Jodie Weston
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Of all of the reasons to prepare, one that we all need to take seriously is the possibility of a catastrophic EMP, or electromagnetic pulse. This is a frequent topic in many post-apocalyptic novels and something that most of us are aware of, even if we do not completely understand the science.
As I wrote way back when in the article Prepping for an EMP and Solar Flares:
To be blunt about it, an EMP, if large enough, would affect the entire planet. In an instant, civilization as we know it would change as we get swept backward in time by a century or two.
Understanding the risks of an EMP goes hand in hand with threats of a cyber-attack since there is a cause and effect relationship between the two. In this article I want to accomplish a few things:
Explain EMPs and the risks in simple, easy-to-understand language
Give you instructions to build a simple Faraday cage to protect your electronic equipment.
Provide a list of items to put inside your Faraday cage
What is an EMP?
An electromagnetic pulse or EMP, is an abrupt burst of electromagnetic radiation. EMP energy can be very powerful. Let’s explain that a little better.
To start with, an EMP is caused by certain types of high energy explosions. An explosion from nuclear weapons, for example, will surely cause an EMP. Likewise, an EMP can be the result of a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field. Or, as I have mentioned before, it can be the result of Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from solar activity. But perhaps most sobering of all, is the possibility of a man-made EMP weapon that is purposely deployed in order to wreak devastation on our planet. Scary stuff.
Regardless of the trigger, an EMP can be devastating to the power grid, resulting in rapidly changing electrical fields that will create fluctuating electrical currents and wild voltage surges. Bottom line? The electronic gizmos we have come to rely on would be toast. The microchips would be fried or so severely damaged that they would become useless.
So what would life be like following a massive EMP event or episode? There would be no power, no transportation systems, no communication systems, no banking, no internet, and, no surprise, no food and no water delivery systems. This would truly be an End of The World As We Know it situation.
Ask yourself these questions:
What if the power went out and never came back on? Could you fend for yourself?
Could you keep yourself warm in the winter and cool in the summer?
Where would you find food?
What would you use for money if credit cards and ATM’s no longer worked?
How would you get from one place to another without transportation?
How would you wash your clothes?
How would you keep yourself healthy if sanitation systems were no longer functional and medicine could no longer be manufactured.
And the biggest question of all, how would you communicate with the rest of the world?
An electromagnetic pulse could potentially fry the vast majority of all the microchips in the United States. In an instant, nearly all of our electronic devices would be rendered useless.
Back in 2004 the Wall Street Journal wrote:
“No American would necessarily die in the initial attack, but what comes next is potentially catastrophic. The pulse would wipe out most electronics and telecommunications, including the power grid. Millions could die for want of modern medical care or even of starvation since farmers wouldn’t be able to harvest crops and distributors wouldn’t be able to get food to supermarkets. Commissioner Lowell Wood calls EMP attack a “giant continental time machine” that would move us back more than a century in technology to the late 1800s.”
With that introduction, today I would like to introduce you to the Faraday cage, and further, how to build a simple Faraday cage.
The Faraday Cage
In the simplest of terms, a Faraday cage is any shielded enclosure that surrounds your electronic devices and protects them from an EMP blast.
You may have heard Faraday cages referred to as an EMP box or EMP proof box.
Commonly used enclosures include galvanized metal garbage cans, popcorn tins, and even tightly sealed metal filing cabinets. In all cases, the metal container is lined with insulating material to prevent the contents from having contact with the metal. Examples of insulating material are cardboard, Styrofoam, and even carpet scraps.
More elaborate structures can be custom built from sheet metal but for the home user, why bother? As a matter of fact, I suspect that wrapping your devices in plain, ordinary, aluminum foil will work as well.
Factoid: Faraday cages are named after English scientist Michael Faraday, who invented them in 1836.
How Do They Work?
Effective Faraday cages protect what is inside of them from static electric fields. This could be an electron or proton as it is a force field surrounding a charged particle. As your probably already know, electromagnetic radiation is all around us, but it is also what Faraday cages are trying to keep out. Electromagnetic radiation is in microwaves, radio waves, ultraviolet light, and visible light, but when it is in these forms it is not harmful. However, when it is stronger, it can be disruptive and harmful to many electronics, and this is when we need Faraday cages.
