In a SHTF event, underground is exactly where many people plan to go to
ride out the storm of whatever has descended upon society.
With brewing unrest and economic collapse, the elite have poured millions of dollars into luxury
underground communities – many fitted to be more like five-star
hotels than emergency bunkers. Even the Davos elite have expressed worry.
Those with the means to do so hope to use private planes and helicopters to escape and hideaway. Continuity of
Government (COG) operations have a parallel government structure in place
buried in fortified mountains redoubts that can withstand all contingencies.
For the rest of us, it is only the most well-prepared among us who will
have access to underground facilities – where families could seek refuge from
marauding masses, extreme weather, criminals and rapists, police sweeps and
paramilitary raids among other scenarios. With the right structure, retreat
and hideaway preparations, it could be one of your most important assets.
There are many companies that will install these shelters, but the main barrier for almost every
prepper is cost, and a balance of priorities for your limited
resources. So it is no surprise that many people have figured out how to
build their own.
There’s plenty of disagreement over what methods are best, and
sufficiently safe enough, to endure time, the elements and the incredible
weight of the earth when considering underground shelters. Further, everyone
will have different preferences and needs.
But this man successfully built a very nice looking underground shelter
using a 20′ shipping container, with a reinforced concrete entrance using a
process that is simple enough to be DIY, with the exception of lowering the
container into the ground, and the use of heavy equipment to excavate the
earth (which could be DIY).
Whether you think buried shipping containers are ideal, or disastrous, is
worth checking out this idea from Wayne Martin’s YouTube
channel:
Final attempt to record building of an underground shelter using a
20 ft. shipping container. For those wondering why I didn’t simply pile dirt
over it without pouring a concrete cap first….. These containers are mostly
sheet metal. Heavy duty as it is, the roof and sides will push inwards from
the weight. Eventually the metal will rust through and you’ll be buried
alive. My way will insure it is still there a few hundred years from now.
Problem is, you’d better keep an eye on your sump pump. If it goes bad or
loses power, you’ll go in one day and find it the whole thing flooded. A
surface alarm letting you know the water level is above where it should be
isn’t a bad idea. Putting the sump pump on a UPS is also a good thing.
Some have ruled out shipping containers, however, because water and moisture
are such important considerations, and these metal boxes are not water tight
without being sealed up and reinforced, in spite of the sump pump system
which is basically mandatory for these structures.
SHTF commenter “Genius” explained that, for this
reason, he recommended building a shelter inside a 2000+ gallon septic tank,
which is plenty large enough for people and supplies, and is built for water
tightness:
Hey Man, you might want to rethink the buried container idea. I
have seen first hand a man that buried a container and the next spring it had
3 feet of water in it. They are anything BUT waterproof! You will
waste a lot of money and labor if you think it will seal your stuff. A
better idea is to bury a few (or a lot) of the biggest plastic septic tanks
with good lid seals, they are not as roomy but way way better sealed
and rustproof and a hell of a lot easier to haul to your location and bury.
If you buried oversea containers where would you get rid of all the excess
dirt, how would you hide that? A 2000 gallon septic tank is big enough for 4
people and quite a few supplies. You also need to think about a powered
ventilation system, I use 12 volt computer fans with 3 inch pvc pipe, a
sealed 12 volt battery, a 20 watt solar panel and a small charge controller.
get 2 batteries and a 50 watt panel and you can run your radio and charge
small things and have light (led). Please think again before you waste your
precious resources on buried containers, you will thank me later 
This YouTuber, RealWorldReport, shares his approach on
how to build a buried structure from scratch with lumber – and on a limited
budget:
Mike Oehler wrote the classic book The
$50 & Up Underground House Book on building underground homes on the
cheap back in the 70s, geared towards minimalists and off-the-gridders.
Many of these same ideas can be utilized in tailoring an underground
shelter plan for your prepping needs. They center around sound principles of
construction, using found or cheap materials, consideration for a
water/moisture barrier, novel solutions to water runoff that could damage an
improperly built underground home, and general principles for concealing your
home and blending in with the beauty of the natural environment.
Depending upon your situation, a well thought out panic room can be built
– and concealed – in your existing structure, or a closely connected one
either above or below ground. Joel Skousen is the leading authority on the
DIY, common sense and time tested strategies for The
Secure Home – including how to reinforce your entire home, as well as how
to construct a protected and unnoticed safe room for any emergency that may
arise.
Further Reading:
Elite Hiding in Bunkers to Escape War with China: “Intended
Survivors Are Moving Underground”
Prepper’s
Blueprint: The Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Through Any Disaster
The
$50 & Up Underground House Book
Prepping
Expert Joel Skousen’s The Secure Home
Doomsday Planning: Underground Shelter Networks
Elite Bunker Down in “Secure, Safe Rooms Hidden in Plain
Sight”… And You Can, Too
