{"id":1183125,"date":"2023-03-06T17:11:48","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T22:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/prepared-for-the-worst-survival-shelter-companies-waiting-for-collapse-of-society\/1183125\/"},"modified":"2023-03-06T17:11:48","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T22:11:48","slug":"prepared-for-the-worst-survival-shelter-companies-waiting-for-collapse-of-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/prepared-for-the-worst-survival-shelter-companies-waiting-for-collapse-of-society\/1183125\/","title":{"rendered":"Prepared For The Worst, Survival Shelter Companies Waiting For Collapse Of Society"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Prepared For The Worst, Survival Shelter Companies Waiting For Collapse Of Society<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Authored by Allen Stein via The Epoch Times,<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Set against a rocky slope, Fortitude Ranch resembles almost any other desert grange scattered along the barren highway in northwestern Nevada, far from any city or town.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On this 174-acre privately owned spread are free-roaming cattle, pens for raising sheep and chickens, a main house, and other living quarters under construction.<\/p>\n

The ranch has good soil for growing crops, fruit-bearing trees, natural springs for gardening and livestock, and austere, rolling mountains on either side of the highway for cover.<\/p>\n

Here, the resemblance ends.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The new Viking Lodge survival shelter is a work in progress at Fortitude Ranch Nevada on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

Fortitude Ranch is anything but your typical farmstead. Its founder, Drew Miller, said its purpose is to ensure the safety of its inhabitants during a societal disintegration.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOur design is to survive any collapse,\u201d <\/strong><\/em>Miller said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe define a collapse as no functioning economy and widespread loss of law and order.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It could take any form: a bird flu pandemic with heavy casualties, an economic depression, a world war, or global famine resulting in civil unrest and death.<\/p>\n

A Question of Survival<\/h2>\n

During such a scenario, Miller said, \u201csome people will just stay at home and starve to death.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others won\u2019t go quietly into the twilight of civilization.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people will say, \u2018You know what? I will go out and steal food from my neighbor and do what I can to keep my family alive.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

A view of the desert scape from the windows of survival housing under construction at Fortitude Ranch Nevada on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

Miller said this group poses a significant risk to the prepared.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, only some people feel the urgency to stock up against these terrifying scenarios or even think about them, said Miller, who started building survival ranches in 2012 as the need became more apparent.<\/p>\n

Back then, the notion of preparing for a collapse of civil society still carried the stigma of tin foil hats and conspiracy theories.<\/p>\n

The television series \u201cDoomsday Preppers\u201d further tarnished the image of \u201cpreppers\u201d for years.<\/p>\n

Miller, a former U.S. Air Force colonel, said a decade ago, people either smirked or turned away whenever he mentioned prepping.<\/p>\n

That was then.<\/p>\n

After the COVID-19 lockdowns and urban riots of 2020, the power substation attacks of 2022, the possibility of looming war with Russia\u2014and China\u2014and toxic chemical spills in 2023, hardly anyone is smirking now.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople get it now. There\u2019s much more recognition that you need to prepare for the fragile electric grid. For the avian flu contagion\u2014and bad people,\u201d <\/strong><\/em>Miller said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Jason, a carpenter at Fortitude Ranch Nevada, works on a section of a new section of survival shelters on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe tell our members there\u2019s a chance a collapse could be something they haven\u2019t even considered.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The company lists 50 known triggers for a societal collapse on its website, taking each one seriously as its likelihood increases with each passing year.<\/p>\n

Miller said the probability of an unexpected \u201cblack swan\u201d event occurring this year is anywhere from 1 and 21 percent based on current trends and models.<\/p>\n

Network of Like-Minded Survivors<\/h2>\n

The purpose of Fortitude Ranch is to meet the challenge through a network of survival communities with close to 500 members across the United States.<\/p>\n

Miller sees it as a work in progress with five discreet corporate locations and a sixth survival ranch franchise.<\/p>\n

He envisions as many as 100 nationwide franchises to keep pace with the demand.<\/p>\n

From a survival standpoint, Fortitude Ranch is less costly than going alone, Miller said, because \u201cyou\u2019ve got a survival community to share the cost.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got the staff. We\u2019ve got the facilities. When our members show up in a collapse, all they have to do is follow directions.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

