Switzerland Is Well-Prepared For A Civilization Collapse

More than perhaps any other nation, Switzerland is prepared for a massive civilization collapse. In fact, if the government itself collapses in Switzerland, most people who live there probably won’t even notice.

A decentralized government (the kind America was supposed to have been founded on) makes it possible for Switzerland to be prepared for a collapse. The mountains and valleys mean that Swiss towns and villages are geographically independent of each other, yet linked in a spider-web of robust connections. But that isn’t all.

The Swiss towns are prepared for water system failures, which would affect the ability to access clean water. According to Marginal Revolution, all around Switzerland, there are thousands of water fountains fed by natural springs. Zurich is famous for its 1200 fountains – some of them quite beautiful and ornate – but it’s the multiple small, simple fountains in every Swiss village that really tell the story. Of course, they look elegant, but if and when central water systems are destroyed these fountains are a decentralized and robust system for providing everyone in the country with clean, pure, drinkable water.

Despite being at peace since 1815, Switzerland is still prepared for a war. Swiss males (and perhaps females in the future) are required to serve in the military (those who cannot pay a special tax) creating a robust reservoir of trained citizens ready to serve in case of an emergency.

As a further example of how ridiculously well prepared the Swiss are for any and all threats, there are things like hidden hydroelectric dams built inside of unmarked mountains so that in the event of mass bombings, they’ll still have electricity from these secret facilities. And, remember, these are the things the Swiss government has let us know about. It is thought that there are probably more fortifications and hidden goodies scattered about the country’s landscape. –Marginal Revolution

Buried deep alongside the hydroelectric dams, shelters, and food stores, the Swiss also have libraries ready to reboot civilization. In one underground bunker, there are detailed instructions on how to build devices for reading all known data storage formats, even older formats like floppy disks. If that knowledge is otherwise lost, future generations can still decode our current and past data storage devices to access the data within correctly. Essentially, the researchers involved in this particular project have attempted to create a “Rosetta Stone” of data formats and are using a ridiculously secure Swiss bunker as the storage point for that knowledge.

Not only do the Swiss have thousands of military bunkers permeating the Swiss mountains, there are also several hundred thousand private and public fallout shelters the largest of which can hold about 20,000 people. Some of the largest installations have been decommissioned and even turned into museums but there is little doubt that they could be rapidly re-purposed in a SHTF scenario. As the Swiss continue to improve their already fantastic railway system it’s standard practice to convert old railway tunnels to security shelters.

Switzerland is famous for being the place to store wealth in times of crisis. That remains true today. The “old-rich” store their gold in heavily guarded Swiss banks, the “nouveau-riche” store their bitcoins in Swiss underground bunkers built to withstand cyber- and nuclear attack. It’s no surprise that Nassim Taleb likes Switzerland because this is a country that has made itself anti-fragile in order to survive the black swans of civilizational collapse.

H/T: [Zerohedge]

"We're Back In The '60s Again" - Bomb-Shelter Sales Are Booming In The US And Japan

US-based bomb-shelter manufacturers should maybe think about buying Kim Jong Un a fruit basket.

According to McClatchy, sales have in both the US and Japan have risen dramatically this year as President Donald Trump and Kim have exchanged threats of nuclear annihilation. US and Japanese defense officials now believe the North is in possession of a nuclear warhead small enough to fit onto one of its ICBMS. The isolated country launched three short-range missiles into the East Sea Friday night – its first missile test in nearly a month – after US officials had praised Kim’s restraint earlier in the week.

Ron Hubbard, president of Atlas Survival Shelters, a firm based in Montebello, California, said he expects to sell 1,000 shelters this year at a price of $25,000 apiece, according to McClatchy.

"Sales and inquiries have spiked, according to several of the U.S. companies that make money from doomsday fears.

“The increase in demand is everywhere. We are getting hundreds of calls,” said Ron Hubbard, president of Atlas Survival Shelters, a firm based in Montebello, California. Inquiries have slowed down as tensions have eased over the last week, but Hubbard said he still expects to have a banner year, selling 1,000 shelters at an average price of $25,000 each.”

Sales in Japan have increased to the point where one manufacturer is opening a sales office in Osaka.  

“Hubbard reports there is intensified demand in Japan, where he has opened a sales office in Osaka. He’s also opening a new 400,000-square-foot plant in Dallas, largely to serve the Japanese market.

“We are back in the 1960s again,” said Hubbard, referring to the Cold War demand for bomb shelters. “We’ve got a crazy man on one side and Donald Trump on the other.”

Gary Lynch, general manager of Rising S Shelters in Murchison, Texas, has also seen a rise in demand for his products both in Japan and the US.

