The rising political tension, the increasing crime rates, and the constant threat of natural disasters highlight the need for survival shelters. However, making one need not be complicated and costly. An article posted on the Survivopedia website shared a few tips for making your own shelter and keeping it under the radar. (Related: 5 Survival techniques you need to know when society breaks down into chaos.)

1. Underground is the way to go — Survivalists suggest building the shelter underground to reduce the risk of detection.
2. Install materials that deter radar and other sensors — The article advised using materials that are not easily detected by heat sensors and radars.
3. Blend in with the location — Note that it is important to consider the site — such as forests, rocky plains — and construct the shelter in such a way that it will blend to its surroundings.
4. Use different coverings — Ensuring that the shelter is amendable to a variety of coverings such as vines, dust or garbage may reduce the odds of being detected.
5. Be mindful of instant giveaways — Common giveaways such as utility pipes, meters and obvious pathways may doom the shelter to detection. It is also advisable to keep an eye out for people that may discover the shelter. The article recommended avoiding the shelter when people seem to scrutinize the location.

Consumers remain wary of divulging the specifics of their shelters despite the sky-rocketing sales in survival shelters and bunkers, according to Ron Hubbard, president of California-based Atlas Survival Shelters. Hubbard noted that the prospect of being discovered by neighbors scare the customers, as it might lead to unauthorized access when times hit hard.

“[The neighbors] would all be freaking out and banging on your door. It is kind of like when a ship sinks — everyone swims to the floating life raft,” Hubbard said.

Sales of survival bunkers have doubled

The current political tension between the Trump administration and the North Korean government resulted in an uptick in the sales of survival shelters and bunkers across the country. Clyde Scott of Rising S Company in Texas confirmed that the sales have since doubled weeks before and after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn into office. Scott also divulged that sales of survival shelters showed a significant increase outside the U.S.

“There was an uptick two weeks before Trump’s election, and an uptick after the election. It lasted about a month. During the Obama administration our sales went up 250 percent. In the Trump administration in the past month our sales probably went up 500 percent. A husband, wife and two kids — that’s really the typical client,” Scott told NBC News online.

Local patrons also cited various reasons for acquiring survival shelters, including catastrophic natural disasters and social unrest. “Why not be prepared? It could be anything. It could be a tornado. It could be social unrest. Everything going on politically has really motivated me to want to purchase the bunker,” customer Brooke Greenhaw said.

California-based Vivos, which markets underground bunker complexes, confirmed that consumer paranoia plays a central role in the uptick of bunker sales. The company itself was known to host a website that features blaring images of viral pandemics, prophetic asteroid strikes, nuclear mushroom clouds and other natural calamities in order to boost sales.

“People are sensing that a global life-changing event is just ahead. Millions of people believe that we are living in the ‘end times.’ The governments of the world know something and have been bunkering up for decades. Why is nobody telling you to prepare?,” the company stated in a Miami Herald article.

Sources include: 

NBCNews.com

MiamiHerald.com

Survivopedia.com