Zombie Survival Basement/Cellar

Timmyboy

OK. I'm being serious here.

Let's say that you were going to build a small 25m2 Basement or Cellar for the purposes of Zombie Survival, what would be the design features that you would include in the same?

Here's some of what I've got so far in mind:

1. Waterproofing
2. Insulation
3. 3 way escape (normal entry from the top down a stairs or shaft and also two other underground escape routes leading to somewhat remote (50m) escape hatches.
3a. Apply CCTV monitoring to the general site of the Zombie Cellar
3b. Site Plan to ensure that there will be adequate line of sight from location of Zombie Cellar as well as to/from the alternative escape exits.
4. Food Storage
5. Weapons Storage
6. Water Storage
7. Communication Depot
8. Fuel Storage
9. Tools and Equipment
10. Medicine/Emergency Health supplies
11. Trap and Alarm System on all of the entrances/exits to the basement
12. Getaway vehicle (ideally A-Team type van with machine guns and grenades) located at one of the dual escpae (interconnected-see below) escape routes
12. Chemical toilet and loads of TP for use of same - Or - Septic Tank system and loads of TP
13. Entertainment Complex - suplies of videos, books, games, decorations for festivities
Any other ideas or suggestions for the design?
14. CB Radio (someone may be out there)
15. Photovoltaic Power supply from up above to down below


I have the intention of doing up a CAD drawing of the layout during the next week or so over the Christmas Holidays.


Edit 1: To add Trap and Alarm system per Zomg Okay,
Edit 2: To add A-Team van and other long term necessities per degrassinoel
Edit 3: To add CCTV system to both of the alternative entrances per shedweller
Edit 4: To add Line of Sights to all regions from location of Zombie Cellar and especially at the alternative exits per Kess73

Zomg Okay

Some kind of trap on the main door. Even if it was just a stack of empty cans or bottles to make noise if the door opens when it shouldn't.

degrassinoel

I'd suggest a series of industrial/shipping containers buried under at least 6 feet of earth. Compartmentalised to allow quarantining or locking off in case of emergencies.
Each one should have food, water, power. Bicycle generator or similar if needs be, and entertainment in form of books/games/pornography.. seriously, the zombpocalypse is gonna be that boring in these things!
A chemical toilet! and ****loads of TP

Two exits, main entrance, and escape route complete with getaway vehicle.
Thinking A-team van, on a ramp below ground level with the last 3 inches of earth held up with chickenwire and 2x4's - just bust on through, imagine it, the muffled roar of an engine and the ground explodes, letting forth the A-Team van with you driving it.. zombies would spontaneously explode for miles around at how awesome that'd be!

Timmyboy

Thanks for the excellent feedback so far.
Just worried about the true underground performance of those shipping containers. I'm not entirely sure that they would be fully waterproof and would be likely to get damp when submerged - I suppose they could be surrounded with a damp proof course just like the basement. And certainly I think that they might be fairly cost effective.

This underground basement facility needs to be 110% reliable and countable on.

Timmyboy

Timmyboy wrote: »

Thanks for the excellent feedback so far.
Just worried about the true underground performance of those shipping containers. I'm not entirely sure that they would be fully waterproof and would be likely to get damp when submerged - I suppose they could be surrounded with a damp proof course just like the basement. And certainly I think that they might be fairly cost effective.

This underground basement facility needs to be 110% reliable and countable on.

What you want, are the refrigerated containers. They are already insulated and would be more water-proof. You could keep the refrigeration unit working on one of the containers to help store food (either scavenged or hunted.)

Tzar Chasm

degrassinoel wrote: »

I'd suggest a series of industrial/shipping containers buried under at least 6 feet of earth. Compartmentalised to allow quarantining or locking off in case of emergencies.
Each one should have food, water, power. Bicycle generator or similar if needs be, and entertainment in form of books/games/pornography.. seriously, the zombpocalypse is gonna be that boring in these things!
A chemical toilet! and ****loads of TP

Two exits, main entrance, and escape route complete with getaway vehicle.
Thinking A-team van, on a ramp below ground level with the last 3 inches of earth held up with chickenwire and 2x4's - just bust on through, imagine it, the muffled roar of an engine and the ground explodes, letting forth the A-Team van with you driving it.. zombies would spontaneously explode for miles around at how awesome that'd be!

oh jaysus,, is it wrong that I want the apocalypse to happen just so i can do this.

although I might recommend a unimog instead of a stupid american van.

