Americans rediscover self-reliance

Survivalism and self-sufficiency are exploding across America.

According to TruePrepper, a preparedness research group, nearly 23 million Americans now call themselves preppers — many fleeing big-city metros for rural areas where they can be self-reliant if calamity strikes.

I offer some insight into this trend. A decade ago, I left the Washington, D.C., metro area and returned to my small ranch o...