(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)
– To filter air:
- Need to get fresh air into the shelter without pulling in fallout particles
- In rack 1 is everything you need to set up an air filter system that pulls in filtered air
- Checklist with step-by-step pictures is on the clipboard
- Instructions are also written on the plywood board that will go in the opened movie room window slot (board already has 12” holes in it for the small yellow industrial fan to pull air into the movie room through one of the furnace filters) [Rack 1 contains a small commercial ventilation fan (Vevor 12” utility blower fan), three large house furnace filters that will be used to filter air pulled into the movie from outside, a fitted plywood board that will go into the movie room subterranean window, two rolls of duct tape, and several pre-cut thick pieces of foam to ensure a tight fit]
- The fan will need to be powered on once every two hours for 5-10 minutes to change out the air [it will be powered by the Yeti 1250 battery “generator,” or by another power source discussed below]
- When the fan is off flip the pre-cut and already-attached thick plastic sheet down onto the inner/exhaust side of fan – this will keep bad particles outside as much as possible (use the large black rubber bands already on the exhaust side of the fan to secure it)
– Cooking/eating:
-
- Propane 2-burner camp stove, in rack above moms car
- Propane tanks for the camp stove are brought from storage under stairs out back [there are at least four full 20lb propane tanks there at all times]
- Extension adapter gas line to work with 20lb propane tanks, near stored tanks [this adapter hose is what we use to fuel the camp stove rather than a small propane can]
- Also can cook/boil water on small single-burner hot plate (in Rack 1) [only uses 1000W so will work with Yeti 1250 generator from Goal Zero, battery replaced one year ago, will power items under 1200W]
Food is in the movie room already – MREs - Located at the back wall of the movie room and have “heaters” that work by adding small amount of water, like when camping) and civilian MRE-like meals (also have heaters that work by adding small amount of water) [We’ve had fun practicing with these before, there’s enough for 2 people for a month – only 3 years old as of this article]
- Time permitting, bring in other canned, freeze dried and dehydrated food from storage [another room in the basement] that will supplement the MREs at back wallA can opener is part of Rack 1 stuff
Eating kits (Army-style mess kits and metal utensils) are in Rack 1 stuff
– Sleeping:
- Move cots and sleeping bags to movie room – the sleeping bags and cots are on the rack above Mom’s car
- Grab more blankets (some blankets are on Rack 1, grab others as needed depending on season)
- Heating is covered by small heaters in Rack 1 stuff [one 12v small heater and two 500W 12V small ceramic space heaters – depends on season and grid power]
– Radios/Communication:
- AM/FM/WX/NOAA alert radios in Rack 1 stuff are hand cranked, solar chargeable, and/or battery powered (also have lights) [American Red Cross FRX3]
- Radio on workbench [Raddy RF760 Portable SSB Shortwave Radio Receiver with NOAA Alert, Full Band AM/FM/SW/CB/VHF/UHF/WX/AIR]
- Green ammo can above my workbench labelled “radios” – contains walkie-talkie radios [Baofeng UV-5R] for when leaving movie room to go upstairs or outside
- Always take a radio with you when you leave the shelter and do a test of the transmit and receive of both units before you walk out
– Security:
- Set up Burglar Busters (in Rack 1 stuff) across the front door entry [main floor], the sliding glass door leading to the deck [main floor] and the basement sliding glass door [I don’t think they make the “burglar buster” anymore, but it’s a pepper spray system with a trip wire release]
- Set up other trip wires connected to cans/bottles (in the 5 gallon bucket in Rack 1) to serve as warning for break in
- Set them up inside the door going into the garage from the house [interior of the house as you move from a mud room area to the garage – they are precut and packaged in ziplocs with thumbtacs to attach – in Rack 1 containers]
- Set up on stairs going down to basement [prepackages as above]
- Insert large bolts through garage door rails – two bolts per garage door, one on each side of the garage doors (they’re hanging next to the holes you put them into) to prevent the garage doors from being pried open from the outside
- Bring all the guns in the green gun locker and ammo cans [labelled and stacked] for each gun into movie room [will supply the two Glock 19s, two 12GA shotguns, two AR-15s, and the “mighty” M1A]
Wear your pistol when leaving the movie room (keep long guns ready by observation holes – see below) - Bring the body armor from (husband’s) side of closet down and set it inside the movie room along the wall near to the door
- If able, bring down the six metal targets [Tactical Scorpion Gear GG1220 AR500 12’ x 20”’3/8” – these would serve as a bulletproof shield near the observation holes(below)]]
- Get thermal and night vision devices [Seek Thermal XR imager for iOS and SiONYX Aurora night vision device]; there is a set of both of these devices in the small black travel bag, and another larger night vision binocular-sized device in my top dresser drawer
- Time and fallout permitting, nail/screw 2X4s from racks in garage to the wall horizontally to cover patio door and basement pool room windows (horizontal openings are harder to climb through than vertical)
- Consider putting up hand drawn signs saying “DANGER! INFECTION INSIDE!” on doors to deter entry/curiosity
- Time and fallout permitting, nail many long nails (from left toolbox, second drawer from the bottom) through the 1X6 boards from the garage overhead storage area and lay them “pointy side up” below window sills in basement and in (son’s) room
- Later, use Leatherman or long screwdriver and cut small observation holes in the wall of the movie room allowing you to see into the main basement towards the patio door
- Cut a second hole looking towards stairs [stairs come from the main floor to the basement level and end right at the entrance to the movie room]
- Cover the holes from the inside with duct tape
Note: Before you look out, turn off all lights in the movie room, open the tape cover and observe.