Kess73

The idea of having a small safehouse below ground during a major Zed outbreak kinda smacks of having a comfy grave ready for yourself.


If you have to bug out, and the numbers above ground are large enough, then escaping (even using a vehicle) becomes a long shot.


I think line of sight is important, and is something that any safehouse should have. Makes more sense to have a secure safehouse above ground level and preferably in a remote location.

shedweller

There was a lad in america that recently sold a load of underground shelters. It was in anticipation of the 2012 apocalypse that obviously never happened! It was like corrugated iron rolled into a 10' diameter pipe with flat ends and an entrance on top. Insulation would be a priority, as would having the entrance suitably located. I was thinking along the lines of having it inside a small building to park the 4x4 or whatever. This would provide a buffer to allow you to get in and out more safely.
Of course, the same thing could be built at ground level with mass concrete much quicker and cheaper. More visible, yes. But if its made from mass concrete... Who cares!
Throw in a cctv system to check if the coast is clear and you should be ok.

Corvo

What happens when all the bog roll runs out and we turn on each other?

degrassinoel

It's at that point where this happens..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv3ZLB8Cfhw

jugger

air lock type doors open one then close it then the second is opened and closed just to make sure a z dosent slip in with the last man

also the doors should open inwards in case any rubble gets placed up against the door you could open the door inwards but not out wards ....if that makes sense

RiderOnTheStorm

great idea. I think y'all got any points I was going to make (I am a BIG fan of multiple exits ..... otherwise, you have just built a tomb)

so, icing on the cake would be:
periscope (to see whats on outside), in case the cctv fails
batteries for everything (cause electricty fails)
solar cells on the roof (ground?) to trickle charge a 12v car battery

I would add, that I am not a fan of a fortress for survival in these situations, as I prefer to be mobile (or rotate between a few bases). But, I do think we need a place to stay for the few months while it all kicks off and keep safe until things settle down..... and an underground bunker sounds great (love the idea of burrying a shipping container.... I had one once, used it as storage while moving house...they are fantastic things!)

DaveNoCheese

I've thought about this before.

Ideal Situation

In an ideal world where I had money to blow, I'd be building a re-enforced two story house with two sub levels. A standard basement which gives access (through a hidden/secure hatch) to the sub basement or shelter. It would be 100% secure once the hatch is sealed.

From this there would be a narrow 50ft tunnel leading away from the house to a secure hatch. Built around this hatch would be a solid concrete bunker with a bulk head door that can only be accessed from the inside.

Unideal Situation

In an unideal world, like now, where funds are limited. I'd prob go down the route of a shipping container or a number of containers linked together. Obviously these will be sealed up and waterproofed etc. These could even be buried a few foot underground so as not to draw unwanted attention (from zombie or human). Again there would be a tunnel leading from these to a secure hatch (maybe hidden within a topside container).

Both options would obviously be stocked up with all the nessecary gear and equipment. I would also have a survival back pack ready at all times in case I need to make a quick escape.

Escape Options

I'd have an escape vehicle near the escape hatches. It would have to be a well and truly proven reliable car/truck. Plenty of fuel and supplies/equipment stocked into it as well.

Kromdar

interesting concepts, but why not have a 2-tier safehouse.

part 1:
underground bunkers [submerged, waterproofed containers] as mentioned in posts above.
placing a container under your house would be difficult, but having one maybe 20 yards from the house and building a tunnel connecting them to the house made out of concrete drainage pipes... means you have 2 locations to hide, basement, then a tunnel to the main safehouse with ofc an escape hatch [vehicle garage optional, but i'd hide this in the basement of the house, better ventilation]

part 2: the attic.
a storm-reinforced and insulated attic with water tanks and water catching/purification system, could include a pipe to basement & containers.
a small hatch and some fencing around the edge of the roof could allow lookout positions. possibility to grow planters on the roof with the addition of some small shelves, or to use PVC windows on one side [southern aspect] to create a greenhouse. the attic would also allow safe access to the first floor, if it is a 2 story house, and allow access to the outside while giving you a good all round view of how safe it is. most importantly, it would provide daylight, which really helps with internal clock and morale

then the kicker of it all, a reinforced ladder/tunnel from attic to basement, bypassing other floors in the house. could use the chimney if big enough, otherwise a 1m x 1m concrete shaft.

Doc Ruby

A series of tripwires with a row of twelve inch nails about five or six feet from them, and done.