[BuellerBueller]

I want to store some stuff at our BOL.
We're in the southeast, where temps get HOT, so an underground cache is a must to keep food from spoiling.

If the only digging you could do was with a rented mini-backhoe for 1 day,
What would you bury to hold your cache?

Those things usually have a max depth of about 7 feet, so the best I'm coming up with is a bunch of 55 gallon drums buried.
I'm not liking that too much so I'd like some suggestions.

 

[floss187]

The real question is, will you have a mini backhoe to un-dig it when needed? or the time to hand shovel it?

I've given a bit of consideration to this as well, and found no real good solution. Anything easy doesn't really work.
Anything hard is tough when time matters the most.

 

[fisck]

I've thought about the same issue, and to me if you can do the digging I'd go ahead and make a root cellar. It'll cost more than just burying your supplies but its a lot more usefull.

 

[1USD]

The real question is, will you have a mini backhoe to un-dig it when needed? or the time to hand shovel it?

I've given a bit of consideration to this as well, and found no real good solution. Anything easy doesn't really work.
Anything hard is tough when time matters the most.

Great point!

Maybe re-bury it with mostly pea gravel so its easy to shovel out?

 

[John Rambo]

I had thought about buring an old chest type freezer before. As long as it has a good seal, and maybe put a hasp on it to make sure it stays shut good. Silicone any vents it has coming to the inside.

But if I were going to dig 7 feet or more, and rent a mini ex, I would just a soon build a root celler or bomb shelter.

Here is one of Southern Prepper's 1 stashes, I think it is a big oil tank:

 

[AmericanPatriot121]

Why not just store the items you were going to bury inside your BOL and devise a few cleverly designed hiding places. Would make retrieval in a hurry easier and also keep prying eyes away.

 

[PSYOP Soldier]

Here you go, the manual on caching, courtesy of Uncle Sugar...

What are those grid cords again? :

 

[BuellerBueller]

Why not just store the items you were going to bury inside your BOL and devise a few cleverly designed hiding places. Would make retrieval in a hurry easier and also keep prying eyes away.

HEAT!
I'd say the cabin is an easy 120 deg. when I open it up on a 90 deg. day.
I have a lot of canned foods and rice in mylar that would go bad/lose nutrients/
oxidize too fast.

 

[tedennis]

I know you disliked the 55 gallon drum idea, but that is what I want to try. Why not? I agree a root cellar would be the best route but not the cheapest. If I can ever get up to Tecumseh, MI I am gonna take a look at these:


http://toledo.craigslist.org/grd/2539455666.html

For $30 a piece, I figure I can manage a couple of them for experimental purposes.

 

[BuellerBueller]

I know you disliked the 55 gallon drum idea, but that is what I want to try. Why not? I agree a root cellar would be the best route but not the cheapest. If I can ever get up to Tecumseh, MI I am gonna take a look at these:


http://toledo.craigslist.org/grd/2539455666.html

For $30 a piece, I figure I can manage a couple of them for experimental purposes.

I have a few of those that I use as rain barrels. I wouldn't bury them, they'll collapse under the weight of the dirt.
Also, you can't store fuel in them. They'll expand and contract and eventually rupture. Don't ask me how I know

I was able to find steel 55 gallon drums on craigslist.
Might just bury them upright and create some type of riser to allow easy access to the lids.

 

[tedennis]

Good points. If I get to it, I would bury them upright(how they are the strongest) and backfill hole with pea gravel or crushed limestone. This way any water will drain from around them and not freeze and collapse it. And I would probably only leave the top 12-18 inches deep. Not too much weight. And u don't have to dig whole container up to access it.

 

[Madgie]

With the terrain on our property having rolling hills its easy to diguise a cach. We have handmade maps to locate the ones we have in place. The steel drumms have worked well for us.

 

[BuellerBueller]

Good points. If I get to it, I would bury them upright(how they are the strongest) and backfill hole with pea gravel or crushed limestone. This way any water will drain from around them and not freeze and collapse it. And I would probably only leave the top 12-18 inches deep. Not too much weight. And u don't have to dig whole container up to access it.

Same thought, but I would make a riser with a trap door.
So, the last 12-18 inches will be hollow, with a supporting wall of cinder blocks or treated wood, with a trap door over top.
Then I could hide it with an inch or two of dirt and some brush.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

Good points. If I get to it, I would bury them upright(how they are the strongest) and backfill hole with pea gravel or crushed limestone. This way any water will drain from around them and not freeze and collapse it. And I would probably only leave the top 12-18 inches deep. Not too much weight. And u don't have to dig whole container up to access it.

i would cover the top of it with sand and use the gravel for the sides.sand would be ALOT easier to dig in :thumb:

also you dont want the dirt you are digging up right next to your hole it will be obvious to anyone walking near it that the dirt isnt top soil and it will be obvious someone has been diging there. if they are looking for buried treasure that general area is where i would look.so either spread the excess dirt out or move it a ways away form your cache spot. this fall i would get a few extra bags of raked up leaves and cover that area up with an extra layer of leaves by spring it will all blind in as natural forrest floor :thumb:


side note: make sure the top of your drum is below the freeze line for your area

 

[Architect]

The best way to cache underground (outside of your basement....) is in a waterproof unitized storm shelter. They have walk-down stairs, are element proof, and the entrances are small enough to be easily concealed below a dog-house, garden, 8" of earth. No digging required / no precious calories wasted to retreive your larder.

Locally a 7' Long x 5' Wide x 5'-3" High shelter is $4600 INSTALLED (taxes included). Its not cheap, but its cheap insurance.

They come in a lot of different sizes.

Here's a cutaway pic....

Here's a link...

http://neastormshelters.com/fiberglass.php

 

[mefunkymxw]

dig you a root cellar with external access hatch near your living quarters. you can use some of the excess dirt for sandbags... keep the kiddies employed for a few weeks anyway.

 

[paramilusmc]

For a cache I tend to bury shallow so when the ground freezes I can still break through to get to it. I then place a plastic sheet over the top of it on an upside down cone configuration, then bury. It is marked, I wont say how after back fill is added and yes it is buried at a secondary fallback location. It is my just in case cache.