What are you doing to prepare for EMP Threat?

[3percentR]

With tensions escalating and the possibility of an EMP attack from Korea or a rouge terrorist country are you doing anything to address this threat?

I have stored my small electronics (handheld Ham radios, Volt Meter, laptop with files, etc.) is a metal garbage can.

Looking to purchase a few garden wagons and bikes in case we need to Bug out to our well stocked BOL in the high mountain forest.

Refreshing water stored and adding canned goods to already stocked BOL.

Installed a hand pump on the BOL well.

Installed rain catchment tank for catch water for toilets, garden, etc.

Storing a few firearms out of my safe as it has an electronic lock and may be disabled and need to be pried open in an EMP scenario.

Wrote a family emergency initial reaction plan to get everyone to a pre-determined rally point to bug in or get packed to bug out to BOL.

Made an list of what to pack in an emergency to take if bug out on foot or vehicle.

Picked up some more heirloom seeds.

Designed small solar setup, electronic components stored in faraday cage and will be assembled when needed. Still need to address adding batteries.

What are you doing?

[40cal]

There are a lot of threads on this with more information than one person could ever remember:

https://www.survivalistboards.com/sea...rchid=37198057

As for me... I don't do a lot of "scenario" prepping. I prepare in general, and most of my preps are good for many different scenarios.

Specifically for EMP, the only thing would be keeping comms in faraday cages. Everything else I have should be ok, or it won't. Can't keep a truck in a faraday cage, so I have other ways of transport.

[RedHawkSteel]

Originally Posted by 40cal

There are a lot of threads on this with more information than one person could ever remember:

https://www.survivalistboards.com/sea...rchid=37198057

As for me... I don't do a lot of "scenario" prepping. I prepare in general, and most of my preps are good for many different scenarios.

Specifically for EMP, the only thing would be keeping comms in faraday cages. Everything else I have should be ok, or it won't. Can't keep a truck in a faraday cage, so I have other ways of transport.

Its hard to say what effect an EMP burst would do to vehicles.

[3percentR]

Broken link

Originally Posted by 40cal

There are a lot of threads on this with more information than one person could ever remember:

https://www.survivalistboards.com/sea...rchid=37198057

As for me... I don't do a lot of "scenario" prepping. I prepare in general, and most of my preps are good for many different scenarios.

Specifically for EMP, the only thing would be keeping comms in faraday cages. Everything else I have should be ok, or it won't. Can't keep a truck in a faraday cage, so I have other ways of transport.

[BBQ_Pork]

Originally Posted by RedHawkSteel

Its hard to say what effect an EMP burst would do to vehicles.

At this point, trying to estimate what an EMP would do is theoretical. We know that it would be a problem. We think that the electrical grid will go down and most electronics (including the computers inside modern autos) will be fried even if you can get power. If those things happen, we would be well and truly screwed. (See: The first couple of chapters of One Second After)

But it's sort of a long-shot that an EMP will happen, so I would recommend that EMP protection be only one layer of an overall self-sufficiency prep lifestyle.

Faraday Cage a spare set of comms and some essential electronics.

[ajole]

Nothing. It's pointless. Nothing I need is electric, and if I shield my electronics, what good are they when the grid and everyone else's systems are down?

Spend your effort on something that matters.

[RedHawkSteel]

Originally Posted by ajole

Nothing. It's pointless. Nothing I need is electric, and if I shield my electronics, what good are they when the grid and everyone else's systems are down?

Spend your effort on something that matters.

I have lanterns and flashlights that have the option of being solar powered and those could be fried without proper EMP protection.

[charliemeyer007]

I'm making a 20V 20W folding panel for my medical ammo crate first aide box. Will be used to generate colloidal silver and to keep up my Eneloop's.

It's not just an EMP from a nuke, the sun can/has fried the grid before. Toyota 1972 FJ-40 carb, breaker points, zero computers. I want to install a 1 wire alternator or perhaps an actual generator so it could work from a roll start. Have an extra electric (diode) fuel pump in a can with lots of hose for gas re-supply.

Good plan to have a manual water pump. I'm working on a 12 V unit that can do say 5 gal/hr on solar - or I could pedal.

[lobanz]

Originally Posted by 3percentR

What are you doing?

About the same sorts of things I do for every other potential event.

I do have some radios in faraday cages. And a old diesel truck with no computers.

