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Using a cavern as a bug out shelter - Good Idea?

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posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 05:36 PM
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I've been wondering about this for awhile. I'm not a big survivalist/prepper.. I keep a box of unopened Ramen and a case of water, basic tools and stuff but the one thing I do not have nor the means to acquire is a bug out shelter. This doesn't have anything to do with the 21st being 4 days away, its just for any SHTF scenario requiring a home evacuation.

Now, I do know where 1 or 2 caves are but they are very small and would not provide much protection from the elements. However I know where a cavern is, its spacious by comparison to the caves. Its relatively young in the sense of caverns, about 4 million years old eroded through limestone/chert. It undoubtedly leads to an aquifer but gets to thin to squeeze through after about 50 yards.

Heres the thing, you cant light a flame inside of the cavern however if you light a flame right outside of the entrance, every so often the cavern draws in air and will extinguish the flame. I know it would be a great place to hide in the event of civil unrest but I'm thinking more along the lines of a Fukushima meltdown and not being able to escape the Northern hemisphere.

Would the limited intake of air the cavern has make it just as unsuitable as anywhere else or would it decrease the amount of radiation exposure significantly? Thoughts?



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 05:38 PM
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reply to post by 1/2 Nephilim
 


generally speaking.....cave=grave
not a good choice......



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 05:47 PM
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You could always light a fire away from the cavern to heat up rocks then take the heated rocks into the cavern as a source of heat. In terms of protection against fallout if the entrance is open then the bad stuff can, and will get inside, so you would need a blocked entrance with a decontamination area to pass through which would be pretty difficult to achieve under survival circumstances.
In terms of surviving harsh weather our ancestors considered caves, and caverns pretty good options, and our continuing existance proves them to be correct. As far as using caves, and caverns as defensive strongholds the advantage is that it is difficult for hostiles to get behind you but this also carries the disadvantage of you only having one easy exit.



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 05:47 PM
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Sure as long as no one else knows about it and we dont have a super magnitude earthquake.



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 05:59 PM
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Just make sure you're the only one / thing in the cave.


After that, make a fire, don't wander in too far / deep and you should be good



SS



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 06:12 PM
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reply to post by 1/2 Nephilim
 


That's exactly what I'm working on.

There's this cave near my property buried in the woods that goes back a few hundred yards and is completely hidden and way off the beaten trail.

There are tons of caves in the area and a lot of them go on for miles. Most of them are known by people and frequently used.
This little cave I know about, no one knows about.

I'm going to stick an air-stream trailer into the cave and live inside if TSHTF.
I also imagine that when TSisHTF, that's when all the massive HAARP quakes and nuke-in-the-fault-line quakes go off. After the air settles from a week and a half of total destruction, move in the airstream.

Then it will be all about holding out, staying hidden from the police/military/state. They shoot first at this point, if you haven't gone to the designated mandatory recovery check in center.

It will be all about "holding out" while they "clear" my mostly wooded state.
Soon, the state will be declared "human free". It will become part of the New World Heritage Lands. The existing population will be huddled into major cities that have survived the damage.

It's going to be nice again one day when we can come out of the woodwork with our families and friends and build new gardens.

I wonder if we will still be hunted



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 06:13 PM
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watching that show mountain men, you can see how hard it is to survive on your own.

literally on your own. mountain men, i know is a "reality" show, and they add dramatic effect, but you can see what they are doing is not easy.

they have to grow crops to survive the winter, but the good thing is, a couple of elk can keep you a live for months, if not an entire year.

your whole day is literally spent on collecting wood, farming, hunting and taking care of problems.

all those skills went the way of the natives. they know how to survive in n.america armed only with their knowledge.

just some insight so you can prepare yourself. imagine yourself in the middle of the woods alone with nothing, and then try to think what you wish you had with you, to live in a civilised environment.

i.e. a cabin (what you would need to build one), to hunt (what you would need), to get around (i.e. maps and compass) etc.



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 06:15 PM
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reply to post by Doc Holiday
 


I think it would be a great place to hide. Its branches off 2 directions at the entrance, would be EASY to booby trap and is very intimidating seeing it for the 1st time. I've shown 2 or 3 people, they shine the flashlight in and refuse to go, lol.



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 06:19 PM
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reply to post by hotel1
 



Originally posted by hotel1
In terms of protection against fallout if the entrance is open then the bad stuff can, and will get inside, so you would need a blocked entrance with a decontamination area to pass through which would be pretty difficult to achieve under survival circumstances.


Let me explain a tad more about it, immediately at the entrance there are 2 different directions you can go. One way is around the corner and maintains the elevation of the cave entrance for awhile, the other direction instantly drops off about 10-15 foot and then levels off as far back as you can go.

