It’s been said many times that if you’re prepared for an EMP you’re prepared for anything. That is because to be prepared for almost any natural disaster or emergency situation, those preps are also required to be prepared for an EMP attack.

There are 12 key areas for EMP preparedness that each prepper needs to focus on and realize that each one is a necessity in its own way. The 12 key areas are:

 

Water, Power, Security, Food, Medical, Shelter, Waste Treatment, Communication, Community, Transportation, Entertainment and Banking/Bartering

All short answers:

Water: 90 gallons per person (1gal/person/day x 3months), Berkey Water Filter.

Power: Solar Generator.

Security: Front Sight Gun Training, Guns, and ammo, empty hand defense, perimeter alarms.

Food: 2 Year full food storage/person and gardening.

Medical: Have and know first aid, have and know how to use medicines and herbal remedies.

Shelter: Military tents, Have a “Bug In” plan and a “Bug Out” plan and location.

Waste Treatment: Sanitation is life, composting toilet, lots of feminine products.

Communication: HAM Radios

Community: Find others who are like-minded and meet often with each other.

Transportation: EMP Proof vehicle, horses, biking, walking.

Entertainment: Movies, games, books, whatever takes your mind off hard times

Banking/Bartering: Money will have no value. Bartering is very dangerous. Prepare now.

An EMP attack can quite literally happen at any second from multiple countries such as Russia, China, Iran and many other groups that are not friendly to the United States. That means at any moment we must be ready to live 2 to 10 years without power and with a lot of hardship. The 12 key area to survive an EMP attack are necessary to make sure life can be as normal as possible and have the best chances of survival.

My short answer to this entirely huge article is quite simple.

Have all 12 of these preps inside or part of a trailer that I can haul behind my EMP proof truck that runs off of diesel and used vegetable oil with a bug out location that’s within 1 hour of my home. Inside my trailer, I would have 450 gallons of water for my family of 5. My solar generator equipment in EMP bags. 1 AR15 and 1 handgun + 1,000 rounds of defensive ammo for each person in my family. 2 year supply of food plus greenhouse plastic and materials to build a greenhouse in my bug out location with many seeds for planting crop. Tinctures, essential oils, first aid items, first aid books, and other medical equipment. A huge tent and a wood burning stove to put in it. Composting toilets and equipment plus all hygiene items. HAM Radios. Tell my group of preppers where I’ll be and know where they’ll be. EMP Proof truck + E-bikes. Movies and shows on a hard drive that can be watched on our TV + Kindle reader full of books. Bartering items in case of last resort necessity.

Here’s how I break it all down:

Water

Short Answer: 90 gallons per person (1gal/person/day x 3months), Berkey Water Filter.

Explained Answer: Most people know the rule of threes: the human body can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. In the event of an EMP attack, we wouldn’t have to be too worried about running out of air once the attack happened.

Since we won’t be without air after an EMP attack we don’t need to worry about fixing the 3 minutes without air rule. However, 3 days without water comes very quickly. The vast majority of Americans are used to being able to go to their sink, fridge or hose and get fresh drinkable water without a second thought. After an EMP bomb that won’t be the case. Since electricity will be out there will be no water pressure to get water from those sources.

At first, it is necessary to have water storage to get through the initial part of the grid power being gone. This can be 1-gallon jugs, reused 2-liter soda bottles, 55-gallon drums etc. At bare minimum, it is needed to have 1 gallon of water per day per person in the household just for drinking and cooking. You should strive to have 3 months of water on hand. Example: 4 people in a household. 90 days in 3 months. 90 x 4 = 360 gallons for 4 people for 3 months. 360 ÷ 55 = 6.5 barrels that each hold 55 gallons.

Since most people food storage is dry it is important to account water into rehydrating food to eat. Most people never drink the amount of water they need to during the day before an EMP attack. We are dehydrated as a country. However, after an EMP event, we will be working much harder than normal since we won’t be sitting around at work, watching TV, or playing games just for fun. Our caloric expenditure each day will increase which means our necessity for rehydration will also increase.

Many times people ask about storing water and the need to add bleach or some type of additive to the water to keep it from going bad. I personally HATE the idea of adding chemicals to my water. Even now when life is easy and good I don’t drink chemicals in my water. I use a filter to keep harmful pesticides, heavy metals, and other chemicals out of my water. On top of that I drink water from a well to further ensure purity, even still my well water gets filtered.

