Prepper Glossary A–Z: Every Survival Term Explained

New to the world of emergency preparedness? The prepper glossary can feel like a foreign language: BOB, SHTF, EDC, INCH, TEOTWAWKI: and that’s before you’ve even started building your kit. This complete A–Z reference explains every major prepper term in plain English so you can follow guides, forum discussions, and product descriptions with confidence.

We’ve organised this glossary alphabetically with the most commonly searched terms first within each section. Bookmark this page: you’ll come back to it.

A

After-Action Review (AAR)

A structured debrief after a drill, emergency, or preparedness exercise to identify what went well, what failed, and what needs to change. Military-derived practice adopted by serious preppers and community emergency response teams.

ALICE Pack

All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment. A military-surplus framed backpack design widely used in the prepper community as a bug out bag frame. Known for durability and modularity.

B

BOB: Bug Out Bag

A pre-packed bag (usually a backpack) containing enough supplies to sustain one person for 72 hours if they need to evacuate their home rapidly. The most fundamental prepper concept. Contents typically include: water, food, shelter, first aid, fire-starting, navigation, and communication tools. See our complete Bug Out Bag Checklist.

Bug Out

To evacuate: to leave your home or location rapidly due to an emergency. Opposite of “bug in.” You “bug out” when staying is more dangerous than leaving. Associated with natural disasters, wildfires, civil unrest, and nuclear events.

Bug In

To shelter in place: to stay at home and survive the emergency from your existing location. Often the better option in short-term emergencies (storms, short power outages). Requires a well-stocked home supply.

Bug Out Location (BOL)

A pre-planned destination to travel to when bugging out. Could be a family member’s house, a rural property, a campground, or a pre-positioned cache. The key is having it chosen and the route planned before you need it.

Bug Out Vehicle (BOV)

The vehicle: car, truck, motorcycle, or even bicycle: you plan to use to evacuate. BOV prep includes maintaining a full fuel tank, having a vehicle emergency kit, and planning alternate routes that avoid main evacuation roads.

C

Cache

A hidden or stored supply of food, water, gear, fuel, or other resources: either at your home, along a bug out route, or at your bug out location. Caching is the practice of pre-positioning supplies so they are available when needed, even if you arrive without your main bag.

CBRN

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear. The four categories of weapons of mass destruction or hazardous events that emergency responders and military prepare for. Also styled CBR or NBC. Prep for CBRN events involves N95+ masks, sealed sheltering, and potassium iodide for radiological events.

CERT: Community Emergency Response Team

A FEMA-backed programme that trains community volunteers in basic disaster response skills: first aid, light search and rescue, fire safety, and disaster psychology. Free training is available through most county emergency management offices. Highly recommended for serious preppers.

Cache

See above. A stored, often hidden supply of resources pre-positioned at a strategic location.

D

DOOMSDAY PREP / Doomer

Pejorative (though sometimes self-applied) term for someone who prepares for civilization-ending or apocalyptic scenarios. Distinguished from mainstream emergency preparedness by the extreme scale and paranoia of the preparations. Most preppers explicitly distance themselves from this label.

Dry Run

A practice drill or test of your emergency plan without an actual emergency. Examples: sleeping in your backyard with only your bug out bag supplies, practising your evacuation route, or running a “power outage weekend” to identify gaps in your home prep.

E

EDC: Every Day Carry

The collection of items a person carries on their person every day for utility, safety, and minor emergency response. Classic EDC includes: wallet, keys, phone, pocket knife, lighter or matches, small flashlight, and sometimes a small first aid kit or multi-tool. EDC is your first line of preparedness: it’s with you when your BOB isn’t.

EMP: Electromagnetic Pulse

A burst of electromagnetic energy that can disable or destroy electronic devices. Can be caused by a nuclear detonation at high altitude or by a solar coronal mass ejection (CME). EMP prep focuses on protecting critical electronics in Faraday cages and having non-electronic backup tools.

EOTW / End of the World

Informal shorthand for civilization-ending scenarios. Used loosely in prepper communities, though most serious preppers focus on far more probable scenarios.

F

Faraday Cage

A conductive enclosure that blocks electromagnetic fields and EMP. Used to protect critical electronics (radios, backup phones, solar charge controllers) from an EMP event. DIY versions can be made from metal trash cans lined with cardboard. Commercial Faraday bags are also available.

FIFO: First In, First Out

A food rotation method where the oldest supplies are used first and new supplies are placed at the back. Critical for maintaining an up-to-date food stockpile and avoiding waste from expiration. The standard approach for any food storage programme.

Field Strip / Field Expedient

Improvising or making do with whatever materials are available on-hand. “Field expedient” solutions are improvised using available materials: a key skill in survival scenarios where purpose-built gear isn’t available.

G

GHB: Get Home Bag

Similar to a BOB, but optimised for getting from wherever you are (work, car, school) back to your home when normal transportation is unavailable. Typically lighter than a BOB and kept in your car or workplace. Contents focus on: water, snacks, comfortable walking shoes, a map, a flashlight, and basic first aid.

GOOD: Get Out Of Dodge

Informal term for bugging out: evacuating your current location rapidly. A “GOOD bag” is another name for a bug out bag. Originates from old Western films; “Dodge City” was a rough town you might want to flee.

Gray Man

A preparedness and security concept focused on blending in and not drawing attention to yourself, your supplies, or your preparedness level. In a crisis, visibly well-stocked individuals may attract unwanted attention. The gray man carries a non-tactical looking bag, dresses unremarkably, and moves without attracting notice.

