Caching Supplies for the Season

Fetch

New Member
Mar 9, 2011
14
0
Green Valley Arizona
We are considering packing into our hunting area to scout and we've thought of taking a cache of food, etc in this summer. The question is, does anyone have experience in a container that could be buried in the rocks and if prevent rodents and or the like from getting into our goodies.
I'd like to hear of containers that are packable, maybe something light as aluminum or a tuff plastic?

Thanks
 

sticknbiggens

Member
Mar 10, 2011
54
0
Wyoming
Counter Assault's Bear Keg may be a good choice. Seems to me they make a three gallon one and it was something like 3 lbs. I think you can store 6-8 days worth of food in it. Pretty sure they are molded of a polymer blend and run about 80 bucks.
 

sticknbiggens

Member
Mar 10, 2011
54
0
Wyoming
looks to me like it could be moved by them. not sure if it has some way to strap a chain to it or not. I have heard of backpackers and forest personnel using them in the National Parks. guess the pluss side of it is their bright yellow. dig a hole find a big rock and hope for the best. I'm thinking you don't want to place it near a drop-off or you may hike out hungry if the bear bats your canister down a cliff. BearVault BV500 might be an option too...hope this helps
 

Fetch

New Member
Mar 9, 2011
14
0
Green Valley Arizona
looks to me like it could be moved by them. not sure if it has some way to strap a chain to it or not. I have heard of backpackers and forest personnel using them in the National Parks. guess the pluss side of it is their bright yellow. dig a hole find a big rock and hope for the best. I'm thinking you don't want to place it near a drop-off or you may hike out hungry if the bear bats your canister down a cliff. BearVault BV500 might be an option too...hope this helps
I'm thinking about burying it in shallow water in one of the lakes up there....that'd cover the scent. Placing a pile of rocks over it to conceal it should do the trick.

Lots of great help from you all and it's appreciated.

Fetch
 

T43

Active Member
If you want to go in the cheap get a couple of surplus ammo cans. find one with a good seal so it's air tight. It's always a good idea to check on it before you need it and if it has disappeared your not out all that much.
 

sticknbiggens

Member
Mar 10, 2011
54
0
Wyoming
If you want to go in the cheap get a couple of surplus ammo cans. find one with a good seal so it's air tight. It's always a good idea to check on it before you need it and if it has disappeared your not out all that much.
sounds like a good idea too,might just have to try that. Now I just need to find a use for the 15 or so spare gas cans floating around here.
 

8750

Active Member
Jul 28, 2011
155
0
Fort Collins, CO
Im thinking about making a PVC tube that i can stuff some MTNhouses in and some fuel. A 2' chunk of 6" or 8" if i can find it. solid cap one end and put a threaded cap on the other. should only cost about $10-15. Ill camo it and string it between two trees.
 

RUTTIN

Veteran member
Feb 26, 2011
1,299
0
Kamas, Utah
I had a uncle that packed in a couple of the thick plastic 30 gallon drums to where they elk hunted. They dug them in the ground, and would leave their whole camp in there. Every year they would walk in and dig them up and have camp ready to go. I would guess you would want horses to do the initial pack in.
 

c-ne-elk

New Member
Mar 10, 2011
17
0
I have used 5 gallon buckets that you can buy at the paint store. Look for the ones that have the rubber ring in the lid, it will keep everything air tight and not let any scent out. I spray painted mine black and tie wired them to the backside of trees when we were in scouting, they sat there for about a month and nothing got into them. Not to say that a bear wondering through might check them out...
 

llp

Member
Mar 15, 2011
138
0
Be aware that caching supplies is technically not legal in many areas.
That said, I have had excellent success using 5 gallon buckets, as previously mentioneed. I just hiked in over the last weekend and checked on my gear from last year, in 2, 5 gallon buckets at 10,000 feet. Everything was fine, except the heavy snow had knocked one bucket out of the tree where it was stashed. No damage, and just lying there untouched. I don't leave much in over the winter, but this last weekend added a bit of canned food and water along with a few other items. Most of what I leave in is not the essentials, but rather some nice to have items that brighten the day. That way, if the bucket is damaged in any way, I still have the essentials with me


llp
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,074
4,301
82
Dolores, Colorado
My family (started with Grandad, then Dad, me & son, uncles, cousins) have packed in to the same camp in the Sierras in Ca since 1945. It is now classified as a wilderness area. We have always cached food & cooking gear. We use large surplus military ammo cans that can be sealed. Care must be taken with what is left and where you stash it. Over the years, bears have found the stash and broke open the steel cans and also someone ocassionally leaves something that does not freeze well. After it was reclassified a wilderness area we found the cache destroyed, obviously by USFS people. They also broke up a cooking stove we had made with packed in cement, stream sand and small rocks. Never did find the cast iron grill top. Over the years we had made some chairs from logs, a meatpole to hang deer and other camp kitchen conviences....all destroyed.

Sad deal, but realize what "wilderness is supposed to be" even tho everything was there years before the new designation. Just saying.......
 

Grizbacker

New Member
Sep 2, 2011
23
0
Montana
My father and I are wanting to do this. Five gallon buckets and tarps seem to be the best choice. The biggest issue we are concerned with is storing our gear dry. We want to cache a wall tent, but I know you cannot store one of these without thoroughly drying it out or it will rot. This obviously might not be possible when cacheing. Anybody have experience with this? Any good ways to store it?