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Book review of: Just In Case, how to be self-sufficient when the unexpected happens.

September 28, 2012 by

Just in Case: How to be Self-Sufficient when the Unexpected Happens

Book Description from Amazon:

“Just in case disaster strikes, you need a plan to ensure your family’s safety and comfort in all eventualities. What would you do if the power went out for several days in a row? Or if your family had to quickly evacuate the area?

Kathy Harrison shows you how to set up a simple home system–covering food storage, alternative heating sources, toiletries and clothing, pet supplies, emergency communication plans, and more–that will allow your household to survive comfortably for several days, or longer, with no outside services at all. Harrison also explains how to create a detailed evacuation plan–where to go, how to meet up with other family members, what to pack, and how to protect what you leave behind.

Keep a cool head and plan well; your family will be able to settle in together, stay warm, and eat well when the unexpected happens.”

This book is my wife’s go-to book; her favorite book in our preparedness library. By looking at the table of contents, one would think the book has limited information. Paging through it reveals that it covers a very extensive range of topics. Kathy Harrison, the author, does a great job explaining topics in a clear and concise manner.

It goes into more detail on some topics than others but gives you enough information on all topics covered to make you familiar with the topic. She lists other, more detailed resources for some topics as well.

I think one of my favorite parts is what she calls “Stored Food Cookbook”, where she lists several recipes using commonly stored foods. She also has section on canning, dehydrating and other means of storing food.

I think this book is a good resource for those newer to preparedness, as it covers a wide range of topics related to the headings in the table of contents. Those who’ve been Prepper’s for a while will find nuggets of wisdom as well.

I give this book four stars.

Filed Under: Reviews

What is an Overton Window and Why is it Important?

September 26, 2012 by

Some of you Glenn Beck fans might be familiar with what an “Overton Window” is. I’m not talking about his book by the same title (which I own, but haven’t read yet). I’m speaking of the term on which he based his book.

The Overton Window is a theory created by Joseph Overton from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Here is a brief explanation from their site:

“Joseph Overton observed that in a given public policy area, such as education, only a relatively narrow range of potential policies will be considered politically acceptable. This “window” of politically acceptable options is primarily defined not by what politicians prefer, but rather by what they believe they can support and still win re-election. In general, then, the window shifts to include different policy options not when ideas change among politicians, but when ideas change in the society that elects them.”

Here is a video from the Glenn Beck’s show when he was still on Fox, with Joseph Lehman, the President of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. It might help explain it for those who need more visual explanation than written.

As the video explains, you may not know what the term “Overton Window” means, but it has been used on you countless times.

You might be asking “what has this got to do with preparedness?” It has to do with your mindset and awareness; the awareness of when you’re being manipulated. In The Future of America I list some of my concerns with the current administration. I also cover America and prophecy and explain some possibilities that could lie ahead for us. These are things like: an economic collapse resembling that of the one seen in Argentina, which could lead to large social programs being cut, which could then lead to rioting on a scale never seen before in America, which could lead to Martial Law and the suspension of Habeas Corpus. I also believe that after the next large event, there will be a power grab that makes all others thus far pale in comparison. To accomplish some of those things, the “Overton Window” will have to be moved, so that the idea of Marshal Law or many other ugly things are something that the citizenry see as acceptable, if not needed.

The reason knowing this is important is that when you see the “Overton Window” being pushed, it can be a sign that things could be about to hit the fan. Also make sure you you’re not one of those that gets distracted (or manipulated) by what the right hand is doing and does not notice what the left is. Don’t be willing to accept just a little loss of your freedoms, because it’s better than what was initially imposed or proposed.

