightmare because he has prepared for such an eventuality – he is what he calls a “survivalist”. “Prepping” – as it is widely known – is a way of anticipating and adapting to impending conditions of calamity by preparing homes, rooms and bunkers to survive in. COVID-19, the limits on certain foodstuffs caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the cost of living crisis have pushed “preppers” from the fringes towards the mainstream. Despite attempts by Preppers to push back on stereotypes, prepping does still come with associations of doomsday and apocalyptic thinking. Research also suggests that preppers tend to be conspiratorial, often displaying traits such as low agreeableness, paranoia, and cynicism. Yet many of us became partial “preppers” during the recent pandemic. We stocked up on loo rolls and rationed products, buying as many items with long shelf lives as we were allowed to by …

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