If you have access to a utility room or some storage space in an apartment or office building you might be able to use that space.

FWIW our USPS lock boxes are open 24/7... that area of the post office is open all the time from the outside.

YOu can get rather large boxes.. mail yourself something, leave it in there ????

There's usually a time limit at USPS and then they send it back.

Dweste, probably no one wants to give away their best sites, as a lot of people reading here aren't members that we *know*. We can't all booby-trap our caches like Blast and Blast, Jr.

sue

I have quite a bit to say about PO Boxes or what-have-you...but it's not particularly relevant. The relevant part boils down to (just like everything else on this forum) - keeping it legal. That means no boobytrapping, amongst other things.

That's also the basic reason behind not using an awful lot of potential urban caches. Do the math; you can figure it out on your own.

Interesting! I never new that.

I used to let my PO Box fill up with crap and then chuck it! I got so much darn junk mail, and didn't use it much so it sat for months.

I keep basic supplies at a number of locations.

At a friends house, about a mile away from home, useful in case of some local disaster such a chemical spill, riot or bomb.
These supplies include clothing, shoes, food, water, blankets, FAK, a little cash, chlorine tablets,flashlights, radio, lantern, batteries, a large knife and a multi tool.
These supplies are stored in two rentacrates in the roof space as the friends home is vulnerable to flooding, but otherwise low risk.
In return I look after almost identical supplies in my home for said friend.
We therefore each have double supplies if the other party does not need theires.

At my Mothers home, 200 miles away I keep very extensive stocks of food, water, clothing, blankets, tools, footwear,batteries and many other supplies.
These supplies are as much for surving any long term deppresion/economic crash as for sudden disaster.

At work in central London I keep food for a week or two, clothing, bottled water, batteries, radio, a little cash, and tools of my trade which would also be useful in a survival situation.
As the building engineer I believe that in a real emergency I could shelter in place and supplement my supplies in various ways.
I have a large UPS of my own at work that will supply PC, broadband modem, cellphone charger, radio charger, desk lamp etc for many hours.

Batteries in all emergency kits and supplies are swopped out at the end of every November.
This date is chosen in order that the old but probably still servicable batteries may be used in Christmas lights, kids toys etc.

In the city, my home and car are my caches. If those are both destroyed I probably will have been toast, as well.

But as a mental exercise, I am mindful that I have hiking buddies in the Virginia and Maryland suburbs who have loads of gear and I am confident would assist. One of them recently had their home outfitted with a backup generator so I've already informed them that they are my first stop.

And my fully-stocked teardrop trailer is in storage out near the mountains. That'd be a 4-day hike.

Burying stuff around this city? No way.

No way you could do it without being seen -- non-federal, unpatrolled parkland is puny here. And if there's not a cop within sight there's surely a bum, mugger, dog-walker or bar-hopper looking or lurking around.

In the city, it's wise to get in the habit of carrying the legal basics at all times -- flashlight/headlamp, matches, knife, money, water purification tabs, nutrition bar, a heatsheet -- as compactly as you can. Those few items are doable in a briefcase or mid-size purse.

If disaster strikes the city, there's much to be said for being discreet.

"I used to let my PO Box fill up with crap and then chuck it! I got so much darn junk mail, and didn't use it much so it sat for months."

I believe a PO box -- which is paid for -- is different than a package sent to General Delivery. Yes, I just checked, and a package sent to GD will only be held for 30 days.
http://www.usps.com/receive/choicesfordelivery/receivemailinotherplaces.htm

I remember a movie scene where the guy kept his guns and some other go-bag-related stuff at a cigar shop that rented boxes in the humidor to customers.

Another option: some of the new temperature/humidity controlled storage facilities rent small storage lockers. Here's one such example that does a 4x5 locker.

http://www.fourseasonsselfstorage.com/storage_units.htm

Still have the same issue as any other rental storage, if somehting happens and you go there to get your cache and the owner has locked up and went home now you have to break in and potentially get arrested for looting.