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.

I've checked some out that have about 200-500 lbs of pull. They are a bit bigger than hockey pucks but smaller than curling rocks, something you Canadians can relate to. Can't remember where I saw them, I'd have to search the 'Net.

BTW, I love both the sports alluded to above.

Hacksaw...PM for you

Maps, sure. I use a DeLorme (cheap, compact when you are doing even half of a small state) that I add a few land marks on.

Marked with important stuff, not at all. I'm sneaky like that.

Finding Your Cashe
Rich ”Raspy” Shawver

IT HAS HAPPENED. Insert whatever scenario is your favorite here. It has made you decide to depart for an alternate location. You are ahead of the pack because you have “THE PLAN”. Rather several plans based upon. What happens, where it happens and when it happens? You have established several rallying points. Preplanned multiple routes. Maybe even different options for your destination. In other words where to go and how to get there. With malice of fore thought you have even positioned route and destination cashes of supplies to see you are well equipped even if you are caught flat footed and start with little or nothing or lose what you started with through forces you have no control over.

I guess there should be a little explanation of what cashes are and how to build them first.

Route cashes are stashes of equipment placed along your intended path of travel. These are to supply your needs while traveling. The type of things in the cashe and the spacing between them depends upon the method of travel. The first set of cashes would generally be more generously supplied. Home or work can be considered some of these initial cashes. This is because of circumstances you may not be fully equipped or have any equipment at all. Their purpose would be designed to outfit you from scratch. Even if you are traveling by vehicle you may not have had time to load up or it might not be your vehicle. The other cashes primary purpose is to re-supply consumables you would use going from one to the next. Although these intermediate set ups can have more included in case others are missed. These cashes could be in places that belong to or are controlled by you. They could also be in areas controlled by those known to you through business contacts or by friends. Business contacts, what is meant by that? You ask if you could store a package at someone’s office complex, warehouse or business. In some ways these would these could be the most secure with less chance of someone using your expected supplies. In others they could be less because of curiosity of the person you are leaving them with. The contents may be limited in type depending on where they are. A business associate might not want to store volatile substances such as fuel or ammunition at their location. In most cases such locations would be few or not well located in distance. You can also use storage facilities as mentioned in The City Cashe. In most cases cashes would be buried in secret in spots that happen to be at convenient locations. In these you will have little or no control of the location. So will be putting them on someone else’s land. As such they will be covertly placed. You will need to take needed precautions to avoid detection. You really don’t want to have to explain to the local constable why you were trespassing with such an outlandish array of gear.

Spacing of cashes is dependent upon the mode of travel used. All such distances should have a safety factor built in to the calculations. Mr. Murphy says you will not travel as far or as fast as you expect or plan to for some unknowable reason. When considering cashes related to motorized vehicle travel these would be mainly supplies of fuel and spare parts with other consumables more as nice to have items rather than being critical. The spacing of these should be about half of the travel range of the vehicle to account for delays and detours. While you may have an alternate form of transportation such as a bicycle other cashes should be based upon walking as the expected mode for speed and distance considerations. Again figure the walking distance you would expect to cover and cut that about in half. You can expect delays or detours. Injuries to you or members of your party can slow progress to a crawl. A guess would put maximum speed at about 20 miles a day. If it is only a day or 2 worth of travel this might work. But if the distance would extend into day after day the average is going to come way down, so only figure on 10. One school of though says that they should be spaced a day apart. Others would say you would normally carry about 3 days worth of food. Therefore the spacing should be based on 3 days travel distances. I say split the difference and go with 2 days or about 20 miles apart. Far enough apart so too many are not needed but not so far apart that you would need to really push it. They should be enough distance from the intended route not to be readily observable but not at such a great distance that the side trip is a major undertaking in it’s own right.

