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AR15.COM
8/3/2013 1:41:43 PM EDT
My next prepping project is to establish a couple supply caches at locations that are along my bug out plan route. I have acquired some pelican 1450 cases but I need some ideas as what to put in these cases. I'm assuming that if I show up at one of these caches all I have is the clothes on my back. I need enough supplies for two adults to make it to the BOL or the next cache. At this point I am adding the following items:

Food
Water
Pistol
Spare mags/ ammo
Area maps
Cash

What other items would you guys suggest adding? Thanks in advance.
8/3/2013 2:00:13 PM EDT
[#1]
Quoted:
My next prepping project is to establish a couple supply caches at locations that are along my bug out plan route. I have acquired some pelican 1450 cases but I need some ideas as what to put in these cases. I'm assuming that if I show up at one of these caches all I have is the clothes on my back. I need enough supplies for two adults to make it to the BOL or the next cache. At this point I am adding the following items:

Food
Water
Pistol
Spare mags/ ammo
Area maps
Cash

What other items would you guys suggest adding? Thanks in advance.
View Quote


Couple of things that come to mind are:

Water filter, hand held ham radio (you can get one of these for $35), small solar panel (Goal Zero type) for cell phone and or the ham.

I also recommend the book "Going Home" by A. American. It's a pretty good read with a number of good ideas on useful items for trying to get to a BOL.
8/3/2013 2:01:39 PM EDT
[#2]
Putting firearms and cash in them is a bad idea.  Not sure what your AO is like but if you can find it so can someone else.  Seems like you would be better off with a BOB/GHB that stays under your direct control.
8/3/2013 2:40:28 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote History
Quoted:
Putting firearms and cash in them is a bad idea.  Not sure what your AO is like but if you can find it so can someone else.  Seems like you would be better off with a BOB/GHB that stays under your direct control.
View Quote


I think hiding anything where someone else is LIKELY to find it is a bad idea.  The only place I would consider burying anything would be property that I owned.  And it wouldn't be in a pelican case, it'd be in some nice wide PVC that's capped and sealed on both ends...

I agree that it is a FAR better idea to build your own BOB/GHB.  This is what I did.  I thought about what emergencies/SHTF situations I am most likely to encounter and then I loaded the bag up with everything I could possibly need to get me home and/or to safety.  It's got plenty of medical supplies, food, water/water purification, knives, lights, batteries, guns/ammo, rope, radio, shelter, etc.  And I keep modifying it as I find better gear.  

It weighs a good 25-30lbs but I can carry it the distance I've planned to and it'll get lighter as I go and consume some of the contents.  

Good luck!

-Emt1581
8/5/2013 12:53:35 PM EDT
[#4]
Thanks for all the responses. I already have A GHB in each vehicle and I have BOBs for both my wife and myself. During my bug out scenario I have a couple stops to make for family. My idea was to have extra emergency items and funds at theses secure locations as an added bit of insurance to increase the odds that I have these essential items. I like the idea of having small stashes in PVC along my BO route.
8/5/2013 1:08:39 PM EDT
[#5]
If you are stopping AT family's house, then (if you trust them) you can stash some stuff there if they are OK with it. Otherwise, consider whatever you stash in public domain to be just that..
8/5/2013 2:12:37 PM EDT
[#6]
Are you stashing at families homes? Hidden geocache style? Maybe at a storage facility?
More is better. I mean many smaller caches, to me, are more conducive to later use than one larger cache less frequently.





-Storage Units


Location Location Location. I just checked and locally a 5'X8' storage unit is 32/month all inclusive, it is "outside" which means if I had to I could jump/cut a fence without having to break into a building and potentially set off an alarm. A unit that size is a VERY large closet and will hold a ton of supplies. The issue is cost. 3 of these along my proposed route is ~100bucks/mo. That could be a deal breaker for many. but I can find them conveniently situated along the corridors I think I am most likely going to travel.


    - Note: Instead of 3 storage rooms on one defined route, perhaps 1 each on 3 seperate routes to increase the odds that I am able to use one in need and i don't lose the utility of the unit if I have to use secondary/tertiary routes





-hidden on routes themselves


Perhaps hidden (read: buried) 100ft behind a known point like a rest area? Close too a known point allows you to always know WHERE it is, and keeping it outside of the actual rest area lets you access it even if that rest area is now a parking lot for stranded people. Most rest areas are remote or otherwise surrounded by trees and interstate and are often as not outside of city limits. Such as, Texas Welcome center on I20 just off the state line; The Welcome centers on interstates and several HWYs entering Arkansas.