“"It is all due to the rhetoric on what is going on in North Korea,’ said Lynch, who said he has sold 67 bomb shelters internationally this year, mostly to Japan, compared to just nine for all of 2016.”

Lynch’s boss, Rising S owner Clyde Scott, told McClatchy that after Obama became president in early 2009, his company was inundated with orders from conservatives who were afraid Obama would try and take their guns. Now, Rising S is selling shelters to Democrat who are afraid Trump will start a war.

“In the United States, bomb shelter customers run the gamut. Some are homeowners recently alarmed about the threat of a nuclear strike. They also include survivalists and “preppers” — people preparing for man-made or natural disasters. Rising S is owned by a Texas prepper named Clyde Scott, who named his company after Jesus Christ, the rising son.

After Barack Obama was elected, Lynch said Rising S was contacted by customers worried about the government coming after their guns. After Trump was elected, a different clientele — Democrats — started calling. "People are worried that Trump would start a war," he said.”

Falling prices could be another reason for the bump in sales…

“Atlas markets 15 types of shelters, Hubbard said, but focuses on a corrugated steel pipe model, which can be decked out with luxuries or kept as a simple “man cave.” He said he’s brought his average price down from $100,000 to about $25,000 in the past six years.

“I think of myself as a modern-day Henry Ford, coming out with a shelter that everyone can afford,” Hubbard said.”

Instead of selling individual shelters, one California-based company built a doomsday bunker in Indiana and sold shares for $35,000 a pop. They’ve already sold out.

"Vivos, another California-based company, offers a completely different shelter experience. It sells shares in underground bunker complexes, a sort of doomsday condominium. Vivos — which means “to live” in Latin — says that its 80-person Indiana complex is completely sold out, with shares going for $35,000 per adult.

Even Kim and Kanye are buying…

“In their sales pitches, bunker companies also promise customers complete confidentiality. Rising S continues to fend off tabloid rumors that it"s building a bunker for Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.”

…but they"re trying to keep it quiet because people who own bunkers generally don’t want their neighbors to know they have one.

“Owners of shelters generally insist they don’t want their neighbors to know they have one, Hubbard said. “They would all be freaking out and banging on your door,” he said. “It is kind of like when a ship sinks — everyone swims to the floating life raft."

Demand for bunkers is rising even in South Korea, where residents have long since written off Kim Jong Un’s threats as empty rhetoric.

“There’s even increased interest in South Korea, he says.

“South Koreans generally don’t buy shelters because they are numb to the rhetoric coming out of North Korea,” he said. “But apparently Kim Jong Un has struck a chord.”

Though Trump promised during the campaign to adhere to an “America first” policy of nonintervention, he has repeatedly demonstrated a knack for military confrontation since taking office, having launched a missile strike on a Syrian government airfield and, just this past week, announcing that he would increase the number of troops in Afghanistan – a decision that reportedly inspired former staffer Sebastian Gorka to resign in protest.

In the absence of Bannon, as long as Trump continues to surround himself with generals like Chief of Staff John Kelly, the threat of thermonuclear conflict will linger.
 

North Korean Threat Sparks Rush To Build Bomb Shelters

HardenedStructures.com

The rising tensions generated by North Korea’s missile tests have convinced people around the world that it’s time to restock the bunker. Among the new generation of preppers is Australian businessman Nathan Stewart.

“If North Korea gets the ability to launch a long-range nuclear warhead, we have a place to go, which is why we are rebuilding it,” Stewart told The Australian. “We are going to restore the shelter to its former glory so it is fully operational.”

Stewart is bringing back a bunker on his estate in Australia’s Adelaide Hills. The shelter — the size of a house — features a kitchen, living room, two bathrooms and enough space for 14 people. It was built in the 1970s by the estate’s former owner, deceased businessman Kim Bonython.

North Korea Threatens Australia, Too

Stewart is afraid that Australia’s historic alliance with the United States will lead to a conflict with North Korea. Recent statements are fueling his anxiety.

Are Your Prepared For A Downed Grid? Get Backup Electricity Today!

“If Australia persists in following the U.S. moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK [North Korea], and remains a shock brigade of the U.S. master, this will be a suicidal act of coming within the range of the nuclear strike of the strategic force of the DPRK,” the North Korean government said earlier this year.

Stewart seems to have little faith in the ability of Australia’s government to protect him from North Korean missiles.

“We are redoing the bunker structure with the latest technology to make sure it is sound and all sealed properly,” Stewart said. “We will ensure it is fully supplied and stocked with years of water and non-perishable goods.”

Stewart is far from alone. U.S. bomb shelter makers have reported a 700 percent increase in sales, The Australian reported. Sales of bomb shelters are also skyrocketing in Japan.

