View Full Version : damn ! Apartment situations ?
Ive been reading through the threads , you guys are scaring me !
I live in a 3rd floor apartment , camping gear is in storage , I have weapons and ammo , no places to store SHTF water or food really.
anyone else live in an apatment ? whats your setup ? any bottom line "must do's" fo me ? besides moving lol ?
Im in the grab my shit and head for the hills/plains kinda mindset now ?
hard i guess with my camping gear 20min away in a stoage unit.
What would you do .
funkymonkey1111
07-24-2012, 11:01
i think you can still prep in an apartment situation--you just have to do so within the confines of your lease. you should be able to store some quantity of foodstuffs, water, etc.
just remember, any amount of prepping, even if compromised in an apartment, is better than none.
I agree , but im just thinking anything i store , is gonna have to be taken down 2 flights of stairs ? assuming i have time to do so in said situation.
I do see maybe a duffle with dried or mountain house foods in it to grab ?
or do i just store what i want and hope if somthing comes up i have time to grab it ? and load it in my truck ?
This is all assuming i bug out , not sure I want to stay up here ?
I dont have a generator or anything of the sort.
This is all assuming i bug out , not sure I want to stay up here ?
Biggest question is where are you going to go?
Unless you have a pre set up location and supplies there you might be better to store as much as you can at your apt and when it gets down to duffle size then consider a relocation or going on the move.
Even if you had a ton of stuff and your were able to get it all loaded into your truck, whos to say you wont run through a pile of nails thrown onto the road and have 3 flat tires and now you are leaving a bunch of supplies in your truck because you can't carry all of it?
or its February and its 6 degrees outside with 2 feet of snow on the ground. Might be better to stay put in that case.
and I wouldnt worry about a generator, a good mummy bag(1st layer of insulation) and a single person tent(2nd layer of insulation) in your apt would keep you pretty comfy in the coldest temps.
besides the longer you can hold out the better as it will give the weakest ones time to head to the Pepsi center for red cross Gvmt help or die off from killing eachother for their neighbors plasma tv.
more good points ,
I should see if can get my camping gear into the appt , Id like to think i could defend this appt pretty good ?
But whats to stop someone from burning it out from under me after i shoot their buddy or brother dead in the stairwell or street when they come callin to do me harm?
Im sure the what ifs can go on forever. i guess if it comes thats its time to bug out .
in the snow and nails lol .
Rent a garage. Store your stuff in there. In SHTF, go down and drag it up to your apartment. If you want to bug out, keep a small box trailer in there with your stuff packed and ready to hook up.
But whats to stop someone from burning it out from under me after i shoot their buddy or brother dead in the stairwell or street when they come callin to do me harm?
More ammo . that was too easy.
seriously though you will be vulnerable so your best bet is to be stealth and not let your position known.
no lights at night,or black out curtains, stay away from the windows.
scentless food, that means eating your mountain house meals cold or have food stores that can be eaten cold.
heating of foods can make the smell travel a looong ways, no smoke etc
you might be surprised how long you could hold up.
your biggest issue would be disposing of your waste.
Big Wall
07-24-2012, 12:24
You at least need to have a few days of water/food. A way to cook, and a sleeping bag to stay warm if the power goes out.
its an apartment. plan to bail and double up with friends or family.
HoneyBadger
07-24-2012, 16:41
I was in a similar situation until this past March. Apartments are a difficult situation for prepping. I'm renting a house (with a 2 year contract) now, so I have a basement, garage, lots of storage space, lots of privacy etc. Ideally, getting out of that apartment would be best, but having lived in an apartment for a few years, I can understand very well if you aren't in a position to move yet.
The bottom line: Do the best you can to prepare yourself (mentally, physically, spiritually, whatever), and if that time ever comes, make the best out of what you have.
Great-Kazoo
07-24-2012, 17:42
Bug out to the storage unit. You will be in an area that is fenced, well lit and.....concrete, thin but still concrete walls.
There would be a lot of items you might make useful in the storage area. I also doubt, unless they are members here and same storage unit you're at, be a lot of people waiting to get in.