Forget worrying about algae growing in water or adding harmful chemicals, make it very simple and use a Berkey Water Filter. The Berkey is hands down without any questions proven time and time again against EVERY SINGLE other water filter on the market that it is the #1 best water filtration system available. It will literally filter any water except for salt water. So, use a Berkey Water Filter and don’t worry about cycling water out from the water barrels since the Berkey will filter out any algae, bacteria or anything that has grown in the water since it was stored years ago.

Be sure to only get the stainless steel Berkey because it will not grow algae and other things inside of it like the plastic one will. Also, only use the black filters, not the white ceramic filters. The black filters have silver infused into them which means even if water is left standing in them it will never grow mold or bacteria in it. The fluoride filters are a great option if drinking city water. The bigger the Berkey the better, it’s amazing how much water you’ll use in a single day during an emergency.

Since you now have your 3 months supply of water for each member in the household this will give you plenty of time to figure out how to restock that water. River, stream, pool, lake, melting snow, well etc. If you have a well at home, you NEED to have a hand pump on that well.

Fun Fact: One question that does come up though is will there be nuclear fallout from the blast? No. The altitude at which the bomb goes off basically makes it so we don’t need to worry about nuclear fallout. What we do have to worry about are the nuclear bomb strikes that would happen after our grid and protection are down.

Power

Short answer: Solar generator.

Explained Answer: What’s the first thing that goes out in an EMP attack? Electricity. That is why it is so important to restore it. Many people would argue that electricity is not a necessity at all and I HIGHLY disagree. The advantages that electricity are too high to leave it out of the 12 key areas.

Electricity allows us to recharge radios, run wheat grinders, run water pumps, continue to use fridges and freezers, watch movies, power fans and A/C and so much more. Have you ever tried to grind 2 years worth of wheat by hand… no thanks. I don’t want to eat chunky wheat bread for years on end.

When the grid is down there are two ways to get power; 1, Your house is already off grid and emp proof using solar. 2, you have a generator. Since the vast majority don’t have option 1 then option 2 is what we’ll talk about.

There are gas/propane, diesel, wind and solar generators for main types of power generators that can be used after a grid down event. Gas/propane and diesel generators won’t last for 2 to 10 years of continuous use so they can only be used for short-term at the beginning of the power outage.

Wind turbines are a joke. I’m sorry if you own one but that just means you already know that they make next to no power. I have interviewed and worked with many people who bought/use wind turbines and they said it’s only good for looking at. I recently talked with a man who installed one of the commercial sized HUGE wind turbines often seen in windy states. After 1 year of use in a high wind area, he said it made the equivalent of $3 of power, not joking. They don’t work.

Solar generators are the best option since their fuel doesn’t run out, there are no moving parts to wear out, little to no maintenance is required, they are easy to transport and in the long run are very cost effective. There are MANY solar generators out there on the market. One of the current best ones I have found is the Kodiak Solar Generator found at PoweredPortableSolar.com. The kits are 100% complete and ready to go. They are designed to work for years on end and come with EMP Protection.

The solar generator kits on PoweredPortableSolar.com are even set up to run items like single burner cooktops, microwaves, toasters, toaster ovens, and other cooking appliances. This means cooking with wood and other items aren’t always necessary.

Whether it’s running water pumps, grinding wheat, lighting an area, powering tools, recharging equipment or blowing a fan a solar generator is the best option to have continual power after the grid is down.

Security

Short Answer: Front Sight Gun Training, Guns, and ammo, empty hand defense, perimeter alarms.

Explained Answer: This is one of the most misunderstood areas of preparedness for an EMP attack. For years I attended preparedness shows teaching and learning with people about all types of preparedness. I also attended gun shows as a teacher and observer. Over 98% of people have NEVER received ANY kind of self-defense training, especially with a gun.

There’s no point in having a 2 year supply of food if you can’t defend it. Make no mistake, someone is coming for your food and you will have to protect it. You cannot feed the entire neighborhood. A 2 year supply of food for four people will become a two week supply of food for fourteen people. As part of our security and food preps, we have a set amount of “give away” food. This allows us to give someone one meal and say we don’t have any more for you please do not come back.

