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

[@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.robertsergertson4513]

@@coalcracker: if you ever need proven tips on Cache' n let me know . I've had Cache' s from the 90's come up perfect

[@ronmenges6825]

Don't use threaded ends. Double primer and liberal use of glue. Add a handful of moisture packages inside. Tape a hacksaw blade covered with shrink tube to the outside and you will have a dry stash. Even if the blade falls off and is lost a rock will break it open. I have a few stashs around the country.

[@ericorsinger1518]

You did really good the first time then

[@JPMerolla001]

I wonder if including a roll of plumbers tape would be worth throwing in something like that. So you can open and reseal it with its own contents. However. Seeing how long the plumbers tape will stay rubbery in those conditions would be a interesting experiment for the future. But you could always just hike in with some new tape also...

[@ericc.7000]

Waterproof proof grease on the threads. l use it on motorcycle axle seals, keeps them shiny new and moisture free literally for decades, in all sorts of weather conditions (and yes, l ride in the rain).

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

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

[@victorhausauer3018]

Never thought of a baby diaper as a moisture lock! 😂😂 But it makes sense!I'll definitely keep that in the tool box.

[@PalmettoParatrooper]

The diaper is new info for me lol

[@jamespaul2587]

​@victorhausauer3018 don't forget to remove the baby first 😊

[@victorhausauer3018]

@@jamespaul2587 🤣🤣🤣

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

@@jamespaul2587 👍😂😂😂😂

[@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.

[@dakotaheeren7468]

doesnt look like theres any plumbers tape or similar on the threads so water could have gotten in. theres a reason they use it on pipes that will be carrying water. same rules apply for keeping it out as keeping it in.

[@kennethspeering2922]

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

[@rquest3059]

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

[@atomicmonkeysquad]

Totally agree. I have to think that heat sealing each item, or groups of items, into mylar bags before putting them into the tube would have to help keep out moisture.

[@mjk9388]

Just curious...would the oxygen absorbers create a vacuum inside the tube and make the threaded cap harder to get off? Haven't ever experimented with the idea to see.

[@ravenblaylock13]

@@mjk9388 no

[@scottcarter4388]

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!!!

[@larrylezon1590]

Not a bad idea, but I've sealed ammo in Foodsaver bags, only to find most had lost their seal after 5 - 10 years. Not bad, depending on how long you're planning on leaving stuff buried, and it still may keep most moisture out. Perhaps Mylar bags would be better. Regardless, sealing stuff in a secondary bag is highly recommended (his socks in the Ziplock bag were still dry). I would also add some desiccant packs.

[@TestUser-cf4wj]

You want perfect waterproofing? Put everything into a 4" PVC pipe. Cap it and seal it with silicone caulk. Then put the 4" pipe into a 6" pipe and fill the empty space in the 6" pipe with white lithium grease. Cap the 6 inch pipe and seal it with caulk.

[@wretchedmess]

@@larrylezon1590 I've had good luck double bagging things like ammo, or padding anything with an edge/corner that can be abraded and create a leak. Although the Foodsaver really works well on clothing and toilet paper.

[@richardmadison546]

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.

[@MrBottlecapBill]

A lite oil rub before tossing them in probably would have kept them in much better shape.

[@nedlyest]

I second the oil rub, wrap them in a oily rag before sealing them in a tin

[@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).

[@williamjones5424]

Don’t forget to take your pipe wrench with you in a real survival situation!

[@williamjones5424]

Great idea! That’s the first thing I thought about at the end of his video!

[@h8uall66]

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.

[@CragDawgs]

Document it!

[@h8uall66]

@@CragDawgs Good idea!

[@OutlandStation]

Let us know what you found out!

[@KiwiBushcraftAndSurvival]

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

[@Coins24-7]

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.

[@theOriginal_ex811]

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.

[@anonanonanon-c4v]

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!

[@butchgarner3911]

score!!

