crafted from reclaimed cedar & pine, deadwood bear cache gathers campers in canada forest

regan appleton crafts food storage unit and gathering spot

Located in the backcountry of Canada’s British Columbia, the Deadwood Bear Cache stands atop a rocky outcrop on an isolated island. The site, at 49°55 North and 123°06 West, initially became a popular spot for friends seeking solace between lockdowns of the pandemic, which prompted designer Regan Appleton to consider how to create an enjoyable camping experience in the wilderness while protecting the environment. Shaped from reclaimed pine, cedar shingles, and deadwood, the natural vessel serves as both a functional storage unit for foodstuffs, protected from hungry woodland creates, and a communal gathering space for remote campers. At the end of its lifecycle, the structure disintegrates and returns back to the earth

natural and cyclical, the cache returns to the ground over time

Drawing inspiration from the rich history of indigenous and modern caches (French for ‘to hide’) in North America, Regan Appleton’s Deadwood Bear Cache follows the tradition of constructions that elevate perishables 12 feet above the ground. The designer’s concept, on one hand, echoes the uneasy, contemporary malaise experienced during the pandemic, nodding to the apocalyptic visions of H.G. Wells. However, its functionality subverts the dystopian aesthetic as a device that enables sustenance and communal gathering.

The main vessel is crafted from pine and cedar shingles, hiked into site and ferried to the island via stand-up paddleboard. While the legs are harvested on site from deadwood laid about the forest floor. Four tree trunks were stripped back, upturned to form legs, and treated with oil to protect against the elements. Eventually, as the cache weathers over time, it will decay and be consumed back into the forest.

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project info:

name: Deadwood Bear Cache
designer: Regan Appleton
location: British Columbia, Canada

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