I tend to think in terms of EMP, but it's about the same as any grid down scenario. Used to think of EMP as a worst case scenario. Then I read quite a few of JDY's stories. I'm thinking nuclear attack, with fallout, etc would be even worse. Starting to think about fallout shelters: short term improvised shelters and eventually a permanent underground concrete shelter


--- Lobanz

[match]

Seems to reason that if during the Carrington Event wires ending in telegraph stations caused fires, houses everywhere are likewise vulnerable.

Imaging all the cookie cutter neighboorhoods (with only a few feet between them) on fire across vast areas without near enough means to put them out. Survivalist and preppers alike watching their preps burn in their homes. food, radios and computers they thought were safe in faraday cages, guns and ammo, vehicles that were not affected, etc up in smoke.

[PalmettoTree]

Nothing new

[Justme11]

Couple little solar panel things to charge cell phone, plus a hand held el cheapo wouxon ham radio, and a couple regular radios, stored in metal cabinet. Not really emp protected, but it might help a little.

5 backup generators of various sizes and types from over the years.


Bought a sturdy schwinn bike and a chinese motor kit. Have 2 strong garden 4 wheel carts. Stored gasoline and several ways to transfer fuel.

Traps and guns to get game. Sailboat that might be useful to move out if needed, but it needs a new motor.

Thats about it, other than normal camping/survival stuff, food, water, water filters,

[arizonafusilier]

The grid is coming down courtesy of computer hacking....no need to do anything as attributable as detonating a nuke, not to mention time in development, delivery plan, opsec, etc. The plausible deniability aspect could buy an aggressor precious time. EMP is soooo 1950s. Seriously.

I do not engage in scenario-specific prepping, nor do I encourage others to do so. But having said that, if you are prepared for a grid-down scenario of any origin, you are probably pretty prepared.

[PalmettoTree]

My opinion is geven the construction of the grid only the largest metropolitan areas need fear computer hacking grid failure.

Power generation will continue. It is the switching based on balance and demand that will be an issue. Those areas with the fewest number of backup demand systems will be fine.

[Writer's Block]

I am currently working to shield some essential and emergency electronics, mostly because EMP is one of the things I have not really prepped for right now, but other than that I am not really about scenario prepping. I just try to make sure I am covered for all sorts of different things, then I worry about specific stuff.

For me, EMP is WAAAAAY down on the list of potential threats. There are other, more likely and more pressing, potential threats in my region.

[ljcygnet]

Originally Posted by Justme11

Couple little solar panel things to charge cell phone, plus a hand held el cheapo wouxon ham radio, and a couple regular radios, stored in metal cabinet. Not really emp protected, but it might help a little.

An EMP may or may not fry a cell phone, depending on assorted factors. Just ... depends.

I would expect the cell phone network to be toast after an EMP, though. Everything about it is vulnerable -- the infrastructure will go poof, possibly literally. Towers will fry, there will be no power to operate them, and if the cause was a igh altitude nuke, communications satellites would be lost.

OTOH, some apps (I have a geiger counter on mine that works with the camera) could be useful post shtf, and heck, being able to play games might be good for morale. So being able to charge a phone is not a bad thing -- but it'll just be a pocket computer, not a communications device, after an EMP. (Make sure any apps you are counting on will work without an internet connection!)

Depending on the size of the solar charger, you could also charge a shortwave radio or other gadgets. That could be very useful. (Shortwave will be disrupted immediately after an emp, but would be invaluable once it returned to help figure out what just happened and how wide spread the problem was. If it was an emp caused by a nuke, it could be continent wide and the opening shot in a ww3 scenario, or it could be more localized from a smaller, lower altitude that had been hanging off a balloon or dropped from an airplane.

Tens of thousands of feet versus hundreds of thousands of feet would make a huge amount of difference in the radius of the effect -- but if you're smack in the middle of the affected area, it would be very hard to tell how large it is. A 100 mile radius of emp effect would be a lot less catastrophic in the long term than a 1000 mile radius.

[Justme11]

Originally Posted by ljcygnet

An EMP may or may not fry a cell phone, depending on assorted factors. Just ... depends.

I would expect the cell phone network to be toast after an EMP, though. Everything about it is vulnerable -- the infrastructure will go poof, possibly literally. Towers will fry, there will be no power to operate them, and if the cause was a igh altitude nuke, communications satellites would be lost.

