Snow Cache and Outdoor Storage


Pharose

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I'm sure this is something that has been brought up before but I didn't see it mentioned in my quick search.

I've been enjoying the ability to freeze my food, which was added a few patches ago, but I think it's pretty clear that this is a work in progress because the current system is lacking in realism and convenience. Right now the best way to store my meat is to drop it all outside my front door, so I have piles of different kinds of meat, both raw and cooked, scattered around my patio/front yard. Of course the bears and the wolves pay no attention to this treasure trove of meat. Aside from being a totally unrealistic eye-sore it is also quite difficult to sort through because I have over 50kg of meat and I have to hover my mouse over each object to get an idea of what condition it is in. You have made such a intuitive and convenient inventory system so it's a shame that it no longer applies to my food cache. 

The obvious solution to this problem is to build a "snow cache" or an underground fridge. A simple storage container that can be made by digging into the snow and maybe slightly below ground level. They can be made in a very similar manner to the snow shelter, but please don't let them decay over time! My biggest annoyance with the current snow shelters is that they require you to "babysit" them or else you lose precious cloth or your snow shelter. I really hope you increase the longevity of snow shelters but for snow caches I think they should either last indefinitely or for a REALLY long time (100+ days). 

This simple addition would make the food storage system much more realistic, convenient and satisfying. 

 

PS. Food does last longer when it's frozen but I don't think it lasts as long when the temperature is constantly fluctuating between -5 and -30 degrees Celsius. I think a constant temperature is better for food storage?

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  • 1 month later...

Yes please! I mean surely there could be a way to make containers work outside. I imagine a large storage container (like an old freezer would work well if you packed it with snow and whatever you wanted to keep in good condition for eating)

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On 1/2/2017 at 0:59 PM, Pharose said:

PS. Food does last longer when it's frozen but I don't think it lasts as long when the temperature is constantly fluctuating between -5 and -30 degrees Celsius. I think a constant temperature is better for food storage?

As long as it is below freezing, temperature fluctuations don't matter.

In real life, frozen meat will last forever. It won't taste very good after a while though.

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Meat stored without proper wrapping will get dried out and will not be appetizing. Freezer burn is often the term. Preservation and wrapping for fish and meat would be a nice addition. Meat carcasses can be stored outdoors intact in quarters or large cuts to reduce freezer burn. At the end, you have left only the less desirable parts such as the bones. These can be made into soup for much needed fat and calories.

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What could you wrap meat in to preserve it? Butcher paper is one choice but it could be rare to find. Hides and guts are another option as well as a meat/food cache that you have to build from logs or stones or dug into the ground to keep cold in warmer weather. (something to keep in mind for later seasons in the TLD Series)

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Butchers used to wrap fish and meat in newspaper, and it wouldn't be overly difficult to create "butcher paper" from newspaper and books as long as you had some wax, which is another thing folks have suggested as an obtainable item.

And I'm surprised we can't find canning items in places like the Pleasantview homestead and the Trapper's cabin. Being able to preserve food is critical.

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4 hours ago, NorseRaven99 said:

Definitely there ought to be a sort of underground food cellar. Maybe they'll even add something like that artificially in the basements of certain buildings. I also think you should be able to build a smoke rack and smoke meat so it will last longer.

Yes! And I've long since thought we ought to be able to make jerky.

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so much yes for this. throwing the meat into the snow, while ok-is for some needs, seems to be silly when you have a base. its really logical to just dig a hole (though not into the ground. if i would be a survivor in that frozen land, the last thing i would challenge myself with would be digging the ground :) ) but just something like the snow shelter. a few sticks to mark the place and thats it. maybe make the meat freezing and heavier and take more time to eat it without warming it up. ohh, and every warming up could decrease its value radically... I would also like to see the smoke rack and also, my grandma used to store the cooked meat in its fat in crock or other large bin/pot and it is safe that way for years, especially in cold (for inside storage).

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  • 3 months later...

It does seem silly that if a wolf sees you and you drop bait, he will take it and yet if you aren't there and you have dropped meat outside while the wolf wasn't there, he will ignore it. Technically, that's a bug. Anyone who has ever contended with wolves and bears knows that maintaining a strong cache is vitally important to preventing predation of your precious food stores. Bears have extremely sensitive noses. In the game, they can be lured by fish especially yet they seem to ignore food you drop right outside your door. Also if you watch the bear's behaviour, he will walk towards you if you have a fish on you yet if you drop it at the extreme range, he will turn away. He smells the food mainly when it is on your person. I believe they have recently changed the mechanic of the bear with food; I've heard he will now consume it right away. The wolf takes some time to eat his bait.

Quirks of the game.

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