Building a Permanent Shelter

When it comes to building a permanent shelter, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with some basic plans. The standard four-wall shelter with an angled roof is the easiest to build. When building your shelter utilizing multiple techniques to secure it is advised. A permanent shelter is something that can last a lifetime when done right. It will only require a mild upkeep to keep it in good shape. For example, if you are building a shelter that is going to be for the average grown adult you want your ceilings to be about 7 foot tall. This means the four corner post that you cut must range 10 - 12 foot in height. This is so you can bury a good three foot of each post into the ground for stability. Doing this will help to ensure your shelter has a good standing foundation. By tying your four corners together on the top and bottom with other posts, you will create an even stronger structure. Finally, by stacking logs on top of one another to form walls and filling them in with mud or clay, you will add yet another barrier of stability to your structure. Within a matter of 1 - 3 days an individual can typically build a well-put-together structure that is meant to withstand the elements. There is a great video available on YouTube that shows an example of how to build one of these wonderful structures. It even shows you how to build in your own heater and oven.

 

Today was a really fun day as My kids , grandkids and I plus one other guy that joined in on the fun to build another log house on our survival retreat " Amish Style " . My wife provided us with a lunch . We will have to wait for two weeks before we can again gather up for the log house building festivities . Hopefully we can have it in the dry before Christmas and leave the house owner debt free .

 

What I have concluded most folks that would get on a prepper forum either already have a rural homestead or wish they had one . All too often it appears they simply are not willing to leave their city life that they have adapted to and rough it in a more primitive lifestyle . Then again all adults involved in such a move need to be committed to the life of living in a rural environment and all the food raising trimmings that goes with it . The excuse usually given " I don't have enough money " . That may be so but it also throws up a red flag that they expect to go rural and still have all the niceties they presently enjoy . Yes if they aren't willing to sacrifice then likely they indeed can not afford it . Bare land and a good natural water supply on that land should suffice . Even with just a shovel they could dig and build a sod house if the determination is great enough . My present adobe was started with my wife two kids and myself living in a tent and getting water from our creek . Then I started building with nothing but an axe a hammer and a borrowed wheel barrow . It usually comes down to how bad do you want it ?

 

For about 15 years I live 5 or 6 miles of mud or dusty road (depending on when it last rained) off the nearest highway. My Daughter had a horse and I could hunt deer out of my bedroom window without gtting out of bed. It was nice most of the time. We were a two truck family and liked the isolation. it was a great place to raise a kid. We now live in the suburbs of a tiny town of about 500 people scattered though the woods. There reaally isn't a "town" as such, just a few stores on the highway.

I never lock my doors whether I am at home or not. We live on three fenced acres that we share with my daughter's family, 4 dogs and two or three cats. It is pretty nice the little town has a three of convience stores, one general store, one real grocery store with a meat market and butcher and three resturants. There are no cops which I like, The sheriffs department will come get someone if you catch them in your house and don't kill them. (Not likely if it is my house!!)

 

One could build a root cellar. A root cellar can be used as a root cellar, but one of these could provide some radiation protection just so long as one doesn't live in a HOT fallout area. One could build a heavy / very robust frame and put atop the roof of such concrete blocks. You have to drain ground water away from your root cellar in the first place. One could bring fresh air into this underground living area using PVC piping with activated charcoal fabric used as the filtering medium. Dual usage is always a good idea. Triple usage if you count a biological warfare attack. One vents at the floor level to get out any CO2 buildup.

The Russians are fond of using weaponized anthrax. At least they were back during the Cold War era. At their facilities in the Ural mountains they had an anthrax release and it killed over 1500 people. Here in the USSA, you will read the number 400 lost -- this is what the Russians fed their fellow-travelers in the mainstream media. So happened that where I was working we got the actual numbers. The Russian's had the audacity to say that the anthrax was due to "tainted meat" Tell me, how does one get pulmonary anthrax (unimaginably fatal) from "tainted meat"!
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I have gotten out my shovel and a bucket and dug a family size fallout shelter before . Hard work is something I am used to . It is probably one reason that I am in better shape than many men 30 years younger than myself . Prepare to survive and never plan on obtaining your neighbors resources after shtf .

 

"... neighbor's resources ..."

People don't store anything anymore. And hey, the older generation are old school, i.e. they'll shoot you, especially down South. Dear sweat little'ol grandma will give you a bad case of lead poisoning.

https://www.nbc4i.com/news/grandmother-shoots-and-kills-suspected-robber/

"60-year-old woman shoots and kills suspected robber near Katy"

https://abc13.com/woman-kills-intruder-robbery-harris-county-home/2263779/

"KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- Neighbors in the Sundown neighborhood in west Harris County are on edge after deputies warned them of a home invasion suspect on the run.

