When The Grid Goes Down: 15 Tips to Get Home Safely Following an EMP Attack

[Spike n Ree]

When The Grid Goes Down: 15 Tips to Get Home Safely Following an EMP Attack

Have a plan already in place: That means to formulate one right now, if you haven’t already done so.

[Oscar Wilde]

"1. Have a plan already in place: That means to formulate one right now, f you haven’t already done so."

".... having just dropped the kids off twenty minutes ago to the swim club."


*poof* ... there went your plan.

O.W.

[grower]

I have a few issues with this list:

1. The one thing I always take in the car if I am more than an hour's walk from home, besides my BOB, is a good pair of walking shoes or boots. If you're going to have to walk, then prepare to walk.
   
2. “A day's worth of water” is probably at least a gallon. No way I'm going to pack a gallon of water in my BOB. I put in one bottled water (16-20 oz.) and something to purify additional water.
   
3. How do you “close the windows and lock the doors” on a car that has no electronics functioning? Not gonna work. Leave the car. Period.
   
4. I take issue with “not walking on the roads.” The first day, most people are going to be confused and anxious, but not aggressive. Hoof it as far and as fast as you can make it that first day. If it takes more than one day to get home, or if you have to go through a bad neighborhood, then – yeah – be more careful. But that first day is probably going to be a free gift to the prepared.

[CaryC]

I have a few issues with this list:

1. The one thing I always take in the car if I am more than an hour's walk from home, besides my BOB, is a good pair of walking shoes or boots. If you're going to have to walk, then prepare to walk.
2. “A day's worth of water” is probably at least a gallon. No way I'm going to pack a gallon of water in my BOB. I put in one bottled water (16-20 oz.) and something to purify additional water.
3. How do you “close the windows and lock the doors” on a car that has no electronics functioning? Not gonna work. Leave the car. Period.
4. I take issue with “not walking on the roads.” The first day, most people are going to be confused and anxious, but not aggressive. Hoof it as far and as fast as you can make it that first day. If it takes more than one day to get home, or if you have to go through a bad neighborhood, then – yeah – be more careful. But that first day is probably going to be a free gift to the prepared.

I'm with ya grower.

Keep a pair of shoes in the car, just for that reason. All around waterproof hiking boots would be best, but mine are close.

Keep two military canteens on a web/tactical belt, and two life straws in the BOB.

I will not be worried about no non-functioning car. Get what I can, and leave it. I'm not humping it back for the gas either.

And you are right on the road business too. First day, will be a time to cover distance, best way is to stay on the road for easier walking. Maybe even the second day, with caution. Then as days go on more caution, less road. Walking 150 ft. off the road drags you down to a crawl. Lots of caution, less distance covered.

For a rough "distance in a day" consider about 20 miles in 12 hours, good conditions, good health, no long stoppage, just breaks, as a rough estimate. I use to work about 17 miles from home. Thought I could cover that in 1 day (12 hours). My grandpa did with a horse and wagon (12 hours). Prepped my BOB for 3 days. Not a lot of food, mostly energy bars, and bullion cubes, just to have something hot to drink/eat over night/morning. Also knew of several ways to the house in case of trouble, bridges down, or choke points etc. including creeks, and RR's.

And in winter I also threw a big heavy coat in the back, and insulated gloves. Most people wear light coats running from a heated car, across the parking lot, to a heated building.

And if it's going to take more than 3 days (72 hours) to get home, better consider a bigger BOB, or caches. Some serious mapping for water, and routes. That's roughly 60 miles, and if you aren't use to walking long distances, AND making camp, you'll cover less distance each day. Exposure can kill you in one day, forget the marauding bands.

[Samuel Adams]

The grid is not going down.

If that was a remote possibility, "they" would never have mentioned it.

No.....prepare instead for ENHANCED technology....ENHANCED convenience.......ENHANCED tracking capabilities.....ENHANCED means by which to (finally, maybe ?) drive the "Bible-believing Christian" out of Babylon and into (what the Beast hopes will be) abject economic desperation.

