# How to bury food & ammo



## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

hello all. Came here for some help and to learn. Need ideas how to properly bury food /ammo. Heard advice about not keeping all the preps in one location. I live with very cold winters so not sure if I'm on the right path. Thank you.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

I don't bury food, but here are a few thoughts. Any food containing water, and most canned food, would have to be buried below the frost line for your area to keep it from freezing in winter. Google 'The Survival Guide To Long Term Food Storage' for burial advice. I would bury ammunition in a PVC pipe, glued shut on both ends. Maybe even a pipe within a pipe, just to be sure.

Oh, and welcome to the forum.


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## Dirk (Mar 4, 2015)

Indeed, keeping preps in onelocation isn't a good I idea. I working now on getting preps on all locations (that is three places). But didn't bury them. I live in probably the opposite climate and very happy about that. Whole year round hot. And whole year round food is growing.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

They sell these at my local Academy Sports: Survival Ammo Can (I think the Amazon price is better)
You can always make your own, like Kahr said, from large diameter PVC.
Your main concerns will be temperature and moisture. Anything with water in it could freeze. If water can get in, anything inside *WILL* be ruined.
Gasket seals and proper adhesives will ensure a watertight container.
I'd include 02 absorbers and desiccant packs too, just to be safe. Who knows when you'll return for it. Best to keep oxygen and moisture content as low as possible.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Northern patriot said:


> hello all. Came here for some help and to learn. Need ideas how to properly bury food /ammo. Heard advice about not keeping all the preps in one location. I live with very cold winters so not sure if I'm on the right path. Thank you.


Northern Patriot,
First; welcome.
B; Why do you want to bury food and ammo?
Three; Tell us a little more about you and your situation other than living in a cold winter climate. Also, use your head and common sense and tell US what you think is a good way to go about this task. It may help us find holes in your ideas and suggest better ways.
Thanks


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Get the vacuum packer out and seal everything up. Dried foods only for long term "storage". Vacuum pack the guns and ammo also.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Check out the sportsmens guide. They sell stuff that will hold supplies and have screw off tops. Place in hole vertically to make metal detection harder. Old junkyards are great. Have a way to mark the exact location with out giving it away.


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## SecretPrepper (Mar 25, 2014)

I just watched the movie John Wick a few weeks ago. He buried his under his garage floor.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

SecretPrepper said:


> I just watched the movie John Wick a few weeks ago. He buried his under his garage floor.


That was a decent Keanu movie. Seemed to suit him well.
It would take some serious foresight to bury your cache in concrete, and a plan in mind that you'll need it so bad that you're willing to smash through half a foot of concrete 3'x3' to get to it.


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

*Thanks for replys// more about my plan*



Northern patriot said:


> hello all. Came here for some help and to learn. Need ideas how to properly bury food /ammo. Heard advice about not keeping all the preps in one location. I live with very cold winters so not sure if I'm on the right path. Thank you.


Thanks for the input everyone. I think it is best to explain what I'm planning and you can advise better. 
All my preps are in one place and I don't have options to spread them to other locations . Unfortunately I'm working alone.....my kids think I'm having some mid life crisis .... Funny but not funny .... They don't even begin to get it

Here we go .... Food is all freeze dried and double Mylar bagged with absorbers ., next is rice ( raw) . It's in 5 gal pails Mylar bagged with absorbers .... Ammo is vac packed then put in double Mylar bags with absorbers. 
Here is my worry , it will only be 4 feet down so everything will freeze. Can my preps withstand freezing and still be safe ?? . 
FYI. I made a 4x4x5 hole lined with plywood and framed ..... Preps will go into barrels and sealed then surrounded with straw ... then holes capped and camoed.... 
That's a long way to go but that's it Thanks again


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

Just remember, people watch other people. You are never alone. 
At night, someone with night vision can watch you. 
As for your kids, have them read one second after, they might open their eyes. 
Good luck too you, and stay awhile..
Obviously your serious. 
Donnie


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

Thanks Donnie, yes very serious. I think thing are going to get scary real soon.


