What are your preparations for any potential crisis situation?

[Tyler Macmillan]

Posted by Anchor (here)
One criticism would be the charging cable itself which could function as an antenna and could act to bring the emp where it wasn't wanted.

Yes, I appreciate that comment, it's a good point. I was also thinking yesterday about the contactors, not having enough gap. It might be possible to just leave the battery charging wire disconnected, at the bottom of the tube, attached to some cord. And have a sealed battery, and a very low power setup with a realtime clock board that would initiate start up, get a daily backup, then shutdown. Charge battery every other month, etc.

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by Anchor (here)
Nice work. Burying it all vastly simplifies some issues and makes the EMP protection very good, at the same time it rather complicates other things.

I'm not sure burying stuff necessarily provides EMP protection in all cases.

If the EMP is strong enough to create substantial, albeit transient, voltage differences across the land, then, since the earth we stand on is neither a perfect conductor nor a perfect insulator, therefore there will be voltage drops in the earth the currents that were induced by those voltage differences flow.

Somewhere I read that when repairmen are working on downed high tension (voltage) lines that might still have power, they are taught to walk with short steps, lest they impose too large a voltage drop across their two more widely spread feet and harm or kill themselves.

Posted by Anchor (here)
One criticism would be the charging cable itself which could function as an antenna and could act to bring the emp where it wasn't wanted.

Yup - which is why I suggested powering the line-side network adapter directly from the mains, not from the more isolated portion of the system. Imagine a small "bubble" around one's critical but still powered equipment and minimize (ideally to zero, but at least to only one, never to two or more) the number of conductive cables piercing that bubble.

Even the hot and common (and ground -- perhaps best if not present) wires of the power cord from the mains that penetrates that bubble, if your system is not totally "off-grid", do present two paths. But at least those two paths are closely twisted together, so less likely to have unwanted voltage transients across them due to EMF fields from the surrounding environment.

That pair of hot and common wires still risk however having unwanted voltage transients across hot and common that come down the wires from the power grid. I can imagine adding a band pass filter (coils, resisters and capacitors, tuned to pass circa 50 or 60 Hz and reject outside that, placed on the power line that penetrates one's bubble, and placed outside the bubble. I'm sure that ChatGPT or such could tell me right away what components and what circuit I should use to construct a good band pass filter for that frequency range and the needed voltages and currents. Then with a bit of solder and home brew construction, I'd have added a pair of suspenders to backup my belt that keeps my pants up.

Then for extra credit (and increased risk that you made matters worse instead of better due to some unrealized mistake in all this) consider adding a high voltage transient protection device such as an avalanche or zener diode or varistor or thyristor. Off the shelf assemblies will claim to do this, but there's the risk that the author of the literature you're reading that describes such a device had more marketing skills than electrical design skills. I'd also contemplate using an arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) ... they've improved since the National Electrical Code (NEC®), first required them on some circuits beginning in 1999 ... however these AFCI devices can fail over time, so test them periodically. I just had to replace one myself, last month.

In any case, I would try to keep what's "inside the bubble" as simple and low risk of design or implementation error as I could, and put the more complicated and sketchy (whether home brew or off the shelf) equipment outside the bubble ... and then allow no more than one electrically conductive cable (that contained at most one twisted pair) to penetrate into the bubble where your more valued equipment lay.

Also, inside the bubble, minimize wire lengths, unless you're gotten serious about building a Faraday cage, which is not easy to do at the higher frequencies. Hence, if one did construct or purchase a band pass filter and/or transient protection device, put it "just outside the imaginary bubble", so as to minimize the length of wire (aka "antenna") between such a filter or device, and the protected equipment, but not so close that any transients that might be emitted by such a device at the moment of activation are themselves a threat to your equipment ... this all gets to be a "black art" that earned the good radio emissions guys I worked with an extra bump in their salary.

[Bill Ryan]

There are quite a few threads I might have posted this on. It's about the potential 'empty shelves' situation that the US-vs-China tariffs might result in. (I wasn't convinced that it actually belonged on the main Liberation Day: US Tariffs on Everyone thread. It's entirely possible that none of this may happen.)

I do NOT know if the situation is as serious as many claim. Articles and videos from even self-proclaimed economic 'experts' vary wildly in their analyses and predictions.

But prepping is all about considering worst-case scenarios, and taking sensible steps to protect oneself if it feels easy and reasonably inexpensive to do so. With that in mind, here's a new article from Mike Adams. Adams is often a little hysterical about his warnings, but the list he offers below may be useful for some to bear in mind.

• https://naturalnews.com/2025-04-29-u...t-embargo.html

The China Import Embargo – What to Stockpile Now Before America Runs Out

The United States is sleepwalking into an economic and supply chain catastrophe. The exports out of China have ground to a near-halt, and U.S. ports are already running bare. Within the next 4-8 weeks, store shelves will ripple empty across America, awakening the “normies” to the extreme shortages that may last anywhere from a few months (minimum) to a few years (or forever, if Trump permanently blocks trade with China).

Like an approaching hurricane, this is a storm we can all see coming. The fallout will be catastrophic. Millions of everyday products Americans rely on will vanish from shelves almost overnight, triggering widespread shortages, price hyperinflation, panicked buying behavior and supply chain chaos.