It sounds simple right, point the gun and pull the trigger? Sadly, this not enough to win a gunfight. I have studied and practiced firearms defense training for almost a decade at many different schools and just owning the guns and ammo will NOT win the gunfight. All too often bad guys win because people assume that because they have a gun that the bad guy will be scared and not fight back.

I recently saw a video of a robbery where 2 bad guys came into a business to rob the place at gunpoint. One bad guy had a gun and there was one good guy only about 15 feet away who was conceal carrying his pistol. The good guy had no retreat since he was in the corner of the room but he pulled out his handgun and began to shoot at the bad guys. The bad guys did not run. The bad guy with the gun simply turned back towards the good guy and started shooting back. Both the good guy and bad guy literally sat there, each in their corners, shooting at each other until both emptied their guns. Both of them had many bullets wounds.

I cannot emphasize it enough, you must have training! Since I have attended many schools for self-defense firearms training I have had a taste of how the industry operates. Out of all the schools I have attended the only one I feel I can truly recommend is Front Sight Firearms Training Academy outside of Las Vegas, NV. Not only is their training the best I have found but it is also the most affordable. You can view their different training Life Time Memberships, where you pay once and you’re in for life, no other fees. For more info on discounts to attend there please contact us directly through our contact page.

Once training is obtained it is important to have quality weapons and quality ammo. It is too easy in the preparedness industry to look for the cheapest option. You don’t want to go into a gunfight with junk ammo. There is training/fun ammo and there is self-defense ammo. Make sure you’ve got at least 1,000 rounds of defensive ammo per gun. Each person in your household needs at least one gun. A primary weapon such as a semi-automatic rifle and one sidearm such as a pistol is best.

Having perimeter alarms will help keep you and your household prepared for when any bad guy or guys come along and try to get your equipment. Using 12-gauge blank trip wires, electrotonic entry sensors and electronic trip sensors will keep watch for you when you can’t.

Food

Short Answer: 2 Year full food storage/person and gardening.

Explained Answer: Food storage is perhaps the first and biggest prep that every prepper has. Because of that is often not given much emphasis on how to do food storage properly. There are dozens of companies that sell food storage and some of it’s good but a lot of it is bad.

According to many studies done by private groups as well as government groups, it is estimated that the national power grid will be down for a minimum of 2 years and hopefully no more than 10 years. That means the food has to last at least 10 years. Who can really store 10 years supply of food without spending thousands upon thousands? If you have the option to purchase 10 years supply of food then great, more power to you.

Most people only really need 2 years supply of food for each person and then the ability to have a great garden. The Mittleider Gardening System is hands down the absolute best way to garden. I have known gardeners my whole life and I never understood why they slaved hours in their gardens to have the smallest bell peppers and a few strawberries. I never had an interest in gardening because it never seemed to work for anyone, anywhere.

Once I saw how well the Mittleider Gardening System worked though I was converted. I met many people who had made a Mittleider garden and were having easy and great success. They weren’t just getting large fruit and vegetables but huge amounts of yields, more than what most people realize the plant can produce. In northern states using a greenhouse means gardening year-round. In southern states having covers during the cold months is often enough to keep plants from freezing but having

a greenhouse will also increase the time when growth can occur.

Gardening is a vital skill to keep eating long term and it needs to make enough food to actually have full meals.

As previously mentioned, there are dozens of food storage companies. I find it best to mix a large number of raw ingredients such as what is found with Shelf Reliance and premade meals like what Eden Valley Farms make.

Brands like Mountain House may taste great but are high in sodium and are very expensive. With every single brand though I do find it a bit ridiculous what they call serving sizes. I have tried many brands of food storage and always I am surprised that they think 1 cup of soup of 240 calories is going to fill me after a hard day of work… no thanks. FORGET what the recommended serving sizes are from the manufacturers.

If a brand says that a kit of food storage will last 2 people for 2 years, cut it in half. It will likely last 2 people one year IF a recipe plan is made on using all the ingredients in proportion. This is the hardest part about food storage is know how much will actually feed someone, then how to use all of it evenly so you’re not stuck with only rice and flour for another year.

