a comprehensive guide to surviving the world after an …comprehensive+guide+to... · a...

Independent Living

Presents

A Comprehensive Guide

to Surviving

the World After

an EMP

Published by American Lantern Press, Inc. www.IndependentLivingNews.com

A Comprehensive Guide to Surviving the World After an EMP

Copyright © 2015 By American Lantern Press. All rights reserved.

Published by American Lantern Press, Inc. P.O. Box 1240

Clover, SC 29710-4240

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, no portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher.

Contents Introduction: When, Not If .................................................................................1

Chapter 1: EMP Events That Rocked the World ................................................7

Chapter 2: Gone in a Matter of Seconds ............................................................11

Chapter 3: A Spectrum of Scenarios from Minor Disruptions to Complete Collapse........................................................................17

Chapter 4: Key Players You Should Know.........................................................19

Chapter 5: Critical Systems................................................................................23

Chapter 6: After the Pulse: Where Will Your Food Come From .......................25

Chapter 7: After the Pulse: What Will You Drink ..............................................39

Chapter 8: After the Pulse: The Money in Your Pocket .....................................45

Chapter 9: After the Pulse: How Will You Travel..............................................51

Chapter 10: After the Pulse: Staying in the Loop ..............................................57

Chapter 11: After the Pulse: A New Source for Everything...............................63

Chapter 12: After the Pulse: Will You Face a Meltdown...................................69

Chapter 13: After the Pulse: The Internet is Down............................................73

Chapter 14: After the Pulse: Obamacare Can’t Help You.................................77

Chapter 15: After the Pulse: No More Welfare Checks .....................................85

Chapter 16: After the Pulse: No Light, No Heat ................................................91

Chapter 17: After the Pulse: No One Is Coming to Help You............................99

Chapter 18: After the Pulse: National Vulnerabilities.......................................105

Chapter 19: After the Pulse: Your Personal Economy.......................................111

Chapter 20: Knowing the Dangers.....................................................................115


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Introduction

When , Not If …

It is only a matter of time before our society experiences a major disruption … one that has the potential to bring everything we’ve built crumbling down around us.

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) could devastate our way of life, bringing critical

systems of every kind to a screaming halt. A large enough EMP could blanket the U.S., crippling the power grid and setting us back into an 1800s-type agrarian society.

For most, the possibility of a national failure of the power grid is unthinkable. But this

scenario is, in fact, a very real possibility. And I'm not the only one who thinks so. Most scientists agree that a collapse of the national power grid is a risk.

Let me explain … Which do you think would be worse — a nuclear warhead detonated at ground level in

Omaha, Nebraska, or one detonated in space above Omaha? A ground-level warhead would take out the city and cause concerns about nuclear

fallout across the nation. An aerial detonation, on the other hand, would take out the entire country's

communications system and power grid. Hostile nations and terrorist cells aren’t the only threat. Our nation faces an equal, if

not greater threat, from the sun. Many experts regard the probability of a major EMP emanating from our own sun as a

virtual certainty. The last major EMP cycle affecting Earth took place more than a century ago and disrupted primitive telegraph technology. The 2008 EMP commission (authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2006) established that a similar event now would cause very serious disruptions on our lives, society, and our nation.

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When , Not If …

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Like most modern civilizations, we have become reliant, if not utterly dependent upon, a complex network of interlocking and interdependent support and infrastructure systems. Whether an EMP results from solar activity or from an enemy military/terrorist source (such as a nuclear explosion in the upper atmosphere), these threats are quite real, and it is imperative you at least become aware of them. You might well decide to take more steps to become more self-reliant.

An EMP Could Knock Out Power for Months

In the early stages of an EMP solar event, many of the protective devices along our electrical grid that ensure fast recovery of critical system components will be damaged or destroyed. The system's surge protectors would be tripped or burned out in the initial event, rendering them incapable of preventing further surges.

As a result, much of the electrical infrastructure would be unable to protect itself from

the effects of simultaneous failures. Widespread damage to the generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructures and equipment is very likely. The scope of the damage could cover 70% or more of the continental United States, as well as a significant portion of Canada.

Such a large-scale failure would likely trigger a cascading event that collapses the

entire power grid … and everything that depends on it.

Communication Systems Would Fail Shutting Down Phones and Computers

The crucial role that telecommunication plays in a modern society cannot be

overstated, and the loss of this infrastructure would seriously impede routine communications between individuals, businesses, and governments.

The vital components that make telecommunications possible include send-and-

receive devices for voice and data, such as standard and cellular phones, not to mention personal computers. All of these depend on electricity to function. Without the power grid, they’ll be rendered useless. The components themselves are also vulnerable to some types of EMP activity, which could damage them directly. A pulse would also damage the monitoring and management systems that identify, mitigate, and repair problems. Modern communications as we know them would become impossible.

The major elements of civilian communications networks have electrical systems with

circuit boards, integrated circuit chips, and switching equipment such as routers. All of these components are inherently susceptible to an nuclear-triggered EMP.



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An EMP Could Disrupt Financial Systems, Blocking Access to Your Accounts

The financial services industry is comprised of a network of organizations and

attendant systems that process deposits, funds transfers, savings, loans, and other monetary transactions. This infrastructure is the record keeper for financial transactions and repository of national, organizational, and individual wealth. Today, most significant financial transactions are performed and recorded electronically; however the ability to carry out these transactions is highly dependent on other elements of the national infrastructure.

The EMP Commission concluded that in the immediate aftermath of an EMP event,

banks would find it very difficult to operate and provide the public with the liquidity they require to survive; that is: to buy food, water, gas, or other essential supplies and services. Wealth, recorded electronically in bank databases, could become inaccessible. Credit, debit, and ATM cards would be rendered useless. The bottom line is a serious EMP event – whether from the sun or a nuclear blast – on this nation would stop the heart of the U.S. economy.

Modern-Day Cars, Trucks, and Trains Would Be Disabled by a Serious EMP

Over the past century, both our society and economy have evolved in tandem with the

automobile and trucking industries. With the proliferation of suburbs, citizens are traveling greater distances to work, or to shop, or to obtain medical care and a host of other activities, making automobiles vital to our daily lives. At the instant of an EMP attack, the body of your car and its radio antenna will feed the power surge into your vehicle's computer – possibly rendering it inoperable. Today's automobiles have as many as 100 microprocessors that control virtually all functions, and the effects of EMP attack could disable a major portion of the 130 million cars and some 90 million trucks on the road today.

The 2008 EMP Commission report highlighted our dependence on the trucking

industry to continuously supply food from scattered farms and processing centers. Today, a typical city's food supply consists of what's available on grocery shelves for consumers — enough for several days at most. Replenishment of that supply depends on the flow of trucks from processing centers to distribution centers to warehouses, and eventually to stores and restaurants. The commission stated that if "...urban food supply flow is substantially interrupted for an extended period of time, hunger and mass evacuation, even starvation and anarchy, could result."

The U.S. rail lines themselves are unlikely to suffer direct destruction as a result of an

EMP, but rather it is the control computers onboard locomotives, countless traffic signals, and

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numerous control centers that will most likely be disabled. These railroad control centers rely on personal computers, servers, mainframes, routers, phone communication and local area networks. To this date, neither the control centers, nor the equipment operating inside them, have been hardened against EMPs.

Planes Could Literally Fall From the Sky an Early Sign of an EMP

Air travel has become ingrained in our way of life, transporting over a half a million

domestic passengers daily. Navigation, communication, and radar equipment are critical to modern flying technology and will be vulnerable to the effects of an EMP.

Airline control towers would suffer irreparable damage, and the aviation industry

would likely be grounded for a significant time. According to the 2008 EMP Commission, if the FAA air traffic control system is damaged by exposure to an EMP, its reconstitution would take considerable time to rebuild.

It is estimated that at any given moment, during regular business hours, somewhere

between three to four thousand commercial airliners are crisscrossing the skies, meaning between 250,000 to 500,000 people may be at risk in those first few minutes of a deadly EMP event. It is a sobering thought of many experts that planes falling from the sky may be one of the first telltale signs of an EMP event.

Food Production and Water Systems Could Be Taken Offline, Leading to Widespread Panic

The United States' food infrastructure is critically dependent upon electricity. An EMP

attack could disrupt, damage, or destroy the systems necessary in making, processing, and, as mentioned before, distributing food. Our modern form of mass-agriculture requires large quantities of water supplied through irrigation or other artificial means that depend on electric pumps, valves, and other machinery to draw or redirect water from aquifers, aqueducts, and reservoirs. Even more troubling is that our food production equipment primarily consists of motorized combines, planting, seeding, and harvesting machines that have similar EMP vulnerability as automobiles. Butchering, cleaning, sorting, packaging, canning, and refrigeration equipment are also all electrically dependent.

The EMP Commission concluded that the transportation and distribution of food to

supermarkets could be the weakest link in the food infrastructure in the event of an EMP. Widespread damage to these infrastructures would impede the ability of undamaged fringe



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areas to aid in recovery. The consequences of our food infrastructure failing poses a clear threat to life and social order.

Since the invention and proliferation of the electric water pump early in the last

century, modern society has been liberated from dependence on gravity-fed water systems. Electrically driven pumps, valves, filters, and a wide variety of other electrical machinery are indispensable for the purification and delivery of water. The removal and treatment of wastewater also relies heavily on electrical machinery. The EMP Commission concluded that an EMP attack could degrade or damage these systems; affecting the delivery of water to a very large geographic region for a protracted period of weeks or even months. The consequences of disrupting our water infrastructure are catastrophic considering the denial of water can cause death in as little as 3 or 4 days.

People would most likely resort to drinking from lakes, streams, ponds and other

sources of surface water. Unfortunately, most surface water, especially in urban areas, is contaminated with wastes and pathogens, which could cause serious illness if consumed.

Forget About Help from Emergency Personnel! They Will Probably Be Fending for Themselves

Emergency services are essential to the health and safety of the general public. Law

enforcement is equally essential for the maintenance of law and order, protection of property and the public's safety. Americans rely on the prompt and effective delivery of fire, police, rescue, and emergency medical services. State police and the National Guard augment these services in the event of a disaster. Obviously, emergency responders can be expected to experience an increase in demand following an EMP event. This will only be further complicated by their inability to communicate with each other and the general public. Commuters will be trapped on subways, while many office workers may find themselves trapped in elevators.

These people will require timely rescue. If looting or other forms of civil disorder

break out, it is likely the local police services will be overwhelmed. One can imagine the chaos that an EMP event would have on our social fabric, as we suddenly find ourselves without electricity, transportation, food, water, communication, healthcare, or access to emergency services. A prolonged event would no doubt strain the system to a breaking point, as our emergency responders might very well find themselves not reporting to work out of fear for the safety of their own families.

A major EMP event, whether it is triggered by an attack or from the sun, will reach

into every aspect of your daily and upend it. That is why it’s critical that you prepare now, before such an event occurs.

When , Not If …


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That’s what this manual is about. In these pages, you’ll gain a better understanding of the EMP threat, how it will affect

the critical infrastructures of this nation … and what you can do to protect yourself and your family in the face of the devastating aftermath.



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Chapter 1

EMP Events That Rocked the World

The notion of a major electromagnetic pulse creating large-scale disturbances to the

electrical grid and to electronic devices everywhere is not just a theory. It’s happened before in our history. Several times. Fortunately, the major EMP events we’ve experienced have happened far enough back

that we weren’t so reliant on electronics, so they didn’t threaten our way of life. Or they’ve been indirect hits, and we’ve been lucky.

None of them have set society back in any big way. But the potential for such a

setback — for much of the globe to be kicked back into the 1800s technologically speaking — is very real.

Do you think we could feed today’s population using 1800s methods? Not even close.

Had it Been Just 100 Years Later

The most revealing EMP event in history is known as the Carrington Event. In 1859, a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun struck a direct hit on the earth. It

created the largest geomagnetic storm ever recorded. The Northern and Southern Lights both flared in spectacular fashion. The Northern

Lights were seen as far south as Hawaii. In the Rocky Mountains, accounts from gold miners talked about how the light was so bright, they thought it was dawn and got up to start making breakfast in the middle of the night.

The power grid had yet to be established, but that didn’t mean society in 1859 was

without electronic devices. The most established electronic system was the telegraph system.

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In North America and Europe, the EMP storm caused widespread failures of telegraphs. In a project conducted in 2013, researchers from Lloyd’s of London and Atmospheric

and Environmental Research in the U.S. studied data gathered from the Carrington event. They made projections that such an event today would result in up to $2.6 trillion worth of damages around the world. NASA has said that a major event like Carrington would cost $2 trillion a year and would take four to ten years to completely recover from.

Lights Out for Quebec

In 1989, another solar storm hit the earth. This one was less powerful and less direct, but it still caused massive upheaval in some areas.

Quebec was hardest hit. The solar storm created electrical currents in the ground all

through North America. Most power stations weathered these currents. But Quebec wasn’t so lucky.

In Quebec the entire grid went down, leaving millions without power. Schools closed.

Airports shut down. People were trapped in elevators. The Canadian and U.S. power grids are interconnected, so Quebec’s problems didn’t

stay isolated to Quebec. The failure of Quebec’s power stations left New England and New York with power shortfalls. At the time, they were able to make up those shortfalls from other resources. Today, our grid operates at near capacity all the time.

If such an event were replicated, it’s hard telling how far it would cascade. We nearly found out in 2012.

A Near Miss

The solar storm that shut down Quebec was big. But it wasn’t Carrington big. In 2012, a coronal mass ejection similar in size and scope to the one that caused the

Carrington Event occurred. It came hurtling toward the earth at millions of miles per hour. Scientists and

engineers around the world braced for a potential cataclysmic event. Fortunately, it missed us. But not by much. Had the 2012 CME made a direct hit on earth, it would likely have brought the entire



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U.S. power grid to its knees. Two years after the CME, Daniel Baker, one of the research scientists studying the event said, “If it had hit, we would still be picking up the pieces.”

Two years later, we’d still be feeling the effects. Still be rebuilding our society, our

infrastructure, our economy. How well would you weather an event with two years of aftermath or more?

More Frightening Still

A solar event like the Carrington event is a rarity. There’s a 12% chance earth will be hit with such a large CME in the next ten years. I don’t love those odds, but they could be a whole lot worse.

What is more frightening is the potential for a manmade EMP to wreak havoc on our

society. We’ve seen first had what a nuclear explosion set off in the atmosphere can do. In July 1962, the U.S. military conducted a nuclear test called Starfish Prime. They

detonated a 1.44-megaton warhead 240 miles above the mid-Pacific Ocean. They realized immediately that they had underestimated the magnitude and effects of a high-altitude nuclear explosion.

In Hawaii, 898 miles away from the detonation, there was widespread electrical

damage. Three hundred streetlights popped, sending the island streets into darkness. Burglar alarms malfunctioned. Microwaves stopped working. The radio system was hopelessly jammed.

The EMP damage of the Starfish Prime test was quickly repaired because of the

ruggedness (compared to today) of Hawaii's electrical and electronic infrastructure. Damages were minor, overall, which led some scientists to believe, in the early days of EMP research, that the threat of such an explosion might not be significant.

But subsequent calculations showed otherwise. Scientists called into to look at the

data gathered from the Starfish Prime detonation found that if the same explosion had occurred over the continent, the results would have been different, and much more severe.

The magnitude of the EMP would have been much larger because of the greater

strength of the Earth's magnetic field over the United States. The high latitude would affect the orientation of the explosion, which would also compound the affects. Combine that data with our accelerating reliance on EMP-sensitive microelectronics, and an EMP attack could be a significant problem.



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Effects of a high-altitude EMP device depend on such factors as the altitude of the detonation, energy yield, gamma ray output, interactions with the Earth's magnetic field, and the electromagnetic shielding of targets. The most likely outcome is a massive erosion of communications and power grid capabilities for a prolonged period of time. Possibly years.



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Chapter 2

Gone in a Matter of Seconds

In the event of an electromagnetic attack, the damage would come in three stages. The first and most powerful pulse, called an E1 wave, would happen almost instantly.

This is the pulse of energy that would destroy computers and telecommunications equipment. The sudden induction of a high current would overload the voltage capabilities in these types of components, frying them.

In the first second after an EMP attack, a second pulse would follow on the heels of

the first. This second pulse, called an E2 wave, would have an affect that is much like lightning in nature. Because we deal with lightning on a regular basis, most of our electronic equipment would weather this pulse okay.

A third pulse — the E3 wave — is the real problem. An EMP attack would generate a

slow-moving bust that would create a current in the earth’s magnetic field. That current, which could last for hours or even days, would induce massive currents in our power lines. That in turn would overload and destroy transformers and likely cause extensive damage to power stations as well.

Keep in mind that the oversized currents in the power lines would not just destroy

transformers, but anything that’s plugged into the grid. So, even if the E1 pulse didn’t destroy your computer, the surge of current coming through your powerlines might.

The bottom line is, when a massive EMP flows over your electronics, it results in a

surge of electricity … a surge far greater than the components were meant to handle. The end result? Fried components. Your cell phone becomes a paperweight. Your computer becomes a doorstop. Your car becomes a really big doorstop.

The real kicker is, none of things need to be turned on or plugged in. In the event of a

big enough EMP, the sensitive components will still experience the surge. They’ll still fry.

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In a matter of minutes, if not seconds, communications and power would be down. If the EMP attack is well-placed, the entire nation will feel the consequences.

Military Capacity

Now, the good news is (maybe), that our military has been working since the Cold War to harden our defense systems against an EMP attack. If such an attack occurs, we should be able to retaliate. At the very least, we should be able to defend ourselves against outside enemies.

But unfortunately, the civilian infrastructure is not hardened. It’s soft and extremely

vulnerable. In all likelihood, our enemies won’t have to do a thing. Without power,

communications, or transportation, we’ll tear ourselves apart. There will be food shortages, systemic failures of the healthcare system, riots in the

streets, a breakdown of law and order in the cities. Some officials project a 90% casualty rate within one year of such an attack. A smart

enemy wouldn’t engage. A smart enemy would just less us do the rest of their dirty work. And unfortunately, our government has proven completely ineffective at taking any

meaningful action to harden infrastructure systems that are critical to the function of our society. We just can’t seem to imagine something so terrible happening and so spending money and resources to protect us against it isn’t a popular idea.

That’s not likely to change. Think about New York City. City officials knew they

were in a hurricane zone. They had seen from Hurricane Katrina how bad a hurricane could be. They knew they weren’t prepared. But they didn’t take action to prepare for a hurricane until after Hurricane Sandy.

Our government is not likely to see the need to prepare for a devastating EMP attack

until after such an attack happens. By then it will be much, much too late. That’s why it’s so critical for you to see to your personal preparedness. Protecting

your own electronics is a good place to start.

Protecting Your Own Electronics

You might be thinking, “What’s the use of protecting my own electronics? If there’s no power to run them, no Internet to connect them to, what good will they be?”



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The more people who protect their electronics from an EMP attack, the better off we’ll

be. More intact devices after such an event means that pockets of civilization will be restored faster. The more of those pockets that get restored, the smoother the rebuilding and recovery process will be.

It’s also worth your while on a personal level. Even without a connection to the

Internet, having access to computing power — and access to all the data you might have stored on your hard drive — can put you in the position of doing better while dealing with a broken economy and a broken society.

So how do you protect your electronics? Most modern day electronics have a high-density design. They have delicate

components that are sensitive to surges. In the event of an EMP attack, one that causes both an E1 and E3 wave, most of the

electronics in the range of the event would be affected. Most would be permanently disabled. You might think that turning off your electronic devices and unplugging them will

protect them. And it will offer some protection. If you are at the edge of the EMP’s range, it may be enough protection for your devices to survive the event.

But devices well within the event’s range will be affected even if they are turned off

and unplugged. Here’s another thing to consider: While you may have hours worth of warning that a

solar event could cause an EMP, you won’t have any warning of an EMP attack. And the E1 pulse that damages the delicate transistor junctions in your computer and cell phone happens instantaneously. You won’t have time to unplug and power down. Your electronics will be destroyed before you know it.

If you’re within the range of the EMP blast, any electronics you have that contain

circuits bigger than those found in a wrist watch, that has an antennae, or that is plugged into the wall are highly vulnerable and will likely be disabled permanently.

One option is to use high-quality surge protectors for your everyday electronics. You

need a device that is highly responsive — it should shut down in under a millisecond when high voltages are detected. Even that may not be fast enough to protect against an E1 pulse, but it’s worth a try. If you are in the outside range of the EMP field, this may be enough to protect your computer or other electronics.

But if you’re smack in the middle of the field, probably not. Which is why you should

have back-up electronics that you store in a Faraday cage.



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A “Faraday” What, Exactly?

If you tell someone you plan to build a Faraday cage, you’re likely to get a raised eyebrow in response. In some cases, even an eye roll.

