35mm Canisters

February 1, 2006

Can you seriously just walk into the Wal-Mart photo lab and say, "I'd like to have 100 of your 35mm film canisters, please"? Or do you have to give them a story like, "I'm doing a project for my son's cub scout pack"?

February 1, 2006

LOL! Well, that is exactly what I did, except I only asked for a dozen. I just asked if they had any spare film cannisters that they could get rid of.

By the time I hide this dozen, I'm sure they'll have more. Actually, they could have given me more the lady said, but that was enough for this week. LOL!

So, in answer to your question, yes. It is that easy. They didn't charge me a dime for them and didn't even ask what it was for.

February 1, 2006

So, in answer to your question, yes. It is that easy. They didn't charge me a dime for them and didn't even ask what it was for.

That means I'll be making a trip to Wal-Mart in the morrow, I suppose I don't think they would throw them away every day, so a morning trip should be fine, IMHO. I'd like to snag as many as I can - 100 would be plenty. A couple would be for backup, and the rest I would hide over the course of a month or so. I really want to seed my area, as living in a small town means very few caches (compared to larger cities). I also Google Earth GC.com KML'd my hometown - and they don't have ANY caches! I know a million and one hiding places in my old stomping grounds, and would love to fill it up

1.2k · February 1, 2006

I'd like to snag as many as I can - 100 would be plenty. A couple would be for backup, and the rest I would hide over the course of a month or so. I really want to seed my area, as living in a small town means very few caches (compared to larger cities). I also Google Earth GC.com KML'd my hometown - and they don't have ANY caches! I know a million and one hiding places in my old stomping grounds, and would love to fill it up

I am sooo glad I don't live in Texas after reading this post

February 1, 2006

I am sooo glad I don't live in Texas after reading this post

LOL - Not to worry, I've bought a wharehouse-sized case of cheap but sturdy tupperware-knockoffs and filled them with goodies for nice caches as well. Not JUST micros for me

2.5k · February 1, 2006

That means I'll be making a trip to Wal-Mart in the morrow, I suppose

Yeah Yeah, I've heard this one before, :huh: I guess I'll HAVE to go to Wal-mart now... you gotta find a reason or else everyone will know your like everyone else and go there for the heck of it.

Like a person needs an excuse to go to Wally-world.

February 1, 2006

Can you seriously just walk into the Wal-Mart photo lab and say, "I'd like to have 100 of your 35mm film canisters, please"? Or do you have to give them a story like, "I'm doing a project for my son's cub scout pack"?

Just ask! That's what I did. :huh:

The lady in the photo processing center opened a large drawer that was full of 'em.

She said take as many as you want. I took about half of what was in the drawer. I counted about 25 when I got home.

Not just Wal Mart. Anywhere that does photo processing will surely have a supply of empties on hand.

Just ask! That's what I did.

11.3k · February 1, 2006

Just a reminder, flim canisters are not waterproof. I found one recently that was attached to a fence, well above the ground, and the log was soaked.

They work fine where they are protected from the weather and other moisture, like landscaping sprinkers. :huh:

1.1k · February 1, 2006

Also remember 35mm film containers make great CITO kits. Take one and stuff a plastic bag into it and leave one in each cache you find. Somewhere on the 'net there's a CITO label template you can download to print out labels for each container.

3.2k · February 1, 2006

I asked at Costco and they just grabbed one of the BIG bags of empty film cans from under the counter and handed it to me.

I never use a film can without a baggie on the log. You can get small baggies at coin stores. You may also be able to get them at a cigarette or cigar store or a hobby store. The hobby stores in my town don't have them but I know the cigar store and coin store have them and I've heard from someone else that they got some at a cigarette store. Having a ziplock on the log just makes sense and they are really cheap.

5.3k · February 1, 2006

I'd like to snag as many as I can - 100 would be plenty. A couple would be for backup, and the rest I would hide over the course of a month or so. I really want to seed my area, as living in a small town means very few caches (compared to larger cities). I also Google Earth GC.com KML'd my hometown - and they don't have ANY caches! I know a million and one hiding places in my old stomping grounds, and would love to fill it up

I am sooo glad I don't live in Texas after reading this post

AHHHHHHHHHHh micro spew.

