Air & water tight container that can be buried long term

[-]

Many-Health-1673@reddit

Schedule 40 PVC pipe with glued on end caps has always worked for me.

[-]

Can confirm. Use to use this to hide my pot from mom and dad. Made one with a clean out plug and buried it so it looks like its a part of the plumbing, kept a wrench in my car to tighten or loosen the plug.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

That is the ONLY reliable answer.

Can't tell you how many ruined caches I've dug out done other ways. Every one of them with GLUED ON (not threaded) caps using six and 8 inch PVC contents have been fine decades later.

[-]

Kammy44@reddit

Are they still in Ziplocks?

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Zip locks?

[-]

Kammy44@reddit

Well, I’ve always stored anything that can’t take moisture in Ziplock Freezer bags. Plastic bags with a sturdier zips shut.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Ziploc, my bad, was thinking like zip ties...

Actually yeah the water logged one in question had items in ziplock baggies. Crazy story....

So there was a small ziplock bag of 9mm ammunition in there, it like everything else in the cache got soaked.

Flash forward about ten years. I am going to the range one day and gathering up some stuff. "What is this bag of 9mm? Don't remember it, well hell I'll shoot it." Yep, THAT BAG....

A Taurus PT99 of which I had had for a long while. One of the last rounds in a 15 round magazine and POOF, best I could describe would be a Wiley Coyote cartoon where his gun explodes when trying to shoot the Roadrunner... Frame cracked. OK, shit NOW I remember where that bag of ammo came from...

Taurus has a lifetime warranty- they were good about that, got a brand new gun back, under warranty, no cost whatsoever. And yes I told them exactly what happened, no BS. Bought several more afterwards, even with the new design I didn't like, but they seem to support their warranty.

Still though, was really stupid in forgetting and was extremely lucky nothing worse happened. Literally one of the last rounds in the magazine.

So other lesson- don't get your ammo soaked but quality ammo will often survive it. 13 or so rounds in that magazine (all soaked also) shot fine. Gives you some hope for that Mad Max scene with the old shotgun rounds 😄

[-]

Kammy44@reddit

Omgosh you had me howling! My uncle was a big cartoon fan, and every time we went to visit my grandma, he had on Looney Tunes. We watched more modern cartoons at home, but this was where I learned about the classics. And my brothers were both amateur comedians, and would act them out.

Even when we were at home playing ‘Army’, he would recreate the stunts. I was a girl, but when you have no sisters, you have to play boy games. So, fast forward, and I’m in my 50’s, and my brother, who lives a few states away, rides his bike up to visit. I hadn’t been on a Motorcycle in a while, so I ask him to take me for a ride. He gets on the bike, and I’m behind him.

He says, hey, I saw this thing on a cartoon once, and I’ve been wanting to try it!

I was laughing so hard, I almost fell off the bike.

Your description was funny, but oh so real! I wish for you a future filled with dry ammo. Thanks for the laughs.”

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

LMAO!!! Thanks

[-]

wahlumz@reddit

This could have been a dangerous situation if the bullet didn't have enough pressure to exit the barrel. You better hope that the next round is a complete dud.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

The bag of ammo from the submerged cache should have went right in the trash, unfortunately I was fairly poor at the time and thought I could dry out and "save" some of the gear in the cache. Evidently the bag of ammo got moved around and later mixed in/around other ammunition that was "in play" in an area I keep training ammo cans.

In hindsight, should have thrown the whole mess out minus the pistol receiver (serial numbers). None of it was really salvageable. When I mention stuff like "preppers are cheap" it's because I learned those hard lessons like the above story- that was me being a cheap arse... And it cost me a pistol!

[-]

wahlumz@reddit

I've seen many pictures of the damage caused by squib loads, but only ever experienced it once. I was duck hunting and my buddy had a bad shell that got wet. The shot rolled out the barrel. Few minutes later he decided out of the blue to change his choke. Pulled it out and the wad from the squib was stuck at the base too deep to see from the muzzle. Together in a boat, we both could been injured. I firmly believe that not enough people have been trained to recognize issues with ammo. Hang fires might even be worse than a squib.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Yikes!

[-]

Comfortable_Guide622@reddit

Why did it cause the powder to do that? I’ve had military ammo that sat for years in hot and cold, not wet?
I’m curious not doubting, excellent stuff.

[-]

Hey_cool_username@reddit

My guess is it was what’s called a squib round. One shot only partially fired, leaving the bullet stuck in the barrel. When the next round is fired, it can blow up. If you’re shooting and one shot sounds or feels different than the rest it’s extremely important to do an inspection before pulling the trigger again. In the case of this ammo, it’s possible the powder was bad in some rounds but the primer still managed to push the bullet out enough to get stuck.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

I've experienced squib rounds before, not many but a few over 4 decades of shooting. I don't think this would exactly be called that, the previous rounds fired without incident.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Everything in that tube was submerged, for likely several years. It might have drained a bit then got water logged again, etc.

This was commercial 9mm, not reloads. The fact that 13 or so of them fired and only 1 didn't after that kind of abuse is the bigger headline here I think. Not something I would purposely try again however.... Very disconcerting to have a handgun frame semi explode in your hand.

