Originally posted 2017-05-20 17:10:10.

Electricity is pretty awesome when you sit down and really think about it.  Our entire modern world runs off electricity, from the obvious things like flipping on the switch to have instant light, to the less obvious items such as our very currency and ability to interconnect with each other via phone or internet.  One of the few disaster scenarios that really truly frightens me is that of an EMP attack.  If you’re not familiar, EMP is an acronym for ElectroMagnetic Pulse.  What exactly is that, you say?  Well, simply put it’s a large electro magnetic charge that is so powerful and wide spread that it essentially fries everything electronic.  You may have heard the term in popular science fiction films such as The Matrix trilogy, but the fact is an EMP is a real threat the government has discussed at the highest levels.   An EMP effect could be set into motion through two means – A nuclear weapon detonated high enough into the atmosphere, or from the Sun itself.   The nuclear method was discovered through US and Soviet missile tests in the 1960s (for more information, google Starfish Prime)  The method that could come from the sun is known as a solar flare, or more accurately a coronal mass ejection.  This phenomenon happens frequently on the sun, where plasma bursts out of the sun like a big cosmic zit – and sends radiation flying out in random directions.  The first major recorded solar flare to hit the earth was in 1859 – which is now referred to as the Carrington Event.  Because the highest electronic technology of the time was the telegraph, the potential massive damage was never realized – aside from some of the telegraph stations catching fire!  However, if a similar event were to happen in 2017- it would be absolutely devastating.  That’s why it’s a good idea to start thinking about some common sense EMP survival gear in the event one of these terrible things happens!

EMP Survival Gear Essentials

Lighting & Heat

One of the most obvious things we take for granted with electricity is the simple fact that it provides us with an easy means to light and heat our homes.  If you’ve ever been in a house during a winter power outage, you understand how your home suddenly becomes at risk of busted pipes and potential flooding and water damage.  Luckily there are some simple options you could use for heating and lighting your home.

Emergency candles

These are probably the simplest ways of heating a house, but of course they come with the risk of fire danger – so put them in a safe place (like a proper candle holder.  In fact, candles are one of the world’s oldest means of providing light (and some heat) into your home.

Wood Burning Stoves

You may be familiar with these old fashioned stoves if you grew up in a home built in the 1980’s or earlier -and they are a fantastic means of heating your home without electricity.  You will need wood, of course, but depending on your location that can be pretty easy to come by.   Some local counties may require a permit to install one of these into your home, so be aware of that if you decide to purchase.  You’ll also need to put a hole into your roof for the chimney – but the utility of a wood burning stove is fantastic and is highly recommended as part of your EMP survival gear.

Kerosene Heaters

While these would provide a much more short term solution than a wood burning stove, kerosene is an easy to purchase and long lasting fuel source – and can keep a large room rather toasty without a whole lot of effort.

EMP Survival Gear Tools

Crowbar

In a world without electricity, you would find anything that has an electronic lock to be pretty difficult to open – this could include your car or anywhere else.  One of the most valuable tools anyone can have is the trusty crowbar, ala Gordon Freeman of the Half-Life video game series.  With this you can pry your way into your car or maybe that fancy electronic safe you bought yourself.  Definitely a good tool to have around if the power wasn’t coming back on.

 

Fire Escape Ladder

A lot of us live in apartments, high rises, or just generally not on the ground level of a building.  What happens if the elevators lose power (first of all, hopefully you’re not inside the elevator, as was illustrated in the National Geographic mockumentary entitled American Blackout) .  Assuming the stairs aren’t an option, how are you going to escape?  Unless you’ve got some Ninja Warrior type skills, I would recommending having at least one of these escape ladders handy if you live above the ground floor.

Protecting Your Electronics

An EMP or solar flare has the potential to wipe out the power grid, but some small electronic devices could withstand the damage if they are properly insulated within what’s known as a Faraday cage.  There are lots of kits available to help you build one of these, but one could be created from scratch from something as simple as a metal garbage can.  The cage allows the electric pulse to run along the outside of the container, keeping your valuable electronic devices safe from getting the extreme pulse.  This piece of EMP survival gear has to take some forethought into account – as the items would already need to be placed safely inside of a cage prior to such an event actually occurring.

Knowledge is Power

Ultimately, there’s only so much you can do to protect yourself from what many would consider to be an event with a small chance of occurring.  The best thing you could do is to get some good books that pertain to these situations, and contain a lot of practical knowledge.  The best part about a book is that you don’t need the internet to read them (weird, I know).  One of the most in depth books I could find on this subject is Matthew Stein’s When Technology Fails.  It goes into depth about all sorts of disasters, EMPs included and is a wealth of awesome information.  Here’s a YouTube interview I found of Stein discussing these subjects. (Shout out to the Project Camelot YouTube Channel for the interview.)

I hope this article can inspire some ideas of ways you can better prepare yourself, your family and your home in the event of an EMP.  There’s more EMP survival gear than I could ever list in one article, but think outside the box and try to imagine life without electricity – and some of the things that could make that difficult existence a little bit easier to bear.   Until then, Happy Camping!