However, Fortitude Ranch is not geared toward the well-to-do. Its target membership is the middle class.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ranch manager Brandon M stands in front of the new survival shelter lodge at Fortitude Ranch Nevada on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

While yearly dues are low (about $1,000 per person), amenities are substantial and guaranteed to ride out the collapse in comfort and safety, Miller said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are affordable because of large numbers of members and economies of scale. Fortitude Ranch is attractive to join because it is a recreation\/vacation facility as well,\u201d <\/strong><\/em>according to the company\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

Each ranch setup has a basic fortified shelter design that varies by location.<\/p>\n

There are log-cabin-style living quarters and below-ground configurations made with corrugated steel, including shared spaces, quarantine buildings, recreational areas, and guard posts.<\/p>\n

The simplicity of each location\u2019s design is the key to its efficiency, Miller said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why we formed Fortitude Ranch. Our system is for the middle class. We have plywood bunk beds in some of the rooms. It\u2019s not fancy. We\u2019ve got some nice digs, but many of our rooms are called Spartan rooms.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t give out our locations because it upsets our members,\u201d Miller told The Epoch Times, but \u201cif you\u2019re alive in a collapse, they will find you. You cannot hide. You\u2019ve got to be able to protect yourself.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Buckets of long-term survival food are stacked against the basement wall at Fortitude Ranch Nevada on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

The rule is safety in numbers and armed security around the clock. When it\u2019s time to \u201cbug out,\u201d members will arrive with extra food, guns, and ammunition.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully before the collapse occurs\u2014if the collapse occurs\u2014we tell them don\u2019t wait for a warning,\u201d Miller said. \u201cIf you can\u2019t contact us\u2014that\u2019s a good clue.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

At Fortitude Ranch in Nevada, Brandon M said the facility has everything an individual or family would need to survive following a general collapse.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got over a year\u2019s worth of food for more members than we have,\u201d<\/strong><\/em> Brandon said. \u201cThat gives us time to have our agriculture and crops in place. We\u2019ve also got our livestock.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ranch, built in 2020, is operational with solar and gas-powered generators for off-grid living. Brandon is the full-time manager, and Heather is his new assistant. Jason is a carpenter, helping construct the new Viking Lodge overlooking the ranch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been to some of the ranches. [Fortitude Ranch Nevada] is probably my favorite from a strategic standpoint,\u201d Brandon said. \u201cYou have a lot of high points, but you don\u2019t have a lot of trees, which can be a disadvantage as far as not having wood. The advantage is to see who\u2019s coming at you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ranch manager Brandon M stands in the middle of a new room under construction at Fortitude Ranch Nevada on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

Brandon, now retired from the military, said the political climate in America has become more unstable and divided.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was looking to find a place with like-minded [people]. I realized I couldn\u2019t do it alone,\u201d <\/strong><\/em>he said.<\/p>\n

After a decade serving in the Air Force, Heather said she found Fortitude Ranch online and applied for a job. She\u2019s been out here for about three weeks and has enjoyed her experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like this because it\u2019s more realistic. I don\u2019t know if you even think about luxuries\u2014water, food, and shelter. Those are the priorities. I think everybody should be concerned [about a societal collapse]. Not like fear\u2014just aware,\u201d Heather said.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The new Viking Lodge features a pair of log cabins joined with a corrugated steel enclosure to provide even more living space when complete. The ranch also has a small medical clinic, a workshop, and a practice firing range.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still building. We\u2019re always building as we keep adding members,\u201d Brandon told The Epoch Times. \u201cOnce we finish the Viking Lodge, we could easily have 200 [people].\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLike right now, I\u2019m working on rooms for paid members. It was just me out here for a long time, so it was slow. I don\u2019t mind it; I like the isolation. You can\u2019t just run to the store and grab some cough medicine<\/strong>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fortitude Ranch Nevada manager Brandon M demonstrates a ham radio on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

