Luxury Off-The-Grid Survival Retreats : FORTIFIED & HARDENED Homes

Survival Retreats : Ready to Build Or Retrofit your Home / rural Homestead?

Regardless of your budget there are physical improvements that can be completed on an existing home to bring a higher level of overall protection.

Most of our clients seek to renovate an existing home and outbuildings, rather than build. Although building from the ground up is the best overall choice, many times it can be more economical to simply retrofit a property into a secure homestead. If you're looking to build a truly safe and sustainable retreat from the ground up, you have found the right place.

Douglas Clark is our certified Hardened Structures architect. He will design everything from a small safe storage room, defensive fighting positions all the way to a fully integrated shelter capable of surviving a nuclear detonation within 10 miles, and everything in between.

The fees for the retrofit and design work are well within the scope and means of our average clients, so don't be leery of speaking with Douglas and his Hardened Structures Team.

In each custom consulting package, time is allotted to speak directly with Douglas about your plans in order for you to ascertain the feasibility of the improvements you're seeking in the new rural homestead.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Because it is impossible to protect against all threats and hazards, adopting a balanced approach in designs that considers intended functions, threat mitigation and budget is imperative. There is no one-size-fits-all and there is no formula of security features and programs that will ensure 100% safety against all violent attacks or natural disasters.

Designers and owners must understand the limitations of designed facilities and proposed countermeasures. Mitigating measures or countermeasures are specified to meet a particular anticipated threat, not all possible threats.

Douglas and his team design your facility to achieve a Balanced Survivability, ensuring that no one system or component is the "Achilles heel." No matter if it is a regional natural disaster, nuclear and/or EMP event, armed assaults, or any civilization altering scenario, our experienced teams of architects, engineers and project managers can design and construct your facility efficiently, covertly, and cost effectively.

1. Client Interview/Site Assessment
2. Feasibility Study "Personal Protection Plan"
3. Client Feedback on Protection Plan
4. Project Program Design Narrative
5. Design Documents
6. Client Review/Comment/Approval of Design documents
7. Technical Construction documents and equipment specification
8. Construction Management Planning
9. Pre-Construction; bidding, coordination, staging, equipment ordering
10. Permitting (if requested)
11. Construction
12. Client Move-In
13. Systems Orientation

Hardened Structures Risk Assessment

DESIGN & PLANNING

Hardened Structures are designed to perform its PRIMARY MISSION both during and after a war-like or criminal attack, a major natural disaster, or accidental/man-made emergency. Douglas and his team address these challenges by employing a Multi-Hazard Engineering methodology in the design and planning stages that not only recognizes individual hazards/threats sequentially, but also address all hazards/threats simultaneously as a problem of optimization under constraints. A Hardened Structures facility can be designed to protected against a wide range of threats including:

1. WMD's
2. Frontal Assault and Forced Entry
3. Economic Collapse / Breakdown of Law & Order
4. Anarchy Ballistic / Blast Protection / Major Earth Event (Life Ending) Cataclysm
5. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Explosive (CBRE) agents
6. Airblast
7. Ground shock
8. Fragmentation and damage to the structure and equipment due to explosive loading
9. Penetration

Hardened Structures Design Planning

Hardened Structures Threat Mitigation

Hardened Structures Construction Methods

Fortified And Hardened Homes - Products And Services

Fortified & Hardened Homes

Hardened Structures is a Professional Design & Construction Program Management Firm specializing in the confidential planning, design and covert construction of fortified homes (or conventional homes) with underground shelters or bunkers (shown above), stand alone shelters and other types of sheltering options. These facilities are designed with independent sources of power and water. They can serve as a primary dwelling, vacation home, retreat, long term shelter or expanded multi-function compound. Client confidentiality and total project secrecy are paramount on all of our projects.

Our Team comprises of a core group of independent design firms and general contractors with specialized training in the unique design and construction requirements of Fortified Homes.

Balanced Survivability Design Approach

Because it is impossible to protect against all threats and hazards, adopting a "balanced approach" in designs that considers intended functions, threat mitigation, and budget, is imperative. This is where Hardened Structures experience and know-how separates our Team from the general purpose Architects and Engineers. Our Teams experience has shown there is no one-size-fits-all or formula of security features and programs that will ensure 100% safety against all manmade or natural disasters.

