Items You Need to EMP-Proof Before It’s Too Late

Source: https://www.askaprepper.com/

The concept and threat of an EMP attack have infiltrated the common media to the extent that most people are aware of the danger.

For preppers and survivalists, the thought of an EMP attack brings with it the anxiety that our equipment is vulnerable and prone to destruction.

There are many electronic items inside our homes, and the obvious question is, which ones should we prioritize protecting.

What Will Be Damaged?

EMP will damage or destroy many electronics and do major damage to the power grid. Part of the destructive power on an EMP is in the three distinct types of pulses, which will cause different levels of damage to electronics.

The E1 pulse is rapid and short-lived but causes high voltages in electronics. The problem with an E1 pulse is that it is too fast for traditional surge protectors or lightning arrestors to stop. The E1 pulse may also damage these protection circuits.

The E2 pulse is longer than an E1 pulse and is very similar to lightning. Surge protectors and lightning arrestors will stop an E2 pulse unless they have been damaged by a preceding E1 pulse.

The E3 pulse is slower and much longer lived. It is a lot like a geomagnetic storm or coronal mass ejection in that it will affect electronics that rely on long transmission lines. The power grid, antennas, and pipelines are all vulnerable to the E3 pulse. The induced current can cause transformers to burn out.

How to EMP-Proof Items

EMP proofing seems like it would be a difficult and expensive task, but this is not the case. There are many ways we can EMP proof items in our home; some are very straightforward and inexpensive.

Faraday Cages – A Faraday cage is a metal enclosure which provides a conductive surface to absorb and disperse electromagnetic energy from an EMP. There are many ways to construct a Faraday cage, from using an ammo can or metal box to fabricating one yourself.

EMP Shield – These are products that you can wire into your home or vehicles that claim to protect them from an EMP. They are a few hundred dollars but well worth the investment if you want your home’s electrical system to survive an EMP attack.

EMP Cloth – EMP cloth is a conductive fabric you can use to wrap items or make Faraday cages with.

Developed by top-notch U.S. scientists after years of hard work, the EMP cloth outperforms a Faraday cage. It’s not just flexible and portable, but a reliable shield for your electronics during an EMP attack. You can get yours here, before they’re out of stock.

The cloth acts the same way as a Faraday cage and will protect electronics from the damaging effects of EMP.

What Items You Should Protect

When deciding what items to protect from an EMP and which to leave unprotected, you must consider what is critical to long-term survivability and what is expendable.

Many things we use daily would be useless in a post-SHTF environment like TV’s or gaming consoles. Everything that you protect needs to improve your survivability.

Solar Power Systems

While the batteries themselves should not be affected by an EMP, the solar panels, wiring, solar charge controller, and inverters could be destroyed by an EMP strike. These are the components that you need to protect.

Suppose you plan to only use a solar power system after an EMP. In that case, you can store the batteries, charge controller, inverter and panels in an EMP-proof shed. You can also use EMP cloth to cover these items. If you use your solar power system regularly, you’ll need something like an EMP shield to protect the system.

Solar Generators

Many solar generators are available on the market today, and they are a great investment for portable backup power.

The batteries inside would be unaffected, but these units have complex electronics inside them that would be vulnerable to an EMP.

Radio Equipment

Ham radio equipment is a critical part of any preparedness plan and needs to be protected. One option is to place a selection of radios, antennas, computers, batteries, and other components into a Faraday cage or wrap them in EMP cloth.

Doing this is an excellent option because you’ll have an emergency radio station that you can use even if your day-to-day gear is fried.

For the gear that you use every day, an EMP shield can be used to protect your gear. You can also use EMP cloth to create a Faraday cage room as a ham shack or EMP cloth can be used to line bags for storing and carrying handheld radios, portable radios, and other gear.

Generators

The electrical components of a gas or diesel generator are simple enough that they will probably not be affected by an EMP.

That being said, it’s worthwhile to wrap them in EMP cloth or store them in a shed made to be a Faraday cage.

Vehicles

There is much debate about whether cars and trucks will be damaged by an EMP. Given the reliance on complex electronics in modern vehicles, covering cars in EMP cloth would be a good idea to protect them from potential damage.

It is straightforward and cost-effective to make a car cover from EMP cloth or to line a pop-up vehicle shelter in EMP cloth to create a car-sized Faraday cage.

Data Storage

Hard drives, laptops, and USB sticks store a lot of our precious data and are vulnerable to damage from EMPs. You can place backup data storage inside a Faraday cage to protect them.

Security Cameras and Systems

If you plan on using your security cameras or your security system after an EMP attack, you’ll need to protect the components with an EMP shield, EMP cloth or have a second set of components stored in a Faraday cage.

The only way that you’ll have access to electronics after an EMP is if you start protecting them now.

Faraday cages, EMP cloth, and EMP shields are all great options to keep your electronics safe and secure.

Since an EMP strike will take place without notice, the only way you’ll be protected is to take the necessary measures today.