Glass Cache

[+Airmapper]

I would think it might not be a good idea, but has anyone seen a glass cache container? I've seen those wide mouth mason jars, and they look perfect for a cache, screw on lid, waterproof, lots of room....but it's glass and I'd think that is a bad material for a cache. If it ever broke someone might get cut.

 

Anyone seen or used a glass cache container?

[+martinell]

Yep, no problems yet. It is a glass jar high up in a tree. I chose it because it was thick glass and clear so that the contents would be easily visible.

[+Criminal]

Oh wow, I never thought of that! Steel cans can give you tetanus if you cut yourself, and a kid could choke on a plastic cache if it tried to eat one. So you’re left with two choices, either stop geocaching altogether or try not to be such a complete idiot that you cut yourself on broken glass or a steel can, or eat a plastic container.

 

I’ve handled glass containers all my life, whole and broken. Still have all my fingers and toes too.

 

Sheesh

[+Airmapper]

I know it wouldn't bother me to find/ place a glass container. But people are so paranoid these days.......

[+The Leprechauns]

Criminal may have successfully retained all his fingers and toes after handling broken glass, but perhaps we've stumbled across the explanation for why his member is throbbing.

[+sept1c_tank]

I’ve handled glass containers all my life, whole and broken.  Still have all my fingers and toes too.

 

Sheesh

Somehow, I have no problem visualizing you opening a glass container with your toes whilst you're readying your unit for your next quest!

[+Criminal]

I know it wouldn't bother me to find/ place a glass container. But people are so paranoid these days.......

...but it's glass and I'd think that is a bad material for a cache...

 

How's that?

[+RockyRaab]

I've found several out in the Nevada desert. In fact, the owner of one states that he's quickly converting all his old plastic containers to glass -- much less chewing by pack rats would be my guess.

 

The only problem I've seen is the tendency for the sun to bleach out some of the swag. But well-covered even that shouldn't be a problem.

 

Breakage? Just don't drop the dang thing on a rock, silly!

[+Airmapper]

It doesn't bother ME, but I think it would be a bad material because of the (you might get cut, or it will break) factor from other cachers.

 

Thats why I'm posting in here, to see what other cachers think about glass being used.

Edited October 26, 2005 by Airmapper

[+Criminal]

It doesn't bother ME, but I think it would be a bad material because of the (you might get cut, or it will break) factor from other cachers.

They'll get over it, or bleed to death, whatever.

[+Moose Mob]

I've found several out in the Nevada desert. In fact, the owner of one states that he's quickly converting all his old plastic containers to glass -- much less chewing by pack rats would be my guess.

 

The only problem I've seen is the tendency for the sun to bleach out some of the swag. But well-covered even that shouldn't be a problem.

 

Breakage? Just don't drop the dang thing on a rock, silly!

Nevada desert? YOu must be refering to the northern part.

 

Glass and plastic will break in the southern part because of the heating/cooling and exposure to sun.

 

Ammo cans is the only way to go out in the desert.

[+Airmapper]

I wouldn't have to ask as many questions if more people had common sense.

[+briansnat]

I found a cache in a mason jar. It was smashed. Aparently a rock shifted and crushed the thing. Its generally a bad idea. Not so much because people might get cut, but just because the the container is fragile and you will find yourself heading out to replace it frequently. Maybe if its hidden in the sand, or away from rocks it can work, but with all the other great containers out there why bother with glass?

[+Team Perks]

I wouldn't be so worried about hurting myself as I'd be worried about it getting busted and then having to go out and replace the container. If it's thick glass I don't think I'd be too worried about it.

 

On the other hand, you can't do this with a mason jar like you could with an ammo can:

 

[+Airmapper]

Oh wow, I never thought of that! Steel cans can give you tetanus if you cut yourself, and a kid could choke on a plastic cache if it tried to eat one.

It's always something.....I think this is where Murphy's Law comes in.

[+Airmapper]

I've considered that form of cache placement, but I couldn't figure out how to get accurate coords at 100mph and 1500feet.

 

I assume glass could be used if in the right environment. Rocky areas would not qualify.