A Japanese shelter builder called Earth Shift is reporting a tenfold increase in sales, Reuters reported.

“It takes time and money to build a shelter,” Nobuko Oribe, the managing director of another shelter company, Oribe Seiki Seisakusho, said. “But all we hear these days, in this tense atmosphere, is that they want one now. They ask us to come right away and give them an estimate.”

Another Japanese builder, Shelter Co., is showing off a one-room bunker designed to withstand a blast of a “Hiroshima class nuclear bomb,” Business Insider reported. The shelter features steel doors and many of the comforts of home, including upholstered chairs and carpeting.

It looks like bomb shelters are all the rage again thanks to Kim Jong-un.

What is your reaction? Share it in the section below:

The Government's Plan To Survive Nuclear War Doesn't Include You

Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,

Once again this week, the United States teetered a little closer towards war with the Russians. On Sunday, the US military shot down a Syrian jet that was allegedly targeting US backed forces. The Russians have since claimed that the aircraft was engaging ISIS, and have revealed that their air defense systems will now track any of our aircraft that happen to fly over Western Syria. They also suspended a hotline between the US and Russia that was in place to prevent mid-air collisions over the crowded skies of Syria.

Amid incidents like this, you have to wonder what our government is thinking. For most Americans, Syria must seem inconsequential. Why is our military involved in a country, where we are brushing shoulders with a nuclear armed nation? If it’s to fight ISIS, then we could easily sit back and let Russian and Syrian forces wipe them out. If it’s to affect regime change, then clearly our government hasn’t learned anything from Iraq or Afghanistan. Why are we risking a war with the Russians just to influence the outcome of a regional civil war that has little bearing on the daily lives of most Americans?

The answer to that question could probably fill a novel, but there is one reason that the elites in Washington will never admit to. They can afford to make careless decisions because they are insulated from the results. If there is a war with Russia, which could easily turn into a nuclear war, they’ll have plenty of spacious bunkers to hide out in while the rest of America burns. And that’s been our government’s plan in regards to nuclear war since the beginning of the Cold War.

That’s the main takeaway from a new book called Raven Rock: The Story of the US Government’s Plan to Save Itself. Our government has spent decades building sprawling bunkers, like Raven Rock, that high ranking officials can flee to in the event of a nuclear war.

The idea for Raven Rock was to have a military base that would function as an alternative to the Pentagon and would be dug out of a mountain and deep enough to survive any Russian attack.

 

A site was chosen six miles from Camp David, the Presidential retreat in Maryland, and work began in 1951 on the $17 million project

 

Some 300 men worked round the clock in three shifts to carve a 3,100ft tunnel out of the granite; engineers invented technology as they went along including blast doors and blast valves.

 

Inside the facility there was 100,000sq/ft of office space in five parallel caverns big enough to hold a three story building in each.

 

The entire facility could fit 1,400 people and was placed on giant springs to reduce the impact of a blast.

Via Daily Mail

Meanwhile, as they were building these bunkers and trying to convince Americans that nuclear war could be easily survivable, behind the scenes they knew it would be a bloodbath for civilians.

At the end of the 1950s, the FCDA created ‘Battleground USA’, a grim 120-page report on how cities should manage civil defense operations in the event of an attack.

 

It said that the area should be divided into ‘mortuary zones’ with ‘collection teams’ in charge of identifying bodies.

Post Office mail trucks would ferry the wounded to one of 900 improvised hospitals set up near attack sites in places like federal prisons.

 

In Kansas officials planned to confiscate household vitamins for use by the general population.

 

Planners estimated they could assemble two million pounds of food after an attack from their own reserves and from stores.

They could also could find 11 million ‘man-days’ of food in the forests and plains in rabbit meat, 10 million ‘man-days of wild birds and five million ‘man-days’ of fish.

 

Most chillingly they budgeted nearly 20 million ‘man-days’ of meat in residential pets.

 

It was disturbing reading and a view of the world that summed up by Eisenhower in one meeting: ‘The destruction might be such that we might ultimately have to go back to bows and arrows’

 

During another meeting Eisenhower admitted that nation didn’t have ‘enough bulldozers to scrape the bodies off the street’ in the event of a nuclear strike’.

And as we all know, our government didn’t take many measures to protect civilians from the potential carnage that would be inflicted by a nuclear war. They didn’t build many bunkers for the rest of us.

At first glance that may sound like an impossible task, but it’s not. Take Switzerland for instance. Despite not having any nuclear weapons, they’ve built enough fallout shelters to house every Swiss citizen. You might say that we could never afford that many shelters, but it’s not a question of cost. Switzerland’s GDP per capita is similar to America’s.

