I hate the glorification of the pilgrims.

Putting these settler colonists on a pedestal implicitly involves disrespecting the indigenous people who were displaced / genocided to make the westward expansion possible. Which is especially ironic, since it was the indigenous societies who have the most to teach when it comes to long-term sustainable survival in balance with nature over many thousands of years, not the pilgrims. But since the prepping and homesteading movement is so dominated by white right wingers, it is no wonder that this sort of colonist LARPing is so popular.

Speaking of which, another thing I hate about the movement is the insistence on Rugged Individualism, an outgrowth of right wing libertarianism. The concept of one individual or one nuclear family being 100% self sufficient is completely ahistorical, it just doesn't happen in reality outside of prepper fantasy novels. It takes a collaborative community with different skill sets working together in order to survive long-term.

ALL THAT BEING SAID, there are still some very positive aspects to this movement. I currently live off the grid in a self built structure, I grow a big garden, and I'm learning more about wildcrafting. Is this to "survive total ecological collapse?" Hell no, I'd still die without an intact ecology like everyone else. I do these things because they improve my quality of life and happiness RIGHT NOW, and it allows me to not have to participate in the rat race as much as I used to. And when times get tougher, I could use what I've learned to be an asset to my community, helping others and passing on the skills I've developed over the years to them so we can work together.

Community organizing, collaboration, and mutual aid are vastly overlooked "survival skill sets"