good ideas for geocache containers?

[+josh0322]

whats your preferred geocache container? i'm starting to put together some containers and i was wondering where other people find cheap (or even free!) cache containers. i like the idea of recycling what would otherwise be garbage. what are some good resources for collecting containers? i think i've grabbed just about every extra film and pill container around the house

[+StarBrand]

Poor containers:

Film and pill bottles nearly always leak.

 

Good containers:

 

Regular: Ammo cans, lock-n-lock containers

 

Small: Lock-n-lock, decon

 

Micro: 82 cent match containers from walmart - with o-ring. Pill holders with oring, bison tubes.

Edited January 19, 2008 by StarBrand

[+joranda]

ammo boxes and lock-n-lock boxes are good.

[+josh0322]

i dont think i've ever come across a leaky film container... they seem to seal pretty well and will even hold the seal when forced under water.

most o-ring containers (like match containers) i've seen have a brittle o-ring that probably doesnt seal much at all.

[+egami]

I don't know, I'd put those little wal-mart match containers up against a film container any day of the week.

[Mag Magician]

I have quite a few plastic tobacco containers out as caches. Camo duct tape wraps around them very easily. These are the ones that hold cut tobacco for rolling cigarettes. I found that some corner stores will ask the customers to donate them back for other purposes. The smaller ones seem to hold out moisture quite well in snow country, but the larger 2 pound cans flex too much and get wet very quickly.

[+fairyhoney]

There's a cacher up here that uses empty licorice containers and mayonnaise jars.- not supposed to but she does. pst . . They don't work

[+badlands]

We see a lot of preforms around here. Water and air tight and almost indestructible.

[jholly]

There's a cacher up here that uses empty licorice containers and mayonnaise jars.- not supposed to but she does. pst . . They don't work

 

Well I guess they are cheaper than lock'n'locks, and those are pretty cheap.

 

Jim

[+briansnat]

This might help

 

And this.

[+ReZappers]

Anyone have good or bad experiences with the cheap beach containers, like these: oriental trading co beach safe containers

Have they stayed waterproof?

[+team lagonda]

anything that turns the wind n keeps out the rain does it fer me..

[+SniperChicken]

The most reliable regular size is the tried and trusted ammo can ! Lock n locks are a great choice if you get the ones that have locks on all 4 sides.I have heard the cheaper ones that don't really" lock" aren't as weatherproof and if an animal tries to "play" with it it is more likely to pop open.

It will be impossible to make me believe that a film can case can compare with a matchstick holder for reliability and weatherproofness. I have several matchstick holders that have been out in the elements for a year or two that have no baggie to protect the logsheets and the logs are still dry and in good shape.Show me a film can that can say the same!

An old waterproof light can be transformed into a cache container.

 

Bad ideas for containers:

Metal coffee cans-they rust and the lids leak and eventually get so brittle they rot and fall to pieces.

Altoids tins- unless they are sheltered they too rust.

skoal cans-leaks easily

glass jars...okay sometimes they seal okay but what if they break??!!

the drilled out bolt- i have seen VERY few that are waterproof

[+briansnat]

Anyone have good or bad experiences with the cheap beach containers, like these: oriental trading co beach safe containers

Have they stayed waterproof?

 

They are basically junk. Do not use these as caches. There are more expensive versions of this container that work nicely, but not these.

 

I bought a few and experimented with them. They failed. I was going to just put them in caches as trade items but decided that I didn't want to start finding the things out there with soggy logbooks, so I just threw them away.

 

If you want a good, inexpensive small container consider these.

Comes out to roughly 75 cents each with shipping.

Edited January 20, 2008 by briansnat

[+nbmc geocachers]

You can get film canisters from any place that develops film. Just go to the counter and ask for however many you want and the will give them to you free. I do metal work and recently made a scuba container from a rod of aluminum wasn't free but it was something to do and it turned out really nice. You can go to thrift stores and find tons. Thermoses are common and work well. Some Chinese takeout places put food in plastic containers. You not only can use them for cache containers but around the house as tupperware.

 

Mike

[+EScout]

These canisters are heavy gage aluminum, strong enough to stand on. Twist on lid, with no threads to get dirty, rubber o-ring seal, water proof, easy to paint. I have had one as a cache for several years, perfectly dry. The same volume inside as a decon container. 6 for $10 is a deal. In the store I have bought them for as little as 83centsUS. I have also had one hanging in a tree, using a snap-swivel, but was stolen twice.

