If you want to survive in the wilderness against all odds, you’ll have to learn how to make use of every single resource that Mother Nature places at your disposal. When it comes to food, that means things that you ordinarily wouldn’t eat in a hundred years.
reindeer moss
Reindeer Moss is a great example. This crunchy, creepy, uh, moss, is… you know what, reindeer moss doesn’t look like moss at all. Exactly what is reindeer moss anyway?
Reindeer Moss isn’t a true moss, but instead a type of lichen, Cladonia rangiferina. Reindeer moss, like all lichens, consists of bacteria living among the growing strands of certain types of fungus, forming a symbiotic organism.
It’s hard to say where reindeer moss first got its name, or its common name that refers to it as moss in the first place. Some folks say it’s called reindeer moss because it looks like reindeer antlers. Others say it is because it’s an important food for caribou, a type of deer.
In any case, it’s not really moss but it’s really edible by people, and can save your life in certain circumstances. There’s a lot more you’ll want to learn about it, so read on below.
Are Moss and Lichens the Same Thing?
No, they are not. Mosses are actually a type of true plant, just on a tiny scale. However, they’re a sort of nonvascular plant, ones that don’t grow any flowers.
Mosses typically look like a blanket or carpet growing across an underlying surface in a dense formation. Basically, they are all leaves and not much else!
Lichens, like reindeer moss, are different though often confused for one another by the uninitiated. Lichens can take the form of either algae or certain types of bacteria that live among the filament structures of different types of fungi.
Sometimes, yeast is another component in this symbiotic relationship that forms a type of composite organism that is functionally more than the sum of its parts.
Ultimately, lichens of any type are not closely related to any type of moss or other plant life. Notably, though, when lichens do grow on plants, usually trees, they don’t parasitize them, using them only as a surface for their own existence.
Do Reindeer Really Eat Reindeer Moss?
Yes, they sure do! Like I said up above, some folks associate the name of reindeer moss with reindeer, or caribou, because they eat it.
It’s not only true, but they eat a ton of the stuff and it is a crucially important foodstuff for them when other kinds of food are scarce or totally non-existent.
And because it’s so important to caribou populations this makes reindeer moss extremely important ecologically and commercially in countries where reindeer are important livestock animals or wildlife.
Can People Safely Eat Reindeer Moss?
Yes, reindeer moss is safe for people to eat but with certain reservations we’ll talk about in a moment. It can provide you with some calories, carbohydrates, and various nutrients though good scientific information on its actual nutritional content is scarce.
The major one is that you must take care not to confuse it with any other kind of plant or fungus because a case of mistaken identity might be fatal if you wind up with a poisonous look-alike.
The presence of dangerous bacteria, if eaten raw, is another major concern, as with all wild-caught or gathered edibles.
Reindeer moss also has a tendency, if not cooked properly, to cause significant indigestion and potentially diarrhea. The chances of this go up in direct proportion to the quantity ingested.
Reindeer Moss Can Be Safely Eaten Raw
Yes, it can be if you are in a real pinch and have no way to boil it or prepare it otherwise. However, you should brace yourself.
Reindeer moss is singularly nasty when eaten raw. It is crunchy and tough at the same time, and invariably has a disgusting ashy, dirty, slimy taste to it. This is especially likely if it is growing on a rotting substrate.
However, if you brave pioneers haven’t described the flavor as woody or mushroom-like in character. The very best that you can hope for is that it just tastes bland and plain.
Can you eat reindeer lichen?
Prepare This Stuff if You Can!
If you have any opportunity in the wild, you should prepare reindeer moss prior to eating it. This will make it safer, by killing harmful bacteria, and also make it taste better or at least taste less offensive.
A traditional method is to boil it for about 30 minutes, and then soak it in cool water several times, periodically changing out the water to leach out any nasty contaminants.
Reindeer moss is also dried and then ground or pounded after boiling to serve as a thickener or ingredient in various kinds of soup, stew, and porridge. You can use it to bulk up other foods and add a little bit of extra nutrients and calories.
Raccoons are a study in contrast. They are among the cutest and most charismatic animals that you’ll see, and certainly some of the peskiest. Raccoons are notorious for taking up residence in and around homes, breaking into stored food and, most annoyingly of all, getting into your trash cans.
a raccoon behind fence
Waking up to strewn trash and rotting food all over your driveway and the side of your house when you have somewhere to be is awful. Plus, it tends to spread disease.
Unfortunately, raccoons won’t stop once they know where they can get an easy meal, so you must take steps to keep them out of your trash cans. It’s easier said than done, but I can promise you success if you use some of these clever methods…
Remove Easy Food Sources
I can’t impress this one on you enough, and it always surprises me because of how often people forget about it.
If you feed any animals outside, be it your dog or cat, or even if you put out bird seed of any kind, you’ve got to take away those foods so raccoons aren’t attracted to them.
I know, you already knew that part, but the problem is that when raccoons show up, more tend to follow in a troop. They will wipe out this easily accessible food, and then spread out looking for more, invariably scenting your trash can.
Tightly Tie Off Bags
Raccoons have an amazing sense of smell. And I mean really extraordinary! They rely on their noses to help them find food, and even the slightest whiff of garbage is enough to draw them in from far and wide.
This is especially likely if you put fresh, appealing leftovers in your can right after dinner time. When the sun starts to go down, the raccoons come out, and they will be prowling for their own dinner!
Your first order of business is to ensure you tightly tie off your trash bags to keep as much of the odor contained as possible. Never dump loose scraps of food in your trash can because it makes it that much stinkier and more attractive to raccoons.
Also, consider using a thicker, heavier-duty bag that won’t allow as much odor to seep out. This is especially important if you know raccoons are in the area but you haven’t been targeted yet. You probably want to keep it that way!
Keep It Clean
One of the most effective ways to keep raccoons at bay, and invariably the one that most folks, including me, want to do as little as possible!
Remember what I said above about how raccoons have an excellent sense of smell and use that to home in on an easy dinner? It’s possible that your trash can, itself, just stinks!
This is especially likely if you throw loose food scraps in there or have dealt with torn-open bags previously. The nastier and more rancid your trash can is, the more likely it is to bring in the raccoons.
The next time your trash is collected, leave the can empty, break out some antibacterial cleaner, dish soap, and a long-handled brush, and clean the thing out with your garden hose.
Chances are it’ll never smell like it is factory-new again, but it doesn’t have to. Improvement is usually enough to help ward off these critters.
Tie it Down
No matter what kind of trash can you have, raccoons will figure out a way to open that lid. Don’t even think about those little snapping closures on the side keeping raccoons out.
If they’ve dealt with them before, they’ll remember, and they can pop them open just as quickly and easily as you can, and then snap the lid off. After that, they feast!
If you need a quick and easy deterrent, use bungee cords, rope, paracord, or something else to simply tie the lid down onto the top of the can.
It’s possible that by slowing raccoons down in this way, they’ll make more noise, which can allow you to run them off or simply prompt them to move on to easier food at your neighbor’s house. Sorry, neighbor!
But, don’t be surprised if this method doesn’t work for long: raccoons are quick to adapt, and can untie or just chew through most kinds of cordage to get to food.
Use Heavy Weights on Top
Another quick, improvised method, and one that can be effective for a longer duration if you don’t mind using a little muscle. Placing heavy weights on top of the lid, be it bricks, cinder blocks, or anything else, can prevent those pests from opening it entirely.
Obviously, this is pretty laborious to deal with yourself and not something you want to subject your family to going through if you have one.
Also, there are a few caveats with this one… If you’re dealing with large, strong raccoons, it isn’t out of the question they can push the weights off the side to then open the lid.
There have also been times when these critters might try to chew directly through the side of a plastic can. It’s happened before!
And, if you’re using multiple, smaller items for the requisite weight, like bricks, they might be able to remove them piecemeal.
Consider this a good option if you need a quick solution while you figure out a better bet.
Lock the Lid
If your trash can is designed for it, or if you can rig something up by drilling a few sets of holes in the lid, you shouldn’t hesitate to lock it down.
This will prevent raccoons and their dexterous little paws from untying cord wraps and figuring out other closure mechanisms. Sounds like overkill, but I promise it’s not.
These little critters are actually pretty clever and good at problem-solving! Just ask anyone who has been dealing with their nighttime visits for a while!