[-]

do_IT_withme@reddit

Your story reminded me of the video where a guy had a .50 cal rifle blow up in his face. The bolt was ejected into his neck and his dad drove him to the ER while the guy had 2 fingers jammed into the hole in his neck pressing on his severed jugular vein to keep from bleeding out. Amazingly he survived with some scary looking scars.

Here is a link to the video https://youtu.be/1449kJKxlMQ?si=MQZ_eV5GhZRfkEH3

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Wow, thankfully not that bad.

[-]

dj_boy-Wonder@reddit

Came here for this, /thread

Pipe it and glue a screw cap fitting to each end, keep a tool handy for cracking pipe ends if you ever need it, maybe 3d print one and bury it with it because those fuckers will be tough as nuts to get off

[-]

dj_boy-Wonder@reddit

Oh and if you label it with similar markings to what you’d find on gas infrastructure then if anyone DOES happen to stumble on it in future they’ll almost certainly leave it alone

[-]

OldGamerX79@reddit

That's what I would say as well.

[-]

Financial-Parsley482@reddit

What kind of glue?

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Any good PVC glue, I've used the "rain or shine" type as well as standard clear PVC glue.

I always leave a small section near one end free of items that can be easily damaged. This is in case I have to burn or break the end cap off in a bad situation. Now I just use a skill saw and make a short cut all the way around near the cap to get it off. Later you might not have that and have to beat/burn a small hole in and pry off, etc. the cap/end. Leaving one end where nothing is "combustible" on that end. This is usually where I will put a beanie cap, socks, etc. If they get cut, or slightly burned, etc. it won't be the end of the world. Cutting or burning the end of a rifle barrel however could distort harmonics.

[-]

UsernamesNotFound404@reddit

Heat gun will seperate pvc glue joints

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

And make the cap re-usable?

[-]

BatemansChainsaw@reddit

I'd go with a screw cap and leave a wrench smothered in cosmoline and wax paper zip tied to the pvc tube to rust out if you don't get back to it in a couple decades.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Every threaded cap cache I've tried over the decades failed. Every one when pulled was found with water damage on the items. Only a few thankfully before I learned, but nevertheless. Meanwhile, every glued on cap PVC cache I've pulled over the decades has been fine- see pic in my other post.

You could do the same with a hacksaw.

We have the small PVC saws in all our packs as well as knowing the string trick thing.

[-]

BatemansChainsaw@reddit

I like the hacksaw blade idea instead of leaving a greasy wrench to rust out. My success with the threaded caps must have been a fluke, but here's how I did them. the caps were screwed down almost all the way then I put in pvc weld around the last quarter inch and screwed it on tight. torquing them open took exercise but all but one could be rescrewed shut and more pvc weld put on to seal them back up again.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Interesting. I'll probably try that with something that won't break my heart (or wallet) if it's ruined 😄

Hacksaw blades fit nicely in the back of your BOB also. Handy for a few things but they are principally in there in ours for this reason.

[-]

BatemansChainsaw@reddit

practice just sealing it, leaving it for a week or whatever in the garage or closet, then trying to twist it open. that's pain in the ass enough, lol

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Hell I can make a small one and sit on it in the bathtub to test it 😄

[-]

SithLordRising@reddit

PVC adhesive from any hardware store basically softens the PVC so parts actually bond together as if heated

[-]

Many-Health-1673@reddit

I like Oatey Blue Lava PVC cement.

[-]

Special_Context6663@reddit

Make the pipe a little longer than the item(s) you are storing so you don’t damage them when you cut the cap off the pipe later.

[-]

oscarcharlied@reddit

Ammo can. Glued PVC is not easy to get open.

Just bury an ammo can. You can get some long enough for rifles like ARs etc. Paul Harrell did this and many others have as well.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

There are taller cans a little harder to find but they are out there.

I have done this via coating the outside in spray/rolled on bedliner product. This will help it stay a little longer.

Still not as long term as PVC with glued on ends.

[-]

SufficientOpening218@reddit

i dug up a mason jar that was about 20 years old,( i didnt bury it), it was fine. the new plastic lids would likely be even better than the old metal lids, though the one i dug up had been painted to help keep it from rusting.

[-]

oldvetran@reddit

6” PVC. Glue a cap on one end, glue a clean out adapter on the other. Teflon tape the plug threads.

[-]

Financial-Parsley482@reddit

What type of glue and what is a cleanout adapter?

Thank you

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Just use solid caps. More reliable.

One of the first caches I retrieved and the 100% only reason I own a metal detector.... was made with a cleanout cap. Teflon tape on it, etc. It leaked and ruined about $500. worth of equipment. I also did the regurgitated "place it vertical" BS that people that have never actually PULLED a cache always mention. MUCH EASIER to find a horizontally placed cache.

Glued on solid caps- NOT TEST CAPS- for the win. Yes they won't be cheap.

[-]

Kammy44@reddit

So I have to ask. Wtheck are you burying that’s worth $500? I was thinking of burying some of those Gold dollars. Imagine finding that in 100 years!