We have a town 30 miles from here that is the miro spew capitol of ca. I think one cacher has what must be close to 100 micros in the area of this one town.

5.3k · February 1, 2006

I never use a film can without a baggie on the log. You can get small baggies at coin stores.

Having a ziplock on the log just makes sense and they are really cheap.

But the problem with the little zip lock bags is that it is not long before some rips the bag trying to get to the cache. They just do not work for very long.

38.2k · February 1, 2006

Just a reminder, flim canisters are not waterproof. I found one recently that was attached to a fence, well above the ground, and the log was soaked.

They work fine where they are protected from the weather and other moisture, like landscaping sprinkers.

I don't think I've ever found a cache in a film cainster that wasn't soaked. They are terrible containers.

February 1, 2006

Went to Wal-Mart for a bout Six canisters, right after christmas, but started flirting with the Photo Shop Girl and waled off with 408 35mm Film canisters, Costco is also good after Hollidays.

5k · February 1, 2006

Also remember 35mm film containers make great CITO kits.

Yes, film cannisters are great for holding a small CITO bag.

I went to Walmart, asked for some film cannisters, and they had a big tub of them, started filling up a bag for me. I had to stop them, otherwise I would have had a couple hundred.

When I got home, I stuffed them with plastic grocery sacks and put a CITO label on them.

If you want to hide a microcache, when you are at Walmart getting CITO containers, stop by the outdoors section and buy a waterproof match container and a can of spray paint.

Jamie

2.1k · February 1, 2006

please, please, please...don't litter the landscape with micro-caches using film canisters for containers...

The fact that they are free does not make up for the fact that they don't work well as geocache containers.

They get soggy and break, and will become geo-litter quickly...this will result in gazillions of maintenance trips for you (especially if you hide 100 of them), frustration for local and visiting geocachers who keep finding soaked logs, and a bad name for geocaching in general.

The good news is that there are alternatives that don't cost a fortune...look on ebay for nalgene jars, and you can usually find lots of 20-40 for a reasonable price...

If you can't afford to buy good containers for your geocaches, maybe you should place less geocaches, or not place them.

just my $0.02

jamie

3.2k · February 1, 2006

I don't think they would throw them away every day, so a morning trip should be fine, IMHO.

They don't throw them away. They send them to be recycled.

7.3k · February 1, 2006

It's cheaper in the long run to place GOOD containers. Which film canister ARE NOT. As Jamie Z mentions, in that very same Walmart, in the sporting goods department there is a wall of misc small camping related items. One of them is an orange matchsafe with a nice sturdy o ring. It takes flat black spray paint (remove the O ring first, the paint solvents hasten its demise). For UNDER $1 you can place a fine DRY cache. Rodents do not chew holes it in. It DOES NOT LEAK. For what the gas for maintenance will cost you on those film cans you will be way ahead with matchsafes.

February 1, 2006

If you want to hide a microcache, when you are at Walmart getting CITO containers, stop by the outdoors section and buy a waterproof match container and a can of spray paint.

I'll look into these match containers. I spent a little over an hour at wal-mart the other day trying to find anything that would work as a container, but no such luck :rolleyes: I didn't think to look for these match containers, though.

About the waterproofness of the containers: Yes, it does rain here, though very infrequently. It has sprinkled for 15 minutes twice in the past six months. Living in a dry area of texas has its downfalls

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

3k · February 1, 2006

I found a fantastic match container at Gander Mountain. It's not their product so you should be able to find it anywher and it's "camo-green" and waterproof! Perfect for hiding just about anywhere without even having to disguise it. :rolleyes:

4.1k · February 1, 2006

Amazing, as big as Texas is and they want to hide hundreds of micros!

I suggest you try to be Unique in what you use (for cache containers) and how you hide your caches.

We once talked to a cacher and told him we had found one of his caches. He asked which one. We didn't remember the name of the cache so we told him how it was hidden (not a very original hide at that.) and his response was, Yeah, but which one? He hides them all the same boring way!