But don’t let that discourage you. Chances are the person shooting you the “He’s at it

again,” look doesn’t realize that he already uses Faraday cages in his everyday life. A Faraday cage is a method of protecting electronic circuitry from sudden surges in

electrical radiation. The typical cage is designed to prevent damage from radiation surges that are moving through the atmosphere and not just over existing power lines.

In essence a Faraday cage is a sealed box that’s been covered in metal. An electronic

device placed within the box that isn’t in direct contact with the sides of the box, will be protected from surges. The metal shell will absorb and disperse the current before it can harm the items inside.

While that may sound like a new concept, it really isn’t. In fact, I’m willing to bet that

you’ve probably used a Faraday cage at least once in the last month without even realizing it. If you ever use a microwave oven, for example, you’re using a Faraday cage. A

microwave oven is a Faraday cage. It just has other functions. The cage works to trap radiation in the microwave. Otherwise, we’d all get zapped every time we made popcorn.

It’s good to note that microwaves will keep radiation out, too. Some police

departments are actually using microwave ovens to protect seized iPhones while they wait for a search warrant (as per a recent Supreme Court ruling). Putting the phone in a microwave and closing the door protects the phone from anyone attempting to remotely erase its data or fry its circuits.

Many modern-day buildings have rooms that act as Faraday cages —especially

buildings in industries that demand high digital security. Even your car acts as a sort of Faraday cage. In the event of a lightning strike, the

metal exterior will absorb and redirect the current, keeping you safe inside — but don’t expect the car’s circuits to survive. That’s in essence how a Faraday cage works. But a true Faraday cage protects from all types of radiation … not just lightning strikes.

A Simple Answer to the EMP Threat

Obviously, building a Faraday cage in your garage won’t protect the entire grid. But it can protect some essential items that will make it much easier for you to survive and even thrive in the aftermath of such a disaster.



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Say, you have a tablet — the iPad kind, not the paper kind. And on that tablet, you

have a wealth of information from basic digital textbooks on physics and chemistry to a series of articles on local gardening to basic first aid instructions to whatever other information you want to store.

Outside of a Faraday cage, during an EMP attack, if you take a direct hit, that tablet is

toast. Keep it inside the cage, and you’ll have all that information at your fingertips even if the power and the Internet is down.

Other things you might consider for your Faraday cage include:

Walkie-talkies – good for home security

Hand-crank radio – essential for staying informed

Solar battery charger – that tablet isn’t going to power itself

12V to 110 inverter – for connecting your battery to whatever needs power

Power tools – you may need to build something

Your back-up hard drive – we keep our lives on our computers. It’s good to make a copy.

Now, how to build your own Faraday cage. This part is actually pretty simple. What you’ll need:

A metal box of some sort – an old filing cabinet or a metal trashcan with a tight fighting lid are both good options. Whatever you use has to be metal on every surface or it won’t work.

Some insulated packing material – Styrofoam works great.

Some fine copper mesh.

A soldering iron.

What to do:

1. Put the insulated packing material inside the metal box.

2. Place your items inside the box. Make sure they’re protected from the sides of the box by the packing material.

3. Close the box.

4. Cover any gaps in the container’s metal sides with the copper mesh.

5. Solder the mesh in place.

Voila. You’re done. If that’s too much trouble, you can always find a large old



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microwave and keep your electronics in there. Just make sure the door still has a good seal!

Once you’re done, run this simple test to make sure your Faraday cage is functioning properly:

Take a battery-powered radio. Turn it on and find a station. Turn the volume up.

Place the radio in the Faraday cage and seal it.

The radio should stop receiving, so it should fall silent. If you can still hear music, then your Faraday cage has gaps.

Look for places where there are gaps in the metal surface and make sure they are well covered with copper mesh.

Once you’ve fixed up your gaps, run the radio test again.

Another approach to Faraday cages is to make individual “cages” for each item you want to preserve. You can do this by placing the item in a cardboard box and then wrapping the cardboard box in several layers of aluminum foil. The advantage of this approach is that, if you do have a cage failure, you’ll only loose that item. In a single, larger Faraday cage, a failure could mean you lose everything.

Having key electronic items readily available to you can help you, your loved ones,

and even your entire community to be better off during the aftermath of an EMP event. Remember, if the event is severe enough, we could be facing a recovery of years … every prepared person will help make the recovery go faster and smoother, and could help to reduce the number of lives lost, too.



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Chapter 3

A Spectrum of Scenarios from Minor

Disruptions to Complete Collapse

EMPs come in all shapes and sizes. There could be a localized terrorist strike that uses an EMP to shut down a major city.

Or there could be a massive strike. That nuclear explosion a hundred miles above

Omaha that collapses the power grid across the entire nation, for example. Solar EMPs have the potential to be small or indirect, affecting some regions while

leaving others untouched. Or we could experience another Carrington event — one that disrupts the grid from coast to coast and causes disturbances around the world.

Solar EMPs also tend to affect just the power grid. The collapse of the power grid in

turn affects everything else — communications, transportation, and the like. But an EMP attack with a high-altitude nuclear explosion will actually fry circuitry in things like cell phones, computers and cars in addition to bringing the power grid down.

In this scenario, just getting the power back up and running won’t be the end of the

recovery period. There will be a tremendous amount of technology that needs to be replaced in every household across the nation.

Knowing the different ways an EMP could go down — and what to expect in the

aftermath of each scenario — will help you prepare for the worst. In a minor EMP event, such as a weaker solar storm, or a small-scale terrorist attack,

you could expect to see any number of the following disruptions:

Radio blackout.

Internet failure.

Intermittent and localized power failures.

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A Spectrum of Scenarios from Minor Disruptions to Complete Collapse


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Municipal water system failures that result in a boil order.

Temporary loss of cell phone service.

Obviously, in these minor scenarios, you’re facing temporary inconveniences. As a responsible and self-reliant citizen, you can help everyone by being able to take care of yourself and help others during the short-lived aftermath of these scenarios. All it takes is a little planning and preparation.

In a major EMP event, you can expect to face a much more dire situation.

Complete collapse of the communications system.

Massive power outages affecting the entire nation.

An overloaded emergency response system.

Hospitals in a state of chaos.

General panic in the streets.

A failure of the economy on a massive scale.

Under a worst-case scenario, you will still help yourself and everyone around you if you’re prepared. But you must realize as soon as possible if a major breakdown is what you’re facing.

The reason is this: Under a minor breakdown, you can rely on whatever preparations you’ve made to see

you through until systems are restored and things get back to normal. In the event of a major EMP attack or storm, you’ll be dealing with a new normal.

That means that you can’t rely on your preparations until things get back to normal. You need to start taking steps as soon as possible to re-establish your own personal economy — to procure food, secure water, make your home safe, and become a productive member of your community.

In other words, understand that you’ll be part of the rebuilding efforts, so join in as

soon as it’s reasonably safe to do so.



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Chapter 4

Key Players You Should Know

By this time, you may be thinking this all sounds a little outlandish. I wish I could tell you it was. But people a lot smarter than I am are working very hard in Washington, trying to get our politicians to understand the likelihood and seriousness of this threat.

I want to introduce you to a few of these tireless gentlemen. The first is Dr. William Graham. He was assigned to the project of understanding the

EMP event triggered by the Starfish Prime detonation. The size of the EMP had surprised everyone involved with the test. As Dr. Graham

and the rest of his team studied the data, they realized that such an attack—a nuclear bomb detonated high in our atmosphere—could be the perfect precursor to a bigger attack because it would knock out our communications leaving us unable to retaliate and unable to coordinate a defense against subsequent attacks.

Through the early part of his career, Graham worked to help our military find ways to

defend against such a weapon. He also helped to conceptualize EMP weaponry for our own arsenal—it was smack in the middle of the Cold War, after all.

More recently, Graham has served as the Chair of two separate Commissions to

Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack. In that role, he has focused specifically on what such an attack could do to our civilian infrastructure.

He says, “An attack may never happen. But the more vulnerable the U.S. is to such an

attack, the more likely it is to be used against us. In the former days, we worried about Russia. Now we have to be concerned about North Korea and Iran. These could be launched from a not-so-elaborate container ship. The rocket doesn’t have to be accurate. It just has to go up.”

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In other words, our enemies do not need sophisticated weaponry to accomplish such an attack. They just need a simple missile — an old-style SCUD would do — and a small-ish nuclear warhead.

And it would only take one. In a summary written by the Commission to Assess the

Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack, it says, “A single EMP attack may seriously degrade or shut down a large part of the electric power grid in the geographic area of EMP exposure effective instantaneously.”

That’s not good news. Graham is not the only very smart man who is highly concerned about our

vulnerability to an EMP attack. Dr. Peter Vincent Pry is another who has dedicated much time and research, urging

our nation to prepare to weather an attack better than we would now. Pry studied the dangers of EMP while serving as the head of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security.

Pry’s concern extends beyond an EMP attack. He recognizes that there are several

weaknesses in our power grid, all which could be exploited. In his State of Preparedness against the Threat of A Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Event, presented in a Congressional Hearing, Pry stated, “Threats to the electric power grid are posed by cyber attack, sabotage, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from non-nuclear radiofrequency weapons, natural EMP from a geomagnetic super-storm, and nuclear EMP attack from the high-altitude detonation of a nuclear weapon.

Terrorists and rogue states are developing a revolutionary new military strategy that

could exploit all of these threats in combination, including exploiting the opportunity of severe weather or a geo-storm, to collapse the national electric grid and all the critical infrastructures. It would be the fall of American civilization.”

Another concerned scientist is Hank Cooper. Cooper oversaw Department of Defense

efforts to harden the Air Force strategic systems against such an attack. His summary of the threat: “The EMP problem is surely an existential threat to our society. It can be done by folks who wish us ill and are willing to commit suicide to pull it off. It would make 9/11 look like a piker and 100’s of millions of Americans could die.”

The threat is very real. It is very serious. And it’s imperative that you prepare. The

government is lagging on this issue. It’s up to citizens like you and I to take up the slack. Doing so may be the only way you and your family survive if the unthinkable does happen.



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The Rogue’s Gallery

The potential EMP threat isn’t just from the sun or from a terrorist cell. Many nations around the world have the capability of hitting us with an EMP attack.

The real questions are whether or not they have the motivation, whether or not they understand the global consequences of collapsing the U.S. power grid and economy, and whether or not they care.

At the top of the list of nations to worry about is North Korea. In 2004, Russian generals came to the U.S. Department of Defense with bad news.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many top Russian scientists left to work with other nations. They went where the money was. The visiting generals confirmed to the DOD, that at least two top-tier EMP scientists had gone to North Korea and that North Korea would have super-EMP weapons within a few years time.

South Korean intelligence corroborated the threat. That was years ago, so it is likely that North Korea has such weapons and they have

demonstrated several times over — with every test missile launch — that they have capability to deliver them.

Iran is another worry. Again, Russian scientists fled to Iran after the break up of the

Soviet Union. Potentially some of them had EMP knowledge. And it’s no secret that Iran has been working toward nuclear capability … and

probably will continue to do so no matter what deal they’ve struck with the Obama administration and other western nations.

In fact, the U.S. has been concerned about a growing Iranian EMP threat for a decade

now. In 2005, intelligence agents acknowledged that Iran was working on ballistic missiles and that the country had a covert nuclear program. You put the two together, and it’s a recipe for an EMP attack.

Then more recently, American officials have confirmed that Iran does have plans,

“secret” plans to deploy an EMP weapon against the United States, effectively destroying “the Great Satan.”

China and Russia remain on the list of nations that have the capacity to hit us with an

EMP weapon, but such an action is unlikely. Our economies are too intertwined and striking such a blow against us would be too devastating to them … even if we didn’t retaliate.



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An even greater threat are the rogue operators. The terrorists. The members of ISIS. The survivors from al Qaeda. If they were able to get a hold of a small-ish nuclear warhead and a missile to launch it, they could do the U.S. great and irreparable harm.



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Chapter 5

Critical Systems

When you think of an EMP event, it’s normal to think about the power grid first. After all, its job is to move electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s needed. It’s obviously going to be sensitive to big surges in electromagnetic energy.

But the power grid is only one of many critical systems that will be brought to its

knees by a major EMP event. Most critical infrastructure systems either rely on the power grid and will be affected

by the power grid failure … or they’ll be affected by the EMP directly. In most cases, it’s both.

The critical systems covered in this manual include:

Food: Production and delivery

Water: Municipal systems

Finances

Transportation

Communication

Shipping and general supplies

Nuclear reactors

The Internet

Healthcare

Government services

The power grid

Emergency services

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Critical Systems


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National defense

The economy

That’s 14 different systems. Many of them you rely on everyday. Others you count on being there and functional when you need them.

In the event of a major EMP attack or event, all of these systems will either fail

completely or dramatically change in the way they work. You need to know ahead of time how you will handle a failure of each one. It’s the only way to ensure that you survive and thrive in the event of an EMP disaster.

Having the tools in place to weather the inevitable disruptions to each of these systems

and then to help rebuild them in your own way will make you one of the heroes of the EMP aftermath rather than a victim or even worse, a casualty.



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Chapter 6

After the Pulse: Where Will Your Food Come From

Food will continue to grow after an EMP. Such an event won’t affect the soil. It won’t affect the ability of cattle to graze.

But your access to food will change dramatically. Our food supply system depends on electronics in a number of ways. When all those

electronics cease to function, it will have a devastating affect on how food is produced and how it is delivered.

You probably don’t give much thought to the food supply system. You go to the store

with a list of items that you want to buy that will feed you and your family for the coming week. All sorts of other families in your community do the same.

How often is the store out of things on your list? It may happen, but hardly ever. And

then when you go back next week, they still have all those items that you like to buy. Even though people have been buying the same or similar items all week long.

There’s a robust, invisible infrastructure in place that keeps the shelves at your

grocery store stocked. The system relies on computers at nearly every stage. If a major EMP event hits, those computers will collapse. Or they’ll be made unusable

because the power grid is down. The grocery store shelves will empty out in three days or less depending on the level

of panic in your community. And without a power grid… without a restoration of the computer inventory systems … those shelves aren’t going to be restocked any time soon.

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The store may get a few items here and there, but those fully stocked shelves … those won’t be the norm again for a good long while. Maybe weeks. Maybe months. Maybe even years.

It is likely that in a catastrophic EMP event, millions of people will starve simply

because there won’t be an easy or straightforward way to get food to the people who need it. You can’t change what will happen to the food distribution and supply systems. But you can take steps to prepare yourself so that you don’t have to rely on grocery

stores or government agencies or the kindness of strangers in the event of an EMP attack. One of the first — and most responsible — things you can do to prepare for the

aftermath of an EMP is to make sure you have a food reserve on hand. Even just 30 days worth of food — my minimum recommendation — can get you and

your family safely through the panic that will ensue. With adequate food stores, you won’t have to venture out into streets that may very well be dangerous. You’ll also have time to plan for how you’ll handle things going forward, and you won’t have to do it on an empty stomach. That’s a very good thing.

Building up a 30-day food reserve isn’t difficult, and you have options for how you go

about it.

Building Up Your 30-Day Food Supply

During a crisis, life doesn’t stop. If you evacuate, you’re going to be on the move physically. If you shelter in place, you’ll need to maintain your household. You may need to work in your garden or fortify your home’s security. My point is, survival in a crisis is often physically demanding.

It’s also mentally demanding. You need to be alert. You need your judgment to be on

point. You may have to make snap decisions to protect your family’s health and safety. If you’re subsisting on half rations, you will make all of this more difficult. Here’s what you can expect from living on half rations:

Muscle fatigue

Heightened anxiety

Mental fogginess



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Headaches

Irritability

General tiredness

A crisis is already tough. By rationing your food, you make it even harder. The other problem with rationing is that you put yourself at higher risk for nutritional

deficiencies that could lead to long-term health problems.

Calories and Nutrition Will Keep You at Your Best in the Worst of Times

You should factor in two things as you build your food stores: calories and nutrition. First the calories. The average American eats about 2500 calories. That’s way more

than you need. Two thousand calories is a comfortable amount for most people and a good target for your nutritional stores.

On 2000 calories a day, you won’t feel hungry, you’ll stay mentally sharp, and you’ll

have plenty of energy to tackle physical tasks. Next the nutrition. If you make your stores up completely out of flour, salt, and oil,

you may have 2000 calories per day … but you still won’t be getting the nutrition you need. The best way to ensure balanced nutrition is through variety. Store whole grains, oils,

salt, beans, rice, cornmeal, canned or freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, canned meats, peanut butter, whole grain crackers, nuts, and seeds. Also stock up on multivitamins to fill in any gaps.

By stocking up on a variety of foods and understanding your body’s calorie needs,

you’ll put yourself in the position to survive and even thrive during a crisis. Building a food reserve — especially if you’re aiming for a reserve that will last

longer than 30 days — can be a big undertaking. You can simplify it by taking a systematic approach. The following three approaches all work well.

Strategy #1: Buying a Ready-Made System



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If you have the money to invest up front, purchasing a system that has been built out for you can save you a lot of headaches. These may cost a little more than if you comparison-shopped for all the different elements, but you’ll save a lot of time. Make sure you choose a system that delivers enough calories — a lot of ready-made systems skimp on this. When you break it all down, you could end up trying to get by on less than a thousand calories a day. Not good!

Also, make sure the system you choose has a variety of foods, so you’re getting a

good mix of nutrients. Choose a system with foods you think you’ll like and that are easy to prepare. And also consider the shelf life of the foods you purchase. Unless you plan on regularly rotating your reserves into your household meal plan (and replacing what you use), then a long shelf life is important.

Strategy #2: Building Each Month

If buying a ready-made system or purchasing your entire food reserve all in one go is a little out of your financial range, then try setting aside a food reserve budget for each month. Then make a special trip to the store and buy bulk amounts of two or three different types of foods that are at a good price and that will store for a long time. Do this month over month and you’ll have a healthy food reserve built up before you know it.

Strategy #3: Make It Part of Your Shopping

To make the financial impact of building a food reserve even easier to bear, make it part of your regular shopping trip. Each time you shop, look for a few bulk dry goods or canned goods that you can buy to put in your reserve. This is a slower method, but it works well even if you’re strapped for cash. One way to do this is to plan meals for an eighth day each week. That way each, week, you’ll add one day’s worth of food to your reserve. In a year’s time, you’ll have almost two months put buy. Not bad.

A food store is important. And for most disasters, a 30-day supply is all you need to

get through. By that time, most services will be restored and things will start getting back to normal.

But we’re not talking about your average, every-day, run-of-the-mill natural disaster.

We’re talking about something that could lead to a major collapse and that could take years to fully recover from.

Would your food stores outlast that kind of crisis? Probably not.



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You need to have a contingency for securing access to food after your stores run out.

Planting a Garden—a Sure Path to Self Sufficiency

A garden is an excellent way to extend your self-sufficiency and to continue to provide you and your family with healthy, nutritious food even in the face of a major breakdown like one caused by an EMP event.

If you don’t already garden, now is the time to start. You don’t have to dedicate much

of your yard to a garden plot. Just a few square feet and you can grow tomatoes, herbs, peppers, and onions. Expand a little further and add cucumbers, carrots, radishes, lettuce, potatoes, zucchini, beans, berries, and melons.

Take the time to weed, water, and harvest each week, and you’ll garden will reward

you with more produce than you know what to do with. In a post-EMP world, you could quickly convert the rest of your yard into garden and

conceivably grow enough food to preserve and feed your family through the winter. A garden can be a big help in not only your survival, but also in maintaining your

good health. You have to be careful, though. If you don’t have the right kind of seeds, you’ll be

able to grow a beautiful garden the first year, but you’ll be up a creek the following year. To grow a garden that will feed you year after year, learn to garden using heirloom seeds.

Nature’s Oldest Miracle

Heirloom seeds are seeds from non-hybrid fruit and vegetable plants. Traditionally, heirloom seeds are those that are passed down through families, generation to generation. But, the definition has expanded to include any seeds that you can gather at the end of the growing season and save for planting next year.

Often the vegetable plants you buy at the store are hybrid plants. The typical seed

packets you buy are also hybrids. These plants bear nice fruits and vegetables, but only for one season. If you collect the seeds and try to grow new plants the next season, they either won’t grow, won’t produce, or will produce fruits or vegetables that taste bad.



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Our nation’s reliance on hybrid and genetically modified plants for its food supply is actually very alarming. Each year, most corporate farmers rely on seed manufacturers for their seed supply. They can’t collect their own seeds and grow new crops. They have to buy new seed every year. If that seed supply is ever disrupted for any reason, our entire food supply is in danger.

But, if you garden with heirloom seeds, you’ll be able to plant a new garden each year using the seeds you gathered from the previous year. In fact, one of my colleagues doesn’t even need to plant tomatoes any more. Her heirloom tomatoes reseed themselves. She just has to watch for the starts and then transplant them to where she wants them to grow. And, she often has more starts than she can use, so she’s able to give tomato starts to friends and neighbors, who can then enjoy the same never-ending cycle of tomato growth that she does.

