$25 Bugout Bag

Book Review: Rivers

I was sent a copy of this book for review so here it is.

The story takes place in the gulf region of the U.S. after years of hurricanes pounding constantly.  I assume this is supposed to be due to climate change but I don't recall it saying specifically.  Cohen is the main character.  He decided to stay there despite evacuation orders by the government.  His wife and unborn child were killed in the beginning of the storms.  He lives with their ghosts and tries to finish building a room for the baby as the storms keep knocking it down.

One day as Cohen is on a supply run he tries to help some kids on the side of the road.  This is where it starts getting interesting.  The kids try to kill him and steel his Jeep.  He is left miles from home with nothing.  He takes refuge in an old church and contemplates how to get his Jeep back.  When he arrives home he finds that he has been robbed.  Knowing that the robbers will likely return he grabs some things and leaves.

Cohen sets out to find the people that stole from him.  On his way he spots his Jeep at that same church he had stayed in earlier.  The man who drove it there was being attacked by a jaguar.  Cohen forces the man to tell him where his things are.  What he finds is a colony of slaves run by a man with delusions of creating his own perfect world.

From there on it is a story of a constant struggle for survival.  I would give this book a thumbs up.  The only complaint I have is that there are a few chapters that are flashbacks to his time with his wife that really didn't have much relevance.  The price tag on the book says $25 but right now it is $18.02 on Amazon.  It is a hardcover with good quality printing and binding.  It is also available for Kindle or Audible.

A Resource to Check Out: Organized Prepper

Check out this site I just came across.  Full of good stuff.  Here's the summary from their site:
Organized Prepper, LLC is a family run organization based in Texas dedicated to providing information and supplies to those who would like to be more prepared for whatever curve-balls the universe wants to throw at them.   Regardless of if you are concerned about a full blown TEOTWAWKI event or just minor power outages or even a stalled car…we want to help you be ready.  We’re here to help the “newbie prepper” get going.
We currently carry several brands of storage food, emergency kits, archery & crossbow supplies, solar kits, water systems, and all kinds of other prepping gear.    The list of products and product categories is growing all the time so be sure to check back or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.
At our site you’ll also find two informative blogs to help you get prepared.

• Getting Prepped is a blog focused primarily on how to go about prepping the “Organized” way
• Always Prepping…Never Ready is a little more “free-form” blog touching on all kinds of prepper topics

Pine Home: Building a Debris Hut from start to finish

Vehicle DIY *FINAL* - 5 Tips

Building Codes for Bunkers

A reader sent me this question:

Are there any sites that have info about how to comply with building codes and zoning regulations when building a safe home or underground bunker?
 

It's my impression that there are many many people advocating underground or very safe homes, but I know (only a bit) about building codes and zoning restrictions, and it seems they are very anti-thetical to any such kind of construction. I wonder if there is some place where people have already researched and discussed the issues. Since there are several generally accepted general standards, and localities can modify them, the potential problems seem endless and mostly unknown to trip up the unwary.

In a similar vein, there are many many people advocating the use of used surplus ISO steel shipping containers to make a supposedly cheap house or bunker, but they don't seem to calculate the huge cost of converting them, adding doors, windows, plumbing (very hard to do in a 6,000 lb box sitting flat on ground), insulating them (all the architects seem to ignore lack of energy efficiency in these), preventing leaks, zoning restrictions, getting a mortgage on such an unusual home, etc. Similarly, while monolithic domes have wonderful physical characteristics, and are enthusiastically promoted by some, zoning restrictions and lack of mortgage financing kills them for almost all people.

I am just beginning to look into prepper sites, and came across yours as one of the first. Thanks for letting me know whatever you can learn. I'm happy if there is some source of good info that you could also pass on to others. If I happen to come across such info, I will share it with you.

I decided to ask someone in the business for the answer.  I emailed Vic Rantala Owner of Safecastle LLC www.safecastle.com.  Vic's answer was:

I am not aware of any sites like that. The short answer to the question is that each locality has different building codes and zoning regs. If you want to learn about your locale's codes, you need to contact your local authorities about it. Many do not have special regs about shelters and would likely then defer to the old FEMA guidelines. Also, certification of a design by a state-licensed structural engineer would be a big help. Finally, if you make the local authorities aware of your shelter project, you should expect visits from the local building inspectors thru the project as I'm sure they will take special interest in the project because of the novelty of it all. Hope that helps.

Here's a book that may help you out:

Check out the author's website http://www.undergroundhousing.com/ and this video:
Please comment below if you know any more on the topic.

Sleep for Survival