Doomsday Bunkers 3part series

[ineffableone]

For those who thought Doomsday Preppers was not extreme enough Discovery Channel is putting out a 3 part series called

Doomsday Bunkers

YOU BETTER RUN, YOU BETTER HIDE! PREPPING FOR REAL LIFE DISASTER SERIES DOOMSDAY BUNKERS COMES TO DISCOVERY CHANNEL
-Three-Part Series featuring Scott Bales Premieres March 7 at 10PM-
For some, power grid failures, nuclear disasters, earthquakes, shooting sprees, tsunamis, suicide bombers, and nose diving economies around the globe are more than just "ripped from the headline" news stories. They're cataclysmic events that require serious preparation and bold actions to create the ultimate safe destination. DOOMSDAY BUNKERS pulls back the curtain on advanced and secretive underground bunkers -- impenetrable safety zones - that feature the ultimate in security, comfort, and cutting edge design and technology. DOOMSDAY BUNKERS premieres on Wednesday, March 7 at 10PM ET/PT.
Dallas-based Deep Earth Bunker owner Scott Bales and his crackerjack team of engineers and craftsmen bring a new dimension to the world of underground living, with an absolute goal of keeping their clients safe from physical, social, financial, political, psychological, and emotional harm. Air systems with nuclear, biological and chemical filters; massive water storage tanks; security systems; gun vaults; and decontamination rooms coupled with custom built kitchens with granite countertops; fine floor finishes; and luxurious bathrooms combine the comfort of above ground living with incomparable security. Bales shares his insight to provide a rare look at the multi-layered survival strategies he uses to build the most invulnerable and comfortable hidden residences in the country.
DOOMSDAY BUNKERS features the design and build of survival units with a reveal of the completed project. From sizable underground bunkers with safety measures that include outside hand rails with hidden flame throwers, to special safety structures that include the Pyramid and Tsunami pods, each unit is tested using a battery of attacks that include firearms, fire, and falling vehicles. Each episode is a beginning to end "how to" and "why to" build the ultimate safety zone for those preparing for the worst.

[ineffableone]

I have to wonder what shelter/bunkers they will be featuring in this?

I would love to see the Vivos shelters in this show. http://www.terravivos.com/ From what I know these are the most extensive network of nongovernmental shelters.

Another interesting and maybe a bit comedic shelter that would be interesting would be the Pink Visual shelter/bunker code named "Sexagon". Yep Pink Visual is a porn company that is building their own shelter/bunker.
Blue prints of the command module of the "Sexagon"


A decent article about the Pink Visual shelter here http://www.brobible.com/bronews/story/porn-studio-building-massive-underground-bunker

The fact is there are a lot of personal shelters, and shared shelters out there. This show will be interesting just to get to see a few of the ones out there.

[zombicide_x]

Shooting unsuspecting employees with a robotic airsoft gun, I hope that's fake.

I hate this show as much as the equally contrived Sons of Guns!

[MVegas]

Unlike "Doomsday Preppers", which while not doing us any favors, at least manages to keep me around for the whole hour, this was a complete bore. I was surfing inside 15 minutes.
And yeah....I hope that guy doesn't think an automated sentry gun system is a good idea, legally or otherwise.

[KnightoftheRoc]

Based solely on the embedded ad, it seems to me like they are going to only foster two things with this- paranoia in those already prone to it, and to make non-preppers laugh at those who do prep.

And, the Sexagon blueprint makes me laugh every time I see it posted. What an idiotic design!

[ineffableone]

Well it seemed to me like most of Discovery Channel's reality shows. Pretty much the same BS shop stuff like American Chopper, Suns of Guns etc. They had to get stuff finished in time for the customer but things weren't working out and they were behind schedule, blah blah blah...

The best part of the show was Shea's little girl Savannah saying, "A prepper is someone who prepares for the worst but hopes for the best."

That this was all about just one bunker designer was a bit of a let down for me. I was hoping for a bit more about how many bunker builders there really are out there and some comparisons of the many designs.

As I started with, for me this is just like the rest of the Discovery channel build shows except they are building bunkers, and feature a little prepper stuff in with it.

Based solely on the embedded ad, it seems to me like they are going to only foster two things with this- paranoia in those already prone to it, and to make non-preppers laugh at those who do prep.

