Using the categories I have settled on for now (First Aid, Shelter, Fire, Water, Food, Navigation, Light. Signaling, Self-protection, Hygiene, and Morale), I am mapping resources on my bug out route (to the only unpolluted river in the area and then following it upstream to the foothills where I am looking to create a mini-retreat) and also in the neighborhood of my bug-in site. I am also using GPS waypoints.

Anybody else doing the same?

Sugestions?

Thanks.

Why not position or cache resources along that route, if you intend to take it? You can go so far as to replicate an entire kit, or simply add some things of which you may not have enough.

Also, I'd like to know that route. I'd like to use it before I needed to use it, so that I knew it and I knew I could do it, if I ever really needed to do so. Of course, this is talk and not what I've done, I'm not going to walk my way out of NYC anytime soon, wihtou the need. I do however walk a lot.

Finally, why one route? What happens if that route is blocked?

Pretty good idea. I hadn't thought about it like that before.

I'd likely plan 2 routes with one being a backup. You never know when a flooded river, road block, or fire (etc) could block your original route.

Good ideas, thanks!

Caches are being assembled using 5 gallon buckets, gamma lids, etc. Alternate routes on-the-fly are through farmland\

If you plan to hide caches in 5 gal. buckets I recommend putting some kind of camo on them to keep them from being discovered accidentally.

Also, start geocaching if you don't already. It's great practice for finding things in the bush using a GPS. Remember that even the best GPS might not be able to pin point it...only get you within 10 to 15 feet. I guarantee you won't remember how you placed all of them when it comes time to actually need them. Changes in terrain, weather, lighting, etc. make a huge difference.

I don't really need a cache to get to my first camp area - it is only about 30 miles away, but I will take your suggestions to heart when placing my "first camp" cache. The cache will be buried a foot down in an unlikely-to-be-disturbed location

I am occasionally doing orienteering but hadn't thought about seeing if there is any geocaching in my area; good idea.

As I see it my biggest challenge is that my foothill "retreat" is going to be on public land on a very rocky river canyon wall. I just cannot think of any other location within reasonable reach by foot within a week or so that has food and water sources on which I can rely.

If things go south for more than a couple months, I am going to become at least an occasional nomadic forager with all the diminished chances for survival that goes with it. That eventuality was the start of my resource mapping: at least I could start with some definite targets.

I hadn't thought of this other than in a general manner. We mark our charts with notes such as: "good trees" (to tie up to), "Wait traffic" (a good safe place to pull over when northbound to allow southbound traffic to get through critical areas), and we mark radio channels that facilities (bridges, locks, boat stores, commercial docks, etc, use). It makes life much easier when trying to memorize a couple of thousand miles of waterways.

Per your idea, I would get an overlay and mark your geocaches, water sources, camping spots, etc on it. Keep it separate from the map until you need the info, then lay 1 over the other. That provides a little better security for your information should the wrong people find one or the other.

Me, being my normal paranoid self!

Knowing where all the churches, schools and other "emergency Shelter" areas is also very helpful. After the hurricane Rita evacuation of Houston I made maps showing where every local emergency shelter was. The next time something like that happens I'll be passing these maps out to stranded people. That way they won't end up camped out on the streets of my neighborhood.

-Blast

For your caches you could improvise a metal detector. Attach those really strong rare earth magnets to the lids of the buckets. Use a smaller magnet/piece of ferrous metal on a string to locate the buckets. This, of course, assumes you have buried them.

The down side is if someone with a pacemaker happens to lie down on the ground over your bucket...he's a goner!!!

Feel free to chime in everyone.

I don't think they'd be strong enough. Burried a foot under ground the magnets wouldn't have much pull on each other unless they were BIG.