Here is one example to help paint a picture of how a politician can use this to move the “Overton Window”. Pretend I am the Governor of your state; I decide that we need to turn three of your fairly large freeways into toll roads to bring in more tax revenue. Now, I know that this idea is outside of the “Overton Window”, so instead of putting forth legislation to turn these freeways into toll roads, I do so and say that private companies will operate them, most of which are companies from another country. The citizens are in an uproar; “how dare I let a foreign company put a toll on an American! If anyone is going to charge me a toll it dang sure better be someone from America or someone from my own state!” And the window has now moved. What would have been unacceptable before now seems the more reasonable option. Think this sounds farfetched? Governor Perry tried to do it in Texas in 2010.

Here is another example, one that the President would like to enact very much. In fact, he mentioned it several times in the 2008 campaign. He said we couldn’t just rely on our military to achieve the national security objectives that he has set, so he would like to create a Civilian National Security Force that is just as powerful, just as strong and just as well funded. Here is a video where a reporter interviews Rham Emanuel, when he was the President’s Chief of Staff, who speaks about what this force might look like. The President speaks at the 3minute 42 second mark.

Obviously it hasn’t been enacted, but don’t think that this has been discarded. I think that the “Overton Window” just isn’t in the right place yet. As Rahm Emanuel said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” What kind of crisis could provoke the “Overton Window” to be moved to where the President could achieve this goal?

In “Terrorism: Lone Wolf and Swarm Attacks”, I explain two types of terrorist attacks that I think we’ll see more and more of as time goes on. They are: a lone gunman or a small team of gunmen attacking soft targets, such as shopping malls, churches and schools, among others. If there was a huge spike in these kinds of attacks, where the police were just overwhelmed, maybe, just maybe, the “Overton Window” could move far enough for the President to get his Civilian National Security Force.

This is completely speculative but I would imagine that this Civilian National Security Force would swear an oath to the President, and not to the Constitution like the military does. Of course the attacks would be horrendous and need to be stopped, and I don’t know about you, but to have a group of people with the Presidents ideals who are just as powerful, just as strong and just as well funded as the military sounds like hitting the fan to me, creating a fundamental change to America that may never be undone.

 

Filed Under: Mind Set, Signs of the Times Tagged With:

When the Trucks Stops

September 24, 2012 by

During the skyrocketing fuel prices of 2008, I remember listening to talk radio and the host commenting on how diesel prices were affecting truckers and trucking companies.  He said something to the effect of “At what point do they just decide they’re not making enough profit to be away from their families and stop driving?”  At the time, diesel was over $5.00 a gallon, which was $1.00 more than unleaded.  That didn’t make sense, as diesel requires less refining than unleaded.

That got me thinking.  I soon realized that nearly everything we purchase is, at some point, transported by semi-trucks.  If they stopped delivering goods, our economy would soon follow and eventually grind to a halt.  I began to do a little digging and found a report that was prepared in 2006 called “When Trucks Stop, America Stops”.

The report details how a stoppage of trucking could greatly impact American life.  It talks about how different industries, such as Healthcare, the Food Industry, Waste Removal and others rely heavily on trucking.

The author mentions how trucking stoppages after 9-11 impacted the economy and how hindering trucking after Hurricane Katrina added lengthy delays.

They also list the timeline below.  I don’t agree with 100% with it, but it’s not far off.

 

“A Timeline Showing the Deterioration of Major Industries Following a Truck Stoppage

 

The first 24 hours

  • Delivery of medical supplies to the affected area will cease
  • Hospitals will run out of basic supplies such as syringes and catheters within hours. Radiopharmaceuticals will deteriorate and become unusable.
  • Service stations will begin to run out of fuel.
  • Manufacturers using just-in-time manufacturing will develop component shortages.
  • U.S. mail and other package delivery will cease.

 

Within one day

  • Food shortages will begin to develop.
  • Automobile fuel availability and delivery will dwindle, leading to skyrocketing prices and long lines at the gas pumps.
  • Without manufacturing components and trucks for product delivery, assembly lines will shut down, putting thousands out of work.

