rifle ranges, and places that collect metal in the ground are ideal. People with scuba or snorkel gear could hide caches at the bottom of lakes or ponds, though this would be a lot of work and the cache container would have to be perfectly watertight. Much thought should be given to the placement of the cache to avoid having it in a location that is easily seen or frequently traveled. If someone spots you burying or digging up your cache, you're apt to run into trouble. You should avoid places that are prime locations for future development. Returning to your cache site to find that a bulldozer has dislodged your buried treasure or that concrete now covers it can be quite a shock. Also be wary of places that already have roads built through them or various types of utility lines buried in them. When digging the hole for your cache, place a tarp or blanket next to the hole to catch the spoil (the soil dug up during the digging) . The spoil should then be carefully replaced into the hole and tamped down so that the area over the hole doesn't collapse when the earth settles, indicating that something is buried there. If you are careful with your spade work, you can replace the sod so that it is impossible to see whether anything has been buried. Any spoil left over should be carried away in the tarp and then spread around the area so that there are no telltale clumps of dirt left anywhere. Bury the cache container at least four feet deep, so that a farmer working his field won't plow it up, and keep it away from trees since roots can work their way into cracks and break a container apart or ensnare it so that you can't get it out without dynamite. It's impossible to overemphasize the need to keep careful records of where you locate your cache. Don't simply place it 10 paces from the pine tree; that pine tree may be gone the next time you visit the retreat. Grass fires, logging activities (legal or illegal), and farm development can alter the landscape so much that it's nearly impossible to recognize a site. Don't place the cache near a prominent landmark. Landmarks attract visitors, and some of these people are apt to notice any depressions or other signs of digging. Landmarks also attract treasure hunters with metal detectors, looking for antiques or old coins. Consequently, landmarks should be used to give bearings to the cache, but not for the "X marks the spot" location of it. If you can use a compass (and this is a skill you should work on mastering), then you can take compass readings to help guide your path. Ideally, you'd take at least three readings from various landmarks, giving you some margin for error as well as for the possibility that one landmark might be altered in the future by construction work or some natural occurrence. Encoding some of the measurements on your map avoids giving away your cache's location if your map falls in the wrong hands. If you encode the reference points, be sure everyone in the group knows the code so that other members can locate the cache if something happens to you. Once the cache is in place, avoid the temptation to "return to the scene of the crime" to check it. Leave it alone and only visit the area once a year or so to ensure that no one has dug it up. You should dig up a cache only to replace fuel or other perishable items or during an emergency to use what ' s in it . When reloading equipment is removed from a cache, you may discover minor rust spots despite your precautions. Modest rust spots can be removed by lightly rubbing steel wool soaked in oil over the corroded spot. The metal doesn't need to be refinished if it is kept lightly oiled. Finally, if you live in an area where the temperature dips below freezing for long periods of time, it may he impossible to retrieve your reloading cache during the winter months. You might be able to chip your way to the cache if you had to, but it would be quite a chore and would most likely attract unwanted attention. Therefore, plan on reloading ammunition only during warm weather when you can dig into the earth, and get things back into the cache before cold weather sets in. Having to use dynamite to dig a cache hole isn't exactly "low profile." Chapter 7 Never Disarmed Those concerned that the gun grabbers might ultimately prevail should remember that even in prisons the inmates are armed, often with improvised firearms and ammunition. The most important tool for rearming yourself is between your ears. Until someone shouts "off with his head," you should be able to keep this important tool operational. That said, things will be tough if our government manages to disarm honest citizens. But the success of disarming righteous men throughout history has been short-lived because moral people realize that immoral laws must be broken. Laws that prevent self-defense are among the most heinous and the most deserving of being ignored by otherwise honest people.