# Underground Containers



## Yolanda

I'm wondering what would be the best containers for long term burial....and don't say a coffin!


----------



## bkt

Yolanda said:


> I'm wondering what would be the best containers for long term burial....and don't say a coffin!


PVC pipes. You can get them in 1' diameters at most home improvement stores. Probably larger sizes can be had special order.


----------



## JeepHammer

BKT probably meant to say you can have them in *1" INCREASES*, in sizes to well over 18" in diameter at the hardware store.

I agree, but that is an EXPENSIVE way to do things.

And, the amount of waterproofing you will need to do will depend on what you are trying to preserve and where you are trying to preserve it...

The Desert is a dry climate, but it's hard to dig through the concrete hard Salt/Alkaloid crust that is just under the surface, so be prepared for a rock hard layer there!

The good news is you don't have to ever worry about standing water in the hole, so turning a water resistant container up side down so the water can't run in and stand when you bury it will probably do the trick.
--------------------------

In ground that is more wet and standing water is a real threat, remember to use a WATER TIGHT container that will maintain a seal for a long period of time.
PVC pipe is good here, since you can 'Pipe Dope' a threaded end cap, or just seal both ends up with caps and glue, but that means cutting open the container when you need something out of it...

Again, seal it up good, and if you have an 'Access' point, bury it facing DOWN so if the seal fails, the container doesn't fill with water and stand there!
------------------------

If you plan to store underground in saturated ground, you MUST make sure you container won't float!
We had some flooding this spring that brought things to the surface that were never meant to see the light of day again! (Coffins for one!)

Why do you think the graves are ABOVE GROUND in swamps!
-------------------------

Some tips for storage underground...

If you are storing firearms or other metal items, 
Make sure you use a second container, storage bag, smaller container, ect, and make sure your metal items are protected from condensation! 
Use a storage paper or heavy grease to keep surface condensation off your hardware!

Make sure there is something in the top of the container that won't hurt if it gets wet, between your hardware and the lid/seal...
That's so when you turn the container over to bury, and the seal leaks, your hardware will be in the air pocket in what was the bottom of the container.

Shop around some of the bigger Surplus Stores for containers, they are MUCH cheaper there than trying to build your own stuff from pipe and usually intended for moderately long term storage when you find them.

If you use metal containers, and if you bury something that is large or odd sized, you probably will use a metal container,
Remember to coat the outside of the container with basement sealer for exterior blocks or tar to keep the moisture and natural salts/acids from eating through the container.
Really lay it on THICK, may coats if you intend it to be there for long term storage.
.........................

*If you own the land you are digging on,*

Consider where you are burying things carefully.
Things buried under a side walk section on your own property is handy, secure, and you can be sure no one is going to dig that up without your advanced notice.

Things buried in a yard where the city or any number of utility companies can dig right on through might be a bad idea.

Sidewalks poured in sections are EASY to pry up with just a long pry bar and a fulcrum, and sidewalks explain why there might be a metal detector signal from that location...
Rebar or concrete wire in the cement.

Poured concrete pads for lawn decoration, like benches, water features, BBQ grill pads make good places if you want to spread yours away from the house.

Storage under places like the garage floor is a bad idea.
Lot's of hammering and hard to get to, and you will leave behind evidence that is REALLY hard to explain!

If you do want to store in the house, pour a slab next to a wall or footer (after you have secured your hardware) and then build work table or install cabinets over it.

Work table or cabinets will also restrict the weight on the area you couldn't pack, and keep the floor from cracking, and the cabinet/work table will cover the hole if you have to hammer up the floor...
.................

*If you don't own the land you are digging on...*

Burying things next to roads is a bad idea, since that road might be widened and your stuff gets paved over,
OR,
Since every roadway has at least a 30' right of way from it's outside edge, stay well away from that 30' since any number of utilities will be digging through there at any give time...

MAKE SURE YOUR LOCATION LANDMARKS ARE PERMANENT!
I've heard more than one story about something being 'buried' and when they went back to get it in a few years, The tree or fence post or what ever they used to locate the 'Stash' was gone and they would up digging up half the county!