Grid Down

A scenario in which the electrical power grid has failed: locally, regionally, or nationally. Grid-down prep focuses on power generation alternatives, food preservation without refrigeration, water procurement, and security.

H

HAM Radio / Amateur Radio

Licensed amateur radio communication. A critical communications prep for grid-down or cell-network-failure scenarios. HAM operators can communicate over long distances without infrastructure. Getting a Technician class HAM licence requires passing a 35-question test and costs around $15. Highly recommended for serious preppers.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

Hard skills are physical preparedness abilities: fire-making, water purification, navigation, first aid. Soft skills are psychological and social: decision-making under stress, community-building, negotiation, leadership. Both are essential: and many experienced preppers argue soft skills are more important in a long-term crisis.

I

IFAK: Individual First Aid Kit

A compact, standardised trauma first aid kit designed to treat life-threatening injuries quickly. Military-derived, now widely used by preppers and civilians. A complete IFAK includes: tourniquet (CAT or SOFTT-W), chest seals, haemostatic gauze (QuikClot or Celox), compression bandage, and nitrile gloves. Every adult member of a serious prep household should carry one.

INCH: I’m Never Coming Home Bag

The most comprehensive bug out bag: packed for permanent relocation rather than a short-term emergency. An INCH bag contains everything needed to survive indefinitely: tools, seeds, extensive food and water filtration, shelter-building gear, and skills-based equipment. Heavier and more comprehensive than a standard BOB. Usually reserved for extreme scenarios.

M

MRE: Meal, Ready to Eat

Individual field rations originally developed for the US military. Each MRE contains a complete meal with roughly 1,200 calories, heating element, and accessories. Shelf life: approximately 5 years at 70°F. A popular emergency food option, though expensive per calorie compared to bulk freeze-dried food storage.

MOLLE: Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment

A military-derived system of webbing on bags and vests that allows gear pouches to be attached and rearranged. Many bug out bags feature MOLLE webbing for customisability. Pronounced “Molly.”

N

NBC: Nuclear, Biological, Chemical

Older acronym for what is now called CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear). Still in common use. NBC suits are the protective clothing designed to shield against these threats.

NOAA Weather Radio

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information and emergency alerts. Covers all 50 states on 7 VHF frequencies. A NOAA weather radio is a core item in every emergency kit.

O

OPSEC: Operational Security

A military term adopted by preppers to mean keeping your preparedness plans, supplies, and skills private. The logic: in a severe emergency, broadcasting that you have food, water, and gear can make you a target. OPSEC-conscious preppers avoid publicly discussing what they have stored or where.

P

PACE: Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency

A communications planning framework ensuring you always have a backup plan. For each critical communication need, plan four options: your normal method (Primary), a secondary option if primary fails (Alternate), a third option (Contingency), and a last-resort option (Emergency). Apply PACE to: family communication, news/information, water sourcing, evacuation routes.

PERK: Personal Emergency Relocation Kit

Less commonly used alternative term for a bug out bag, used in some professional emergency management contexts.

Prepper / Prepping

Someone who actively prepares for emergencies, disasters, or societal disruptions by building supplies, skills, and plans. “Prepping” is the activity. The term has a wide spectrum: from people building a basic 72-hour kit (recommended by FEMA) to those preparing for long-term civilizational disruption.

Preps

Informal noun for preparedness supplies and plans collectively. “My preps are solid for a 30-day outage” means the speaker has supplies and plans covering 30 days of self-sufficiency.

R

Rule of Threes

A foundational survival priority framework: you can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter in harsh conditions, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. Used to prioritise actions in a survival situation: deal with the most immediately lethal threat first.

S

SHTF: Sh*t Hits The Fan

The most widely used term in prepper culture for a major disruptive event: anything from a regional natural disaster to a complete societal collapse. “When SHTF” is shorthand for “when a serious emergency occurs.” The severity implied varies by context; most users mean anything from a major storm to a prolonged grid-down event.

Shelter-in-Place

Official government directive to stay indoors and seal your environment. Used in hazardous chemical release events, nuclear fallout, active shooter situations, or airborne biological threats. Requires pre-positioned sealing materials (plastic sheeting, duct tape) and enough indoor supplies to sustain your household.

Sustainment

The ongoing supply chain that supports long-term preparedness: not just the initial stockpile, but the ability to replenish it through growing food, foraging, trading, or rotating store-bought supplies. Sustainment thinking distinguishes long-term preparedness from short-term emergency kits.

T

TEOTWAWKI: The End Of The World As We Know It

Refers to a scenario of complete civilizational collapse where normal society and infrastructure cease to function indefinitely. The ultimate extreme prep scenario. Popularised by the novel and TV series “Patriots” by James Wesley Rawles. Most mainstream preppers don’t prepare for TEOTWAWKI but use the term loosely for any severe long-term disruption.

TSHTF

Variant of SHTF: “The Sh*t Hits The Fan.” Same meaning.

W

WROL: Without Rule of Law

A scenario in which normal legal authority, police, and government have collapsed or withdrawn, leaving individuals to defend themselves and their resources. A worst-case scenario beyond SHTF. Prep for WROL situations typically focuses on security, community building, and conflict avoidance.

Water Bob / WaterBOB

A large bladder designed to fill your bathtub with clean water before a storm or emergency. Holds up to 100 gallons. One of the fastest ways to store a large emergency water supply if you have advance warning of an event.