66,000 Decon Containers

[+Renegade Knight]

In a local forum a cacher stopped in a nearby army surplus shop. They wanted to pick up some decon containers (the local replacement for Micro's and I'll count my blessings for that). They didn't see any so they asked. Turns out the owner had bought 66,000 of them and sold them all to cachers. He was sold out with no more to be found.

 

There aren't 66,000 of these in my neighborhood but even nationwide that's a lot of decon containers. Maybe I should have one of mine bronzed.

Edited February 18, 2009 by Renegade Knight

[+wickedann]

Turns out the owner had bought 66,000 of them and sold them all to cachers. He was sold out with no more to be found.

 

That explains the global shortage in decon containers. I stopped at a surplus store in Rochester, NY on Monday and he said it was tough finding them...he keeps calling his suppliers, but they don't have any. Oh well, I guess a few ammo cans will suffice....

[Clan Riffster]

I've pretty much given up on decon kits for my hides. I think they work great, under the right conditions, IF the finders close them properly.

Sadly, it seems that decon kit closure is a lost art.

[+gof1]

You mean to tell me you actually have to close those things? Completely?!

[+Star*Hopper]

First off, I don't buy that -- the dealer part, that is. I don't know any surplus shop that

1)- would've been able to find any available source that large;

2)- would've had the kinda financial outlay that qty would've taken (even at $.50 apiece, that's $33K!!);

3)- much less, would've invested that much in an iffy-at-best gambit on inventory turnover.

How many sound businessmen are gonna invest ~$33,000 to have sittin' out on the floor, without any solid idea of how long it'll take to sell them & get his money back?

 

Especially when decon containers are now scarce & have been for some time, becuz the US military switched over to a standardized UN(?) type decon kit (the M295 replaced the M258) that comes in a pouch/bag type container sometime around 2000. See, here: http://www.edgewood.army.mil/ps/download/ECBC_m295.pdf

 

~*

[+briansnat]

I've pretty much given up on decon kits for my hides. I think they work great, under the right conditions, IF the finders close them properly.

Sadly, it seems that decon kit closure is a lost art.

 

I stopped using them years ago. Very high maintenance. Got sick of replacing soaked logbooks. It's not just the way people close them. The lids sometimes didn't fit very securely.

[+Renegade Knight]

I've pretty much given up on decon kits for my hides. I think they work great, under the right conditions, IF the finders close them properly.

Sadly, it seems that decon kit closure is a lost art.

 

Locally we haven't had much problem. Maybe because enough of us use them to where they do tend to get closed correctly. I would imagine where they are more scarce there isn't as much chance to learn that they can be tough little buggars. I can't even think of a single wet log I've found in one. Strange how regions vary.

[+scuba dude]

I seriously doubt the 66,000 number as well, although I don't doubt they could be had a great price. Ammo cans can be bought by the pallet load for a few bucks (meaning just pennies per can) if no one else is bidding against you. So the decon kits could be quite a steal if findable at a DRMO sale.

 

I have a few decon kit hides without any problems, but I will probably change them out with better cammo'd containers this year.

[+DarkZen]

Lock and Locks are the new Decons... thankfully!

[+Star*Hopper]

Lock and Locks are the new Decons... thankfully!

Cheaper, too!

Started to mention that in my post above - going rate for M258A1's seemed to be around the $3 range. Then I caught an ad where they were $7.88 (+S&H)....& din't want somebody callin' me out!

 

Few things escalate a selling price like scarcity!!

~*

[+Isonzo Karst]

I'm thinking the issue with wet/dry decons may be date of manufacture. That's a contract to spec item. Likely rebid a couple of times.

The first bunches I bought and found were a tad easier to open and close, and dry usually. Those of mine from 03 and 04 are mostly still out and still dry. The later ones I bought were a darker green, much tougher to open and close, and oddly, much more likely to be wet, even when properly closed. I see some black decons now. Not good.

 

I was buying them for $1 each in 2003-4. Should have bought him out.

[+J-Way]

How many sound businessmen are gonna invest ~$33,000 to have sittin' out on the floor, without any solid idea of how long it'll take to sell them & get his money back?

Your standard auto dealer? Oh, wait... you said sound businessmen...

[+briansnat]

I'm thinking the issue with wet/dry decons may be date of manufacture. That's a contract to spec item. Likely rebid a couple of times.

