What worries you most about the idea of society collapsing?
A post-SHTF world will hold many dangers, but for many preppers their biggest concern is looters. After all what’s the point of spending time and money gathering the supplies you need to survive a crisis, and then just when you do need them someone else comes along and takes them from you?
There’s no denying that looting is a serious risk, either. There’s no question that it will happen. We’ve all seen looters on the news after riots, protests, court cases that didn’t go the way a mob wanted.
If these people will take the opportunity to loot, steal and pillage when society’s still just about holding together, how do you think they’re going to behave when it collapses? When they know the police aren’t going to turn up and arrest them? Looting will happen, and preppers need to be prepared for it.
It’s a bit more complicated that just “be ready for looters,” though. Not all looters are created equal. Some of them are much more of a threat than others. Some might not really be a threat at all. If you encounter looters – and the chances are you will – the best way to respond is going to depend on exactly what you’re dealing with.
A lot of preppers assume that dealing with looters means grabbing your gun and fighting them off. That’s certainly an option, but it’s always a risky one.
Related: Best States for Self-Defense. Do You Live in One of Them?
Soldiers call combat “the two-way range” for a reason; it isn’t like the movies, where the bad guys always miss. Once the shooting starts, everyone in the area is at risk of taking a bullet. It’s something you need to be prepared for, but it’s a last resort.
It’s much safer for you if you can outsmart looters instead. Here are some of the types of thieves you’re likely to encounter, and how to encourage them to leave you alone.
Hungry Survivors
Most of the potential looters you’ll encounter in a crisis won’t be criminals at all. They’ll just be people who weren’t prepared for whatever disaster struck.
They’re not really guilty of anything, except maybe trusting the government too much, but now they have no preparations to fall back on and they’re struggling to survive.
Very few of us won’t steal food when they get really hungry – and there are likely to be a lot of very hungry people around. If you don’t stop them stealing your food you’ll end up just as hungry as they are.
Avoid confrontation with these people by pretending to be just as hungry as they are. If you see a group of refugees approaching, rush out and ask them if they can spare something to eat. When they say no, tell them your family are all sick and will die if you can’t get them food. That gives them a reason to avoid your home.
They won’t want to catch whatever your family are suffering from – and they’ll probably want to get away from you in a hurry too, in case they catch it from you.
Fake Friends
When the world is falling apart around you, it will probably be reassuring when a pair of aid workers or cops turns up at your door offering to help.
Related: When To Let The Police Intervene And When To Take Justice Into Your Own Hands
You don’t really need help, because you were prepared for things to go badly wrong, but still, it’s good to know that the collapse isn’t complete and there’s some hope of order being restored – and, after all, some extra help isn’t going to hurt, is it?
Well, it might. After all, how do you know that cop or charity official is genuine? They might have stolen a uniform and faked up an ID card. They might even be who they claim to be, but they’ve gone rogue and now they’re looking for supplies or valuables to steal.
There’s no way to really be sure, and the possibility of freelancing cops or aid workers means making sure their ID is real doesn’t help either.
Again, your best bet is to convince them you’re a lot more desperate than you are. Act relieved to see them. Ask for help, and if they say it’ll be there soon beg for it to be sooner. You’re down to your last half pack of stale crackers, you have no idea where to get more food and everyone else is so sick, please help…
The chances are they’ll wander off in search of richer pickings. And, if not, they’re still on the doorstep where you can shut them out. Whatever you do, don’t let them in.
Opportunistic Looters
Just because a disaster has hit the world, we don’t stop being human. Some people will still want to sit on the porch with a beer at the end of the day. Some people will still enjoy relaxing with a book when we have some spare time.
And some people, unfortunately, will still steal anything that isn’t nailed down.
OPSEC is your friend again. As a prepper you have plenty that’s worth stealing – but hide that from the world.
Do everything you can to keep your preps inconspicuous. That maximizes your chances of hanging on to them, because opportunistic thieves only steal what catches their eye, and hidden treasures don’t do that.
But don’t hide your stockpile in your basement. It might sound like a good idea, but here’s why you should actually never do that.