The truth of the matter, is that our leaders don’t give a damn about what happens to American civilians. As long as they have their bunkers, they feel safe while antagonizing nuclear armed nations like Russia. They know that if there’s a war, they’ll survive while the rest of us burn and starve.

Make no mistake, if there’s ever a war with Russia, you’ll be on your own. Whether or not you survive depends entirely on your willingness and ability to prepare now.

Doomsday Bunker Sales Soar After Trump's Military Strikes

For the rich and famous among us, the endgame has been relatively clear for a long time: according to the surge in ultra luxury "bunkers for billionaires" being built, the way all this ends is nothing short of a whole lot of mushroom clouds around the globe, with the world"s wealthiest hoping to protect themselves in deep underground bunkers designed for just such an eventuality. That these bunkers are also ultra luxurious and extremely expensive is just the status symbol today"s billionaires are eager to show as they carry humanity"s survival "to the other side."

Interior bedroom of bunker

Bunker swimming pool and garden using artificial lighting

Underground bunker wine cellar

But who said that doomsday bunkers have to be unaffordable for the common man?

As CBS reports, while the Trump administration’s increased military strikes might cause fear for some people, for one North Texas man, it means big bucks. Nora Holloway of Dallas is one of those folks who is concerned about the state of the world. So, citing the recent bombings in Syria, Afghanistan and the growing tension with North Korea, Holloway posted online to see if anyone wanted to “go in” on an underground bunker. 

“I’m in no position to buy one,” said Holloway. “However, I think that for a lot of people that is a serious concern and a lot of people have done so and will be doing so.”

They have indeed, and with doomsday bunkers  no longer only confined to the 0.01%, it means Trump"s recent foreign policy overtures have led to a bonanza for bunker builders "for the rest of us."

“If I took 30 people and I worked 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, I still wouldn’t be caught up right now,” said Clyde Scott of Rising S Bunkers in Murchison, Texas. Scott said there is around a three-month backlog for one of his subterranean shelters.

“They don’t really call me and ask me about the price or colors,” said Scott. “They say how fast can they get it.”

The list is only growing with each bomb dropped and threat levied. “You should have got it 6 months ago,” said Scott. “You shouldn’t wait until the threat, until the fuse is lit on the rocket.”

To be sure, unlike the ultraluxury bunkers discussed previously, these are at best Spartan, but at least they are affordable to most people. The most basic model is 100 square feet of protection that is installed for around $45,000. Scott said the most common is a 500 square-foot model for a family of four that runs for around $120,000.

The bunkers have all the amenities of home, are solar powered and surrounded by 100 percent steel. Scott said only an imagination and wallet stand in the way.

“Doomsday crazy person, ‘prepper’ that’s all kind of nutty that people make them out to be…they don’t have $3.5 million to by a 5,500 square-foot bunker. Right?” questioned Scott.

While all of his clients are kept confidential, Scott said everyone from star athletes, Forbes 500 CEOs and maybe even an unsuspecting next door neighbor is investing underground without anyone noticing. “I’ve sold to billionaires and I’ve sold to average Joes,” said Scott. Holloway said she does not have the money but can at least dream.

“It would prepare people, myself specifically for what could and very well may happen in the future,” said Holloway.

A list of models can be found here. The most expensive model being offered is “The Aristocrat.” For $8.3 million, the model comes with a pool, bowling alley and gun range.

Some examples:

ECONOMY SURVIVAL SHELTERS, 8 X12 – MINI BUNKER – $39,500

STANDARD SURVIVAL SHELTERS, 10×20-BASE MODEL – UNDERGROUND BUNKER – $58,500

FREEDOM SERIES, 10×50 – FREEDOM SERIES, UNDERGROUND BUNKER – THE HOMESTEADER – $159,000

ADMIRAL SERIES, 20×50 – ADMIRAL SERIES – UNDERGROUND BUNKER – $288,000

XTREME SERIES, 2500SQFT – XTREME SERIES - UNDERGROUND BUNKER –  THE GUARDIAN – $679,000

XTREME SERIES (BUNKER COMPLEX); UNDERGROUND BUNKER – “THE FORTRESS” – $1,009,999

“THE PRESIDENTIAL” LUXURY BUNKER: $4,200,000

“THE ARISTOCRAT” LUXURY BUNKER; “THE ARISTOCRAT” – $8,350,000

And while it hardly needs it considering the niche audience, here is the marketing material one creates to sell a $8 million bunker.

