When you look at it in the cold light of truth, every aspect of our civilization is dependent on electronics in some form or another. The problem is that a strategic EMP attack or a massive coronal mass ejection from the sun can do catastrophic damage to our electric grid and most of the devices attached to it.
Just about any solid-state electric device that’s turned on or connected to the grid is vulnerable to an EMP. Just how far away it is, and how strong it is will affect just how badly damaged the device is. Regardless the effects on the power grid will cripple civilization for at least 3 to 5 years.
In the aftermath, there are going to be a lot of desperate people looking for a lot of essential supplies. Knowing what the most sought-after items are after an EMP can help you stock up and prepare for such an event. Some might even put you in a stronger position to trade for things you need.
Basic Survival Supplies
It needs to be said that after an EMP event, basic survival equipment will be among the most sought-after items. Since most people will bug-in for the aftermath of an EMP, this means canned goods, firearms, hunting equipment and water purification equipment.
For the purposes of this article, I’m going to assume you’ve got the basics you need to bug-in at home or a cabin for the time it would take for civilization to rebuild after an EMP. If you’re just starting or you want to improve as much as you can your prepping skills, this is a great guide where you can find a lot of precious information.
Charge Controllers & Inverters
Charge controllers like you’ll find in most solar panel arrays and a lot of power stations are very vulnerable. As are inverters, like the ones you find on some sophisticated generators. So, while the devices connected to them might survive an EMP, you won’t be able to use them without the charge controller or inverter.
Charge controllers are cheap enough that you should already have one in whatever hardened Faraday structure you have. Replacement inverters can vary, but if you have a generator or other sophisticated electrical device that relies on one to turn DC into AC, it’s wise to have a backup.
To mare sure your electronics survive an EMP, you need reliable protection. Wrapping them in this EMP-proof cloth is an easy and effective solution. This material is designed to shield sensitive equipment from electromagnetic pulses, keeping your communication and power generation tools safe and functional when you need them the most. Whether you’re storing radios, solar chargers, or other critical devices, this cloth ensures they’re ready to use when the grid goes down, even as others’ systems fail.
Solar Panels
Even if you have a working generator, it’s going to make a lot of noise, and all that noise is going to tell desperate people nearby that “Hey, that guy’s got power!”
Solar panels are quieter than a tomb, so they won’t get noticed.
If you have enough of them and some rugged batteries, you can store a lot of electricity for things like a ham radio and recharging my beloved Sawzall.
The problem is that an EMP will damage any solar panels that are connected to the grid and can easily damage their wiring. Not to mention frying the charge controller like an egg.
Ideally, you’d have a bunch of solar panels tucked away in hardened storage to pull them out after an EMP. You could even take camping solar panels, disconnected from any relationship with the grid, and leave them unplugged. Then put the charge controller in some type of Faraday structure. This will give you panels to power your essential electronics or to trade for. If you already have solar panels will also be able to make your own generator that powers an entire house for days on end. And the instructions to make one are incredibly easy to follow. You can find everything you need, including the materials you need, right here.
Short Wave Radios
Shortwave radios like the well-known ham radio, and even CBs will be in high demand in the aftermath of an EMP. Any radios connected to the grid will be fried.
So, it stands to reason that short-wave radios will be the primary way that news travels from communities and around the world.
If you’re a dutiful prepper, you’ve likely already got your short-wave radio and the means to power it safely stored away in some sort of Faraday structure. If not, it’s going to be nigh on impossible to trade one away from someone who does.
However, there’s still trade value in access to the radio. If you have one in the post-EMP world, you might be able to trade people simple things for access to news or the chance to contact other communities to learn the fate of far-flung loved ones.
Aluminum Foil, Metal Trash Cans & Mesh Screens
Let’s imagine a scenario where an EMP attack or coronal mass ejection fries a lot of the Northern Hemisphere’s electronics. Then you and people like you manage to fix and/or replace some essential electronics. It’s not going to be easy and will probably take a lot of painstaking trading and learning new fix-it skills.
Once you get that electronic device working again, you’re going to want a way to protect it. This will turn excess aluminum foil, old metal trash cans and mesh screens as a valuable trade commodity.