You can also deter opportunists by making your home a hard target. Good fences can look like more trouble than climbing them is worth. If an opportunist does get onto your property, then sets off an alarm or noisemaker trap, they’re probably going to give up and look for somewhere easier.
Organized Gangs
Gangs, sadly, are a thing. Even in normal times they exist, and the US has more than its fair share of them.
Gang members don’t tend to have the sort of forward-looking looking attitude and common sense that leads people to prepping, but the chances are the gangs will hang together after the SHTF.
They have strength in numbers, weapons, and a willingness to use violence and steal. Gangs are bold enough to take on anyone they think they can overpower, and often they’ll use violence just for the sake of it.
If you’re confronted with a gang there’s a good chance convincing them you have no supplies won’t make any difference and they’ll attack anyway.
At the same time you’d need to put on a very powerful show of strength to deter them – and then you risk them seeing it as a challenge to their status, and trying to prove how powerful they are.
If you’re up against a gang there’s a good chance you will have to fight. The good news is, they’re the only type of looter where that’s the case. The best idea is to set up these automatic traps and alarms, to prevent them from even crossing your property line.
Prepper Infiltrators
Prepping doesn’t have to be something you do alone. It isn’t just a lot more pleasant to be part of a community of like-minded people; it can be a big help, too.
Whether it’s getting together with some clued-up neighbors to be as prepared as possible without duplicating each other’s efforts, or sharing tips in an online community like this site, prepping networks have a lot to offer.
The problem is, they also come with risks – especially online. There are people out there who see the advantages of stockpiling food and tools in advance of a crisis is a great idea, but think it’s cheaper and easier to let you do the hard work, then steal it from you when they need it.
If you’re part of any prepping network make sure you know, and can trust, everyone else in it. Not everyone is who they seem.
If you want to outsmart this kind of potential looter, the time to start is now. Online, don’t reveal where you live. Make sure your OPSEC is good, so people can’t piece together little bits of information and work out where you live from that.
Telling people about your 23-minute drive to Anytown, or complaining about your neighbor’s zebra farm, are bad ideas; they narrow down your location.
In-person infiltrators are probably easier to spot but harder to outsmart. Until you know someone very well, and trust them, don’t show them your preps and don’t tell them what you have in any kind of detail. Play down your prepping; don’t make yourself stand out as worth looting.
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Trust WILL be everything.
Then, let no person Decive you.
Trust NO one.
Watch out for a set up, by fake friends or even family.
Don’t let your emotions, get you killed.
Always watch your back.
Nows the time to do some Severance around your town or area you will be “trying” to survive at.
Remember, it’s ever changing.
There will be a massive amount of very weak minded people out there, they will be the ones trying to help, BUT will only cause you hell on earth.
Trust NO one, especially if they are waring a uniform or someone saying we are here to help you.
Trust WILL become Life, you will be dead with out it…
stay sharp
Vote for Trump to reset the damage done by a globalist tyrant administration that lies to us everyday. Particular the open southern border is secure. But secure for whom, the gated community political activist with their private or taxpayer funded armed security bodyguards?
While the elites and useful idiots pass anti-2A laws to defange us of our God given rights to be armed to defend our life, families life from the illegals demanding the same rights as a American citizen.
We are loosing our country to elitism and illegals.
Build the border wall and drill for oil.
GOD bless America!
Thumbs down are Taylor Swift supporters and illegals on free smartphones voting.
Excellent remark! Beware of the 20 idiots who gave a thumbs dowm!!
Go Home illegals before the purge happens for real you don’t belong here illegally, breaking our sovereign immigration laws. You don’t deserve one red cent of any money given.
Do the right thing and go through proper legal channels to stay in America.
The anchor baby solution many illegals have done is over with the next presidential election. America can not sustain the illegals we have since president Reagan got duped by the fat cat politicians who lied to Reagan about giving amnesty to those illegals.
We are repeating history once again with dementia Biden in office being held up by Marxist puppet strings doing foriegn United Nations agenda.
God help America to reverse course immediately.
Taxpayers are still paying the illegals that under the Regan amnesty blunder to house them, their anchor babies and the daisy chain relatives who sponge off us hardworking Americans.
