Build Your Own Super Insulated Survival Room

By Felix

You may be well stocked on food and water, have plenty of guns and ammo but can you stay warm in the winter when your power is out or stay cool in the summer when the temperature doesn’t drop below 100 degrees? If you want to take your preps and preparedness to the next level you may want to consider building your own “Super Insulated Survival Room”

I came across this idea from an article in Popular Science in 1977. I had cut the article out for my files and now found it online at Google books. The basic concepts are, rather than try and keep your whole house warm or cool during a weather emergency you retreat to one well-insulated room in your house. This can be especially helpful when the power is out for an extended period of time. Unless your house is already super-insulated, you know how cold it can get when the power goes off. Most houses are poorly insulated at best with drafts and air leakage. Trying to keep a whole house comfortable during a weather emergency can be a daunting task.

Retrofitting a room in your home shouldn’t be that expensive. For example if you were to cover the walls and ceiling of one room with additional sheet insulation and new drywall, that may only run several hundred dollars. A room below ground would be best, such as a basement family room. But an above ground room would also work. Ideally it would have a water supply and a bathroom. You can think of this room as a studio apartment, having everything you need to live comfortably. You could outfit it with a small trap door on an outside wall so you could run an electrical cord outside to a generator. Heat can be supplied from a wood stove but even a space heater running off a generator would keep the room comfortable. An electric space heater would probably not even have to be run continuously. A small air conditioner would easily cool the room in the summer. Add in storage for your preps and you will have a self-contained survival retreat. When the power goes out and the temperatures drop or rise you will have room to eat, sleep and relax in comfort.

Now you could expand this concept and not only create a super-insulated room but also a “safe” room. There is a great article from Family Handyman on how to build a storm shelter. So now you would end up with a super-insulated storm shelter.

One thing you need to keep in mind is a room such as this will be very airtight, a supply of fresh air is essential and any wood burning stove or open flame cooking could potentially raise fatal carbon monoxide levels. A smoke detector and carbon monoxide monitor are essential for your safety.

Whether you want to incorporate a survival room into your remodeling plans, retrofit an existing room or build new, the concept of a super-insulated survival room should be a serious consideration in your overall preparedness and prepping plans.

Popular Science: For cozy, fuel-saving winter “survival” build a warm room

Family Handyman: How to Build a Storm Shelter

Read More at Homeland Survival