Supply Caches, Good Idea or Not?

This type of barrel can make a good cache but be sure to seal the lid well. Over the
years, I have talked to many people who have cached supplies with different results.
Some have gone back to check on their caches and have never found them. Others
were able to walk right up to theirs.
Most of the caches I have heard or read about were made with PVC pipe or metal
barrels or ammo cans coated with something like Henry roofing compound.  The PVC
pipe ones seemed to be the most common.  It is cheap and easy to get.  You take and
cut the pipe to the length you want and glue end caps on. The downside to the PVC
ones is that they are normally not very large.  However, you can buy PVC pipe that is
twelve inches or more in diameter.  Most of the larger ones I have heard of were in
barrels either plastic or metal. The biggest problem that I have heard of is people losing
track of them.  If you do not regularly check on them, the terrain changes, memories
fade or other people find them.  Today I have had people tell me that is no longer a
problem because of GPS.  But I wouldn’t count on the GPS system working when you
need the supplies.
PVC pipe caches

If you decide to bury a cache, it needs to be well thought out.  First, be prepared to
lose anything you put in it.  Second make sure it is watertight and well sealed.  Put silica
jell in to absorb any moisture.  Third, make sure that you have good landmarks to help
you find it.  Fourth, it is best if it is somewhere that you drive by occasionally to watch
for changes, such as new construction or dirt work.  I knew someone who lost a cache
when a building was erected over theirs. Caches can be good but they require some
maintenance.  They need to be checked periodically.

Survival Gear Review: Monovault

Survival caching supplies is not a new concept in the survivalist and prepper’s world,
but people have long wondered about the durability of their containers and the safety of
its contents.  Potential caching containers come in all shapes and sizes but they are not
created equal.  

Caching Tubes

We have heard of buried automobiles, buses, dish washers, and chest freezers.
Ammo cans slathered with roofing tar are an old standby. Other military surplus items
like sonar buoy tubes,120 mm cans and reverse osmosis filter containers are used
when you can find them.  Plastic pipe (PVC or ABS typically) works well and can be
very inexpensive in smaller sizes; however in the larger sizes, PVC pipe can be very
expensive.  A guy could spend over a hundred bucks on a single 12” PVC end cap.
Such vaults tend to be one time use assemblies unless you can get the rubber gasket
fittings and some grease.  Also, time is money.  The time you spend creating your
survival cache container is time you could be spending on other preparedness tasks.

A Better Way

All of these solutions involve the re-purposing of something designed for something
else….that is until now.  Recently the team at SurvivalCache.com found and tested a
breakthrough caching container.  The new containers are called Monovaults and they
are designed as an off the shelf caching system letting you spend your time considering
the contents of your cache instead of reinventing the caching container wheel.  Also,
they are designed and manufactured in the United States by a company out of Idaho
called Polyfarms.  The team at Polyfarms is dedicated to preparedness and has really
thought through the problems of storing items underground.

Monovault: The job of any caching container is to get between your valuable stuff
and those elements that would harm it.  To this end, the Monovault system has three
components.

1. Container
2. Humidity Control
3. Corrosion Control

First, the Container.

The choice of material for the team at Polyfarm is a rugged commercial grade
polyethylene vault (that means non-metallic for those metal detector sensitive
applications) which is designed for burial with a large opening and spin on “gamma” lid
equipped with an o-ring gasket.  This lid seals up tight over and over without tools.
Protecting this lid is a heavy shield cover that serves to run water away from the inner
lid gasket and keeps the inner lid safe from mechanical damage.
 The shield cover also allows for aggressive recovery ensuring that you are unlikely to
damage anything with your shovel as you remove covering soils.  Once soils are
cleared away, the shield lifts off to reveal a clean access to your vault.  The wall
thickness of the Monovault is about ¼”.  Tough enough to bury but still light enough to
pack around.  Polyethylene is less brittle than PVC at lower temperatures and better
equipped to absorb the stresses of a frost line in those northern climates.  We can tell
you that these things are a lot tougher than they appear in photos or even in person.
You have to actually get your hands on one to appreciate the toughness of the
construction.

Second, Humidity

Humidity control is a must for all survival cache containers.  All plastic breathes at
some very low level. A desiccant is a key component of the caching system.  The
desiccant adsorbs (This is not a typo, Adsorb is different from absorb) the moisture in
the vault at the time of install and stands by to adsorb whatever moisture may migrate
into the vault during the caching period. The system included with Monovault
mastercacher system comes equipped with a desiccant with a humidity indicator to
signal the need to be replaced or recharged. The desiccant supplied is rechargeable in
a typical oven per instructions on the packaging. The desiccant supplied should be good
for several years without maintenance.  Additional desiccants can be employed for
longer term applications in the Monovault. Note: You can buy the Monovault separately
or buy what is called the Master Cacher System which includes the Monovault and all of
the environmental proof bags and dehumidifiers.
Corrosion Control

Corrosion Control refers to the use of Vapor Corrosion Inhibiting technology or

VCI. The Monovault system uses VCI bags infused with a special chemistry that out-
gases from the bag and protects metal surfaces with a one molecule thick layer of
corrosion inhibitor. The VCI compound flashes off immediately upon removal from the
bag. The VCI bags supplied are rated to perform for up to 5 years. Your Monovault
system will also come with one or more special double layer bags (the second layer
being an outer metalized barrier) rated for up to 20 years.  The longer your Monovault is
left undisturbed, the longer the VCI is likely to perform.

Designed with firearms in mind, the Monovaults presents a turn-key system for long
term storage. Put your gun in a bag, the bagged gun in the vault, and install the
desiccant in the vault outside of the bag. Ammunition, parts, and accessories can be
stored the same way. The Mastercache 212 universal kit used as a basis for this
review stands about 12.75″ tall and 13” in diameter.  It fits many pistols, freeze dried
food packs, water, survival tools, shelters, and warm clothes. The Monovault comes in
several different sizes including the largest model called the 248 which stands 47.75″
and weighs 18 pounds.
 Whether standing by as a grab and go emergency kit, tucked away in a crawl space,
or buried along your bug out route, you will find the Monovault a fast, easy and
convenient way to get you and your family prepared.