I'm wondering if the lower section is the part thats predominantly drawing in the air?
edit on 17-12-2012 by 1/2 Nephilim because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 06:22 PM
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reply to post by FinalCountdown
 


Thats awesome! I've thought it would be a good idea in that type of scenario because so far underground would keep you hidden from aerial heat detection. Thats slick, just keep keeping it to yourself.



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 06:24 PM
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It is really funny you ask this because I was litereally thinking about this 3 days ago.



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 06:25 PM
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what if the cavern colapse because of an earthquake and you are buried alive ?
i think the worst place to be if the s really htf it would be in a deep bunker or cavern

i prefer to be outside then inside .. whatever happens



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 08:49 PM
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reply to post by randomname
 



Originally posted by randomname
but the good thing is, a couple of elk can keep you a live for months, if not an entire year.your whole day is literally spent on collecting wood, farming, hunting and taking care of problems.all those skills went the way of the natives.

imagine yourself in the middle of the woods alone with nothing, and then try to think what you wish you had with you, to live in a civilised environment.i.e. a cabin (what you would need to build one), to hunt (what you would need), to get around (i.e. maps and compass) etc.


Luckily there is no shortage of wildlife in this specific area, in fact the biodiversity of the wildlife in my region is 2nd only to the rainforest so thats a +. PLENTY of firewood nearby and did I mention the entrance is in the bottom of a 50 foot sinkhole? Couldn't ask for a better place to have a fire without it being seen.



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 08:54 PM
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reply to post by Ben81
 


My region isn't earthquake prone, and if it has been in the past 4,000,000 years I have seen no sign of it ever being effected by a seismic event. Flooding however, could be a major problem.. although as long as the water didn't come TO fast one could probably climb out in time, besides.. you would probably be outside most of the time in this scenario, only ducking and covering when you have to.



posted on Dec, 17 2012 @ 09:03 PM
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reply to post by 1/2 Nephilim
 


I live in cave country in Kentucky and I have thought about that.
But living so close to the new madrid fault zone and the caves are mostly limestone carved out by water,I would not feel safe.
I would feel safer hunkering down in my bedford stone house that I could run away from at a moments notice.



posted on Dec, 18 2012 @ 09:55 AM
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reply to post by 1/2 Nephilim
 


I am thinking that shelter properties will become very reasonable is price after the first of the year
edit on 18-12-2012 by racer451 because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 18 2012 @ 10:16 AM
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Originally posted by Doc Holiday
reply to post by 1/2 Nephilim
 


generally speaking.....cave=grave
not a good choice......


Ditto,
In a cave you are a sitting duck. No eyes and ears on the outside and typically only one means of egress which can easily be blocked by someone on the outside in order to flush or wait you out.

Not bad for quick temporary shelter but I would not like to be hunker down in one for the long haul.

Same concept for all of these doomsday bunkers that you read about. Once you're in, that's it. If someone discovers your location they can easily flush you out via air shafts or eventual breaching of the door (they have all the time in the world to breach the bunker on the outside) You must have something pretty good down in that state of the art $20k bunker that someone sold you...



posted on Dec, 18 2012 @ 10:49 AM
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Great idea and it sounds like a very large cave systen. take some tools to increase the pathway and start blocking the entry with stones dirt logs whatever. Get some firewood and bury some supplies. If it's that far out not much chance of anyone looking for you for quite a while



posted on Dec, 19 2012 @ 09:32 PM
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Using a cave as a BOL depends on the situation and the resources you have at hand.

In the past, some caverns and mine shafts were turned into fallout shelters in various parts of the country. So the idea is sound. However, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. Such as:

1. Snakes. In my neck of the woods, diamondbacks and other critters love to make themselves at home in old abandoned mine shafts and caves. If you are going to start living in one, you might want to make sure it's clear first.

2. Instability. In the event of a major earthquake, nearby explosion, asteriod impact, etc. anything that could cause a ground shift or ground slap, it is very possible that the cave roof could become unstable. And the last thing you would want is to be buried alive.

3. The cold. The temperature and moisture inside most large caves can be detrimental to your health. It is usually quite a bit cooler inside the cave year round so you need to stay warm and dry.

4. Light. Deep inside a cave, there is none. At all times, the inner depths of a cavern exist in perfect darkness. Be prepared for that. Also, a lack of sunlight isn't too great for your health.



posted on Dec, 23 2012 @ 06:19 PM
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bad idea cave trolls and goblins i mean orcs. but seriously be careful caves can collapse if youu arent careful you might be in your own gravev also how is it when rain comes does it leak if so it might be bad because of potential flooding .



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