– Power:
- Using the dolly in the garage bring the Yeti 1250 and Yeti 400 [Goal Zero battery “generators”] and the two 12 V batteries to the main basement area about 10 feet from the basement sliding glass door (not into the movie room – the charging cords won’t reach the movie room) [they are connected to the Yeti 1250 with an easy-to-disconnect Anderson Power Pole connector and the 12Vs charge in parallel with the Yeti 1250]
- Bring Yeti wall charger cords from garage
- Bring long black 30’ Yeti power cord (sitting on top of the Yeti while in the garage)
- Reconnect the Yeti to the 2X 12V batteries
- Set up all the four solar panels [GoalZero 100W briefcase model] on the deck (to be less visible) and screw them down to the deck wood using the screws in the Ziploc bags taped to the back of the panels (to be more stable in winds)
- Connect the solar panels together – plug ends are labelled “into next panel” and ports on the back of the panels are labelled “in from other panel” and “out to next panel”
- Run the 30’ charger cord from the last of the solar panels down (two ends of the cord are labelled “from the last solar panel” and “plug into Yeti, to be charged”) into the main basement room – will reach the Yeti and battery set
- Will have to cut or break out a small notch in the sliding glass door frame to enable passage of the cord inside without cutting/damaging it. [I’ve practiced running the cord and the length will work, but just barely – I’m working on a better solution]
- Connect the cord end labelled “plug into Yeti, to be charged” into the Yeti 1250 or the Yeti 400 as needed
- Bring small battery chargers (AA and AAA) down to recharge the batteries that power lanterns, radios, walkie talkies (right tool box drawer “electrical” and the one on work bench) [this is a drawer that my wife and I are familiar with as we use the chargers regularly]
- There is also a “pedal generator” in the Rack 1 stuff that can be used to power and recharge things if the panels aren’t providing enough power to the Yet.
- Bring gas-powered generator [Generac GP3500IO 3,500-Watt 212cc Recoil Start Portable Inverter Generator, it’s on wheels, from outside storage unit] into a well-ventilated isolated garage at far end of the house, plus the long yellow power cord above the Yeti.
- Plug the yellow cord into the round 3-prong outlet on the generator – there’s only one outlet that will take that plug.
- Bring four extension cords [from the garage storage] and plug three of them into the yellow cord, three-outlet end, and the fourth extension cord into the normal 120V outlet on the generator; these will be used to keep frig/freezers cold and to recharge the Yeti if the solar panels don’t generate enough power
- Run the generator once every 8 hours or so for 30-60 minutes depending on the temperature/time of year and the readings on the displays outside the frig/freezers [AcuRite Digital Wireless Fridge and Freezer Thermometer with Alarm] [I’ve practiced this and the cords will easily reach to the frig/freezers and each one stays cold even in summer via generator power at the this interval]
– Lights:
- There are several already in the Rack 1 stuff, including an IR light (labelled) – the batteries aren’t dead, you just can’t see the light
- Time and fallout permitting, grab the gray flashlights from the vehicles, the ones with crank handle [ThorFire Solar Flahlight with handcrank and solar charger]
- Grab the lantern hanging on garage frig/freezer
- There are also lights on the red American Red Cross hand-crank radios in Rack 1 stuff
– Bathroom needs:
- 5 gallon bucket and toilet seat that attaches to the bucket in rack 1 stuff [Reliance Products Luggable Loo Snap-on toilet seat with lid]
- While in storage in Rack 1 the bucket has 500 wipes [WYSI expandable wipes, box of 500] – to use them add a small bit of water to remoisten the wipes and they will expand
- While in storage in Rack 1, the bucket also contains three rolls of 75 small plastic bags that fit over the opening of the bucket [I chose wipes rather than normal TP for space considerations] – attach the toilet seat on top of the bucket once the new bag is in place; this will hold the bag in place while “going”
- Grab additional kitchen and lawn garbage bags [in our normal household storage areas]
- Grab additional rolls of small trash can bags from garage [in normal storage areas]
- Place the bags containing waste in (son’s) room
– Hygiene and Washing:
- Use two of the 5 gallon buckets (from Rack 1 items above) to serve as wash basins
- While in storage, the buckets already contain soap bars and shampoo [from hotel stays]
- Grab towels, wash cloths, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, sanitary pads (as needed)
- Grab the large bottles of hand sanitizers from main floor bathroom closet (to save water)
– Information/entertainment:
iPads
iPhones and charger cords