OTOH, some apps (I have a geiger counter on mine that works with the camera) could be useful post shtf, and heck, being able to play games might be good for morale. So being able to charge a phone is not a bad thing -- but it'll just be a pocket computer, not a communications device, after an EMP. (Make sure any apps you are counting on will work without an internet connection!)

Depending on the size of the solar charger, you could also charge a shortwave radio or other gadgets. That could be very useful. (Shortwave will be disrupted immediately after an emp, but would be invaluable once it returned to help figure out what just happened and how wide spread the problem was. If it was an emp caused by a nuke, it could be continent wide and the opening shot in a ww3 scenario, or it could be more localized from a smaller, lower altitude that had been hanging off a balloon or dropped from an airplane.

Tens of thousands of feet versus hundreds of thousands of feet would make a huge amount of difference in the radius of the effect -- but if you're smack in the middle of the affected area, it would be very hard to tell how large it is. A 100 mile radius of emp effect would be a lot less catastrophic in the long term than a 1000 mile radius.

Yes, the phone would be for the apps and stored survival files and books on the phone. GPS might still be operating as well. If nothing else, you can determine what isn't in operation.

[3percentR]

Originally Posted by ajole

Nothing. It's pointless. Nothing I need is electric, and if I shield my electronics, what good are they when the grid and everyone else's systems are down?

Spend your effort on something that matters.

Thanks for the valuable input. Pointless? really. I don't think you have thought it through.

Shielding my handheld radios will give my family the ability to communicate at the BOL for our security operations.

Having a Ham radio base station allows me to communication a distance with other who have shielded their communication equipment. Any data obtained via comms is very valuable.

Having my laptop available after an EMP with all my docs on it on how to do stuff most of us have forgot or never done is very valuable (many I have in hard copy also).

Having my multi-meter for electrical use, very valuable.

Having solar panels to run refrigerator and charge comms equipment, very valuable.

I could go on but you get the point.

[lobanz]

Originally Posted by 3percentR

[...]Having a Ham radio base station allows me to communication a distance with other who have shielded their communication equipment. Any data obtained via comms is very valuable.[...]

Someone gave us an old ham radio setup. It's all vacuum tubes with the big variable capacitor knobs. I don't know much about it, but an electrical engineer friend in our group says it should be pretty EMP proof, but who knows. Very powerful unit -- it's either 200W or 300W, can't remember exactly. Has power supply and antenna tuner with it. Ready to go. Very cool. Haven't set it up yet. Need to learn about antennas. Need to get my license. Would be nice to also have a more modern setup like one of the Yaesu portable HF rigs. Comfy presets, scanning, etc.

We use 2M Baofengs on the GMRS band around the farm. Have quite a few of them packed away for LTS in paint can faraday cages.

But, I'm with most here. EMP, as hyped as it is, is probably not the greatest threat. We DO have a missile defense system. Computer hacking and domestic terrorism are probably much greater threats to the grid. But if you're prepared for a grid down scenario, you have the basics in place. Of course, there are other things like nuclear fallout, volcanic ash, pandemic, social unrest, financial collapse, civil war, etc. All the scenarios have their specific preps, but there is LOTS of common ground between them. Fill out the common ground first and then get into specific threats.


--- Lobanz

[3percentR]

Originally Posted by lobanz

Someone gave us an old ham radio setup. It's all vacuum tubes with the big variable capacitor knobs. I don't know much about it, but an electrical engineer friend in our group says it should be pretty EMP proof, but who knows. Very powerful unit -- it's either 200W or 300W, can't remember exactly. Has power supply and antenna tuner with it. Ready to go. Very cool. Haven't set it up yet. Need to learn about antennas. Need to get my license. Would be nice to also have a more modern setup like one of the Yaesu portable HF rigs. Comfy presets, scanning, etc.

We use 2M Baofengs on the GMRS band around the farm. Have quite a few of them packed away for LTS in paint can faraday cages.

But, I'm with most here. EMP, as hyped as it is, is probably not the greatest threat. We DO have a missile defense system. Computer hacking and domestic terrorism are probably much greater threats to the grid. But if you're prepared for a grid down scenario, you have the basics in place. Of course, there are other things like nuclear fallout, volcanic ash, pandemic, social unrest, financial collapse, civil war, etc. All the scenarios have their specific preps, but there is LOTS of common ground between them. Fill out the common ground first and then get into specific threats.


--- Lobanz

Oh, by no means am I prepping for only EMP, I have a full range of preps for most all scenarios and a written plan detailing response for each. Just shoring up another area that needed attention.