Everbody needs several of these placed in secure locations well in advance of the event.

Here is how Hawker did it.

Posted by: SPIKEpilot May 22 2006, 05:40 AM

Hawker, are these buckets for caching (burying)? If so, dessicant for moisture control would be a good idea. Also, maybe a plastic bag, so you can use the bucket for a crapper if needed. Water filter is good , but you might want to consider your position when you get to the bucket & have a couple of those USCG water packs on top (along with the gun). Of course, with all this, you might need a bigger bucket!

It's so nice when pictures are used. I need to start shooting some of mine for this site to pass along.

Posted by: Hawker May 22 2006, 12:01 PM

The idea behind this exercise was... you have one bucket.... what would you stash given that space? You have to choose wisely and make the most of that space.

Yes.... you can bury it, or stash one in your vehicle, or at a friends house.

I do have access to dessicant bags (our aircraft parts come with them and we have a 7' tall oven at work to dry them out for use again) and do use them in my stashes. They are a must and one or two will be added here.

This could be considered a Grab-n-Go bucket. One that will get you to your main stash or a "friendly's" home.

A couple other things that I would add on a after thought.... a brown or camo'd T-shirt.... and a few zip-lock bags.

Posted by: Dhass May 23 2006, 01:54 AM

How about some cash? Not too much is really needed here. I have $50 in each cache. I too have the Coast Guard approved water, Datrix bars, and some special 5 year emergency bars also. Did I miss something in your picture and list? Is there no rifle ammo? I have special rifle ammo caches with 300-500 rounds. I have also tried to keep 100 rounds for a rifle in every cache.

I have found that 6 gallon buckets will still use the same lids as the 5 gallon variety and give you just that little bit of extra room. When I discovered this, I redid my caches that used buckets (I have different types of caches in different locations).

It appears, sir, that you have the situation well in hand. Now, try to keep them within walking distance, if at all possible. I know of a gentleman not too far from where I reside who has a really good system. The one thing that bothered me about his system is that the nearest one is about 20 miles away from his residence. Too far for me!

Posted by: Hawker May 23 2006, 02:08 PM

Dhass.... the money thing is a good idea and wouldn't take up any room. I will add a few FRN's and some silver to the list.

No... no rifle ammo in this one, although rifle and ammo are taking care of.

This is a escape and evade bucket. Something to get me by and to the better stash.... or at least to a sanctuary.

Posted by: swamp fox May 26 2006, 09:16 AM

Bucket caches are great. This one looks more like a "grab & go" kit in case you can't get to the main one in the house. You may want to bury a cheap rifle like a Mosin Nagant in a capped-off PVC pipe next to the bucket.

Always great to have things in there that you may run out of. Toiletries, ammo, snacks, a couple of MRE's, gun cleaning kit, socks/underwear, a tarp, emergency blanket, first aid kit... let your imagination run wild.

And like the others pointed out, don't forget the dessicant.

Posted by: PipeRain May 26 2006, 11:37 AM
That looks like a larger than 5 gallon bucket. Is it?

Posted by: Hawker May 26 2006, 04:43 PM
It is taller than a 5gallon, but it's the special top on it. It's a snap on top that has a screw on lid built into it.

Posted by: PipeRain May 26 2006, 04:54 PM
Slick deal!

Is it some kind of foods bucket? I can't imagine it would be a paint bucket.

Posted by: Hawker May 26 2006, 11:39 PM
I bought these buckets brand new back before Y2K and for the life of me.... I can't remember where.

Posted by: PipeRain May 27 2006, 12:18 AM
Well yer no help!

Thanks fer nuttin'!

Pipe,
At one time Major Surplus in CA. carried the buckets and lids together or as separate items.


Posted by: PipeRain May 27 2006, 04:06 PM
QUOTE (ConSigCor @ May 27 2006, 11:18 AM)
Pipe,
At one time Major Surplus in CA. carried the buckets and lids together or as separate items.


Thanks!

Sumpin to add to my list. If only they had a "Ammo for frequent buyers program" at Majors....