Don't forget they have security cameras. You will have a ready to go base of operations, unless it's across town.
Ive been reading through the threads , you guys are scaring me !
I live in a 3rd floor apartment , camping gear is in storage , I have weapons and ammo , no places to store SHTF water or food really.
anyone else live in an apatment ? whats your setup ? any bottom line "must do's" fo me ? besides moving lol ?
Im in the grab my shit and head for the hills/plains kinda mindset now ?
hard i guess with my camping gear 20min away in a stoage unit.
What would you do .
Having spent the last 10 ish years in apartments, you have space to store food and water, if you're in a standard new construction you'll have a 50 gallon water heater. You need to get a siphon hose and know how to undo the flex lines. Don't use the drain spigot at the bottom, they clog up all the time and sometimes leak.
Just dedicating the space under the bed will have enough room for food for one for 30 days. If you raise the bed frame on blocks you can double that and the girlies love platform beds.
Consider keeping a bug out setup with a duffel bag full of duffel bags and 40' of rope with a simple hook on the end. Pack your stuff into the bags and lower them down with the rope when the bag hits the ground it should loose the hook. Reel it back up and lower another bag, beats trips up the stairs. If you have a truck just back it up and lower the stuff right into the bed.
ChadAmberg
07-24-2012, 18:38
First thing to remember, don't panic. Second, you should have several different levels of preparedness.
Do you have a small bag in each car with necessities?
Do you have a kit in your office with some food and basic supplies in case you're stuck there for a day or two?
Next, how about a duffel bag or large backpack in the apartment that you can grab and leave in 1 minute that will keep you going for 3 days?
Finally, lets say you are stuck at home for 10 days in a massive blizzard. Most people can do that with food, but if power is out, can you cook, maybe on a gas grill on your deck? And as for water, think about one of the water buffaloes that you fill in your bathtub as soon as you are aware of an incident occurring.
blacklabel
07-24-2012, 18:52
Remember that preparedness isn't really about the ending of society as we know it. As much as I love a good zombie flick, they're not the cause of my prepping.
What do you do if the power goes out for a few days? What if you're snowed in for a similar period of time? These are the types of situations that you should begin to prepare for. You can then begin to build from a week to a month to a year. Getting into longer periods of time though is going to cause issues with storage and transportation.
Bugging out, as fantastic as the idea can be, simply isn't reasonable for those of us without somewhere to actually go. Plan on staying with the ability to go mobile quickly and also figure out where you'd be going or it's going to be a rough time finding a camping spot.
ChadAmberg
07-24-2012, 20:00
Remember that preparedness isn't really about the ending of society as we know it. As much as I love a good zombie flick, they're not the cause of my prepping.
What do you do if the power goes out for a few days? What if you're snowed in for a similar period of time? These are the types of situations that you should begin to prepare for. You can then begin to build from a week to a month to a year. Getting into longer periods of time though is going to cause issues with storage and transportation.
Bugging out, as fantastic as the idea can be, simply isn't reasonable for those of us without somewhere to actually go. Plan on staying with the ability to go mobile quickly and also figure out where you'd be going or it's going to be a rough time finding a camping spot.
Big time agree here.
Lots of folks actually seem to be looking forward to EMP attacks, complete breakdown of society, and running off into the woods to live off berries or something. Along with everyone else, those woods are going to be very crowded.
That isn't what you want to think about. Think about what actually happens. If you live on the coasts, prepare for hurricanes, floods, power outages, stuff like that. When I lived on the coast, we made sure to always have extra propane for the grill during hurricane season to cook with. That's above and beyond the normal 8+ hours a month we lost power.
Living here, what is likely? Blizzards, wild fires, drought. You're either going to be stuck in the apartment on your own for a while, or you'll have to evacuate to a shelter or a hotel. Think about those scenarios and what you want to do.
You certainly have room for a half dozen cases of bottled water and a month's supply of canned goods. Water goes under the bed, cans go in the cupboard.
thanks guys , lots of realistic options here , im going to do my best to implement as much as i can .
