Cresson H. Kearny life and biography

Cresson H. Kearny (pronounced Carney) was an inventor, author, and expert on civil defense and preparation for nuclear disaster. His work included published plans for constructing effective atomic shelters, serious research into how different bomb shelters respond to blasts and explosions, and extensive writings on jungle warfare. He obtained patents for a breath-inflated backpackable boat, a jungle boot and hammock, and the Kearny Fallout Meter, a workable and reliable radiation meter that can be quickly assembled from ordinary household items in the event of an emergency. His book Nuclear War Survival Skills provides what seems a reasoned course of action in the event of a nuclear catastrophe, and remains popular with survivalists. He was a great-great-stepson of explorer William Clark.

Kearny's most notable work is Nuclear War Survival Skills (NWSS). It describes civil defense research to determine the methods for ordinary citizens to build effective expedient shelters in a short period of time. It includes "MacGyver-like" plans for the Kearny Air Pump (KAP), Kearny Fallout Meter (KFM) and blast doors designed to be published in a newspaper prior to an attack. This book is in the public domain and is available for purchase, as well as free download online, from the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine.

His other works include Jungle Snafus ... and Remedies, a book on the history of development of specialized equipment for use by military forces in jungle regions, and Will Civil Defense Work?

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