Rock outcroppings and concrete foundations or post are good landmarks, just about anything else can't be trusted!
--------------------

Never trust a rock or anything else that can be moved! 
I found that out myself when I was young (in the 70's)!
My Grandpa directed me to the cooker for a still they buried when the 'Law' got too close to their operation back in prohibition days, and before they went back to get it, probation ended so they left it burried
.
He was CONVINCED he could direct me to EXACTLY where the still was buried...
The old Oak they used as one of their markers was long gone, and the foundation stones of a barn were still there, but didn't look quite right to him...

So, after digging holes for about 2 months in all my spare time!
I finally found the still with a probe and dug it up.
It was more than 75 yards from where grandpa was "POSITIVE!" it was!

Did I mention that brass/bronze holds up well underground?!!!


----------



## bkt

JeepHammer said:


> BKT probably meant to say you can have them in *1" INCREASES*, in sizes to well over 18" in diameter at the hardware store.


I meant that you can buy 1-foot diameter PVC pipe and endcaps at the hardware store, and that you can probably get larger-diameter pipes from other sources.



JeepHammer said:


> I agree, but that is an EXPENSIVE way to do things.


It's about $20/foot. Not too expensive, IMO. 6" pipe costs considerably less and may be suitable, depending on what's being cached.



JeepHammer said:


> And, the amount of waterproofing you will need to do will depend on what you are trying to preserve and where you are trying to preserve it...


PVC cement tends to make things pretty darn waterproof. That's been my experience, anyway.

I would suggest oiling mechanical metal devices (such as a rifle) well, inserting them in a bag, adding dry ice to displace oxygen, heat-sealing the bag, and putting that in the PVC pipe for long-term storage.



JeepHammer said:


> I've heard more than one story about something being 'buried' and when they went back to get it in a few years, The tree or fence post or what ever they used to locate the 'Stash' was gone and they would up digging up half the county!
> 
> Rock outcroppings and concrete foundations or post are good landmarks, just about anything else can't be trusted!


Exactly right. It's fine to secure your cache, but it won't help you if you can't find it again. It's very, very easy to lose something you buried months or years ago. Use your head when choosing a place to dig.


----------



## gds

Yolanda said:


> I'm wondering what would be the best containers for long term burial....and don't say a coffin!


Coffins are good! The expense?? 
What are you burying? Do you need access on occasion?
Like bkt indicated, PVC is a good way to go. Oversize it, so if you need access all you have to do is cut it and stick another cap.

JH, Your quite the windy old bag ain't ya? Just answer the question. Some people on this forum may not have the time to contemplate your rambling.

"Did I mention that brass/bronze holds up well underground?!!! "
Yea, it holds up well, but it came frome the ground. Now compare PVC to it. PVC is created with alot of toxic stuff, only man can do that. So we have brass/bronze all natural, compared to PVC all toxic. You know the PVC is going to last longer. What is detrimental will succeed what is right.


----------



## Big B

A friend of mine, has 100 acres and equipment, back hoe, etc.
He buried a whole 50' container, under about three feet of soil, with a cement access hole, as in a manhole access. He hid the entrance under carefully planted bushes and some black berry bushes. 
nobody knows except his wife and son.

You could also park a cattle feed distributor on top of it......
Hmmmm.........


----------



## questor

Big B said:


> A friend of mine, has 100 acres and equipment, back hoe, etc.
> He buried a whole 50' container, under about three feet of soil, with a cement access hole, as in a manhole access. He hid the entrance under carefully planted bushes and some black berry bushes.
> nobody knows except his wife and son.
> 
> and you !!


----------



## edmondsonpr

Hey gds, I did have the time to read JeepHammer and found it informative!

He made several good points depending on the circumstances. Thanks JH!


----------



## TechAdmin

I want to know what there burying!


----------



## questor

Dean said:


> I want to know what there burying!


depends on the size of the container.

anything other than that, you should no better than to ask


----------



## mandiex4

lol, and if you get the right size pipe, 2 lt. plasic bottles will fit right down in it.


----------



## questor

why would you want to store 2 liter plastic bottles ???

