Cheap Items That Could Save Your Life During an EMP

An EMP generated by a strategic nuclear detonation or a coronal mass ejection from the sun can cause massive damage to the electrical grid, and electrical devices with solid-state microchips. In short, it could cripple the world, and it could easily take more than 3 to 5 years to restore things back to normal!

That’s a lot of bad news for people who aren’t prepared. However, the good news is that there are a lot of cheap items you can add to your prep stockpile to help you get through the aftermath of an EMP. A few could even save your life in a pinch!

Stay prepared and make sure you have most of them available.

Quality Hand Tools

Hand tools will be a true lifesaver in a post-EMP world. Hammers, multitools, hatchets, handsaws, screwdrivers, pliers, and adjustable wrenches will be called on every day to handle the jobs you’ll need to do. Especially since surviving right after an EMP and setting yourself up for long-term survival during the recovery process, will call for completing a lot of manual projects.

Just take a look at all these projects:

All of them can be done with basic hand tools you should already have in your home. If you are interested, they are all presented in a detailed Manner in the No Grid Survival Projects book by Michael Major, including projects like:

• Pressurized Rainwater Harvesting and Purification System
• Bucket Water Filter
• DIY Wind Turbine From Salvaged Motors
• Automated Backyard Traps and Alarms
• An Oven That Cooks Without Fire, Fuel, Smell, or Smoke
• Backyard Solar Power Plant
• No-Grid Shower
• Harmless Pest Traps That Actually Work
• PVC Handpump
• A Small Hydro Generator to Give You Electricity Day and Night

In total, there are over 70 no-grid projects presented with highly-detailed instructions, including what tools you need, what materials you need, and difficulty level.

The No Grid Survival Projects book is now available at the discounted price of $37 for a few more weeks. Get your copy now, while stocks last!

With hand tools, handle and grip quality are key. You might be able to save 10 or 20% on a hand tool with a cheap, simple handle. Then suffer hand fatigue, grip discomfort, or risk the handle failing.

Ideally, you want to look for a lightweight, reinforced fiberglass handle with a comfortable rubber grip. The slight upgrade in price will still be affordable and pay off with long-term value while you maintain your property throughout the EMP recovery process.

A Basic Sawzall

Cutting things burns a lot of precious calories, and takes up a lot of time that you might not have to spare while trying to survive after an EMP. Nothing is more versatile and efficient at cutting than a reciprocating saw of Sawzall.

I’ve used one to cut scavenged dead fall into firewood, handle a staggering array of home repairs, and demolish old buildings. It also makes short work of breaking down pigs, young steers, and deer much faster than simple knives. This is a real life-saver, if you need to butcher an animal in the heat of summer, or you need to break it down while saving enough energy for a touch hike back to camp.

The trick is to get the right saw, and you need to have a way to source simple electricity to charge the battery. A reciprocating saw in the 12 Amp range will do almost everything you need to do, while still being light enough to carry easily.

You also want it to have a basic charger that won’t be affected by an EMP. Most smart chargers have a solid-state microchip which can be fried by an EMP.

A Faraday Structure

Being able to protect key electronics in a Faraday cage, sealed metal garbage can, or Faraday bags will make your life much easier in the post-EMP recovery process. The metal structure of these Faraday structures diverts the energy of an electromagnetic pulse around what’s stored inside them.

This gives you a hardened storage space to keep sensitive, critical electronics safe. Keeping a 500 WH power station and some consumer-grade solar panels in it will give you basic life-saving electricity after an EMP.

Related: How To Build The Poor Man’s Faraday Cage

A short-wave, ham radio, and walkie-talkies in a Faraday structure will also protect your communication technology. This lets you keep in touch with what’s going on in the world, as well as communicate with other people in your group who might be out hunting or working on other projects on the property.

Communication and surveillance technology protected in a Faraday structure can also be a lifesaver for post-EMP security.

If you cannot afford to build a Faraday structure, which let’s be honest, is not easy to do, you should at least stock up on a couple of EMP Cloths. These are made out of 23% copper, 27% nickel, and 50% polyester. Metals inside the cloth absorb electromagnetic signals and disperse them outward, all while polyester prevents signals from affecting what is protected. Thanks to this ingenious design the cloth will protect any electronic in it from E1, E2, and E3 waves of an EMP.

If you want to learn more and take advantage of the Ask A Prepper special partnership deal we have with the manufacturer ($20 off and 2 free extra digital books), just click this link!

Batteries & Simple Flashlights

Most basic battery-powered flashlights, and simple electric devices without an internal microchip should be able to withstand all but the most intense of EMP bursts. However, the battery chargers that you need to recharge newer USB flashlights, and such do have microchips in them that won’t withstand an EMP.

