Survival team UK

Hey everyone
im in! i think its a very good idea to have some sort of survival group for a SHTF situation.
Newcastle here, some excellent posts with some really handy info, good catch with the books gremlin i think the foragers bible is a must have for people like me who live in urban zones. I,ve been thinking about this more and more over the last few years while gradually building up a survival kit (apprentices wages are a disgrace lol!) and trying to build up my survival skills.

-good with an air rifle and quite good with a bow
-can skin and gut animals
-good at building shelters
-can read a map and use a compass
-reasonably fit

Some people on here sound very knowledgeable and I'd jump at the chance to learn from you. Good job Ian starting this thread I think this is an excellent idea.
Anyone in the NE area wanting to sort details out U2U me

Here's a very informative guide to welding with 12v DC vehicle-batteries, types of rods for different types and guages of metals and lots more...

Welding with batteries

Theres usually a way round everything, people who cant think will be left, I dont really understand electrics so that guide didnt really help much.

but in an emergency situation i think they would try to get main services hooked back up as fast as possible, so in theory there maybe electric running though the bridge.

Dar Kuma if you wanted to use the electricity running under the bridge you would probably have to find out the voltage its using then run it through a step down transformer, you would then be able to use it to power lower voltage tools like welders and drills its definitely doable but easier said than done, that being said if all the power was knocked out in a sit x you would have to use generators or batteries. good idea though I never thought that!

Two problems spring to mind about using the maintainance areas on the bridge ..

The first being an act-of-war 'X'...as has been seen in most recent large-scale offensives, train and road bridges are taken-out early-on to deny the defending forces use of transport infrastucture

Secondly, if it's a road-bridge, how safe from fire would the structure be and how protected from the effects of smoke would the interior space be, if there were a multi-vehicle pileup on the road-deck? In a time of national panic, the bridge will quickly become a bottleneck and serious road accidents more likely to occur

two very good points from both of you.

the electricity running through the bridge is 240 volts, ive already checked that there is a little label saying so on the hook ups.

its not a major road/overpass, i think it would be pretty safe from being bombed.it just goes over a dual carriageway and onto a little village so nothing really major.

the coordinates in one of my earlier posts shows you where it is in google earth.

[edit on 28-4-2008 by Dar Kuma]

Hi Dar Kurma

My husband says he's been in one of those rooms under Hammersmith Bridge, he says they are store rooms, but he can't think of anything similar along the railway tracks or water systems. I shall be checking out the bridges near our home to see if there are any there!

btw, I thought you used oxy-acetaline gas for welding, not electricity, or maybe I'm just being dumb I don't know.

I do intend growing food in the garden, although I think where I live would be regarded as semi-rural rather than urban, so maybe not quite so much at risk from the hungry masses, I'd do everything I could to protect my crops.

I did see one guy posting that he would put up signs warning of Bird Flu where he was planning to set up, but I suppose if you were that hungry it wouldn't put you off! A dog would help with defense but would need feeding. My eldest daughter is good with a rifle (ex-army) but I can't imagine being able to get hold of one. The rest of my family are pretty good with a bow and arrow so maybe they would just have to take it in turns to guard the garden. My husband says he thinks you can legally buy a crossbow which is pretty lethal - maybe we should look into that.

Cheers

Caroline

p.s. Anyone interested in getting together for a camping weekend or has that idea died a death?

your probably right about the store rooms, probably somewhere to put all those naughty road cones....

I think in some of them there is probably going to be traffic lights/road signs, maybe even a small jenny...who knows

you can get small arc welders, not very good but they would do....

[edit on 28-4-2008 by Dar Kuma]

Now that is a smart idea!

I wonder how much of a deterrent a few 'radiation/chem/bio hazard' signs would be especially if you 'dressed' the area with a few rotting and bloated animal carcasses for visual effect?

[edit on 28-4-2008 by citizen smith]

lol, i do actually own an old radiation sign from an old lab testing facility,
maybe it could come in handy if people want to make their own, I'll post some pics up tomorrow so you get an idea.

also found this on ebay
radiation tape

[edit on 28-4-2008 by Dar Kuma]

reply to post by Dar Kuma

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240V is perfect, I was assuming it was a high voltage line but if its 240V there are lots of transformers available over the internet which would step it down to 110V which is good for running a drill (im not sure about a welder will have to check). the line would have to be shut off first though or the breaker down the line might trip.

