Time Capsule Checklist

Before You Leave The House

You’ve chosen your final entries. So below is your Time Capsule Checklist. Now you need to place every single piece (or small groups of non-document items) in heavy-duty polyethylene freezer bags. These bags provide an extra level of isolation. They should not be sealed.Time Capsule Checklist: Documents go into the MVP sleeve.

Your personal document items (i.e., letters, photos, cards, etc.) need to be slipped into the silver MVP® bag. You may want to write a few special notes when you arrive at your destination and then insert them into this MVP® bag (image right).

As you insert items into your capsule, you will want to list some or all of them on your Time Capsule Data Sheet.

You may not need protective inserts for a short term adventure using the smaller time capsule. But you surely will for the longer-term stainless steel tubes (shown below). Included in preservation kits, you’ll find desiccant paks to buffer any leak of humidity into your time capsule. After loading up your time capsule, place these paks in the container, then seal the capsule.

Time Capsule Checklist: A shorter time frame? Use the smaller time capsule.

While the hollow log will protect the time capsule outside, the stainless steel capsule needs additional security. An oxygen absorber pack provides it. So does a final silicone seal applied to the screw top before placing the capsule inside the log?

You will take some more protective measures at your drop site, but we’ll cover those later. Now you are ready to pack up your materials and head on out for an adventure.  Review the checklist before you leave the house.

 

Time Capsule Checklist

1. Your Hollow Rock or Hollow Log
2. Time Capsule with desiccant paks and oxygen absorber paks inside
3. Tube of silicone to seal the stainless steel lid (on the larger capsule) at the drop site
4. The Time Capsule Data Sheet (from the Retrieval Folder) to write-in at the drop site
5. 1 Gel Pen for writing personal notes, which are to be placed in the time capsule
6. Acid-Free writing paper
7. Camera
9. A printed topographical map of your intended hiking area if known before your trek (See Reference page for links to topo maps.)
10. Print a Google Earth Map of your hiking area if known before your trek.
11. Your GPS device (or cell phone) with fresh batteries and instruction manual
12. Gloves

Optional Items
1. Walkie Talkies
2. Simple handheld compass (to later identify compass directions on photos)
3. Small camera tripod to allow a group photo with the shutter timer

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Next Page: Choosing Your Time Capsule Drop Site