Nuclear War & Survival Help
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poltiregist
A True Doomsday Prepper
I once dug a fallout shelter / bunker using a bucket and a shovel . I dug underneath a thick concrete slab that I had poured , Tore down an old chimney and took cement and made brick steps down into it , then walled it up with cinder blocks . My mistake was the ground water table fluctuated and at times water would rise up into it . I mention this so perhaps I can save someone else from making that mistake .-- I have since moved away from that fallout shelter / bunker . I still own it but moved to another state and started over with my survival preparations .
rainingcatzanddogs
A True Doomsday Prepper
At least a dug-in bus would give blast protection..
It would but unless you are within 10 -20 miles of ground zero, not needed and if you are within that ring where blast wave is a concern...fire and fallout are going to be bigger issues long term. If the blast wave didn't get you fire and radiation will.
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I agree, RC&D- I think an EMP is more likely than a full out nuclear war.
...at least, my personal belief is that there will be a full out nuclear war, but I believe me and mine will be gone by then. I'm more concerned with preparing for the economic and societal collapse, personally.
...at least, my personal belief is that there will be a full out nuclear war, but I believe me and mine will be gone by then.
I'm more concerned with preparing for the economic and societal collapse, personally.
poltiregist
A True Doomsday Prepper
I anticipate a combination with a " total EMP campaign " , accompanied by a few select Nuclear targets on places like Washington DC combined with conventional strikes on severing the transportation by striking bridges as well as destroying aircraft runways . The enemy wants the spoils of war such as agriculture producing ground . They have no desire to ruin the targeted countries resources with radiation .-- That is one reason I consider a well prepared person likely would survive a nuclear conflict . Being out of the blast area and having the ability of self-sufficiency without the electrical grid , running water , transportation or stores in my opinion is the key .
Yep. China needs a lot more agricultural land to feed its nearly billion and a half people.
tmttactical
A True Doomsday Prepper
So if I understand this projection, it goes something like this. Bad guy uses HEMP and a few regular atomic bombs to reap the spoils of victory. The Good Guys only have regular atomic bombs to use. Gee, I guess the good guys will hold back, to save the planet. NOT! As I see it, once the nuclear war starts, all bets are off the table and all nations will use what ever they have in response. The country that uses the HEMP attack and only a few nuclear bombs, is going to get wiped off the face of the earth. I don't see any type of limited nuclear war. It will be all or nothing.
Arcticdude
Top Poster
Maybe China and Russia can split Ukraine.
With you on that assessment! The Russians and especially the Chinese want our land and resources. Nuking us would spoil the lands. Send an EMP or two, wait about a year and we destroy ourselves.
Yeah nuking a country would cause mass starvation because survivors couldn't eat irradiated crops.
Also, radiation drifts across borders into friendly countries and could even drift back into the launch country which is another reason why nuke war should be a no-no because there'll be no winners, just losers, except for preppers/survivalists..
PS- Here's a map of the Chernobyl cockup showing how radiation is fickle and drifts depending on wind direction, a Brit newsreader said at the time "..and now for the weather report, as I'm sure we're all interested in which way the wind is blowing"..
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Yeah I heard ordinary soil around you gives good radiation protection, this guy is digging his container shelter into a hillside..
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rainingcatzanddogs
A True Doomsday Prepper
Yeah I heard ordinary soil around you gives good radiation protection, this guy is digging his container shelter into a hillside..
View attachment 18132
Again, this would not be an ideal shelter from a nuclear blast.
I was born after the Cuban Missile crisis and so I saw a lot of public and private fall out shelters growing up. Two examples: My small college theater (1200 students total), in the basement of my dormitory which itself was built into a hillside, doubled as a fall out shelter; Family friends had a fall out shelter in the basement of their old farmhouse. They all had things in common.
I found this website that specializes in this sort of thing and they have a pretty good summary of the must haves that I routinely saw:
If you choose to purchase an 'All Hazard Shelter', ask the provider if the shelter design meets the following criteria.
Does the bunker provide critical radiation attenuation properties?
- Small diameter entrances.
- Entrances with both vertical and long horizontal components connected with a 90-degree turn, assuring the proper attenuation of gamma radiation.
- Long horizontal runs providing an area in the entrance for the required 6 feet of shielding assuring protection from initial radiation.
- Shielding over the bunker chamber equivalent to 4 feet of dirt cover for gamma radiation, and at least 8 feet of dirt cover in blast areas, for shielding against initial radiation.
The small diameter entrances were not always a thing (fire codes for a theater mandate large exits) but, then there was not just one 90 degree turn, there were two or three with a set of heavy doors at the end..
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And of course, the fewer people who know we've got a shelter the better..
