Doomsday Castle

[All Talk]

Saw the first episode last night. I figured starting a new thread about this show was worthwhile, since it is very different in format and "purpose" from Doomsday Preppers. This is probably going to be mainly a mocking and scoffing thread, but we'll see how the show goes.

Basics: Family from doomsday Preppers, where the old guy was building his partially built "castle" up in the mountains, and tested his kids to see who was going to be his "heir" as leader. There was something very different about that episode and now it appears that they were testing this spin-off idea even then.

So this guy has a half-built shell of a suburban architect's take on a castle-inspired McMansion.

And he has a bunch of decent-looking, single 20-something offspring. And it's going to be a reality show, with all the back-channel complaining about each other, etc. Supposed goal: turn the castle and the clan into an effective defense against looters, the golden horde, etc in the event of TEOWAKI.

I'll start: How about all those gigantic windows on your defensive, enemy-facing walls? Oh, did I mention they're on the first floor?

[610Alpha]

I'll start: How about all those gigantic windows on your defensive, enemy-facing walls? Oh, did I mention they're on the first floor?

They make it easier to shoot at the looters...the looters won't be able to shoot at them through those big windows cause they will be dead. ROFL

[1Admin]

I think this guy came to one of the prep expos, want to say Florida in January. Haven't seen the show but saw a quick preview and he looked familiar.

[WiseOwl]

I watched a few minutes of the show the other night. Knowing cable, they will show 10 replays a week so I will catch it again.

It seems clownish to me but I will watch because these dumbsday prepper shows are very entertaining to me. I love watching nuts!

[Matt In Oklahoma]

We all hike up the hill with suitcases to find dad working on his pickup at the end of the driveway we could have drove up LMAO. Yep nothing like a natgeo setup to start the show off with ROTFL

I do not understand the huge windows at all. Castles were built with narrow window slits to shoot archery out of but allow as little incoming as well as cold air in. Rebar is good but doesn’t stop bullets, arrows or fire. I’m a big fan of the cross shape in windows and such for shooting out of.

The attack drill was good because it shows you will only have what you have when IT happens and they managed to drive up the road the kids didn’t.

Why are they acting like the have never been there before?

Interesting rat trap, never seen one like that.

The drawbridge well if I had a structure this large hopefully it will house my vehicle. The battering ram stuff was funny as all get out and I’m glad he didn’t get hurt.

Well this is gonna be interesting

[DIM TIM]

Thought I'd chime in on this one.Don't have cable myself, but caught the whole thing on YouTube.

Like all NatGeo "DOOMSDAY" shows, I took the whole thing with a grain of salt. It has potential like everything in this world, but some yuppie executive will end up making it a sham like all their shows like this. But.......if you are a true prepper and survivalist type, then you sift through the crap to find the hidden treasures that are buried below the surface.
I for one saw some great ideas hidden in all the "T.V. FLUFF", and will watch as many of them as I can, and as time allows me, to hopefully find more.

Windows and doors are what allows access to a building. Locks, barricades, etc, are what denies access to those that do not have permission (keys, access knowledge, etc,) to enter. So even though the window openings are a liability to safety, there are protection options. The bunker below is a great idea, but...emergency escape through a door is a hopeful thing at best. I'd take the route of many burrowing animals, and have at least 2 others in the form of hidden tunnels,that were secret only to myself and the family, and not to all the folks watching the show.

Like any NatGeo reality show, it's all about ratings, and less about what really matters for preparedness, but the little tidbits of help are there, and it sure beats Dancing with the Stars, Big Brother, etc, etc, etc,.
About the biggest and best points that comes out of this, is that there is strength in numbers, and many hands make the load easier to bear.
So don't be too quick to write off the show as a gag. There's gold in that there poo. ;)

[WiseOwl]

Tried to watch this again tonight. Cant even make it 28 mins. Kardashian Castle Dwellers.

Wednesday at 10 cant come soon enough to cleanse my brain from such poop!

[protus]

ill have to...oh never why bother.
is the commentator all dramatic sounding...did anything catch fire,,some one cry?

[All Talk]

I will also watch the show, regardless of the silly stuff. In addition to gems hidden in the goofiness, there is also the fact that it gets me thinking when I see something done in a way that I think is poor -- i.e. "now how might I go about that differently?" And I'm not going to write off their seven brains completely -- they may have lots of ideas better than mine. And there's the boobs.

That said, on to my next beef.

Those walls are cinder block around rebar, 8 inches thick, from ground to top course (looks like 30+ feet high). I don't know that I would call that castle quality (stability?). I'm no ballistics expert, but I have to think you could punch a .50 cal through that, couldn't you? And assuming someone might actually start throwing somthing against those walls (like say a full-steam dump truck with a brick on the gas pedal), wouldn't you want a thicker wall, at least at the base?

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Those walls are cinder block around rebar, 8 inches thick, from ground to top course (looks like 30+ feet high). I don't know that I would call that castle quality (stability?). I'm no ballistics expert, but I have to think you could punch a .50 cal through that, couldn't you? And assuming someone might actually start throwing somthing against those walls (like say a full-steam dump truck with a brick on the gas pedal), wouldn't you want a thicker wall, at least at the base?

he is going to dig a moat around it which should stop the vehicles supposedly

The 50 will dig thru it as will other things. There is a reason castles were stopped being used long ago as defense and it wasn't world stability I assure you. Technology overcomes them pretty quick. I get the idea that perhaps he believes it will go medieval pretty quick and resources will dwindle.
I wish he was on here, I'd actually like to ask some questions to see the "whys"

[All Talk]

"I wish he was on here, I'd actually like to ask some questions to see the "whys" "

Me, too. I can nitpick the show because it falls into the "public figure" domain, but undoubtedly he has invested quite a bit into preps (last night's episdoe one of the kids said he started prior to Y2K) so he might have a lot of interesting stuff to share -- including, I would imagine, the truth behind some of the TV drama elelments that the producers found too mundane (but that we'd find very interesting).

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Ok there's good n bad. Callin bs on the hog and the little pit. However getting out there and getting thru the learning curve us an A +.
The catapult is cool, over the top but cool. Most folks think I'm over the top with the stuff I make too.
Working thru emotions dunno if this is fake or not on the show but it is real in life. We will all have issues and need to vent but must remember the common goal.
Thoughts?

[610Alpha]

Finally caught up with this series. It appears the guy has some money but yet he hasn't ordered windows? Maybe he needs to look at MIO's bullet proofing thread. The dad has good intentions but i think he failed to research castles and plan appropriately. Not that you have to go super **** in planning and research but the show makes it appear like he is pulling everything out of his hind end.

Families are messy. At least they appeared to get over it and move on. The blond daughter seems to be the most collected, the rest should take notes from her imo.

personally i think they need to get their water squared away (next episode) and then finish their shelter.

There is a defend your castle online game now.

[All Talk]

Yeah, the blonde daughter won the "heir apparent" contest form the episode in "Preppers." The middle sister is a bit more in my "wheelhouse" -- blonde is a little "too" ready for a fight. And seriously wanting dad's approval at all times.

Forgot about the catapult. That was ridicuolous. But that i assumed was all part of the entertainment/castle thing to keep this interesting as a reality show to a nice broad audience. I can't imagine he actually thinks hurling a couple of bowling balls with zero accuracy at a stretch of road is an effective defense (nor an advisable use of time whilst responding to an incursion alarm.)

[610Alpha]

Especially with the rate of fire that they would be able to achieve with the catapult...takes too many people to operate it.