Major Surplus- German Army "Dish"

 

Edited February 17, 2008 by EScout

[+briansnat]

You can get film canisters from any place that develops film. Just go to the counter and ask for however many you want and the will give them to you free. I do metal work and recently made a scuba container from a rod of aluminum wasn't free but it was something to do and it turned out really nice. You can go to thrift stores and find tons. Thermoses are common and work well. Some Chinese takeout places put food in plastic containers. You not only can use them for cache containers but around the house as tupperware.

 

Mike

 

Both make terrible containers. Film canisters leak. I rarely find one where the log is dry. Chinese food containers are even worse. First they had food in them. It's very difficult to get the food smell out. Animals

make quick work of these. The ones I found often have gnaw marks on them. Second the lids split after

a few openings/closings.

 

If you don't mind running out every few weeks to dry out your caches and replace the logbook, film canisters and Chinese food/deli containers can work. Otherwise get a quality container.

[+Isonzo Karst]

Whatever you might save in cheap/free containers in the beginning will be more than off-set by your gas expense and time in maintaining your soggy, damaged hide. Not to mention that the experience of your cache will be "yuck" for finders instead of fun.

 

Cache containers that will hold up over time are ammo cans, lock and locks, match-safes, bison tubes (or other pill containers with O rings) and possibly decon containers. I say possibly decon containers because they're a fine container, but a significant number of people will only close the front of the lid, leaving the back loose (unconsciously assuming hinge, I think). So they're often wet.

 

Containers with O rings are going to need O ring replacement in time. I have a bunch for match-safes and bisons, and routinely replace them on my hides and others that I come across. They're cheap.

 

I've seen some dry film cans tucked into sheltered spots. In the woods here they seem to be squirrel magnets. Always chewed and often moved.

 

In arid climates the choices are much broader. While in Texas, for instance, we found plastic Folger's Coffee can caches that had been out 2 years and were doing okay. Here in wet humid Florida that's a totally worthless container.

[+rods&ropes]

whats your preferred geocache container? i'm starting to put together some containers and i was wondering where other people find cheap (or even free!) cache containers. i like the idea of recycling what would otherwise be garbage. what are some good resources for collecting containers? i think i've grabbed just about every extra film and pill container around the house

rods&ropes here: I like the "spring loaded" small medicine bottles for water proof containers. Peanut Butter jars are good if you carefully clean any "foil" off the lid lip. Also need to paint it, to keep interested animals away!

[+dew cache]

I have been using my used dibetic test strip plastic bottles. They are pretty waterproof and if a little water does get in the white liner will soak it up and dry out in a day or two. Test strips must be keep dry or you waist those 25 little dollar strips I read where someone put a soaked log in one and in a day or two the log was dry as a test and said it was very good to use and they are about the same size film can.

[+geocyclist94]

THE BEST ARE THE AMMO CANS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[+StarBrand]

Lock-n-Locks or ammocans. All I will use anymore (except for needed replacements of my few micros - then I use the match containers with an oring).

[+Hrethgir]

I've had some good luck with a Nalgene bottle. Stayed dry inside even though the cache itself is underwater.

[greenworldfeather]

I've had some good luck with a Nalgene bottle. Stayed dry inside even though the cache itself is underwater.

Here are some examples.

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...v%3D2%26hl%3Den

 

Thanks. gwf

[+power69]

ammo boxes and lock-n-lock boxes are good.

lock and locks are good til the snaps break off[about 50 or so finds]

[+Mule Ears]

Anyone have good or bad experiences with the cheap beach containers, like these: oriental trading co beach safe containers

Have they stayed waterproof?

 

I've used the original Witz boxes for a couple of caches: GCNJ14 and GCJGB3. These caches have been out in the Arizona desert for nearly four years and are still in perfect shape. The one on top of Sheepshead Dome has survived extreme heat and cold without a problem. Pretty good for 6-7 bucks.

 

I see that for an extra dollar they'll even sell you a pre-camouflaged box:

[+StarBrand]

ammo boxes and lock-n-lock boxes are good.

lock and locks are good til the snaps break off[about 50 or so finds]

Not true!! - I have several that are going on 3 years and over 120 finds. Still work great.