Im going to spend some time tomorrow moving stuff around to make room .
Thanks for your ideas and comments [Beer]
Ive been reading through the threads , you guys are scaring me !
I live in a 3rd floor apartment , camping gear is in storage , I have weapons and ammo , no places to store SHTF water or food really.
anyone else live in an apatment ? whats your setup ? any bottom line "must do's" fo me ? besides moving lol ?
Im in the grab my shit and head for the hills/plains kinda mindset now ?
hard i guess with my camping gear 20min away in a stoage unit.
What would you do .While you want enough supplies at your apartment to be able to "bug in" for a week or two, that can't be your long term plan. So what I'd do is store food and water stockpiles at the same storage unit where your camping gear is. Consider this as your second bug out location - if you had food/water there it might be more defensible than your apartment is. But regardless, Make sure you have a vehicle that can hold all your gear and stockpiles. Then if the SHTF, bug in for a week or two, then load up your weapons, go to the storage unit, then either stay there for a while or pack the truck, and bug out.
You might also want to have some extra fuel stored there (you'll need to put some Stabil in it, and rotate it every couple of years) as if the SHTF and you do have to bug out 2 weeks later, fuel may well be hard to come by.
One final thing: "Head to the hills" does not a bugout plan make. Pick several locations, pre-scout them, make sure you have good maps to them and know all the alternate ways in to them. If you have friend(s) with land that's best, as there's low chance of someone else getting there before you and preventing you from using that location. But also realize that there'll be a half million people in Denver who all think they can "head for the hills" and become mountain man survivalists if need be. Find a way to not compete with them, as in, go somewhere less likely to become people saturated.
Hope this helps. [Beer]
ChunkyMonkey
07-25-2012, 10:59
Perhaps my SHTF scenarios are lesser than some..but most SHTF situation (Earthquake, riot, flood etc) last 7-14 days. I am prepared for much longer than that.. but if you can cover the first week for all of your household members and then some, you already cover most of likely scenarios.
Once you achieved this, then go read Light Out and One Second After. [ROFL1]
HoneyBadger
07-25-2012, 14:44
also realize that there'll be a half million people in Denver who all think they can "head for the hills" and become mountain man survivalists if need be. Find a way to not compete with them, as in, go somewhere less likely to become people saturated.
I've been thinking more and more lately about the possibility of heading East if I had to leave the fortress. It's a really tough one though, because when you look East, what do you see? Nothing. No water, no trees, no good soil for growing things, no protection from the wind, no mountains to hide in.
Best possible scenario: You have a plot of land that is stocked, defensible, and well away from everyone else. You see the sh*tstorm coming and you bug out before it even starts, avoiding the hysteria and panic of a million sheep/zombies in Denver. A few examples: if the military is fighting on US soil, if nuclear tensions are worse than the cuban missile crisis, if there is a national loss of utilities or shortage of a resource like gas or food, GTFO.
I've been thinking more and more lately about the possibility of heading East if I had to leave the fortress. It's a really tough one though, because when you look East, what do you see? Nothing. No water, no trees, no good soil for growing things, no protection from the wind, no mountains to hide in.
Best possible scenario: You have a plot of land that is stocked, defensible, and well away from everyone else. You see the sh*tstorm coming and you bug out before it even starts, avoiding the hysteria and panic of a million sheep/zombies in Denver. A few examples: if the military is fighting on US soil, if nuclear tensions are worse than the cuban missile crisis, if there is a national loss of utilities or shortage of a resource like gas or food, GTFO.Yup, me too. So find a place or places that have well water, and farms. There's plenty of good soil and places out East if you know where to look.
HoneyBadger
07-25-2012, 21:44
Yup, me too. So find a place or places that have well water, and farms. There's plenty of good soil and places out East if you know where to look.
I was hoping do keep the travel distance to less than 200 miles... but I certainly agree: If you go far enough East, none of those things are issues! The foothills of Kentucky/Tennessee would be awesome, but it would be nearly impossible to bug out there from here.
