“In tough circumstances, sometimes all you need is hope.
“…but other times you need a blow-up survival shelter featuring a bed, a couch, freeze-dried food, a 50-gallon water bladder, a first-aid kit, a radio and a cookstove.”
According to
wired.com, the latter may be a consumer option in the near future. A company called Inflatable World is in the process of raising capital to produce what they’re calling the Life Cube—a 4”x 4” box containing a well-stocked, heavy-duty, inflatable shelter. The projected pricing is steep, and for now the company (whose link from the article doesn’t work) appears to be limiting its market to first responders and aid organizations, though we could see it for sale generally sometime soon.
The Life Cube highlights a gap in our preparedness efforts. Most of us consider the need for shelter in our emergency prep and include items like tents and sleeping bags in our stash. (Read our article on
shelter and warmth to learn why a product like this could be crucial.) But when a disaster necessitates long-term accommodations, FEMA has reported overcrowding and insufficient facilities in the motels and temporary shelters they typically use. The Life Cube stands somewhere between the tent and the high school auditorium, as a temporary dwelling comfortable (and private!) enough to stay in for weeks or months at a time. Think luxury camping during the apocalypse.
So, what do you think? Would this be a useful addition to your prep gear? Does it sound preferable to a FEMA trailer? And would you be willing to pay five figures for it? We’re intrigued.
9 comments
beprepared
Hi, Chris. The Life Cube is available through their own website—it’s not a product we carry.
If they do provide you one to test out for long-term use, we’d love to hear about your experiences with it.
Best,
Sarah
beprepared
Hi Gene,
The Life Cube is made by a company called “Life Cube.” The cubes discussed in this post are for military use and start at $9,000. They are currently working on making a “Life Cube Every Man” for families and civilians that will run between $5,000 and $6,000. Here’s a link to the life cube website for more info http://lifecubeinc.weebly.com/ At Emergency Essentials we realize that this is a bit pricey for a portable shelter, so we created a version of our own that’s cheaper. Here’s a link to our product to check out http://beprepared.com/utah/all-in-four-4-person-emergency-kit.html?&sc=BLOG&oc=BP0001B1303.
Angela
night_fury_77
Its not for a family which is too bad. The price tag is not five figures though, its 3,900 dollars.
beth
a fema trailer is preferable for several reasons, it is storm resistant, has hot water, a toilet, a fridge, beds, no bugs, doesn’t deflate if it hits something sharp, are often resold or given to the occupants who can live in them or sell them..and they are free.
GENE
what is price of ice cube and who carries it
beprepared
Hi Kathy,
We actually developed the all-in-four portable shelter kit as an attempt of making a “Life Cube-like” shelter of our own. You can check out the article here: http://beprepared.com/utah/blog/14647/how-to-build-your-own-all-in-four-portable-shelter-kit/. It may be worth it to contact the Life Cube people directly as well and to ask them if they have anything available like that or if they have that in the works. Here’s a link to contact them http://lifecubeinc.weebly.com/contact.html
-Angela
Kathy
I would love to see the bare bones version that we can stock ourselves… Maybe the hoop with the box to put the shelter, plus supplies of our choosing in it…. or accessories WE can choose. If we’ve been working on this prepping for a long time, we have most of what is already in it…
Chris Nichols
I am interested in using this for a make shift hunting cabin off grid. What is the price and are you needing someone to test this model for an extended period of time?
Thank you,
Chris
Shawn M
I’d also like to see versions that are shelter, shelter/stove or heat, etc…….to bring the price down so more ppl could use those with a LIST of items, water, food, etc that should be included, I’ve been prepping for a long time……..but the shelter/stove version would be a great asset……. ESPECIALLY if it was in a price range I could afford!!