Below: from the 'Twilight Zone' episode 'The Shelter'-
1- A jolly evening meal for family and friends, what could go wrong?
2- Radio newsreader- "Incoming nuke missiles, get into your shelters!"
3- Neighbour- "Let us in, we're your mates!"
Home owner-"F*ck off, there's not enough room!"
4- "Let's batter our way in!"
5- Newsreader- "False alarm!"
6- Householder- "P*ss off you b*stards!"
Below: from the 'Twilight Zone' episode 'The Shelter'-
1- A jolly evening meal for family and friends, what could go wrong?
2- Radio newsreader- "Incoming nuke missiles, get into your shelters!"
3- Neighbour- "Let us in, we're your mates!"
Home owner-"F*ck off, there's not enough room!"
4- "Let's batter our way in!"
5- Newsreader- "False alarm!"
6- Householder- "P*ss off you b*stards!"
rainingcatzanddogs
A True Doomsday Prepper
And of course, the fewer people who know we've got a shelter the better..
Below: from the 'Twilight Zone' episode 'The Shelter'-
1- A jolly evening meal for family and friends, what could go wrong?
2- Radio newsreader- "Incoming nuke missiles, get into your shelters!"
3- Neighbour- "Let us in, we're your mates!"
Home owner-"F*ck off, there's not enough room!"
4- "Let's batter our way in!"
5- Newsreader- "False alarm!"
6- Householder- "P*ss off you b*stards!"
View attachment 18133
View attachment 18134
I loved that episode. It was one of my favorites as a kid. Introduction to OPSEC 101.
One of the things that we know about nuclear shelters is that you can have 4’ of dirt or three feet of concrete overhead. OR you could have a foot or more of concrete and then cover it with dirt. If you are close to the blast zone, the possibly of overpressure from a blast wave causing a cave in of your shelter roof, is a real danger so the construction of your ceiling is very important.
Domed ceilings are stronger than flat and concrete is more solid than wood.
The advantages of concrete underground is that it does not rot or leak. The downside is that it also does not breathe so condensation from respiration can be a problem without adequate ventilation.
Building a solid concrete ceiling DIY though, is difficult, or so I thought until I watch an episode, can't remember the name of the show, but they built a hobbit house.
The ceiling was arched concrete. The way they did it was they excavated, built the walls, then used rebar to tie into the walls. Filled in the excavation site to mound the dirt in the middle, basically burying the walls up to the ceiling height, using the dirt as their mold, then poured the concrete. After it had cured, they simply excavated out the dirt from beneath. Presto! Concrete ceiling!
Of course you would want to run your venting and such before the pour. Keeping in mind that you want your air intake low and your outflow venting high.
I also see a lot of detached shelters where they have these telltale pipes sticking up like a flashing neon sign. Camouflage people! Plant an evergreen bush around your pipes and do what you can to hide your entrance and exit points!
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Ahh. The Fukushima map explains why there are so many idiots on the west coast. Brain damage.
rainingcatzanddogs
A True Doomsday Prepper
Nahhh. They were there long before Fukushima. Generational drug use.
The fewer people who know we're survivalists, the better..
True story- In my cycling club days 40 years ago we entered a 100-mile Reliability Trial in the dead of winter, and like an idiot I was showing off my small rucksack full of food and drink before the start.
Guess what?- yup, ill-prepared starving dehydrated people kept pedalling up to me to beg stuff from my rucksack but i refused pointblank, telling them i'd only got enough for myself.
That didn't make me many friends but I didn't care, and they were dropping out like flies all round the course, and only me and a few others finished the course..
Below:- me in my cycling glory days-
And useful advice on preparation for all preppers is-
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize" (Bible: 1 Corinthians 9:24)
The "prize" of course is to be one of the last men standing when things hit the fan..
True story- In my cycling club days 40 years ago we entered a 100-mile Reliability Trial in the dead of winter, and like an idiot I was showing off my small rucksack full of food and drink before the start.
Guess what?- yup, ill-prepared starving dehydrated people kept pedalling up to me to beg stuff from my rucksack but i refused pointblank, telling them i'd only got enough for myself.
That didn't make me many friends but I didn't care, and they were dropping out like flies all round the course, and only me and a few others finished the course..
Below:- me in my cycling glory days-
And useful advice on preparation for all preppers is-
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize" (Bible: 1 Corinthians 9:24)
The "prize" of course is to be one of the last men standing when things hit the fan..
rainingcatzanddogs
A True Doomsday Prepper
Yes, and there are a set of "preppers" whose main prepping plans include gathering enough guns, ammo and create a group to take things from other people!
They are raiders and they will be out there when TSHTF.
They are raiders and they will be out there when TSHTF.
Yup a proper one is what we want..
Dear Santa please bring me one of these-