When an outside object with an electrical charge gets near the outside of the cage (the conductor, ex: aluminum mesh), the positive and negative particles separate. The electrons that have the opposite charge of the approaching object are drawn to it, and at the same time, the electrons with the same charge are repelled and move away from the external object. This process is called electrostatic induction.
Virtually any type of metal will work as a conductor to build your Faraday cage with. It is usually alright if the cage has small holes in it, as long as they are not too large in comparison to the wavelength of the incoming electromagnetic wave. You can also use an existing metal box to serve as your Faraday cage as long as there aren’t too many large gaps that would allow leakage, so creating a Faraday cage could cost you no money and minimal effort!
What About Using a Microwave Oven?
In my research, I read that a microwave oven, new or used, can be used as an effective Faraday cage. On the surface, that seems logical since, by design, a microwave oven keeps the energy it creates confined to the interior which likewise, should prevent strong electrical pulses from getting back inside.
This was easy enough to test. I put a cell phone inside my microwave oven and tried calling it. It rang. Oops. On the other hand, I wrapped my cell phone in aluminum foil and called it. Nothing. Nada. No Michael Buble ringtone; the call went straight to voicemail.
A foil-wrapped cell phone blocked the cell signal
Granted, cell phones operate at various radio frequencies so while one cell phone may not work, another one will. Still, with this being so easy to test, why chance it?
Testing the Faraday Cage
Aside from calling a cell phone, you can test your homemade Faraday cage by putting a portable radio inside the shield after tuning it to a strong FM station. If you can hear the FM station while the radio is inside your Faraday cage, then you need to go back to square one to ensure your shield is properly sealed.
Sealing your garbage can with duct tape will help tremendously.
A Second (Expert) Opinion
I asked my friend George Ure to comment and to offer his perspective on Faraday cages since EMP preparedness is something he covered in-depth on his subscriber site, Peoplenomics ($40 a year but worth it for the technical information on the many topics he covers.).
He was quick to point out several things about EMPs. The definitive public information is contained In the 2004 Congressional Research Service (CRS) issued a report “High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and High Power Microwave (HPM) Devices: Threat Assessments”. The following diagram shows how an EMP causes the complex systems we rely on to provide everyday essentials for living, to fail in a cascading manner.
So, a quick inspection of the EMP failure modes, George offers, is one way to build a list of items to put in your Faraday cage.
He also told me some personal research he’s done that seems to indicate that about 90% of cars will continue to operate after an EMP event of moderate size. The problem, he points out, is that with an EMP, the grid is likely to fail, and with that, power transformers will likely fail, along with the supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) control systems for railroads, power, water, and other utility distribution.
George’s personal Faraday cage is a 33 gallon garbage can. He considers his metal garbage effective by itself because the metal lid overlaps the can itself by an inch and radio waves don’t like to go around corners, too well. Still, the ultimate prepping device would be a metal garbage can which has the top cover sealed to the bottom of the can with aluminized duct tape such as the type found at Lowes, Home Depot and other hardware stores.
What to Put in the Faraday Cage
The equipment you store in a Faraday cage should encompass those devices that will help you communicate with the world following a devastating loss of the grid. Short-range communications will be critical after an EMP event. A good starting list would include:
Multiple GMRS radios and chargers along with cables to plug in for solar charging.
Multiple 2 meter and 440 MHz ham radios (such as the portable Baofengs), again with charging cables and solar power adapters.
A laptop computer with a fresh battery, a charger, solar adapter, and all the key software on CD so if you need to bring up a fresh copy of the operating system, you’ll have the product key and then any prepping articles or references you might need.
An AM/FM/Shortwave/NOAA Weather radio that includes a solar panel charging mechanism.
High-capacity USB thumb drive holding pertinent financial information including past year tax records, scanned copies of birth certificates, passports, marriage licenses, deeds, vehicle registrations and medical records.
A flashlight or illumination devices to help you see in the dark if the power goes out. Having all of the supplies you will potentially need will make everything much more convenient for you in the event of an EMP attack.