Mayacara crossbows are legal in the UK you can buy a good one for £75+ depending on how good a one youre after. Most are 100+lbs so they are pretty lethal.

Well I shall definitely be checking out the road bridges in my area looking for little doors, I think they coudl be very useful. Hubby reckons he could manage some welding if he had a book - another one to put on the list to buy. I stil think that in almost every sit x I would try to stay at home. At the very least my older kids would be making they're way home and would expect to find us here, and then Mum (i.e. me) would be expected to take charge of the situation. I wonder how much mass in terms of concrete would be above you in one of those bridge stores, and if it would be enough as regard fall out from a nuke? I believe the mass required even at close range is equivalent density of 30 inches of soil, but if concfrete has a high density it might be enough with a little enhancement in places. Would certainly beat being stuck underground, although you would have to look at the ventilation carefully - no point surviving a nuke only to suffocate in a shelter!

I live in East Sussex and my plans are basically stay home and try and protect my land. I'm protected from bad weather by the South Downs and am close enough to the sea to fish. I work in a village in the Downs within walking distance, and we have a cellar which was connected by tunnels to other buildings in the village, but the entrances have now been blocked up. But in an emergency I suppose we would see if those tunnels could be opened and used. They are rumoured to run right down to the coast and also to another village - they used to be smugglers runs.

I can't imagine leaving my own area as I think local knowledge of streams, hideaways, tunnels etc would be invaluable if you needed to hide yourselves or stores.

Cheers

Caroline

When i go back to get some more pics ill try and get some rough estimates on how thick the concrete is, but either end there are breaches and you can see daylight when inside, so might not be good for nuclear unless you can get a load of sand bags, especially in my one, it might be different to others, the cornish always make a half assed job of building something

but why not just use a 240 v drill?

on the welding side, the first time i did i made a very sturdy metal frame, its not that difficult
[IMG=http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/1134/door3art2.th.gif]


[edit on 28-4-2008 by Dar Kuma]

sounds like expansion joints...best not to fill them in!

reply to post by Dar Kuma

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yeah you could use a 240V drill, using the 110V tho you would have extra V's for running other things like lighting, low voltage electric heating and other nesscesities, the last thing you'll want to do is turn everything off because the drill is taking all the juice, it depends on wether or not you want to move into the place before its home worthy

Thats a good point, Allthough i dont think heating is going to be a big problem, i only walked halfway down one of the shafts that run the entire length and back and i was pretty warm, and yes, it was dark and scary.
Even with a small torch i thought something might jump out at me....
I'll look into a transformer anyhow...

I'll also be doing something so if i go back at a later date and its changed or gone i will know there are other people who go there.

Only just spotted this thread. I live in Middlesbrough, North-East Yorkshire. I'm 54 years old, served 22 years in the Royal Engineers and I'm now a senior architectural technician. I can design, build or adapt any structure and tell you how to construct or repair it from any available materials. Experienced in a wide range of survival techniques and emergency field engineering skills.

Haven't read the full thread yet - but count me in. If you need any advice in the meantime - just ask. Will U2U my email address.

Maybe take a bag of chalk dust or something similar with you to scatter on the floor just inside the doorway...if anyone makes a visit they'll leave a trail of footprints that you'll see on a subsequent trip

Dar Kuma just out of curiosity what are the dimensinons of the roomm/rooms? It sounds like you have a great fall back shelter! Would there be anyway of getting a water supply installed(maybe a tap off of a local water supply)? You've got me scouring all my local bridges looking for something similar, no luck so far.

Does anybody know of any survival type schools in the U.k. where you could go to learn? North East would be ideal but I'd try travel down country to go to such a school.

ok, i have been back and thoroughly checked it out

I made a webpage up for additional pics and info which can be found

HERE

if you have any problems with firefox just take off the http:// in the address bar then re hit enter


each shaft is aproximately 6 x 50 feet sections, there is approximately 6 sections, forgot to count, sorry, and 4 shafts run the entire length with 6 sections.


[edit on 29-4-2008 by Dar Kuma]