[+Sol seaker]

I have to go cheap, as I don't have much money.

I pay close attention to the containers I find to see what works well. Here in the Pacific Northwest seals are tested to their limits.

Virtually EVERY film container I find has a wet log.

People are right about ammo boxes being the best, but not always the best for the situation.

The best cheap containers I've found are nalgene water bottles (cheap? you say, look right now for these in thift stores as everyone is changing their bottles for the chemical free ones. Especially thrift stores near rich neighborhoods). These are totally water tight and stay that way. I've seen some clever hiding places for these including inside logs. Make sure you get the wide mouth ones and put a log in it that can be easily gotten out. (much easier to get stuff out of than bisons!!)

My other favorite is a cashew container from Costco. It is totally water-tight and the one I found has been there for years. The container is expensive, about 10- but comes full with a couple pounds of FREE cashews!! I ran it through the dishwasher and then will air mine out for days or longer before putting into the field. It seals so well the minimal smell stays in, but I'm airing it out first to be sure.

 

whats your preferred geocache container? i'm starting to put together some containers and i was wondering where other people find cheap (or even free!) cache containers. i like the idea of recycling what would otherwise be garbage.

[+JohnE5]

Bird houses hung in public view.

[+JohnE5]

Only 29 good geocache container ideas?

[+Castle Mischief]

Only 29 good geocache container ideas?

 

There are countless more bad ideas. There are only really a handful of easy-to-acquire, relatively inexpensive, water-proof, UV resistant, durable containers to be had on the open market. These have pretty much all been covered: ammo can, Loc-N-Loc, match holder, bison tube, pre-form and the occasional well-crafted waterproof credit card holder. Most other containers fail in some regard on a regular basis or cost too much.

 

BTW, if you're hiding a cache in a birdhouse I'd hope that means you're using the birdhouse as camo for the actual container and you aren't using the birdhouse as the container.

[+Mredria]

I hate when people use those big metal barrels that christmas popcorn comes in. URGH! SLIMEY, RUSTY, WET, YUCK.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by a feed bucket tho. Iono how it stayed all dry inside.

[+JohnE5]

Only 29 good geocache container ideas?

BTW, if you're hiding a cache in a birdhouse I'd hope that means you're using the birdhouse as camo for the actual container and you aren't using the birdhouse as the container.

The bird house I am using is the container and the camo. It has been holding up very well so far.

[+cpine]

Not exactly a pratical one but sure was fun making it.

 

[darkfenix]

I've got a few old kinder egg containers (the little platic things that hold the toy) anyone know how well they hold up??

[+dacjohns]

I've got a few old kinder egg containers (the little platic things that hold the toy) anyone know how well they hold up??

 

I would guess they wouldn't be very water tight.

[+mrbort]

You'd probably have to come to the Black Hole in Los Alamos NM to get this (one of a kind store that sells surplus from the national laboratory here... amazing place and worth just wandering around if you're ever in the area... I've never walked through a store and said "I have no idea what that is/does" so many times) but it's a micro that they would have used to send samples through a nuclear reactor to be irradiated (durable!) like at a drive up bank. These things are super hardy and indestructible (at $0.25 I figured I could try put one through its paces with water/rocks/etc). They're also designed to hold up to intense radiation so the mild solar sort isn't an issue for prolonged sun exposure. An interesting design, they have a screw off top but also a sealed screw off bottom (where the sealed bottom end is threaded. I havent explored this yet but I imagine that they could be compatible with other pvc type tubing -- lots of camo ideas with that Anyway, I just discovered them this weekend but they're neat! Just excited to share here and maybe some of the New Mexico geocachers might read this and find their way up to Los Alamos.

[+briansnat]

I've got a few old kinder egg containers (the little platic things that hold the toy) anyone know how well they hold up??

 

I've seen these used with a bison cylinder inside to protect the logbook. Otherwise they are lousy containers.

[darkfenix]

ahhh thanks everyone for your input I only tested it for a few minutes leaving it fully submerged and seemed fine but i would suspect there would be issues with the water freezing and cracking it open. As well the scent of the chocolate might invite some animals to visit it.