Walkie talkies may also be useful for short distance communications, especially with famuly members. Remember that your cell phone is not something you can rely on during and after an EMP event.
George also recommends simple insulation for your electronics, so that units do not touch each other, He uses low tech insulation: a combination of cardboard and bubble-wrap works well.
Protecting Small Electronics Day to Day
This article would not be complete if I did not mention the availability of small, shielded metalized bags that can be used to provide EMP protection on a daily basis. I am currently testing this type of bag from Mobilsec and am quite impressed. While my phone is in the bag, it reads “no service”.
If a cell signal cannot be detected, I can only assume that an EMP would also not touch it. Good to know and certainly an option, especially for a laptop that could be placed inside a properly sized bag when not being used. Couple the Faraday bag with a solar charging system and if there was an EMP, you would still have a working computer.
One other thing. You may find sources online that say that when a device is turned off, it will not need EMP protection. I reached out to Joel Ho, the developer of the Mobilesec Bagsand asked him about that. Here is what he said:
I’m assuming you are referring to the part about devices being off not needing protection – it’s simplified a bit – essentially, devices that are off are extremely difficult to damage because there’s no existing current to piggyback on.
Imagine that an EMP is a tidal wave. If it approaches a full reservoir (electricity and current) it can keep going. If the reservoir is empty (no juice), the tidal wave loses energy navigating the reservoir.
There are hints of this in the article Electromagnetic Pulse Protection by Jerry Emanuelson.
The major reason [most sources] don’t say “your devices are safe if off” is because most devices are usually still connected to power lines and thus susceptible – but if devices are in EMP bags (which by definition are almost always disconnected as the filters are expensive), AND the devices are off, it is unlikely, given the relatively high FCC shielding regulations to prevent excess energy from bleeding OUT into the environment, that enough can get IN to damage those electronics.
This is NOT true for every device – more like a guideline than a hard 100% rule. Different devices have different levels of built-in shielding – a computer has much more than a $10 Radio Shack timer, for example.
Protecting your credit cards is also something that you can easily take precautions with. There are wallets that are made with RFID-shielding technology (like these). This may seem like something small, but having one less item to worry about in the case of an EMP attack, can save you a ton of stress.
Vehicle Faraday Cage
Keeping a Faraday Cage in your vehicle with you at all times is a necessity because if your vehicle gets disabled by a massive EMP or solar flare, you’ll want to be able to communicate with others in the event that you get stranded.
All you will need in your vehicle Faraday Cage is a spare radio and a spare cell-phone. Having multiple communication devices is a good idea in case one of them has been disabled by the EMP. This can be kept in your glove box or under your seat.
- Chicken Wire Works Well – Chicken wire provides very little protection from EMP in comparison to foil and metal boxes.
- Faraday Cages Must Be Grounded
- All Electrical Devices Will be Taken Out by an EMP Blast – Different nuclear/solar EMp blasts have different frequencies so they won’t all affect the same devices or be able to affect some devices.
- All Modern Vehicles Will Not Work After an Attack
The Final Word
Should a massive EMP occur, stores won’t be open, credit cards won’t work, and the gas you have in your car may be all the gas you’ll ever have for months, or even possibly years. When you think about it, an EMP will become the “Ebola virus of electronics”.
That said, you know that I am not a doom and gloomer. Quite the contrary. I am an optimist to the nth degree. Yet even the optimist is sobered at the ramifications of an EMP and especially at the prospect of a weapon-based EMP. If nothing else, I would like to have a mode of communication following a massive EMP.
Will the DIY Faraday cage work? It is speculation to say for sure. My own research plus my limited understanding of electronics tells me it will, but this premise will remain unproven until an actual EMP event occurs.
The bottom line is that I hope a catastrophic EMP never happens. But if it does, I want to be ready to fend for myself without electronics. Sure, having communication gear and other electronic gizmos in a working Faraday cage will be a wonderful thing. But even if it doesn’t work, the goal of preparedness is to prevail, even if that means living in an off-grid society for weeks, months, or even years.
