EMP Protection: Easy Ways To Shield Your Electronics (2024)

In this EMP Protection guide, we will review the likelihood of an EMP event as well as various ways to protect your essential electronics.

It is also important to understand what an EMP is and how it can occur so that you can fully prepare for one.

You can protect your electronics from EMPs in a variety of ways, including faraday dry bags, dischargers, and even paint. However, each of these EMP protection methods has pros and cons.

Keep reading to learn how you can be prepared for an EMP. Also find a special discount code just for our readers on the best faraday dry bag we have found.

• EMP Protection: How to Protect Essential Electronics
  • What is an EMP?
  • EMP Pulses
  • How Do EMPs Work?
  • Will an EMP Destroy All Electronics?
• The Likelihood of an EMP
• Methods for Protecting Against an EMP
  • 1. Faraday Dry Bags
  • 2. Homemade Faraday Cages
  • 2. EMP Paint
  • 3. Surge Protector
  • 4. Ferrites
• Methods That Don’t Work
  • 1. Microwaves
  • 2. Mylar Bags
• How to Test EMP Protection Methods
• Other Preparation Steps to Take
• What To Do Next

What is an EMP?

There are two main sources of EMPs:

• High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse: Created when a nuclear device detonates hundreds of kilometers above the earth. (Why would someone detonate a nuclear device so high? To create an EMP and spread nuclear radiation.)
• Coronal Mass Ejection: Created by a solar flare. Unpredictable and completely random.

Both of these events would create similar results, as far as your electronics are concerned. However, the first event is a bit more troublesome, as it means you’re being attacked by someone. Plus, you’d also have radiation to contend with, as well as all the other issues that come with a nuclear explosion.

High-Altitude EMPs were first tested in 1962. During this test, a relatively small nuclear device was detonated around 250 miles above the Earth. This small explosion destroyed electrical equipment 898 miles away in Hawaii. Several more tests have occurred since then, including by the Soviet Union.

However, for one of these nuclear devices to hit the US, the country would have to be at war with someone. If someone is attacking US soil, you have bigger problems to worry about than an EMP.

Several nations have also developed “E-bombs.” These devices are non-nuclear but create an EMP like a nuclear device. They reportedly have a smaller area of effect and are deployed in combat situations. However, these weapons aren’t widespread and commonly referred to as “sci-fi weapons.” In other words, the actual risk of these weapons is very low for most people in the US. Therefore, we don’t consider them a serious risk.

Coronal Mass Ejections are normally accompanied by a solar flare. Not all solar flares cause an EMP, and not all solar EMPs are caused by solar flares. Either way, these events are unpredictable.

This sort of threat is the biggest one. Scientists put the threat of a sun-based EMP at around 1% to 3% each year. Those odds are relatively high in the grand scheme of things. Of course, these EMPs vary in size and scope. Some of them may take out the grids of whole countries, while others may just affect towns.

Nuclear explosions will typically follow these phases very closely. However, solar-caused EMPs will be a bit different. For instance, a solar EMP will not cause E1 pulses. After all, the explosion didn’t occur on earth’s surface; it occurred on the sun.

Solar EMPs will have large amounts of E3 fluctuations. They will likely be low-frequency, while nuclear EMPs will occur at both high and low frequencies.

How Do EMPs Work?

No matter where the EMP comes from, they all work the same.

EMPs create bursts of energy that instantly short-circuit electrical equipment, including computers, cars, airplanes, and radios. Streetlights and small devices may even quit working, as well. These bursts of energy affect certain electronics differently, though.

The most susceptible electronics are those with semiconductors. When this electrical energy moves through a semiconductor, it will heat up rapidly. This destroys the semiconductor and surrounding mechanisms, rendering the device destroyed. Practically all modern electronics contain semiconductors, including airplanes, cars, and military equipment.

EMPs can occur at varying frequencies. Therefore, protecting against them can be complex. You have to protect against several different frequencies at once, which is difficult to do with a single method.

Will an EMP Destroy All Electronics?

There are a lot of myths out there involving EMPs. Many preppers online outline doomsday situations where all electronics stop working as soon as the blast hits. However, the reality is much more complicated. Simply put, an EMP has not occurred at large since the world began relying on electronics for practically everything. Therefore, we don’t know exactly what electronics would be affected.

Largely, it will depend on the frequency of the EMP. Very low frequency pulses can move across power lines, allowing it to reach buildings far away. Low-frequency pulses can also penetrate the ground, reaching buried power lines and pipes.

High-frequency EMPs will affect modern computers and other electronic devices. If the pulse is very weak, the computer may just experience software errors for a short time. For instance, you may get a blue screen or loading errors. Some EMPs may be strong enough to damage the computer as a whole, though.

Either way, there is no way to determine which EMP will occur. Therefore, you have to prepare for both scenarios.

As you can see, a solar event is more likely to occur than any other EMP-causing scenario. Therefore, when preparing for an EMP, we recommend assuming that it’s one caused by a solar event. For this reason, the frequency will likely be lower and run through the powerlines. Surge protectors are recommended.

1. Faraday Dry Bags

Faraday cages are the “traditional” method for protecting against an EMP. These work by blocking the pulse from reaching inside the “cage,” protecting the electronics within. Faraday dry bags are the best way to protect small electronic devices. Not only do they protect against EMP damage, but also against water damage. Water damage is more likely anyway, and I love a product that has multiple uses. They are affordable and easy to use, and certainly easier than trying to make something myself.

See Also

3 Easy Ways to Protect Electronics from an Electromagnetic Pulse

The Faraday Dry bags from SLNT are the best ones I have found. I keep my radios, a solar charger, and a GPS device in one at all times. The top rolls up to form a nice bag that is easy to carry

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2. Homemade Faraday Cages

You can also make an equally effective faraday cage at home with aluminum foil and some type of insulator.

