Survival Acronyms and Survival Vocabulary

Prepping has certainly become its own sub-culture, and with that comes its own language. This page will help you understand some of the prepper vocabulary and acronyms. Feel free to favorite it so you can reference it as needed. We try to avoid using a lot of this terminology as we’re simply trying to help people prepare for whatever it is they are concerned about.

We’re not seeking to exclude anyone or force them to have to learn lingo to prepare. I have this here, because, undoubtedly, as you explore the world of prepping, you’ll need to know what others are saying.

Prepper Vocabulary, Terminology and Acronyms

Jump to: A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T U V W Y

A

ALICE

All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment. A military style pack with no zippers that has been mostly phased out in favor of the MOLLE system.

Alphabet Soup Agencies

General term used to refer to all of the various federal agencies known by acronyms such as: CDC, CIA, DHS, EPA, FBI, FEMA, etc.

APC

Armored Personnel Carrier

Aquaponics

A self-contained system for growing plants that takes hydroponics and adds in fish and a circulation system so that the fish waste feeds the plants and thus, the plants clean the water for the fish.

ARC

American Red Cross

ATL

Attempt to Locate. Related to BOLO.

B

BOB

Bug Out Bag

BOL

Bug Out Location

BOLO

Be On the Look Out

BOV

Bug Out Vehicle

Bush

Another term for wilderness.

Bushcraft

Encompasses the skills required to live in the bush.

BYOW

Multiple: Bring Your Own Weapons, Bring Your Own Woman, Bring Your Own Water

C

C-Ration

Food ration program introduced in 1940s, replaced by the MCI ration program in the 1950s. Because the food was so similar MCI rations were often still referred to as C-Rations.

CDC

Centers for Disease Control

CM

Compressed Meals. May refer to MCWs or LRPs.

CME

Coronal Mass Ejection. An activity on the sun that often follows a solar flare, but not always.

D

DYODD

Do your own due diligence. It means to find the truth out for yourself and not simply take the speaker’s word for it. Also an attempt at deflecting liability for statements made.

E

EDC

Every Day Carry. Refers to the kit that a person carries on them each day.

EMP

Electro Magnetic Pulse

F

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FIFO

First in First Out. Used in food storage. Means to use what is oldest first.

FRH

Flameless Ration Heater. Water-activated packet that heats MREs.

G

GDE

Grid Down Event. May refer specifically to electrical grid, but often more widely refers to all networks.

GMO

Genetically Modified Organism

GOOD

Get Out of Dodge

H

Hydroponics

A method of growing plants without the use of soil. Instead, they are placed in a “grow medium” and use nutrient-rich water and lights to feed the plants.

I

ICME

Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection. A coronal mass ejection that has reached Earth. Can cause radio interference as well as damage to electrical and satellite infrastructure. Also see: CME

INCH

I’m never coming home.

K

KISS or K.I.S.S.

Keep It Simple Stupid

L

LOS

Line of Sight.

LRP-I

Long Range Patrol Improved. Lightweight, dehydrated rations that were eventually merged with the MCW program to form MCW/LRP.

M

MCI

Meal, Combat, Individual Ration. Precursor to MREs. Program ended in 1980. Often called C-Rations even though the C-ration program ended in the 1950s and was replaced by MCIs.

MCW

Meals, Cold-Weather rations. Dehydrated ration that can handle cold weather that MREs can’t. Merged with LRP-I to form MCW/LRP ration.

MCW/LRP

The merged ration programs of MCW and LRP-I as they both use dehydrated ingredients.

MOLLE System

Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. A military style pack that replaced the ALICE packs. Designed to be lighter weight and make adding modules easier.

MRE

Meals Ready to Eat. Military rations that were designed to be easy to eat. They are in pouches that you eat from and come with a water activated heater.

MSM

Main Stream Media

N

NBC

Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (in reference to types of warfare)

O

OTGE

Off the Grid Event

Oxygen Absorbers

Packets typically used to keep foods fresh by depleting oxygen in a closed space through a chemical reaction. It prevents spoilage from aerobic bacteria as well as oxygenation (rancidity).

P

PALS

Pouch Attachment Ladder System. Used in the MOLLE system.

Pandemic

A mass outbreak of infectious disease that spreads across a wide area.

Polar Shift

The belief that the magnetic poles of Earth will flip and cause mass destruction and unrest.

POTUS

President of the United States

R

Root Cellar

A time-tested strategy for keeping food cool by storing it in a cellar below ground where the temperature is far lower than the surface temperature of the Earth.

S

SCOTUS

Supreme Court of the United States

Shadow Government

A belief some have of an alternate, secret, clandestine government.

Sheeple

An overused term used to demean people who aren’t preppers or aren’t as fully aware of the happenings in the world. An amalgam of the words “people” and “sheep.”

SHTF

Stuff Hits The Fan – This is a family friendly website :-). Basically, refers to the immediate moment when an event changes the world as we know it for the worse. Use: When the SHTF, I’m heading to my BOL and riding things out.

SIP

Shelter In Place. As in, I’m going to shelter in place rather than bug out.

Solar Cooker,

Solar Oven

A system for cooking food using only the energy from the sun.

SOP

Standard Operating Procedures. A set of standards used to guide day-to-day operations.

T

TPTB

The Powers That Be. Usually is a general reference to all people in power from various countries and militaries, but can also refer to a shadow entity or “shadow government.”

TEOTWAWKI

The End Of The World As We Know It. Not necessarily “Armageddon” but a drastic change in the average quality of life, most likely followed by unrest.

U

Urban Farming

Growing food in unorthodox and small places such as on rooftops and inside apartments.

V

Vagabond Stove,

Hobo Stove

A cook stove made from a tin can. The can is opened and emptied, a fuel door is cut into the side of the can along with ventilation holes around the top and oxygen feeder holes along the bottom. You then light a fire and place your pan of food on top of the apparatus.

W

WROL

Without Rule of Law. Refers to a time when law is largely non-existent.

WTSHTF

When the Stuff Hits the Fan. Longer version of SHTF. Refers to the immediate moment when an event changes the world as we know it for the worse.

Y

YOYO

You’re on your own. Use: It’s better to join up with a group of preppers or else when the SHTF, YOYO.