[@sportsmobile8328]

Flints are baby fero rods. Once they are struck they start to oxidize and deteriorate. Don't ever strike a lighter and put it away for long term storage. I have been sorry that I did that many times.👍👍Another tip for caching is to double vaccum seal your items. I have learned that once is not enough. A lot of times a single bag can get compromised. Been there, done that.😢

[@monkeman5061]

There are so many ways to make fire. I'd trust a hardened flint -n- steel steel to last longer than a ferro rod. Flint is not necessary, at least where I am. Pretty much any random rock (mostly pegmatite/quartz here) works as well, which is good since there's no flint to be had around here. Quartz does crack bits off, but it's plenty hard to make sparks. If it wasn't so available breaking would be a problem, but it's everywhere. If you need to be able to make expedient fire in an emergency a pack of waterproof matches in a waterproof bottle is hard to beat. Though a road flare is probably better for one off emergencies. Some of the chemicals are oxidizers and salts so plastic bag those flares/matches so they don't cause corrosion.

[@monkeman5061]

I wish there were a knife with a bit of hardened sparking steel on the handle. You probably don't want the blade that hard except maybe on the edge but then you don't want to ruin that by sparking against rocks. If you harden the whole blade spine it would become too brittle. Maybe a locking blade where the scales/handle part was hardened to make sparks..

[@TestUser-cf4wj]

A bit of steel and a piece of basalt makes a good spark. Not as good as flint, but it'll spark a fire.

[@silverecco]

Never knew ferro rods would deteriorate, but I guess that explains why replacement zippo flints are painted red. Those will fit other lighters, I use them in mini clippers, but I'm sure you could get the wheel off on a BIC with some finagling. They're cheap and tiny, could always throw a pack of still-painted ones in.

[@sportsmobile8328]

@@silverecco I keep a rack of them too.

[@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. So...yaaaaaay!! 8D (Also, loved the kid's book you put out!)

[@Philobeddoe12]

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

[@richhoffman6873]

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.

[@clintonellyson9675]

Great video, but I found the comments just as useful.

[@donny9787]

Dan putting white cotton socks in a survival cache definitely dates how long that things been sitting underground 😂😆 wool or bust

[@hogue3666]

Awesome stuff. Thanks, Dan. From one brewer to another. If you drop a bucket into the ground, you need to tap the lid with a rubber or wooden mallet. Sealed isn't sealed until you do. Good luck.😊

[@jesseadams45]

I have one of that old Gerber saw. They were really good and sorta tough to find now. Worth cleaning and fixing.

[@davestrachan7314]

Rust on a saw won't keep it from doing its job!😊

[@mikhailkalashnikov4599]

Yup, pipe dope on the threads real heavy or use silicone caulk. Cut it open if you have to. Bury in vertical position with threaded end pointed down Even standing water can't enter when the air pressure is trapped.

[@jameswhitworth8487]

If you had a FoodSaver you could vacuum seal those items in separate bags

[@stevemoore5053]

Good idea.

[@ebudrow1]

Did you have Teflon tape on the threads? Put silicone seal around the edges of the plug as a backup. And drop in a moisture absorber from a piece of electronic equipment. Make sure to dry it out first though.

[@richardkranium2527]

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.

[@ireallylovegod]

Don't rely on this as a lot of people double check the area after a find, even a tin can.

[@SaltyArmyCaptain]

I was gonna say I always check my hole a few times before I'm sure there's nothing left

[@clintonellyson9675]

@@richardkranium2527 bury it under a federally protected plant. They'll have to commit a federal felony to dig it up.

[@wilberjacobsparks4805]

Metal detectors always check their holes twice

[@RobCalhounPGH]

@@wilberjacobsparks4805 How much junk would make you stop, thinking you found a spot where someone buried their trash? And how deep would you stop at?

[@matthewmcintosh4925]

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.

[@ldsphotodude49]

Everybody already said what caused your moisture condensation. When I was younger I did the same thing you did on a smaller scale. I decided to leave strike anywhere matches in one of my camps in the woods inside a Mason Jar with a dome lid on it. I screwed the lid on tight and left it in a fork of a tree that was standing but hollow, a year or so later I remembered them and tried to retrieve my matches and they were all wet and useless

[@paulamcclure3402]

Dan, Great video on examining a ~12 year PVC Cache Survival Kit. Too bad a portion was not still viable. Perhaps the freeze & thaw cycles of PA weather over the years created just enough of a gap in the PVC sealed endcap that moisture got in. Probably a good idea to have every item in waterproof bags & ziplocks to add protection to the gear. Happy Trails! 🇺🇸🏕🌲

[@russelrogers2540]

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.

