RECESS

LIVE feed from the RECESS bunker

2010-07-27T02:52:22Z

The RECESS occupation experiment begins on Saturday July 31, 2010.

In this initial experiment, I will occupy the bunker for one week. I will eat, drink, work, and survive with the resources and equipment I have cached; hunting and gathering when absolutely necessary. A live video feed will be displayed at Mark Moore Gallery through the duration of the experiment. When I leave the bunker (on raiding runs) I will document and stream the results via cell phone.

The experiment ends on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2010. Visit Mark Moore Gallery to experience the live show. Recordings will be made available on my website and youtube channels following the exhibit close on Aug. 16, 2010.

This only the beginning.

The Inside of the Bunker

2010-07-16T04:10:46Z

As I continue to shape and organize the space inside the RECESS I felt it was time to share a few images of the inside of the bunker:

Standing is a bit tight inside my RECESS. The ceiling height was capped at 5'5" in order to keep with the original concept of the retrofit. The floor (epoxy sealed and painted with traction grit) sits exactly where the deep end of the swimming pool had been. It's plenty comfortable while sitting or lying down.

The drain in the center of the room re-imagines the pool's filtration system as a waste-removal port and emergency flood relief. The walls are bright white from the waterproofing compound. To date, I have hand-powered ventilation, solar power (seen illuminating the room), cellular service, pirate radio, broadband internet, grid power and city water (seen below).

test firing an improvised shotgun

2010-07-08T06:03:50Z

This is a video demonstration of the firing of an improvised 12 gauge shotgun. Pellets and wadding have been removed for safety. The gun showed no signs of stress following several test shots. This model can be adapted for fully autonomous use. Plans can be found in the DIY section of the site or seen here.

diy: Paracord Survival Bracelet

2010-07-06T05:11:00Z

I've previously written about the many benefits of 550 paracord. Here is a DIY of the cobra stitch (the knot used to create my paracord bracelets) so that you can tie your own.

I wear my paracord survival bracelet everyday. My dog has one, and so does our infant child (see pic after the jump).

How Cute is that? Don't laugh, she'll out tough you in her sleep.

Skill: Making Tinder from Currency

2010-07-05T05:04:23Z

Starting a fire is easiest with good tinder. This video demonstrates my favorite method of producing tinder using shredded currency (useless in a long-term RECESS situation).

skill: Live Animal Trap

2010-07-02T04:50:50Z

Here is a demonstration of a modified paiute deadfall. Please see the DIY for this animal trap to build your own.

diy: Solar Oven

2010-06-20T04:50:17Z

There are many methods of cooking food and sanitizing water in a crisis situation. Fuel is the great leveler. Fortunately, the sun is a reliable and abundant fuel source where I come from.

I built this solar oven from recycled cabinetry and a windshield deflector. You can build yours out of a shoebox. It's easier than you think.

*DIY coming soon*

diy: Live Animal Trap

2010-06-19T04:32:14Z

In a resource scarcity crisis access to fresh food is critical to survival. Vital proteins and fats are essential for enduring the long haul. Fortunately there is plenty of small game out there if you are looking for it. In the first months following a resource scarcity crisis, you may be able to survive on neighborhood cats and small dogs. Depending on your region, rabbits, squirrels, prairie dogs, and or rats may be an option. Trapping alive guarantees you are getting fresh, healthy game.

These designs, and the video (after the jump) will show you how to build your own live game trap. Bludgeoning or bleeding out the game is another matter altogether.

This design is based on a paiute deadfall.

Automated Sentry Defense System

2010-06-05T21:09:13Z

Self-reliance is an admirable practice, but at times we all need a back-up. Using some commonly available electronics, open-source software, and spare parts from your garage you can build your own robotic sentry gun. An automated sentry uses a live camera feed in conjunction with a number of servos to acquire, aim, and fire on potentially hostile targets.

The sentry I developed for RECESS uses an improvised shot gun as the "dispenser." The single shot may be considered a limitation, but so as to act as an intelligent booby-trap. You can add other "dispensers" to your own sentry for varied defense strategies.

The software in my sentry is based on this open-source project, and many hours put in with my good friend James (who is WAY faster than I am on a road bike).

here is a short video demo:

Notes for optimal use:

Save Energy - Once the sentry is calibrated and set to guard your bunker door, use a timer to boot the sentry into operational status automatically - at the times you need it most.

Take Control - I recommend using a VPN, so you can remote in to the controller computer from your network or the Internet. This allows you to see through the Sentry's "eyes" in real-time, and/or strike the FIRE button manually.

diy: Modular Rain Barrel Design

2010-06-03T03:31:41Z

Don't ever underestimate the value of your trash can. This is a quick preview of a networked rain barrel design I cooked up. The photos describe the end product a bit better than my production sketch, but the parts list is buried in that chicken scratch.

This video hits the major points, but look for a proper rain barrel DIY in the coming weeks:

Some additional pics are after the jump

Landscaping for Concealment

2010-05-19T04:19:39Z

With the deck complete, the next challenge I faced was concealment of the underlying RECESS.

Obviously, I'm not sending invitations. I want to survive the inevitable collapse of modern society, and I want to thrive. The last thing I need is someone stumbling across my RECESS and raiding it, leaving my family standing in the bread line (if there is a bread line). Thus, it is important to mask the existence of the space from neighbors, friends, and would-be marauders.
Until that day, my work here serves another purpose. Having wiped out the swimming pool, the bunker remodel had to be as useful and valuable an addition to my property as possible. If the day of reckoning we've all been waiting for never arrives... Lord help those of us putting function before form when it comes time to sell our homes.

