Shelter options in FL

[UrbanSniper98K]

Hello all... just recently joined.... I've seen quite a few bunkers and doomsday castles. I believe those are out of reach for the majority of people. Not all, but most and I'm just being real with myself. I also live in Florida, which means digging is not an option. What are my options for building an above ground shelter/bunker that would be able to withstand most small arms fire? Building a wooden structure and lining the inside with steel? Maybe purchasing a surplus storage container but even they are $5,000+. Thanks for any insight.

 

[Hunter Valley Preppers]

Being in AU, bunkers, shelters etc are pretty much out of out range too. Unless you have a big acreage of your own.

Best thing i can think of is to prep your house also.

Heres an article with a basic outline of how to better prep your house security wise. Its not saying to board the windows and what not, just little things that most overlook that may help.

http://howtosurviveit.com/discrete-home-security/

 

[UrbanSniper98K]

Thanks Hunter... that is a great start

 

[David W. Harrison]

I suggest you build with log. You can od it yourself for nearly nothing. Also, get out of florida. After 32 years there I finally escaped.

 

[UrbanSniper98K]

I suggest you build with log. You can od it yourself for nearly nothing. Also, get out of florida. After 32 years there I finally escaped.

I don't think I can just escape just yet... I have a young daughter(18 months) and family here with my last remaining family in Connecticut. Not to mention building a name for myself around the local race tracks. If I could escape now, I would have already done so but now as far as relocating, options are limited lol.

 

[Gazrok]

Cinder blocks, rebar and concrete. Easy to do, fairly cheap, and easy to price out once you know size. Forget small arms fire, this works for heavy calibers too.
Note, I often suggest simply having some cinder blocks in storage. That way, if a SHTF event occurs, you can haul them out, and stack them under windows to give you a decent firing position (can even fill the cinder block holes with dirt). Also, sandbags are great to have onhand. Can fill them when the SHTF event occurs, so they take up less space in storage. With these, you can make an inner room or area safe for your daughter in such a situation. Heck, one layer wide of sandbags can even serve for nuclear fallout, as an effective radiation shield.

 

[UrbanSniper98K]

Cinder blocks, rebar and concrete. Easy to do, fairly cheap, and easy to price out once you know size. Forget small arms fire, this works for heavy calibers too.
Note, I often suggest simply having some cinder blocks in storage. That way, if a SHTF event occurs, you can haul them out, and stack them under windows to give you a decent firing position (can even fill the cinder block holes with dirt). Also, sandbags are great to have onhand. Can fill them when the SHTF event occurs, so they take up less space in storage. With these, you can make an inner room or area safe for your daughter in such a situation. Heck, one layer wide of sandbags can even serve for nuclear fallout, as an effective radiation shield.

Thanks! That is a great idea as well... I will do some planning with the above mentioned ideas and get back with some sketches/ideas

 

[Gazrok]

Remember, you only need to have sleeping area for 1/3 of the number of people being sheltered. (24 hrs in a day, so 3 8hr shifts). They can take turns. So, you can build a smaller shelter.
Check Ally's posts on compost toilets, as that's an excellent bunker solution for toilet needs.
For bunker food, think things that don't have to be cooked.
Don't forget things to do like games, books, etc.

To be truly effective against larger rounds, the cinder blocks must be filled, either with dirt or concrete. (concrete is better of course). Roof will depend on the purpose of the bunker. Consider roof supports in your design, and what you are making it for. Poured concrete is ideal, but takes some expertise, and is considerable weight. A cheaper solution may be a dirtbox style roof (wood underneath, but no exposed wood to outside). This has the added benefit of being able to plant creeping vines in there, that may then overflow and hide the bunker.

Even in FL, you can likely dig down a few feet, so consider making the bunker somewhat sunken into the ground, to give it a lower topside profile. Plant the right plants around it (like palmetto) and you can likely hide it pretty well. Be sure to run pipes with vents, etc. a decent distance away from the bunker and camouflage these well.

 

[jimLE]

im in complte agreement with cinder block home/bunker..i heard of a woman once who had not only built her home out of cynder blocks.but had done it up right to with stand a tornado thats greater then catagory 5 tornado.only danmage it recived that i heard of.is roof damage dureing a hurricane..and if i remember right..the woman lived on the gulf coast at the time..