I would like to acknowledge my pal George Ure for his assistance with this article. His research and first hand experience with Faraday cages, along with his perspective, is appreciated.
Update: Clearly, there are many unanswered questions and that is to be expected. Rather than answer them individually, I will compile the questions and seek answers from individuals whose technical experience and background far exceeds mine. Please leave your questions in the comments area below.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Bargain Bin: Below you will find links to the items related to today’s article.
Behrens 10-Gallon Locking Lid Can: This 10 gallon can would make a perfect Faraday cage from small electronics. The locking lid is a bonus although I would still seal the edges with 2” duct tape. This price, by the way, is less than my local Ace Hardware store. Also available in this larger size 20 Gallon size.
3M Duct Tape: A good quality duct tape is an absolute necessity when sealing your DIY Faraday cage. For slightly less, you can purchase 3M Utility Grade Duct Tape
Midland 36-Mile 50-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radios: These are the handheld radios that I own. There are lots of good uses for the these radios. Handy while hiking, traveling, or simply keeping in touch with your partner while out shopping. Just be aware that getting a 36 mile range out of any handheld FRS radio is a myth.
Pofung/Baofeng UV-5R Ham Two Way Radio: Redundancy is the name of the game. I also have two of these inexpensive HAM radios. Keep in mind that if you are just planning to listen, you do not need a license (I am still working on mine). The price is right. Also consider the NAGOYA Antenna for BAOFENG UV-5R and the USB Programming Cable for Baofeng UV-5R UV-3R+. Note: the Pofung was formerly known as the Baofeng UV-5R).
SunJack Portable Solar Charger: SunJack® helps mobile users stay charged on the go anywhere the sun shines. The SunJack® is able to fully charge its internal battery pack in about 5 hours of direct sunlight, or directly power any USB device. When the sun isn’t shining, users can still energize their devices from the powerful SunJack® battery, which holds enough charge to power up to 4 iPhones.
Kaito Voyager Trek Solar/Crank AM/FM/SW NOAA Weather Radio with 5-LED Flashlight: This simple to operate radio can be powered by three AAA batteries or the built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery which in turn can be charged by hand cranking, by solar panel or even by a PC. . The 7-weather channels are pre-programmed and numbered from 1-7, you can easily and conveniently tune into the stations by adjusting the switch. Note that not all emergency radios include the NOAA weather band so this is an important feature.
Cell Phone Faraday Cage Bag: This is the bag I have been testing. It is also stops hacking and the tracking of your phone. Mobilsec also has a laptop sized Faraday Cage EMP Shield
Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!
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109 Responses to “How to Build a Simple Faraday Cage for EMP Survival”
I experienced the blizzard of 1978 as a kid. No electricity,,, which meant no heat or running water. Dad shut the water off to the house,,, and drained the water lines. Fortunately,,, we had a gas stove… so blankets were hung on the archway going to the bedrooms and bathrooms to close off half of the house. We lived in the living room, dining room, and kitchen… and slept in the living room. We bused everything up in the fridge and freezer first,,, that couldn’t be put outside in the snow. Then we got into the canned goods,,, and mom started Making and baking bread. We melted snow for water for cooking,,, and flushing the toilet. We lasted decently… until power was restored in about a week and a half.
Since then… I usually keep about 3-6 months of canned and dried goods on hand,,, and rotate the stock.
I scanned the above comments,,, and noticed comments about the 1800’s,,, and solar corona events… but no mention of what happened roughly in the 1850’s. PBS had a good show a few months back,,, that described the effects of EMP and solar events… and how it would shut down the power grid.
They also mentioned a solar even happened back in the 1850’s,,, but nobody knew it… because electricity wasn’t used for power until 30 years later,,, so life went on as usual. The solar even covered most of the northern hemisphere,,, alsmost to the equator… and if I remember correctly,,, it lasted for almost 6 months.
My point is… how would any of us know when a solar event would shut us down… AND how would we know when it was again safe to pull our electronics out from our faraday cages? If we pulled them too soon,,, they would get fried anyway. Either way… there would be no heat, gasoline, electricity,,, or other things we take for granted… and it could be a VERY long time until things were restored,,, if EVER.