Note that you’ll have to use a real lock of some kind. As long as it is sturdy enough to hold the lid shut and easy for you to pop open, you can use whatever you want.
I use a combination shackle lock that has just a few digits in it so it’s really quick and easy for me to open the can. You can use a keyed padlock if you’d prefer to do that. Just don’t forget to take it off on collection day!
Stake the Can Upright
This is a supplementary method for keeping the raccoons out of your can, but an important one, especially if you’re just tying it off or using heavy weights. Make sure the trash can is parked on as level a surface as possible, and use wooden or metal stakes to help hold it upright so it can’t be knocked over.
This is a shockingly common tactic that raccoons around the country employ. They figure out really quickly that tipping the can over makes the food a lot easier to get, especially those traveling in groups. Much of the time, it will also cause stubborn lids to just pop off on their own.
Keep the can from toppling over, and you’ll go a long way to keeping the trash inside for a change.
Buy a Raccoon-Proof Can
In some areas of the country, raccoons are such an unholy menace that a cottage industry selling raccoon- and wildlife-proof cans has popped up. Engineered to be durable, stable, and absolutely impossible to open unless you are a human, you might want to upgrade sooner rather than later if you’re at your wit’s end.
The downside is that they aren’t available everywhere and tend to be pretty pricey, even compared to regular trash cans of the same size. Plus, they aren’t any good if your trash service mandates a specific size and shape of can for pickup. Do your homework before you buy…
Enclose the Trashcan
Sometimes the best defense is the most direct. If you can lock up or store your trash can somewhere that raccoons simply cannot get to it, the battle will be won even if it’s slightly less convenient for you.
Depending on your home, stashing it in the garage is a great idea, especially if you’re committed to already keeping odors down. An outbuilding like a shed or enclosed carport for a lawn tractor is another good bet.
If raccoons in your area are especially rapacious, don’t hesitate to build a simple enclosure just for the trash can. These simple structures look a little bit like a small outhouse, and if built properly, will absolutely keep raccoons out.
Of course, you’ll have to make sure they can’t open the door or latch, too!
Use Bleach
Bleach has surprising utility in your trash can, and not just for disinfecting it when it gets nasty. Turns out, raccoons, and lots of other animals, are severely put off by the aroma of this stuff.
If you’re being raided night after night, you can splash some bleach inside and around your trash can after dusk to hopefully ward off the little pests. This works especially well in conjunction with some of the other, simpler techniques on our list if you need to buy time.
Just remember that bleach breaks down quickly and will lose its effectiveness, and you also need to take care to ensure that you don’t hurt yourself or plants, or let it mix with other chemicals.
Spray Raccoon Repellent
Sometimes going with a proven product really is your best bet. It’s possible to repel raccoons through various DIY methods, but going with a species-specific repellent can make your life even easier, especially if you have pets and other animals running around.
Using a combination of laboratory-formulated ingredients and natural deterrent fragrances like predator urine, these sprays will send raccoons packing. The downside is that they require periodic reapplication, and they can also be fairly expensive.
Install Motion Lighting
Raccoons are predominantly nocturnal, and they tend to be pretty skittish even if they’re used to living around areas of human habitation.
Lighting them up while they are doing their dirty deeds might spook them and send them skittering off into the shadows. It’s definitely worth a try, and motion-activated convenience or security lighting can be just the ticket.
If you’re handy, these are easy enough to install yourself, or you might just have to reposition your existing exterior lighting or add a motion sensor to it.
The downside is that raccoons get used to it and tend to grow bold very quickly, meaning you’ll still have to fall back onto physical defenses to keep your trash totally contained.
Try a Motion-Activated Sprinkler
One of my personal favorite methods for keeping raccoons off of my trash can and out of the area is the use of a motion-activated sprinkler.
Raccoons, like most prey animals, tend to be pretty skittish and the sudden noise accompanying a blast of water will send them running for the hills much of the time.
It’s great because this is a method that you don’t have to babysit, but if you haven’t guessed already, there is a non-zero chance raccoons might get used to it or even grow to like it.
I know; it’s depressing how adaptable they are. Still, definitely worth a try and also a good option because it won’t cause them any real harm…
There are all kinds of cherished survival myths out there. I grew up hearing them, and the guys that taught them to me probably grew up hearing them. Suck the poison out of a snake bite.
two trees about 4-6 feet apart
You can eat anything that animals eat. Drinking from white water is safer. The sad thing is none of these are true, or good ideas!
If there’s one good thing you can say about the internet, it is that it has made it remarkably easy-to-crush myths. Let’s look at another one, and put it to the true or false test. Does moss only grow on the north side of trees?
No, moss does not only grow on the north side of trees. It can grow on any side of any tree where conditions are ideal.
Myth busted, and with no survivors! Out of all those old-school survival myths I heard growing up, this is the one I most wanted to be true! How convenient would it be if we could just check any given tree for the growth of moss and then know where North is if we’re lost.
Sadly, it just isn’t the case… I’ll tell you more about why down below, along with some other related facts that you can add to your survival skill set.
Where Did the Idea Come From?
I’ve got to admit, this is one of those myths where there really is a grain of truth at the core of it, or I should say a grain of logic.
Moss is a surprisingly delicate plant, one that will only reliably grow when conditions are just right. And those conditions are, generally, that it needs a moist environment, one that isn’t too warm, and one that is shady.
Now, let’s think about solar mechanics for a minute. If the sun basically goes around the Earth at our equator, that means that the sunshine will be shining on the southerly sides of trees most of the time…
Accordingly, that intense heat can scorch moss and also dry up the moisture that it desperately needs to survive.
Here’s another clue: Moss is a nonvascular plant, which means that it cannot draw moisture in its environment. Instead, it only makes use of moisture that moves over it or is already present where it is growing.
So when you think of it that way, if the sun makes the southern sides of trees less favorable for moss, moss will grow on the north side, right?
Not exactly.
Does moss really only grow on the North side of a tree?
Any Forest Canopy Can Create Ideal Conditions for Moss
If you were to conduct that above scenario as a laboratory experiment under controlled and contrived conditions, it would almost certainly pan out that your moss would grow on the Northern surfaces of your trees. But that’s not indicative of the real world, particularly real forests where moss tends to grow.
That’s because of forest canopies, you know, the kind created by trees, can provide plenty of sunlight-blocking shade that will enable moss to grow pretty much anywhere beneath the canopy.
Sure, there are other variables that will affect the likelihood of moss growing and thriving, like the likelihood of moisture to collect in certain places and thin spots allowing more sunlight to come through and reach the forest floor. But that does not override this entirely sensible rule of thumb.
Moss can grow anywhere on a tree as long as those growth conditions are met. Don’t believe me? Just take a look the next time you’re out in the woods.
Do Some Kinds of Moss Only Grow on the North Sides of Trees?
Nope. Another myth, but this one fabricated from whole cloth. I’ve heard it all: it is influenced by mycelium communications, the magnetic poles of the Earth, all kinds of crazy stuff. None of it is true. All kinds of moss will grow on any given side of a tree.
Moss is Only Slightly More Likely to Grow on the North Side of Trees
As I mentioned above, there is a grain of logic to this myth.
Across all locations in the Northern Hemisphere, and across the widest possible variety of conditions and all of the different varieties of moss, it’s somewhat more likely for moss to grow on the north side because the north sides of trees are slightly more likely to support those ideal conditions.
That’s true. The problem is we are talking about a tiny, and I mean tiny, statistical difference. So small that you can’t rely on this marginal difference to inform your determination of what North is. Certainly not for navigation, and not even the northern quadrant of a tree trunk.
In the Southern Hemisphere, Moss is More Likely to Grow on the South Side of Trees!
Worse yet, if we were to head it south of the equator, what do you think would happen to this myth? That’s right, it would be reversed!
Because the sun is shining more often on the northerly sides of trees, the southern side of them becomes the side that is more likely to be ideal for the growth of moss.
But, just like the example I gave in the previous section, this is such a statistically small difference that it’s useless from a survival skill set perspective.
Don’t even try to use it for navigational purposes.
Just Get a Compass!
At the end of the day, moss isn’t something you should rely on in any context, ever, to help you figure out which way is which.
You know what will help you do that? A compass, and that’s why you should get one. A tiny button compass attached to your watch band or in a pocket survival kit will go a long way to keeping you from getting lost in the woods.