In order to meet our client's goals and budgets, our Team ensures each project is designed and specified to meet a particular hierarchy of anticipated threats, not all possible threats. In other words, Hardened Structures' Team designs your facility to achieve a Balanced Survivability, ensuring that no one system or component is the "Achilles Heel". No matter if your personal threat hierarchy focuses first and foremost on a regional natural disaster, Nuclear, Biological, Chemical or EMP/HEMP event, or forced/armed entry; our experienced and highly specialized team of engineers, scientists and ex-Navy SEALS can confidentiality design and covertly construct your facility efficiently and cost effectively.

Traditional American executive home architecture has a number of pitfalls which are detrimental to secure home planning.

We advise some sound planning principals for hardened home design which are contrary to the typical executive home plan, but very favorable to making the home much more ready to protect families in a crisis event.

One key design concern is a master suite separated far from children's bedrooms, often on the opposite site of the home, past the main entry, combined with a grand open plan main entry to great room layout ( 70% of home invasions occur through the front door ).

All humans natural reaction is to personally go secure their children in an emergency.

Therefore one can easily see how a home with the master and children's bedrooms separated by the main entry is a major design flaw in secure home design in event of a home invasions, (or even in a tornado or fire or earthquake).

Fortified And Hardened Homes

Secure And Elegant Fortified Homes

At Hardened Structures our architects can design to your individual architectural style be it Contemporary, Traditional, Colonial, Mediterranean, Beach Front, Southwestern or any personal preference.  We can also work with your own architect to achieve the level of protection and perfection necessary for your personal residence.  Our security consultants are internationally recognized experts in the fields of building fortifications, personal security, advanced security systems and offensive/defensive components.

At Hardened Structures we employ a Multi-Hazard Engineering methodology that not only recognizes individual threats sequentially, but also address all hazards/threats as simultaneously occurring, so as to insure there is no "Achilles Heel" within our designs.  The Protection Program for a Fortified Home is varied and is usually determined by the Client's Threat, Risk and Asset assessments.

The home can be protected against a wide range of threats including forced entry/assaults, climate change, chemical / biological / radiological / explosive (CBRE) agents, air-blast, ground shock, penetration, fragmentation and damage to the structure and equipment due to explosive loading.  Along with the Client's particular living, function and storage requirements, the designs also incorporate active offensive and defensive components, and mechanical responses to reduce the effectiveness of any given threat while providing for individual/family long term living requirements.

Fortified Homes are special, and so are the people who choose them. At Hardened Structures confidentiality is paramount.  We serve as our Client's agent, representing their best efforts by professionally and stealthily implementing a design/build program to meet any Threat Event.

Fortified Homes can include protection mitigation for:

• Natural disasters covering earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning and flooding.
• Ballistic Levels for most weapons from .22 to .50 caliber
• Forced Entry and Armed Assaults

• Fire in the immediate surroundings
• CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological nuclear) air filtration systems
• EMP/HEMP shielding and mitigation

For most of our clients, one of the most important aspects of designing their Fortified Home is that it not resemble a fortified home and that the outwardly appearance is of a well designed custom home.  Only the owners will know the true capabilities and functions of the home which may include:

• Vaults for firearms and ammunition
• Vaults for precious metals, cash and other vaulables
• Remote control Offensive and Defensive systems
• Hidden compartments and sliding bookcases
• Emergency escape ways
• Alternative energy and sustainability systems

• Vehicle storage and fuel systems
• Ballistic walls, windows and doors
• Fire resistance
• "Off Grid" electrical capabilities
• Independent water and sewage
• Advanced security systems, CCTV, sensors and alarms
• Hidden passages and entrances
• Underground bomb shelter and storage

LSR Luxury Survival Retreats

FORTECO Fortified Eco Homes

TACTICALSCAPE

LANDSCAPING WITH PURPOSE

The enhancement of preparedness properties through the seamless integration of water features, alternative energy and food production systems with discreetly designed tactical positions.

