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Long Term Emergency Shelter

3K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  olddog 
#1 ·
We have all thought about what happens if we have to leave our home. It is my very last choice, but if need be what are you going to do for shelter?

I thought about tents and we have a nice 3 room tent for the family when camping, however this is definitely nothing I want to winter through.


I started thinking about how I would house my family if needed. For those who have a travel trailer or fifth wheel you are set, but for those who do not have this luxury, these are some of the things I thought and the eventual solution I settled on.

I first thought about one of these tarp carports that you can find at Costco and so on. The plan was to build a deck to anchor one of these on and use and a tent cabin.

Pros: Cost is under $300 for the carport and the deck can be built for about the same. There is plenty of room for a family of 4. Light and easy to move and can be set up without a deck if need be.

Cons: Not very warm. Not good for snow loads. Will not last much longer than a couple of years in the weather. Not flame resistance.

Possible fixes would be to attach plywood to the sides. One could also stack straw bales around the sides to insulate it. If You decide to stack bales on the top I would highly recommend putting up center supports to hold the weight.

The next idea I had is to purchase one of the metal carports. You can pick up an 18'x24' metal frame and metal roofed carport for about $1000.

Pros: They are engineered to withstand snow loads in your area. They have a metal roof, are durable and will last for many years if needed. With plywood walls and a metal roof, you can house a wood stove in it, just make sure you are away from the walls with adequate space or you have a firewall installed. Spacers and tin will work for this.

Cons: Cost is the real detractor. Besides the initial cost of the frame and roof. You will need to build a deck and side walls. On the ends you will have to frame it in and frame up a doorway. This expense adds another $500 .

Another option is a shipping container. This is a ready made shelter and can do anything you need it to do. The problem is that they are not portable unless you have equipment to move them.

Cargo trailers and even stock trailers can make a small but effective mobile shelter.

I chose the steel carport for my family and have it disassembled and stored on a flatbed trailer in a remote location. On the trailer, I have all the lumber, plywood, doors and windows that I need to finish the building, a wood stove and our camp gear wrapped in tarps and ready to go if I need to find a new place to live in a hurry.

This is just how I took on the problem and what I decided would work best for my family.

What other ideas has everyone come up with?
 
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#3 ·
I gotta hand it to you for being creative.

BTW, an RV does not have to be expensive. We have a truck already and found a very used camper for free. Needs lots of work, but we at least have something for now. I've seen others for $200 and $300 depending on their state of disrepair.
 
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