Surviving a nuclear attack.

[Nurseandy]

Hello all, there's understandably been a few recent posts on the risk of nuclear weapons being used. I came across this YouTube video on the Canadian prepper channel on how to minimize radiation exposure. It seems reasonable but I must make it clear I didn't get my o level physics so I have no idea if what he's saying is true. I don't know if jersyspud has a view? I know she's commented on science matters before.
Anyway, enjoy

https://youtu.be/AdGwUyOJeTo

[jennyjj01]

Anyway, enjoy

https://youtu.be/AdGwUyOJeTo

High production quality video, but as advice goes, I found it lacking. It did not differentiate between gamma radiation from a blast and alpha and beta radiation from dust. It did not explain how to keep radioactive dust outside, or how long to shelter for. Nor did it give practical solutions to the age old question of how to acquire a bunker with 24 inches of concrete or 4 inches of lead screening. Nor did it suggest what sort of radiation meter we might buy today, or which hazmat suits to stock up on.
I reckon we should seek out and list some of the more practical ideas and sources.

[korolev]

Not really sure I want to survive a nuclear attack; eating rats whilst waiting for cancer to get me.
A bottle of cognac and a sh*tload of sleeping pills for me.

[jennyjj01]

Not really sure I want to survive a nuclear attack; eating rats whilst waiting for cancer to get me.
A bottle of cognac and a sh*tload of sleeping pills for me.

Someone already linked to the UK "Protect and survive' video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yrv505R-0U

Here is the US equivalent from FEMA which I think is a little better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYtLVyMKdo0

Here's the Canada version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY1Zpioh64g

They make the point that SOME survival is possible and desirable. I'm still on the fence on that one.

Don't plan on eating rats. Stock up now on rat substitutes such as Pek pigs arses

Cognac and sleeping tablets is one prep. Getting hold of the tablets is currently a bit of an issue.

[pseudonym]

Regarding the expedient shelter....

Do you know how to remove the hinge pins in your doors?

Are they loose already or have they got decades of paint over them?

How many have you available?

What wall's the safest in your dwelling?

What furniture have you available to make a shelter big enough

Use cupboards as walls and face the doors inward and use the interior for storage of your food/water.

Fill plastic storage containers with water, use them firstly as another layer of protection. Stick in a length of hose and have a clamp available you can use it as emergency supply if your stay is longer than anticipated.

Know where to shut off your electric, gas and water?

Anymore?

[jansman]

As mentioned by pseudonym: Water,water and more water. Without it ,you have three days until it’s game- over. Do you have suitable containers - NOW ? Do you have covered,stored water outside of your bedroom - door- shelter? By what I read ,open water sources would be subject to contamination. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/emer ... afety.html

In a ‘normal ‘emergency, most water can be treated to make it potable. When we are talking radioactive, it doesn’t look good.

Anyone out there know differently?

[jennyjj01]

As mentioned by pseudonym: Water,water and more water. Without it ,you have three days until it’s game- over. Do you have suitable containers - NOW ? Do you have covered,stored water outside of your bedroom - door- shelter? By what I read ,open water sources would be subject to contamination. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/emer ... afety.html

In a ‘normal ‘emergency, most water can be treated to make it potable. When we are talking radioactive, it doesn’t look good.

Anyone out there know differently?

We seem to all be rather suddenly addressing the nuclear threat. Maybe about time. At first strike on the UK. my 3 wheelie bins get unceremoniously upended, washed out and filled from the hose..... and brought indoors or at least into the garage.

We should almost certainly not rule out biological contamination of our reservoirs. So we almost have to prepare to stash STUPID amounts of water...

In a nuclear fallout situation, harvested water ( or rather the dust in it, would likely be radioactive for a few weeks?. Nothing can neutralise that. only filtration and time.

For the first time ever, I'm contemplating buying a geiger counter of some sort.

I am also oh so seriously considering buying >100+ of 5 litre and 2 Litre bottles of Tesco or Aldi bottled water. It could live under a tarp on my patio. That 500+L would cost an almost insignificant £100 and could be worth its weight in gold. If I had more land, it would be a no brainer to store potable water by the cubic metre.

[GillyBee]

I still have the hand made Geiger counter my boss got me to build after Chernobyl. He had just designed the first pocket sized counter and had some bits left from his testing and decided I needed the hands on manufacturing practice.
Unfortunately the tube stopped working some years ago - before then it was a party piece to fish it out and let people listen to the normal background radiation clicks
The idea was you could wave it over the lamb in Sainsburys and it would click faster if the lamb was contaminated.

[jansman]

To be honest,I am more concerned with the economic fallout,not nuclear. Once The Russian turns off the gas… and companies and governments are doing the noble gig and refusing the 8% of world oil that Russia supplies.
It appears that Russia has the least debt of any country,and they also have very valuable natural resources. The Bear ain’t scared of us.

[jennyjj01]

I still have the hand made Geiger counter my boss got me to build after Chernobyl.

Serious question GillyBee, or anyone else that knows...
What should we look for in radiation monitoring tools. A search of amazon gives quite a wide array but does little to explain the capabilities. Eg gamma/alpha/beta sensitivity? Some seem to be fitted with tube like sensors?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=radiation+ ... _sb_noss_1

Many of those things are not any kind of radiation meter !

If there's something viable at £50, I could see myself investing.

Prices are all over the place.

What about buying those dose monitoring badge things?