Prineville People

Prineville Oregon's "Prepper Up" store opened in 2014. Situated in the high desert of Central Oregon, Prineville is known for rugged individualism, outdoor recreation and conservative politics - a logical spot for the owners. What is a "Prepper?" It's a synonym for "survivalist" that came into common usage during the late 1990s. It's used interchangeably with survivalist much as retreater was in the 1970s. It refers to one who is prepared or making preparations. In popular culture, survivalism has been associated with paramilitary activities. Some survivalists do take active defensive preparations that have military roots and that involve firearms, and this aspect is sometimes emphasized by the mass media. The potential for societal collapse is often cited as motivation for being well-armed. Thus, some non-militaristic survivalists have developed an unintended militaristic image, and the term survivalism has been used to signify unrelated right-wing reactionary parami