SCP Survival

For those that live off-grid, most of the year is spent making sure that there’s plenty of food, wood, and other supplies to last through the winter so that much of it can be spent indoors, warm, and relaxed.

People of all walks of life seem to spend most of their year enjoying all of the hobbies and activities they can before winter makes everyone slow down, bundle up, and stay in. Many people find winter to be one of the most beautiful times of the year, but it can also be one of the most dangerous. 

The cold and precipitation of the dark months bring their own unique challenges. Winter is harsher on your home and harsher on your vehicle than the other seasons. It can wreak havoc on your home and public utilities, while winter storms, arctic bursts, “Nor’easters”, and more can cause massive pile-ups and highway travel shutdowns. 

Since emergencies in winter can often put your safety in danger much more easily than at other times of the year, so it makes sense to take some precautions that may end up saving your life. Having a few basic preparations in your home and car can help get you safely through a dangerous situation or stranding.

Power Outages And Workarounds

One of the most common things to happen during winter storms is power outages. They can happen for a multitude of reasons and can last for days in some cases. Ice build-up can take down power transmission lines, and car accidents can take down poles, either of which take hours to repair.

Broken water mains can require power shutdowns for blocks until the flooding is repaired. More serious issues can affect substations and more. Power can be out for several days in some cases. 

If you have never lost power for more than a day or so at a time, then you might want to consider getting a small inverter. They offer a long run time, steady voltage for your electronics and appliances, and will run a lot of the conveniences of modern life while the grid power is down. If you need a bit more power, some can be run in parallel, doubling the available running wattage.

If there is the possibility that you might lose power for longer periods, between one and three days for example, then a robust dual fuel generator might be a great option for you. They can run for ten to fifteen hours in some cases and have the muscle to push juice to pretty much anything you would need to run on an emergency basis in the winter. They will run on either gasoline or propane, making them an ideal solution for rural residents especially those who may use propane for home heating.

What To Do If Your Heat Goes Out

If the power goes out, you may lose the ability to use certain gas-fired appliances that rely on electric ignition or similar functions. This means you might lose heat. In this case, there are a pair of options that may help you keep your family warm in an emergency.

1. The first is indoor ventless propane heaters. Often available in two styles, convective and infrared, they both heat well in different ways. They are specifically designed for indoor use and do not need to be vented to the outside.
   • Convective or flame style heaters heat the air, handy for large areas that have air circulation aids like fans (think: Mr. Buddy type heaters).
   • Infrared heaters use a large ceramic element that is heated and projects infrared heat, warming objects that then store the heat and transfer it to the air and other nearby objects. These will be more expensive than an electric heater, but they will put out significantly more heat into a larger area.
2. The second option is using electric space heaters with emergency power generation. This is not going to be as effective in heating large areas but is more effective at zone heating. For example, if you need to warm just a living room and perhaps the pipes under the sink, you might find a pair of electric space heaters to be more efficient and cheaper than their propane counterparts.

Preparations Before Winter Arrives

One of the best ways to prepare for emergencies like loss of power or heat is to be proactive in a bid to avoid the emergency in the first place. This means taking a few minutes each season to give your home and seasonal appliances a once-over to make sure they are ready for the winter. Seal up any drafts and insulate where possible, so you can keep the cold out, and the heat in, as much as possible.

Insulating Windows with A Window Kit

Windows are a frequent site of air and thermal exchange. Even the most well-sealed windows can benefit from a plastic window insulation kit.

These are super simple to use, you simply clean the window frame, attach the two-sided tape, then press the plastic sheeting on to seal it. Run a blow dryer over it to basically heat-shrink it and take the slack plastic out. This provides an air barrier that resists thermal change and helps your home retain as much heat as possible.

Wrap Exterior and Perimeter Pipes

A burst water pipe in the winter can be disastrous. If it breaks because your heat goes out, it can be the worst, since all of the resultant water will begin to freeze on the ground. Before temperatures get too consistently low, wrap exposed lengths of pipe on perimeter walls with insulation wrap or tape.

This is a cheap way to make sure that your pipes don’t flash freeze during a cold snap. If an extremely cold day is expected, open a sink faucet or two just the smallest bit, so that they run at the slightest trickle, this can help prevent lines from freezing as well.

