Tactics for The Coming Struggle Part 4: The Operational Cache

There are many that believe history will show we are in the early stages of a new civil war – or an The Coming Struggle. How exactly this war will play out is certainly up for discussion and dispute. Many believe there will be areas of severe civil unrest, guerrilla warfare, and scattered battles of varying sizes. Many believe much of this war will be carried out via social media, the social environment, and society as people are targeted at their workplace and their community.

Others believe that this upcoming war will be a violent conflict similar to Ukraine and other battles. We will see.

Who will be the insurgency? That depends on the location and political makeup of the area/region.

So – why an Operational Cache?

An Operational Cache is a resupply of critical items often accessed while on the go. These caches are often – but not always – buried to hide from others. Major components often placed in an Operational Cache are defensive supplies. The possibility of immediate and unplanned relocation out of an area makes having supply caches invaluable.

What to Put in the Operational Cache?

Only you know what will work best in your cache. The cache may be very mission-specific or very general. It may contain supplies to feed, clothe, and defend – or something else entirely.

Here are a few general guidelines:

Rifle/Pistol

extra ammunition, magazines

Tactical gear – holsters, vest, plate carrier, mag pouches(Condor chest rig is budget friendly and works great)

Flashlight/spare batteries(lithium)

First aid kit/trauma supplies/tourniquet – visit DoomandBloom.com, the medical preparedness store

communications equipment – Baofeng UV-5R/disposable cell phone

Spare clothes – socks/boots/underwear/pants/shirt/hat

Gloves – Mechanix FastFit are a good choice

Food – MREs are excellent

Water filter – recommend Sawyer Mini Filter System and LifeStraw

Nalgene water bottles

spare contacts/glasses

Multitool/knife

rope/paracord/various zip ties

tarps/tent/hammock

Backpack – for carrying supplies away from the cache

toilet paper/wet wipes/hand towels/toothbrush/toothpaste

small notebook & pencil

Where To Place The Cache

An operational cache does NOT have to be buried but can be. It may be at a buddy’s house, in a storage unit, in the corner of your shed, or buried up in the mountains beside a large oak tree. The decision on where to store the cache is highly dependent on many factors including geographical location, contents, specific intended uses, and method and means of access.

A stump located out in the middle of nowhere could provide a unique location for an above-ground cache hidden deep down inside of it. Covered with vegetation, a bypassing hunter could glance and never see what awaits inside.

Burying Firearms?

As far as burying a cache out in the country or in the mountain it does not go without risk. First, I would not bury anything that can lead back to you should it be discovered. A firearm purchased through a dealer and coinciding with a Form 4473 filled out will link the purchaser to that firearm. Only bury firearms purchased via private sale.

Quality of Content

The most popular theory on cached supplies is to place secondary – or “B” grade items in storage. You may have a really nice high-quality Smith & Wesson AR as part of your kit. For the operational cache, a $350 Hi-Point 9mm carbine is stashed along with extra magazines and ammunition. Another example would be having a Benchmade Nimravus Tanto as an SHTF-EDC knife while placing a Cold Steel GI Tanto in the cache for long-term storage.

Another proposed theory is almost the opposite. If you have to access your operational cache, then things must be extremely dire. Now more than ever, “A” grade equipment is needed.

I understand both perspectives and agree the absolute best equipment should be cached. The deal here is the absolute best equipment THAT CAN BE AFFORDED. It is certainly better to have a Hi-Point cached than nothing at all. If a duplicate Smith & Wesson AR can be cached that is all the better.

“One for me….one for the cache”

Summary

It is apparent that the container type, contents, and location are completely dependent on factors only known to those putting it together. It’s important to realize there is no limit to how many caches can be stashed. Having several over a wide area provides a security blanket no matter which direction one might have to travel.