Practical questions about prepping for nuclear fallout shelter

[newproblemnewname]

OK, recent news is making me think once more about adding to my prepper stash, which I started when Trump first got elected.

I've got a cellar under the house, with loads and loads of junk in it including lots of camping gear, so far so good. Got 50 litres of bottled water and a few tins, cous cous etc down there.

The cellar gets damp and has air bricks in it i.e. HOLES in the walls to let fresh air in. I guess I need to hang covers on the walls near the air bricks which I can put in place to seal the place up if we know there is going to be fallout. Any ideas how to do this? What sort of materials should I use given that I can't really stick massive bits of stone or brick to the wall? How to best get them air tight?

What dose of iodiene tablets should I and my 2 year old take, and are you supposed to take them preventatively?

Am I right in thinking that fallout is like dust, so will blow in and settle on things much like dust does? But a cotton sheet, for example, isn't enough to protect against it - would it go through a sheet or destroy the sheet? Anything to help me visualise the stuff please, I can't get my head around it. I assume it is invisible?

I also need more ideas for non-perishable things to eat cold please, although if the electricity is still on I may be able to bring the microwave down there on an extension lead. Don't know if I should assume I'd be able to pop back up to the kitchen for things like that or not...

For real?

Are you sure you would want to survive a nuclear war?

Your cellar won't protect you against nuclear fall out.

Off the top of my head; Decent thickness plastic sheeting and good duct tape to seal air vents etc.

Iodine is definitely used as a preventative if exposure is expected or suspected; The idea is that the thyroid gland takes it up and so then can't absorb radioactive iodine.

Useful emergency supplies for a range of scenarios;

Tinned fish, meats, fruit, veg.
Kendal mint cake
Vitamin pills.
Disinfectant
Camping stove
Foil blankets
Bedding
Candles
Matches
Buckets with lids
Water purification tablets
First aid kid and antibiotics.
Wind up lamp
Wind up radio
Books, art materials etc

That's what I'd do with a cellar if I had one and I was worried. My larder has a lot of that anyway.

Lots of pro, detaill d advice on this board if you're really getting serious about it but I'd try not to worry too much.

We're not in range of N Korea and the US won't suddenly point a missile at us.

Extension lead and a microwave

Hey. You could get peckish while you're waiting for it to kick off

I'm not a prepper, but as far as I know, the government advice in the 80s was in Protect and Survive.

OP are you quite anxious? A bit of worry you can tackle by arming yourself with facts but if you're really anxious, information will make you worse.

You need a decent size bucket to pee in, once you are in your basement you will be in there for 10 days or so

This website is pretty good

www.secretsofsurvival.com/survival/nuclear_attack.html

Also check out this site to see how at risk you are

nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/?&kt=455&lat=51.454513&lng=-2.58791&airburst=0&hob_ft=0&casualties=1&fallout=1&ff=50&fallout_angle=47&fatalities=168942&injuries=187352&psi_1=609063&zm=9

Ta, some good ideas above which I'll try to prioritise tomorrow and do a little to get a bit more sorted.

I'm not really expecting a bomb dropped on my nearest city tomorrow, it's more like... didn't loads of you check your own smoke alarms the day after the Grenfell fire? It just reminds you to check and update your shit, doesn't it?

gamerchick yes of course I would want to survive! Do you just keep cyanide pills in your teeth then instead?

newproblemnewname

It seems the majority of MN have the same view of gamerchick in this scenario. They don't prepare because either they don't expect to survive, don't want to survive, or plan to commit suicide

*it's more like... didn't loads of you check your own smoke alarms the day after the Grenfell fire? It just reminds you to check and update your shit, doesn't it?

This isn't at all like that. I hope you're kidding about the cellar because if not I respectfully suggest you seek professional assistance.

Gamerchick does prepare. But a lot of us who have an interest in prepping don't prep specifically for nuclear fallout because its highly unlikely, would be incredibly expensive to prepare to the extent that it would help you and is such a horrendous prospect that you do question whether you would want to survive.

Having said that, I have come onto the topic today specifically because of the north korea crisis but thinking more of the general impact of war rather than radiation etc.

OP I agree that your cellar isn't going to give you much protection. (however at least you have one so you're one step closer than we are). If there was a nuclear war and we were impacted by fallout the chances of the electricity working are zero. Not very likely that the power plant workers are still going to trot off to work when others are hiding in their shelters.

If you genuinely want to prep for this then you ned to do some specific googling (although as a pp has said you will quickly find yourself going down a rabbit hole and getting sucked in). You'd need to brick up your airways and install an air pump and filter. You could I guess have some sort of metal sheeting to cover them but you'd need a seal. Silicone sealant and duct tape? Might give you some protection? Duct tape is the number one prepping tool

chemical toilet would be high on the list too.

search some of the early threads for very long lists of suitable foodstuffs. Tins are your friend. You really wouldn't be worrying about heating food up though if you're stick in a makeshift nuclear bunker..

water, food, heat, light are your main priorities. Then take it from there.

I suggest you read The Road by Cormac McCarthy for an idea of what you'd be faced with after emerging from your cellar.
Personally, I'd be out dancing in the streets in my flimsiest clothes as the nukes exploded; better to get if over and done with quickly.

Gamerchick does prepare. But a lot of us who have an interest in prepping don't prep specifically for nuclear fallout because its highly unlikely, would be incredibly expensive to prepare to the extent that it would help you and is such a horrendous prospect that you do question whether you would want to survive

Yep.. I know the bombs are a bit more 'modern' for want of a better word but I'd want the thing as close to me as possible when it went off.

No there won't be electricity and if any other survivors got wind of your litttle nest of goodies they'll take them from you.

Having said that, I have come onto the topic today specifically because of the north korea crisis but thinking more of the general impact of war rather than radiation etc

Yeah this ^^ I was thinking last night that those two need shoving in a locked room together to scrap it out for as long as it takes.

Netflix glass a new series about prepping, and the second episode is about what to do when prepping for nuclear fallout

Has*

Any idea what the series is called?

But yes, with NK I do believe the issue to prep for is general war or perhaps nuclear war that does not involve Europe. There's no reason to think that the UK would be struck by NK.

Should I worry about my ds going to Japan to study for a year from September?

I keep studying the atlas, and it all looks scarily close to where he will be

The general feeling is that war is still pretty unlikely...this BBC article is good at outlining why...

North Korea-US tensions: How worried should you be?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40882877

I'm not sure whether that article has allayed my fears or not.! I suppose a war normally takes a long time to materialise, if it does at all, and most are averted. It's just that the leaders involved are so unstable.

I don't think anything will happen soon if at all. He's probably better off getting it out the way if he's going to study.

Lucky thing, my brother loved Japan. We can't just stop our lives while we watch the news which I think deliberately tried to freak us out sometimes.

gamerchick

Do you have preparations to defend you stash?

Prepping for nuclear fall out is either very easy or near impossible. It all comes down to how close you are to the targets. We live miles from any likely target so our prep process is fairly easy.