Safest buildings when SHTF
- Thread starter Myrrph
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Problem is, lots of other factors to consider.
For example, the first one is great, but it is in one of the most populated cities on the planet.
The next suggestion is in a desert, so not the most survivable place.
The third, in the arctic, same problem as above. Though the seed bank is a plus.
Those AT&T offices though, are pretty impressive. I'd gladly ride out the zombies in one of those.
For example, the first one is great, but it is in one of the most populated cities on the planet.
The next suggestion is in a desert, so not the most survivable place.
The third, in the arctic, same problem as above. Though the seed bank is a plus.
Those AT&T offices though, are pretty impressive. I'd gladly ride out the zombies in one of those.
i'd pick a log home in the middle of no where,that has top of the line storm windows..and great port holes for shooting them when they come into view.
I like the line on one of the buildings, "impenetrable" building. Ain't no such thing. Jim's right, a remote cabin that can't easily be found. Anything out of sight. A fortress is just a tempting target. I'm thinking a hobbit hole sounds nice, don't mow the roof and no one knows it's there!
Location is probably the number one factor....
1. Remote from population centers (and nuclear plants and military targets)
2. Access to replenishable water
3. Ability to grow food in a protected area
Then....
4. Hardened walls (so a gunshot won't go through them)
5. Fencing
6. Open ground around structure (allows you to shoot at unprotected attackers from a fortified position)
7. Not advertise it's benefits (for example, we're lucky in that the way our home is angled, it never looks that big from any one angle...always a whole section hidden from view. In addition, the garage hides the main garden from the road, and the house hides the fruit trees (once in), while both of these structures hide the stables way in back. If someone did come down the long drive...they'd see what initially just looks like a residence...not a ranch.
1. Remote from population centers (and nuclear plants and military targets)
2. Access to replenishable water
3. Ability to grow food in a protected area
Then....
4. Hardened walls (so a gunshot won't go through them)
5. Fencing
6. Open ground around structure (allows you to shoot at unprotected attackers from a fortified position)
7. Not advertise it's benefits (for example, we're lucky in that the way our home is angled, it never looks that big from any one angle...always a whole section hidden from view. In addition, the garage hides the main garden from the road, and the house hides the fruit trees (once in), while both of these structures hide the stables way in back. If someone did come down the long drive...they'd see what initially just looks like a residence...not a ranch.
I vote for a bigger cabin with a Jacuzzi, my personal balcony that has a deer stand attached to it, so I don't have to go far to shoot the deer and elk or that fact anyone stupid enough to sit on the property after repeated warnings about how many guns will be pointed at them. A nice adapted crane to go pick us said dear/elk, so I don't have to wear my wadding boots...and when the first snow flies, a nice little ski lift to the top of the roof, so that I have a nice snow board run or Nordic Alpine slide....so I have an excuse to sit by the fire, warm my toes and drink hot chocolate with my honey!
I like the way you think! Who wants to live in a cave? I guess if you're going to dream, do it big!
Hey Brent, good to hear from you! Actually the home I had built at my old BOL site wasn't too bad on square footage over 2800 square feet and had a 2000 square basement (of which 700 square feet was designed as a safe room). I added decking after about a year, so it overlooked the backside of a nice wooded area. Deer were always in easy range for me, had I elected to hunt there. We elected to sell the BOL because a developer in the area created a golf course and added more homes in the area, quickly sucking up what had been a remote area. Since I had kids heading to college, my wife was reluctant to scoop up the adjacent land. In the end, we sold it to a good family who were looking for a winter vacation home. The home had two large bathrooms, one with a Jacuzzi bath and even had a sauna (bad decision on my part, I never used it). Biggest problem I leaned from the experience was "water rights". So that has been a big issue when I've found a piece of property for my next BOL I have a small piece of property at my other BOL, but it would not serve to support the number of people I envision to facilitate long-term sustainment. I guess living in drought stricken part of Texas has opened my eyes to the value of this neglected resource. Hope all is well with you.
Sounds really nice, I think I would have sold my main home and moved there! I think water rights are going to become an even bigger issue Down the road. I was on another site and loads of people were from Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California. They were all talking about not even being able to grow a garden this year, and were describing some really hot and dry conditions. I'm not sure how true it is but I Heard in Colorado you can't even collect the rain from your roof runoff. The govt. Is always telling us what to do in some way or another, and it seems like most of the time it's misguided. Somehow I have a problem with big ag pumping as much as they want, and a guy can't water a small garden in his backyard?
Back to the topic, I really haven't thought too much about a bugout location as I've invested so much time and energy here. I would like to have a contingency plan, but with the resources I have I've been putting it all in here. I am planning to build a smaller home on the back of this property to downsize to, and am planning to rent the main house here for some extra retirement income. With all the fruit trees and other plants that are just getting big enough to be productive, the thought of starting over somewhere else is kind of out of the question for me. Not to mention that I really love it here. The mountains in n Ga. are beautiful, have lots of deer, rabbits and squirrels, loads of ponds with bass and brim, and we have plenty of water. I've got two creeks on the property here, so even during dry spells I can keep everything alive. I hope you guys get some rain over there before too long. I have the most ambitious garden this year that I've ever planted as I'm trying to produce enough to can a good bit. I'm still learning to be a farmer, but I have learned that chicken and rabbit manure really help your plants! Be safe, Brent.
Hey Brent,
I do understand the situation for you. Hard to be a caregiver and also juggle all the demands of a regular day. Yes, the impact of our regional 4 year drought has called our two main water sheds (Lake Arrowhead and Lake Kickapoo) to drop below 25%. We are now in Stage 5 Water Emergency, which means that was have about 180 days of water left at present consumption rates. JimLE and the rest of Texas got rain last week, in some areas it averaged about 7 inches. We in the local area didn't see a drop. I've installed rain collectors and have the ability to collect about 1500 gallons, but until we get rain, I am pretty well screwed. I've begun to pay for well water to keep our tanks full and the pool full, as we get desperate these could be our back-up. Talk in the town is to also let go of firefighters since their is not enough water to put out a real blaze, which means raising of fire insurance. Since my wife works for an oil company, son is in his junior year of high school, and daughter is in college, I am pretty stuck with a good size home that is built to provide solar energy and is built along defendable lines...I've got steel shutters built into the windows and have a steel door to both entry ways. Even the A.C. unit is hardened to provide a bit of NBC determinant since I have NBC filters that can be installed on them and the positive air flow will purge about any chemical.
It sounds like you have an ideal spot for a BOL. I guess as soon as I finish my new Ops plan, I'll send you the unclassified version for you to possibly look at and use for your own home.
The water issue for you is a big plus. Do you have the ability to store a large quantity? You could certainly buy them from a company which offers the large 1000 gallon ones...they are not bad and with a little PVC pipe and a 1 horse power pump that is tied to a solar battery generator, you could have water in the event the grid goes down. Just thoughts, but that is what I plan to do with a water source.
Well good chatting with you, hope you have a great week.
