Suitable foods for cashe in mountains that would reach temps -10 degrees or more....

**m38** · 04-17-2012, 11:35 PM

I would make sure the drum is buried at least 2-3 feet deep to keep it below the typical frost line. Put some styrofoam over the top of it to help keep the frost out. The earth at 6 feet is stable at 50-55 degrees. That's what keeps the frost line from going deeper unless you're in the far far north. I'd use plastic drums with removable lids. Easy to load, easy to close, rust proof, and air tight. Once it's buried, sprinkle some bleach over and around the area. That will deter animals for many months from digging up your cashe.

When you dig the hole, you'll have extra dirt. Haul it away from the site and use it along a road or in a garden. Make sure you "camoflage" your cache with leaves, branches, living plants. To make sure you can find it again, cut a blaze on 2 trees on the side that faces the cache. If you make the blaze the length in inches that match how many feet the tree is from the cache. So if the tree is 15 feet from the cache, the blaze should be 15 inches long. That way you don't need to remember how far away the tree is. Just measure the blaze, and measure straight away from it. And if you pick two trees that are at a 90 degree angle from each other when standing on the cache, it'll be easier to pinpoint the cache location using the blazes.

I agree that avoiding cans is a good idea, unless they contain dry goods. Freeze dried is good stuff for a cache. A water filter is also a good idea. And don't forget to stash a shovel and a pick somewhere nearby so you can dig it all up without having to bring tools with you.

Good luck with your cache!

**snake35** · 05-12-2012, 09:27 AM

The frost line is about 14 inches here in W.V. As long as the area is well drained you should be able to cache some cans underground.

**ViamFec** · 05-19-2012, 11:31 AM

Another consideration is rodents and other wildlife that would enjoy plundering your larder.

**bushwhacker208** · 06-17-2012, 02:41 PM

Anything dehydrated, freezedried, rice, and beans can be stored in cooler temps. If you bury your food deep enough then the ground is actually warmer than the outside temp and you can store canned food too.

I seal all of my food in airtight mylar bags and then bury them 5 feet deep in steel lock boxes that I made. I live way up north where I get a lot of snow and I haven't had any problems so far.

**Klickitat** · 06-21-2012, 06:47 PM

Metal drums buried with the lid only 2' down, is bear proof unless you have one really determined grizzly. Grains, flour, sugar and dehydrated foods would be my choice, so as not to worry about freezing.

Do not forget to take plenty of salt for curing any excess meat and for hides.

Lastly I would also think about getting tins of Olive oil. You will need the fats to keep warm and for proper nutrition. Olive oil can also be used lamps and for tanning. I like having oil for making fry bread vrs. baking bread. It is a lot easier to make. Also if you drink a swig of Olive oil it will give you lasting energy during a long hike and will stoke the furnaces in your body and help keep you warm during winter nights.

**drt4lfe** · 06-21-2012, 08:15 PM

Snake35......where in WV are you ?

**mg_50** · 07-05-2012, 04:17 AM

How deep are you planning to bury your cache? As mentioned by Mangler and TheLastMountainMan, if deep enough, the ground temp remains pretty constant. It is not only why root cellars work so well, but underground houses, too. Unless you are far enough north to encounter permafrost, where the ground remains frozen year round, you should not have a problem if you get it deep enough. As many comments said, cold is your friend... unless your cache contains freezable liquids. Also research the Fur Trade Era and the Mountain Men; they had the issue of not being able to carry everything they needed all the time, and they developed a good structure for underground caches in the mountains. It has been decades since I read that detailed description, so I cannot provide the reference, but it should be locatable. Use the low tech technologies that worked for our forefathers! Good luck!

**mg_50** · 07-05-2012, 04:38 AM

Klickitat -- Thanks, excellent points about olive oil. It is also good for "bathing" as the Roman legions did in the deserts of North Africa. Lather it on and use a curved, sharp edged stick (like a flat back scratcher turned on its side) to scrape it off along with sweat salts and grime. Read up on natural healing and olive oil, and you will also find it has been used rubbed over the whole body as nourishment when the throat was damaged, as a lot of it is taken up by the skin and goes into our system. And I totally agree about fry bread!

**Chefsimms** · 07-05-2012, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by mg_50

Klickitat -- Thanks, excellent points about olive oil. It is also good for "bathing" as the Roman legions did in the deserts of North Africa. Lather it on and use a curved, sharp edged stick (like a flat back scratcher turned on its side) to scrape it off along with sweat salts and grime. Read up on natural healing and olive oil, and you will also find it has been used rubbed over the whole body as nourishment when the throat was damaged, as a lot of it is taken up by the skin and goes into our system. And I totally agree about fry bread!

mg_50 Welcome to mthe forum from TN....