[OhCanada]

I have been buying old Nalgene bottles when I see them for a Loonie or Twonie at thrift stores with the idea of using them as above ground/slightly buried "urban" caches.

I have read this interesting thread here about locations: http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=145151

But what I am looking for is ideas for what to put inside. I am thinking more on kit ideas rather than everything in one bottle. The bottles are already painted OD with tops left black.

Here are the ground rules for discussions:

1. 1L Nalgene bottles only, this is not a PVC pipe thread of anything else.
2. Urban, urban, urban. Bottles may be hidden in nearby parks but this is not a bug out thread, more of a homeless thread.
3. Would prefer the list be kept to groups as in, "In bottle 1 I'd put....In bottle 2 I'd put....

 

[ambos lados]

Everything I carry in my dogwalking fanny pack would probably fit in 1 1L bottle. Its main purpose is to allow me to fend off predators or survive getting stuck outdoors (close to a city) due to injury until found. But I also carry it when hiking or travelling and it complements other packs for other purposes

It contains money, pencil, paper, Swiss Army knife, pepper spray, whistle, insect repellent, flimsy poncho, lighter, toilet paper, pre-cut moleskin.

I have also been very impressed with 2 other compact urban BOB ideas offered by other posters: a Silcock key to obtain water from the locked hosebibs on commercial buildings, and a gizmo to lock (by jamming the latch) most any door from the inside. I've now ordered both from Amazon.

 

[rio nueces]

Kind of limited as far as size, for instance no clothing or good shelter materials, but in a urban situation thrift stores are cheap for clothing. In normal times.
Shelter materials are everywhere in the cities, tyvek, tarps, cordage, etc. And you can even make a fair hammock out of the orange plastic barrier netting.

The basics of course, water purification, fire, small tools (including knife and wire saw), first aid, extra glasses, soap/razors/comb, fishing/trapping gear, wool socks/gloves, para cord/bank line, compass, foot/body powder (think Gold Bond), duct tape, nails, bandanna.... How about .22lr for trading? Not illegal to carry in most places.
I'm not saying you could fit all that stuff in one, just ideas.

You'd need a metal container to cook in, but I guess goodwill store/scrounge would be easy enough for that.

Re: above post, I like the pepper spray idea...and the Silcock key, couldn't you use vise grips instead? More multi-purpose.

Thanks for the good idea. Now I know what to do with my old Nalgenes with the BPA.

I do think I'd have several complete as possible bottles stashed in various places instead of several 'specialized' bottles. You might lose one or two. And you could give away/trade any extras.

 

[goku]

Everything I carry in my dogwalking fanny pack would probably fit in 1 1L bottle. Its main purpose is to allow me to fend off predators or survive getting stuck outdoors (close to a city) due to injury until found. But I also carry it when hiking or travelling and it complements other packs for other purposes

It contains money, pencil, paper, Swiss Army knife, pepper spray, whistle, insect repellent, flimsy poncho, lighter, toilet paper, pre-cut moleskin.

I have also been very impressed with 2 other compact urban BOB ideas offered by other posters: a Silcock key to obtain water from the locked hosebibs on commercial buildings, and a gizmo to lock (by jamming the latch) most any door from the inside. I've now ordered both from Amazon.

do you mind putting link or what kind for jamming the latch

 

[ambos lados]

do you mind putting link or what kind for jamming the latch

Addalok was what I ordered for US$20.00.

I'm not sure whether this is exactly what the poster on the other thread was recommending, but when I went looking this is what jumped out as a valuable light weight addition to an urban "Get Home Bag" (or homeless kit like the OP is seeking) because it allows you to secure a temporary spot indoors almost anywhere for a night's sleep, a pee or a change of clothes.

I haven't received it yet, will report back when I have had a chance to try it out with a partner in places like office buildings, supply closets, etc.

 

[vdub]

Small water filter from Frontier. Spoon. Folding knife. $20 bill. Bic lighter or 2. And I really like the adalock mentioned above. Id never heard of these before but I can see a lot of use for it.

 

[vdub]

Might also be room for a few tealights and a streamlight nano with the batteries protected.

 

[squirt_0311]

Good idea. I would put a little first aid and fishing kit in it as well. Bury near my house at a rally point my family knew.

 

[technoprepper]

I won't say what to put in each bottle since exactly what fits will vary. I would probably distribute items among bottles so you could get by with one bottle or a small number of bottles. I.E. distribute your redundant items among bottles instead of putting all your eggs in one basket. Suppose you have a dozen bottles, 4 each A, B, and C. If you have one each of A, B, and C you have a rellatively complete kit and even with only one of A, B, or C you may have a useful kit. Thus A might be big on water purification and B and C have weaker options, etc.

Typical nalgene bottle dimensions: 3 1/2 Inches Diameter, 8 1/2 Inches tall, 63mm neck.

usual first aid kit, fish hooks, fishing line/paracord/wire, etc.

Sawyer mini water filter. Cheap, small, Fits standard soda/water bottles, squeeze pouches (1 included), or hoses, filters far more gallons than the frontier and remove more bacteria. However, probably even less effective against chemicals. Should fit inside nalgene bottle.

Iodine as a backup, for first aid, as a disinfectent, and to mitigate exposure to radioactive iodine. Separate container from sawyer mini. Also, other disinfectants.
Bleach, calcium hydrochloride, alcohol gel, etc.

Pictures of dead presidents, junk silver, etc.