Brandon said Fortitude Ranch offers good protection against thieves and roaming bands of marauders.\u00a0Given its remote location, finding the ranch wouldn\u2019t be easy for the hungry and desperate following a collapse in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing this far out here, nobody will want to waste calories walking and not even knowing what you\u2019ll find,\u201d Brandon said. \u201cNorth of us, there isn\u2019t anything for 30 miles.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ranch currently has more than 50 members, and everyone will have a job to do when they arrive, as determined by their skill set.<\/p>\n

Brandon said two members are medical professionals. There are engineers and teachers as well.<\/p>\n

One member is a culinary chef. The oldest member is 90.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got big families, small families, individuals\u2014all kinds of political backgrounds. Right and left. You\u2019d think it would be all right [leaning]. We do have some [left-leaning] people. We\u2019re getting more and more,\u201d Brandon said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like any other community. When civilization started, people had to come together in some way. It comes down to this: are the things that unite you stronger than those that divide you?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The medical clinic is fully stocked at Fortitude Ranch Nevada on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The medical clinic at Fortitude Ranch Nevada includes a single bed on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

The nearest town is about a half-hour drive south. Brandon said some people suspected a nearby survival community whenever he shops for supplies. They\u2019ll spot him at the supermarket, loading 20 bags of beans and 20 bags of rice into a cart.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, they\u2019ll ask him questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll make a joke. I don\u2019t talk about what we are or where we are. They think you\u2019re from a restaurant,\u201d Brandon said.<\/p>\n

Rebuilding Society<\/h2>\n

In the main house at Fortitude Ranch are furnished rooms with beds, fresh linen, and other amenities.\u00a0The ranch guarantees a daily minimum of 2,000 calories for one year for each member.<\/p>\n

However, some members prefer to stock their own food for long-term storage.<\/p>\n

Brandon said members are serious about their preparations as national and global tensions worsen.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of them will come out here and store stuff. They\u2019re constantly asking me how we are doing, where are we at.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fortitude Ranch Nevada manager Brandon M enters the work shed where gardening supplies are kept on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

Members receive a monthly online newsletter to stay informed. So when the critical moment arrives, they will know what to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just about bringing communities back to what they once were,\u201d Jason told The Epoch Times. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get people to work together in an environment to sustain themselves from anything.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe template was there back in the day. It\u2019s a winning model that works for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Believing \u201chistory repeats itself\u201d and collapse is inevitable, Jason said the sooner members work as a community, the sooner they can help to rebuild society.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen this before, and we\u2019ll see it again. The probability of biological attacks is the norm right now,\u201d Jason said.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Brandon said the collapse of society would look different than what people expect or imagine.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou saw the rioting with [Hurricane] Katrina. This time will be on a much bigger scale.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A barren lake bed stretches for miles on the way to Fortitude Ranch Nevada. Below, manager Brandon M walks along the dirt road to the main ranch house on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to suck,\u201d Brandon said, as people long to go back to life before the collapse.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we get knocked back into the Stone Age, you\u2019re going to have a lot of unhappy people,\u201d he said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jason added, \u201cPeople will get caught where they don\u2019t want to be. That\u2019s the beauty of being a member [of Fortitude Ranch].\u201d<\/p>\n

Living Large Post-Apocalypse<\/h2>\n

Located in central Kansas, Survival Condos is a former missile silo turned into a luxury survival shelter on the higher end of the affordability spectrum.<\/p>\n

Developer Larry Hall considers the project life-affirming in a world gone further off the deep end.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, I took an intercontinental ballistic missile site that used to have a weapon of mass destruction designed to kill hundreds of thousands of people. I turned it into the complete opposite,\u201d Hall said.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s now a green facility, state-of-art technology that protects families.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fortitude Ranch Nevada is located in a remote northwestern part of the state, far from any city or town on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/p>\n

He admits the condos are expensive. A 3,600-square-foot Penthouse unit starts at $4.5 million. A full-floor unit measuring 1,840 square feet costs $3 million, and a half-floor condo runs about $1.5 million.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople buy what they can afford and what they perceive they need protection from,\u201d Hall told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI decided there was a missing niche market in the luxury high-end bunker where people didn\u2019t know how long they\u2019d need a bunker.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Hall said before COVID-19, people used to scoff at survival shelters as a fringe market demographic.<\/p>\n