Posted by: Hawker May 28 2006, 04:49 PM

I do have this link which I have dealt with on storage stuff recently....

http://www.relianceproducts.com/

Posted by: EastCentralMSMilitia Jun 16 2006, 03:07 AM

A vaccuum sealer is the best way to go for cache of metal items.

That way when your water leaks in the bucket you won't be digging/retrieving a bucketfull of rusted and mildewed unuseable crap.

Also, in our part of the world the buckets will sweat on the inside. PVC does the same thing. I guess it's more porious material than we think.
"J" from southeast area can elaborate.

I think I'd like a few of those refurbished large desi-packs.

If I ever have the correct weekend off I have some medical items for the group.

I shouldn't say, but better then the five gallon bucket is 12" or larger PVC with the bottom cap glued on and the top cap greased on with vasoline. drill two holes in the top and attach a 4" U bolt with silicone in the holes. This makes lid removal easy. You can make these as long as you like and can store anything. including weapons and ammo. Just use silca moisture absorbing bags in the tube, you can get these out of electronic packing at the stores. Use silicone wraps on the weapons and ammo. this should be buried straight up and hidden so only you can know where it is at.

Chainsaw posted 07-21-2006 01:02 PM

I heard good tip for Cache spots, bury them around old junkyards and the like so if nosy usurpers come around with radar it will break up the image , better idea even might purposely scatter bits of scrap metal around positon's ,
this could tip off too maybe, im not sure but seems like good idea

--------------------
In guerrilla warfare they taught us to use our weaknesses as strengths.
If they're big and you're little, then you're fast and they're slow. You're hidden and they're exposed. You fight only the battles you know you can win.

I wanted to add that you dont have to drill the holes or attach a handle. it just means you'll need to dig a bigger hole for access. Without the holes in the lid theres not much chance of a leak.

Good luck finding caps that big. I know I had to special order them from a plumbing warehouse 300 miles away. They turned out to be 2-piece caps at $70 EACH. I was told that 'Nobody caps 12" pipe.' The pipe I got for a song and a dance; $1.00 per foot.

I've been thinking of digging the hole and putting 8" of concrete in the bottom. While the concrete is wet I'd ram one end of the pipe into it. Once the concrete cured, I'd pour a gallon of thompson's waterseal inside the pipe. That should end up being pretty waterproof. I'll use the PVC cap on the top.

6" and 8" PVC pipe are much easier to work with.

sorry Rudy, I already have made these units, I get mine from a well drilling company, They drill house hold 6" wells and farm 12" wells. They have to cap the bottom piece of pipe, the pipe has small slices in it to allow water in bottom is capped to keep dirt out. It is a single cap, just like 6" pvc caps and is glues on. You can buy couplers and screw in caps. These are a more expensive. There should be a well drilling company close to you. I have a supply store 3 miles from here. If you wish I will get you some info. The concrete and thompson's might just work. but you'll need to cap the top.

Send me some prices and a contact at your source if you would please. The largest well around here is 8".

Ok, Let me run down there and talk to him. I'll let you know when I get a updated price list.

I know a man who says he keeps a survival kit in his wife's flower bed. I thought he was whacked, casue this is Canada, and I wouldn't bother burying a hundred bucks of gear and a breakdown rifle under a flowerbed.

But . . . that really makes sense, now that I look back at it.

You see now don't you. If you cache in alot of places you are always prepared. There is many ways to get this done 5 gal buckets, pvc tubes,safe houses, your only limited by your Imagination.

I have been getting my 5 gal buckets from wally world deli/bakery for free..I just go back every 3-4 days and ask if they have any and they hand over how many they have..some have lids with rubber seals in them and all have good handles either plastic or metal with plastic handle holds..now i have to start finding places to get dessicant/silica gel which shouldnt be too hard working in a mall with all those stores..

