Did this Survival Cache Last 12 years in the Ground? What is even in this?

Visit us at....

or Follow us on Social Media for updates!

and as always....
Stay in the Woods,

Dan

[coalcracker]

After further examination of this I had teflon tape on the threads. I could see traces of it. So..the first time I opened this must have basically broke the seal. Then when I resealed I just screwed it on. Then storing it threads up was a terrible idea. If everything got moldy during the first 10 years I wouldn’t have resealed it. Will talk more about in a future video.

[j.robertsergertson]

Tip for caching : put a moisture lock baby diaper in the bottom of your cache tube, and a few silicate desiccant pack to absorb ambient moisture in the air. Seal the threads on your end cap with lots of plumbers grease, it keeps water from creeping past the threads and makes getting the cap off easier

[YankeeWoodcraft]

Moisture doesn't "get in" to the tube. It's already packed-in with the stuff you put in the kit that eventually is released and has nowhere to go. This is a GREAT video because while others are copying what they see without having even tried it, you showed what happens in the real world and we've all learned from it. That's why you're one of the real ones in the community. Good stuff.

[kennethspeering]

Now that was really good. We all learned a lot from it. That is why we have room for improvements. Thanks Dan.

[scottcarter]

Individual vaccum seal bags for each item or kit vaccum seal machines and bags that are cut to length can be found at wally world for a decent price...seal it and wait a day or two before you stow it away to make sure it's sealed tight then cache it. Thanks for the video to show learning lessons Dan for people just starting!!!

[rquest]

Excellent video to prove the need for oxygen and moisture absorbers plus vacuum seal each item.

[RonBurkett]

Some friends and I made a time capsule that exact same way - looked almost identical. We buried it for 5 years in a national forest, then went back and dug it up. The contents were still in perfect condition. I built the cannister and used teflon tape on the threads when sealing it shut. I also custom built a wrench out of PVC to open it and buried it with the capsule (since we would be back packing into the site to open and didn't want to have to carry any kind of tool).

[ladyofthemasque]

Btw, Dan, Congratulations on over half a million subscribers!! Your channel is one of the best out there for short informative bushcrafting & survival tips, and I've been hoping you'd get noticed by more people for several years now. 8D (Also, loved the kid's book you put out!)

[huall]

I'm so glad you did this. Very surprising what we learned. I have one of these I buried on a family property 14 years ago. I should dig it up and see how it fared.

[richardkranium]

When you bury your stash, be sure to bury a beer can or some junk metal a little above it to throw off guys with metal detectors.

[richardmadison]

Great instructional video on how not to seal a pvc cache. Oh, and the tool arent ruined by a little oxidation and/or mold. They may not be as sharp as when new but with a little cleaning they will work just fine, especially in a survival situation.

[Philobeddoe]

Thank you Pennsylvania for what you did for the country on November 5th.

[theOriginal_ex]

I think others have alluded to this, but it's possible that the ambient air (when you packed it) was humid and the hot/cold of seasonal changes promoted condensation. I am of the opinion that moisture absorption would have been a huge benefit. I don't see the O2 absorbers being a major benefit, but having an anaerobic environment might could inhibit the mold growth. Also, I like the suggestions to separately bag (or vacuum seal) the items separately. I'd bet dollars to donuts that the vaseline-saturated cotton balls (sealed separately) were 100% good-to-go. GREAT TEACHING VIDEO, thanks for what you do, brother.

[Coins-]

I used to work in a plumbing field for years. Glue your joints well. To make sure they're set use primer When you glue your cap on twist in a clockwise motion before it sets to ensure that there are no leaks coming through your joint. For your threaded Cap.
Put tafflon plumbers tape on the Threads that will ensure you have a water tight seal. Just first of maxture protection You can.
Also, put some moisture packets in silica packets.Et.Cetera.

[KiwiBushcraftAndSurvival]

Awesome, appreciate the honest review. The unforseen failures, allow for great learning opportunities.

[matthewmcintosh]

A few tips we learned in Australia in the 90's. Use rated sewer pipe (thicker wall), use a cap type end cap with o-ring seal, not a plug type, a lit tealight candle sealed inside makes a good O² absorber and crates a slight vacuum.

[richhoffman]

What I have learned from pipefitters (30 yrs ago) Wass when you use PVC cement, push it together as hard as you can and turn it 90+ degrees so it will seal. Maybe that was the reason for leakage. The twist makes it seal like a pipe fitting thread.

[russelrogers]

As a retired electrician, I can tell you that ALL electrical PVC conduits in the ground or concrete will always have moisture get into them. You can glue till the cows come home and moisture will find a way in. Buried deeper with moisture absorbers would probably help.

[anonanonanon-cv]

Oddly, I just opened up an old survival kit myself this week...something I made with my scout troop about ten years ago. It was buried in a box in the basement, not the ground. Best thing I discovered in it was five bucks!

[rocketman]

As a Geocacher I recognize the challenges of placing a sealed container in the woods under a log for years, hopefully, and keeping a log book and trinkets intact. The hot and cold cycles can have a dramatic effect on the level of condensation depending on the seal. Keep up the great work and post the coordinates and add a little log book to your cache and you may get some visits.