Gardening with heirloom seeds increases your self-reliance year over year by giving

you access to a food supply that doesn’t require infrastructure, distribution centers, or grocery stores.

Another benefit to planting heirloom seeds is that you have a much broader range of

choices when it comes to the foods you grow. For each fruit or vegetable you’re interested in growing, you may find a few hybrid options, while there will be hundreds or thousands of heirloom options available. This means you can grow many different kinds of tomatoes or carrots or cucumbers in your garden. If one variety doesn’t do well during a certain year, chances are another will still perform. With the limited options available through hybrids, you’re more likely to have a complete failure of one type of crop.

Where to Buy Heirloom Seeds?

As many people have become more aware of weaknesses in our food supply system, heirloom seeds have gained in popularity. That makes them very easy to find.

You can go online and do a search for “heirloom seeds” and come up with a wide

range of mail order companies to choose from. During the planting and growing season, you can shop at your local big box stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot and find a selection of heirloom plants. As the popularity of heirloom varieties increases, these stores are expanding their selections year over year.

Or, you can take my favorite approach. Visit your local farmers market and find a

local grower who sells starts. Often, when you shop for heirlooms through these channels, you’ll find variety of plants you wouldn’t normally have the option of buying through other channels. And, your local farmer will have a better idea of what grows well in your local climate and soil.



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Harvesting Heirloom Seeds

Growing heirloom plants in your garden is a lot like growing anything else. Keep the weeds down. Give the plants the water they need. Add nutrients to the soil through compost or some other natural fertilizer. Then, hope the weather cooperates and you’ll have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to bring to the dinner table and to can, freeze, and dry for use throughout the year.

The big difference is that with heirlooms, you’ll want to gather and preserve seeds for

next year’s growing season. The techniques for saving seeds varies from vegetable to vegetable, fruit to fruit. If

you get your initial heirloom seeds and plants from a local farmer, take some time to discuss the best way to gather and store the seeds for each kind of plant you get.

If you don’t have a local farmer to seek advice from, then I suggest investing a few bucks in a book on heirloom seed gathering and storage. The information will help you cut your grocery bills and reduce the costs it takes to put your garden in every year. Plus, you’ll be one step closer to being ready for anything—including a massive disruption to the food supply.

Other Ways to Extend Your Food Supply

Besides a garden, you have several other ways of extending your food supply. Backyard Livestock: You can raise your own meat by setting off a corner of your

yard for rabbits or chickens. Or set aside a corner for each. Healthy chickens will lay throughout the year as long as you give them good feed and

help them to stay warm. Many chickens will lay an egg a day—that can be a big help to you and your family. Breeding rabbits multiply quickly. As long as you manage how often you select rabbits for butchering, they can be a reliable source of protein.

If you have a big enough space, a milk goat can also be a good way to extend your

food stores. Local Fishing Spots: Take some time now to invest in fishing gear and then find and

scout out local fishing spots. Go ahead and get a license and figure out how easy it is to catch fish from each. Learn which spots are stocked and which have natural fish habitats. All of this knowledge — and the skill to put it to good use — will be helpful in a crisis.



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Learn to Hunt: You may or may not have good big game hunting nearby. I can all

but guarantee that there are birds in your area that you could hunt and eat in a pinch. Study Local Botany: One of the very best things you can do is learn about local wild

plants that are edible. Many plants you see on a regular basis could safely play a role on your dinner table. You just need to know what they are and what parts are edible. Armed with that knowledge, you’ll have a excellent way to extend your food pantry in the face of a long-term crisis.

Preserving Your Harvest

Knowing how to grow, harvest, gather, raise, and hunt food will put you in a strong position to survive an EMP event. You’ll be much better positioned than at least 90 percent of your fellow citizens … and that means you’ll likely be among the survivors who will help to rebuild.

You can take your skills one step further by learning a way to preserve the fresh food

that you grow and procure.

The Value of Dehydration

Dry goods have two big advantages. First, they last a long time. (Store-bought dry goods can have a shelf life of five, ten, even 20 years.) And second, they retain their nutritional value very well.

You can supplement the dried goods in your food reserves by drying your own. (This

is also a handy skill to have in the event of a long-term breakdown. Drying foods you gather or grow during the summer can supplement your stores and help you through the less plentiful winter.) And even during normal times, drying your own foods can help you save money and eat healthier by taking full advantage of local and seasonal produce.

Ultimately, it helps you take your food stores into your own hands. When you dehydrate foods, you can save money. Drying your own meats, herbs, and

produce is cheaper than buying pre-packaged dried foods. Dried foods are more nutritious than canned goods. I do recommend you do some

canning so you'll have more variety in your food stores – and because, if water is ever scarce, canned foods are essential.



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But, it's important to keep in mind that when you dry foods, they retain 95 percent of

their nutritional value. Canned goods retain only about 40 percent of the vitamins and minerals they had when fresh. From a nutritional standpoint, dried foods are superior.

And they're easy to make at home. You can even build your own food dehydrator that works with solar power. That

means you can dry and store locally grown foods, even if the power is down.

What to Dry

You can dry almost anything. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, and meats are the most common things to dry. Some people make fresh pasta and dry it in their dehydrator, but that seems a little labor-intensive to me, especially when you can buy dried pasta at such a low cost.

But, the cost savings on fruits, vegetables, meats, and herbs over what you can buy in

your grocery store is impressive. To get the best results when drying fruits and vegetables, slice them very thin and

place the slices in a single layer on your drying trays. On a sunny day, most of these foods will dry within one to two days. Riper fruits and vegetables may take a little longer and have a chewier texture. Check your food often after a day in the dryer, and remove it when it reaches the texture you desire.

When drying meat, use a jerky recipe to prepare the meat before putting it in your

dryer. Use the recipe guidelines to determine how long you should dry your jerky. Herbs are very easy to dry. Just wash the herb leaves, spread them out on your dryer

trays, and dry like you would fruits and vegetables. The one drawback of home-dried food compared to store-bought dried food is that,

because you're not adding a bunch of preservatives and putting your food in nitrogen-sealed containers, it won't store as long. Home-dried fruits and vegetables store for about a year, and meats store for three to six months.

But, even with that limitation, home drying is a great way to increase your self-

sufficiency and save money on your grocery bills. And, it's a great skill to add to your repertoire during normal times, so that you'll be ready to use it in harder times that may come later.



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Store dried foods in sealed containers in a cool, dark place.

Make Your Own Solar Food Dryer

Even if you don’t have a food dryer, you can build one from supplies that should be easy to find, even post disaster.

The simplest solar food dryer starts with a box made of wood or metal. Instead of a

flat top, build the box with an angled top. Make the angled top from glass or a sheet of clear plastic, so as much sun as possible can enter the box. That will help your food dryer get hot enough to dry foods. For optimal heating, build the top at approximately a 45-degree angle.

Rather than a solid bottom, make the bottom of the box from a sheet of fine metal

screening material to allow air to flow. Affix the bottom about 4 inches up the interior sides of the box, so your screen isn't resting right on the ground. Drying food requires a constant flow of warm air, so cut vent holes near the top on the back of box. Cover the vent holes with screening material, too, to keep bugs out.

Build your box so that the back has a hinged door through which you can easily insert

and remove your drying racks. Paint the interior of your solar food dryer black to help the heating process. Build

ledges on the interior sides that you can rest shelves on. Allow about four inches of space between the ledges.

Make your drying trays by stretching lightweight, food-grade screen mesh over

wooden frames. Each tray should be the same width as the interior of the box – minus a quarter to a half an inch. Place thin-cut foods onto your drying racks. Put them into your solar dehydrator. Most foods will need two or three days to dry. Check them regularly to see how they are progressing.

Canning Your Own Foods at Home

Whether you grow a garden, visit a local farm to pick fresh produce, or stumble on a great price at your grocery store, it’s wise to take advantage of any abundance of fruits and veggies. It’s one of the smartest moves you can make to be prepared for inevitable shortages later.



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One easy answer that lets you take advantage of locally grown produce or great buys at the store all year round, is to start canning your produce at home. And it’s a great inflation hedge, as U.S. food prices continue to rise.

Home canning used to be a widely practiced skill until the convenience of the modern

supermarket took over. Today’s smart preppers see the need to bring this tradition back to the forefront. With the right tools, home canning just takes a little patience and preparation. Then you can add your own garden harvest to your food stores and be confident that you can stock up on food no matter the circumstances or situation.

So, let’s take a look at the easiest way to get started with canning.

Step One: Choose Between Water Bath and Pressure Canning

The first choice you’ll make is whether you want to use a water bath canning system or a pressure canning system.

Water bath canning is easier. You just need a deep pot with a lid, a canning rack, and

canning jars with sealing lids. The main drawback to water bath canning is that it limits what you are able to can. Water bath canning works safely with highly acidic foods or foods that you plan to pickle. You can preserve most fruits and any vegetables you want to pickle. But, you can’t safely can anything else with a water bath system.

Using a pressure canner requires a little more specialized equipment and the ability to

closely follow instructions, which makes it somewhat more complex than water bath canning. But, you can safely preserve just about anything with a pressure canner as long as you know the proper recipe, processing pressure, and processing time.

You can preserve salsa, chili, green beans, corn, soups, stews, meats, potatoes, eggs…

the list just goes on and on. Now, you can probably tell that I prefer a pressure canner. I think it’s a good idea to

be able to preserve anything you grow so that it’s shelf stable and ready to eat when you’re ready to serve it up.

The main argument against pressure canners is that if you don’t follow the instructions

that come with your canner, it could theoretically explode. The good news is that modern pressure canners are built with redundant safety systems so you’d really have to work at it to get the darn thing to blow up. If you follow the instructions, and take care to maintain your canner, you’re good to go.



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There are two types of pressure canners to consider. One type uses a dial gauge to measure the pressure. The other type uses a weighted gauge. You place the weight over the vent and when it starts to jiggle, you know you’ve reached the proper pressure.

A lot of people love their dial-gauge canners. I understand that. A dial gauge gives

you a clear display of the pressure inside your system… at least it does if it’s calibrated properly. To safely use a dial-gauge pressure canner, you need to take the dial into your municipal or state “weights and measures” department to have it checked every year. That’s why I strongly suggest you buy a weighted-gauge pressure canner and practice with it. With municipal and state services being cut right and left and with the mess that most local budgets are in, you may not have a local resource to calibrate your dial. If that becomes the case, your dial-gauge canner is reduced to little more than a glorified cooking pot.

But, with a weighted-gauge canner, once you know how it sounds when it’s jiggling

properly, it’s easy to know that you’ve got the proper pressure. And, the weights never need calibrating. Care for it properly and your weighted-gauge canner could be something that you pass down through the family for generations. It will work year after year—you may occasionally have to replace the sealing gasket— to help you preserve your harvest and add inexpensive healthy foods to your stores.

Step Two: Get Familiar with the Tools of the Trade

It doesn’t really take that much in the way of equipment to become an expert canner. That’s one of the reasons home canning has so much appeal, especially to people like you and me who want to be sure we always have food on the table no matter what’s happening in the economy and no matter what Mother Nature throws at us.

The Canner: By now, you should already have an idea of what kind of canner you

want. The next question is what size do you want to use. A fairly standard canner can process up to seven one-quart jars at a time or 19 pint-sized jars. You can find larger and smaller options. If you plan to do canning in small batches, a smaller canner will be more fuel-efficient. If you plan on working in large batches, a larger canner makes sense.

The Rack: When you’re canning, you don’t want the jars to sit on the bottom of the

pan. Canners come with a rack to sit the jars on so that they’re an inch away from the bottom. This allows for a more even flow of heat, which is crucial for proper canning. If you’ve lost your canning rack, you can usually buy a replacement from the manufacturer of your canner.



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Jars, lids and seals: Home canners use glass jars with flat lids. The lids have a rubber, sealing ring around the outer edge. The lid rings come as a separate part and are used to keep the sealing lid in place during processing. You’ll actually remove the rings when processing is complete. You can use jars over and over again as long they remain free of chips and cracks. You can also reuse the rings. You cannot safely reuse the sealing lids, so if you plan to stock up on canning supplies, the sealing lids are the place to start.

Jar Lifter: When you remove your jars from the hot water after processing you want

to lift them straight up and out. Tilting them can disrupt the sealing process (the seal takes time to set). A jar lifter makes this easier, and can also help prevent burns. This is an optional tool that you can get by without—it’s pretty handy to have, though.

Step Three: Basic Safety Tips

Many people think of canning as a big, intimidating production. It’s really not. If you follow a few basic safety tips, you’ll preserve your fresh produce to enjoy whenever you want. You will save money and help your family prepare by adding to your food stores.

Always Clean Your Food Before Processing: The big thing that can go wrong with

canned foods is spoilage. Improperly canned foods provide an anaerobic environment that alters certain bacteria into something that can make you very sick. These bacteria live in the soil, and are normally harmless. You can reduce the risk of spoilage by thoroughly cleaning foods before canning.

Sterilize Your Jars Before Adding Food: Dip them in boiling water for a minute or

run them through the sterilization cycle in your dishwasher. Sterilize the lids and rings, too. Check Your Seals Carefully: Once your processed jars have cooled completely, test

the lid. It should be taut. An unsealed lid will depress if you push it in the center. A sealed lid won’t budge. Tilt the jar (tilting is okay once they’ve cooled) and check for leaks.

Before opening canned foods, check for a good seal. The lid should be concave; use

the same push-it-in-the-center test. The lid should make a sucking, popping sound when you open it, just like canned goods from the store. If you don’t hear the seal break, if the lid is bulging, or if there’s any leakage or mold, don’t use the food. If you do hear the seal break, it’s still wise to check for off odors or off colors before eating. If anything looks or smells wrong, discard the food by sealing it carefully in a heavy plastic bag. Handle spoiled food with rubber gloves and sanitize everything it comes in contact with including your hands. Botulism can absorb through the skin and be just as deadly as if you ingest it.

If everything looks good, then, heat the food up to a boil and simmer for several

minutes before you serve it.



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Follow instructions and recipes carefully: Canning is a scientific process, so follow

the instructions that came with your canner and use proven canning recipes. Giving credit where credit is due, the USDA makes a very good, free canning publication available for download at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html.



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Chapter 7

After the Pulse: What Will You Drink

Like the food you bring home from the store, there’s an infrastructure in place that delivers water to your home.

You turn the tap on. Water comes out. But, if you’re on the municipal water supply,

all sorts of things have to come together to make that happen. Water is drawn from a reservoir, river, or well into a water treatment facility where it

is pumped into holding tanks. The holding tanks give the water a chance to settle, a process that helps remove particulates. In most cases, some chemical treatment is added to neutralize microorganisms and bacteria that could be dangerous to your health.

From there it’s pumped into a holding tank or a water tower. Then gravity does its

work to push the water through a network of pipes so that when you turn on your faucet, water appears.

Electrical components are required for the pumping. And, no big surprise here, water

treatment plants rely on computers to stay organized and to do their job. If the power grid goes down because of an EMP storm triggered by the sun, it won’t

be long before either no water is coming out of your tap or the water coming out isn’t actually safe to drink. That goes double if an EMP attack is the culprit and all the water station’s computer chips are fried in addition to the power being down.

In the event of a major EMP event, water will quickly become the number one

concern for a lot of people. You need to do three things to prepare: store, locate, and treat.

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Water Storage for You and Your Family

Your best defense against water contamination and service disruptions is to keep some clean drinking water on hand in case you need it.

The first step to putting together a water storage system is to figure how much you

want to store. Generally speaking, each person in your household will use a minimum of one gallon of water per day for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. At a gallon a day, you’ll probably have to ration your water stores pretty carefully if you ever need them. You may find you’re more comfortable having two gallons per day on hand for each person.

So, multiply how many people in your household by how much water you want

available each day by the number of days you want your water to last. Be generous with that last figure. Remember to account for pets, too, if you have them.

Service disruptions often last only a couple of days, but they can conceivably last weeks. In 2007, more than 300,000 people in England went without access to clean water for more than a week due to a flood. Better to be prepared for a worst case scenario and have extra than to be optimistic in your planning and end up dependent on government officials for your family’s water.

There are two big reasons I recommend you not count on government. First,

government agencies have their hands full in an emergency, and government officials are not infallible. Waiting for them to supply your needs can be darned uncomfortable. Second, if you’re prepared, that means that government agencies can focus more resources on others in your community who aren’t as well off as you.

Once you know how much water you want to keep on hand, it’s time to choose your containers.

The easy option is to buy bottled water at the store. It can also be an expensive option

unless you shop around. Many discount supercenters sell gallon jugs for well under a dollar each. If you go this route, keep water in its original containers and don’t break the bottle seals. Bottled water will have a use-by date, so rotate through your stores as the use-by dates approach.

A cheaper option is to use your own storage containers. You can find food-grade

water-storage containers at camping supply stores and surplus stores. You can also use plastic soda bottles. Don’t use plastic milk jugs. Residual bacteria from the milk might remain even after washing and that can contaminate your water stores.

Before you fill your containers, wash them with a mild detergent and rinse them

thoroughly. When you fill your water containers, add two drops of unscented chlorine bleach per gallon of water. If your municipal water department treats its water with a chlorine process, you can skip this step.



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How to Find Water That is Suitable for Drinking

Whenever you’re building up a reserve—whether it’s of food, fuel, or medicine—30 days is a good minimum goal. Three months or even six months would be better.

Water is no exception. But keep in mind that no matter how much water you have on

hand, the aftermath of a major EMP event could test the limits of your storage. That means you need a plan in place for locating additional water in case your stores

run low. In a disaster situation, it’s a good strategy to never rely exclusively on your stores.

Right away, start looking for—or at least thinking about—ways to supplement your food and water. If there’s a widespread panic, it might be safer to rely on your stores for a week or two rather than venture outside to look for additional resources.

No matter what the streets are like, if you wait until your supplies run out, you’ll be

facing a do-or-die situation. Remember, in a disaster, finding food and water may be hit and miss. If you start

looking for alternative supplies right away, you can use your stores for those times when you’re having difficulty finding what you need.

In any disaster, water is a top priority. You can go three weeks without food.

Uncomfortable, but possible. But you can only survive three days without water. Fortunately, you have multiple options for locating fresh water that is safe to drink. Hot Water Heater: You have up to 60 gallons of clean, safe drinking water hiding

right under your nose. When full, your hot water heater contains that much water. And it comes from the same sources that go to your tap, so it is safe for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. But you have to act fast. Otherwise it will become contaminated. At the first sign of a problem, here’s what to do:

Shut off electricity to the water heater. This is a smart move even if an EMP knocked out the power grid—better safe than sorry.

Close the tank’s supply valve, so it does not pull in any water from contaminated sources.

Locate the drain valve at the base of the heater. Flush it briefly to clear out any dirt or debris that collected there.

To get a good flow of water from the heater, turn on a hot water tap in the house. This allows air into the system and water will flow freely from your water heater through the drain valve.



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There may be some sediment in the water from your heater. The water is still

considered safe to drink, but it’s a good idea to let the sediment settle first. Toilet Tanks: As long as you don’t add chemical treatments to your toilet tanks,

you’ll find gallons more clean, safe water there. Use the tank water. Not water that is already in the bowl. Turn the water valve off at the base of the toilet to prevent water being lost.

Bathtubs: If it’s clear that a disaster is underway, fill your bathtubs immediately.

Bathtubs vary in size. You can add anywhere from 30 to 120 gallons to your water stores … per tub!

Canned Foods: During the aftermath of a disaster, be careful not to waste any of the

liquids in canned foods. It’s a source of water and nutrients, and using it can help extend the life of both your food and water stores. (In the early days or a power outage or major disruption, use up your fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, milk, and even meats. They will add precious water to your daily diet.)

Ice Trays: Don’t forget to use the ice in your freezer as a source of water. Bags of ice.

Trays of ice. It’s all water once it melts. And it’s good for drinking. Outside sources: If a disaster is disruptive enough, you may need to seek sources of

water outside your home. Set up a barrel for rain collection. In cold climates, snowmelt is a safe option for water collection. Learn your local area. Are there rivers, streams, or ponds where you can collect water? What about local fresh water springs? Take the time now to locate these valuable sources of water, so you’re ready to use them. (Bonus Tip: Buy a wagon and some extra water jugs to make transport between local water sources and your home easier.)

Depending on where you live, you may be able to dig for water. This is a labor-

intensive option, but if all else fails, it’s worth the effort. Learn about your local water table ahead of time, so you know what to expect if you do need to dig.

When gathering water from outdoor sources like a local spring or stream, you need to

take steps to make sure the water is safe to drink. That means purifying it.

Five Ways to Make Almost Any Water Safe

A number of water treatment methods exist, each with advantages and disadvantages. Before using any of these methods, remove any sediment from the water by pouring it through a cheesecloth. If you suspect toxic chemicals in the water, find a different source.

