An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack is one of the threats that many preppers and survivalists set as the primary focus of their preparedness strategy. One of the reasons for this is that when you are prepared for a sustained grid-down environment, you are ready for most other probable disasters as well. The problem is that […]
Gathering survival supplies is more than just stockpiling food, and the grocery store has plenty of items you need in your stockpile. You’re preparing for anything, and while food and water are essential, you also need first aid supplies, candles, batteries, and other bartering items.
I went through my local grocery store and came up with a few essential survival supplies you can get while doing your regular shopping. If you have a local Walmart, you’ll have all of these or more, but most grocery stores sell these as well.
Let’s take a look at the best survival supplies to look for in the grocery store. You might be surprised that a few of these play a part in survival.
1. Aluminum Foil
Have you ever noticed your grandparents saving aluminum foil? During the Great Depression, this was a huge commodity. It works for meal storage, temporary matches, fishing lures, reflective strips, and even mirrors.
2. Baby Wipes
Most people think of baby wipes only for infants, but they’re great for cleaning, wiping hands and faces, and random tasks. Plus, if you have an infant, you need thousands of baby wipes.
3. Batteries
Batteries are useful for flashlights, radios, and tons of other things. If possible, consider buying batteries in bulk because it’s much more affordable.
4. Blankets
At my local grocery store, I see blankets all the time. Staying warm is essential, so make sure each person in your house has several blankets. These also make great barter items!
5. Bleach
Bleach is a must-have item in all survival stockpiles. Not only can you use bleach for cleaning, but it also helps filter and clean water in an emergency situation.
6. Body Soaps
I prefer to stockpile bars of soap because they’re cheaper than the bottles and store well. They’re also smaller and slip into your bug-out bag. Grab a few packs of body soaps.
7. Borax
If you need to clean clothes, borax is a great natural laundry detergent. It’s not ideal to use all the time and by itself, but in an emergency situation, it works.
8. Cable Ties
Sometimes called zip ties, cable ties are another inexpensive survival supply that you can find at most grocery stores. These will tie your shoes, attach items to your backpack, close gates, and so many other ideas.
9. Can Openers
If the electricity goes out and you need to open cans of soup, you need manual can openers. Having several openers make great barter items.
10. Candles
Learning how to make your own candles is a great DIY project, but most grocery stores sell inexpensive candles. These are a great prep item for electricity losses or even a grid problem.
11. Canning Jars
Most grocery stores sell cases of canning jars. You can never have enough canning jars. They help store water, food, and drinking, along with food preservation.
12. Canning Lids
Canning lids aren’t reusable, so if you can food, you have to replace the lids each time. Boxes of canning lids are inexpensive; I buy some every time I go to the store.
13. Charcoal
If you need to cook on a grill, you need charcoal, or you can toss charcoal into a fire pit with a grate over the top for cooking.
14. Cleaning Gloves
If possible, invest in a thick pair of vinyl gloves. These are useful when treating wounds, cleaning, or sorting through debris. You don’t want to touch certain things during an emergency if you don’t have access to medical professionals if you develop an infection.
15. Coffee Filters
Coffee filters work as filters, funnels, and fire starters. They stack well and fit into backpacks or storage well.
16. Dental Kits
If you check the same aisle as the Orajel, you’ll find emergency dental kits. These are little kits that let you fill a tooth at home until you can get to a dentist.
17. Deodorant
Just because there is an emergency doesn’t mean we need to stink – right? Deodorant might not be life-saving, but when you're living in close quarters with others, it makes a big difference.
18. Dish Soap
Dish soap is a must-have for more than just washing dishes. It’s a multi-purpose cleaner you can use for handwashing, cleaning surfaces, and even as an insect deterrent in a pinch.
19. Disinfectant
Cleanliness is important; you might not think that keeping your bathroom and kitchen clean is important, but it’s needed when you need to survive. The last thing you want is bacteria entering your food, getting everyone in your house sick.