And, the Sexagon blueprint makes me laugh every time I see it posted. What an idiotic design!

Yes I had to throw the Sexagon in the speculation of bunkers they would show. It is such a funny thing that I would almost expect them to feature it.

I would love to see them interview at least the Vivos folks with their multi bunker system. Maybe show some other top bunker builders like
Hardened Structures http://www.hardenedstructures.com/
SafeCastlehttp://www.safecastle.com/
Northwest Shelter Systemshttp://www.northwestsheltersystems.com/

Over all a bit of a let down, though I did enjoy seeing the bunkers I can see cool bunkers on you tube with out that gimmiky hurry we got to get it built crap.

Speaking of, here are a few

[Mannlicher]

the insanity of 'reality' TV, and of those that watch this drivel, is astounding.

[zombicide_x]

I don't understand why they used steel plate for the structure of that "Survival Expert's" underground honkey paradise.

I'd think that for that application, poured reinforced concrete would be better and cheaper.

[HKTackDriver]

Show was interesting, but nothing I'll be paying for. $450k for 1100 sq/ft is retarded ridiculous. I could have a concrete bunker poured for far less, add water and electric and pay a couple thousand for air filtration, which will take far more abuse. The only thing I appreciated was the design specs for their impenetrable door. Thanks guys!

[zombicide_x]

Dig where the yahoos put the unshielded air filtration canister (1:20). THE DINING ROOM!

You pay 100s of thousands and you wind up getting irradiated at the dinner table.

The dude who designed that "shelter" should stick with his day job building mobile homes.

[JustInCase]

This stuff is way out of my price range, even out of my dream price range.

The drama around the shop seemed very staged.

I found the 2x4 cannon very cool.

[ineffableone]

Dig where the yahoos put the unshielded air filtration canister (1:20). THE DINING ROOM!

You pay 100s of thousands and you wind up getting irradiated at the dinner table.

The dude who designed that "shelter" should stick with his day job building mobile homes.

Northwest Shelter Systems is one of the better shelter designers in the world, your commenting that they need to stick with building mobile homes is rather uneducated. Those filters are designed to be able to hold radioactive particles safely, even in the dinning room as long as you don't break the hermetic seals on it. The reason it is exposed is the air filters are designed to be able to be used manually as well as with power, in the event you have a power failure you can still get fresh air rather than suffocate.

I suggest you try learning about things you attempt to criticise. NWSS is an amazing shelter builder with over 20 years experience building shelters.

[zombicide_x]

Northwest Shelter Systems is one of the better shelter designers in the world, your commenting that they need to stick with building mobile homes is rather uneducated. Those filters are designed to be able to hold radioactive particles safely, even in the dinning room as long as you don't break the hermetic seals on it. The reason it is exposed is the air filters are designed to be able to be used manually as well as with power, in the event you have a power failure you can still get fresh air rather than suffocate.

I suggest you try learning about things you attempt to criticise. NWSS is an amazing shelter builder with over 20 years experience building shelters.

OK, here is an extremely truncated explanation as to why putting the air filtration canister of a fallout shelter in the dining room is a bonehead move.

When a nuclear bomb explodes close to the earth's surface a lot of dirt is made highly radioactive (neutron capture) and flung up into the air, these mostly short half-life isotopes rapidly expend their energy in three kinds of radiation; alpha and beta particles and gamma rays. The fallout particles filtered out of the shelter's air supply is collected (and concentrated) in the filter media, in the depicted sheet metal canister. While a piece of thin sheet steel is fairly effective at stopping alpha and beta particles, it is virtually transparent to gamma rays. It takes a full inch (2.5cm) of steel to reduce the strength of gamma rays by 50% and it would take 5 inches to cut it 94%, hence the original mentioning the "unshielded air filter."

As to having the filter in the dining room, gamma rays' strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance to the source, so radiation measured 1m from the source (the dining room mounted air filter ) would be 1/4 as strong and at 4m would be 1/16 and so on. So if you must have an unshielded filter, don't put right in the middle of where you are going to be hanging out a lot of the time!

I was being factious when I said these guys built mobile homes, but I pretty sure they never read the nuclear bible chapters 8 & 9.

