Make a Shelter Plan #1 "Where would you take shelter for 14-21 days?"

[ReadyMom]

There were several things on the list, for making a 'Shelter Plan'. So, let's take this plan one step at a time, to share ideas.

#1 Where would you take shelter for 14-21 days?

For my family, if we are at home, it would have to be in our 'basement'. Which is really a 'finished basement, just under ground level. One of our 2 windows is the updated 'emergency window'. I would want some kind of 'black out' material for the windows, so that any kind of light I'm using would not show.

A concern I have is that the door to this downstairs area is in our kitchen. Does 'fallout' enter my shelter area, from there, if I don't properly close/cover the other windows on my first floor?

Another concern is security. If there is anyone at large, will we hear them in time? Securing the door to that basement shelter will need to be addressed.

 

[Weedygarden]

I read a post that talked about people being killed in the atomic bomb drops by flying glass, while those on the floor or ground survived. What about having a piece of plywood to cover the windows. Actually, you probably need more than that for fallout protection.

 

[fteter]

We have a similar situation - my immediate go-to is our basement. We leveraged the window wells in front of the basement windows - I have a stack of sandbags stashed away that will fill the window wells. Inside the windows, we have pre-cut sheets of plywood stored in the huge basement utility closet with hinges pre-mounted. The plywood will definitely go up as a first order of business should we "bug in" to the basement. The sandbags will go into the window wells if circumstances allow.

 

[Caribou]

The most likely target in my area is forty miles away. Unfortunately I'm downwind. In the winter I might luck out and there could be a N wind and I'd have little to worry about.

Depending on the windspeed I figure I'd have between two and four hours to before the fallout would reach me. The power lines go past that site to the biggest power plant in the area. The natural gas lines run through the area so those lines are unlikely to come back on anytime soon.

My plan is to fire up the generator (cross your fingers for me) and get as much water as possible. I have aWaterBob and I'll fill up everything I can to add to what I already have.

I'll bring in as much firewood/coal as I can in the time allowed. My wood stove will go in next summer and it has outside air capability which I plan to hook up.

I'll try to seal around my garage door and perhaps the sliding glass door but my house is pretty tight and I don't want to cut off all my fresh air.

All the propane tanks will be brought in early on as those will be done quickly. I do have a Coleman propane camp stove but I may look into spare jets for the range also as that is a simple fix and I'd have an oven as well.

 

[SheepDog]

Outside air supply for your stove is normally a real good idea but if fallout is a concern you will want to add a filter so you don't pull in fallout and turn your stove into a radiation hazard. 4 to 6 thirteen inch automotive filters in a rain proof can will work as well as you need and you can do the same thing to get fresh air into your shelter. If you put fresh filters in place at the beginning of an event they will easily last the two weeks you need to shelter.

 

[Weedygarden]

Outside air supply for your stove is normally a real good idea but if fallout is a concern you will want to add a filter so you don't pull in fallout and turn your stove into a radiation hazard. 4 to 6 thirteen inch automotive filters in a rain proof can will work as well as you need and you can do the same thing to get fresh air into your shelter. If you put fresh filters in place at the beginning of an event they will easily last the two weeks you need to shelter.

There are special kinds of filters, made just for this purpose aren't there?

 

[SheepDog]

Of course there are. The difference in performance is negligible but the difference in price is phenomenal.
Use the stacked auto filters.

 

[fteter]

Caribou, I’d be tempted to stick a few of those 55 gallon water barrels in the basement. You’ll want more than the WaterBob and the water in the water heater if you need to hunker down for a few weeks to avoid that fallout.

 

[Caribou]

Caribou, I’d be tempted to stick a few of those 55 gallon water barrels in the basement. You’ll want more than the WaterBob and the water in the water heater if you need to hunker down for a few weeks to avoid that fallout.

100 gallons in the waterBob, 80 gallons in the water heater, 40 gallons of RO filtered water, plus any I can get into pans should last for three weeks for 2 people.

