Hide a cache above ground only when burial is impractical because of rocky ground, a high water table or frozen soil, and then choose a sealed container wedged deep in a natural rock crevice or placed in the least-searched part of a ruin. A container hung from a tree is the weakest choice because it can be seen from below, can fall, and is within reach of climbing animals.
Part of Hidden Food Caches
Above-ground concealment is the hiding of a sealed cache container in a tree, rock formation or abandoned building when burial is not possible.
Above Ground, The Container Faces Weather And Animals Directly
The parent article gives three above-ground options for when burial is impractical: tree caches, rock crevice caches and ruin caches. Compared with a buried cache the container here sees the full swing of day and night temperature, rain, sun, frost and the attention of animals. A buried container sits in soil, which moderates temperature. A cache in rock or a ruin does not, so it must be sealed more carefully and protected from UV, which breaks down plastic over time (a general property of plastics, not a corpus figure).
What You Need
- A sealed container with its liner and desiccant — see Waterproofing and Preservation
- Camouflage — bark, branches, stones from the site; see Natural Camouflage
- A rope, if a tree is used, and the means to test it
- A survey of the site in daylight: structure, animal signs, drainage
Method: Choose The Least Bad Place
Step 1: Tree caches. The parent article hangs a sealed container 4-5 m up on a rope thrown over a branch, camouflaged with bark and branches, and uses a branch too thin to support a climbing animal such as a bear. This works for a short stay, not as a lasting store. The container is visible from below, the rope weathers, the load swings and the branch can fail. A branch thin enough to stop a bear may also be too thin to carry a full container for months. Test the branch and rope with a load before trusting either, and do not stand under a hanging load while you work.
Step 2: Rock crevice caches. Find a natural gap in rock that is dry, shaded and deep. Seal the container against moisture, wedge it well back into the gap, and stack stones across the opening to match the surrounding rock. Look for where water runs: a crevice that channels rain is a leak. Check the opening for animal sign such as droppings and nests before putting your hand in.
Step 3: Ruin caches. The parent article hides caches behind false walls, under floorboards, inside walls or in spaces that appear structural, such as old chimneys or behind plumbing access panels; the more it looks like boring infrastructure, the less likely it is to be searched. Pick a ruin that is sound and unlikely to be demolished or reoccupied, and avoid places people already use.
Step 4: Conceal the way in. Do not make a path. Approach by a different route each time and brush out your marks.
Step 5: Raise the seal standard. Because the container will heat and cool, add a second liner, check the gasket and wax the seam, and avoid anything that needs a cool store.
Common Mistakes
- Treating a tree hang as permanent. Rope rots, branches break, animals investigate.
- Putting a heavy container high. A fall is an injury and a noise.
- Wedging a container where rain runs. The seal is tested every storm.
- Hiding it in a ruin that people visit. The same features that suit you suit them.
Safety
Rock stacks, ruins and the creatures that live in crevices
Do not put your hand blindly into a crevice or hole: snakes, stinging insects, rodents and their droppings are common, and some droppings carry disease; see Zoonotic Diseases. Piled stones can slide onto a hand or foot. Old buildings can collapse, floors can fail, and cellars and chimneys can fall in; never work alone in a damaged building. Do not stand beneath a load hung from a branch, and take a hung container down with the rope controlled, not dropped. Keep food sealed to avoid drawing bears and other animals.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Building Integration — storage built into your own structure
- Combine with: Pest Prevention — animals are the main threat above ground