Where to move? - Page 3

 Wayne,


What do you know about this underground bunker rumor? Also what is the
general story on water, just wells I'll check rainfall, is there any
substantial gardens that you know of?

Thanks,

Curbie

  wrote:


That part isn't a rumor. The bunker is concrete, roof is about 2 feet
below ground. L shaped, perhaps 200 square feet. Underground steel
door, amazingly well-concealed motorized surface-entry to ladder.
Solar power, security monitors, propane heating. Inside it looked like
a cross between a travel trailer and a submarine, with wires running
every which way. I don't know how much of the accessories were
stripped by the vulture agents of the heirs. Probably anything worth
more than 50 cents. That bunker is *not* all that cool in summer, or
all that warm in winter. Shallow underground living isn't a magic
bullet in desert climes, and generally isn't cost-effective. But it
does appeal to survivalists who like the idea of being trapped in a
hole whenever their imagined enemies are expected to visit.  :-)


Water at my place http://www.citlink.net/~wmbjk/solar100.htm  is less
than 100' down, but a few miles lower on the mountain at the bunker
place it's probably 1200', so there's a collection system connected to
the roof of a 1500'? workshop there. Most people at other such cheap
places haul water. Growing season is almost year round. I know 3
people with substantial gardens. One is open, everything planted
directly in the ground, and irrigation is as if you were pouring the
water into a slot machine. :-) The owner fights the bugs and the
rabbits for what grows, and his share isn't much considering the
effort. Another is enclosed in shade cloth, also with everything
planted in the ground. Extremely productive, but probably not
cost-effective since his water is pumped from 500' with a
diesel-fueled generator. The third is also enclosed in shade cloth,
with mostly raised beds IIRC. His well is also pumped with diesel, but
water use is probably much less than the other two.

Dry farming in our area is pretty much out of the question.

Swamp cooler info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_cooler

Wayne

 

That would solve most of the cooling problem. :-)

LG
--
"Keep it simple. If it takes a genius to understand it, it will never work."
- Clarence Leonard "Kelly" Johnson

 
LG,


That's what I was thinking, still wind and agriculture both seems
problematic, I guess wind could be replaced by bio, but given the
spotty nature of the weather, seems iffy to drop 1 of 3 energy
sources. Would be an interesting to see what numbers would pop out of
the spread-sheets?

Curbie

 Curbie wrote:


That pretty well describes where I moved from back in 1990. I lived in
the suburbs of Cherry Grove in Filmore County, (southern) Minnesota.

1)Average windspeed was about 12 mph.

2) Old (very old, originally built by one of the Ingalls - one of a
number of 'little houses on the prairie') on 5 a acre farmstead. 13
outbuildings (not counting the concrete silo).

3) Ya - for sure - anywhere in Minnesota will get you that. Just picture
Morris shoveling snow off the roof during a blizzard with a -100F wind
chill.

4) Yup, but that means that a winter trip to the post office becomes an
expedition, and there'll be a lonnnnng wait for emergency services.

Be careful what you wish for... :)

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/