Suppose rural survival isn't a question you can't get out or transportation ... It just isn't do able.

My question is what is the best building to defend and bunker down in? School house? A Church? What about those that live in small apartments? Or for some reason your home isn't a great defensive building?

I would think it is a situational thing. how many people u have and what not. warehouse may be. I read once that prisons are pretty good for fortifying, especially older prisons, but there are some omvious issues associated with holding up with a bunch of criminals.

Thats hard to say, I have to say its all about situational needs. But I would op for a mall type place, like in "Dawn of the Dead." A mall with soild doors and such. It would work because you can keep the mind busy, so you wont be thinking about zombies outside 24/7. Plus there are stores of food there in the freezers, which I'm sure would last a good bit of time. A prison would be dope too, but they are ment to keep people in, not out.

reply to post by 2Resistance

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I'm surprised you haven't gotten any responses yet, so I will offer my 2 cents. There are far better military minds on here than me though!

The building will depend on a lot of factors. This is true even in a rural setting.

Elevation gives you a good vantage point, easily defensible position, with good range, but it also makes you vulnerable to air strikes and prevailing winds in the case of radiation.

Basements or underground give you a highly defensible position and a lot of protection from weather, radiation, aerial searches, etc., but you are vulnerable to floods, and it is a difficult position to mount an offensive from.

It's going to be necessary to make do with whatever is available. Each location has its pros and cons. You want to be aware of the entrances and exits and be able to secure or restrict them as much as possible. You want to be near resources if possible. You want to be undetectable if possible. You want to have several possible avenues of retreat.

In "The Day After Tomorrow," a movie which I did not like, but the library made a great stronghold! A lot of government buildings probably would make good locations. The older Churches with basements and bell towers have some obvious qualities, but a new-age church is probably not secure at all.

If you live in a small apartment in a large building, you should probably plan on leaving that building, because the people around you will be dangerous, and your apartment will be difficult to secure, and it won't have any good escapes!

If you have rations i would stay where you are or goto someplace where it would be easy for you to bring all you need. if you do not, then i would suggest going to the woods. if that is you are talking about all out disaster.

“Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man”

-General George S. Patton

Of course it’s best to be mobile in case a greater force happens to come upon you, but if you don’t have the recourses to be mobile then a monolithic dome is probably your best bet. If I had the scratch I’d have one of these baby’s up in the mountains of eastern OK. Preferably with one underground dome secreted away.

www.monolithic.com...

I would say a school.

Schools are normally built strong and sturdy with libraries (Good for when their is no electricity) and vending machines. If I were stuck in the city and I had to hunker down or protect a group of individuals...if it were at all possible I would hole up in a school.

Everytime! If you do have electricity schools also have good monitering systems... Good for watching the blue helmets when they try to get in.

If you were in a city, i would think a house with a basement would be good. From there get a mapping of the city pipelines. Then you can try to tunnel your way out. Getting rid of the dirt would be the problem.

When things look like they might start to get bad in the cities, try to leave before it gets out of control. I live in the North Georgia, so there are plenty of mountains. If i hade to build a bunker, it would be on the top of a mountain, but underground. So it wouldnt affected by floods, and it would be easy to dig down if we needed escape tunnels. If you make a bunker just in a building, your gonna die. Sorry, but you will. They could just cut off any supplies you have. You would completely surrounded. You have to connect a chain of buildings somehow, without the government knowing.

I'm thinking going to the local WalMart. I mean there is plenty of food and drink. There are pharmacies so medical supplies are available. Ammunition is commonly available. Then in the garden section plenty of blunt objects such as a shovel. Basically it has a myriad of resources. I figure you could seal off the entrances by concreting the shelves or stacking the shelves. Also plenty of entertainment what with the music and video games. Also plenty of exercise equipment to stay in shape. Sounds like a pretty homely place in a shtf situation. Only problem is its quite a large place for one person. From what i figure a WalMart would make a nice hq or base of operations. In closing I'd like to use the words of Forrest "That's all i have to say about that!"

Nothing!

What are you defending from? Why are you defending? Are you for some reason going to zoom through the Australian desert in 1973 Ford Falcon Coupe? Are you hiding out from zombies? Are people rioting because the Lakers won?

The best place to defend is in your community. There is no 'building', the best defense is in numbers and skill sets that ensure survivability. Some of your neighbors are probably ex-Rangers, SEALs, Force Recon, etc. Some are probably current SWAT, FBI special investigators, and so on.