Edited October 26, 2005 by Airmapper

[+martinell]

I wouldn't be so worried about hurting myself as I'd be worried about it getting busted and then having to go out and replace the container. If it's thick glass I don't think I'd be too worried about it.

 

On the other hand, you can't do this with a mason jar like you could with an ammo can:

 

Is that a cache hanging in mid-air? How would you do that?

 

Otherwise why would I want to throw the cache high into the air?

 

I still think that in the correct circumstance the glass container is desirable. You can see through it so it is identifiable as a geocache and not a scary device to be reported, it is basically animal proof, it is weather resistant (2 hail storms and no breakage).

[ju66l3r]

As "obvious" as how to handle broken glass may be if it's on your kitchen floor after just dropping your cup...it's not so obvious when you're rooting around under a tree or in a planter box, etc.

 

There was an over-sized rubber-gasketed glass jar cache near me which was one of the first that I attempted. It ended up breaking on me because of the temperature (definitely not a good container if you're working in the extreme cold or areas of high fluctuation) and yet I had to put it back since I didn't have anything to replace it at the time. It was up over the ledge of a high planter box and required you to do a bit of blind rooting around with your hand to find it. I wasn't happy with that and replaced the container later that week.

 

It's up to each cache placer what they use, but plain glass is probably a bad idea but the thicker the better (also the heavier).

 

Instead, if you're dead set on using glass (to prove a point, to fit some criteria for the cache, etc) then try to find a container that is made of pyrex glass (borosilicate glass) instead of plain glass. This stuff is made for purposes like extreme temperature exposure and temperature fluctuation. At that point, only the rubber gasket (or other sealant) will be the issue and the container will be less likely to break due to the elements.

[+Airmapper]

I'm going to stick with plastic and ammo cans, I'm just looking into new ideas.

[+Team Perks]

Is that a cache hanging in mid-air? How would you do that?

 

Otherwise why would I want to throw the cache high into the air?

Wow, humor is really lost on some people when you forget the emoticon.

 

[+martinell]

Is that a cache hanging in mid-air?  How would you do that?

 

Otherwise why would I want to throw the cache high into the air?

Wow, humor is really lost on some people when you forget the emoticon.

 

 

Yes, humor is apparently lost on some people - especially when you can't see the delivery. Oh well.

[+wimseyguy]

Is that a cache hanging in mid-air?  How would you do that?

 

Otherwise why would I want to throw the cache high into the air?

Wow, humor is really lost on some people when you forget the emoticon.

 

Maybe it's just that your timing. _________________wasoff?

Edited October 26, 2005 by wimseyguy

[+Moose Mob]

Is that a cache hanging in mid-air? How would you do that?

 

Otherwise why would I want to throw the cache high into the air?

 

I still think that in the correct circumstance the glass container is desirable. You can see through it so it is identifiable as a geocache and not a scary device to be reported, it is basically animal proof, it is weather resistant (2 hail storms and no breakage).

Yoiu can get these hovering ammo boxes near Roswell. They make great mystery caches.

 

It's like hiding an ammo can way up in a tree, but without the tree.

[+wimseyguy]

You mean the rest of you don't see the tree there?

[+sept1c_tank]

That's nothing. You should see the invisible, hovering boxes.

[+Moose Mob]

You mean the rest of you don't see the tree there?

In the southern Nevada Desert, the trees are invisible. You can only hide Septic's invisble ammo cans in them.

[+welch]

See yes twice I think, but never used myself.

Just seems like a bad idea since it could get broken...

I wonder if found by some muggle would they break it on purpose??

[+Mule Ears]

We've put out two caches in glass "Fido" jars. These are 1-liter wide-mouth jars with gasketed, latching tops. The glass is heavy duty and pretty much unbreakable unless the thing is dropped from some height onto a rock. Well, someone eventually did just that and we replaced the jar with an ammo can.

 

The other one is inside a canvas bag on the summit of a minor peak. It's still fine.

 

The jars are nice for their watertight seal (no Ziplocs needed!) and convenient size, but they are obviously more fragile than a steel box.

[+New England n00b]

See yes twice I think, but never used myself.

Just seems like a bad idea since it could get broken...

I wonder if found by some muggle would they break it on purpose??

While I am not keen on glass, wouldn't a muggle so inclined do that kinda thing to any cache container?