The first bunches I bought and found were a tad easier to open and close, and dry usually. Those of mine from 03 and 04 are mostly still out and still dry. The later ones I bought were a darker green, much tougher to open and close, and oddly, much more likely to be wet, even when properly closed. I see some black decons now. Not good.

 

I was buying them for $1 each in 2003-4. Should have bought him out.

 

I noticed that with some the lid fits so loosely that you can wiggle it, while others have a very snug fit. I actually had some black ones that worked quite well.

 

Started to mention that in my post above - going rate for M258A1's seemed to be around the $3 range. Then I caught an ad where they were $7.88 (+S&H)....& din't want somebody callin' me out!

 

I was getting them for $1.89 in the beginning. I think when they caught on with geocachers and the sales of them started going through the roof the price went up. My supplier doubled the price overnight and this was

back around 2004. $1.89 was a good price, but 4+ dollars? Forget it.

 

I just googled them and found someone selling packs of 3 decon boxes for $25 + $9 shipping. He is nice enough to throw in a logbook and golf pencil too. Geez, what a sport .

[+Renegade Knight]

...I noticed that with some the lid fits so loosely that you can wiggle it, while others have a very snug fit. I actually had some black ones that worked quite well. ...

 

I've never see anything but the snug fit verging on tight. The Army store I mentioned always charged a buck for them. The only deal I've seen that was better was when a Surplus store in Fairbanks put Ammo Cans on sale for a buck. It doesn't take many to hit 50lb in your luggage.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

In a local forum a cacher stopped in a nearby army surplus shop. They wanted to pick up some decon containers (the local replacement for Micro's and I'll count my blessings for that). They didn't see any so they asked. Turns out the owner had bought 66,000 of them and sold them all to cachers. He was sold out with no more to be found.

 

There aren't 66,000 of these in my neighborhood but even nationwide that's a lot of decon containers. Maybe I should have one of mine bronzed.

While I cannot see any reason why the shop owner would have lied about having purchased 66,000 decon containers in a bulk lot, the tale about having sold them all to geocachers is highly suspicious. I find it unbelievable, and I much prefer to believe that some kind of vast underground network of conspirators -- acting in concert as if guided by an occult hand from above -- may have purchased those decon containers for their own nefarious purposes (perhaps to store souls for delivery to Satan, or something even more sinister, such as hamster torture) and may have claimed that they were geocachers as a convenient cover story.

 

.

[+cerberus1]

CJ and I found decon canisters at a booth at the PA sportsman's expo in Harrisburg last week.

We tested the seals (listening for the escape of air and snap of the lid) and bought four at 1.50 each.

The way it sounds, we should have grabbed a bunch more. (But we were lugging other "stuff.")

 

Colemans.com has plenty, but they're four for 9.95 plus shipping.

[+The Caching Coulters]

I've got a M258A1 on my desk right now. Unfortunately it's still got the decon stuff inside.

Edited February 18, 2009 by The Caching Coulters

[+Star*Hopper]

 

While I cannot see any reason why the shop owner would have lied about having purchased 66,000 decon containers in a bulk lot, the tale about having sold them all to geocachers is highly suspicious. I find it unbelievable, and I much prefer to believe that some kind of vast underground network of conspirators -- acting in concert as if guided by an occult hand from above -- may have purchased those decon containers for their own nefarious purposes (perhaps to store souls for delivery to Satan, or something even more sinister, such as hamster torture) and may have claimed that they were geocachers as a convenient cover story.

 

.

'Fraid I'm with Sioneva on this one!

~*

[+Star*Hopper]

I've got a M258A1 on my desk right now. Unfortunately it's still got the decon stuff inside.

You wouldn't be sayin' that if Al-Queda ever gets into geocaching!

 

(Or you go after one o' Vinny's)

~*

[+ShowStop]

www.armysurpluswarehouse.com used to be the cheapest place to get decons. I think their price was like $1.87 each or something like that. People would buy them by the dozen. I bought about 100 from there myself and often re-sold many to local cachers. Unfortunately they sold out of the containers, so now I just round up stuff around the house, nut jars, spice containers, butter tubs, etc. Takes more work to prep them, but may get some nice camo designs. Turns out to be cheaper in the long run, just more time consuming to prep.