Got faith ?

[Oscar Wilde]

C'mon Sam, play along will ya?

You're out on the tractor ... no not the diesel, the newer one, the gas one.

You've been in town discussing the "what ifs" of a widespread grid down effect on the community. You're on your way back home, ya feel your hair tingling on the backa your neck then suddenly it jerks to a stop with one final after-fire in the pipe, take it from here ....

O.W.

[Samuel Adams]

I don't have any gas tractors.

I figured they'd be useless after an EMP !!

[CaryC]

I have to say Sam your concept of what's coming is probably right on, Globally.

Which doesn't mean the US will be at the forefront of that movement. It isn't now.

Example: Under Obama he signed either an EO, or a bill, which moved forward a national broadband internet. Maybe even mandatory. We are bringing up the rear on that. Europe did that 15 years ago. Yes, the US does have companies at the fore front of phones and computers. However, some of that is made in China, so they will be continued to be pumped out, even after, or IF, we get EMP'd.

We're behind on going cashless. India is ahead of us in several areas, and in some places over there, they have to truck water in to drink, and forget a bath.

Even if we do get hit, that doesn't mean the rest of the world won't keep right on ticking. We get hit with an EMP. Planes coming from China, and Europe can still fly and even land here. So can ships with dozers to clear the landing strips. Get the rich, the inventors out, start over, replace the burnt out whatevers. I could hike down to Mexico and buy a car, and drive it back to the US and get all the free gas I could syphon. Probably have to be a 4 wheel drive, so I could drive on the shoulder of the road.

In theory us getting hit, might even promote a big leap in more enhanced technology.

So if we get hit, what you propose is most likely to still happen. The US is a very small cog in a very big wheel. Even though we think highly, maybe too highly of ourselves, the world's policeman and all.

Have you ever read the Unabomber's Manifesto? In it he proposes that technology will destroy the world. Ted was/is a genius. Don't agree with his methods of getting the word out. I have not, but have heard that is the gist of his manifesto.

Nevertheless, it's still good to have a BOB on hand for even local emergencies. Have dug into mine for first aid at work, water for the woods, starting fires at deer camp, etc..., and you never know when something big like an earthquake, supervolcano, riots of white supremacy vs black lives matter, car wreck on the highway, that you might get caught in. Where we live if you're first on the scene, and make the 911 call, it will be 20 minutes before an ambulance, or cop, or fireman shows up. Have run out of gas at 2 AM (gas hand broke and misjudged how much was left in tank) and have had to walk 6 miles at near 30 degrees, near froze to death, before cell phones. And just because you have one don't think someone will answer at 2 AM.

NOT having a well equipped BOB, and knowing how to use the stuff in it, can turn an inconvenience, into a tragedy.

[PlumBob]

Although "getting home safely" is definitely a concern, I've always thought that the prospects of an EMP over the United States is not going to set us back to 1900 - not for long.

Let's face it - right here on the Tree, we do have the expertise to rewire alternators and generators. And motors. And fabricate pelton wheels. And appropriate abandoned still-functioning automobiles. And siphon gasoline. And, and, and..... ad infinitum. The ability to invent new stuff will slow to a crawl, yes. The ability to rebuild to something that will sustain us, is already here, known, and practiced by some. 1900 today - 1910 next week - 1935 by the end of the month.

JMVHO

[Meemur]

Not mentioned in the list: take a little time to think before acting.

Rambo types want to grab their guns and Rush! Rush! Rush!

This does not mean fix a three-course lunch and make a detailed To-Do list.

It does mean to take a few minutes to calm yourself and gather information before acting. If the situation warrants walking 20 miles down the freeway to reach home, do it, but think it though first and study the alternatives.

Sometimes staying put is the better option. Sometimes staying put and hiding really well is the best thing to do!

And then there's the "not leaving home in the first place" option under some conditions. We all need to make a living, but keeping a few sick days in reserve so that you can stay home and potentially avoid that 20 mile walk in the first place is something to consider.