The integration of these key features provides the foundation for a sustainable and defensible retreat property.

As preppers we are all seeking abundant water, alternative energy creation, sustainable year round food production, on a highly defensible property. These attributes are the pillars of retreat property scouting, however, how do you implement all these aspects into a seamless retreat development plan that not only makes sense, but stays under budget?

Before you start making calls and buying equipment for your property, you'll need a well thought out design. The questions are endless; How to clear a spot for the solar panels yet keep certain trees and bushes for cover and concealment? Can the tail-water from the hydro be used to form a water feature that acts as a terrain obstacle for threats? How about a combination swale and Hugelkultur bed to form a vehicular barrier both at the entrance of the retreat, but along the extended driveway as it winds along several curves designed for ambush points, and food production.

The landscape design division of Survival Retreat Consulting can tackle these tough answers and help you move into the  design and retrofit stage, and as you'll find out it's the most exciting and rewarding stages of your new property ownership.

Defensive positions should be seamlessly integrated into the surrounding terrain.

CUSTOM TACTICALSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

STANDARD PROPERTY EVALUATION 

  PROPERTY MASTER PLAN LAYOUT 

  DETAILED FOOD PRODUCTION RECOMMENDATIONS 

  STORMWATER/DRAINAGE MANAGEMENT PLAN 

  POND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN 

  PERIMETER SECURITY PLANTING PLAN 

Services Include: Natural Camouflage Plan, Construction Documents & Details, Permit Application & Approval Assistance and Property Improvement Visualization through CAD renderings

"We highly recommend Hardened Structures to all our clients!
From safe room design all the way to million dollar bunkers,
Hardened Structures does it all. If you're looking for ultimate
in quality and OPSEC, give them a call!" 
Black Rifle Real Estate https://www.facebook.com/blackriflerealestate

http://blackriflerealestate.com

http://blackriflerealestate.com/team

Todd Liken-Savage

Survival Realty


https://www.survivalrealty.com/agent/blackriflerealestate


American Redoubt Realty

Build Fallout Shelters, Bomb Shelters and Bunkers

Underground & Above Ground Bunkers : Fallout Shelters : Bomb Shelters : Threat Assessment : Selecting The Location : Design Of An Underground Bunker : Occupancy Duration

Hardened Structures, Virginia Beach, USA constructs underground or above ground bunkers and fallout shelters ( also fortified homes and defensible off the grid luxury survival retreats ) which are individually designed to our client’s protection program and long term survivability requirements. Although the designs and systems are principally determined for nuclear weapons, it can be stated that a well built nuclear bunker also offers good protection against CBRE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive) weapons and natural disasters. An Underground Bunker can be designed and constructed in most locations be it rural, suburban or inner-city.

Underground bunkers are advantageous for several reasons; they provide the added protection of being below the surface thus escaping a major portion of the effects from blasts and radiation, they can be pre-stocked with provisions to sustain their occupants for several months and, most important, they can be located connected to, or adjacent to, a client’s primary residence, thus allowing for quick evacuation.

The bunkers can be designed for either Single Use or Multi Use. A Single Use bunker is used only in case of an emergency and is a stand alone design. The advantage with the Single Use if that may be readily accepted by the local building authority having jurisdiction because it is not required to provide normal every day accommodations for people.

A Multi Use bunker can be used for other purposes (i.e.; store rooms, wine cellars, etc.,) and this ability is sometimes more appealing to our clients. However, it must then be designed to accommodate everyday ingress/egress and building code requirements.

Threat Assessment

A sudden all out attack by the Soviet Union or other country on the U.S., as envisioned during the Cold War, is now highly unlikely. The recent National Planning Scenarios ( Attack Scenarios ) compiled by the Department of Homeland Security identifies a Nuclear Detonation of a 10-Kiloton Improvised Nuclear Device as the most likely type of nuclear attack by a terrorist group. In this scenario, the bomb is smuggled into the U.S. where the device is carried in a delivery van and detonated in the business district of a major city. The casualties are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands, there is total devastation from ½ to 3 miles, 350,000 people are instructed to shelter in place and contamination levels will affect up to 3,000 square miles with the recovery timeline estimated as several years. This is the primary scenario for which Hardened Structures basis its nuclear designs for Underground Bunkers. However, it should be noted that a terrorist detonation of a radiological dispersion device (RDD), often called “dirty nuke” or “dirty bomb” is considered far more likely than use of a nuclear device.