I was hoping do keep the travel distance to less than 200 miles... but I certainly agree: If you go far enough East, none of those things are issues! The foothills of Kentucky/Tennessee would be awesome, but it would be nearly impossible to bug out there from here.Sorry by "out East" I meant on the Eastern planes. There's plenty of places in Eastern CO and for that matter Kansas and Nebraska and Wyoming that have water and soil that will grow crops. Look at all the farming that happens out there. There's even places with some elevation if you look. Nothing like the mountains, but it's not all barren flatness either. Bears studying, something I've been meaning to do.
HoneyBadger
07-26-2012, 19:06
Sorry by "out East" I meant on the Eastern planes. There's plenty of places in Eastern CO and for that matter Kansas and Nebraska and Wyoming that have water and soil that will grow crops. Look at all the farming that happens out there. There's even places with some elevation if you look. Nothing like the mountains, but it's not all barren flatness either. Bears studying, something I've been meaning to do.
Sorry, I drive out Highway 94 from Colorado Springs toward Kansas every day and I start thinking that all of Southeastern Colorado looks like that... desert/prairie
My biggest concern about out East is that I don't know how to make an open field defendable, and the animals aren't as easy to stumble upon.
Once you achieved this, then go read Light Out and One Second After. [ROFL1]
Yeap! [ROFL1][ROFL2]
After I finished the damn book I couldn't sleep for a couple of weeks!
Seriously though - you really want to think about where you're gonna go if SHTF. Prepping is not something that you do as a project (ie "ok, I'm gonna go buy this that and that, make some Bobs and i'm done"). Prepping is a LIFESTYLE.
Me and my budy we spent a lot of weekends driving all around CO looking for a good place where we're gonna go with our families if SHTF... After we found a good spot - we bought it. Didn't cost too much.. We also put two motor homes there (they are not drivable, we just use them as shelters).
Every time we can we bring more supplies there(secret spot not far from those motor homes) + stuff that we keep at home...
I keep about a month + supply at home for me and my wife.
This is really endless... It's gonna cost you some money to start but once you start you just buy little by little every other day.. :)
Anyway, the most important thing is - you START THINKING ABOUT IT!
P. S. Yes I am Nucking Futs like that.
Remember that preparedness isn't really about the ending of society as we know it. As much as I love a good zombie flick, they're not the cause of my prepping.
What do you do if the power goes out for a few days? What if you're snowed in for a similar period of time? These are the types of situations that you should begin to prepare for. You can then begin to build from a week to a month to a year. Getting into longer periods of time though is going to cause issues with storage and transportation.
Bugging out, as fantastic as the idea can be, simply isn't reasonable for those of us without somewhere to actually go. Plan on staying with the ability to go mobile quickly and also figure out where you'd be going or it's going to be a rough time finding a camping spot.
Are you telling me the zombies are not coming!??!
My biggest concern about out East is that I don't know how to make an open field defendable, and the animals aren't as easy to stumble upon.That is very true, but with a million people in the mountains (in theory) then the game is going to be beyond scarce up there too. You'll be better off with pronghorn and with small game like rabbits, and maybe the occasional Jackalope. ;)
Yeap! [ROFL1][ROFL2]
After I finished the damn book I couldn't sleep for a couple of weeks!
Seriously though - you really want to think about where you're gonna go if SHTF. Prepping is not something that you do as a project (ie "ok, I'm gonna go buy this that and that, make some Bobs and i'm done"). Prepping is a LIFESTYLE.
Me and my budy we spent a lot of weekends driving all around CO looking for a good place where we're gonna go with our families if SHTF... After we found a good spot - we bought it. Didn't cost too much.. We also put two motor homes there (they are not drivable, we just use them as shelters).
Every time we can we bring more supplies there(secret spot not far from those motor homes) + stuff that we keep at home...
I keep about a month + supply at home for me and my wife.
This is really endless... It's gonna cost you some money to start but once you start you just buy little by little every other day.. :)
Anyway, the most important thing is - you START THINKING ABOUT IT!
