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Digital Prepping, Part 3 - Backups, Storage, and EMPs
Planning your data storage, safeguarding it from disaster, and doing the same for your electronics.
August 06, 2023
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Let’s face it, being prepared for a complete and total loss of Internet access is a good idea. Whether it be for a day, a week, or permanently -- the odds of facing a total Internet outage is close to 100%.

Being prepared for such an eventuality is not a terrible idea.

Get caught up on parts 1 & 2 of the “Digital Prepping” series:

  1. Digital Prepping, Part 1 - Off-Line Websites & Maps

  2. Digital Prepping, Part 2 - Preparing your Operating Systems to be Off-Line

In this installment, we’re going to talk about storage.

Both the storage of your data… and how to physically store your electronics in order to safeguard them in the case of any number of disasters — including EMPs (Electromagnetic Pulses) and Floods.

Planning your backup hardware and file systems

Let’s start with planning for effective backups of your data — because, remember, there is no Internet access. Which means that no matter how well backed up “to the cloud” your data is… you’ll have no way to get to it.

In fact, if the Internet is offline for good? That data is just plain gone.

Finished. Kaput. Finito. Doneskies.

You need to have local copies of all of your data — at least all of the data that you care about. And you need to decide what storage hardware you will use based on a number of factors:

  1. How reliable and resilient is that storage?

  2. How large (in terms of both data it can store, and in physical size) is that storage?

  3. What are your options for accessing that storage (read: mounting that drive) from other computers or devices?

    1. Do you have the necessary types of connectors (USB-C, USB-A, Micro USB, SCSI, CF, SD, etc.)?

    2. What Operating Systems, on your various devices, can read the file systems on that storage?

These may seem like trivial questions right now… but imagine the following:

  • You no longer have access to the Internet and

  • You may also not have access to a computer/tech store to buy more equipment or adapters.

Which specific types of connectors your storage drives have — and which file systems they use — is absolutely critical. The most critical part being that you have reliable ways to use them.

Now. Let’s talk about a few of the available storage options.

First… traditional hard disk drives. Those can be absolutely massive in terms of total storage size (and excellent in terms of speed). And, when talking about massive amounts of storage (10 TB +), it’s hard to beat these in terms of price (with 15+ TB models often being available for less than $300).

Small form factor. 16 TB of storage. All for a couple hundred bucks.

But, while these are fairly small… they’re not super small. And, because these are spinning, traditional hard disks… they are prone to damage from drops, shakes, and the like.

So, let’s also think about flash storage for a moment. Specifically… USB Flash drives.

The benefit here is that they are both quite small, a bit more forgiving of shaking/dropping, and you can buy them incrementally. Bit by bit. A 128 GB drive here. A 256 GB drive there. Slowly, cheaply, adding to your overall data backup strategy.

SanDisk 128GB Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C - USB-C, USB 3.1 - SDDDC2-128G-G46
A flash drive with two connection options: USB-C and USB-A.
 

There are even a few models of USB flash drives that contain multiple, switchable connection types (such as both a USB-C and USB-A). This is incredibly handy when you want maximum compatibility with a wide range of computers, phones, and tablets.

One big downside to USB flash drives is that — if you get to several TB of storage — the total price is going to start getting significantly higher than traditional hard disk drives.

But, if you don’t plan to have more than 1 or 2 TB of backups, this may not be an issue.

Which brings me to ultra-small, removable flash storage, primarily: SD and Micro SD cards.

SanDisk 1TB Extreme microSDXC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter - Up to 160MB/s, C10, U3, V30, 4K, A2, Micro SD - SDSQXA1-1T0...
SD and Micro SD cards, in big sizes, are getting cheap.
 

If you have your data backups on a series of Micro SD cards (which you can get in 1 TB models nowadays), the total physical footprint of your backups is going to be incredibly small. No more than a couple inches, at most, if you have a large number of them.

But the price is going to be far higher (per TB) than hard disks.

Whatever specific backup hardware you elect to use… do trial runs of accessing that data. Use the exact hardware you plan to have with you in the case of total loss of Internet — and verify that you can access your backups.

I can’t stress enough the critical need to do trial runs of accessing your backups. Regularly.

How to store long-term data backups

Let’s say, hypothetically, that you have decided to use a combination of USB Flash Drives and SD Cards for data backups.

Ok. That works. Small, light, and you can add to them incrementally.

But how, exactly, are you going to physically store your… storage? How are you going to protect your data in the case of disaster?

Electromagnetic Pulse

An EMP (or Electromagnetic Pulse) can wreak havoc on your storage devices — and by “wreak havoc”, I mean “totally destroy and make your data go bye-bye.”

There are a number of different kinds of EMPs — ranging from naturally occurring (such as lightning) to the weaponized (such as a nuclear blast).

While we can hope that nothing like that ever occurs or impacts your electronics and data… it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.

So. How, exactly does one actually prepare for something as catastrophic to electronics as an EMP?

Simple: With a Faraday Cage.

