The Threat Of EMP

the danger of emp

There are few things in this world that are guaranteed. in some parts of the world it is a common saying that the only certain things in life is death and taxes. This is true to some extent, but there are many other things that are are certain to some degree.  Sometimes these things are good and sometimes they are not. One thing that has the potential to be quite destructive is an EMP which stands for electromagnetic pulse. This particular force originated in nature coming from common occurrences such as lightning strikes and sun flares.

However, in fairly recent years, the human race has found ways to harness this force and create a weapon of sorts. On any level and from and origin, an EMP has the ability to knock out electronic devices and create problems within the powergrid. The man made version has the potential to be exponentially larger than any EMP found in nature which means that it could knock out all devices within a wide radius, potentially encompassing an entire city or town, possibly even farther. What you will find here is vital information to help you protect your household from a potential EMP strike.

The first thing to understand is that there is really only one way to ensure protection from an EMP and that is to place your essential devices inside of a special container called a Faraday cage. This is a container that was initially designed by the inventor for which it is now named. The materials used and the way they are put together create an impenetrable wall that does not allow any signals in or out of the container. This creates a complete protection from EMPs as well as any other potential electronic threat. This includes any type of signal you can imagine; radio waves, cellular data, bluetooth, WiFi, and every other electronic signal. Your devices are as safe as it is possible for them to be when they are placed inside of a Faraday cage.

There is also a variation of a Faraday cage called a Faraday bag. This is essentially the same thing with the exception of design. The bag variation is made to be used on a daily basis and looks like any type of bag or satchel. Within this variation, there are other variants that are designed a bit differently such as a wallet to protect credit cards from RFID scanners and a small pocket made to hold a key fob.

Within the realm of Faraday cages, there are multiple sizes and shapes depending on what you are storing and your exact needs. Once you know what size and type you need, you have to decide if you are going to purchase your container or build it. There are benefits and downfalls to both options, you only need to determine which option is best for you and your situation. If you have the funds and the ability to do so, it is best to purchase. On the other hand, if you have the time and the know how, build your own. One thing you can be sure of when you build your own container, it will be the exact size and type that you need. However, if you do it wrong, it will fail and the entire endeavour will be pointless. If you decide to purchase, there are many excellent companies available online that sell many varieties of Faraday cages. All you have to do is search for Faraday cages for sale and look for the best company to buy from. While there are many choices, some tend to stand above the rest. One site that you should definitely look into is TechProtectBag.com . If you cannot find what you are looking for there, move on to other options. This site has a multitude of Faraday cages and Faraday bags to choose from, but do not hesitate to compare your options if you are having a hard time deciding.

If, for whatever reason you choose to forgo purchasing your Faraday cage, you can make you own. Building a Faraday cage is a simple process,it should only take about 10 minutes to complete several small containers. It is generally best to make a separate container for each device unless you plan on storing many separate devices. In this case, it is best to make one larger container to hold them all. The first step is choosing which devices to store in a Faraday cage. Since the container will be sealed up until what time an EMP hits and you need to access the devices, it is wise to use extra devices that you do not use on a regular basis.

A popular choice is to purchase cheap devices for the sole purpose of storing them in your Faraday cage. Once you have your devices you will need to gather the remaining supplies that you will need to build your own container. For the sake of argument, let’s assume that you need a larger container to hold multiple devices at one time. For this you will need to start with a galvanised steel trash can. From there you will need to obtain enough cardboard to completely line the interior of the can. There should not be any metal exposed in the interior of the can.

Do not forget to line the inside of the lid as well. Then you will need to wrap each device first in plastic wrap and then in three layers of aluminum foil. There should be no gaps in any of these layers. Once that is done place the devices inside the can ensuring that the foil does not touch the metal of the can. If you prefer to do individual containers, wrap the devices up the same way, but instead of putting them in a can, put each one in its own cardboard box. Then, wrap the box in three or four more layers of aluminum foil. There you have it, your very own, homemade Faraday cage.