20. Duct Tape
Honestly, is there anything that duct tape won’t fix? Duct tape is versatile and has many uses like fixing pipes, patching holes in a tarp, trail marking, making a DIY sling, and so many other ideas.
21. Eye Drops
Dry, irritated eyes can turn into a real issue in dusty, smoky, or windy conditions. A small bottle of eye drops takes up hardly any space and can make a big difference in comfort and visibility during an emergency.
22. Face Masks
We are so used to wearing face masks nowadays because of Covid, but they should be in your preps too. Pandemic preppers know a far worse virus could arise, so stockpile masks while you can.
23. Feminine Hygiene Products
During an emergency situation, cleanliness is vital. You might not have access to medical professionals, so you need to have plenty of feminine hygiene products. Grab extra pads and tampons for the females in your life.
24. First Aid Supplies
You can never have too many first aid supplies in your survival stockpile. Most grocery stores sell a wide variety of first aid supplies, giving you the perfect opportunity to stock up each time you get groceries.
Examples of some first aid supplies you should stockpile include:
Most grocery stores sell small flashlights, so grab as many as you want. Small flashlights fit well in backpacks and purses.
26. Hand Warmers
Those small packs that heat up in your gloves or boots are fantastic for winter prepping. They’re great to have in bug out bags or car kits when you need quick warmth without a fire.
27. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is one of those versatile items that everyone should have in their pantry. Not only does it have cleaning uses, but it also cleans out wounds and helps to get rid of bacteria that might cause an infection.
28. Ice Packs
Reusable gel ice packs are excellent for first aid, especially for sprains, bruises, or fevers. They’re compact, affordable, and good to keep in a freezer or bug-out bag with a small cooler.
29. Insect Repellent
Bug bites can lead to infections or even serious diseases, depending on where you live. Most grocery stores carry insect repellent sprays, lotions, or wipes. In a survival situation, especially if you’re outdoors or without screens, keeping bugs off your skin helps you stay healthy and comfortable.
30. Lighter Fluid
Lighter fluid makes starting a fire a lot easier. You have to be careful with this, but if you need to start a fire quickly, make sure you have some lighter fluid in your survival supplies.
31. Lighters
Having tons of lighters is a no-brainer when it comes to survival supplies. Fire is listed as one of the most important discoveries ever because it changed our world and humanity. Without fire, you won’t stay warm on cold nights, nor can you cook food.
Yes, learning how to start a fire without a lighter is a great skill – you should practice it – but having an enormous stockpile of lighters is also a great idea.
32. Matches
Matches are even cheaper than lighters, so you can buy large boxes to store with your stockpiles. Boxes of matches are stackable and take up little room in your pantry or emergency supplies.
33. Medications
Pain relievers aren’t the only medication that you need to have on hand for an emergency. You never know what situations might arise. Here are some things to grab at the grocery store:
This might seem random, but nail polish remover with acetone is flammable and works as a fire starter. It also has cleaning and adhesive-removal properties. Just use it safely.
35. Notebooks and Pens
Communication and record-keeping are often overlooked in prepping. A notebook and pen can be used for notes, mapping routes, tracking supplies, or leaving messages. Keep them dry and stored safely.
36. Orajel
Nothing feels worse than a toothache. While good dental hygiene and maintenance are a vital part of prepping, toothaches come out of nowhere. Make sure you have a few tubes of Orajel on hand.
37. Pain Relievers
Fewer medications are as crucial as pain relievers. While you don’t have access to prescription pain medications to stockpile, you should have plenty of over-the-counter medicines on hand. You should stockpile:
You can use paper towels for cleaning spills, wiping hands, filtering water, or even as makeshift napkins and tissues. In a survival situation, anything disposable that helps with sanitation is valuable.
39. Petroleum Jelly
You might not think of petroleum jelly as a survival supply, but it has tons of uses including as a lubricant, wound barrier, fire starter (when used with cotton balls), and even lip balm.
