While the Cold War ended over 20 years ago, the fear of a Nuclear War is still a very believable one. Creating a bunker that is fully prepared to hold you for 2 weeks or more if there ever was an attack is a perfectly viable and sensible goal. Here is how to.
1Ensure your house has a cellar. A cellar is probably the best option as it is below ground and is likely largely made out of concrete, so it has a certain amount of protection against soil poisoning and gasses.Ad
2Completely empty your cellar out, so it is totally empty. This will provide you with more working space and give you a better idea of what you are working with.
3Consider getting further insulation in your cellar. Or even just having the walls and floor covered in a fresh layer of concrete or boarding put on. This will provide a thicker layer of protection against gasses and poisoned dirt, as well as making it warmer in the cellar in case of a freeze.
4Install bunks onto the walls of your cellar. Put in enough for every member of your household plus an additional 3 for anyone who happens to be visiting when the nuclear attack warning is issued or anyone who is immediately nearby when the warning is issued.
- Make up the beds with sheets and duvets rather than blankets - blankets are more likely to be eaten by moths and other such creatures.
- Put a space blanket (foil blanket that folds up compactly) on each bed - that way if any sheets or blankets to get eaten or rot, or if there is an extreme in temperatures that means that a few sheets and a duvet would not be enough to keep each person warm.
5Keep a large store of food and water. Large bottles of water that are advised for camping and blow up squares filled with water are good because they can be used for other things once they are empty - as temporary toilets, to store future found liquids etc. Some good foods to keep are:
- Dried fruit
- Cans of vegetables, fruit and meat
- Preserves such as jam, chutney and marmalade
- Bags of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder etc
- Bottles of oil
- Powdered milk
- Bags of pasta, rice, couscous and spelt, or other foods that can be stores for extended periods of time
- Boiled sweets and chocolate - these are high sugar and can give energy when other food supplies run low
- Dried chick peas, lentils and other supplies that simply have to be boiled in water to provide a good nutritional content
- Herbs and spices to add flavour to plain meals
6If you have a gun license or if legal in your area, keep a gun and ammunition in your cellar. You can use this if ever necessary to defend yourself against people trying to steal supplies.
7Make a good first aid kit in case you ever need to treat an injury, minor or major. It should contain AT LEAST:
- Two packets of strong paracetamol or other strong pain killers
- Two packets of ibuprofen or other strong anti-inflammatory drug
- Anti-septic cream
- A sterilised needle and clean, strong thread
- A sling or a triangular bandage to make one
- Cough medicine
- Cough/throat sweets
- Cotton wool
- Micropore tape
- A bottle of water
- A roll of string (you could use this to tie around an arm and numb it if you had to amputate it/inject something into it/put clean dressings on it without causing to much pain)
8Collect some gas masks that are clean, safe and useable. Keep them in a specific place, so that all people in the cellar are aware of where they are. They just might save your life.
9Put a few home comforts down there - the likelihood is that they will be all that survive if there is a nuclear war. Putting an old armchair that's been a family favourite for a while can provide comfort and a sense of familiarity should the bunker ever be used. Good things to keep down there in an airtight, waterproof box are:
- Family photo albums
- Birth certificates
- Your children's school certificates or awards
- Old books
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- Don't restrict your bunker to just in case of a nuclear war. If your house ever burnt down, you could live there temporarily. If you have to house a family member or two at any occasion, they could stay there.
- Although it seems unlikely that in any circumstance a nuclear war will ever be allowed again, it is advisable to keep some sort of space or supplies in case anything did ever happen. Don't just brush off the possibility.
- If there is ever a nuclear war, a common cellar is unlikely to totally defeat the possibility of death, just postpone it.
Categories: Disaster Preparedness
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