UKC

I've got an A to B walk planned for next weekend and, for various reasons I'm planning to do about a quarter of it tomorrow(out and return). I was thinking about about taking a small cache(food and possibly a one man tent - depending on my final destination) to leave at my point of return.

I've never left caches before; are there any points I should bear in mind? It will be on a fairly popular path so presumably I need to hide it somehow. The food will be either in sealed bags(unopened from purchase) or in a "clip lock" plastic box.

Any guidance appreciated.

In reply to mypyrex:

I've used a heavy duty roll top Stuff sac before and stashed it in a stream to keep food cool for a few days - worked well - just make sure you can identify your secret hiddy hole!

In reply to mypyrex:

Put a note with it so people don't think it's lost!

In reply to Greasy Prusiks:

But then they might nick it!

In reply to mypyrex:

Log the coordinates on a GPS or phone . It might be poor visibility when you get there and even 10 yards away your cache may be hidden.

In reply to mypyrex:

I left a cache of Army Compo Rations in the Lake District in 1958. When I returned I couldn't identify the spot.

It's probably still there.......

In reply to Trangia:



And probably no more edible now than they were then

There are lots of rocks and boulders where I was planning on leaving it. Is it usual to hide a cache under a stone?

In reply to mypyrex:

if it's food, pack it in something bird proof!

Hiding it under stones is a good idea.

In reply to mypyrex:

I guess they might... best sign it something scary. It's what I do to try and avoid finding it posted on here in a lost/found topic.

In reply to mypyrex:


Probably needless to say - have a backup plan.

I've had a cache stolen, ruining a trip.

Edit, I know for 100% sure it was stolen, can't be bothered to say how I know.

In reply to mypyrex:

Best is to have it so well hidden, somewhere unobvious, some distance from the path, that no one can possibly find it, even by accident. Under a lot of stones/ pieces of rock usually works. You have to have your own way of finding it. E.g leave some pointed stone at the side of the path that points in its direction. And then a completely nondescript lump of rock beyond that in the grass (but identifiable by you - you could even have a piece of gaffer tape stuck on the underside of it), a few feet away to confirm you've got the right place and confirm the bearing. Then, e.g. about 20-30 yds further off the track in the heather, or whatever, your cache, covered with lots of perfectly nondescript stones. I've done this many times in the mountains, and it's never failed me.

In reply to mypyrex:

Rodents! For any food left make sure it can withstand mice/voles and the like. If you just wrap in poly then they will get in and leave you with confetti-ed flakes with extra little pellets added to flavour the remains. Poly-wrapped inside a biscuit tin?

In reply to Lankyman:

As you say, all you need is a suitable tin. Not exactly rocket s.

In reply to mypyrex:


By then its probably too late.

In reply to mypyrex:

I had planned to complete the Munros, corbetts, Graham's & Donald's on my 40th birthday. In preparation I buried a heavy duty refuse sack with provisions near a bothy. Luck should have it my son was born 5 weeks premature on my 40th so it was postponed till 7 months later. When we dug the bag up the coal was saturated but we were still able to burn it. What did surprise me was all the tin food had the tins dissolved with the acidic peaty water! Air tight plastic containers worked well as well as whisky bottles : )

In reply to mypyrex:

20 paces north of the dead oak tree is the traditional location for such things.

In reply to mypyrex:


Watch out for Ctrl-F5

In reply to fmck:


That's a hell of a birthday walk!

In reply to Dr.S at work:


Did something similar once. came back to find the river in spate and the previous bankside now yards away and my cache site swept clean by the strong current.

In reply to mypyrex:

I've left gear / food in waterproof stuff sacks with their handle clipped around a branch of a tree.

I once left a heavy duty stuff sack with food hidden near Corrour only to find slugs had... I don't know, secreted something?...made a hole in it and gotten in. Hardcore mountain slugs!

In reply to mypyrex:

Rodents etc. can chew through a dry bag and clipbox tupperware is heavy. If you use a dry bag wash the outside thoroughly after packing and keep away from any food until stashed so there are no food odours on the outside.

Some points if you are going to do this.
1) In a "wild" environment it should be absolutely discreet. Nobody should be able to happen upon your gear. If they can then you haven't stashed, you have littered.

2) You should absolutely 100% be able to reclaim it. Even if you have to change plans due to weather or injury you go back. If you don't it is littering.

3) On the odd occasions I have done this in other countries (I am not convinced anywhere in the UK is really remote enough to warrant the effort when you account for the weight penalty of packing out the weather/animal proofing) I have used a document wallet on the outside of the bag detailing why it is there and when I intend to collect it indicating that any sizeable date past this means something went wrong and it is swag. When I stashed water this way I left a little extra for anyone that happened upon it by way of an apology/bribe not to take the lot

In reply to mypyrex:

err why?
Just take the tent and food on the day (how lo0ng is this walk anyhow that you need all of this?) so you don't need the plastic box and notes.
Otherwise you will have to carry in and out the tent and box and notes and wrapping etc.

You didn't plan the logistics to bomb the runway in Stanley did you?

In reply to mypyrex:

If you do stash it somewhere hard to identify later, take a photo or two of the spot/identifying features on a phone so you can confirm you're in the right place on your return.

In reply to Mal Grey:

Good idea. I hid my bike in the Cairngorms, leaving some arranged branches to remind me of where on the track I had left it and took a photo of the view from the track.

In reply to m0unt41n:


Err because I want to.

In reply to llechwedd:


Sad times! still it did keep my butter and cheese in good nick for 4 days so I could gorge after a circular walk.

In reply to Dr.S at work:


Mine had sausages. They'd been given to me by the teacher leading a group, camped adjacent to me at Derry Lodge. I was out walking the British 3000's, so was really anticipating ' fresh meat' at the end of the day. However, it was my first time in the Cairngorms. Skies were blue and I hadn't taken into account just how much water a late spring snow melt generates...

In reply to mypyrex:

No issues at all, just wrap it in a bag, stash it in a wall/heather/under a rock..

I've never had an issue