I'm new here, and I hope to find people with a similar vision for self-sufficiency

[ognend]

Originally Posted by ThePicker

I don't know about everyone else, but I'd LOVE to know more about that refrigeration system.

My plans include burying a 40' ocean-going shipping container two feet under the concrete slab at the house I currently have in the works. Those things are waterproof, and strong enough to handle the weight of two feet of dirt; and they should conduct enough of the dirt's cool temperature through the metal walls to make a nice root cellar.

But your refrigeration system sounds pretty good, too!

I am sure you have researched this BUT in case you missed it - be careful about the shipping container insides - usually they are sprayed with heavy-duty industrial pesticides and other exterminating chemicals. The wood inside is treated with various chemicals. A lot of them originate in China. Anything food related (or even you breathing THAT air) would not be safe, in my mind. I would either order one that has never been at sea (more expensive) or gut it and put in my own rot-resistant wood in it, such as cedar.

OD

[Happy in Wyoming]

Originally Posted by ThePicker

My plans include burying a 40' ocean-going shipping container two feet under the concrete slab at the house I currently have in the works. Those things are waterproof, and strong enough to handle the weight of two feet of dirt; and they should conduct enough of the dirt's cool temperature through the metal walls to make a nice root cellar.

The design of the containers allows them to be stacked without any problem because all of the weight is on the edges and corners. The container would collapse if there were two feet of earth on top. It is possible to build a framework to allow burying it but you can't just pile dirt on it without this. There was information about doing this on survivalblog.com as memory serves.

SurvivalBlog.com

[AK-Cathy]

The container would collapse if there were two feet of earth on top.

Yes. A lot of storage places use those containers and after selling our house last fall we had stuff to move to our lower 48 place so we rented one of those containers. The snow load of last winter caused the roof to bow down and leak. The storage yard had to put a rubber membrane on the roof to keep water out.