[@KenFish76]

Was going to say the same thing

[@thinkfirst6431]

All conduits plastic or otherwise have 2 points where the water gets in. Where the wires go into the conduit and where they come out. Very rarely are those two points sealed air tight so as the barometric pressure goes up and down so does the air and the moisture level in the conduit. It is easy for the moisture to get in it is harder for the moisture to get out so water condenses in the conduit and builds up. It is not ground water it is water from the air. Bigger problem in humid areas than in dry areas. It is still a problem everywhere. It is not ground water it is water from the air. Even if you seal both ends depending on the length and volume of the conduit and the humidity in the air when sealed unless you purge the conduit with nitrogen when sealed it still will and can develop "dampness" inside. If you are old enough think about scopes that would fog inside as apposed to the "modern" scopes that now have o rings and are purged with nitrogen at the factory. As long as the o rings are good the scope will not fog. When the seals fail the nitrogen gets out and is replaced with "air" and the scope can fog.

[@chuckh1958]

Did moisture get in or could this have been condensation? A cache packed on a humid day then buried in the cool ground?

[@kentmarsh6442]

It's condensation. You need to install a Schrader valve and pull a vacuum with a air conditioning vacuum .

[@thinkfirst6431]

@@kentmarsh6442 Purging under pressure would be better than pulling a vacuum unless you combined both procedures. If you pull a vacuum the container and seal(s) need to be strong enough to withstand the outside pressure to keep the container from collapsing or the seals failing. Purging with nitrogen will have little effect on the pressure inside the container so that the seal(s) do not need to be as strong as vacuum seals. If you pulled a very slight vacuum on the container, maybe 1-2 inches which would remove most if not all of the moisture then allowed the vacuum to pull in nitrogen directly from a tank until the pressure equalized for your altitude the seals would be under very little stress in or out and maintain the nitrogen in the container longer. Nothing but the best quality seals will keep "air" from eventually infusing into the container.

[@TrumpWon420]

Paul Harrel dug up his cache before he passed and they buried him. Ironic. Absolutely a cool video. RIP Paul

[@marka4891]

I'd love to see more about caching like this.

[@calebdoner]

Paul Harrell dug up an old cache a few months before he passed and did a video on it. Used a mil surp ammo can everything came out good to go including the pop tarts!

[@marka4891]

@@calebdoner Oh cool! Thank you! I'll check it out.

[@wyliemitchell6442]

My deceased blood brother buried vertically two pvc piping as you show in the video w several SKS rifles and two M1 Garands that were still cosmoline wrapped, with ammo and desiccant packs somewhere, but had only told his son where...and now that his son has recently passed away, there is nobody that was told where they are buried at.

[@Killzone3265]

time to hire a guy with a metal detector, also, my condolences

[@wyliemitchell6442]

@@Killzone3265 Thanks for the condolences, but as I had stated, nobody knows where the tubes are located and he was to bury them vertically from my discussion with him while he was assembling the tubes. They are within a 100 mile radius from where his home was located, that's about as close it'll get. Finding a pot of gold in your backyard would be more likely than those tubes.

[@ericankney5957]

@@wyliemitchell6442 Thanks for the tip, brb, gotta go check my back yard......... ok, so I just checked the yard.... no indications of a pot of gold, but still, best of luck finding those caches.

[@stixglass8442]

Fun to see a review of your younger self/mindset. Most videos on this subject are very polished, this was refreshing. Cheers.

[@JasonStPierre]

Finally, a perfect example of flint and ferro rod decay. Posted many times on this subject, Either store pizio sparked lighters or coat such items with vicks rub. Why vicks specifically? Vicks unlike plain peritoneum jelly includes camphor oil that even protects metal in proximity from corrosion. Also camphor blocks sometime found in pharmacy's will keep corrosion out of toolboxes and tackle boxes. I use one block per square foot in toolboxes, they last for years.