40. Reading Glasses
If you or someone in your household needs reading glasses, having extras is a must. Without them, it’s hard to read labels, fix small gear, or even tend to wounds. And if you know how, you can use them to start a fire. Most grocery stores have cheap ones in various strengths.
41. Reading Lights or Clip-On Book Lights
These tiny LED lights often show up near the book or stationery aisles. They’re perfect for reading maps, signaling, or working at night without lighting up a whole room. They run on small batteries and are a quiet prepper’s best friend.
42. Rubber Gloves
Rubber gloves are great for handling waste, cleaning up messes, or protecting your hands when dealing with unknown substances. I keep several pairs in each bug out bag and under the kitchen sink.
43. Safety Pins
Safety pins are small but mighty. They work for first aid, fixing torn clothes or gear, improvising fishing hooks, and many other things. They always come in handy.
44. Sewing Supplies
Whenever I’m at the grocery store or dollar store, I see sewing supplies. I suggest that everyone has sewing supplies in their preps. Not only are these useful for mending situations, but sewing supplies might be a bartering item as well.
45. Super Glue
Like duct tape and cable ties, super glue is essential for your stockpile. Whether you need to superglue glasses or wood, you can use this.
46. Toilet Paper
You don’t need to stockpile toilet paper as we saw during the start of the pandemic, but it’s one of those items we take for granted until we no longer have it. We saw the panic first hand – people began searching everywhere for packs of toilet paper, and the store began to limit the number you could purchase.
47. Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
You never can be too cautious when it comes to dental hygiene. A tooth infection will kill you, and if SHTF, you might not have access to medical professionals or dentists. Keep your mouth clean!
48. Trash Bags
From protecting items to tossing out nasty waste, trash bags are a must-have item in your preps. They’re not just for garbage. You can use them as emergency ponchos, ground cover, waterproofing for gear, makeshift toilets with a bucket, and many other things.
49. Vitamins
Vitamins should be a regular part of your life; it’s hard to take in all of the vitamins needed through diet alone. In an emergency, when access to food might be limited, vitamins keep your body healthy. They don’t provide calories, but they make sure your body has the vitamins needed for proper functions.
50. Ziploc Bags
Having different-sized Ziploc bags on hand is excellent for storage, organization, and even bartering. They keep items dry, gear organized, and can hold everything from matches to medical supplies. You can use them to ration food, protect electronics, create small waterproof kits. and much more.
Final Thoughts
Next time you go to the store, look for the items above. You might be surprised by the different survival supplies to look for in the grocery store; it’s time to grow your stockpile beyond food!
Gathering survival supplies is more than just stockpiling food, and the grocery store has plenty of items you need in your stockpile. You’re preparing for anything, and while food and water are essential, you also need first aid supplies, candles, batteries, and other bartering items.
I went through my local grocery store and came up with a few essential survival supplies you can get while doing your regular shopping. If you have a local Walmart, you’ll have all of these or more, but most grocery stores sell these as well.
Let’s take a look at the best survival supplies to look for in the grocery store. You might be surprised that a few of these play a part in survival.
1. Aluminum Foil
Have you ever noticed your grandparents saving aluminum foil? During the Great Depression, this was a huge commodity. It works for meal storage, temporary matches, fishing lures, reflective strips, and even mirrors.
2. Baby Wipes
Most people think of baby wipes only for infants, but they’re great for cleaning, wiping hands and faces, and random tasks. Plus, if you have an infant, you need thousands of baby wipes.
3. Batteries
Batteries are useful for flashlights, radios, and tons of other things. If possible, consider buying batteries in bulk because it’s much more affordable.
4. Blankets
At my local grocery store, I see blankets all the time. Staying warm is essential, so make sure each person in your house has several blankets. These also make great barter items!
5. Bleach
Bleach is a must-have item in all survival stockpiles. Not only can you use bleach for cleaning, but it also helps filter and clean water in an emergency situation.
