Hello

[PrepDad]

Hello everyone!
Quick introduction, I've always been interested in general preparedness and outdoor skills. Recent events have pushed me toward forming more solid plans and involving the whole family!
I have set my self a small budget and am fortunate enough to have a cellar that I have utilized as a temporary shelter. My current set up and budget will allow me and my family to be completely off grid without need for power for a 2 weeks. I am currently looking for some advice on air filtration systems I have seen a setup that would work for me on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCKZW265FJw&t=15s just wondering if anyone could provide any feedback or further advice.
I've invested most of my budget now in army rations, water, non electric defendant lighting (candles and hurricane lamps) basic first aid needs basic fuel and very basic hygiene.
And as an additional support I've invested in 4 chickens who are very efficient egg layers!
Thanks for reading
PD

[Vitamin c]

Welcome
Theirs a chap on YouTube with a similar name as yours are you him .

[jennyjj01]

Hello everyone!
Quick introduction, I've always been interested in general preparedness and outdoor skills. Recent events have pushed me toward forming more solid plans and involving the whole family!
I have set my self a small budget and am fortunate enough to have a cellar that I have utilized as a temporary shelter. My current set up and budget will allow me and my family to be completely off grid without need for power for a 2 weeks. I am currently looking for some advice on air filtration systems I have seen a setup that would work for me on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCKZW265FJw&t=15s just wondering if anyone could provide any feedback or further advice.
I've invested most of my budget now in army rations, water, non electric defendant lighting (candles and hurricane lamps) basic first aid needs basic fuel and very basic hygiene.
And as an additional support I've invested in 4 chickens who are very efficient egg layers!
Thanks for reading
PD

Hi PrepDad,
Nice intro. You sound well placed to bug-in and I envy you your cellar and your chickens. Are you inclined to anticipate a general house/homestead bug in until an actual nuclear event and then down to the cellar for the mandatory and optimistic 10 days?

That pump design looks elegant, but being manual would make it a chore. Who pumps it at night? or is it just for infrequent scheduled sessions. It's clever to use just one pipe, but would a two pipe system with dedicated in and out give more simplicity with electric pumping? You could have lower flow, but running continuously? Do you have some off grid electricity that could power an extractor. Or how about fixing a hepa filter to a fan for a known level of filtration quality? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vmh2Ip2Vxg
I'm concerned that anything with a flame would gobble too much oxygen in that cellar. What would you be cooking on?

I'm curious about your comment re Army rations. Did you plump for the more expensive MREs rather than 'ordinary' food from supermarkets? If so, was that about shelf life? or some other reason? I ask as one who looked at MRE and army rations and decided against them in favour of regular tinned and dried foods. I guess you are going to now embarrass me now by saying you have massive resources of all sorts

Have you spent 24 hours or more in that cellar as practice?

[Arzosah]

Welcome to the forum, PrepDad - it sounds like you've been very efficient! I can kind of understand a family man wanting to prepare an existing cellar as a shelter - what about more ordinary forms of problem - flooding, in the UK very often, house security in case of burglary, that kind of thing? Insulation? You're doing great already, though, I can tell

[pseudonym]

Hello and welcome to the Forum.

[PrepDad]

Welcome to the forum, PrepDad - it sounds like you've been very efficient! I can kind of understand a family man wanting to prepare an existing cellar as a shelter - what about more ordinary forms of problem - flooding, in the UK very often, house security in case of burglary, that kind of thing? Insulation? You're doing great already, though, I can tell

My main house hold preps for other disasters include larger fire extinguishers, chain ladder for escape (3 story house) not particularly concerned with flooding due to my house location, however the above mentioned cellar did flood before I owned the property about 30 years ago but work has been done to stop that happening again.

House security is average, my property only has one entrance point for vehicles and is remote enough to deter anyone on foot (although I wouldn't out it past anyone) and ii have a few wifi cameras

[PrepDad]

Welcome
Theirs a chap on YouTube with a similar name as yours are you him .

No unfortunately not, i think i have more of a face for radio rather than youtube

[PrepDad]

[/quote]
Hi PrepDad,
Nice intro. You sound well placed to bug-in and I envy you your cellar and your chickens. Are you inclined to anticipate a general house/homestead bug in until an actual nuclear event and then down to the cellar for the mandatory and optimistic 10 days?

That pump design looks elegant, but being manual would make it a chore. Who pumps it at night? or is it just for infrequent scheduled sessions. It's clever to use just one pipe, but would a two pipe system with dedicated in and out give more simplicity with electric pumping? You could have lower flow, but running continuously? Do you have some off grid electricity that could power an extractor. Or how about fixing a hepa filter to a fan for a known level of filtration quality? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vmh2Ip2Vxg
I'm concerned that anything with a flame would gobble too much oxygen in that cellar. What would you be cooking on?

I'm curious about your comment re Army rations. Did you plump for the more expensive MREs rather than 'ordinary' food from supermarkets? If so, was that about shelf life? or some other reason? I ask as one who looked at MRE and army rations and decided against them in favour of regular tinned and dried foods. I guess you are going to now embarrass me now by saying you have massive resources of all sorts

Have you spent 24 hours or more in that cellar as practice?
[/quote]

Thanks for the response.
Yes that was my initial aim was to have the family stay in place for 2 weeks, food and water is all boxed and bottled so could be moved if needed.
The cellar is well vented I have been meaning to install some drain pipes to create a syphon type air circulation which I've seen in some old root cellaring books and thought that the pump system could just be added on when it was needed. I have been aiming for being able to survive the 2 weeks with no electricity mainly for cost and time reasons. The house I'm in is also a renovation job with lots of maintenance attached to it and with the little ones I'm not usually left too much free time to research and wire in 12v systems I'm sure I can make some sort of game out of pumping that plunger if had to! I've also ran the hurricane lamps for a while down there and they do smell a bit but at the moment its pretty ventilated but i think you are right and it may definitely be one to watch

As for the army rations, I've always used them for camping and have always had a decent supply around the house, the kids aren't the biggest fans of all the meals but I have kept plenty of the bean ones as they seem to tolerate them. So now I've bought a huge supply of them i can also dip in and out of them for when I go camping.

I haven't spent a great deal of time down there with the full family yet but that mite be a fun thing to try however I've been setting up the little "bunker" without the kids really knowing, one of mine suffers terribly with anxiety so may leave it until the news is a bit quieter.

Chickens have been fantastic, we have had ducks and geese in the past but nothing that has been as productive layers as these and the kids are old enough to help with the upkeep too. I have a few raised beds too however this year ive not really planted anything just through time restrictions but have a good supply of seeds stored too!

thanks everyone for all the responses

[Arzosah]

Welcome to the forum, PrepDad - it sounds like you've been very efficient! I can kind of understand a family man wanting to prepare an existing cellar as a shelter - what about more ordinary forms of problem - flooding, in the UK very often, house security in case of burglary, that kind of thing? Insulation? You're doing great already, though, I can tell

My main house hold preps for other disasters include larger fire extinguishers, chain ladder for escape (3 story house) not particularly concerned with flooding due to my house location, however the above mentioned cellar did flood before I owned the property about 30 years ago but work has been done to stop that happening again.

House security is average, my property only has one entrance point for vehicles and is remote enough to deter anyone on foot (although I wouldn't out it past anyone) and ii have a few wifi cameras

Wow, I said you were already doing great, good for you

[itsybitsy]

Hello and welcome. Looks like you've already been bombarded with questions!