[stargatekrewe]

Has anybody tried the new Rubbermaid Lock-It's? Seems comparable to Lock & Lock's. Just wonder if they are just as waterproof, sturdy, and UV resistant.

[cacheman22]

I have found tennis ball cans surprisingly good containers. The container for the favorite cache I placed is a plastic mayonnaise jar. It has remained effective and dry for years.

 

I now expect a mayonnaise allergy warning to be posted.

[farmwife]

I have seen some water proof containers by the kayaks and canoes at Dick's Sporting Goods. There are different sizes and colors/clear. They are hard plastic and have rubber rings to seal. I think they would work pretty well.

[vorflex]

Film cannisters work for a while, but unless they are in a protected spot, they get saturated pretty fast. I've actually had really good results with plastic spice containers. They have a really large lid that has pretty good threading. One's been on the ground under a piece of wood for months, through several large rainstorms, and it's still holding up fine.

 

I've also put a few home made containers to work, and they've all held up really well. One container as a bolt witha plastic cap, another was a peice of hose with bottles caps, and aother a block of wood witha waterproof coating on it.

[Clan Riffster]

Ultimately, (in my mind), a good container is one that protects its contents.

Whether those contents are a torn scrap of paper, or gobs of high end swag is irrelevant.

If the container is not suitable for protecting what's in it, it sucks.

 

The suggestions you see on here may be geographically based, as what may work in one area won't work in another.

For Florida:

 

Bad containers:

Hide-a-keys

Black & grey film cans

Altoids tins

Gladware

Sterilite (fake Tupperware)

Cookie tins

Duct tape covered envelopes

PVC pipe w/caps, plugs, etc

 

Good containers:

Ammo cans

Lock & Locks

Tupperware (the real stuff)

Decon kits (only if hung off the ground and closed properly)

Opaque film cans

Bison tubes (the real ones, not the extruded aluminum ones)

Soda bottle preforms

Match containers

Nalgene containers

Edited August 24, 2009 by Clan Riffster

[Clan Riffster]

Has anybody tried the new Rubbermaid Lock-It's?

I played with those in Wally World.

Most wouldn't stay closed even in the air conditioned store.

All of them failed to stay closed with a bit of mild squeezing/manipulating.

As both a food storage container and as a cache, I'd say they suck.

[+StarBrand]

Has anybody tried the new Rubbermaid Lock-It's? Seems comparable to Lock & Lock's. Just wonder if they are just as waterproof, sturdy, and UV resistant.

I've had 3 of them out for a few months now. I checked on them over the weekend. All are camo painted. 2 of them appear to be holding up well and are sealed well. 1 of them is still sealed well but the lid shows some unusual signs of wear on the hinges of all 4 locks - looks like somebody tried to force it on upside down. I don't think it will hold up long term.

[+Techcaching]

Wow! I can't belive that no one has broght THESE up yet. You can make huge caches with these and as long as the finder has the good courtesy to close them up correctly( and its not hard or requires any previous knowledge) then they are bomb proof.

[knowschad]

Wow! I can't belive that no one has broght THESE up yet. You can make huge caches with these and as long as the finder has the good courtesy to close them up correctly( and its not hard or requires any previous knowledge) then they are bomb proof.

 

With the prices starting at $17 and going much, much higher than that, its no wonder nobody has mentioned drybags.

[+sbell111]

i dont think i've ever come across a leaky film container... they seem to seal pretty well and will even hold the seal when forced under water.

most o-ring containers (like match containers) i've seen have a brittle o-ring that probably doesnt seal much at all.

There are two kinds of film, cans. The kind where the top snaps over the canister tends to leak really bad. The kind where the top snaps into the canister tends to not leak.

 

There's a cacher up here that uses empty licorice containers and mayonnaise jars.- not supposed to but she does. pst . . They don't work

Why is she 'not supposed to'?

 

Anyone have good or bad experiences with the cheap beach containers, like these: oriental trading co beach safe containers

Have they stayed waterproof?

I've seen some caches that did very well using that very container. Like all o-ring sealed containers, they will leak if the o-ring wears out.

[+bittsen]

I just want to add (especially after yesterdays cache run) that the best "cheap" container is anything with a screw on lid AS LONG AS IT HAS A GASKET in the lid.

Reused plastic jars are awesome if they have a gasket but worthless if they don't.