Just curious, what's the reason for only having the sidearm magazines half full?

if one stores thier mags at full then over time the spring in the mag will weaken(being constantly in a compressed state) and it will not feed into the chamber right...if one keeps the mag short a couple rounds ex. a 10 rd mag at 5 rds then the spring will still be strong enough to feed when you fill it to the top..

Ah, that makes perfect sense, especially for mid- to longterm storage. Thanks for the tip!

If you're worried about magazine springs, just store them empty.

storing empty is the best option but one might not always have the time to sit and load up when on the run..might just have enough time to dig it up and run with it..

I can reload a magazine faster than I can dig up a Cache.

really you can? im amazed rudy..the point is its going to take time to dig the stash up why spend more time in one place loading mags and possibily doing it in the dark..its an efficency thing and if one is smart one would pack the weapon at the top of
the bucket so its the first thing grabbed..but the question begs if one is on the run and going after a buried cache does one remember to grab the e-tool as they leave?

If you are on the run, you have to take everything in the cache with you. If you didn't need the ammo, you can't just leave it behind. You might not have time to re-bury it. It is now a compromised site. It will be under survelance just in case you come back to it. That's why I would rather put my ammo and a weapon in smaller separate caches.

The E-tool question:
On Junk day (when people put out their household Junk, not garbage) look for old shovels. ones with crappy handles...maybe broken, cracked etc....pick as many up as you have caches. leave the shovel 10 meters away covered in old leaves. It wont be the best but it will get you the 2 feet down to the top of your cache container. and you dont care about it. if someone does find it, its an old rusty shovel with a rotton handle left in the woods...most will just drop it
when your done using it, heave it off into the woods and be on your way

i like this idea ridge runner..never thought about it before.. thanks

I use 5 gal buckets from wally world. Put 8 inches under ground With a flannel shirt as the last thing in. Firearm should be in SEALED plastic bag with plenty of Auto trans fluid for lub. Ammo below that and other commoditys below that. Use panty hose cut off and tied in knot full of white rice for drier. Put one underground in 1999 and checked it in 2003. NO PROBLEMS FOUND. Renewed food and water and replanted it!

The Art of Caching

This is a repost from 2001.

Sad to say, the march of anti-constitutional laws continues to quicken the pace. Today tens of thousands of law abiding citizens face becoming armchair felons because they are not gullible enough to comply with mandatory registration and licensing of long owned firearms. Collectors have been raided on bogus pretexts, then arrested for paper violations , and had their assets seized. It's a shame, but in many jurisdictions your AR-15 or SKS is an outlaw rifle , and you are at risk every day that you keep it in your house. It is doubly a shame because these are exactly the types of arms the founding fathers were speaking of when they wrote the 2nd Amendment...

So if you will not register or turn in your weapons, and are reluctant to keep some of them in your house, what is to be done with them, to preserve them for use at some future date? Many folks just say bury them but this is simplistic and may be self defeating, for a buried gun may be rusted, forgotten, or paved over in time. The art of the cache is then the subject of this lesson.

First we must define a few terms, for there are several classes of caches. A fighting cache or ready cache is one where a rifle or other weapon is kept, sighted in and with the correct ammunition and cleaning gear, available on short notice. A long term cache should be able to lay undetected for years if need be. An Escape and Evasion cache will contain a complete getaway kit in addition to a firearm, against the day that the owner finds himself pursued by enemies.

An E&E cache will contain the items listed in Squantos' E&E kits, as well as hair dye, instant tan lotion, scissors, a razor, a nylon windbreaker and a hat for a quick appearance change. Cash, gold, a space blanket, a poncho for shelter and a pistol would also be included. All of these items can be kept in a .50 caliber metal ammo box available at any army surplus store.

What arms to cache? If you are considering caching any weapons, it makes sense to cache both your black outlaw firearms and your cheap surplus military rifles, the Enfields and SKS's and so on. The former may land you in legal trouble, the latter are inexpensive and may best prove their worth by waiting hidden and silent for the moment of need. Pistols also should be considered, particularly inexpensive surplus police revolvers. There is no other type of firearm which may be handed to a complete novice with confidence that the new shooter will be able to use it effectively on the first try, and you may someday be in the position of arming a complete novice. Millions of non-shooters may become ardent RKBA advocates in the years to come and you should consider arms for them as well as for yourself.

