They’ll Come for These 7 Things First

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

When things start to break down—whether it’s a slow grind or a sudden, shocking event—there are certain items that don’t just become valuable, they could become dangerous to have. Not because you shouldn’t have them, but because once others know you do, or if people (like the government) come looking, you’re no longer just someone who prepped. You’re now someone with a target on your back.

In every major disaster, whether it’s war, economic collapse, or just the aftermath of a natural disaster, a pattern emerges. The same categories of items get taken by officials, by criminals, or by desperate people trying to survive. If you’re not thinking ahead about what needs to stay low-profile or outright hidden, you’re gambling that you won’t be noticed and that others won’t come looking. History says otherwise.

It’s Happened Before

In New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, police and National Guard troops went door to door confiscating firearms from lawful owners. In Venezuela’s economic collapse, the military seized control of gas stations and food deliveries. During the fall of the Soviet Union, people with medicine, tools, or fuel were often robbed or pressured into surrendering supplies to local officials or gangs. And in Greece, banks limited cash withdrawals to a trickle during the financial crisis, leaving people unable to access their own money. These aren’t theories. They’re reminders.

So here it is—the list. Seven things that get taken first when things go sideways. And a bonus item that covers the wildcard.

TL;DR: The first things taken in a crisis include firearms, ammunition, gold, cash, medications, fuel, and food. Keep them hidden to avoid loss.

1. Firearms and Accessories

Whether it’s a hurricane zone or a government checkpoint, firearms are always at the top of the list. As I mentioned, it happened in New Orleans after Katrina. It’s happened in other countries under economic collapse. When the rule of law gets shaky, the people in charge often decide the safest population (for those in charge) is a disarmed and controllable one.

If you think your paperwork will protect you, think again. Paper doesn’t matter when policy changes overnight. Confiscations can be targeted or broad, and it doesn’t have to be official. Thieves know what to look for. A case, a sticker on a toolbox—that’s all it takes.

Accessories like optics, lights, suppressors, and night vision? Those go too.

Keep in mind that responsible ownership and proper training are critical. But so is understanding that not everything needs to be visible, stored in one place, or talked about.

Prepping Tip: If someone kicks your door looking for weapons, what will they find?

2. Ammunition

Right behind guns is the stuff that makes them useful. Ammunition is frequently rationed, restricted, or outright banned in crisis zones. During wartime or collapse, bullets become scarce and turn into barter items, contraband, and in some cases, an authoritarian government’s charges against you.

Ammo also tends to be heavy and visible. A stack of boxes in your garage, or some rounds or shell casings in your vehicle, can quickly draw attention. And if people know you have some ammo, they assume you have more elsewhere.

Plan accordingly. Store smart.

Prepping Tip: Don’t leave any ammo, mags, guns, etc., out where someone standing at your door, walking past your home, or looking in through a window can see them.

3. Gold and Silver

Precious metals get a lot of love in prepper circles, and for good reason. When currency loses its value, gold and silver still buy food, fuel, and safe passage. But what often gets overlooked is how frequently they are confiscated or outlawed.

The U.S. government seized private gold in 1933. Other countries have followed suit during financial emergencies. In a full-blown collapse, you’re not trading on the open market—you’re trying to stay below the radar.

If you’re going to hold metals, think small and portable. Don’t advertise, and don’t assume everyone values them the same. In the early days of crisis, gold might not matter. But once things stabilize even a little, it moves towards becoming currency again. And once it becomes currency, someone wants to control it and wants what you have.

Prepping Tip: Gold and silver bars, rounds, and coins are an excellent investment. However, they spotlight you as someone who has invested and may have a stash of precious metals stored away. To maintain a lower profile with precious metals, consider accumulating common jewelry that people typically wear. A hungry person willing to trade their grandma’s necklace or an old ring will draw less attention than someone showing up with bars of gold and silver.

4. Cash

Before precious metals take over, paper money still matters. Especially in the early phases of a breakdown. But cash is fragile. One government decree outlawing the “old money”, one banking collapse, and it’s either illegal, inaccessible, or worthless.

That doesn’t stop it from being a high-priority target. Officials can freeze accounts. Gangs can clear out your safe. Neighbors can recall that you told them to keep an envelope full of cash on hand “just in case.”

Prepping Tip: Avoid keeping large sums of cash in easily accessible locations. And don’t assume it’ll always work. Use it smart, and know when to shift to other value stores.

5. Prescription Medications

The minute supply chains start wobbling, medicine gets scarce. As the situation devolves, pharmacies can get looted. Hospitals might go on lockdown. People hoard what they can and start trading for what they can’t.

If you rely on daily meds, you’re already aware of the vulnerability. But even if you don’t, having a decent supply of basic antibiotics, painkillers, and first-aid supplies can draw unwanted attention.

Prepping Tip: Be strategic. Have what you need, and have a little extra. But keep it quiet. And don’t let your entire stash sit in one medicine cabinet where anyone using your bathroom can take notice.

Prepping Tip: Be careful about offering your medications to others who aren’t prepared. It’ll eat your supplies up and broadcast that you have what others want/need.

6. Fuel (Gasoline, Diesel, Propane)

Fuel is freedom. It keeps your generator running, your vehicle moving, and your home heated. That makes it a massive target.

Governments ration it. Gangs hijack it. Neighbors “borrow” it. And all it takes is one whiff of gasoline, diesel, or the sound of a running generator to bring people to your door.

Prepping Tip: Store fuel safely and in a way that doesn’t scream, “We’re good for months.” And if you have something that burns fuel, like a generator, consider the noise, light, and smell it produces. Being the only house with power in a blackout makes you visible in all the wrong ways.

7. Bulk Food Storage

Food is comfort. Food is survival. And when grocery store shelves go bare, people start looking around. They need to feed their families. If their family is starving and you have what they need, then they’ll come for it.

The U.S. legal system has tools to seize it under emergency declarations. But more often, the real threat comes from word of mouth. A friend of a neighbor who once saw you hauling buckets. A cousin who remembers your chest freezer.

Prepping Tip: This is where being quiet pays off. Don’t advertise. Don’t overshare. Don’t post photos of your shelves. What you have is your business, and it stays that way.

Prepping Tip: Distribute your storage. Keep some in plain sight, and the rest out of sight. You might even consider decoys—enough to satisfy someone poking around, without giving up the real supply.

Bonus: Anything Others Want That You Have

Here’s the truth: It doesn’t matter if it’s on a list or not. If people want it, and they know you have it, it’s in danger. What’s also in danger is you, your family, and anything that gets between the looters and what you have that they want.

That could be your communication gear. Your spare batteries. Your tools. Your knowledge. Family members. It might be something as simple as toilet paper or as niche as insulin.

The wildcard here is visibility. You can’t control every variable. But you can control what you show. What do you talk about and who you trust.

Just because you have it doesn’t mean it has to be seen. And if no one knows it’s there, it’s a lot harder to take.

The Bottom Line

Prepping isn’t about living in hiding. It’s about being smart with what you have. There’s no medal for being the loudest guy with the biggest stockpile. But there’s peace in knowing your family has what they need, even if things get hard.

Keep a low profile. Stay aware. And remember: when things go bad, it’s not always the event itself that gets you. Sometimes, it’s the attention that comes with being ready.

Additional Resources