2X Prepper laptops from library closet (in large Mylar bags) [these are just old school, work site ruggedized Panasonic laptops with DVD players – eBay for a couple hundred each]
Library hard drives to plug into the laptops
Physical DVDs in the dresser in basement by door
Decks of cards
Board games
Kindle
Bible
Walkie talkie radios (from above)
– Go Bags:
- (Husband’s) get home bags (the one in the large roller luggage in garage behind tool chests [holds a full size ALICE pack with usual stuff; I leave it in the luggage while on my trip]
- Small black travel one [holds things I may need if stuck in an airport without food or power]
- Two medium sized green “Army looking” backpacks in Rack 1 [each one of these has “the usual stuff”]
– Dog:
- Food from upstairs food can
- Bowls
- Bags of food from basement storage [always keep at least a 60 day supply]
- The bag of red towels from above workbench to clean up dog’s “accidents”
- Dogs will need to be taken to (son’s) room to go, otherwise the movie room will quickly turn unlivable
- The dog can’t be “suited up” but you will need to be depending on the radiation readings
If there is fallout happening the dog may become contaminated; before going back into the movie room check him with the Geiger counter and if needed give him a good brushing or even hose him off with water inside the galvanized steel wash basin (Rack 1 stuff)
– Clothes:
3 changes of clothes
6 pairs socks
6 underwear
Tennis shoes
Boots
Coats and sweaters as needed
– Reading glasses
– Toolbag and power drill with spare battery and charger
– All precious metals (gold and silver) and cash brought down
PMs needed later for purchases if dollars are no good.
– Turn off gas to house (outside of the house on the downhill side)
Will need the large crescent wrench from the toolbag
Turn the red valve to align the hole with the other red hole on the main lines [I painted both holes red]
– Gas cans:
[I have several 5 gallon cans of gas – no ethanol and treated with Pri-G – stored in an outside storage area]
Bring them and the pouring spigot inside into garage to refuel the generator
If there is a wildfire danger, move them out of the house down to bottom level of back yard and cover them with tarps and rocks – much depends on time and circumstances
– Vehicles:
Pull (wife’s car) out of the garage and back the truck [gas powered F250 SuperDuty] into the two bay garage side
This is to protect the truck and the gas in its 34 gallon main tank and its 40 gallon spare tank, and to be able to covertly load it while in the closed garage if/when we decide we’re leaving – allows “open up and go” option
[Medical items are covered by the large stash of supplies and equipment already pre-positioned in the movie room]
(End of Checklist)
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Please feel free to copy, modify, and otherwise use it as you want. By removing the “location/layout” specific wording for my house and my “make and model numbers” you should end up with a fairly clean version. At least it could serve as a start for making one or modifying your own.
Hope for peace, but while hope is important “it is neither a strategy nor a tactic.”
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Additional note: I’ve attached “My Creed” below that I scribbled out years ago. It’s sort of a “who am I and what are my core life and prepping duties” thing. Every morning I read it at the end of my Bible and prayer time. It was the starting point for me in my prepping journey and a driver in developing things like this nuke attack checklist.
My Creed:
I am a Man, a Husband, and a Father “As a man I will strive to use my time and money wisely in preparing for troubled times. I am responsible to support and defend my family. I will support my family financially, spending wisely, working steadily to remove the family from all debt and saving where I can. I will defend my family against the threats they face from a hazardous daily life, an uncertain economy, and a dangerous post-disaster world. I will prepare for these by planning, buying, training and praying. I will prepare myself physically for the challenges of age and the uncertainty of future events.
“As a husband I know I am blessed with a beautiful, attentive, hardworking and loving woman. I will be faithful to her, I will respect her and will work to please her wherever I can as we prepare together for trouble. Though aging, I will be strong for her. I will tell her I love her, appreciate her, and respect her.
“As a father I will be an example for my children in all things. I will love them unconditionally. I will tell them that I expect their best but we are all imperfect. I will accept these imperfections and let them know how special and wonderful they are and that I am blessed to be their father. I will strive to listen more than I talk. I will teach them to be ready for trouble so they know what to do. I will work to see them as adults but always love them as my children.”