Whether you are bugging out, evacuating from a disaster, practicing your escape and evasion routes, or just heading out on a road trip, sometimes you get tired behind the wheel and need to pull over for some shut-eye.
But one thing to consider, and something most people don’t, is whether or not sleeping in your car is illegal. In the wrong circumstances, this could be a really big deal! So what’s the word? Is it legal or illegal to sleep in your vehicle?
It’s generally legal to sleep in your car at the federal and state levels, but some states do have laws on the books that make it illegal to sleep in your car under at least some circumstances. Local laws on the practice also vary considerably.
As a rule of thumb, as long as you are pulled over in an appropriate place and not breaking any other laws, it’s a-okay to sleep in your vehicle. But you should not assume that it is.
If you’re in the wrong town, on the wrong property, or are drawing suspicion, you’ll likely be told to move along or even fined. There’s a whole lot more you need to know on the subject before you catch some Z’s in your car, so keep reading.
Is it Illegal to Sleep in Your Car at the Federal Level?
No, it isn’t. There are no federal laws that make it overtly illegal to sleep in your car or any other vehicle as long as you aren’t breaking any other laws in the process. However, if you are trespassing on Federal Land and catching some shut-eye, you’re still breaking federal law.
Is it Illegal to Sleep in Your Car at the State Level?
In some states, yes, but not in most of them. I should also point out that no state has laws on the books that make it flat-out illegal, no questions asked, to sleep in your vehicle.
It’s the circumstances or places that make sleeping in your vehicle illegal, though, and you’ll have to take the time to check out your state’s laws. More on that in the following sections…
Is it Illegal to Sleep in Your Car in California?
No. Broadly, it is legal to sleep in your vehicle throughout most of California and in most places. However, all state and local laws on trespassing apply, and you must be very sure that you aren’t sleeping on private property without permission.
Also, California has a lot of laws concerning homelessness on the books, and there are many situations where sleeping in your car might fall under the jurisdiction of those homelessness laws, so be sure to check those out too.
Is it Illegal to Sleep in Your Car in Florida?
No, but on a limited basis. Florida has several laws concerning car sleeping but generally, as long as you aren’t violating any parking statutes or parked somewhere you don’t belong or haven’t paid to access, there won’t be a problem.
Note that Florida has prohibitions against camping illegally in state parks and public land, and as a rule, you cannot camp on a beach overnight unless it is a specifically designated campsite.
Is it Illegal to Sleep in Your Car in Missouri?
No. At least, there are no state-level laws against doing so assuming you aren’t breaking any other laws. As always, be mindful of where you’re parking, and do not trespass.
Is it Illegal to Sleep in Your Car in Texas?
No, it isn’t. By and large, it is totally legal to sleep in your car in Texas wherever you happen to be, but you must follow all laws concerning loitering, trespassing, parking, and so on.
Local Laws on Car Sleeping Vary Significantly!
Here’s where things get tricky if you want to sleep in your car. Federal and state laws typically aren’t a problem, but local laws might be.
Many municipalities(see pages 41 to 43), be they at the county or city level, have instituted laws that can affect sleeping in your car under various circumstances.
For instance, you might simply not be allowed to sleep in public at all, or sleep in public after nightfall. That’s the case in Louisville, Kentucky, for instance. Whether or not you are in your car makes no difference.
Likewise, laws on loitering might come into play, as well as laws against prolonged sitting or lying down in public spaces.
There’s just no telling how the interactions of these laws might affect you when it comes to sleeping in your car. The only thing to do is look up all of the relevant laws in the areas where you are living, working, traveling, or visiting.
If you’re in doubt, look for a spot that you know is okay to park to get some shut-eye, but keep in mind that that won’t necessarily protect you from those laws.
Police and Security Personnel Might Not Want You Around
At the end of the day, regardless of where you are and whether or not it is legal, police and private security forces simply might not want you around. If it’s suspicious, drawing the wrong kind of attention or interfering with other people in some way, they might tell you to move along.
Can You Sleep at the Wheel of Your Car?
Yes, though there are likely some state and local laws against this regardless of where you happen to be sleeping.
But, as a rule of thumb, assuming you are pulled over in a safe and permitted spot, there’s nothing wrong with leaning your seat back and catching some shut-eye in the driver’s seat.
Can You Pull Over and Sleep if You Are Tired?
Yes, you can, and especially if you are traveling on the interstate. Pretty much every state has rest stops, welcome centers, and other pull-offs specifically for this occasion.
You should never simply pull over to the side of the highway to get some sleep if there is any way whatsoever to avoid it. Not only is it very dangerous, but it is also likely illegal.
Is it Okay to Sleep at Rest Stops and Welcome Centers?
Absolutely. That’s what they are there for, as mentioned above! If you’re tired or groggy, or just need to head to a spot that you know is safe and permissible for sleeping in your vehicle, they’re a great choice.
Many of them also have around-the-clock security, which is great if you need some extra assurance before you get some shut-eye.
Can You Sleep in Your Car at Camp Sites?
Yes, assuming that vehicles are allowed at the campsite. Car camping has been a popular activity for some years now, and getting more popular all the time. Accordingly, many municipalities, states, and private enterprises have sprung up to enable people to do just that.
The trick is you need to know whether or not your campsite charges money for the reservation. If they do, you’ve got to pay up, or else you can be towed, ticketed, or even have charges pressed against you.
Public campgrounds in state and national parks are a great bet, especially if you want to save money, but you might not be able to stay at them long-term, so check.
Watch Out for Places Where You Shouldn’t Park at All
I hope it would be obvious, but no matter where you are and what the legal synopsis is for car sleeping, there are a few places where you should avoid sleeping at all.
No Parking Signs. Talk about a low-IQ move! If there’s a “no parking” sign, anywhere, and you park there to go to sleep, don’t be surprised if you get hassled by the police, ticketed, or even get your car towed. Please use some common sense!
Metered Spots. Metered spots are a bad idea for car camping, even though you might think that would give you a certain legal claim to the spot since you are paying for it. They tend to be in public areas of high traffic where parking spots are limited, and you snoozing away in your vehicle will quickly draw attention from passersby, meter maids, and law enforcement. Just don’t do it!
Private Property. If you don’t have explicit permission to be there, and be there for a given length of time, don’t risk sleeping on private property. If you get caught, trespassing charges can be substantial, even felony level depending on the state you’re in. Plus, you can be confronted by law enforcement if they get called on you, or just an angry and possibly armed landowner.
Gated / Time-Restricted Lots. Any gated or time-restricted lot that you’re able to get access to will typically have periodic patrols performed by employees, security forces, or law enforcement. It’s tempting to scoot off to an airport lot if you just need some time to rest and be alone, and that’s a valid strategy if you’re traveling long-term or roughing it in your car – but you need to be cautious of parking garages and other facilities.
With vehicles being such a fixture in most folks’ bug-out plans, the idea of the true vehicular bug-out, where you sleep in your car if needed or are forced to evacuate from a disaster, is gaining in popularity. Plus, sometimes, you’re just tired and need to pull over to get a nap in.
dog looking at pick-up truck across flooded road
The issue is that some people assert that cars generate dangerous carbon monoxide gas, and it might affect you if you’re inside it while it’s parked. Is that the truth? Do cars make carbon monoxide gas?
Yes, cars do generate carbon monoxide gas as a byproduct of combustion, but this gas is present in exhaust normally. It can be a health hazard or even deadly if allowed to accumulate inside a sealed cabin or enclosed space.
Much of the time, you don’t have to worry about CO gas coming from your car in normal operation. But in certain circumstances where you are parked, have the windows rolled up, and the engine still running, it could be a threat.
This is something you must watch out for and learn how to mitigate if needed. Keep reading, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.
What is Carbon Monoxide, Exactly? And Is It Dangerous?
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas consisting of a single carbon molecule and a single oxygen molecule. It’s a common byproduct of combustion in all sorts of things that burn, including the fuels we use in our vehicles.
This stuff is absolutely notorious as a silent and truly deadly killer. When inhaled, it blocks oxygen molecules from being absorbed by your body tissues, including your organs.
It’s odorless, colorless, and tasteless, and you often cannot even tell you’re being affected until it’s too late because symptoms don’t always manifest right away.
If you notice you have an unusual headache, feel unusually tired, or nauseous, or start to suffer from memory or cognitive problems, or if anyone around you is having a seizure, you are likely being affected by carbon monoxide. It often kills people while they are asleep, because they simply never wake up as they are poisoned.
