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Converted Iso shipping containers converted into residences are becoming popular in the UK / EU. Some are single container conversions others two or three to create one home. But in some cities dozens are assembled to make container apartment blocks. Plus quite a few old school survivalists are still burying containers as underground retreats.

The problem though, is in the transport and placement of these. These containers require heavy equipment and cranes to place. Hiring such crews and equipment can easily equal/exceed the cost of the containers themselves...not to mention the welders needed to modify them.
 
Sorry my son hit my arm as I was typing and posted the above message. I was trying to say we use several of the metal type sheds at work for on-site living quarters for up to a few weeks at a time. I has one insulated with spray foam and then covered the walls in practical board. The spray foam was pretty cheap and did a great job insulating the place. Just an idea
 
I was not sure where to post this topic and thought this would be a safe place to post it.

I was looking at tiny home designs and it made me think what could you do to make it a place to shelter in place or a BOH "Bug Out Home." There is the normal solar panels, larger tanks for water (if built on a trailer), wood burning furnace or fireplace for heat. But I wanted to get other people's thoughts on it.
What about heating water pipe's under the floor with a fire boiler. Fire treated hay's a good insulator and you can plaster right on to it.
 
try searching kirsten dirkensen (i think) or faircompanies.com .. they had tons of videos on the small home movement which you can learn from.

Try craig's list for 2nd hand stuff you can buy. I saw a mobile home where they used a school bus as the mobile home which is way cool... I would live in one of them!

:)
 
I fell out of my chair laughing about Bubbadreier's post, first I thought it was one of those Japanese overnighter rooms, they have in Tokyo. Then I came up with the perfect explanation of the idea, you know guys from Oklahoma will do anything to stay out one more night at a lake to fish, so who knows, no disrespect intended to you Bubbadreier!

Before you think solar, take a look at my post...on solar...just trust me, if your planning to do some major investments its a bit of money. Also, if your thinking of not bugging out of your home and defending it against armed intrusion or a determined force, limit your entry points, I know that might impact your fire safety code, but the more entry points that are available, the higher probability of success the intruder will win. Don't forget to consider that windows as an entry point. If your considering a long hallway, consider how you can take away that from your enemy. Might want to pick our newest member Westcoast, he has experience as SWAT member, he may have some other ideas, but limiting entryways is a major force multiplier for a defending. Also when designing the home, figure out a way that you can funnel the OPFOR into a kill zone, it doesn't have to be elaborate, bad for them, limiting your exposure for you.
 
Touching on alabaster sod homes, also nebraska 19th century straw bale homes, I have built forts for the kids out of bales that's still standing and their kids now play in them, very robust in fact nebraska still has 100+ year old straw bale homes still standing and useable.
 
I have a really nice country home here I've been building for about 8 yrs now, and am almost done. It's 1700sq ft. and is much larger than I need, but I have done so much work on the property that I don't want to sell and move, but would like to downsize. I decided to build a small cottage/cabin on the back of the property and rent out the house for some extra income. Well I looked at a lot of designs and decided to go with this one. It is a small footprint but has a lot of windows so doesn't seem claustrophobic. It has a cathedral ceiling for added volume too, and would be easy to add a loft above the kitchen/bath area for some extra storage and sleeping area. The entire inside covered in eastern white pine tongue and groove, and the outside with concrete siding and a metal roof. I've started collecting materials allready, and just recently got a deal on all the windows. I work at a hardware center and come across lots of materials pretty cheap on occasion. If you build this cabin 12 ft wide you could have it moved without too much problem, but 16 wide makes it a lot more liveable. This is 800 sq ft as is, but will look a lot larger inside.
image.jpg
. Bay windows on each end let in a lot of light and give the illusion of a larger space.
 
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If you look at boats and campers you'll see they multi use everything. If you make your furniture you can make storage u nits with it too. Even a sofa or bed can have roll out drawers under them. Even with all that, it's worth having a shed for a workshop and extra storage.
 
The link below is the design I was going to use. It is the Tumbleweed Mica tiny house. The changes I was going to do would be is move the kitchen to the center, remove the sliding doors on the right side of design and move the from door to the end of the building so there is only one entrance and can easily aim straight forward.

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/01...c5bd4fd-34d3-4ed7-aed8-df1285536aab.jpg?28961
 
The link below is the design I was going to use. It is the Tumbleweed Mica tiny house. The changes I was going to do would be is move the kitchen to the center, remove the sliding doors on the right side of design and move the from door to the end of the building so there is only one entrance and can easily aim straight forward.

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/01...c5bd4fd-34d3-4ed7-aed8-df1285536aab.jpg?28961
Good design, but I would consider a second door, just for fire or escape. At least make sure the windows are large enough to get thru in a pinch. Also, if you make it 8' wide you can tow it down the road to relocate without special permits.
 
I was not sure where to post this topic and thought this would be a safe place to post it.

I was looking at tiny home designs and it made me think what could you do to make it a place to shelter in place or a BOH "Bug Out Home." There is the normal solar panels, larger tanks for water (if built on a trailer), wood burning furnace or fireplace for heat. But I wanted to get other people's thoughts on it.
I watched a U.K t.v show called small spaces, it had loads of great ideas. I'm sure you could watch it online. It was all vans, campers, huts and had some amazing ideas.
 
Good design, but I would consider a second door, just for fire or escape. At least make sure the windows are large enough to get thru in a pinch. Also, if you make it 8' wide you can tow it down the road to relocate without special permits.
Haven't thought about a second door but that is a good idea. The windows I of course would make them big enough.
 
Haven't thought about a second door but that is a good idea. The windows I of course would make them big enough.
Its always good to have an escape route, for fire or any other emergency.
 
I still love the idea that was in the movie RED....where John Malkovich's character had a house, but it was just a decoy. His real abode was accessed via the hood of an abandoned wreck of a car!



About 50 seconds in....
 
I still love the idea that was in the movie RED....where John Malkovich's character had a house, but it was just a decoy. His real abode was accessed via the hood of an abandoned wreck of a car!



About 50 seconds in....

That's awesome! I just dug out for a root cellar/storm shelter and have been considering how to camouflage it when done. That is a great idea! (Not practical for my set up though). I had a hill that I dug into, so the front of the shelter will be exposed. I'm going to cover the front with the septic tank I got for rain collection and will probably put some fence panels on each end of it back to the dirt wall, with a non conspicuous panel that opens. Well see. I still have to do the footers, block walls with rebar, pour floor,roof and fill walls. Needless to say, I might be ready to hide it by fall! We're not in a big tornado area, but have had two in the last few years. Seems like the weather is getting wilder everywhere, so the extra safety and cool storage area seemed like a good idea.
 

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