6. Body Soaps
I prefer to stockpile bars of soap because they’re cheaper than the bottles and store well. They’re also smaller and slip into your bug-out bag. Grab a few packs of body soaps.
7. Borax
If you need to clean clothes, borax is a great natural laundry detergent. It’s not ideal to use all the time and by itself, but in an emergency situation, it works.
8. Cable Ties
Sometimes called zip ties, cable ties are another inexpensive survival supply that you can find at most grocery stores. These will tie your shoes, attach items to your backpack, close gates, and so many other ideas.
9. Can Openers
If the electricity goes out and you need to open cans of soup, you need manual can openers. Having several openers make great barter items.
10. Candles
Learning how to make your own candles is a great DIY project, but most grocery stores sell inexpensive candles. These are a great prep item for electricity losses or even a grid problem.
11. Canning Jars
Most grocery stores sell cases of canning jars. You can never have enough canning jars. They help store water, food, and drinking, along with food preservation.
12. Canning Lids
Canning lids aren’t reusable, so if you can food, you have to replace the lids each time. Boxes of canning lids are inexpensive; I buy some every time I go to the store.
13. Charcoal
If you need to cook on a grill, you need charcoal, or you can toss charcoal into a fire pit with a grate over the top for cooking.
14. Cleaning Gloves
If possible, invest in a thick pair of vinyl gloves. These are useful when treating wounds, cleaning, or sorting through debris. You don’t want to touch certain things during an emergency if you don’t have access to medical professionals if you develop an infection.
15. Coffee Filters
Coffee filters work as filters, funnels, and fire starters. They stack well and fit into backpacks or storage well.
16. Dental Kits
If you check the same aisle as the Orajel, you’ll find emergency dental kits. These are little kits that let you fill a tooth at home until you can get to a dentist.
17. Deodorant
Just because there is an emergency doesn’t mean we need to stink – right? Deodorant might not be life-saving, but when you're living in close quarters with others, it makes a big difference.
18. Dish Soap
Dish soap is a must-have for more than just washing dishes. It’s a multi-purpose cleaner you can use for handwashing, cleaning surfaces, and even as an insect deterrent in a pinch.
19. Disinfectant
Cleanliness is important; you might not think that keeping your bathroom and kitchen clean is important, but it’s needed when you need to survive. The last thing you want is bacteria entering your food, getting everyone in your house sick.
20. Duct Tape
Honestly, is there anything that duct tape won’t fix? Duct tape is versatile and has many uses like fixing pipes, patching holes in a tarp, trail marking, making a DIY sling, and so many other ideas.
21. Eye Drops
Dry, irritated eyes can turn into a real issue in dusty, smoky, or windy conditions. A small bottle of eye drops takes up hardly any space and can make a big difference in comfort and visibility during an emergency.
22. Face Masks
We are so used to wearing face masks nowadays because of Covid, but they should be in your preps too. Pandemic preppers know a far worse virus could arise, so stockpile masks while you can.
23. Feminine Hygiene Products
During an emergency situation, cleanliness is vital. You might not have access to medical professionals, so you need to have plenty of feminine hygiene products. Grab extra pads and tampons for the females in your life.
24. First Aid Supplies
You can never have too many first aid supplies in your survival stockpile. Most grocery stores sell a wide variety of first aid supplies, giving you the perfect opportunity to stock up each time you get groceries.
Examples of some first aid supplies you should stockpile include:
Most grocery stores sell small flashlights, so grab as many as you want. Small flashlights fit well in backpacks and purses.
26. Hand Warmers
Those small packs that heat up in your gloves or boots are fantastic for winter prepping. They’re great to have in bug out bags or car kits when you need quick warmth without a fire.
27. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is one of those versatile items that everyone should have in their pantry. Not only does it have cleaning uses, but it also cleans out wounds and helps to get rid of bacteria that might cause an infection.