We have a variety of options for everyone’s needs and budget, contact us and our team of national experts will assist you in selecting the best underground or above ground bunker for your home.

Selecting the Location of an Underground Bunker

Perhaps the most important element in designing an underground bunker is its location or sitting. Although the threat of damage from CBRE (chemical, biological, radiological and explosive) events may be the predominant focus of the evaluation for the bunker location, additional threats may exist from forced entry, tornado, hurricane, flood and seismic events, therefore the evaluation should asses the entire range of threats to the site. It is for this reason that Hardened Structures employs a Multi-Hazard Engineering methodology.

The position of the underground bunker must satisfy the structural requirements from the shelter standpoint along with the evacuation criteria of the client and the protection programming of the mechanical systems. The immediate location and easy accessibility of a bunker has a significant bearing on its life saving ability during a crisis. Therefore, we recommend that all potential users should be able to reach the bunker within 5 minutes, and the bunker door should be secured within 10 minutes.

Generally stated, an underground bunker should be located:

• As deep underground as possible to protect from radiation, flying projectiles and debris.
• Outside of areas known to be flood prone, including areas within the 100 year flood plain.
• The bunker should be placed so that the evacuees have a short route to the entrance.
• Away from any potential debris field and its emergency exits and air inlets can be extended on several sides of the building into zones that are free from debris and fire.
• The bunker should have as much of its external walls against the ground as possible for protection from heat and for support provided by the surrounding soil.
• Away from potential fuel concentrations, flammable materials, vehicles and hazardous materials.
• Away from large objects and multi-story buildings, light poles, antennas, satellite dishes or roof mounted mechanical equipment.
• The bunker should be made easily concealed.

It should be noted that the vast majority of deaths in basement shelters during WW II were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning; the occupants had become trapped in the shelter, rather than from penetration of the shelter itself. The entrance to our underground bunker is composed of the entrance way to the bunker, the debris protection for the door, the armored door, the air lock and, in some instances, a decontamination room. In addition to the main entrance way, all Hardened Structures underground bunkers are designed with either one or more of the following Emergency Exists:

• Escape Shafts that lead through the bunker shell/wall directly to the outside and then run vertically up the bunker wall.
• Escape Tunnels run horizontally away from the bunker for a distance of one and one half times the building height to clear any fallen debris.
• Escape Chimneys that are air and blast proof emergency exits which lead up through the expected pile of debris from a collapsed structure. The chimney must be constructed to a height of at least ¼ of a buildings height when measured from the eves.

Design of an Underground Bunker

An underground bunker may be as small as a 10’ x 10’ room designed to preserve life with little or no comfort, to a multi-cell shelter housing hundreds of occupants with a storage capacity for years. Access is an important element of bunker design. If obstructions exist along the travel route, or if a bunker is cluttered with non-essential equipment and storage items, access will be impeded and could cause chaos or panic. It is imperative that the route to the bunker remain unencumbered to allow orderly access.

In the scenario described above where a 10 Kiloton Improvised Nuclear Device is detonated, the design for an underground bunker is driven by the need to protect from blast loading, ground shock, nuclear radiation and fire. A detonation involves supersonic combustion of an explosive material and the formation of a shock wave. The three parameters that primarily determine the characteristics and intensity of blast loading are the size of the explosives, the type of explosives and the distance from the point of detonation to the bunker.

A detailed analysis is required to determine the magnitude of pressure and impulse that may load each surface of the bunker relative to the origin and type of the detonation. For these reasons we generally utilize reinforced concrete. Reinforced concrete is a composite material in which the concrete provides the primary resistance to compression and shear and the steel reinforcement provides the resistance to tension and confines the concrete core. In addition to ductile detailing, which allows the reinforced members to sustain large deformations, reinforced concrete also provides inertial resistance as well as the continuity of cast in place construction facilitating designs that are capable of withstanding the high intensity and short durations of blast loading.

