Anyone have plans to save their pics and important files from an EMP?

[FSUTribe76]

North Korea just threatened us with an EMP which would destroy any electronic files not properly protected. Right now all of my photos and other important files are just in a typical external hard drive. But I'm thinking, I might buy a backup external drive (Costco has some deck of card sized drives with 4 TB of space for $100).

Allegedly old metal ammo cases work well as the first stage you just can't have any of the metal touching it. So you mostly fill it with nonmetal materials to create a nest. Supposedly that ammo case needs to me air tight. Then wrap the external drive in bubble wrap and then wrap it multiple times over the bubble wrap in aluminium foil. Allegedly the key is to have multiple layers of metal shielding where the metal layers do NOT touch.

Seems like a lot of hassle, but I've gotten rid of a lot of paper pics and documents over the years, so it doesn't hurt to have a backup. Especially one that MIGHT survive an EMP blast.

 

[dmm5157]

North Korea just threatened us with an EMP which would destroy any electronic files not properly protected. Right now all of my photos and other important files are just in a typical external hard drive. But I'm thinking, I might buy a backup external drive (Costco has some deck of card sized drives with 4 TB of space for $100).

Allegedly old metal ammo cases work well as the first stage you just can't have any of the metal touching it. So you mostly fill it with nonmetal materials to create a nest. Supposedly that ammo case needs to me air tight. Then wrap the external drive in bubble wrap and then wrap it multiple times over the bubble wrap in aluminium foil. Allegedly the key is to have multiple layers of metal shielding where the metal layers do NOT touch.

Seems like a lot of hassle, but I've gotten rid of a lot of paper pics and documents over the years, so it doesn't hurt to have a backup. Especially one that MIGHT survive an EMP blast.

Hmmm, didn't think traditional hard drives would get effected if they weren't powered up.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Hmmm, didn't think traditional hard drives would get effected if they weren't powered up.

Turning things off somewhat lessens the effects because the EMP will travel along live wires, but if you're close enough to the blast it will destroy even non powered electronics unless they are behind some type of Faraday cage.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Something else to worry about, thanks!

 

[dmm5157]

All our photos are backed up on Dropbox, so if their servers get nuked then i'll lose what we have saved.

Shutterfly was running a promo of printing unlimited 4x6 photos free (if you use their app, and you pay shipping) and I had about 500 photos printed and put in a box from the kiddos. I might do some more of the kid's baby photos. That's about all I care about photos-wise. We have all our wedding photos printed and stored in a box.

 

[fsu1jreed]

Pyongyang isn't going to knock out the electrical grid and cause riots at the supermarket..............the 25kt (estimated) warhead that NK has would only disrupt power in a very localized geographic area.

Jeffrey Lewis, an arms control scholar, wrote in Foreign Policy in 2013, "(the) EMP Commission exposed 37 cars and 18 trucks to EMP effects in a laboratory environment. While EMP advocates claim the results of an EMP attack would be "planes falling from the sky, cars stalling on the roadways, electrical networks failing, food rotting," the actual results were much more modest. Of the 55 vehicles exposed to EMP, six at the highest levels of exposure needed to be restarted. A few more showed "nuisance" damage to electronics, such as blinking dashboard displays."

Now a couple of THERMONUCLEAR bombs would equal a bad day.

 

[Gonolz]

So, in other words, we should protect our external hard drives from destruction by giving them tin foil hats?

 

[FSUTribe76]

So, in other words, we should protect our external hard drives from destruction by giving them tin foil hats?

Yep! At least a backup version. Tinfoil by itself wouldn't be enough to block an EMP but if you place it inside a thicker and solid metal case, wrap it in multiple layers of alumnium foil and make sure there's nonconductive layers between the outside metal and the aluminium foil AND the drive then it should live if you're not directly under the blast.

 

[Nolomite]

Yeah, I drew an awesome picture of a Liger that needs to be preserved

 

[FSUTribe76]

Yeah, I drew an awesome picture of a Liger that needs to be preserved

That is well worth preserving, obviously. Amazing hand drawn artwork needs protecting as does family photos, tax records, deeds, and any medical or legal records those of us in the profession have to maintain for x number of years.

 

[seminole97]

North Korea just threatened us with an EMP which would destroy any electronic files not properly protected. Right now all of my photos and other important files are just in a typical external hard drive. But I'm thinking, I might buy a backup external drive (Costco has some deck of card sized drives with 4 TB of space for $100).

Allegedly old metal ammo cases work well as the first stage you just can't have any of the metal touching it. So you mostly fill it with nonmetal materials to create a nest. Supposedly that ammo case needs to me air tight. Then wrap the external drive in bubble wrap and then wrap it multiple times over the bubble wrap in aluminium foil. Allegedly the key is to have multiple layers of metal shielding where the metal layers do NOT touch.

Seems like a lot of hassle, but I've gotten rid of a lot of paper pics and documents over the years, so it doesn't hurt to have a backup. Especially one that MIGHT survive an EMP blast.