The best plan is to store up food and ways of growing your own food,,, and have alternative sources for heat and water. If you use a well for water… there are hand pumps that mount on top of the well casing that will pump up to 100 feet or so.
The best plan is to be able to shelter in place,,, and make it through 6 months of diaster… even for the extra necessities needed in nothern climate where winter can be a bear.
Can you put a wood burner in your basement,,, and safely vent it through a window without burning your house down??? Can you section off a portion of your house,,, and shut the water off to unused portions of the house to the pipes dont freeze and burst??? Can you even get water???
To me… the electronics are inconsequential,,, unless things get so bad that you have to bug out. Then all you will need is a running vehicle and a supply of gasoline,,, along with wahtever you can fit in your vehicle. Those should be some of the same things that were used to shelter in place.
Just food for thought……….
While the effects on our lives would be the same between an EMP (from nuclear blasts) and a geomagnetic storm (from CMEs/solar flares), the effects on our electronics is quite different.
EMP is a short pulse of extreme intensity that burns out any unshielded electronics. If you’re at the edge of a pulse then some electronics may survive, but the more wires in them (or antennas) the less chance of the device surviving.
Geomagnetic storms will cause induced currents (large currents in the case of a Carrington style event) which can fry anything with a long antenna, or electronics plugged into the electrical grid (the grid acts like a giant antenna in geomagnetic storms.)
So chances are your car and cellphone will be completely fried by an EMP, but with a geomagnetic storm both will be fine. Of course the grid will probably fry and even if your gear is safe in a cage you better have solar panels and batteries stored in the cages you won’t be able to power those devices for long.
Also, with geomagnetic storms we get at least a few hours of warning, maybe as much as 48 hours prior to an event because there are satellites watching the sun for coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and it takes time for the CME to arrive and start a geomagnetic storm. With enough warning the electrical grid operators may be able to reduce the damage to the grid, so recovery time might be weeks to months rather than years to decades.
EMP events are most likely going to be a complete surprise unless we’re in a shooting war with a nuclear power and then we’d have 15-30 minutes warning, assuming the public gets warned at the same time as the military. But a rogue state with a nuclear satellite could hit us with EMP with no warning. That’s why when Iran put up a satellite I bought a faraday cage, and when NK put up a satellite I bought two more, and taped up two cages after sorting through items that needed periodic charging (which are stored in the third cage.)
I have non-electronic backups for almost everything: lights, cooking, heat, washing, etc. But I store electronics in faraday cages because they can make life so much easier in some cases. (e.g. I’ll run out of lamp oil and candles well before my rechargeable batteries wear out and my solar panels can’t charge them anymore.) I also store LOTS of duplicates in the cages, because if we’re attacked by an EMP, I suspect it won’t be a one time event. So I will take out one radio, one flashlight, one radiation meter and two dosimeters (for when the nuclear plants starting having issues…) and wait for a few weeks before taking anything else out of the cages. Having a galvanized trash can with a tight fitting lid that you seal with aluminum tape is cheap insurance for LED flashlights, radios and small solar battery chargers.
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Amazon has a free survival book dealing specifically with EMP
You can turn your entire house into a Faraday cage. Cover your interior walss ceilings and floors with metal window screening (Do the underside of the floors in your basement or crawl space). Plaster over all the window screening then paint it a color you like . Applying the screening to windows and then covering with gel coat. Do not forget your doors.
73;
KH7LK
Can someone help me here? I am confused about what good an “old cell phone” would be after an EMP, given that you wouldn’t have an account open for an old phone—and even if you did…what functionality would it have if all systems are wiped out?
And along the same lines, if the grid is down, then would a laptop have much value? Anything that you’ve stored in the “Cloud” would be inaccessible, wouldn’t it? And with having to now have paid-subscriptions for Word, Excel, etc–I’ve just read that you would only be able to read your saved documents, but not be able to edit or create new ones. One other question: While in LTS in the Faraday Cage, do you need to recharge the computer & tablet (and all other) batteries on a regular basis in order to keep them from dying? (Sorry I am so technology-stupid!).
