# Anyone thought of using storm drains in shtf?



## OntarioWildForagedHerbs (Jul 29, 2016)

Could be a valuable way to travel. What about for fallout? How far in a tunnel would you need to go to stop radiation without doors. Seems like if you climbed the ladders to check for rain clouds thru the grates you could technically stay under ground safely between rainfalls. I know some are made for workers. One time I stayed in one during the winter for a few hours to get out of the water and let my boots dry and just generally explore. Had a raised concrete bench with multiple around 1 inch thick metal pegs coming out the wall above it for coat hangers. Led into a few more tunnels but it was icy inside so I never looked to deep into them. But I noticed there's a lot of extra tunnels used for flooding and over flows. If its dry its just a clean cement or metal tunnel. Normally cleaner then the walk thru ones for pedestrians, there basically washed every storm by the rain. If you were to map them you could make safe zones inside, reroute water by welding over the manhole covers at the starting of a storm sewer or at a highest point and you would have a constantly dry area concealed under ground.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

I don't know how effective they would be for radiation defense, but I do know that in cities, it is one of the places where homeless people hang out. I was told about it by an employee for a large city. The pipes are 72 inches in diameter and they find wood to lay across the bottom to create a level surface that stays above any mud or water that might be at the bottom. He has seen extension cords that powers any thing they might want to have. He said that at one intersection there was a report of a potential fire due to the smoke coming from all the drains at the corners. When the city officials got inside, they found a barbecue going on. They ran out dozens of people.

I think they might be a way to travel without being seen, and might be a way to escape in a SHTF scenario.


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

OntarioWildForagedHerbs said:


> Could be a valuable way to travel.


You don't have to map them&#8230; already done and available at most public libraries.. Here in the forum there are dozens of posts going back years, where sewers have been discussed as a means of travel. Run a few searches&#8230;. You will find dozens and dozens of possibilities discussed over and over again&#8230;

Even books are posted where this has been discussed&#8230;. The first book to come to mind is by James Wesley Rawles "Patriots". Pro's & Cons about using sewer drains.

JW Rawles has several great books and has the longest running survival blog on the net, it's called the "Survival Blog"&#8230; check it out&#8230; you will find a few of my posts in the skills section&#8230;

If you really want information I suggest you spend a year reading old posts here in the forum before you post like I did&#8230; tons of good information by intelligent people, you can spend months seeking the answers to almost any question and searching possibilities.

Good luck in your searches. Oh, by the way, do you actually know how much the round lid of a city sewer weighs? There is a special tool sold on amazon for lifting such lids&#8230; I posted about it last year.  run a search....


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Cotton said:


> You don't have to map them&#8230; already done and available at most public libraries.. Here in the forum there are dozens of posts going back years, where sewers have been discussed as a means of travel. Run a few searches&#8230;. You will find dozens and dozens of possibilities discussed over and over again&#8230;
> 
> Even books are posted where this has been discussed&#8230;. The first book to come to mind is by James Wesley Rawles "Patriots". Pro's & Cons about using sewer drains.
> 
> ...


I love you.


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Grimm said:


> I love you.


It's the hormones talking girl&#8230; You are about to deliver that baby&#8230; My mom was taken from a cotton field to a clinic to deliver me&#8230;. she kept saying "I love you" to the doctor. I think my dad is still pissed&#8230; 59 years later&#8230;

But yeah, another troll&#8230;it's a shame he isn't as smart as peaches backwards&#8230; then he would only be annoying&#8230; now I'm too tired to answer&#8230;

Forest Gump said it best&#8230; "Stupid is as stupid does" more importantly&#8230; sometimes "there just aren't enough rocks"&#8230;


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

During my school days in Castro`s Cuba we practice sheltering in storm drains all the time ,low lying bridges ,etc, you see we were getting ready for the famous Yankee invasion that the crazy government was expecting everyday 'and is funny because schools now days don`t teach that kind of stuff anymore and they do make good shelters. I met a contractor that has made a shelter of them. Not as fancy as this.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Even in rural areas there are large culverts that go under highways. Some are rectangular and very large. Sometimes these are also very long if they travel under all lanes of an interstate highway. I even went through some that had a bend in them. A few are specifically built for travel of livestock or wild animals. Not uncommon for them to have 'soft' dry sand that would make sleeping much more comfortable. I have never found a snake in any that I have visited but I always expect to


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

hiwall said:


> Even in rural areas there are large culverts that go under highways. Some are rectangular and very large. Sometimes these are also very long if they travel under all lanes of an interstate highway. I even went through some that had a bend in them. A few are specifically built for travel of livestock or wild animals. Not uncommon for them to have 'soft' dry sand that would make sleeping much more comfortable. I have never found a snake in any that I have visited but I always expect to


My grandparents had a culvert that went under a dirt road they had to access one of their fields. The culvert was placed where a creek that was dry most of the time was, so the road wouldn't wash out. It went from the main area of their homestead up a pretty good hill, so washing out the road would have made access to that area of the ranch difficult to access.