-Hurricane kits


For us in the gulf south, it would be easily explained to leave a trunk or box padlocked in families Garage or storage area. Ask first. Next visit bring box and easy to explain items like kids clothes or spare blanket or airbed and lock them up in the trunk. After a while, you can start switching out junk for useful stuff. The lock can be explained to keep young kids away from easily broken items like glasses or MEDICATIONS. "I'm going to lock this so lil Suzy doesn't get in there and eat all of my heart meds"
I'm sure there are many other ways and I would like to hear them.
Story: I had buried a cache along I55 in Mississippi; Half way between home and the town I was working in. Buried. Perfect location, remote, VERY close to interstate and walking distance to an exit that many truckers used as a sleepover place so a car sitting was easily explained, especially in the evening/over night/early morning.





I felt like a bad ass. PVC tubed an SKS, couple hundred rounds, spare cloths, couple MREs, etc etc. Awesome.





Everything was fine for a couple months. When the spring came I was driving up and low and behold, Commercial Logging. Clear Cut. No visual waypoints, GPS was useful to what I think was 100yds or so. With the tracked vehicles the ground was torn and stumped were dozed and piled.





Never did find the cache. Total loss as to property, but about 400 dollars worth of life experience.





Never cache ANYTHING you cannot bear to lose.




 
8/5/2013 2:31:23 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote History
Quoted:
Are you stashing at families homes? Hidden geocache style? Maybe at a storage facility?


More is better. I mean many smaller caches, to me, are more conducive to later use than one larger cache less frequently.

-Storage Units
Location Location Location. I just checked and locally a 5'X8' storage unit is 32/month all inclusive, it is "outside" which means if I had to I could jump/cut a fence without having to break into a building and potentially set off an alarm. A unit that size is a VERY large closet and will hold a ton of supplies. The issue is cost. 3 of these along my proposed route is ~100bucks/mo. That could be a deal breaker for many. but I can find them conveniently situated along the corridors I think I am most likely going to travel.
    - Note: Instead of 3 storage rooms on one defined route, perhaps 1 each on 3 seperate routes to increase the odds that I am able to use one in need and i don't lose the utility of the unit if I have to use secondary/tertiary routes

-hidden on routes themselves
Perhaps hidden (read: buried) 100ft behind a known point like a rest area? Close too a known point allows you to always know WHERE it is, and keeping it outside of the actual rest area lets you access it even if that rest area is now a parking lot for stranded people. Most rest areas are remote or otherwise surrounded by trees and interstate and are often as not outside of city limits. Such as, Texas Welcome center on I20 just off the state line; The Welcome centers on interstates and several HWYs entering Arkansas.

-Hurricane kits
For us in the gulf south, it would be easily explained to leave a trunk or box padlocked in families Garage or storage area. Ask first. Next visit bring box and easy to explain items like kids clothes or spare blanket or airbed and lock them up in the trunk. After a while, you can start switching out junk for useful stuff. The lock can be explained to keep young kids away from easily broken items like glasses or MEDICATIONS. "I'm going to lock this so lil Suzy doesn't get in there and eat all of my heart meds"


I'm sure there are many other ways and I would like to hear them.



Story: I had buried a cache along I55 in Mississippi; Half way between home and the town I was working in. Buried. Perfect location, remote, VERY close to interstate and walking distance to an exit that many truckers used as a sleepover place so a car sitting was easily explained, especially in the evening/over night/early morning.

I felt like a bad ass. PVC tubed an SKS, couple hundred rounds, spare cloths, couple MREs, etc etc. Awesome.

Everything was fine for a couple months. When the spring came I was driving up and low and behold, Commercial Logging. Clear Cut. No visual waypoints, GPS was useful to what I think was 100yds or so. With the tracked vehicles the ground was torn and stumped were dozed and piled.

Never did find the cache. Total loss as to property, but about 400 dollars worth of life experience.

Never cache ANYTHING you cannot bear to lose.
 
View Quote

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am planning to make larger stashes at houses of family but I like the idea of smaller less expensive PVC geo caches. Nothing I would stash would break the bank if lost.
8/5/2013 5:34:09 PM EDT
[#8]
Fresh socks, meds ? Light weight  rain gear. I'm thinking if your on foot which could be the case. Our BOL is 17 miles east of  here. One of our options is the railroad tracks they pass just a little less than a mile from our gate. The tracks offer the option of not being on the highway and there are bridges across all the creeks ditches etc. only have one cache  on that route. The boys and I have walked it twice the first time took 14hrs. If we're traveling with women and children I'm figuring a solid 24 hrs with breaks
8/5/2013 8:22:19 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote History
Quoted:
Are you stashing at families homes? Hidden geocache style? Maybe at a storage facility?


