As much as we want to be friendly and love our neighbors, this may be more dangerous than we realize.

We notice our neighbors’ habits – even if we are merely acquaintances.

We notice who gets tons of deliveries and who has a garage filled with tools.

And that’s a problem…should SHTF.

While there is no getting around the fact that you will inevitably share your preps with the people you love, you don’t necessarily want the people living nearby to know what you have in your emergency stockpile.

MI5, the UK’s security service, believes society is only “four meals away from anarchy.”

We couldn’t agree more.

If SHTF, there will be anarchy.

Consider how quickly society will fall apart if the grid goes down from a major disaster, nuclear attack, or EMP event.

• Stores emptied of food – either from spoiling, hoarding, or looting.
• Then, water systems will stop running without electricity, which means sewage systems will also stop. Water will be contaminated.
• Financial systems won’t work. You can’t access bank ATMs to withdraw money or use debit or credit cards.
• Pumping fuel requires electricity, so all types of transportation will come to a halt. Delivery trucks will stop running, so stores will not refill. Traffic signals won’t work either.
• Hospital generators will soon cease to work, which means only basic first aid can be performed.
• Schools will close. Businesses will close. Law enforcement won’t function.

There will be chaos by day 3.

After 1 week, you can expect people to make decisions based on desperation.

And desperate people are dangerous. (Yes, even those nice neighbors across the street can turn nasty if hungry enough – any of us can.)

For a perfect example, just look at the prevalent looting after a natural disaster.

NOLA reports, “Many of the city’s 400,000 residents had evacuated prior to Hurricane Ida’s landfall (2021), and more left in the days after, as widespread power outages lingered and temperatures rose. The city's dataset of calls reported to the New Orleans Police Department shows a spike in alleged burglaries during that time. Between Aug. 29 and Sept. 7, a total of 235 people called the NOPD to report that their businesses had been burglarized, and 180 people reported burglaries in their homes.

That's more than 3 times the number of burglaries reported to NOPD during all of last August.”

That’s just an example of a power outage in one city.

Now, consider what is happening in Haiti.

Earthquakes, hurricanes, and deteriorating economics have resulted in anarchy on the island.

The government has lost control, there is only 1 cop per 1,000 citizens, and gangs are running the show.

The AP reports, “More than 130,000 Haitians have fled their neighborhoods as gangs break into homes, kill and rape residents in a fight to control more territory, and nearly 40% of them are now living in makeshift shelters lacking basic services.”

If SHTF here, will your home be a target for gangs?

The key to avoiding having a target on your back or your home is to prepare NOW and learn how to act like a greyman when it comes to stocking survival supplies.

The Importance of Acting as a Greyman

A greyman is someone who blends in and does not stand out. He gives no reason to pay him any attention.

You do not want those around you to think you have more supplies than they do or more skills than they have.

You want to seem as boring as possible. You want them to think so little of you that they forget you exist.

This may be the difference between life and death.

[Read More: Why Becoming a Greyman May Save Your Life]

How to Hide Your Supplies Before SHTF

It’s important to already start thinking as a greyman as you build up your stock of survival supplies.

Here are some things to keep in mind.

• Stock up on long-term food now – and hide it well. If SHTF, you don’t want to see your neighbor at the grocery loading the store into your trunk. Instead, you want a good supply of long-term emergency food safely hidden before SHTF. But here’s the kicker: You can’t make it obvious you have emergency food. For example, if your neighbor sees you getting pallets of bulk food from Sam’s Club, he’ll know whom to loot. My Patriot Supply knows how important this is, which is why our emergency food products come in unmarked boxes.
• Start growing your garden immediately. In addition to stocking up on long-term emergency food, you should also stock up on seeds. If SHTF, who knows how long it will be before life returns to normal, if ever. You may need to grow your own food to survive. However, you don’t want to suddenly start growing food during the apocalypse, or people will know what’s up. Instead, start gardening now so it seems natural and normal.
• Learn first aid. First aid is an essential survival skill. Spend the time learning how to perform first aid. And stock up on first aid supplies and medications now. Keep them hidden in your home and vehicle.
• Invest in water filtration supplies. While it is wise to stock up on water, it is also wise to invest in water filtration supplies, such as water treatment tablets or water filtration straws. If you have pallets of bottled water, you’ll be a target. But if you can purify water wherever you find it, you won’t have to rely on bottled water.
• Have a discreet rain barrel. Since the possibility of clean water running out is real, go ahead and start using a rain barrel. Put it somewhere that blends in and doesn’t stand out. Then, use your purification tools as needed.
• Purchase tools for gathering food in the future. In addition to stocking up on food supplies, you need to also consider what you will need to cook food in a disaster situation. For example, do you have fishing or hunting gear? Do you have a VESTA self-powered stove and indoor space heater?

How to Conceal Your Supplies When SHTF

While it is important to keep your supply prepping discreetly as a greyman, it will be even more important when SHTF.

People will be desperate, and you want to take steps to prevent being a victim of someone’s desperation.

• Don’t advertise your gear. You have every right to be proud of the gear you stocked up to help you survive this situation, but you don’t want to tell others what you have. Don’t volunteer your tools or food.
• Don’t stand out. The goal is to blend in. You don’t want to do anything to call attention to yourself, such as giving out bottles of water.
• 
  Don’t cook outside. When disaster strikes, people often grill out. In a long-term disaster situation like the one we are discussing, this should be avoided. This will call attention to the food you have and will be too enticing for those who are desperate. Find ways to safely cook indoors.
• Watch your overall appearance. If you look and smell clean, you’re going to call attention to yourself because others don’t have access to water for bathing. If you seem to be getting plumper while everyone else is getting thinner because of meager food sources, you’re going to stand out.
• Have separate clothes for the public. When you go out in public, you want to blend in. This means looking and even smelling like everyone else. If they are dirty and cold, you need to be dressed in dirty clothes that don’t smell laundered. Along those same lines, you don’t want to wear a nice thick coat in public unless you want to give it away.
• Hide your reactions. You don’t want to react in a way that raises suspicions. For example, if someone makes a big fuss about someone eating like a king while everyone else is starving, you better go along with it.
• Keep supplies in ordinary containers. As cool as fireproof, waterproof steel boxes may be for your gear, they are advertising you have something you want to protect inside. When possible, keep your essentials in plain, ordinary containers.
• Don’t keep everything in one spot. Spread your gear out. This way, if your home is looted, the burglars won’t get everything.
• Conceal equipment on your body. When you travel to and from, wear clothing that allows you to conceal weapons and supplies on you, such as ordinary backpacks, cargo pants, or baggy clothing.
• Use lighting strategically. It’s great if you invested in solar-powered gear, but you don’t want to light up your whole house in the middle of your darkened neighborhood. Use light sparingly and only as needed.

Don’t make yourself a target. Reduce attention, friends.

In liberty,

Elizabeth Anderson

Preparedness Advisor, My Patriot Supply