When the SHTF, the government will likely be looking to control resources in any way possible.
It may not happen on day one, but once the realization sets in that things aren’t going back to normal anytime soon, you can bet there will be teams tasked with confiscating essential supplies.
Whether it’s to maintain order, support the military, or simply for the benefit of those in power, the government’s priority will be to secure what they need, even if it means taking it from you.
In this article we are going to look at some of the key items that could be targeted during a crisis and offer strategies to help you keep what’s yours.
Firearms and Ammunition
Guns are one of the first things that any government will want to get off the streets in a crisis.
Controlling firearms means controlling people, it’s as simple as that. Historically, disarmament has been the go-to move for governments looking to curb civilian resistance.
During martial law or other emergency situations, officials may demand citizens turn over their weapons. Whether they justify it for public safety or use other pretexts, it’s safe to assume that your guns will be on their radar.
How to Protect Your Firearms:
- Bury and Conceal: Consider using PVC pipes to bury some of your firearms securely. Seal them against moisture to keep rust at bay, and make sure you bury them somewhere you won’t forget—but that also wouldn’t be obvious to a casual observer.
- Diversify Storage: Avoid keeping all your firearms in one place. If authorities raid your home, they’ll likely do a thorough search, but diversifying your storage—using hidden compartments or even trusted friends—can mean the difference between losing everything and retaining some defenses.
Food Stockpiles
If a crisis lasts longer than a few days, food will become scarce. The government may step in to “manage” the distribution of food, especially if the crisis affects supply chains nationwide.
This means that the stash you’ve been carefully growing and preserving may be at risk of being seized for “the greater good.”
How to Hide Your Food Supply:
- Hide in Plain Sight: Keeping some decoy supplies can be a clever way to misdirect anyone searching for food. A small, obvious pantry might be seized while the real stash remains hidden.
Related: How to Grow a Food Garden Completely Hidden in Plain Sight
- False Walls and Floors: Construct false walls or floors to hide your larger supplies. A hidden crawlspace or cellar can keep bulk food items out of sight. Vacuum-sealed bags can make your stockpile less bulky and easier to store in these concealed locations.
- Dehydrated Foods: Consider keeping a large part of your food supply in dehydrated form. These are easy to store, take up minimal space, and can be discreetly concealed in smaller areas—like the attic or behind furniture.
Fuel and Energy Sources
Gasoline, diesel, and even firewood could become hot commodities when the SHTF.
Governments will want fuel to keep emergency services, military operations, and other critical systems running.
As such, your stored fuel might become a target for confiscation.
How to Protect Your Fuel:
- Split Your Storage: Don’t store all your fuel in one big tank. Consider using smaller containers and spreading them out. Hide some in your garage, some in a shed, and even consider burying a few.
- Alternative Fuels: If you have the means to generate your own fuel, such as biodiesel, you’ll have more flexibility. Producing fuel from waste oil, for instance, can keep you going without tapping into your limited, vulnerable fuel reserves.
- Use Visual Deception: Keep only a small amount of fuel visible. A half-empty tank might discourage confiscation if it appears that there isn’t enough to be worth taking.
Medical Supplies
Medicine, first aid kits, and other medical supplies will be incredibly valuable in a prolonged crisis.
Governments will likely want to centralize these supplies to ration and distribute them as they see fit.
If you’ve stockpiled essential medicines, painkillers, or antibiotics, these could be high-priority confiscation items.
How to Keep Your Medical Supplies Safe:
- Blend in: Keep some supplies in a visible first aid kit. Officials may seize that but overlook the less obvious stashes hidden in other places, like behind wall outlets or inside fake containers.
- Use False Packaging: Store medical supplies in less obvious packaging. For instance, keep medicines in old, generic supplement bottles rather than clearly labeled boxes.
- Diversify Storage: As with food and firearms, keeping medical supplies in several locations can reduce the risk of losing everything at once.
Precious Metals and Cash
During a major crisis, digital assets may become useless, and bartering could become the norm.
Physical assets like gold, silver, and cash will become targets for confiscation, especially if the government decides to nationalize private wealth to support the ‘greater good.’
How to Protect Your Wealth:
- Diversify and Hide: Keep your precious metals in different places. Hide smaller amounts in unconventional spots—like hollowed-out books, old paint cans, or disguised among everyday items.
- Burying Assets: If you’re storing significant amounts of cash or precious metals, burying them in waterproof containers might be your best bet. Make sure to document where you’ve buried your assets without making it easy for others to find.
- Use Decoys: If officials come searching, having a small amount in an obvious hiding place might satisfy them and keep them from digging deeper.
Communication Devices
Two-way radios, HAM radios, and satellite phones will be key for staying informed when traditional communication lines are down.
