EMP proof Bob

So, I've been having a few beers, which got me thinking. My thoughts wandered to an EMP proof bug out bag. I'm not sure if this is something that's feasible, or maybe already commercially available. I talked to my girlfriend about my idea and she believes she can sew it. Here's the idea.

A cell phone wrapped in tin foil/aluminum foil receives no signal. Theoretically this would protect that phone from an EMP. Right?

My thought is to design a bag, with at least 3internal pouches that is canvas. It would have tin foil layered between two layers of canvas. Is this possible? I'm not too informed on faraday cages and would welcome input as to whether or not electronics in the above described bag would survive an EMP event.

mattrow89 said:

So, I've been having a few beers, which got me thinking. My thoughts wandered to an EMP proof bug out bag. I'm not sure if this is something that's feasible, or maybe already commercially available. I talked to my girlfriend about my idea and she believes she can sew it. Here's the idea.

A cell phone wrapped in tin foil/aluminum foil receives no signal. Theoretically this would protect that phone from an EMP. Right?

My thought is to design a bag, with at least 3internal pouches that is canvas. It would have tin foil layered between two layers of canvas. Is this possible? I'm not too informed on faraday cages and would welcome input as to whether or not electronics in the above described bag would survive an EMP event.

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Anything you make or purchase is going to be theoretical regardless of any claims, there is too many variables to give assurances. Just wrap sensitive electronics in tinfoil, tinfoil doesn't offer any better nor worse protection than any other EMP protection given that the protection is a theory in a hypothetical event, just make sure the device doesn't have direct contact with the foil when you wrap it.

try small scale first,make a small canvas pouch,layer it to your specs,see and feel how it looks and feel.

jimLE said:

seems like to me,a cell phone wrapped in tin foil or aluminum foil would not only fail to receive a signal.but will have the ability to get fried by a emp even more so.reason for that,is this.the foil is conductive.in other words.ectricticty flows through it.and so will a emp.

and as for a b.o.b. goes.wraping it in foil or wire mess of some kind.and only thing i can think of at makeing that work.is if it's grounded in some way.like,a wire going from it,to a copper rod thats driven into the ground

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In hindsight you are correct though EMP doesn't work that way, tinfoil acts the same as a faraday cage, like the cage tinfoil cancels the conductor meaning no electrical gradient across any two points (basic electrodynamics in a nutshell)

Yea, I think people have lined trash cans with card board and it supposedly makes a better faraday cage than just the can. Maybe implement something like that into it. Will need to think on this good cause obviously I want to keep the weight down.

The bag would be for my girlfriend so she can keep one of those GPS units that let's you load and save routes in it. She can't read a map to save her life, which in a SHTF situation it could cost her her life so I wanna make sure she has the GPS. And theoretically satellites would still be functional after an EMP, at least for a little while lol.

Most EMP bombs are exploded 200/250 miles above earth disrupting if not knocking out satellites, I don't think a GPS would be of much use, it's a good idea to have hard copies of these maps, also, depending of the intensity a geomagnetic storm can knock out our satellites thus never depend on electronics

Yea, maybe I'll just make her work on learning to read maps better lol. I feel like all satellites wouldn't be knocked out though. I'd imagine a few would be " shielded" ny the earth so those on the opposite side may survive or be pushed into a degrading orbit.

There would need to be some kind of insulator between the inside of the pack and the metal. Foil isn't very strong but maybe Mylar? I think it would end up being expensive in the end and would have a very limited market...

Or, just keep your BOB in your car, but in a metal box lined with cardboard. Problem solved.

I’ve been doing a bit of research on Faraday cages and most of it seems to support simply wrapping the item completely with aluminum foil, as long as the item is protected from contacting the foil. Like Maverick said (basic electrodynamics in a nutshell)

I have actually made a couple of prototype Faraday pouches using duct tape and heavy-duty aluminum foil. Don’t need to line entire bag just needs to be big enough to enclose the electronics. They are light and cheap to make. I can’t get any cell phones to work in them so theoretically they should protect from EMP.

As with anything EMP, it's all a question of the degree to which something is zapped of course, but there are definitely steps one can take to minimize it. However, you also have to couple such protection with practical application. You want to also be easily able to then grab and use an item, as well as protect it. Not as vital for something you'll ONLY use in an emergency (can stay wrapped up until needed), but important for something that has more common use.

Duct tape and aluminum foil. Cheap, likely effective, and better yet, flexible. Seems like a pretty decent idea.

Run them in a micro wave. If they come out OK then they should be able to handle most EMP's from the sun..