28. Ice Packs
Reusable gel ice packs are excellent for first aid, especially for sprains, bruises, or fevers. They’re compact, affordable, and good to keep in a freezer or bug-out bag with a small cooler.
29. Insect Repellent
Bug bites can lead to infections or even serious diseases, depending on where you live. Most grocery stores carry insect repellent sprays, lotions, or wipes. In a survival situation, especially if you’re outdoors or without screens, keeping bugs off your skin helps you stay healthy and comfortable.
30. Lighter Fluid
Lighter fluid makes starting a fire a lot easier. You have to be careful with this, but if you need to start a fire quickly, make sure you have some lighter fluid in your survival supplies.
31. Lighters
Having tons of lighters is a no-brainer when it comes to survival supplies. Fire is listed as one of the most important discoveries ever because it changed our world and humanity. Without fire, you won’t stay warm on cold nights, nor can you cook food.
Yes, learning how to start a fire without a lighter is a great skill – you should practice it – but having an enormous stockpile of lighters is also a great idea.
32. Matches
Matches are even cheaper than lighters, so you can buy large boxes to store with your stockpiles. Boxes of matches are stackable and take up little room in your pantry or emergency supplies.
33. Medications
Pain relievers aren’t the only medication that you need to have on hand for an emergency. You never know what situations might arise. Here are some things to grab at the grocery store:
This might seem random, but nail polish remover with acetone is flammable and works as a fire starter. It also has cleaning and adhesive-removal properties. Just use it safely.
35. Notebooks and Pens
Communication and record-keeping are often overlooked in prepping. A notebook and pen can be used for notes, mapping routes, tracking supplies, or leaving messages. Keep them dry and stored safely.
36. Orajel
Nothing feels worse than a toothache. While good dental hygiene and maintenance are a vital part of prepping, toothaches come out of nowhere. Make sure you have a few tubes of Orajel on hand.
37. Pain Relievers
Fewer medications are as crucial as pain relievers. While you don’t have access to prescription pain medications to stockpile, you should have plenty of over-the-counter medicines on hand. You should stockpile:
You can use paper towels for cleaning spills, wiping hands, filtering water, or even as makeshift napkins and tissues. In a survival situation, anything disposable that helps with sanitation is valuable.
39. Petroleum Jelly
You might not think of petroleum jelly as a survival supply, but it has tons of uses including as a lubricant, wound barrier, fire starter (when used with cotton balls), and even lip balm.
40. Reading Glasses
If you or someone in your household needs reading glasses, having extras is a must. Without them, it’s hard to read labels, fix small gear, or even tend to wounds. And if you know how, you can use them to start a fire. Most grocery stores have cheap ones in various strengths.
41. Reading Lights or Clip-On Book Lights
These tiny LED lights often show up near the book or stationery aisles. They’re perfect for reading maps, signaling, or working at night without lighting up a whole room. They run on small batteries and are a quiet prepper’s best friend.
42. Rubber Gloves
Rubber gloves are great for handling waste, cleaning up messes, or protecting your hands when dealing with unknown substances. I keep several pairs in each bug out bag and under the kitchen sink.
43. Safety Pins
Safety pins are small but mighty. They work for first aid, fixing torn clothes or gear, improvising fishing hooks, and many other things. They always come in handy.
44. Sewing Supplies
Whenever I’m at the grocery store or dollar store, I see sewing supplies. I suggest that everyone has sewing supplies in their preps. Not only are these useful for mending situations, but sewing supplies might be a bartering item as well.
45. Super Glue
Like duct tape and cable ties, super glue is essential for your stockpile. Whether you need to superglue glasses or wood, you can use this.
46. Toilet Paper
You don’t need to stockpile toilet paper as we saw during the start of the pandemic, but it’s one of those items we take for granted until we no longer have it. We saw the panic first hand – people began searching everywhere for packs of toilet paper, and the store began to limit the number you could purchase.
47. Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
You never can be too cautious when it comes to dental hygiene. A tooth infection will kill you, and if SHTF, you might not have access to medical professionals or dentists. Keep your mouth clean!
48. Trash Bags
From protecting items to tossing out nasty waste, trash bags are a must-have item in your preps. They’re not just for garbage. You can use them as emergency ponchos, ground cover, waterproofing for gear, makeshift toilets with a bucket, and many other things.
49. Vitamins
Vitamins should be a regular part of your life; it’s hard to take in all of the vitamins needed through diet alone. In an emergency, when access to food might be limited, vitamins keep your body healthy. They don’t provide calories, but they make sure your body has the vitamins needed for proper functions.
50. Ziploc Bags
Having different-sized Ziploc bags on hand is excellent for storage, organization, and even bartering. They keep items dry, gear organized, and can hold everything from matches to medical supplies. You can use them to ration food, protect electronics, create small waterproof kits. and much more.
Final Thoughts
Next time you go to the store, look for the items above. You might be surprised by the different survival supplies to look for in the grocery store; it’s time to grow your stockpile beyond food!
Here’s more on natural disaster preparedness tips that you need to know. It’s no surprise that natural disasters seem to be occurring more frequently every year, but what is surprising is that most Americans remain unprepared when they do happen.
Even the recent pandemic took many of us by surprise, as grocery store shelves were quickly emptied in a short period.
Currently, Texas and North Carolina are experiencing flooding. It’s my understanding that an article stated it’s a dozen 1000-year storms in 3 days. Please read AccuWeather for more information. Harry mentioned to me they are still on a boil-only water situation. Harry, please update if you read this. Thank you, my sweet friend.
Being prepared for these dangerous situations by having the right supplies, as well as knowing how to deal with them, may very well save your family’s lives one day. In case you missed this post, Power Grid Failure: What You Will Need
Prepare an Emergency Supply
I want you to pause and ask yourself: if a natural disaster were to hit your area sometime shortly, would you have enough food, water, and other essential supplies to hunker down and survive the aftermath? I wouldn’t be surprised if the answer were no, because that’s typically the case for most people. But that doesn’t have to continue being the case. These are several emergency supplies and items that you’ll need to start rounding up:
At least a 3-day supply of food for everyone in your family (nonperishable foods).
A minimum of a 3-day supply of drinking water for everyone in your family. (On average, you’ll need 4 gallons of water a day, per person, covering all your drinking and sanitary purposes.)
Face masks
First-aid kit
Medicine
Extra cash
Flashlight with extra batteries
Lighter and matches
A multi-tool that comes with a knife
Spare clothing for each member of your family
Sleeping bags
Camping Tent
Emergency blankets
Hand Crank weather radio
Two-way radios
A whistle and emergency flares
Duct tape
Trash bags, baby wipes, and hand sanitizer
All your Important documents and valuables should be kept in a waterproof container.
Entertainment for you and the kids.
Multiple Different Ways to Get Fresh Water
It could take up to a week or two, or possibly even longer, before your area’s drinking water is restored to proper working order. What will you do if your backup drinking water runs out? Before it ever comes to this, there are several ways to purify water.
Boiling water is the best way to ensure that all bacteria, fungi, and parasites have been destroyed. However, if you’re unable to heat your water, you can use fragrance-free bleach to clean it, provided your household bleach contains 5% to 6% sodium hypochlorite. For every gallon of water you plan to use, you’ll need 1/2 teaspoon of bleach, or approximately 40 drops using an eyedropper.
Make sure you don’t use bleach with a scent, as it contains chemicals that aren’t good for you.
You also have the option of using a water filter to purify your drinking water. The LifeStrawis one portable water filter option that allows you to drink directly from almost any water source. There’s also the Sawyer Mini, which can filter up to 100,000 gallons of water before needing to be replaced.
