Burying tin cans??

[Asa Samuel]

My dad gave me this camping book that is a few years old and it says that for disposing of tin cans you can burn them then bury them about 3 ft down. Now this doesn't sound like a good idea to me, is there any method to this madness??

Asa.

[JohnC]

I would burn the remaining contents and label off in a fire (if I had one) and flatten them and pack them out for recycling. If no fire, wash them out and flatten etc.

[Toddy]

That really is an old book Asa, or it's certainly giving very old information.
In the post war period that was considered good practice since it didn't attract rats and the like.

The idea then was that the tins would rust down and cause no littering or pollution.

Nowadays, we do what John does and advise others to do likewise.

cheers,
Toddy

[FGYT]

not to much of a problem really the tin cans will rust out and dislove back into the soil over time.

however a lot of modern Cans have plastic coatings inside so i wouldnt like to burn them.

a Plus if you packed it in you should pack it out its now lighter and smaller than it was

[Miyagi]

My dad gave me this camping book that is a few years old and it says that for disposing of tin cans you can burn them then bury them about 3 ft down. Now this doesn't sound like a good idea to me, is there any method to this madness??

Asa.

That was the norm before folk recycled or cared about the environment in the way they do now.

I remember when our compo rat packs consited of tinned goods, a lot of folk used to top and tail them and stamp them into the ground.

Army training areas must be littered with the stuff.

Nowadays you take your gash out with you.

[Asa Samuel]

I didn't think it sounded like a good idea - I always take them back home with me to recycle.

Thanks!

[pango]

Hi Asa,
I say if you carried it in full you can carry it out empty.

Cheers.

[susi]

Agree with the others. Also, I think I'd rather carry a can out than go to the trouble of digging a hole 90cm deep.

[Melonfish]

Indeed, carry it in carry it out, easily done if you give the tin a good stomp

[RAPPLEBY2000]

easy answer:
Don't take tins!

there are many different means of taking food on trips without using tins.
I did most of an 8 month outdoor ed, course without using tins! and it wasn't expensive!
try looking for dried pasta and foods in sauce in a supermarket!

also you can make your own rations like " measured: porridge oats, milk powder and sugar in a poly bag" much less waste, much less weight and if you mix it and eat it out of the bag...no washing up either!

Burying tins is very much a no no nowadays, I would have something to say if I saw someone doing it (nothing personal)

if no other option, after use empty, crush and put in a placy bag to take home.

[Shewie]

All good advice

Just out of curiosity, what date was the book printed Asa ?

[poddle]

Just chuck it in the hedge like everyone else does, that or a nearby river or stream, if those can't be found just save them up until you have a nice big sack and find a nice glade or unspoilt piece of woodland and chuck them there, along with any old fridges or furniture and glass bottles that you don't want, preferably smash the glass first.
As for cans,no point in burying them, many are made of aluminium, it won't rust. Rabbits foxes and badgers can dig that far down, and could dig them up, as often happens


I think the point has been made enough here. Take it home and dispose of it properly. leave nothing behind except a smile and good memories

[wicca]

It can be a disheartening world at times. Arriving in the French island of Martinique after a 30 day voyage across the Atlantic I took three large black dustbin size bags ashore. I never ditch anything at sea, except perishables like waste food. I almost got arrested , there are places where people object to visitors arriving with rubbish.. I eventually found a skip behind a local restaurant but found out later that much of the towns rubbish after 'sorting' by locals, was loaded into a barge...and dumped at sea..

[Toddy]

They say that there's an entire sea of plastic in the sargasso these days

We really do need to do more about making plastics and wrappings biodegradeable.
Even if it only happened in specific sunlight, moisture and temperature fluctuations.

cheers,
Toddy

[milius2]

Less consumption could help too.
Back to the subject, I vote for: take you s... (stuff) home. leave the place spotless

[Asa Samuel]

I think there is a bit of confusion here; I never intended to bury any tins, this was pure curiosity.

As for the book, I'm not sure what year it was published but it's called A Practical Manual to Camping, Hiking and Wilderness Techniques by Peter G. Drake.

[Bumpy]

Apparently not that old!

http://www.booktopia.com.au/a-practi...844774265.html

1999! Although the information may have been taken from older books - I remember reading scout books that stressed "Burn 'em, Bash 'em, Bury 'em..."

[poddle]

Probably a bit of the old victorian practices kicking around in the book, Asa
They were notorious dumpers and buried everything.

You are quite right it is madness,nice to see how times have changed.... yeah right.

I don't have a problem with properly managed land fill, but the book really is telling you to just bury rubbish, and that of course is wrong

[wicca]

Asa, I think the age of the book is the clue, as FGYT says the tins these days are made under a different process. In days gone by, getting the tin really hot until it changed colour would destroy any rusting resistance and it would decay quickly. But not so these days. I know sailing folk who still hold a tin in the flame of the galley stove until it's red hot then throw it overboard. But like you and others, I still wouldn't feel happy doing it..

