My Fingers smell like Mold!

[mrbeachroach]

Man, knothing takes away the magic of geo-caching like a nice sunny day with everything going right

then you find severall wet caches, that make your fingers smell like mold!!! I wan't to boycott the film

canisters!! Why do people continue to use them don't you find that this is a maintance nightmare?

Every canister I find with a 35 mill after a rain is compleatly damaged. I find that pharmacy pill bottles

are 100% waterproof, what do you use and recomend?

[RV'n Iowans]

Man, knothing takes away the magic of geo-caching like a nice sunny day with everything going right

then you find severall wet caches, that make your fingers smell like mold!!! I wan't to boycott the film

canisters!! Why do people continue to use them don't you find that this is a maintance nightmare?

Every canister I find with a 35 mill after a rain is compleatly damaged. I find that pharmacy pill bottles

are 100% waterproof, what do you use and recomend?

 

Being new I haven't hidden a cache yet, but I have experienced some moldy ones like you're describing. I'm planning to get some cheap latex gloves for handling those types of caches, because you're right, they do stink

Edited November 28, 2007 by RV'n Iowans

[+Sileny Jizda]

Aluminum pill containers. Can get emm at WallyMart for a few bucks. All aluminum construction with an o-ring.

[+Knight2000]

The first thing my wife does when she finds a cache is to smell it. I'm not sure why, but it is funny. Most log books have that smell although some are worse than others.

 

Film cans are not entirely bad if properly protected from the elements. But in most cases they are not protected. They are cheap and freely available therefore used too much. Too many (just one is too many), people would rather choose quantity over quality.

[+briansnat]

what do you use and recomend?

 

 

 

 

Or if you must:

 

[+Confucius' Cat]

I find that pharmacy pill bottles

are 100% waterproof,

Your newbie is showing.

[+Confucius' Cat]

what do you use and recomend?

 

 

 

 

Or if you must:

 

Second.

[+Snoogans]

Man, knothing takes away the magic of geo-caching like a nice sunny day with everything going right

then you find severall wet caches, that make your fingers smell like mold!!! I wan't to boycott the film

canisters!! Why do people continue to use them don't you find that this is a maintance nightmare?

Every canister I find with a 35 mill after a rain is compleatly damaged. I find that pharmacy pill bottles

are 100% waterproof, what do you use and recomend?

 

I take full responsibility for the micro proliferation that exists in geocaching.

 

Therefore, you need look no further for someone to blame for your smelly fingers and stolen geocaching mojo. My bad.

 

To answer your question, I recommend M&M Minis containers for micros. A quick wash with hot water and a drop of bleach and you have a container that will last for YEARS in the wild. I believe all but 2 of my micros are M&M Minis containers. Not a single wet log in almost 5 years.

 

One of my other micros is a blood sugar test strip container:

I just hid one of these, so I have no field data on it.

Edited November 28, 2007 by Snoogans

[mrbeachroach]

I find that pharmacy pill bottles

are 100% waterproof,

Your newbie is showing.

 

ha!! Does that mean im pouting?, or that over time the pill bottles leak also?

 

P.S. I am Kinda Pouting!!!!

[+briansnat]

I find that pharmacy pill bottles

are 100% waterproof,

Your newbie is showing.

 

ha!! Does that mean im pouting?, or that over time the pill bottles leak also?

 

P.S. I am Kinda Pouting!!!!

 

Pill bottles do leak. They also break easily in cold weather.

 

Since you seem to be focused on micros, here is an article I wrote on micro containers some time ago.

 

And here is an article about regular containers

[+sbell111]

Man, knothing takes away the magic of geo-caching like a nice sunny day with everything going right then you find severall wet caches, that make your fingers smell like mold!!! I wan't to boycott the film canisters!! Why do people continue to use them don't you find that this is a maintance nightmare? Every canister I find with a 35 mill after a rain is compleatly damaged. I find that pharmacy pill bottles are 100% waterproof, what do you use and recomend?

This it is true that film canisters leak, it is an overgeneralization. The cans that have a lid that fits over the film can leak badly, while the cans that have the lid that snap into the container are much more waterproof. I use this type of film can in my hand-made rocks with very good results. I have a rock that has been in place for over three years and the log is still bone dry. That being said, if someone wants to hide a cache in a film can (or any other container, really) he/she should consider picking up some appropriately-sized baggies from a local craft store (or crack dealer) to put the log in. That ounce of prevention may save the log.

 

BAD

 

GOOD

 

In my opinion, pharmacy pill bottles are horrible containers. Many of them create a seal by forcing the container against a cardboard circle in the lid. The cardboard will quickly get soaked and allow water to enter.

 

A really good similar-sized container is the cryotube. These containers come in various small sizes and are made to hold up to conditions that are far worse than we expect geocaches to endure.

 

REALLY GOOD

 

Regarding your stinky fingers, wash your hands.

Edited November 28, 2007 by sbell111

[+StarBrand]

The micro containers that Briansnat pictures are bar none - the best type of container for a micro.

 

ALL types of film cans are prone to leakage. Some are better than others but I have seen all types leak.