Having good old-fashioned flashlights, and headlamps, along with the robust stock of simple alkaline batteries can be a post-EMP lifesaver. This gives you access to the light you need to handle basic tasks and security procedures in the dark.

Just be sure that the cheap batteries you buy are relatively new. This will give you the extended lifespan necessary to have a modest level of light for the long EMP-recovery process.

First-Aid Supplies & Medications

Your EMP protected stash needs to have basic, inexpensive, lifesaving medical supplies and medications. This starts with a basic first aid kit to handle simple mechanical injuries, minor burns and small dental problems.

It’s also pretty cheap to stock up on other medical supplies to do things like make a sling, a splint or even a simple cast. This lets you treat slightly more complex injuries in a post-EMP world without having to seek out a medical professional.

Your EMP preparedness stash should also include basic OTC medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, anti-diarrheal medications, antihistamines, and other basic medications. You can usually find cheap generic versions at discount dollar stores or buy them in bulk for a cheap per-unit price.

Further Reading: 10 Natural Antibiotics To Forage Before SHTF

Hand-Crank Electronics

Hand crank electronics can provide you with life-saving electricity, light and information during an EMP emergency. The electronics inside them are so simple that they won’t be damaged by electromagnetic energy. They’re also cheap, so you can have multiple devices in your preparedness stash.

Hand crank radios (pictured) are inexpensive and pretty common place. It gives you the ability to get news and stay informed. This can save your life by knowing what’s happened, what other threats are going on, and how to potentially make the most out of whatever relief efforts are available in your area.

Hand crank flashlights can provide you with a modest amount of light. Keeping a few in your preparedness stash also helps extend the life of your flashlights that run on alkaline batteries.

A hand crank water pump is also something you should consider adding to your preparedness stash. This will let you draw water from stored sources or possibly create a manual-draw well!

Water Purification & Filtration

Being able to filter and treat natural water sources will be essential for surviving the immediate aftermath of an EMP. Municipal water sources will go down when electromagnetic energy destroys the technology that operates them. Well-pumps on rural properties will require more electric draw than a power station or battery can handle.

Further Reading: How To Install A Rainwater Collection System

Without a protected generator, you’ll need to rely on surface water sources and watch catchment systems. All of these can be prone to pathogens and other forms of biological contamination, which need to be filtered and purified.

Simple things like water purification tablets and LifeStraw’s are reasonably cheap. You want to have enough of these options on hand to get everyone in your group through at least a month. By that point, you should be able to come up with a more sustainable water collection system of well-water access.

A Charcoal Grill & Cast-Iron Cookware

After an EMP electric ranges will be dead and propane will be short-lived. To be able to cook for yourself, you need something like a charcoal grill and/or some cast iron cookware.

This gives you the ability to safely contain a fire for cooking, and it’s easier to hide the light and smoke of a grill than a backyard fire pit. You can also keep the grill safely on your deck, close to the house, without having to go into the backyard to do things like cook meals and boil water.

Extra Reading: Best Non Toxic Bakeware: A Comprehensive Guide for Self-Sufficient Living

Having a cast iron pan or griddle is also handy, as the direct flames of charcoal grills and campfires don’t really work well with kitchen pans. Especially those with Teflon or other non-stick coatings, which give off toxic fumes when exposed to high-heat flames.

Ideally, a porcelain-coated cast iron griddle is much easier to clean and maintain than bare cast iron which needs to be seasoned with a protective layer of grease. This will also let you cook outdoors in light rain.

A cast iron Dutch oven is also a handy addition to your EMP survival supplies. You can bury it in a hole lined with hot coals. It’s a great way to slow stew tough cuts of meat and fish heads without needing to advertise your fire for hours to everyone in the area.

Regional Maps & Compass

A map, a compass, and knowing how to use them can save your life if you need to bug out in the aftermath of an EMP. Especially since most main roads will be blocked by dead vehicles and/or traffic jams.

You’ll likely be on foot, or perhaps horseback traveling on lesser roads and overland trails to get to your destination. It’s easy to get lost if you’re just relying on your normal sense of direction.

An accurate map that shows elevation and potential hazards helps you avoid dangerous terrain. Not to mention helping you conserve energy and understand just how close your route might be to potential safety threats.

Ideally, the compass should be meant for orienteering, which is slightly more than a cheap dashtop compass. Yet not prohibitively expensive.

BUT, remember!

That map and compass will not help you much if you do not know how to survive in the environment you travel through.

Final Thoughts

Being mindful of an EMP and its unique damage to electronics helps you develop a more effective life-saving strategy that goes beyond general preparedness. Most things like quality hand tools, hand crank devices, first-aid supplies, and water purification tablets are cheap enough.

You could even construct an inexpensive Faraday cage from a metal garbage can and some FSK ventilation tape. This will give you a hardened structure to store sensitive electronics that will help you survive the aftermath of an EMP.

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