55 Gallon Drum Cache

[mikebol]

Hey Gang,

I'm in the early stages of storing food for a possible breakdown in society. Doing the 5gal buckets with lids and dry foods, can goods, etc. Would a 55gal drum with a lid and clamp be water tight enough for using as a cache stored on a remote property? I'm thinking it'd need some moisture absorbent packs in it but wasn't sure how these would weather.

Thanks!

Mike

 

[Thor]

I have two 58gal steel drums for just such use. They were made to store rocket motors for the long term...I'm sure they'll be fine for food and drink for decades. I was actually thinking of getting a couple more...be great for ammo too (unless you want to move it).

New U.S. Military Surplus 58-gallon Shipping Drum, Olive Drab - 232324, Storage Containers at Sportsman's Guide

 

[pudly]

If you are sealing food like for the 5-gallon bucket setup, then the drum seal isn't critical.

The mylar is excellent at keeping out air and moisture. The bucket is to protect against rodents and insects chewing through the thin mylar.

 

[Cameramonkey]

And if you REALLY want added protection, bury it open end down. As long as groundwater doesnt rise (in theory even that isnt an issue if the rest of the barrel is intact... upside down glass uderwater anyone?) it will never fill due to a bad seal. You'll still need to seal the contents against moisture, but water incursion shouldnt be a problem in that position.

it wont be as convenient to get into, but it should keep it from filling with water.

 

[IndyDave1776]

The $50 question is how long you plan to leave your goods in storage and under what conditions. If you are not keeping the drums in a reasonably dry location, you can count on the rusting sooner or later, which means that they will eventually rust through--even brand new ones with good tight-fitting lids.

 

[Cameramonkey]

OP may be talking about these:

 

[IndyDave1776]

OP may be talking about these:

That could well work nicely!

 

[bulletsmith]

And if you REALLY want added protection, bury it open end down. As long as groundwater doesnt rise (in theory even that isnt an issue if the rest of the barrel is intact... upside down glass uderwater anyone?) it will never fill due to a bad seal. You'll still need to seal the contents against moisture, but water incursion shouldnt be a problem in that position.

it wont be as convenient to get into, but it should keep it from filling with water.

That makes sense, but I'd like to throw some numbers at this for discussion.

55 gallons of water weighs roughly 459 lbs. This is what the upward buoyant force would be on a barrel in water. Depending on what you have in the barrel, it could very likely weigh less than 459lbs. This will cause the barrel to try and float if the ground water gets high enough.

Let's say you fit 300lbs into your barrel that you bury in the yard. If the ground water gets high enough, there could be 159lbs of upward force on that barrel. In a flooding situation the soil can behave more like a fluid than a compacted solid. Your barrel becomes a bobber.

In severe flooding, caskets have been found floating due to this exact situation.

Just something to think about.

 

[mikebol]

That makes sense, but I'd like to throw some numbers at this for discussion.

55 gallons of water weighs roughly 459 lbs. This is what the upward buoyant force would be on a barrel in water. Depending on what you have in the barrel, it could very likely weigh less than 459lbs. This will cause the barrel to try and float if the ground water gets high enough.

Let's say you fit 300lbs into your barrel that you bury in the yard. If the ground water gets high enough, there could be 159lbs of upward force on that barrel. In a flooding situation the soil can behave more like a fluid than a compacted solid. Your barrel becomes a bobber.

In severe flooding, caskets have been found floating due to this exact situation.

BulletSmith, you make a good point and one that could be both a pro and con. If you were burying this in a wetland area, buoyancy could be a problem. However, as another poster is concerned about basement storage and flooding, this could be a solution. In my case, I've not decided on a location just yet but looking at a higher, dry area on a friends property as a pre-cache, near-cache site to my current home.

OP may be talking about these: <snip>

CameraMonkey, I was originally thinking of the steel barrels and storing the drum above ground, painted camo and covered with brush. The plastic barrels would work great too, would be lighter and last longer if buried for sure. Plus these would be a little lighter to transport but just as water tight. Waterproofing isn't so important but if it comes for free, why not. Great suggestion!

 

[Thor]

I guess if you're going to bury it whether it's upside down or not is not really going to matter for convenience sake. If things are so bad that keeping it means it has to be buried, then accessing and using it or even still being in the area is probably an issue.

If just keeping it in a dark, dry, cool corner of a locked house with armed residents is not enough then I guess we should be talking about backpacks not storage drums.

 

[mikebol]

Thor, that's true in a general sense but there are situations where having a remote cache for supplies may be necessary, ideal. For now, I'm still searching for the right property to buy and build on. Once that's secured, having a few of these drums in place would give me an inexpensive storage of supplies should civil unrest occur in the near term with my target bug out location being said property. Once a home is built on the property, these would certainly serve less use other than perhaps to store a secondary BOB, additional ammo or other items that I may choose to return for that are not immediately necessary and\or too large to take quickly.

Mike

 

[IndyDave1776]

CameraMonkey, I was originally thinking of the steel barrels and storing the drum above ground, painted camo and covered with brush. The plastic barrels would work great too, would be lighter and last longer if buried for sure. Plus these would be a little lighter to transport but just as water tight. Waterproofing isn't so important but if it comes for free, why not. Great suggestion!

I will throw out an example: One of the issues my dad left me to deal with is a steel drum full of God knows what in the yard with holes rusting into the top. My guess is used oil, but I can't swear to it, and I am not yet recovered enough for that kind of heavy lifting, but it does underscore the fact that aside from a warehouse environment (which your garage or basement could well adequately replicate) drums are just not so great for long term storage.

 

[Thor]

Thor, that's true in a general sense but there are situations where having a remote cache for supplies may be necessary, ideal. For now, I'm still searching for the right property to buy and build on. Once that's secured, having a few of these drums in place would give me an inexpensive storage of supplies should civil unrest occur in the near term with my target bug out location being said property. Once a home is built on the property, these would certainly serve less use other than perhaps to store a secondary BOB, additional ammo or other items that I may choose to return for that are not immediately necessary and\or too large to take quickly.

Mike

I saw in another post where you are talking about a shelter to keep them in. They should work fine. They've found seeds stored in the pyramids still viable millennium later so you should be good to go.

 

[mikebol]

...drums are just not so great for long term storage.

Dave, do you think the plastic drum with lid would have fared any better over the years? I don't intend to leave this in the earth for 20+ years but fate has a cruel way of setting aside the best laid plans.

Mike

 

[nate77]

Hey Gang,

I'm in the early stages of storing food for a possible breakdown in society. Doing the 5gal buckets with lids and dry foods, can goods, etc. Would a 55gal drum with a lid and clamp be water tight enough for using as a cache stored on a remote property? I'm thinking it'd need some moisture absorbent packs in it but wasn't sure how these would weather.

Thanks!

Mike

I like 35 gallon drums, a little easier to move, and get to the bottom of.

I saw these in New Palestine on Craigslist, looks like a perfect fit.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/for/5698634749.html

 

[IndyDave1776]

Dave, do you think the plastic drum with lid would have fared any better over the years? I don't intend to leave this in the earth for 20+ years but fate has a cruel way of setting aside the best laid plans.

Mike

I would expect plastic to last much longer, especially if protected from direct sunlight.