Find interesting areas and try to match the hide & container to the area. We traveled from Laughlin, NV to Las Vegas one time and passed on quite a few caches that were hidden in the desert (where any size container could be used.) because they were all micros next to a road! Granted some were on a side road, but still....

Do you want to be known for a few Great caches or for a ton of mediocre micros?

Just something to mull over,

John

February 1, 2006

look on ebay for nalgene jars, and you can usually find lots of 20-40 for a reasonable price...

Did a search on eBay and found this:

Geocache Micro Geocaching.

These look pretty cool! They even include a log.

I may have to get me some of these...

-al

February 1, 2006

I bought out the local wal-mart for the match containers (from the picture below). They only had 8 of them though :rolleyes: I also bought labels for me to print log signatures. I passed on the film canisters due to a long line at the photo lab. The idea for using them for CITO was interesting - and I had no idea that a plastic grocery store bag would fit inside of one of those! I'll get some in the next day or two and print out some CITO labels. Would it be okay to place them in other people's caches as well (ie to spread the word) (and yes, i know it would not be a trade item - i'm not that cheap )

I do like the idea of very ingenious cache containers - like the Bionic Big Foot Arm (don't know where the link for that one is anymore, though), and I'd love to try some of those for sure.

On that note, it is possible to "upgrade" your cache containers and/or theme later on, I imagine. Say stash micros in a few select spots, and then go back later with themed and/or amusing containers.

And on the amount of caches out there - I love caches with items in them just as much as the next person, but I'd also be willing to hike to the top of a mountain for a micro. I think it would be just as much fun. If you'll note on the GC.com suggested logbook, it states, "The real fun is just finding it and recording a visit." Cache containers with items in them are, therefore, on even par with importance. I've got a backpack full of trade items that I take with me, and I've been known to lug it along even to log-only locations, but to me it doesn't matter as long as I find the cache and sign the log. A find is a find

There are lots of ingenious cache spots, containers, and so forth. Only recently did I find out about all of the Bigfoot arms, plastic snakes, fake rocks(!), and so forth. I worry each time I go out that it will be in such a container because, sure it makes it more challenging, and can be fun too, but certain cache containers are ridiculously difficult! Fake logs, fake plants, and even those hanging acorn micros. Someone could spend days searching for a cache and never find it. I went to one cache in Austin (about an hour south of me) about a week ago now. The clue said something about tweezers, and I even had a friend along. We both searched GZ and 100 ft around it with a fine toothed comb, but no luck. Someone else found it just a day or two later. From what I gather, you actually need a pair of tweezers to get the micro. I assumed it was a reference to splinters or such, meaning it would be near/on/in/under something that could splinter. One day soon I'll go back and look again, but if it takes tweezers to get out of some place that we didn't look, I'm not sure where it would be. In the end it will be something obvious, I just know it, and I'll laugh about it in the future.

But do cache containers have to be micro, mini, small, regular, large, themed, magnetic, etc to be worth going after? I don't agree with that at all. As I was saying earlier, a find is a find, and no matter what the container is or what its size - they are all equally fun to me. Am I alone on that fact?

Also, I feel that people misunderstood my use of cache containers - it's not that I want to go out and put 1,000 caches tomorrow! I just want to have them on me for those times when I find "the perfect place". There is also the instances when you need to have one along for cache maintenance - someone's tupperware has cracked - their micro leaked or is weather beaten, etc. So many reasons to carry extra caches with you! Anyhow, I'm going to avoid the 35mm canisters for caches, if that's any consolation. I just have to camo-paint my match containers

4.1k · February 2, 2006

"The real fun is just finding it and recording a visit."

Feel free to hide all the micros you want.

If the find is the big prize then I will pass on all those that take me somewhere uninteresting and boring. I can get out and Find all kinds of interesting places and not be bothered with some container so small you couldn't even drop a true silver dollar as a FTF (First to Find) prize.

Hiding micros is easy compared to hiding a regular size cache container in an urban environment, but a cache by definition is a container with goods & supplies hidden for future use (unless you're storing film/matches for future use.).

One last thing to consider is "what size travel bug will be able to be put into your caches"?

