6 ways to prepare for an EMP event

(Bugout.news) The world is getting to be a scary place – more so than at any time since the end of the Cold War. But nothing is more frightening than contemplating an electromagnetic pulse event that would instantly send all of Mankind back to the 18^th century.

One of the more plausible EMP scenarios is being targeted by a nuclear weapon that would be detonated miles above our country.

Russia is building the largest, most powerful nuclear weapon ever designed – one large enough to destroy the entire state of Texas or the country of France. China has refurbished its nuclear arsenal and is reshaping its military in preparation for war, the Pentagon has said. And of course, Iran and North Korea continue to improve their nukes as well.

Then, of course, there are other natural events, like massive solar storms such as the one that didn’t get much coverage by the media in July 2012, a near-miss that threatened our tech-reliant existence.

“If it had hit, we would still be picking up the pieces,” Daniel Baker of the University of Colorado, told NASA Science.

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Fact is, there have never been as many good reasons as now to become better prepared to survive an EMP event. Here are six things you can do to be more ready for the end of [modern] life as we know it:

Non-electric appliances: One of the biggest casualties of an EMP event will be the nation’s power grid. Fortunately, there are quite a few non-electric appliances and devices you can get to make life easier. They include: Solar oven; manual can opener; manual grain and meat grinder, butter churn; hand-powered water pump; wind-up flashlight; and miniature roll-up solar panels for electric power, to name a few.

Trade for it: Barter items will definitely come in handy when times get tough after an EMP event. Here is a great list of potential barter items.

Lighting: Life following an EMP event will be dim and dreary enough, so make sure you have some off-the-grid lighting to brighten your evenings. You can use glow sticks or bigger items like oil lamps. You can, of course, also use solar-powered lamps which will charge by day for use during the evening. And if you have a portable solar panel, you can use it to power up other devices not ‘fried’ by the pulse. Candles work too and last quite a while. Plus, in a pinch, you can heat up food with a candle.

A tool for every use: Okay, so you probably won’t have every possible tool that you might need, but things like hand saws, axes, screwdrivers, pliers, and ratchet sets will come in handy when the power tools no longer function.

Self-defense gear: Any large-scale “attack” or “event” that wipes out power, communications, the financial sector and so forth will trigger mass social unrest. Count on it. So you’ve got to have something – some sort of gear – with which to protect yourself. A firearm (or three) is your best option (if you don’t have one yet, get one now and learn how to properly use it), but you can also use a knife, baseball bat/large club, a tool (like a small ax) and so forth. A firearm is also useful for killing wild game.

Food production: Granted, you’re going to have a supply of long-term storable food, but it’s only going to last so long. So seeds to grow food will be vital, of course. “Of course you’d need the seeds, livestock, and tools to jumpstart the system, as well as the knowledge of seed saving and livestock breeding, but a little experience and a few good books can set you on the right path,” notes Outdoor Life. In the end, you might end up giving a large share of food to the warlord who controls the region, but at least you’ll have some food—and you’ll be a valuable person to the community.”

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