The New York Times has a provocative column by Kit Dillon on preppers and what we really need during an emergency. He takes as paradigmatic the prepper obsession with “bug-out bags” — what do you pack when the SHTF: the water tablets, the medicines, the bandages, the tools and weapons and gear you would need to survive a general collapse of civilization.

I think Dillon is correct that these kinds of preparations can become an unending rabbit hole, especially if they are conceived of as individual projects. Ultimately, humanity depends on the division of labor. Dillon emphasizes that our best prep is being known and........

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