P. S. Yes I am Nucking Futs like that.
Actually, I'd say you're spot on. [Beer]
HoneyBadger
07-27-2012, 09:58
Seriously though - you really want to think about where you're gonna go if SHTF. Prepping is not something that you do as a project (ie "ok, I'm gonna go buy this that and that, make some Bobs and i'm done"). Prepping is a LIFESTYLE.
Me and my budy we spent a lot of weekends driving all around CO looking for a good place where we're gonna go with our families if SHTF... After we found a good spot - we bought it. Didn't cost too much.. We also put two motor homes there (they are not drivable, we just use them as shelters).
Every time we can we bring more supplies there(secret spot not far from those motor homes) + stuff that we keep at home...
I keep about a month + supply at home for me and my wife.
This is really endless... It's gonna cost you some money to start but once you start you just buy little by little every other day.. :)
Anyway, the most important thing is - you START THINKING ABOUT IT!
This is basically what I want to do, but I think I'm a little greener behind the ears and all that. A young couple with the high likelyhood of kids in the near future don't have a lot of money, but I was looking at some land out by Fairplay.. Maybe 10-20 acres that could also be used as a hunting cabin, relaxing getaway, prepping stash, etc. The only problem with that, is if the SHTF quickly (we're talking overnight chaos), we wouldn't be able to make it out in time and it would all be a loss...
ETA: Somewhere someone mentioned the idea of a prepping gated community... I love this idea, but it would take a lot of work to make it happen.
blacklabel
07-27-2012, 10:06
Are you telling me the zombies are not coming!??!
Sorry bro. It's rough but we can't totally lose hope.
This is basically what I want to do, but I think I'm a little greener behind the ears and all that. A young couple with the high likelyhood of kids in the near future don't have a lot of money, but I was looking at some land out by Fairplay.. Maybe 10-20 acres that could also be used as a hunting cabin, relaxing getaway, prepping stash, etc. The only problem with that, is if the SHTF quickly (we're talking overnight chaos), we wouldn't be able to make it out in time and it would all be a loss...
ETA: Somewhere someone mentioned the idea of a prepping gated community... I love this idea, but it would take a lot of work to make it happen.
My plan is to stay home as long as possible.
Gated community = a lot of people in limited territory. Lots of people = lots of different opinions. Lots of different opinions = a lot of troubles...
HoneyBadger
07-27-2012, 10:17
My plan is to stay home as long as possible.
Gated community = a lot of people in limited territory. Lots of people = lots of different opinions. Lots of different opinions = a lot of troubles...
Well, the idea would be to get a lot of people with the same basic opinions, and the same PRINCIPLES about liberty, and they should be able to play nice. It would be a bunch of preppers who want to survive and rebuild. There would of course have to be some sort of local government, even if it is just bylaws or something. And who said anything about limited territory? Each plot could be 1 acre, 5 acres, or whatever you want. I wasn't thinking of a modern "gated community" so much as a mutual survival community. Maybe 20-50 people?
I don't know man, usually it's small things that causing big problems.
I just don't see this idea working, unless that said community has some kinda military hierarchy...
ChunkyMonkey
07-27-2012, 11:05
Well, the idea would be to get a lot of people with the same basic opinions, and the same PRINCIPLES about liberty, and they should be able to play nice. It would be a bunch of preppers who want to survive and rebuild. There would of course have to be some sort of local government, even if it is just bylaws or something. And who said anything about limited territory? Each plot could be 1 acre, 5 acres, or whatever you want. I wasn't thinking of a modern "gated community" so much as a mutual survival community. Maybe 20-50 people?
Heck no... noone sharing my bunker and 2000 gl underground water storage and well.... [Tooth]
http://imageplay.net/img/tya22277233/IMG_1671.jpg
http://imageplay.net/img/tya22277234/IMG_1673.jpg
HoneyBadger
07-27-2012, 12:14
Wow MB888, I'm super jelly! Someday I'll show you pictures of mine and we can have a dick measuring contest. [ROFL1]
In all seriousness, that's great.