 

Best idea is to seal those film canisters inside a good solid ammo box...........

[+brodiebunch]

Living in the damp Pacific Northwest, most of the caches smell that way. I call it "Eu de Cache".

 

I think we just deal with it.

[Mushtang]

Every time I see the title of this thread, I think it says My Fingers Smell Like MOD. Which makes me wonder which mod is..... nevermind.

[+Ambrosia]

The nice thing about living in the desert is that logs never smell like mold. And film canisters don't leak.

[+sbell111]

... and all geocachers are above average.

[+Eric K]

... and all geocachers are above average.

 

These are available from the Groundspeak Store.

 

[+elmuyloco5]

use Purell to get rid of yucky hand smell......we carry it with us (they even make cool little rubber things that allow you to hang it off your hiking pack. With three small kids, we get alot of use out of Purell.

 

As for the film canisters, well we've used the white Fuji ones with no problems. Just checked on one today that was under 7 inches of snow and not a drop of water inside. The log was as dry as a bone.

[+we"re lost]

Where at WallyMart or do you mean Wally World? do you find the Aluminum pill containers. Can get emm at WallyMart for a few bucks. All aluminum construction with an o-ring. What dept?

And also where do you find those really cool cryotubes? I don't work in the medical field or don't have access to anyone that is a diabetic either.

so the orange tubes you find in the fishing and camping dept work really well too?

 

we"re lost

[knowschad]

You smell that? Do you smell that? Mold, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of mold on my fingers in the morning. It smells like... VICTORY!

Edited November 29, 2007 by knowschad

[+Confucius' Cat]

I find that pharmacy pill bottles

are 100% waterproof,

Your newbie is showing.

 

ha!! Does that mean im pouting?, or that over time the pill bottles leak also?

 

P.S. I am Kinda Pouting!!!!

They leak.

Better not pout, better not cry... (it's that time of year again)

 

happy caching

[mrbeachroach]

Man, knothing takes away the magic of geo-caching like a nice sunny day with everything going right then you find severall wet caches, that make your fingers smell like mold!!! I wan't to boycott the film canisters!! Why do people continue to use them don't you find that this is a maintance nightmare? Every canister I find with a 35 mill after a rain is compleatly damaged. I find that pharmacy pill bottles are 100% waterproof, what do you use and recomend?

This it is true that film canisters leak, it is an overgeneralization. The cans that have a lid that fits over the film can leak badly, while the cans that have the lid that snap into the container are much more waterproof. I use this type of film can in my hand-made rocks with very good results. I have a rock that has been in place for over three years and the log is still bone dry. That being said, if someone wants to hide a cache in a film can (or any other container, really) he/she should consider picking up some appropriately-sized baggies from a local craft store (or crack dealer) to put the log in. That ounce of prevention may save the log.

 

BAD

 

GOOD

 

In my opinion, pharmacy pill bottles are horrible containers. Many of them create a seal by forcing the container against a cardboard circle in the lid. The cardboard will quickly get soaked and allow water to enter.

 

A really good similar-sized container is the cryotube. These containers come in various small sizes and are made to hold up to conditions that are far worse than we expect geocaches to endure.

 

REALLY GOOD

 

Regarding your stinky fingers, wash your hands.

Man thats great!!! thanks for the tips. Where can I get the cryotubes in a lot?

[+Team GeoBlast]

Man, knothing takes away the magic of geo-caching like a nice sunny day with everything going right

then you find severall wet caches, that make your fingers smell like mold!!! I wan't to boycott the film

canisters!! Why do people continue to use them don't you find that this is a maintance nightmare?

Every canister I find with a 35 mill after a rain is compleatly damaged. I find that pharmacy pill bottles

are 100% waterproof, what do you use and recomend?

 

I take full responsibility for the micro proliferation that exists in geocaching.

 

Therefore, you need look no further for someone to blame for your smelly fingers and stolen geocaching mojo. My bad.

 

To answer your question, I recommend M&M Minis containers for micros. A quick wash with hot water and a drop of bleach and you have a container that will last for YEARS in the wild. I believe all but 2 of my micros are M&M Minis containers. Not a single wet log in almost 5 years.

 

One of my other micros is a blood sugar test strip container:

I just hid one of these, so I have no field data on it.

 

Now...Don't be too hard on yourself Snoogans, but you sure did figure out a way to proliferate these types of caches in a volume that few can claim. So, hows that ammo can proliferation project coming along you mentioned a while back?

[+Confucius' Cat]

A mother cache for ammo can seed caches? Perhaps a dead SUV? Or a gang box?

[+briansnat]

Where can I get the cryotubes in a lot?

 

I got a bag of 20 on Ebay for about $7 plus shipping

[mrbeachroach]

Thanks all for the great replys, the truth is I don't care If my hands smell like a dead donkey rotting in the sahara desert, but I new if I labled it that way I would get more than enough responces on using the right containers. Looks like my pharm bottles are bad, and the white film canisters have swayed my vote.

[+sbell111]

... And also where do you find those really cool cryotubes? ...

Man thats great!!! thanks for the tips. Where can I get the cryotubes in a lot?