The “American Canning Association” recently made a statement and basically said that any canned food except for tomatoes will last indefinitely. You don’t have to follow the expiration date. The expiration date only means that if used by that date that the food inside will be in the same condition as the same day it was canned.

It is very important to store wet food as well. Water is an extremely valuable resource. If the water is already in the food, then rehydrating is already taken care of and no drinking water will be taken away for the food. It is also substantially more affordable to purchase wet canned food rather than dehydrated or freeze-dried food storage.

Have a good combination of wet canned food, dried/wet raw ingredients and premade meals. It’s much easier to make a premade meal and then add rice, rolls and chocolate pudding to it.

Having a way to cook the food is the next priority. As mentioned the before, one option is to use appliances for cooking on the Kodiak Solar Generator. Another more energy efficient option is to use the Solavore Solar Oven. It is the best one and the best price I’ve tested. Using rocket stoves will consume wood and cook quickly as well.

Medical

Short Answer: Have and know first aid, have and know how to use medicines and herbal remedies.

Explained Answer: In the last 10 years have you ever gotten sick? Whether it be just the flu, stomach virus or something much worse? It’s nice when we have a doctor or medication we can just go pick up and within a few days, we’re feeling all better. We won’t have that luxury in a grid down situation. Medicine shipments won’t be running since most vehicles won’t be running.

The common cold and many other common sicknesses can be deadly if not treated. It’s not difficult to stockpile medication for common issues. Simply each time you go grocery shopping pick up one or two bottles of medication for common ailments and then grow out to less common ailments. There’s almost nothing worse than watching your child or loved one writhe in pain because they don’t have medicine that would fix their ailment. That’s when people get desperate and go to extreme measures.

Most people don’t realize that medicine is literally growing all around them and is the basis of which synthetic pharmaceutical medicine is made from. Plants, herbs, roots and so on have many medicinal properties. The good news is that these plants either grow year-round or for part of the year and can be harvested. When tinctured they will last indefinitely and are very powerful.

Doctor Patrick Jones has an amazing online herbalist program that is very affordable. It is by far the best education you can get with herbs at the best price. An added bonus is the Doc. Jones is a hilarious guy, so he keeps the lessons interesting and not boring. He also has college degrees in modern medicine to back up what he teaches about herbs.

A black widow bites you, now what? Black widows can be lethal but there’s nowhere to go to get anti-venom. Plantain to the rescue. The common weed that is normally sprayed because it grows so plentifully will literally pull toxins and venoms from the body.

True story: my wife was bitten by a brown recluse spider on her elbow some years ago. Interestingly enough I was working in the Pest Control industry at the time. I knew very well how bad Brown Recluse spider bites can get. I was able to identify very quickly because of the bite. Within hours she had a red line extending from her elbow towards her torso. I had met a lady once who had the same thing happen but on her leg. Her doctor told her that if she hadn’t gone into the hospital sooner to get treated that she most likely would’ve had serious necrosis or possibly passed away. The red line reaching the heart is kind of the no turning back point.

We applied oils and herbs to it to treat it. Sadly, I had to go to work that day and couldn’t stay home to monitor her. I asked her to keep me updated throughout the day which she did. By the time I got home that evening, the red line was completely gone and the redness and swelling from the bite location were mostly gone. By the next day, it was only a scab on her arm.

Natural remedies work but you must know how to use them. Generally, preppers only think about having to stitch up a gunshot wound. That is a very good skill to have but first aid training and long-term medicine use go so much farther than that. Seek out local first aid training and learn how to use local plants for long-term medicine.

Shelter

Short Answer: Have a “Bug In” plan and a “Bug Out” plan and location.

Explained Answer: Too often I hear people say, “I’m never bugging out, I got everything I need here why would I leave?” Then others say, “As soon as the crap hits the fan we’re out of here!” Both have merit, and both need to be planned for.

Simply put, we don’t know what it will be like exactly. If you live in a community where many people are preparedness minded and are already used to helping each other and providing for themselves then bugging in is likely a great plan. Most don’t live in those conditions and need to make sure if they’re bugging in that they can defend their family and preps.

