# Is a Bunker Reasonable?



## mastermclaster (Jul 3, 2019)

So one of the first things I planned out while delving into prepping was a bunker. I planned out the general layout and what exactly would go into that bunker. Recently I've been looking at how much a contractor would cost to do such a project, and it's quite a large sum. And so here is where my question is. Is it reasonable in the first place to build a bunker? I live in a small rural town in Mid-California. I'm not really in an area that is a large target for foreign attacks or other such things. The only possible target is a nearby military base, but that's pretty much it. I have told myself that there would be other uses for a bunker like quarantining my family and I from a pandemic, or even as a safe house in the event of a home invasion. Even with those in mind, I don't know if the benefit exceeds the cost. What do you guys think?


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

mastermclaster said:


> So one of the first things I planned out while delving into prepping was a bunker. I planned out the general layout and what exactly would go into that bunker. Recently I've been looking at how much a contractor would cost to do such a project, and it's quite a large sum. And so here is where my question is. Is it reasonable in the first place to build a bunker? I live in a small rural town in Mid-California. I'm not really in an area that is a large target for foreign attacks or other such things. The only possible target is a nearby military base, but that's pretty much it. I have told myself that there would be other uses for a bunker like quarantining my family and I from a pandemic, or even as a safe house in the event of a home invasion. Even with those in mind, I don't know if the benefit exceeds the cost. What do you guys think?


There's a lot of variations to the question you ask. Being in a small town I don't see much worry for a home invasion. Is your family onboard with prepping and being quarantined? You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink sort of thing.

I'm from CA too and have traveled the state quite a bit. Is it possible to to tell me whereabouts you are talking so I might be able to give you a better answer?


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## mastermclaster (Jul 3, 2019)

I live in the Central Coast, Salinas Valley to be more specific. Although, I'll be moving out quite shortly, and my girlfriend is ok with all of my ideas on prepping.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Think essentials before bunkers. Food, water, first aid, candles, batteries, flashlights, a means of protection, etc. Have enough food, water, supplies for 72 hours, then expand from there. Plan for events likely in your area. Earthquakes, power outages, food shortages and the like. Remember, an event dosn't necessarily have to be in your town to effect you. 

I suggest doing some reading on some of the old posts here. We have discussed in detail many of the questions you are having. There are a lot of smart people here.


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

I wouldn't do crap while in Californification. Move to a non socialist state that doesn't have earthquakes. If you get a house with a basement you almost have a bunker. You will have to do some minor modification to better protect from nuclear. If you get in a rural area then your half way to being quarantined.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

mastermclaster said:


> I live in the Central Coast, Salinas Valley to be more specific. Although, I'll be moving out quite shortly, and my girlfriend is ok with all of my ideas on prepping.


Salinas Valley, Monterrey County birthplace of Steinbeck, wonderful place until illegals and libtards took it over in the last decade or two. Yeah, build your bunker but please post pics of the build. Also of this girlfriend of yours so we can decide if you keep her or cut her loose

Slippy! :vs_wave:.

Thanks


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

I personally would not, . . . as then the focus becomes "get in the bunker, . . . we'll be safe there", . . . 

Then when you look how well that worked out for Germany and Japan in WW2, . . . 

Fortified fighting positions are great, . . . our guys use them all the time, . . . but the US as a rule does not build bunkers, . . . 

And............ we've done pretty well (militarily) without them.

I'd spend the money on firearms, ammo, food, and other essentials you will need and can use.

But that is just the way I did / do my prepping.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

Bunkers are reasonable for sure. With that said, you do not to build anything fancy. You can build a basement shelter like the one in this book.









If money was not an issue I would want one of these.....

ATT Cheshire underground facility.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

I think a bunker should be the _last_ thing on the list. It's fine to have one, but you shouldn't get one if you can't afford to stock it and maintain it. It won't do you much good if it's used for storing the junk most people accumulate, or it falls apart because you don't take the time or don't have the money to keep it up.


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## jimcosta (Jun 11, 2017)

*Things to consider on bunkers*

* Walls don't have to be concrete. If money is tight, two sheets of plywood with dirt poured in between them. We have RR ties with dirt pushed up to them and a two foot tall plywood panel on the top of the dirt pile with the cavity filled about 6 inches thick. Works just fine.
Fertilizer was poured on the dirt piles to grow weeds fast. Camo netting was then hung over the 2 foot wall *after* the wall was camo painted.
In a hurry, cover the dirt with a camo net as well until the weeds grow.

