Caches

[ak70g2]

Ok, I want to cache some supplies below ground. A spare survival kit (matches/lighter, compass, first aid kit, survival blanket, some Esbit tabs, etc.), some water and some food. So, if you want to cache some goods, witch rations/brands will put in the box and why?

[BigMark]

I'd make sure and order a lot of those dessicate packets that come in shoes etc, I'll tackle em 1 by 1.

fire starter : I'd get a fire steel setup, lighters could lose fluid, matches could get damp, but steel will always light.

compass : there are a million good brands, don't go cheap.

FAK : depends on what you mean, but bandages etc. would probably do fine but I'd skip anything with any sort of expiration date.

survival blanket : get an AMK heat sheet, they're far superior to the mylar thingies. http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/kit ... =0140-0222

esbit tabs would probably work well, trioxane, whatever.

I would probably use lifeboat rations. Nothing to really go wrong with them compared to a MRE which could have something burst and get on everything else etc. Mainstay makes good rations, I'm looking for a link I know I have somewhere for a place that apparently makes them in multiple flavors but I can't find it right now. I'd throw some MREs in there for sure, but I'd much rather have something designed to be forgotten. Of course being stored in the cold ground would probably extend the lifetime of MREs quite a while, but still.

[magu2k]

These things just aren't made to surivive the temperature swings. Certainly where I live, they would not last long with a nearly 80 degree celsius variance in temperature over the course of a year. Stash ammo and hunt food if you really need to that badly, but generally I do not consider caching to be a great idea.

[magu2k]

These things just aren't made to surivive the temperature swings. Certainly where I live, they would not last long with a nearly 80 degree celsius variance in temperature over the course of a year. Stash ammo and hunt food if you really need to that badly, but generally I do not consider caching to be a great idea.

..................not that caching ammo is the best idea either.

[Treesuit]

I disagree, I think caching has a very good purpose. Though a lot of planning and research has to go into it as well as marking/identifying.

I would say first of all what is the time frame your looking at; 6 months to a year? Maybe more? What type of soil are you looking into where you put your cache? What kind of materials do you have available on hand? Sure temperature swings are common but are you looking at wet/moist soils or wet to dry in a few months? That can be a problem. Plus how do you mark it so you can find it later without somebody else finding it?

AK70G2- you asked which rations would be good and why? I tend to favor US MRE's because there is so much redundancy in the packing of them. Plus, if you want to cut down on the waste and excess packing by taking out what you want to eat then that is also a plan. Not to mention they are plentiful over here. Maybe not so much in Romania. Perhaps in question of food you can just stick to glass jars of preserves. Certainly that would stand up to temperature swings and last awhile. Otherwise freeze dried commercial food is a better way to go. The packets can stand up to abuse but not much.

Ammo is another topic which, unfortunately, I don't have enough information on.

Water, no problem there.

I do agree that desiccant packets would be a great idea for long term, some companies make large bags for industrial use, so that can be a option for much longer than say a year. Everything else everybody has said is spot on.

Might just want to do some experiments to see how things will react under stress, then fine tune everything.

[wats6831]

I think the whole issue here is what container you decide to cache all of this in. At least in my area, the container would need to withstand total flooding, 100+ degree temps, and temps down to -30. There is literally NO way to prevent condensation inside any container unless it is well and true hermetically sealed. Even then eventually those extremes will work on any seals/gaskets to where it eventually will no longer keep water/air out.

I would be committed to checking/restocking every year and you may have a good plan.

Now on to my ration choice. LRP or MCW. Freeze dried and packaged very well. Not much to go bad really.

I would stay away from any canned or jar foods. Canned food doesn't last unless kept in climate controlled settings. Cans will rust fast, and the contents will freeze/thaw. You'll quickly end up with bad food. Glass is OK but the lids will rust, and glass is fragile.

You can sit on a LRP or MCW and most everything will be fine. They resist moisture well, and they won't rot and none of the components will go bad, except maybe the FRH. On the downside you'll need a way to make hot water. Esbits last forever, and they will work even if they are rusty.

[elandil]

2 is 1, and 1 is none.....Use redundancy.

fire....Lighters and matches both, in a storm proof or otherwise secure holder.

Add an esbit stove, some hexy or triox fuel, and an extra metal cup.

food, do both some freeze dried and some of the Mainstay or other bars.

Most of all...invest in a FoodSealer type of dealie. Best thing you can have, you can double and triple seal some of the stuff, and prevent a lot of issues. Adding the dessicant packs mentioned above, and you're golden.

As for storage....Try the big PVC pipes, capped and coated in the FlexSeal liquid rubber type stuff.

just a few ideas.

[wats6831]

2 is 1, and 1 is none.....Use redundancy.

fire....Lighters and matches both, in a storm proof or otherwise secure holder.

Add an esbit stove, some hexy or triox fuel, and an extra metal cup.

food, do both some freeze dried and some of the Mainstay or other bars.

Most of all...invest in a FoodSealer type of dealie. Best thing you can have, you can double and triple seal some of the stuff, and prevent a lot of issues. Adding the dessicant packs mentioned above, and you're golden.

As for storage....Try the big PVC pipes, capped and coated in the FlexSeal liquid rubber type stuff.

just a few ideas.

PVC is great and you can make it basically impervious. You just need to be able to get into it yourself. Esbit makes a really cool stove/pot/cup all in one stove.


FOr rations I would just stick to MCW or LRPs. They have a mix of freeze dried food which will last much longer, but requires prep and some snacks that can be eaten immediately without prep.