Survival Shelters

Well, naturally, unless an earthquake, tornado or other natural disaster has destroyed it, the safest place to be will be your home or apartment. Even if a storm has caused a power outage, if you’ve already prepared for a disaster with supplies, food and water, then you probably have enough to last for an extended length of time.

If your home has been damaged beyond safe inhabitation, travel trailers, RVs or tents pitched in the backyard, provided it’s not the middle of winter, will work as temporary survival shelters. These options allow you to stay close to your home and protect your belongings, while the wheeled shelters, provided they are well stocked, will provide many of the comforts of home, including cooking, beds and sanitary facilities.

      

In the event you are not at home when disaster strikes, your only option may be to stay where you are, at least until it becomes safe to leave. Emergency shelters may include an office building, a school, hospital, the mall or church.

Most commercial business or office buildings will have water, an area with vending machines or food, microwaves and coffee maker, as well as a landline phone service. In many cities, the power lines will be underground, so the chances are the building may still have power.

Note: Since 9/11 many employers have taken steps to provide some type of emergency survival supplies in case of a disaster that leaves their employees isolated from outside assistance.

Remember if there is looting and rioting, a decision will need to be made as to whether to resist, hide or run. A group of people can take turns standing lookout, but if you are alone in the survival shelter and the building has been invaded by unfriendly looters or rioters, then finding a good hiding place may be your best survival action.

Don't Shelter in Walmart!

Avoid makeshift shelters such as public buildings, offices or stores -- and that means Wal-Mart and Target -- that offer food, drugs or weapons. They, and you, will be become targets by looters looking for easy pickings.

In extreme emergencies where the city is being evacuated and your transportation breaks down in mid-evac, breaking into an empty home for temporary shelter may be your only option. The legal ramifications of your decision can be sorted out after the emergency has passed. Desperate Times = Desperate Measures

Describe Your Idea of the Best Survival Retreat

There are many ideas of what makes the best survival retreat. While some of the criteria may be the same, there are going to be some things that are important to you that someone else may not have thought about.

Describe what you think makes the best survival retreat. If you are living on it already, or at least already have one, what made you decide on that particular location?

Of course, do all this without giving away in location details other than generalities such as state.

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