More is better. I mean many smaller caches, to me, are more conducive to later use than one larger cache less frequently.

-Storage Units
Location Location Location. I just checked and locally a 5'X8' storage unit is 32/month all inclusive, it is "outside" which means if I had to I could jump/cut a fence without having to break into a building and potentially set off an alarm. A unit that size is a VERY large closet and will hold a ton of supplies. The issue is cost. 3 of these along my proposed route is ~100bucks/mo. That could be a deal breaker for many. but I can find them conveniently situated along the corridors I think I am most likely going to travel.
    - Note: Instead of 3 storage rooms on one defined route, perhaps 1 each on 3 seperate routes to increase the odds that I am able to use one in need and i don't lose the utility of the unit if I have to use secondary/tertiary routes

-hidden on routes themselves
Perhaps hidden (read: buried) 100ft behind a known point like a rest area? Close too a known point allows you to always know WHERE it is, and keeping it outside of the actual rest area lets you access it even if that rest area is now a parking lot for stranded people. Most rest areas are remote or otherwise surrounded by trees and interstate and are often as not outside of city limits. Such as, Texas Welcome center on I20 just off the state line; The Welcome centers on interstates and several HWYs entering Arkansas.

-Hurricane kits
For us in the gulf south, it would be easily explained to leave a trunk or box padlocked in families Garage or storage area. Ask first. Next visit bring box and easy to explain items like kids clothes or spare blanket or airbed and lock them up in the trunk. After a while, you can start switching out junk for useful stuff. The lock can be explained to keep young kids away from easily broken items like glasses or MEDICATIONS. "I'm going to lock this so lil Suzy doesn't get in there and eat all of my heart meds"


I'm sure there are many other ways and I would like to hear them.



Story: I had buried a cache along I55 in Mississippi; Half way between home and the town I was working in. Buried. Perfect location, remote, VERY close to interstate and walking distance to an exit that many truckers used as a sleepover place so a car sitting was easily explained, especially in the evening/over night/early morning.

I felt like a bad ass. PVC tubed an SKS, couple hundred rounds, spare cloths, couple MREs, etc etc. Awesome.

Everything was fine for a couple months. When the spring came I was driving up and low and behold, Commercial Logging. Clear Cut. No visual waypoints, GPS was useful to what I think was 100yds or so. With the tracked vehicles the ground was torn and stumped were dozed and piled.

Never did find the cache. Total loss as to property, but about 400 dollars worth of life experience.

Never cache ANYTHING you cannot bear to lose.
 
View Quote

Good advice, though did you ever try finding it with a good metal detector?
8/7/2013 9:12:14 AM EDT
[#10]
Just curious, what is wrong with using a Pelican case for caching items?  How is the PVC better?
I'm not trying to be a wise a$$, just wondering why.

Thanks.

Junkyard
8/7/2013 9:17:22 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote History
Quoted:
Just curious, what is wrong with using a Pelican case for caching items?  How is the PVC better?
I'm not trying to be a wise a$$, just wondering why.

Thanks.

Junkyard
View Quote


PVC is better because it's cheaper, less complex (i.e. parts that can fail), more customizable, available at any hardware store, should be more resilient in a buried environment against rodents, bugs, moisture, etc.  Plus PVC is already in use in millions of locations...buried in the ground.  Can the same be said about Pelican cases that have carry handles because their main purpose is to be carried?  

Same as you, not trying to be sarcastic.  But at the end of the day a pelican case's intended purpose is for portable storage whereas PVC is meant to be burried and subjected to harsh conditions inside and out.  

-Emt1581

8/7/2013 9:28:42 AM EDT
[#12]
IM inbound.


Thanks.

Junkyard
8/7/2013 9:36:15 AM EDT
[#13]
Quote History
Quoted:
IM inbound.


Thanks.

Junkyard
View Quote


Replied.

-Emt1581
8/7/2013 2:17:57 PM EDT
[#14]
Change of clothing for everyone including  raingear and warm jackets.

footwear for everyone.

tarp

fire

duct tape

knife, Bowie type.

paracord.



ammo yes, gun no.
8/7/2013 8:42:29 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote History
Quoted:
Change of clothing for everyone including  raingear and warm jackets.
footwear for everyone.
tarp
fire
duct tape
knife, Bowie type.
paracord.

ammo yes, gun no.
View Quote

It doesn't do me much good to have ammo if I don't have a weapon....
8/8/2013 12:12:19 PM EDT
[#16]


Quote History
Quoted:





It doesn't do me much good to have ammo if I don't have a weapon....
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Quote History
Quoted:



Quoted:

Change of clothing for everyone including raingear and warm jackets.

footwear for everyone.

tarp

fire

duct tape

knife, Bowie type.

paracord.



ammo yes, gun no.