Boiling



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The boiling method is straightforward to use and doesn’t greatly affect the way your water tastes. It’s very effective when done properly. The downside is that it requires a lot of fuel. If you don’t have a ready supply of fuel, this method can become difficult to execute.

To treat water using the boiling method, put the water you intend to treat in a pan.

Bring it to a rapid boil. Hold the water at a boil for a full minute. Then remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. It’s safe and ready to use.

Use the boiling method for any water you plan on cooking with: just allow it to boil

for one full minute before adding food. This helps conserve your resources.

Colloidal Silver

Colloidal silver binds to germs and kills the proteins they need to survive, making it a very effective antibacterial agent. You can use a small amount of colloidal silver to purify water and make it safe for drinking. In one study, researchers confirmed the effectiveness of colloidal silver in fighting against a variety of microbes. They found that at even a very low concentration, silver is effective at inhibiting the growth of every microbe they tested it on.

Treating drinking water with colloidal silver is a simple process. With a colloidal

silver generator and two cups of distilled water, you can make a 10ppm colloidal silver solution, which you can then use to purify gallons of water that will be safe for your family to drink.

Important: Always prepare any colloidal silver solution using distilled water.

Impurities in non-distilled water can alter the potency of your solution. Always follow the instructions on your colloidal silver generator to make your silver

solution. Once you’ve made a silver solution, add one ounce to a gallon of water and allow it to

sit for 30 minutes before using it for drinking or cleaning dishes.

Chlorine Bleach

Standard chlorine bleach provides another option for treating water so that it is safe for drinking. Bleach may not kill all waterborne bacteria and it can add a funny taste to your water. The advantage is that it only takes a little bleach to treat a gallon of water and bleach cheap to buy and easy to store.

Use a bleach product that contains between 5 and 6 percent sodium hypochlorite as

the active ingredient. Do not use bleaches that have additional active ingredients. Add an eighth of a teaspoon of bleach to one gallon of water and allow it to stand for 30 minutes. The



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water should smell faintly of chlorine. If it does not, repeat the treatment cycle. If it still doesn’t have that chlorine smell, toss the water and find a different source.

Iodine Tablets

Iodine tablets are another way to chemically treat water, making it safe to drink. Of all the options, iodine has the biggest impact on taste.

You can use a 2 percent iodine tincture or iodine tablets. For the tincture, add 5 drops

per quart of water (10 if the water is cloudy). Allow the water to stand for 30 minutes before drinking. If you use iodine tablets, follow the package instructions.

UV Treatment

UV treatment is safe, effective, and doesn’t affect the taste of the water when you’re done. You can also treat a liter of water in about 90 seconds, so it eliminates the wait time. You can purchase small UV water treatment systems online through Amazon.com or other major retailers.

Water is possibly the most critical resource. And an EMP event could very well cut

you off from the seemingly endless supply that comes from the taps in your home. Make sure you are well-prepared when it comes to your access to water. This more than anything else could save your life.



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Chapter 8

After the Pulse: The Money in Your Pocket

If you’re like most Americans, you keep your money in a bank. In fact, you might come into little actual contact with your money.

Ninety-six percent of Americans receive their paycheck through direct deposit. You

don’t receive a physical check. The money just appears in your bank account at certain times of the month.

When you pay your bills, you likely go online and direct your bank to make the

payments directly through digital channels. When you buy something, you probably use a debit card rather than actually cash. Of the money you earn, you only physically ever touch a very small percentage of it.

Most of just exists digitally. Numbers in a digital ledger that get moved from one place to another as you get paid or make purchases.

If computer circuits are fried and the power grid is down, what happens to that

money? How does the bank know what you have in your account if they can’t look that number up on their computers? How can you make purchases if credit card machines and ATMs are down?

My point is, unless you have some physical cash on hand, in the face of an EMP

event, your spending power will shrink to zero in the blink of an eye. In a major crisis that is not a position you want to be in.

Here’s another frightening thought to consider. It is possible for terrorists to target

banks for an EMP attack. Using smaller scale EMP weapons in close proximity to a bank’s headquarters could bring down their computer systems, causing financial disruption and chaos, without touching the power grid.



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We might never know what hit us. Such a scenario would be less devastating, but

could still leave you in a very uncomfortable position when it comes to your finances. That is, unless you’re prepared.

The Importance of a Cash Reserve

Just like you need to store up food and water to protect against a major crisis, you also need to store up spending power.

You need to do this with physical dollars and precious metals that you keep hidden in

your home so that you have easy and ready access should you ever need it. I suggest that, if you haven’t done so already, you immediately begin building up your

cash reserves. You have a few things to consider. How much cash do you need? Where will you

keep it? What other special considerations should you make? Here’s what I recommend… I suggest you work to save a minimum of one month’s expenses in cash. Remember,

even in the event the banking sector collapses completely, the economy is still going to function in some form. Immediately following a widespread power outage, businesses will be able to accept cash and will likely continue to do so for some time. It’s unlikely you’ll burn through your entire cash reserve in a month, but having money readily accessible will give you more options and opportunities to get the things you need.

Make sure you have a secure place in your home to keep your cash. A safe is ideal.

It’s also a good idea to divide your cash up and keep a little here and a little there. By hiding cash in several places in your home, you increase your security. If you’re robbed or a section of your home gets damaged, you may lose some money, but you probably won’t lose all of it.

Make it a point use smaller bills ($1s, $5s, and $20s) to build up your cash reserve. If

things are rough and you’re relying on a cash reserve, you may run into people who don’t trust larger bills or who simply don’t have a way to make change. Plus, bigger bills make you a target for thieves and thugs.

But Just Cash Isn’t Enough …

Depending on the severity of the crisis, the dollar may eventually become useless. In that event, you need something else that is easy to come by, easy to store, and easy to spend.

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I recommend gold and silver coins. They are small, easy to carry, and most people readily recognize their value.

When seeking out gold investments, you’ll be faced with a panoply of options – from

storage programs, to futures contracts, to high-priced rare coins, and more. However, your starting point, your foundation, should be simple ownership of low-premium physical gold in a handy, widely recognized form. That, for all practical purposes, means one-ounce bullion coins.

In the face of the hopeless broken economic system that would result from an EMP,

nothing beats having actual precious metals in your immediate possession. Gold comes in a variety of sizes, ranging from tiny tenth-ounce coins to heavy bullion bars.

If you have a big bundle of money to spend on gold coins, you might consider big

bullion bars (1 kilo Johnson Matthey gold bars, for example). Bullion bars are often the most cost-effective way to own gold. You tend to get a little more metal for your money than with bullion coins. You can buy bullion bars all the way down to the one-ounce size. The downside is they are harder to use for making purchases.

So generally speaking one-ounce bullion coins are the most convenient and most

practical way to own gold. Widely recognized gold coins are much easier to barter with or sell than large gold bars, gold nuggets, gold jewelry, or other less-liquid forms of gold.

What Type of Coin?

Some gold coins carry special historic/rarity value to collectors, as in a 1907 high- relief U.S. St. Gaudens Double Eagle in uncirculated condition. Others are worth basically only what their precious-metal content amounts to (plus a small premium for minting costs, etc.). These latter types of coins, known as bullion coins, are the safest types of coins to own because you don’t have to worry about them getting scratched or otherwise losing any collectible premium.

You may prefer to spend a little more for U.S. silver and gold Eagles. Minted by the

U.S. Treasury Department and sold to individuals for a profit, these coins are legal tender, and their weight and purity are guaranteed by the government (which is why they sell at a small premium to other types of gold mintage).

If an EMP event collapsed the currency and you were forced to barter for goods and

services, these coins would be the most widely recognized and accepted. Gold Eagles are available from any coin dealer.

American Eagles are also available in smaller sizes, down to one-tenth troy ounce

gold coins. These smaller sized coins should not be accumulated except for purposes of having an emergency stash to barter with. The reason is that the smaller the coin, the greater



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the premium you’ll pay over the spot price of gold as a percentage of the coin’s actual metal content.

In other words, with larger coins, you get more gold for your money. Smaller-sized

coins can be useful, however, for bartering purposes – so a few sub-one-ounce coins might be worth owning. Otherwise, unless budget constraints dictate a smaller coin or you have an interest in accumulating them for barter, gift, or collectible purposes, stick with the full one-ounce sized coins.

Silver Bullion 101

In addition to gold coins, you’ll also want to stock up on silver. For many types of barter transactions, silver will be more practical. Silver also has the advantage that it doesn’t make people crazy. People get gold fever and may come after you if they know you have gold. The same scenario with silver is much less likely.

As with gold coins, silver coins are available in the popular one-ounce American

Eagle and Maple Leaf coins. These are suitable options for accumulating physical silver, provided you don’t have to pay an exorbitant premium over the spot price of silver to get them. At the end of the day, if you can get more silver for your money by purchasing generic silver rounds that have very low premiums, it’s difficult to justify paying up for “name brand” coins. After all, you’re getting the same .999 fine silver.

Consider purchasing 10 ounce and even 100 ounce silver bars, too. Another type of

coin you might use to supplement your silver investment is a 90% coin (known also as “nineties” or “junk coins”). These consist of dimes, quarters, and halves minted before 1965 and are 90% pure silver by weight. They are often sold by the bag by coin dealers. Due to their silver content, they will be worth considerably more than their face value. For example:

A 1964 dime, which looks just like the dimes in circulation today, is actually worth $1.60.

Pre-1965 quarters are worth $3.99 as of this writing.

Half-dollars minted from 1916-1964 are worth their weight in silver to the tune of $7.99.

The 1878-1921 Morgan silver dollar and the 1921-1935 Peace Dollar are worth $17.09 each (in terms of silver content).

Also, watch for these types of coins in post-EMP exchanges. Knowing what your

trading partner is offering you is important.



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Where to Buy Bullion

For relatively small-size purchases of investment coins, you can try a local coin dealer. The advantages of staying local are that you can pay in untraceable cash and not have to worry about problems with order fulfillment. The potential disadvantages are that inventory may be limited and markups may be higher than through other sources.

When purchasing in bulk or when searching for harder-to-find specialty coins, you

may have to look to a mail-order, phone-order, or Internet-based coin dealer. If you are looking into buying large quantities of gold or silver, you'd be wise to

carefully investigate the company or companies with whom you will deal. While most are reputable, there can be vast differences among them in terms of customer service, price, and promptness of order fulfillment. Don’t assume that just because a coin dealer advertises heavily on TV in or in print, it is reliable.

Taking steps to secure your purchasing power now, will put you and your family in a

much better position to survive and even thrive in the post-EMP economy.



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Chapter 9

After the Pulse: How Will You Travel

So, there’s a lot of debate about whether or not an EMP event will shut down cars. The confusion most likely comes from the difference between the detonation of a

high-altitude EMP weapon and an EMP event caused by a solar storm. A solar storm EMP will create currents in the ground that will make their way into the

power grid via power lines and cables. The sudden surges in voltage will overwhelm and destroy transformers and other key components of the grid, causing widespread and cascading failures. Potentially the entire U.S. and Canada could be left without power. But this kind of electromagnetic pulse will not destroy circuits in computers and other electronics unless those things are plugged into the grid without any protection from surge suppressors.

So your car will continue to function … provided you can fuel for it. If the power grid

is down, fuel will be hard to get your hands on. An EMP attack is different. That kind of EMP event will destroy circuits almost

instantly, including the circuits in your car. Now depending on how distant you are from the attack, the EMP burst may have

deteriorated enough that your car’s circuits, which are better shielded than those in, say, your cell phone, survive.

But if you are near the origin point of the attack, and your car is running when the

attack occurs, you may have some issues. They could be minor—like the dashboard lights might start blinking—or they could be major—as in the motor stops and won’t restart.

That’s a whole lot of uncertainty, I know.

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You know what the best position is in the face of uncertainty? To prepare for the worst. That means having EMP-proof sources of transportation available to you.

Making Smart EMP Choices When it Comes to Cars If you want a car that is definitively and completely impervious to an EMP attack,

then you’ll need an older vehicle. Quite a lot older. Car manufacturers began using electronics in cars in the 1980s, so you’ll need to go

all the way back to a pre-80s model to ensure you have a car that is not sensitive to EMP bursts. Even then, older cars ignition systems and fuses may still suffer in an EMP attack.

The good news is, you can keep spare parts on hand that will allow you to repair these

and get your car back in working condition fairly quickly. Some things to consider when purchasing your post-EMP vehicle:

Choose a diesel engine if possible. No matter what kind of car you have, eventually finding fuel for it will be an issue. You’ll have an easier time refueling a diesel engine than you will refueling a gas-powered vehicle.

Trunk space will be important. Choosing a vehicle with more cargo space will give you more traveling options in a post-EMP world. If you have to evacuate your home, you’ll be able to take more with you.

Is it ready to go off-road? Many major thoroughfares may be blocked with cars that people didn’t know how to get running again. If you’re traveling, even in the cities, you’re going want some ruggedness to your vehicle.

Whether or not basic repairs are easy. A vehicle that you can do the basic maintenance on will last you much longer than one that requires all sorts of computer equipment to do even minor repairs.

Dealing With an EMP-Shutdown

If you’re driving an recent model car during an EMP attack and the motor shuts, you may be able to get your car up and running again without too much face.



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EMP tests run on automobiles show that in some cases the electronics have what is called a latch-up failure. They go off line. The car won’t restart. For all looks and appearances, you’re dead in the water.

But, in many cases, if you unhook your battery completely and then reinstall it, your

electronics will reboot and you’ll be able to restart your car. Now, your circuits may indeed be fried and your car dead, but give the battery trick a try. If it works, then you’ll still have wheels for as long as the gas holds out.

And that’s something.

Setting Up a Fuel Reserve

Speaking of the gasoline holding out, smart preppers have a fuel reserve in addition to having food and water and cash on hand.

it’s important to have a supply of fuel on hand. You want gasoline (or diesel) to run

your car and your generator, if you have one. You also want propane, white gas, or kerosene to power your camp stove, gas grill, and indoor heater.

Having fuel on hand can give you the means to stay warm and comfortable, to prepare a hot meal, and even to sterilize water should the need arise. It can also give you the means to escape a bad situation.

But, improperly stored fuel can become a safety hazard. And, many types of fuel,

including gasoline, lose stability over time, making them difficult to ignite. That means that even if you store your fuel safely, if you don’t take proper steps to ensure its long-term stability, you could just be storing canisters of useless liquid—liquid that will let you down when you need it most.

Avoid Fuel Storage Safety Hazards

You should not store fuel in your home or attached garage. If it does ignite, having it that close to your living space presents an obvious problem. Instead, store your fuel some distance from your home in a well-ventilated shed. Storing your fuel in an outbuilding of some sort helps to protect it from heating up due to direct sun exposure and from moisture due to weather conditions. By preventing solar heating, you slow the evaporation process and by protecting your fuel stores from moisture, you help ensure your fuel isn’t contaminated with water.

Keep a fire extinguisher near your fuel tanks. If you run electrical wires in the outbuilding

that you’re using for storage, make sure the wiring is in a sealed conduit. The last thing you want is for fuel vapors to come in contact with an electric spark. That would be the end of your fuel stores and your outbuilding.



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Make sure you always store fuel in a container designed for it. Gasoline, for example

is corrosive to many plastics. Storing gasoline in a plastic drum that hasn’t been rated for fuel storage will destroy the drum and render the gas useless.

If you’re storing more than one type of fuel, make sure you have a system for keeping

track of which is which. You don’t want to accidentally use gasoline in a diesel engine or to run a propane or kerosene stove!

Also make sure to keep your fuel stored in watertight, airtight containers. Excess

moisture can ruin the performance of most fuels. It can also gum up the engine you burn the fuel in. It’s important to have an airtight content, with a venting valve, because most fuels evaporate quickly even at low temperatures. If your container isn’t airtight, you’ll lose your fuel to evaporation.

Additives That Will Preserve Your Fuel for Longer

If you want to know with confidence that your fuel will burn when you need it to, you may need to add chemical stabilizers to it, depending on how long you plan to store it.

Some fuels have a longer shelf life than others. Gasoline, for example, will expire

within a few weeks without added stabilizers. Propane, on the other hand, will last indefinitely.

Check into the long-term storability of the fuels you plan to keep on hand, and add

stabilizers as needed. There are many options. Two of the most common are Sta-bil and Pri-G (for gasoline) or Pri-D (for diesel). Diesel fuels often also need to be treated with a biocide to keep anaerobic bacteria from ruining the fuel.

Set Up a Rotation Schedule for Smarter Fuel Storage

Another option for making sure your fuel is always good-to-go and ready to burn is to set up a rotation schedule for your storage. First, decide how much fuel and what types you want to keep on hand.

Then, purchase three containers for each type of fuel. (You can buy color-coded

containers to help prevent fuel mix-ups.) The size of your containers will depend on your storage needs.

Use the fuel, as you need it, from one of the containers. When the first container is

empty, make a note to take it in and refill it. Then start using your next container to meet your



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fuel needs. Make sure you get your empty container filled before you have to start using your third container. This way, you’ll always have at least one full container of fuel on hand for whatever you need, and your fuel will stay fresh, so you don’t have to worry so much about spoilage.

Another idea is to keep a smaller fuel storage system in your pickup truck or in a

trailer that you can connect to your vehicle. Then, it’s a quick and easy thing to take at least part of your fuel stores with you if you should have to leave in a hurry.

Check Into Legal Issues

One of the safest ways to store fuel is in an underground container. However, in most areas, it’s impossible to do so without getting slapped with a hefty fine if the local authorities find out. Environmental regulations, you know.

There are plenty of legal issues to consider when it comes to fuel storage, and they

vary from state to state and city to city. You may be limited in how much fuel you can store, where you can store it, and what

you can put it in. If you don’t want to run the risk of local citations and the fines that go with them, contact your local city officials and ask them to provide you with a list of the regulations regarding residential fuel storage.

Two More Tips

I’ve got two final thoughts for you when it comes to safe fuel storage. First, if you’re storing gasoline, shop around for gas that doesn’t contain ethanol. The ethanol will retain moisture as it sits and that can gum up your engine later.

Second, don’t stock up on fuel, put it in proper containers located at a safe distance

from your home only to decide your job is done. Safe fuel storage is like having a smoke alarm in the house. You should test your smoke alarm once a month to make sure it’s in working order and you should check on your fuel containers at least once a month to make sure nothing is leaking. A fuel leak can cause all sorts of problems above and beyond wasted fuel. Make sure you take good care of your fuel supply, so it’s there for you when you need it and so it doesn’t become a safety hazard.

Alternative Transportation



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No doubt, having a set of wheels at your disposal is nice. It extends you range for

supply runs, can carry you to hunting grounds that are more than walking distance away, and give you away to bug out face if more danger than you want to face comes your way.

You can make your fuel stores for your vehicle last longer by using alternate forms of

transportation for shorter trips. One of the best forms of short-distance transportation is a bicycle. If you don’t have a

bike for everyone in your family, start watching Craig’s list for deals. Get each person in your family a bike as soon as possible.

Also, think about buying a wagon — like one of the Radio Flyer wagons you had as a

kid. Having a wagon give you instant hauling capacity, which means you can make nearby supply runs on foot.



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Chapter 10

After the Pulse: Staying in the Loop

On September 11, 2001, I was in the nation's capital at the Capital Yacht Club across the Potomac River from the Pentagon. The hard phone line I had installed as a backup in my boat slip left me with one of the few remaining working phones in the area. Pentagon workers streaming across the bridge soon learned of it. Before I knew what was happening, there was a long line of people waiting to use my phone – Pentagon staffers calling loved ones to let them know they had survived the plane strike.

During a Catastrophic Emergency, You'll Need to Know How to Communicate with Others

After an EMP event, with the power out and communications down, you'll start to feel

isolated pretty quickly. But during an emergency, it will be more important than ever to stay in touch with those around you. Fortunately you can still communicate if you make sure you have the right tools.

First: Check If It's Just the Power

Sometimes the power will go out, but the phones still work (calls are not delivered over the power lines). If you have a landline, your set of cordless phones won't work, but a good old-fashioned hardwired phone may when plugged directly into the phone jack. Keep one in your emergency kit.

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A Good Shortwave Radio, with the Ability to Pick Up Weak Signals, Is a Must

A shortwave radio can intercept shortwave signals from very long distances, even

internationally, and are a great source of news. Keep one of these in your Faraday cage, so it’s in good shape when you need it. Choose one that you can power with a hand-crank. That way you’ll never be without news.

A Technology Combo You Don’t Want to Be Without

A combination of cell phones and goTenna technology can give you a secure way to communicate with those closest to you. You might think cell phones are out as an option after an EMP event. That really depends.

Cell phones can be a great post-disaster communication tool if they aren’t fried by the

EMP attack, if you have some way to recharge them, and if you have the goTenna’s you need to make them work.

In the event of a solar-related EMP, your cell phones will still be in working order. If

it’s an EMP attack, having a few cell phones in your Faraday cage will keep this option on the table.

