From the “Q & A” post yesterday Methane asked the following question:
If you had to stay in a bunker for 2+ weeks due to nuclear attack, what would be some of the supplies you would ensure to have besides food/water? After watching “ALONE”, I wonder if I could survive with only 1 other person in solitaire.
Questions like this can really get you thinking. Now the question specifically references nuclear attack so there are certainly items revolving around that situation. Beyond that many items could be useful for numerous unfortunate events.
Here are a few things I’ve thought about…..
Radiation detection equipment
entertainment – PSP game system, portable DVD player with DVD’s, games, etc.
flashlights
batteries
radio
pictures of loved ones
Bible
comfortable bed
pen and paper
Chuck Norris
cold beer
clean clothes
deodorant
chocolate
place to go to the bathroom
spare glasses
toothbrush/toothpaste
Bacon……lot’s of bacon.
Just a few ideas’s. How about you?
Rourke
Hashbrowns. Lots of hashbrowns.
Toilet paper
Baby wipes or similar
A system to eject waste! In 2 weeks you’d be hip deep in trash, food scraps, buckets of excrement and bottles of urine. I would certainly not want to share a cramped living space with that for very long.
How about a harmonica or guitar?
I’ve watched all the Alone episodes so far, very interesting. Like to see their different mind sets ie. I can survive here vs. I’m making this a home, for example. Also different item choices…the Kukri impressed me as maybe as the best all around survival knife, hatchet, sharp object. Covered pot vs. frying pan. I have been wondering where they get salt for two months? This series is maybe worth discussing.
As long as you have Chuck Norris and bacon, you won’t need anything else. Except my pillow. I can’t sleep without that particular one.
Wow—monotony would drive you nuts. Books, dvds and any other form of entertainment/distraction would be crucial. Exercise bands and hard candies too. Books of Sodoku, crossword puzzles, and board games. Bible. May be a good time to learn a new hobby like painting or guitar. Pick an instrument that won’t drive your cell mates crazier than they will already be!
A deck of playing cards
Lots of games to play. Games like Uno, Jenga, Connect Four, Memory games,Scategories, Deck of card and Spoons-for the game spoons. Winners would get to have something really cool like a chocolate bar or get to play with the parents toys for a little while. Since they never get to play with the Dad or Mom’s stuff. Whether it be moms make up for the girls or dad’s cool games he never let’s his kids touch.
We would also have a schedule to break things up. For example, Quality alone time for 1 hour or so. No one could bother the other person. Reading time, Exercise time would be something silly like a balance game, who could hold the longest push up position or something that does not really make you sweat.
A story time. Time to make up a story, write it out, and then tell your story.
Creativity time. Who could create something cool enough with what we have available, that could actually be used. This of course means planning ahead. Your talking about putting a cool science kit, enough tools or the right tools to create something, (Soldering gun, sewing kit, materials, etc.)
The rest would be broken up by preparation/eating/cleaning time, Wake up/clean up time, Bed time(self-explanatory)
Boredom is an issue.. certainly
You have to have a plan for hygiene and sanitation. Powdered pool shock so you can make bleach. Liquid soap. Medical kit that includes antibiotics, and antidiarrheals.
Defensive tools … people take advantage when there is an emergency.
Should include iodine if you don’t have access prussian blue and an prophylactic for radiation poisoning.
Short Wave communications and battery power to run basics (and some combination of generators and or solar to recharge them)
Doc library on device of choice.
Food well past two weeks. An EMP would not have fallout, but a ground blast absolutely would. So everything or much might be contaminated.
Reading what I just wrote sounds like a bug out bag with prepositioned food, comms and medical almost like a retreat might be loaded. Time will be a big deal, so the bunker is basically a local retreat…. with a few specialized items to deal with nuclear related issues and all the other ones we normally prep for.
Surviving an initial blast is the first part. The rest is food, water, shelter, medical and security for some undetermined duration.
You could write a book on the subject.. and some have..
Just thinking out loud.
GG58
I can only imagine trying to store all these items and then some, in a small bunker built to survive tornadoes and storms. A particulate air circulator would be a blessing and some type of leaded glass window to be able to absorb a few sun rays everyday would help too. The only food that will grow without sunlight is probably mushrooms. Soak them in bacon fat to make them enjoyable. No movie stars for me. Just give me a doctor, mechanic, and candle stick maker!
Everyone should consider getting a copy of the US Army Survival Manual, FM 21-76. The section on the Nuclear Environment is very enlightening. The timelines are actually a lot shorter than you would think. It says complete isolation for 4-6 days after the blast, with a brief exposure for 30 minutes on the third day if needed (like needing to get water). Another 30 minute exposure is permissible on day 7, one hour on day 8, and 2-4 hours on days nine thru twelve. Normal operations from day 13 on. Decontaminating when re-entering the shelter is very important. This can be as simple as shaking of the dust/fallout if that is all you can do. If you use water, just dunk and drip dry. If you wring out the clothes it can trap the fallout particles. It has lots of other guidelines also. Free pdf’s can be found online.
Uncle: very enlightening! Will download the survival manual.
Being extremely claustrophobic,this would not be doable for me.I own a radiation
detector.Not sure I would want to love through a nuclear blast.
If I did I would have lots to read- spiritual books and the Bible and lots to write with. I have gone on silent retreats for one week and love the quiet time .On my bucket list is a 30 day silent retreat.
Hot tea, ice tea, popcorn and dark choc. Scrabble-soothing music-meditation
music- photos of nature-a calendar-
Lightning
LOL, in the early ’60s my contractor dad met with a family about the possibility of building a fallout shelter. He relayed to the guy after the 2nd meeting, having noted his kids and such, that it might be better to face the radiation than stay more than a weekend cooped up with them.
The guy decided not to build after reflecting on it for a day.
No kids on our end to shelter with. Living in Florida, it’s hard to find anyone below the age of 55. Those with kids should probably pack Yard Darts in their bunker….