It took some time, but now you’ve finally gathered a decent SHTF stockpile, complete with food designed to last for years, water collection and purification systems, and other essential supplies. You even managed to equip your home with a solar generator for when the grid goes down. Now you can sleep soundly knowing that you are prepared for anything that might happen.
But are you really?
With the upcoming elections drawing closer, you might be wondering what awaits us in the next few months. Whether we are looking at drastic changes, riots, or law enforcement hyperactivity, one thing is certain: Civil unrest is on the rise, and with it, so is the possibility of a SHTF scenario.
You might have heard of FEMA—the Federal Emergency Management Agency—initially created in 1979 by President Carter and later integrated into the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 after the 9/11 attacks, tasked with managing “emergency situations.”
This term is not so well defined, giving this particular agency the power to intervene in different scenarios. Unfortunately, looking at recent history, there have been instances when government agencies were given the power to seize goods from the general population and redistribute them however they saw fit.
A first example of a legislative blunder dates back to the Cold War era, when President Kennedy issued Executive Order 10998, which grants the government authority to take over agricultural production and distribution, including goods stockpiled for survival purposes.
Given the historical context of that timeframe, there’s no wonder why this decision was heavily criticized. The people believed that this measure mirrored the Communist practice of seizing goods from the population while giving the government power to decide how it got redistributed. Many feared this could leave the door open for corruption to rear its ugly head during emergencies.
The situation has not gotten any better in more recent times either. President Obama issued Executive Order 13603, granting the federal government the ability to seize and redistribute water, food, and other resources when the U.S. is in a state of emergency.
This could render your carefully prepared stockpile (along with all the blood, sweat, and tears you put into it) obsolete.
As you know, history tends to repeat itself, so you’d better get ready for what comes next.
So let me show you how I FEMA-proofed my stockpile, and hopefully it will help you do the same.
Keep a Low Profile
Avoid talking openly about your preparations and stockpile. The fewer people who know about your supplies, the lower the chance of them being reported or targeted for confiscation.
Related: 7 Prepping Items FEMA Will Confiscate When SHTF
Anyone who has been prepping for some time is going to agree with me on this one. The more you brag and talk openly about the extent of your preparedness, the bigger a bullseye you are putting on your own back.
Think about it. If the whole neighborhood knows that you have food for days stockpiled on your property, whose house is going to get raided by FEMA when everyone else is waiting for a handout?
My advice is to think twice before you tell your neighbor about that brand new batch of canned foods you just purchased.
Hide in Plain Sight
Use decoy supplies in visible areas while you conceal your primary stockpile in hidden compartments, false walls, or below ground. This way, authorities might only find your decoys if a seizure occurs. I personally like to keep a bug-out bag filled with basic supplies in the closet and a few old cans in the pantry, among other things. These are the first places that they are going to search.
Practice Stealth Preparation
When you build or move your stockpile, do so discreetly. Try not to draw attention, and transport supplies at night or at low-traffic times. Use nondescript vehicles and packaging to keep your activities under the radar. I never buy my supplies online. I think it’s best not to leave a digital trail.
Always be aware of your surroundings! Avoid the prying gaze of your “friendly neighbor” at all costs. No one should be around when you carry or move your supplies. As I said before, when SHTF, most people are going to turn to FEMA for handouts and start ratting on their neighbors, helping the agency seize their stockpiles in the name of “the greater good.”
Focus on Portable Goods
Stockpile lightweight, easy-to-move supplies such as freeze-dried food, portable water filters, and compact tools. This will allow you to quickly relocate if needed, and it’s less likely to attract attention than bulkier supplies.
Diversify Your Storage Locations
Don’t keep all your supplies in one place. Store your stockpile in multiple secure locations, such as hidden areas in your home or even buried in cache sites, to avoid a complete loss if one location is compromised. I went as far as building my own root cellar. If you place its entrance with stealth in mind, chances are that nobody is ever going to find your supplies.
I learned all about it from a book called Easy Cellar. There you can find out what is the best and easiest way to build your own root cellar.
Camouflage Your Supplies
Hide your stockpile in everyday items or structures, such as hollow furniture, fake electrical panels, or disguised storage containers. Use creative camouflage to make your supplies harder to detect during inspections. I personally like to keep some of my supplies in car parts boxes in my garage. I can almost guarantee that no FEMA inspector in their right mind would bother to drag a seemingly heavy crate labeled “2004 5R44E Torque Converter” off a shelf to check its contents.
Use Discreet Packaging
While talking about labeling stuff, I highly advise that you store your supplies in unmarked, generic containers. Avoid labeling items like food, water, or medical supplies in ways that make them easily identifiable to outsiders or authorities. I like to repurpose large cardboard boxes from appliances, car parts, or furniture.
