I am in the early stages of designing a house that will hopefully be built in the next 2-3 years. This will be my family's sole residence and hopefully last residence the rest of my life. My family is presently me, wife, 1 toddler. We plan to add 1 or 2 more kids over the next few yrs. Since we are starting from square 1 and can build however we want (within reason) i would like to incorporate some sustainability and security enhancements that are over looked in typical home construction. As time permits this will become a "homestead" as well in terms of greater ability to provide for our own food needs.

So far I know I am planning on passive solar thermal design. Id like to build with concrete but not sure about cost. Probably metal roof. Well water. Also good natural gas resource but i dont know when they are going to actually drill the well. Id like to keep in mind the possibility of accepting several "long term guests" if and when shtf. The group's house in "Patriots" comes to mind.

So Im asking for any advice, ideas, little nuggets of information, etc. For example, which floor plans are more easily defendable, thoughts on alternative energy, cow vs goat, security measures, wood stove vs wood furnace, septic tank capacity, storage space, etc. Anything and everything you guys can think of would be greatly appreciated.

Please keep in mind the wife isnt as intersted in the Militant-Amish lifestyle as I might be. Some appearance of normalcy is required for her to remain happily married.

I really do appreciate any input. Thanks.

Look up 'Coopers or Vauban corners'. The idea is that there are projections on each corner that allow coverage of the adjacent corners, and no dead spaces.

While I wouldn't buy it new, if you can find a copy of Joel Skoussens books on home design, they may have some useful ideas.

I'd plan on a full basement, with 'bump-outs' outside the home floorplan for a generator room, cold room/root cellar, and maybe an escape tunnel. Have a well or a very large cistern in the basement. Building fallout protection into the basement is trivial - during construction. It's also pretty damned cheap - during construction. Your wife will no doubt have plans for the kitchen, just make certain it's big and I'd put in a dedicated adjacent room as a pantry (not some little cupboard), and consider a deep sink, counter space and outlets in the pantry, too. My wife found the kitchen of her dreams here:http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeandgarden/category/lodge/

Be smart designing the house. For example, the vast majority of things that need to be laundered come from the bedrooms - so why have the washer/drier in the basement? Keep them near the bedrooms and skip carrying the clothes baskets around. For the septic tank, get the biggest you can. Mine is sized for a 20 unit motel.

If you're on propane, get a couple of tanks, and berm them in. If you have suitable wind, consider windpower: Western NY isn't exactly the best solar location I can think of. Instead of one big generator that can run everything, consider two smaller generators that can each run most things. Get the manuals and overhaul kits for them, build a very good cooling system and air filter, and if it doesn't have an hour meter install one and change the oil and filter religiously. If you can find one, get a Listeroid motor/generator head: they will run on nearly anything flammable.

Goats are easier to handle, grow faster, and the miniatures are basically single-meal sized while producing enough milk for use. Also, if one doe dries up, dies, gets sick it's not a tragedy - if you have others.

And good luck!

I built my retirement home 9 years ago.

I did several of the things that you mentioned.

Building with concrete is about even with stick building. It costs more for material but is far less labor intensive. We use Liteform up here in Nebraska. It's bullet proof.

Here is some more useful information related to the subject of retreat defense.


NOTES ON TACTICAL RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE

by Jeff Cooper

It is easy to deplore the degeneration of our social order, difficult as it may be to explain it. But it is not impossible to do something about it. Before doing so, however, one must admit that it exists. The news tells us that we live in a savage society in which subhumans prey with relative impunity upon the innocent and the decent; but, as with death, these facts are hard to accept.

Since most people respond to hypothetical peril with the assumption that it will not come to them, the first step in adjusting to our present social situation is the hard, clear, unflinching understanding that it can indeed come to us—personally. It is amazing to read of people who did not choose to believe this until after they had been victimized. They all knew that burglary, robbery, assault, and murder were not only possible but frequent, but they took no precautions because they simply would not admit that they, themselves, could be the victims.

Once you accept the fact that you actually may be the next target—today—you have taken the first great step toward your own physical security. Having made this simple, if difficult, admission, you can never afterward be surprised, and surprise is the greatest single element in tactics—offensive or defensive.