* I saw photos of WWII bunkers painted to look like the background. Honestly, you could not see them.

* If you are in a rural area, a bunker can be defended then the bodies can be removed so others may not notice it. This cannot be done in suburbia as others will just be challenged by what they saw in your last attack. They know you have supplies.

* If cheap enough, build two. If things are hot, retreat to a nearby smaller one. Then return to the main one when it is known to be vacant.

* Check out homemade Human Manure composting toilets. * Costs about $25*. There is NO smell. Everything is stored in sealed 5 Gallon buckets.

* Consider a steel panel roof with dirt on it to muffle the rain. Its fireproof but not bullet proof.
However, four 12 gauge shotgun alarms turned horizontally mounted on the roof could be used to kill anyone who makes it onto the roof. They can be activated from inside the bunker.

* Consider underground pull strings (in PVC pipe) to other shotgun alarms scattered round the bunker as well.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

You asked an interesting variant on the question.
Are they "reasonable".

That would imply that a reason justifies them. For that, only you can truly answer it. What reason would be sufficient for you that would compel the necessity of a bunker?
A little game to play...
Sit down with your GF, and each of you list out all of the possible threats to your area that you can. Random order, stream of consciousness.
Then, looking over the whole list, identify the one you both agree is the most likely to occur. Put a #1 next to it.
Keep going through the list, identifying the next most likely.

Once you've reached the top 5, take a breather. Then ask each other, "Does a bunker help to resolve any/most/all of these threats?"
If the response is not a unanimous "yes", it likely isn't "reasonable" for you to devote the resources and time to building a bunker.

Are they fun? Sure.
Are they "cool"? Yep.
Are they practical? Not really.
But reasonable? Hmmm.... maybe.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Think I would plan on a Bug Out vehicle first. Once you have that all straight and have left over cash maybe a bunker to park it in.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Personally, I think bunkers are just very expensive, well-stocked coffins.


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## mastermclaster (Jul 3, 2019)

Thank of all you guys for the input. I honestly didn't think I'd get this much response. All of you have very interesting points that I will take into consideration!


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

mastermclaster said:


> So one of the first things I planned out while delving into prepping was a bunker. What do you guys think?


As mentioned, if you have a basement (assuming you have a concrete floor) you're already ahead of the game.

When it came to my home, when we moved in we found a "little all cement room" off the lower finished level, and tucked away so that no one would guess where it is. We tell everyone that it's a "tornado shelter." But knowing the builder--and the rabid amount of concrete he used--my guess is that he had other intentions in mind.

Here's my point. If you have a concrete floor in your lower level, buy some pizza and few beers and have your friends help you build a "two-ply" cement basement brick room. Get a good solid door, and a couple of Number 15 Master Padlocks to secure the enclosure--my dad invented that lock when he worked for The Master Padlock company. I would nail up a few layers of something overhead to keep debris from falling in on you in case the house was in fact hit by a major storm.

Next step, clean water, canned goods, a dry ammo box full of nasty surprises and a First Aid Kit.

...oh, and you'll need a few good knives. Contact a blade-head in your area, and ask about "survival knives." He'll know what to provide...

Edit: BTW, below is a good knife for survival. It's cheap to obtain, stronger than necessary, and it comes apart without tools for rinsing out gravy. I carry it, and as a knife salesman I can buy anything.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

It'd be reasonable in the event of a nuclear holocaust. Very reasonable. I'm looking to do the same with a section of the basement here. I don't have a ton of money to throw at the project, but I'm a big believer in something is better than nothing and I'll do what's feasible.

Good luck to you.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Kauboy said:


> You asked an interesting variant on the question.
> Are they "reasonable".
> 
> That would imply that a reason justifies them. For that, only you can truly answer it. What reason would be sufficient for you that would compel the necessity of a bunker?
> ...


You know what @Kauboy ? You take all the damn fun out of watching people make stupid silly mistakes by interjecting reason into the mix. :vs_smirk:


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Bunker is a big term . A storm storm shelter can be a bunker. It makes sense if you can to have a Storm shelter that can stand up to the worst weather you get. The key to making any prep worth while is getting use from it weather SHTF or not. To build a bunker in case SHTF might be foolish. But if that same structure fills other needs it may not be so foolish.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Smitty, my "storm shelter" is tiny and over-built. The only thing it lacks is a bullet-proof door. Yes, it could have been designed and built by the home-builder (who originally intended to keep the house) and he might have been afraid of tornadoes. As you know, Madison is on the tail-end of 'tornado alley.'

