Thought I Was Prepared; Not Now!

[6933]

Just read One Second After and now consider myself unprepared. What gets me is that the military takes the EMP threat seriously and there have even been Congressional hearings! But, the media doesn't even give it air time. I feel this may be b/c a lot of people would be going "Oh S***!" and clamoring for the gov. to do something.

So, now I am looking into getting a nice old truck without any computers, say a 1960 F-100. Next, I need a radio with vacuum tubes. Or, building a Faraday cage doesn't seem to hard. But if it was even a little wrong, you're up sh** creek.

Basically it is time to rethink my SHTF plan b/c if the sh** is an EMP, that nice truck, radio, generator, etc., is not going to work. I'd rather put my coin into items that will function in any SHTF scenario, not just what would work in most.

The scenes in the book present many dilemnas most people don't even consider. You may have a nice garden, plenty of food and H20, and 5K rounds of 5.56 but when a hungry, armed mob of 1500 criminals starts ravaging the countryside, you are SOL.

Going back to the drawing board.

[Thomas M-4]

It seems like I remember reading some where that you can ground your vehicle by using a chain or a cable touching the ground. I have no Idea if that would work never been in a EMP blast but it does sound possible. Maybe somebody else as a better Idea for that.
As far as the 1500 armed mob criminals A 240 GPMG and or a M-2 HMG with spare barrels and 4k-6k rounds will probably make them change there minds.

[6933]

Grounding that way, unfortunately, won't work. M2-HB, I like the way you think! Too bad they're so expensive, not to mention the ammo prices. Better to be able to get the f*** out of dodge. The prob. talked about in the book would be the thousands and thousands of cars stopped on the road. Many places would be impassable. The book painted a bleak picture, but one could prepare to deal with it. I just have prepared without thinking about an EMP.

Now if you can get me the 240 or the M2, let me know.

[Iraqgunz]

I think I'll be heading over to Luke AFB if the SHTF.

It seems like I remember reading some where that you can ground your vehicle by using a chain or a cable touching the ground. I have no Idea if that would work never been in a EMP blast but it does sound possible. Maybe somebody else as a better Idea for that.
As far as the 1500 armed mob criminals A 240 GPMG and or a M-2 HMG with spare barrels and 4k-6k rounds will probably make them change there minds.

[Mr.Goodtimes]

will an eotech or aimpoint survive an EMP blast or would that render the site useless?

also, would it matter if the site was on or off? like if it was turned off when the blast hit, would it still work?

would vehicles work if they were turned off when an EMP device went off?

i was under the assumption that EMP will only disrupt electronics for a short period and then theyll start working again?

[6933]

An EMP will destroy the circuitry of any device that incorporates them regardless of whether they are on or off. The guy that wrote One Second After is a college professor, had great input from insiders familiar with the technological impacts(including military and academic, hell, a Navy officer wrote a forward), and was familiar with the military assessments. He also had access to the Congressional transcripts(anybody can get) of the committee hearings. To be honest, he painted a very accurate and informationally sound and verifiable picture. Really made me scared if this situation were to occur. Even more scary is the fact that his sources are readily verifiable and his info. is "common knowledge."

Whenever you see a military whatever referred to as hardened, the description will usually be incorporating EMP "hardiness" as a criteria.

However, an old car/truck/radio/engine that does not have circuitry will not be affected. For example, vacuum tube radios, old trucks, old mopeds, old VW's, steam engine, old engine, etc. will not be affected. Problem is, almost everything today has some sort of internal circuitry.

What made the book even more scary are the scenarios he brought up, which are totally logical and make sense. These scenarios make the vast majority of people that are "prepared" totally unprepared and extremely vulnerable. I never considered a mob traveling aroung looting, pillaging, raping, and killing simply because they could. How the f*** can I alone, or even several hundred well-prepared people, deal with a threat that could very well contain ex-mil, ex-LE in a mobile mob?

How could I bug out(with family), or alone, along roads, interstates, and backroads roamed by criminal groups and desperate people with military "advisors?" We all know the military and LE have a small percentage of bad apples. If they organized..... Do not misunderstand me, our mil and LE are honorable, good people. But all it takes are just a couple to provide advice on tactics.

[kaiservontexas]

One thing about the golden hoard nobody ever mentions is without potable water, transportation, and decent food they will start dropping off in numbers quickly due to disease and dehydration. It is not like gangbangers are ready for SHTF. Walking 60 miles in 100 degree Texas heat with no potable water is gonna fry you fast. Then there is the fact that they will kill their own and also have many that become causalities from fighting. Being wounded is also going to suck with no doctors around to patch things up in surgery with courses of antibiotics and other medications. Lastly they will be concerned with their own little area of the city before attempting to become mobile, which at that time supplies will have dwindled in cities since they usually only have about 3 days worth of stuff to restock their shelves.

I am by no means saying their will not be a golden hoard. I just think fictional accounts of mega armies roaming into the country side is a bit off. It is like they do not take into account that water born bugs will kill off X, Y amount is going to become severely ill, A amount is going to get outright killed by people defending themselves, B amount by their own buddies, C amount by hunger, D amount by other diseases, F amount by starvation, and Z amount by exposure.

[Mac5.56]

I bought a human sized hamster ball. Should be good.

Seriously though if you consider planning for a SHTF you should consider a lack of all electronics, infrastructure, and re-supply as a part of the equation. Coupled of course with absolute chaos. Why would you ever consider relying on an electronic device as safe or reliable?

P.S. My hamster ball has carbon filters, a single point sling attachment for my secondary weapon, and several pieces of webbing for my 30 plus loaded magazines.

[RWK]

Just read One Second After and now consider myself unprepared.

I've read the book, too. I wouldn't recommend placing overmuch stock in a work of fiction, written in a "worst case scenario" fashion, that promotes the author's personal agenda/fears/opinions. And that's exactly what it was - a fluff piece about EMP.

[Zhurdan]

Umm... I may need some instruction on the subject, but aren't EMP devices generally Thermonuclear devices? I realize there are some Non Nuclear EMP devices, but wouldn't the most likely form of EMP come from an enemy lacking the sophistication of NNEMP's? That being the case, I'd be far more concerned with the bright flash of light and the "surface of the sun" temperature and shockwave that followed it.

Planning for an EMP is like planning for an alien invasion, in my opinion. Some things just don't have a viable solution for the average, or even the above average person. Prepare for what you can (feasibly), and pray it's enough.

Now, feasibility has a lot to do with preparation. I don't know about many of you, but all the preparations in the world are find and dandy, but affording them is another problem all together. Not to mention, that if a senario like described above happens, most of that preparation involves a person being where they made those preparations. So, that eliminates going to work, or town, or anywhere for fear of not being in your shelter if something happens.

I'll just prepare for what I can and live my life without being overly concerned with EMP.