(he asked with a grin)


----------



## TechAdmin

I'm confused and still want to know what there burying! :sssh:


----------



## questor

if you want to know what THEY'RE burying . . . ask them


----------



## TechAdmin

Good call on my grammar. Thanks Questor!


----------



## questor

I wasn't too sure on how to be 'politic' about it


----------



## TechAdmin

You could have shot me pm something along the lines of hey your grammar sucks and your grasp of the English language seems to be tentative at best. You must have been educated in the south!

Me: Wow how did you know!

You: You improperly use: there their they're hear here where were and every other stupid change in spelling the English language has to offer. 

Me: That is stupid lets change that!

You: Ok!

Maybe????


----------



## questor

well, ya see, it's this way
I am one of the worst spellers you'll ever find.
It really wets my powder when I see someone else doing it.
HowEVER, I do know a bit about grammar and punctuation.
And it REALLY fractures my frizzen when it isn't done proper.
even though I can't seem to do it correctly, either
But then, they don't call me Questor "Bar Sinister" for nuttin'

I also know enough Martial Arts to get myself hurt, really bad


----------



## allen_idaho

If you are going to bury anything underground, I suggest getting one of those cheap plastic pool liners they sell for koi ponds and things. Use it to wrap whatever you are burying. That way if it rains, the seeping water won't affect your goods.


----------



## questor

Aren't those things a bit pricey ???
And, how do you seal it to make it waterproof ???


----------



## TechAdmin

questor said:


> well, ya see, it's this way
> I am one of the worst spellers you'll ever find.
> It really wets my powder when I see someone else doing it.
> HowEVER, I do know a bit about grammar and punctuation.
> And it REALLY fractures my frizzen when it isn't done proper.
> even though I can't seem to do it correctly, either
> But then, they don't call me Questor "Bar Sinister" for nuttin'
> 
> I also know enough Martial Arts to get myself hurt, really bad


I'm just saying right here right now we need to stop the English languages stupid rules. It makes it stupidly complicated for no other reason than exclusion. I'm not advocating the use of text spelling I think our language would better serve us though if we didn't get hung up on spelling of different words that sound the same. I'm not saying no to grammar. I feel that's important in order to convey meaning. Just a thought.


----------



## NaeKid

questor said:


> Aren't those things a bit pricey ???
> And, how do you seal it to make it waterproof ???


If you give the water a place to "run off to", it will collect in the lower places under ground. When you bury whatever you need to bury, lay the liner over the top just before you put the dirt back into place and it should help keep the products that much dryer by moving the water further away.

There will be some seapage back towards the product, but, it would not be direct moisure. If you plan to bury metal containers, consider coating the container and any seals with a heavy grease to protect against rusting / seizing.


----------



## questor

Dean said:


> I'm just saying right here right now we need to stop the English languages stupid rules. It makes it stupidly complicated for no other reason than exclusion. I'm not advocating the use of text spelling I think our language would better serve us though if we didn't get hung up on spelling of different words that sound the same. I'm not saying no to grammar. I feel that's important in order to convey meaning. Just a thought.


You, Sir, are correct
and I agree . . .
I'll try to ignore it from now on


----------



## james_black

Out of curiosity. Can you apply basement sealer to a wood container for waterproofing? Or its only applicable to pvc and or harder surfaces?


----------



## questor

I, personally, don't know.
read the "applications" label.
OR
you might grab a hunk of wood, coat it, bury it and dig it up in a year.


----------



## westr01

*Five gallon buckets.*

The simple five gallon buckets, that you can pick up at Wal-Mart, work nice for underground storage.


----------



## Kriket

Dean said:


> I'm confused and still want to know what there burying! :sssh:


Me too! I can't really think of anything I want to bury!



Dean said:


> I'm just saying right here right now we need to stop the English languages stupid rules. It makes it stupidly complicated for no other reason than exclusion. I'm not advocating the use of text spelling I think our language would better serve us though if we didn't get hung up on spelling of different words that sound the same. I'm not saying no to grammar. I feel that's important in order to convey meaning. Just a thought.


newspeak anyone?  it would be plusgood.