Where should you locate your cache?I will consider three broad areas: rural caches, urban caches, and underwater caches.

The Rural Cache: In the countryside, cache options abound far beyond the cliched hole in the ground, although that option is not to be left out In the boonies, look for old private junkyards, every big farm has at least one on the back 40 Rusty forgotten tractors, cars, refrigerators and farm equipment are made to order, full of hidden nooks and crannies where a rifle or three may be inserted, yet remain readily available. Of course, hiding firearms in and around old iron negates the chance of technical detection. Abandoned farmhouses, barns, ruins, and foundations provide countless hiding places, as do small caves, worked out mines, and graveyards. And of course you can just bury your package, preferably near or around some clutter of old scrap metal to provide magnetic camouflage.

The Urban Cache: In cities and towns you must be a bit more creative to find a good cache location which will remain undisturbed for years. Abandoned factories and warehouses, forgotten steam tunnels, scrap yards and neglected corners of basements and attics of some buildings may be used. You need to find a quiet dark out of the way corner were you can remove some tile or blocks or panels to create a mini vault, then hide by replacing the cover. Old large diameter pipes or pump casings may be used as is. Sometimes it is possible to create a cache by adding a bogus utility box or fake run of pipe which has no other purpose than to look old and nasty, and hide a gun or two.

The Underwater Cache: Arms may be sealed into a PVC pipe, then sunk for a great cache. Ammo packed inside around the arms will provide enough weight to sink the tube. Tie a strong nylon or monofilament line around the middle of the pipe, and lower the cache under an old rotten abandoned dock or wharf. So much junk accumulates under old docks that one more slime and barnacle encrusted pipe section will attract no attention at all. Tie the top end of the line to a piling down under the waterline, the entire line will soon be so nasty that no one will ever touch it, except you

Packaging the Cache: No matter where your cache will be located, you should go to great pains to make sure that it remains sealed and moisture proof. As mentioned, large diameter PVC pipe fits the bill perfectly. If you want access without cutting open the pipe, you can buy an end cap with a threaded center. For really long term storage, release the springs from your magazines and operating rods where possible. A chunk of dry ice dropped into a watertight package and allowed to steam off before sealing will purge out the rust producing oxygen. Store bought silica desiccant bags may also be used. Wherever ammo is stored, beware of using penetrating oils, as in time they may deaden the primers.

Plastic five gallon buckets with sealed lids may also be used, as well as heavy duty white water rafting bags, marine flare kit boxes and containers, surplus military ammo and ordnance boxes and many other types of containers. Where possible, for long term storage seal the lids with a bead of silicone glue.

Where tight cache space is a consideration, you may have to merely wrap your weapons in plastic. In this case use the biggest thickest heavy duty lawn and garden bags you can find. After placing the arms inside, suck out all the air you can, twist the end, put a few strong wires ties around the neck, fold it over, and put more wire around it again. Then do this again inside another bag. Long rifles which will not fit in a bag will have to be wrapped in industrial plastic sheeting, taped up, and kept in a fairly dry location. This type of packaging may be considered where a weapon may be in a fighting cache , ready for use on short notice.

Locating Your Cache: Nothing is worse than stumbling around looking for a cache so well hidden that you cannot find it, so give a lot of thought to the landmarks you will locate it by, and write them down Don't put the entire location on one piece of paper (for security), just the final directions which will not make sense if the paper is compromised. Remember, your cache area may look very different in different seasons, so choose landmarks which will stand out in summer foliage or winter snow. It is a good idea to take compass bearings from several permanent landmarks, as well as pacing the distances where possible. Or you may locate the cache by aligning it with an old wall, or between distinctive boulders, just make sure the features are permanent: bushes and gullies may disappear. Be alert to construction around your cache, and if the survey stakes go up, move it out ASAP. You may use GPS coordinates, but consider that GPS may be degraded or turned off at any time, and mark your location the old fashioned way first.