Defense of your person is your first concern, and it is a very elaborate study to which we have given a great deal of professional attention over the years, but let us turn for the moment to the defense of your home. Street crime is certainly horrific, and it is our national shame that we cannot maintain safe streets in our big cities, but more shocking yet is the thought that we cannot even go home, shut out the street, and relax. The goblins follow us even there. Consider the Manson atrocities as only the most notorious on a long and horrible list.

Defense of your home may probably be stated better as defense in your home, for saving your life is the main concern, whether on the street or home in bed. There are things that can be done to avert burglary in your absence, but they are only effective if they are incorporated into the house as it is being built, and they are dauntingly expensive. To build a house that cannot be broken into is to build a fort, and even then it can be defeated if the intruder has the time and the wit. (The pyramids were designed to be burglar-proof, by kings who commanded unlimited wealth and labor. The tomb robbers broke into them almost as soon as the funeral flowers wilted.)

But we can make certain arrangements to insure that our homes are a good deal more secure when we are in them, and I think we should.

In a recent visit to Southern California we were depressed to note the efforts made by householders to harden their homes; first because this was necessary, and second because the systems employed did not seem very effective.

To see iron bars and barbed wire around the houses in which we grew up without even door locks is sadder than to see a city smashed by war, but still worse is to see good people relying on completely passive structures which can never succeed against an evil will. We saw great, electrically operated gates which could be climbed by any active schoolboy. We saw heavy locks on doors which could be burst open at the hinges. We saw guard dogs which could be bribed with doped hamburger. We saw nothing that was specifically designed to enable the homeowner to counterattack. Evidently the doctrine is that one covers up, keeps his head down, and calls the police.

Let us agree on one major point right here. The police cannot protect you in your home. If goblins break in upon you the police should be called—as soon as you get around to it—in order to write our reports and clean up the mess. But the goblins are your problem. Bear that always in mind.

Several features in a house can help you defend it. Some must be built in as the house goes up, but others may be added to structures already completed. In most cases they need be neither unsightly nor inconvenient.

Point One:
When you are asleep you are helpless. Few things can be more nightmarish than to open a drowsy eye to see a shadowy figure standing over you in the gloom. This need never happen.

Bedroom windows must be ironed, obviously in such a way as to permit their opening from the inside in case of fire.

(A prominent United States senator must live out his life with the memory of his adolescent daughter who was murdered in her bedroom by a monster who simply kicked open the French windows—because he, the senator, had not protected his own child.)

But just the windows are not enough. There must be a strong barrier between the sleeping quarters and the rest of the house. A bolted door will do (dead bolt, not a pickable latch), but an iron grill is better because you can see through it—and shoot through it.

No barrier is impenetrable, but if it causes a racket if attacked it will awaken you, and that is all you need. If you are awake, armed, and aware, you cannot be defeated by any predator, human or otherwise. Clearly the iron grill must be fastened in such a way that it cannot be unfastened by stealth. Use your imagination here.

Point Two:
Sleeping quarter protection can usually be installed in a ready-made house, but door arrangement is another matter. You must be able to see who is at the door without exposing yourself. Peep holes are better than nothing, but essentially all doors—front, back, and side—should be recessed in such a way that anyone seeking entrance may be viewed in full, from the side or preferably from behind. When a visitor knocks on your door he should be, in effect, surrounded by your house, aware that he is in view of the people inside from several angles. Even if he intends a coup-de-main he will be at such a tactical disadvantage that he may well chicken out.

Observation must include the capability to fire, so the observation ports must be unscreened, narrow, and openable with one motion. Several sorts of slit windows made for trailers serve this purpose very well if set vertically.

A proof door is an expensive luxury but it does promote sound sleep. Our lower-deck door, which is farthest from our bedroom and therefore hardest for us to hear, is a plywood sandwich with an armored filling, and fastened from the inside with cross-bars rather than a latch. It would be quieter to come through the grouted block wall.