The final destination cashe: This is more along the lines of separate storage facilities rather than a cashe. Because a retreat is not a permanent residence and spends more time empty quite a bit of the time you have the risk of that even in good times of someone breaking in. Such individuals may be people in need of emergency shelter but more likely vandals that would trash the place. By having one or more separate concealed storage areas or cashes would mitigate some of the potential loss. Think along the lines of a fruit cellar or bunker type of construction. At least one of these should be positioned so that it is not visible from the retreat itself. This could even be designed and positioned like a route cashe. The reason for this is that when you arrive after a disaster you could find that others have claimed your retreat as their own. This specific cashe is so that you could insure that you are well armed if it becomes necessary to confront these people. While you may not have to fight it is better to be well prepared to do so if they have other ideas.

Since the majority of cashes will be buried underground they will have to be packaged in a manner that the conditions they will be exposed to will have little or no effect. This generally means waterproofing. One possibility would be to use those plastic totes and tubs made for storage by manufactures such as Rubbermaid. This can also be done using various sized plastic buckets. These buckets are the kinds that are often used to ship large amounts of food product designed for commercial use. Pickle buckets if you will. To increase the sealing of these containers is to place a bead of silicon caulk around the rim before seating the lid. Inside individual items or groups of items can be placed in ziploc type bags or sealed in vacuum packing bags. For even another barrier the container can be lined with trash bags. You could wrap the entire container in an additional trash bag as another layer. One note about the trash bags is that many are impregnated with various chemical compounds. These are meant to control insects or odors. They should not be used in direct contact with food substances. In placing these require a great deal of digging to properly place them. And the attendant clean up to hide the fact the cashe is there.

The best cashe that I have encountered is the double PVC tube cashe. Not only is this one of the better designs for structural integrity. It is the easiest to bury and quickest to retrieve of any other type. The minimum size to be used is dependent upon two things. Diameter of the widest item you intend to put in and length by the longest item. In general the most common size would be a 4 inch inner tube about 3 feet long with a 6 inch pipe long enough to fit the around the inner tube. This is a nice size that would hold an adequate amount of supplies while being small enough to be easily transported without being clumsy also to require too much digging. Of course if you have items that you want to store that would not fit this size adjust the diameter or length as necessary. The only problem with PVC is that it degrades when exposed to UV light. Because it is buried this will not be a problem.

To build this type the first thing is to get the pieces needed. Cut the inner tube to length. The end that will be the bottom will be capped. In PVC this is a domed shape item that is glued over the end. At the other end you glue in place a collar called a clean out plug. This collar has internal threads that accept a screw in plug that will seal the tube. These plugs have a large square block on the outside. This is used to remove the plug. Because of the size the best tool to remove the plug is a strap wrench so it might be nice to carry one with you to open them. But if you don’t have one available there are ways to jury-rig a replacement. A leather belt or strip of webbing can act as the strap. Then a metal bar or even a strong stick can substitute for the handle and supply the leverage. If you are unsure that this plug will adequately seal the threads can be wrapped with plumber’s tape. Load the supplies and cap. The inner tube is ready to be placed in the outer tube. You can place a handle on this tube so that when the outer tube is opened you can pull it out. The outer tube is constructed basically the same way with a couple of minor additions. Added piece one is a small block glued inside the bottom end cap. This block would be about a half to one inch thick. This acts as a standoff so the inner tube does not get stuck to the bottom of the outer tube. It makes life a little easier. The other change is a small tube is glued from top to bottom on the inside of the tube. Steel brake line is ideal for this but any other small-ridged tube would work. The purpose of this is that if the outer tube should leak and fill even part way with water could form a hydraulic lock. The resultant vacuum that could be formed could make it nearly impossible to pull out the inner supply tube. The small tube acts as a vent to allow air into the bottom breaking any possible vacuum.