[@Blinkerd00d]

That's an old school trick....it works very well. Only downside is you have to replace the block every so often.

[@TT-mf5nj]

1. Not buried deep enough, allowed condonation to build because of hot and cold cycles. 2. No moisture absorbers 3. No oxygen absorbers 4. Vucume seal your contents separately

[@thomasstover8993]

Some people claim oxygen absorbers and moisture absorbers fight each other.

[@TT-mf5nj]

@@thomasstover8993 2 totally different molecules. I do it all the time. Works great

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

@@TT-mf5nj if you do #2 ,#3,#4 depth doesn't matter but to avoid casual discovery ,or probing deeper is better

[@TT-mf5nj]

@j.robertsergertson4513 perhaps, but it cannot hurt to go a little deeper. (Not what she sd) But seriously, a little deeper at more stable temps and less exposure to the heavy rains/snows would help.

[@peterw8835]

Condensation was what I was thinking

[@michaelodonoghue7464]

In Australia between October 1996 and September 1997, a total of 650,000 privately owned Guns were forcefully collected, in what was known as the Australian Gun Buy Back Scheme. Also at about this time a large number of Firearm Caches were buried. For legal reasons, these Caches had to be buried ‘off property’ of land owned by the Owner of said Firearm (less Charges if Cache was ever discovered by Authorities). Many of these Caches still exist and are regularly inspected by their Owners, as are the Semi Automatic Rifles they contain. Sometimes Government simply can’t be Allowed to Win.

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

@@michaelodonoghue7464 You're gonna need them ,sooner than you think, Good luck ! God bless

[@Gryphon_Hawke]

Never would have thought of this. Great idea.

[@jasong5913]

I would suggest that you had condensation from temperature changes once the tube was buried.

[@thornallen9687]

Good thinking. The lighters might also be suffering from galvanic corrosion.

[@rocketman3474]

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.

[@DinJaevel]

That's a good challenge. If you can hide that cache so that a bunch of geocachers can't find it. Then your cache is probably good. The question is if you'll find it though. Because any landmarks will be moved, changed or destroyed depending on how bad we (geocachers) want to find it. As a fellow cacher I also learned a long time ago never to place the threads up osmosis (unsure of spelling) will fuck shit up and water will penetrate.

[@akbychoice]

@@DinJaevela friend’s brother built airboats out of aluminum. He built sealed square fuel tanks out of aluminum with no opening. After a year he got back to the fuel tanks and they had a tiny bit of water inside them.

[@RobCalhounPGH]

@@DinJaevel This is a great point. Gravity will work in your favor. People naturally want to take the path of least resistance and bury the tube threaded end up. That way they don't have to dig the whole tube out to get the contents. In a way that's a good approach because you don't know what condition you'll be in or how long you'll have in that location before you have to leave.

[@Will-d2g]

It's condensation. You have to put some silica packs in the tube because when the ground warms up, the tube warms up, but when the ground cools, the tube stays warm for a bit longer and this condensation happens on the inside of the tube. I had one do the same thing, that's how I learned about it; my tools were rusty as well.

[@fearthehoneybadger]

Still needs to be oiled and/or packed in sealed, plastic bags.

[@paulzimmerman3895]

Excellent info. Thanks.

[@TiredOfApathy]

If you had nothing and found this, you were better off than not having it. Thanks for the vid. Water proofing is important info we learned. Maybe mylar components and heavily grease and seal tools. A little bigger and I could put the following: Small firearm/ammo (maybe Henry AR-7 22lr), compact clothing/underlayer, fire starting gear, using the drinking container to fill with fishing gear/snares/compass/map/soap/a little money and things to space save. shelter, couple knives and multitool heavily greased, some cooking stuff and a compact bag of some sort to transport.

[@scout3058]

I built a tube like this in 2017. That tube was buried in Virginia, then Southern Louisiana, then Florida. I opened it July of this year after we moved to Arizona. Everything was dry as desert sand. I sealed one end to max PSI rating for the PVC. I closed the other end with an expanding rubber test plug and I coated the rubber with Mobil 1 synthetic red tacky grease. It never evaporated or turned hard and the rubber kept it's seal intact. Food for thought.