The stuff is bad news, and that’s why you must take the issue of staying in your car with the windows rolled up so seriously if the engine is running.
All Vehicles Produce It in Their Exhaust
To be perfectly clear, all common internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles produce carbon monoxide in their exhaust. If it uses an internal combustion engine, carbon monoxide is going to be a byproduct no matter the fuel: gasoline, diesel, propane, coal, alcohol, kerosene, whatever.
Accordingly, no matter what kind of vehicle you’ve got, you must follow the same procedures for staying safe from it.
Being Inside a Vehicle with the Engine Running Can Expose You to CO Gas
If you’re driving down the road normally, or sitting there idling in the open with the windows cracked and the air conditioner or heater running, you have little to fear from carbon monoxide.
That’s because most cars that are in good repair don’t emit very much in a way that can leak into the cabin, and you’re pumping fresh air into the cabin anyway. As long as you get plenty of air, there won’t be a problem.
The hazard starts to increase if the vehicle is not in good repair, has an exhaust leak, is burning rich, or is just a type that emits tons of exhaust gases in normal operation. When you have the windows up and no fresh air moving into the cabin, this is where things start to get dicey…
Exposure Rates Are Much Higher in Deep Water, Snow, or Mud
The most common causes of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in a vehicle are when people have the engine running and are sitting in deep snow, water, mud – anything else that can block up the tailpipe.
This will allow those gases to slowly start creeping into the passenger compartment and poisoning the occupants.
Sure, you might start noticing you feel bad over time, and can crack the windows to let in plenty of fresh air, but if you’re stuck in a bad situation and put your seat back to take a nap, you might not ever wake up.
As long as the tailpipe of your vehicle is clear and the exhaust system and engine are functioning normally, you don’t have much to worry about even with the windows up, but anytime you might be bogged down or snowed in, be alert.
Never Run the Engine Inside an Enclosed Space
One thing you must never, ever do in any vehicle, no matter what kind and no matter what the reason, is run it inside an enclosed space.
If you sit inside a garage, shipping container, or any other structure that will not allow for adequate ventilation and run the engine, the space will fill up very rapidly with deadly gases, and you’ll soon be suffering from CO poisoning.
This is how some people choose to end their own lives, and it’s known to be an effective method for doing so, especially in a small garage that is tightly sealed. It won’t take long for you to be compromised by the CO gas, and then potentially pass out.
From that point, you’re probably done for because this stuff is heavier than air, and tends to accumulate near the floor or ground, meaning folks who succumb to it in such a space are as good as goners.
Never, ever run your vehicle inside any enclosed space for any reason, even in an emergency!
One of the biggest and scariest mega-disasters that can potentially occur in our era is an EMP. An EMP, or electromagnetic pulse, is a massive surge of energy that can overload electrical grids and disable, damage, or destroy electronic components and many of the things we use every day and rely on.
several Motorola walkie-talkies
But EMPs of the magnitude we’re worried about are poorly understood. What we need to know is whether or not the gear we depend on as preppers will work in the aftermath. How about something like walkie-talkies? Will they work post EMP blast?
Possibly. Walkie-talkies might function after an EMP or they might not. It depends on the strength of the EMP, the distance from the source, whether or not the unit is shielded, and if any EMP protective measures like Faraday cages were used.
Contrary to popular belief, the occurrence of an EMP is not a guaranteed “death sentence” for your walkie-talkies…
You might be able to turn them on and get on the air immediately after it happens. Or your EMPs might be fried beyond all hope of repair. It just depends. To help you figure all of this out and make an informed decision, I’ll be telling you a lot more about the risk factors below…
How are Walkie-Talkies Vulnerable to EMPs?
Walkie-talkies are vulnerable to EMPs, and accordingly electromagnetic energy generally, for the same reason that most other electronics are. They need a certain amount of voltage to operate, and if they are overloaded, it can result in damage or even outright destruction of vital components.
Also, the antenna that our handhelds need in order to function at all, including the receiving and the transmission of signals, is potentially a big problem. An Achilles’ heel, if you will.
Basically, the antenna itself can, depending on its design and materials, be damaged by the EMP, but it will also channel that energy into the walkie-talkie, potentially frying it if the event is strong enough.
Factors Influencing Vulnerability to EMPs
There are several things that influence or even determine EMP vulnerability….
The first is how powerful the EMP is. They certainly are not equal in strength! An EMP resulting from a nearby lightning strike might be potent, but it is very brief and highly localized, likely only to cause temporary interference or damage if it is very close or a direct hit.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, EMPs generated by the detonation of a nuclear warhead, a non-nuclear EMP generator weapon, or phenomenally powerful solar events could overload, disable, or destroy electronics, including walkie-talkies, many miles away from the point of origin.
The design of the unit in question also makes a big difference. Good manufacturers that use intelligent design, shield vulnerable components, and choose more resilient materials to build the radios. These higher-end units will be somewhat more resistant to all kinds of EMPs, and might be able to resist low-level or weaker emissions entirely.
Likewise, the presence of any materials or obstacles that could impede or block the electromagnetic energy between the walkie-talkie and the emanation could make a big difference.
Walkie-Talkies on a Charger are Very Vulnerable
More than anything else, your walkie-talkies are likely going to be toast if they are on a charger when the EMP hits.
Basically, the electrical grid will be dangerously overcharged when it occurs, and that current has to go somewhere. Any devices connected to the grid by being plugged in, on a charger, or otherwise hooked up will be overloaded to the point that they might catch fire.
It might be possible to protect walkie-talkies on a charger by using heavy-duty surge protectors for the purpose, but most of these devices aren’t tested in a way that will guarantee protection from the most potent EMP events.
A better bet is to keep your walkie-talkies off the charger and turned off themselves, and keep a supply of charged batteries ready to go, rotating your cells through the charging process so you aren’t risking the walkie-talkies, or all of their batteries, directly.
How Can You Protect Your Walkie-Talkies from an EMP?
You have a couple of good methods for protecting your walkie-talkies, and one of them directly concerns the manufacturer of the units themselves.
For starters, consider the installation of EMP -resistant shielding if your model can make use of it. These devices enable the radios and other systems they protect to withstand a certain amount of energy without being damaged or destroyed.
Basically, they ruggedize your unit against an EMP’s effects.. EMP shielding devices consist of special conductive materials placed around or between vulnerable components that will block or basically redirect the EMP energy from reaching sensitive parts.
However, this shielding is usually only proof against a certain level of energy. It might not save your walkie-talkies from the big one.
Also, you must make sure that your antenna is rated as EMP protective or resistant. This will prevent the antenna itself from being damaged, and also make it less likely that it will channel the destructive current into the body of the walkie-talkie where it can cause havoc.
Lastly, consider keeping your walkie-talkies in a Faraday cage, or Faraday bag. This is a box or bag that’s made from or integrates conductive material on all sides, forming a protective bubble, if you will, around the walkie-talkies.
Once the EMP has subsided, you should be able to remove your walkie-talkies and expect them to work normally.
There is Much Uncertainty About the Most Powerful EMP Events
One last thing to keep in mind, reader. The simple fact of the matter is that there is a whole lot we do not know, not really, about how bad the most powerful EMP events can be. I’m talking stuff like a huge solar storm or a high-altitude nuclear warhead detonation, or the high-altitude deployment of an EMP generator weapon.
Any of those events could dramatically intensify the electromagnetic energy that will be affecting our grid and electronics.
Ultimately, we have a lot of theory to go off of, but precious little experience. And if any governments have done their own testing about the likely effects of these events, they are not telling us, poor civilians.
Your best bet is to go for broke: if you want assurance your walkie-talkies will work in the aftermath, keep them inside a good Faraday cage along with their batteries or power supplies.
The looming threat of a massive EMP has been hanging over the heads of our society, and indeed the world, for some time now.
A 1967 Ford F100 Ranger. This should hold quite nicely against even a powerful EMP!
Caused by unstoppable solar phenomena, nuclear warheads, and specialized weapons, an EMP that’s strong enough could completely disable our society, frying the electrical grid, everything attached to it, and nearly anything that relies on electronic components.
Since pretty much all cars these days depend on computers and other electronics in one way or another, and without them, they just won’t work.
It’s best to plan that an EMP, whatever its source, is going to keep you off the road. But that doesn’t mean it’s got to stay that way.