 

[tiffanysgallery]

Most southern homes are built without basements, but we have walk in closets the size of a small bedroom. Since my walk in closet is a center room without windows, there's were i'll be during any disaster. It's not optimum, but it is what i have.

A time frame of 14 days would be like a vacation from work, that i can handle, but 21/+ days without local news/human contact may just start to bother me.

I do have a large forest nearby, but that would leave me out in the open for possible danger, my home, even without a basement, so far, is my first and real option.

 

[Weedygarden]

A time frame of 14 days would be like a vacation from work, that i can handle, but 21/+ days without local news/human contact may just start to bother me.

You are not alone in this. There are people, family, who couldn't stand to be together for 24 hours. There are people who will want to go get a fix of some sort. They will want to leave and then want to return, if they survive.

 

[angie_nrs]

You are not alone in this. There are people, family, who couldn't stand to be together for 24 hours. There are people who will want to go get a fix of some sort. They will want to leave and then want to return, if they survive.

Spending that much time together in a small basement would be difficult even without any type of addiction problems to contend with. We don't have issues like that in our family (thankfully), but I can guarantee you that if MIL or other inlaws were to show up, I'd be miserable! I do have alcohol stored there along with everything else. I'm not planning on using it to drink as I typically don't drink liquor, but I'd make an exception. I also have earplugs, earphones and ipod, puzzles, word finds, sketch pads, books, magazines, cooling eye mask, headache medicine, etc. The trick is going to be to go elsewhere mentally. I honestly can't fathom being stuck in my basement with the inlaws, especially for 14-21 days.........hopefully an event that would necessitate such a retreat NEVER happens! Did I mention there's also guns there too?? Maybe I should remove those.......

 

[Weedygarden]

Spending that much time together in a small basement would be difficult even without any type of addiction problems to contend with. We don't have issues like that in our family (thankfully), but I can guarantee you that if MIL or other inlaws were to show up, I'd be miserable! I do have alcohol stored there along with everything else. I'm not planning on using it to drink as I typically don't drink liquor, but I'd make an exception. I also have earplugs, earphones and ipod, puzzles, word finds, sketch pads, books, magazines, cooling eye mask, headache medicine, etc. The trick is going to be to go elsewhere mentally. I honestly can't fathom being stuck in my basement with the inlaws, especially for 14-21 days.........hopefully an event that would necessitate such a retreat NEVER happens! Did I mention there's also guns there too?? Maybe I should remove those.......

I don't have those issues in my family either now, but I can imagine that you don't have to have addictions to have a hard time staying in a small room in basement for 3 weeks. I know about what a hard time it would be to have certain people with you.

 

[Caribou]

I've spent a lot of time on small boats from tugs and fishing boats to a 33' sailboat for a couple of years. Confined spaces will not be a problem for me. Getting along with others in confinement is a skill like anything else.

 

[ReadyMom]

I would get light deprevation anxiety. I don't even like dark winter days.

 

[Weedygarden]

I would get light deprevation anxiety. I don't even like dark winter days.

My guess is that others who may not even realize it would have this as well. There are special bulbs to help with this, if a person were to have electricity.

 

[angie_nrs]

ReadyMom and Weedygarden thanks for mentioning the light. I actually have one at work and I've forgotten to use it this winter. I get really cranky this time of year and I have found in the past that if I get a half hour to an hour of "fake" sun every other day or so, I usually have a brighter demeanor. I dug it out of the cabinet and used it today. Thanks for the reminder! I'm sure DH thanks you too.

 

[Meerkat]

I read a post that talked about people being killed in the atomic bomb drops by flying glass, while those on the floor or ground survived. What about having a piece of plywood to cover the windows. Actually, you probably need more than that for fallout protection.

Dick Chaney said all we need is plastic poly and duct tape.as he heads to his underground bunker city we can all be safe with plastic.

