resource.exhaustion.crisis.evacuation.safety.shelter

Building a Bunker
RECESS began 2 years ago when I made my home in the southwest United States. Like much of the West, our reliance on the continuous import of vital resources (food, water, medical supplies) is unsustainable and untenable. Crisis preparedness is vital, and RECESS is my answer. It is a re-model, an insurance policy, an experiment, a test of personal mettle, and an obsession. Survival is everything.

As I continue to shape and organize the space inside the RECESS I felt it was time to share a few images of the inside of the bunker:



Standing is a bit tight inside my RECESS. The ceiling height was capped at 5'5"  in order to keep with the original concept of the retrofit. The floor (epoxy sealed and painted with traction grit) sits exactly where the deep end of the swimming pool had been. It's plenty comfortable while sitting or lying down.

The drain in the center of the room re-imagines the pool's filtration system as a waste-removal port and emergency flood relief. The walls are bright white from the waterproofing compound. To date, I have hand-powered ventilation, solar power (seen illuminating the room), cellular service, pirate radio, broadband internet, grid power and city water (seen below).

This is a video demonstration of the firing of an improvised 12 gauge shotgun. Pellets and wadding have been removed for safety. The gun showed no signs of stress following several test shots. This model can be adapted for fully autonomous use. Plans can be found in the DIY section of the site or seen here.

I've previously written about the many benefits of 550 paracord. Here is a DIY of the cobra stitch (the knot used to create my paracord bracelets) so that you can tie your own.

I wear my paracord survival bracelet everyday. My dog has one, and so does our infant child (see pic after the jump).

Starting a fire is easiest with good tinder. This video demonstrates my favorite method of producing tinder using shredded currency (useless in a long-term RECESS situation).

Here is a demonstration of a modified paiute deadfall. Please see the DIY for this animal trap to build your own.