[+sept1c_tank]

Not likely, to most of the other types of (not easily breakable) containers I've seen; I do think there is a perverted segment of the population that would break glass anywhere they found it, unfortunately.

Edited October 26, 2005 by sept1c_tank

[+martinell]

You mean the rest of you don't see the tree there?

In the southern Nevada Desert, the trees are invisible. You can only hide Septic's invisble ammo cans in them.

Septic_Tank, do your ammo cans make the contents invisible or not? Otherwise I still have to find an invisible log book, pen and swag.

[+Airmapper]

I agree with Sept1c up there, people just have some destructive inclination to watch glass break.

[+welch]

See yes twice I think, but never used myself.

Just seems like a bad idea since it could get broken...

I wonder if found by some muggle would they break it on purpose??

While I am not keen on glass, wouldn't a muggle so inclined do that kinda thing to any cache container?

of course, but it'd be cleaning up broken glass and torn up trinkets vs rippped plastic and torn up trinkets (or vs a lidless dented ammo can and torn up trinkets, if they don't steal the box itself).

[Team Armadillo]

All of our non micro caches are in thick glass jars. We have not had any problems with breakage at all. One is placed up high in a tree and some have expressed concerns about the galss cointainer, but there have been no actual problems. Prior to hiding it I did run a drop test multiple times and again experienced no problems.

 

We used the glass containers because we had a ton of them sitting around and it was convenient. In the future we wll problably use ammo cans or lock n locks because they are about the same price and would eliminate the concerns of others.

[+sbell111]

I had a cache that was in a gasketed glass jar. It lasted for well over a year Eventually, someone sealed it improperly and it got nasty inside so I pulled it.

 

Anyway, I have no problems with glass containers as long as they match their location. Perhaps a mason jar in a rock field is not a good idea. Similarly, I love ammo boxes, but I wouldn't hide one in the bushes next to the local federal office building.

[+Renegade Knight]

...Anyway, I have no problems with glass containers as long as they match their location. Perhaps a mason jar in a rock field is not a good idea. Similarly, I love ammo boxes, but I wouldn't hide one in the bushes next to the local federal office building.

Bingo.

[+OurWoods]

I found a cache in a mason jar once. I dropped it by accident when I was putting it back, and since it was hidden by a rock edge it shattered in a billion pieces. Oops. I picked up the pieces and put them in a pile as best I could, but I had nothing to trash out the mess. So I just left it. I did offer to pay the owner to replace the cache, but she said not to worry about it.

 

Personally I would never hide a cache in glass for the that reason. I like lock&lock or ammo cans.

[+SGM & MRS D]

We have one in a pyrex bowl. It has a screw on lid and I glued bubble wrap to the inside hoping to make it more break resistent. We also describe it in the description. It has been in place for about 18 months without a negative comment or incident yet. There have been snow, ice, and rainstorms here and the last report is that it is in great shape.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I've found one with the first stage in Mason jars. It was placed two years ago. The contents were very wet. I read in a recent log that one of the jars is broken. Ironically, Stage Two had to be replaced after a year. With the cache owner not participating, I don't give this one much longer.

As a trail maintainer, I HATE glass! I can never pick up all the glass shards from a shattered beer bottle. Oh, well. Some people are just slobs.

[+Apples 2 Apples]

I found a cache in a mason jar. It was smashed. Aparently a rock shifted and crushed the thing. Its generally a bad idea. Not so much because people might get cut, but just because the the container is fragile and you will find yourself heading out to replace it frequently. Maybe if its hidden in the sand, or away from rocks it can work, but with all the other great containers out there why bother with glass?

This is the only situation I would be truly concerned about with regards to the saftey issue of a glass container. If you hid the container in a dark place where it took some rooting around to find. If it broke within that location someone could get a bit of a surprise... if your in a remote location, that surprise could turn into a disaster.

 

As far as it breaking in other situations, make sure you don't hide it near rocks or in extreme weather enviroments. Have a location that's well hidden and doesn't promote the possiblity of it being broken or jeopradized by the hide... say inside a tree (no sharp edges, usually somewhat soft).

