Ep 9. Close the Door, Load the Shotgun

In Doomsday Preppers season 1 episode 9 titled "Close the Door, Load the Shotgun," viewers are introduced to a family in Minnesota who have been preparing for a potential economic collapse for over 40 years. The family, led by patriarch Jim Boswell, has stockpiled over 6,000 pounds of food and built a fortified survival compound in the woods.

The Boswells believe that the country's economic system is fragile and that a collapse is inevitable. They fear that when the collapse comes, there will be widespread violence and chaos as people scramble to survive. To protect themselves and their compound, the family has multiple layers of security, including cameras, tripwires, and dogs.

Throughout the episode, viewers get a detailed look at the Boswell's survival compound, including their extensive gardening operation and their unique system for filtering rainwater for drinking. They also demonstrate their ability to generate their own electricity using solar panels and a homemade wind turbine.

However, not all members of the family are on board with the prepping lifestyle. Jim's daughter, Sarah, is concerned that the family's prepping obsession is causing them to miss out on important life experiences. She worries that her own son, who has grown up on the compound, will never know what it's like to live a normal life. Jim's wife, Cindy, is also skeptical of some of the family's more extreme prepping measures, such as using landmines as a form of defense.

The episode ends with the Boswell family testing their prepping skills in a simulated economic collapse scenario. They must use their supplies and survival skills to weather a hypothetical financial crisis that has left the country without electricity, water, or food. While some family members struggle with the intensity of the simulation, they all come together to protect their compound and each other.

Overall, "Close the Door, Load the Shotgun" offers viewers a fascinating look into the world of extreme prepping and the lengths that some families go to in order to protect themselves in the event of a major disaster. It raises important questions about the tradeoffs between preparing for the worst and living in the present, as well as the ethical implications of extreme self-defense measures.