Ziplock bags, trash bags. To store things in, protect from water, carry water, and dispose of waste. Large trash bags also work as a temporary shelter (an old caver trick). Every bottle should probably have at least one of each. And maybe one of the sawyer water pouches.

Space blanket.

A lighter or other fire starter in each bottle.

Distributed over separate caches:
NAA .22LR or 22magnum mini-revolver + ammo.
pepper spray
Folding one-hand open locking stainless 2.9" knife.
Swiss army knife
Multi-tool

Knife/fork/spoon, spork, etc.

First watch door lock. Positive action, Does not rely on friction jamming latch and less expensive than addalock but slightly heavier.
http://www.amazon.com/First-Watch-Temporary-Interior-Security/dp/B005409JNU/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1389761765&sr=8-12&keywords=addalock

Water bottle carrier belt, sized for your nalgene bottles, stuffed inside one.

An aluminum soda can is just about the same size as the neck on a typical quart nalgene bottle. Not sure if it will fit inside or not. Think pot. If it doesn't, there is always the fine art of metal spinning. Beware of plastic linings. I would point out that you can get aluminum water bottles at the thrift store for about the same price as the nalgene bottles although you should avoid direct contact with dirt unless you copper plate them.

Soda can alcohol stove. Rubbing alcohol as a fuel and first aid prep.
An esbit stove is a little too big, but the pellets aren't. Emberlit stove could possibly be bent to fit.

eyeglass repair kit, if applicable.

Flashlights
candles

burner phone - depends on the situation you are preparing for but there are a number of situations where your personal S--- hits the fan and you might not want certain people to find you.

 

[Borrowed time]

Will Nalgene plastic hold up to storing bulk salt? I am stockpiling it as a resource that few people think about but can be used for cooking, food and hide preservation, emergency hydration, sterilizing, etc, etc. As people use it up it will be very hard to find in a total collapse.

Also, how well does the nalgene plastic hold up to fuel like alcohol, white gas, & gasoline ?

Thanks

 

[OhCanada]

Basic table salt shouldn't be a problem as I have had pre-filled plastic salt shakers around for years. Even road salt has no real effect on the plastic bags it comes in.

Alcohol for stoves is a non-issue as well because it already comes in plastic containers and many alcohol stove users like myself store the fuel in thin plastic containers.

White gas, & gasoline? No experience here but gasoline in any container is dangerous due to the fumes; so you might get away with storing gas outside or in a shed, it is not something I'd store inside a car or home. White gas/Coleman fuel ala MSR Whisperlite fuel has been sitting in my home for years with no issues from both the original container and my MSR fuel bottle. You will want to keep en eye out on the rubber seal in the fuel bottles, I had one such o-ring within the stove itself dry out causing leaking when I tried to use the stove on a trip.

Any water bottle used for fuel should be marked as such, even to scratch it into the bottle so that no one reuses the empty bottle for drinking water should it be found years later.

 

[arleigh]

Consider that there are folks that use metal detectors for a hobby finding lost change and other valuables .
Be aware of plumbing and areas the may get turned into something else altogether .
This society is not all that respectful of trees, so planting near them may not be any guarantee of security.
Near a monument or some place least likely to be disturbed for a while .
I'd make a map for your family in the event something happens to you,would be of value.
One might even lay out their cashes in the pattern of a constellation .
Plastic bottles under ground should last decades depending on whats in them .
One might include a phony map inside each ,as to throw off any one finding them.
Keep your prints off the things you burry , sense some one else could find and use them for disreputable purposes .
Just some personal observations.

 

[psycosteve]

I would look at the things I could not create in the field with out a lot of resources. Powder and shot would be a good resource but IMHO is not going to be needed in an urban environment which is the context I would be looking that this in . Arrowheads, 550 cord,bleach tablets, a ferro rod and some bic lighters with out a doubt would be in my kit if I was making one like this. Here were a couple of Ideas if you wanted to a modular kit of these done with different themes to make it more modular .
Food
Here are some Ideas for a food container you might want to throw into your bottle. Entrees and other packets from MRE's , jerky, coffee packets, peanut butter,tea bags, spices , salt hot sauce some kind of instant noodle, and some of those instant fiber packets you know the type to keep you regular . What you are looking for is high sugar, high salt , high fat and high calorie counts . you might want to experiment with some kind of sport bar or the meal replacement bars . A can of snus if you are a nicotine addict as of this point . If not used can be traded off with relative ease.

A navigation bottle

A bottle with some maps that have been cut down to fit and have been coated with a clear contact paper with some notes could be invaluable while you are out there . Throw in a small notepad, compass and some crayons or a wax pen and you got the makings of a good nav kit. Me personally I would have maps of the sewer system, roads and other areas I might venture off into . with the markings of places that would have possible supplies at I might need to forage for at. Gun stores, camping stores and places they store food at like warehouse depots and the like.

Tools
A multi-tool and a decent fixed blade knife like a Mora, some 550 cord and some good snare wire could be the basis for a good tool kit . Throw in some aluminum foil, some duct tape, some steel wool, oil, a sharpening stone credit cards, one of those specialty wrenches to get water from the spouts that do not have a handle to turn them on with. some tee shirt rags and patches . Throw a few silica packs to absorb some of the water in the air when you seal this up and you should be good to go on this .

 

[psycosteve]

If you had a wide mouth bottle you could try a space blanket with some metal stakes a few pieces of cordage in one bottle and some harden grout in the bottom of one to use as a hammer . Using the remaining space for either some trash bags some food or fire making materials just to kill off the space .

 

[dmas]

I have had Coleman fuel tin rust a pinhole and completely disappear without my noticing.