[m14ebr]

I know this question has come up many times, but I have never really seen it brought to an agreeable conclusion. What is the best solution for off site storage and what are you comfortable storing out of sight?

If you are living in a major metropolitan area and plan to evacuate in the event of any catastrophe that would seriously impact your quality of life, you clearly cannot pack up everything you would need and take it with you. For the last 2 years, I felt the solution was a rent-a-storage garage off a main highway on route to my final destination. This solution had cost me about $20 a month (which is less than I pay in pet health insurance) and had held about a pallet worth of supplies in a 5x5 room consisting mainly of food, water and stabilized gasoline.

I never kidded myself into believing that in a serious crisis that this cache would be secure for more than 24-48 hours after a critical event. I always told myself that I would have to be very proactive in bugging out and would need to reach my destination early.

Now that I am becoming more comfortable with my "hunting lease," I am beginning to consider the viability of building a root cellar or other type of under ground storage unit that would house things I consider essential to short term "survival."

At this point the question has to be posed: What would you feel comfortable leaving buried in an off-site storage location?

Food and Water seem like a given, but what about firearms or ammunition? You have to concede that there is always the chance some curious individual will find your cache, so I would guess it becomes a question of what you are comfortable putting at risk and does the benefit outweigh the risk itself.

It almost seems like a cruel twist on the "Schrödinger's cat paradox" (big ups to Big Bang Theory) where you truly do not know if your supplies are still intact until you are able to go dig them up for yourself and verify they are there.

(Thank you HH and CAVeman for getting me thinking about this)

 

[huntinghawk]

My place was put here in the mid 60s with the original well & septic tank. Septic tank is still fine though I had to have another well put in a few years ago. Septic tanks are build to be put underground & not leak. That makes them ideal for a large underground storeage.

Though not cheap, consider doubling up on your firearms. Atleast the same caliber. And cache the firearms disassembled. If someone finds them they probly won't know how to assemble them so are useless to them.

I do not like the idea of storing any fuels anywhere near any food. Stuff like gasoline leaks & it will eat plastic which is what your food is probably stored in.

HTH,
HH

 

[huntinghawk]

If you don't want to go that route consider thick wall pvc pipe. Its quite strong. 3" works well for most items except rifles as you will have to go larger for them. The pipe comes in 20ft lengths & you can have the place cut them in half for transport. I don't suggest making storeage tubes over 5ft long as they can get heavy with stuff in them. Get two end caps for each tube. Glue one end on & grease the other cap so you can get it off.
Doing it this way you can do mini caches about & around your camp.

After removing suppies from the tubes they make great water containers.

HH

 

[BangkokPaul]

I have always liked the PVC cache tubes. But, I used 5 and 8 inch. I also glued one end and glued the threaded adapter to the other end. I had one threaded endcap with a tire fill cap in the middle. I would put that on with teflon tape and pressurize and let it sit a day to be sure of a good seal.

There is safety in distribution. If your near a national forest or have a large enough piece of land for your retreat, cache several around. Chances of anyone finding many of them is pretty small.

Another hint, on large rocks or on trees, paint or carve a heart with something like SE+BB. Then store on paper the location of the rock or tree. The SE+BB would stand for SouthEast 22 feet.

 

[huntinghawk]

I've done the threaded end cap & plug but the threaded plug still needs greased. This runs into more money then just a greased end cap.

HH

 

[m14ebr]

Interesting with the PVC pipe idea and the capped ends... have you guys thought about using a water heater? Or would they rust right through?

I purchased a 30 gallon water heater at Lowes a few months back for $50 (no heating element) and use it for rice storage. Im sure the corrosion-resistant coating would make it a good cost effective substitute for what you guys are talking about.

Though I do admit to seeing a lot of rusted out water heaters used as lawn decorations in the front yards of many ******** I know.

 

[huntinghawk]

My problem with it is too big & bulky though a good thought. I prefer the 5gal plastic buckets with the rice in one quart or one gallon ziplock freezer bags. Freezer bags because they are thicker then regular bags.
At $50 for the hot water heater I could buy ten 5gal buckets with lids.

HH

 

[hero4you69]

More info

Many storage ideas good most under ground always remember water table and the 100 year flood plain rule. now this may sound strange but if in a area where mini storage space does not work think graveyard and not because Oct 31st id here but no one is going to be digging up graves in a disaster and this is underground and in a concrete vault. buy in a poor cementary where not alot of questions are asked and pay cash and have vault installed with a marker listing a scripture for later id. tell them it is for a relative that is poor or friend that is poor and you just want to help them for the near future when it is needed try to pick one with no onsite office so no snoopy people looking over your shoulder! this can work in big city or small town. right now prices are low and cash is king. have all provisions or weapons sealed air tight and ready to drop when vault is installed. try to pick location out of line of sight in bad area of cementary to get a deal and to get privacy like in the back or behind a building or trees or something. go the night after installation and re-open and drop supplies and reclose use caulking around vault perimeter and refill dirt . it will be fresh and easy to dig and will not show signs of disturbance . you leagally own the plot with a deed so it is yours forever and because no body in grave no breaking law about grave robbing when you dig up to relocate or when needed for emergency and no one is going to be looking in graveyard for supplies you can go visit and check on it when you need to and can have then all across the country if needed!when they loot or burn mini wharehouse you are at the graveyard and the last place people will be at that time or at any night any time! BOO-YAH

NRA LIFE MEMBER

U. S. ARMY VET

 

[gatorshooter]

you may think about using a cache pvc tube inside a larger pvc tube. that way all you have to dig up is the top of the larger tube uncap it and pull out your inner tube makes it quicker to dig up and go. the corrogated pvc drain pipe works for the outer tube

 

[CAVman]

you may think about using a cache pvc tube inside a larger pvc tube. that way all you have to dig up is the top of the larger tube uncap it and pull out your inner tube makes it quicker to dig up and go. the corrogated pvc drain pipe works for the outer tube

Now THAT'S A Good Idea !!!

The Next Beer's On Me !!!

BEERCHUG1

CAVman in WYoming

 

[gatorshooter]

another idea I had when I had my sewer system worked on was to put a "outer tube" like I described just to one of the unused sides of the septic tank with a concrete lid just below grade. If anyone even found it and opened it they would see a white pvc screw top pipe in the hole and figure it has to be associated with the adjacent sewer so they wouldn't fool with it unless they were the plumber. just make sure your actual clean out and drain access was visable so even the plumber wouldn't have to go snooping around trying to find it for his work.