With the cashe tube assembled and loaded it is time to plant it in a selected location. Once at the spot you need to dig the hole. First cut an area of sod larger than the desired hole. This plug is set aside to be replaced when you are finished to hide the hole. Then place sheets of plastic around the proposed hole. This is to catch the soil dug up. Some will be returned to back fill the hole the rest can be removed for disposal so that it does not reveal the location of the cashe. You then use an auger just large enough to produce a hole the tube will fit into. The auger can be hand powered for quiet if stealth is needed when placing the cashe. Or if noise is no problem you can use a power auger for easier digging. Dig the hole to the depth so that when the tube is in the hole the top is far enough down to avoid detection. If it is in a location where nothing is expected to disturb the earth 6 inches to a foot should be adequate. If it would be in something like a field that could be plowed you would have to go deeper. Once the hole is finished lower the tube into the hole. Back fill with the dirt dug up and tamp it down firmly. The tamping is necessary to prevent the spot from settling as much that could reveal the cashe to the curious. When this is completed replace the sod plug to hide the hole. Cart away any excess dirt. Move on to the next cashe location and repeat.

Why do I consider this a superior type of cashe? With the double tube construction the stored supplies are very well protected. Drilling a hole with an auger is much easier, faster and produces a much smaller footprint than a dug hole for other types. Being vertical even if it contains metal it would be harder to detect with a metal detector. They will be quicker and much easier to recover. Instead of digging out and/or unpacking a conventional cashe you only have to dig down far enough to expose the top. You then unscrew the top grab the handle and pull the inner tube out. At this point you can open the tube and empty it or tuck the tube and scurry away with the whole thing to a better location. One ideal location for this type of cashe is under a preexisting fence post. Pull the post dig the hole deeper place the tube backfill some and replace the post. The fence post will hide the cashe yet act as a marker when you need to recover it. If you do not want to remove a post you can dig beside the post for placement. One nice thing about using fence lines is that even if something happens to a fence other than the complete deliberate removal you should be able to track where a specific post was. This is because of the even spacing of most posts if some remain you can count the missing spaces. I have seen sites that have been abandoned for many years. The fences have decayed away. There will still be some post stumps left and you can pretty much tell where the missing ones were.

There is a third kind of cashe. What I call an abandonment cashe. This is a cashe of equipment and supplies that you begin your journey with but because of conditions encountered along the way forces you to jettison. By setting up this form of cashe you may be able to return for these items at sometime in the future. This type of cashe is more of an expedient nature rather than the preplanned design of the other types. The only planning that can be done is in packaging. Having the items in some form of container or containers does this so that they can endure conditions that they could be expected to face. Fortunately you have in all likely hood already accomplished this chore. For ease of storage around your home and to make it more convenient to load in your vehicle much of your gear is packed this way. The most likely way you have things packed is in ammo cans, those tubs made by Rubbermaid or others plastic buckets, etc. convenient storage totes. The other factor involved is time. How much you might have available. In most cases you will not have the time or the wherewithal to bury these rapid cashes. That leaves concealment or camouflage. Since you will have no foreknowledge of what will cause you to need to relinquish your excess gear or where it will happen you will need to use what is at hand to accomplish the cashe. Concealment could be in deserted buildings, in roadside culverts, under brier patches anyplace that will keep the stuff out of casual view. Sure this kind of thing will not hold up to an all out search, but without a reason why would anyone be searching? Someone could discover it by chance. That’s the chance you take. Camouflage is making it appear as something that it is not. The best way of doing this is to make it look totally useless or something no one would want to touch. Mixing it with other trash that is available can do this. If time permits combining both techniques will improve the chances that it will be left undiscovered until you can retrieve it. This not only applies to supplies but can be you vehicle also.

Note concerning cashes. Cashes should be standardized. This makes packing simpler and causes less surprise when opening. If making up a large number it can also help reduce the cost. As components can be purchased in bulk. Often when you purchase multiple quantities of items you can get a discount on the price. It may be desirable to develop several types or categories. Shelter, clothing, food, weapons, general, medical etc. this allows you only to dig up the supplies you actually need at a location. You can also cluster cashe. Meaning placing several cashes in the same general location but not the same hole.

An additional note concerning metal objects inside cashes. In the presents of oxygen and moisture metal will rust. The air inside the container will hold enough water to cause this to happen. It will have to be dealt with. Desiccant packets can be placed inside the cashe container to absorb any moisture. Although it may cost a bit of money it might be wise to invest in a vacuum packing machine and the rolls of packing material. This would not only protect such valuable items like guns. But does very well in preventing mildew in soft goods like clothing. It also reduces the bulk of many soft goods. Beyond the use for cashe items which might be worth the expense alone it would serve well for other endeavors.