 

[Meerkat]

I've spent a lot of time on small boats from tugs and fishing boats to a 33' sailboat for a couple of years. Confined spaces will not be a problem for me. Getting along with others in confinement is a skill like anything else.

Sounds like fun. We watch " Gone With The Wynns " on youtube. What a nice young couple they are. They left the rat race 8 yr.s ago and have been living on the road for about 7 years and now on a boat for going on 2 years. If I were younger I'd love to do that. They have 2 cats. They are in Panama now about to head to Pacific soon. Have solar on their catamaran and in their motrohome they sold to buy boat. Some of the places they go when anchored looks very dangerous to me like Dominican Republic. They did get robbed one night.

 

[Meerkat]

My guess is that others who may not even realize it would have this as well. There are special bulbs to help with this, if a person were to have electricity.

Might be a good idea to prep up some led and batteries.huh?
I kinda feel like my daughter if a nuke hits I hope it lands right on my head, don't want to live with after effects. But if not give me light, a few hundred books [ not political,lol] .

 

[Weedygarden]

Might be a good idea to prep up some led and batteries.huh?
I kinda feel like my daughter if a nuke hits I hope it lands right on my head, don't want to live with after effects. But if not give me light, a few hundred books [ not political,lol] .

I would be good with a bunch of books, but I would also be good with a sewing machine and something to sew and work on with my hands, like knitting or crocheting, as long as I have good enough light.

 

[Meerkat]

I would be good with a bunch of books, but I would also be good with a sewing machine and something to sew and work on with my hands, like knitting or crocheting, as long as I have good enough light.

Yea thats right didn't think of that. I'd go stir crazy for sure if I had to stay inside with nothing to do.

 

[Weedygarden]

Might be a good idea to prep up some led and batteries.huh? .

I totally agree, or to have a generator that doesn't need to be visited every few hours, such as a propane generator.

 

[Weedygarden]

Yea thats right didn't think of that. I'd go stir crazy for sure if I had to stay inside with nothing to do.

I think of a family in this situation. Some form of exercise would be important and if there are children, especially so. A stationary bike that could generate electricity would serve more than one purpose.

 

[Meerkat]

I think of a family in this situation. Some form of exercise would be important and if there are children, especially so. A stationary bike that could generate electricity would serve more than one purpose.

Well Weedy sweety, your just full of ideas and I'm taking notes. I found a hole in my BOB when cleaning up closet,That little mouse got it before we got him I guess.

 

[Weedygarden]

Well Weedy sweety, your just full of ideas and I'm taking notes. I found a hole in my BOB when cleaning up closet,That little mouse got it before we got him I guess.

Oh, no! Better that you found it now, than later. My BOB is in process of being redone. I got a new (to me) bag and have some of my BOB things in there, but I need to work on it.

 

[Weedygarden]

 

[angie_nrs]

Here's a decent pros and cons of bike electricity article.

http://www.offthegridnews.com/grid-threats/7-shocking-facts-about-bicycle-generators/

After reading this, I doubt it's worth the expense for me. But, it would be worth printing out a couple of DIY blueprints to have in my binder.

 

[Weedygarden]

Here's a decent pros and cons of bike electricity article.

http://www.offthegridnews.com/grid-threats/7-shocking-facts-about-bicycle-generators/

After reading this, I doubt it's worth the expense for me. But, it would be worth printing out a couple of DIY blueprints to have in my binder.

Interesting information. Thank you!
It may not be worth the expense of having a bicycle for generation of electricity, but an exercise bicycle could provide a workout for any person who is in an enclosed space for a long period of time.

 

[ssonb]

I am not to close to main nuclear targets, but figgerin on how accurate KJI or rocket boys guidance system probably is, It will decide my house will be as good as any to light up.............. The Norks will likely calculate that the secondary explosions from the stored ammo and powder will double the yield!!!!!!