----------



## questor

fer'sizzle !!


----------



## TechAdmin

Fo show' !!


----------



## questor

quote . .
"Me too! I can't really think of anything I want to bury!" [Kriket}

I can't think of any place else I could put my emergency stash that I 
wouldn't want someone to know about or find ?


----------



## greaseman

I used a 5 gallon bucket with an "o" ring seal for a buried container. PVC pipe in large sizes is very expensive. The plastic buckets are cheap, and offer a lot of storage space.
If i put something in there for long term storage, I vaccumm seal the item, so moisture or dirt is never a problem. I did make sure my family knows where I put the bucket in the ground.
By the way, I have a good gun safe, but my primary reason for the hidy hole is a safe stash place if I get a home invasion. I'm sure I would open the safe with a gun to my head, unless I had the chance to get the drop on them first. it's kind of an issue of not storing all your eggs in one basket.


----------



## Expeditioner

A source on ground cacheing was posted in the how-to section. It has some useful info as well. Here is the link to the post.

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f39/ground-cacheing-871/index2.html#post18709

:dunno:


----------



## NavyKen

Little late getting in on this discussion. First let me say be careful burring 20' and 40' containers. We were discussing this issue on one of the other forums and turns out that these containers (kind you see on trains, trucks and ships) are strong only on the floor and corners. these points can handle a tremendous amount of weight but the sides and top will not, so be careful how deep you plant them and what you place on top once buried.

Second as to what people are burying. It is called a cache and it is a back-up to the back-up. The few people I know that cache items do it in out of the way places like national forests and state parks. They do it in remote lightly traveled locations to minimize chances of the cache being found. Items being cached are food, clothes, medical supplies, maps and technical documents, barter items, precious metals, guns, ammunition, and long term camping equipment.

The container most commonly used to protect the items is a painted steel 55gal open head drum sealed with silicone.


----------



## waynemart

Big B said:


> A friend of mine, has 100 acres and equipment, back hoe, etc.
> He buried a whole 50' container, under about three feet of soil, with a cement access hole, as in a manhole access. He hid the entrance under carefully planted bushes and some black berry bushes.
> nobody knows except his wife and son.
> 
> You could also park a cattle feed distributor on top of it......
> Hmmmm.........


Speaking of burying shipping containers.... Check out what I did on You Tube.


----------



## NaeKid

Nice video there Wayne ... is that really your backyard? If so, way too sweet!


----------



## Expeditioner

I have used a couple of small gangboxes that I picked up at an auction for setting up some smaller caches. Items within the boxes are in waterproof containers/packaging. Make sure you place your cache near landmarks that are likely to survive a SHTF situation. Yes you can alos take GPS coordinates but GPS might not be working.

NavyKen is correct about being careful about burying the big containers if you bury too deep they will need some extra support to keep the top from caving in under the weight of the fill dirt.


----------



## labouton

greaseman said:


> I used a 5 gallon bucket with an "o" ring seal for a buried container. PVC pipe in large sizes is very expensive. The plastic buckets are cheap, and offer a lot of storage space.
> If i put something in there for long term storage, I vaccumm seal the item, so moisture or dirt is never a problem. I did make sure my family knows where I put the bucket in the ground.
> By the way, I have a good gun safe, but my primary reason for the hidy hole is a safe stash place if I get a home invasion. I'm sure I would open the safe with a gun to my head, unless I had the chance to get the drop on them first. it's kind of an issue of not storing all your eggs in one basket.


What about burying paper and the effects of condensation???


----------



## IlliniWarrior

*Add 02 and Moisture Absorbers*



greaseman said:


> I used a 5 gallon bucket with an "o" ring seal for a buried container. PVC pipe in large sizes is very expensive. The plastic buckets are cheap, and offer a lot of storage space.
> If i put something in there for long term storage, I vaccumm seal the item, so moisture or dirt is never a problem. I did make sure my family knows where I put the bucket in the ground.
> By the way, I have a good gun safe, but my primary reason for the hidy hole is a safe stash place if I get a home invasion. I'm sure I would open the safe with a gun to my head, unless I had the chance to get the drop on them first. it's kind of an issue of not storing all your eggs in one basket.