 

In the end however, although glass containers are easily come by and cheap. You probably are better off with a really good plastic container (lock n lock) or the good ol ammo can.

[+Mule Ears]

I can think of one kind of hide in which a gasketed glass jar would be superior to most alternatives: The ever-popular hollow tree/stump/log. It's a dirty, damp environment that fouls up most other kinds of containers, is roughly cylindrical, contains nothing hard enough to shatter glass, and is somewhat shielded from wide temperature variations.

 

I recently found a screw-cap PVC pipe in a hollow stump, and the threads had been so badly gummed up by slimy decaying-wood soup that the cap wouldn't come loose. (At least not until I patiently dribbled water into the threads to soften the 'glue.') The inside of the cache was soaked and smelly. A gasketed glass jar (Mason jar or latch-top) wouldn't have been affected at all by these circumstances.

[+humanloofa]

I wouldn't see a problem with it if you found an appropriate place for it. You could put some bandaids in it for first to break.

[tossedsalad]

You mean the rest of you don't see the tree there?

In the southern Nevada Desert, the trees are invisible. You can only hide Septic's invisble ammo cans in them.

Septic_Tank, do your ammo cans make the contents invisible or not? Otherwise I still have to find an invisible log book, pen and swag.

What color of invisible ink will the pen have?

[+Airmapper]

Clear of course!!!!!!!

[+Moose Mob]

and use clear stickers

[+gorillagal]

I can think of one kind of hide in which a gasketed glass jar would be superior to most alternatives: The ever-popular hollow tree/stump/log. It's a dirty, damp environment that fouls up most other kinds of containers, is roughly cylindrical, contains nothing hard enough to shatter glass, and is somewhat shielded from wide temperature variations.

 

I have found one cache that was hidden in a glass jar. It was in just this situation - in a hollow tree and there were no rocks around to drop it on. The owner stated on their cache page that they replaced the original plastic jar with the glass one due to rodents chewing through it. It seemed to be working fine.

[+guinea gal]

Where I live in Western New York, if a Traditional sized cache is not in a tree, it is usually placed in the brush, and we have a lot of it. I have seen broken glass all over the place from partying punks. I even stepped on one that was completely covered. I'm glad none of the local cachers place theirs in glass. Now I use my hiking stick.

[+StarshipTrooper]

What a coincidence – I just recently found such a glass container and emailed the owner with a polite suggestion that he might want to switch it out for plastic.

 

I can’t see any justification for using glass. All glass containers (that aren’t ridiculously expensive) will eventually get broken. Then you have glass shards.

 

Why even bother with it, when you can get durable clear containers of the same size from Rubbermaid for just 2 or 3 bucks? As for the rodent problem – if the cache is too far away to maintain, then it probably should be in some kind of container other than glass as well. Besides – I have yet to see a Rubbermaid jar with screw-on lid that was damaged significantly by rodents.

 

Even if your glass doesn’t break – the very idea of unattended glass containers is repugnant to most – if not all – land managers. This can’t be good for geocaching, and it isn’t worth the risk.

[+Criminal]

All glass containers (that aren’t ridiculously expensive) will eventually get broken. Then you have glass shards.

One should never, ever, talk in absolutes.

 

A glass container has some applicability in very certain circumstances. I had one in a forested park and as an experiment I hurled it full strength at the forest floor a number of times. It stubbornly refused to break. Although this particular one wasn’t, I usually wrap them in cammo duct tape. It makes them more concealable and prevents those deadly shards when the dexterity challenged open it over a rock.

[57chevy]

I have to agree with criminal. Here's my 2 cents.... How far gone are we as an organization to be so paranoid of using glass containers that there has to be a debate over their level of potential hazard? Sure common sense in using them should be a little more at a premium when using them. When in doubt just don't use them. I think that if children are geocaching there ought to be another element involved, it's called a Parent. I trust my child enough to handle glass containers, she has earned the responsibility, she has also been taught to be careful around broken glass. If you arrive at the cache and theres a glass container, and it frightens you... walk away. Problem solved. The same applies to snakes, poison ivy, big rocks, funky trees, rickety bridges, etc. This is meant to be fun, not a source for angst, fear, hate, paranoia... Just be careful and have fun, you can't always live in fear.