Bugging out is a great option however many lack a location to travel to and set up a safe place. Finding a location to put up the shelter is the first difficult obstacle to come over. Luckily there is public land all over the United States. Technically speaking you could scout out a location that possibly many people don’t know about that you could retreat to and set up camp there. Since it’s public land you don’t have to pay anything to purchase it. The downside is you will most likely find others at some point.

The advantage of bugging in is your shelter is already in place and it’s easier to fortify since it has hard walls. Bugging out is much more difficult since a hard sturdy shelter is hard to come by.

I have yet to see anything better for long-term shelter than the big military tents. These tents range anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000 but are built like tanks. They are designed for years on end usage and can take quite the beating. The downside to them is they are very difficult to set up and should NEVER be set up for the first time after the grid has gone down.

The big military tents are wonderful because they are 18ft x 18ft on the small side and are expandable in 18ft sections. That means it can be as big as you need it to be for your family. They can take serious rain and snow storms as well as serious wind. They are able to have multiple wood-burning stoves in them if necessary and can fit your entire house inside.

Another shelter I have found to be quite useful is the “Airbeam” style tents. There are tents that can be set up by one person within 20 minutes and are 14ft wide by 27ft long. That is big enough to fit a pretty good sized family inside it for a long term. The downside is they are not designed to handle a wood burning stove, altering must be done for that.

It is very important to make sure that you set up your shelter preferably once a year to check for any damage sustained by mice, rot, or anything else. I do not recommend canvas tents because they rot too easily. I have not met a single person who owns and uses their canvas tent that has never had to treat their canvas tent or fix it multiple times.

Waste Treatment

Short Answer: Sanitation is key. Have a place for all waste to go.

Explained Answer: Where does your trash go? Where does your human waste go? What do you do about all the flies landing on the waste and then landing on your food? It’s quite surprising how much waste is created in power outages. Simply with everyone’s fridges and freezers going out and all the food rotting inside will cause serious germs and bacteria to start growing.

Since the trash service won’t be coming to pick up your trash plan on either burning it, composting it or finding another location where it can thrown away from your shelter. Getting rid of waste will reduce critters, bacteria, and stench.

A composting toilet is the best way I have seen to deal with human waste. There’s no need by any means to go purchase the $1,000 composting toilets. The best ones I have seen can be built for about $25 or less. A composting toilet is quite simple. Imagine a bucket with two compartments inside of it and a toilet seat on top. You sit down on the toilet seat and #1 goes into a jug in the front of the bucket and #2 goes into a jug in the back. The #1 and #2 are separated and never come in contact.

The mixing of #1 and #2 is actually what makes it smell so extremely bad so naturally, by keeping them separate, you will reduce the smell. Once you’re done with #2 you place wood shavings or any kind of dry organic material over the top of the #2. This creates a smell barrier, so you don’t even smell the #2.

Buckets can be acquired for free at any grocery store that has a bakery. Go to your bakery and ask if you can have their throw away buckets that had frosting in them. I have never gone to any grocery store where they won’t gladly give you their throw away buckets for free. Simply take them home and wash them out and you’ve got a sturdy large bucket. I prefer the 6-gallon kind because they sit a little taller so it’s easier to sit down on them.

Wood shavings or sawdust can often be obtained for free by talking with a local carpenter. They generally have to bag and throw away their wood shavings and sawdust. You’ll be saving them an extra step by taking it off their hands. A large bag of wood shavings or sawdust will last for weeks using the composting toilet method.

It is key to make sure the dishes you are using are well washed. Have lots of dish soap stored and make sure you’re not washing in dirty water. Many viruses can live for days or weeks on dry dishes, don’t just use the river water and think it’s okay cause it’s drying off before you use the dish again.

Women have it much harder than men when it comes to sanitation. It is very important to consider monthly periods into preparedness and stockpile feminine products. Luckily they are not overly expensive and can easily be stored for long term since they do not degrade.

Communication

Short Answer: Ham Radios

Explained Answer: This is a vital part of preparedness. People do much better with information. You will eventually find others who are well prepared just like you and may either want to work together or have something you need. Learn to use a HAM Radio. It’s best to get your license to use the HAM radio but in emergencies, it is not required.