Sorry, but micros don't quite provide the same enjoyment as a regular cache hidden in a surprising and different manner. Maybe that is why we enjoy hiding caches more than finding them.

Good luck on your adventures,

John

7.3k · February 2, 2006

But do cache containers have to be micro, mini, small, regular, large, themed, magnetic, etc to be worth going after? I don't agree with that at all. As I was saying earlier, a find is a find, and no matter what the container is or what its size - they are all equally fun to me. Am I alone on that fact?

No, you are not alone. They could all be micros for me. However, the more remote caches I've been placing lately have in fact all been ammo cans. Three reasons:

1. THE LEAST MAINTENANCE OVER TIME - I'd repeat this three or four times, but I guess once all caps will do. I've got 95 hides now, ammo cans are supreme for ease of ownership.

2. People like them - or conversely, people will whine about micros in, "an area that will support a larger cache" - ocassionally I'll offer to archive my micro so they can place their "larger cache". Nobody has ever taken me up on this.

3. Travel bugs. It's true, they've gotten hard to move as there are a lot of micros and not so many larger caches.

February 2, 2006

I prefer to go after caches which are difficult to get to (hike wise). I'm not too much of a fan of park and grabs unless the place it takes you to is pretty or interesting. This doesn't mean every historical marker should have one, but I have my camera along with me on every cache I go on. I like to have a scenic view, or a serene stream nearby. Something that catches my eye. Several caches around the small town I'm in (I've only lived here about 8 months) have been at places which have helped me learn the history of the town. I really don't see what the container itself has to do with the quality or fun of the find. Maybe it's just me though :rolleyes:

February 2, 2006

No, you are not alone. They could all be micros for me.

Thank god :rolleyes: I would never place nothing but micros - far from it. I have a boat load of tupperware cache containers already. I get the feeling that everyone who reads this thread thinks I'm the devil because I want to place 1,000 micros a month or something. It's not like that at all. I just like to have a surplus of goods so I won't run out and I'm always prepared. As for people who skip finds that are micros - I think they're missing out on the adventure aspect of caching.

However, the more remote caches I've been placing lately have in fact all been ammo cans. Three reasons:
1. THE LEAST MAINTENANCE OVER TIME.

2. People like them.

3. Travel bugs.

I do like helping travel bugs along. In my area, though, there are a lack of the number of caches. This means more travel for me to get to where a large enough cache is located for such a purpose. And several people have complained in logs about there not being enough caches around this town I'm in too. Some place them here to help out, other place them on the highways leading to here. A large portion of the land around here is private property, so other than rest stops and the small handful of parks, hiding places are limited.

Just south of me is Austin, TX. They do have several caches there, but what makes it nicer is that a large portion of the city is what they call greenbelts. swaths of forested areas open to the public. State parks are off limits from what I've read unless you go through the red tape to allow them. It's finding those out of the way or interesting places to place the cache, as far as I can tell. I went on a micro hunt in the parking lot of a bank about a week ago or so, and it was a lot of fun being sneaky from the muggles, but what was the point of putting it there? So it goes, I suppose.

7.3k · February 2, 2006

I really don't see what the container itself has to do with the quality or fun of the find. Maybe it's just me though tongue.gif

I completely agree with you, as long as the container is reasonably intact. And I'm not one to complain about soggy logs. I live in Florida, by late summer just about all paper is moist just as a function of humidity.

I have seen a handful of "urban ugly" hides that were fun just because of clever containers or concealment, but that kind of container artistry is rare.

I'm always carrying caches - decons, ammo cans, matchsafes and steel bisons. Though I've actually only once just placed one spontaneously. (My county highpoint).

38.2k · February 2, 2006

But do cache containers have to be micro, mini, small, regular, large, themed, magnetic, etc to be worth going after? I don't agree with that at all. As I was saying earlier, a find is a find, and no matter what the container is or what its size - they are all equally fun to me. Am I alone on that fact?

I agree that a quality cache anywhere is good, though I prefer the reward of pawing through an ammo box at the end of a long hike.