Yes the American born anchor babies must pay for their being used by their thieving parents to live in comfort.
Next their parents and relatives must be deported, purged of all welfare freeloading done by senator to president Biden and other socialist. Who spit on us Americans everyday and say it is raining, sucking our social security lock box funds on frivolous liberal projects we can’t afford.
Senator Kerry and Al Gore the climate change front men who use private carbon footprint jets, to fly to the G5-20 Summits of globalism.
Today we got liberal elitism of Taylor Swift polluting a once American football tradition.
Boycott the Superbowl, the puppy bowl is starting to become mainstream liberal content too.
Let’s take our America back in 2024, despite the electronic voting machines being hacked and fraudulent mail in ballots like it had happen in the last presidential election of fraud voting.
Will the recent illegals get to vote in 2024?
It has never been about White privilege, in reality it has always been Minority privilege con by the Marxist to divide us like Obama-Biden and now Biden with Obama guiding the useless Biden front man of Marxism in office.
Many indoctrinated Demoncrat voters believe this to be the truth.
This is why I am against cops wearing beards. If they are still trying to establish order it easier to tell a clean shaven one from a bearded one. That just looks unprofessional and another blow to standards by the woke.
Take that further the Jan 6th insurrection was done by the Deep State agencies like the FBI undercover agents in-sighting potential violence.
The repeated Trump insurrection lie repeated over and over. The doctored videos showing in court are manipulated.
Biden and or Obama has weaponized our government against it’s own American citizens. What is coming next?
Obama was right about changing America, the great chief divider of Americans. Biden is another extension of Obama’s term in office.
Michelle Obama would be the next extension of Barrack Obama’s changing America from truth, justice and the American way!
God bless our patriot citizens who do the right thing.
Well! Here we are in 2024 over half million dead in Ukraine ,wars breaking out all over, people gas lit and genocided with a fake potion ,and economies intentionally destroyed across the western world to name just some of the ongoing shenanigans these lunatics have perpetuated .
Thank you Brandon and the deathocrat politburo.
In New York and other heavily majority states that have liberal judges, lawyers and Demoncrat juries will indict a ham sandwich. As much as a conservative like Trump, out of hatred, a hive one minded political ideology indoctrination.
That is why even those liberals who voted are going to conservative states bringing their liberal political views to destroy life in another state.
The liberal’s gave our seaport harbors to China’s control over America’s Longshoremen seaport unions. Let’s Go Brandon!
Will SHEEPLE ever learn?
God bless MAGA and the 2A rights the liberal are scared of!
LOL remember history, give us your guns and we will take care of you, stop being hunter gatherers and we will supply you food……… well………. yeah right.
Moving has been a pain but reestablishing life is also exciting. The new place is almost out of sight. Isn’t that attractive unless you love lots of clay and rocks. LOL Not trashed but not particularly prosperous in appearance. My new plantings are only seen if you are very close to them. Not to be seen from any road or driveway. Chicken coop and rabbits also are totally out of sight to any public gaze. New garden also hidden in a small cupped area. How nice is that? Near a mountain in a state with of many of them. So Kansas it isn’t.
I think we understand not to advertise too much ot trust too much.
How about an article on how to hide lots of food better in a small home. Or should it be mostly dehydrated rather than pressure canned in jars, or in cans? Why? How to build a truly simple root Celler. Caches. Quieter types of livestock. How to feed each type of livestock if stores are closed. I have that covered for my rabbits and chickens but it’s lots of work. But what about sheep, goats, cows, ect.? Hidden ways to grow food for a family?
A root cellar can be as easy as a hole in the ground where you stash stuff. You can use a galvanized trash can as a rodent barrier. Dig your hole that will house the trashcan. If you live in a humid place, drill small holes in the sides of the can, like 1/8th or 1/16th inch; mice can get in a 1/4 inch hole. If storing foods like potatoes, layer between straw, and store only sound specimens. If you’ve got hills on your property, you can dig into the hill and make a food closet. If you’ve got old milk cans, like the ones dairy farmers used a generation ago, you can lay those with the opening facing towards you and load them up with all kinds of goodies. Again, the metal will be the vermin barrier.
