10 Martial Law Survival Tactics You Need To Know Now

Martial law is a terrifying thing to experience. Imagine waking up to find the world in chaos. Looting and riots spread like wildfire, while law enforcement guns down civilians in the streets. The power grid is down, and there’s no telling if it’s ever coming back. Rape and murder spiral out of control as society collapses around you. Everything you’ve come to rely on is gone due to martial law.
Do you have what it takes to protect your family from the scum of humanity?

Martial Law | A Very Real Threat

How Possible Is Martial Law?

The current political divide between conservatives and liberals threatens to destabilize America. Corporations and corrupt government have brought us to the brink of class war. The mistrust of police and authority causes riots in the streets and only gets worse as the number of cops and civilian deaths increase. Our monetary system is connected to the rest of the world, but, just like England, who’s to say that our government won’t pass a law that sends the U.S. economy into the Stone Age? What about the possibility of a coup d'etat?

Even if none of these things come to pass, the fact is, the bubble we currently live in cannot hold out forever. With the retirement of the baby boomer generation, America is going to find itself financially bankrupt. When that day comes, you’re going to find yourself in the middle of a situation you can’t control. Civil courts will fail and military courts will take the reins. Regardless of how much you have prepared for it, you have to make some tough decisions. If you want to survive, you need a plan. So what is the first thing you should do?

Stock Up on Food and Water (Well Ahead of Time)

Just like in a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, store shelves will empty in a matter of hours! Make sure you have plenty of food and water stocked and stored long at all times! (At least 3 days' worth of food should always be on hand.) Water is particularly valuable as it is the first thing that will run out of in an emergency.
Following a disaster, your regular water source could be cut off or contaminated, so it is vital that you secure as much clean water as possible. The average person needs about 1 gallon of water a day for drinking and an additional 2 gallons for proper sanitation. You need twice as much if you live in a hot climate. You won’t have time to gather supplies in an emergency and everyone else will have the same idea, so again, stock up long before a disaster hits!

If you do find yourself caught without something you know you’ll need, I recommend sticking to gas stations and avoiding large stores like Walmart. Remember, credit card machines may crash during a crisis, so it’s always a good idea to carry cash… and prepare to pay extra for supplies (the law of supply and demand goes into overdrive in a crisis.)
If it’s too dangerous to leave your house, fill up your bathtub to use as drinking water later. Once you have as much food and water as possible, its best to hunker down and play it safe until you can assess the situation.

Avoid Authority at All Costs

With riots and looting happening around you, the last thing you want to do is confront police or the military. In this stage, civil liberties will play second fiddle to whatever Congress decides the Constitution should be. Unless your life is directly at risk, you should stay indoors and avoid any situation where you might deal with by authorities. Once the violence starts, you’re just as likely to get shot down in the street as the rioters next to you.

The authorities are only concerned with their own safety and won’t think twice about murdering you if they think their lives are in danger. Public safety becomes a secondary objective. The president might even completely legalize something like this.

Police and the National Guard have been ready for the martial law since 9/11 and are trained to view all civilians as the enemy. If possible, avoid them at all cost. If you’re held at gunpoint by the authorities, do whatever they say. Any sign of resistance will get you killed.

Stay Informed

The best thing you can do in a crisis situation is to know exactly what’s happening around you. In today’s digital age we have access to the latest information at the touch of a button, but we take for granted how much we rely on it. American citizens have relied on fast, immediate communications that when civil unrest becomes commonplace, we would be at a disadvantage.
If the government has resorted to martial law, there is a good chance they will shut off cell towers to try and contain the situation.

Television might also be useless if the power grid goes down. Your best bet is a wind-up radio to pick up AM and FM stations. This will become increasingly important if you decide you have to leave your house and flee the city.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

This is the most important question you have to ask yourself. The safest place for you and your family is inside your house with the lights out. But what if you can no longer stay in your home? Running out of food or water is one of the worst things that can happen to you under martial law.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to make a plan. The National Guard military forces are trained to respond to these kinds of situations in a very fast, very calculated manner. Know how many days you can stay in one spot and have a backup location ready in case you have to leave in a hurry. Just because it’s your home doesn’t mean you have to die for it. Always be prepared to leave.

Run for the Hills?