 

Within two to three days

  • Food shortages will escalate, especially in the face of hoarding and consumer panic.
  • Supplies of essentials—such as bottled water, powdered milk, and canned meat—at major retailers will disappear.
  • ATMs will run out of cash and banks will be unable to process transactions.
  • Service stations will completely run out of fuel for autos and trucks.
  • Garbage will start piling up in urban and suburban areas.
  • Container ships will sit idle in ports and rail transport will be disrupted, eventually coming to a standstill.

 

Within a week

  • Automobile travel will cease due to the lack of fuel. Without autos and busses, many people will not be able to get to work, shop for groceries, or access medical care.
  • Hospitals will begin to exhaust oxygen supplies.

 

Within two weeks

  • The nation’s clean water supply will begin to run dry.

 

Within four weeks

  • The nation will exhaust its clean water supply and water will be safe for drinking only after boiling. As a result gastrointestinal illnesses will increase, further taxing an already weakened health care system.”

 

Fast forward to the week of 9-23-2012; I had a conversation with my brother, who is a freight broker for a large grocery distributor in the Midwest.  He told me that things are the worst he has seen them in the last six years that he has been in this position, and that he cannot see it getting better.  Now keep in mind that goes back to before the diesel hike of 2008.

I asked if that was due to diesel prices.  He said “only partly”.  He said the biggest problem right now is finding truckers.  Many truckers are either getting out of the business or retiring and that not many young people are considering it as a profession.  He said it’s a tough job, that you can sometimes be away from home for up to two weeks.  He said when he first started in the position, they posted a want ad looking for truckers in Madison, Wisconsin and they had 50-60 applicants.  He said they posted another want add this year in Madison and had maybe 3-5 applicants.

Another comment he made was about the US Department of Transportation enacting CSA2010, which added more penalties for truckers and trucking companies that don’t follow the regulations.  He said that not all of them were bad, but that they add more restrictions.  They also enacted a points system that might deduct points for not wearing a seat-belt or a light out on the top of the cab.  With enough points, you get audited and possibly fined on top of the cost of the ticket.  There was even one trucking company that, granted had some problems that needing fixing, but the US Department of Transportation went in and shut down for good.  Like my brother said, not all of the changes were bad, but they added more difficulty to an already complex problem.

He also mentioned that companies like the grocery distributer use a philosophy that might sound familiar to you; “just in time inventory”. To keep cost low, they don’t have a lot of inventory sitting around and depend on the trucks bringing them beef to butcher and package as well as all of the other groceries they distribute. If a truck is a day late, it starts to cause problems. If it is two days late, they send people home because they have nothing for them to do. This also goes for deliveries to grocery stores, which use a term similar to the one above that I have used a few times, called “just-in-time” delivery. For those of you unfamiliar, most grocery stores and many other retail stores only keep enough stock on hand for three days.

As an incentive to get drivers to pick up their loads, they have to pay a premium of 20% more per load.  That is going to trickle down folks!  We’re going to end up paying more for everything that is delivered by semi, which, as I mentioned, is MOST things.

I have mentioned in other articles that in many countries where food riots have occurred, it is because they pay between 30-50% of their income for food alone.  When food prices are raised, families have no money to spend on it.   In the USA, we spend roughly 12%-20% on food.  With the added cost of inflation, the increased price of corn, which is used as feed for livestock and many other things, and now the added cost of transportation of the goods, this is a problem that will only get worse.  Do you have room in your budget to pay 30-50% of your income for food?

 

Filed Under: Signs of the Times

Shortages of Needed Medications

September 20, 2012 by

One of the things I’ve had my eye on for the last couple of years is pharmaceutical shortages.  I have read many reports, both local and national, about shortages on certain medicines.  We have actually been affected by it a few times, with delayed refills or only getting a partial refill and having to go back after a delivery for the rest.

I see two dangers here; not having the medication for people who require them for quality of life or for sustaining life itself.  The other danger happens when people who are mentally ill don’t get the medications they need.  I have, through the years, seen many stories of people who refused to take their medications committing violent crimes that they wouldn’t have committed if they had been on their meds.