Peggy — Once the grid is down, most cell towers only have a day or two worth of backup power before they also would go down. Once those few remaining cellular towers go down, there would be no making phone calls from a cellphone. However, it might be nice to keep a device (old cell phone) with some digital pictures on it. In the case of a nuclear EMP, the cellphone would need stored in a faraday cage to protect its electronics. In the case of a solar CME, only devices plugged into the grid would be damaged. So an old cellphone in a drawer, would still power up if you could find power to charge it.
As far as a laptop or other personal computing device.. I think post-grid-down, their primary utility would be as a library. Provided, that you took the time to download a library into it. You are correct that the Internet and the cloud would be inaccessible. However, anything stored locally would still be usable. If your intention is to store a device like this with a library on it, it is important that you have the correct software on it that is NOT dependent on the Internet or any sort of online service. You may consider looking into OpenOffice or LibreOffice as free Microsoft Office alternatives.
All rechargeable batteries should be stored with a charge on them and should not be allowed to completely drain while in long-term storage. Otherwise, if you let the battery completely drain while in storage, you would find that the battery would not hold a charge very well when you get around to using it. So this would mean any battery you store in a faraday cage should be pulled out every so often to charge back up to a full charge.
I hope this answers your questions!
Just to add a few things. I keep a lot of info stored on my smartphone that wouldn’t be lost in a CME event, only an EMP event. Since I’ve loaded it in preparation for loss of network, it will still be useful as a mini-library (the Kindle app), and I have maps of most of my part of the country on it stored in an offline map program (Maps.me) Initially I got the Kindle app to read the books that the wife and I have been reading on our Kindles, but then I decided to load up a bunch of reference books with info. And the mapping program has been very handy when I drive into Canada where I don’t have a cellular data plan, but as long as the GPS satellites keep working and I can charge my smartphone, I have detailed GPS maps available to me. 🙂
As to batteries, only Lithium type batteries (Lithium ion, Lithium polymer, etc.) that have computer chips need to be stored in a faraday cage. NiMH and NiCd are dumb batteries and will be unaffected by an EMP. So most laptop batteries or battery packs fall into the need to be protected category, but AA and AAA rechargeable batteries are mostly safe. If you have room in your faraday cage, great, but if space is tight, the Enerloop batteries can be stored on a shelf and left out of the cage. Battery chargers, especially solar panel chargers however are sensitive to EMP and definitely need to be protected.
Thanks so very much for your detailed response, Shouden!! I truly appreciate it. Just didn’t see it till now, unfortunately.
I didn’t see any answers to the questions about using dishwashers, refrigerators, ovens, etc, as faraday cages. Generally speaking, your faraday enclosure should have good electrical continuity throughout. The rubber seals used on appliance doors to contain water and air are electrical insulators – so the continuity is lost. This is sometimes an issue even with ammo cans which have a rubber seal to protect against moisture. The paint on some of the appliance may also significantly impact the continuity of the electricity, even if tape is applied around the opening. Best to assume a really easy to use solution will not be a strong solution if a high power EMP hits.
After reading all this, I’m definitely going to get 3 or 4 of those Christmas popcorn cans and
some aluminum tape. I’ll seal my solar charger, Baofeng radios, a tablet with important personal information and pictures on board, and a couple of old cell phones, and a few 64 gb thumb drives with loads of important info and pictures, along with a laptop I just retired. A few of the other items mentioned would also come in handy. Thanks for all the great info!!
In my humble opinion, an EmP attack would be the easiest way for a foreign enemy to “hurt” us here in the U.S.A. Even a relatively small intentional attack perpetrated from the air could affect millions of people. Gotta go get started…
Thank you to ‘someguy on April 9, 2015’ for pointing out the various EMP types. It is SO RARE to see this talked about. Not all EMP’s are equal. While many worry about the EMP generated from man, I’m personally worried about the EMP generated from a Solar CME (Coronal Mass Ejection). With the span of time that these events can span, coupled with the fact that it affects an entire side of the planet, and the fact the planet rotates… it is likely possible for an event to affect more than half the Earth.