With the right approach, a little know-how, and some elbow grease, you can repair your car and get it rolling again post-EMP. I’ll tell you what you need to know down below…
Before Going Further: Assess Your Vehicle for Vulnerability
Every vehicle is different. No kidding, right? But practically speaking, what I mean to say is that every make and model of vehicle, from every era of automobiles, relies on more or less electronic equipment in order to function. This alone is a major consideration if you plan on repairing your vehicle post-EMP.
Modern vehicles, and I mean those made in the last 20 years, use tons of computers for even basic functionality, and many won’t operate at all without them.
From ECUs and transmission control modules to body control modules, electronic ignition control, various data lines, tire pressure sensors, and much, much more, there is simply a lot that can go wrong.
Compare this to different cars and trucks from the ’70s or, even better, the ’50s and ’60s, that don’t have one single vulnerable piece of gear on them. Maybe, maybe, a mechanical coil pack could be damaged or destroyed, but by all accounts, even this is uncertain.
Bottom Line:The age of your vehicle, broadly speaking, directly influences its EMP vulnerability. There is an awful lot to go wrong on new cars, and not nearly as much on older vehicles that are more EMP-proof, so to say.
Most Modern Vehicles Might Be More Trouble Than They’re Worth
Consider that if you have a very new car, there might be so much going wrong with it in the aftermath of an EMP that a repair is just not feasible, even if you have the parts on hand, the tools, and the skills to do so.
You might be wrenching on your car so long and running down so much wiring and data lines that the thing is effectively totaled.
Think carefully before you commit to getting ready for the aftermath with your vehicle, and consider getting an older but serviceable “beater” that’s more resistant to this kind of event if you have a very new car.
First Things First: Get a Paper Copy of Your Car’s Repair Manual
Unless you are already a technician with a lot of experience, or you work on your own vehicle and know it intimately inside and out, the very first thing you need to do is get a repair manual for your car.
Especially for us folks who aren’t wrench-turners by trade, this is going to save the day when you need to start pulling parts and changing out fried components.
Haynes is the standard for such manuals, readily available and affordable, so I recommend you get one for the model and year of whatever you drive. Keep it stashed in a safe place with all of your other survival necessities.
But before you do that, review it to get familiar with how big of a job it is to change out those vulnerable electronics we talked about above, and what tools you’ll need to do it.
Get a Malfunction Scanner and Learn How to Use It
Another invaluable item you should have handy for this job is a malfunction scanner. This is that little dongle that technicians plug into your car, typically somewhere under the dashboard or beneath the steering column, to get a code from the car’s computer that will tell them what’s wrong.
These things aren’t that expensive, and you can use them for the exact same purpose. Of course, there is a caveat here: there’s no guarantee that the car’s computer will even be functional under the circumstances, but it’s definitely worth a try.
At any rate, you can use this in the meantime when your car’s check engine light comes on to see what’s gone wrong and then attempt to fix it yourself. Consider this a homework assignment for building your post-EMP resiliency.
Have Spares on Hand for Likely Points of Failure
The trick with an EMP is that, when they are strong enough, they don’t simply disrupt electrical function; they can cause damage or even totally destroy vulnerable systems and components.
Accordingly, you need to have those spares on hand if you want any hope of getting your car back on the road. What spares should you get? It depends completely on your make and model of vehicle. There’s no true standard list for something like this. That’s why it is so important to get your hands dirty and do your homework using a repair manual.
For most cars that are made starting around the early 1980s or a little bit after, this should include some or all of the following components:
Transmission Control Modules (TCM)
The TCM operates a transmission, manages the torque converter, and optimizes performance through the adjustment of shift points. These devices rely increasingly on microprocessors and all sorts of circuits to work, and so are highly vulnerable to EMPs…
Engine Control Units (ECU)
The engine control unit, sometimes referred to as the electronic control unit or electronic control module (ECM), controls the majority of the vehicle’s electronic subsystems related to ignition timing, air intake, fuel injection, and more.
It relies on various sensors, detailed below, to do its job. If this gets knocked out, your engine might malfunction or fail to work at all.
Body Control Modules (BCM)
In more modern vehicles, the body control module is responsible for electronics relating to the interior and exterior of the automobile body, like lighting, windows, alarms, and other secondary or tertiary systems.
It might not be explicitly necessary for the engine and transmission to function, but if it is damaged or destroyed your vehicle might fail to operate normally or at all. Once again, check that manual!
Ignition Controllers
The ignition controller is directly responsible for the intensity and timing of the spark needed to ignite the fuel inside the engine. Depending on the make and model of the vehicle, this controller might be more or less susceptible to an EMP.
Ignition Coils
Coils, found in the coil pack, step up the low voltage from the battery to high voltage for igniting the fuel mix inside the engine cylinders.
These devices vary considerably in design, with older, straightforward mechanical coils being less likely to be impacted by an EMP. Modern vehicles use electronically controlled coil packs that are significantly more vulnerable.
Blowers
This is part of the air conditioner and actually blows hot or cold air into the cabin. Again, not strictly needed for your engine and transmission to operate, but a malfunction might disrupt other systems in kind, so be aware of it.
Various Sensors
Cars use all kinds of sensors distributed throughout the engine and other systems – everything from temperature and airflow to pressure, speed, and more. These sensors will typically communicate with the ECU and sometimes other modules like the TCM.
Faulty sensors might subsequently interfere with these larger and more important components and result in malfunction or a failure to function.
Idle Air Control Motors
The IAC motor manages the idling speed of the engine, and if damaged or destroyed, might cause unpredictable idling speeds or unpreventable stalling.
Fuel Pumps
You probably already know what this part does! Fuel pumps send fuel from the tank to the engine at the necessary pressure. Pretty much all modern ones are electrically controlled.
High- and Low-Speed Data Lines
Don’t forget that the lines themselves going from various sensors to other control modules are themselves directly vulnerable to the high voltage of an EMP. It wouldn’t do to replace an affected component and leave it connected to damaged data lines!
Remember: if an EMP can affect the component and the component is mandatory for your car to work, you must have a good working spare in your possession.
Don’t Worry Over Non-Essential Systems
On the other hand, there are many vulnerable systems on cars that you can get away without having or even attempting to repair.
For instance, digital radios or CD players, electronic tire pressure sensors, and other such things aren’t needed to make the car “go,” and replacing them is strictly optional, or you can wait until life gets back to normal.
That said, it’s imperative that you really understand what can knock your car out…
Something like a multifunction display or instrument cluster might have some sort of failsafe built into it that prevents the car from operating or causes negative interactions with computers and so forth, causing malfunction or even total inoperability. Read that manual, folks!
Keep Your Spare Parts Shielded Until You Need Them
Having the spare parts on hand isn’t enough. If you just have them sitting in the garage or lying around, they might still be damaged or destroyed by the EMP that knocks out your car in the first place! Replacing a broken part with a broken part isn’t going to do you any good!
It might sound crazy, but it makes sense if you understand a little bit about EMP physics: an EMP is an electromagnetic wave, or pulse.
When it contacts conductive material, and particularly electronics, it actually energizes them of its own accord, no power source and no connection to the vehicle needed. For the most vulnerable systems like circuit boards and microchips, this can result in destruction.
For this reason, you must shield those components using a Faraday cage. A Faraday cage is nothing more than a conductive and fully enclosing envelope that can protect vulnerable parts from the effects of an EMP.
You can buy specially produced bags and boxes for the job, or just use something simple like an all-metal trash can with a lid on it. Just be sure to protect your spares if you want to depend on them.
Another thing you can do (if you’re up for the challenge) is to keep your vehicle in parked in a Faraday cage. It isn’t as crazy as you think, and it is possible to make your own if you have space and a little DIY ingenuity. Check out this article for more info.
Before You Start Wrenching: Try to Restart the Car!
One really important thing I need to share with you. If an EMP actually happens and your car shuts off or starts to malfunction, don’t go reaching for those spare parts and your tool bag just yet.
Turn off the car, wait a couple of minutes, then try to turn it back on. There is a precedent, based on testing done by government and private labs (including L-3 and White Sands), showing that some vehicles that wind up knocked out by an EMP may only be temporarily affected.
It’s a long story, and the actual results of the test were naturally affected by government and business interests and furthermore weren’t released to the public, but based on what we do know, it’s worth a try.