[@ra8640]

Another Awesome video! I love your channel Brother! I've also been doing survival a long time. It was cool to see part of Your journey! God Bless!

[@Netbug]

Desiccant packs would be a good idea, as well as prepping, packing, and sealing this in a room with a dehumidifier running.

[@DanWebb_BoomerManDan]

This was an excellent test. You could prevent the issues with most of the problems, other than the older food, by maybe bagging everything in ziplocs or other individual moisture barriers. Also, a better sealing of the cache itself might additionally help. We can only be assured of the caches we place by testing like this. I really like this. Imagine if you had ammo. What moisture prevention techniques would you have used?

[@HotZone97]

Dan, Next time run a bead of sealant around the end-cap seams where it connects to the PVC pipe, the PVC sealant never really seals totally correctly, especially under hydrostatic pressure. If that doesn’t look like it’s enough, you call also use some duck-tape, aqua seal tape or flex tape to double seal the seams. Thanks for an actual answer to the cashe question of “will it leak”.

[@mrkultra1655]

Thanks

[@beebob1279]

Nice video. It can show things can go wrong. Maybe teflon tape the threads for moisture control. If it's a long term then maybe glue seal both ends. It'll be harder to open, but using PVC piping in pools, a string can cut through the plastic

[@Dave_Wave]

Strap wrench, "... not the right tool...". Any tool that works is the right tool...

[@ericankney5957]

In an emergency, the best tool to have is the one you have. Best tool in the world, if its somewhere else, is useless. ;)

[@xephorce]

suggestion for you next time pack one end with the Reusable Silica Gel Desiccant beads. Ive seen people use them in gun safes and ammo storage to stop rust. Also very handy for keeping dry foods longer.

[@victorhausauer3018]

Thats a great lesson for everyone to take note from. Obviously the common comment will be dessicant packs, but you can also make sure to oil or grease your tools before. And i would say there a planning to packing the items in a sequence so that the less worry some items are at the bottom as the moisture will go to the bottom.. great video!

[@wayneandrews1278]

Great video

[@kennithnieman9130]

That was a awesome video.

[@brianhelgeson1208]

Possible moisture in the air and sealed in. Moisture absorbers? Cool vid!

[@alexandregh.3831]

Very interesting and informative video. Maybe if it had been buried deeper in the ground the water from condensation due to temperature changes would not have formed inside the tube.

[@ericorsinger1518]

Pvc joints always leak if you don't do the plumbers primer and pvc glue. And you need a moisture absorber if it is a cache because a hollow pvc pipe like electrical piping gets condensation in It from temperature changes and has no way to escape. Bury it deeper that helps to , below the frost line 18" to 2' is about average for PA

[@IronSharpensIron127]

That food is perfectly fine 👍🏼

[@MotleyMattila]

Pressure test was a success… all part of the learning process. Thanks for doing what you do!

[@jonfisher9214]

A few weeks ago I was sorting through some of my old camping gear to give to my son who was climbing the Brecon Beacons. I found a pack of lifeboat matches in a cook set. The orange plastic screw top cylinder type. They were at least 30 years old and have been on several kayak camping trips, kept as a back up. They struck first time. I'd definitely add a pack if I was burying a cache like this.

[@jwdory]

Great video, thanks for sharing? What would you change if you were to make another? Time was not kind to that razor knife. Was it aluminum or magnesium? Maybe a stainless knife?

[@lonenester]

Maybe use a food vacuum bag to put some items in before putting in tube

[@_DB.COOPER]

I’ve eating MRE’s 58 years old and they were good.

[@earlshaner4441]

Outstanding video brother

[@markgelinas8114]

I made one and used truck bed liner paint to seal up the entire cap and body of the pipe. I used Teflon tape on the threads and once ready to finish the cashe, painted the top with the truck bed liner paint. Everything inside was sealed in vacuum bags. This was done twice with oxygen absorbers in the first bag along with the item and then again in the outer bag before it was vaccusealed. I haven't opened the case so I don't know if the contents are good. Should be interesting to see how well I packed things.