I’d love any information regarding how to build a lightweight faraday cage to protect an e-reader (Nook Simple Touch eInk, w/ microSD slot) that will be stored in a get home bag. It *must* be lightweight and still provide access to the device to be able to update the electronic library of books from time to time. A trashcan or even a shoebox is simple too big to stuff into a backpack.
I’d also like to see more information regarding the decible levels of protection from various materials (like foil vs mylar vs EMP bag vs standard electrostatic bag) and how it affects its ability to protect the device inside it. It wasn’t clear to me based on ‘someguy’s post whether if -74db is the goal whether I should be looking at using the foil at -96db or the mylar bag at -45db. As I understand decible readings in sound, the smaller the number the closer to 0 and the louder the noise is. Its unclear to me how that relates to protection from electrical signals as a rating on the EMP bags. Another way to ask it is the foil or the mylar better to use? 🙂
A solar CME based event won’t be like a nuclear EMP. As long as you unplug all your devices and disconnect any antennas they shouldn’t be fried. But if you want to be sure, placing the items inside a decent faraday cage won’t hurt. Plus if there is a nuclear EMP you’ll need that kind of protection.
But now a digression on dB measurements – dB measurements can be for any of a number of things. In most cases people are talking about dB of sound, but in the electromagnetic spectrum, dB of reduction is the standard way of measuring shielding. And fiber optic installations that use long haul lasers sometimes need pads (think sunglasses) that reduce the amount of light at the receiving end and those pads are also measured in dB.
Ok, now that we’ve gotten the professorial mode out of the way, the 74dB for a faraday cage is a kind of minimum if you’re within the footprint of a nuclear EMP event. If you’re at the very edges of the footprint, then your gear may survive with less shielding. But the more shielding the better in most cases since if say Russia or China were trying to fry the USA electronics they may be using an enhanced EMP device in order to fry protected military gear.
Layering faraday cages will increase the protection, but you can get silly about it. The key to layering is having an insulator between the layers – something like cardboard will work fine. For my peace of mind, I wrap my boxed electronics in aluminum foil, then place them in a galvanized steel trash can that is lined with cardboard. I then sealed two of my three cages with the aluminum tape to get maximum protection. The third cage has items that I need to charge periodically, mainly lithium battery packs that my solar panels (also in cages) will recharge after an event – so I felt that peeling off the tape each time I do a recharge cycle was a bit excessive. If international tensions ramp up, then I’ll probably tape up the third cage just in case since the aluminum tape isn’t all that expensive.
In your example, I’d probably look at mylar anti-static bags as a solution. Put the Nook in a paper bag, put that in your smallest mylar bag, tape it shut with aluminum tape, wrap that in another paper bag and put it in a second mylar bag that is taped shut with aluminum tape. You could continue the layering, but obviously each layer adds bulk and weight. But I wouldn’t do less than two layers since mylar bags aren’t as thick as the metal on a trash can and undoing the tape each time you need to recharge the Nook will be a pain in the neck. Actually if you scrounge around, you may be able to find a metal DVD case like the ones used in some special edition DVD editions. Since the nook is small enough to fit in a normal size DVD case that might be a better bet since the metal case will be thicker than the mylar bags. Just make sure you use something like parchment or butchers paper to wrap the Nook before stuffing it inside the case.
I do a lot of reading about a possible EMP event and “moving us back to the 1800s”.
I don’t think that is an accurate statement.
In the 1800s people lived and survived because, for most people, the resources they needed to survive existed in everyday life. Then, they had horses and plows and wagons, candles and lamps, axes and saws, wood stoves, guns, and skills that hardly exist today. They were hardy, resourceful people and could take care of themselves with those tools. A large percentage of the population lived on small farms in the 1800s. The pioneers going west had the basic resources and skills for taking care of themselves for an extended period. More importantly, in the 1800s, the population didn’t have to defend themselves and their possessions against marauding bands of looters as would be the scenario in the aftermath of a modern day EMP event.
The basic tools of the 1800s are only held by some preppers today. Many people think the Amish would fare best in such a scenario. I believe they would, but only if they were willing to fight to keep what they have.
No, most people would be set a lot further back than the 1800s. The tools and skills of that era hardly exist today.