Get Your Furnace Inspected

Make sure you get a pre-season checkup for your furnace to avoid any potential mid-season part failures. Check all the regular functions like the thermostat, thermocouple, blower motor, and so on. Generally, you can have an HVAC company come do a checkup for a nominal fee and it only takes a few minutes.

Winter Survival Supplies For the Home

Most modest guidelines say to keep between 3 and 5 days of supplies on hand for most emergencies that would happen in the winter. Some items to keep on hand for the cold months, and the winter season in general include:

1 Gallon of Water Per Person, Per Day

This is crucial since water supplies can often be cut off in a winter emergency. You should plan to have a bare minimum of one gallon per day per person, for drinking and hygiene. This means if you have a family of three, and you want to keep 3 days’ supplies on hand, you will need 9 gallons of water.

3 Days Worth of Food

Keep at least 3 days’ worth of shelf-stable, canned, or other non-perishable food stored. You should plan on having supplies sufficient to make all meals for your family for the duration of the emergency. An emergency may mean no power for refrigeration or electric cooking, so make sure you plan around that. Don’t stock up on pasta if you won’t be able to cook it without electricity (more ideas on our family survival food list).

Home First Aid Kit

This should include bandages, gauze, tape, antiseptic and antibacterial wipes, and over the counter pain killers. Most common commercial kits will be fine, and residential kits will be a bit more extensive than auto kits.

Battery Powered Lights Or Lanterns

In the event that you lose power, you may want electric light since it is much safer and longer-lasting than candlelight. Avoid using candles if at all possible. LEDs will last longer than conventional bulbs.

Plenty Of Spare Batteries

Your lights will need batteries, particularly if the power will be out for some time. Be sure to keep a variety of sizes, the next ones to go dead will be the ones you don’t have on hand, guaranteed.

Chargers For Digital Devices

With our digital devices being our lifeline for many functions, keeping a power bank or two charged up and on hand can be a wise move. This way you don’t need to worry about keeping your phone or tablet charged so you can keep apprised of the details surrounding your emergency.

Stay connected, find out when your power will be coming back on, and communicate with friends or family to let them know your situation.

Winter Survival Supplies For The Car

Wet roads can be dangerous enough, but colder weather brings snow and ice that can cause any number of unexpected situations. Clear out a section of your trunk for these essential emergency items this winter.

No matter what causes your breakdown or stranding situation, the following is a brief list of some gear that will help keep you safe and warm until you get help or are able to get going otherwise:

Extra Blankets

In the event that you are stuck on the side of the road and your vehicle is not able to run periodically to keep you warm, you should be ready. Make sure you have a blanket or two, as well as gloves and extra socks. 

Flashlight & Batteries

This is a good combo to have in your vehicle regardless of the season. If you are stuck somewhere and it’s after dark, you may need portable task lighting that your vehicle cannot provide.

Emergency Radio

For areas that have sudden weather changes, or large snowstorms that come in suddenly, like areas near the Rockies and the Great Lakes, an emergency radio with a hand crank, solar, or battery back up is another essential piece of gear that can save your life.

Jumper Cables

Winter is a battery assassin. Nearly everyone has gone to start their car at some point and heard that that slow, angry refusal to put enough juice to the starter. Even though most people have been in this situation, many of them still don’t carry cables. If you get stuck and someone is willing and able to give you a jump, one of you is going to need cables, so you might as well have a set ready.

First-Aid Kit

Most commercial first aid kits will be just fine for most peoples’ needs. Make sure there are the basics, such as bandages, gauze, tape, aspirin or ibuprofen, and sterilizing agents like iodine or alcohol wipes.

Water & Food

Obviously, you won’t need several days’ worth of food and water unless you are in a particularly isolated area. The best things to have on hand are some emergency food bars (or some combination of protein bars and granola bars), and bottled water.

You basically just need what would amount to emergency rations for about 24 hours. Again, unless you are traveling in an extremely isolated area, you should not be on the side of the road for more than a day.

Emergency Vehicle Recovery Supplies

Many people live in an area with lots of traffic or a higher population, in which case these emergency vehicle supplies may be superfluous. If you live in a more rural area, or even on the outskirts of town where you may not see as much traffic or have as high of a chance of someone driving by that may be able to help.