But even plumbers, electricians, mason workers, -skilled labor, have utility in survival situations. After all, what the Hell does a Ranger know about installing a toilet? You still need to poop and remove the waste.

To prep for your defense merely get to know your neighbors.

I like the idea of getting to know your neighbors but you still need a building to install a toilet it!

reply to post by T_Clem

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Precisely. So why are people running around like some Action movie when you can poop at home? All your stuff is there.

To abandon everything and take refuge someplace else when it is unnecessary, with the minimal -or even engaging in the logistics nightmare of moving everything- seems a little ridiculous.

Besides you also encounter the possibility of some other slightly psychotic individuals with more firepower running into you. Malls, Grocery stores, Wal-Marts are all places with which the unprepared flock to -and chances are some of them are armed.

Schools, Hospitals, Churches are places where the government likes to put the displaced. When I'm worried about eating, the last group I want to encounter are angry, displaced, poor people who have nothing to lose when the government abandons them. Succinctly, they're dead if they don't rob you.

Office buildings and high-rises don't sound too nice either as water must be pumped to the top floors, and what will you eat after the vending machines are gone?

So really, unless your neighborhood is being burned down, what's the point of leaving? Get the neighbors together, sit tight, and make the best of the situation.

yeah you are right the only problem is at home you are eventually gonna run out of supplies and alot faster than being at like a supermarket. And then you have to travel to the supermarket or what not to resupply so either way you are eventually gonna run into desperate if not psychotic individuals. So basically its a catch 22 situation!

reply to post by T_Clem

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The very fact that you are on this board indicates you shouldn't be going to the supermarket when SHTF.

If you really want to get into it, Supermarkets have always been the model of 'lean manufacturing' or "just-in-time inventory", so much so that they have very little on-hand inventory. Hence you always see those tractor-trailers pulling into them to make deliveries. When the deliveries cease to be made the shelves go empty.

More to the point, and I cannot emphasize this enough, is you will be competing with others for the same goods. Meaning that the stores are going to be empty of consumables within a few days anyway as people rush in, grab whatever is on the shelves and make their way to wherever they're going.

Trying to barricade yourself in and assume the inventory isn't a very good strategy as you are now the obstacle (read: target) between their survival and death.

You might be able to hold people off for some time, but eventually you will be breached and your loved ones will be raped and murdered.

Or you can stay home, let the unprepared kill each other as they compete for the places and resources available, and work your viable community plan.

Lol i like your more logical reasoning especially the whole idea of letting them kill each other first but then at your house wouldn't you have to worry about looters or raiders? Oh well times like those where you keep your guns loaded and an extra clip in your belt!

Wal-Mart Man- You got food water, toilets, blankets, cooking equipment, Tents camping gear,Movies to watch. I'm sure you'll find a Generator or two in there as well.



[edit on 28-6-2009 by SharkBait]

Never forget one of Murphy's LoCs, "The harder you make your defensive position for the other guy to get in, the harder it will be for you to get OUT."

As for your home, one of the keys of defensibility is knowing the terrain (that includes avenues of approach, dead space, etc). You will (if you don't, you have even bigger issues) have the best knowledge of where you live. Don't give up that edge lightly.

I would say if you're stuck in the city the best chance for survival would be to join with some neighbors. Control a whole block with at least two armed guards at each corner in shifts. You will have a relatively safe place to sleep, store goods, plan for whatever, plus you can grow food in the backyards.

The problem with this is having trustworthy neighbors with the stomach to do what needs to be done. I think most of mine would be curled up in a corner, or trying to steal my stuff.

Staying put in one house will just get you raided or burned out once someone finds out you're there. Trying to survive a medieval type siege in an apartment building all alone just isn't going to work.

Anyplace you can think of where there will be supplies stored (mall, supermarket, etc...) will draw thousands of others with the same idea.

Stay away from Wal-Mart or any other obvious target for at least a week! Let the amateur looters go in there and kill one another and take all the TV's and twinkies! There will still be plenty of beans, rice, and evaporated milk in a week!

[edit on 1-7-2009 by getreadyalready]

I would think that a grain elevator would be a good choice if you were forced to flee and looking for someplace new to hole up in. Lots of grain and the new ones are cast concrete towers 50+ feet tall so you have a good view and strong walls. Usually only one way into them also. No water or power but in the short term may be a good idea.