You’d need to mark the location in some way so you know where it is, and you’d need to consider how to remove snow or make your tracks look like you’re walking that way just to walk rather than to get to your cache.
Dehydrated foods would store well in setups like that, although you’d need liquids for some of them, like dried vegs you’d use for soup or stew.
A combo of canned plus dried works well, i think. In the outside sort of caches i described, you’d likely want to check what the temperature range is like before storing canned foods. If you’re deep enough so that you’re not in the frost line, it should be similar to refrigeration temperatures. But, I’d want to check before i store canned items only to have them explode because they froze or have the glass shatter.
I’m in a part of the country where most houses have cellars of some sort where a section of cellar can be cordoned off for a cold room. In the case of looters, i suppose if they make their way in, that would be the first place they’d look for food items.
At times, it’ll be hard to know what they’re looking for. I say that because years ago while living in an apartment complex, we forgot to lock the car one time. Someone took a $2 pair of sunglasses. They didn’t bother looking in the glove compartment (also unlocked) where we had a few dollars for toll money. And nothing else was touched. Go figure.
To BDB, Who the F cares about Ukraine, that war was started by Biden to cover up his money conning schemes of political backroom deals.
That war is siphoning off precious military stockpiles needed to help other nations like Taiwan.
China is getting our debt paid back by buying our American farmlands and meat processing companies, we are being sold out.
The incompetent Afghan Withdrawal that left the biggest military airbase next to China abandoned and billions of dollars of American taxpayers high tech weapons in the hands of terrorist. Some of those weapons used in the October Israeli attack by Iran proxies. Some weapons maybe coming through the open southern border too.
Many of you could not stand Trump’s mean tweets, but look at what we got in return with Bidenomics. Many of you voted and not wisely you choose the radical globalist instead.
Biden is doing what happened in Europe with the flooding hoards of Muslims.
They are doing the same thing with the open southern border. But what do you Americans really care, just one idiot puppet with a couple Executive Orders eliminated our drilling for oil and opened up the southern border. Stopped the border wall construction, now look what has happened.
You American taxpayers are funding illegal freeloaders then our own homeless and homeless veterans.
The recent Marine Helicopter crash is an example of the top Pentagon leadership not keeping our troops in fighting condition. The troops are indoctrinated of CRT, tyranny garbage and taxpayers paying for sex change operations while our adversaries laugh at us on the world stage.
Where are the wealthy Europeans not paying their fair share of at least 2% payments to NATO? Ukraine is a non-NATO club nation to start with.
America has a woke Marxist educated public that needs to be educated in American and World history and the Trojan Horse story. Many are doped by slimy activist and what about jailing the Antifa, BLM rioters for billions of dollars in damages, looting and murder. When the political Jan 6th prisoners are held on Trumped up charges as the rioters roam free.
The DOJ has been weaponized getting Biden off real charges of classified documents he had stolen as a senator with no presidential records privilege. And the Chinese funded university office, China spy’s had access to classified documents.
Since Trump had executive presidential document privileges the liberals are trying to keep Trump off the presidential 2024 election.
The Deep State with Hillary Clinton’s fake Russian dossier never got prison time or past murders of the Clinton’s close political friends.
The last presidential election the liberals successfully used hacked voting machine, pole workers and fake mail in ballots to get a fake China Joe into the president office of shame we have now.
What are liberals, Demoncrat’s afraid of to electing Trump back into presidential office, rightfully stolen from American voters?
We can thank the liberal indoctrinated Demoncrat voters in Demoncrat run states along with liberal conservatives who voted just as well. We got lying politicians who lie everyday to deceive us.
We got judges and lawyers paid off by elites such as George Soros and son type globalist. Least but not last a globalist tyrant Biden and Marxist border czars who say the southern border is totally secure.
Trump was right those countries we give taxpayers taxes to are sending not the cream of the crop to AMERIKA!
We got our own welfare, homeless and homeless veterans being neglected in the flooding wake or wave of illegals.