Regardless of the contents of any cashe it is completely useless if you can not find it. Depending upon the extent of the planning this could entail quite a few locations. Because of the possible importance of these supplies do you really want to trust all this to memory? What about other family or group members if you personally are unavailable? The only answer is to carry a list of the locations. The list a laminated or waterproof sheet or series of cards. Such lists need this protection so that normal wear and tear does not render them illegible and therefore useless. These lists should contain the location and the type of cashe that is there.

This can be good and bad. Good as you have a positive location to obtain your supplies. This could be a bad thing if someone else were to acquire this list. If they realize the significance they could easily steal these items. Not only could spell disaster when you really need them. But if you were lucky enough to discover the theft it would entail a considerable investment in cash to replace them. Also time to relocate ones that are not stolen and placing the ones that were. The trick is to fill out the card so that you and yours understand it. But someone outside of your group can not.

One of the best things to confuse others is what is called a joker. The joker is in most cases a fixed number that is added or subtracted to one or more numerical values used in locating a cashe. One way to have a list of several different potential jokers is a list of phone numbers that you probably already carry or any phone number that you and other members of your group normally has memorized. Such as your own home number, cell number or from your list of contacts. To use this method the last or first 1, 2 or 3 numbers of are the jokers. Then set up rules on how they are used. For latitude and longitude you could add to one and subtract from the other or do the same thing to both. When using directions the joker can be factored into the distance from a fixed object, the compass heading or both. If a string of so much distance directions at different compass headings are used some, all or none involve the joker you can see how far off someone not knowing about it would be off the true location. To make things even worse at each different cashe a separate joker or method the joker is applied.

There are 3 accepted methods of pin pointing a cashe location Geo-cashing, Map coordinates and directions. With any of the methods you have 2 choices. You can use the desired method to find a spot and then plant a cashe or you can install the cashe and work backwards.

1) Geo-cashing:
This is the modern high tech method using a GPS receiver. Under ideal conditions this can be very accurate. The major problem is that under disaster conditions it may not work. Why it does not work would be dependant upon the type of situation created the initial problem. The satellites may no longer function. The output signals may be offset, accuracy degraded or scrambled by the military for security purposes. The system was intentionally designed to operate this way to prevent its use to guide a poor man’s cruse missile. The receiver can break or the batteries can wear out. If things are working somewhat this can get you in the general area. Then simple directions can get you there exactly. To disguise the location as written on the list only the last couple of digits are written. Unless the relative area is known the fine digit co-ordinates are of no help. To further confuse matters a joker factor can be added.

2) Map coordinates
This is the use of topographic maps to locate a spot using latitude and longitude coordinates. This is a more certain method than Geo-cashing as it relies on maps and the use of compasses. Sure if there is a magnetic pole shift this might not work but the odds are fairly poor for that. But depending upon your initial departure you may not have been able to bring along your maps, they could be lost or damaged. When compiling your coordinates you can list just the significant last digits. These can also be altered with the joker factor.

3) Directions
This is possibly the most reliable of the 3 methods because there is less to go wrong. Think of the old pirate maps of the movies. You know start from some fixed object. Then on a compass heading of X degrees travel Y number of paces. Then turn to new heading of Z degrees for XX number of paces. Repeat as many times as needed. You would write on your list as X, Y. You would know which is the paces an which is degrees. Any of those different numbers can factor in the joker. Then there is finding the fixed object to start the search. There are a number of ways of doing this. Again without critical pieces of knowledge the variables that you would know would totally lose any one that did not know them. The directions might read from point A follow travel route 1 ten miles. First question is where is point A? This could be a rally point or message drop location that your group has selected. Without knowing where point A is you would be lost before you started. Then what is route 1? In the ten miles specified does it follow some specific highway or within the distance does it take an exit or turn onto another road?

