Inexpensive/disposable cache

The idea is not mine, I have seen it soemtime somewhere in a prep forum, maybe this one or another one.

The idea is that we always have "extra" stuff or old stuff that needs to retire, or even no-so-beaten stuff, that has been replaced by more "cool" items. And we all agree that a cache is not a bad idea .

So, it is logical that if you have two or three old bags you can fill them with old used stuff and pre-position them in suitable locations. Those locations can vary from the attic in your sister's house to office locker, your father's barn, or anywhere in between.

If you lose them, they are almost disposable, if you find yourself caught in an emegency and heading that way, you may be able to utilize your stashed stuff in addition to what you are carrying.

So, you do have two or three old bags and you have already accepted the idea. What would you put in these bags ?

Remember, no $400 knives please. Your father's barn may burn to ashes and your sister may sell the house without notice !

I think its a valid idea. First, things I wouldn't put in it. Anything with an expiration date at all. You don't know when you're coming back to it, or how much you'll maintain it so it's kind of a waste of money to put anything that might expire on you in it. Second, like you say, nothing expensive. I would say probably nothing over $50 at all and nothing over $20 that hasn't been thoroughly used once.

What I would include is at least one change of clothes. Probably a change of pants, two shirts, two pairs of underwear, and three pairs of white athletic socks. Then a good but old jacket, something I'd replaced with something newer. An old pair of running shoes, or old pair of army boots. Since I run regularly, I have shoes that aren't good for running, but aren't coming apart at the seams either same goes for boots. Finally, work gloves, a ball cap and a winter hat (probably something ugly I don't wear, or a black army hat now that we've changed to grey fleece). An old towel, either something bleach stained, or a brown army one since I always have plenty. Maybe an old blanket or sleeping bag if I had one. I'd bag all the clothes in the big 2 1/2 gallon ziplock bags.

Then a few tools, Swiss army knife and/or a Mora knife, army canteen (empty) and canteen cup, pair of pliers, 550 cord and duct tape. Probably a full box of strike anywhere matches double bagged in ziplock freezer bags. A box of emergency candles. A first aid kit consisting of bandages and tape (again nothing perishable). Finally probably a notebook with the front part full of useful information and maps and the back blank. And several wooden pencils.

I wouldn't include any personal information in a kit of this format. I'd instead put copies of a few important documents in an envelop and leave that directly with someone or with an attorney.

That's not a complete list, but pretty close for me I think.

If the whole thing cost more than say $50 in new stuff I'd consider it a failure. Work gloves, matches, candles, first aid, maybe notebook and pencils, duct tape and 550 cord and ziplock bags could be new. Nothing else should be.

Assuming that you go to visit these folks every so often, I think that I would be tempted to include some food, probably canned stuff, maybe from the food outlet type stores, where prices are usually a little bit lower. $10 worth of canned food probably won't break you if it goes bad. And, assuming that you are talking bug out here, well broken in footwear. Old is fine, as long as servicable...

There could be another possible benefit to doing this.

I am reminded of the couple in CA who were lost in rough terrain, and stumbled across the campsite of a man presumed dead. His backpack contained extra clothing and matches, things that allowed them to survive and start a signal fire.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12737512/

In the Alaskan and Canadian bush, it was long a given that you didn't lock your cabin door, just in case someone needed shelter.

Of course, sometimes the life you save is your own.

Sue

Unfortunately, my caches is probably the hospital I work at. I figure if something happens I'll be at work, or soon headed that way. Meaning, those folks are responsible for me! And if they're not, well, I can always swing by and raid the indidual pantry on each floor for apple/orange juices, saltines, and graham crackers. Yeah, my hospital has some kick-butt pantry ideas. (sarcasm intended)

As much as I've discounted the theory of caches in the past, I guess I've been doing this for the past six months. I've got an old pack at a friend's that is half way between where I am and where I would be bugging out to. I've got a spare SAK, a change of clothes, a fleece blanket, some "add water food", extra matches and a pair of empty water bottles.

But that is because where I am I don't feel comfortable bringing my BoB, so I've just got my ditch kit, a blanket roll and few small items in my car.

Best of all this is a good excuse to buy better gear because the old stuff won't be going to waste. You sir; are a genius!
The Sock

Here's a few additional items I have put in my caches:

- Small packets of sugar, salt & pepper you get at fast food chains. Put them in double ziplock bag

- Other items from fast food chains ( like paper towels and plastic spoons/knives ..etc)

- A cheap can/bottle opener

- Few pencils and crayons my kids have wasted

- Newspaper ( to sit on, or start a fire, whatever. You can even make it in a cone shape and use as a loudspeaker)

In Canada, this is still pretty much the case. When I lived up north, there were (and still are) plenty of cabins left unlocked for this very purpose. It was very rare that these cabins are ever vandalized and if there is any vandalism , it was usually from bears looking for some food or anything else that was pleasing to their palette.

