Cargo Containers For Survival

[GS Rider]

I have been looking at a piece of land and was wondering about using a cargo container for a bunker type storage area. Do any of you have any comments on cargo containers for retreat use? And what type of preps does it take to keep these things from rusting away or having mold growing inside? And on a side note I was also thinking about using one of these as a back stop for shooting into because the land is fairly flat and I don't want to piss off the neighbors with stray rounds hitting their house. Just imagine 30 square acres that is totally undeveloped and flat with many small trees. What would you do with the land? And in regards to construction be specific because I don't know jack about construction.

[MdlMkr 7.62]

The military calls 'em conex boxes and the've used them for years as makeshift CP's. Maybe do a google on how they do it? I'm thinking cover the outside with spray on bedliner like line-x before you bury it. It'll probably need a dehumidifier inside to keep everything from mildewing. Installing a sump in the floor might be a good idea too - in case of flooding.

7.62

[Arizona Highlander]

There was a discussion about overseas shipping containers (“CONEX”) going in Survival Blog a while back:

http://www.survivalblog.com/2006/08/

Check the blog entries for August 19, 22, and 23, 2006.

My view: they’re extremely sturdy little structures, and they’re often cheap, too (though the cost of getting them to your locale might considerably hike the expense).

Their flat tops tend to leak - you’ll definitely need additional waterproofing, and perhaps even a secondary roof structure. And, in a humid environment, they tend to “sweat” - not a problem where I live (Arizona) but it could be a serious issue if you live down in the bayou.

Still, I've been thinking about them as well. They could be great for setting up a little home workshop, or perhaps emergency storage.

One alternative I've heard of around here is buying a crappy, fire-damaged singlewide mobile home. Cost of transporting it to your site is usually cheaper than a CONEX, because you'll be looking to buy one that's already in your neighborhood. Cleaned up, they could make a make fine storage or utility building. They're not nearly as vandal-proof as a CONEX, though.

[sparkky]

I do the electrical work for a shipping place that also repairs them and bought a 20' about 3 years ago. best money I"ve spent in a long time. the cost of steel has driven the price up lately I've been told.
they set it on my 20' gooseneck trailer and I hauled it from Kansas City to north central arkansas to our place. NOT a pull for a novice driver. It weighs roughly 6K empty and I had stuff in it too. Thank god for Dodge and Cummins turbo diesel!! LOL
in place and had a buddy down here pull it off the trailer with his duece and a half onto railroad ties and leveled it with jacks and various timbers.
GREAT storage building. gets hot in the summer tho.
I've read for burying they need to be braced/shored up on the inside. all the strength is in the corners. and they do need waterproofing somehow too. I had thought about roofing tar.

[tedbo]

A single wide mobile home would be a good alternative,AH.You could also look around for a construction trailer.They will have less stuff to tear out and remodel for more storage capacity.The only drawback is that they are known to be tornado magnets.Ya might also get an unnecessary rep as "trailer trash".Me,I live in a trailer on 35 acres and I don't care what folks call me.:D
If you are going to bury it you could put some 3/4 inch styrofoam against the outer wall and you might be able to keep the moisture down somewhat.I have seen this but have no personal experience with it.Sparkky's idea of tar would be good also with possibly a layer of sheet plastic between the tar and styrofoam.I think they might react to each other and might be another problem.

[MdlMkr 7.62]

It might be cheaper in the end to just have walls, a floor and a cap poured. Cover it with 2' of topsoil and grass. I know there are houses built that way.

7.62

[archy]

They're known as *dry vans* or ISO containers in my little corner of the world. I was looking at the 20-footers, then ran across a fella with two of the 40-footers parked half-and half, parallel to each other, with a third nosed in at 90º to the first two, making a *common* area, in his case, his workshop.

I got out of the market for one after picking up an out-of-service 40-foot steel railroad boxcar instead, which usefully had 8-foot doors in the middge instead of on the ends like the shipping containers. The railroad cars are taken out of service 40 years after their built-date unless shopped and completely rebuilt.

[GS Rider]

Archy that is a good idea. One of the neighbors has a old caboose for a house. I thought that they were just retro hippies but maybe they are onto something. I will also see if I can get railroad ties from the same place as the rail car.

[citizen zero]

Once upon a time there was a site that had a lot of good information for the reinforcements that were needed to bury shipping containers without them collapsing.

Basically what it boiled down to was adding quite a bit of interior steel bracing to keep the container from deforming on all sides except the bottom. I have seen some people that have successfully buried them without any modification, but times and conditions change. I imagine that a unmodified container would fold instantly at any significant overpressure accompanied by a shockwave.

Just my $.02

[Beprepared]

Greetings all, I'm a new member, but have some thoughts on the matter.

I've recently moved to a tornado area (from a hurricane area) and have looked at long term "submerged" structures. Immediately the steel cargo shipping containers came to mind. Strong with the folded steel side contruction, the only problem would be rust over the years. I agree with an earlier post, Line-X or another such spray on liner would work wonders. Out sourcing this adds a security risk to your system.

As far as a setup, I've given thought to a "french" drainage system, rock immedately next to the box, to allow all rainfall, groundwater to form under the box, and flow into a deep well under the structure. A half in the ground structure can be hidden with shubbery (which aids in hiding your air tubes) and your neighbors think its landscaping.

