Post 9-11 what are the cheapest urban survival caches? Storage lockers at transit stations or gyms? Private mail boxes whose address you never give out? A box entrusted to a third party?

Where can you get a small and secure space to stash gear and supplies that you might need to get to in an emergency?

Edit: This would be separate and additional to your EDC and BOB stuff. Assume for example that stuff runs out or you are separated from it. Or maybe this is where your BOB lives.

I would think that any facility that requires electricity would be a bad choice to keep anything that you'd need in a major incident.

First because if it's a natural disaster there's a good chance that the power will be off, secondly, if it's something like a riot or some other social upheaval I can't imagine the folks at the local gym sticking around so you have access to your locker. Same with a private mail facility. If you worked at such a place would you open up during a hurricane, flood, fire, riot, etc. ?

It's a good question.

I keep very basic supplies - a sort of cross between a BOB and 72+ hour kit - at various friends' places in several cities. Actually, they keep them for me. Each cache lives in a backpack and/or 5 gallon bucket, so they don't take up much space; no firearms or ammo are included. While not necessarily preparedness-oriented, my friends know what's in each cache, and in the event of an emergency they're welcome to use what they need since I probably won't be around. If I am around (or on my one or two day walk to their place), they'll probably leave most of the gear alone since, not being preparedness-minded, they're probably going to need my help.

PVC Pipe buried in the ground... You can store a lot in the bigger ones, and you can cut them open with a saw on a SAK or leatherman if need be too.

Or maybe even a 5gallon super pail with the nice sealable lids.. you could even liquid nails or 100% silicone the lids on too.

Todd W, what do you think would happen if you were seen burying or digging up a 5 gallon bucket in an urban setting? Or if one was found by a gardener or park guard?

I'm thinking we need to focus on using resources that exist in the urban setting. Perhaps the kind of thing that exists in most cities so when traveling you can create a stash nearby?

Edit: Putting a bucket in an existing storage location that will almost certainly not be disturbed, for example.

That's a really tough call. There's plenty of urban-"wilderness" interface. For example, if I'm in Los Angeles (say Marina del Rey) and I want to get to resources in North Hollywood during a civic disturbance (earthquake optional), I'd be insane to try to walk the freeways. Going overland seems a much more sensible choice (let's conveniently forget that it can take three hours to fight your way through a half mile of chaparral). A wildland cache might be reasonable under those circumstances.

However, given those circumstances, my main concern is going to be water. Not going to be caching that.

Now, if I'm in Manhattan and I want to get to Brooklyn, everything changes. And that's a walk many have made during an emergency, even without a serious EDC. The supplies for those walks were often "kept" in the shops that stayed open while pedestrians were enroute.

So what do you want to stash, and for how long? Keeping a train station storage locker for more than a few days would be problematic, especially if firearms or large sums of money are part of the kit.

A locked trunk in a linen closet at your nearest and dearest relatives house is your best bet.

The real problem is with trying to store your stuff without owning a safe spot for it.
About as close you will get to safe storage, outside of on your own or a friend's land, might be one of those warehouse storage units.
Bus lockers and gym lockers are likely to be locked down along with the station if there is an emergency and they are pretty limited in size anyhow.
In addition to that almost all public transit locker units require you to be there daily and units that are not opened and closed everyday usually get opened by the transit company's security team and disposed of as abandoned property.

Safety deposit boxes are almost certain to be locked down if there is an emergency.

If it was easy, then it would be no fun to ask!

If I was going to bury a drain pipe cache on land that is not mine I would do it in the most public place I knew, like a park.

I would put on a pair of coveralls, my hard hat and boots.
Then I would go dig my hole, bury what I had to, cover it over and leave.
The more you look like a worker who belongs there the less interest you arouse.

You should note permanent landmarks you can sight on to locate your cache again. Things that line up like light posts and building corners are pretty good for establishing a line.

Be careful to cut the sod carefully so it grows back nice and even. If you don't the parks people might expose your cache when they try fixing the dead or uneven sod.

Nothing... and if they ask tell them you are working on a sprinkler.

Really, most people see something at a glance and don't care. If they investigate further they may be satisfied with the sprinkler story. However, if the ground is wet aruond you, and you are on your hands and knees digging in a lawn most will already think you are working on your sprinkler system.

If you are that worried then bury it in some trees or brush... all urban areas have parks too.. although I would avoid putting it in a park. If it was to be public place I would put it in trees at least 10ft off a trail more if possible.