Point Three:
Any house which is properly designed for the Age of Aquarius must permit its perimeter to be visible from inside it. This is the "Vauban Principle," and you must start from scratch to achieve it completely, but even if stuck with a blind rectangle, a single added bastion on one corner will give you coverage of two of four walls, and two diagonally placed bastions will cover all but their own backsides.

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Clearly nothing is perfect. Existing structures may be all but impossible to harden, and terrain will often render specific protective features unnecessary, but this is where architectural ingenuity becomes important. (Remember Castle Dracula, protected by frowning battlements on three sides but light and airy on the fourth, which overlooked a thousand-foot precipice?)

Point Four:
Roman patricians, when in town, dwelt in houses designed for an urban jungle no less savage than our own. Outside walls, right on the property line and generally rectangular in plan, were proof against anything but a ram and pierced by very narrow doors. The open living space was inside. This plan was borrowed by the Spaniards and exported to the New World as the patio. This design has much to offer today, where building codes permit. With one side of the quadrangle serving as a garage, and bastions at the four corners, it offers a hard carapace to the outside while providing as large an interior garden as space permits.


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[IMG]Point Five:
No inanimate structure or device can provide physical security in and of itself. Furthermore, no fortress nor sconce can withstand intelligent attack by determined besiegers. What tomorrow's house can offer, however, is comfortable living space which is hard enough to daunt the casual savage and, in addition, will permit the inhabitants to sleep secure in the knowledge that any prospective intruders must (1) make enough noise to alert the defense, and (2) be placed at a serious tactical disadvantage.

Naturally it is desirable for all walls to be relatively proof against small arms fire—especially those which include observation ports. This is not as critical as might first appear, however, since the criminal cannot undertake a siege and must count upon surprise to gain his objectives. You can prevent this by correct observation techniques coupled with a manifest willing- ness to use lethal force against him. Passive defense can succeed only if the cops are within earshot—and not always then.

For those who wish to build a strongpoint in the boon- docks—as opposed to a house in which to spend extended periods in comfort—the Army Department has a nifty field manual on the subject. This is FM 5-15, Field Fortifications. It is not classified.

It should be unnecessary to point out that the shield is useless without the sword, and that neither is of value with- out the brain. Lincoln and Trotsky and Castillo and Sharon Tate and the LaBiancas and General Dozier and the victims of the Boston Strangler could not have been helped by architecture. Their killers were allowed inside. A stranger at your door must be considered a possible target until proven otherwise. And this is not fear, much less the popularly misused term "paranoia." This is intelligent caution. The great leopard of Rudraprayag had no "fear" of people. He was able to terrorize his district for eight years because he was very, very careful. In today's savage world we need not be afraid, but we do need to be careful.[/IMG]

Here is some more good info from Joel Skeolsen.

QUOTE
Joel is an author and expert in building secure homes. Please visit his web page for more information or to purchase his informative books.

Introduction

This booklet was prepared to provide you with the essential minimums for survival preparations. While it is not exhaustive in coverage, it is complete as to the needs of most people. Before adding long lists of your personal extra needs, try calculating the cost of these bare essentials. You will be amazed at the high cost of contingency preparations. This is not intended to discourage you, but rather, to help you realistically determine your future financial priorities so as to ensure you have bought the essentials before adding the sophisticated extras. After you have acquired about half of the recommended items, you will become aware of a critical lack of storage space within your home--if it is designed like most American houses. To assist you in planning for a more self-sufficient residence we have also included a brief summary of the concepts outlined in the 500 page Survival Home Manual. If you desire to pursue the subject in more detail, we suggest you order the manual direct from our Architectural offices using the order form at the end to the booklet.

Philosophy And Design Criteria of The Survival Home

Survival architecture is the unique design combination (in the proper proportion) of facilities, materials, supplies, equipment, knowledge and skill exactly matching a correct analysis of what shortages and crises we will face in the future. In achieving this purpose I make reference to the fact that "survival means more than solar" to emphasize the need to avoid becoming too involved with only one aspect of self-sufficiency at the expense of the others. This error in proper perspective has become the most common mistake in the entire craze for self-sufficiency. With each new product devised, a corresponding marketing slogan usually appears describing "how you can become totally self-sufficient" with their product. The potential severity of future crises, however, seems to dictate that no one product brings total self-sufficiency. It seems most probable in the final analysis that no set of products or facilities, no matter how complete,brings anything but temporary self-sufficiency for a lone individual.

