We know there are people living off the grid and stockpiling guns and canned food but is that something born out of the Cold War or have there always been people preparing like this for the Rapture or a giant meteor?
Like were there paranoid doomsayers in the wild west or colonial America?
I'm not sure if this gets at your question, but humans have always had that mentality, going back to the days of hunter and gatherers. The more food and resources one could stockpile meant more of a chance to overcome catastrophies, like floods, fires, droughts, etc. that would otherwise jeopardize their existence. This same principle applies to stockpiling weapons, as war has always been a part of human life.
I want to re-emphasize that stockpiling and preparing for the worst is something that may not always be possible to achieve, but is instead something we naturally strive towards.