The FDA has a webpage called the Current Drug Shortages Index, which lists voluntarily reported shortages.  Pharmaceutical companies can’t require companies to inform them of shortages or any other information about the shortage, so that list is only a list of what the FDA knows about.

 

If you don’t have a good supply of your medication, read the article I wrote called Building a Stockpile of Medicine for some tips on stocking up.

As for people with mental illness not having the meds they require to be productive members of society, let’s pray they don’t commit any crimes they normally wouldn’t.  Practicing your Second Amendment right is recommended as well.

 

Filed Under: Medical and First Aid

Dressing For Survival

September 19, 2012 by

Today I want to talk about a subject I never thought I would have a conversation about or write an article on, but since it has survival in the title I feel better about it (haha).

How you dress can greatly impact you in a survival situation.  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

 

Cotton Kills

This is often mentioned in forums.  What it means is that cotton wicks your body’s heat away from you when it’s wet.  Wool on the other hand will retain your body’s heat even while wet.  If you live where it gets cold, having some good wool winter gear is a good idea.  Since cotton wicks away your body’s heat, it may be preferable in hot climates.

 

Dress in Layers

This again is geared more for cold climates.  The reason one dresses in layers when out in cold temperatures is to make sure you’re warm enough and to give you the option of removing layers if you begin to sweat.  For example, here in Minnesota the temps can get to -20, not including wind-chill.  If I have to go out to shovel, I’ll normally wear a white t-shirt, thin long sleeve shirt, a sweatshirt and my winter coat, along with long underwear and jeans, wool socks and good winter boots.  I’ll also wear a hat, the hood of the coat and a scarf.  Even though I’m not in a survival situation, shoveling Minnesota snow can be a workout.  If I start to sweat, I’ll take off the sweat shirt and put the jacket back on and maybe lower the hood.  I think you get the idea.  If you are in a survival situation in cold weather and are sweating, you are in danger and are increasing the odds of hypothermia.  Take off a layer or two and give yourself a rest.

 

Put Some Clothes On!

When you’re out in direct sun, especially in hot climates, it is advisable to have all of your skin covered, especially your head.  The sun will draw the moisture out of uncovered skin.  You’ll also be susceptible to sunburn, which can be detrimental in a survival situation.

 

Do you have any other survival clothing related tips to add?

Filed Under: Preparedness Tips

Building a Preparedness Based Community

September 17, 2012 by

I’d like your input on today’s topic.  If you have any thoughts, please post them or email them to me at chrisATpreparedchristian.net.

I was recently having a conversation with a friend and fellow Prepper.  He mentioned that he has had thoughts of four or so Prepper families moving to adjacent land and building a small community.   He said he looks around the neighborhood he lives in now and everyone has a riding lawnmower, a snow blower and miscellaneous other expensive items that could easily be shared amongst a community that was closer knit.  He then went on to say that if someone had an area they were gifted in, they could share that gift with the entire group.  For example, if someone was good with gardening, they could manage either a community garden, or one for each family.  They could also teach the other members.  The same could be said for home repair or any other gifted area.

This wouldn’t be a socialist community, where all wealth is communal or anything like that.  I wrote about Mutual Aid Groups in the article “What is a MAG?”.  A MAG is essentially a group of people who agree to band together to aid one another, sharing workload and resources if needed.  This preparedness community would the MAG a step or two further.  In most MAG’s, households don’t live adjacent to one another.  They have an agreement on where to meet when things go sideways.

 

In “What is a MAG?” I mentioned that a unique twist on the MAG would be having it built entirely of Christians, following the book of Acts as a model.  In Acts, everyone shared their wealth and donated it to the movement, which then met all of their physical needs.  As I mentioned, I don’t think that would need to be a part of the preparedness community.

This preparedness community could work with any group that agreed on some ground rules, but one of the advantages of having the group of Christians would be the bond of Christ.  Conflicts could be resolved much faster going vertical when strife arose, bringing the problem before God and getting out of the horizontal.  Being angry and frustrated with the other party would be greatly lessened.  As I mention in “What is a MAG?”, we’re given a model to use for conflict in the church Mathew 18:15-17.  This could be adapted to the group.

