Hey Mad Goose nothing like keeping your plans simple I say.. and that was nothing like a simple plan. Heheheheee forming an Empire? okaaaaaaaaaaaay.
Good luck.
Ummmmm Brent Jackson since you're living in Canada and you intend heading south to safer climates should the USA and Russia kick off the big one. How exactly would you get south if the USA is a crackling nuclear dustbowl? Take a look at a big map, what's that big expanse just south of Canada that goes from coast to coast? I think some contingency plans are in order there pal. Alaska might be a better alternative or head east or west in a ship.
Me? Personally I'd hope I was at ground zero and never know the horrors of surviving a nuclear war. Hollywood films have made us think we have some chance of surviving one and get to live an exciting lifestyle afterwards such as driving on empty roads between skeleton cities and outrunning mutated giant scorpions etc etc. Given the actual reality of a slow death from haemoraging from every orifice from radiation sickness weeks, even months after the initial blast. Or oneday sh**ing my entire large intestines out while squating in a ditch after eating contaminated food or water. I'd choose the fast-fried-to-a-crisp-never-knew-anything-about-it-death option thank you very much.
Regarding the EMP etc. An electro magnetic pulse is actually by product of a nuclear blast along with the radiation and damage one would cause, just another thing about a nuclear bomb to make your day even worse. Yes it would destroy fragile electrical circuit componants in everything including radios etc so don't expect to hear that "all clear" over your radio while you're huddled under the stairs. So it's not only cars, as Foxtrot mentioned above, that'd be affected. However a deisel engine should be unaffected assuming you can start the engine that is. Some trucks have compressed air starters which don't rely on complicated electrical circuits to work them.
I read somewhere that burying delicate electrical parts such as CDI ignition systems would save then should the EMP occur, how deep they need to be buried depends on the nearness of the nuclear blast and thus the EMP itself. I think about 600 feet should be ok if you're next door to a missile silo. So if you're planning on wanting to stay "mobile enough to scavenge" get a spare CDI (capacitor discharge ignition) for your car and bury it nice and deep (a lead box won't stop an EMP but it will stop some of the less nastier (!???) radiations) then after the blast and you find your car won't start you have a spare one to replace it will and hope that another EMP blast doesn't take out your spare. Don't expect your in car sound system to work though, you'll survive and be mobile but without Guns 'n' Roses playing your new lifestyles sound track on the CD player would it be really worth it?
Worth noting. As cars get more complicated electrically, simply burying a spare CDI system won't save it. It might be better to bury the whole car or get an old banger with about 3 electrical circuits and save that ones ignition system.
An interesting point to mention is that a Neutron bomb won't affect any electrical items at all. I believe the fall out is very limited so cancer risks aren't too much of a problem. What it does is kill all living things in it's blast radius, how I'm not too sure. In theory a small tactical neutron bomb could be dropped on a battle field and would kill all enemy (and any friendly troops including mascot goats, dogs and cats in the area too). But won't affect any of their equipment. Just lift out the decaying body of the driver and you have yourself a fully working armoured vehicle with no physical damage to it at all. The same technique could be used on an enemy city. Drop a large Neutron bomb on it and you have yourself a whole new pile of real estate but with a big clear up problem getting all the bodies away but all dustcarts and bulldozers would be working to help you AND the sound systems would play Guns 'n' Roses.
Scary huh?
And there's other things to consider too, such as ground bursts air bursts al have their little fun and games associated with them
Nasty things nuclears. Let's hope no one decides to actually try one out but keeps it to conventional weapons.
I heard a great phrase some years ago about superpowers and their arsenals. Liken it to two hated enemies standing up to their chests in a swimming pool of petrol both have a box of matches each...... It doesn't really matter how many matches each has as it's mutual destruction all the way.... "touched off a blaze that engulfed them all"
Biker
"I trained it I get to eat it..... right after I check it with my handy Radio Shack gieger counter assuming the EMP didn't fry it"