The vacuum will only hold on a FoodSaver type pack for 6 months .... not intended or suitable for long term storage (LTS) ..... when you pack a bucket or any airtite container you should add 02 absorbers and desiccant packs (moisture absorbers/ aka silica gel) .....


----------



## survivalist72

plastic 55 gallon containers used for rainwater catchment can be had for 25 dollars most places. Check crags list or find a local source somewhere.
Stores well, doest rust out, animals don't eat thru the plastic, waterproof,


----------



## Woody

IlliniWarrior said:


> The vacuum will only hold on a FoodSaver type pack for 6 months .... not intended or suitable for long term storage (LTS) ..... when you pack a bucket or any airtite container you should add 02 absorbers and desiccant packs (moisture absorbers/ aka silica gel) .....


I can see adding the 02 absorbers and desiccants to the bucket but I have never had issues with my food saver seal lasting only 6 months. Is this from personal experience? I have some items that were sealed years ago and they are still airtight, at least as far as I can tell. There is no visible sign of leakage at all. Perhaps you/they did not hold the lid down long enough for it to fully melt together?


----------



## survivalist72

Ive got food saver packs going on three years that haven't lost seal yet its still air tight today as it was the day I sealed them. 6 months wouldn't even be worth buying the machine or bags for. I expect if I don't mess with my bags they will last 10 years or more without air seepage getting into them.
The way I know mine are still air tight is they are still form fitting around whats in the bag. If air had gotten in the item would have space to move around then. And when I cut open a bag it expands and air rushes in.
6 months sounds like an operator error or a machine problem if thats all you are getting out of it.


----------



## labouton

survivalist72 said:


> Ive got food saver packs going on three years that haven't lost seal yet its still air tight today as it was the day I sealed them. 6 months wouldn't even be worth buying the machine or bags for. I expect if I don't mess with my bags they will last 10 years or more without air seepage getting into them.
> The way I know mine are still air tight is they are still form fitting around whats in the bag. If air had gotten in the item would have space to move around then. And when I cut open a bag it expands and air rushes in.
> 6 months sounds like an operator error or a machine problem if thats all you are getting out of it.


I was having trouble with leakage using food saver bags until I started double sealing both ends of the bags.


----------



## HamiltonFelix

Wow, people must be burying for sure. CTD had Sonobuoy tubes for $19.99 and they were sold out in about a day. I remember when those things were really cheap. I love to watch for how amazingly often they appear in science fiction shows, often painted silver or copper color. 

If it's tubes, then PVC works. But the big stuff is not cheap. 

Heck, barrels work for a while. But even if you coat it, thin steel will eventually suffer. Same is true for ammo cans. Those monster screw top plastic barrels we see at work in the spill cleanup stations would probably work, and probably have a volume close to 100 gallons. But I'm sure they're very expensive. Seems like the most common ordinary plastic barrels around here don't have removable tops. But you have to love plastic for lasting underground. 

I once put some guns, gear, ammo, rations, etc. out for 20 months in a Sonobuoy tube. But I vacuum sealed everything. And for the guns and metal things, I used VCI (Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor) bags first, then vacuum seal bags. It worked great, except some of the electrical grade silicon grease I used on the threads migrated and caused a bit of the caulk I put on the seam to come off. I'm sure it would have lasted much longer. 

We've sure become fond of the Gamma Seal lids for 5 gallon plastic buckets. They sell 'em at our local Winco, along with buckets if you need them. Very convenient for everything from dry cat food to beans. Nothing like a reusable sealed package. :2thumb:

If you're going really big, burying Conex boxes with your backhoe, I'd sure learn a bit about the actual strength of said boxes (not just the strength of their corner frames that allows stacking). And I'd learn a bit about shoring and expected loads. Burying a rectangular shape with huge flat surfaces does not inspire confidence. And even with really good coating, the steel will not last forever underground. That being said, I still want to try it.


