The Preppers House

[Mortblanc]

I have been prepping since the mid 1970s. I am presently living on my forth retreat/sanctuary/shack (depending on overall viewpoint) and each has been consideraby different, mostly based on my age and expectations when I built each.

What you have lined out is probably a good outline in theoretical. It covers all the needs and expectations and might work in ideal conditions. In the real world one must often make comprimises.

On retreat #3 I had both solar and generator power and finally hooked up to the grid. Sounds ideal, but it was still a comprimise and I spent a great deal of money on off grid systems that I could have spent on food, fuel and other things and the off grid system was never used, but still had to be maintained.

In building what I imagined was the ideal situation I learned a lot of things were not really needed, could be cobbled together in a few moments after the need developed and/pr could be bypassed.

In my present situation Retreat #4 I built around grid service rather than trying to replace it. I chose a location on a lake for continuious water access, provision of both food and water and recreation in the present. Instead of wiring for solar I built a protable pannel/battery/inverter that stays on trickle charge in the workshop, ready for any lighting emergency but not intended to replace the entire electric service. Same with the generator. I opted for a smaller unit that would run the lights and surrendered the operation of all services at once to effeciency and doing one thing at a time.

I did much the same with storage. Valuable items are inside, well secured. General purpose items are in sheds outside, locked and secured. I even have a "life support" kit in off site storage incase of flood, fire or tornado (I hear you do not have that problem).

Remember that SHTF if you loose your supplies you are going to loose the house that held them. No one will leave without setting fire to the structure. Most of you hidden gear is a useless effort.