To make cell phones a long-term solution, you’ll need either a solar charger designed

specifically for phones, or a back-up generator that lets you charge up your cell phone to keep it running while the power is down.

But there are still some major problems with cell phone communication—problems

you need to know about ahead of time before you’re relying on these ubiquitous devices to keep you in touch with your family when the stuff hits the fan.

First, there are the short-term problems. If the cell towers are still working—and that’s

a big if—at the outset of a disaster, people call each other and it overloads the system. History has proven this over and over again. During Katrina, a massive number of call attempts all happening at the same time made communication by cell phone impossible for most people.

Then there are the long-term problems. Without power, most cell phone towers will

stop working within 24 hours. After Hurricane Katrina, 70% of cell phone towers became nonfunctional. Hurricane Sandy brought down cell phone service in New York.

With all that being said, there is a nifty bit of technology that you can use with your

cell phones to create a secure texting and GPS network. One that will work without cell phone towers.



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It’s called goTenna. With goTenna, even if the local cell phone towers go down, you can continue to send

text messages and GPS information between you and your family members or friends who are on the same goTenna network.

GoTenna works with your smart phone and blue tooth wireless to set up

communication with other smart phones using a shared goTenna. That means you can use your cell phones to communicate over a distance, no cell towers needed.

With a small solar charger for your phone and your goTenna, this system can work

indefinitely. The best part about goTenna is that it’s completely secure — anyone who isn’t part of your network cannot listen in. So you don’t need to worry about the wrong people overhearing a conversation and deciding your house is an easy mark, post-disaster.

The goTenna sells in sets of two for $150. That makes it a bit of an investment, but

one that could make life much easier in the event of an EMP disaster. Secure communication with Walkie-Talkies. For short-range communication among a

group, walkie-talkies are nice. But unless you’re using encrypted walkie-talkies, they are not secure.

If interested parties overhear your walkie-talkie conversations, they may realize that

you have supplies they want. Some will attempt to trade with you. Others will try to take what you have by force.

If you’re not communicating over a secure channel, it’s imperative that you find a way

to secure your information. Especially anything that has to do with your location or your inventory.

The simplest way to do this is to come up with code words. Rather than identifying meet-up points by street names or house addresses or even

something less descriptive like “Bill’s house,” give these places code names that you and others in your network can memorize.

With pre-established code words, if you’re on the walkie-talkie and you ask Bill to

meet you at the River’s Edge, you and Bill both know that means you’re heading to Tom’s house. But no one listening in will have a clue how to find you. And that means they can’t find you in order to follow you back to your own house and try to take what you have.

A code word system should be kept as simple as possible, so it is easy for everyone in

your network to memorize. And it should work into normal-sounding conversation as seamlessly as possible. That way any listeners-in may not even realize you’re talking in code and they’ll move on to more interesting targets.



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Piggyback on an Existing Network

Having a secure way to communicate with your friends, family, and neighbors is crucial. You need to be able to reach out to each other without being overheard.

But, if you overlook the importance of staying connected and gathering information

from the outside world, it doesn’t matter how secure your internal communication is. Your overall security will be compromised.

Fortunately, you can become part of a community that never misses a beat when

communications go down: Truckers. They have their own grid of "mobile devices" – CB radios mounted in and powered by their big rigs. If you are EVER caught in a traffic jam, no matter where, the truckers always have the low down!

During any kind of emergency, access to information about what's happening – about

ongoing dangers, road and bridge closures, evacuation orders, or new threats – can make all the difference in how well you come through the crisis.

A communication plan is part of any complete preparation plan. Information can

become just as important as food and water during a crisis. Whether you are sheltering in place or evacuating, being able to tune into truckers' CB chatter is essential to knowing what to expect in your area or, if you’re traveling, to avoiding problem areas and planning safe routes.

All along the U.S highways, truckers are linked up through CB radios, and they're able

to pass information quickly between themselves. Usually it's about traffic, but in an emergency, access to this pre-established network can be extremely valuable.

Four Ways You Can Use a CB Radio to Stay Connected During an Emergency

CB radio, short for Citizen's Band radio, is made up of 40 channels within the 27

Mega-Hertz band. It's a short-range communication system used by individuals and businesses alike. The typical CB range is two to twenty miles, depending on the terrain and the size of your antenna. But when you listen in to the channels used by truckers, you can extend your range, in a manner of speaking, because they essentially have a relay of information already set up.

To tune into the truckers and other drivers, listen to channel 19 and occasionally

switch over to channel 17. These two channels are used most by travelers. Another important channel to know about is channel 9. This is the lone CB channel reserved for emergencies by the FCC. That means if you have a CB radio, you can't call out on that channel. During an



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emergency, though, you want to listen to it regularly to gather any information you can about what is going on.

Many towns and cities also designate a channel for local residents. Finding out your

own town's CB channel gives you another source of information post-EMP-event. Through this local channel, you can hear from businesses, churches, and community organizations that have news to share. And you can relay any valuable information that you happen to have as well.

A fourth way to use your CB radio during an emergency is to set up a channel for your

own network. This basically just means agreeing ahead of time what channel you'll use to communicate. Keep in mind that your communications via CB are not secure. (This is another time to employ code words to keep your communications private even when outsiders are listening in.)

Another caveat is that CB radios do not broadcast over a long distance. Most reach

about four to five miles. But even if your network is spread out over a greater distance than that, you may be able to leapfrog your messages from one household to the next to bring everyone into the loop. You’ll have to evaluate your respective locations to determine if this will work for you and the people you want to stay in touch with.

No License Required

One of the reasons I like CB radios is that the CB world is still a bastion of freedom in a highly regulated world – you don't have to purchase a license to operate a CB.

Another advantage – a CB doesn't require a large, conspicuous broadcast antenna in

your yard. Buying a CB radio is easy. You can pick up a cheap model for around $50 on Amazon. Or you can opt for something fancier if you're able to spend a little more.

Just make sure you pick a radio that has a few key features. The main feature to look

for is RF Gain Control. This feature allows you to filter out weak signals in order to cut down on background noise. Without it, you'll have to listen to a constant stream of competing signals, trying to pick out the signal you want to listen to against all the others. It can get very annoying and diminish the usefulness of your radio.

If you opt for a higher-end CB radio, consider purchasing one with a sideband or SSB.

This feature will give you access to the upper and lower bands on either side of the usual 40 CB channels. Those bands can be useful for setting up a channel for your family and friends to use. And they don't have as much traffic, so the signals are clearer, too.

Finally, you might also consider augmenting your CB radio with a power mike. These

mikes don't extend your radio's signal, but they can make your voice clearer and easier for receivers to understand. That's a valuable feature if you're ever in the position to send out a



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call for help. A CB radio is an inexpensive way to make sure that you can stay connected during a crisis. It gives access to critical information during an emergency and provides you with a method to reach out for help if you need it.

Remember, a CB radio does have components that could be sensitive to an EMP

attack. Consider keeping yours inside your Faraday cage when it’s not in use.

Going the Distance

If you want to communicate over longer distances a ham radio system is the way to go.

In an extended, widespread emergency, a ham radio gives you access to information

from other parts of the country. Let’s say, you’re located in Texas, but you have family in Maine. The power has been out for going on four weeks and things are looking bleak in your neck of the woods.

Through your ham radio, your family in Maine lets you know that basic local power

has been restored in their area. It’s rudimentary, but it’s a start. Because of your ham radio, you now know about the situation in Maine and can make an informed decision about whether or not you want to leave for greener pastures or stay put.

A ham radio is a bigger investment in terms of both money and time. You can’t just

buy a ham radio and set it on a shelf, and then hope to pull it out during and emergency and start using it like a pro. A ham radio requires some skill … and that means taking the time to practice with it.

A ham radio also requires a bigger antenna. That can draw unwanted attention. You

may need to get creative in how you place the antenna so it’s not obvious to outsiders. A ham radio is more work, but in a long-term interruption of services, it can help you

stay abreast of what’s happening all over the country. And that knowledge could open up options to you that you’d never know about otherwise.

Again, take steps to shield your equipment. Otherwise, in a post-EMP world, your

ham radio may be little more that a bunch of scrap parts.



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Chapter 11

After the Pulse: A New Source for Everything

Food will be the most immediate concern after a major EMP event. If the power grid is completely fried, it will be a matter of days, if not hours, before grocery store shelves empty of anything you can eat.

But as the crisis wears on, you’ll add other concerns to your list. Batteries … shoes … clothes … blankets … paper … pencils … tools … razors … All the things that you use in every day life that get used up or that wear out will

vanish from stores as well. These things won’t go as quickly as food, but they’ll be just as gone.

There will be breaks at every point in the supply chain. The companies gathering the

raw goods depend on computers and power to manage their inventory and to know what to ship to which companies.

The manufacturers of finished goods will be dealing with supply shortages because of

those issues. Then add to that the fact that every manufacturer in the U.S. relies on electricity in one way or another to make their goods.

Shipping companies will have similar problems. Without the backbone of electricity to

manage shipping manifests and routes, they’ll have their own delays. And that’s for the companies that manage to stay in business. In the face of a

prolonged power outage—especially one triggered by a terrorist attack—many companies will close their doors.

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A lot of the things you’re used to being able to run to the store to get won’t be readily available.

Fortunately, there are two things you can do about this.

First Thing—Stock Up The first step to take is to beginning stocking up on things that you’ll need beyond food. Make a list of items like batteries, clothing (especially if you have growing kids),

razors, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, spare bulbs for your flashlights, paper and other office supplies, tools and books. Having all of these items on hand can make a big difference in your comfort levels during an EMP aftermath.

A few of these items are especially important.

Are You Ready to Answer the Call of Nature in a Crisis? Or Will You Have To Do Without Basic Essentials?

If your local grocery store ran out of toilet paper, how long would it be before you and

your family faced a difficult dilemma? Recently this exact scenario played out in Venezuela. The nation went through a toilet

paper shortage. Stores were routinely out, and when a new shipment came in, word spreads like wildfire. Crowds rushed to the stores to buy as much as they could. Within hours the stores would be out again.

It’s an uncomfortable reminder of how fragile supply chains can be. But it serves as a

good reminder how important sanitation and hygiene are, especially during a disaster or economic crisis.

During any kind of crisis, it’s normal for living conditions to suffer. Garbage pick up

may be disrupted. Water service might not work. You’re routinely exposed to more bacteria and contaminants. If you don’t have the tools to maintain good hygiene and basic sanitation, you could easily become ill, making an already stressful situation worse.

This is especially important in an EMP situation, since these services may be out for

extended periods. Morale is an important factor when dealing with a disaster. Being able to brush your

teeth, wash your hands, clean your clothes, and answer the call of nature without worry are all essential to feeling like you’re in control of your situation.



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Put Together Your Comfort Kit

Basic hygiene and sanitation help to keep you healthy and comfortable. They become more important than ever during a disaster. Which is why it’s critical that you stock up on essential supplies.

Toilet Paper: Just imagine running out of toilet paper. How would you handle that

situation? It’s not impossible to deal with, but any solution you come up with is likely to increase your exposure to dangerous bacteria. Not too mention how uncomfortable you would be! During the next week, keep track of how many rolls of toilet paper your family uses. Then stock up on at least a month’s supply.

Soap and Shampoo: The simple act of being able to wash your hands, clean your

body, and wash your hair can greatly reduce your odds of getting sick, especially during the aftermath of a crisis when your exposure to germs is high. Stock up on plenty of soap and shampoo so that you and your family don’t have to sacrifice hygiene if the face of unexpected and difficult circumstances.

Razors, clippers, files, dental floss, and any other items you need to maintain your

daily hygiene routine. Pay particular attention when stocking up on consumable items like razor blades and dental floss. A pair of fingernail clippers can last for years—but a razor blade will get dull in a week.

Disinfectant: Keep bleach, ammonia, and rubbing alcohol on hand. These items will

allow you to clean and sterilize your environment. Insect Repellant: This one gets overlooked often as part of a prep kit. Unsanitary

conditions attract insects. Make sure you have plenty of repellant on hand to keep them at bay if it becomes necessary. Insects carry all sorts of germs and diseases—having a way to repel them is essential to protecting your health.

Heavy Duty Plastic Bags: If water service is interrupted, having a long-term supply

of toilet paper won’t make the toilet work. Keep heavy-duty plastic bags and twist ties on hand just in case. You can line your toilet with the plastic bag, and then seal it and put it in the garbage. It sounds awful, but it’s less awful than the alternative… trust me.

Knowing how to deal with hygiene and sanitation issues should they come up plays a

huge part in how well you come through a disaster. Think about the Carnival Cruise ship that was adrift for five days without electricity or working toilets. The people on board were unprepared and the living conditions become unbearable within days. Take steps now so you never face similar circumstances.

Stocking up on hygiene and cleaning supplies is super important, but these won’t be

the only items you’re missing.



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In a post-EMP world, you’ll likely find yourself needing tools a lot more often than

you do now. Instead of being able to run to the store to buy things, you’ll have to repair what you have or to build what you need.

So, you’ll need a good tool kit.

Ten Must-Have Tools for Your Household Toolbox

The ten tools I suggest here are a good starting point. They’re the ones you should consider essential. However, that doesn’t mean that these ten tools will complete your toolbox. You may find it useful to add a number of other tools as well.

Hammer: A good, solid hammer is a must. With a hammer, nails and some scrap

wood, you can build or repair furniture, reinforce windows and doors, or build a fence for your garden. Hammers are also great for breaking anything that needs to be broken. For example, if you’re out of fuel and the temperature is dropping, a hammer plus and old piece of furniture equals the life-saving firewood you need to survive the night.

Screwdrivers: You’ll want a few different screwdrivers in your toolbox. Have at least

one straight edge screwdriver and one Phillips head. A couple different sizes of each wouldn’t hurt. Whether you’re working on furniture, on a car, or under the sink, chances are high, you’ll need a screwdriver handy. You can also use a screwdriver to wedge a door closed (or open) or to open a bottle if you’ve misplaced your corkscrew or bottle-opener.

Drill and Bit Set: A power drill is indispensable. It gives you the ability to install and

remove screws quickly and easily. Plus you can use it to drill holes in just about anything—an ability that comes in useful for a number of repair and building jobs.

Pliers: A well-built set of pliers is worth its weight in gold, as they say. A pair of

pliers gives you the ability to grip things more tightly than your hands are capable of doing. And, you can bend, twist, or compress things with pliers. I recommend a slip-joint pair of pliers. They give you a good range, and you can use them for everything from straightening a bent nail to tightening a nut to repairing your kitchen faucet to fixing a bicycle.

Adjustable Wrench: Wrenches are used to loosen and tighten things from pipe joints

to nuts and bolts. An adjustable wrench gives you the ability to change your wrench size to fit the job at hand. Also consider adding in a set of socket wrenches. With a good adjustable wrench and socket set, you can do a surprising number of repairs on your car from replacing the battery to repairing coolant leaks to fixing a worn serpentine belt. In the event of a breakdown, reliable transportation may be imperative. Your tool set can offer you peace of mind on that front.

Vice Grips: Whether you’re gluing something together or holding it in place while



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working on it with other tools, a set of vice grips is like having an extra set of hands. Hacksaw and handsaw: If you ever need to cut a metal or plastic pipe, and you don’t

have a hacksaw on hand, chances are you’ll make a mess of the job. Keep a hacksaw and replacement blades in your toolbox so if you ever need to cut a tough material, you’ll be ready. Keep a handsaw in there, as well. Handsaws are good for cutting wood whether you need to trim a tree, gather firewood, or trim materials for a building project.

Utility Knife: A utility knife is often the most-used item in a toolbox. You can use it

to cut drywall, to trim shingles when repairing your roof, to cut flooring, to cut plastic sheeting, to cut shims, to score materials so you know where to cut with your other tools, and much more.

Multi-Tool: A multi-tool like a Leatherman is your grab-and-go tool. If you’re headed

away from your home, it may not be convenient to carry a heavy toolbox with you. A multi-tool has most tools that you might need in a pinch.

Tape Measure and level: Measure twice and cut once, the old adage goes. When

you’re making repairs or building something new, the ability to measure before cutting will save you no end of frustration. An accurate level can also help you make sure what you’re working on turns out how you want to in the end, whether you’re building a bookcase, hanging a picture, or framing a door.

One More Important Step

In addition to stocking up on the items you may need that may not be easy to get, you can do one more thing to offset the discomfort created by supply and distribution disruptions.

You can get to know your local economy. The economy may become unrecognizable

after an EMP event, but you can bet it will begin to reform in almost the same breath that it collapses.

If you know your local resources, you’ll be better positioned to get the things you

need from local producers. What you’re looking for is sources of the types of products you use regularly that are

made in your neck of the woods, produced near enough to you that you can go directly to the source should it be tough to get what you need through your usual channels.

You won’t be able to find everything from a local manufacturer or producer, but

you’ll probably find more than you expected to. Focus on these three areas to put yourself in the best position during a crisis:



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Food Producers: First, find local farms and orchards. Your best bets are ones that are open to the public during the summer or who attend farmer’s markets with regularity. Those folks will already have a direct-to-consumer sales channel in place and are unlikely to mind you dropping by the farm to buy some goods, especially if you’ve made a point to get to know the owners by being a regular farm stand customer.

Don’t stop with farms, though. Check into bakeries and specialty product makers. If

you can, do a tour of their facility and find out about their own supply chain—do the bread makers use locally grown grain, for example? If you have kids or grandkids, this makes a great field trip, as well.

What you’re doing is getting a lay of the land, so that you can continue to shop for

food even if grocery stores are overrun and emptied out. You can just go to the source. Barter Supplies: Another great local shopping strategy for preppers is getting to

know the companies in your area that produce things that will be good for barter. Local distilleries, breweries, and vineyards are a great place to start. Do you have a local vinegar-maker? What about a candy-maker? Or a paper factory?

Again, look them up, and if you can find the time and they offer the option, take a

tour. Special Equipment: What do you have on had that you’ll rely on during a crisis? A

generator? Power tools? A pair of eyeglasses? A handgun? The next thing to do is explore the people in your area who offer specialty products and who also do repairs. Getting to know them means that if something you need breaks down during a crisis, you’ll already have a line on how to get it repaired.



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Chapter 12

After the Pulse: Will You Face a Meltdown

If you live near a nuclear reactor, and EMP event could mean that you face some additional and more dangerous challenges.

Of any structure in our nation, nuclear plants are probably best equipped to deal with

an EMP. The stations are typically hardened to withstand the E1 burst caused by an EMP attack.

It's the E3 burst—the one that causes a massive voltage in the power lines—that’s the

problem. When that voltage overwhelms the power grid, two things happen at a nuclear power plant. First, the output of the plant is reduced to nothing. Second, because the plant will lose electricity, its emergency power generators will cycle on. This is called a station blackout

A nuclear power can safely maintain a station blackout for seven to thirty days,

depending on the plant. But what happens after 30 days if the power grid is still down? If a nuclear plant cannot attain additional fuel to run its generators, a cooling failure

may occur. Spent fuel rods may trigger fires and begin releasing radiation.

Monitor Your Environment

The situation for those of us living near a nuclear power plant isn’t cut and dried. These power plants won’t necessarily melt down. The active fuel rods will be well contained in this kind of emergency.

But the spent fuel rods can still present a real danger if they aren’t continually and

properly cooled.

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It may be that your nearby nuclear power plant never has a problem. That it goes into station blackout and safely stays there.

But on the other hand, your nearby nuclear power plant may start releasing levels of

radiation that are dangerous to you and your family. The first step toward protecting yourself is to get a handheld radiation monitor. Learn

how to use it and how to interpret its readings. Then keep it in your Faraday cage. In the aftermath of an EMP event, check the

radiation levels in your area several times a day. If you notice a slow rise, it’s time to relocate. In the case of extreme spikes, you’ll need to take more drastic measures. If you know

what to do, you and your family have a high chance of surviving the radiation fallout. Shelter: When dealing with nuclear fallout, shelter is critical. Even a marginal shelter

can help reduce your exposure to radiation. Experts say that taking shelter in car would increase your chances of surviving the radiation fallout by up to 50 percent.

The best shelters are underground and lined with metal or concrete. A basement is also

suitable. If you don’t have a basement in your home, designate a safe room that you’ll seal with duct tape and plastic sheeting in the event of rising fallout levels.

No matter what options are available to you, taking shelter quickly inside any stable

building can dramatically increase your odds of long-term survival. Food: Once you get inside shelter, it’s imperative that you stay put for at least two

days. The first 48 hours following the release of nuclear radiation is the time when the danger is at its highest. Avoiding exposure as much as possible during that time period is critical. Keeping your exposure to a minimum for the two weeks after an attack is also wise.

Building a food reserve will help you remain safely indoors, provided you’re at home

when the emergency happens. If you don’t store your food reserve in your safe room, quickly move your food to where it will be easily accessible. Then plan to remain safely holed up.