Thousands Of Americans Are Fleeing The Big Cities In Preparation For The Coming American Apocalypse

Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

Why are so many people suddenly moving away from major U.S. cities?  Recently, I wrote about the mass exodus that is happening out of the state of California, but the truth is that what is happening there is just part of a national phenomenon.  The populations of some of our largest cities are steadily shrinking, and many experts are completely mystified by the seismic demographic shifts that we are now witnessing.  Of course there are a whole host of reasons why people would want to move away from huge cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore and Cleveland.  For some families, it simply comes down to wanting a better life for their children.  But as you will see below, there are others that believe that things in this country are about to take an apocalyptic turn, and the big cities will not be a place that you want to be when economic collapse, rioting, looting, civil unrest and crime are all spiraling out of control.

According to data just released by the U.S. Census Bureau, Chicago took the prize for the biggest population loss from 2015 to 2016, and it was followed by Detroit and Baltimore…

The counties containing Chicago, Detroit and the independent city of Baltimore were the biggest population losers in the United States from 2015 to 2016, according to data released today by the Census Bureau.

Cook County, Ill., where Chicago is the county seat, had the largest population loss of any county in the country from 2015 and 2016.

Cook County alone had a “domestic migration” loss of more than 66,000 people.  That is a staggering number of people to lose in a single year.

Cleveland and Milwaukee were also very high on the list, and some are pointing out that all of these cities are in relatively colder climates and are all struggling economically.

So you certainly can’t blame people living in these cities for wanting to find somewhere warmer and more economically prosperous to live.

But others that are moving away from large cities are deeply concerned about where things are ultimately headed in this country.  It doesn’t take a genius to see that anger, frustration and hatred are rising all around us, and many believe that conditions are ripe for civil unrest and civil conflict.  In fact, best-selling author Doug Casey believes that we could soon see a “civil war” that is set off by a “financial collapse”…

Best-selling author Doug Casey wrote “Crisis Investing” at the time when the U.S. political landscape was transitioning from the Carter Administration to the Reagan Administration. Now, Casey sees a coming crisis that is equal or worse than the Civil War.  Casey explains, “In the U.S. right now, there seems to be so much antagonism it’s almost like pre-Civil War.  There is actually hatred in the U.S. at this point.  It used to be the Republicans and Democrats could disagree, but they could have a civil conversation about a difference of opinion.  Now, it’s active hatred between these two groups.  This is not going to end well.”

Casey thinks the coming financial collapse will be the trigger. Casey says, “It’s going to come down eventually.  I am worried about that, but we are in a situation where the country seem like it is just before a civil war.  It will be more serious than just a financial collapse, and it is likely to be set off by a financial collapse.”

Without a doubt, our financial system is certainly primed for a financial collapse, and when things get really, really bad in this country how will people respond?

Many have decided that they want to get away from the major population centers before we find out the answer to that question.

For example, not too long ago the Chicago Tribune ran a story about why so many preppers are moving to the Great Northwest.  One of the individuals profiled was an ex-resident of California named Trevor Treller who moved up to north Idaho prior to the recent election…

Trevor Treller, 44, who carries a small Smith & Wesson pistol on his hip, moved to north Idaho last year from Long Beach, California, and recently paid a little less than $400,000 for a defensible three-bedroom house on five wooded acres.

Treller, a sommelier at a local resort, said Obama was a key factor in his decision. He said the president has inflamed racial tensions in America, presided over a dangerous expansion of the national debt, been “hostile” to Second Amendment rights and failed to curtail the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran.

Treller said any one of those factors could lead to crippling chaos, so he and his wife have laid in food, weapons and ammunition and are installing an iron gate across their long gravel driveway.Of course it isn’t just ordinary Americans such as Treller that are deeply concerned about what is coming.

Less than a week ago, CNN ran an article entitled “Billionaire bunkers: How the 1% are preparing for the apocalypse“…

Many of the world’s elite, including hedge fund managers, sports stars and tech executives (Bill Gates is rumored to have bunkers at all his properties) have chosen to design their own secret shelters to house their families and staff.

Gary Lynch, general manager of Texas-based Rising S Company, says 2016 sales for their custom high-end underground bunkers grew 700% compared to 2015, while overall sales have grown 300% since the November US presidential election alone.

So why are Bill Gates and his billionaire friends so interested in buying luxury survival bunkers if everything is going to be just fine?

Can someone explain that one to me?

Everywhere you look, retail stores are closing and economic warning signs are flashing red, but those that sell survival bunkers to the elite are making tremendous amounts of money.

And I certainly wish that I could afford one of these survival bunkers, because they sound quite appealing…

One of those shelters, Vivos xPoint, is near the Black Hills of South Dakota, and consists of 575 military bunkers that served as an Army Munitions Depot until 1967.

Presently being converted into a facility that will accommodate about 5,000 people, the interiors of each bunker are outfitted by the owners at a cost of between $25,000 to $200,000 each. The price depends on whether they want a minimalist space or a home with high-end finishes.

The compound itself will be equipped with all the comforts of a small town, including a community theater, classrooms, hydroponic gardens, a medical clinic, a spa and a gym.

