How to survive a nuclear war.

Life before a war.

When it happens.

How to protect you and your family.

Protecting important assets.

De-contamination.

Preparing for a nuclear winter.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

 About the Author

Born 1969 in Germany, and growing up during the years of the cold war, I quickly became aware of
the potential dangers of nuclear technology. Both in civil and military applications.
This was re-enforced by the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
After the completion of an apprenticeship as an electrician, I soon had to join the German Army in
order to fulfil my obligation as a German Male Citizen and serve my National Service over a period
of 12 months.
During this time I gained the insights of military procedures and the theoretical impact of Nuclear,
Biological and Chemical warfare.
With the insights of a soldier I once again found my concern regarding the possible Nuclear threat
confirmed.
In the early 1990s I finally managed to fulfil my long standing dream to migrate to Australia, where
I soon made myself at home.
Since then I have enjoyed the peace of mind, gained through the vast open spaces and the
knowledge of being able to find ones own space and freedom
However, the potential risk of nuclear technology never left my mind. Re-kindled in my mind by
various incidents around the world over and over again. ( Iraq, stand off between Pakistan and India
in 2002, atomic advances by North Korea and Iran in 2005 / 2006, Israel and Palestine in 2006,
...and so on ).

I've never been a person to engage in reading for leisure, nor am I convinced that most people
wouldn't bother reading a lengthy book about the survival strategies needed for a nuclear war.
Therefore I left a lot of facts and figures out of this guide, since they can be easily accessed by other
means and are not necessary in this essential guide.

Hope you'll appreciate my efforts in writing this guide.

Frank Fischer

( Author )

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

 Life before a war.
It may sound a bit pessimistic, but it is a good idea to be prepared rather then be surprised and
caught up without any preparations. After all, most of us keep a first aid kit in the house and/or car,
in case something happens. We also keep a spare tyre in the car, in case we might need it one day.
So, why not keep a few things for an emergency ( not just of a nuclear kind ) ?

Things like: ( You might tick off this list as you get this items )

Torch

At least 3 sets of spare Batteries for above mentioned torch

First aid kit ( if you haven't got already an up to date one )

Large box of matches ( not just a single small box ) - No cigarette lighters,
they might leak out the gas over time and be useless when eventually needed.

Keep some of the matches in a waterproof container.

Candles ( at least 10 )

At least one car battery (if you haven't got a 2nd. Car in the family)

12V neon or LCD light

A small Solar Panel 12V ( there are fold up ones available to save storage
space, usually less than AUD $ 200.-)

a Axe or hatchet.

A great thing to have would be a personal Geiger counter. ( they start at

around $AUD 200.-)

Batteries for Geiger counter.

If you can spare the extra cost, a 12V / 240V (110V in the US) Inverter.
Approx. min. 150 Watt power.

Keep a copy of this guide with your kit, perhaps you want to get a second
copy for your car.
As you can see all the basic items would cost less than AUD $ 600.-. Isn't it money well spend if it
could save your families life one day ? Besides, most of those items would also come in handy
during a flood, lengthy power failure, bad storm, cyclone, etc.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

 When it happens.
Chances are we will be living our regular day to day life, going to work, at work, on the way home
from work, shopping, doing sports, with family,......whichever the case might be, most likely there
is no particular sign of trouble ( unless you happen to be in the military involved in early warning
procedures). The very most you might get an idea from is, some region in the world is unstable, or
tension has developed with your country and another country with nuclear capabilities. Perhaps
some strong words have been exchanged between your government and theirs. But that is about as
much as most governments around the world would allow the general public to hear. After all, they
don't want an uprising against them, nor do they want panic and chaos out there. Or have you been
told that on average twice a year the defence level is raised to near war condition due to a fault
somewhere in the very extensive defence and early warning systems??

So, when it happens:

seek shelter

assess the situation

contact your family (if communication is still working)

prepare for nuclear rain or fallout

try to join your family, unless you or them are already contaminated
( But do not drive through contaminated areas. Be aware that most people
will be in shock or in panic, which will lead to accidents, conflicts, robberies,
raids, etc...)

get your emergency gear

read through this guide

Remember: You won't be of any help to anyone, including your family, if you
panic, hurt yourself, or get contaminated because you were not careful

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

 How to protect you and your family

Nuclear Rain What is it? When a nuclear bomb is detonated above surface, a huge amount of dust
and dirt is blown up into the atmosphere. This causes the sunlight to be blocked out for many hours,
perhaps days. As a consequence of this, the air of the affected area is suddenly cooling off, causing
clouds to form and eventually trigger some rain. This usually happens within 48 hrs. of a nuclear
blast. Since this is usually the first rain after the explosion, large quantities of radioactive dust will
rain down onto earth, contaminating everything it gets in contact with, either by direct impact or as
a water run off.

YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE TO AVOID ANY CONTACT WITH THIS RAIN!!

If other people try to join you, make sure they are not contaminated (that's were the Geiger counter
Comes in). Also be sure they are trustworthy. No point trying to help someone if they then run away
with your already limited provisions or hurt / kill you in the process. If in doubt keep them well
away, if necessary with force. If there are contaminated people you trust and are willing to join up
with, then have them undergo a de-contamination process before you get close to them.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

 Preparing for a nuclear winter.

By now you might think you've survived the worst part. The initial bombing, the nuclear rain, the
collection of essential food and items, etc...

WRONG: There is a horrible thing called Nuclear Winter.

What is it? Every time a volcano erupts anywhere in the world, traces of dust particles from it can
be found at the other end of the world, just in a matter of weeks.
The same applies to the dust from a nuclear explosion ( surface explosion ). Now, if many nuclear
bombs are detonated around the world just within a day or 2, then enormous amounts of dust will be
blown into the atmosphere, causing eventually the hole planet to be covered in one large dust cloud.
This in turn will prevent the sun from warming the earth and consequently cause a global winter
with sub zero temperatures. No more food will grow, most animals and humans will die.

How many bombs does it take ? Since such a thing never happened before in humans history, no
one can be certain about it. However, most scientists agree that a figure between 20 to 50 bombs
worldwide would trigger such an event. Considering that we currently ( 2006 ) have over 13000
Nuclear weapons worldwide, it seems very likely that at least a few hundred of them will be used.
Therefore almost certainly triggering a nuclear winter.

How long before a nuclear winter would set in ? Again, due to a lack of previous events like it, it
is hard to put a precise figure on it. Most likely it would start between 2 to 8 weeks after the initial
bombing.

How long would the nuclear winter last? Since it is not a new ice-age, rather a men inflicted
phenomenon, it is most certainly measured in months, perhaps years rather than in decades. But
there are known estimates of up to 4 years being considered. You should however prepare for the
worst case scenario.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

Preparations:
Collect warm clothes.
Keep always a lot of fresh drinking water indoors.
Do not throw anything away. (Paper can be burned to start a fire, leftovers of eaten fruit
may still contain some seeds ( apple core, orange seeds, tomatoes, etc.) food leftover can be used
for trapping some animals, etc..)

Start a knowledge bank - -> Check with people around you what knowledge and experience
they possess. Some might know how to make and set traps, others how to build small machinery,
older folks usually know a lot about storing food without refrigeration, etc.
Gather a lot of materials. Hand tools, in particular saws, axes, hammer, nails, ropes,
screws, tool-sets, wood. Rather get to much, then not enough. Get car batteries, car lights,
alternators / generators from abandon/old cars.
Build a stock-pile of fire wood. Even if you don't have a wood heater yourself, you might
soon need it.
Make plans to live in sub zero conditions for a long time ( minus 15 Ce or colder ). Be
aware that nothing will grow under those circumstances. You will have to dig out your
drinking water. Even if you live on a rainwater tank system.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

 Ultimate Goal:

I would be a great achievement and possibly the best chance of survival if you could manage the
following:

Move to an area with lots of tress. ( large park, forest, abandoned farm, etc. )
Find yourself a large hall, storage shed, hangar or similar, close by.
Start a plantation inside the shed/ hall.
Set up a fireplace inside that shed/hall to keep that place within a temperature range that will allow
growth of plants. Don't forget, you will have to get plenty of water for those plants.
Get as many seeds as you can. ( as mentioned in previous section, collect all food seeds )
The biggest problem will be light. In a nuclear winter you will most likely have just a dark grey
light, even in the middle of day. ( like on a miserable, cold, rainy winters day ).
This will not be enough to get plants, and therefore food, growing at a fast rate.
With the help of before mentioned alternators/ generators find ways of creating electricity. This
could for example be achieved by building a steam engine. Or perhaps you might be able to get an
old one from a local museum, old machinery shed, or you might have someone in your group who
has the basic knowledge of how to build one. Remember, you don't want to build a steam train, just
an engine big enough to drive a few alternators. Or you might be lucky enough to have enough fuel
resources available to you, that you could run a regular petrol or diesel generator.
In both cases you will then have heat available to warm the place up and electricity to provide light
for the plants.
Be aware that such a setup will attract unwanted attention from people passing by. You may have to
take precautions to avoid intruders or having your most valuable equipment stolen from you.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

 Update 2017

After spending over two decades on this matter and with recent events in mind it is
becoming more likely than ever that we are faced with such a horrendous scenario.

Despite all my research and planning or perhaps because of it I have come to the
conclusion that at best any outcome after such event is that you might be able to
extend your own life and perhaps that of your family but it is highly unlikely anyone
will survive a nuclear winter for more than just a couple of years.
The expected duration in excess of at least 20 years is bound to bring the whole
project to a hold in one way or another if you look at it in a realistic manner.