[@deltacompany2003]

Dude i didn't know you're a fellow Pennsylvanian! Lancaster county here🖐🏼! Thank you for your content man!

[@dcongdon2294]

Flat landers you be!!Ha Ha

[@justkelly6992]

I made a few of these and sealed them with plumbers paste. Then I painted them with bitumin sealer. I also used my welding tank and purged the oxygen with nitrogen and sealed it with oxy absorbers inside. I'm in Pac NW it rains 9 months a year. I opened it at 5 years, perfect.

[@clivenewton7609]

My personal feeling regarding the moisture issue is the pipe just wasn’t buried deep enough! As someone has already said, the hot/cold/wet cycle contributed to the partial damage you encountered. Realistically nothing was really beyond redemption, even the Bic with a little less heavy handling (😂😂) would have been fine!! If you’re not going to bury it arms length down (1mt/3ft) then all the other ideas, vac-pac, diapers etc, etc would need to come into play to give you a fighting chance! You could always do a side by side experiment 😂😂 regards from across the pond in deepest Dorset 👍

[@timbradwell3205]

For future versions you could drill a hole across block where wrench goes big enough to slide in a long screw driver that way if no wrench you could use a long rod. I used to work putting in sewer and water utilities and that's how we would sometimes do that to get into stubborn clean outs on sewers.

[@BrokenChains77]

I've gone through some old gear recently and I found a couple of Bic lighters that were frozen up and wouldn't strike. I replaced them with ferro rods with file strikers.

[@joshuabomar6974]

In my experience over time , bic lighters stored for many years have an issue with the tiny ferro rods oxidizing & turning to dust. Thanks DannO

[@johnfortwengler4496]

When you make a new one put everything in separate freezer ziplocks that way your tools have a good chance to stay dry if tube leaks just a thought

[@RichardSkokowski]

As several others have said, the threads were not sealed (need some Teflon tape or other thread sealant). Also, plastics are never _completely_ waterproof. They just slow down the water intrusion. Thicker is better. Metal is better still. Paint the pipe with a lacquer/sealant for better performance. Also, there will be some moisture inside when the pipe is sealed, so heat it up (lay it out on a dry, sunny day) before sealing it. The stuff you put in also has to be dry--let it bake in the sun and put something absorbent inside (someone mentioned a diaper). Metal things will do better if they're greased up and put in a zip loc bag (that's why you find cosmoline on military stuff). Cache some paper/cloth towels to wipe it off (and to burn later). Happy caching.

[@fookingsog]

Any metal item that you don't want to rust or have oxidize, I suggest wiping/spraying on a thin coating of woolwax/lanolin. Fluid Film lubricant contains Lanolin. You can also saturate a piece of suede leather with Lanolin and use that to wipe down your metal items you wish to protect.

[@atomicmonkeysquad]

Never thought of this before, and don't have a means of testing it except to try it and wait for many years for the result, but do you know if putting a glob of Vaseline on the top of a Bic lighter will keep its striker from seizing up over time? Also, have you tried heat-sealing the tube's contents into vacuum-packed mylar bags before putting them into the cache tube?

[@SunriseLAW]

I clicked on this video, watched it, then went back to the KZbin main page to find that over half the featured videos suddenly changed over to survival prepping :):):). As a note, everything shown in this video could have fit inside 4 inch pvc... 4" pipe and fittings are so common they cost about 1/3 what you pay for the 5 or 6 inch.

[@brandonshrum6568]

I'm a plumber and I would say the threads. Definitely use some Teflon tape on the threads, dry they're not water tight and if opened re apply.

[@TheCopperVillageAngler]

Good job!

[@williamirelan9332]

Plug down with silicone calk on the threads and silicone dry packets or O2 absorbers is a better way. Deep enough that the temperature changes don't shrink the plug. I stopped using bic lighters for long term storage because most of the time the flints turn to grey dust.

[@feralkid1879]

I did it years ago with a smaller container. Buried it at the base of a tree in some woods I used to frequent. Moved away, came back years later, periodically remembering it and planning to go dig it up someday. One day they came through with a dozer and pushed everything trees and all in a big pile and burned it. There's a subdivision and a walmart there now.

