Doomsday ‘preppers’ ready for the worst

>>> we are back now at 7:42. are you ready for the end of the world as you know it? an increasing number of americans are preparing for the worst by stocking up for long-term survival. nbc's janet shamlian has details on that. good morning.

>> reporter: good morning to you, matt. in this era of bulk shopping at warehouse stores it's not unusual for families to keep stocked with extra boxes or cans of the basics, but what you're going to see is more extreme and is becoming more common. in fact, someone you know could be gearing up for the end. by the looks of it, lisa bedford is stocking the shelves for a super sized family. but all this for a family of four? what's she thinking?

>> when times get tough it's so important for moms just to get tougher.

>> reporter: called the survival mom with a popular blog and a book on the way, lisa is what's known as a prepper.

>> a prepper is someone who is preparing for the unexpected.

>> reporter: the unexpected ranging from a crisis everyone could imagine -- losing their job -- to something that's pretty far out there, doomsday.

>> i would say we are preparing for the end of the world as we know it.

>> reporter: the end of the world ?

>> the end of the world as we know it.

>> reporter: this phoenix-area home is stocked to the court of appealing with food for a year and supplies in case of a nuclear or biomedical attack. he turned the backyard swimming pool into a fish pond . they drop a line when they want tilapia for dinner. and they will provide fresh milk for their three children the same way they do now -- from a backyard goat.

>> i'm sure people think i'm crazy. everybody is entitled. i think they're crazy for not being prepared.

>> reporter: dennis and lisa are part of a growing trend of people planning for the unknown. hugh vail is president of the american preppers network. there is such a group.

>> a decade ago there was estimated a couple hundred thousand . today there are over 3 million plus.

>> reporter: dale says the shaky economy, natural disasters and even the upcoming mayan calendar doomsday account for the dramatic surge.

>> the end of the world as we know it.

>> reporter: like anything the movement has a reality show.

>> doomsday bunkers.

>> you have to have things to protect yourself and your family, if not you're in trouble.

>> we can sleep four to six people.

>> reporter: in extreme cases families built bunkers like this one in utah.

>> i have medical supplies. this is an air intake.

>> these cans will last at least 25 years.

>> reporter: more conservative preppers are satisfied with a mere three months of food and water.

>> mainly i do it for peace of mind .

>> reporter: as for the survival mom she doesn't anticipate the rest, but is ready should it come. one theory lisa subscribes to is if tomorrow is uncertain, today eat dessert. for the bedfords, that's possible without power. solar baked brownies, fresh from the backyard. being prepared is a government recommendation but fema suggests a three-day supply of food and water plus an emergency kit in the house. these people are taking it to an extreme. the numbers are now topping 3 million families preparing to greater extent.

>> it will be a rush on spam. janet shamlian , thank you very much. we appreciate