Communication is also a vital part of security. Example: I need to go to the nearby woods to chop wood to restock my wood supply for my wood burning stove. I plan to be gone for a few hours at least. I have my radio and my wife has hers. While I’m away my wife notices a small group of men in the distance walking towards our house. She radios me and tells me. This gives me enough time to get back and protect my family from would-be marauders.

Example 2: It’s 6 am and the EMP attack just happened. It’s winter and so it doesn’t get light until later in the morning. My mother was going down the stairs when it happened, the lights went off and she tripped and fell down the stairs. My father hears her and radios me for help. Because we have trained to call our family on our own frequency on our HAM radios in the event of an emergency, I get the call and am able to rush over to their house and provide aid.

Being able to talk with family and other preppers will allow you a huge advantage in getting help, helping others and being aware of what’s going on in your area. There could be a moving group of marauders and because of the radio network, you are able to track where they are and be ready for when they come.

True Story: During Hurricane Ike in Houston in 2008 my family was able to HAM radios to help set up a communication network for our part of the city. When FEMA came in to give out food and supplies to people, our HAM radio network was the first to know because one member of the group saw the truck and alerted the group in case they needed extra supplies. Others who were not in the HAM radio network never even know that help had arrived.

Community

Short Answer: Find others who are like-minded and meet often with each other.

Explained Answer: Humans by design are meant to be social. We are meant to co-exist with other humans and help each other. People quite literally go crazy if they stay alone too long, our brains are not designed to only be able to talk to ourselves.

“There’s never one smartest person in the room.” As a prepper and an outdoorsman, I have many skills. I have defense, tracking, survival, water filtration skills and many more. I do not know, however, how to weld, or diagnose many illnesses, or deliver a baby. We can’t do everything on our own. We need a group of people that all have different skill sets and can work together. That means each person or group brings their own preps and can feed, shelter and protect themselves but has more to contribute to a community.

I am part of a preparedness group where I live in Idaho. In our group, we have mechanics, fireman, policeman, welders, farmers, doctors, midwives, security experts, herbalists and so much more. We have purposely created our group for the purpose of helping each other. However, to be a part of the group, requirements are set such as a minimum of 2 years’ worth of food for each member of their family that would be coming to the larger group, water filtration, shelter, clothing etc. Every member of the larger group must bring their own preps as to not drain the preps of another.

It is an invaluable resource to have a community of people who already think like you and want to contribute to a group that they fit into. We meet as often as once a week to discuss preparedness topics and learn from and get to know each other.

You may feel that you don’t know anyone around you that is like minded. Look online for the next preparedness fair coming near you and you will see there are many people who are just like you and want to be better prepared. Start a local Facebook or Instagram page inviting others who are like minded to join together and start preparing together.

Transportation

Short Answer: EMP Proof vehicle, horses, biking, walking.

Explained Answer: This is one of the top questions when it comes to EMP protection, “How do I EMP proof my vehicle?” The easiest answer is to buy a vehicle that doesn’t have any computers or chips in it and you’ve got part of the battle won.

It’s true that most vehicles will most likely stop working in the event of an EMP attack. However, that is determined by how computerized the vehicle is and how close the center of the EMP bomb was to you. The closer to the epicenter of the EMP bomb you are, the higher the voltage is that will affect your vehicle.

At Tech Protect we have options to protect your vehicle when it’s in your garage or parked, contact us for this info.

Let’s say your vehicle did survive the EMP attack and that most others did not. You don’t necessarily want to be one of the few vehicles driving down the road, especially on day 3. By day 3 of the grid being down, the crazies are already out and looking for resources. If you have a vehicle that survives an EMP attack and you need to get to your bugout location it is wise to know backroads and alternate routes.

Without any gas stations working you need to have a stockpile of fuel large enough to get you to your location at least twice. The reason you need twice as much as it takes to get there is there will certainly be obstructions or restrictions that will inhibit you along the way. That must be accounted for to make sure you can make it.

It is important to consider that if you live in snow country that snow may keep you from a location for months on end especially if you have a mountain bugout location.

Plan on needing to walk, a lot. This means you will need shoes and then more shoes. A good pair of broken-in hiking boots is a great way to ensure you can go farther and your feet won’t break down as quickly as they would in tennis shoes or flip-flops.

