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I heard this term "Safe Room" and google-imaged that term. I want to know if anyone here has a safe room and what activities they can do in that room. It sounds like a small room with nothing much to do. It seems people today use it to store valuables or hide from tornados. In a SHTF, it would be used to protect yourself from desperate people, criminals, or radiation.
I was told it would be a good idea to have one built as part of my off the grid home construction.
I've only ever heard the term used in conjunction with home invasions. For protection from radiation I'd think you'd want a "fall-out shelter" - different design, location and materials. Storing valuables? Much better to use a hidden vault, although I suppose a room that is "hardened" is not a bad place to keep your high-ticket toys.
Make sure, especially in an OTG home, that you have several cell phones in your safe room - help might be a long time coming. That to me is the one disadvantage of a safe room - it's a fortress mentality rather than a mobility one, but I guess each scenario will be different and demand different defenses.
I heard this term "Safe Room" and google-imaged that term. I want to know if anyone here has a safe room and what activities they can do in that room. It sounds like a small room with nothing much to do. It seems people today use it to store valuables or hide from tornados. In a SHTF, it would be used to protect yourself from desperate people, criminals, or radiation.
I was told it would be a good idea to have one built as part of my off the grid home construction.
I would NEVER consider a safe room valuable in a SHTF situation against desperate or criminal activity. It can buy you time but once inside you are a sitting duck and as such IMO is best suited for say...some celebrity that may have a crazy break in a 3AM and the cops are 10minutes away.
A keen historical lesson can be found in various conflicts. For example, the Japanese had fortified, boobytrapped etc etc an old Manila fortress complex underground and waited for the Americans to try to root them out. The americans poured a couple thousand gallons of fuel oil down there, it burned for 3 days while the Americans played cards.
My guess is that a lot of these were not built for the stated purpose, but for kinky sex. I remember an old boss once had his bedroom completely soundproofed "to keep out street noise." Got a chuckle or two thinking of his wife going "Ride 'em cowboy! and screaming 'YEE HAW"".
The perceived effectiveness of hidey holes has been greatly undermined recently.
It seems that there is no set formula for a "safe room".
My only experience with one was while visiting friends in Puerto Rico.
The master bedroom of the house was seperated from the main living area by a gated hallway.
It seems that home invasions at the time were not all that uncommon. The idea of securing the master, was that at least there would be time to react to any intrusion rather than waking up to a gun in your face.
I think I would have a safe room if I lived in a remote area where home invasions occur with any frequency at all, like the Texas border area. not much is needed. A good safe room will not allow the invaders to determine if you are there are not, are armed or not. In a 10 or 15 room house, it might take an architect to see where the safe room even is located although I think people that have these put them as a hidden doorway off the master suite. Once in the safe room a call to the police will mean 15 minutes is usually all you have to have. From an invader's standpoint, the prospect of a well armed safe room would make all but the most determined retreat. After all, who wants to duck rifle rounds from a gun hole in a safe room door or window when you don't even know for sure where it is or who is in there?
I suppose if a professional killer was determined to get the homeowner, it might not help.
A keen historical lesson can be found in various conflicts. For example, the Japanese had fortified, boobytrapped etc etc an old Manila fortress complex underground and waited for the Americans to try to root them out. The americans poured a couple thousand gallons of fuel oil down there, it burned for 3 days while the Americans played cards.
Yea, well, that lesson was reversed over and over when American soldiers with flame throwers got shot in the back from little tunnel openings away from the apparent tunnel entrances. Thousands of miles of tunnel all over Vietnam including in cities and towns proved impenetrable other than by carpet bombing.
Last edited by Wilson513; 10-27-2011 at 10:56 AM..
I think an ideal saferoom would allow the people inside to see outside, but not the outsiders to know anything. And maybe an opening from the saferoom to the roof from where you can shoot them or scare them off. Traps are a good idea, or even a small wire 4 ft off the ground that makes a noise when moved. I need to watch more war and zombie movies.
I think an ideal saferoom would allow the people inside to see outside, but not the outsiders to know anything. And maybe an opening from the saferoom to the roof from where you can shoot them or scare them off. Traps are a good idea, or even a small wire 4 ft off the ground that makes a noise when moved. I need to watch more war and zombie movies.
Motion sensors have gotten very sophisticated with motion areas controlled down to the inch and sensitivity fully progamable to differentiate squirrels from intruders. I have motion sensor video cameras that can be viewed remotely over the internet and store all motion video remote from the cameras. And send me an alert or an email when something is detected. Great for knowing that the mailman has come.
Motion sensors have gotten very sophisticated with motion areas controlled down to the inch and sensitivity fully progamable to differentiate squirrels from intruders. I have motion sensor video cameras that can be viewed remotely over the internet and store all motion video remote from the cameras. And send me an alert or an email when something is detected. Great for knowing that the mailman has come.
^^^Will not work when there is no electricity in the real SHTF situation.
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