Bunker

A survival bunker is a hardened shelter, often partly or fully underground, built to protect the people inside from blast, radioactive fallout, severe weather, or hostile people. It sits at the most fortified end of the shelter range. A working bunker is also a life-support system, with air filtration, stored potable water, food, sanitation, power, and communication. Stored food only protects you if it stays safe to eat, so plan bunker shelves around the same food storage basics you use at home: a cool, dark space, sealed containers, and steady rotation. For types, costs, and supplies, read our survival bunker guide.

Preppers meet the term when they plan shelter against fallout, storms, or a period without rule of law. You may be weighing a fallout shelter against a full bunker. You may be asking how long you can survive in a bunker. Each of those questions has its own guide. If you are pricing a build, learn why a shipping container bunker can fail before you buy.

The best-equipped bunkers tend to belong to the very wealthy. Two examples are the converted missile silo of the Survival Condo Project and the Zuckerberg doomsday bunker in Hawaii. For most families, a modest reinforced basement room delivers much of the same benefit at a fraction of the cost.