There are a variety of terms and definitions floating around in the "self-sufficiency" arena--one of the least understood pertains to "survival and "retreat" philosophy. "Self-sufficiency" as a term is well accepted and enjoys frequent use among the entire social strata, whereas "survival" intimates "gloom and doom". However, under more careful scrutiny, it becomes obvious that "survival" and "self-sufficiency" are nearly synonymous. In actuality, the purpose of self-sufficiency is to SURVIVE various crises where one is in competition with others for scarce resources: ie, food and fuel shortages, dwindling finances, or social unrest, etc.

There is a significant difference between the general term "survival" and its child, the "retreat" philosophy, which is an ultimate reaction at the limits of the self-sufficiency concept.

Why Self - Sufficiency?

Many subscribe to the view that most of our future economic woes and commodity shortages will be government induced through bureaucratic mismanagement and excessive regulation. So, you say, the responsibility will simply fall back on ourselves, where it rightly belongs. However, this view overlooks our prime and ever-increasing social weakness; that our society has become so specialized in its occupational endeavors, we no longer have the will or skills to revert rapidly to a generalists society with each providing his own essential skills and services. Thus, we encounter the real reason for the craze for self-sufficiency: the inner need to become confident in our ability to provide for ourselves and our family should a minor or major crisis or shortage arise. The motive to save a few heating dollars is perhaps primary with many who may purchase a wood stove, but it soon becomes obvious to most woodburners that wood heat is only a small portion of their total self-sufficiency needs. In fact, when you tally all the other additional self-sufficiency needs such as water, waste disposal, electricity, storage space, tools, and security, you suddenly realize that you have come face to face with the word "survival", which is the word that, in essence, reflects "ultimate self-sufficiency".

Everything Involves a Priority Choice

While the survival retreat concept gets all the headlines in the hard money newsletters, its share of actual dollars invested is insignificant. From my experience as the architect most often involved in survival housing, the majority of client energy and funds are devoted to residential upgrade and preparation within the bounds of suburban or semi-rural living. Why? Frankly because very few people have the time, money or inclination to separate themselves completely from society even though they believe that difficult economic and social problems will be forthcoming.

100% rural self-sufficiency is almost impossible to achieve on anything more than a hermit level. Even then it is either all-time consuming or inordinately expensive and probably both.

In the final analysis then, everything in the survival and self-sufficiency field is a compromise or trade off of one lesser asset for another more important to you. If you want isolation to have security, then you usually sacrifice social ties, time and gasoline in commuting, and maybe electricity, telephone, and leadership opportunities.

There are ways of overcoming these compromises--if you have enough money, additional manpower and equipment; but you may become so sophisticated that you aren't self-sufficient any more. No two individuals or families should utilize the same self-sufficiency plans.

Here are the Essential Steps

1. Begin reading non-governmental analyses of the state of the nation. Specifically: political, economic, social, military, and moral trends. Reading recommendations include:

PERSONAL FINANCE newsletter
901 N. Washington St. suite 605
Alexandria, Va 22314

Gary North's REMNANT REVIEW
P. O. BOX 39800
Phoenix, AZ 85069

2. Analyze the condition of your local state and community as to long term survivability in a crisis:

Most favorable criteria are:

a. low population density (50 people per sq. mile or less)
b. High level of religious, moral character.
c. Lack of highly unionized heavy industry, or welfare populous.
d. Strong local autonomy with little attachment to federal funds.
e. Diversified economy with an agricultural base.

3. Make a series of decisions based upon your national and local assessment as what problems you most likely will encounter. Note: You cannot come to a proper design of a self-sufficient or survival residence unless you have determined what shortages, crises, or threats you face. The better your research, the more accurate your predictions will be.

4. Read the Survival Home Manual and study the essentials of survival residential design to determine what your present home lacks and what is available in new or remodeled survival construction.