If the car doesn’t start again, next disconnect the battery and wait about 5 minutes before reconnecting it and then trying once more to restart the car. Sometimes removing the power source from the vehicle lets everything reset to its nominal state.
Only if these two measures fail should you then get down to the business of attempting diagnosis and parts replacement.
If Vehicle is Inoperative, Check for Codes and Start Replacing Parts Logically
Post-event, if your vehicle unfortunately fails to start, then it’s time to start checking for codes. Plug in your code scanner and see if you can get any codes from the computer.
If so, proceed with the fix and then rescan. If it doesn’t work at all or if the computer itself is fried, you’ll have to rely on your manual.
As a rule of thumb, if your car has an ECU, test and replace the ECU before you do anything else, then proceed logically replacing vital components according to their importance and also how easy they are to reach.
The idea is that you should change out the most important parts that are most likely to sideline your vehicle. Nominally, you should also change them out according to how easy they are to get to, saving the most laborious or difficult for last.
The Better You Know Your Vehicle, the Easier the Job Will Be!
As with all things prepping, hands-on experience makes for light and quick work, and will also save you stress during what is already a scary situation.
You should endeavor to start working on your own vehicle now while times are kind so you can start getting experience.
Do basic maintenance, diagnose it when there’s a problem, and change the part out as you can, accumulating the needed tools slowly and organically if you don’t already have a collection.
This way, when you need to do your own post-EMP repairs, you’ll have the confidence to do it right and quickly the first time.
If you’re a prepper, you are smart to focus on the fundamentals when it comes to survival. That way, no matter what you’re facing, you’ll have the most important bases covered: food, water, shelter, self-defense. We’ve all heard those before, but there’s another survival fundamental that you’ve got to account for: Communications.
communication devices inside bug out bag: a Baofeng HAM radio, walkie-talkies, flashlight and two chemlights
When you are in trouble and need help, need a status update on the situation, or just need to reach the people you care about and check on them or let them know that you’re okay, you’ve got to have communication gear to do it – and gear that will work under the current circumstances!
To help you stay connected and in touch, I’m bringing you a guide on the devices you should consider for your emergency comms needs.
Emergency Radio
Pros: affordable, reliable, portable. Great way to get updates on developing emergencies or severe weather. Usually has added functionality like charging ports, flashlights, etc.
Cons: can only receive, not transmit. Reception greatly limited by antenna.
Communications aren’t always about transmitting. Sometimes you just need to get news about what’s happening and developing situations. That’s where an emergency radio can come in.
Sometimes called survival radios, weather radios, or NOAA radios, these compact, portable units are often powered by a built-in crank dynamo so they don’t have to rely on batteries.
They also feature added functionality in the form of USB charging ports, flashlight, and things like that, giving you a multipurpose tool that has a place in every survival kit.
As mentioned, you won’t be able to reach out to anyone with this, so if that is your prerogative, you need another solution from elsewhere on this list, but you can always make a great case for keeping an emergency radio stashed.
Cell Phone
Pros: ubiquitous, extremely portable, highly versatile. Multiple modes of communication.
Cons: tend to be power-hungry, limited by cellular network or internet connection.
This is the one emergency communications solution that virtually everyone owns these days. And with good reason! Don’t be a survival Luddite and think that your cell phone is going to give up the ghost the moment something bad happens. Chances are, that’s not true….
Cellular networks are surprisingly robust and distributed, and only a real catastrophe or something that knocks out a critical node in the network is likely to put you off the air permanently.
Even better, if you have to you can connect your cell phone to any available Wi-Fi network as a redundant backup for calls and data.
When you consider they can give you GPS capability, email, text, maps, store survival information, provide you with a backup flashlight and a whole lot more, you can make a great case for making your cell phone a mainstay in your survival kit.
Just make sure you keep a power bank and cables or a solar charging kit handy, because these things really burn through their charge during times of heavy use.
Smartwatch
Pros: ultra-compact. Attached to your body so you’re unlikely to lose it.
Cons: most models must be paired with a cell phone in order to place calls and provide other functionality. Standalone models are rarer and more expensive.
One of the hot pieces of tech in our current year is the smartwatch. Offering most, if not all, of the functionality of a typical smartphone right on your wrist, this is as close as it gets to living in the science fiction future as imagined by the 1980s.
The great thing about a smartwatch as an emergency communications device is that it’s attached to your body, literally strapped to you, meaning no matter what happens you’ll probably be able to access it.
If your phone has slid out of reach or you are trapped somewhere, as long as it’s got a connection to your device, you can use it to place a call or send messages.
The downside, obviously, is it needs a phone in the first place to work – unless you invest in a significantly more expensive stand-alone model that’s quite literally a tiny phone itself.
several Motorola walkie-talkies
Walkie-Talkies
Pros: extremely cheap, ubiquitous, easy to use.
Cons: very limited range, prone to interference, gobbles batteries.
Simpler really is better, sometimes. The standard walkie-talkies you can get at any department store, or camping store can do the job of keeping you and one, two, or three people in touch over short distances.
If disaster has struck and you just need to quickly raise a few people in your neighborhood, maybe set up at different intersections watching for trespassers or rescuers, these can do the job and do it cheaply.
The downsides are just as significant as the upsides, though. You get what you pay for, and many walkie-talkies are a little better than glorified toys. Ranges are typically restricted to well under a mile in anything but the most ideal line of sight conditions.
These things also tend to chew through batteries at an alarming rate, meaning you’ll need a significant secondary investment if you want to keep them powered, and you have the additional logistical concern of rotating your batteries.
Consider these an option only if you’re sticking close to one location or conducting close-order convoy operations.
CB Radio
Pros: good performance for the money. Can be installed in a vehicle or carried as a handheld. Easy to set up and use.
Cons: modest range of 1 to 5 mi in good conditions. Extremely clogged airwaves thanks to limited channels.
You can’t even call yourself a trucker if you don’t have a CB radio, and if you live in some parts of the South if you don’t have one your good old boy card will be revoked on sight.
Jokes aside, CB radios have a lot going for them, mainly they have significantly better range compared to those low-end walkie-talkies, and they are versatile. You can carry them on your belt, install them in a vehicle, or have a set installed at your home.
More good news, there’s no licensing required. But that’s also kind of a downside. CB radios are affordable and popular, and they have limited channels, meaning that those airwaves in populated areas are going to be extremely cluttered with traffic.
An excellent all-around choice if you don’t need to reach out across the county or the state.
a Baofeng UV 5R5 HAM radio
Ham Radio
Pros: potentially excellent performance, capable of reaching across regions and nations, even around the world. Versatile.
Cons: can be expensive, requires a legitimate skill set to maximize performance, requires licensing.
Ham radio, a term that basically means amateur radio, constitutes the next step up from CB, and what a step it is!
Ham radios can come in the form of a handheld unit, often called a handy talky to distinguish it from cheaper walkie-talkies, a powerful set installed in a vehicle or a base station that can be installed at your home or another structure…
By making use of otherwise restricted frequencies and being allowed to use far greater power compared to the other radios on our list, you can really reach out if you know your way around radio theory.
Ham operators like to have contests to see who they can talk to around the world, even up in the International Space Station!
Remarkable capability, but you’ll have to get licensed to use it legally, and you can spend a lot of money if you want a very powerful and capable “shack” of your own.
Emergency Locator Beacons
Pros: small, very easy to use, great for getting yourself out of a jam if you are trapped or lost.
Cons: expensive, typically requires subscription service, might not be dependable in major crises with many victims. Only advanced models can send messages.
Emergency locator beacons, sometimes called personal locator beacons or PLBs, are precisely what they sound like.
These small, typically puck-shaped devices or dongles that can clip, strap, or carabiner to your body or a piece of gear can call in the cavalry when you click the button to send a “find me” signal via satellite.
They’ll work anywhere inside the advertised service range, meaning that no matter where you go or what you’re doing, you can have the comfort of knowing that help is only a click away assuming you can survive that long.
On the other hand, they do need a subscription, tend to be expensive themselves, and you might not be able to count on them if you’re in the middle of a major disaster.
If first responders are overwhelmed and rescue vehicles committed, you might be just one of many people crying out for a savior!
GPS
Pros: unbeatable when you need to find your way back to civilization or escape via an alternate route. Can usually send your coordinates to other receiving units or apps.
Cons: not all models can send messages via satellite.
GPS systems have been around for a good long time now. You know them, you love them, and there’s still a good reason to have a dedicated, standalone unit.
