By Preston.
From civil unrest and terrorist acts to biological weapons and full-out nuclear war, there could easily come a time when you will need to be totally self-sufficient for weeks, months, maybe even years. A properly designed and stocked bunker will make all the difference on whether you survive and thrive—or perish.
The Bunker
While there are many pre-made bunkers available, the prices may be outside your reach. One alternative is to purchase property with a bunker already installed, which you can find by doing a specific Google search. Another alternative is to build your own. Some things to keep in mind:
- Stick to what you can afford. Build and upgrade your shelter slowly to avoid heavy costs at the outset.
- If disaster strikes, how will you get your entire family there quickly and safely? Have a plan.
- Carefully consider the size of your bunker. You’ll need room for your family and supplies, but you also need some room for people to move around and spread out.
- Consider nearby natural resources, air supply, entry and exit plans, heating/cooling and bathroom/sewage systems. How advanced will you go?
Photo by morten812 via Flickr
Under Construction
Unless you buy property with a bunker already installed, you’ll be digging a hole. This is an opportunity to design the shelter the way you want. Many bunkers are designed around shipping containers or concrete block structures, which gives you the ability to design in adequate storage and living space. Build water, sewage and even food solutions that work for your given situation.
You’ll also be able to build in the safeguards you feel are necessary. For example, using silicone seals on doors, vents and other openings has many benefits, including biological, chemical, and weather resistance. Use those in conjunction with an air scrubber, and you’ll be able to create a bunker that will meet the needs of any disaster.
Food and Water Supply
Water is the most essential thing. Keep secure tanks or jugs in the bunker. Switch out the water every few months to maintain freshness. Economical food supply and storage solutions have some relatively easy answers. Foods that not only supply you with nutrition but store easily and last for years are:
- Dried beans
- Dry rice
- Peanut butter
- Cornmeal
- Sugar
- Salt
- Pasta
- Canned meats
- Canned vegetables
- Lard
Most of these foods package well in five-gallon buckets, and even the most perishable of them will last in storage for about two years. Dried beans and rice can last for more than 20 years, if packed properly. Keep track of the food you store with a dated chart. Check the supplies every six months or so to make sure nothing has gone bad or is damaged.
Other Supplies
Food and water are the most important, but other items to consider include:
- Hygiene and sanitation supplies
- Lamps/flashlights, lots of batteries
- Generator
- Radio
- Activities for children and adults (it’s important to stay busy)
- Clothes
- Weapons for protection and hunting
- First aid supplies
With proper planning, an investment of your time and money and the desire to survive, you can have a doomsday bunker that is not only affordable but truly effective.
Note from PJ: We have quite a few articles on shipping container shelters, if you are curious click here to go to that part of the blog.
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Always have more than one way in n out!!! Two is good, three is better. Each at different distances and directions, that way if one gets compromised or damaged your safe house doesn’t become your tomb
hide the Entrance, the air vents as much as possible… A simple air vent as indicated, is an absolute FLAG to “Something Here !!!” ….and in a survival mode, ANY desperate person would CONCENTRATE on that Fixture / site.
Then your Bunker becomes a Target… a Tomb.
Also, vent shaft, like that in the accomplishing photo, are a NEON sign of something below. Try to camouflage any and all vents, drainage systems, and doors, so that it would be harder for unwanted visitors to find.
You people have lost your dammed minds
I know isn’t it cool?
A client in my architectural practice had prompted me to look int this topic in some detail. The reality is that in the case of a nuclear attack, the chances are that you will survive it if your 3+ miles from ground zero. If you make it through the flash and fires afterward, you will witness a horrific example of people at their worst. If your in the fallout zone, determined by winds, you will need filtered air to breath, but not underground in some expensive mole hole. In fact, unless you have top secrete intel, and your close to ground zero, you will likely die before you can get to your shelter. 48 hours after the flash you will likely be able to go outside for extended periods. It doesn’t take much to survive this, but it does take preparation. Water/Sewer and security are the main concerns for the first 48. This is easy to prepare for. If your interested in working smarter and not being a foolish fear monger call me and I will help you prepare. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. BTW, most likely is an initial HEMP blast which will not affect you or your property at all, but will render almost anything electrical, coast to coast, useless, taking years to replace. Think about the implications of that……
Kyle Jensen Architect 407-227-8984
I own about 3 acres. My property is fairly long and narrow being about 600 ft. in length. A lake over flow area which is lower in elevation goes through the middle of my property which is protected by DNR rules, laws and regulations. In short, I can not do anything within 150 ft. of shore line. Most of the year there is no water in the area, it’s just overflow area. On the other side of this low land is a hill with woods which is undisturbed. No roads and or walk trailers and is out on a peninsula surrounded by water on 3 sides. My question is; I would like to be able to build or install a small underground hidden shelter in that area but fear the laws or regulations will not permit it. I have thought about doing it and trying to keep it secret but if it were found out I would probably have to destroy it. Once it was built it would not be visible being that it is underground. Can you give me any advice on how I should proceed?