Have an Escape Plan
Several disasters may require you to escape from your home, whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, wildfire, flood, or even a terrorist threat. You should already have an escape plan in place, especially if you live in a city or a highly populated area. That’s because everyone will be fighting over limited resources, and a lot of looting is likely to occur. This is why escaping to less populated areas is probably a safer option for you and your family.
What happens if your primary route out of town is blocked by thousands of others who are fleeing? You’ll need to know the backroads and several alternative routes to get out quickly.
Once you’ve got your family to safety, where will you be staying? And lastly, what if the disaster takes place when you and your family members are all separated? You need to have a meeting location already in place because you never know if all cell phone service will be down.
Extend the Battery on Your Phone
If your cell phone is still working after a disaster, you’ll want to keep it operational for as long as possible. That way, you can get in touch with relatives to let them know that you’re doing okay and what your plans are in the meantime. Extend the life of your cell phone battery by doing the following:
Turn off every family member’s phone except one.
Put your cell phone on airplane mode.
Close all the apps that you aren’t using.
Turn off voice command (Siri).
Disable the vibrate setting for notifications, which uses extra power.
As I mentioned already, your family may be in separate locations when the disaster strikes. Likely, your home may not be a safe place to meet after a disaster. This is why you should have several different meeting places picked out for use when your family tries to meet up. These are a few options for you to consider:
Within Your Neighborhood: The threat may only pose a danger to you when you return home. You could meet at your mailbox or a neighbor’s house.
Just Beyond Your Neighborhood: You also need to come up with a location that’s within walking distance of your home, if the threat only affects your neighborhood. Consider safe places such as a police station, your local library, or a nearby park.
Within Your Region: The disaster’s threat may render your entire town or city unsafe. Choose a location, whether it’s a friend’s or relative’s house, that’s within an hour or two’s drive from your home.
Consider Family Member Circumstances: If you have children or someone with special medical needs, your choices may be limited, but certainly need to be evaluated before the disaster hits.
Staying Warm During a Power Outage
Should heavy snowfall or an ice storm cause your area’s power to go out, you need to know how to stay warm. For those of you who have a fireplace or a wood stove, your family will have a much easier time staying warm. Always ensure you have plenty of dry firewood or coal (if applicable) to keep it going. Consider these other options for keeping your family warm when the electricity goes out:
Wear extra layers of clothing.
Insulate your windows and doors by placing blankets around them.
High-quality sleeping bags will trap your body heat more effectively than a blanket.
Drink warm fluids (hot cocoa, coffee, tea).
Wear hand warmers and a wool or fleece hat.
Have your family sleep in a camping tent in your living room, which will help trap your body heat.
You never know what type of natural disaster you may be facing, and there’s no way to be entirely prepared when one happens. But with these preparedness tips, your family will be in a much better situation when one does occur. What natural disaster preparedness tips would you add to this list? May God bless this world, Linda.
Copyright Images: Home Damaged Deposit photos_166834396_s-2019
As society gets closer and closer to an all-out collapse, things will start to fall apart. Infrastructure will crumble, businesses will close, and institutions will break down. Eventually, things will become so chaotic that the government will likely impose martial law.
Theoretically, martial law is when the military takes over from civilian authorities because the civilian government is unable to do its job and protect the people. That is, however, quite different from what usually happens. Rather than the military declaring martial law, it is the civilian government that declares it, essentially implementing an authoritarian rule.
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the city flooded. Government officials called for a general evacuation, but not everyone obeyed. Several thousand people stayed in the city, and some of them took advantage of the nearly empty city by looting. Such activity is common after any disaster, but the government’s response was not common.
Local authorities declared martial law in New Orleans and the surrounding area, suspending people’s rights, supposedly in an effort to protect them. I have never been able to understand how taking people’s rights away from them, which criminals will ignore, will help make anyone safer. But politicians think differently than you and I and are likely to do the darndest things in the name of “public safety.”