[ineffableone]

Northwest Shelter Systems is one of the better shelter designers in the world, your commenting that they need to stick with building mobile homes is rather uneducated. Those filters are designed to be able to hold radioactive particles safely, even in the dinning room as long as you don't break the hermetic seals on it. The reason it is exposed is the air filters are designed to be able to be used manually as well as with power, in the event you have a power failure you can still get fresh air rather than suffocate.

I suggest you try learning about things you attempt to criticise. NWSS is an amazing shelter builder with over 20 years experience building shelters.

OK, here is an extremely truncated explanation as to why putting the air filtration canister of a fallout shelter in the dining room is a bonehead move.

When a nuclear bomb explodes close to the earth's surface a lot of dirt is made highly radioactive (neutron capture) and flung up into the air, these mostly short half-life isotopes rapidly expend their energy in three kinds of radiation; alpha and beta particles and gamma rays. The fallout particles filtered out of the shelter's air supply is collected (and concentrated) in the filter media, in the depicted sheet metal canister. While a piece of thin sheet steel is fairly effective at stopping alpha and beta particles, it is virtually transparent to gamma rays. It takes a full inch (2.5cm) of steel to reduce the strength of gamma rays by 50% and it would take 5 inches to cut it 94%, hence the original mentioning the "unshielded air filter."

As to having the filter in the dining room, gamma rays' strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance to the source, so radiation measured 1m from the source (the dining room mounted air filter ) would be 1/4 as strong and at 4m would be 1/16 and so on. So if you must have an unshielded filter, don't put right in the middle of where you are going to be hanging out a lot of the time!

I was being factious when I said these guys built mobile homes, but I pretty sure they never read the nuclear bible chapters 8 & 9.

How these air filters work

Lunor NBC-filters are able to bind all known warfare agents and to guarantee fresh air supply. The prefilters sort out the grit, the HEPA-filter and the activated carbon filter, in the core of the system, purificate the contaminated air completely. Lunor NBC-Filters are certified by Labor Spiez, the worldwide high reputed institution for the protection against atomic, biological and chemical warfare agents.

First you will be filtering a large amount of particles in the prefilter, so the main filter is not the concentrated radiation dump your claiming. Note the crank for manual function. This needs to be accessed to allow for manual air flow. If someone wants further shielding that could be installed after the filter was installed, you might have noticed the shelter was still under construction and not finished. How ever, do you really think the creators of these filters that have been certified by Labor Spiez, designed and manufactured according to the directives of the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Defense, type tested and approved by the Armament Technology and Procurement Group have not considered risk of radiation exposure for the person who has to crank the manual air flow? If it were as dangerous as you try to suggest don't you think there would be a little greater distance between the crank and the filter? Or are you proposing to crank the filter the designers expected someone to put on a radiation suit? LOL

As for your worry about gamma rays, it seems your miss informed or failed to read your own information. Gamma rays are a worry near ground zero but tend to not be a large worry out side the blast zone. Your suggesting a filter needs to be shielded for a direct blast from a nuclear weapon? Not to mention many of the gamma rays have a pretty short life. While they do range form seconds to a year, the majority are very sort life span as far as radiation goes.

Your own provided info

these mostly short half-life isotopes rapidly expend their energy in three kinds of radiation; alpha and beta particles and gamma rays.

Note short half life. These are not a long term worry. But you were not really worried about the actual facts but trying to back up your unfounded statement of ridicule of an established Shelter builder.

So please tell us how long you have been building bomb shelters?

[zombiepreparation]

So I watched this show for the first time tonight. I've watched a couple of the Nat'l Geo show about preppers on YouTube. Here are a couple of things that strike me:

1. One of the guys on the Bunker show is surely a member here.
2. These people give their names on national TV plus many other identifying pieces of information. That seems amazingly unsafe on so many levels; current zombies have to be zeroing in on the info given out during these shows. Where they live, what they are storing, how the place is set up, how to find them, giving much opportunity for planning by current zombies to go take what these people have. At the very minimum pinpointing these places for EOTW moves to do so.
3. These people have families, children, who are being put at risk because of all the information that is now public.
4. The man, Shea, who teaches classes--is using his bunker as a show house for training? This seems to fly in the face of safety logic for EOTW scenarios.

I like seeing what other people are doing. It helps me think of things I can do, though I am so embarrassed for quite a few of them in these shows and find myself being unable to watch for very long. The others in these shows make me worry about them and all the information they are making known about who they are, where they live, where they're storing, what they're storing so I find myself being unable to watch very long again. It's all so public.

