How to Get Food Supplies During Martial Law

Dried foods are lightweight, nutritious and easy to store.

With the ongoing terrorist threat against America, the likelihood of martial law being imposed seems more possible all the time. There's no way to predict exactly what martial law would look like, but it could include curfews, suspension of normal law enforcement and court procedures, military tribunals, detention camps and food rationing. To ensure that you and your family have enough to eat under these circumstances, you should arm yourself now with the knowledge and basic supplies you need.

Things You'll Need

• 3 gallons water for each family member
• 3 days' nonperishable food for each family member
• Water purification tablets
• Wilderness survival manual
• Edible plant guide
• Matches and lighters (stored in plastic)
• Saw
• Axe or hatchet
• Cooking equipment, including a pot, knives and eating utensils
• Solar cooker
• Fishing equipment, including hooks, lines and lures
• Hunting equipment

Instructions

Before Martial Law is Enacted

1. 

   You'll need a gallon of water per person per day for drinking, cooking and washing.

   Assemble an emergency kit. Have three days' worth of water and ready-to-eat food for each family member. Don't forget baby formula and pet food if necessary, and as much cash as possible to buy food quickly and easily. This kit will buy you enough time to assess the situation and make decisions.

2. 

   Raise your family to be comfortable with roughing it.

   Go camping with your family so they'll learn outdoor skills they'll need in the event of martial law. It isn't necessary to scare your kids with dark predictions; they'll have fun learning to use limited resources and improvise while they build survival skills.

3. 

   Dandelions are only a nuisance when you're well-fed.

   Dedicate your vacation time for fishing, hunting and foraging for local edible plants. Surviving in the desert is very different from surviving in the North Woods; become an expert on your region.

After Martial Law is Enacted

1. 

   Watch for opportunities to add more food to your stores.

   Forage for food immediately. There is no way to predict how quickly authorities will be able to help you or how soon order will be restored. How you forage will depend on your location. You'll need to gather from your own cupboards and abandoned stores and warehouses. You can find additional water stores in your water heater or toilet tank. If you're on the move or in rural or wild areas, watch for the same, as well as edible plants, game and fishing areas.

2. 

   Pine nuts are edible and a good source of protein.

   Settle near natural sources of food, like ponds and orchards, that will also provide some privacy and coverage. Woodland may be a habitat for deer or small game.

3. 

   Tuck small vegetable gardens in out of the way places.

   Plant vegetables in the spring. Remember that food will be in short supply and there may be anti-hoarding laws, so plant small separate gardens instead of one large, obvious one. Don't store all of your food in one location. Dried beans, rice and oatmeal can be easily stored in unlikely locations.

4. 

   Rabbits are small, quiet and edible.

   Raise livestock. Cows and goats may draw attention, so focus on rabbits and other lower-profile animals. Pigs may be permitted to roam in the woods, making them harder to detect.

5. 

   Use the sun for cooking and heat as much as possible.

   Cook in a solar cooker as often as possible. These cook more slowly than an oven, but don't burn the food or require frequent stirring or attention. Cooking in a solar cooker will preserve your wood or other cooking fuel, and it's lower profile than a fire's revealing smoke.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't discuss your emergency kit or any other preparation with others, and teach your children not to discuss it. In an emergency, even the nicest and most trustworthy people can be dangerously unpredictable. Advertising your resources is sending out an invitation for trouble.

References

• Secrets of Survival: Martial Law in America
• Ready America: Get a Kit
• The Zone of Truth: How to Survive Martial Law
• Wilderness Survival: Train to Survive

Resources

• Ready America: Food
• Solar Cookers International