Top 10 Ways to Prepare for a Nuclear Holocaust

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We all hope it will never happen, that the problems we face globally will be resolved by negotiation and reason. Heck, even outright warfare is preferable to a nuclear holocaust, however, the growing tension in the world, the increase in unhappy factions and the shear brutality and insanity we’ve seen in war in the last few decades mean that in spite of our hopes, nuclear holocaust is a possibility, that we may see in our lifetimes. The only way to avert this is to remove the threat, from all governments, at all levels. That, however, seems unlikely, as each country’s leaders jockey for position and power, menacingly alluding to their military capabilities, and promising swift retribution and violence for any slights.

I am sure, when they invented the nuclear bomb, that the men who did so never intended them to be used. However, the threat of nuclear war has urged many countries to become nuclear capable, meaning the threat really does exist. It is on the whim of the men in charge of those countries that we hang our hopes of avoiding disaster, and those are the very men who have failed us in the past.

The need for money, power and domination drives all the nations of the world, to the point that we’ve lost sight of the fact that if this happens, we all lose. There would be no winner.

While it may come swiftly, if and when it happens, and we may not all have the time to take advantage of any preparations we have made, it does make sense to be ready for that terrible day when it comes.

Here are our top ten tips to help you prepare for the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust.

10. Pay Attention

The very first step in preparing for a nuclear holocaust, is to pay attention to international news and media. While the nuclear holocaust may be swift, when it comes, there will certainly be a lead up to that terrible day.

Bear in mind, the last time the bomb was dropped, in Japan in the 1940’s, ending the second world war, it followed several years of intense fighting in Europe. It was not a spur of the moment decision, but rather a last ditch effort.

Paying attention to news and media should allow you to track the sentiment and scale of any wars, and as we draw nearer to the point where either of the parties are desperate enough to attempt to end the battle by nuclear force, it should become clear.

9. Look to Space

Space may have been the final frontier, but that’s fast becoming history.

Several wealthy individuals have become space tourists, booking a once in a lifetime trip into space in a shuttle, and spending time on space stations. Of course, that’s still small scale, but NASA has confirmed that the long term goal of space programs is to colonized space.

Then consider that Sir Richard Branson, British billionaire, owner of the Virgin empire, and adventure junkie, has teamed up with an American designer of space craft, to form Virgin Galactic, whose ultimate goal is to make travel to space accessible to most, but designing their own cost effective space craft.

So it seems, whether as a part of a governmental program, or under your own steam, space travel is a possibility, and if you can book your seat before nuclear war breaks out, you may not be on the planet when disaster happens!

8. Get the Hell Out of Dodge

If and when nuclear war happens, the missiles used will be guided to land, and detonate, with pinpoint accuracy. That also means that they won’t be launched indiscriminately, but rather, targeted at the biggest cities, the most strategic military locations and similar areas.

Making sure you are as far as possible from “ground zero” when that happens increases your chance of surviving the holocaust exponentially. In fact, if you’re far enough from the blast area, hiding in your basement, or even in your car, could be enough to let you survive the blast, which will be very swift, very hot and very deadly.

Although you could rely on your powers of observation as stated in point number 10, and then make a run for it, it’s been estimated that with submarine missile delivery systems, it would now take only six minutes for warheads to reach their targets. So if you’ve prepared a safe haven, and are relying on your powers of perception to warn you in time, so you can make your escape from the big city, you might be in store for a nasty surprise.

If your perception fails you, or there is, for some reason, no warning, you would be toast.

7. Build a Bunker

OK. It may be a little nihilistic to build a bunker, and your friends may very well laugh at you if you did. However, if the need for a fallout shelter ever arose, you can bet your bottom dollar you’d suddenly become very popular with those very same friends!

Fallout shelters can be built out of various materials – depending on what you have on hand, from steel to brick, packed earth to underwater structures!

Thicknesses recommended for walls and floors vary greatly though with steel being 5 inches, brick 16 inches, packed earth 2 feet, and water three, although of course, packed earth is the cheapest, and most readily available.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that your bunker will save you, but then again, I’d rather have some chance than none at all…

6. Arm Yourself

It’s an unfortunate fact of human existence that when disaster strikes, we all go a little crazy. There will be looters, robbers, and ordinary people, mad with fear, willing to do anything to protect themselves and possibly their families.

Unfortunately, if you are prepared for the survival of yourself, and your family, you may not be able to help anyone else, and you will need to protect your shelter, stores and family from potential attack by those who are desperate enough to do so.