These devices will also be something the government wants to control—to limit the spread of information and prevent organized resistance.
How to Keep Your Communications Under Wraps:
- Disguised Storage: Keep your communication devices in nondescript containers. Store radios in a box marked as “Christmas Decorations” or hide them inside an old appliance.
- EMP-Proof Cloth: To protect your devices from EMP attacks or to simply keep them out of sight, wrap them in an EMP-Proof Cloth.
- Have Backup Options: Keep backup communication devices, like inexpensive walkie-talkies, hidden in different places. Even if one gets seized, you’ll have other means of staying in contact.
Generators and Power Sources
Generators, solar panels, and battery banks will be crucial for providing power when the grid goes down.
As these can be critical to maintaining some semblance of normalcy, they’re also likely to be targeted by officials looking to control resources.
How to Protect Your Power Sources:
- Camouflage and Conceal: Solar panels are hard to hide, but you can try camouflaging them or placing them in less obvious locations. Ground-level panels might be concealed by surrounding them with garden beds or other structures.
- Silent Generators: If possible, invest in a quieter generator. The less noise you make, the less attention you’ll draw from neighbors or officials.
- Distribute Batteries: Keep smaller battery packs hidden in several locations. While a large battery bank is useful, it’s also easy to seize.
Livestock and Home-Grown Food
If you have livestock or a garden, the government may see these as resources to “share for the greater good.” Chickens, goats, and even home-grown produce could be rounded up to support emergency efforts.
Related: Never Feed This to Your Chickens
How to Keep Your Food Supply Hidden:
- Keep It Small and Mobile: Smaller livestock like chickens can be kept in more concealed coops that are easy to move if necessary. This mobility makes it harder for anyone to track them down.
- Plant Edible Ornamentals: Instead of a vegetable garden that’s easy to spot, consider planting edible ornamentals. Herbs, berries, and other edibles that blend in with the landscape can be overlooked during searches.
- Move Your Livestock: If things get tense, consider relocating your livestock to a friend or family member’s property for a while. It’s harder to take what they can’t find.
When it comes to a true SHTF scenario, you need to think ahead about how to protect what’s yours. The government, under the guise of emergency management, will want to gather and redistribute essential supplies—sometimes at the expense of those who prepared.
By diversifying your storage, using concealment strategies, and having backup plans, you can make it much harder for anyone to take what you’ve worked so hard to gather.
Remember, in times of chaos, the smart survivor is the one who stays one step ahead—and keeps their head down.
You may also like:
Rechargeable Emergency Items to Always Have in the House
If You Have This on Your Property, Hide It Immediately (Video)
How to Hide Your Livestock When SHTF
An interesting idea on Election Day. The President when SHTF will make a difference in confiscation… and how the fan blows. Or is there an under-riding government control going forward? The biggest problem of confiscation are hungry neighbors.
Vote, Vote, Vote for MAGA!
In NY the government agents came to get Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon who were pets, taken by armed environmentalist and executed both. We are just following policy of death, just orders.
Just the Afghan Withdrawal leaving our $83 billion USD of taxpayer military weapons coming across the open southern border with illegal terrorist here.
Will you let the rich elites win, like George Soros, OBAMA and Bill Gates taking our freedoms away?
Think what will happen when Harris and Walz, God forbid take the white house. You think Covid, Peanut and Fred are bad, make America Great Again, thank you GOD!
More scate tactics from the right. How shitty it must be to love a felon and a rapist, while your freedoms for reproductive care is stripped away. So when you, your daughter or sister are bleeding out on the floor, what will you say, go MAGA, or, I need to go s**k gods d**k now.
Disgusting.
Somebody is drinking the KoolAide. When you have most of his staff and generals telling the world that he is dangerous, perhaps you should listen to them. When you have someone falsely claiming the election was stolen and 99% of the judges disagreed throwing the cases out, perhaps you should listen to them. That includes his own appointed judges. I his lies about immigrants, legal or otherwise, eating dogs and cats is rediculous and has been denied by both Republicans and Democrats in Springfield. I hate Harris, but I hate wannabe dictators more. He is deranged and could not tell the truth if it got up and bit him on his backside.
Isn’t Trump and Musk part of the Elite? and the Government? You think you are “safe” with them being in Office? They both will rob this country blind and then sell us to the highest bidder! You just wait and see what freedoms will be taken when the tRump cult is in charge.
The Government will be much hungrier than your neighbors.
Robert if I ever saw it!
ROBERY
If the government tried this it would mean a civil war. Hate to see a bunch of city folks try that in rural America. Might not work out the way they planned.
There are people in the sanctuary states that are conservative in suburbia out numbered by the Harris illegal voters given free housing, school and food.
The elites want us to start the civil war to have martial law, well don’t do it yet, too soon.