It doesn't do me much good to have ammo if I don't have a weapon....


sure it does. you might find one along the way or perhaps you started out with it. Putting a gun in there is sort of risky.



I pick up brass at the range all the time. I find either 9mm, 45, 40 and 380 every single time i go.  a box of each covers most situations.  
8/8/2013 12:48:16 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote History
Quoted:

sure it does. you might find one along the way or perhaps you started out with it. Putting a gun in there is sort of risky.

I pick up brass at the range all the time. I find either 9mm, 45, 40 and 380 every single time i go.  a box of each covers most situations.  
View Quote


I think the main concern IS the risk.  The risk that someone else may find it and then you are basically contributing to whatever they do with it be it murder or defend.  But here's the way I look at it...

If I'm willing to leave ammo exposed, what's the difference in having a gun with it??  Sure it either adds a step (without a gun) or eliminates one (with a gun).  

However, the goal would be to have everything hidden and/or secured enough to prevent theft altogether.  

But having a firearm with it is what I'd prefer.  I map out most of my preps to be self-contained so that I can literally grab them pretty much buck naked, starving, and freezing and they'll take care of me.  I've got a few kits made up (one in each vehicle in ammo can, GHB, spares in the vault, etc).  The items themselves might be tiny but they will allow me to survive complete with food, water (purification), fire, (at least 3 ways to start), gun/ammo/holster/belt, blades, poncho, etc.  

So leaving a gun out, yes it will prevent someone who finds it from having a complete setup and it may eliminate some weight/space consumption if that's an issue...so if it helps you sleep at night ok.  But you are also screwing yourself over if you ever need the kit to work on it's own.  Kinda like storing a can with no can opener.

To each their own but I'd rather have it than not.

-Emt1581
8/9/2013 12:29:59 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote History
Quoted:

sure it does. you might find one along the way or perhaps you started out with it. Putting a gun in there is sort of risky.

I pick up brass at the range all the time. I find either 9mm, 45, 40 and 380 every single time i go.  a box of each covers most situations.  
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Quote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Change of clothing for everyone including raingear and warm jackets.
footwear for everyone.
tarp
fire
duct tape
knife, Bowie type.
paracord.

ammo yes, gun no.

It doesn't do me much good to have ammo if I don't have a weapon....

sure it does. you might find one along the way or perhaps you started out with it. Putting a gun in there is sort of risky.

I pick up brass at the range all the time. I find either 9mm, 45, 40 and 380 every single time i go.  a box of each covers most situations.  

I understand you are trying to be helpful but you missed the point of this cache. As I stated earlier the idea here is that I might arrive at this cache with nothing on my person. Finding a weapon "along the way" seems a little far fetched and doesn't seem like much of a plan.
8/9/2013 8:08:23 AM EDT
[#19]
Do you own the property where you would secure your items?

Could you seal it or mount it in a block of concrete?

Dig a hole, put your sealed pipe inside it, dump a bag of quickcrete on it.

Might be a little difficult to extract, but that's the point.

8/9/2013 11:30:08 AM EDT
[#20]


Quote History
Quoted:





I understand you are trying to be helpful but you missed the point of this cache. As I stated earlier the idea here is that I might arrive at this cache with nothing on my person. Finding a weapon "along the way" seems a little far fetched and doesn't seem like much of a plan.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Quote History
Quoted:



Quoted:



Quoted:



Quoted:

Change of clothing for everyone including raingear and warm jackets.

footwear for everyone.

tarp

fire

duct tape

knife, Bowie type.

paracord.



ammo yes, gun no.


It doesn't do me much good to have ammo if I don't have a weapon....


sure it does. you might find one along the way or perhaps you started out with it. Putting a gun in there is sort of risky.



I pick up brass at the range all the time. I find either 9mm, 45, 40 and 380 every single time i go. a box of each covers most situations.


I understand you are trying to be helpful but you missed the point of this cache. As I stated earlier the idea here is that I might arrive at this cache with nothing on my person. Finding a weapon "along the way" seems a little far fetched and doesn't seem like much of a plan.
No, Oly I get it, i get it all and then some.  My "far fetched idea" is just as "far Fetched" as your idea of caching stuff.  If you are bugging out and it gets so bad that you have to go look for your buried treasure, then finding a gun in the 4 most popular calibers might be as easy as flipping over a dead guy.