At the Health Ranger Store, we’ve been warning about this for years. That’s why we’ve rejected Chinese-sourced ingredients in our supplements and food supplies, opting instead for safer alternatives from domestic U.S. producers and a select set of international countries like Canada, New Zealand, Taiwan and the UK. But a great many industries are fully dependent on Chinese manufacturing, meaning Americans remain dangerously unprepared.

They will be shocked when the store shelves are suddenly empty. Because most of them fail to prepare for supply chain collapse.

This report is your survival blueprint. Below is an exhaustive list of China-made products that will disappear in a trade stoppage. Stockpile these now while you still can.

CATEGORY 1: FOOD, AGRICULTURE & FOOD PROCESSING

China dominates food additives, vitamins, packaging materials, and agricultural chemicals in widespread use across U.S. agriculture and food production.

Critical Items to Stockpile:

• Vitamin C and B-vitamin supplements (Most U.S. vitamins are made in China)
• Canning supplies (lids, seals, jars – many come from China)
• Dehydrated fruits, garlic powder, and lower-cost spices (China is the top global supplier)
• Agricultural products, garden products, including natural pesticides
• Fertilizers (ammonium phosphate, urea, potash – China dominates the market)
• Livestock antibiotics and feed additives (many sourced from China)

Health Ranger Warning: If China shuts off food chemicals, American food production collapses within weeks, and the food shortages will be felt for years to come.

CATEGORY 2: ELECTRONICS, COMPUTING, & COMMUNICATIONS

China manufactures over 80% of the world’s electronics, including mission-critical components for internet, computing, and communications.

Critical Items to Stockpile:

• Computer motherboards, RAM, processors (Intel/AMD chips assembled in China)
• Hard drives, SSDs, and USB storage devices
• Routers, modems, fiber optic cables (Huawei supplies global telecoms)
• Smartphones, tablets, touchscreens (iPhone, Samsung, etc. – nearly all made in China)
• Lithium batteries (for everything from laptops to solar power systems)
• LED light bulbs, security cameras and smart home devices
• Walkie-talkies, HAM radio components, and CB radios

Health Ranger Warning: If China halts exports, the internet could go dark one community at a time, and replacements may not be available for years.

CATEGORY 3: MEDICINES & PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

Over 80% of pharmaceutical ingredients come from China, including essential OTC drugs and antibiotics.

Critical Items to Stockpile:

• Antibiotics (amoxicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin)
• Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin (most generics are made in China)
• Hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, and medical gauze
• Generic blood pressure and diabetes meds (China controls the supply chain)
• Toothpaste, shampoo, razors, and disposable gloves
• N95 masks and medical PPE (China was the #1 COVID-era supplier)

Health Ranger Warning: A China export cutoff equals a U.S. health care equipment collapse.

CATEGORY 4: HOME REPAIR, CONSTRUCTION, & PLUMBING

China dominates hardware, power tools, and building materials—essential for home repairs and survival shelters.

Critical Items to Stockpile:

• PVC pipes, fittings, and irrigation tubing (most come from China)
• Light fixtures, bulbs, and electrical wiring components
• Nails, screws, bolts, and fasteners (Home Depot’s stock is heavily China-dependent)
• Hand tools (wrenches, pliers, hammers – China makes the majority of tools)
• Cordless power tools and battery packs (mostly made in China)
• Silicone sealants, duct tape, resins, epoxies and adhesives
• Solar panels and backup power equipment

Health Ranger Warning: If the supply chain fails, home repair work will become extremely difficult.

CATEGORY 5: AUTOMOTIVE, FARMING, & INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES

China makes critical replacement parts for vehicles, farm equipment, and industry.

Critical Items to Stockpile:

• Oil filters, air filters, brake pads, spark plugs
• Tractor parts and implement parts for agriculture
• Batteries for cars, trucks, and ATVs
• Bearings, hydraulic hoses, and welding supplies
• Generator parts and small engine components

Health Ranger Warning: Breakdowns could strand vehicles and strongly disrupt farming operations and transportation infrastructure.

CATEGORY 6: TEXTILES, CLOTHING, & OUTDOOR GEAR

China is the world’s top clothing manufacturer, meaning Americans will run out of apparel fast.

Critical Items to Stockpile:

• Work boots, heavy winter coats, gloves, and socks
• Backpacks, camping tents, and sleeping bags
• Wool blankets, thermal underwear, and rain gear
• Sewing supplies, thread, and heavy-duty zippers
• Fishing gear (rods, reels, tackle, nets – mostly from China)

Health Ranger Warning: If China collapses textile exports, clothing prices will skyrocket.

[Merkaba360]

I wonder how many of those products could be ramped up in factories not based in China. In urgent situations, I'd imagine many factories could figure out how to ramp up production by 20% or whatever, especially simple items. I doubt every factory is constantly pumping out products as fast as humanly possible 24/7. They keep pace based on their sales. If sales go up , you speed things up or stay open overnight.

And if things were really dire, I'd think USA could build up manufacturing faster than the usual years it takes to get factories operational. Like using empty buildings instead of waiting to build a new factory. Gov't bypassing regulations or fast tracking them for emergency supplies. We might end up like China, where we learn to get a factory up and running in 1 week lol. Warp speed for everything not just vaccine manufacturing

What is this is part of the strategy to force us all to liv simpler lives with less access to unnecessary products. Someone did predict that we would look back at this era as being the golden age of manufacturing, cuz in the future there wouldn't be this much variety of goods. Not sure how that would be the case if 3D printing improves. Cuz there would be endless customization going on with 3D printing.