This example shows us one thing that is clear: regardless of any other consideration, our government, at all levels, believes they have the right to institute martial law whenever they see fit. Even if the federal government never declares martial law, state and local governments have that right, even without an executive order.
Besides, what could any of us do should the government decide to institute martial law? Are we going to rebel against the government for that? Are we going to organize ourselves as a militia and start a civil war? While some may speak of doing such things, the likelihood of them happening is very low.
Even so, any government office declaring martial law would need a good pretext for doing so. Otherwise, they would end up in court with a dozen different civic groups suing them for their actions. It would take something along the lines of major civil disorder to justify such action.
However, major civil disorder is going to become more and more common. So what can we expect if the government does declare martial law? Here are 10 things that could happen.
Curfew
Probably one of the most common restrictions under martial law is imposition of curfew on civilians. The justification for this is that criminals and those who would rebel against the government operate under the cover of darkness. Anyone caught breaking curfew could be arrested, although if there are no other charges, they would probably be released fairly quickly.
Fingerprinting and Identification
Martial law requires controlling the civilian population, which in turn necessitates some way of identifying who is there and whether they should be there or not. That means fingerprinting everyone and issuing them new identification.
Police, military and other officials can ask for that identification at any time. If it is not produced, the individual would be arrested and held until their identification could be verified.
Control Hospitals and Emergency Facilities
If martial law is declared because of disasters or crisis, there’s a good chance that medical and emergency facilities will be overrun. To deal with that, the government would take control of those facilities.
This could mean having guards at the hospitals, or it could go as far as government bureaucrats making decisions on who receives treatment. Anyone who was brought to the hospital with an injury inflicted in a fight would likely be investigated.
Curtailing of First Amendment Rights
It is typical during martial law for the government to take control of the media, controlling what information is put out to the public. With so much information being put out over the internet today, this could go as far as to cutting off or severely limiting internet access.
Travel Restrictions
Some martial law situations include imposing travel restrictions. This would be especially true if martial law was declared because of civil unrest or civil war.
The purpose of such restrictions would be to try and stop those with criminal intent from coming into the area or bringing arms into the area for illegal activity. Yet to do that would put restrictions on everyone, including those who are totally innocent.
Confiscation of Firearms
Another highly likely occurrence during martial law would be the confiscation of firearms, with police or military going door-to-door for that purpose. This happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In many cases, the officials doing the confiscating were taking guns from the hands of their hunting buddies.
By and large, governments do not trust guns in the hands of anyone they don’t directly control. When they start placing restrictions on citizens, one immediate concern is that the people will rebel against those restrictions. That makes confiscation of firearms an imperative, before people can organize to rebel.
Prohibit Sales of Certain Items
In an effort to curtail crime, officials may decide to shut down certain businesses or prohibit the sale of certain items, especially alcohol, ammunition, or firearms.
In the case of severe shortages, they might control the sale of motor fuel or other critical items which are needed by emergency services. This should not extend to other items, especially those which are necessary for day-to-day survival.
Possible Rationing of Resources
During World War II, the federal government instituted rationing for a number of war-critical materials, including food.
While only the state of Hawaii was under martial law, the rest of the country may as well have been. The country was on a war footing, and the government was concerned about spies and saboteurs from both our enemies and our supposed friends.
Possible Confiscation of Food for Redistribution
In severe circumstances, the government might go as far as confiscating food and other critical items for redistribution.
While the executive order that allows this at a federal level is not very specific, the DHS probably wouldn’t be interested in preppers’ stockpiles, but rather in wholesale stocks of food and other supplies that are necessary. Should things get so bad that the DHS is knocking on preppers’ doors to get their stockpiles, it will probably be too late, as others will have probably stormed those houses first.
Commandeer Businesses
Finally, the government has the right to commandeer businesses, especially when national security is at risk. During World War II, much of American manufacturing was turned to war production. While the government contracts were lucrative, the businesses really didn’t have much choice.