Me getting blasted by a 9 foot tall Tesla Coil. Safe and sound inside a Faraday Cage.

A Faraday Cage, in simplest terms, is an enclosure that blocks electromagnetic radiation and fields. Even getting blasted the 4.6 million volts of a massive Tesla Coil is perfectly safe inside of a well-built Faraday Cage.

How do you get a Faraday Cage, you ask?

Turns out, if you don’t want to build your own, there are many for sale (cheaply). Ranging from “Faraday Boxes” (which can fit a number of small devices) to “Faraday Bags” designed to hold a smartphone.

With an average price being sub-$50 for good quality ones.

Not only do these help block wireless signals — in case you are worried about privacy — but they can also provide significant protection against EMPs.

Note: Many people believe that placing electronics within a Microwave Oven will protect them against an EMP. This, as a general rule, is simply not the case. While a Microwave Oven usually provides good insulation against many types of radiation (including many types of wireless signals), very few Microwave Ovens are any match for an EMP. You want a true Faraday Cage.

Flood & Fire

Let’s say you have a Faraday Box and you are using it to store your storage drives with all of your data backed up on them.

What about other types of disasters? What happens in a flood? Luckily, there is a great way to protect your backup storage during a flood: A dry bag.

These Dry Bags tend to mostly be used by those doing a lot of boating, kayaking, and the like. They seal up nice and tight and keep the things inside them wonderfully dry.

Cheap ($20 for a good Dry Bag), and they come with the added bonus that they’re built to be grabbed and easily carried. Works just as well for a number of backup drives as for a smartphone. Handy, right?

So. What about a fire?

Well, that one is a little trickier. It’s difficult to safeguard electronics from the brutal heat of a fire. But what you can do is make sure your backup drives are carefully stored in something that’s easy to grab and take with you in a hurry.

Like a Dry Bag.

Recommendation: What if you backed up all of your data to a series of Micro SD cards, placed those into a Faraday Bag, and placed that Faraday Bag inside of a Dry bag?

 

Easy to grab, small, light, and protected from both EMPs and flooding. All on the cheap. Not bad, right?

Don’t forget your other electronics

All of that is great… but there is one critical thing to remember in all of this:

Every piece of electronics you own is susceptible to the same sorts of dangers as your data backups. If an EMP goes off, your smartphone and computer are toast. In a flood, your tablet isn’t going to fare well.

What can you do? Well. Here’s one idea:

Do you have an old smartphone or tablet? Something that, perhaps, isn’t the latest and greatest… but would still be handy if you had nothing else?

Put that old, unused smartphone or tablet into that Faraday Bag or Box. First make sure the battery is ok and not leaking — then store it (with charging cables and needed adapters) near your storage.

Now, no matter what happens, you have a backup system. Ready to go. Even in a horrible disaster. No Internet required.

Recommendation: Want to feel extra secure? Have a backup of your backup. Two boxes or bags with your data backups. Stored in two different locations. Just in case.

Your Homework for Part 3

Ready to put this into action? It’s easy to get started in a meaningful way, by doing the following two (completely free) steps:

  • Figure out how much total data storage you need for your backups.

  • Decide on your preferred way to store all of that.

Once you’ve done that, the next steps are up to you. But now you know what you might need. And knowing, as G.I. Joe says, is half the battle.

See you in Part 4 of Digital Prepping. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us.

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October 15, 2025
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The Unpublished Anti-Lunduke Hit-Piece
A Tech Journalist interviewed me for a hit-piece article. But the questions made them look bad, and they shelved the story. So I'm publishing their hit-piece for them.

Back in September, shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I was contacted by a Tech Journalist writing for FossForce.com (a smaller, Open Source focused publication) who was working on an article around Open Source, Antifa, and the Lunduke Journal’s coverage of those topics.

This particular outlet had, several months prior, run an “anti-Lunduke” hit piece without first reaching out for comment — which resulted in their most popular article (at least on social media) in quite some time.

With that in mind, it seemed reasonable that they’d want to repeat that success with another “anti-Lunduke” story.

This time they were doing the responsible thing. They reached out to the subject of the hit-piece article with questions. I like encouraging Tech Journalists when they do actual journalism, so I answered each and every query with easy-to-quote responses.

But, it would appear that the answers they received were not conducive to creating the hit-piece they were hoping for — my guess is they realized their questions made them look like the villain in the story. The villain they, clearly, hoped to portray me as.

They opted to not publish the piece.

So I’m publishing their hit-piece for them.

Below is every question — and every answer (with no edits) — which I was asked, on September 19th, by a Tech Journalist by the name of Christine Hall, writing for FossForce.

Fair warning: This is very, very politically charged.

Enjoy.


September 19th

Hall:

The last time I mentioned you in an article, you castigated me for not reaching out to you beforehand. Well, I’m reaching out now. We’ll see what comes of this.

You do recognize that the vast majority of organizations using the term antifa as a descriptor are not in the least bit terrorist and pose no threat to society -- and indeed, the only threats they might pose to fascist groups are not physical or life-harming?

