Retreat Defense- getting started

[Hawkeye]

Bunker blocks can be used to make some interesting things.......:cool:

[Lowdown3]

I've been thinking about this one lately. My bugout location is off several dirt roads, and I was thinking of building a kind of bunker to provide some protection just in case. I did a little research, and came up with the numbers of blocks needed. Then I started wondering if I might be just as well off getting a dozer and shoving dirt to provide a berm. I could then put a roof on it, leaving some firing slits. The difference is that from a distance, the dirt berm would look like a small hill, whereas a bunker looks like a bunker. The dirt would provide more "ballistic resistance," since some ammo will go right through a cement block. I think by using the berm approach, I could make three pits for the price of one blockhouse. Comments?

Great concept. Having built something like this before, it will work- for a time. The effects of rain will begin to give you problems in a few years.

No reason a "bunker" has to LOOK like a bunker.

[610Alpha]

I did a little research, and came up with the numbers of blocks needed. ~~since some ammo will go right through a cement block. I think by using the berm approach, I could make three pits for the price of one blockhouse. Comments?

If you are going to use cement blocks you would be better off to fill them with concrete and re-bar to give them extra ballistic protection.

Like LD3 said about the rain, the only thing you could do to offset that would be to get some good grass with deep roots to help prevent erosion and/or use boulders and then add dirt on top of boulders as well as dig a bit of a pit so that your berm wouldn't have to be too high. Kind of like a foxhole but not as deep but using rocks/boulders underneath the dirt as you real ballistic protection and the prairie grass on top to help prevent soil erosion. Might not work for you but an idea to kick around the forum.

[eeyore]

Bearman 202 asked

I've been thinking about this one lately. My bugout location is off several dirt roads, and I was thinking of building a kind of bunker to provide some protection just in case. I did a little research, and came up with the numbers of blocks needed. Then I started wondering if I might be just as well off getting a dozer and shoving dirt to provide a berm. I could then put a roof on it, leaving some firing slits. The difference is that from a distance, the dirt berm would look like a small hill, whereas a bunker looks like a bunker. The dirt would provide more "ballistic resistance," since some ammo will go right through a cement block. I think by using the berm approach, I could make three pits for the price of one blockhouse. Comments?

What if you took a conex container, and pushed up dirt on the side of it, then planted some bushes around it? If you had a conex box and used railroad ties or 6x6's covered with ply, that should let you put a couple of feet of dirt on top. This would provide protection from above also, which could be a plus in a bunch of scenarios.
"Brushed up" after a season, and you would not even be able to see it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300347791212&rvr_id=146689749126&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=WXI7&GUID=90d175fa12a0a0e202f16921ffe7d106&itemid=300347791212&ff4=263602_263622

[610Alpha]

There is guy that is doing this right now, he has 2 of them and the rumor is he wanted to build a house on top of them but the powers that be wouldn't let because the containers didn't meet spec on using them as a basement. So he has dirt piled around all the sides, he has a couple of skylights and some railroad ties at the top of the containers kind of framing the openings. I'll try to get some pics while maintaining OPSEC :)