[Angus Og]

My dad gave me this camping book that is a few years old and it says that for disposing of tin cans you can burn them then bury them about 3 ft down. Now this doesn't sound like a good idea to me, is there any method to this madness??

Asa.

That's a lot of work to do, I'd take them out with me.

[Toddy]

[QUOTE=Asa Samuel;681038]I think there is a bit of confusion here; I never intended to bury any tins, this was pure curiosity.QUOTE]

I think the fact you asked shows that

It's actually a very relevant topic; this is the start of the main camping season for many people, especially those with families, and the country wide issue of littering (and the proliferation of rubbish) becomes a huge issue.

cheers,
Toddy

[rik_uk3]

Times change, when I was a young camper we were told to eat our food, flatten the cans and bury them, that was good camping practise; these days you pack them and they go home with you (or the skip at the side of Tesco).

[gowersponger]

i think if you burn them for long enough they will rot into earth with in 2 years ,i always take mine home though

[malente]

A bit off topic, regarding the plastic vortex: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_P..._Garbage_Patch

[Paul_B]

I am in the search for a sealable plastic bag that can be put in boiling water or boiling water put in it. Anyone got aany ideas? I'm thinking of a light plastic bag to put dehydrated food in that can take boiling water to re-hydrate and then eaten out of without passing BPAs or other nasties into my system or melting away. I have tried a few tesco ones (ziplock with a slider and press ziplock ones) the press ziplock ones were best but not quite right. The ziplock ones went soft, tacky and contracted which means it has undergone a chemical or physical change. The press one was starting to so not quite there.

Basically if I can find one make that is cheap it will allow me a better way of cooking in the hills as I dislike actually cooking in my pot/mug only boil water (I hate washing up with a passion).

[RAPPLEBY2000]

I am in the search for a sealable plastic bag that can be put in boiling water or boiling water put in it. Anyone got aany ideas? I'm thinking of a light plastic bag to put dehydrated food in that can take boiling water to re-hydrate and then eaten out of without passing BPAs or other nasties into my system or melting away. I have tried a few tesco ones (ziplock with a slider and press ziplock ones) the press ziplock ones were best but not quite right. The ziplock ones went soft, tacky and contracted which means it has undergone a chemical or physical change. The press one was starting to so not quite there.

Basically if I can find one make that is cheap it will allow me a better way of cooking in the hills as I dislike actually cooking in my pot/mug only boil water (I hate washing up with a passion).

I went through the same searching process...
I settled for Tesco sandwich bags.
(there are bags to roast chickens in but they are expensive and not that great anyway).

the other thing was I bought dried food in thicker plastic packaging and found I could pour boiling water straight into it!

another tip...drink herb tea then you don't have to worry about milk going off!

on my outdoor ed course there was one guy who always cooked fresh food he'd be peeling spuds and carrots every time, even up the mountains in bad weather!
( I totally respect that sort of dedication)

[Toddy]

I've seen boil in the bag bags for sale this week......for the life of me I can't remember where though......the only places I've shopped are Morrison's, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Lidl, B&M's and Focus, so it has to have been in one of them.
I bought gluten free flour in Morrison's, so it might have been beside that in the baking stuff

I'll look when I'm out again though and pay more attention next time.

cheers,
Toddy

[Bravo4]

I think the idea of burying cans comes from the days when folks would just leave the cans in a pile beside their camp. The "tin can dump" was very common pre-WWII and remains still litter the west. There's a scene in "The Grapes of Wrath" that shows a good sized tin can dump.

An old tin can, hard times, and a church key= the origins of the hobo stove

[poddle]

I've seen boil in the bag bags for sale this week......for the life of me I can't remember where though......the only places I've shopped are Morrison's, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Lidl, B&M's and Focus, so it has to have been in one of them.
I bought gluten free flour in Morrison's, so it might have been beside that in the baking stuff

I'll look when I'm out again though and pay more attention next time.

cheers,
Toddy

Gluten free flour, there is another name for that stuff Toddy, SAWDUST, does not taste like the real thing we used some last week... never again

[Toddy]

Try it with fizzy water added, mix thoroughly and it makes a great crispy batter

Otherwise I'm learning how to cook with it, but baking's still not quite the same.
On the other hand, the no aches is wonderful

If you add a little sorghum flour to it that helps to keep the rise in the flour for cakes and the like.
It makes carp pastry though
Tattie scones are okay, biscuits are fine if a lot of ground nuts are added, and use fruit puree or finely chopped dried for cakes, anything else just sinks.

cheers,
Toddy