Use tires can git them for free and dirt bags are cheap make a round house but underground make a graviv foundation fill the tires with dirt pound the dirt into that tire ( it becames a 300 ibs brick ) put another tire on top screw it down put cardboard cover hole then fill with dirt repeat
WHERE CAN I FIND INFO ON USING BOX CULVARS FOR CONSTRUCTING UNDERGROUND BUNKERS. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A DIY INSTRUCTION GUIDE .
Did you get any help, I am interested also.
Justin
Nothing says a bunker has to be underground, in fact, a combination of an above-ground and below-ground structure seems to me like a better idea! Man cave underneath (with most of your stored supplies), and fortified living space above. The key to hiding it (in plain sight) is make it look like a natural feature like a hill; i.e. covered in local vegetation, even weeds, though perennial (long lasting) plants may be best. Build a drip-irrigation system into the upper structure as you construct it so the neighbors won’t wonder why you’re watering the weeds on a hill, especially if they’re the only green plants around! You can’t legally bury tires around here (and they recycle them so they’re not very available) but sandbags are a good option, though I wouldn’t use bob wire between the bags like many Youtube videos show. Using cattle panels on the inside and outside of you sandbag wall, with galvanized wire running between bags, tied to the inner and outer panels, which are also galvanized, unlike barb wire. How to build on the QT? Building a lightweight shed (with no floor)on skids (so it can be moved) then digging and building your Man cave out of site of nosy neighbors (especially official ones) will be time-consuming and labor-intensive, but this type of structure will be anyway! Don’t forget to consider ground moisture when building underground. GLAHP!
I understand the need for a hiding place in the event of SHTF and there is a lot to be said for the underground bunker. However, most of what I’ve seen and read, people are setting themselves up for failure with the underground bunker. Ask yourself, how did the tunnel rats in Viet Nam discover all those tunnels? If I’m not mistaken a lot of times it was from the smell of food, human waste and other smells emanating from openings. Individuals have the have a way to breath, which means vents, which also means smells emanating from them. In order to eliminate odors, one has to install air scrubbers, which means power, which leads to noise. Now your underground bunker has been compromised. In addition to air vents and the smells emanating from them, all it takes is an individual to block the air vents and the individuals inside will no longer have fresh air. When the occupants come up to investigate, they now become sniper targets. This in turn leads the other occupants to either stay inside and suffocate from lack of fresh air or come out and become sniper targets. If your bunker requires power, where does the power come from? More than likely the grid will be down which means you will be running generators. The noise from your generator will be a dead giveaway. If you are relying on solar or wind, then your panels and wind turbines are going to be visible. Another giveaway. All an individual has to do is to cut the power to your bunker and again you are vulnerable. When you come to investigate, you just became another sniper target. Look, I believe in prepping and have been doing so for years. I have placed caches in numerous locations, from seed vaults to food and clothing to other survival items. I’ve scouted many locations where to obtain additional supplies after the SHTF. After looking into underground bunkers and determining they are not right for me or my family, we have decided the “Grey Man” concept is more in line with our way of life. Hiding underground like a mole waiting to be trapped is not my idea of fun.
I don’t know if anyone will see this but damn SHTF did finally hit the fan. I’m thinking of investing in a bunker cause I bet the virus is just going to get crazier and the people too. My advice is move to the country side and build a bunker in the forest, don’t tell anyone or take pictures of your property. Do your thing, anonymously. See what I did there? Rhymes, ladies and gentlemen and non-binary people. Stay safe. Adiós.
before Y2K I buryied in the hill side a 500 gallon water tank never finished hooking it up or used it, but it’s full of water all this time. was going to be for gravity use to one bathroom if power was off. now i’ve moved back to city life no one knows it’s there. top will remind you of the TV series (LOST),
keebler