> At a Glance
> – The US disaster-prep market is forecast to reach $300 billion by 2030
> – Mormon culture and church teachings on self-reliance underpin much of the sector’s Utah base
> – 4Patriots and My Patriot Supply, two Utah-based firms, dominate the space
> – Why it matters: Consumers are buying peace of mind as climate and political shocks intensify
Inside tidy homes near Salt Lake City, solar generators sit beside shelves of freeze-dried food, ready for grid failures or worst-case scenarios. These products-sold by billion-dollar brands-are rooted in a local culture that has prized preparedness since the 1800s.
Mormon Roots Fuel a Booming Industry
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long emphasized food storage and disaster readiness. That legacy supplies a talent pool: Tyler Stapleton, a mechanical engineer from Brigham Young University, oversees power products at 4Patriots in American Fork. His own father’s house includes a basement bunker packed with beans, corn, and a 32-gallon tub labeled Morning Moo chocolate milk powder.
Company messaging now targets mainstream buyers seeking “energy independence.” Yet the pitch still leans on apocalyptic undercurrents that trace back to the church’s 19th-century exodus westward, when early Mormons created an off-grid society complete with their own currency and militia.
Two ‘Patriot’ Giants Battle for Market Share
4Patriots and My Patriot Supply both rent sprawling warehouse space around Salt Lake City. Their catalogs overlap-generators, dehydrated meals, water filters-so rivalry is fierce:
- My Patriot Supply calls its competitor “fake patriots” in videos
- 4Patriots once warned that President Obama and “big energy monopolies” hid a “dirty little secret” about solar
- Both firms landed before the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division in 2022 over review and labeling practices
Customer complaints filed with watchdogs allege:
- Roaches inside a food shipment
- A generator that produced an overload error when asked to run a refrigerator
- A chili product that left one buyer sick for a week
A 4Patriots representative told News Of Fort Worth the firm has shipped 5 million products in three years and prioritizes safety, but declined to release refund rates.
From Political Fear to Natural Disasters
Sales spikes follow headlines, insiders say:
- Presidential elections drive purchases; after Donald Trump’s 2024 win, “sales plummeted”
- Hurricanes, the 2021 Texas grid collapse, and Covid-19 all boosted revenue
- My Patriot Supply’s warehouse grew from 45,000 sq ft before the pandemic to 428,000 sq ft today
Classes offered by 4Patriots University urge buyers to build networks and skills, not just stockpiles. Instructor Seth Weller argues many shoppers are reacting to personal loss-divorce, death, or a storm-rather than pure ideology. “They realize they have to gain control,” he says.
Key Takeaways
- The prepping industry is on track to hit $300 billion within the decade
- Utah’s Mormon heritage provides both labor and cultural legitimacy
- Product quality complaints complicate the promise of disaster-proof reliability
- Fear of real-world crises, more than conspiracy theories, now motivates most buyers
Whether the customers are ranchers in tornado alley or suburban dads after a blackout, both firms sell the same core product: the feeling of being ready when everything goes wrong.