The reasons are as follows:

The old studies regarding nuclear winter have been found completely
underestimating the effects and duration of a nuclear winter. More recent
studies like done by Michael Mills in 2014 paint a much more pessimistic
picture. (http://opensky.ucar.edu/islandora/object/articles:13382)
The required technology / machinery to produce, store and use electricity is
bound to encounter breakdowns / failures. Yet without any spare parts or
replacements such a long-term project is poisoned to fail at some stage.
If you are by yourself any injury or significant illness can set the project back
to an extend from which it might not be possible to recover.
Larger groups of people are bound to face arguments and internal fighting over
those years which will affect how the projects proceeds and possibly succeeds.
There is currently no clear information available as to the required size for a
plantation to just feed one person. Can range from estimated 100m to over
300m per person. This makes pre-planning very difficult.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

 Plant seeds have a limited lifetime. So doesn't matter how many seeds you get
in advance, after a few years of storage those seeds will become useless. The
only way around this problem would be collect / produce your own seeds,
which is with some plants a rather specialised undertaking.
You will become the main target! At least within the first year of a nuclear
winter starting survivors will become desperate for food and will do anything
in order to gain access to your food and resources. So anyone aware of your
preparations or just simply stumbling across your project may proof deadly to
you and your family in those desperate time.
You will most likely have everything at the one place. So if something happens
like fire, flood, sabotage, a decease or pest affecting the plants, direct attack by
an outsider then you will almost certainly be unable to recover.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

 Giving it a go regardless

So you want to try it anyway ?

OK, here is what you need to consider:

Source of electricity
Conventional Generator not suitable as fossil fuel will break down
chemically within a year or thereabouts and you are unlikely to find any
fresh fuel.
Steam engine / generator only good if you have plenty of firewood and water
available. But requires lots of maintenance and pressure tank could explode
one day.
Wind generator requires steady wind / breeze. Not strong and gusty winds.
Prone to be damaged by lightning strike, bird strike, mechanical failure and
debris hitting it during a storm.
Hydro generator requires steady flow of water. However, as the whole
weather pattern is bound to change under the effects of a nuclear winter you
cant assume you will still have the required amount of water available. There
is also risk of damage due to debris in the water after a storm and mechanical
failure.
Dont even think of solar the whole problem with a nuclear winter is the fact
that we wont see the sun for many years hence solar will be useless.
There are some other technologies out there but you have to decide yourself
whether or not any of those would be suitable. - Remember, would have to last
at least 20 years with very little or no maintenance.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

Storing of electricity:

There seem to be many options out there these days. However, many of those will
proof to be useless under the expected conditions as they are often based on a certain
usage pattern and claims by many manufacturers are based on tests done within a
laboratory at 20C which is unrealistic in the real world.
An old but tried and tested battery type which has been re-discovered only within the
last few years is the Nickel Iron Battery ( also known as Thomas Edison or NiFe
battery) Those have been successfully used for well over 30 years and can handle
both cold and very hot temperatures as well as all sort of abuse in form of unusual
usage patterns.
(This is for storage of electricity for lighting setup for your plants and other electrical equipment)

Location:

Close to a forest
Near the ocean would most likely provide steady breeze suitable for running a
wind generator. Also allows fishing and hence helps with food.
Near a small continuously running river or creek provides fresh water and
perhaps allows a small hydro power turbine to be used.
In a large underground or above ground shed, warehouse, parking station or
building which provides good thermal insulation and protects from other
desperate survivors.
Likely you need between 100m to over 300m per person.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017

Equipment:

Mostly as mentioned in first section. But given the energy requirements it is

beneficial to use equipment with a low energy requirement. For example get
yourself special LED strips for lighting above the plants rather then using old
style light sources.
As mentioned above, a suitable power source
Clothes (practical, not for appearance)
First aid equipment
Tools and certain machinery
Radio scanner this might provide you with some local information
CB / UHF Radio only if you intent to communicate with others in the area. -
But as mentioned earlier, this might put you actually at risk rather then help you.
Some camping equipment might proof very beneficial

Why all this?

Whilst we seem to have all sort of information at our fingertips, it appears that no
authority or government is willing to provide in depths information and advice.
The military has lots of insights in this matter but is also unwilling to provide suitable
advice for the general public.
To my knowledge there has been much more open talk and information back in the
50s and 60s, but for some reason not since.
This guide should provide at least some broad basis information so you can make up
your own mind and decide to what extend you want to make preparations for your
family and yourself.

Best of Luck and lets hope we never need to use this for real.

Frank Fischer - (Name changed to protect privacy of author) 2006-2017