Dr_Fwd, maybe that sort of hierarchy would be appropriate, idk... Just think of it like an expensive home owner's association with defensible lookout posts and a work requirement like a lot of private membership ranges have. Everyone would be responsible for themselves, their own food, and their own shelter etc, but everyone would have to take turns with security (border patrol) once in a while.
Dr_Fwd, maybe that sort of hierarchy would be appropriate, idk... Just think of it like an expensive home owner's association with defensible lookout posts and a work requirement like a lot of private membership ranges have. Everyone would be responsible for themselves, their own food, and their own shelter etc, but everyone would have to take turns with security (border patrol) once in a while.
I started or contributed to a thread about this a while back, it's an intriguing concept to me that I think could be made to work with careful planning. I think that if the SHTF communities would band together, much like in Lights Out.. and some prior planning, organization, and stockpiling as a community could make a huge difference. I think there are enough people serious enough about this that if there were such a community homes in it would sell.
But anyway, BACK to the topic at hand... it occurs to me that an APARTMENT complex, especially if well designed, or at least full of like-minded people, could make a pretty good SHTF location. Any thoughts on this?
Im in the grab my shit and head for the hills/plains kinda mindset now ?
.
please dont come out to the plains unless you have someone to stay with....its not going to be super friendly out here shtf :)
HoneyBadger
07-29-2012, 10:24
I started or contributed to a thread about this a while back, it's an intriguing concept to me that I think could be made to work with careful planning. I think that if the SHTF communities would band together, much like in Lights Out.. and some prior planning, organization, and stockpiling as a community could make a huge difference. I think there are enough people serious enough about this that if there were such a community homes in it would sell.
I think each house in the neighborhood would have it's own underground bunker and everyone would take care of themselves. The only point of having a community is to share knowlege, skills, and protection. A lot of this is applicable now as well. I would love to live in a neighborhood where I knew everyone was armed all the time. Crime rate of 0% would be a good advertising point...
ChunkyMonkey
07-29-2012, 10:47
To build a community, even a small one, it takes a lot of money, effort and most of all a tight core group. We tried... we got the money and effort part done..but it took us months each time to come up with a group decision. After a year or so, everyone scattered.
So now NOONE shares my bunker!! [Coffee]
HoneyBadger
07-29-2012, 12:24
Well I think the important distiction here is that everyone MUST be responsible for their own food, water, and shelter. Sharing resources is a good-neighbor thing to do, but could NEVER be required or demanded. The ONLY exception, is that everyone would have to participate in the security/safety of the community. Safety and security is the only reason I would want to team up with anyone anyway.
ETA: Does anyone agree with the above statement?
Agree 100% with that statement, except it wouldn't work for everyone. For instance, I could see a hippie-liberal type saying
"I'm happy with the level of protection the police can give me, man. If someone gets to me before the police can help, I'll just offer them a bong hit and sing koombaya with them. Besides, everyone else here has guns, I'm safe among all of you people." ;)
So I'd say it needs to go a step further: "...everyone would have to BE ARMED AND TRAINED and participate in the security/safety of the community."
I think it'd take a developer to build such a community, with an eye toward defensibility (ie, on a hilltop, and using the natural terrain where possible to aid in defense, with visible and defensible road into it, etc) then lay out where the houses are with an eye toward defense (fields of fire, minimal blind spots with natural obstacles like bushes in those that can't be avoided, etc) build the houses with defensible construction (ie each house has it's own well, solar and low voltage lighting throughout, brick or block or rock walls, non-flammable roofs, corner windows that double as firing positions, full basements with lots of storage space, etc) then add community features (ie, clubhouse meeting area with more underground storage, perhaps a network of utility tunnels that connect all the houses underground, community game fields that could be used for larger events, fields around outer perimeter that could be planted with crops, extra wells already sunk and with windmill water pumps for irrigation if needed,etc).
Then people have to sign bylaws before they can purchase there, agreeing to the above.
This is the kinda thing I'm thinking of, and I suspect if someone built it they would come. I'd sure as hell look at a community like this waaaaaaay faster at this point than I would any other kind of neighborhood. And all those community facilities/fields etc wouldn't be that expensive if spread across the purchase price of many homes .