Lunduke:

Hello Christine! Nice to hear from you!

Many, if not most, of those proclaiming support for Antifa (within Open Source) have also made statements encouraging or supporting violence and discrimination.

Regardless of that fact -- which I have documented extensively in Lunduke Journal coverage -- when violent acts are committed (such as murder, riots, and lynchings) in the name of “Antifa”, to turn around and immediately declare yourself to be “Antifa” is a clear declaration of support of that violence.

Hall:

And why did you feel it necessary to call out Danielle Foré’s [the founder of the elementary OS Linux Distribution] trans status in such an ugly manner?

Lunduke:

There is a noteworthy overlap between “Trans activism” and support for political violence -- including in the recent murder of Charlie Kirk (the murderer’s boyfriend was “Trans”).

In the case of Daniel Fore, he, a leader of an Open Source project, regularly calls for discrimination (and violence) against people he disagrees with -- often in conjunction with his self-declaration as “Trans”.

Thus, his declaration of being “Trans” becomes a part of the overall story.

It is worth noting here that The Lunduke Journal has never -- and would never -- call for discrimination or violence against someone because of how they identify or who they may (or may not) vote for.

This is in stark contrast those, such as Mr. Fore, who consider themselves “Trans” or “Antifa” -- who actively advocate for both discrimination and violence.

Hall:

Mentioning a person’s trans status in ways that are pertinent to your argument necessates rudeness such as calling her a “dude who likes to wear dresses”?

Lunduke:

Dan Fore is, in fact, a dude who likes to wear dresses.

The only reason to view that as a negative is if you view dudes wearing dresses as a negative.

Hall:

I’ll quote you on that, which I’m pretty sure won’t bother you in the least.

Lunduke:

Absolutely! Quote anything I say here. In fact, I suggest quoting absolutely everything I’ve written to you here, today.

Hall:

You also understand, don’t you, that voicing disagreement with an assessment made by POTUS is not only legal but a healthy part of the national dialog.

Lunduke:

Absolutely! Did I say somewhere that it was illegal to disagree with a politician? It seems unlikely that I have ever said that.

Hall:

Also, how would you reply to this:

There have been very few murders linked to individuals associated with Antifa, some incidents of rioting attributed to Antifa supporters, and no credible evidence of lynchings conducted in the name of Antifa. Compared to far-right groups, violence attributed to Antifa is much less frequent and lethal, with only one suspected kill—Aaron Danielson in Portland, by an anti-fascist activist—officially confirmed in recent U.S. history.

Lunduke:

Murder is bad. I am opposed to all murder.

In the context of these discussions, bearing in mind the Kirk murder is important (as many statements were made in response to it). The murderer of Kirk appears to have been pro-Trans and pro-Antifa (based on all available information).

Hall:

Is there any evidence that the suspect was part of an antifa group? I haven’t seen any.

Lunduke:

I have seen some reporting to this effect (including statements from family and messages he wrote).

But, far more important to this story, is the response to the murder among Antifa supporters (including those within Open Source). A large portion of Antifa supporters have celebrated the murder as justified because it killed someone they considered to be a “fascist”.

Hall:

Also, no group should be held responsible for what some deranged person who identifies with the group has done.

Lunduke:

I agree that a broader group should not be held responsible for the actions of a small number of individuals.

However, and this is critically important, it is entirely appropriate to hold people responsible for their own statements and actions.

With that in mind: The overall messaging of Antifa (and Antifa supporters) tends heavily towards violence. Punching, killing, molotov cocktails, etc. are all common messaging used by Antifa (including by those I quote within the Open Source world -- many of whom have advocated violence against myself).

Advocating for violence, then celebrating when violence is committed, are not good things.

Yet we see a great deal of that among Open Source supporters of Antifa.

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October 13, 2025
Sale ends in a few hours, Lifetime Subs set up.

Holy moly, you guys are amazing.

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To everyone who grabbed a Lifetime Subscription over the last few days: All of you are set to full Lifetime access. You should have a confirmation email in your inbox. If not, email me and I’ll make sure you’re setup properly.

That “50% off” sale ends tonight at midnight. So you have a few hours to snag a discounted subscription, if you haven’t already.

A huge thank you to everyone who supports this work. Couldn’t do it without you.

-Lunduke

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October 12, 2025
50% Off Lunduke Journal Extended Through Monday (Oct 13th)

Just a quick heads up:

The “50% off every kind of Subscription to The Lunduke Journal” sale has been extended through Monday (October 13th).

So. You know. Grab one at 50% off between now and end of the day on Monday.

To all of you amazing nerds who have picked up a Lifetime Subscription already this weekend: You are awesome. You’ll be receiving a confirmation email, with all of the Lifetime Subscription details, by tomorrow (if you haven’t already).

Oh, and remember how we hit 11 Million views last month? Yeah. We’re well on our way to blowing past those numbers in October.

Wild.

See you all on Monday!

-Lunduke

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