The built-in GPS and mapping systems on our phones work great, but they don’t work as well when you start getting away from cellular networks; most rely on them at least partially for precise latitude and longitude readings.
The idea of carrying an extra gadget for navigation alone might be upsetting to some, but if you travel a lot or are planning on a vehicular bug out specifically, they are invaluable.
Nicer models can also beam out your coordinates to other units, people in your network, or even applications that can be picked up by phones, email, and so forth. Some can even send out text messages!
Satellite Phone
Pros: excellent for establishing voice communications from anywhere in the world. Can send text and SOS messages.
Cons: bulky, expensive, requires a monthly subscription.
Satellite phones have long been the choice of communications gear for explorers, backcountry guides, and anyone else who’s going way off the grid. No matter what’s happening, as long as your device isn’t destroyed, you can count on the satellites in orbit being safe. That means you can get in touch with whoever you need at a moment’s notice. This assumes, of course, that their own telecommunications infrastructure is intact.
Downsides are these phones tend to be pretty bulky, though they are smaller than they have ever been today, and they require a monthly subscription in order to function.
Satellite Messenger
Pros: smaller, lighter, and cheaper than a satellite phone. Can reliably send SOS and text messages.
Cons: no voice communication capability.
Think of a satellite messenger as a lighter, leaner, and stripped-down version of a sat phone. Just like the name suggests, these devices send messages in the form of text; they don’t receive calls.
For most of us, this is a good trade-off considering that so much of the world uses text for everything. If you want to save money on the unit itself and that monthly subscription, this can be a great option.
emergency comms gadgets pin
Unless you have actually been living in a remote underground bunker for the past couple of decades, chances are pretty good that you are aware of the existential threat posed by EMPs.
Electromagnetic pulses, whether created by natural solar phenomena or man-made weapon systems of one kind or another, can potentially destroy our electrical grid and fry electronic devices and components in the blink of an eye. Talk about going back to the Stone Age!
That is, an EMP will do that unless your gear is protected inside a Faraday cage, a metallic enclosure that can block the emanations. Speaking of Faraday cages, would something like a shipping container make a good one?
Potentially. Most metal shipping containers are only so-so as designed when used as a Faraday cage since the fit between the doors and the body of the container could allow energy to reach the contents inside. Additional grounding and insulation are also needed to improve efficacy.
I’ve heard it from too many people lately talking about using a bone-stock shipping container as a Faraday cage, one that they can even potentially put vehicles and other large, bulky gear inside to keep it safe.
It’s a great idea, and I applaud the ingenuity, but I want to make them and everyone else aware of the fact that you must upgrade that container before you count on it. Keep reading, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know to do that.
How Does a Faraday Cage Work to Protect Against an EMP?
If you aren’t up to speed on EMPs and countermeasures against them, it’s worth taking a moment to discuss exactly what a Faraday cage is and how it protects gear and goods against the effects of an EMP.
The super short version is that an EMP is just a pulse or wave of electromagnetic energy, however it’s created.
The really powerful ones that we’re worried about, the kind that can implode our nation or even much of the globe, can induce high voltage currents in electrical networks and components, likely overloading them to a catastrophic degree.
A Faraday cage is nothing more than a metal box, cage, enclosure, bag, or wrapper that completely surrounds vulnerable gear and electronics, basically intercepting and blocking that harmful energy to let it dissipate into the ground or another surface.
If you look at it that way, it seems like a shipping container would certainly fit the bill, being made of metal, right?
Well, They Are Metal on All Sides…
Yes, shipping containers are made of metal on all sides, but in our use case that does not qualify them as an effective or certain Faraday cage.
That’s because a Faraday cage must permit absolutely no gaps that could allow the electromagnetic energy of the EMP to get inside. Any breach, any opening, any area that’s too thin or not completely joined, is a very real vulnerability that can destroy the items stored within.
Assuming the shipping container is in good repair, the sides, top, rear, and bottom of the container will certainly fit the bill. The weak point, though, is the doors.
Simply, shipping container doors just don’t fit together and close tightly enough to guarantee that an EMP won’t be able to “squirt” inside.
Simply, it’s a risk, and there’s been no major testing done using shipping containers as Faraday cages. All we have is theory and a precious few known quantities to go off of.
How Can You Improve a Shipping Container for Use as a Faraday Cage?
I don’t say all this to discourage you, and you shouldn’t give up if you want to adapt a shipping container to be used as a Faraday cage. It’s certainly possible!
In fact, some sellers and manufacturers of shipping containers have addressed this question because it comes up so much:
“The most important part of the container cage would be conducting the energy into the ground, so lightning rods on all four corners, at least 8-10′ deep connected to the container with copper wire is vital for success.”
ContainerAuction.com
The manufacturers of these containers say that the first thing you should do is put in a grounding rod on the outside of the container at least one of the corners, and preferably two or more. This will give that powerful current generated by an EMP somewhere to go and reduce the likelihood that it can get inside.
The next thing you’ll need to do is shore up the fit of the doors, making sure they close as tightly as possible and then preferably completely wrapping the seals, seams, and jambs with a conductive foil or mesh to block off those potential gaps…
Do these things, and you’ll probably be able to count on that shipping container as long as it’s in good shape and doesn’t have any breaks or holes in it.
Don’t Let Anything Inside the Container Touch the Walls.
One more thing to keep in mind. How you store the goods inside also makes a difference. Don’t let any of your gear inside touch any of the walls or ceiling. That will allow the electromagnetic energy that hits the skin of the container to jump directly to it and then damage or destroy it.
Easier said than done depending on how tightly you have your container packed.
And though these containers typically have a wood or rubber floor as a rule, I would strongly advise you to give it an extra layer of insulation in the form of foam, fiberglass, or thick rubber on all surfaces.
This will give you yet more assurance that your stuff will survive the event. If you can’t do that, can’t afford it, or just don’t want to go through with it, at least put down some extra insulation on the floor and keep your goods well away from the walls and ceiling.
Remember to protect that door and ground the container as described, and you should be okay.
Today, both World War I and World War II are ancient history. Time moves on fast. But it’s impossible to overstate how deadly and devastating both of those conflicts were, and how much they changed the trajectory of nations and entire cultures ever after.
The T-37 tank monument in the town of Balti, republic of Moldova, to honor the Soviet soldiers fighting in WW2.
After a long post-war period of nominal peace, one punctuated by intermittent smaller-scale warfare, most folks alive have discarded the idea that a true globe-spanning conflict could occur again. But, it seems, many are coming around to the idea.
Tensions are high all over the globe in the wake of the economic and social devastation caused by the pandemic, and its superpowers are once again rattling sabers and moving beyond doing business with proxy states.
World War III is once again on people’s tongues and minds. Is it possible? Who will be involved? Who will start it and most importantly when will it start? We’ll talk about it and look at some possible scenarios in the rest of this article.
How Have Historical World Wars Started?
If you want to predict the future, look to the past. Good advice, and a nice, laconic saying, but the funny thing about history is that it encompasses a whole lot more than you learned in school. That is just our government’s prescribed and sanitized version of history.
The real reasons why the previous world wars started are incredibly complex and varied, and it requires a holistic view of civilizations, politics, and the contextual interactions between all of them.
You probably know off the top of your head that World War I started because Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist…
But arguably, the real reason is that that single event was the small pebble that started an avalanche: the avalanche being an incredibly intricate and Byzantine interplay of alliances and war guarantees between different powers in Europe and beyond.
World War II, what some people call the last truly noble war, was ostensibly started because the Nazis were incredibly evil and intent on exterminating people and taking over much of the world.
The more prosaic reason is because Machiavellian maneuvering instituted between states for influence, land, resources, and political gamesmanship finally culminated in a succession of alliances that eventually sucked half the world into the conflict.
Keep that in mind as you comb through news reports, blogs, and more looking for what might be considered the spark or genesis of World War III; it probably won’t look like any big deal at first.
Accordingly, it’s extremely difficult to predict with any kind of accuracy what the first shot will be, but I will do my best below…
Has World War III Already Started?
There are plenty of folks that argue we are in World War III right now, and have been for some time.
On the back side of the Cold War, superpowers continued to wage war only they did it much as they always had, using proxies, deniable assets, and other, smaller nations as “cat’s paws” to inflict harm on opponents and stymie their political objectives.
