Is Prepping a logical thing to do or are Preppers paranoid conspiracy theorists?

It would seem to be common sense (though time has shown again and again that it isn't as common as you would hope)
The government at every level has recommended at least a 3 day supply to sustain you and your family (and pets).
No matter where you live you should have some type of prep, ideally suited for whatever natural disasters (or man made ones) are mostly likely.
In my case I have focused on being prepped for wildfires and earthquakes as primary threats. I have also prepped for blackouts, nuclear accident/incident (nuclear power plant not to far away) and social unrest/rioting.
I would recommend having a plan for sheltering in place and bugging out, and brief your family on the plan.
I would also recommend building a team with a variety of skill sets (medical, mechanical, armorer, electrical, etc.)

Prepping should be a way of life but integrate it with common sense. I look at many things as dual or even tri purposes. For example a pool or hot tub is a reservoir for drinking water. I use it for relaxation but in a natural disaster, emergency or societal break down it is a vital source of water. Keeping extra chlorine to purify water is also dual purpose for example. I keep six months of deployable food but use it for camping as it gets older so it does not go to waste. If you camp, hike and hunt it's easy. Use the stuff you buy. FYI the biggest mistake folks make with this is hording stuff they can't bug out with. If you can't carry it on your back, it's a waste of time. Homes with stockpiles are a target (and all the prep shows really don't get this). If you want to live, go to the woods with 100 pounds on each of your family's backs of essential items (and lot's of ammo 22 preferred).

Yes

I think that, in reaoty, most of the long term preppers are more along the lines of hobbyists than lifestyle people. I have a bit of kit and a plan for global meltdown knowing full well that it will likely never be used except for a local natural disaster . . . its just fun. That and having grown up in an area rife with tornadoes and floods, I am accustomed to the idea of having to have a plan and gear for an emergency.

There's prepping and there's PREPPING. I'd say the latter is insane. You should at least be mentally ready to be resourceful, and have some resources, but I wouldn't spend my $$ on a bomb shelter.

Honestly, a couple of toys and some basic necessities make sense but some of the crap I see is straight up nuts. If the zombie apocalypse ever happens all you need is 1 round for yourself.

Derecho storm (straight line wind storm) power out 3 weeks, snow storm this winter power out a 3 days, & another snow storm power out 8 days then goes off another 24 hrs...point is to be prepared for your family you never know when the power is off, heat or A/C is off & your back in the 1800s. I know why they had hobbies, when the power is out the kids & adults don't know what to do with their time. Haha

The media can mess up anything. A real pepper wouldn't let any of them in their area. Most peppers are normal people that know a lot about history, not enough about the strange laws and learnt that when things go bad for them there are few people they can count on. I see nothing wrong with it but I do not put a lot of stock into it. Unless it's for a storm or something. That's just me. I have to much medical issues to live past a month in bad situations without the properating medications.

I would have to say that there is (crazy as it sounds) an insane logic to their prepping