How would you design and stock urban caches?

Assume for this exercise that each cache must be cheap [esssentially expendable], and that you deploy at least five [5] of them around your city.

Where would you put them?

How would you "hide" and secure them?

Thanks.

I believe the best bet would be swapping rather small cache boxes with friends around the city or/and renting some storage space for that (could be shared with friends as well), let's say along the pre-selected bug out route just out of the city. Everything else will be eventually digged out. In California, we have a lot of national parks and general wilderness closeby enough. That's the natural bug out destination for many. I know some people making cashes in the woods (Tahoe National Forest, north from I-80) using large sealed plastic barrels. However such caches are periodically being found due to the erosion caused by rivers exposing and/or destroying the buried stuff.

Nice topic timing! I'm looking at a few micro-caches in a West Coast location I visit a couple of times per year.

The driver is the recent change that charges for checked luggage. I'm not paying $25 each way to include a sharp or two for a 4-day trip. Piracy!

So, I'll mail (to a friend) the stuff I can't carry-on to a commercial flight any more -- a well-used SAK, a battered old Leatherman, an inexpensive but serviceable folder, a small wood saw blade, a hacksaw blade, one of those diamond sharpeners with a taper and pointy end, and other items that clearly threaten the very existence of civilization as we know it (where's the "face palm" emoticon when I need it most?).

Most stuff will stay with my friend; but a couple of sharps will be buried in flower beds or tomato patches close to where we usually stay.

So, looking for bright ideas on discreet and secure storage.

Me,too!

What kind of situation are you prepping for? I think that would affect how you cache the stuff.

Do we have marauding "Mad Max" gangs? Do you have to scavenge for ammo? Or will you still be able to take public transportation to your sites? Will there be FEMA trucks?

Okay, let's brainstorm that. For a micro cache in an urban environment it might be possible to use the hide in a plain sight principle. What about a hidden compartment in a DIY birdhouse on a tree in a small park? I saw birdhouse projects online, but not sure I saw any actually on the trees around here, though.



FWIW, flower beds are maintained annually in a city, which might include some digging and even all the soil replacement. Tomato patches at the streets? Never saw any, but tomatoes growing involves a lot of watering, and a.f.a.i.r. soil replacement too, as tomatoes are sucking nutrients from it fast.

Back in Russia we were using rainwater pipes, coming from the roof of the building down to the ground level in our games, hanging stuff inside on a piece of wire hooked by the top rim of the last section of the pipe (No.4 on the image). Such pipes were on every house back then.

I like the concepts. What would be in your caches?

Scenario is things are "normal" and you want to take some precautions by increasing your general preparations for whatever might happen.

Somehow hiding things on public property doesn't seem like a particularly viable strategy....

No Mad Max or zombie hordes in my scenario. This is stuff I use all the time. When I'm on the coast, I go for day hikes, picnic on the beach, carve a walking stick, and fix a few odd items. I have plenty of spares and see no reason why I can't have them waiting for me.

Public property is the only viable option. There are numerous parks, public wharves, etc. And what about the public library?

I suppose I could ask the manager of the hotel we always stay at to store a few inexpensive items. No guarantees they'll be there later, but it doesn't cost anything to ask.

All of my items are expendable, so there's nothing to lose. Part of this game is curiosity, seeing whether things stay put or "walk away" on their own.

Well, personally, I don't see any benefit of a micro cache for a general preparedness at the moment, as all the micro stuff I may need could be stored in a BOB at home and in the GHB at work or/and in the car, reducing the chance to lose all three at once if SHTF. But theoretically the D.Ritter PSK with addition of an encrypted T-flash card containing all of your documents/photos could easily fit in the pipe or in the birdhouse.

The idea is to expand a bit beyond what a given locale allows as EDC, especially when your stay is periodic or temporary.

As you move in the urban environment, where are the blind spots, the plain sight things everyone ignores, simpler camoflague opportunities, etcetera?

How about near an airport or government site where some of your EDC is subject to confiscation?

