Best Places to Hole Up if Things Go South?

Whether a Zombie Apocalypse, or some other disaster where all anarchy ensues...if you didn't have the funds for your own shelter, and had to make a go of it in a fairly populated area, where would you hole up?

The other day, I was at Sam's Club, and I was looking at it thinking it wouldn't be too bad. The only glass is on the entry doors, and those are still pretty secure, and could be easily blocked. The building is solid concrete block, and of course, tons of food and supplies there.

Only downside is that people would be trying to raid these places first thing, of course. I would be more for fortifying it.

Other ideas would be Grocery stores that don't have big front windows, Schools, certain businesses, etc.

My wife's work complex has all the buildings starting on the 2nd floor. Below that, is parking, so only secured staircases (separated) leading up, so would be easy to guard, barricade. They also have a cafeteria, so food, and storage areas. The buildings are even connected with a walkway that is also on the 2nd floor. (which is about 15' up at least).

What places have you seen?

Like I'm gonna share my secret on the web!!
Ok, I'll give one.
In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I've made a balcony with retractable ladder.

reply to post by Gazrok


I'm against any Malls or Big Box stores, because everyone else will be thinking the same thing. A week or two after the initial fallout, then I think it might be worth a run through to see what kind of great things the amateurs left behind, but it isn't worth expending all your ammo and energy and taking great risk to get there first.

In my opinion, you need something fairly isolated, mundane, and secured. A cabin in the woods, a normal looking house with a basement or storm shelter. I hearty vehicle would be good for being mobile. My buddies jacked up F-250 with a couple of armed guys would be safe from zombies or marauders.

My plan is to hole up at my home for at least 2 to 4 weeks. I've got plenty of ammo, food, water, etc. It is easy to secure, and my friends and family will be coming there if they can make it. For my very closest friends and family, we've got contingency plans to get together and get to my secure house. After a couple of weeks, we can venture out to restock supplies and take apprisal of the situation and make a more long-term plan.

Ideally, I'd love to move a couple of more miles from the center of town. Currently it is only 10 miles, I'd like to be 15. I'd like a home site with a little more hills, a little higher elevation, and a better basement. If I get my ultimate wish, it will be a Blue Max construction with a brick exterior and a full 2x4 interior for a total of about 20 inch exterior walls. Then I will install Retractable Hurricane Shutters over the doors and windows, and I will have one secret way to leave the home while it is in full secured mode. In addition, it will be entirely off-grid with well, solar panels, and gray-water septic.

Not that I've given it any thought.

Don't get me wrong, if you have this kind of home or place to hole up, then great! I'm just saying if you DON'T have such an option...

dare i say that if things go south, to go north?


realisticly; underground.

Well, if big box stores or large buildings are a bad place, then the opposite must be better... right?

Of course, holes didn't work out so well for Saddam or Qaddafy either. It's got to be something small, yet easily moved. How about a dark green tent that hides well in the underbrush? Good camping equipment and a fair knowledge of how to gather or trap bush food should make you and your family fairly secure.

Never liked the idea of a rifle, though. They're great for hunting during stable times and all, but a gunshot sure is a "Hi! Howareya's! We're over here!" kinda thing. Snares are so much quieter.

being far from cities here..
if on extreme long shot got stuck in a city..
Would set up temporary camp in a police station : over here many police stations are fortified , well stocked armouries, kitchen area's well stocked, bunks, showers and some of the ww2 era ones still have functional pillbox emplacements..
Main priority would be get the hell out of any city and as far from them as could if had the misfortune of getting caught in a city.. Cities are killing fields and deathtraps.

I was wandering around the country side west of Houston a few weeks ago and came across a HUGE HUGE HUGE Wal-mart distrubution warehouse. Its miles from anything so you would easily be able to set up a gaurd duty on top and see a threat from miles away. Plus you would have any and everything you could ever want or need. .......except for love

Don't hole up or fortify... mobility is the key.

"Fortresses are monuments to man's stupidity"... George S Patton

Travel light, fast, and silent. Preferably in the bush, mountains, wilderness away from the mayhem.

reply to post by g146541


If that thing that's coming in gets close enough it could make peoples go nuts and act like zombies. I think that's what Lucas said on the voice chat.--------------------------

Originally posted by Gazrok
Don't get me wrong, if you have this kind of home or place to hole up, then great! I'm just saying if you DON'T have such an option...

I'd make sure I had such a place, even if it weren't my own, and I'd have a plan or an agreement on how to get there and how to share resources. Planning ahead will be the key.