[@frederickheard2022]

On the plus side, you can get the stuff you need at the Walmart

[@resurrectiongarage1506]

Plumber here, tape and dope the threads, but do not use rector seal, I’ve had really good luck with blue monster thread sealer plus it’s a lot easier to clean off your hands than rector seal. You’d still want the moisture absorbers and probably vacuum seal stuff in individual packs with their own little absorber backs inside. As a plumber I wouldn’t know if they naturally condensate since our stuff is always wet anyway. I’ve seen some people do what they call cluster caches where they put multiple abs or pvc tubes inside a poly barrel and then fill the barrel with sand to prevent it floating out of the ground during extreme rain

[@jessemills3845]

Recommend packing tube on Really hot days. Let tube stay in sun. If time, rotate tube so the whole tube is heated by sun. Then pack, and seal when hot. As tube cools, it will create a vacuum. And heat will help to get more moisture out.

[@MegaMastiffman]

12 years!! That’s impressive

[@elvinscott2356]

As someone who as been responsible for underground communication cables for 30 years, it may shock many people, plastic is not a moisture barrier. Over time in the presents of moisture, moisture pasess through leading to eventual condisation. Certain metals and polimars are moisture barriers. The problem is a caches compose of or containing metal are easily detected with the right equipment. Early communication cables were sheathed in lead with no moistue intrution. Long ago even the Pharaol's sarcophagus's and other notable peoples' coffins were covered in lead to keep moisture from decomposing the body.

[@mikehh8020]

Same concept but use pvc sealant adhesive to seal the joints and the caps. You may have to cut it open when you need it. Put gun oil and cosmoline where appropriate. Install a fitting, valve, and pressure gauge on the tube. Attach a vacuum pump to the fitting and draw a vacuum to remove all the oxygen from the tube (no oxygen = no oxidation, rust, or mold), then close the valve and monitor the pressure gauge for a couple of weeks to make sure there aren't any leaks.

[@OPSTuT]

Moister got in Around the threads on the cap. Next time bury it cap down. That will help. Also you can place a small garbage bag over the cap and tape it on. To seal it up. And can add a moister absorber inside. Will help.

[@FAFOActual]

The air sealed in it would have had some moisture. I would assume the constant changing temperatures of it being outside for 10 years would have allowed condensation to develop at some point.

[@bangalorebobbel]

Great video, gives you a lot of real insight. Moisture proofing is maybe the most important topic in long term storage, whether in a cache or somewhere else. I live in a monsoon region so I have won some experiences ... About the contents, I have to confess I do not really understand why many people put junk items in such caches. Means if it is seriously meant for survival and not just as a test, why would you put a box cutter into it instead of a simple but sturdy fixed blade knife, maybe something like a Mora? Or why an empty soup can instead of a simple stainless steel pot, e.g. a Stanley or something like that?

[@RobCalhounPGH]

Young with not as much experience or budget answers the contents questions. If you dug that up in SHTF, you'd be happy with it. Even if it was all duplication of what you have, yet lesser quality. You now have barter fodder.

[@bangalorebobbel]

@@RobCalhounPGH I'd like to disagree. If you bury crap, you dug out crap. That's ok for fun but not for survival. If you really plan to survive with those items which you bury in the wilderness or in your garden, and you are currently a bit short of money, then why not wait another 2 weeks to get that extra 20$ saved it needs to get quality instead of burying today shere nonsense? I'm seriously concerned about the mindset of people who think they can survive with BS items and cannot wait til they have enough ressources for quality items which cost not really much more. I've seen too many videos about caches which contain only useless items which are totally unuseable after short term in a cache, and if they still function they are unuseable after second use. You see it also here: the cutter knife is gone, you cannot use it. And the soup can is a nice piece of junk, an improvisation, but nothing you can trust your life for a couple of years. And it has less use than any simple stainless steel pot which can be also used for digging or hammering etc, what you cannot do with that soup can. A good Mora knife costs you maybe 5 or 10 US$ more than a cutter knife. A simple stainless steel pot purchased in a Dollar Store costs you a Dollar or two. So what's the mindsed it you put in a kit which is in your opinion your last hope for survival a cutter instead of a Mora, and an empty soup can instead of a good stainless steel pot? And better don't talk about barter. Nobody would give you anything for a soup can or a wasted cutter in a SHTF situation. Or a broken BIC etc ...