5. Determine, financially and security wise, whether you should remain in your present home and remodel, move and build or buy a more suitable home. Consider job, and/or commuting time. It is imperative that you do not destroy your income producing ability unless you have other means or opportunities to turn to which will survive most economic downturns. Don't be tricked into thinking you can go "live off the land". The capital required for machinery and non-growable necessities will require substantial monthly income.

6. Start saving and begin a monthly procurement plan for acquiring the items listed in the 10 packs for survival. Do it each month--don't wait for enough money to accumulate for a one time purchase of everything--it may not be readily available then.

The foregoing introductory material is essential in order to appreciate the following survival design criteria. The quantity of preparedness features I will describe may not be necessary in every case, depending on the relative security of the location you choose to live in. Remember, the more self-sufficient and secure the area in which you live, the less it costs you to prepare for personal survival,,

Primary Faults of Conventional Housing

The following are the six essential liabilities of the conventional residential structure:

1. Lack of security (fire, intrusion, vandalism)
2. Poor resistance to heat, cold, wind, and sun.
3. Lack of storage facilities (food, dry goods, machinery etc).
4. Poor floor plan efficiency (costly wasted space, lack of emergencyaccommodations)
5. Single source of heat for space heating, water heating, ,@Ind cooking.
6. Single source of water and electrical power.

Design Criteria

In my actual design work, the most common concern expressed by the wife of a client is that the home not look like a fortress or a bunker. This is not only possible but preferable. There is no benefit in becoming a known target for resentment during hard times. The best survival residences are designed to look completely conventional both inside and out, so that you may stay within the bounds of society without appearing as an extremist and encouraging undue resentment.

The properly designed survival residence has within its walls and private recesses all the equipment and design technology that allows you to maintain a nearly normal lifestyle throughout a crisis. This is extremely important to the family man who must maintain his income during hard times. He cannot afford to take time off from work to heat hot water over a camp stove during an electrical outage or stand guard over his house day and night when major civil disturbances occur.

The following are some of the major design features of a survival residence:

1. Independent well water and/or water storage facilities integral with the home
2. Multi-fuel furnace (burns at least three different fuels)
3. Reserve or standby electrical power
4. Multi-fuel cooking facilities, and water heating equipment
5. Secure walls, doors, and windows with intrusion monitoring equipment
6. Superior energy-conserving structural design utilizing solar and underground design where possible
7. Secret and semi-private storage facilities which include a fallout shelter
8. Maintenance and repair facilities with appropriate tools
9. Greenhouse and other food production facilities
10. Internal communications equipment

If you are questioning the potential costliness of a full survival residence, consider this: it is not intended to discourage you from acting due to lack of sufficient funds, but rather to show you the importance of ordering your financial priorities In order to start preparing in the most critical areas first. In all cases, never place all of your available funds into one, or even two areas at the exclusion of all others.

If, in the final analysis, you find that not all of your self-sufficiency preparations were utilized, you will have at least spent many a restful night with the assurance that you have done everything within your ability to prepare you and your family for realistic potential difficulties.

Both those who wish to relocate permanently and those who may simply desire to construct a vacation retreat cabin elsewhere will need some guidance as to the best areas for security: We have made available to our clients the most comprehensive security map covering the entire United States, both as to the most dangerous areas and the most secure areas. It represents many years of research and analysis and may be ordered direct from the architectural and planning division using the order form at the end of this booklet.

Thanks guys. I feel like I might owe you guys some kind of consulting fee. Solid info. Much appreciated.

Wheres the webpage at??

When I build it will be with ICF foam blocks which are filled with rebar and concrete plenty of info and very efficient. It will have a steel roof, Radiant heat with an outdoor wood boiler system as well as a gas backup. The gas generators have really gone down that even if it was not in the budget I would plan on it and make sure the box is set up for one to be able to run the food storage equipment and some lights... I also envision a root and wine cellar outside the insulated kept cool by earth. I used to think about it a lot when I was trucking. I even spent a lot of time how a green house could be incorperated and a wall of some sort of stone to store the southern sun to keep it from getting too cold on winter night. It probably would need a backup heat source for our coldest nights here. I would also like a rain catching gutter system that would direct rain water into 55 gallon barrels in the green house. It would also keep it humid in there.

