“It was designed really for people to hole up in for two weeks after a nuclear attack until the fallout had decayed enough to make it theoretically safe to come back outside,” Williams said.

Street parking is often available right in front of the shelter entrance, convenient now for the curious, and convenient 50 years ago for those seeking to survive a man-made doomsday. The shelter interior isn’t open to the public, but the entrance courtyard and the landscaped area around the shelter is easily accessible to casual visitors and Cold War history buffs. A concrete culvert off to the left of this main entrance is the escape hatch from the shelter’s emergency exit tunnel. Below and just west of the underpass along Weedin Place, a landscaped concrete pathway leads from the sidewalk to a distinctive high and slightly curved concrete wall, with a metal door and grate. Seal the buckets and carry them to the surface as needed.An odd-looking concrete box that’s visible from I-5 is the shelter’s air vent and is the only indication to freeway drivers that this isn’t a typical overpass. It isn’t ideal, but it is an effective way to keep your shelter safe and sanitary.

Another option is to use small plastic toilets or buckets.

You may not be able to get clean, running water in an emergency, so you may need to install an expensive system of tanks, pipes, and filters if you want more comfort.

Many shelters do not feature running water, so a regular toilet isn’t usually an option.

You can also try joining the pipe to the air pump’s ventilation pipe. You may need to dig through the dirt so the pipe exits above the plastic canopy over the entryway.

To install the ventilation pipe, run it through the nearest entryway, if possible.

A good location for the toilet is near the exit furthest from your sleeping quarters. You will need to install a ventilation pipe, running it from the toilet to the surface. The most efficient way is a composting toilet, similar to what you would see in an RV. You have several options for installing toilets. Set up a toilet in a separate area of the shelter.

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