Business
Business

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.

Follow Matt Kempner on facebookFollow Matt Kempner on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

The QTS data center complex under development in Fayetteville is expected to consume as much electricity as about a million U.S. households. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Data centers to get regional review, public notice on key Georgia website

Data centers larger than 300,000 square feet in the 11-county metro Atlanta area and more than 500,000 square feet in rural parts of Georgia will now qualify for reviews.

Atlanta airport’s troubled Concourse C food court gets new management

OHM Concession Group will take over the Atlanta airport's Concourse C food court, as well as restaurants in Concourses B and F.

Is the cost of Thanksgiving dinner going down? It’s complicated.

The wholesale price of turkey is up from 2024, but the retail price is dramatically down, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The Latest

Older model used vehicles for sale at an independent dealership in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Nov. 11, 2023. Photo courtesy of Chris Hardesty.

Credit: Special

Beyond the odometer: What matters most in a used car

Why your car’s safety tech needs maintenance, too

OPINION

Saying goodbye to the Porsche 718 Cayman — for now

Featured

Amber Hicks and Cherokee County firefighter Justin Hicks were found dead from gunshot wounds inside their home in November 2021. (Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services)

Credit: Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services

Man convicted of murdering Cherokee firefighter, wife as they watched TV

The deaths of Amber and Justin Hicks shocked their family and community. On Thursday, Matthew Lanz was convicted on all 13 charges he faced.

Report: Georgia unauthorized immigrant population reaches nearly 500,000

Georgia now has the nation’s sixth largest population of unauthorized immigrants, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

Atlanta airport’s troubled Concourse C food court gets new management

OHM Concession Group will take over the Atlanta airport's Concourse C food court, as well as restaurants in Concourses B and F.