Great-Kazoo
07-29-2012, 17:17
Well I think the important distiction here is that everyone MUST be responsible for their own food, water, and shelter. Sharing resources is a good-neighbor thing to do, but could NEVER be required or demanded. The ONLY exception, is that everyone would have to participate in the security/safety of the community. Safety and security is the only reason I would want to team up with anyone anyway.
ETA: Does anyone agree with the above statement?
More like. Why does anyone disagree. Sounds good to me.
HoneyBadger
07-29-2012, 21:47
Agree 100% with that statement, except it wouldn't work for everyone. For instance, I could see a hippie-liberal type saying
"I'm happy with the level of protection the police can give me, man. If someone gets to me before the police can help, I'll just offer them a bong hit and sing koombaya with them. Besides, everyone else here has guns, I'm safe among all of you people." ;)
So I'd say it needs to go a step further: "...everyone would have to BE ARMED AND TRAINED and participate in the security/safety of the community."
I think it'd take a developer to build such a community, with an eye toward defensibility (ie, on a hilltop, and using the natural terrain where possible to aid in defense, with visible and defensible road into it, etc) then lay out where the houses are with an eye toward defense (fields of fire, minimal blind spots with natural obstacles like bushes in those that can't be avoided, etc) build the houses with defensible construction (ie each house has it's own well, solar and low voltage lighting throughout, brick or block or rock walls, non-flammable roofs, corner windows that double as firing positions, full basements with lots of storage space, etc) then add community features (ie, clubhouse meeting area with more underground storage, perhaps a network of utility tunnels that connect all the houses underground, community game fields that could be used for larger events, fields around outer perimeter that could be planted with crops, extra wells already sunk and with windmill water pumps for irrigation if needed,etc).
Then people have to sign bylaws before they can purchase there, agreeing to the above.
This is the kinda thing I'm thinking of, and I suspect if someone built it they would come. I'd sure as hell look at a community like this waaaaaaay faster at this point than I would any other kind of neighborhood. And all those community facilities/fields etc wouldn't be that expensive if spread across the purchase price of many homes .
I'm not sure where you are planning on building this, but when you do, PLEASE CALL ME. I completely agree with defensive training and defensive planning/construction. Building the main floor [mostly] out of concrete would offer lots of protection and thermal insulation. I'll post an interesting link on efficient and hardened construction here in a few minutes, I have to find it again.
HoneyBadger
07-29-2012, 21:51
Found it. Check this out! (http://www.pensmore.com/) This is a billionaire's pet project, but could be executed just as well on a smaller scale. I'm mostly interested in the "natural disaster resistant" construction and the thermal efficiency for the varying summer and winter temps in Colorado. But hell, it's a friggin CASTLE! [Shock]
I'm not sure where you are planning on building this, but when you do, PLEASE CALL ME. I completely agree with defensive training and defensive planning/construction. Building the main floor [mostly] out of concrete would offer lots of protection and thermal insulation. I'll post an interesting link on efficient and hardened construction here in a few minutes, I have to find it again.I'm not a developer, but some day I may track one down and see if they'd be interested in setting something like this up. If I do, you can be sure I'll get the message out. :)
Found it. Check this out! (http://www.pensmore.com/) This is a billionaire's pet project, but could be executed just as well on a smaller scale. I'm mostly interested in the "natural disaster resistant" construction and the thermal efficiency for the varying summer and winter temps in Colorado. But hell, it's a friggin CASTLE! [Shock]This is very cool stuff, duly noted. Love it.