The reason micros get such a bad rap is because they attract the lazy cache hiders who sow them like grass seed in unappealing areas. Many of us use geocaching as a vehicle for discovering new and interesting places and I've already seen enough shopping mall parking lots thank you.

Also, micros in the woods can increase the impact to an area as finders have to searcher longer and wider for the cache.

February 2, 2006

Film canisters are even more fun if you put half an Alka-Seltzer in them with a little bit of water...POP!

February 2, 2006

I really don't see what the container itself has to do with the quality or fun of the find. Maybe it's just me though tongue.gif

I completely agree with you, as long as the container is reasonably intact.

Glad to see someone else is supportive of my ideal.

I suppose it's all just dependent upon the cacher as to what is good or bad.

But I do truly feel that it's about the hunt and find, not the container or items.

Sure, finding items in the container when you get there is great - I carry items for trading with me too, just in case, but I would never filter out caches based on what container they are in :rolleyes:

February 2, 2006

Film canisters are even more fun if you put half an Alka-Seltzer in them with a little bit of water...POP!

lol - that sounds like it could be dangerous - does it blow by itself, or is it a snake in a jar type of thing?

February 2, 2006

Another great place to look for water tight containors is a boating store, i've walked around west marine, and i couldn't stop thinking to my self, "man that would be a great for geocaching!"

February 2, 2006

We use a lot of 35mm cans and love them but bag the log first to avoid the water and mold issues.

Walgreen's is happy to give me these cans.

1.1k · February 2, 2006

Would it be okay to place them in other people's caches as well (ie to spread the word) (and yes, i know it would not be a trade item - i'm not that cheap )

Yes, absolutely, I leave one in every cache that I find as long as there is enough room.

February 3, 2006

The match cans are good and available at a lot of stores- try spraying them with black "Vehicle Undercoating" spray. $3 at K-mart. It's a flexible ruberized coating- also works good on tupperware and glass jars. BUT one of my best cache hides cost nothing at all and still drives people crazy- it a used :lol: 12 Guage shotgun shell :wacko: with a bagged log sheet. It is close to my house so I check it a lot- people hardly ever put it back right- needle nose pliers not required if put back right with small black wire tie around log sheet and folded back over the open end for an easy grab.

Also cheap are the "Hide A Key" rocks. they look pretty fake but try painting them with epoxy and then sprinkle with sand- very hard to spot in right placement.

February 4, 2006

Also cheap are the "Hide A Key" rocks. they look pretty fake but try painting them with epoxy and then sprinkle with sand- very hard to spot in right placement.

Interesting idea....

February 4, 2006

Being honest: I tend to have a more enjoyable cache hike when there is a traditional sized box at the end. I love, really love the hikes, it is why I cache. But for whatever reason, finding a little trove of booty makes it that much sweeter, even if I don't take anything.

I have done about three to four wooded hikes where it would have been perfectly fine to place a box, instead, I find a micro. Yes, I had fun, but I would have preferred the box.

Also, sometimes, I don't check the cache size container, and I have brought new cachers on hikes to find it, and they get fairly dissapointed when their first trip is a micro in the woods. This has happened twice.

Don't get me wrong, a cleverly placed micro in a spot that cannot support a large container is great, especially when it brings me to a nice urban spot, or a place of historical significance.

Anyways...

February 4, 2006

I've got about 50 caches hidden and the majority are ammo can- first aid (metal military boxes) One of my hides is a HUGE 20MM ammo box(GCN1CM) stocked with $50 worth of goods- most people say it's the biggest cache they have ever seen. Another cache(GCRX6M) only has items of value- no key rings or free 'things' that you get in the mail.

Some of these started as cheapo film cans or tupperware containers but my goal was to have all caches hidden with sealed metal boxes. My caching area is pretty remote, so those work the best.

But I've still got the dreaded film cans on hand if need be.

February 5, 2006

Any store that does onsite photo processing should have film canisters... All one has to do is ask!

Dale

Edited February 6, 2006 by Dale_Lynn

February 5, 2006

Any store that does onsite photo processing should have film canisters... All one has to do is ask!