One resource many people underestimate is a bicycle. A bike is a great way to get from point a to point b with much less effort than walking or running. This also gives you the option to carry some supplies with you by using a bike carriage.

An E-Bike is an even greater asset than a normal bike because they can often go as far as 40 to 50 miles on a single charge. Of course, it is necessary to have a way to charge it like with a solar generator and it needs to be protected from an EMP using a Faraday bag. Keeping the computer and battery in a bag allows it to work after an EMP attack. This is a silent way of travel that can carry easily up to 250lbs including your own body weight. I have personally ridden my E-Bike over 25 miles and still had at least 50% of the battery left.

An E-Bike allows you to have pedal assist meaning it’s doing part of the work or it can do all the work and you simply sit on it while it drives you. You can also use it just like a normal bike where you don’t use the battery at all. It is surprisingly easy to ride and feels like a normal bike when the battery is not being used.

Entertainment

Short Answer: Movies, games, books, whatever takes your mind off hard times

Explained Answer: This is another area that many people underestimate the necessity of. What do you do after a long hard day of work? Take a shower, watch a movie, read a book, play games with family? Whatever it is you need to have a way to de-stress and allow your brain to re-coop.

Stress is quite damaging to the body, we know that already. Luckily right now every day we’re able to de-stress by many different means. Having different forms of entertainment is an important part to psychologically winning when the grid is down. You need to find out what helps you de-stress and prepare to have that after the power is out.

Watching movies is a great way to relax and let your mind be taken to different places with different experiences and people. This means a TV, DVD player, speaker and so on are all needed to be able to watch movies. You’ll obviously need a way to power that as well.

I personally feel that if reading books are what you like then you need an eReader such as a Kindle. A Kindle can hold thousands of books. Especially if you go with the long-lasting battery options it allows you to not even have to worry about recharging it for long periods of time. It would, of course, need to be protected in a Faraday Bag as well, but it can hold valuable information such as training, teaching, and instruction in addition to books for enjoyment.

Banking/Bartering

Short Answer: Money will have no value. Bartering is very dangerous. Prepare now.

Explained Answer: We’ve all heard it, “buy gold and silver for when the dollar collapses!” Yes, there is a reason to have gold and silver, but for an EMP attack, it’s definitely the very bottom of the list. There’s no question that within a few days at the latest paper money will no longer carry any value. Only in some stores now can you even purchase with cash when the power is out. Most major grocery stores will not sell you anything when buying with cash when the power is out.

Gold and silver may be much more valuable after an economic collapse, but you can’t eat it. Many people spend thousands of dollars on silver coins so they will have the ability to barter and trade once the power is out. A silver coin is close to $20 depending on the economy. So if you spend $3,000 on silver coins, you now have $2,500 of liquidable assets. When you sell that silver, if it’s not a lot higher value than when you bought it, you are guaranteed to lose money on it.

So let’s say you bought the silver to hold onto for trading during the grid down situation. You ran out of food so you take your silver to the local bartering area to get more food and trade your silver. Each coin you bought for $20. Now it takes 1 silver coin to purchase 2 loaves of bread. A 10lb can of wheat cost $10 before the grid went down. So now you’re paying twice the price for an item you could’ve easily purchased before.

Do not buy gold and silver until you have every single other prep figured out. Food, ammo, hygiene products, feminine products and so on will all be far more valuable than gold and silver.

“But what about liquor, cigarettes, coffee, and condoms?” The reason bartering is so dangerous is because it makes you a target. Items such as liquor and cigarettes are items of addiction. If someone is addicted to something strong enough their brain literally can’t control that addiction. Therefore, any means will be allowed to fulfill the desire of that addiction. If anyone knows you have those types of items and follows you home will certainly want more for less.

The only reason bartering is recommended in my opinion is for when you have no other option. If you’re out of feminine products and you need them, then you need the option to barter. Bartering should never be a plan since there’s no guarantee that the items you will need will be available. What we do know is that the items you need are available now and they are affordable. Get them now before getting other items to barter with.

Conclusion

In the end, it takes a long while to get all of these preps figured out and completed. You don’t have to complete this overnight. Take it piece by piece. Make sure you have your essential electronics protected in Tech Protect Faraday Bags. Take one step at a time and make sure you get trained in all the different areas talked about.