When designing for radiation and fallout, it is difficult to predict the intensity of radiation within a specified area. Radioactive fallout distribution depends on such variables as the type of burst, amount of energy released, height of the radioactive cloud, nature of the ground surface and the speed and direction of the wind at different altitudes.

There are three types of radiation in fallout: alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays. Alpha and beta particles are easily shielded however Gamma rays are not easily attenuated. They are similar to X-rays and are capable of penetrating a considerable thickness of even dense material.

After residual radiation the next most widespread effects are the thermal radiation and related fires. If an underground bunker is located under or adjacent to a wood frame home it must be assumed that the house will catch fire and be totally destroyed. In this scenario a bunker ceiling constructed of 16” of 4,000 psi concrete together with walls of 12” and floors of 8” is required.

Protection against airborne chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) agents or contaminants is typically achieved by using particulate and absorption filters in series and providing for positive internal air pressure. There is no single filter which can protect against all CBR materials. All air flow passes through installed filters of the HVAC system. The exterior air intake and exhaust openings in the bunkers are all protected by blast valves. The outer most filters are coarse, low-efficiency (pre-filters) which remove large particles and debris while protecting the mechanical systems. Chemical, radioactive and biological aerosol dispersions (particulates) are efficiently removed by HEPA filters. Sorbent filters are located downstream from the particulate filters. This allows the sorbent to collect vapors generated from liquid aerosols that collect on the particulate filter and reduce the amount of particulate reaching the actual sorbent. Sorbents have different affinities, removal efficiencies and saturation points for different chemical agents and therefore choosing the appropriate sorbent or sorbents for an airborne contaminant is a complex decision.

The Department of Homeland Security, Working Group on Radiological Dispersal Device Preparedness identifies three levels of protection that range from filtration with pressurization (Class 1), filtration with little or no pressurization (Class 2), and passive protection (Class 3). Class 1 is for a large scale release over an extended period of time and is considered primarily for a war-like attack. Class 2 protection is for a terrorist attack or technological accident with little or no warning and is characterized as a short duration small scale release. Class 3 protection is typically applicable to an industrial accident that results in a short duration.

To withstand a CBR event the bunker must be equipped with a filter-rack mechanical system capable of providing the minimum number of air exchanges required by the building code for the shelter’s occupancy classification. This will provide a flushing capability once the CBR hazard has passed and will facilitate use of the bunker for non-CBR events. For Single Use bunkers, 15 cubic feet per person per minute is the minimum air exchange recommended by the International Mechanical Code. At Hardened Structures we recommend a minimum head room of 6’-6” and a minimum of 65 cubic feet of net volume be provided per bunker occupant and we can install a mechanical system to withstand most any class of protection to meet your individual protection goals.

Occupancy Duration

Occupancy duration (also known as the button-up time) is the length of time that people will be in the bunker with the doors closed ensconced in a protective environment. This time period can last from a few hours to several days. If the occupancy duration of a bunker is less than 24 hours then sleeping areas are typically not required and the occupant load will generally be 20 square feet/person. If the occupancy duration is greater than 24 hours sleeping areas should be incorporated at the rate of 60 square feet/person utilizing single beds or 30 square feet/person using bunk beds.

The total square footage of an underground bunker is determined based on the following:

Number of persons
Occupancy duration
Class of protection
Storage requirements
The Client’s particular life sustaining/quality requirements

The duration of occupancy of an underground bunker will vary depending on the intended event for which the bunker has been designed. Protection levels, occupancy duration and specific Client storage/survivability criteria are the most important factors that influence the design process.

Conclusion

As stated previously, our Underground Bunkers can be constructed in most locations, rural, suburban or inner-city. The fundamental question is the level of protection the Client desires and their resources to achieve that level. A representative from Hardened Structures is available to meet and help determine Asset Assessment, Threat Assessment and Survivability Criteria and will also develop a Feasibility Report for any proposed Bunker location.