Then the directions say 3, 5 or maybe fork 3, 5. This portion depends upon the road involved. The meaning is, go to the third inter section and count 5 telephone poles. The second would be for you to start the count after the first fork in the road. And even this could have 2 different meanings. Is it a fork where you are coming down one side toward the joining or the one facing the other way where you are traveling the bottom of the Y towards the split. Where the confusion comes in is. Do dirt roads or driveways count? Do you count only 4 way intersections, only T intersections or both? Suppose the intersection is a 4 way that has poles running both ways which way do you count poles right, left, forward or back. Ok, you decided to count backwards but you subtracted a joker of 14. Then instead of 5 back you go 9 forward. Then from that pole or some prominent feature that can be seen from the pole you follow the pirate map of paces and direction.

What all those directions mean is travel from rally A, on route 1, 10 miles. Go to the first Y intersection where you are coming up the base. Count 3, 4 way intersections count 9 power poles in the same direction you were going. From the pole go 100 paces at 45 degrees. Then go 50 paces at 185 degrees. With a type F cashe. F being fuel. This could then be written on your list as.

A1 10 Y 3X 5, 100 45 50 185 F

And you only used the joker once and could be more and only 2 pace off distances. With that string could you find something without the keys? If you want to use the same basic string but use more jokers you could use simple keyboard strokes or hand written punctuation to modify it. Underlining, a line though it or over a number could mean add or subtract the joker from the written value. The same idea using periods and commas. Using a space with no punctuation means use the number as is. A period, add the joker. A comma, subtract the joker. Or you could use the punctuation mark as a designator to apply the joker. Then ad or subtract depending on if the number is odd or even. Using a small letter or a capital letter for things like which direction Y. A single letter added after the Y shown above could designate which type of intersections are counted. X being 4 ways, T being T type intersections and others for combinations or types. As you can see you can make it as simple or complicated as you desire as long as all of those concerned know the rules and how to apply them.

Variations on a theme or combinations of methods. Method 2 and 3 lend themselves well to the possibilities to being combined. Although portions of method one could be used. First you have the coordinates of 2 or more prominent and visible features of terrain or structures. You then take a compass bearing from each. Where the lines intersect is where the cashe is located. Again any of the bearings can have the joker combined. Additionally is the bearing as written from the object to you or from you to the object. Using a third feature can be used as a double check. Because you are looking for something 6 or 8 inches in diameter being off a fraction of a degree over any significant distance would mean a clean miss you will need something to refine the fix. What this does is get you near enough to something recognizable such as a rock, lone tree, gully or whatever. The cashe could then be by this object or use pace and direction from there.

Notes on rally points and message drops.

Rally points are places for a group to join up if separated. Message drops can be a full-scale rally point or any covenant locations along the way to leave messages for other party members. First rally points can be your starting points. But are also selected regrouping points along all preplanned traveling routes. If you are traveling solo you need not be concerned about these. But if you are part of a family or group they could be vital. As to how many of these you should have I would say several along every route you have. Your group may be separated by the conditions that you face or by intention. You could send a forward scouting group ahead of the main body.

One of the better locations to designate as a rally point is at or near an intersection. One reason for selecting an intersection for a rally point is that it can serve as a place to shift to an alternate route or detour around trouble if need be. Because you have previously scouted the route you need to select these with any needed security concerns in mind. You really don’t want your people to be standing around in the middle of the road for extended periods of time. You will want a location where your party can wait that offers a relative security or at least concealment. You will also want to be able to observe the rally point to be able to contact or signal other members as they arrive. Or to be signaled that they can’t stop because they are being followed.

While direct voice communication via radio is best this may not be possible. Because of atmospheric conditions, equipment damage or security concerns. This signaling can be coded flashing of lights, reflected sunlight or blowing horns. These could be coded by duration, number or spacing. An example would be the group that can not stop. They see the flashes that others are waiting at the rally point. They flash back that they are being followed and that a message will be tossed out but wait. Then they would toss out a weighted message as they pass. After the pursuers pass the written message is retrieved. It could say run for the hills, set up an ambush at, will join up later at some other point if possible or will try to return. Even if your primary plan is to use radio it is always nice to have a backup option.

