Expert survivalists say that it is important to furnish your shelter with even the most rudimentary items. It makes a real difference both in terms of practicality and psychological stamina. People are more willing to stay in a furnished shelter for weeks if necessary. When people see furniture and a clean place they are less likely to be afraid. Huddling together on a dirt floor is dehumanizing and lowers morale.
You can make chairs, benches and bunks from all sorts of materials. Folding chairs are an excellent idea if you want to store a lot of tiny chairs in a small space. You can also use wooden crates and plastic milk crates as seating.
To keep a shelter cleaner cover the earth walls with plastic or bed sheets. It also prevents dust and dirt from falling on people who sleep on the floor. Just be careful if you are using sheets with candle lighting as the sheets can be very flammable.
Bunk beds are easily made out of plywood. They can be topped with foam to make them more comfortable. If you use futons make sure that they are bug repellent and kept away from lighting sources.
You can also make a hammock out of a bed sheet if the walls of the shelter are strong enough. If your sheets are long enough two people can sleep in a hammock. To save space you can hang bed sheet hammocks one over another with the lightest person or child sleeping on top.
You want to make sure that anything you build accommodates the heights of everyone who will be let in. You do not want anyone sitting in a hunched position for days on end and getting a sore back. If the place is cold and you are short blankets you can keep warm with pads of newspapers inside the hammock.
You can also make comfortable suspended chairs out of bed sheets. Clothing or a folded blanket can be used to make the seat more comfortable. Without this the sitter’s circulation can be cut off in the legs.
It is important to keep each chair or hammock to each person. This prevents infection from spreading. Remember people may not be able to bath or shower for weeks!
Remember that it is your goal to keep people in a shelter for as long as possible to avoid dangerous exposure to fall out radiation. If the place is making people crazy they are more likely to leave and perhaps die.