"Deputies said while this suspect got away, a second suspect was shot and killed when the duo tried to rob a 60-year-old grandmother inside her home."

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Harris County Grandmother Shoots, Kills Robber At Her Home

https://patch.com/texas/houston/grandmother-shoots-kills-robber-her-home

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Kid protects his elders:

https://wonderworld.info/2022/10/01...e-shoot-grandmother-grandson-brings-the-pain/

"The pair of armed robbers had forced their way into the residence after Ellis’ son answered the door and was pushed to the ground, WTVD reported. The men then confronted Ellis and demanded that she hand over her money. Despite her helpless condition, one of the intruders shot the elderly woman in the leg.

"With his grandmother seriously injured and his great-uncle defenseless, the woman’s 12-year-old grandson decided to act. Police say the boy retrieved a firearm, pointed the gun at one of the robbers, and fired. The round hit the suspect identified as 19-year-old Khalil Herring, who later died from his injuries."

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"Grandmother fatally shoots intruder in Orange County"

https://news.yahoo.com/grandmother-fatally-shoots-intruder-orange-205619211.html

"Virginia Morrison said she confronted the intruder when he tried to break into her home Sunday afternoon and she felt threatened by the suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Ezequiel Rosario-Torres."

“'I feel bad about it, but I’m trying to protect me and an 80-year-old man,' Morrison said."

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I agree with Old Geezers above post . Someone planning to sneak onto someone elses property to obtain their resources will be putting themselves in a position to be shot dead . It is disgusting to me to see some claiming to be a prepper proclaim this is their survival plan . I call these type of people looters , sheeple and thieves . I have a dog that is prone to rip a person apart " not just bite them " to patrol my grounds at night . I know some might be appalled at this , but I have little sympathy for a thief and I take protecting my survival grounds serious . -- On the other hand if someone came asking for help I might freely give it to them , if I see it will not hinder my groups survival . We have given away free beef and such before .

 

As of right now , my tribe have two building projects going on . One is a two story addition to a existing house and the second is in the block laying stage for a entirely new structure . Both are going very slow as the work is being done by my tribe as funds and time are available " no loans wanted " . We are outgrowing our land and are waiting for a chance to expand our property , We have one family living in a camper until their house is ready for habitation and another young couple moving in a camper on our property very soon . If we can gain more property , our group will expand in numbers .

 

My tribes set up " all family members " is to allot 3 acers with each living structure . Thus gardening space is available for each family to do as they wish . Our system involves the elders buying the land and giving it away for free to the younger and struggling family members . I have kept the land holdings in my name " especially for the males " so in case of any divorce the land and houses will not be lost in the judges court room . Of course that means come tax time , all the tax bill for the land and structures come to me . -- However we all get along great and there has never been a divorce in our tribe . Perhaps the women knowing they wouldn't gain materially has helped in that regard .

 

--- Good news for those , that need a real survival retreat but have found such a thing beyond their financial capability . Lumber prices are down . I discovered this about a year ago when I strolled through my local Home Depot store . On this discovery , I brought in a delivery truck loaded down with 4x 6 treated beams and built a grandson a 16 foot by 16 foot log cabin for less than $ 5,000 dollars . The above link confirms my discovery of the lower lumber prices . -- I have a son in the process of building another structure on some isolated property he bought on a huge lake . Actually his plan is to build two structures , one to rent to a survivalist minded person that is slated to be on-grid and a off grid structure for our survival groups use . Whether it will be used for recreational purposes are a secondary fallback position in case our survival retreat gets overrun , time will reveal .

 

--- Perhaps this will interest someone if they are planning for that off-grid retreat .

 

I will share my method of building a log house / cabin . I use precut and squared beams and stack them up in typical log cabin style configuration . It will go up fast and easy but perhaps a little muscle needed lifting the beams into place , so having a helper to lift beams is a good thing . I use rebar rods that are typically used in concrete slabs , for my fasteners . The rebar rods typically come in 20 foot lengths and I buy the smaller diameter rods .. I cut them into lengths about two inches longer than the height of my wooden beams " vertical " . Then I drill a hole the length of my cut rebar rod plus a little extra all the way through my wooden beam and into the beam below it . Next I simply take a hammer and drive the cut rebar all the way through the wooden beam and about two inches into the beam below it , thus fastening them together , one beam fastened on top of the other . Normally I place a rebar pin about every 8 foot along the wall . I will say though if you are using green " but treated " beams they will warp to some degree as the dry and cure over time . The warping could be reduced if someone was to place their rebar pins closer together than I do . -- Cross beams integrated into the highest and last wall run , to tie in the walls , will greatly strengthen the structure .

 

The Amish use firewood to make hot water.

Mountain folk use firewood to make "fire water". Diligent distillers use the shine of the moon to create moonshine.

Moonshine = a whole lot of dancin' and partyin'!