The Perfect Bunker

[PrepperQ]

I have been looking online recently at bunker solutions and come across a bunch of blogs and websites saying that a bunker is not a realistic way to survive in the long term. Personally i take that as a challenge. The reason i am opening this thread is to start a discussion about what it would take to survive for an extremely long time (indefinitely, if possible) in a 100% sealed off bunker provided money is no object. I want the bunker system to be able to scale from 5 people to potentially 100+. The disaster we are planning for is anything and everything from a super volcano to all out nuclear war. I have broken this problem up into 4 separate parts, but feel free to solve problems i haven't yet thought of.

1. Water
- Possibly use a WRS (water recovery system) that can reclaim waste and washing water.
2. Air
- I really like the idea of using plant to "grow fresh air" Referenced here: http://wondergressive.com/three-plant-fresh-air-system/
3. Food
- I think tying this into #2 would work best using a closed loop aquaponics system growing vegetables and fish/ crawfish along side the before mentioned fresh air plants.
4. Energy
- This is the hardest for me i like the idea of solar and wind but i don't like the idea of being visible from the surface and opening the bunker up to theft. The real issue with energy in my mind is the storage, batteries are great and no bunker can go without but they do have a shelf life and from what i found the best can only last like 15 years tops. The best way i have thought of is to store the parts to the batteries and build them as needed but i have no experience and am not even sure if its possible.

 

[jontte]

if money isn't a problem,hmm,what comes into my mind is that you build it along the specs of a nuclear sub,but that isn't possible so..

but with a reactor and some salt water you would have a chance to make your own air 'cause those thingies are more or less self sufficent in that way, food will be the problem,anything happens in that chain and your a@@ is cooked.
you would need some seriously good techs in your group,if you were going to build stuff like batteries your life depends on..

have you thought about that "cabin fever"?? closed indoors for a long time,no sun,no sky,you'll have to deal with that too.

 

[Silent Earth]

A totally self contained hermetically sealed and self sufficient bunker would need to be very large and insanely expensive, and of course NEVER DISCOVERED because the more self contained it is the easier it is for others to make sure you never come out again !!! The best bet I think is a reasonably secure but remote homestead.

 

[jontte]

..and build there some nice shelters..

 

[PrepperQ]

I personally would shy away from using nuclear power in the bunker, in part because that's what I'm potentially hiding from and because I don't know that much about it.
You also raised a good point about cabin fever. I suppose an entertainment room a gym would be a start. Maybe a bar/ distillery would help but that could be a slippery slope.
And in regards to the food I have a good amount of experience when it comes to aquoponics and I feel with enough fail safes and maintenance it could be the long term food solution I've been looking for.
I'm more tackling this as a mental exercise then a practical application. I am intrigued by the idea of having everything people need to survive in a man made biosphere type environment.

 

[jontte]

that biosphere would need to be built kinda so it looked nice not like your average bunker

true about that slippery slope,people must then be activated and kept busy so they don't have the time to just sit down for R&R all the time.

 

[Silent Earth]

PQ was there not a year long experiment done in Arizona or Nevada in a sealed biosphere ? I think they eventually ran out of air and also began to hate each other?

 

[PrepperQ]

Ive been staring at "average bunker" in the rear view mirror for a while now haha.
And yes I believe there was but the way I see it if this "Perfect Bunker" had to be used it is truly the last ditch effort for survival and as long as it's treated as a community and everyone has a job to do and adequate space it should function the same way a small town or compound would on the surface.

 

[jontte]

keep everyone busy, reminds me of the army;keep the boys busy so the don't have time to think about mischief

 

[PrepperQ]

Exactly haha. I have been a little obsessed with this concept for a while. I have thought about growing medical plants, algae for biofule, hell even a bee sanctuary for honey hahaha. Anything to make the bunker more habitable but I always get caught up on energy storage and production. There are nearly infinite ways to generate electricity but storage is a whole nother ball game.

 

[jontte]

NASA might have a solution about energy....or not,that will be one key issue to solve,when that's done,it will provide answers to alot of others.

 

[PrepperQ]

When in doubt ask NASA lol. Their clean air study was what started off this whole idea

 

[jontte]

how far is NASA with that study??

 

[PrepperQ]

The clean air study? Its completed, or as completed as NASA can be with a study. The link in my first post references it but a quick Google search will turn up way more plants that they used.

 

[jontte]

I seem to have reasonable good quality of air where I live,thanks to the forrest around me and keep as many plants indoor as possible too,they do clean the air indoors.

have to make some reading when I come back from work this evening.

 

[PrepperQ]

Yeah check it out. The TED Talk "growing clean air" is awesome too, it talks about the study and how important clean air is.

 

[jontte]

it's important and as almost ready paramedic I've found out that more than enough....and my only bad habit is still the smokes

this is why I love this forum,you'll always get something new to think and do

 

[Silent Earth]

drill down deep enough in much of the US you will not only find water, but geothermal energy.

 

[Arcticdude]

Occasionally you can find an old decommissioned missile silo for sale. Usually in Montana or North Dakota I think. With a lot of work and enough $$ they could be made in to a livable bunker. Not sure that I'd want to live underground. I've spent a lot of time in underground mines and prefer being above ground.

 

[Silent Earth]

The thing with bunkers is whilst they are SUPERB at protecting you from a nuclear blast or moab, or tornado, fire storm, hurricane etc then go from being safe havens to potential metal coffins when the threat is a bunch of nut jobs on the outside wating to take or destroy what is on the inside.

ANY good bunker must have above all else MULTIPLE concealed escape routes, Well sealed, water proof, fire proof, air tight, self sufficient etc all GREAT facets for surviving disasters, but not so good from protecting you from human attackers, Look at Fort Eben Emeal in Belgium it was supposed to be impreganable, but the Germans took it.

The greatest way of not being attacked by bad people is still not to be found in the first place.