Rely on Renewable Resources
Equip yourself with survival essentials like solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems, and indoor gardens. These tools cannot be seized by any agency and will keep you safe when all distribution networks are inevitably going to collapse along with the power grid.
These are just a few of my tips on keeping your supplies safe from the dreaded four-letter agency. As a final piece of advice on this matter, be creative! Never let them or anyone else know the extent of your preparedness. Always be on the lookout for folks that tend to become a little too interested in your personal business. Keep to yourself, and don’t ever brag about your stockpile!
If you’d like to learn more about FEMA-proofing your stockpile and getting ready for the upcoming chaos that will follow this year’s elections, I highly recommend reading A Navy SEAL’s Bug-In Guide. You’ll discover how to make yourself invisible to both FEMA and looters when SHTF as well as how to optimize your stockpile for long-term storage, reinforce your home security, and even generate your own electricity when the grid goes down.
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We need new articles. It seems that the FEMA boogeyman gets raised every few weeks. Fine for those who tune in once a year, but for regular readers, it’s samo-samo. I’m working on some ideas for an article. As for FEMA, they’re an administrative agency. Not a lot of “boots on the ground “. Witness their stellar performance in western NC recently. I personally am not worried about them showing up in my rural setting. And, they certainly won’t be co-opting our local sheriff!
Farmer,
Sir, when you say not a lot of boots on the ground? You couldn’t be more wrong. The reason you don’t see them is because they don’t want to be there. Recently Dopey Gropey authorized military to assist local police with crowd control up to and including lethal force. Idaho banned water usage to potato farmers and allowed a new mining operation to use all they want. 20,000 acres could not water their own farms and what would be your food. If you think for a second the federal government is fangless or shorthanded you sir, are very short sighted. Every time I read these repeat articles it reminds me to do something and not gripe. What have you done this week to improve your situation? Don’t answer this comment. Answer yourself. This site has been and continues to do right by old visitors, new visitors and in between. Take what you can and move on.
People. Practice now while there are still supplies and the ability to go get what you need. If you wait until it’s on like donkey kong? You are too late.
Robbing Peter to pay Paul, stupid idea… All FEMA would of accomplished is taking a family that was self sufficient and forced them on the rolls of the needy… I can see this taking place into the many mega cities throughout the US… Somebody will have to take care of those who didn’t heed the warnings, even if it means robbing from the ones who can take care of themselves… Total chaos I envision … Oh well… Just another reason I left that scene behind and relocated mucho miles away into a very rural area, lightly populated with like minded folks…. Of course, stories like this do create hysteria, and anxiety fuel by fear… Thankfully most of the folks who follow these writings are away, far away from these scenarios… Live long and prosper…
Putting you on the roles of the needy is exactly what they want. Do away with the individual. Do away with community. Now they are peasants. Not citizens. What you said in doubt IS exactly what they want. Where people are dependent on government, the government has control. Centuries of examples.
But that is their plan……if they steal the supplies of those who planned and use that to distribute to; or more likely sell at inflated costs back to the starving…….then the starving will rely on them more and more……that IS THE PLAN
FEMA won’t be the only ones after your supplies. A lot of wolfs will be roaming far and wide. Keep as low a profile as possible and stay ready to defend your supplies if need be!
They didn’t hold their ground in N.C. and fled after a rumored threat, I doubt they’ll take anything when met with physical presence and a firm, you can’t have it.
I honestly do hope you are right.
FEMA IS NOT COMING FOR YOUR JUNK YOU’VE STOCKPILED. GET OVER IT.
And if there is civil unrest, it’s because the American people don’t want a criminal and a wannabe dictator to be president and his idiot followers can’t handle losing.
Then don’t ever vote for a Democrat.
No matter who wins this NoDEMber, expect civil unrest for the losing side.
They are not democrats. They are deathocrats. Everything they control, vote into law or policy results in death. Death to God. Death to the constitution. Death to name something and they have destroyed it. Get ready for no telling what.
Three times a flake, Lisa Blake.
FEMA will grab large storage places, grocery stores, warehouses, similar first.
By the time they get done with those, most people will have used up their supplies.
Hint: buy some clothes one size up then 2 sizes up.
Makes it look like you aren’t eating and have no supplies.
Be aware of cooking odors too!
Observe light and sound control. Both are a giveaway you got power.
No body’s coming for your junk!
I’m guessing from your angry and acerbic tone
Your rooting for the candidate that has a striking resemblance to an OompLoopa?
Maybe anger management/breathing exercises would help.