These elitists plan to ride out the coming American apocalypse in style while the world above them is literally going insane.

Meanwhile, most of the general population continues to be completely oblivious to what is about to happen to them, and so the events that are coming will close upon them suddenly like a trap and there will be no escape.

There Will Be Those Who Perish In the Next Crisis, And Those “Who Survive In Underground Luxury”

Ultimately, no one can stop what is coming.

The haves and have nots of the next, gritty era of aftermath will be those who have the means to survive when the system has failed, and those who do not.

For the wealthy, and prepper minded elite, hidden fortified layers purchased for insurance will preserve most of the luxuries of life above ground, and in the cities, even as society crumbles and burns to the ground.

Others, without the means to purchase these luxuries, may have still set aside the necessary materials to live and thrive after a great collapse, where anything and everything from the electric grid, to the fuel supply to the food supply will fail.

There will be tens of millions of starving, angry and bewildered people who face endangerment and extinction, and there will be a few who succeed not only in planning ahead, but in laying low enough to avoid being noticed and picked off by looters, marauders and misguided authorities.

Finding the perfect location for your redoubt, and making your preps to get away if need be, amount to something of an art and a science. Nothing is guaranteed, everything has its advantages and disadvantaged, but just by doing anything at all, you’ll be way ahead of the masses.

If the plans of the elite are anything to consider, they have decked out their bunkers with mementos and reminders of normal life, and not only enough to supplies not to feel the pain of a crumbling infrastructure, but to be distracted by the illusion of normalcy even in times of ultimate crisis.

But ultimately, all successful redoubts invest in the means to provide for long-term survival and maximum self-sufficiency.

As Health Nut News reports:

Most “shelters” include enough food for a year or more, and many have hydroponic gardens to supplement. The developers also work hard to create “well-rounded communities with a range of skills necessary for long-term survival, from doctors to teachers.” (During the 2016 elections, Vivos received a flurry of interest in its shelters from both liberals and conservatives and completely sold out of spaces in its community shelters.)

Many of the interiors are left as a blank slate so that each owner can create what they are looking for in terms of comfort and luxury- and it all comes at a cost. Base models can start at $25,000 and go up to almost $5 million dollars. Their footprints also vary from quaint to 5000 square feet.

It isn’t just happening in the United States, but all over the world. And while the fastest growing part of this sector clearly caters to the rich and well adjusted, many shelters are also being constructed to house millions of masses during emergencies – at least in places like China, Switzerland and Russia.

[…] The Oppidum, billed as “the largest billionaire bunker in the world.” This top-secret facility, once a joint project between the former Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia), was built over 10 years beginning in 1984. The premiere apocalypse dwelling is a place that billionaires can live out the horrors of the apocalypse- be it zombie or other- in luxury with every amenity you could ever hope for.

[…] Retail firm Survival Condos offers refuge at a re-purposed missile silo in Kansas, United States. The luxury apartments here are stacked underground and protected by blast doors designed to withstand explosions. Retail firm Survival Condos offers refuge at a re-purposed missile silo in Kansas, United States. The luxury apartments here are stacked underground and protected by blast doors designed to withstand explosions.”

[…] Vivos Europa One, in Rothenstein, is one of Germany’s largest repurposing projects. The 76-acre former Soviet bunker is capable of withstanding a nuclear blast, a direct plane crash or biological attack. It is being transformed into 34 five-star apartments, starting at 2,500 sq ft, which aim to protect the super-rich from any forthcoming apocalypse.

Self-sustaining communities or networks of individuals can also plan around their budgets to make these concepts a reality. Many companies will customize and scale down projects to costs as low as $25,000… while basic home fortification and DIY applications can be done for much less money.

In the end, those who prepared when nothing happened are only out what they invested on the principle of having a viable back-up insurance plan.

But those who didn’t prepare for the worst when it did happen could very quickly lose everything they have, and many will perish during the next major crisis – which could be triggered at this point by almost anything.

Read more:

How This Man Converted “Underground Shelter Using a 20 Ft. Shipping Container”

Elite Hiding in Bunkers to Escape War with China: “Intended Survivors Are Moving Underground”

Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Through Any Disaster

The $50 & Up Underground House Book

Prepping Expert Joel Skousen’s The Secure Home

Doomsday Planning: Underground Shelter Networks

Sweden Readies Network Of Nuclear Fallout Bunkers As Fears Grow Of Russian Attack

It"s difficult to argue that international geopolitical tensions aren"t somewhat elevated at the moment.  Russia, and it"s army of "hackers", has suddenly become the convenient enemy of every political party around the world that once enjoyed majority support among voters but can"t quite come to terms with the fact that their own actions, rather than a well-orchestrated Russian propaganda campaign, may be the cause of the wave of nationalism sweeping across the globe.  Not to mention the fact that it"s almost impossible to predict the daily provocations that will come from leaders in Iran and North Korea.