[@RobCalhounPGH]

@@bangalorebobbel We're spoiled living in a time of plenty right now. 12 years ago we were not awash in stainless everything dirt cheap. At that time, it was a little more unusual and demanded higher prices. And this may have been what he could scrounge and afford to sacrifice living paycheck to paycheck. It sounds like that's either something you have not done or have not done in so long you've forgotten what it's like. The lighters are scrap. But scrap has value. You are looking at this with a bias of everything being cheap and available on demand. When you have nothing, something as "worthless" as that cutter and lighters without flints still have value. You don't just throw them away. There's still butane in them. And while you might turn your nose up to cotton socks now, when socks are scarce, you will welcome them in any form. This is a lesson learned.

[@bangalorebobbel]

@@RobCalhounPGH I still disagree. Survival and preparedness is not about items in the first place but about right decisions about items. If your decisions are wrong you will suffer in the future. He prooved here to have made some good decisions and some bad ones. And it is simply always valid: if you bury crap, you dig out crap. There are no miracles which turn useless BS into items of high value, if you bury them in mud. This was simply a test, but if the sh.t would have hit the fan already and his whole life would depend on only the items he digged 12 years back, his bad decisions would haunt him now. That is the very basic key of preparedness. Your wrong decisions will haunt you in future. So better do good ones only. Because in the really unlikely case that you really need good stuff for your own survival, there are no excuses like oh this poor guy had not enough money to purchase better stuff or whatever else you might come with. That simply doesn't matter. Your bad decision for burying a cutter instead of a Mora - for what ever reasons or excuses you made that stupid decision - might cost you in real life your life.

[@mfree80286]

@@bangalorebobbel Consider what you get if you bury a box cutter handle and a box of standard blades. Instead of a fixed knife now you have dozens, AND razor blades aplenty for whatever uses you find for them.

[@tiagomateiro]

That was fun 🔥💪🏽

[@LovingIdaho]

I even use 5 gallon buckets with lids that I seal for up to 3 years with no issues . We check them usually every 2 years , buy have left some 3 years . I have had up to 33 stashes at a time out there . But since the family have took over the tasks , there has been less .

[@TUKByV1]

I remember someone using glue-on caps because of the higher failure chance of the threaded caps. Instead of a wrench, you'll need a saw to open it.

[@aarondonaldson4164]

Score a ring around the inside of the pipe about 1/2 way through the schedule 40. Glue cap both ends, then a gentle tap on a rock on the scored end will break the pipe open.

[@Hairball786]

Teflon tape on the threads and a silica gel packet inside, maybe? Might keep the moisture out. Thanks for the vid, Boss.

[@TexasBarnRats]

I had the same set-up about 25 years ago and opened it after about 8 year. I had the exact same results. I could've sworn I had that sucker sealed. My speculation was condensation. I'm in a humid texas gulf coast area.

[@micheletremonti2434]

My thought is that with ground freezing one of the glue joints may have had a partial failure, but I could suggest for your next cashe is to add desiccant packets to the tube and add silicone around the cap seams, and possibly over the cap threaded seam

[@308dad8]

Was probably great the first 5-10 years. Also condensation. Single wall containers create condensation whenever there’s a sufficient temperature difference between inside and outside. Like your glass of sweet tea in summer.

[@JoeSyxpack]

I'm curious if the blades stored inside that utility knife are still good? They usually come with a light layer of oil on them and I wonder if that helped keep them from rusting?

[@simonphoenix3789]

maybe put desiccant and caulk along the cap edges might work in keeping moisture out completely.

[@saphireflare4183]

Next time put some wax around the edges and maybe plumbers tape on the threads could also be condensation in which case just include a packet of silica gel like youd get in a purse or suitcase

[@specialservicesequipment393]

Yep, use the pink or extra thick Teflon tape, maybe leave a roll inside to reseal. I'd also put a few packets of that silica desiccant in as well to absorb any humidity that was sealed inside with it.