Water: Even more important than food is access to safe water. Water is easily

contaminated, so you don’t want to drink from your tap after radiation levels start rising, unless it’s tied to a covered well. If you rely on municipal water, plan a water storage system. Resist the urge to store your water in large drums—they’re impossible to move once full. Instead store your water in heavy-duty, 5-gallon plastic containers. You can easily move these from where you store them to your safe room.

Medical Attention: If you begin to show signs of radiation sickness – nausea,



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vomiting, hair loss, or bleeding gums – take the risk and go to the nearest hospital. In a post-EMP scenario, it’s hard to know what treatment they’ll be able to offer, but they may be able to help. And a little help will be better than none.

Knowledge: The most important key to surviving a nuclear fallout is knowing what to

do. Find the best shelter possible as quickly as possible. Make sure your home is equipped for you and family to stay inside comfortably for at least two weeks. Listen to news reports to help you determine when movement is safe. Learn to recognize signs of radiation sickness so you can make smart treatment decisions.

Decades ago, people thought that a nuclear radiation was so deadly that it was almost

futile to prepare for it. Now we understand the nature of nuclear fallout better, and you have a very good chance of surviving as long as you are informed and ready to take quick action.



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Chapter 13

After the Pulse: The Internet is Down

Think for just a moment how reliant we’ve become on the Internet. We do our research there. We shop there. We connect with friends and family there.

We conduct our business there. It’s changed the way we work, the way we think, and the way we live.

So what would happen if the Internet suddenly went away? A complete Internet outage of just a day or two would create financial chaos and

probably lead to massive unemployment. It would likely trigger public panic resulting in bank runs and other destructive behavior.

When Egypt shut down the Internet to try and stop protests against the Mubarak

government, it brought banking to a standstill. Businesses shut down. And it shifted the power from the protesters to the government—the people no longer had an easy way to organize or to address the government’s claims against them.

In an EMP event, the only reason the Internet being down might not feel like a major

catastrophe is because so many other major catastrophes are playing out at the same time. But in the event of a complete grid collapse due to an EMP, it’s likely you won’t have

access to the Internet for weeks … or even months. That means you need to think through how you rely on the Internet now and create

contingency plans for your major activities.

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Build Up a Physical Back Up Library

One of the most common uses of the Internet is for research. Just about anything you want to know how to do, you can find on the Internet. After an EMP event, that will no longer be the case.

If you don’t have the information on hand or know someone who does, you’ll be left

trying to learn to do new things through trial and error. That’s why a library of resources can be a truly valuable addition to your

preparedness efforts. You’ll find a lot of survival guides if you just do a little looking. Many of these books

are good to have on hand, but most of them focus more on what you should do to prepare for a disaster. The books I’m recommending are meant to help you cope with situations that may come up post-disaster.

For first aid, I suggest The American Red Cross First Aid & Safety. I’ll be honest,

this guide could use an update when it comes to its CPR information, but I have yet to find a better first aid guide for clear, straightforward instruction on dealing with a variety of emergencies from handling animal bites to making an impromptu sling to diagnosing a stroke. Plus, it’s affordable. You can pick up a copy on Amazon for under $13.

A good first aid guide is your first line of defense against accidents and sudden, acute

conditions like a stroke or a heart attack, but you should also have a resource on hand to treat common illnesses and ailments like head colds and allergies. The Complete Family Guide to Natural Home Remedies is a good choice, but many options are available on this topic. Do a little research and choose the book that best fits your needs and your personal approach to wellness.

For general skills and making do with what you have on hand, I recommend Country

Wisdom and Know How. Inside you’ll find everything from how to build a rabbit hutch to a wide variety of gardening tips to how to make cheese. The text is small, so be prepared for that, but it’s packed with useful stuff. This book is part of a larger series that includes titles such as Natural Healing Wisdom and Know How and Survival Wisdom and Know How. I haven’t had a chance to review all the titles in this series, but if they are as jam-packed as the first, then they’re worth a closer look.

A good book on food preservation can come in handy whether you’re getting prepared

for a disaster, weathering a disaster, or just want to save money on your groceries and eat a little healthier. The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest has recipes and instructions for freezing, canning, drying, and pickling your fruits and vegetables. It has lots of tips about equipment and recipe substitutions, the recipes aren’t boring, and the instructions are straightforward.



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I’d like to recommend one more book. It’s called The Modern Survival Manual:

Surviving the Economic Collapse. The thing about an economic collapse is that you don’t know what to expect. It’s unlikely you’ll be holed up at home all the time. You may still have to go to work or to the grocery store. A man named Fernando Aguirre, who lived through the economic collapse in Argentina, wrote this book. He gives you an inside, firsthand account of what to expect and what to prepare for when facing an economic disaster, especially if you live in a big city.

And, no list of preparedness resources is complete without Establishing Your Medical

Self-Reliance, my own Mega-Manual Guide to staying healthy and making the most of the available resources in these uncertain and unpredictable times.

These are some of my favorite titles, but this isn’t a comprehensive list. You have

many options. Take some time to think about the situations you might encounter and start buying books that will help you be ready for them. One great place to browse preparedness books is at your local home center.

When it comes thriving in the aftermath of a long-term or short-term disaster, what

you know will make a big difference. You’re preparedness library will be invaluable.



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Chapter 14

After the Pulse: Obamacare Can’t Help You

An EMP event has occurred. The power grid is down. Computers everywhere are fried. And you have a medical emergency. Your mother is complaining of waves of nausea

and pressure in her chest that’s making her jaw ache. You suspect she’s having a heart attack. You can’t call 9-1-1 because the EMP event knocked out that service and it hasn’t

been restored yet. You put your mother in your car—you were lucky, it only had minor issues after the EMP and you had fuel stored, so you still have a way to run it—and you drive her to the hospital.

The hospital is still open. But it’s a far different place from what it was before the

event. Doctors rely on stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs for most of their diagnostics. The few surgeons who have remained on staff are near retirement age, but they’re the ones who remember what it was like to operate before all the bells and whistles.

The doctor can’t check your mother’s medical records to determine her health history.

All records had been made electronic under Obamacare regulations—and they were all wiped out in the event.

After giving your mother a check over, the doctor agrees, it’s a heart attack. He’s able

to get some medications that will help—the hospital pharmacy has been hard-nosed about dispensing medicines. Only patients in clear and imminent danger receive drugs. So they have some supplies left, but they’re running out fast.

You’re relieved the doctor is able to help your mother this time. But you can’t help but

wonder what will happen next time. After all, the pharmacy’s supplies will run out eventually.

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A Healthcare System Left in Shambles

The simple truth is the U.S. healthcare system is not ready to weather an EMP event. The Journal of Disaster Medicine describes the system “particularly vulnerable to the effects of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack because of the system's technological sophistication …” and that “there has been little or no recognition of this threat within the US healthcare community, and neither has there been any significant healthcare planning to deal with such an eventuality.”

That leaves you to prepare for your own healthcare and medical needs.

Request a Copy of Your Medical Records

The first thing you should do is visit your doctor and ask for a physical copy of your medical records. Your doctor may argue—for whatever reason, many doctors don’t like the idea of patients reading their own records. But you have a right to that information.

Your doctor may also charge you a fee for the printing of the information. But it

should be a reasonable fee. And again, you have a right to that information. You might also consider setting up a Personal Healthcare Record. A Personal

Healthcare Record is one that you can access through a secure portal. You can review what has been added by your medical providers and you can also add your own notes.

This kind of set up will allow you to print updates for your hard-copy records

whenever your health history changes. Having a physical copy of your medical records means that if you can find a doctor

after an EMP-related collapse he or she will be better able to help you. A review of your medical records can inform them about whatever health issues you are having and may give them a better answer for you in terms of what available treatments will work.

Maintaining Good Fitness and Health

Your best defense against the medical chaos that is likely to arise after an EMP event is to maintain good health and fitness. By eating as well as possible, being physically active, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, you can take great strides toward avoiding the common health problems that people struggle with in this day and age.

One great way to get into better shape is to focus in on exercises that will actually

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Running and Sprinting: You’ll hardly ever find yourself in a situation where

distance running is imperative. In a situation where you don’t have any other transportation and you have to evacuate, walking will usually do the trick. However, if you do have to hurry, you should be able to run a mile. You don’t need to do this at a breakneck pace. But being able to cover a mile in less than eight minutes is a good goal.

You’re much more likely to encounter a situation that demands sprinting. Think of it

this way… sprinting equals the ability to get out of the way. Falling tree? Sprint. Out-of-control car? Sprint. A bus is bearing down on a child? Sprint. I’ll bet you could come up with countless situations where being able to run very fast in a short burst could save your life or allow you to save the life of another.

Training to Run: Training to run a mile is a simple process, but it can take time

depending on your current levels of fitness. First, mark off a mile distance. (If you have a high school nearby, four laps around the track is a mile.) Begin by running at a moderate pace. Run as much of the mile as you can. When you can’t run any more, walk the rest. In two days, go out to run the mile again and try to run a little farther than you did in your previous effort. Add a little bit of distance each time, and in a few weeks, you’ll be able to complete a mile in a single run.

Training to sprint is easier and more fun. Mark off a 200-meter distance (half of an

athletic track) and run it as fast as you can. Time yourself to set a benchmark. Then whenever you go out to run attempt to beat, or at least match, your best time.

Swimming: If you ever play in the water, whether it’s a pool or a river or a lake,

being able to swim confidently for at least a half a mile is an imperative skill. Swimming skills can give you options in a flooding emergency (your best option is always to stay out of the water!) and can put you in the position to help someone who is drowning.

Training to Swim: Find a local pool that offers lap swim hours. At least once a week,

go to the pool and swim laps for 30 minutes. Work each week to go a little farther in that same amount of time. Feel free to switch strokes as you swim. The Australian crawl, breaststroke, and backstroke are all good for moving through the water.

Chin Ups: Whether you’re hiking with your grandkids or working on your roof,

should you fall over any kind of ledge, being able to do a chin up is what will save you from injury or death.

Training for Chin Ups: The best way to train for chin ups is to do them. You can

find chin-up bars at many parks or gyms. Or you can purchase one that will fit into a doorway in your home. Grip the bar with your palms facing toward you and using your arm strength, lift yourself until your chin comes parallel with the bar. Try not to swing your body for momentum — you want to focus on building arm strength.



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If you can’t do a chin-up at first, try a flexed arm hang. Using a chair, start with your chin even with the bar. Kick the chair away and lower your body, until your elbows make a right angle. Hold that position for as long as you can.

Push Ups and Dead lifts: Being able to lift heavy objects is an immensely practical

skill and one that can come in handy in everyday situations and in emergencies. Whether you’re helping a friend move or need to lift a fallen tree limb off your neighbor, push-ups and dead lifts are the best way to build strength for these kinds of situations.

Training for Lifting: Begin by doing as many push-ups as you can. Do them three

times a week. Then week by week, try to do one to three more during each set. If you can’t do a standard push-up to start out, try resting your knees on the floor rather than balancing on your toes.

For a deadlift, you’ll need a barbell or some kind of weight. Stand with your feet right

at the weight. Bending at the knees, grip the weight with both hands. Keep your spine straight and your head in line. Use the strength of your legs to pull the weight from the floor. Once it is above your knees, you’ll straighten your legs and your chest will come forward so that you’re standing upright with the weight at your thighs. Choose a weight you can lift confidently with proper form. Three times a week, do three sets of ten dead lifts. Slowly add to the weight as you get stronger.

Balance: Above and beyond feats of strength and tests of your endurance, the one

physical skill that will keep you getting injured both during everyday activities and in emergencies, is better balance. Better balance reduces your chance of taking a fall, will help you navigate difficult situations, and is proven to reduce injuries in active people by as much as 40 percent.

Begin increasing your balance by standing on one foot for as long as possible. Do this

regularly until you can maintain steady balance for at least a minute. Another good exercise is to place a narrow plank on the floor — one that is about four inches wide and at least six feet long — and attempt to walk from one end to the other without falling off. A third way to improve balance is with a wobble board. A wobble board has a ball on the bottom with a platform that you stand on. It’s an unstable surface that requires you to constantly shift your balance so that you don’t fall off.

Maintaining good health and fitness is key, but if you rely on a prescription

medication to combat a potentially life-threatening health situation, just practicing good health habits won’t be enough to prepare you to weather the post-EMP world.

You need to make sure you’ve stocked up on the prescriptions that you depend on.

Your Doctor is Your Lifeline



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Because of drug shortages and instabilities in the prescription drug market, your

doctor is more likely than ever to be sympathetic to your desire to have a six-month supply of your medicine on hand in case of emergencies.

So, the best way to begin preparing your emergency prescription reserve is to talk to

your doctor. As long as you aren’t seeking an extended supply of narcotics, addictive pain

medications, or other controlled substances, most doctors will listen and be willing to help. In fact, a 90-supply of almost any medication meant to control a chronic condition or

disease like diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure is becoming standard issue. Asking your doctor to double that is not an outlandish request.

Your best approach is an honest one. Have a conversation with your doctor about your

concerns over shortages and other types of disruptions, and ask him to write you two 90-day prescriptions that you can fill immediately plus one 30-day prescription that you’ll use as your normal course.

Then, when you finish your 30-day prescription, you’ll begin using your stockpile for

your daily medication, but you’ll also get your next 30-day prescription and put it at the back of your rotation. By doing this, you will always have a six-month supply on hand, your medication never loses its potency, and you’re insulated against any and all disruptions including when you forget to call in for your next prescription.

The one issue you will run into with this strategy is that your insurance plan, if it

covers prescriptions, will most likely only cover one 90-day supply. The rest you’ll have to pay out of pocket until 90 days has passed. Then, your insurance will kick in to cover each new 30-day supply that you fill.

It may be a costly purchase, but it’s a one-time investment that offers so much peace

of mind. And, there are ways to cut your costs. With a legal prescription, you can purchase your reserve supply online from a Canadian pharmacy and considerably reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

Enlist the Services of a Travel Clinic

In the event that your doctor refuses to help you, don’t get discouraged. You can still legitimately seek out an extra prescription to begin helping you build your stockpile.

One of the most common reasons that people seek extended prescriptions from is

because they plan to take an extended trip overseas. So, a second approach is to plan a trip. Then you can visit a travel clinic to discuss the details of your trip and request a long-term prescription to cover your needs during your travels.



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This strategy will allow you to create a stockpile of your prescriptions while under the

care of a prescribing doctor. Now understand that in no way am I advising you to obtain meds under false

pretenses. I suggest you actually plan what you’ll do and where you’ll go in the event you have to evacuate your home for three to six months. For example, in the event of a widespread breakdown of the American economy, you might want to spend some time in Canada or in Belize. A travel clinic doctor may be able to help you prepare for this trip, including providing you a prescription to get a supply of your medications before you leave. Then, take that prescription to a separate pharmacy from the one your normally use, fill it, and set it aside to use when you need it for your trip.

In the meantime, continue to get your normal prescription from your regular doctor. Now, this plan is a little sketchier than working with your doctor. Technically, you’re

not supposed to fill two of the same prescription through two different pharmacies. But, as long as you have real prescriptions from prescribing doctors and you’re not seeking narcotics, the chances of facing any legal consequences for taking such an action are very slim… especially since one of the prescriptions is for a future trip you plan to take.

Ultimately, you have to decide how important it is to have a supply of your

medications on hand and what actions you’re willing to take to make that happen. The consequences of running out of your medication and not being able to get more can be dire, so talk to your doctor and make a plan. Otherwise, you’ll face a much more difficult choice later on.

Disease is one problem you’ll have to deal with in the post-EMP world. But accidents

and injuries can be equally problematic, if not more life threatening. Learn basic first aid. The best way is to take a class offered by a local Red Cross

chapter or by a local community college. Then make sure you have the supplies on hand that you need to treat injuries and

wounds. This list will get you off to a good start:

3x5 cards: for recording symptoms, vital statistics such as temperature, date and time of

medicines administered, etc.

Adhesive bandages: Lots of them and in all sizes

Adhesive tape: To secure bandages and large pieces of gauze.

Analgesics (painkillers): Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin are painkillers and fever reducers. Overuse is associated with gastro-intestinal issues and stroke; regular use is cheap and very efficient. Watch out



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for over reliance on acetaminophen (Tylenol) as it can lead to irreversible liver damage, but it can be taken as per the instructions on the packaging if anti-inflammatories are not tolerated well by the patient.

Anesthetic gel: Anbesol or Orajel can be used to deaden toothache

Antacids

Antibiotics: Keep them current. Check expiry dates on all medications. A good one to keep is doxycycline which is used to treat bacterial infections including pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections; Lyme disease; acne; infections of skin, genital, and urinary systems; and anthrax (after inhalation exposure). It is also used to prevent malaria. Doxycycline is in a class of medications called tetracycline antibiotics. It works by preventing the growth and spread of bacteria. (Antibiotics will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.) See note below.

Anti-diarrhea

Anti-fungal Treatments: Get creams and powders for external use as well as anti-candida applications for women prone to thrush.

Antihistamines: These are useful if you are stung or bitten, as well as for environmental allergies. Zyrtec and Claritin are available over the counter.

Asthma medication: as prescribed

Blood pressure monitor: These are battery powered and easily available at a drug store

Cold/Hot packs: for sprains, strains, and muscle aches

Crutches/sticks

Dental filling kit: Dental wax will cover a nerve if a tooth or filling is lost or broken. Complete emergency dental kits are available in drugstores like CVS or online from $10 - $35. (dentalkitfortravelers.com)

Disinfectant: To clean items such as scissors, tweezers, etc. and to keep down germs on counter tops, toilets, etc. Bleach is a good disinfectant (1 teaspoon to one gallon will kill most bacteria) but as it can discolor surfaces it is worth looking at Pine-Sol and similar easily purchased disinfectants. Dawn soap is also noted as an effective germ killer.

Duct tape: From removing warts to strapping broken limbs, the use of duct tape in emergency first aid cannot be underestimated. I know a family farmer who used duct tape to save the life of an injured lamb!

Elastic bandages: All sizes

Epinephrine: – The EpiPen® (or comparable) should be with anyone who is subject to anaphylactic shock. As they have been known to malfunction a vial and syringe alternative should be available and kept very, very close by.

Eye drops and eye bath

Gloves: Use them every time you touch another person.

Hemorrhoid treatment



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Hand and body moisturizer: Dried, cracked skin invites infection.

Herpes cream: Aciclovir

Hot water bottle

Hydrogen peroxide: A 3% solution is good for cleaning/irrigating wounds.

Iodine: Drops and tablets

Laxatives

Lice medication and lice comb

Oil of cloves: for tooth and gum ache

Pen and pencil: You need to record all administrations of medicine or care including a regular record of vital signs for each person you treat.

Razor blades

Rubbing alcohol

Safety pins

Sanitary napkins/Tampons: Aside from their regular use these are useful for plugging extreme wounds.

Scissors

Skin medication: witch-hazel, calamine lotion, anti-fungal creams

Smelling salts: Ammonia

Soap: Still the number one anti-bacterial weapon in your arsenal.

Splints: a foam-covered flexible aluminum splint is best. Get one at beprepared.com for $10.

Syringe: Get a wide bore syringe. No needle required. Use for irrigating wounds and flushing out eyes and ears.

Syrup of Ipecac: to induce vomiting

Thermometer

Tubing: Similar to the type used in hospitals for nasogastric use.

Vaseline: Use as a salve and a lubricant.

Vitamins: More on these later.

Watch or timer: For checking a pulse and keeping track of doses



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Chapter 15

After the Pulse: No More Welfare Checks

So far, this manual has focused on the things you can do to prepare for the physical disruptions caused by a major EMP event.

But there’s another element you absolutely must consider. People. Not only will there be no food on the grocery store shelves, but if a shipment does

come in, desperate people will be ready to fight over it. Not only will the healthcare system be failing, but angry, scared people will be

demanding that doctors do the impossible … and they’ll threaten violence if they don’t get their way.

The cities will be the worst. Throughout the United States, 35.4% of our population (at the time of the 2012

census) were collecting means-tested government benefits. In other words, more than 1 in 3 Americans depends, at least in part, on welfare to get. The greatest concentration of welfare recipients are in big cities.

To put that number in perspective, it adds up to more than 109 million people. The

number of full time workers in the U.S., including full-time government employees, is 103 million.

In the moments after a successful EMP attack, the ability of the government programs

that supply this massive number of people with housing subsidies, food subsidies, Medicaid, and income assistance to continue to function will come to an instantaneous halt.

All the information that determines who gets how much from what government

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program when will vanish as computer databases are fried. All the mechanisms used to transfer money from government bank accounts into the hands of the recipients will fail.

One hundred nine million people that depend at least in part on the government to

support them will find themselves suddenly on their own. The massive confusion and backlash that is likely to follow will make every riot

we’ve seen in our history look like a frat party. The inner cities will be thrown into a state of deadly chaos. It won’t take long for it to

bleed over into the suburbs. And there are plenty of rural folks relying on government checks, as well.