In the first image here you can see the ventilation pipes, bunker drain clean-out, and entry hatch. Our landscape plan was strategically designed to meet two needs:

to use as little water as possible, and provide easy access to water caught on the roof of the property
to conceal the existence of the aforementioned details through cunning and distraction

The first goal was easily achieved. We landscaped exclusively with low water plants and grasses. In my climate, they grow fast, and conceal year-round. The planted areas were shaped into a series of arcs for visual interest, set along the walls to ensure that our vegetation would receive partial shade at various times of the day.

Before putting down the weed cloth and gravel, I trenched in irrigation lines tied to the pool's original filtration return. Low pressure drip irrigation delivers precise amounts of water to each plant at its roots. This minimizes excess watering, evaporation, and unwanted weeds. The black pipe seen on the far end of the deck wall gathers ~75% of the water captured on my roof after a rain, easily allowing the captured water to be taken into the RECESS. If I choose not to capture the rainwater, it quickly and effectively floods the yard and irrigates the landscaping.

The second landscaping goal was addressed with a number of design decisions strategically executed in a sort-of landscape sleight of hand. The landscaping gravel, flagstone, and planter beds raised the lower yard an additional 4" - further obfuscating the existence of a 5.5' shelter below the deck. Plants were selected for high growth rates and year round interest, and placed close to bunker ventilation pipes and other features of RECESS I was determined to conceal.

Low-voltage landscape lighting was employed to create nighttime "interest" (and a clear view of anyone approaching the RECESS at night). Finally, the shade structure utilized two dramatic shade sails, in a bold color, capturing attention and drawing eyes up and away from my subterranean secret.

While the aesthetics have been considered, each choice made reflected an underlying goal of distraction. Guests, visitors, and perhaps even future owners should scarcely notice the indicators of the underground bunker, if at all. In the meantime, my family can enjoy a nice yard, and the comfort we derive from knowing that unlike our neighbors, we are ready for anything.

Bucket Toilet Seat and Lid

2010-05-16T03:58:18Z

I've got a DIY for a simple bucket toilet listed elsewhere on this site, but don't underestimate the power of comfort in a time of crisis or need.

The Luggable Loo bucket toilet lid is perhaps one of the best $12 bills you may spend while prepping.

Anyone who has been on an extended camping or backpacking trip can appreciate the simple joy of returning from the woods to a comfy commode.

Sadly, when the shit goes down, so will your shitter. Picking up a pre-fab seat for your bucket toilet will make the daily act of bagging into the bucket a bit more bearable. Additionally, it's easier to clean and sanitize a plastic seat than one that's been improvised from 2 x 4's.

Human feces can carry and foster all manners of pathogens, including e. coli, cryptosporidium, and salmonella. Lacking the ease of care and availability of antibiotics, these and other diseases will be reinvigorated and begin claiming lives.

Keeping a lid on sanitation in your personal RECESS is the first step to protecting yourself and your loved ones from the threat.

emergency space blankets

2010-05-13T04:53:01Z

Lightweight emergency heat blankets are a great asset to any kit or pack. Often called space blankets, these inexpensive Mylar sheets can be used as insulation, a wind break, a groundsheet, fire reflector, or an emergency rain poncho.

Unlike, traditional insulation, the space blanket has no loft to serve as an air trap. Instead, this thin polyester film very efficiently reflects heat back toward your body.

Unpack it and wrap it around yourself in an emergency. It will immediately begin to reflect your body heat. The Mylar won't breathe, so any sweat or condensation created between your body and the blanket will be trapped. This can be dangerous in the winter, so be very careful not to overheat.

If used in conjunction with an open fire, the space blanket will reflect heat from fire back toward you. Mylar melts easily, so take care to keep the space blanket at a safe distance.

Pack a few, they're cheap and infinitely versatile.

Bunker Door Ballistics Testing

2010-05-09T03:19:21Z

This is a test of my steel bunker door design. The door held up well against .22, .45, 9mm, and 5.56mm carbine AR15 fire.

The design uses 1/8" angle iron welded into a continuous plate, multiple sheets of plywood, and a 3" square tube steel inner frame. As evidenced in the video, this design very effectively traps and destroys small arms fire. I recommend this door design for anyone building a home survival shelter or bunker.

Hanging the Bunker Door

2010-04-20T12:45:02Z

Watching the bunker door materialize was especially satisfying after a lengthy design and planning process. This is not a traditional bomb shelter blast door. It's design is unique to the needs of a RECESS.

The door is fabricated from ~300 lbs of steel, and will be reinforced with a combination of stacked plywood and ballistics foam. The exterior surface is a plate made from welded 1.5" angle iron; intended to trap, reflect, and fragment small arms fire (see my bunker door ballistics tests here).

This bunker door opens to the inside, and features a removal hinge to eliminate the possibility of entrapment. Two pieces of 2" square tube steel will lock the door against it's 4" square tube steel frame once the shelter is occupied.

The primary goal of this design is intimidation. If a RECESS exists to protect your personal cache of water, food, and essential survival gear then the first purpose of your RECESS door is to discourage entry.

A friend, frienemy, or foe that happens across this door should be inspired by its nightmarish appearance and aggressive surface, and immediately question whether or not they even want to try and enter the space. Notions of firing at the door or attempting to batter it down will be cowed by the apparent impossibility of the task. An actual attempt will prove futile, and a waste of valuable ammunition and/or energy.

Hit the jump for some pics of the final assembly.