The question was always, \u201cWhat are the chances of society collapsing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Then came the lockdowns, the urban riots, and the general chaos in 2020.<\/p>\n

Hall said the events of the past three years have only vindicated the preparedness mindset. Survival Condo is now considered the \u201cGold Standard\u201d for survival shelters.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Raising sheep is one of the main activities at Fortitude Ranch Nevada on March 2, 2023. (Allan Stein\/The Epoch Times)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI never get asked that question [will society collapse] anymore,\u201d <\/strong><\/em>Hall said. \u201cYou\u2019ve pretty much become mainstream. People realize the value of having a hardened property to go to and that extra degree of safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Survival Condo\u2019s purpose is to make sure that clients will survive the collapse and thrive in the process.<\/p>\n

To that end, Survival Condo hired a psychologist to aid in the project design for extended off-grid living. The psychologist looked at basic human physical and emotional needs\u2014from the need for optimum lighting and color schemes to foster a positive mood, better food quality to improve personal satisfaction, and recreational activities to keep tenants happy and fit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe single thing you need to have to keep people from going stir crazy\u2014what people call cabin fever\u2014is to have a good quality of food,\u201d Hall said.<\/p>\n

The original complex held 72 silos. Hall bought two silos with options to purchase another four, built out the first silo, and is working on completing the second.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

An aerial view of the dome as it is built over the existing missile silo at Survival Condo in central Kansas. (Courtesy of Survival Condo)<\/em><\/p>\n

The finished silo is 15 stories tall and built with a military-grade redundant air filtration system to handle nuclear, chemical, and biological attacks. The facility has redundant power sources and more than 20,000 square feet of floor space under the dome.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each fully furnished condo unit has a biometric key entry. Other high-end amenities include a custom theater, bar and lounge, a library, indoor swimming pool and spa, workout facility, command and control center, hydroponic gardens, a medical first-aid clinic, a digital weather station, and homeschooling classrooms.<\/p>\n

Hall said there\u2019s a long waiting list for units when they become available.<\/p>\n

\u201cOurs is way up at the top for a reason\u2014military-grade everything with high engineering,\u201d Hall said. \u201cThe book has done everything with very tough standards.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re constantly keeping the place in a state of readiness. We could scale it up if we needed to be here for an extended time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The interior floor plan for Survival Condo, a former intercontinental ballistic missile silo turned condominium in central Kansas. (Courtesy of Survival Condo)<\/em><\/p>\n

That time now appears close as the Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists stands 90 seconds away from midnight.<\/p>\n

Whether a natural or man-made disaster is on the horizon\u2014\u201dpick a poison,\u201d Hall said. \u201cAll result in one common denominator, and that\u2019s civil unrest.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are afraid and trying to get by and survive. So, ultimately, you need something where you can sleep with both eyes closed and don\u2019t have to worry about a gang of MS-13 guys kicking in your door.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole thing is you have a place designed to protect families,\u201d Hall said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a facility that can do that. We\u2019re not out to muck with anybody. We want to be out of sight and mind, do our best to survive, not burden society, and take care of ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller, at Fortitude Ranch, said the demand for survival ranch franchises has been growing exponentially.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going like mad now through franchising. We\u2019ll double our number of locations this year. It could take off even more,\u201d Miller said.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A furnished condominium at Survival Condo in central Kansas. (Courtesy of Survival Condo)<\/em><\/p>\n

But even with 100 new franchise locations, \u201cthat\u2019s still a tiny percentage of the population,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not even close to handling 1 percent of the population.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller said people owe it to themselves and the future to survive the coming collapse as the opportunities to rebuild will be \u201cphenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope the United States will recover and follow the Constitution. We don\u2019t follow it today,\u201d <\/strong><\/em>Miller said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Tyler Durden<\/a><\/span>
\nMon, 03\/06\/2023 – 21:00<\/span><\/p>\n

From:Zerohedge<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prepared For The Worst, Survival Shelter Companies Waiting For Collapse Of Society Authored by Allen Stein via The Epoch Times, Set against a rocky slope,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1183125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1183125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1183125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1183125\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1183125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1183125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1183125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}