This is the land of the legal citizens and home of the brave. Even though the Marxist here dredged up the past history that America has fixed. If things are so bad as liberal Marxist teach our kids in public teacher’s union schools.
Then why does the rest of the world want to cross the open southern border to get American civil rights and wealth. By the wealthy rich elitist running the show in Washington DC Deep State Control?
Thank you all you illegals on taxpayer funded smartphones and liberals voting a negative thumbs down in support of your Bidenomics leader. Shame on you!
Who cares what type of looter comes to our city, towns or our doorsteps, they need to be eliminated on the spot, with extreme predigested. The Soros DA’s will just let the criminals out to commit more crimes. Old West justice is about to explode if we get Biden or another dolt into office. Americans have had enough milquetoast politics for a long time.
At most of us don’t live in gated communities and have personal bodyguards to protect us 24 hours a day at taxpayers expense.
Looting is stealing. Wanting/trying to loot is the same as GOING to loot if possible. It is our right and responsibility to not allow looting by any means necessary. Trust no one and always carry. God Bless and help us all.
I have extensive Food etc Stores – But Noone else knows.
Especially neighbors.
“Especially those with kids”.
“Asking turns to Begging”
“Begging turns to Taking”
I am also – weekly Combat Competition Shooter.
For 10yr now.
I shoot Multi-gun, Defensive Combat Competition most every weekend.
Certified State and DHS Firearms Instr. – Defensive Pistol/Rifle.
Don’t forget about Gasoline.
I keep 4ea – 5 gal cans out back.
And try Not to let my gas-gauge get below 3/4 full.
And fortunate to have Wild Game – out-back in the woods.
Anything I miss ?
Yes, where do you live at?
Ever since the Black liberals took over the NFL Halftime show it stinks!
I use to watch the game only for the commercials, not anymore.
This Superbowl game the Black Hollywood liberals want to play the Black national anthem, how many NFL players will boycott or take a knee?
They hate the American flag and our national anthem, what is next?
The Superbowl seats are going for hundreds to millions of dollars. Elitism of spoiled professional sports is as bad as the unions striking daily for higher wages we taxpayers can no longer afford.
We seniors are on fixed incomes to pay for these illegals that beat up police, free food and expensive hotel rooms. While our homeless veterans get kicked out of their crappy living quarters to house the freeloading illegals.
God is punishing us for not following our God given Christian American standard of living.
God save us, please!
Yo MOMMAS
Make sure your gasoline is at least semi-secure or carefully hidden. Here’s why. Let’s say you’ve ran off a rascal or two OR a larger group probes you. They grab yer gasoline and set yer vehicle, golf cart, garden, etc on fire knowing you will very likely come out to extinguish the flame. You’re backlit now, an easy target for a shooter in the brush at night. And yes, that’s really basic, but so many people keep at least some gasoline outside for various GOOD reasons. It smells bad, it might get knocked over inside, etc, etc. Granted, if your gear and security is REALLY good, you can stay ahead of this pretty easily unless they’re large in number and well trained.
Not crazy at all. Best comments so far. Thanks for your good sense, its very inspiring! Good luck!
We should all become Demoncrats on paper, so we can do criminal stuff and kill people, rob, loot and never stay in jail or prison.
Apparently it is a crime to be an honest hardworking conservative in Bidenomics wonderland in the waning days of Biden’s regime.
Will Michelle Obama, Nikki Haley or CA gov Newsom be the next flavor of the day for Democrats?
Can we save God’s promise land of America or become slaves of the globalist of say China’s CCP?
It is amazing how China has been buying up America, not to mention other foreign governments who don’t have our God given America in mind.
How in God’s did many of you liberals vote this decrepit Biden into office?
God please help us take our country back, MAGA!
Looters are all around us even now. They walk or drive by your house gawking at everything you have. And when the SHTF happens, they will crawl out of the woodwork. And like an infestation of rats, they will sneak into your kitchen, your living room, your bedroom, your bathroom, your outside buildings, your vehicles. Although you may feel you’re safe, but you won’t be safe nowhere. Get prepared now.
