Need tips on turning my basement into a survival/emergceny shelter bunker.

just off the top of my head, make sure there is good drainage, and fresh air intakes. if you plan on being there long term, you will also need exhaust vents for any heating appliances you have or you'll kill yourself with CO

Build a false wall in the basement. try to be as "james bond" as you can with the hidden door to get in the secret room. My roomate and I a few years ago took a coal room in our basement and turned it into a super secret bunker. We dry walled up the enterance and surrounding walls(so all the walls looked the same). Then we made an entrance door just big enough fo us to get through( as wide as normal drywall sheet) Put the latch system for the dor on the inside and the only way to undo the lacth from the outside was a small piece of fishing line that was not visible to someone that didnt know it was there. We then move a 500 lb workbench infront of the secret door. The trick was that the hieght of the door was right at the bottom of the table bench. So when you walked into the room it looked like a workshop with some unfinished drywall panels.

We did alot of other stuff to the room as well, too much to go into anymore detail here.

I did some more research on you tube and got some more tips. I really apperciate all your tips here. I found a work bench that I can use for mutliple things which supports up to 1,000 pounds. It had a steel top and it does not have a backing but has good steel sides. I will put it against the walls and put a sheet to cover it so it sheilds me from flying debris. I can also use this table to fold laundry or fix things. I am also going to but a small tool kit in case I might need it. I am so glad I know have this basement space it makes me feel not so panicky when severe weather hits.

reply to post by dreamseeker
You may not like the idea of guns, but someday you might wish you had one. There are a lot of people in this World that won't be content with just taking your supplies and leaving, and without your food and water you'll die a very slow, agonizing death.

A card table will not help you if the roof collapses above you. What you need a good solid wood/metal desk or table to provide you with at least a minimal amount of overhead protection. Water is also a necessity, so stock up at least 1 gallon/day of it for whatever time frame you're looking at. You can live for several weeks without food, but only 3 days without water. A source of light like candles would also be a big comfort and a source of heat in a power outage. A portable radio to keep tabs on whats going on, and a cell phone should the relay towers still be operational so you could call for help.