Where can I buy bison tubes locally?

[CaseysNewHobby]

So...

 

what kind of store would sell bison tubes, or something a lot like them? I've tried hobby stores, hardware stores, outdoor stores, army surplus stores...

 

No luck. Most employees have no idea what I'm talking about and treat me like I'm an idiot. I'm thinking these may exist for some other purpose than geocaching, but I just don't know what they would be called, or what kind of store would sell them.

 

Has anyone found these in an actual store? If so, what was it?!?!?

 

Thanks!

 

Casey

[+Chrysalides]

Has anyone found these in an actual store? If so, what was it?!?!?

The actual Bison Designs tubes can be found in REI.

 

For generic ones, I've seen them in Harbor Freight Tools. I've heard that they can be found in Walmart but never seen them myself.

 

Edit : it's sometimes called a pill fob.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Chrysalides

[+popokiiti]

Lee Valley Tools has green and red bison tubes. They also have brass nanos. Most drug stores carry pill holders on a key ring that even have an O ring...I picked up the bisons and nanos at our local Lee Valley store.

Edited January 26, 2010 by popokiiti

[+briansnat]

REI. Maybe a pet store.

[+StarBrand]

I've picked them up at Walgreens before - sold as a waterproof pocket pill container

[+uxorious]

I've seen the metal pill fob in several drug stores. My local Wal-Mart has them in the pharmacy area.

[+cerberus1]

Most CVS and Rite Aid have 'em near the pharmacy.

Ask a clerk where the nitro (the heart kind ) or pill containers are.

They have the larger metal ones and some heavy plastic ones (great for painting.)

Make sure you look for one with an o-ring or gasket, as I've seen some without.

You'll probably pay a bit more than online with tax and such.

[+Team Cotati]

I seem to recall seeing them in a local REI store.

[CaseysNewHobby]

Thanks everyone. I found a few of the smaller types at REI, and I found one that was a bit larger and fatter (but still small) at Wall-greens. I've got enough mini-micro's now to keep me busy hiding caches for a long time

[+dexter-cacher]

try a pet store...they sell small tubes that clip onto the collars of pets that contain owner contact info...no idea on cost but I have seen them before.

[M.TEX]

The dog / cat ID tag it's about 2.50 bucks....at Petco...

[+msrubble]

CaseysNewHobby,

 

REI isn't exactly local, but hey.

 

A couple of the bigger pet stores have tiny metal screw-top ID holders in with the leashes and dog tags. Possibly too small for a cache.

 

East side Cub Foods has probably what you found at Walgreen's. White plastic, with a red O-ring. Near the pharmacy, with the pill reminders, tablet cutters.

 

Wally World has the same size, brushed aluminum. Pretty expensive for what it is. Again, near the pharmacy.

 

It's worth trying Gopher Bargain Center. I picked up several of the white plastic pill fobs there, cheap.

[+bittsen]

If you have a harbor freight store near you, they have a bison tube or two there.

[curlingfan11]

Any place in Canada to buy bison tubes?

[R0ck5]

Any place in Canada to buy bison tubes?

Check eBay. They are many bison tubes.

[+popokiiti]

You can buy them online at Landsharkz or at their store in Esquimalt which is in Victoria, BC.

[+cerberus1]

.

Edited May 15, 2016 by cerberus1

[+Mockingbird559]

I bought a whole herd of bison on amazon. About $0.70 each. Six colors

 

REI has them one at a time. Paid about $4.00

 

Walmart, Wal greens, Dollar Store have the larger ones, calling them pill fobs. Maybe $1-3 each.

 

Cache Happy

[+ecanderson]

FWIW Department:

 

Quality of both the tubes and especially the o-rings is all over the map.

Tendency is for finders to over-torque when closing, and cheap o-rings cut very easily, and most dry out and crack in the sun. Once cut or cracked, they fall off, and you're going to get water inside unless you live in a desert where it never rains.

Those choosing to use these for cache containers will do well to find a secondary source for GOOD o-rings made of sterner stuff than 99% of those supplied with bison tubes.

One recommendation is o-rings made of butadiene rubber, available at Ace, Home Depot, etc. often made by Danco. They're a bit fat, but it's better than wet logs.

[+WarNinjas]

At most drug stores. They are pill containers. They are much cheaper online though.

[+kunarion]

Those choosing to use these for cache containers will do well to find a secondary source for GOOD o-rings made of sterner stuff than 99% of those supplied with bison tubes.

 

I have a box of the finest O-rings that Harbor Freight offers. Once the factory O-ring breaks or rots away (couple of finds, or couple of weeks to rot), I install the new improved one. I check and maintain mine, but my bison tubes, match tubes, 50ML vials (no O-ring, they have caps that seal like a soda bottle does), and small Lock-N-Locks (the real deal), have the most soaking wet logs of all my caches. It's a mystery of the universe that can never be fathomed.

 

Strangely, they're perfectly dry during periods when nobody has found them.

Edited May 19, 2016 by kunarion