No matter where you are, the danger of someone desperate trying to take what you

have by force will be an uncomfortably real possibility. Being prepared ahead of time is your best chance of protecting you and your family.

And if you do it right, you will hopefully come through the entire thing without every having to hurt anyone.

Make Your Home an Unattractive Target

Your first step in preventing a home invasion is to make sure your house is not a target. You want to send a clear signal to would-be invaders that your home is more trouble

than it’s worth. You can do several things to get this message across:

Install a good deadbolt on all your exterior doors.

Invest in steel-clad or solid-wood doors for your points of entry. These are much harder to kick in than paneled doors.

Close your blinds and curtains when you’re not at home. This makes it harder for thieves to determine if there are items worth breaking in for.

Make windows harder to get to by planting thorny shrubs beneath those on the first story.

Install motion lights or floodlights. In an interview a career criminal said that these kinds of lights would convince most thieves to move on.



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Install an alarm system, preferably one that works wirelessly. Experienced criminals know how to work around an alarm system, but it takes time. They may opt for an easier target if they find your home has an alarm installed.

Bring the Community Together

Once you’ve taken steps to make sure your home is not an easy target, the next thing to do is work within your community to make sure your neighborhood is also not an inviting place for criminals.

One way to do that is to set up a Neighborhood Watch Group. These groups are

effective at deterring criminals and reducing property crimes. Essentially, a watch group is an agreement between you and your neighbors to be alert to suspicious activity and to report it right away.

If you do set up a Neighborhood Watch, make it a point to get to know the other

participants. It’s useful if everyone involved has an idea of each other’s schedules. That makes it easier to know when anything is out of the ordinary and worth reporting.

Worst-Case Scenario – What if You’re Home?

It’s fortunate that most burglars do not want to break in when someone is home. But still, more than one in four burglaries do occur under those circumstances. That means being prepared to deal with a home invasion that happens while you are home is just a smart move.

Make sure you keep your doors locked, even when you’re home. The noise of

someone breaking through a locked door or window can alert you to danger, so that you can react quickly.

One trick is to scare the burglar off with a loud noise. If you have a car with a remote

key fob, chances are there’s a panic button on it. Keep your cars keys with you. Keep them near the bed at night. If you hear someone entering the house, hit the panic button. Your car alarm will go off. That may scare the home invader off. If not, it may attract the attention of neighbors and bring help sooner, rather than later.

In a Post EMP World, Firearms Will Be a Necessity

You may have mixed feelings about firearm ownership. But a gun is really just a tool. If you are trained in how to use it, it can provide you with the best protection in a home invasion.



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If you decide to purchase a gun, make the decision now to be a responsible gun owner. Choose a gun that you can handle easily. Take pains to learn how to use it properly. And then practice with it regularly.

Finally, to protect yourself in a home invasion, have a plan in place. Choose a place in

your home to go that gives you an advantage if the criminal starts to approach you. Somewhere with good cover and concealment, but that also gives you a good, clear shot of anyone approaching … and make sure the shot will be clear for some distance. Discuss your plan with anyone else living in your household. If someone breaks in, they should know where to go so they won’t be in the line of fire.

Choosing the Right Gun for Home Defense

When your home is being invaded, and you and your loved ones are in danger, three things matter: You need to know how to handle your gun of choice, you need to be reasonably certain you can hit a close-range target even under stress, and you need to be sure the gun will fire every time you pull the trigger.

For most gun experts, the choice for home defense comes down to a shotgun or a

handgun. When selecting a handgun, you have the choice between a revolver and a semi-automatic pistol. Let’s see how each of your best options measures up based on the three main criteria.

Shotguns: Do a quick Internet search, and you’ll find plenty of plenty of people who

recommend a shotgun as the home defense weapon of choice. The reasons behind this recommendation are that a shotgun has a larger shot pattern, it’s reliable, and it’s fairly easy to shoot. In a high-stress situation, a larger shot pattern may mean the difference between hitting your target and missing it. Reliability and ease of use are also very important. In a home defense situation, you don’t want to fuss with your gun.

However, I can’t underscore enough that ease-of-use comes from practice. It doesn’t

matter how straightforward a shotgun is to use, if you’ve never done it, you’ll lose precious seconds figuring things out.

Many firearms experts disagree with the popular recommendation to choose a

shotgun. The reasons behind the dissenting opinions are that shotguns are heavy, they inhibit your maneuverability, they take time to cycle between shots, and if you don’t know how to shoot a shotgun, the recoil can injure you making you easier prey for your assailants.

A shotgun is about two feet long. In a high-stress situation, you may find that its size

inhibits your ability to move through your home to get into the best tactical position to defend yourself and your family. If you miss with your first shot, your assailant will have a small window as you cycle rounds to close with you. If he gets inside your barrel radius, you’ve lost



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the upper hand. Because of a shotgun’s length, it’s much easier for a criminal to get inside that barrel radius than if you were wielding a handgun.

Revolvers: A revolver is a handgun that uses a carousel to cycle bullets. It’s lighter

and more maneuverable than a shotgun. Revolvers are also incredibly reliable. They don’t have jamming problems. If you’ve put a bullet in the chamber, you can aim and shoot and it will go bang.

On the downside, you do have to aim more carefully than you would with a shotgun. While revolvers do have advantages, you’ll find few firearms instructors or self-

defense experts who recommend them as a first line of defense. Revolvers have a heavy trigger pull, which can throw off your aim in a high-stress scenario. They also take time to reload. If you exhaust the bullets in your revolver and need to keep shooting, you may find yourself in a very bad position.

Semi-Automatic Handguns: A polymer-encased semi-automatic pistol is the choice

of most law enforcement officers and firearms instructors. These pistols have a lighter trigger pull than a revolver, are easier to keep under your control, and you can fire them more times and faster. You don’t have to cycle them or fuss with changing carousals. Changing a semi-automatic magazine takes less than two seconds if you’ve practiced. Reloading a revolver takes much longer.

According to Jason Hanson, a former CIA agent, in most home invasion scenarios, he

would choose a handgun… specifically a Glock 19. That’s a 9mm handgun that has very little to learn in terms of mechanics beyond pulling the trigger, operating the slide, and changing the magazine. It’s about as point and shoot as a handgun gets.

Important Considerations Before You Purchase a Firearm

Owning a firearm is a responsible choice. It gives you the power to protect yourself and your loved ones should you become the victim of a home invasion. I know plenty of people disagree with me on this point. Usually, these people make the argument that a handgun can become a liability.

And you know what? They’re right. That brings me to my next point. If you purchase a firearm — whether it’s a revolver,

shotgun, of semi-automatic pistol — you must commit to training with it. Operating it should be second nature. Aiming it should feel natural. Taking it to the shooting range and putting rounds through it is imperative. Practicing how to move through your home with it is critical. Signing up for professional instruction is a smart move. If you aren’t able to handle your firearm like expert under ideal circumstances, how you expect to use it effectively when you’re afraid for your life?



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Choosing a firearm is a personal decision, and only you can decide what’s best for

you. But, my personal recommendation to you is to purchase a firearm for home defense and then train with it regularly. The only way to be ready anything is to have the tools you need and to know how to use them.



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Chapter 16

After the Pulse: No Light, No Heat

“The grid is not enormously robust to begin with, and all that’s absent is some dedicated adversary with the desire and competence to take it down.” –Dr. William Graham

Our power grid is almost criminally insecure. Despite clear evidence of the destructive nature of an EMP event, the North American

Electric Reliability Corporation has downplayed the potential threat. Utilities simply don’t want to spend the money that hardening the grid would require.

And despite its importance to national security, there is no agency or department

assigned the task of protecting the grid. At this time, no one has the jurisdiction to take the necessary steps to keep our grid safe from attack. And no one is showing much interest in spending money to protect against something that might happen … even though officials tell us an EMP attack is all but inevitable.

Our Power Grid Is Fragile as it Is

Every year, bad weather brings down parts of the power grid. On average, it is taking utilities more time to restore power during such events. And power failures due to extreme weather have been on the rise in recent years.

Rising energy consumption is a real problem. Any time there is a spike in demand –

when people, en masse, switch on their heat in cold weather or crank up the AC in hot weather, for example – rolling blackouts become a danger.

Energy consumption in the U.S. will rise around 50% over the next 30 years. That will

strain the power grid to the breaking point if we don’t expand our capacity.

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Unfortunately, government policies – another factor in grid stability – contribute to the

danger. The Obama administration’s heavy-handed treatment of the coal industry is hobbling one of our most reliable sources of energy.

And our power grid is simply getting older. Utilities simply don’t have the money to

bring our power grid into the modern age. The power grid is also massively interconnected. Think about this. The U.S. power

grid is made up of just three systems. Components damaged in a single system can leave an entire region without power. An event as seemingly insignificant as a tree falling over can leave millions without power for days. That actually happened in 2003 when a minor incident shut down power to over 50 million people.

If an EMP brings down one section of our grid, the other two sections can’t help but

feel the effects. And they will be massive. The collapse of a single section would like cause big breakdowns in—if not a complete shutdown of—the other two sections.

Throughout this manual, you’ve seen how a complete power grid collapse would

devastate many of the critical infrastructure systems we rely on to go about our everyday lives. And I’ve given you strategies to help you prepare for each of those.

You also need to prepare for how you’ll deal with a power outage at home. You can be left shivering in the dark or you can have access to light and heat, and

even power up your laptop, your cell phone, or the freezer in your garage, if you just take a few steps to prepare ahead of time.

Three Ways to Quietly Keep the Lights On

One of the most under-rated uses of power is light. Ready access to a safe, reliable source of light is life-changing. You can work after the sun goes down. You can respond to emergencies effectively even if it’s the middle of the night. Without artificial light, many of our productive hours would disappear from the day.

When the power grid does fail, you can keep the lights on. I’ve got three options that

will last indefinitely and that are perfectly quiet to use, so you won’t attract any unwanted attention… as long as you keep your blinds closed and curtains drawn.

Solar Power: My favorite way to keep the lights on—and do much more—is with a

solar-powered generator. A solar generator works by harnessing the power of the sun and using it to charge a battery back. With an inverter, you can use the stored power to run a variety of things like lights, a freezer, or power tools. (More on this in a moment.)



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LuminAID: The LuminAID light was invented after the earthquake that devastated

Haiti. The demand for help and care was constant—it didn’t stop when the sun set, but without light, it was hard for responders to help those in need during the night hours. The LuminAId is a translucent inflatable “pillow” with LEDs inside. Leave the solar panel in the sun all day, and the LuminAID provides light to work by, read by, or do anything else by all night long. It’s lightweight, easily portable, and can work anywhere. You can order a case-full and light up your whole house without ever needing a battery or an outlight.

Crank Light: For rainy days, a crank flashlight can be a lifesaver. All it takes is a

little elbow grease to turn your light on. For many models, 15 minutes of cranking will provide a couple hours of light. These lights won’t light a whole room the way a lamp running off a solar-charged battery will, but in a pinch, when you need light, as long as the bulb works, a crank light will provide.

Staying Warm Even When There’s No Power

Aside from lights, the next way that a power outage affects us in our home is by cutting us off from our source of heat.

In a long-term disaster like the aftermath of an EMP event, winter nights will get long

and cold. You need to be prepared to keep yourself and your family warm.

The Clothes on Your Back – Your First Line of Defense

Before we even discuss how to heat your home when there’s no power, I want to address the type of clothing you should have available to keep you warm. If ever you can’t get access to a heat source, the clothes you wear could save you.

When it comes to staying warm, natural fibers are usually best. Wool clothing is an

excellent choice because it will keep you warm even if it gets wet. Down-filled coats are also a good option for keeping you insulated and toasty.

While natural fibers are often best, there are some really good synthetics available that

you shouldn’t overlook. Fleece jackets and tights paired with wool pants and a good coat will keep the cold out in all but the coldest temperatures.

At the very least, you should have a good base layer—fleece tights and a heavyweight

undershirt—plus a durable pair of wool pants and a fleece jacket or lined flannel shirt. Top it off with a down coat. In addition to these items, invest in a warm hat (fleece or wool), a pair of wool gloves with a pair of wind-proof mittens you can pull over the top of them, and several pairs of wool socks. I personally like Smartwools or Kirkland brand wool socks.



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They’re warm, but they don’t get itchy. Finally, get a good pair of water-resistant hiking or work boots. In this ensemble, you

can stay plenty warm even if you have no way to heat your house.

Safely Heat a Single Room

Consider investing in a portable indoor propane heater. With a 1-pound canister of propane, these heaters can safely heat a single room in your home for hours. There are safety concerns, but if you follow the instructions and keep a window cracked while using such a heater, they are very safe. Today’s models come with built in oxygen monitors and will switch off automatically should the oxygen levels in your space start to drop.

For a little less than $100, you can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing

you can stay comfortable and warm during a power outage. But what if you run out of propane? Or what if you just don’t feel safe using a propane

heater inside? If that’s the case, I have a backup system that can work well for you and that is very safe. You can use this no matter where you live, as long as you have at least a balcony with room for a barbeque.

What you need is a fireproof blanket—you can purchase one of these through any

outdoor store—several large rocks—but not so large that you can’t life them—a shovel, and fuel for your barbeque. Place the fireproof blanket on the floor of the room you’re planning to heat. Using your barbeque or grill, heat the rocks for 45 minutes over low heat or coals. Then use the shovel to transfer the rocks to the fireproof blanket. The rocks will radiate heat for hours without emitting any fumes and without creating a fire hazard. They do present a burn hazard, though, so walk carefully around them.

Helpful Items to Have on Hand

With proper clothing and a plan for heating your home, you and your family will be able to safely weather a power outage in the comfort of your home without have to venture out onto icy roads or pay expensive hotel room fees.

To make yourselves even more comfortable, keep these items on hand:

Chemical warming packs. Tuck these into pockets to give everyone a little extra warmth for their hands.

A carbon-monoxide alarm to ensure your safety when using an indoor propane heater.



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Wool blankets. Even when you’re dressed warm, you can start to feel the chill if you’re not moving around much. Wool blankets to snuggle under can make a big difference.

Warm sleeping bags—look for ones that backpackers would use. These will have the best performance against the cold.

Insulation sleeves for your water pipes. When the heat goes out, your pipes are more susceptible to freezing, which could cut you off from your home’s water supply and result in an expensive repair job once the cold weather passes.

With the serious and real nature of an EMP threat, being prepared to stay home and

stay warm is no joke. It doesn’t take a big investment of time or money to get ready, so don’t wait. Make sure you and your loved ones are ready for anything.

Do You Have Back-Up Power? Is It Quiet?

Having a back-up generator is an excellent idea. It will give you a way to run a freezer, to run basic small appliances, to charge up power tools, and more. It would be a very handy thing in the crisis that we’re talking about. But it could also be a liability.

All your prepping goes down the drain when you flip on your generator, and it also

gives off a roar that can be heard a mile away. A few days into the blackout, it begins. A neighbor knocks on your door. She wonders if, since you have power and all, you could spare some ice. Of course, you say yes.

She's back again the next morning, and not far behind her is another neighbor asking if

he can keep a few important things in your fridge. It doesn't take long for word to get out and the whole neighbor seems to want – strike,

that – expect you to help them out with keeping their food cold, refrigerating their medicines, and providing them with a cool place to hide from the heat (or a warm place to escape the cold).

By the third or fourth day, desperate urban refugees reach your neighborhood, hear the

tell-tale rumble of your generator, and it's Katie-bar-the-door. Literally. Look, if you've taken great pains to put away food, water, and fuel to get your family

through a crisis, the last thing you want is a noisy generator announcing you have your act together to anyone within earshot!

Get a Low-Profile Power Source Now



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If you're ever in crisis scenario where tensions are running high, keeping a low profile can be essential to your well being and survival.

That's why we recommend that you look into silent power sources that can provide

you power for some basic essentials. We're not suggesting you necessarily forego a traditional generator. A generator is

going to be able to give your more juice than the options we recommend here. But, there may be situations when doing with a little less power and a lot less noise is preferable.

We want to share three options you can consider for quiet power in a crisis.

Solar Powered Generators

Solar powered generators aren't technically "generators" at all. They are collectors consisting of solar panels, a power inverter, and a battery pack. The solar cells charge up the battery, which you can then use with the inverter to run some basic appliances like a freezer or refrigerator, a hot plate, or a few lights.

A solar-powered system offers you two big advantages. First, you can recharge the

system even when the power is down or you're out of fuel. And second, since they are completely silent, you can run a few essentials without alerting anyone in the area to the fact that you have juice.

The main drawback of a solar powered generator is the cost. You'll spend somewhere

between $1000 and $1800 or more on a prebuilt version. A second consideration is that they won't handle heavy loads. You may be able to run your fridge for a few hours, but then you'll drain the battery and need to give it a rest while you recharge.

Battery Back-Up Systems

Another good, quiet option is a battery back-up system. You can find a variety of batteries designed specifically to run certain appliances during a power outage.

These are far more affordable than a solar powered system, but you can't recharge

them until the power comes back on. As a short-term, affordable solution, they work well and are worth considering.

Quieter Gas Generators

Generator manufacturers are aware that the signature roar of a generator is a turn-off



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for many buyers, and so they've come up with models that are much quieter than a standard generator.

Many quiet generator models run at under 60 decibels, which means they are about as

loud as an average conversation. Your next-door neighbors may be aware you have a generator running, but these quiet models are less likely to draw attention from farther down the street.

The big advantage of a quiet gas generator is that it will keep working indefinitely as

long as you have fuel to put into it. You don't have to stop using it for periods while you wait for it to recharge.

A quiet generator will be more expensive than a comparable standard model, but it

will be less expensive than a solar generator. Even though it's quiet, these kinds of generators aren't totally silent. You might

consider building an insulated housing for your generator to quiet it even further. People do strange things during a time of crisis. If your neighbors hear that you have

power while they don't, you could put yourself in an uncomfortable position. By making sure you have a quiet power option available should you need it, you go one step further toward being prepared for anything.



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Chapter 17

After the Pulse: No One Is Coming to Help You

Recently a colleague of mine decided to introduce her teenage daughter to the original Terminator, a classic.

In the movie, there’s a scene where the main character ducks into a bar. She’s being

followed. Two people by the same name have been murdered. She’s understandably scared. She finds a pay phone and calls the operator for the number of the local police station. My friend tried to describe the look on her daughter’s face. “It was somewhere

between utter disbelief and pity for the poor woman’s level of complete stupidity. Until I explained to her: It was 1984 — the whole 911 thing hadn’t really caught on yet.”

It wasn’t all that long ago. In the 80s, 911 existed, but it wasn’t available in a lot of

cities and it certainly wasn’t the first thought most people had during and emergency. But these days, that’s the first action that anyone first on the scene of an emergency

takes. They call 911 and then they render aid if they know how … comfort if they don’t. In a post-EMP event world, 911 will become a thing of the past. And emergency

services will be unreliable at best, completely nonexistent at worst. It will be up to you and your community to fight fires, to deal with crimes, to help

with medical emergencies, and to protect each other because you will never be sure that help is on the way.

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Fortunately, just because the system that makes it easy to dispatch police, fire, and medical quickly and efficiently to the scene of an emergency won’t work anymore, doesn’t mean that the people with the skills to help will just disappear.

And that is something you can work with.

Get to Know the People in Your Community with Specialized Skills

The value of knowing who in your community can do what goes beyond knowing who

to contact when there’s a fire to be put out or a when there’s a crime that needs to be dealt with. It can help you and your community to locate vital resources, to deal with medical

emergencies, to make the best use of resources, and more. Pay attention to all the different things that your neighbors know how to do, but take

special note of those skills that will prove useful in helping to rebuild a community during a long-term recovery like you will face in the wake of a major EMP event.

Medical/First Aid

People with medical first responder experience are extremely useful in the type of post-EMP scenario that we’re talking about in this manual.

If you can’t find someone with formal medial training, look for someone within your

community who has taken in-depth First Aid classes. Or consider taking these classes yourself.

Your local Red Cross offers a variety of First Aid classes. Your local hospital may

also offer classes or be able to point you in the direction of where to get additional training. Here’s a breakdown of what you should expect from different First Aid classes. Basic First Aid: This is sometimes called Workplace First Aid. In this class you’ll

learn how to deal with the most common injuries and health crises. The focus of this class is usually stabilization until emergency personnel arrive. Nonetheless, it’s valuable information and offers a good starting point. It’s worthwhile to have multiple (if not all) adult Tribe members gain this level of training. You’ll learn:

How to treat minor to moderate burns.

How to stem bleeding.



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How to treat cuts and protect them from infection.

What to do if someone stops breathing.

How to react when someone is choking.

How to care for shock.

How to assess for a stroke.

Advanced First Aid: These classes are often geared to public safety professionals. They build upon the skills learned in a basic First Aid program, and include:

How to deal with blood-borne pathogens.

How to open an airway.

How to give mouth-to-mouth in the event of a neck, head, or spinal injury.

How to treat a drowning victim.

How to safely move an injured person.