Sometimes, you might even be driving from one place to another and driving through a rural area instead of an expressway or more populated route. In situations like this, you may want to consider carrying some of these with you in case you need to effect a self-recovery.

Sand Or Kitty Litter

These can serve a dual purpose. Primarily, you can use either as a traction aid when stuck in snow or on ice. Additionally, both are sold in quantities large enough that they can be used to add weight above a drive axle. Sand can frequently be found in large bags or tubes, and kitty litter can be found in bags and large heavy pails or buckets. While sand will be cheaper to buy large quantities of, kitty litter is often a coarser texture which is more effective in gaining traction.

Snow Shovel

This basic piece of winter equipment will save you some cold, wet hands now, and possibly some frostbite down the road. While most folks don’t have the space for a standard size snow shovel, a small shovel or even a collapsible model is perfect for digging out a couple of tires to get some traction. 

Tire Chains

If your state allows tire chains, these are a great way to help give your vehicle extra traction on ice, in snow, and even in slush and mud. Not only that, but you can store them and throw them on if you get stuck, or anticipate getting stuck, and they can be worth their weight in gold. 

Tow Straps & Come-along

These are easy substitutes for a winch or a tow truck in a majority of situations. Not only will you be ready with straps if someone happens by and is able to help, but if not, you have the come-along and can ratchet yourself out of a ditch a few inches at a time. Cheaper than a winch or a tow, and they tuck into a corner of the trunk or other storage area.

Everyone seems to have a different idea of how it will happen, but we all know that some sort of calamity is building. The projections and outlook run the gamut; everything from civil unrest and societal breakdown, all the way to asteroid impacts, mega-tsunamis, and other extinction-level events. Depending on who you ask, our future may be bleak, or bright. Like, mushroom cloud bright.

None of this information is wasted on the rich. They see these clouds gathering on the horizon, and they make plans to carry an umbrella. But with the clouds they see these days, the “umbrellas” they pack are highly customized, self-contained, and luxurious, survival bunkers. Their appearance might vary, but their function is the same: to provide a safe haven and secure retreat for plutocrats and the ultra-rich to ride out the apocalypse.

While the rest of us are huddled in boring concrete boxes, these shelters provide a nearly unmatched level of comfort and security. Get out your top hat and monocle, we are going to take a look at some of the most lavish and expensive bunkers that people are building. 

Vivos Europa One

One of the most well-known billionaire bunkers is the Vivos Europa One shelter.

It is built under a mountain in Germany, giving it the ultimate hardened location. Designed with 34 private living quarters, it is already in fully operational condition and is accepting applicants and members.

Complete with opulent leather furniture, fixtures, and overall settings to rival even the most upscale urban lounges, every single corner of Europa One is customized and appointed for the only people that can afford it. 

The Oppidum

With more than 323,000 square feet of space in a mansion located on a former military base near Prague, The Oppidum is the height of exclusivity. Every amenity It is built underground and designed to withstand a nuclear impact.

The creator of The Oppidum projects that the inhabitants could survive for up to 10 years with the food storage, water, and alternative energy capabilities of the installation.

Vivos xPoint

Strategically located at a former munitions depot, Vivos xPoint is approximately 100 miles from any known nuclear targets.

The individual hardened concrete residences are powered with the resident’s choice of alternative energy–geothermal, solar, or wind, along with backup generators. Units can be endlessly customized and appointed, even including LED screens to mimic windows and skylights.

Applications are now open for residency.

Survival Condo

Known as the “Survival Condo”, this renovated and upgraded Titan missile silo has been decommissioned and turned into a top-tier apocalypse hideout.

The original entrance was capped with a dome rated to withstand 500mph winds, and the facility holds several single-floor condos and a few two-floor penthouses, a hydroponics farm, aquaculture setup, library, school, theater, lounge, pool, and gym.

Safe House

Known as “Safe House”, and made famous by a movie of the same name, this hardened Polish retreat appears to be an impenetrable concrete fortress built to withstand nuclear aftermath and zombies.

But the concrete shutters swing open 180 degrees and the massive reinforced metal roll-up door retracts to reveal a beautiful and inviting den to survive the worst.

The Aristocrat

When the ultra-rich want to build a shelter in their favorite mansion’s backyard, or at an undisclosed location anywhere on the planet, one of the companies they call is Rising S.

