For most of us who practice a life-style of radical self-sufficiency and preparation, among the finest preps we could possibly have is an underground bunker.
It isn’t as strange as you may think: every time disasters have struck, humanity has long known that taking shelter underground is a very good idea. The same holds true today…
If you wish to be ready for natural disasters, the collapse of law and order, and even something truly unimaginable like nuclear war, a bunker is a terrific thing to have. They are expensive, though. The excellent news is that it is possible to DIY a bunker similar to anything.
If you’ve got the grit and a bit of little bit of know-how, I’ve got 10 plans that may make it easier to create your latest underground home when the skies go dark. I’ll let you know all about them below…
1. Buried Earthen Dwelling Bunker
A surprisingly spacious, comfortable and practical space, this bunker is an element survival plan and part getaway, assuming you don’t mind entering into it via a ladder!
Professionally designed and engineered for optimum strength and efficiency, this is likely to be just the ticket when you can only justify a bunker to your better half, or to yourself, by getting some extra use out of it within the interim.
Unlike a lot of the other structures on our list, this one is designed with overlapping circles, with the general design being a pair of underground cylinders.
This maximizes the useful floor space in comparison with domes or Quonset style designs, and still provides loads of strength against any conceivable hazard.
Flip-up beds, smartly designed storage, and cleverly concealed shelving complete this efficient and fully featured bunker home.
2. DIY Cheap and Quick Bunker
Sometimes you only need an affordable, quick bunker to prepare for a rapidly deteriorating situation.
That, or you only don’t need much in the best way of creature comforts when you’re just concerned about survival.
These are precisely the varieties of bunkers which were advocated for residents because the Cold War, they usually remain viable today.
Here’s a pleasant walkthrough for an easy, log top and earth-covered bunker that’s suitable for a small group or a family of 4. Step-by-step instructions are included on the link.
It ought to be noted that this exact design has been propagated for at the least 50 years now in various places, and it continues to be just as suitable for surviving short-term events now as then.
3. Basement Survival Shelter Conversion
For those of us who own a house with a basement, I’ll reckon that the notion of turning that basement right into a proper bunker has been a routine thought.
Sometimes a basement is suitable as the start line of a bunker, sometimes not, but in most places, it’s absolutely possible to increase the basement further down and install a legitimate bunker beneath it.
Depending in your requirements and the underlying geology, this is likely to be some of the viable ways to create a very hidden, deep underground and durable bunker able to supporting intermediate and long-term life.
You’ve already got a very good foundation to work off of, and that makes this bunker viable for conversions or latest construction.
4. DIY Concrete Block Storm Shelter
If you reside in an area that’s continually ravaged by tornadoes or other destructive wind events, a storm shelter is sort of mandatory.
The man within the video above lives in such a spot, but was seriously turned off by the acute cost of pre-built shelter modules.
His solution? Brush up on his concrete and construction knowledge after which do it himself. He made a large and really impressive 12×20 ft concrete block shelter for just a bit of greater than $3,000.
5. Underground Cinder Block Bunker
Another classic but highly effective underground bunker design, this one using cinder blocks, that is one other great option for a DIY one that has good, foundational construction and excavation skills already under their belt.
This walkthrough will show you make a high-quality, professionally built cinder block bunker with full details on measurements and standards, and many insight on weatherproofing and reinforcing your bunker.
If you aren’t conversant in construction terminology and equipment, this may not be the choice for you, but when you are, it’s a terrific one.
6. Backyard Underground Bunker
What could possibly be higher than having your personal personal bunker right in your backyard? Not much so far as I’m concerned, and the builder of this bunker thinks just the identical.
Using quite a lot of repurposed and improvised materials, he’s made a remarkably durable and fully featured half-dome bunker underground, using an old protected door as a robust and secure entrance that permits access to the tunnel leading down. He even has a garden space directly over the bunker!
This plan is big on concepts and fewer specific on measurements and materials owing to its improvised nature, but you may get the gist easily enough by watching the video.
If you wish to avoid wasting money and you’re an authority scrounger, this could possibly be the very best possible option.
7. Classic DOD Residential Bunker and Survival Shelter Plans
As sad because it is to think about, world governments and citizenry alike were once all but convinced that a nuclear exchange was inevitable. Maybe it still is, possibly not.
But in any case, quite a lot of time, effort and ink were spent pushing bunker plans out to residents. These plans survive, and remain viable, today.
The Department of Defense produced a guidebook on family shelter designs that may suit any living arrangement, any budget and a family of any size, all of them achievable using a bit of little bit of DIY ingenuity and commonly available materials in all cases.
You can use the designs on this handbook to provide a below-ground or semi-below-ground fallout shelter or a legitimate underground bunker built into your basement. This continues to be considered one of my favorite books of its kind.
8. Earthbag Dome Bunker
If you’re not conversant in it, earthbag construction has an entire lot going for it. It’s shockingly durable, has excellent insulation properties and may be very, very low-cost. Assuming in fact that you just do every part appropriately.
Note that, while this design is for something that’s more like an above-ground hut, or you may say mostly above-ground hut, I feel it’s purpose-made for adapting as a subterranean or partially-subterranean context.
It’s got the strength and the flexibility to function a bunker with virtually no modification.
These plans are highly detailed and can show you every part you should know to do an expert job.
9. Basic Underground Bunker with Variations
There are as many variations on underground bunker design as there are reasons for getting a bunker in the primary place.
Generally, you wish to be underground, sustainable, sturdy, and secure, and preferably comfortable enough to remain in for the near-term future.
How you go about achieving those objectives is as much as you, or perhaps as much as your budget!
This guide at WikiHow will walk you thru sighting and prepping your property for a bunker install, and in addition provide you with options for actually constructing out the bunker together with pros and cons.
This is one other good budget option, or one to review when you want some flexibility – assuming you’re undecided on the precise plan.
10. Water Tank Mini Underground Bunker and Cache
Sometimes you would like short-term protection or additional underground storage, and don’t need to commit to a full-size bunker.
Or, possibly you just can’t afford to place in a bigger one, even something like an affordable earthbag bunker detailed above.
If that’s the case, there’s nothing mistaken with going small. Really small on this case!
Atlas Survival Shelters is a well known supplier of built-to-suit survival bunkers and bunker modules, but they’ve also provided free plans for making an underground mini bunker or cache for under $1,000.
An awesome video, and value a watch when you are prepping on a budget. You’ll probably see these common containers in an entire latest light!