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Pistol, knife, ammunition and small gear.

[-]

Kammy44@reddit

Got ya. I’m not actually a prepper, but I preserve food like one. I’m 67. I have a few medical issues that render me ‘dead’ if I can’t get my meds. I figure I will last as long as my meds.

I’m on everyone’s when the SHTF list, because I am a gardener, home canner, dehydrate, and freeze food. I’m also a sewer with a treadle sewing machine, handspinner, weaver, basket maker, knitter, and all of those homesteadish hobbies.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Nice! +1

I need to get a new "rope" for an old foot powered Singer we got at an antiques store in KY one time.

[-]

Kammy44@reddit

They actually still sell the bands! I bought myself a new one after I got mine from my grandma. Her band was in bad shape. Mine is leather, but you can also get the silicone bands. I just like the original design.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Any sources?

[-]

Kammy44@reddit

Just Google: Leather treadle machine belt and a bunch of places pop up. They may be sewing shops or leather shops.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Thank you!

[-]

Many-Health-1673@reddit

Oatey Blue Lava PVC Cement

[-]

oldvetran@reddit

Primer (purple) and PVC pipe glue (it’s a solvent that doesn’t run). The dude at the hardware store can hook you up. The clean out adapter is a glue-on fitting that converts the end of the pipe to female threads.

[-]

sr603@reddit

Now im starting to question how reliable the cat litter container I buried in my grandparents back yard like 18 or so years ago is. I should dig that up...

[-]

Arglival@reddit

Sorry to tell you but your cat is probably dead...

[-]

BruceDSpruce@reddit

The cat is both alive AND dead!

[-]

mrrp@reddit

Only if he digs it up and looks. If he leaves it alone the cat is both alive and dead.

[-]

ElectionReal@reddit

Lol. Good Schro-zinger.

[-]

CopperRose17@reddit

Native Americans in the Southwest buried water caches along the routes they traveled in clay pots. They were unglazed, which kept the water cooler and filtered out bacteria. This probably doesn't help in your situation, but in a grid-down scenario, it would help keep drinking water more palatable. This would seem to be applicable to prepping.

[-]

Financial-Parsley482@reddit

Thank you this PVC idea sounds grand.
Do you think that I can apply these principles to make a time capsule?
I’d like it to be for more than 50 years. I’ve been trying to figure out what would work and I’m wondering if y’all think this would work?

[-]

ElKayakista@reddit

It actually works for everything except time capsules. Sorry.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

LOL

[-]

Financial-Parsley482@reddit

Darn, back to the drawing board

[-]

iamliberty@reddit

The best of them all is a product called The Dirty Man Safe. This is the survival cache that is created by people who wanted to make the best survival cache. It has multiple layers of protection from being underground. Easy to access.

It's the simplest to bury because of its design and even has a method to hide it from metal detectors. Top notch product I have one of my own and put my name on it!

[-]

MidSinglesInYourArea@reddit

Just remember that the air you're sealing into the container will contain moisture, so pack in plenty of 02 absorbers to prevent corrosion.

[-]

TheSensiblePrepper@reddit

I use this MTM Can with great success.

My only suggestion is to use better screws then they give you. It makes it much easily to open back up if you do.

[-]

Femveratu@reddit

Dirty Safe

[-]

RevolutionaryAsk2217@reddit

I use jars, use hot glue (lots of it) around the lids edges, ziplock bags (for the items inside and then put the jar in another zip bag, then I get gaffer tape and tape the whole lot up tightly- & repeat if I feel it’s necessary. I recently dug up one that’s been underground for around 18 months and everything was still good

[-]

thisquietreverie@reddit

What I don’t bury are grade 1 PA-156 81mm HE mortar cans.

[-]

Hash_Tooth@reddit

Whatever you put in there, don’t forget about humidity. Vaccum sealer might help.

[-]

11systems11@reddit

[-]

Old_Dragonfruit6952@reddit

Ball jar?

[-]

passthesoapBuddy@reddit

The lid will rust and then the whole thing is useless

[-]

Soff10@reddit

Bucket with lid. Set upside down so it has no chance to fill with water.

[-]

Undeaded1@reddit

5gallon bucket with a gamma lid.

[-]

knotty1999@reddit

Dont forget the O2 absorber.

[-]

Bitter_Albatross25@reddit

If your using PVC make sure the cement your using is rated for the pipe your also using. Personally I take a little sandpaper or sanding cloth lightly rough up where the glue is going to go before I prime it. If your primer gets wet toss it and grab a fresh can.

[-]

tw60407@reddit

I agree with most of the above comments that PVC with glued on endcaps is the way to go. Pretty much everything with seals or gaskets degrade over time and will eventually leak when buried underground.

[-]

JRHLowdown3@reddit

Glued on caps for the win.

In the 90's there was some packaging available at shows that was like what was used for MOPP suits only longer. You could fit "more than a few" different lengths things in there. This one was placed in the pipe and packed full of loose x39 ammo. It was in ground for almost 20 year in a wet area. When it was recovered everything was dry.

[-]