Business
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Cobb survivalists gather to prep for semi-doomsday

By Matt Kempner
April 29, 2016

Survivalists and preppers gathered at the Cobb Galleria recently with this costly goal in mind: Be ready if the nation goes way bad.

“There’s more of us out there than you think,” said Dan O’Hara, who organized the Atlanta Preparedness Expo, part of a five-city national circuit.

Vendors at the for-profit event sold everything from body armor and riot helmets to fire starters, water filtration set ups and seeds. Some preppers also think about comfort and bartering: O'Hara said that's why his personal stock includes a year's supply of toilet paper.

Find out what it costs to prepare for six months off the grid and who would do such a thing, plus what federal officials say we really need, in my latest Unofficial Business column on myAJC.com.

About the Author

Matt Kempner is an award-winning journalist who seeks out intriguing twists about people and subjects beyond what the AJC might typically cover. A former columnist and editor, his past assignments have included business investigations, energy, the economy, entrepreneurs, big business, consumer spending, politics, government and the environment.

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