The specter of martial law is one of the most terrifying consequences of an SHTF event. Normally, most of us have little to fear from the police, but when the “greater good” trumps due process and fundamental liberties, preppers and survivalists may become official targets.
Although there are no laws against prepping, that may change with the simple stroke of a pen. If it does, you might discover that you are now a government target and that you need to find somewhere to hide.
In normal situations, martial law lasts as long as the crisis does. However, if there is an EMP or the economy crashes, martial law could last for a lot longer.
Why Does Martial Law Present a Risk to Preppers?
Most of the time, if you are a law-abiding citizen, you have little to worry about if martial law is declared in your area.
But military leaders in the area would be able to take weapons and resources like food and water and give them to other people in the area.
Preppers spend a lot of time and money stockpiling food, water, and supplies to protect their families in a crisis.
Throughout history, hoarding has sometimes been banned or made illegal, and people who had “more than they needed” had their things taken away.
Related: 7 Forgotten Bunkers In America
This is one reason why people who are interested in prepping should follow good operational security (OPSEC) procedures. The fewer people who know about your belongings, the more likely it is that you won’t be a target during martial law.
It’s also possible that those whose political views disagree with those of the current administration might come under further scrutiny.
Whatever your motivation for seeking refuge during a period of martial law, it is advisable to plan your steps in advance rather than after the emergency arises.
Whatever your motivation for seeking refuge during a period of martial law, it is advisable to plan your steps in advance rather than after the emergency arises. The five locations listed below are safe during martial law.
Stay Where You Are
Sometimes hiding in plain sight is the best option. It is probably advisable to stay put and hide your preparations if there is no urgent reason to go.
Being pleasant, kind, and helpful to the soldiers in charge of keeping the area secure is also a good idea.
There is no reason for the military to be interested in you if you never act suspiciously or give off the impression that you will be a problem.
Your goal in this situation is to seem less prepared than you actually are. Your food, water, supplies, and weapons should be stashed away from view, with only a small stockpile left out in the open for the troops to seize if they are responsible for taking supplies.
Soldiers are more likely to search until they find something if they enter your home to seize goods and don’t find anything. They will grab what they can see if you leave some goods either out in the open or extremely sloppily hidden, and they won’t do a thorough check.
Make sure you have bug-out bags ready to go in case the situation deteriorates to the point that you will need to flee, whether you choose to remain in your home during martial law or leave.
Off-Grid Cabin Or Bug Out Location
One of the best ways to cope with martial law is to bug out to an off-grid cabin or bug-out location. The local military commanders won’t even notice you as long as you don’t draw any attention to yourself or your location.
Relate:
You should practice good OPSEC and keep the location of your bug-out location a secret from everyone except those who need to know, as with many other aspects of prepping.
Modern armies will have air support with high-tech infrared imaging, which will make it hard to stay hidden. Making your cabin or bug-out spot appear insignificant enough to prevent further examination is the best method to handle this issue
Friends And Family
A decent place to hide if you find yourself being followed during martial law is with friends or family. People have always sought shelter in the houses of their relatives and friends throughout history, and many will decide to do so during martial law.
The biggest problem with doing this, though, is that you’ll put your loved ones in danger because anyone hunting for you would certainly end up at the door of someone you know or are linked to.
The Wilderness
The option of fleeing into the wilderness in the face of martial law remains, but it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Finding a place to set up camp until the crisis is over can seem like an easy enough task, but it is not as simple as it might seem to live out of a backpack in the woods.
Finding enough food will be a big problem, and it will be hard to stay alive in the wild without drawing the attention of the military.
Military helicopters will ultimately find the heat signatures of your camp and everyone in it, just like going to a cabin or bug-out place. Appearing unthreatening to everyone is crucial.
If you are a skilled outdoors person with personal knowledge of the area, bugging out to the bush is an option to consider. This should only be a last resort if you don’t spend a lot of time in the wilderness.
Prepper Communities
In a preppers’ community, there is one good spot to hide. You may look out for one another and put on a united front if you and your neighbors are on the same page about managing emergencies and the possibility of martial law.
If everyone is on board and acting to deceive the military collectively, it would be simpler to give the soldiers the idea that your town is not properly prepared.
In the case of an emergency, crisis, or disaster, martial law may be called for. When the crisis is over and the soldiers have left, martial law is typically lifted.
Preppers might find themselves in the government’s crosshairs if martial law is enacted at some point in the future with no end in sight. It is unlikely that we will encounter situations like these in the future when we will need to spend time planning our course of action.