----------



## questor

questor said:


> Big B said:
> 
> 
> 
> A friend of mine, has 100 acres and equipment, back hoe, etc.
> He buried a whole 50' container, under about three feet of soil, with a cement access hole, as in a manhole access. He hid the entrance under carefully planted bushes and some black berry bushes.
> nobody knows except his wife and son.
> 
> and you !!
> 
> 
> 
> but I don't know where . . . better than half, I'd say, is covered in blackberry bushes and rhododendrons . . .
> and the dogs
Click to expand...


----------



## brucehylton

Has anyone buried a school bus? I am thinking about one for a root cellar. I am also looking for plans that I saw in the 60's or 70's of a 8x8x16 vacation cabin set up on one corner that had an aisle down the center. It was designed to be trucked to the site and rolled up one the one corner to sit on a single runner type foundation.


----------



## questor

I wouldn't think you could bury a bus! there isn't much structure in the sides and top. Bus's are built light for a reason.


----------



## BlueShoe

After the storms in Alabama this past year, NPR interviewed a family who survived the storm by evacuating to a school bus they buried into the side of a hill. The guy sounded like the typical Bubba. It was a blast hearing the astonishment in the voice of the female interviewing him as he told his tale of walking out of the bus to see his sister's house destroyed and his own damaged. He was quite the happy guy.
I'm sure it made their audience take stock of who might be the survivors in their area in a 'fan' event. _But I've got an education...and I don't have a drawl._


----------



## questor

well, I'll be durned
who knew !?!?!?!?
I would think that a bus is "too thin skinned" to hold up any amount of weight.
Ya learn something new at least once a week.


----------



## jbillh

Hi Folks,

I found this product quite some time ago and think it's worth a look.

I am NOT affiliated with it or them in any way... just think it seems like a good idea.

Here is the cut and paste link: storeguns.com

All the Best,

Bill


----------



## d_saum

jimmydetectors09 said:


> Among all the detecting activities, i think gold detecting is the most interesting one. It can not only help you to get a big fortune but also to relax both your body and mind.Next time you can pick up a metal detector for gold and have a try.


nooo.. not spam at all...  Thanks for joining just to pimp your metal detectors... dewsh.


----------



## -prepper-

TechAdmin said:


> !
> 
> You: You improperly use: there their they're hear here where were and every other stupid change in spelling the English language has to offer.


Oh my god XD ! Same problem here! XD but
In my defense public schools in Georgia suck XD we worry more about teen pregnancy
And a tractor party than the important stuff


----------



## Ezmerelda

brucehylton said:


> Has anyone buried a school bus?





tenOC said:


> After the storms in Alabama this past year, NPR interviewed a family who survived the storm by evacuating to a school bus they buried into the side of a hill. The guy sounded like the typical Bubba. It was a blast hearing the astonishment in the voice of the female interviewing him as he told his tale of walking out of the bus to see his sister's house destroyed and his own damaged. He was quite the happy guy.
> [/I]





questor said:


> well, I'll be durned
> who knew !?!?!?!?
> I would think that a bus is "too thin skinned" to hold up any amount of weight.
> Ya learn something new at least once a week.


It's the shape that does it. The strongest shapes in architecture are the arc and the sphere. School buses are usually arched, making them stronger than their composition would suggest.

...and, as for English grammar, the English language is made up of words borrowed from nearly every other language on earth. So of course it's going to be complex. I don't really think it has anything to do with excluding anyone...


----------



## surplus_hoarder123

go to this link, it was very helpful to me http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/browse/military-misc-storage-containers.aspx?c=171&s=196&d=122 it is a link about underground storage and military surplus ammo cans at fair prices


----------



## GlockASP

brucehylton said:


> Has anyone buried a school bus? I am thinking about one for a root cellar. I am also looking for plans that I saw in the 60's or 70's of a 8x8x16 vacation cabin set up on one corner that had an aisle down the center. It was designed to be trucked to the site and rolled up one the one corner to sit on a single runner type foundation.


Yep!!!!