Rising S is responsible for building some of the most extensive and lavish modular bunkers available today. The top-tier model of these bunkers is The Aristocrat.

Starting at nearly $8.5M, The Aristocrat contains amenities and facilities for up to 50 people including any personal staff needed, including a motor cave, gym, bowling alley, firing range, sauna, pool, greenhouse, and more.

Vivos Indiana

Vivos Indiana is built in a nuclear hardened location, far from any known nuclear target, a safe distance from fault lines, and outside the reach of flood and tsunami damage.

Membership must be applied for and paid for in the case of every family member and may be fast-tracked for those with sought-after skillsets. Amenities like kennels, ATVs, workshop, survival gardens, and more, keep those who can pay their way comfortable for up to a year without ever going up to the surface.

So, What If You Aren’t A Hedge Fund Billionaire? (Survival Bunkers for Average Joes)

So what are your options, if you aren’t exactly buy-your-own-military-installation rich? Well, the good news is that there are many reasonably affordable and attainable bunkers and bug out shelters that come in various stages of prefabrication, available from several different manufacturers, and in some cases for as low as around $35k.

You might be closer than you think, to at least getting a bunker shell that you can put wherever you want, in order to begin preparing for the day you may need it.

Check these models out:

American Safe Room

American Safe Room is a solid option for the average person looking to create a safe and secure environment on-site, without letting entire teams of contractors and half the neighborhood seeing exactly where the crane is dropping your shelter.

They provide all the components you need, minus the concrete, to build your own bomb shelter or safe room. This way, you aren’t having an expensive or obvious prefab shelter delivered and hoisted into place in front of prying eyes.

The walls can be made from locally sourced blocks, or formed and poured concrete, then capped with the included truss kit. The included trusses provide a blast rating of nearly 3,000 pounds per square foot and come with a professional engineers certificate. Before they even attempt the certification and blast load calculations, the ceiling, backfill, and a parked vehicle are added on top. 

This is a rare example of a shelter with a blast load rating, even if it is in kit form. Their shelter kits are available in four standard sizes, ranging from the 8’8”x20’ Series 100 for $18,500, up to the Series 400 which is 14’x20’ for $24,500 before shipping. That makes these kits an enormous value in terms of price per square foot.

ATLAS Survival Shelters

No matter the scenario you want to prepare for, ATLAS likely has a shelter that will be perfect for you. They have an enormous variety of tornado, bomb, and fire shelters. Not only are they able to offer shelter kits, but they also offer fully functional preassembled bomb shelters with built-in storage and top of the line safety measures.

The underground shelters start at $19k, but if you want a prefab safe room framed into your existing home instead, you could get away for under $10k. They can be installed during new home construction, or built into an excavated space under an existing home.

They also have larger completely prefab bomb shelters that are installed underground. These modular units start at a small 10×20 unit for $65k and can be added to other units from there. Some of the more advanced configurations run into the low to mid $100k range, but they include around a 10×50 foot area and have things like a mudroom, decontamination room, gas-tight marine door, air filtration system, overpressure blast valve, escape pod, and tunnel, pod for a backup generator, shelving units, and gun rack.

Creative Home Engineering

Many people choose to add their safe room or bomb shelter directly onto their existing home, but how do you ensure that people visiting your home do not become aware of your preparations?

It is widely acknowledged that one of the best things you can do to ensure your safety in your shelter is to keep it hidden from as many people, who will not be using it, as you can. Benjamin Franklin said it best, in that “three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead”. That’s where Creative Home Engineering comes in clutch. 

• Their Embassy Series doors are designed to create a secure entrance, indoors or out, in locations with elevated security risks or unique threats.
• The Fortress Series is created for locations with a high risk of attack or forced entry attempts. This door can be upgraded to feature basic ballistic resistance of small arms fire, to a futuristic self-healing ceramic compound that can shrug off hundreds of rounds. Engineers conducting a penetration test the door gave up after 77 minutes of hardened assault. Their doors start around $8k.

Once you have the door for your shelter picked out, then it’s time to hide it. This is where you can get really creative, if you’ve seen it before, or can imagine it, they can probably get it done for you. Flex your James Bond or Indiana Jones muscle here, the sky’s the limit. 