And while most of us are simply making note of the heightened international tensions, before more or less going on with our usual daily routines, the Swedes are preparing for the worse and readying a vast system of nuclear fallout bunkers just in case Russia decides to invade over the next couple of months.

According to The Sun, Sweden is home to a system of 65,000 bunkers that were established in the Cold War to protect the population from nuclear war with the Soviet Union and, as of right now, they"re all being prepped for immediate usage.

According to MSB, the bunkers currently protect against blast and radiation as well as chemical or germ warfare.

But with fears growing over threat posed by Vladimir Putin and his resurgent Russia they are being reviewed to make sure they are ready.

Russian military drills in the region have raised fears among neighbouring nations that an attack could happen in the coming months.

Just in case you ever find yourself in Sweden and in urgent need of a nuclear fallout shelter...this is the sign you should be on the lookout for.

Of course, this move comes after the Nordic nation reintroduced compulsory military service for teens earlier this month, a move which defense minister Peter Hultqvist directly attributed to fears over "Russian aggression."

“We have a Russian annexation of Crimea, we have the aggression in Ukraine, we have more exercise activities in our neighbourhood."

“So we have decided to build a stronger national defence."

“The decision to activate conscription is part of that.”

Sweden, which has a population of 9.5million, ended compulsory national service for men in 2010.

Meanwhile, in Russia...

How This Idaho Oldtimer Constructed An Ideal “Underground Home for Less Than $50”

This guy never took to living conventionally, or really, having anything to do with the grid that he didn’t have to.

Mike Oehler is a veteran in the DIY homesteading movement –  writing the book on how he made his own underground home for cheap, less than $50 using found materials and his reservoir of ingenuity.

This house, dug into a hill and concealed underground, lends itself to camoflauge, self-sustainability, energy efficiently, prepping and survival.

Learn from his experience how to design for the best management of water flow, sunlight into your underground dwelling, and the best way to insulate naturally, and live as low cost as you prefer.

via Kirsten Dirksen:

Mike Oehler lived for over 30 years in an underground home that he built for $50 (and expanded for $500) on his land in Northern Idaho near the Canadian border. Now in his seventies his arthritis keeps him from hiking up to his home, but he continues to “write and proselytize.”

In 1968 like thousands of other San Franciscans hoping to go “back to the land”, Oehler bought property and began to build a homestead. After spending a winter freezing in a small cabin, he designed a home that would use the earth as insulation. With his first attempt he fell into the easy errors of what he calls a “first thought house”: a hole cut into a hillside with south-facing windows. Gradually he began to innovate with subterranean design, creating better ways for letting light in: among them “the Hollywood Wing”, “the Royer foyer”, gables and most-importantly the “uphill patio” (which also provides space for an earth-sheltered greenhouse). He also created an inexpensive, low-tech approach to basic design with what he calls PSP or Post/shoring/polyethlene. Mike Oehler’s “$50 & Up Underground House Book”: http://www.undergroundhousing.com/

Depending upon how you look at it, you could live out your dream, or prepare to survive a nightmare in relative comfort and security.

If it is build properly, it will maintain more regulated temperatures throughout the year than virtually any other structure.

If you’re flying under the radar completely, sod-covered roofs, tucked away hills on back-acre property, shrubbery and foilage in front of your major entrances and other simple tricks can help you blend in and remain almost literally undercover.

Yet, at the same time, natural light can be easily utilized for a home that does not necessarily need electricity, power or grid connections (that much is up to you).

Read more:

Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Through Any Disaster

The $50 and Up Underground House Book

Prepping Expert Joel Skousen’s The Secure Home

Elite Prepare to Hole Up in Luxury Underground Bunkers: “They Know Something The Rest of Us Do Not”

How This Man Converted “Underground Shelter Using a 20 Ft. Shipping Container”

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Author: Mac Slavo
Views: Read by 613 people
Date: March 10th, 2017
Website: www.SHTFplan.com

Copyright Information: Copyright SHTFplan and Mac Slavo. This content may be freely reproduced in full or in part in digital form with full attribution to the author and a link to www.shtfplan.com. Please contact us for permission to reproduce this content in other media formats.

“Micro-Homestead” This Modest Survival Shelter Could Save Your Life When It’s Time to Bug Out

It certainly isn’t much, but when you have nothing else, it could be all you need.

In many emergencies, bugging out may not be the best option. Certainly it is not the best choice for every SHTF situation.

However, there may be situations where you need to leave your home or dwelling, get out of the city while you can, and lay low until/if sense ever returns to society.