But it seems like a lot of work to begin when that entire lower level had not been started as a second, fully functional living area. The walls hadn't even been painted and the guy builds a shelter? It made me wonder.

Further, the ceiling of this room is actually the stoop of my front entry door. It's like two feet of concrete. A bit much for thunderstorm protection.


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## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

The Salinas valley is pretty but if your moving why consider a bunker now or are you thinking about where you are moving too. Look at mountain / hillside real estate and get some land instead,


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## youngridge (Dec 28, 2017)

With out diving into the location of where you are at I would want to own the land it is on, make sure it is paid for and not up for collateral on anything. I’d prefer it not to be in a town but outside at least 3 to 5 miles 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Go2ndAmend (Apr 5, 2013)

Off the top of my head, I can think of a couple of practical reasons to have a bunker besides the obvious. First, if it well hidden, when the local thugs decide to come to your home and liberate your supplies while you are gone for the weekend, your bunker supplies will still be there. And second, especially in California, when the inevitable wildfire burns everything in it's path, including all the homes and businesses in your area, your bunker supplies will still be there. I could think of a few more but I'm off for more tequila.


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## jimcosta (Jun 11, 2017)

Consider this: A mobile home or modern wood frame home with beautiful vinyl siding are NOT bullet proof. On top of that, to defend yourself an attacker knows you will be behind a window. Now consider how you would go about defending your family if need be.

Many times we shoot from the hip in supplying answers without really knowing the real facts & assumptions of a *particular* problem and end up giving an answer where One Size Fits All when that may not be correct. We are all guilty of this including myself.

If I lived in the country in a mobile home you're damn right I would want a bunker!


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Now this might sound a tad cruel, but it is a concern to me. I do not like strangers in my home, be they cops or intruders. I intend to keep them all out.

Both entrances to my home have a wide section of concrete--it hoses off quite well. Even if a thug gets into my home by only a few feet, that means the interior is already "a crime scene." Then factor in the stench of an intruder, liquor on his breath, and the reeking of cigarettes, and frankly this kind of misanthrope is never getting into any enclosure where I sleep!

If someone intends to invade my home for any reason, he dies on the outside, on the concrete. If the coroner wishes to chalk his body--he does it outside--and the cops can do any investigation prescribed by law--outside.

If your asking yourself if I would coldly drop an intruder to stave off a stain on my carpets, well, the answer is "yes."


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The Tourist said:


> Now this might sound a tad cruel, but it is a concern to me. I do not like strangers in my home, be they cops or intruders. I intend to keep them all out.
> 
> Both entrances to my home have a wide section of concrete--it hoses off quite well. Even if a thug gets into my home by only a few feet, that means the interior is already "a crime scene." Then factor in the stench of an intruder, liquor on his breath, and the reeking of cigarettes, and frankly this kind of misanthrope is never getting into any enclosure where I sleep!
> 
> ...


 And you can thank Gov Walker for the right to drop the BG on the pouch and not have to wait until he was inside with a gun to someones head. Of course the new gov has plans to wipe all that out.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Smitty901 said:


> And you can thank Gov Walker for the right to drop the BG on the pouch and not have to wait until he was inside with a gun to someones head. Of course the new gov has plans to wipe all that out.


Our new libtard governor is not going to get as many "touchy-feely" acts into law as he might think. Our state congress is mostly Republican, and so far there hasn't been any changes that I know of.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The Tourist said:


> Our new libtard governor is not going to get as many "touchy-feely" acts into law as he might think. Our state congress is mostly Republican, and so far there hasn't been any changes that I know of.


 Well he just stuck it to us on the budget by using the line item veto to add spending. It was only meant to allow cutting spending. He gave teacher union a huge bank roll for getting him elected. We worked over 20 years to get the the CC law passed Doyle stopped us twice but Walker got it in to law. We are very near losing it.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Smitty901 said:


> Well he just stuck it to us on the budget by using the line item veto *to add spending*.


Yes, that is the topic on our local talk radio. How do you add something be way of a "veto." A veto is a vote to end an issue or a piece of legislation, it is not a clearing house for bizarre additions. Especially when it comes to new costs.

Smitty, the GOP representatives are smarter than this quack. Wait until the libtard floats a new project with very steep costs. That issue will have to pass through the GOP group. My guess is that they are going to veto anything the governor wants, or at least halve the costs His Honor feels he needs to load onto the back of the citizenry.

The GOP didn't get their jobs because "the sky is the limit." They have been trimming exorbitant costs since Governor Scott Walker took the reins. I think this new clown is a pretender to the throne.


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