To accomplish this, you need a decent amount of aluminum foil and a cloth or paper bag. First, you want to remove any batteries from the device. These may leak, rendering the device useless even if the Faraday cage works. You should also remove any antennas or other pointed parts that may make wrapping challenging. You don’t want the antenna poking through the aluminum foil.

Next, wrap the item in a paper bag or place it in a box. You can also use an envelope for small items. Make sure the device is completely covered, as you don’t want it touching the aluminum foil.

Finally, wrap each device with at least five layers of aluminum foil. For extra protection, you can also place the device in a steel trash can or other metal container. Make sure the lid makes full metal to metal contact with the container. You can use conductive metal tape between the lid and the container to help with this.

Pro Tip: To save aluminum foil and wrapping time, you can place multiple electronics in a singular cardboard box. There is no reason to wrap each device separately. You can use one large “cage.”

2. EMP Paint

As the risk of an EMP increases, several companies and government agencies have set about researching ways to defend against them. One of these newer inventions is EMP paint. This paint acts as a very thin conductor. It’s a lot like the aluminum foil in a Faraday cage – except it’s cheaper and more practical.

One of these potential products is SmartPaint. This paint was tested by the US Air Force Research Laboratory. They found that it worked great for higher frequencies. However, it didn’t work great for low-end frequencies.

Another potential product is Nanotech EMI Armour Paint, which launched recently. However, little independent testing has occurred on this paint, so I find myself a bit skeptical. Purchasing this stuff also seems to be a bit complicated. It isn’t just something you can buy off of Amazon.

I find myself in a middling ground on EMP paint. While it does work at some frequencies, more testing needs to be done to determine if it is effective. While it would be more practical than a faraday cage, EMP paint is new and largely untested.

3. Surge Protector

Surge protectors can potentially protect your home from an EMP. Sadly, we don’t know much about how a large EMP would affect the grid. Because this event has never happened before, we can only theorize about what would happen.

Potentially, if you were outside of the EMP zone, your home may still get a surge of electricity through the powerlines. The EMP surge would run down the lines, hitting your home what could be far away from ground zero. In this situation, a surge protector can be useful. Simply put, they discharge these excessive surges of energy. Having a surge protector on your home is always a good idea, but it may be a key part of EMP protection, too.

There are some surge protectors designed specifically for EMPs. For instance, the EMP Shield falls into this category.

However, surge protectors aren’t a magic bullet for EMPs. They won’t protect everything in your home in all likelihood. Furthermore, we don’t know exactly how they will work against an EMP.

With that said, these protectors will work against solar events, which would be largely low-frequency. Because this scenario is one of the most probable, it makes sense to invest in a surge protector. It may save your home from an EMP surge moving through your power grid.

At the very least, they provide some protection against lightning strikes on your home. I have had a garage door opener and a TV get zapped before from a lightning strike.

4. Ferrites

Ferrite chokes can also be installed onto wires to dampen and slow an EMP. These chokes work great when paired with a surge protector. They won’t provide much protection (probably) if you’re close to where the EMP went off but, they will assist surge protectors to protect from surges within the power lines. Many people use these chokes to protect survival equipment, like solar panels.

Ferrites are very affordable. These devices are often very easy to install, too. Some ferrites are made to simply clip onto wire bundles. Others may simply clip around individual wires. Either way, the process is usually pretty straightforward.

Things only become complicated if you use toroid ferrites, which require feeding wires through the middle. Usually, this sort of ferrite is utilized for solar power generator batteries. However, even in this case, you simply need to disconnect the lead from the battery, feed it through the ferrite, and then reconnect it.

Of course, not all ferrites are made equal. You want a size that fits your cable, though looping a cable through a large ferrite can increase effectiveness.

We recommend clipping ferrites onto all wiring going into sensitive electrical equipment. If you want it to work after an EMP, use a ferrite. However, don’t use them on high-speed lines (like area network cables), as they will slow the speed of the signal. Also, don’t use them in cars.

1. Microwaves

Microwaves do protect against some frequencies, namely the higher ones. However, EMPs can also occur at lower frequencies. Therefore, microwaves will only work as Faraday cages sometimes.

Plus, who is actually going to keep their electronics in a microwave? It just isn’t practical.

2. Mylar Bags

Mylar bags are often sold as tiny Faraday cages. These bags have been shown to protect against EMPs at certain thicknesses. However, everything advertised as a mylar bag isn’t going to work. It has to be a particular type of mylar bag.

Furthermore, this bag will likely be more expensive than just using aluminum foil. Again, it isn’t that there isn’t any effectiveness here, but the cost just doesn’t add up. Plus, you’d have to test the bag to ensure that it worked. At that point, you might as well just use a SLNT dry bag or aluminum foil.

Doing this is extremely simple. EMPs have a similar frequency range as FM and AM radio channels. Therefore, to test the frequency blocking power of a container, you need a handheld radio. Turn the radio to a FM frequency that comes in clear and put it into the container (or wrap it up). Make sure you turn it up so that you can hear it. If the container blocks out the FM signal, your container will likely work against high-frequency EMPs.

Now, turn the radio to an AM station that comes in clear. Wrap it up again or place it into the container. If the signal is blocked out again, the container will likely protect from a low-frequency EMP.

Of course, EMPs do have a slightly larger range. Therefore, there is always the chance that this test will give you a false positive. However, it’s the easiest way to test a Faraday cage and can be performed in only a few minutes. And, it’s pretty accurate despite the small differences in frequency.

What To Do Next

Prepping for an EMP involves lots of generalized preparedness, too. Check out our list of survival recipes you can make for situations without power (like an EMP). We also have a full How to Start Prepping guide to help you prepare for any emergency.