I'm picturing you finding a really boring book somewhere, converting it into a hollow safe, and stashing it in a library.
Imagine the looks you'd get opening it up and pulling out a knife, rope, and some large, heavy-duty trash bags!
I'm liking this more and more. :-)
-Blast

+1

I have a friend who used to be homeless in Toronto. He has mental health issues, addictions, etc. He has caches hidden around the city, that hold extra cloths, extra winter coat, a pair of winter boots, sleeping bag, tarp, some food and water. I'm not sure what else he caches, or how exactly he does it, but he recently moved out of Toronto, to a city a few hours West, and he was planning to set up a cache there as well.

A few weeks ago, he was visiting Toronto for medical appointments, and had a huge miscommunication with the person who was supposed to drive him back to his new home. He ended up spending an unplanned, but comfortable night in one of the city parks. He said all his stuff was still exactly where he hid it.

gee.. I was hoping for something like Bruce Willis's storage locker in "RED"... I've always wanted a Swedish K

Caches camoed as: rocks [like hide-a-key]; books; electical boxes; planter bases; stepping stones or pavers; bookends; curtain or blind pulls; damaged and abandoned bird or wasp nest; ....

Hiding geocaches is a parallel activity to this discussion. Lots of ideas out there.

Favourite phrase: "how to keep your geocache from being muggled."

I hadn't thought of such a creative application! Normally I use the public library when I have to do a hit on someone, like so:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avk2ZSm8ak4

I take advantage of the Library of Congress classification system: G for "gun," for example, or even "Glock." But be careful, this system is not foolproof. Once I was thinking of the word "pistol," so I went to P. I found "pad, hygiene." Do you know how hard it is to kill someone with a feminine hygiene pad?

https://www.stashvault.com/


Have fun.

@Bingley: Great idea! I will definitely include the World's Finest Improvised Trauma Bandage in the book cache.

Meanwhile, I need to consult the wise collective as to the book least likely to be disturbed before or after the Tsar Bomba. Suggestions?

I've always thought the best cache would be a vehicle parked up. There's your transport, accomodation and storage. Long as it's serviceable it doesn't need to be expensive.
qjs

For short durations, this is exactly what I do. My car contains a comprehensive emergency kit in addition to its vehicular utility. Longer-term caching is less viable. Cars that are parked for long durations on urban streets are typically towed, and depending on where you park leaving it there could lead to your cache being burgled.

I keep a camper stocked up and stored inside a garage (out of sight and the weather) in case we have to evacuate for a hurricane.

At least in SoCal, we don't worry much about hurricanes, but earthquakes are a different matter. I think that my dwelling might be inaccessible and its contents irretrievable after an EQ. Our vehicles are parked in the open and would more likely be accessible post EQ. I keep water, food, and very basic tools stocked inside. I think this will work whether we are staying home or decide to leave the premises for whatever reason.

Garden storage bench / deck box with a combination lock? Not as much room as a storage shed, but considerably lower profile. I'm assuming it's a single family home, duplex, or town home where you can place stuff outside without the general public messing with it.

Following the recommendations of this site,and being fairly concerned about dealing with an earthquake, I have scattered several storage boxes about my place (don't put all your eggs in one basket!). I could imagine my dwelling being uninhabitable and dangerous to enter following an EQ

After a big EQ one of my first moves will be to attempt opening the garage door. If successful, the truck goes onto the street and I start packing. If unsuccessful by the usual means, then I try again using more forceful techniques. My dwelling will probably continue to function after, but having my truck on the street would be better.

My first plan after an EQ is to bug in. The transportation net may be a mess, and I will still have property and possessions to salvage and protect. With lots of climbing/camping gear, I can just set up shop in my back yard and start recovering.

The kicker is that fires often accompany EQs. That could easily trigger the bug out scenario. One must stay flexible and assess all the options.

Yep, another thing on the To-Do list is to turn off the gas. Then I'll probably make sure the neighbors gas is also off. An eventual evac is why the truck and SUV must be outside. After that then I too will be bugging-in the backyard.

There are gas valves that will automatically close in a quake. They're not cheap, but in an earthquake vulnerable area, i.e. the Coachella Valley, it would be a good idea to retrofit your house with one.