The prospect of martial law being implemented seriously within the borders of the United States is terrifying for many, and though it is still statistically unlikely the chances that this will happen are more likely than they have been in six decades and are only increasing.
The time is now to start thinking about where you will go should your home be affected by a declaration of martial law.
Even though there is nothing illegal regarding prepping, all it takes is the stroke of a pen for that to change. If it does, you may find that you are now a target of the government and need to find places to conceal yourself.
Under normal circumstances, martial law will only last until the crisis has been resolved, but in cases of an EMP or economic collapse, you could find yourself under the thumb of the military for extended periods.
The time is now to start playing what you’ll do and where you go should martial law be instituted at the local, regional or national level.
To help you in that end we are bringing you a list of five places where you might successfully hide from the worst effects of martial law.
First Safe Locations to Hide During Martial Law
Outside the Bounds of the Affected Area
Probably the best and most elegant solution to avoiding the troubles and travails associated with living in an area under martial law is to simply get out from under that affected area.
No matter what happens, it is unlikely that a massive regional or nationwide implementation of martial law will occur.
Based on a response projection established to counter localized or smaller regional incidents, you can expect martial law to be in place in a tiny fraction of the country when it is in effect at all.
The solution, then, is simple. If at all possible, pack up your life and your family and head elsewhere.
Depending on the specifics of the declaration, this might be across the state, across state lines or even across the country. Don’t rule anything out, and be prepared that you might have to move a little farther than you would like.
Though this might be a dreadful challenge, the good news is that life will, more or less, go on as usual in the areas that are not under martial law.
Depending on your family and financial situation, you might even want to look into a drop everything vacation with an extended rental, be it a condo or house, even an extended stay hotel.
If your profession is amenable to working from home and especially working remotely via the internet, so much the better as this will only increase the attractiveness of this response.
As good as this option is, you must plan for a worst case scenario of the martial law declaration being expanded or implemented elsewhere.
If you are going to an area that itself is likely to see martial law declared you could be facing the classic blunder of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Consider carefully whether or not the prospective safe haven is known for commercial, industrial or political importance or if it is currently experiencing heightened levels of unrest that might provoke a serious government response.
The Wilderness
If you are of a conventional prepper mentality, your default plan to all kinds of societal trouble might be simply to head for deep country.
I don’t think it is any exaggeration to assert that a declaration of martial law, especially one in response to civil unrest would definitely qualify as societal trouble!
Heading out into the wilderness can definitely get you out from under the thumb of martial law and the troopers enforcing it, so it is a meaningful response, but more than most this plan has significant drawbacks to go with the perks. Let us start with the good and then we will move on to the bad.
In the park column, so long as you are not near any area of strategic interest, you really won’t be worrying about the day-to-day dealings with troopers or other officials like you would if you were near any kind of civilization currently under the effect of martial law.
This will allow you to relax and it generally live life as you would under the circumstances. Plus you being away from the bulk of the population means that attention is not going to be directed to you unless you are already wanted.
However, you are trading out one set of problems, those represented by martial law, for another set of problems, represented by the attendant challenges and difficulties of living way off grid in the wilderness.
All of your survival necessities, from shelter, food and water to security considerations must be attended to day in and day out or else you will start feeling the squeeze.
For anything but the most skilled of preppers living in the most abundant, pleasant climates this means a certain amount of dependency on supplies and accordingly, on resupply.
This option may be out of the question for some people entirely depending on the overall climate and weather where they live. The type of shelter that is amenable to you is entirely dependent on your group or family situation as well as the climate.
In some areas, retreating to the wilderness is a virtual death sentence where in others it will be more or less pleasant weather permitting.
Nonetheless, this is a viable option and one you should consider if your outdoor survival and sustainment skills are up to the challenge. If they are not, or you live in a hostile environment, discount it entirely unless you have no other option.
A Small Town
Small town living is attractive to many people, and it has many advantages likewise when we are trying to deal with the existential problem of martial law.
First, assuming you are dealing with a regional or otherwise widespread implementation of martial law smaller towns are less likely to be strategically or tactically important and so accordingly are less likely to be seriously staffed or watched by soldiers and other officials.
It is even entirely possible that there might not be an active military presence in the region at all.
Beyond the obvious benefits of being less likely to fall under the watchful eye of military forces, the culture of small towns might make them entirely more suitable for enduring martial law while you are there, whether or not the town is affected properly.
The stronger bonds between people and their ties to the community means folks are more likely to pull together and help each other in times of trouble.
At least, they are if you are known to them and in good standing with the community. Villains and outsiders are less likely to be treated with hospitality to say the least.
It is also worth considering that small towns, especially agrarian communities, are far more likely to be able to meaningfully self-sustain during the attendant economic and logistical fallout that will result from a serious implementation of martial law.
Food, water and other essentials are likely to be more plentiful, along with the skill sets needed to procure more of both. Blue collar lifestyles are alive, well and flourishing in small towns and this breeds a culture of personal readiness and grit.
However, it is worth considering second and third order effects that are likely to affect small towns if martial law is declared for reasons of domestic security.
Our military has learned time and time again that small towns and their insular nature is often amenable to the sheltering or raising of insurgents, and partisan or gorilla forces throughout history have often relied on remote villages and small towns as part of their underground network.
It goes without saying, the military already has well established and effective plans for dealing with just such a contingency.
