Building a storm shelter with dog kennels and motion lights

[dlgoff]

TL;DR

My Summer Job

This is what I've been working on this summer; a storm shelter.

To keep the deer off, I put two 10' dog kennels around it.

front:

back:

electrical service with motion detector flood lights:

 

[hutchphd]

Why are the deer an issue?

 

[Baluncore]

Why do you have lights?
What is the source of the power?
Will your wooden light pole survive?
Does the door open inwards or outwards?
How will you get out once the dog kennel or caravan has fallen across the entrance?

 

[berkeman]

Summary:: My Summer Job

a storm shelter.

To keep the deer off, I put two 10' dog kennels around it.

No, no, no. You want deer TRAPS around your storm shelter, not deer fences. What if it's a long storm? What are you going to BBQ unless you trap a few deer? Sheesh.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Deer loses head-butt with Wisconsin lawn ornament.

 

[dlgoff]

You want deer TRAPS around your storm shelter,

not really when you have one of these :

 

[dlgoff]

Deer loses head-butt with Wisconsin lawn ornament.

They ain't too bright (said with a southern drawl)

 

[Tom.G]

They ain't too bright (said with a southern drawl)

And how bright would you expect Any male to be that has had to wait for a year?

 

[dlgoff]

Why do you have lights?

To see if a storms is coming at night.

What is the source of the power?

A direct bury cable from my homes power service

Will your wooden light pole survive?

hopefully it will.

Does the door open inwards or outwards?

outwards.

How will you get out once the dog kennel or caravan has fallen across the entrance?

I could always climb over the kennel.

 

[dlgoff]

And how bright would you expect Any male to be that has had to wait for a year?

I bet you already know the answer to that.

 

[dlgoff]

Thanks mentors for moving to this forum. Much better place.

 

[Baluncore]

If the door opens outwards, how will you open the door with an applied external debris load ?
Do you not have an alternative escape route?

 

[berkeman]

(His hatch has exploding bolts -- not to worry)...

 

[Vanadium 50]

Everything is better with exploding bolts.

 

[hutchphd]

Gus Grissom, were he still available for comment, would likely disagree...

 

[dlgoff]

If the door opens outwards, how will you open the door with an applied external debris load ?
Do you not have an alternative escape route?

I could always climb over the kennel.

 

[some bloke]

I could always climb over the kennel.

I think the context of the question was, if you were inside the bunker and something heavy (the pole, or caravan for example) fell across the door, how would you get out? if the door opens outwards then it will not be possible to open it from the inside, and you'd be trapped.

 

[dlgoff]

I think the context of the question was, if you were inside the bunker and something heavy (the pole, or caravan for example) fell across the door, how would you get out? if the door opens outwards then it will not be possible to open it from the inside, and you'd be trapped.

Ah! I understand now. Well I guess I would probably have to wait for a rescue. I do have a way to cook in there. Not to worry. I have a CO detector and the airflow into out is very high (I'm in the process of finding an airflow meter and will report the results here.) I'll be posting pics of the inside also.

Thanks for the clarification @some bloke

 

[berkeman]

Maybe add an escape tunnel and hatch outside of the enclosure? It doesn't have to be very big -- just big enough to crawl through to get out to fix whatever is the problem with the main door. "Always have two ways out"...

 

[berkeman]

Alternately, you could add a sub-door in your main door that opens inward. that might allow you to lift up anything that was holding down the door on the outside (probably a lot less work than digging that 2nd tunnel...).

 

[Baluncore]

When the dog kennel comes down on the door, which is highly probable with a storm from any direction, the mesh will be weighed down with debris. You need to make the door so it can be taken apart from inside the shelter with available tools kept there for the job. Then you need wire cutters to cut a hole in the mesh.

It all seems so irrational, building a trap for people, to keep the deer out.
Hoist on your own petard, while digging your own grave.

 

[Averagesupernova]

I would consider the things mentioned above, but in all likelihood people will be looking for neighbors/survivors. With the ventilation opening(s) several of these: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/t...ment > Personal Defense&utm_source=Google_LIA
-
would be very effective.

 

[berkeman]

I would consider the things mentioned above, but in all likelihood people will be looking for neighbors/survivors. With the ventilation opening(s) several of these: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200798236_200798236?cm_mmc=Google-LIA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4qK7iviU7QIVxp6zCh2aYwCpEAUYASABEgJTIfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&utm_campaign=Wolo&utm_content=16463&utm_medium=Security Equipment > Personal Defense&utm_source=Google_LIA
-
would be very effective.

Good point, ASN.

@dlgoff -- do you have a HAM radio in your shelter and a feed to an external antenna? That seems like it would be a good addition. Or at least an AM/FM/Weather radio with an external antenna.

 

[jrmichler]

Another suggestion is to have one of these jacks in the shelter:

Along with some 4X4's and a saw to cut them to length. The jack is available from Northern Tool and many hardware stores. I have one of these jacks. It is solid and well built. If I had an underground storm shelter, I would assume that I would have to deal with a tree, vehicle, or portion of a house on top of it after the storm.

I hope the OP took into account worst case flood levels...

 

[Averagesupernova]

I would keep materials in the shelter to push a small vertical antenna up through a vent to be able to communicate on 2 meters.

 

[dlgoff]

-- do you have a HAM radio in your shelter and a feed to an external antenna? That seems like it would be a good addition. Or at least an AM/FM/Weather radio with an external antenna.

Not a HAM radio but a CB with an external antenna. I also have a weather radio (with an external antenna) and an FM radio (no external antenna needed; works fine with its' inside antenna.

 

[dlgoff]

I hope the OP took into account worst case flood levels...

I'm about 800 feet above the Kansas River. So this isn't a concern. There's never been a drop of rain getting in during downpours.

 

[dlgoff]

It all seems so irrational, building a trap for people, ...

Ever been in a tornado? I have.

 

[anorlunda]

People in tornado prone areas have been digging storm shelters since first settlements. Although it sound like @dlgoff made his thoroughly modern, the basic issues of shelter, comfort, flooding, and egress are likely the same today as a century ago.

I would guess that to shelter from a tornado, the average time inside the shelter would be only 10 minutes. And if the storm is flinging caravans around like fallen leaves, it would be immensely safer in the shelter than outside.

The most rudimentary form of tornado shelter is just an open pit, or a ditch.

 

[bob012345]

How about a photo of the inside? Thanks.