“”If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

For this to work I think it would need to be a handpicked (preferably by the Lord) group of people.  I think it would be necessary to enjoy one another beforehand and be willing to put the community before oneself at times.  For example, I have a neighbor who has a recording studio in his home.  He frequently has his music up so loud I can hear it as if he was playing in my kitchen.  The neighbor on the other side has a doggy door for their little dog.  The dog goes in and out freely.  The problem here is that when they go to work, he spends several hours outside barking nonstop.  I work from home and actually had to get a white noise machine to drown him out.  There are reasons that I won’t go into for not having made a complaint.  My point is that there would need to be bonds within the group.  If I know my neighbor is enduring a hardship, the formed community could surround them and help them with whatever is necessary.   Growing old and retiring surrounded by a group like this sounds perfect to me! Forget those retirement homes!

There would need to be some ground rules.  Here are a few that have come to mind:

  1. Everyone must own their own land.  I think one person buying the land and letting the others put up a house on it is just asking for trouble.  If everyone pools their resources and purchases a large acreage, it could be subdivided.
  2. What you do on your land is your business, unless it is a danger to the community.
  3. No doggy doors or recording studios!
  4. If there are shared items, such as a riding lawn mower, boat, snow blower or anything else, all expenses need to be shared.  A schedule for use might also need to be established.
  5. I think a basic level of preparedness should be required.  It shouldn’t be cumbersome, but knowing that everyone can provide for their family for three months or more would give the entire group peace of mind.

I have given this a lot of thought and see many upsides, with everyone agreeing that there would either be permaculture encompassing the entirety of all properties or different things grown on each property and shared amongst the group.  Each household could have a CB to maintain communication.  This could be very useful for security as well.   If there was a need to defend the community, there are three other families to help.  If there is any livestock, neighbors could be counted on to take care of them while the owners are away.  The bond that could be built surrounding this community could be awesome.  Let’s say one of the families can’t move completely but want to buy the land and treat it as their BOL (Bug Out Location).  There would be other people to watch over their property.

There are also some downsides.  How do you handle it if one family decides they want to move?  Finding a piece of land that everyone agrees on could be difficult.  I’m sure there are more, but I think if this is approached with much prayer, asking for the right people to be shown, and all of the ground rules accepted ahead of time, many potential obstacles can be avoided.

 

I mentioned earlier that I would like your input, so here are a couple questions for you:

  1. Is this something you would consider?  For me the answer is possibly, unless I knew the Lord was prompting me.  If that were the case, there would be no question.
  2. Would you be willing to relocate to another state?  For myself, if it was the right piece of property at the right price, it’s not out of the question.
  3. What are some of the ways you could meet others with whom you might be interested in taking part in this community?  I know one couple from church that I wouldn’t even question and a couple others that might be potentials.    One of the things I plan on doing for the site is starting a forum.  I just need to set it up.  This could be a great way for you to connect with one another.
  4. What are some other upsides, potential downsides and ground rules you think should be in place?

 

If you have thoughts on this subject and are willing to post them in the comments, please do.  If you would rather send an e-mail, that’s fine as well.

 

Filed Under: General Preparedness Tagged With:

Cover and Concealment

September 13, 2012 by

Random gun violence has and will continue to be a problem. Because of this, I think it’s important for you to understand the difference between cover and concealment. Let me emphasize now that cover and concealment are not the end goal. The end goal is to get away from the area. Cover and concealment are what is used to get you away from the area.

Concealment is something that hides you, but will not stop a bullet.

Cover is something that hides you and will stop a bullet.

Here are a few examples that you might see in daily life in places where there has been gun violence in the past.

 

Shopping Mall

Shopping malls are horrible places to find cover, but some things to look for are the big heavy planters that are used to hold small trees. Another option might be an escalator or staircase. Vending machines might also be a good option for cover.