Another possibility is ICF (insulated concrete form) structures. Basically the walls are a foot thick. 3" styrofoam insulation inside & out and a 6" concrete center. Rebar gets put throughout as well. There are many different ICF manufacturers, for instance http://www.superblocks.com/
monolithic dome.
when my gc business gets farther along ill be making communities out of farm land.
monolithic dome.
when my gc business gets farther along ill be making communities out of farm land.Yes these are interesting too http://www.monolithic.com/
Not sure what your gc business is, but if you mean "general contractor" then you're way closer to being a developer than I am and having you here paying attention is a step in the right direction. [Beer] I do have an architect lined up who could draw up neighborhood plans as discussed above, as well as individual house designs.
monolithic domes have withstood moab bombs and f4 tornadoes. but they're unconventional construction so financing is problematic
monolithic domes have withstood moab bombs and f4 tornadoes. but they're unconventional construction so financing is problematicInteresting. Last time I looked into a construction loan they didn't even ask me what I was going to build the house out of, but maybe that comes further down the loan process. Regardless, I'm sure I could work it out with USAA, especially if it was a hybrid with both dome and ICF.
go over to arf. one of the larger monolithic gc guys is a member. theyre very energy efficient. shell can be built for about 40k. no roofing. painting every 50 years with epoxy. Insurance is cheaper.
ChunkyMonkey
07-30-2012, 13:21
Interesting. Last time I looked into a construction loan they didn't even ask me what I was going to build the house out of, but maybe that comes further down the loan process. Regardless, I'm sure I could work it out with USAA, especially if it was a hybrid with both dome and ICF.
Before the loan is approved or first payment is disbursed, the lender would have reviewed the 'builder package' which includes plans, architecture drawings etc. They will turn it down if it is not traditional single family home.
The best way to apply for developer loan or construction loan on 'custom' build like this is to approach local banks. Citywide bank in Aurora, CO will do something like this.
Before the loan is approved or first payment is disbursed, the lender would have reviewed the 'builder package' which includes plans, architecture drawings etc. They will turn it down if it is not traditional single family home.
The best way to apply for developer loan or construction loan on 'custom' build like this is to approach local banks. Citywide bank in Aurora, CO will do something like this.Good to know, thanks. [Coffee]
ChunkyMonkey
07-30-2012, 13:43
Good to know, thanks. [Coffee]
So when do we start? I have a 60 acre parcel east of co spring by the dragon man. [Beer]
This guy has an interesting take on it. Basically that it's too complicated, just give up and take care of yourself. http://survivalweekly.com/1675/the-survival-community-myth/
I think if such a community were built with homes and community set up as I outline, the rest would take care of itself.
As for when do we start? I dunno. Some day I'll track down a developer and see if something like this could be built, and how much homes would have to cost. Developers are going to be about making money, so you've got to present it to them that way. If it's a money-making proposition for them, they'll build it. Or someone will.
Great-Kazoo
07-30-2012, 15:53
This guy has an interesting take on it. Basically that it's too complicated, just give up and take care of yourself. http://survivalweekly.com/1675/the-survival-community-myth/
I think if such a community were built with homes and community set up as I outline, the rest would take care of itself.
As for when do we start? I dunno. Some day I'll track down a developer and see if something like this could be built, and how much homes would have to cost. Developers are going to be about making money, so you've got to present it to them that way. If it's a money-making proposition for them, they'll build it. Or someone will.
Large qty of the overseas cargo containers, then use dirt berms with concrete fill as main deterrent against incoming rounds. We have a basic emergency plan in the neighborhood in case of flood, fire, tornado's, 2 legged criminal element. Luckily we also have a moderate amount of gun owners, generators, water supply etc.
HoneyBadger
07-30-2012, 21:56
So when do we start? I have a 60 acre parcel east of co spring by the dragon man. [Beer]
I probably drive past your land every day on the way to work. I've seen the signs out there "land for sale." Mostly 5 acre parcels. Do you have a well out there? Please tell me about the possibilities of being self-sufficient, as that land seems very prohibitive to me. (I grew up in the rainy midwest).
Back to being a prepper while living in an apartment, I ran across this site today: http://apartmentprepper.com/
I probably drive past your land every day on the way to work. I've seen the signs out there "land for sale." Mostly 5 acre parcels. Do you have a well out there? Please tell me about the possibilities of being self-sufficient, as that land seems very prohibitive to me. (I grew up in the rainy midwest).
you can do it im a little farther out east i think the main thing to do would be a solar well pump with water you can have a hell of a garden up here.....then buy some livestock....little walking mre's
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