You can frequently find cryotubes cheaply on ebay. Edited November 29, 2007 by sbell111

[Dinoprophet]

... And also where do you find those really cool cryotubes? ...

Man thats great!!! thanks for the tips. Where can I get the cryotubes in a lot?

You can frequently find cryotubes cheaply on ebay.

Here's a set, though they're not so cheap.

 

Sorry, that's the first thing I think of when I see cryotubes.

[+Scare Force One]

Old pill bottles are watertight and durable.

 

~.~Scare Force One

[+briansnat]

Old pill bottles are watertight and durable.

 

~.~Scare Force One

 

That hasn't been my experience. I've found more than a few wet logbooks in old pill bottles. They also crack easily in cold weather.

[+DocDiTTo]

Old pill bottles are watertight and durable.

 

~.~Scare Force One

 

That hasn't been my experience. I've found more than a few wet logbooks in old pill bottles. They also crack easily in cold weather.

 

Agreed. I definitely had stinky fingers after this one:

 

[+PlantAKiss]

To answer your question, I recommend M&M Minis containers for micros.

 

Who would ever have thunk the Mars company would make such a grand contribution to the world of geocaching.

 

I just wish people would stop using Gladware and the like for containers. They definitely leak.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

Man, knothing takes away the magic of geo-caching like a nice sunny day with everything going right

then you find severall wet caches, that make your fingers smell like mold!!! I wan't to boycott the film

canisters!! Why do people continue to use them don't you find that this is a maintance nightmare?

Every canister I find with a 35 mill after a rain is compleatly damaged. I find that pharmacy pill bottles

are 100% waterproof, what do you use and recomend?

I discovered to my amazement today that this thread is still active. Here are my two cents on the matter:

If you do not like ending up with moldy-smelling (actually, much of the smell comes from various actinomycetes species; that genera is not a mold at all, but rather a mold-like bacteria) fingers after going geocaching, then I suggest that you stop hunting micros, or at least stop hunting micros in anything other than dry desert-like climates, and that instead you do the following:

• hunt our Psycho Urban Cache #10 - Derelict Grunge Acropolis. You will end up with human feces, rat feces, cat feces, human blood, human bodily fluids, mud and slime on your fingers, and you will be attacked by spiders, cave crickets, winos, drug dealers and aggressive sex cruisers, but you will likely not end up with a mold-like smell on your fingers
  
• hunt our Psycho Urban Cache #11 - Strange Island Getaway. You will end up with thorns in your fingers and poison ivy (if you happen to have the PI allergy) on your fingers, hands and legs, but your fingers will not end up with a mold-like smell.
  
• hunt our Psycho Urban Cache #13 - Impossible! Give Up Now! You will end up with blood (your own blood) on your fingers, and the task may take you a few days or longer, but you will not end up with a mold-like smell on your fingers.
  
• hunt our Psycho Urban Cache #9 - Hot Glowing Tribulations. You will end up with radioactive dust, toxic chemical waste and dust containing hantavirus and the bubonic plague microbe on your fingers, and you will be bitten by radioactive spiders, fleas and mites, but your fingers will not end up with a mold-like smell.
  

Enjoy!

[mrbeachroach]

Man, knothing takes away the magic of geo-caching like a nice sunny day with everything going right

then you find severall wet caches, that make your fingers smell like mold!!! I wan't to boycott the film

canisters!! Why do people continue to use them don't you find that this is a maintance nightmare?

Every canister I find with a 35 mill after a rain is compleatly damaged. I find that pharmacy pill bottles

are 100% waterproof, what do you use and recomend?

I discovered to my amazement today that this thread is still active. Here are my two cents on the matter:

If you do not like ending up with moldy-smelling (actually, much of the smell comes from various actinomycetes species; that genera is not a mold at all, but rather a mold-like bacteria) fingers after going geocaching, then I suggest that you stop hunting micros, or at least stop hunting micros in anything other than dry desert-like climates, and that instead you do the following:

• hunt our Psycho Urban Cache #10 - Derelict Grunge Acropolis. You will end up with human feces, rat feces, cat feces, human blood, human bodily fluids, mud and slime on your fingers, and you will be attacked by spiders, cave crickets, winos, drug dealers and aggressive sex cruisers, but you will likely not end up with a mold-like smell on your fingers
  
• hunt our Psycho Urban Cache #11 - Strange Island Getaway. You will end up with thorns in your fingers and poison ivy (if you happen to have the PI allergy) on your fingers, hands and legs, but your fingers will not end up with a mold-like smell.
  
• hunt our Psycho Urban Cache #13 - Impossible! Give Up Now! You will end up with blood (your own blood) on your fingers, and the task may take you a few days or longer, but you will not end up with a mold-like smell on your fingers.
  
• hunt our Psycho Urban Cache #9 - Hot Glowing Tribulations. You will end up with radioactive dust, toxic chemical waste and dust containing hantavirus and the bubonic plague microbe on your fingers, and you will be bitten by radioactive spiders, fleas and mites, but your fingers will not end up with a mold-like smell.
  

Enjoy!