 

Outdoor Area

Look for any building that isn’t lined with glass. Brick and concrete are excellent cover. Hiding behind the front tire of a car gives some cover from the engine block, but it is limited. Hiding behind any other part of the car only offers concealment at best. Trees wide enough to hide behind can offer cover. A dumpster might also be a good option.

 

Schools and Universities

School shootings are something we hear about every year. I think you should find out your child’s school policy and decide if you agree with it or not. Most schools have a lockdown procedure in place. I don’t like it and think it is actually more dangerous. They slide a different colored piece of paper under the locked door and then hide inside the room. If I’m Joe Dirtbag Jr., seeing a piece of paper of any kind near a door tells me there are people inside.

Whether you tell your kids to abide by the lockdown or to safely make an escape if possible, I think explaining cover and concealment is a conversation you should have with your kids. You never know where they may be if a shooting starts.

Kids tend to hide in place out of fear. Make sure they understand that if they are near the shooter, to keep looking for a way out and for more cover and concealment until they are out of harm’s way.

 

Filed Under: Security

Gorilla Gardening

September 11, 2012 by

There are two types of gorilla gardening.  One type is where people plant flowers in public places to make things pretty.  The other type is the one I want to talk about today; ways to plant edibles or improve their condition.  By “improving their condition”, I mean making it easier for them to retain moisture, maybe thinning the area out to elevate competition for resources.

 

Introducing New Species

One option is to plant new species of plants in various areas.  A great way to do this is something I may have heard on The Survival Podcast.  You take the seeds for the plants you want to introduce and put them in a clay ball and let it dry.  When you go on a walk, you simply throw these clay balls in areas you think they would be well suited.  Now you just wait for rain.  When it rains, this will dissolve the clay and give the seeds an added boost of nutrients from it.

Native Americans used to plant three plants together that benefited each other.  They have been dubbed the three sisters.  The three plants are corn, pole beans and squash.  The corn grows tall, the pole beans will climb up the corn as they grow and will also bring nitrogen to the soil for the other two plants.  The squash will help protect the soil around the area, the leaves keeping the soil moist and blocking out sun, which can limit weed growth and help limit evaporation.

 

 

Some Things to Keep in Mind

When you gorilla garden you have limited control over what happens.  Someone else could come along and destroy or harvest what you have planted and wildlife can also help themselves.

Because of this you’ll want to plant in places that are off the beaten path but are easy enough for you to get to from time to time.  Keeping a journal of what was planted and where you planted it is a good idea.

I would not plant a gorilla garden and depend on its produce to sustain you and your family.  I would take the approach that anything you may harvest from gorilla gardening is an added bonus.

Gorilla gardening could also be used to draw game into the area throughout the year.

 

Enhancing the Wild

Another type of gorilla gardening is simply enhancing what is already in place.  For example, let’s say you’re on a hike and spot some wild blueberries.  If the area is over crowded with them, you may remove a few bushes to give the others less competition for nutrients.  If you see the path rain takes, you may create a little swale to slow the water down and retain more in the area.

Another option is to take leaves from the area and use them as mulch covering the bottom of the berry patch.  You could also plant things that would help bring in nutrients to the area.  For instance, beans tend to bring in nitrogen.  Planting them near an area and then cutting them once they get to a certain height, leaving them to decompose; called “chop and drop”, returns nitrogen to the soil.

Again, with the wild edibles, I would make note of where you found them and look at anything you harvest from them as a bonus.

 

Do you have any ideas for a gorilla garden?

Filed Under: Food Tagged With:

The Many Uses of Shipping Containers

September 5, 2012 by

Over the years I have read many articles and forum posts about shipping containers; how people want to use them or have tried to use them, what has worked and what hasn’t. It’s a topic that interests me for a few reasons, some of which I’ll cover below.