When we were fairly young, but I know I was more than 6 years old (timeframe, after my mother died), several of the grandchildren decided to crawl through the culvert one day for a different kind of adventure. I could never fit through it now. When we told them what we had done, we were told not to ever do that again, because their place had its share of rattlesnakes and they were always afraid someone would get bit. You know, when they are on the front steps of the house from time to time, you are really aware of them.


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

My grandpa and uncle had their properties split by a 4 lane highway, both had rectangular tunnels built under the highway. I don't recall the size but must have been 7x5'. Cows aren't small and I can recall walking thru it. 4 lanes with a median, shoulders and slope to the sides had to be close to 100 yards wide. Figure out how to create some kind of seal and it would be decent at sealing at rad.


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

I have a 6 ft , and a 4ft culvert on my property, and they feed into one of those 8ftx8ftx200ft square ones that go under the interstate,

They are there to handle flood waters, 
And they do.....frequently.
Lately its about every 3-4 days.


The grandkids are not allowed to venture into any of them.


Jim


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

bacpacker said:


> My grandpa and uncle had their properties split by a 4 lane highway, both had rectangular tunnels built under the highway. I don't recall the size but must have been 7x5'. Cows aren't small and I can recall walking thru it. 4 lanes with a median, shoulders and slope to the sides had to be close to 100 yards wide. Figure out how to create some kind of seal and it would be decent at sealing at rad.


I think these would be a better place to create a place to create some kind of radiation type protection than one that is also used for water collection.

I also think there could be many other possibilities for developing a shelter for protection from other things.


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

There have been documentary films about the homeless in the New York city drainage systems and in the Las Vegas drainage systems.

If you were even considering using them you need to scout out all the underground systems in your area before SHTF. Some are not pedestrian friendly. 

There are even you tube videos that show how to make tools to open manholes. 

This would not be an option for most preppers because they live in the country. The nearest culvert to me is probably 40 miles away.


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## OntarioWildForagedHerbs (Jul 29, 2016)

There several hundred pounds it takes two of us to pop a grate open. Unfortunately i don't have a home in the country. And the fiancée won't go for it. I'm going to look for a sewer map at the local library thank you cotton I didn't know towns did that. If there's one here it'll save me lots of time mapping and exploring


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## OntarioWildForagedHerbs (Jul 29, 2016)

I know of several that have a dirt bottom connecting the forests under roads. I was in aware they were made for animal use but it does make sense I knew animals used it from coyote tracks in the moist dirt at the opening


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Inside a culvert/drainage pipe also makes you invisible to military thermo scanning equipment. (if you decide to hide from your gov)

Some of us have almost countless old mines to use. And yes those often contain snakes and skunks!


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

OntarioWildForagedHerbs said:


> Could be a valuable way to travel. What about for fallout? How far in a tunnel would you need to go to stop radiation without doors. Seems like if you climbed the ladders to check for rain clouds thru the grates you could technically stay under ground safely between rainfalls. I know some are made for workers. One time I stayed in one during the winter for a few hours to get out of the water and let my boots dry and just generally explore. Had a raised concrete bench with multiple around 1 inch thick metal pegs coming out the wall above it for coat hangers. Led into a few more tunnels but it was icy inside so I never looked to deep into them. But I noticed there's a lot of extra tunnels used for flooding and over flows. If its dry its just a clean cement or metal tunnel. Normally cleaner then the walk thru ones for pedestrians, there basically washed every storm by the rain. If you were to map them you could make safe zones inside, reroute water by welding over the manhole covers at the starting of a storm sewer or at a highest point and you would have a constantly dry area concealed under ground.


 I thought of this years ago. Saw a local farmer using them for storage. Plus several years ago they were not priced too high either. Alot less than a underground cellar.

The one we were looking at was steel like our driveway culvert.


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