The whole concept of hiding numerous caches in various areas so an individual can travel to some supposedly safe haven strikes me as somewhat ludicrous and perhaps even paranoid. If you find yourself in the highly unlikely situation where there is a total societal breakdown, trotting through the woods alone is not likely to be an optimal solution to your problems.

However, having said that, I've modified the cache idea and used it successfully a number of times in some very specific situations:

I am a snowmobile enthusiast. I happen to belong to a remote hunt camp in the Adirondacks. I regularly snowmobile to the camp, which is not road-accessible during winter months. I've left a small "cache" at camp: Some clothes, a little food, tools, fuel, parts, sleeping bag, etc. It makes an impromptu spur-of-the-moment overnight stay possible. Last year two wet, near-frozen guys came rolling into camp. (they'd lost a sled through the ice) My stash came in handy. If I have a major breakdown on the trails , I have an additional option: Head for camp...

I've done something similar with an island cottage the family owns. When I've closed it up in the Fall, I've left a small stash of essentials: Some wood for the stove, a flashlight, some matches, food etc. As a late-season duck hunter, I know how violent and dangerous a large river can be in late November. And I've told a few duck hunting acquantances to kick the door in if the situation warrants it.

And long ago I recognized that it's good to have at least a few eggs in a different basket. I've copied important documents - wills, powers-of-attorney, insurance documents, birth certificates, etc and left copies with relatives who live some 200 miles away. If I have a house fire, flood, etc, I can access copies of needed documents. This back-up document packet is has also been supplemented with a few important must haves: Critical prescriptions, a spare pair of eyeglasses, etc. There has been a few occasions when a simple overnight stay was extended to a four night stay due to weather or health reasons. This stash has been highly helpful.

It's always good to plan ahead, and to try to increase your comfort and better your situation with some forethought. However, the sterotypical survivalist fear of some Max Mad type societal upheaval strikes me as paranoid.

So when our paranoid friends make their misguided run for the hills, running from cache to cache, traveling at night, finally arriving at their mountain retreat, what then? After they've eaten all their dehydrated celery and tree bark, what happens next?

When the $hit hits the fan, I call neighbors and offer help. I don't point guns at 'em... There is safety in numbers, planning, and organization....

The objective in almost any survival situation I can think of is to get TOO civilization. I've yet to encounter a situation that can be improved by running FROM civilization...