Anyway thats where I am. And I also thought of ways to save and do in stages to be able to do it with saved cash rather than going into debt while doing it and using as much scavenged materials as possible.

S

Since I have three young children, my main concern is keeping out the SPLC child-molesters, especially that shitzu-looking philistine, Potok.

I'm on a budget, so do you think that a few signs that say "CHILD MOLESTER FREE ZONE" will do the trick?

I suppose a 12 gauge pump will provide the "F**K OFF" for those people.

If they've gotten close enough for a shotgun, a) they're too damned close and b)the only thing they need to know is what the inside of a coffin looks like....

"Fortifications are nothing more than monuments to the stupidity of man, if mountain ranges can be overcome, so can they." - Gen George S. Patton.

That being said. I would say if you are building a 2 story build your master bedroom where it is at the top of the stairs and your kids rooms are further down the hall away. This will keep you from having to worry about if your kids rooms have been breeched, and it will lessen the chance that should you have to fire a gun in your home that you will be shooting in the direction of one of thier rooms.

Also do not have your bedroom door visable from the floor below, all some one need do is camp out, make a noise and you walk through a choke point and they have you.

This layout has another advantage as the kids get older, it is going to make it very difficult for them to sneek out.

A secondary egress stairway or ladder is a good idea as well, you can bill it to your wife as a fire escape, make it run from your 2nd floor straight to the basement, thus if you have an agressor on the 1st floor, you can get the family downstiars and out of the building with out having to pass them if you have a basement egress.

Make your second story windows high from the floor, if they are more than 12 feet from ground level, a 6, 8 or 10 foot ladder which are the most common will be either impossible or very difficult to use to gain entry to your home.

On your first floor, placing bushes and shrubs with lots of sharp edges or thorns (IE rose bushes or cactus) outside of windows that could be used to gain entry will really slow some one down and ruin thier day if they try.

Think about lighting, companies like X10 make home control products that are cost effective, and will allow you to turn lights on and off with your computer, and with a hand held key fob, think about it, you are clearing your house, you want to enter a room, but you are uncertian if it is occupied, being able to turn on the light remotely is going to startle who ever is in that room and give you a tactical advantage.

Think motion lights as well, they are pretty cheap and low tech, and they will alert you to the presence of anyone outside of your home.

Also having a good DVR and camera system will keep you from having to get out of bed a night, flip on the tv, switch through the camera views, and if there is one where the motion light is on, rewind and see if anything is up.

The Ultimate Safe House: Base Camp Basics:

A prepared base camp must be established well in advance of the collapse. It is one that no one knows even exists. Most people aren’t fortunate enough to be able to afford the ideal retreat in a secure location away from their current home. If you already live in a semi-self sufficient rural area, use these guidelines to make your home your retreat. If you currently live in a urban or metro area...you must MOVE to the country asap.

Neighbors
Sometimes the best neighbors are no neighbors. The fewer people who live in your immediate area the better. Suburban areas are a prime target for looters or the enforcers of order. These people will prey on the unprepared or anyone they think can not defend themselves. If your neighborhood looks like it might contain plenty of goodies and free food, looters will be attracted to it like flies on honey.

Your survival requires friends and neighbors who trust each other and are willing to give mutual aid and support to one another. You need them and they need you. Remember you can not do all the work by yourself. You can not stay on guard 24/7. You have to sleep sometime. A neighborhood of fiercely independent people who are prepared and willing to defend themselves offers the best security. Several family retreats located within a mile of each other and linked by radios are your best bet. No matter where you decide to re locate try to get at least one family to move with you; four would be even better.

Location:
You must choose a location that will both protect you from the immediate peril as well as provide your survival needs for the long term.

Area to avoid:
Stay away from disaster prone areas. You will need to relocate at least 200 miles from any coastline. Stay away from any area that is prone to earthquakes or volcanic activity such as the west coast or the New Madrid Fault zone. Make sure there are no nuclear power plants or chemical plants nearby...stay at least 200 miles from these areas.