We have too many indoctrinated public, Liberalism is a mental disorder.
BORDERS, LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, AMERICA!
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Grey-man. Remain obscure but DO go stand in line with others for relief. You eventually will be noticed if not!
Who hasn’t gone to a thrift store to buy clothes that are too big? Wearing clothes that make you look like you’re losing weight can help you to blend into those lines.
Hiding what is yours is the most ludicrous fearmongering idea uttered! What protective value is hidden weapon(s) going to provide me when some unprepared mental midget decides I look ripe for the pickings? How do you hide months of food you accumulated for your survival in anticipation of this very insanity; now I’m suppose to clandestinely dig up MY hidden food on a daily basis, like a thief in the night, in order to feed my family? We know the dumocrats are stupid; however, they will clear you house like sh_t through a goose, repeatedly, until they get everything you own! If you let them.
What is mine stays mine! No “stinkin” badge or liberal judge issued warrant is going give them a right to STEAL from me as long as I haven’t broken any real law, and possession of my weapons and survival commodities is not considered illegal, they are mine! No tyrannical gestapo is just going to waltz in and take anything! I am willing to die for my possessions and the right to defend my God given rights to freedom of ownership. This is the United States, not some sh_t hole of a nation like, China, North Korea, Iran, Russia, or Nazi Germany!
Years long ago, I took an oath to defend the the United State Constitution against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC. I proudly accept the moniker of “domestic terrorist” proclaimed by Hilary, Bidumb and Hair Ass. Just because I no longer wear that uniform I took that oath in, I will continue to abide by that oath to the death! When enough true patriots grow a pair and stand up against these Marxists, then, will this country once again become the “land of the free”!
Somewhere, sometime, someone must draw the line, and not permit these radicals from crossing over it!
Ever read the 4th amendment?
Liberty or Death!
When they try to take away Our Liberty………………..THEY DIE!
MOLON LABE Shadow…..All the way to the halls of Valhalla!
The government agents killed Peanut and Fred.They
will pay for that one day.
All of gods creatures great and small
As far as confiscations I think they will try for a while
but when enough of them leave a widow and orphans
behind even the bosses will realize that they have bitten
off more than they care to chew.
Agree Chuck
I am sad those two animal pets were executed by the liberals, environmentalist at that. These Marxist have for years trying to divide America, will we let them win?
Harris wins, mandatory gun confiscations. In California the law enforcement have gun buy back programs that are a soft gun confiscation with gift certificates, shame on them. 2A in danger with these spinless useful idiots in charge.
God help us!
So what, they’re vermin. You seem to love vermin and rodents more than people.
NAILED it.
FEMA bailed out of areas in N.C. based on rumors of aggression. I doubt confiscation is much to actually worry about from dotgov. Groups of other people would likely pose a larger threat depending on location.
This is why they the left , woke, perverts Did away with the Ten Commandments in school, public, gov. and anywhere that pricks thier conscience , and then since the sixties , they the evil leaders of the elites have installed those who will do thier bidding and perform thier agenda .
No God, No Conscience , No accountability , and definitely lovers of self, pleasure, money, possitions
Making thier science fake religeons the propaganda Tool of the schools, colleges, training centers .
Then after they trained the lacky followers thru TV , Radio , Inet
They started the Agenda , Pay all who will play , Get rid of all who wont .
Think your safe Guess again Nothing you have cannot be taken , stolen , grifted from you thru taxation tactics from , Lazy sloths
Many recent examples Hawaii , North corolina just a start
Making exemptions for the crime familys for the evil they comit .
as stated above Covert , diversion , keep under the cloak of secrecy and cover
wish you the best as we just begin
Yet you vote for a felon and a rapist and allow them to push that god bullshit on everyone.
Hurt people hurt people. How have you been hurt? Your hurt exudes from every word you post.
The first response after reading this was that these were things we were discussing/advocating in the previous decade or two. Yes, the 80’s and 90’s. Yawn…move along, nothing new here!
If anything, the only new regarding this topic is the rather profound improvements in “discovery technology” and populace surveillance/monitoring [all forms audio and video] during that period of time. Yes, theirs!
Unlikely that they will go door to door confiscating.
However, your neighbors can rat you out (especially if you do not share with them) and THEN the thugs will come bursting in.
It is prudent to hid a portion of your things, especially guns and ammo.
Another thing is that you can poison some food just for them to take.
You do know that the first ones to get and consume your supplies are politicians then jack booted thugs.
I like that idea. Silent killers should be in everyone’s stash.
Yet you vote for a felon and a rapist and allow them to push that god bullshit on everyone.
I bet the DNC would love to see this happen.It’s probably one of their top 10 favorite dreams .
It’s going to be a Long, Brutal & Bloody War, isn’t it?!
