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7 Underground Bunker Kits to Install Yourself
For so many preppers, the ultimate commodity when it comes to readiness is an underground bunker.
When the skies turn dark, the mountains rumble, and the seas give up their dead, nothing could be more comforting than running into your own personal, secret, fully stocked bunker and dogging the hatch behind you and your loved ones.
Lots of companies sell and install bunkers to civilians, but this is, understandably, a major security risk. Every man and woman on that team will know where your bunker is, and as they say, loose lips sink ships.
A better option for most preppers who have the grit and the know-how is to install their very own bunker themvelves.
Whether it’s a prefabricated unit or a modular package ready to bolt together, the following seven kits will help you put in a perfect underground bunker on your own terms. I’ll tell you all about them below…
American Safe Room Series 3 Shelter
One of the biggest names in survival shelters is American Safe Room. American Safe Room makes bespoke and engineer-certified bomb shelters that are within the reach of the most financially-stable preppers.
Up to 14 ft long and extendable to any width you desire through the use of steel-reinforced concrete construction and common materials, the wide flange steel beam trusses make pouring on the concrete roof easy.
Most importantly, unlike so many fly-by-night bunker builders out there, their structures have a certified blast load rating of 2,980 pounds per square foot.
The most popular DIY model, the Series 3 Shelter, can be easily installed by even a single person who has basic construction skills and know-how.
If you don’t, and you’re up to the challenge, you can tackle it without experience thanks to their comprehensive and professionally written manual included with purchase.
The link shows a step-by-step build from a customer at an undisclosed location so you know what you’re getting into.
Atlas Survival Shelters Round Culvert Shelter
Another major player in the world of underground bunkers, Atlas Survival Shelters, makes a dizzying array of products to serve any budget and any anticipated need, and they sell ready-made floor plan kits and can also modify or design based on your requirements.
Although not as homey and slightly claustrophobic compared to a typical square or rectangular shelter, their underground culvert pipe shelters are much easier to install for DIY customers and, more importantly, far, far stronger than a square one.
The round shape of a culvert pipe bunker provides incredible crush resistance and also provides immense strength and resistance to blast pressure and other hazards thanks to the force of the surrounding Earth itself.
No matter your budget or your purposes, Atlas has a culvert shelter that will be just perfect for you: this isn’t a throwaway, also-ran product that they offer.
They make tiny 10×13 culverts, a condo-style 10×35, and some truly huge 6000 ft complexes that consist of conjoined, independent culvert modules. You can even build them in an L or U shape if you want to!
Atlas Survival Shelter Pre-Cast Concrete Shelter
Another Atlas product, and one of the cheapest they offer, is the Pre-Cast Concrete Shelter. Designed as a spartan but sustainable shelter for small families, the Pre-Cast Concrete Shelter combines the functionality of a tornado shelter, bomb shelter, and root cellar.
The curb, semi-dome shape is far stronger than comparable metal or plastic models, with a 6-inch thick floor and walls that are 4 inches thick.
At its highest, the ceiling is over 7 feet tall and the overall interior dimensions measure 11 and a half by seven and a half. It will be a cozy, intimate setting, even with bunk beds, but the NBC air filtration system and hardened steel hatch will keep you safe from toxic vapors and fallout alike.
And best of all, there’s not much to do except excavate and then bolt in all the fittings.
Hoisting and lowering the shelter will take a crane, but this is something you might be able to do yourself or find a trusted friend or associate to help you with. No professional install required!
Rising S Bunkers Mini Bunker Bomb Shelter
This maker of bespoke bunkers, ranging from the simple and mild to the unbelievably luxurious, also makes a prefabricated mini bunker module that is just perfect for anyone looking to DIY their own underground shelter.
This is another small one, measuring 8×12, and is a rectangular model constructed of welded steel.
Assuming you don’t upgrade or modify the interior, this completely contained module includes a bunk bed, complete air filtration system, stainless steel sink, ample shelving for food and equipment, a closet, a compost toilet, and even a shower.
And this isn’t a glorified tornado shelter, either: it’s a real bunker, and has blast and overpressure valves that will close instantaneously at 200 PSI to protect the interior.
Basic NBC air filtration equipment is included, as is a water pump, water inlet, 12-volt LED lighting, a solar charging system, and completely painted and sealed interior components.
If you want to take this model to the next level, under-floor storage systems and even a complete decontamination room for radiological or chemical threats can be added and kept space efficient.
US Safe Room Underground Shelter
US Safe Room is another American fabricator of premium, protected shelters both above and below ground.
They advertise their bunkers as steel-enclosed living quarters, and looking at their various floor plans it’s easy to see why…
Their expandable modules are 10 feet wide and although they might feel like a small New York apartment, they definitely have all the hallmarks of an actual home and are appointed accordingly.
The smallest of these, a 10 ft x 20 ft module, has dining for four, a full-size loveseat, TV, kitchenette, and bathroom complete with shower.
If you anticipate only a short-term stay to let a bad situation blow over, you can ride out the trouble in comfort with most, or all, of the amenities you are used to.
But if you prefer better capability and storage space, they can custom outfit your bunker according to your specs before delivery.
And, as one of the premier makers of such underground shelters, US Safe Room proudly advertises all of their products as built to FEMA 320, FEMA 361, and ICC 500 standards, and furthermore, they have also been tested and certified by the Texas Tech National Wind Institute.
Impressive stuff, if you can afford it! Luckily, financing is available.
DEFCON Underground Mfg DIY Bunker
A 100% American-made manufacturer, DEFCON Underground Manufacturing offers some of the best units and kits in the industry. Their most popular model is a throwback to the golden era, if you would call it that, of Cold War mail-order bunker kits.
The DEFCON DIY Bunker tells you everything you need to know about it in the name. This is a proper underground bunker complete with a bullet-resistant door, hatch, and frame made out of half-inch AR500 steel that can resist multiple impacts from most small arms, including rifles.
This 8 ft x 8 ft x 20 ft bunker has a side entrance 45° stairwell and comes prefinished with pale gray paint on the inside. On the outside, it has a long-lasting and weather-impervious polyamide coating that will resist water penetration and all manner of insects and other contaminants.
The shelter module itself comes pre-drilled and penetrated for both air intakes and exhausts, and customers get a choice for one more penetration in the shell for the amenity of their choice, be it water or something else.
You’ll have to choose, source, and install everything else that you want inside this bunker, but if you want to upgrade a la carte, DEFCON sells LED lighting kits, blast valves, NBC air filtration systems, power supply solutions, kitchenettes, water systems, and a whole lot more.
Oculus Systems Hercules Underground Structure
A truly fascinating and potentially revolutionary underground structure kit is made by Oculus Systems.
Their Hercules structure is the first genuinely modular prefabricated subterranean building system.
Consisting of standardized and easily configurable components like domes, vertical access spiral stairs, hallways, intersections, end caps, and more, it’s the perfect way to put it together yourself piece by piece.
Additional modules exist in the form of the pod, which can serve as a dedicated room and access point for bedrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, water management, and more, along with purpose-designed open water storage tanks, hydroponic systems, and even fish farms!
You really can have all the comforts of home with a Hercules structure, as they are designed to accept their own self-contained septic systems and hook up to pre-fabbed power vaults making use of solar, wind, or hydroelectric energy. They even offer mood lighting kits!
An online builder app lets you quickly and easily whip together the bunker kit of your dreams using an intuitive GUI.
As you might expect, these fully featured modules are quite expensive, but well worth it for the easy construction and portability.
The post 7 Underground Bunker Kits to Install Yourself appeared first on Survival Sullivan.
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