Posted: 2/2/2008 9:44:40 AM EDT
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I just found some 55 gallon plastic barrels for cheap. They were used to ship car washing liquid in them, so they can be washed out with water. Was wondering, if you dug a hole & sunk the barrel in the ground but kept the top 4 inches above the dirt line? would that be a good caching place? Would it keep the moisture out well enough for items that might not be moisture proof? or would you need to insulate it somehow? Otherwise, it seems like a cheap way to make a cache site, as the plastic barrel won't rot or rust, and wouldn't require too large a hole. Has anyone tried this before? |
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Quoted: Was wondering, if you dug a hole & sunk the barrel in the ground but kept the top 4 inches above the dirt line? would that be a good caching place? quote] If I found something like that, I would cut it open, dig it up, just to see what's in it. Bury it...... |
Take a piece of the plastic you would use. Lay it in the sun and see how long it lasts. That is how long that plastic will keep the sun from getting to the plastic drum. A piece of heavy poly sheeting lasted a year at best when I was using them to cover a logpile, and that was in Michigan. |
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I meant cover the barrel with plastic and bury the barrel with the plastic. Not just to keep the sun off, but offer some temperature stability with direct earth contact. The plastic is to keep seeping rainwater and moisture from creating mud which could make the barrel tough to open, especially if it is an open head type drum secured with bands. |
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With a cache there are 2 big issues. The first is keeping it hidden and the second is getting it out in good condition. In order to accomplish the first u will need to have the barrel under the ground. In order to accomplish the second I suggest a box and barrel combo. Otherwise u will not be able to life the barrel out of the ground to retrieve ur stuff. Basicalli dig a whole about 8inches on each side bigger then the barrel. Use 2x4's and pliwood to frame a box(to keep dirt from keeping it in w pressure) and then put the barrel in. Pack stuff like it is going to get wet regardless. Put the top on the barrel and then put a top on the box. Fill dirt over the box. Be sure to make good measurements of exactli where ur cache is. Take measurements from several known points (not a mountain or hill) which are not going to move. The old oak tree ma fall down but that 8ft boulder will not. Ensure u have azmith and distance from both of these points and write it down in several places. tslrf.blogspot.com/ |
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I had one steel barrel cache, and found one on a wildlife management area that had been used by dopers. Mine was buried and just a few inches below sandy soil. The one I found was a few inches below clay soil....and had a bunch of ruined dope in it....6 figures worth, so the Game and Fish and other cops told me. My cache worked moderately well....but not good enough to suit me. Now I use PVC and heavily prepped areas with these...  I remove the guts of course and put new chrystals in them. I remove the glue that holds in the guts with goo-gone....  I can fit 9 SKS rifles in the deeper side. I forget what the whole unit will hold....like 16 or so....or 9 plus a few cases of ammo and web gear. And I bought a few of them....  
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IMHO if you are going to leave the top 4" exposed, its not much of a cache  Cache implies that it is hidden in some way... |
cool... closest i ever had was the olde tar lined,50 coatof painted oil stained mauser crates from russia  did well storeing gas and oil and stuff, that i didnt mind getting stinky,, but 1 match woulda made a nice fire cool find on the boxes... |