Caches, reminds me of the movie "Fargo".

Comical irony aside, it makes sense, and I have some stuff in different places.

I would also include.... a wallet with photos, an ID or Driver's license, some cash, a debit card with a small amount of money on it. A watch.

if I had to skip out in a hurry... i may not have these things on me. If detained in a camp... and escape, these things would probably have been taken away... with clean clothes... looking more like a jogger.. don't forget a bottle of water and a head band... maybe a cheap ipod... with a wallet and watch, they may stop you but let you go.

Because of earthquakes, my kids and I buried a rubber maid tote not far from their school. It contained a BOB so if the school went into lock down... they could get out in the confusion and head for home through a canyon and wash.
We sealed the lid with silicone sealant to keep the water out. everything in it was old and expendable.

Saucy Rose

I posted a thread some time ago asking for suggestions about a food cache on our property while the house is rebuilt. Someone, I think it was Blast, suggested that I recreate a BOB, which I've done in a 5 gallon bucket.

I used mostly stuff I had, a lot of gear being replaced in my BOB. I bought a Heatsheets Bivy for our BOBs, and the cheaper emergency sleeping bag went into the bucket. For food, I used rice and beans, it was cheap. I have a cheap bottle of water, mostly because I wanted a bottle in it. Some iodine with instructions on using it to treat water. An inexpensive knife and multitool, the knife was $1 at Wal-Mart and thhe multitool less then $15, from a few aisles over. Some plastic dropcloths, useful as shelter or for collecting rain water, a pruning saw, etc. Waterproof matches. And a few other things. It's not as good as my BOB here in NYC, but it would never be a bad thing to have.

I've started looking into this some too since my bug out location is 250 miles away. I'm trying to find someplace in between to store some gear. My best thugh is a state park that allows geocaching. Get permission to plant some caches and document them on the geocaching web sites and then plant one undocumented cache for myself so it appears that I'm just doing the geocaching thing.

don't forget some books and a wind up radio. A day is a long time if you are just sitting.
The Sock

Those wind up radios the internal battery goes bad just sitting in a cache, much better to put in an aa or aaa powered one and some lithiums.
I think the most important cache item though would be a gas can but how and where to store it I don't know.

Something to think about in regards to caching would be storing everything(even if it's already in a bag) in a 5 gallon bucket. It can serve many roles: a waterproof container for burying the cache. if you have to hide the cache in a building, a bucket will not be as conspicuous as a bag. and finally, a bucket is handy for its intended use as well, a bucket.

I use the 5 gallon bucket for everything- all my long term gear, emergency toilet, water tote, etc. they stack easily, are essentially airtight, and don't look like anything valuable to prying eyes. I have the square topped cat litter buckets (sanitized of course, but unused cat litter isn't dangerous anyway, is it?)

I know your not supposed to expose babies or pregnant women to cat litter so there must be something nast in it. I used to store things in cat litter buckets but everything I put in them would smell and taste like it, its pretty strong stuff.

I think the major problem is used cat litter, which can harbor cat scratch fever, which is usually harmless, but can be dangerous to infants. Unused cat litter is just bentonite clay, but clumping litter can contain silica dust, which is harmful to breath in. But silicosis is a pretty long term style disease. And just rinsing out a box should remove the dust.

That would be “used” cat litter, containing cat feces due to the possible the cat(s) are infected with Toxoplasma gondii.

Pete

Kids and teens go thru al ot of stuff. They may change bags and daypacks frequently whebnever something more fashionable comes in the market. That means an endless "supply" of containers for all imaginable purposes.

As an example, I use a discarded soft lunch box for a mini-tool kit for quick fixes around the house.

For a cache, you can choose one or two day packs or shoulder bags and put in the cache. You may need it for any possible purpose. For example, you are at work and evacuation is announced, you quiclky call the wife to meet you somewhere and go to school to take the kids. Thge family meet somewehre and the kids have NO bags to carry emergency stuff. When you open your cache, you can distribute the bags.

Or suppose you have your bags, but you need the added insurance of MORE supplies. So you take a shoulder bag from the cache, stop at a conveient store and fill it up with supplies.

Next time your kid or teen throws a bag or pack in good condition, take it and put in in the cache.

Yes, I rinse them well, soap and water, let dry completely.

It is scented litter as well, and I think I have a pretty good sniffer, so I re-rinse and soap again of any hint of scent remains.

I bleach them if the scent is tenacious, which sometimes happens if I bought several buckets of litter (3 cats, they use it up) and they were stored for a long time.

This is a great use for the older equipment. Part of the week I work 180 miles from home. I will be dropping off a bag at my brother's who happens to live right around the half way point. Thanks for the post!

Ditto Pete. Toxoplasmosis is teratogenic to the fetus.