Antibiotics
After an EMP antibiotics will be highly sought after as infection will quickly become the number one cause of death in the world. Considering it can take 3 to 5 years or more, you want to have antibiotic capsules, and a way to store them in a cool, dry place.
Heat can cause the active ingredients and suspensions to breakdown making your antibiotics useless.
While Cipro is the hot topic broad spectrum antibiotic you hear a lot in the prepper community, the reality is that it’s not going to be as easy to get ahold of in a post-EPM world. As it’s simply not as widespread, nor approved by the FDA for veterinary purposes. Ideally, you’ll want capsules of different types to target specific types of infections.
Amoxicillin is a mild antibiotic that is best for upper respiratory infections and oral conditions like dental abscesses. Veterinarians usually have a ton of this stuff in powdered form, that you can store and rehydrate. It also has a high trade value since it’s a well-known antibiotic frequently prescribed to children.
Metronidazole (Flagyl) or “Metro” is an antibiotic that’s amazing for treating infections of the digestive system and colon. It’s also the go-to antibiotic for people with chronic conditions like cancer who need an antibiotic that isn’t hard on the guts. Rural vets tend to have tons of this stuff. When my last dog was losing his battle with cancer and struggling with colitis they sent me home with a boatload of the stuff.
Doxycycline is a strong sort of “Shotgun” antibiotic that will knock out just about anything but is hard on the guts. It’s the go-to antibiotic for treating tick borne illnesses like Lyme’s disease and anaplasmosis. The nice thing about it is that a little goes a long way, and vets carry a lot of it in capsule form. It’s the sort of thing you can trade at a high value to someone who needs to treat a serious infection fast!
Penicillin Soup is another remedy that will help you when pharmacies won’t be available. This ”soup” works just like an antibiotic, and on top of that, it contains herbs and vitamins that help your immune system fight off the infection. The best part you can make it yourself if you follow this recipe.
Potassium Iodide
In the case of a high altitude EMP attack the radiation effect would be minimal to none. Yet a lower altitude or a ground level nuclear blast that creates an EMP would create a serious wide-spread radiological problem.
In both of these cases, potassium iodide could be useful. You’ll need it for yourself if there’s a radiological event near ground level.
Related: Is the Microwave or the Fridge a Faraday Cage?
In the case of a high altitude EMP radiation won’t be an issue. However, not everyone is going to be aware of that and might be desperately worried about radiation sickness. If you’re a savvy negotiator, you could trade a little of your surplus KI pills to these people for things they have that you need.
It could be a far easier way to get things you desperately need from someone else. Without the use of force!
Popular Types of Ammunition
In the wake of an EMP attack, people will inevitably be looking to arm up for safety and to hunt for their own food. After missing a squirrel the first 15 times, they will start to realize that they don’t have enough ammo to make it through the long-term rebuilding process.
If you’ve done your Burt Gummer best to make sure you’ve always got enough ammo you need for the long-haul, it can be a handy commodity for trade. One could argue that in the aftermath of an EMP, ammo could become a new form of barter currency.
You do have to handle it properly and be wise about who you’re trading it with. I would also limit what you’re willing to trade to small caliber arms. This includes things like 22LR, 9mm, or 2.5-inch shells for .410 shotgun. These are types of ammo that will be sought-after by people will use to hunt for their food, rather than use to turn against you.
Salt
In a world where refrigerators are caput, or the crippled electrical grid can’t supply power to keep a simple fridge running, salt becomes the preserving of choice for many families. During warm summer weather salt can still be used to preserve meat and fish.
It can even be used to preserve vegetables like beans. You can also use salt to regulate bacterial processes for doing things like making sauerkraut to extend the nutritional value of cabbage.
It’s hard to say exactly how much salt you need, but five pounds of salt per person in your family should suffice for a year’s worth of salt preservation. I would also recommend having one point of sodium-nitrate per person for preserving fattier cuts of meat like pork belly and hams.
Fuel Stabilizer
Fuel stabilizer of the most common things savvy people will seek out and trade for after an EMP.
Gasoline and diesel will be needed for vehicles, as well as outdoor equipment like chainsaws and tillers.