If you run out of supplies or find your location is no longer safe, you’re better off bugging out. If you live in a major city, it’s in your best interest to flee to the outskirts or just head out into the surrounding countryside. No writ or habeas will hassle you here. The problem with leaving the city is new supplies will be harder to find.
On the other hand, you will generally find safety outside any city limits and away from the chaos. This is where any survival skills will come in handy. Be prepared to live off the grid in a tent and forage for food and water. If you live in a super dense populated area, like the East Coast, be prepared to keep traveling for a while. Also, be sure to keep your safehouse secure from armed forces by setting up listening posts and defensive positions around it.

Ditch Your Car

If you live in a major city and you decide to leave, you’re probably not alone. In a crisis situation, the roads will fill up and come to a standstill almost immediately. Have an exit plan that stays away from major highways and intersections. Be prepared to abandon your vehicle and proceed on foot or bicycle if necessary. Although it is not preferred if you have a lot of supplies, this might be the only way to get your family out of danger. Bicycles might seem like a slow option when you are fleeing for your life, but you are much safer than being trapped on the highway with everybody else.

Arm Yourself

Whether fleeing an emergency or scouting for supplies, it is in your best interest to carry a weapon for defense. You never know what sort of situation you will walk in and should stay prepared for the worst.
Once society breaks down, it will be every man, woman, and child for themselves. Don’t be a victim of society — protect yourself and your loved ones. I recommend a good hunting rifle for protection as well as a means to feed yourself should supplies run low.
Make sure you don’t just OWN your weapon, but you also have the proper training with your firearm. You need to understand it, know exactly how to use it, how to clean it, and how to fix it if it breaks. I can’t stress that enough!

Safety in Numbers

Even without weapons, the safest thing you can do is join a group. Staying on your own might feel safer in the short term, but in the long run, you’re going to need people you can count on to protect you and ease your burden.

It puts you in a safer situation when facing federal troops.
In a survival situation, you’re safer having other people with you, but it’s important to choose the right group. A mob of people all working together can get more accomplished but are harder to control.
Be wary of groups who make poor survival choices that can get you killed. If they won’t listen to you, don’t hesitate to leave them behind.

Long-Term Plans

If the government does decide to enact a widespread martial law against its citizens, there is no telling how long it will last. It could go on for days, weeks, or even longer. Would you have what it takes to endure the harsh realities of life after the government and its military has lost control? How does someone prepare for a widespread collapse of banks and the economy? The best way is to learn from the past.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, its citizens went through a similar ordeal.
After the fall, most people stopped going to work because they were no longer being paid. The banks collapsed and everyone lost their savings. In order to not starve, families were forced to work on farms and barter their possessions for bread. After the collapse, crime became an ever-present threat and it was no longer safe to leave one’s house.

A lot of the population could not handle the sudden change from a secure existence to that of no work and no hope for the future. Drugs and alcohol became prevalent in society and the average lifespan went way down. Their currency became nearly worthless and jobs that paid in foreign currency were desperately sought after. Corruption set in and the average citizen found themselves forced to pay for protection from street gangs and ex-law enforcement.

This is a worst case scenario but its lessons are clear: you should learn to grow your own food and practice it daily. Keep a small amount of money out of the bank in case of a banking failure, and if you’re going to buy any future possessions, make sure they retain value if you have to trade them for something down the line.

Be Prepared

The number one way to survive martial law is to be prepared. Grow your own food, stock up on canned goods, and learn the skills necessary to provide for yourself in the wild. Have a bug out bag ready and make plans for every type of disaster you can think of.

Knowledge is the ultimate preparation for anything life can throw at you. Learning from the past and staying informed are your best weapons in the world we live in. Don’t trust authority to keep you and your loved ones safe, trust yourself.

This video from FullSpectrumSurvival gives some amazing tips on how to survive martial law:

Imagine waking up to find yourself prepared for martial law. Others are panicking, but you're calm. You have a plan.
This isn’t a Mad Max movie.

It’s the very real threat of martial law. If you’ve been paying attention to recent events, you know it’s only a matter of time before our government turns against us. Even though we live in relative comfort and safety, the truth is, the world around us is a very unstable place.

Instead of loading up the car and jumping on the highway, you quietly bide your time until it’s safe to leave your home. You stay away from any authorities until you find somewhere safe where you can live off the land. Martial law is coming and when it does you need to stay strong. With the way society is heading… Martial Law is not a matter of if… It’s a matter of when… And when it all comes crashing down, how well off will you find yourself? Will you scramble in the streets or stay calm, collected, and well on your way to safety?

What do you think? Do you have any other recommendations to survive martial law? What would you do differently? Let me know in the comments below.

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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on May 31, 2018 and has been updated for accuracy and relevancy.