You live in IN. You aint buggin out for a hurricane or snow storm.  when its go time for you, its gonna be real bad for everyone.

8/10/2013 12:24:05 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote History
Quoted:
No, Oly I get it, i get it all and then some.  My "far fetched idea" is just as "far Fetched" as your idea of caching stuff.  If you are bugging out and it gets so bad that you have to go look for your buried treasure, then finding a gun in the 4 most popular calibers might be as easy as flipping over a dead guy.

You live in IN. You aint buggin out for a hurricane or snow storm.  when its go time for you, its gonna be real bad for everyone.
View Quote View All Quotes
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Quote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Change of clothing for everyone including raingear and warm jackets.
footwear for everyone.
tarp
fire
duct tape
knife, Bowie type.
paracord.

ammo yes, gun no.

It doesn't do me much good to have ammo if I don't have a weapon....

sure it does. you might find one along the way or perhaps you started out with it. Putting a gun in there is sort of risky.

I pick up brass at the range all the time. I find either 9mm, 45, 40 and 380 every single time i go. a box of each covers most situations.

I understand you are trying to be helpful but you missed the point of this cache. As I stated earlier the idea here is that I might arrive at this cache with nothing on my person. Finding a weapon "along the way" seems a little far fetched and doesn't seem like much of a plan.
No, Oly I get it, i get it all and then some.  My "far fetched idea" is just as "far Fetched" as your idea of caching stuff.  If you are bugging out and it gets so bad that you have to go look for your buried treasure, then finding a gun in the 4 most popular calibers might be as easy as flipping over a dead guy.

You live in IN. You aint buggin out for a hurricane or snow storm.  when its go time for you, its gonna be real bad for everyone.

No, OS no you don't get it and then some. Never did I state in my OP that I was burying anything. The idea was to keep some useful items at a family members house that is on my stop list during a BO situation. I'm not really sure where you came up with this burying firearms.
8/10/2013 12:44:28 AM EDT
[#22]
If it's proven you buried a firearm on private [not yours] or public land, what's the legal penalty?

Would you make the ter list?
8/10/2013 4:18:51 AM EDT
[#23]


Quote History
Quoted:





No, OS no you don't get it and then some. Never did I state in my OP that I was burying anything. The idea was to keep some useful items at a family members house that is on my stop list during a BO situation. I'm not really sure where you came up with this burying firearms.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Quote History
Quoted:



Quoted:







It doesn't do me much good to have ammo if I don't have a weapon....


sure it does. you might find one along the way or perhaps you started out with it. Putting a gun in there is sort of risky.



I pick up brass at the range all the time. I find either 9mm, 45, 40 and 380 every single time i go. a box of each covers most situations.


I understand you are trying to be helpful but you missed the point of this cache. As I stated earlier the idea here is that I might arrive at this cache with nothing on my person. Finding a weapon "along the way" seems a little far fetched and doesn't seem like much of a plan.
No, Oly I get it, i get it all and then some. My "far fetched idea" is just as "far Fetched" as your idea of caching stuff. If you are bugging out and it gets so bad that you have to go look for your buried treasure, then finding a gun in the 4 most popular calibers might be as easy as flipping over a dead guy.



You live in IN. You aint buggin out for a hurricane or snow storm. when its go time for you, its gonna be real bad for everyone.



No, OS no you don't get it and then some. Never did I state in my OP that I was burying anything. The idea was to keep some useful items at a family members house that is on my stop list during a BO situation. I'm not really sure where you came up with this burying firearms.
OK take out the words buried treasure and put in at your grandmas. I'll show ya, because you didnt mention family members house in your original post. FYI.



If you are bugging out and it gets so bad that you have to go look for your cache at grandmas, then finding a gun in the 4 most popular calibers might be as easy as flipping over a dead guy.



===============================



the whole point of me posting in this thread was to give you ideas about what you can add. we can argue about the finest of details all day and heck i might enjoy that too, but thats not my intention.



You wanna put a gun in there, go ahead. I wouldnt.  
I have a cache at my mothers home. 15 miles from me. It is not a bug out location, or a resupply location. I put a bunch of stuff in her attic that i will need or might need if my house burns down.





8/10/2013 10:14:40 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote History
Quoted:
If it's proven you buried a firearm on private [not yours] or public land, what's the legal penalty?

Would you make the ter list?
View Quote



Read: Boston's Gun Bible.