Message drops do not need as much security. As you will only need to stop long enough to retrieve or place messages. Because of this there can and should be more of these along the various routes. Now you will want to travel as quickly as possible you do not want to be stopping and checking for messages every 50 feet so be reasonable. You can also designate locations by priority level. Primary locations are where messages can be expected. Then depending upon messages that are left at the primaries second or lower level drops can be used. The more messages you can leave for those following the better it will be for everyone.

Then if for some reason the first arrivals can not wait for the others they can leave a message for those that arrive later. Such messages would contain who has been there. When they left. Why they didn’t wait. Future plans.

A good way to leave messages at such a place would be a hide-a-key fake rock. With one of these rocks it could be placed in a designated place at the rally point. If you decide that one of these would be inadequate you could make your own that is large enough for your purposes. Placement would be at the base of a power pole or any other fix structure. The only way a stranger would find it would be by shear accident because who would look under every rock along the way. Another way would be those magnetic hide –a-key boxes. These could be stuck to road signs and billboards.

To Make message rocks on your own you could take natural rock and modify them by carving cavities an installing covers. But doing that for more than a couple could be a real PETA. Another way is to set up a production line to make as many as needed. To do this you would use molds and cement. You will want your homemade rock to be distinctive enough to be easily spotted by someone that knows what to look for but common enough to pass casual viewing of anyone else. There are mixtures that can be added to cement to achieve almost any look you desire. You don’t want it to look so good that some will take it as a souvenir or so odd they will pick it up to see why it is odd. Flat bottoms and angled shapes scream oddity you want it to blend. By making it will be easier to conceal the access to the message cavity.

Some notes on storing consumables. Most have limited shelf life. For example unless a stabilizer is used gasoline and diesel will only last a few months at least according to the experts. But from what I have heard that in real life this can be longer depending on storage conditions and level of desperation and ingenuity of the user. Some of the stabilizers claim that if their product is used they can last up to 5 years. If you are into alternate fuels and have converted your gas engine to alcohol this fuel will remain stable for a very long time if kept sealed. With all fuel containers you want to fill them completely as any air trapped in the container will speed the deterioration. While I have no problems with metal Jerry cans they are large pieces of metal and could be detected with a metal detector even if someone is not specifically searching for your cashe. Many modern plastic fuel containers are round from 1 to 5 gallons in size. The round shape would lend them the ability to be buried using an auger like the PVC cashe. Fuel also comes in 30 and 55-gallon drums. Such large containers would be a real pain to move to the hole and bury. Digging it up completely and then moving it to your vehicle would be equally so. One way to reduce this would be to use a pump. You uncover the top and open it. You could then pump the fuel from the cashe drum either directly into the vehicle if you can get it close to the cashe. Something to be considered is this kind of access when originally placing the cashe. Or into a mobile, read on wheels, fuel tank to take the fuel to the vehicle. Foods and medicines have shelf life concerns also. They vary depending upon the specific item. Fortunately the generally cool conditions encountered if buried helps to extend this time.

Because there is a good chance at least some of you cashes will be in someone else’s land you will not want to visit them to either check them or to replace expired items very often to avoid detection. When you perform the initial packing you will want to design them to remain unattended for a minimum of a year and longer is possible. That is why smaller specific type cashes are better. But clustering groups of different types if you need to check or replace some items you can do this on the ones that need it and leave the others undisturbed. If you use the PVC cashe design you can greatly improve the speed with which it can be accomplished. Before departing for the cashe site you construct an identical inner tube and pack it with the same contents. At the site you remove a patch of sod. Dig to expose the top of the cashe tube. Open the outer tube. Pull the gear tube and replace with the new one. Recap the tube, fill in the hole and replace the sod. Time to go home task achieved with minimum expended time and energy. You can then deal with the old contents at a more convenient time and place. This also makes a case to set up standard sizes for these style cashe containers. Of course there will some exceptions to everything for special equipment.