Chances are, even if the bomb does drop, that there will be police stations, gun shops and other areas where you can obtain weapons and ammunition afterwards, when everyone has deserted them. Of course, having a few weapons to get started will make getting from your bunker to the gun shop a lot less risky, so make sure you equip your bunker with a few weapons of your choice.

5. Get the Right Gear

If the world ends, the last thing on anyone’s mind is going to be fashion. Your clothes and other gear will need to be practical, durable, and comfortable. Not only that, but central heating and airconditioning will be a thing of the past, so you’ll need to make provision for surviving in extreme heat, or extreme cold.

A trip to a hunting, fishing or camping store, or even your local army surplus, should give you a good choice of options, and from there, you can stock your bunker with boots, coats, trousers and other necessary items.

Blankets, rain coats and other weather specific items will also need to be stocked up on, as would serviceable, practical furniture for your fallout shelter. You’ll need somewhere to sleep, sit, cook, wash and so on, so consider those requirements too.

4. Stock Up On Provisions

Another thing that you’re going to have to do if you plan to survive a nuclear holocaust is to stock up on provisions. From food, to water, to toilet paper, you’re going to need everything, and lots of it!

Remember that even supplies that survive the blast of a nuclear warhead may well be contaminated with radioactive fallout, which means you won’t be able to trust anything you find outside your fallout shelter.

Canned goods, bottled water and other non perishable provisions will be what keeps you alive after a nuclear holocaust. Of course, investing in a Geiger counter would mean that you could scavenge after a blast, and find non contaminated goods. That way, you’d be able to replenish your supplies from time to time.

Then again, if you have a dog, keeping them after the holocaust may be a priority for you, either as a companion, a protector, or a beloved family pet. Remember that they would also need to eat, so you would need to stock up for them too.

Each and every member of your family, including any animals, would need to be provisioned, with food, water and other necessary supplies, so make sure you account for them in your provisioning forays.

3. Prepare for Medical Emergencies

Once the world have effectively ended, following a nuclear holocaust, there will be no more doctors, dentists or emergency rooms.

You’re going to be flying solo, so stocking up on medical supplies, from bandages to disinfectants, and drugs, is going to be critical to your survival. Then again, if you have no knowledge of first aid whatsoever, buying a few first aid and other medical books will go a long way to ensuring you don’t make things worse!

2. All the Other Supplies

Imagine you could never, ever, go to a grocery store again. That’s pretty much what would happen if the world experienced all out nuclear war. You would have to be entirely self sufficient in order to survive.

For power, you would need to buy a generator, and stock up on fuel, or have a lot of batteries. You would need some form of entertainment, and since there would be no TV or internet, you’d probably have to read, so stocking up on books and magazines would be a good idea.

You would need bedding, clothing and utensils, pots and pans, toiletries and toilet paper. Fresh water that was uncontaminated would be in short supply, so you’d need lots of bottles of water stored.

Ideally, a means to grow your own food would be great, if you could achieve it inside your fallout shelter, and since UV light could be used for this, if you have a generator, and a lot of fuel, it may be worth while to stock up on seeds.

Essentially, your survival after nuclear war will depend on your preparation for the months and years that follow, or at least until you could find your way to an uncontaminated area.

1. Have a Plan

There’s a saying that goes: “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” When it comes to post nuclear holocaust survival, that will be especially true. You will need to have carefully laid plans to cover every eventuality, since there would be no back up, and no one to turn to, at least not in terms of government or leadership.

This list only scratches the surface of the things you will need to consider if you plan to survive a nuclear holocaust, and the aftermath, so if you are genuine about doing that, you’ll probably need to spend a lot more time thinking about it.

When it comes right down to it, you will need to plan for all of you, and your family’s needs, for several years after the event, as there’s no telling if, or when, help would come. It’s a bleak and unpleasant thought, and one that could be prevented if only governments could be convinced to give up their nuclear armaments.

Of course, that, as with most things between international power players, is unlikely to happen, as each government ideally wants everyone else to get rid of their warheads, while retaining their own. We should all realize that that is never going to happen. The only way to effectively eliminate the threat of nuclear war is to remove all warheads from the picture, whether owned by a large or a small country.

Bear in mind that no nation wishes to be threatened by those that have nuclear capabilities, so the only way to level the playing field is either to arm everyone, or disarm everyone. I know which option I’d choose.