Anyone use a cache?

[Liam Ryan]

I was scouting around today for a good spot near my suburban apartment for getting away from the bustle and enjoying the outdoors without needing to drive.
It occurred to me I could stash a cache like a .50 cal ammo can with cheaper stuff like a mora, tinder, some firebow stuff, cordage, etc. for "just in case" moments like forget something, lose an item, or just decide to head there on a whim while nearby.

Wondering if anyone thinks it's a good idea, or if they already do it, how do you store it, hide it, and what do you keep in it?

 

[Angus McGunnigl]

I have a couple of these cans stashed(buried) nearby.
Basic 1st aid, knife, fire makings, small pot/lid, couple of contractor bags, etc.
Buried only about a foot deep , in wooded property I own.

 

[Liam Ryan]

You used ammo cans then? Any issues with moisture getting in?

 

[Angus McGunnigl]

You used ammo cans then? Any issues with moisture getting in?

No troubles, The rubber seals on my cans are very good and and I also have the matches and moisture sensitive things vacu-sealed.
The cans are not buried in 'low spots".

 

[Balldboy]

Friend uses spray undercoat on his hidey cans.

 

[Jim malone]

no i never cached anything :foot:

 

[Liam Ryan]

Found a better spot today, farther away but just what I was looking for.
Small island on the shore of a really nice lake.

 

[upnorth]

I dream of finding an old cache along a trail while metal detecting. It is not beyond the possible. There were no banks in the north back in the day so you buried your goods. I've read of traders having their camp fires over their buried goods.

 

[Big Mike]

I have at least three in spots I frequent.


They are all just five gallon buckets with minimal survival gear and fire starting supplies.


I try to check them at least once a year, and usually update them a bit when I'm there.


Nothing wrong with hedging your bets in the areas you hang.




Big MIke

 

[CellerDrummer]

This was my plan years ago....I wanted to have three or four 5 gallon buckets burried at my favorite fishing area..This spot was way off the beaten path and I've never seen anyone else there..Just about everything would be on site (but hidden)..A nice big tarp and poles,,hatchet,,cut down shovel,,cooking pots,pans,,a couple small folding camp chairs , oil lantern , cheap tents etc...

I came up with this plan listening to my two younger cousins one day fishing..We hiked out and thought it would be the perfect camping spot but there was no way we could carry everything that we really wanted ie..Cold beer and good food,plus camping supplies..Then I had this master plan that never materialized..Hate when that happens.
CD

 

[Killinumsoftly]

I also use 5 gallon buckets with the gama seal lids so you can screw on a nice air tight seal. I've also found some nice real tree camo buckets that you could probably hide without having to bury it, if you were in a hurry or needed to drop it and one back. I have 200 acres in the adirondacks as well as 5 acres in mass, I only have 1 in mass but I keep a few located around the property in NY. The good thing about the 5 gal bucket is it holds a lot of stuff but also can be used to gather water and stuff if need be... I've seen some really nice tubes that company's make especially for burying caches, they make some long enough to fit rifles and they have double lids and come with sealing bags and moisture absorbers in the kit.
A budd of mine uses 55 gal drums buried sideways into drop offs, hills, or embankments. He says if need be he could pull out his stuff and hide in it also, I'm to big to fit in one but if you could fit might be a bonus and something to think about

 

[baldtaco-II]

I've cached water a few times. Only short term. Not my usual way, but if there's a bunch of you doing a weekend with a distinct theme, and that theme has a definite lighthearted bent, and you are the navigator, it can pay off to drive the loop a day or so before. Especially important on some events to let the women clean themselves up as good as possible too - in a way that I wouldn't normally give headspace.

 

[Crone]

I've also thought about doing this at one of my sites. Only the items I thought about storing were probably a bit different.
Most frequently I forget random/seasonal items. Warm beanie for cold/winter trips, sunscreen for summer....just small silly stuff like that.

 

[Balldboy]

I've also thought about doing this at one of my sites. Only the items I thought about storing were probably a bit different.
Most frequently I forget random/seasonal items. Warm beanie for cold/winter trips, sunscreen for summer....just small silly stuff like that.

Those are the items I squirrel away...I often get caught in a season change.
Yesterday it was 78F...this morning I needed a hat and a Henley.

 

[sideways]

I've never tried it but there are plenty of people online who have documented their attempts. Here are a few offsite articles.
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/04/constructing-a-permanent-under.html
http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/03/my-ten-year-caching-experiment.html
http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/03/letter-re-a-warning-on-undergr.html

I suppose a pelican case or some of those geocaching cases might also be worth a look, if you want a ready made solution.

 

[Hammer67]

Many times for longer backcountry trips.

But I've never really thought much about it for a 'bugging out' scenario. Then again, I don't really think about 'bugging out' in general all that much anyway.