 

General Information
 
Shipping containers come in two sizes; 8’x20’ and 8’ by 40’. You can buy them new or used. Many of the used containers have been on ships sailing the ocean and are exposed to salt water, which means they may have rust. The US has an abundance of these. In the CNN video below, the reporter says we received 7 million containers into America, carrying goods, but only 2.5 million left, exporting goods. This means there is a huge amount of these things available. Most are near shipping ports, but many make their way inland via trains. Some businesses have sprung up due to the popularity of them.
They can be used for everything from a shed, essentially placed on property and left alone, to offices or emergency shelters during a hurricane or other natural disaster. They have also been used to make multi-level homes and even fallout shelters.

 

 

 

Building With Containers
 
There are several companies that will sell you a prefab house, or even build one for you out of containers. I list some below and almost all of them want your e-mail or phone number before you can get a quote. The pluses to building with shipping containers is that they are fire and mold resistant. You can be very creative in your designs, as you can see in Amazing Homes and Offices Built from Shipping Containers, which has roughly 46 pictures of some very cool and unique housing designs. 9 Cutting-Edge Modular Homes has 9 more designs. Just do a Google image search for cargo container homes and you’ll be amazed.

Here are a couple of blogs where people are living in container homes, one in Australia and another in Panama.

I have seen several projects that other prepper’s have done with shipping containers. This video is of a group that built a large shelter with two 40’ containers on each side and a large open middle space. They added a roof, which they will use for rain catchment.

 
 


 
Here is another video where they are using a 20’ container as an underground shelter. I have some concerns about the weight of the concrete which I’ll cover later. A warning on the video: the music is horrible in my opinion. You’ve been warned. 
 
 

 

Building Codes

Since these types of structures are fairly new, many municipalities don’t really know what to do as far as building codes go, so I would look at your local zoning laws and talk to local officials. I have read that if you put in concrete footings and set the container on them, it may not be viewed as a permanent structure and can bypass some zoning restrictions and even taxes in some cases. Again, talk to your local officials! (Or completely pretend they don’t exist. It’s your call. Just sayin.)

 

Fallout Shelter
 
This is one of the most often mentioned projects that I have seen on prepper forums. It can be done, but there are some things to keep in mind. Jack Spirko from The Survival Podcast did an excellent interview with a man who has done this. The interview is called Episode-560- Shipping Container Construction – The Good, Bad & Ugly.

For those of you who don’t listen to podcasts, if this subject interests you, I recommend you make an exception. One of the things they cover is the problem of weight on top of the container. You see, these containers are built to be stacked, on one top of the other. All the weight bearing is on the corners and the sides, not on the top. If memory serves, it takes 12“ of concrete and 3‘ of earth to stop radiation. Putting that much weight on top of a cargo container without reinforcing the inside walls and ceiling could likely cause it to collapse. In the Podcast, they explain how this is done, so I’m not going to cover it here. Another option with the concrete is to extend the concrete 2’ wider on each side. This should help displace some of the weight to the earth.

Another problem is water. These containers are made of steel and unless you do something to protect the metal, it will rust through over time. The way “Mike” from the interview said to approach this was to use a roll of EDPM rubber coating, overlapping by 6”. EDPM is the stuff that big stores with flat roofs use to coat the roof to waterproof them. He said to use a roll, but it looks like there is also a liquid rubber version of it as well. I’m not sure which option would be better. This is an expensive route, but if you’re trusting your life to it, the expense is justified to me.

He also said to place rough gravel under the container as well. He mentions also adding 6” of gravel to the sides. This would help with drainage as well as his main reason for it, which is keeping any creatures from chewing through the EDPM and exposing the bare metal to the soil, as once a creature hits the rocky gravel they’ll stop chewing.

You also need to keep the water table in mind. You don’t want to spend the time digging this huge hole to find you’re a foot below the waterline.

There are other topics explored, such as drainage and using a sump pump, and air filtration, but I’ll leave those for the podcast.