Cache Security: When you look for a cache location, consider that you will need a cover for action to explain your presence in the area. If you jog cross country, go on hikes, bike or four wheel drive you have it made. The cache location must have terrain or vegetation cover to conceal your loading and unloading it: forget the cover of darkness , in this era of NVGs that is a thing of the past.

Before returning to a cache do some counter-surveillance: loop around the area looking for the watchers who may be staking it out, or a new utility box which may contain a remotely operated camera. When finally approaching the cache, don't go directly to it, first fish hook your trail, double back and observe your own path in to check for followers. Finally, walk right past your cache and make a false unload . If you are taken down at this point, they may not find the true cache, and your cover for action (eg.: taking a leak on a routine hike) may pass muster. Only when you are truly sure of your safety should you go to the cache and unload it.

In addition, you should leave tell-tales , small innoucuous secret marks which will tell you if anyone has disturbed and replaced your cache. It is a favorite trick of security forces to put tracking devices into cached weapons in order to follow the guerrilla back to his base and catch the entire band. A tell-tale may be a bit of thread or a pebble etc. placed in such a way that if the cache is disturbed it will break or fall out without the security forces noticing it.

In Summary: I hope this has been an informative and thought provoking article. Even if you do not think it is necessary to cache any weapons (or an E&E kit ) at this time, you will at least be able to take walks in the woods to scout out some likely sites for future use. Look for sites at various distances from your home from a short walk to a day's drive: don't keep all your eggs in one basket. It is a good idea to load a cache with some old tools just for practice. See if they rust, see if the local eleven year old boys find them, see if you can get in and out of the area without being seen. Practice makes perfect, so try some dry runs today so that you will be a seasoned pro if and when it becomes necessary to cache the war iron for real and for keeps.

And don't forget to BLOAT Buy Lots Of Ammo Today

Here are some tips that I've learned the hard way over the years:

Place bottled water in the bottom of your cache. If the bottles leak nothing else will get wet.

Never store leather articles in a cache that is air tight. Leather will dry out and become un-useable.

Store batteries separate form their devices(lasers, radio's and GPS).

Pack as much as possible in vacuum sealed bags.

Last thing in the cache should be a small daypack, just so you can carry everything away quickly.

Keep the location secret!!!!! Reading Yankee Canuck's post above QUOTE' " I know a man who says he keeps a survival kit in his wife's flower bed."

He better not count on it being there when he needs it!

It took a while to get back about it, I got real busy. The 12" pipe caps are available and not too expensive. I bought mine a few years ago and then I paid 14 dollars per cap they have went up about six dollars.

Anyone who works retail needs to save the desicant (Sp?) packs that many products come packed in. The plastic ones are great, but the fabric ones are too, depending on the quality.

Already doing it!!

That's a good idea but, one can get larger quantities here:

http://www.nitro-pak.com/product_info.php?products_id=664

I've also used a 'modern-day cosmoline'. It's a product manufactured by LPS. It's their LPS3. It goes on and dries with a waxy surface. The wax can be 'cut with a fingernail and it will eventually heal itself. I've personally left a couple of small sheets of steel in the back yard that had this covering applied. Both sheets were left for 2 years! Rain and shine, summer and winter. No rusting was evident. It comes off in boiling water or with gun scrubber, or brake cleaner. I used the spray cans for this test. I later went out and bought a couple of gallons.

If HR1022 goes into effect, there will be a lot of midnight gardening going on!

Where does one acquire that LPS3?

And the midnight gardening thing is a great idea as well. I was thinking about 12"PVC and end caps for my babies. I also read that if one does that [in the PVC] one should use up all the air within the PVC before planting with a lit, cut-off birthday candle.

The article said to seal it up nice-n-tight with some dessicant and the burning candle, wait 5 minutes, bury it 12-18 inches below grnd level & put a few plants over em and that should do the trick. It sounded logical to me.

Anyone disagree?