Wisconsin Family finds 1960 era bomb shelter in back yard still stocked

[XSubSailor]

Nice...they were going to survive on butterscotch hard candy and hershey syrup?

 

[AMProducts]

When these things were popularized by civil defense (forerunner of today's FEMA) the main goal was to protect the inhabitants from radiation, not blast. The general idea behind them was you would spend 7-14 days in the shelter. You could go outside for short periods to relieve yourself, or take care of necessary tasks, but the goal was to spend "most of the time" inside.

I still remember reading all that some years ago, for every 7 fold increase in time, there would be a 10 fold decrease in radiation. Which for a fallout situation was fairly true as all the short-lived daughter isotopes decayed very rapidly.

The real problem with CD was that it never stressed it's exact plans to the point that the general public "got it". Even in the comment section from the article "I remember climbing under my desk... what's that going to do against a nuclear bomb". Well, as it turns out, it's not going to do a hell of a lot if you're at ground zero, but if you're two standard deviations from ground zero, that desk is going to keep you from being messed up by flying glass and debris so you can live long enough to get into a fallout shelter.

I've been into a few fallout shelters at big government installations, it's interesting as some of them are even still very well stocked (with old stuff). Still have water, survival crackers, huge bottles of penicillin, diazepam, morphine. I always wanted one of those civil defense kit barrels, but never could find one for a reasonable price.

As far as hard candy and hershey's syrup... sure why not, you don't need a lot of calories when you're just laying around waiting for the fallout to go away. Hard candy also stores forever, and chances are you would be bringing fresh food down with you. Everyone has seen the twilight zone episode "The Shelter", where mom was filling jars with water, and they were taking food down. Personally, the last thing I would want to do is be stuck in a small space, feeding sugar to kids, I think I would rather bust out the diazepam.

 

[RVTECH]

shows you how our thinking has changed.

Yes prepping back then wasn't nearly as fashionable and trendy as it is today.

 

[knuckle Head]

I have seen several older home where people during the 60's put a bomb shelter in the middle of the basement or people put a bunker in the back yard. In some ways it helps and hurts todays prepper's.

People say awe see in the 60's they have that scare and nothing happened, so why should I waste my time and money, and some well I have a friend or neighbor who is a prepper I will go over to there place, not realizing they have not been invited.

It helps in some ways by giving people idea's and alternatives types and models. I know my parents put away extra food when they could, and I remember when visiting my grandma's place here sending me out into the root cellar in winter or springtime to fetch some onions and such.

I hope the owner of this newly found bunker, after the hype dies down and people go away, that they install better locking system, a escape or second entrance into it through a hidden door in the base or if it is a crawl space a hatch there.

Personally I would find a way to conceal the door (know that everyone knows where it is) that way when crap happens the neighbors are not wanting in.

 

[AMProducts]

Personally I would find a way to conceal the door (know that everyone knows where it is) that way when crap happens the neighbors are not wanting in.

You only want to grow underground when living above ground is not tenable, using the bunker as a storage room is a good idea, hiding from tornados or fallout are good ideas, hiding in a bunker when SHTF is not a great idea, this means you are abandoning everything you have above ground, vehicles, food, clothes, guns ammo etc to any looter that comes by and finds it undefended. While a bunker is a strong point, it can't be the only point in your defenses.

 

[knuckle Head]

Guess I should defined my post better, I was thinking in the back of my head, when all else fails or as stated, for tornado's, fallout, or hidden store room.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Those items would fetch a lot of $$$ on Ebay, but the guy is probably to naive to realize that.

 

[erudne]

I have seen several older home where people during the 60's put a bomb shelter in the middle of the basement or people put a bunker in the back yard. In some ways it helps and hurts todays prepper's.

People say awe see in the 60's they have that scare and nothing happened, so why should I waste my time and money, and some well I have a friend or neighbor who is a prepper I will go over to there place, not realizing they have not been invited.

It helps in some ways by giving people idea's and alternatives types and models. I know my parents put away extra food when they could, and I remember when visiting my grandma's place here sending me out into the root cellar in winter or springtime to fetch some onions and such.

I hope the owner of this newly found bunker, after the hype dies down and people go away, that they install better locking system, a escape or second entrance into it through a hidden door in the base or if it is a crawl space a hatch there.

Personally I would find a way to conceal the door (know that everyone knows where it is) that way when crap happens the neighbors are not wanting in.

This reminds me that my EX is comming over tommorow

 

[jp1985]

I agree those items would fetch a nice price on ebay especially if you took vids and pictures of them being taken out of the shelter that would really make the price go up.
so much for ebay...... The family donated all of the items to the Neenah Historical Society, which has curated an exhibit about the Cold War and the fear of the Soviets using 'the bomb.'

None the less still a cool find and a cool read. Thanks for posting OP.

However I Wish i could find a bomb shelter in my back yard. I know what i would use it for..... getting away when i need it. Wheres jp??? oh hes gone and locked himself in his bomb shelter again *sigh*

 

[SheepDog223]

I wouldn't want to be in a hole that fills up with water.