We have a variety of options for everyone’s needs and budget, contact us and our team of global experts will assist you in selecting the best underground or above ground bunker.

Above Article Attributed To "Underground Bomb Shelter Dot Com"

Build Disaster-Proof Homes Before Storms Strike, Not Afterward : Author T. Reed Miller

The Handbook : Surviving & Living With Climate Change [ Best New Release ]

The Handbook : Website Link

*** The Handbook : 300+ References : Link

Climate change has arrived, and it's not going away. The Handbook is not another book about climate change science or politics. Rather it is an intelligent guide, and a potential ground breaker, for all of us who feel helpless in the face of government disagreement and want practical advice on how we can adapt now.

The Handbook will give you stories and advice from individuals who are already quietly doing amazing things. Jane Rawson and James Whitmore, former and current environment editors for The Conversation, look at how to establish your risk and face your fears; where to live and with whom; and how to survive heat, fire and flood. They investigate ways to provide your own food, power and water, make sure you can still get around, and get rid of your waste and sewage. They talk about new ways to think about home and possessions, the sadness of living through climate change, and how, for both individual and common good, we might positively change the way we live.

The Handbook is both practical and philosophical. It can be read cover-to-cover, or dipped into when you need specific advice. It can help you plan and execute a strategy to deal with the effects of climate change. It might change your life. But it should also make you ask, does it really have to be this way?

Where should I live? What kind of dwelling should I live in? What should I do in an extreme climate event? How should I live? 'Sooner or later we are all going to be compelled to think about these questions and to take some kind of action. There is no better place to begin than by reading The Handbook: Surviving and Living with Climate Change and talking about it with your family, friends and colleagues.'

-  Clive Hamilton, author of Affluenza, Requiem for a Species and Earthmasters.

environment

climate change  

How to survive the end of the world : News.com.au

TSUNAMIS, cyclones, raging fires and epidemics. We keep hearing about all the ways the world could implode at any second.

But most of us haven’t even thought about preparing for the worst.

With natural disasters an inevitability, environmental experts say being ready isn’t just for the paranoid.

Melbourne authors Jane Rawson and James Whitmore have co-written The Handbook, a practical guide for surviving the apocalypse, or something close. They say we need to think seriously about these matters, because there may be no one there to save us if they happen.

WHERE YOU LIVE

It may sound obvious, but Rawson and Whitmore say people need to consider whether their home is susceptible to flooding, rising sea levels or bushfire.

“A lot of Australians have developed this philosophical attitude that the government will sort it out. ‘They’ll tell me if a bushfire is coming, and they’ll be there to put it out’,” Rawson told news.com.au.

“That doesn’t always happen. You should know the risks and be prepared to help yourself out.”

Even if you’re not in a disaster-prone area, you could be at risk from weather-related catastrophes.

“The system could be overwhelmed,” Rawson said.

“There are serious vulnerabilities in the Australian supply chain. So much is transported by road, it’s so centralised, we’re vulnerable … If there’s a cyclone, if sea levels rise, it could break down easily if a couple of things happen at once.”

The ultimate method to reduce risk is to switch to minimal living. Once you don’t have many possessions or an expensive home, you have less to lose. Impending disaster becomes less frightening, and you can concentrate on enjoying life instead of paying off a mortgage.

Many Australians are now choosing to live in caravans or ‘tiny houses’ — handmade homes on wheels, and hundreds are already doing it in the US. Others are building temporary bunkers or special, off-grid homes.

Marty Freney is creating an “Earthship” in the Adelaide Hills, a sustainable, energy-efficient design from the US, which is made of recycled materials, cheap to run and bushfire resistant.

Experts say we all need to be ready for the effects of a tsunami (pictured), bushfire, flooding, cyclone or other natural disaster.

FUTURE-PROOF YOUR HOUSE

Let’s say you’ve decided not to leave your existing home. You can still make it safer. The first step is to make sure you’re protected from the initial disaster.

The risk of heatwave is increasing for everyone, so think about what you can do beyond switching on the airconditioning. If there’s no power, do you have a battery-operated fan available? Are your bedrooms on the south side of the house, where it’s cooler? Create a cool refuge in or underneath your home. Think about insulation, air flow and shade from eaves, vegetation or blinds.