In fact, for those that plan to remain mobile, you still need a good plan ahead of time. Hike the area ahead of time. Scout the resources, hide some supplies, find the caves and springs and easily defensible areas. Find the choke points for ambushes, etc., etc.

As for the large Walmart Distribution Center, that might be a perfect place!! It won't have the traffic of the retail stores, it has almost no windows, it is isolated, and it has a tremendous amount of supplies!

Also caves, hillsides, abandoned property, large trees, hunting cabins, I love idea of the office building where everything has to go up a stairwell and the buildings connect. That is pretty awesome! Easily defendable but also lots of escape options!

This was a pretty awesome thread comparing mobility to fortification, and also a lot of humor and technical advice.

I guess it depends on where you live and what time of year it is and how long you need to survive. I live where it doesn't get too cold. I would head for the hills. Actually, it's more like the swamp here. City folks wouldn't be looking to be there and I know it. Living there would be doable.
If it was up north in the winter, I would need some shelter. Heat would be as important as food. And speaking of food, it would be a little harder to find if you're out in the woods, still safer than city life. Then holing up in a WalMart distrubution center with food, blankets, and ways to keep warm would be a little more appealing, but you would need a few friends to keep watch and even there, things to drink would eventually run out and toilet facilities would be a problem.

When I was younger we would force our way into the local water tower (the doors had these bands of metal across them that bowed just enough to get our skinny butts in) that would be pretty secure if you had some chains to lock from the inside. No windows but there was a hatch at the top and you could see for miles up there.

You'd have to bring food but would have plenty to drink!

You never know what the situation may be that you have to escape from. I live in a small town, and when I drive whether along the highway or the dirt backroads I always pay attention for old abandoned buildings and even where the culverts are under the road (for water drainage) that could be used for hiding if needed. I memorize where large patches of trees are at, etc.

I have the farm I will go to If I can make it, but if we end up on foot for a while, at least I know everything that is potentially useful out there along the way.

reply to post by Gazrok


Well, now that I finally signed up, I can say that we at my hiousehold agree. My daughter wants to use her school or a small, easily defensible building right by our house. Her high school has food, not to many windows, and has a criminal justice annex. I prefer the other building due to be big enough for a group of about 12 people (a large enough group to be effective for survival, & not too big get out of control for 1 leader), close to major roads, but not on one, not well known. It is on the ground floor, so that could pose a problem, but not insurmountable. We can plan together later, in real life.

I live in freakin downtown Atlanta, if the # goes down, then I'd just like y'all to make sure you say a prayer for me because I'm SCREWED.

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine
I live in freakin downtown Atlanta, if the # goes down, then I'd just like y'all to make sure you say a prayer for me because I'm SCREWED.

edit on 18-11-2011 by My.mind.is.mine because: (no reason given)

hopefuly things wont all go pear shaped...
in event they do... will lights some joss sticks and say a prayer for you and what remains of humanity...

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine
I live in freakin downtown Atlanta, if the # goes down, then I'd just like y'all to make sure you say a prayer for me because I'm SCREWED.

edit on 18-11-2011 by My.mind.is.mine because: (no reason given)

Lol, you're one of the buggers from the city that we're gunna be defending our homes/supplies against!!

Jokes, you're welcome at mine- a quick dash over the pacific to a small country town in Australia.
Failing that I'll pray for you buddy
(Heck with the ObamaFest here atm, I should be more worried than you! ; )

OK...OK... I'll play. In spite of my response to stay mobile, I will tell you where we will "hole up."

God has blessed us with the perfect retreat. We have a farm...we have all the available resources...livestock, fertile ground, isolation, natural barriers surround our home...wild game, fish in a nearby lake, etc.

However, just behind our farm... about a mile through the woods or about 6 miles by road just over the ridge is an abandoned mine. Not the usual mine with a shaft into the ground... but a mine that sits up atop one of the highest points in the county. It has one road in and out. Atop the hill is the main complex...walled, with horizontal shafts that about 100 yards in go vertical..but with ladders as backups in case of emergencies... the main building looks like a cinderblock castle... with 2 floors, a vertical tower about 40 feet high, and enclosed walks to all the surrounding out buildings

The land around the mine slopes downward in all directions... is crisscrossed with ATV trails... at the base of the ridge are swamps and streams.... pretty much a dream fortress for the survivalist... and all the wild turkey, deer, and even bear that you could want.

We have already pinned it down as our "Alamo" along with the rest of the community... and it could easily house a thousand people in the shafts and keep them relatively safe in the event of a nuclear attack or some catastrophic event... seriously, this is the kind of place they show in movies as the apocolyptic trails end.

I would go to a sewer treatment plant.

Sometimes the best place to hide out is the last place that they would expect you to go.