You Tuber Kevin Coy shows you what may be the lowest cost, least effort way to build a viable survival shelter – which could also have uses for hunting, camping, play, etc.

He’s calling it a “micro-homestead.”

For the millions of Americans who can barely make it to the next paycheck, much less invest in high priced gear, supplies and stocks, it may be much better than nothing at all.

Here’s the set-up he came up with:

Of course, there are many other options, especially for those who have the means to purchase, build and develop more ideal structures and set-ups.

However, at 8×8, this building could likely be built without permit or on-grid approval in most areas, and could at least serve as a temporary structure until your dream getaway is ready to go!

Prepping requires time, energy, mental and physical effort and especially the mindset to plan ahead, make sacrifices in the “now” and put valuable resources towards insurance for the future. Many will contemplate taking action, but fewer still will actually be ready when the SHTF.

But the first step in this direction may prove to be the most important one you ever make…

Read more:

The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-by-Step Guide to Prepare You For Any Disaster

The Six Laws of Survival: Strategies For Beating the Worst Case Scenario

Why a Prepper Homestead Isn’t a Good Plan for Survival: “Raising Your Own Food Takes Time”

Are You Prepared to Survive in the Wilderness Alone? “Natural Shelter, Blend In”

Here’s Where You Absolutely Don’t Want to Be “When It All Turns Ugly”

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Author: Mac Slavo
Views: Read by 2,428 people
Date: February 23rd, 2017
Website: www.SHTFplan.com

Copyright Information: Copyright SHTFplan and Mac Slavo. This content may be freely reproduced in full or in part in digital form with full attribution to the author and a link to www.shtfplan.com. Please contact us for permission to reproduce this content in other media formats.

This Underground Survival Community Proves Preppers “Don’t Just Survive, They Thrive”

This article was written by Amanda Froelich and originally published at TrueActivist.

Editor’s Comment: Increasingly, society is poised to be separated into two groups – those who are completely vulnerable during a collapse, and those who will be ready to survive.

The latter group will not just include the wealthy, but also the frugal and prepared type who take nothing for granted, and make extra preparations in case of the worst. While a major catastrophe may not fall upon the country, there are many crisis flashpoints that could strike at any moment – and put entire regions into danger.

These underground survival communities are everything that cities are not – they are isolated, self-contained and self-sufficient – all great assets during a prolonged disaster that could include rioting, looting and roaming gangs looking for easy targets.

World’s Largest Survival Community Has 575 Off-Grid Bunkers [Take A Peek]

By Amanda Froelich

In an unsuspecting location exists the world’s largest survival community, where doomsday preppers can invest in an eco-friendly bunker for just $25,000.

In one of the most unassuming locations exists the world’s largest survival community, complete with 575 off-grid doomsday bunkers. Near the southern edge of Edgemont, South Dakota (population 740),  the Vivos xPoint community can be found.

Survivalists who wish to prepare for the worst can lease an off-grid bunker in a high-security area for $25,000. Additionally, there is a $1,000 per year ground lease that extends for 99 years.

The survival community was once an Army depot that used to store ammunition and bombs from 1942 to 1967. Now, it exists as a potential refuge located about 100 miles from the “nearest known military nuclear targets.” In the case of WWIII, a zombie apocalypse, or (more likely) an economic collapse, at least 5,000 people can find security while the world falls apart. According to Vivos, each bunker can endure a 500,000-pound internal blast – just to be safe.

Each bunker, which is approximately 1,800 to 2,400 square feet, is covered by a berm. Inside, residents will find life-sustaining resources, including water which can be acquired via two wells and is stored in reinforced concrete tanks.

The company claims 10 to 20 people can subsist in a bunker for an entire year. And, those who lease a spot in the community can hire a contractor to outfit the shelter however they please. Additionally, Vivos sells a turnkey shelter.

Credit: Vivos

Credit: Vivos

Tenants of a bunker can choose geothermal heating, solar or wind to provide backup power for a generator, or even a nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) air filtration system, reports Inhabitat. As the potential for “SHTF” increases, Vivos intends to install a general store, shooting range, hydroponic gardens, horse stables, medical clinic, classroom, and a members-only restaurant. Of course, other planned amenities will likely also be included.

Credit: Vivos

In fact, Vivos wants to make sure those who prep ahead don’t just survive, they thrive. The company has suggested creating more shelters to store art, wine, cars, and other fine things of modern life.

According to Business Insider, the community is presently empty. However, it’s the place one will want to be in the case of impending disaster. And if South Dakota doesn’t seem appealing, Vivos also offers communities in Indiana and Europe.

This article was written by Amanda Froelich and originally published at TrueActivist.

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