As long as we respect our constitution….should be a cake walk .
Lisa B
If you believe that Trump is a felon or a rapist; you need to stick you head back in that bucket of sand you have kept it so well preserved in.
50 yrs ago this country sent me half way around the world to kill “bullies and dictators”. They are the people who think they have the right (or insight) to tell you what you are to be doing, with what God has blessed you with by the labor of your hands. I had no problem with my task or assignment. (Unfortunately; most were just pawns being used by the bullies and dictators). Anyhow; it will be up to the eternal judge as to weather or not He reveals just how many we sent His way. (it’s a bunch for sure). They (the bullies & dictators) decide who gets what and where or what they will do with the rest of what you have labored for – we called them communists or now their new title is democrate. You are Gods own special fool; if you think that for the sake of “convince” the slaughter of the unborn should be labeled “freedom of choice”. And your “freedom of choice” is all about- “my time, my economic situation, my image or whatever” and this child needs to die because it is an inconvenience to you – again I would say “you are Gods own special fool”. Not long after I left the service; I became a Christian. Now i recognized that God created fools such as you; and He will allow you to go along your chosen willy nilly path, so His divine purpose and sovereign will be brought to consummation. Then as He rolls up heaven and earth like a worn out robe; we will see where we each fit into it.
I can only hope that you are still alive to see the civil war style mass graves your “democratic” party creates in a land that was blessed by the bounty of the God and not the “free” handouts that some one owes you.
You are literally; “dumber than a box of rocks”.
Lk 19:40
Well Mo,
tRump is a weak ass Bully and lusts after being a dictator, he said once he is back in office you will never have to vote again, because he does not plan on leaving, ever! That is who you will be taking orders from and thats who will confiscate all your shit and remove all your freedoms. You say you are a christian, but I think you forgot the foundation of Jesus’s teaching of looking out for the poor and hungry and widows and to love thy neighbor. It won’t be the democratic party creating a civil war it will be dumbass Repubes, cause someone hurt the orange mans little feelings.. If you really did kill bullies and dictators, you would think you could recognize one when you see one or when you hear them speak. So who is dumber than a box of rocks?
Thank God you will now have the opportunity to see that you are wrong about everything. In 4 years you will see that what you believe is not true, but you will not accept what will be right before your eyes because your mind has been contaminated.
Seriously where do you people get this off the wall information about Trump ? Rumors. Have you not grown up ? You have not moved out of the 6th grade ? You go by “ what so and so told you” or the MSM, which lies all the time. Do some work and research it yourself. Most of this BS you’re referring to is fabricated. Or only part of a story or conversation to drag your weak minds in and fool you. Those women ( now spelled women ) because of people like you all got paid big bucks to lie, pathetic attention seekers decades late. Shame on all of them.
Julie:
That is correct. YOU ARE to feed and take care of the poor hungry and needy. Not some GOD damned communist government. And because you are so shallow in your spiritual walk; I will explain that me calling them GOD damned is not swearing, but stating the depth of their spiritual depravity – those you have obviously place your confidence in.
By the way, if your looking for a new home to buy – watch the “for sale” signs pop up on the houses that the head of the FBI and many more of the “legal” system officials post between now and Jan 6th when justice does return to the land of the free.
Celebrating!!!Here in Hokkaido Japan.
Congratulations President Trump!!!
„John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”
John 3:27 ESV
Amen!!!
Where is the V.P. at this mourning ? Planting pipe bombs in the bushes as ordered by the DNC ,like on Jan 6th 2021 .You Know CNN and Mourning Joe would never talk or investigate that small bit of DNC hate or childish behavior…
Good honest truth.
Telling it the way it is.
President Trump is now drawing the line,
The world is standing up and taking notice.
You do not mess with our people.
Our Country.
And you sure as hell.
Don’t mess with our President.
PRESIDENT, DONALD J,.TRUMP.
Bidin and Harris , Walts were the most Corupt leaders this country has ever had in the history of the United States.
I am sure someone is already started writing the book of the plans they had for our country they did not talk a bout. in public..
Biden the weakest President in history.
How much good did he do for us and the dirty plans of Harris.
They were puppets on a string wall Obama, The Rino,s and the Deep State ran the county..
And pulled there string to make them look like they were in control of our country.
Kamala was a laughing stock . . Ya that laugh,
Biden could not get his head off the pillow.
Have not seen him since he lift office,
Could he be hiding in his basement.
And Walts was worried about his butt body.
Tampon TIM.
There is no place they can hide.
But roomer has it that President Trump has a room for them at the GETMO HILLTON.
GETMO, Is open for business.
Have not seen Biden since he got kick out of the white house,.
Could he be hiding in his basement.
Greg Gutfeld .
What’s your take on this