A bookshelf that opens up after triggering a random knick-knack on the shelf? Sure, that’s easy. Elegant full-length bathroom mirror that swings open when you twist a lightbulb? A fine choice, indeed. How about a wardrobe or dresser that lets you step through to your hidden place? Make the call, and they’ll build it. They customize each job to the client’s needs, and they craft these amazing feats of secrecy globally.

Red Dog Shelters

If you need a portable shelter that is designed to protect you from the most severe weather conditions you will ever encounter, the shelters from Red Dog are a prime option. They come in two varieties, the portable Tow Dog, and the Big Dog. Pricing can be obtained by contacting Red Dog.

The Tow Dog is a small tow-behind, blast-resistant storm shelter. It can provide safety or security for up to 12 adults. Included in the Tow Dog are a generator, AC/heat, benches, desks, lockers, and a rapid cool down station to mitigate core temperature overheating. Once it is in the operational position, it is aerodynamically anchored, so the harder the wind blows, the more secure it becomes. 

If you need jobsite shelter or perhaps small community storm sheltering the Big Dog is an amazing option that can guard against so many varied threats. It starts as a blast-resistant storm shelter that can protect 32 people.

Just like its smaller sibling, it does not need to be anchored and is rated to wind speeds of over 350mph. Inside, it has AC/heat, an exclusive body core rapid cool down system for emergency heat recovery, desk, benches, and weather instrumentation. It is classified as an “all-in-one” abatement or mitigation solution for 15 different hazards, including wind, lighting, ballistic damage, and much more. 

Rising S Company

Rising S bunkers and bomb shelters are prefabricated, one-stop solutions to your underground bomb shelter needs. All of their units are created from solid plate steel and some of the finest structural metals available commercially.

Their shelters are designed with a unique exoskeletal support structure that continuously distributes the loads applied to them. This means that, at least theoretically, there is no limit to the dynamic loads that their shelters can withstand.

The shelters from Rising S are built to last, so make sure you put it somewhere you’ll own for a long time. The entire structure is treated with a rubber coating rated for 150 years. This means that as the steel expands and contracts over time, there is no chance for any penetration or permeability of the structure itself. Steel will not mildew or mold, either. When you are planning on a shelter that can be used for generations, Rising S is a prime option.

With modules available for things like a greenhouse, power generation room, gym, living quarters, and even a motor cave and underground garage system, you can customize your shelter to not only your and your family’s needs but also the shape and size of the installation site.

The pricing on the shelters varies quite a bit, as you can imagine with the options available the prices are very general, so you should certainly reach out if you need a custom estimate or quote.

Rising S has a respectable number of units for under $100k. They offer an 8’x12’ mini-shelter that is essentially a studio apartment for only $39,500 up to what they refer to as the Standard with a 10’x40’ upgrade, for $95,500. After they have models that can fit nearly any budget from $100k to more than $8M, if your pockets run that deep, of course. 

US Safe Room

US Safe Room underground bunkers give you a modular and prefabricated solution to your prepping and bunker needs. They aim to provide a relatively affordable way to protect you and your family while retaining a similar level of quality of life underground while sheltering.

They offer similar sizing to other bunkers, often in ten-foot increments. The smallest model they have is 10’x20’, while the largest is 10’x50’. Each one can be fully customized and optimized so that you feel secure and comfortable, without feeling cramped or claustrophobic. 

The 10’x20’ has a full-sized living room and a bathroom. The living room has space for TVs, a couch, meal table, and kitchen appliances, and can function as a sleeping area. The bathroom is fully functional in case you need to shelter for longer than expected, and also has a sink, counter, and storage. The small model can fit 2-3 people comfortably and can be bought as a shell and furnished yourself.

The largest prefab model, the 10’x50’ features a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and master bedroom, and is the best option for full families. The living room has bunk beds, and plenty of storage space, room for another sleeper sofa, and entertainment. The kitchen is big enough for the family to eat together. The bathroom in the larger model has a shower, and the master bedroom can feature its own corner bathtub and king size bed.

Pricing for the standard models is available by contacting US Safe Room. They can do custom sizes and modular compounds, also available through consultation. If needed, they even offer services to install the shelter beneath your existing home, so all you need to do is plan, and prep, and let them handle the rest.