Good luck with that
My nosey Nellie neighbor has figured out Im a prepper. She will tell FEMA and put a target on my back. I’ve already started hiding food but there’s a lot more work for me to do. I’ve got to keep my family and neighbors fed ( not nosey Nellie she can starve). I’m hoping my son will come over and help me move my stocks but I doubt it. It’s going to be up to me alone and as a senior it’s going to be hard but I’ll get it done. I have no choice FEMA. WILL NOT GET MY STOCKPILE!
You go girl!
Praying for you! GOD has your back!! 🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Another misdiected posting. All Executive Orders are reviewed when a new President takes office or when the current order needs to be amended.
Example:
The National Defense Resources Preparedness executive order (Executive Order 13603) is an order of the President of the United States, signed by President Barack Obama on March 16, 2012.[1] The purpose of this executive order is to delegate authority and address national defense resource policies and programs under the Defense Production Act of 1950.[2] Executive Order 13603 provides the framework and authority for the allocation or appropriation of resources, materials, and services to promote national defense.[3]
A number of viral emails claimed that the executive order “creates martial law.”[4] Similar claims were repeated by Texas congresswoman Kay Granger of Texas in a constituent newsletter; she later retracted her statements.[4] In reality, the order updated long-existing directives that have been issued ever since the Truman administration. Such presidential directives update the resources covered under the Defense Production Act, which was enacted in the 1950s and is reauthorized by Congress every few years.[4] The act “allows presidents to delegate authority to various federal departments and agencies. For example, Obama’s order authorizes the secretaries of Defense and the Interior ‘to encourage the exploration, development, and mining of strategic and critical materials and other materials.'”[4] The fact-checking website Snopes.com noted:
“Despite claims that the executive order provided the President with unprecedented new powers such as declaring martial law, seizing private property, implementing the rationing of food, gasoline, and drugs, restarting peacetime conscription, and nationalizing American industry, merely by declaring a national emergency, the National Defense Resources Preparedness EO issued by President Obama was simply a minor updating of a similar order issued by President Bill Clinton in 1994 (which itself had decades-old predecessors) and amended several times since.”[5]
In particular, this executive order removes the name of the Federal Emergency Management Agency from previous orders, and replaces it with references to branches of the Department of Homeland Security, in order to bring the previous orders up to date with changes in the structure of the Federal Government.[5]
Claude, your advice is good maybe for the next 8 to 10 years. Pocket sensor technologies are becoming so robust that simply hiding behind a wall or in a box will no longer work. You will need complex strategies to deal with concealment. No worries, the solutions need not be complicated but the strategy is. Be forewarned.
You seem a little paranoid.
I disagree with the recommendation on “The Navy SEAL’s Bug In Guide” . I wasted my money on this book that is a low-level compendium of basic prepper knowledge. Three examples. It was not written by a SEAL – the spellings are British like “utilise” not utilize. The discussion of fueled generators does not even mention the option of dual-fuel generators. The solar generator discussion does not mention lithium-Iron-phosphate batteries LiFePO4, the latest technology.
I HAVE A QUESTION!!!!! I LIVE IN A HOUSE WITH 8 OTHER PEOPLE. I AM THE ONLY ONLY ONE WORIED ABOUT WHEN SHTF (ETC,ETC,ETC). NOT TO MENTION THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT. HOW IN THE H . E . DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS DO I PAY THE BILLS AND GATHER UP ENOUGH OF EVERYTHING TO KEEP US ALIVE TILL GOD KNOWS WHEN?
Just found this feed. The only thing I could think of is to do some of the food shopping and buy double of a few things each time. Put the extra in a box or non see through tub. Don’t tell them.
You could talk to a friend that hunts/farms and go in on a side of beef or pig. Work with them to help make jerky or can the meat at their place. If you use anything just tell your fam you friend gave you a couple jars. I’ve always thought you can put stuff away but you can’t take it all if it’s an evacuate situation so get a good book on wild plant food with excellent photos and explanations of what’s safe or not . Just do what you can buy don’t get fearful or it’s difficult to think. Hope this helps
P.S. PLEEEAAASSSE HELP!!!!!!
In 2014 I was told by a national guardsman. The big training exercise he just got back from was totally insane. That there were UN “Observers” monitoring all of the units and the whole exercise was locking down a residential subdivision and going door, searching and confiscating stockpiled goods. Food, cases of water, etc… He said it wasn’t like anything they had done in prior years. They were not allowed to ask any questions or joke or anything. He was totally freaked out and said there is some really horrible stuff coming.
You can believe what you want but no president or govt official is going to save us. This has been planned for a very long time. I do not believe everything will just crack off at once but they would not train for situations or spend resources on something they are not planning to eventually do.