You forgot to mention authorities who will come to loot your preps…it is within their “right” to do so by new laws enacted by past presidents
They are all great comments here,
I’m a head of you.
I moved from a large city to a small village,
And they have been looting me since I moved here
They had a large food store here about 20 years a go.
He built a brand new building,
More then a half a block in sizes
And from what I found out they were looting him as well,
He closed it up and the building has set empty all these years,
I do not think he was in business more then a couple of years.
And he will not sell it to the village,
So he has been using it for a tax write off,
So after all these years The village has started a small food store owned
by privet people,
They do not want any one to rich in this small town,
If they think you are,
They think it gives them the right to loot you,
If you live a lone,
I wander what they have hide in there closets .
So being they have done this to me ,
I just pay my taxes, Pay my water bill,
And we have to buy the trash bags from the village
at two dollars each, .
And that is all the business they get from me.
I have no intension of joining there clubs or click,
or there bar room buddy’s,
I would hate to set in church with these kind of people.
And they have three churches here,
3 bars, and a small place to eat ,
Its like living at the end of the world.
This is all they know of it.
I bought a house that was once owned by a former Gov Brother 20 years a go.
Found this out after I had bought it, . So as soon as I get it fixed up some.
It will be up for sale
A small town that has nothing better to do but but there nose
in your windows, .
Go to the bar and drink beer and talk smart,
And act like there really somebody .
It makes me laugh,
I am just a common person and don’t have to be any thing more.
And they may not like the Idea ,
I stand with President TRUMP 2024
President Trump as always been my President since 2016.
I never have accepted as my president ,
Highly miss lead by Obama.
Read the book , 2010 Take Back America,
Its President Trump 2024 .
OR WE WILL NOT HAVE A COUNTRY LIFT TO CALL THE UNITED STATES.
DID YOU KNOW THIS THING CALLED CAP AND TRADE WAS A TAX PUT ON THE WORKING AMERICAN PEOPLE, TO GIVE TO 3RD WORLD COUNTRIES .
Now look what’s coming a cross our southern boarder .
Sad to say but I think its going to more then just talk and wire to stop it all.
I think someone took a payoff to keep it open, , ITS a take over of our country,
And every hard working AMERICAN knows it. . , And our VETS WHO FOUGHT WARS TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY FREE , GOS BLESS OUR VETS, . And Biden is spending there money and putting them to the back to the end of the line . . TO help the boarder crossers.. , I STAND WITH GREG ABBOT and , PRESIDENT TRUMP
GO MAGA! GO MAGA! GO MAGA!!
GO MAGA! GO MAGA! GO MAGA!! DID YOU HEAR ME??!! DID YOU HEAR ME YET!!???
ANYONE that does not want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and take our country BACK from the FRAUDULENTLY “deep state wealthy elite CABAL”, “INSTALLED” COMMUNISTS, feel free to move to the communist crap-hole of your choosing.
So the article in discussion is what kind of people
answer is anyone in need ,who sees something they want , sees something they covet ,lust for
desire
they will be your neighbor,the guys from the tows next door or just down the road or from the citys in koas
you will not know until this brakdown occurs
as you dont see there has been a break down of values in the world and the might makes right attitude or my way as i see it way of thinking
the ones who will survive are the ones who have built trust , friendships and small nuclues of people in trust groups
common bond , common family , common goals , common values
but make no mistake , as listed in the bible
the way you are trained is the way you will act
Train up a child and the way he should go and when he or she is older they shall not depart from that way of thinking .
So as a man thinks so is his company
Bad company corrupts good morals
when you bring in 20 million future slaves to replace the countries and offer all free
it is a matter of time until the dept is collected , or called in
remember illegals dont give a crap about your values , just what they can get
and they the new slaves will not know , until it happens , that they are the new slave s
Why can’t people write, the way they were taught???? Periods, commas, upper case letters. THESE ARE REQUIRED if you want your reader to actually spend the time to read your comments and thoughts!
COME ON !!!
Paranoid ignoramuses believing in conspiracy theories and not common sense verifiable facts.
God save us from your strongly held fanatical false beliefs.
Go get educated and increase your IQ.