Cases in point:
--The family, in N.England I believe, who are gentle folk and gently teaching their neighbors how to prep too. One of their neighbors they think is a friend mentioned on camera how he might bring people into his home, assess what they have and if he could use them, if not poison them (or did he say cut their throat or something). I think the gentle folk stand to be in danger from him.
--The guy on Bunkers tonight whom I think is a member here, giving out name, etc., who had his buried generator stolen. His plans are known or I wouldn't think that generator would have been noticed. Now his new protective outside setup for further theft prevention is public.
--That prepper family who has learned to do all that great growing their own stuff in their swimming pool area. It seems to me they are now sitting ducks.

I do not understand what is prompting all these people to put themselves in harms way like this when they are obviously aware of the dire circumstances EOTW Events can cause, the letting loose of the people whom they will need to protect themselves from in such Events, and the current zombies out there who already want what other people have. Which is why they are prepping in the first place.

Isn't it safer for us to keep a lot of our prep details away from common knowledge? This seems to be a prevailing theme here in ZS. At least that is how I'm reading increased safety living and prepping within communities that do not prep in mass as a community.

[ineffableone]

I do not understand what is prompting all these people to put themselves in harms way like this when they are obviously aware of the dire circumstances EOTW Events can cause, the letting loose of the people whom they will need to protect themselves from in such Events, and the current zombies out there who already want what other people have. Which is why they are prepping in the first place.

Isn't it safer for us to keep a lot of our prep details away from common knowledge? This seems to be a prevailing theme here in ZS. At least that is how I'm reading increased safety living and prepping within communities that do not prep in mass as a community.

I think there are three reasons that motivate preppers to publicly share like this.

1) As has been discussed on the Doomsday Prepper thread, http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=88624 finacial gain is a big motivator for some. The Bunker maker will get more business by being shown on TV, the Crovel inventor will get more people to buy his product, the wilderness or defence instructor will get more people to take his class. These self promotion participants in these shows are doing it as advertisements. I know Doomsday Preppers doesn't pay the people to be on the show, I am not sure about Doomsday Bunkers, but would guess they don't.

2) Some people just want fame. The urge to become recognized and "known" is strong in people. Some people just want some fame and don't care if it is from being made to look silly, or serious. Some want just to be known in their local community others will seek it out nationally.

3) Some of the preppers actually just want to help the prepper cause, and get more people prepping. It is a compromise they take to show themselves to help get others interested in prepping and try to help encourage other preppers. I think a lot of the youtube preppers show this desire for sharing info and encouragement.

Of course it could be a mix of a couple or all three of these for different people too. The main motivation might be to educate, but they might also like the fame, and hope to get a little advertising too for what ever they do. Or they might want the advertising and also enjoy the fame and recognition. It could be any number of mixtures of these.

One thing for sure is these shows edit the people and we never get a real full idea of who they are. Some of the people on Doomsday Preppers have mentioned how they did not reveal everything they have.

I sort of view these shows like product reviewers, what ever their motivations. They take the chances for others and share the information with the public.

[AnonEmous]

4. The man, Shea, who teaches classes--is using his bunker as a show house for training? This seems to fly in the face of safety logic for EOTW scenarios.

I did not see the entire show and did not notice what kind of company he runs, but allowing people to "walk through" the bunker as part of his services probably allows him to take it as a business expense. The other consideration, however, is that it could be viewed as a second home (if the property is not part of his business) and then would be subject to different, less favorable tax rules, depending on how he financed it.

This reminds me of a story years ago that people in Japan with nuclear fall out shelters kept them secret because of the need for security but also because people did not want them taxed as second homes.

[ZomBosox]

Might just be me playing the devils advocate but does anyone else see an issue with the fact that their source of air is coming from the pipe sticking out of the ground? You could quadruple reinforce a blast door but if you could easily starve them of oxygen and force them out doesnt it defeat the purpose? Just my observation. I know nothing about how these bunkers work short of what I saw so if someone could enlighten me otherwise if im missing something.

[KnightoftheRoc]

Might just be me playing the devils advocate but does anyone else see an issue with the fact that their source of air is coming from the pipe sticking out of the ground? You could quadruple reinforce a blast door but if you could easily starve them of oxygen and force them out doesnt it defeat the purpose? Just my observation. I know nothing about how these bunkers work short of what I saw so if someone could enlighten me otherwise if im missing something.