Select a self-sufficient, agricultural, rural region. Choose a site that is within 50 - 75 miles of your current location. It should be at least 20 miles away from any rail lines or major highways or interstates and 10 - 15 miles from the nearest small town or village. Make sure the property is geographically defensible. Make sure it does not flood. Try to find land that is partially wooded with enough arable land to grow a large garden and raise a cow, a pig and a few chickens. Try to find land that has a natural spring or a stream flowing through it.

Obtain 2 - 5 acres.

Choose your land so it is almost impossible to approach it un observed. Base your selection on OCOKA.

Observation
Concealment
Obstacles
Key Terrain
Avenues of Approach

Essential Improvements: Start with the basic stuff first. This is much better than the dream retreat that never gets built

1. Establish the perimeter of your retreat. Build a sturdy barbed wire and electric fence around the entire property. The fence can be powered by a solar fence charger. Also, plant lots of thorny berry bushes around the area. This will help keep out intruders and attract game as well as provide you with a source of food. Put a heavy, lockable gate across the road or driveway leading into the property.
2. Establish a reliable year round water supply. Dig a well or build a large cistern. Also dig a pond.
3. Build a outhouse.
4. Clear land for crops, fields of fire etc.
5. Build “concealed” defensive positions to protect the base camp and its approaches. These can be built from stacks of firewood and dirt placed in strategic locations around the property.
6. Build a 12x16 or 16x20 cabin with a hand pump well, kerosene lights, a wood stove, and a propane cookstove.
7. Build a under ground root cellar with a tool shed on top of it.

HOME / BASE CAMP EVALUATION:

1. Will it hold all the people who plan on using it?

2. Is there an independent water supply?

3. Can you heat and cook without relying on a municipal power supply?

4. Do you have adequate facilities so that everyone may bathe or use the toilet?

5. Do you have adequate stockpiles of food, medical supplies, ammunition etc. so that everyone may survive for periods of 2 weeks up to a year independent of any outside aid or assistance?

6. Is the home/retreat adequately stocked with all the necessary tools and utensils? How about consumables such as batteries, light bulbs, toilet paper, soap, canning supplies, garden seeds, salt, sugar etc. etc?

7. Are you prepared to fight and contain fires?

8. Do you have a survival library that will cover all your needs?

9. Is the retreat actually defensible? or are you just kidding yourself?

10. Have you looked at how to defeat your retreat through the eyes of the enemy?

11. Can the area be patrolled?

12. Is it possible for attackers to sneak up on your retreat unseen or more importantly, for them to observe the retreat without exposing their position?

13. Can the approaches be mined and guarded?

14. Can the immediate approaches be made impassable by booby traps or other physical means?

15. Do you know how long it will take to close the approaches and who will take care of this job?

16. Are you familiar with all branches of law enforcement and military units in your area?

Do you:
Know the numerical size of all enemy units and their firepower?
Know the enemy’s response time and avenues of approach?
Know the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses?
Can you recognize all their vehicles and monitor their communications?

I'm a fan of the Monolithic Dome Homes,especially those earth sheltered. When I finally build one for myself it will be more of a hybrid eco-shell though,and quite unorthidox even by Monolithic standards.I'll be using pumicecrete instead the foam for insulation.I'll also be using the old school earth form instead of wasting my money on an airform.Doing the shell and pad itself on my own will cost roughly three times the cost of the pad alone.The part that eats the money up will finishing out the rest.In the end it will be bullet proof,tornado proof,Fire proof(inside and out),hurricane proof,bomb resistant,bug resistant,flood resistant,thug resistant,NBC resistant,Rot resistant,and cost up to 60% less to heat and cool.Theres more about these at www.monolithic.com ,and their forum is at http://bbs.monolithic.com/index.php .I'm aka angelofdodd there and a platinum member in good standing.Anyone thinking of the ICF blocks you might want to check out Ft.Denali thats being built in Wassila,Ak.as we speak.Gregs place has the ICF walls with an airformed foam and shotcrete roof and is a new hybrid design.