As for that power cut, do you have battery chargers for your phone so you can communicate? Should you install solar power? Do you have a torch, solar-powered lantern and something you can use to cook?

If your home is at particular risk of fire, prune back long grass and scrub; use paths, pools and lawns as fire breaks and remove anything flammable from around the house. If it’s flood that’s the biggest threat, think about moving things to higher spots, have polished concrete flooring, waterproof paint, sealant and removable rugs. Will you have access to a clean water supply or a way to clean your water? You need a first line of defence against the storm.

The guide to coping with your own personal hell.Source:Supplied

Jane Rawson says we need to plan for our worst nightmares.Source:Supplied

EMERGENCY SURVIVAL KIT

You’ve created a buffer, but any prepper worth their salt has an emergency survival kit.

Rawson and Whitmore suggest yours should include blankets, medicine, scissors and a knife, supplies for pets and small children, spare batteries, walkie-talkies, water purifiers, ponchos, plastic sheeting, a waterproof bag, candles and matches.

“Have important documents like house insurance and title,” Rawson said. “Scan them and have them online.”

She also created a list of food with the help of a nutritionist, which includes oats, canola oil, lentils, milk powder, nuts and dried fruit. “It’s not going to be interesting or enjoyable but it will keep you healthy.”

She advises you keep sufficient rations for 10 weeks available, and enough water for two weeks (three or four litres per person per day).

Rawson believes that being prepared is empowering, and that if we think about the risks, we’ll be less traumatised if something does happen. “This is your chance to get organised to take control of your life,” she said. “Then you don’t have to worry so much.”

FORM A TEAM

After the initial disaster, the next stage is to band together with others for support, real-life survivors say. “The most important thing is to have contacts in the community, people who understand what your terrible experience has been like,” Rawson said.

“You need strong networks and people who can help physically. Helping one another can also help you through your mental anguish, and give you a sense of your future.”

She says despair and an “esoteric sense of loss” can be one of the worst impacts of disaster. In Western cultures, we have an idea that things are always getting better and the future is brighter, with a gradual decrease in poverty, disease and hardship.

A disaster can change all that. “The idea your kids might suffer more can be very painful,” Rawson said. “But in World War II Britain, everyone came together and for some people, it was the best time of their life. The community became much stronger.”

The authors do end on a note of hope. They say that having these conversations gives us a chance to cope with climate change. If we build a supportive structure, starting with the most vulnerable in society, we can become a smarter, tougher species that’s ready for anything the world can throw at us.

Order your copy of The Handbook: Surviving and Living With Climate Change ($29.95) online, download the Kindle version or find out where to buy it in-store. US$12.16 Kindle

News.com.au Article Link

The Handbook : Book Review

"The Handbook does return some sense of control by setting out ways we can all become more self-sufficient and prepared for emergencies, as well as outlining tactics to manage feelings of fear and despair as we head into an uncertain future.

The book is broken into four sections covering reduction of vulnerability, self-sufficiency, living with loss and impacts of climate change. Each section equips the reader with some basic skills and advice on how to cope with climate change catastrophes and how to start adapting our lives to become more resilient to our best guess at what a future of unmitigated climate change could look like.

It’s made clear that the discrete chapters addressing different topics can be used as references in an emergency; however they do also comprise a cohesive whole that can be easily read through cover-to-cover, despite the often somber content. Any guide to “surviving” is never going to be an entirely upbeat read.

Chapters on making it through bushfires and floods feature testimonies from survivors of disasters like the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and the 2011 Queensland floods. These can be tough to read, especially when followed by reminders that such disasters are only going to increase in frequency and severity. Particularly alarming is the segment considering “is humanity doomed?”

Somehow though, Rawson and Whitmore manage to balance the apocalyptic tone by injecting the book with enough humour and faith in the power of community building. Readers will come away from the book with enough hope that they will be able to navigate whatever is coming their way by taking individual action and reaching out to their neighbours, even if they are past the point of being able to prevent climate change."

Book review by Pia White

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