 

Shipping Container as a Shed
 
I have a couple different ideas on this, depending on if you want it seen or not. If you have a BOL (Bug Out Location) that is just raw land, having a 20’ by 8’ container could hold a lot of emergency preps. Having it out in the open, with no one to keep an eye on it, could be asking for Joe Dirtbag to break in to see what’s inside. I think if you wanted to hide this, one could dig a hole, say 6 or so feet deep and 22’ wide. Put rough gravel or something similar on the bottom to help with drainage, placing multiple concrete forms to keep the container above the trap rock by six inches or so.
Some of the container may show above ground. Use the same methods as above, using EDPM to protect it from moisture, burying it with only a foot or so of dirt on top of the container. This would greatly reduce the weight on the container, though adding some supports is still a good idea. Now plant whatever local vegetation is around to camouflage it. You’ll need to leave access to the door, but those could be hidden with some bushes that wouldn’t look out of place.
If you want to use it on land that you live on, I would say to add a roof of some kind to protect it and add a rain catchment system to it as well.

 

Some final thoughts
 
If I ever get to buy the acreage I dream of, I would like to set up a couple of storage containers and bunk houses for guests. I’d like to possibly have one buried as a storm shelter/storage. I also like the idea of putting them on concrete forms. That way it would be easier to make them mobile if needed.
Cost isn’t mentioned on most sites. I’ll list the sites below. They want your information to give you a quote. For a bare bones shipping container, I would expect to pay a minimum $2500 for a 8’x20’, and up to $5000, depending on quality. You also need to consider delivery and installation, especially if you’re burying it.

 

Shipping Container Resources
 
I have a bunch of resources. Some are companies that sell fully designed units and some sell just the containers. Others sell design plans. There are a few other resources listed as well. I looked through all of them, more to get an idea of what was possible. I’m pretty impressed with what some of these people have done.

Here is an article on Bob Vila’s site called Home Sweet Container, Steel shipping container homes are strong, safe, and eco-friendly.

Here are some sites that sell fully developed containers. Again, you’ll need to give them your info to get a quote but they’re good for ideas if nothing else.

Container Home Consultants is a blog on the subject. It looks like they may sell some plans and an eBook, but there are many free articles.

Here are a few companies that sell prebuild systems:

Global Portable Buildings, Inc.
ModSpace
Sea Box
American Container Homes, Inc.

Here are two sites that just sell empty shipping containers:

The Big Blue Box
Interport

Here are two sites that just sell plans:

Shipping Container Homes
Container Home.info
Container Homes.net has a variety of services. It looks like they sell some plans and some boxes, as well as blog about their journey.

I realize that this article has just scratched the surface but hopefully you walk away seeing more possibilities for shelter or storage.

 

Filed Under: Shelter

What Would You Do: Plane Crash

September 3, 2012 by

It’s been a while since I have posted a “What would you do?”, so I thought today is about time.

You and your husband/wife/best friend are on a late fall vacation and are given a discounted rate to a local tourist attraction.  It’s a two hour flight leaving at 4:00 PM that explores some of the most popular landmarks and scenery in the area, showing off the fall colors. The flight offers a small snack and drink at the half way point.  Shortly after the one hour mark the plane flies into a flock of large birds, possibly geese.  One of the birds breaks through the windshield and has either killed or knocked the pilot out.  The plane was at an altitude of maybe 1000 feet and you’re quickly crash landing into a wooded area.  From the crash the fuselage is nearly ripped in half, the radio is destroyed and fuel is leaking from the only remaining wing.

There were a total of twelve people on board, not including the pilot.  Only four others including your husband/wife/best friend are responding.  Your husband/wife/best friend has a broken leg, one of the others who is responding is bleeding heavily from the head, but seems alert.  You and one other flier are relatively unhurt.  You cannot tell immediately if the others who have not responded are simply unconscious or dead.

It’s an hour before you’re expected back, but it might be longer before any worry is aroused.  It could be a couple hours before anyone even knows something has happened.

What would you do?

(Check the comments section to see the answers from everyone as well as to add your own.)

 

Filed Under: What Would You Do?