At all times, keep in mind that war is just a continuation of politics by other means, and that is a fact however you might feel about it.
Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and going all the way through the 2000s with the Global War on Terror, the whole world has been embroiled in armed conflict for decades on end, without ceasing.
And at its absolute most conservative, the United States has continually had troops, ships, and warplanes engaged in war overseas for two decades at the very least. Doesn’t that qualify as a world war?
I suppose it depends on who you ask, but both World Wars have a hallmark to them that sets them apart from the lesser wars and police actions that followed: Total War.
Total War in this case does not mean scorched earth, although that’s usually a facet of such wars, but it indicates that a belligerent nation has committed the totality of its economy and workforce to the war effort.
It’s not turning out tanks, bombs, shells, and bullets; civilians will be stamping out ration tins, working the mines, or doing any other countless tasks needed to sustain offensive and defensive operations.
Arguably, you’ll know when the big one has arrived when mass conscription has taken place, and the domestic economies of participants are retooled accordingly.
Because most of the big power players have themselves been in a simmering state of conflict for decades now, armament stockpiles are very low, and so wartime and defense industries would have to spin up to accommodate a surge of military projection.
Right now, the citizens of many Western nations believe that a true World War is likely in the next 5 years, 10 years tops. For instance, more than half of British citizens think that World War III is likely.
Possibilities
If we are to look forward into the future and predict the incident, attack, or action that starts WWIII what would it look like from where we stand right now in 2024?
I, and many others, would put our money on the following…
US Implosion, Other Powers Take Advantage
My personal favorite theory for what the creation of World War III will entail involves a US domestic implosion. No, I’m not necessarily saying this means a Red Dawn type of scenario, but it will nonetheless lead to World War. Let me explain…
Whatever you might think about it, there’s no arguing that America, particularly post-World War II, has been seen as the world’s policeman. If America thinks it is good and just, it can go on, but if America thinks it is bad, we intervene.
We come to the aid of countries that need us and we drop the hammer on the evildoers. More than that, our allies in Europe typically look to the United States to hoist the battle standard before they commit their own forces to any endeavor.
With American society in so much upheaval, with battle lines being drawn amongst political sides, state lines, and more, and trust in the government at historic lows, America looks very winded and unsure of itself.
That’s because it is. Let’s not even get into absolutely crushing debt, diminishing trust in the American dollar, and a domestic economy that’s in the toilet.
America herself is a ticking time bomb heading for a domestic implosion. Increasingly, she is looking to foreigners to fill out ranks of the military since her own young men have been categorically called villains by the powers that be and half of society.
Sadly, those are the men you need to willingly believe in the calls to sign up and go to war on your behalf- if you are the government! As of now, they are intent on staying home, and with good reason…
If a conflict that demands America’s attention on the world stage were to break out, and America cannot muster a coherent, effective response, or any real response at all, what her opponents have long suspected will be confirmed: as of now, the American tiger is looking toothless.
Suspecting it is one thing, believing it is another, and knowing it is something else entirely different.
When other superpowers know they can do what they want and America won’t interfere, that will chill NATO and America’s allies elsewhere who might otherwise respond.
America will, in time, get its act together, but by then, it will be pandemonium, and conflicts will begin piecemeal, leading to World War.
Ukraine War Spirals Out of Control
Everybody has their eyes on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia right now.
That’s with good reason, and again, however you might feel about it and whatever the media might be saying about it, this is very much a matter that only concerns Russia, Ukraine, and its neighbors.
For now… Russia would certainly prefer to keep it that way.
But Western powers and much of NATO are intent on throwing gasoline on the fire at all costs, to include shoveling inordinate sums of money into the fight and sending all sorts of sophisticated weaponry to Ukraine.
As described above, this is very much business as usual when it comes to superpowers conducting war between themselves. It’s all cloak and dagger, proxies, and deniability, or else a low level of aid to belligerents that is unlikely to provoke a direct response from the antagonist superpower.
Remember, the goal of the current paradigm of warfare is to get your enemy to overreact and use excessive force in response to antagonism.
Ergo, the onus is on Russia to keep its mettle and put up with these slights and offenses. That’s it.
War itself is much like a fire or an attack dog: Even when mastered, it is unpredictable and has a will of its own. It is unthinkable that meddling from some other country, directly or indirectly, might be a bridge too far for Russia, or vice versa.
If that leads to reprisals, and then counter-reprisals, and on and on, you can easily set the metaphorical pot to boiling over, and the long-since-past Cold War scenarios playing for World War III might get dusted off for real.
Russia Attacks NATO Member
I’m not saying anything about the morality with which Russia is conducting itself, but looking at the situation tactically and strategically, I think Russia has been very smart about their aims in Ukraine.
Considering their direct approach to warfare is brutal, overwhelming force, it would be easy for them to go astray and either overreach or provoke a response from neighboring countries and NATO.
But if Russia decides, or if a Russian commander decides, that they’ve had enough meddling from nearby NATO countries and moves to defend Russia’s interests or Russian troops or assets, you know as well as I do this will be played up in the media for all it is worth: NATO has been attacked, and NATO will answer!
Cynically, wartime and ongoing but low-level regional conflicts are also a great time to achieve tactical and strategic victories on a much smaller scale when uninvolved populations are burned out on war reporting. Historically, this happens all the time!
Done correctly with an eye for timing, countries perpetrating these activities typically get away with it, lost in the shuffle. But not always…
Russia is certainly doing so around the war front right now, and elsewhere, but sometimes little things have unintended consequences, and in this case, those consequences could lead to a bigger war if found out or handled improperly.
China Invades Taiwan
Before the Ukraine war started, remember when everyone was absolutely certain that China was going to invade Taiwan? And, of course, that hasn’t happened. Proved everybody wrong, right? No World War III in sight!
Actually, don’t pawn off that case of MREs just yet: China has been bulking up to attack Taiwan for many years now.
The US military presently believes that China is going to attack Taiwan sometime around 2027. They have certainly given indicators that they are dead serious about it, and I don’t just mean moving around ships, planes, and troops.
China has been stockpiling fuel, oil, food, iron, and other raw necessities. Doing this the whole time while they have been claiming that they are indeed going to invade Taiwan!
Folks, at some point, you’ve just got to believe that the snake rattling its tail is indeed prepared and going to bite.
To me, it looks like a virtual certainty that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is going to occur at some point, and most of the experts and defense installations being off by a handful of years hardly puts that claim to death.
Knowing this, and understanding US defense pacts, relationships, treaties, and alliances in the area, it’s almost entirely certain that we would try and ride to the rescue, but then we have to circle back to my initial premise above: is America in any state to truly render aid?
Regardless, unless the rest of the world can keep its head, never guaranteed, World War III is highly likely should this scenario take place.
Korean War II
The border between North and South Korea is the most heavily defended stretch of land in the world. The bad blood between these two countries goes back decades, and let us not forget that North Korea has a substantial missile stockpile, including plenty of nuclear warheads.
Parsing out the extent of the hostilities between these two nations is an entire series of articles all on its own, but I will say this:
If conflict were to break out properly between these two nations, Seoul, South Korea’s capital, would likely be shelled, bombarded, or even nuked into oblivion, resulting in millions and millions of civilian deaths. It’s just too close to the border for that not to happen.
Naturally, this will bring China and the United States hurtling into the fray, and their allies with them, kicking off a succession of alliances and war declarations that will absolutely plunge the globe headlong into World War III.
Remember: History Occurs Slowly at the Time
Okay, that’s pretty grim stuff to consider! But I must point something out to all of you: when we read about it in books or hear about it on shows, history seems like it takes place pretty quickly.
What I mean by that is that it appears when a bad, inciting incident happens people must have recognized it at the time.
This is a misconception, or you might say it is a “frame of reference failure” on the part of all of us who didn’t live through the era.
The point is that future generations might point to something that has already happened now as the conclusive beginning of World War III, but for all of us, we just don’t know it yet because it hasn’t gone on long enough… or bad enough.
Get Prepared and Stay Prepared Now
No matter where you are placing your bets concerning the start, or probable start, of World War III, it is imperative that you get prepared and stay prepared right now while you have time, opportunity, and resources.
Wars, real ones, big ones, have a nasty habit of stripping unimaginable and ruinous levels of resources away from all participants, one way or the other. And that’s win, lose, or draw.
Once things kick off properly, it will all but certainly be too late for you to lay up a stash of anything you’ll need.