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## SecretPrepper (Mar 25, 2014)

Is this your backup stash? You do sound serious so I'm going to assume so until you say otherwise. I've had ammo in the truck go through the winter up in North country. It went through freezing temperatures every night and the heater in the truck running all day. It still fired not 1 round that was in the truck failed to fire properly. I'm not sure about the food but reason leads me to believe that the freeze dried would be ok. Oh and what Deebo said. OPSEC.


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## SecretPrepper (Mar 25, 2014)

Duplicate post.


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

Everything I have is in one place. If it's compromised we will have nothing. I really need to move some and not many options .Thanks for your info on the ammo Secret......I have no idea what long term deep freeze will do . Thanks again


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Northern Patriot,
You sound motivated and my suggestion will take a motivated man. 

Dig out your hole and build a cinderblock 4 sided wall in the ground. Make sure you are not at the water table and you have dug trenches to drain water from the inside of the hole. Fill in the floor with crush and run type gravel. Load your food and ammo that has been properly sealed in waterproof containers after you have properly eliminated all the Oxygen in the containers to the best of your ability into the hole.

Essentially you have built a mini basement. Cover the basement with a caulked and sealed piece of metal that has an access door. Camoflage the roof and area around it.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

We have shipping containers for storage at work, we all use the space behind them as the latrine. I found a 20 gauge shell that has at least been there 14 years and fired fine. Not to discount proper care of ammo, but this surprised the heck out of me! They still may work with minimal care, but to be sure, store properly.
Wisconsin's humid summers and cold winters, really blew me away that it even fired. Maybe they were made better back then.


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## SecretPrepper (Mar 25, 2014)

SP make a note to self " if every you get ammo from 1screwsloose. Make sure you ask for the stuff that is not from the latrine."


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

SecretPrepper said:


> SP make a note to self " if every you get ammo from 1screwsloose. Make sure you ask for the stuff that is not from the latrine."


Lol, no, the shell I found was well off the beaten path! Just happened to see something yellow on the ground. The containers are about 15 yards from a small stream.


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

Hello Slippy , well I have to say I like your idea . Problem for this year is time and $$. We were at the property this weekend and I finished the storage area I mentioned in my earlier post . Went very well , ready for the preps next week . 
Thanks for your input.


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

*Any resident rice expert??*

So who knows their rice ? When it comes to raw rice can it be frozen and thawed numerous times with no danger to consuming it. ?


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

northern patriot said:


> everything i have is in one place. If it's compromised we will have nothing. I really need to move some and not many options .thanks for your info on the ammo secret......i have no idea what long term deep freeze will do . Thanks again


long term deep freeze is ammo's friend.
Temp's above freezing effect the propellant, causing it to decompose, the temp sets the rate.
I keep 3/4 of my ammo in the concrete bunker which is unheated when not occupied, temp ranges from +40 to 10 below.
Ammo in there will last forever. No wet canned goods are kept in there, just dried like mountian house.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

northern patriot said:


> so who knows their rice ? When it comes to raw rice can it be frozen and thawed numerous times with no danger to consuming it. ?


i live in the northeast, temps where i live can and have gone to 25 -30 below f.
I have a ton of rice stored and it gets right down there temp wise.
We pull the rice out for usage that has been in a frozen/thaw state a dozen times and use it on a regular basis with no degredation. 
Plain white rice is great for storage for 25 years. I packed mine in co2.

DO NOT TRY TO STORE BROWN RICE, IT WILL GO RANCID.


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

Socom42, this is what I need to hear. I have same temps to deal with and have no experience storing this way. I was told to freeze rice when purchased to kill larva that lives in it . Unfortunately I stored some brown until I was told what you just stated. 
Thanks for your excellent info gives me confidence I'm on right path. NP


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

northern patriot said:


> socom42, this is what i need to hear. I have same temps to deal with and have no experience storing this way. I was told to freeze rice when purchased to kill larva that lives in it . Unfortunately i stored some brown until i was told what you just stated.
> Thanks for your excellent info gives me confidence i'm on right path. Np


freezing is not needed in a preparatory state.
Use a 10-20 power magnifier to check for grain boring prior to packaging, I do.
The grains are semi translucent and you can usually see the bore from the side as a white streak.
If an inert gas is introduced with o2 eaters for any residual o2 the freezing is not needed.
No organic life can live in there after treated.
I only seen one 25 pound bag of rice that had any infestation, that bag was batsami from india.
The rice i buy for stores is grown and packaged here, it is carolina brand.
Not that it is important, it is the cheapest at bj's.