I guess I'm just too paranoid :blink: I always get the feeling that if I ask, they'll want to charge me $5 a piece, or they might call in the Wally World Secret Service because I asked. Cashiers sneer at me if I pay with a $20 bill, and I get the feeling it is because I do not seem trustworthy or something. Maybe I just exude uncertainty? lol I still haven't gotten over there to ask, but I will eventually. I ended up buying the matchstick containers.

February 5, 2006

those matchstick containers are much better than film canisters. I have 2 matchstick ones all set to go sitting on my desk now. I've only found 2 film canister hides, around here the matchstick containers are much more popular.

I've never understood all the micro hate, the only cache I don't like is the one I can't find.

February 6, 2006

I've only found 2 film canister hides, around here the matchstick containers are much more popular.

I think that hiding micros is more challenging to a lot of people, as long as it is done cleverly.

Of my past 30 or so caches, about 10 of them were 35mm film canisters Half of those were imprinted with the GC.com/Groundspeak logos. That's what made me think that they were the proper container for micros.

20.7k · February 6, 2006

film cans are not inherently bad micro containers, in my opinion. You'll have to judge for yourself whether they are good for the location. Of the one's that I've placed, about 2/3 had no problems at all. Logs for the ones that were in contact with the damp ground tended to get wet. Also, it has been my experience that the ones with the lid that snaps into the container work better than the ones with the lid that snaps over the container. It appears to give a better seal, even though conventional wisdom would suggest the other is better because water will run off it (if it is upright).

Of the ten that you found, how many had wet logs?

It should be noted that I use film cans as the container for my homemade rocks. I always ship them with the log in a little baggie, but I put one out in the garden about a year ago with a log, but no baggie. Even though the lid is in direct contact with the soil, the log has remained dry.

Edited February 6, 2006 by sbell111

February 6, 2006

I've only seen one wet log, but it wasn't soaked or anything. It came out of a prescription pill bottle in the hollow of a tree in a cemetery. It was wet enough for the pages to stick, but not bad enough to prevent writing and/or pulling the pages apart. It was before I started carrying my maintenance pack with me, so I didn't fix it - left a maintenance note on the cache page though. But that's not too bad - just one of them had leaked or condensated internally. (I choose the latter idea)

Nice rocks!

20.7k · February 6, 2006

I don't think that pill bottles are a very good idea for micros. Some of them seal using pressure against a piece of cardboard in the lid. That's not going to keep the wet out.

9.3k · February 8, 2006

I think I must still be a kid at heart, because I still love finding a well stocked ammo can after a tromp through the swamp. I belong to the group that feels the location should determine the cache size, and bigger is better. Sure, I'll hike out to a scenic wooded spot to find a film cannister, but I'd much rather make the same hike to find a decon kit, a Lock-n-Lock or an ammo can in the same spot. There's a local whose so prolific at dropping film cannisters in every Burger King azealea (sp?) bush in the state, that I just automatically put their caches on my ignore list.

1.1k · February 8, 2006

Can you seriously just walk into the Wal-Mart photo lab and say, "I'd like to have 100 of your 35mm film canisters, please"? Or do you have to give them a story like, "I'm doing a project for my son's cub scout pack"?

I did it....and when I asked for just a few, the lady kept adding more and more into the bag!!!! THAT'S ENOUGH ALREADY!!!! She said that she was going to throw them away anyway.

I hate it that this thread made it to the GC forums 'cuz the world doesn't need more film canister caches....find the Target that will give you the unlimited amount of ammo cans :mad: :mad:

February 9, 2006

I don't know but I prefer a box type cache, whether it be an ammo box or tupperware container, theres just way too many micro caches in my area lately, just my opinion.

20.7k · February 9, 2006

I like both micros and regular-sized caches and I certainly agree that the location should determine the cache size. That being said, it kinda bugs me when people plead for no more micros. You see, I had a pretty bad car wreck a while back and am STILL recovering from surgery. I just can't walk far without my pain level getting too high. The other day, I parked to find a cache that was hidden very close to a cache that I had previously found. From the description, I could visualize the location, a mere 2/10th of a mile away. I blew off the cache because I wasn't up to it.

For me, right now, I can pretty much only do micros. Keep placing them.

35mm Canisters

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment