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Last Updated on August 20, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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How to Supply A Safe Room Or Bunker
Supplying a safe room or bunker is critical to ensuring security and safety in an emergency. This involves strategic planning and careful selection of supplies that meet the specific needs of the individuals who might use the space.
- Choose the Right Location: Select a discreet yet accessible spot.
- Ensure Structural Integrity: Use reinforced materials for construction.
- Install a Secure Entrance: Opt for steel or vault-style doors.
- Adequate Ventilation: Ensure proper air filtration system installation.
- Emergency Communications Equipment: Landline phone or two-way radio installation.
- Supplies for Sustenance: Stockpile non-perishable food and water.
- Medical Supplies: Keep a comprehensive first aid kit ready.
Building a bunker or safe room is a time-consuming and costly endeavor. The advantage, however, is that you and your family may take refuge indoors and be safe from outside dangers.
The difficulty with depending on a safe room for survival is that unless it’s well-provisioned, it will be more of a trap than a haven.
The good news is that your ideal DIY bunker kit can be built with only a little preparation, common sense, and ingenuity.
Things to Consider
The first thing to research is whether a natural nuclear bunker is close to your house—Google nuclear shelters in your city/area. You will be surprised at what you find.
Before assembling your safe room, choose which catastrophes and calamities you will be prepared for. Safe rooms are often built to shield a family from storms, human attacks, or nuclear attacks.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to This Old House
Even so, it would be best to consider other hazards when developing your ideas. Earthquakes, storms, civil unrest, flooding, an EMP/CME, or a worldwide pandemic should all be considered.
Another factor to consider is how many individuals will be using the room in case of a tragedy. It would be best to evaluate the potential of more people than family visiting your safe room.
The Essentials: Water and Food
Food, clean water, and supplies may appear to be self-evident additions to a safe room. Still, supplying enough food and drink entails much more than purchasing bottled H2O and ready-to-eat meals.
When planning your food storage, one of the first things to consider is how long you intend to be in the safe room. Of course, no one knows how long one may be in survival mode during a crisis. But it would help if you had a good idea of your intentions.
Keep your timelines reasonable; remaining underground for several years is not viable for most. Make a plan and run with it. Is it three months, six months, or even a year?
Assume you’re ready to withstand a nuclear strike. Fallout radiation levels will diminish quickly in that situation, so planning to stay in your safe room for three to five weeks is a decent start.
However, the necessity for self-reliance will remain much longer due to EMP(Electromagnetic Pulse)/CME (Coronal mass ejections), pandemics, and economic collapse.
Set a realistic time limit for how long you plan to stay in your safe room and a goal for how much food and water you’ll need.
Along with stocking up your safe room, it’s vital to evaluate your safe room for flaws before relying on it for survival.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to WION
Only choose foods that require little to no preparation and can last for decades on the shelf. You can purchase foods lasting up to 25 years from many manufacturers.
Meals ready to eat that have been canned, dehydrated, freeze-dried, or purchased are all wonderful choices.
Hydroponics may be a viable choice if the safe room is large enough. Microgreens are quickly grown and full of necessary vitamins, and iodine-rich foods are excellent for long-term supplies.
They’ll assist you in getting excellent needed iodine into your system instead of radioactive iodine that you may get from a nuclear assault or accident.
Whatever you pick should supply enough calories each day to maintain your health and fitness and food your family enjoys.
Each person will require at least one gallon of water every day. Given the size of the storage tanks, the water requirement will create considerable logistical issues.
A family of four, for example, will require at least 120 gallons of water every month, or about 1000 pounds of water, to store and maintain clean.
If you wanted to store three months’ worth of water, you’d need seven 55-gallon barrels weighing over 500 pounds.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to Video X
If you wanted to store three months’ worth of water, you’d need seven 55-gallon barrels weighing over 500 pounds.
All food and water storage facilities must be protected from outside influences such as fallout, germs, viruses, and the elements. If your water becomes polluted, you’ll need a reliable technique for filtering and purifying it.
There are many different sorts and designs of water filtration systems available, and no matter which one you pick, you must have at least two backup filter systems on hand.
Are water purification tablets worth keeping on hand during a catastrophe?
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to Sci- Inspi
You can’t leave your pets behind
You won’t leave your pets outside your safe room, so ensure you have adequate supplies and a method for dealing with their waste.
Dogs must also be exercised regularly and trained to use the restroom in a specified spot inside the safe room.
Ventilation is key to long-term health
The safe room must get its air from the outside, necessitating installing a high-quality filtration system and a big filter stockpile.
The safe room must get its air from the outside, which necessitates installing a high-quality filtration system and a large filter stockpile.
The filters you utilize must trap radioactive particles, viruses, germs, and dust. You must also have a backup system in place, just like you would with any other survival item.
Human and pet waste and garbage are a problem
Spending weeks in a safe room will be unforgiving if you haven’t planned for your waste to be disposed of properly.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to City Prepping
There are various methods to achieve this, and after you’ve decided on one that works best for you, it’s always a good idea to have a backup system in case the first one breaks down.
Assistive technology
Whatever prompted you to seek refuge in your safe room from the outside world brings us to other dangers that are most likely chaotic and may result in injuries or contamination.
You must bring enough first-aid materials to treat any injuries and wounds you have been trained for.
DIY first aid kit from the discount store, or buy a professionally built kit?
We suggest buying a professional first aid kit, as the professionals know what is needed and have not forgotten anything for the most part.
Of course, you can Google what is needed and then visit your local Dollar stores. If you build your own, it is recommended that you store all these different items in one container, as when an emergency arises, you’ll need them immediately.
The most important thing to understand about first aid supplies is that they are consumable. When dealing with a trauma, you’ll need a lot of materials, with this in mind you will need to replace the ones that have been used. In this scenario, having more is preferable.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to Survival Dispatch
Include prescription drugs as well as a wide range of over-the-counter medications. If you have children, make sure you have medicine that is appropriate for them on hand.
It would be best to remember that you will not have physicians available; you will be alone.
If you’re ready for a nuclear strike, keep potassium iodide and radiation detection and monitoring equipment on hand.
Decontamination items – Buy these from a professional
Decontamination supplies are crucial in the case of nuclear fallout or pandemics.
Decontamination will occur every time someone enters the safe room, therefore having adequate supplies to conduct hundreds of decontamination operations is essential.
Cleaning supplies, Tyvek suits, gas masks/respirators, trash bags, rubber gloves, duct tape, and vapor barrier rolls are all good places to start.
It’s not enough to have the materials; you’ll also need a designated decontamination space.
A quarantine section should also be attached to this. The air supply for the quarantine and decontamination areas should be separated from the remainder of the safe room and vented directly to the outside.
Furthermore, because infected persons will need to be treated in isolation, measures for providing first aid to them must be established. Before re-entering the bunker’s main sections, the person treating them must be decontaminated and potentially confined.
There must also be provisions to wash any contaminated clothes and clean any contaminated equipment.
Communication with the outside world is a necessity
When you’re sheltering in your safe room, you’ll be essentially blocked off from the outside world, so having a dependable means to communicate with the outside world is crucial.
Amateur radios, shortwave receivers, CB/FRS/GRMS radios, and even SDR receivers are necessary to keep up with the outside world and communicate with other survivors.
Power
Being confined to a safe room without access to power is a significant nuisance.
It will prevent you from having dependable and safe lighting, using electric appliances, or keeping battery-operated gadgets charged and ready.
Various methods may be used to establish off-grid electricity. You should select one that is appropriate for your needs and budget. We have researched several solar charging units that should be good for charging your devices.
It would help to run your charging cord into your safe room from the outside. Solar panels come in various sizes depending on your needs.
Warm clothing is essential
When the temperature lowers, adding layers of warm clothes is preferable to investing more energy in heating the entire building, which is in short supply. Everyone should have adequate warm gear to get through the frigid evenings.
Bags for a quick escape
Due to an attack or damage, you may need to leave the safe room. As a result, you should carry at least three days’ worth of food, drink, clothes, and survival gear in your backpacks for this event.
Some self-defense devices, such as a knife, stun gun, or pistol, are highly recommended.
Gas masks, decontamination equipment, and protective clothes are not just necessary for nuclear fallout but also for pandemics.
Entertainment helps with anxiety
Being stranded in a safe room is not a fun experience for anyone. Make sure you have as many alternatives for amusement as possible.
Take playing cards and as many entertainment devices/items as possible, preferably none electric.
Assuming you have a steady supply of electricity. A TV and DVD player can help make the long days inside the safe room more bearable.
Tools for fixing and building
Things fail, and having the tools to fix them is critical to keeping the rooms’ mechanical systems running. As a result, while putting up a tool kit, ensure you have everything you’ll need to remove and fix anything within the containment area.
It’s just as crucial to stock a safe room with supplies as it is to the construction materials of your built room, and you should focus your efforts on this to ensure your survival.
What Makes a Safe Room Safe?
Its design and construction make it a safe room, which reinforces its strength and security. Often a vulnerable point, the ceiling is typically fortified or gated to ward off any potential break-in from the attic or overhead crawl space.
However, in more high-end constructs, the walls and doors are reinforced and layered with robust materials such as steel sheets, Kevlar, or bullet-resistant fiberglass.
Even the smaller components, such as hinges and strike plates, are not overlooked; they are reinforced with long screws for added strength.
Therefore, a meticulous blend of strategic design, robust materials, and thorough reinforcement makes a safe room.
Wrapping Up
Knowing how to supply a safe room or bunker ensures safety and security during emergencies. It begins with choosing the location, which should be discreet and accessible.
The structural integrity of the room or bunker is crucial and can be maintained using reinforced construction materials. Installing a secure entrance is another essential step; steel or vault-style doors are recommended for maximum security.
Adequate ventilation is necessary in such confined spaces, so a proper air filtration system must be installed.
Emergency communications equipment such as a landline phone or two-way radio should also be included in the supply list to maintain contact with the outside world.
Essential supplies for sustenance, like non-perishable food and water, should be stockpiled to ensure survival in times of crisis. Additionally, a comprehensive first aid kit should always be available for medical emergencies.
Thus, understanding how to supply a safe room or bunker involves careful planning and preparation, but considering the potential risks involved in emergencies is well worth the effort.
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