And a deeper understanding of responding to respiratory and cardiac emergencies..

Wilderness First Aid: This type of First Aid class is geared toward people who may have to deal with an injury or illness while away from immediate help. As you can imagine, this class would be very useful in the aftermath of a disaster:

Dealing with multiple injured people.

How to perform a primary and secondary assessment.

Treating wounds to minimize infection risk.

Handling bone or joint injuries.

Dealing with allergic reactions.

Treating blisters and burns.

Treating exposure-related conditions like heat stroke or hypothermia.

Working with chest wounds.

Treating sprains and strains.

When and how to apply a tourniquet.

Dealing with tooth or ear injuries.. As you can see, even if you don’t have someone with existing medical training or who

is a medical professional within your community, the resources exist for you to gain enough specialized knowledge to deal with most situations that might arise.



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Mechanic

In a prolonged disaster, a reliable source of transportation can put you in the position to search for supplies, to move between locations quickly and safely, to travel for help, or to get out of the way of impending danger in a hurry.

But if your truck breaks down due to the EMP event or for any other reason, you’ll

find yourself limited to a very narrow range of operation. A truck or car might not be the only thing you worry about breaking down. A few

other items that could leave you in a pinch if they stop working:

A water pump for your well.

A gas-powered generator.

Your radio communication system.

Even bikes can use a mechanic’s handiwork from time to time. It makes good sense then why you should want to know a good mechanic who lives

nearby. Someone who is comfortable taking things apart and putting them back together so they work is immensely valuable to have around when parts and labor for that sort of thing aren’t readily available … especially when you might be relying on those things to work in order to keep your family secure and well-provisioned.

Local Botany

In any situation where it looks like you’re faced with a breakdown that will last more than two weeks and where the affected area is widespread enough that it’s uncertain when supply chains will be restored — no matter how long your food stores are meant to last — you should immediately begin planning to supplement or even replace your foods stores.

This is the only path to true self-reliance. One of the keys to re-establishing a steady supply of food is knowing what is and isn’t

okay to eat in your area. Plenty of wild plants in any locale are edible. But plenty aren’t. The trick is to know

the difference. Which is why you will benefit from getting to know someone with an expansive knowledge of local botany to join you.

It’s obviously extra helpful if your resident botanist has a focus on edible and



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medicinal plants. If no one in your neighborhood is a skilled botanist this is another skillset that would

be worthwhile for you or someone in your household to learn. If you have a college or University close by, find out if they have someone on staff

who is skilled in botany. It might be that she is willing to give private lessons on the topic. In some towns, local botanists offer regular classes. Sometimes they’ll even give

guided hikes where they can show their participants firsthand what useful plants grow in the area and how to use them.

If you aren’t able to find a mentor to train with, the next best thing is to learn from

books on local botany. If you take this route be extra careful to positively identify any plants before you determine whether or not that it is safe to eat them.

Weapons

If you ever take a gun safety class you might hear the instructor say, “The second loudest sound in the world is a ‘BANG’ when you were expecting a ‘click.” The first loudest is a ‘click’ when you were expecting a ‘BANG’.”

Having someone proficient with firearms can help you make sure that neither situation

ever arises. A gun expert can teach willing people in your community the ins and outs of gun

safety. He can also help organize shooting drills to assist everyone who is interesting in learning how to handle a firearm safely and to shoot with confidence. And he can also show you how to deal with unexpected situations, like what to do if your handgun misfires.

Ideally this specialist would also have some gunsmith skills and could see to any

repairs that might come up. In an emergency situation, having a working firearm can make you better able to

protect your loved ones from danger. Knowing a gunsmith will help ensure that you always have access to working tools.

Hunting/Fishing

Like a botanist, having a skilled hunter or fisherman (or several of both) in your community gives you all additional options for extending food supplies.



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While most people are relying on dwindling supplies of whatever foods they stored

before a disaster or attempting to scavenge anything they can find left behind in grocery stores or abandoned houses, your community will be able to take control of their situation and make sure that everyone in the group has plenty to eat.

Survival

Another specialist to consider noting among your community is someone with solid outdoor survival skills. It a rough situation, this person can build a fire with almost nothing … they know how to keep warm even during a cold night … they know how to build a shelter from what’s on hand.

A survival expert also knows how to find food and water, even when the sources don’t

seem obvious. And while they might not be an expert hunter or fisherman, they do have some creative tricks for making sure they get a meal before the end of the day.

In other words, a survival specialist has the skills to stay alive in the direst of

situations.

Sewing/Food Preservation/Homesteading

Another good expert—or group of experts—to know is people with homesteading knowledge and experience.

These experts know how to get a garden going, even in a very tight space. They can

give instructions on building a rabbit hutch, and then raising rabbits as a source of food. They know how to sew and mend clothes with nothing but a needle and thread — believe me that will be an in-demand skill during any long-term breakdown.

And most importantly of all, they know how to preserve food either by canning it or

drying it or smoking it. So if you begin to grow, gather, and hunt for food to supplement your food reserves, you can turn to your local homesteading experts for advice.



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Chapter 18

After the Pulse: National Vulnerabilities

All it takes is a single missile. Launch it high enough and get it over our airspace before it detonates … and the U.S. will be in a fight for its continued existence as a nation.

With our economy collapsing, our banking system in ruins, and our society in chaos,

the support we lend the rest of the world would vanish, putting many, many other nations at risk of similar existential battle.

The fact that it only takes one rocket nearly triggered a nuclear war between Russia

and the United States in 1995. The date was January 25th. Norway launched a rocket into the atmosphere to study the aurora borealis.

Russia thought the rocket was ours. They suspected we were trying to hit them in a

moment of weakness to finish them off for good. The Cold War was over and the Soviet Union had collapsed. If situations were reversed, they would not let us rise to become something new.

They suspected we were trying to hit them with an EMP. Such an attack could

potentially paralyze their ability to respond, giving us an opening for a surprise attack. They were so convinced that they put their missiles on high alert and Yeltsin had the

launch codes brought to him. Fortunately, he waited to retaliate long enough to clarify that the missile that started all the panic was scientific in nature and not ours.

Still this underscores an additional threat you should think about. In the event of an

EMP attack, that may be just the first strike. These days it is most likely that such an attack would come from a terrorist cell or

from a smaller nation and would be a singular event. But it may also be a softening blow.

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Subsequent attacks could follow.

Be Ready to Evacuate

Unless you live in the heart of a big city, in all likelihood you will be able to stay in your home after a major EMP event. If you’ve taken steps to prepare and to defend your home, you should be able to stay comfortably put.

This is desirable for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that you’ll be close

to neighbors who you hopefully know and there are strength in numbers. But if additional attacks occur … and if they occur near where you live, you may be

ready to evacuate. Be able to leave your home quickly while still taking everything you need is

something that requires some forethought. Your Highest Priority is the safety of you and your family. The first step in

developing an evacuation plan is to establish a meeting place. Hopefully, you’re all together at home as you prepare to leave, but if you’re ever separated, you should all know where to reconvene to get set to evacuate. In addition to a meeting place, you should establish where you’ll evacuate to. Choose at least two bug-out destinations in case one is inaccessible. And map out multiple routes to each.

Create a Basic Supply Kit that you can grab and go in an emergency. Include things

like first aid supplies, water or water purification tablets, three days’ worth of food, matches, a whistle, a flashlight, and basic sanitation items like toilet paper and moist toilettes. Keep a couple hundred dollars in cash as well as some precious metal coins in this kit, too. These can come in very handy during an evacuation.

Take Important Medications with you. If anyone in your family takes prescription

medications, make sure you bring an adequate supply with you when you evacuate. Dress for the Occasion. When you’re evacuating, allow time for everyone to change

into sensible clothing and shoes. Good sturdy walking shoes and clothing that will protect you from the elements can be a lifesaver if something happens during your evacuation, leaving you stranded in the elements.

Bring a Radio that works on batteries or a hand-crank. The voice on the other end

may let you know which routes are safe to leave by and when it’s all right to return to your home.



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Protect Your Sentimental Items. We all have photos and items we’ve accumulated over the years that we’d hate to lose. If there’s time, grab them. I also suggest you keep a back up of your entire computer hard drive, including digital photos. If you have to evacuate, it’s easier to grab a single back up drive than to search for multiple items.

Putting together an evacuation plan and checklist can help you and your family safely

escape a dangerous situation without leaving anything important behind. Hurricane Sandy reminds us all how important it is to make these preparations sooner rather than waiting until the last minute.

Where to Go

In an evacuation, where to go is always a big question. If you have the financial means, it’s a smart move to prepare an off-the-grid retreat now—one that you can escape to later if there is ever a need.

In this age of choking government regulation, going off-grid can be expensive and

tough. Building codes alone can make the process seem impossible. That’s why some places are so much better than others for constructing or adapting a home that is self-reliant.

When selecting a place to live off-the-grid, you want to consider several things: City Proximity: Ideally you don’t want to be too close to a big city. During any sort

of breakdown, the closer you are to a city, the more likely you are to have unwanted company. Look for places that are an hour or two drive from major cities.

Building Codes: Cities and towns will want a say in how you build or adapt your

home. Focus on regions where you like the climate and scenery and explore sparsely populated county land. Contact county governments to find out about building restrictions. Often you’ll find that counties don’t have much in the way of building codes. Before buying any land also check with the county to make sure you’ll have access to the roads and waterways that you need.

Power Sources: If you want to go solar, it makes sense to set up your off-the-grid

home in a place with a lot sun. If you plan to use wind power, look for sites where that will work. If you plan to use propane generators, you’ll want to be located where you can reach a propane supplier fairly easily.

Water Sources: Obviously water is essential. Sites with a well are optimal, but you

can also set up a cistern system to collect rainwater.



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Growing Season: If you plan to produce most of your own food, consider how easy it is to grow a garden. A mountain retreat may seem ideal, but the shorter growing season will cut into how much food you can grow. Access to hunting and fishing may also be a consideration.

5 Locations to Consider

All around the U.S., you can find small, independently minded communities who won’t raise an eyebrow at your desire to live a more self-reliant lifestyle.

Just a few to consider:

1. Pennsboro, West Virginia: This is a small community of about 2000 people with very reasonable land prices and good access to hunting and decent agricultural possibilities.

2. Pikeville, Tennessee: Another small community of about 2000 people, this area has abundant natural resources to make off-the-grid living easier.

3. West Liberty, Kentucky: A town of 3000 nestled in the Kentucky mountains, this area has good land prices.

4. Crestone, Colorado: A bit more expensive, this small community is relatively free from building codes and 330 sunny days a year makes it ideal for solar power.

5. Red Oak, Oklahoma: You can buy property in this small community for $1000k an acre. It’s out of the way with access to natural resources, a fairly moderate climate, and a good growing season.

Let Others Do the Heavy Lifting

If going off-grid seems like too big a project to tackle, you might consider buying a home in a community that is already committed to reducing their reliance on public utilities and declining infrastructure.

For example, Three Rivers Recreation Area is a small community in Oregon near

lakes and rivers. Home site prices start at just under $50k. Homes are built on a septic system with access to a well. Power comes from a mix of solar, wind, and propane generators. The community is small and out of the way, but it’s within a 90-minute drive of Portland. It is a mountain community, so the growing season is shorter and that’s something to be considered.

Another growing community making an effort at complete self-reliance is just outside

of Taos, New Mexico. This community is very environmentally focused, building homes from reclaimed materials. Power comes from solar and wind and water is collected from rain and



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snow and stored in cisterns. Currently about 80 people live in this community. Home prices start at $75k.

A third option is a growing community outside of Provo, Utah called Safe Haven.

Like these others, it uses solar and wind for power, but the community founders hope to build a cold fusion plant to provide the homes with clean, reliable energy. They’ve also built green houses for year round food production. Eventually, Safe Haven will have 200 homes. Lot prices start at $25k.



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Chapter 19

After the Pulse: Your Personal Economy

The wonderful thing about the economy is that as long as there are people still alive it will press on.

It may not be what you expect. It may not be robust or thriving. But people will

continue to buy, sell, and trade. People will continue to grow, gather, and make stuff. Wherever you are, after an EMP event, the fastest way back on your feet is to embrace

the new size and shape of your local economy. If you followed the advice in the chapter on finances, you’ll have some cash and some

precious metals on hand, so you’ll have some buying power. And that will give you time to figure out your place in the new post-EMP economy.

You can take several steps now that will help make the process easier if an event

does occur.

Items for Barter

With the government thrown into complete disarray, the value of the U.S. dollar will likely fall significantly. It may fall to nothing. Your precious metal coins will hold their value, but you should also prepare yourself to participate in a barter economy.

When considering things to stock up on for barter, some items are obvious like stove

fuel. Other things might seem obvious at first—like certain food items—but upon further consideration may not be things you want to barter away.

When making your own barter supply list, try to think of things that people consider

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necessary, that are consumable, and that most people don’t keep a ready supply of. Here’s a list of ten of my recommendations to get you started.

Disposable Razors: Good hygiene during a crisis is more important than you might

think. When someone can keep up his appearance and maintain some normalcy as far as his personal care goes, he’s better able to face difficulties without becoming too distressed or falling into despair. Think about how many disposable razors you would use in a year, and then buy two or three times that many for your stores. Bonus tip: Buy a straight razor and sharpening kit for yourself. They last longer and will give you a nice clean shave. Plus, it’ll keep you from dipping into your bartering supplies.

Toothpaste & Toothbrushes: For the best dental health, a person should switch out

her toothbrush every three months. Most people buy a new one from the store when they need one. If supplies get disrupted, it’s unlikely most people will have extras on hand, so that’s something they might be willing to trade for. Most people don’t keep a big supply of toothpaste on hand, either, so consider adding several tubes to your stores.

Sewing Kits: During a crisis, it’s important to make things stretch farther and last

longer. A sewing kit can give new life to a worn-out wardrobe. If new clothes are hard to come by, that’s a big deal, making sewing kits a desirable item for your barter stores. You can purchase pre-stocked kits that come with needles and several spools of thread, or you can purchase needles and thread in bulk and make your own kits as needed.

Pens or Pencils & Paper: You don’t realize how important it is to have something to

write with and something to write on until you don’t have what you need. Writing tools make it possible to keep track of things. Lists of supplies and important events might be useful—or event crucial—to record. A pen and paper also makes it possible to send letters to communicate over a distance. They can even provide a source of entertainment for bored kids.

Cleaning Supplies: Good sanitation is just about as important as good hygiene during a crisis. That means things like bleach, detergent, soap and scouring pads can offer big value as bartering items. Bonus Tip: Go with a pure soap like Ivory… it can double as toothpaste in a pinch.

Coffee & Tea: Technically, these are luxury items, but they’re luxury items that many

people consider an absolute necessity. I personally like a good, strong cup of coffee in the morning, and can say with confidence that I’d be happy to trade things to get it if I couldn’t just purchase it. So, these are good things to have a stock of, but these items will lose flavor over time, so rotate your stores from time to time.

Chocolate: This is another luxury item that a lot of people will go to great lengths to

get during a crisis. Keeping several pounds of chocolate vacuum-sealed and in your stores is a smart move. Chocolate is a great morale booster, so even if it doesn’t prove useful for barter—which, I can’t imagine it won’t—it’s something you and your family will likely be grateful to have.



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Feminine Hygiene Products: Disposable pads and tampons may be good bartering items during a short-term economic disruption. A lot of families will not have more than an immediate supply on hand, and may be only too happy to trade for additional supplies.

First Aid Supplies: Bandages, painkillers, Neosporin or something comparable,

rubbing alcohol, antacids, and cotton balls can all prove to be valuable bartering supplies. Plus, they’re very useful in their own right.

Salt: With today’s diet, this might seem surprising, but you should stock up on salt.

People and animals need salt to survive. It also makes an excellent preservative. While canned foods and other foods in your stores may have plenty of sodium, if you ever exhaust you pre-planned food supply, having salt on hand could save your life. It can be an attractive bartering item for hunters because they can use it to attract game. Farmers can use it to ensure the health of their livestock. Because the need for it is physiological and universal, it’s an excellent bartering choice.

Learn Good Bartering Skills Early

Stocking up on items that will be useful in a situation where bartering becomes the norm is only a first step. You should also begin practicing your bartering skills. Haggling for a good deal is something people learn how to do, and something that can also be terribly uncomfortable if you’ve never done it before. In fact, you’re likely to get taken for a ride the first couple of times you try.

My recommendation is to visit a local flea market or swap meet. Go and observe. See

how people strike deals. See how the buyers approach the sellers and vice versa. Take mental notes and then start practicing what you’re learning. Then, if you ever do need to function in a bartering economy—even for a short time—you’ll be ready.

Develop a Useful Skill

You may be the best computer programmer or inventory manager in your region, but those skills might not mean much in the months after an EMP-event.

It’s a smart move to learn a skill that will be valuable post-EMP. That way, even if

you don’t have items to barter, you still have something to over to help you get the things you need.

As the new economy takes shape, you’ll be in position to start your own business or to

get a job with someone else who is starting a business. No matter what direction you go, a valuable skill will give you options post-EMP.



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You’ll be able to find a place in the new economy and that will help you and your household to recover and rebuild faster.

Many of the skills that will be valuable are those we have already discussed in this

manual: First Aid Botany Food preservation Basic mechanical skills Sewing Building things Gardening Home brewing Weapons repair Give it some thought, and you’ll be able to double or triple the list of possibilities in

no time. Take the time now to begin learning a skill that will serve you well in a major, long-

term breakdown. Then as the economy begins to recover, you’ll be able to find a place within it and build a life that fits the new normal you’re living in.



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Chapter 20

Before the Pulse: Practice Your Plans

At this point you have a comprehensive plan that you can put in place to prepare you and your family to weather the aftermath of a major EMP event … and aftermath that may still be a factor ten years later.

But all these best-laid plans may come to nothing if you don’t practice. By testing the

systems you have in place, you’ll know better how you’ll react in a real emergency. And you may uncover weaknesses in your system—weaknesses that you’ll be able to address now when you still have easy access to supplies and to resources of information like the Internet.

A How-To Guide for Testing Your System

When you test your home preparedness system, you do a number of things:

You find out how much of your resources you and your family actually use on a daily basis.

You force yourself to become familiar with equipment that you might not otherwise practice with.

You identify weak spots in your system.

You begin to gain familiarity with the stress that goes along with a disaster that forces you to stay home and rely on what’s on hand.

For your first test, schedule a long weekend. Plan for the test to last two or three days.

Explain to everyone participating why you’re doing what you’re doing. If you expect you’ll have relatives who don’t live with you staying with you during an actual emergency, ask them to please join you for the test.

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Make sure you have a pen and paper on hand, so you can take notes about how much food you eat, how much fuel you consume, what you overlooked, and how different people react to the stress. (A two to three day test won’t really give you an accurate idea of stress levels, but it’s a start.)

Set up a basic scenario for your first test. Imagine that all the utilities are offline and it

isn’t safe to travel from your home. This is likely what you would face in the days immediately after an EMP event.

Once you’ve explained the scenario to everyone participating, the next step is to live

out three days as if the scenario were real. You eat what’s on hand. You cook with a camp stove. You heat your house with a fireplace or indoor propane heater. You don’t leave.

To make this test as successful as possible, agree from the outset that you’ll make do

with what you have available. You won’t travel for supplies or borrow from your neighbors. And, you won’t end the scenario early unless there’s a medical emergency that requires a doctor's care.

Beyond that, stick with it, and make good notes. Once you’ve completed your test,

gather everyone together to discuss their thoughts. What did each person find most stressful? What did each person feel was missing? What could you do differently that would make the experience more comfortable?

Based on what you learn, adjust your home preparedness system accordingly.

Preparedness Testing: Advanced Strategies

Practicing for a weekend is a good place to start, but you can do more to proof your home preparedness system and your own mental readiness, by doing regular tests. (Twice a year is good — once in the winter and once in the summer.)

You can do several things that will help make the tests more realistic and more

revealing. Such variations will also help you and your family to become better able to cope emotionally with a crisis.

Here are some variations to consider:

Add a the element of surprise – tell everyone you want to participate in your test that it will occur sometime within the next four weeks. Then spring the actual test day on everyone without warning. Or, to surprise yourself, too, have someone outside your group determine the day your test will begin.



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Add contingencies. Write down several possible obstacles that could come up during an emergency situation. A couple of times during your test period have someone draw one of the scenarios and react accordingly. For example, someone in your family might suffer a broken ankle. For the rest of the test, he would have to limit his mobility and someone else would have to administer basic first aid. Another possibility is a home intrusion. In that scenario, if you don’t have your home defense tools near at hand, you might agree to cut your food rations because of theft.

Set up an open-ended test. In this variation, you don’t tell the other participants when the test will conclude, which adds another layer of stress to the test.

The old saying is that practice makes perfect. Putting your EMP preparations to the

test will help you to perfect your system … and that may make all the difference in your survival if the unthinkable, but potentially inevitable, happens.

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