Nope, you got it right. I seldom see a redundant air supply source in bunker designs, either.

[smokinbunta]

I wanted to see this show, but i keep forgetting... But for sure these are just Ads for these contractors to bring in a little extra business before Dec... and you know what, i don't blame them for trying to capitalize on these events. Everyones gotta make a living some how... ... and they happen to have a client base that can afford their products.. So why not?

[yale]

I did not see the entire show and did not notice what kind of company he runs, but allowing people to "walk through" the bunker as part of his services probably allows him to take it as a business expense. The other consideration, however, is that it could be viewed as a second home (if the property is not part of his business) and then would be subject to different, less favorable tax rules, depending on how he financed it.

This reminds me of a story years ago that people in Japan with nuclear fall out shelters kept them secret because of the need for security but also because people did not want them taxed as second homes.

Good points here. I was wondering how much money there was in the "survival instructor" market. When I see a guy shelling out nearly half a million bucks to drop a steel shelter into the ground I was thinking, "Damn, I bet he's glad he didn't waste time going to medical school."
Maybe it's class envy on my part but when I see him and his wife bickering in that nice kitchen and I look around my 16x80 Fleetwood trailer with it's laminated counter tops and then I find out he's dropping that kind of cash on a underground shelter while I can't afford repairs on my 1997 Lumina I just say, "No way. This is just insane. You have all that and you are upsetting your wife by buying this shelter against her wishes? I don't know how it works in your house but in mine we both decide on a major purchase and agree on it and how it will affect our budget BEFORE doing something like this."

[URBAN ASSAULT]

Good points here. I was wondering how much money there was in the "survival instructor" market. When I see a guy shelling out nearly half a million bucks to drop a steel shelter into the ground I was thinking, "Damn, I bet he's glad he didn't waste time going to medical school."
Maybe it's class envy on my part but when I see him and his wife bickering in that nice kitchen and I look around my 16x80 Fleetwood trailer with it's laminated counter tops and then I find out he's dropping that kind of cash on a underground shelter while I can't afford repairs on my 1997 Lumina I just say, "No way. This is just insane. You have all that and you are upsetting your wife by buying this shelter against her wishes? I don't know how it works in your house but in mine we both decide on a major purchase and agree on it and how it will affect our budget BEFORE doing something like this."

Maybe it's class envy?

Surely you jest.

-urban

[KnightoftheRoc]

Class envy may be playing a part there, but- when you are in a long term relationship, marriage or not, domestic tranquility is important. While you may feel the 1/2 mil$ steel bunker in the back yard is a way to protect that, like any major purchase, you need to have your SO on board with the idea. If you go ahead with it anyway, be prepared to have it thrown up in every argument to come, from now on. And, especially with something like this, your only argument against that will be if it DOES get used- not the ideal situation for "I TOLD you so!" to be coming up.

Some husbands, taking the role of "family protector" to heart, will make decisions like this on their own. Every relationship is different, but if asked, I wouldn't recommend that as a course of action.

[AnonEmous]

It seemed, and I may be wrong, that the person who dropped $450,000 on a bunker ran some type of survival school. My question is whether the 450,000 included the landscaping (it was mentioned they leveled 1200 tons of earth to make it possible) and the crane rental to park the 1100 square feet of family tranquilty.

Some husbands, taking the role of "family protector" to heart, will make decisions like this on their own. Every relationship is different, but if asked, I wouldn't recommend that as a course of action.

Now I do not know whether he financed it, had the cash, or got a business loan, but it seems that the overarching goal was to "protect his family at all costs", which is something I repeatedly have heard on these types of shows. This same "drive" is probably what makes sure he pulls in students, which in turn funds his prepping plans. I question how many of these survival school types have had their cholesterol and sugar level checked, have an emergency fund of cash, and can run half a mile.

What I find amazing is that these family protectors appear so consumed with surviving that I question to what extent they have resources socked away for their kids' higher education, what emphasis they place on having well-adjusted kids, and what they have prepared for their own retirement. Counting on the world to end as you know it sounds like a pretty poor retirement model.

Conversely, maybe these guys have millions in cash and are putting a fraction of their resources into survival planning, the equivalent of spending a tax refund on a vacation. It is all relative.