Some Calgary businesses say the U.S. election is contributing to a jump in interest in "prepping" — emergency preparedness and stockpiling emergency supplies.

Everything from international politics to extreme weather events has more Albertans asking about how they can be better prepared for the unknown.

"Politics are always an interesting play in this," said Dwight Bullock, the owner of Briden Solutions, which has a warehouse west of Calgary stocked full of dried foods and long-life supplies.

He says interest in emergency kits and food supplies jumped in Alberta right after Donald Trump became U.S. president.

"The weekend the U.S. President pulled his blocking of seven countries we saw a definite increase. And that's great because people are being aware," he said.

'Trump is a wildcard'

"Trump is a wildcard and I think we've all seen that he can change his mind from day to day," Bullock said.

"We've seen a whole bunch of different concern levels. What if the border closes? What if Safeway isn't there tomorrow?"

Bullock says a lot of people who've never been involved in prepping are now showing an interest in the idea. They also want to be covered for extreme weather events and natural disasters.

Freeze dried fruits and vegetables are a popular choice for people looking for long-lasting food to cover them during an emergency. (Dan McGarvey/CBC)

"[People on] the west coast of Canada are very earthquake aware and we send a lot of 72-hour kits to that region and also to governments and municipalities across Canada."

"Take the weather here in the last week or two — it makes complete sense to have supplies in your car," said Bullock. "It's going to keep you alive if you're stuck in a snowdrift."

Mainstream appeal

Others say prepping is becoming more mainstream and less focused on long-term survival.

"It's no longer this whole idea that we need to prepare for this apocalyptic end of the world," said Foster Wozniak, manager of Crown Surplus in Inglewood.

He says mainstream prepping is about being more practical and less extreme.

"I see it maybe petering out to a more reasonable level, more a bit of self-reliance and initiative," he said.