Do not store uncle ben's or minuet rice, both are devoid of the important starches that give you the calories.
Rule of thumb, if it fluffs it is useless, sticky is great!
The slick commercials showing the grains falling of the fork like they were dried is not the way it should be.
Commercial hype to sell a product and change a buying habit.
Watch asian people eating rice with chopsticks, they pick up lumps of rice stuck together.


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

I have been storing mostly rice from Thailand thinking they are all non GMO


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

You might want to consider buying silica gel ( desiccant ) in bulk. You can get it at the pet store. It sells as a high end kitty litter product.


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## PCH5150 (Jun 15, 2015)

tinkerhell said:


> You might want to consider buying silica gel ( desiccant ) in bulk. You can get it at the pet store. It sells as a high end kitty litter product.


Just a thought, many items come with those little packets of silica desiccant. I've often thought I should save them up for storage seeing as how they are free.


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

Hello all. Thanks for the input from everyone on this topic so far...... I just wanted to bring this topic back to the forefront and ask for any last input befor winter flies....... ALSO , other then to bury my preps , what other ideas do you guys have ??? What are some creative ideas...???
Remember I'm trying to split up everything to be safer .. Thanks again. NP


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## spork (Jan 8, 2013)

Another option that I've heard people use is putting some in a storage unit. That of course comes down to what your budget is. I for one wouldn't want the extra bill every month, but it does allow for an off site storage option that splits your preps up. That may be a good option for you. It's no longer buried, but it is locked up, and even if someone breaks into the unit, unless shtf no one is going to steal your rice and beans. If you package your ammo in the same buckets with the rice and stuff (separate bags of course) no one will be the wiser.


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

Hey Spork , I have never looked into the storage idea but I'm guessing it might be too much $$ Does sound like a good idea tho
My budget is getting even tighter these days. Love the idea about ammo in rice. Thanks stay safe. Northern Patriot


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Northern patriot said:


> hello all. Came here for some help and to learn. Need ideas how to properly bury food /ammo. Heard advice about not keeping all the preps in one location. I live with very cold winters so not sure if I'm on the right path. Thank you.


QUOTE=Viper;338390]I know I'm gonna sound like some a-hole, but really?. Why would you ask a bunch of strangers on a web site what they think YOU should do. It's your life, wife and friend. Plan for and do what YOU think is the best course of action for YOU and yours.[/QUOTE


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I'm working on cultivating ration and ammo trees. I'm told it takes 2 seasons to grow a medium tree.


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

Maine-Marine. Really not sure how to take that post Do I miss understand what we are all doing here. ?? Learn from each other ?? I have lots of ideas but I'm the type who loves as much info as possible.... My ego provides that I can and want to learn from anyone
Northern Patriot


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## Viper (Jun 4, 2015)

Northern patriot said:


> Maine-Marine. Really not sure how to take that post Do I miss understand what we are all doing here. ?? Learn from each other ?? I have lots of ideas but I'm the type who loves as much info as possible.... My ego provides that I can and want to learn from anyone
> Northern Patriot


Don't worry about MM...he's on a anti-Viper rant. Have you thought about using a 6-8" diameter PVC pipe?. Maybe about 3-4' long with screw on ends (caps). Put the ammo in a bag along with some of those little packets used for keeping moisture out. Tape up the bag with said contents, put into the PVC pipe. Put some nylon plumbing thread tape on the threads, screw the caps on. Bury it below the frost line. (might not be possible where you are). Just a thought.


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## Northern patriot (Sep 30, 2015)

Thanks Viper. Yes I have done that along with a take down 22. But not down full 4'. I appreciate your thought ... Sam Houston. , one of the greatest Americans !! Long live Texas !! NP


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