If you think the Norks are actually going to commit suicide by launching an EMP, I would recommend you buy the ammo cans full.

 

[FSUTribe76]

If you think the Norks are actually going to commit suicide by launching an EMP, I would recommend you buy the ammo cans full.

I don't want Goldmom or F4 in here hissing and pointing fingers again about politics so I'll just say it takes two to tango and the Norks may not be the one to take a Cold War, hot.

 

[seminole97]

I don't want Goldmom or F4 in here hissing and pointing fingers again about politics so I'll just say it takes two to tango and the Norks may not be the one to take a Cold War, hot.

If you want to wager on whether or not the US re-ignites hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, I'd like to take the other side of that bet, just need an end date in order to collect.

 

[FSUTribe76]

If you want to wager on whether or not the US re-ignites hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, I'd like to take the other side of that bet, just need an end date in order to collect.

I generally try not to gamble on millions of people dying. But I'm not feeling too good about it.

 

[seminole97]

I generally try not to gamble on millions of people dying. But I'm not feeling too good about it.

I only gamble when I feel confident in the outcome.
Do you let open air slave markets in Libya keep you from sleeping like a baby?
Probably more worthwhile to dwell on real miseries created by imperium than those we can only imagine.

 

[FSU4FUN]

North Korea isn't going to do anything Kim is a total blow hard he would accidentally EMP his own country. Oh wait the lights are already off over there.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

North Korea isn't going to do anything Kim is a total blow hard he would accidentally EMP his own country. Oh wait the lights are already off over there.

That's what I'm hoping for, they light that thing off prematurely and take themselves out.

The ultimate "Hey, hold my beer..." moment.

 

[Phyrst1]

Would a Faraday bag work?

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...qmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_4io82buoc0_e

 

[FSUTribe76]

Would a Faraday bag work?

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...qmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_4io82buoc0_e

This one with the two layers of aluminium looks promising.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00W...5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=faraday+bag

I'm not a nuclear or radiation physicist, but one of the manufacturers suggest that they wouldn't be enough on their own.

http://techprotectbag.com/

"EMP Bags are designed to protect against damaging EMP current. One cannot predict the size, strength, or proximity of an EMP, but by using our bags, electronics should be protected. It is our highest recommendation that you “nest” items inside multiple layers of protection for best results. This can be achieved by double bagging or storing your EMP bags inside a metal container. More layers = more protection."

So I think the best solution may be to get one of those faraday bags small enough to fit inside a metal container of your choosing. The metal ammo cases seem to be well liked by preppers for that first layer of protection because they're cheap but usually have an air tight seal. You just have to remember to put some insulating material between the metal box and the bag.

I do like the idea of using a bag for inner protection instead of duct taping some aluminium foil on like a crazy person. But if I knew an EMP was coming I'd probably put it in multiple layers of metal protection.

 

[RangerNole]

North Korea just threatened us with an EMP which would destroy any electronic files not properly protected. Right now all of my photos and other important files are just in a typical external hard drive. But I'm thinking, I might buy a backup external drive (Costco has some deck of card sized drives with 4 TB of space for $100).

Allegedly old metal ammo cases work well as the first stage you just can't have any of the metal touching it. So you mostly fill it with nonmetal materials to create a nest. Supposedly that ammo case needs to me air tight. Then wrap the external drive in bubble wrap and then wrap it multiple times over the bubble wrap in aluminium foil. Allegedly the key is to have multiple layers of metal shielding where the metal layers do NOT touch.

Seems like a lot of hassle, but I've gotten rid of a lot of paper pics and documents over the years, so it doesn't hurt to have a backup. Especially one that MIGHT survive an EMP blast.

This is really funny.

 

[seminole97]

I do like the idea of using a bag for inner protection instead of duct taping some aluminium foil on like a crazy person. But if I knew an EMP was coming I'd probably put it in multiple layers of metal protection.

If I thought an EMP was imminent (meaning I'm taking actual prep for the event) digital pictures are admittedly way down my list of concerns. *Pictures* of food aren't likely to be high on your list either after a few days...
Like I said, make sure you buy full cans.

 

[FSUTribe76]

If I thought an EMP was imminent (meaning I'm taking actual prep for the event) digital pictures are admittedly way down my list of concerns. *Pictures* of food aren't likely to be high on your list either after a few days...
Like I said, make sure you buy full cans.

If we were talking full scale nuclear war with Russia then yeah you're right. But with North Korea they'd only have the ability to set off a couple and if you're not in the direct blast then yeah...I'd want to keep my pictures and files.

Plus, having a safe backup of your important stuff is a good plan anyways. You never know when something mechanically could break or the Russians hack your stuff.

 

[goldmom]

I don't want Goldmom or F4 in here hissing and pointing fingers again about politics so I'll just say it takes two to tango and the Norks may not be the one to take a Cold War, hot.

Hissing? Sh!t, I must be losing my touch. Hissing is for amateurs.