Gasoline and diesel fuel are going to need fuel stabilizer additives to keep them viable in long-term storage. Gasoline will only be viable for three to perhaps six months depending on the weather without a stabilizer additive. Diesel fuel will be viable for up to 12 months, but if you’re going to get 18 months of more out of it, you need a diesel-formulated fuel stabilizer.
Insect Repellent & Dewormers
When the power grid goes down, it’s going to take out municipal pumps and water management systems. This is going to lead to a lot more standing water for disease spreading insects like mosquitoes to breed in.
Municipalities that still manage to function won’t be going out of their way to spray insecticides and take measures to limit ticks, mosquitos, and other insects.
The next season after an EMP can easily turn into an insect apocalypse in wet parts of North America and Europe. Insect repellant and long clothes will become must-have items for anyone wanting to get any serious work done outside. Especially farming and subsistence gardening.
Related: EMP Prevention Plan: Why Our Government Has Done Nothing
Poor food storage practices and excess pet waste that isn’t properly disposed of will also increase the number of parasitic worm infections. A broad-based deworming agent like Ivermectin could be a life saver for you, your pets, and livestock.
Heirloom Seeds
To grow your own vegetables and live off the land for the multiple years it takes to recover after an EMP, you’ll need heirloom seeds. A lot of the seeds sold in hardware stores and garden centers are hybrids that don’t have viable seeds to save for the next generation.
The good news is heirloom seeds are more readily available now than even ten or twenty years ago. If you aren’t already gardening with them, you should be. Then you can save the seeds for next year’s garden, with tons available to trade to your desperate neighbors for other things you need. I got mine from here and already planted some on the windowsill and can testify they’re already growing and looking beautiful.
Battery Powered Sawzall (Reciprocating Saw)
You probably saw the heading on this one and did a double take. Here me out on this one. I’m assuming by hook or by crook, you’re going to have a way or find a way to recharge batteries.
Power tools are a great way to save calories while doing work. I honestly believe a basic battery powered Sawzall is the most versatile power tool to prioritize in your arsenal.
Over the last 20 years I’ve used my trusted Sawzall to demo and build a garage. It has helped me butcher hogs and deer quickly when the weather was too warm to take my time with normal knives. I even saved a guy’s life by cutting him out of his camper after a dead tree fell on it during a storm. Then used the Sawzall to cut up the tree for campfire wood. The list goes on.
Ideally, you want a Sawzall with a brushless motor, which is more energy efficient. It costs a little more but lasts so much longer that it will easily pay for itself. A minimum 15 Amp rating will let you do pretty much anything. Then look for one with the highest amp hour rating on the batteries.
Related: What You Should EMP-Proof First
Pay attention to the battery charger. Some so-called “Smart Chargers” with safety features and overcharging protection have circuits in them that will melt like chocolate in the face of a powerful EMP. The battery itself will be fine, but it and the saw will be useless when the charger dies. So, look for one that has an old-fashioned simple battery charger without any sexy marketing features!
If you’re buying a brand-new set of power tools, I would prioritize sticking with one brand that uses the same type of battery as this charger.
Yeast
Technically you can capture yeast from the air and keep it in a culture just like you’d do for sourdough bread.
I’ve done this before, and different areas have native yeasts that create breads with distinctive flavors.
Of course, yeast can be used for more than just making bread. Brewer’s yeast is especially helpful for creating beer and wine from water that might have a slightly questionable bacterial presence. These yeast products can also be highly tradeable commodities.
Kittens
I know kittens aren’t the sort of thing you can actually stock up on in advance. Yet I dare you to try to find a farmer who won’t swear by the value of the barn cats those kittens grow up to be.
The truth is the relationship between human beings and cats goes back to the start of agriculture.
Having cats around kept the rodent population low enough that you could keep grain and live in a home that wasn’t fouled by mouse nests and feces.
After an EMP good barn cats will be extremely valuable as everyone is going to have to become some type of farmer. Everyone will also be storing more food in their homes, which will naturally draw mice.
At the same time, a lot of modern-day cats are lazy, and spayed or neutered. If you have the chance to get some kittens from a good mouser, their offspring will become increasingly valuable to everyone trying to live off the land after an EMP.
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