Clustering cashes. When planning a cluster the first thing is to determine what types and how many for the site. The next thing is to determine a fixed distance between each tube. That way once you find one by drawing a circle at that fixed distance you will find at least one other cashe tube on that circle. For positioning these cashes there are 2 basic patterns that will fit these criteria a box pattern or a series of concentric circles. In your list you would want to have a designator on which pattern type and number of tubes at each site.

It might be nice to know what is in a tube before you go to the trouble of opening it. There are a couple of ways of doing this. The end plug of a PVC tube can be marked to designate what type this tube is. By having standardized types once you know the type you know the contents. You could paint or use permanent markers to color code the end plug. You would only need to mark the square portion of the plug. The other way would be to place a letter designator on the plug. This letter could be made with a permanent marker. If you are worried that this mark may fade over time you could carve or melt a shallow letter in the plug without compromising its integrity. This could then be filled in with a marker to make it more visible. I would recommend not using the color red in case you are using a red light to preserve night vision. When you do use a cashe it might be nice to carry a marker to mark a tube as empty such as with an X. That way if other members of your group visit the same site they don’t have to open a tube you have already emptied. This can also be dealt with by using a message drop at or near the site.

The only thing left to say is happy cashing.

Raspy, that's long and instructive. Thanks.

One comment, on dessicant. The crystal type fo cat litter is a great dessicant and cheaper than anything else. Get your gear ready for packaging, heat the kitty litter up a bit in the oven to get out any moisture, then as soon as you can, stuff kitty litter and gear into the package and seal it as tight as you can.

Raspy, Thanks for that dissertation/essay. This has been deemed to be printworthy (IMO) and has taken 11 pages to do so.

I believe your comments deserve some very careful reading and consideration!! Thanks again.

If you want to make home made dessicant, buy zip top steamer bags. All the benefts of a Zip Loc but full if teeny tiny holes where water vapour can get in.

Wow. Raspy, your post is a bit overwhelming. I think I have seen or read most of it before, including in your past posts, but for the moment there is too much for me to quite grasp. Thanks.

Very informative!

Another cheap source of silica-gel desiccant is in places like Wal-mart in the flower or craft sections. People commonly use it to to dry flowers with it. so it comes in bulk.

To make the pouches. Coffee filters work great. They allow the moisture to pass through yet hold the gel securely. Plus they are real cheap.

Thanks for your kind words. It makes the effort worthwhile.

Sorry about the length. When I get started I sometimes find it hard to stop.

The people of the area you are bugging out to are an important consideration. If you are a stranger with no social connections and the S has HTF you may be considered more of a source of supply than a welcome guest.

Are you planning to walk it once to see what it's like?

GPS is good to use when it's available, but I wouldn't rely on it being available during a bug-out.

(I'm not planning a route myself because I'm not really into the whole bug-out concept.)

The bug out route and destination are very rural and agricultural. Way more cows and grapes than people along the entire route and alternates, and ending in a very rugged river canyon in a wilderness area. Even driving, all towns could be avoided without much trouble if advisable.

I kmow the route very well, having seen much of it it by boat, most of it car, and key areas on foot. I am confident I could get there without any map or compass, or GPS. From where I live I go north until the first river, then east until the first and only tributary river, then follow the tributary river upstream.

In ideal conditions I would drive / ride most of the way there. If surface vehicle traffic conditions were prohibitive, I could boat from my current residence backyard to the destination river before having to go on foot.

The journey cross-country on foot would not be nearly as quick and would require getting across one river that is crossed by several bridges in rural areas. No flood in the past 100 years would have blocked my destination, but would limit the number of alternate routes for the first thrid of the distance.

My hope is that I would detect a bug out situation and dash to my retreat before others really considered the situation.

I've picked up a lot of maps and researched a lot around my main bug out route. Since my farm is in another state I have about 250 miles or 1/2 tank of gas during normal times. Detours, slow moving off road, traffic jams, etc will stretch that out.
I've started mapping out all the parks along the way and make day trips there so I get more familiar with back roads and interesting things along the way. Handheld gps logs the route along the way so I just have to take a picture of anything that looks interesting and match up the picture time with the gps log.