As for usage, I figured a shipping container to be fine, I can refloor it, keeping all pipes and electrical under the floor, while I maximize space insde with bunk beds and shelving. All spaces under the beds to be used for pumps, water bladders or food storage, while the "common areas" will be maily open and changed as needed.

Seeing as how this looks like lawn art, it provides me with a place to put the Geiger Counters, so people visiting my shop don't look at them and ask me, "Aren't you being a little paranoid?", while I smile and nod, "Yep."

[MdlMkr 7.62]

I still like the reinforced concrete wall structure. Low maintainance and stronger then the cargo container.

7.62 :p

[rarich]

Iso/connex boxes will stack 3 or 4 high without need for support. the floor is reinforced for cargo tho' bury it upside down on solid pier foundations for the corners and I would expect no problems. Line-x and do proper foundation drainage (gravel and drain tile) and you would probably have a nice little underground shelter. I read in my surfing that there should be no more reinforcement need provided you put no more than 3' of dirt over it and didn't drive over it with the tractor or car........ I forget the specific site.

links: containermart.com/index.html iport.com/sales.html


I know there is a company out there that uses containers as the basis for building houses. I think I linked to it off of Bobvila's or this old house sites.
(bobvila.com, thisoldhouse.com)

[funfaler]

Doing a concrete structure with Insulated Concrete Forms ICF, would make it nearly a Do I Yourself project.

There is also a way to bring "grounding like" leads off of the metal structures that eliminate or reduce the rusting process on the metal containers. I have seen a bit about this process, can't remember the name of it, but they use it alot on burried LP tanks, and it works quite well. It is a chemistry thing, beyond me, except I have seen it somewhere. I am sure Google can help out here some.

[rarich]

Doing a concrete structure with Insulated Concrete Forms ICF, would make it nearly a Do I Yourself project.

There is also a way to bring "grounding like" leads off of the metal structures that eliminate or reduce the rusting process on the metal containers. I have seen a bit about this process, can't remember the name of it, but they use it alot on burried LP tanks, and it works quite well. It is a chemistry thing, beyond me, except I have seen it somewhere. I am sure Google can help out here some.

You are describing the "zinc anode" process you put a hunl of zinc out there and it erodes instead of your box/water heater/propeller. It is used on ships, in plumbing and it would probably work for the Connexx. The "french drain" would probably work better and be more lasting, escpecially if you used landscape fabric. If you have watched the DIY shows you know the concept.

I would avoid grounding leads tho' because the moment you give an easy path to ground, your box becomes a big antenna. That would let EMP in and probably fry your electronics. a simple metal box would do the Faraday Cage thing and keep that stuff out. The concrete would not keep anything out unless you added enough "connected mesh" screen it out. Most people really would not tneed to wory about EMP, just keep a couple spare radios in a metal ammo can. If it is your worry tho'........

[mrrk1562]

how about useing the conex and pouring concrete around it ..im working on a building right now that has 5 back up power systems ..has poured concrete roof system thats layered with rubber membrainand poured again like 4 times.. each pour is 5 '' thick its supossed to be tornado proof but i think its shock wave proof ..30 foot bermaround it 10'' thick pre cast walls ..this supossed to be data storage ..they are planting a lot of trees on the berm there is a guard tower ..and 3 over flow drainage ponds that seem to have intakes below the water line ..they spent alot of time on the ponds ..and there is alot of indoor waterstoreage ....so i think i have a real good idea as to what is realy needed ..bury like 4 of them on slab. slab needs to exstend past box ..tar boxes .. tie rebar up and over box ..put your paris drian in place ..pour concrete over boxes ..this would be real basic ..

[Barbcue]

These are intresting although spendy.


http://www.globalportablebuildings.com/Essential.html

[SwampFox320]

Hey, sorry I know this is an old thread, been out of the loop for a while. If I could throw my 2 cents in, working with these containers daily (there are about 70-90 of these things sitting outside my office dispatched around the SE right now). They are excellent! I've seen them turned over, rolled down embankments, put through hell and holding up good. That being said, whoever said about the extra sealing, YES! Do that or water will get in and stay. The new containers floors are made out of bamboo and hold up for an ungodly amount of time. Depending on how well the paints held up when you get them, you shouldn't need to do much to them about rusting. If you can get what's called a reefer box (without the genset) you could actually power the dang thing and have AC. They can maintain anything from -30 to heat up to 90 degrees (maybe more but that's all I've seen them set to) and will maintain it with VERY little use of deisel for week to 2 weeks easy. Anyway, if you do look into this option here are the 2 steamship lines I would recommend contacting as they maintain their equipment the best till the very end. For just a plain container: K Line For a reefer unit a company called: OOCL and yes, they do sell them.

Hope I helped! :o)

[Arizona Highlander]

here are the 2 steamship lines I would recommend contacting as they maintain their equipment the best till the very end. For just a plain container: K Line For a reefer unit a company called: OOCL and yes, they do sell them.

Hope I helped! :o)

Yes, in fact, you did. ;)

While I don't need one right now, I was still wondering how one goes about buying one. Thanks!