I remember there was a website on it but I cant find it (might be gone) IIRC the site was shutdown by the government and condemned as unsafe they welded the door shut on the guy with all of the supplies and equip in it. I remember there was a video of him walking the site above ground talking about the shelter underground. There are vids on youtube about it.

http://www.webpal.org/SAFE/aaaarktwo/

http://www.radmeters4u.com/

Ark Two Shelter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ark Two Shelter is the world's largest privately constructed nuclear fallout shelter.[citation needed] Built over the last decades by Bruce Beach, in the village of Horning's Mills (north of Toronto, Ontario),[1] the 10,000 square foot shelter is composed of 42 school buses, which were buried underground as patterns for concrete that was then poured over to provide the main structure, onto which up to fourteen feet of earth were piled to provide fallout protection.[2]
With construction beginning in the early 1980s (during the height of the cold war), the shelter was designed to accommodate as many as five hundred people[3] for the length of time required to allow the widespread nuclear fallout to decay to a level allowing a safe return to the surface after a cataclysmic nuclear event.
Powered by redundant diesel generators, the heavily fortified ("virtually impenetrable to anything short of a direct nuclear strike"[2]) shelter includes two commercial kitchens, full plumbing (including a private well for potable water and a motel-sized septic tank), three months' worth of diesel, a radio based communications center, a chapel, and a decontamination room[1]
Ark Two is equipped with a communications room capable of broadcasting locally on the FM broadcast band, and throughout Canada and the United States on the AM and Shortwave Bands.[3] A particularly novel feature is a collapsible, weather balloon deployed antenna, capable of being launched from within the shelter. All Ark Two communication equipment is EMP hardened and generator powered so as to be able to transmit survival information to the general public in the event of nuclear war.
Beach does not charge money for admission to the shelter, instead guaranteeing individuals admission in return for sweat equity and active involvement in the Ark Two communities' various activities. In addition, "Everyone is welcome here, regardless of religion, race, nationality, political views...".[1] In return for the promise of safe haven in times of nuclear attack, a person residing in nearby areas might be expected to, for example, work at the shelter several weekends each year, assisting in the routine maintenance or continuing renovations of the facility. A large percentage of the shelter population is expected to be children, as the primary purpose of the shelter is to serve as an "underground orphanage, a place where a new generation could be saved from nuclear apocalypse", which, according to Beach, would otherwise wipe out over 80% of the world's population.[3] "We're going to say to people: 'Well, we have room for your children, but we don't have room for you.' That's the nature of life... this is the lifeboat."[3]
Beach believes that the majority of preppers are too concerned with personal survival, when they should be focused on reconstructing the world after a cataclysmic disaster. He runs an online "reconstruction network" (the "SAFE" community) through which he shares information about Ark Two and his evacuation plans.[4]
Ark Two was featured in Beach's interview for National Geographic's "Doomsday Preppers", episode 8: "It's Gonna Get Worse". It was also featured on the Global Television Network series "16:9" (original air date: February 25, 2012), and on the Showtime series "Penn & Teller: ********!" season one episode four: "End of the World".
Beach has authored two related books: Society After Doomsday (ISBN 978-0-919553-20-0) and TRIAD Individual Networking: Preparedness For Disastrous Times (ISBN 978-0-919553-50-7)


----------



## questor

Ezmerelda said:


> It's the shape that does it. The strongest shapes in architecture are the arc and the sphere. School buses are usually arched, making them stronger than their composition would suggest.
> 
> ...and, as for English grammar, the English language is made up of words borrowed from nearly every other language on earth. So of course it's going to be complex. I don't really think it has anything to do with excluding anyone...


an arch is strong, I agree. but not if it's made from thin gauge aluminum without any real shoring.
I looked a little deeper into this. (no pun intended)
all the bus' that have been "buried" have actually only been a few inches deeper than the roof.
And, mostly, just for storm purpose's. Meaning all they really need is temporary shelter from a tornado or high winds for a few hours at most.
In that case, all they need to be is a few inches below grade and they're safe.
If something big and heavy were to fall from the sky (a car, truck, "cow!" another bus or a trailer) the covering would offer very little, if any, protection. 
From the looks of the few (2) I could find photos or videos of, I wouldn't even want to walk on top of it.






also, look up '******* storm shelter'


----------

