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Improvised Cache containers!


njhowen

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Why not threaded PVC pipe with end caps screwed on? There's some room in one foot of 3 inch pipe. After all, it is for plumbing.

 

Some hardware stores will cut threads into a section of pipe for free.

 

Might want to explain the hobby, because a short stick of capped PVC is also the housing of a pipe bomb.

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Why not threaded PVC pipe with end caps screwed on? There's some room in one foot of 3 inch pipe. After all, it is for plumbing.

 

Some hardware stores will cut threads into a section of pipe for free.

 

Might want to explain the hobby, because a short stick of capped PVC is also the housing of a pipe bomb.

Found one just like that, painted black and hanging in an evergreen tree by a looped cord (which just happened to look like wire). Was (is, I should say) placed just beyond the outfield fence wall of a community baseball diamond.

 

Go figure! :laughing:

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Heya all. When I hide my 1st cache, it will prolly be in one of these:

 

box.gif

 

It's a waterproof box made by Outdoor Products. They sell at least two sizes at the local Wally World, and I think they might be like $5-8 each. I think one of those with a Geocache label and some camo might just work.

 

Later!

 

Have 2 of those in the field and are performing horribly... lock and lock are the better and cheaper alternative.

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Why not threaded PVC pipe with end caps screwed on? There's some room in one foot of 3 inch pipe. After all, it is for plumbing.

 

Some hardware stores will cut threads into a section of pipe for free.

 

Might want to explain the hobby, because a short stick of capped PVC is also the housing of a pipe bomb.

Found one just like that, painted black and hanging in an evergreen tree by a looped cord (which just happened to look like wire). Was (is, I should say) placed just beyond the outfield fence wall of a community baseball diamond.

 

Go figure! :laughing:

 

Not to mention that if you get those PVC threads tight enough to seal out water they will be near impossible to open without tools.

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I myself always like designing containers that other may not have seen in our area. For that I've found a few things that work good.

 

1.) Kool-aid drink mix (or store brand) containers. They look like a morter shell and have a threaded top.

I had one of those. boiled it and the critters still could somehow smell the sweet.

they chewed the bottom out

 

I actually had a bunch of them and before painting I ran them through the washing machine (not the dishwasher, the actually front load washer). So far the few I have out have not been attacked yet. The only container I have had that has been chew on is a mini plastic ammo can that is hidden in a tree. You can see where it's been nibbled on. :laughing:

 

Odie

mine was a hide in the mountains and had rocks in front and a small rock on top, only thing that could squeeze in there is probably a small lizard.

6qb6ea.jpg

Edited by power69
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Why not threaded PVC pipe with end caps screwed on? There's some room in one foot of 3 inch pipe. After all, it is for plumbing.

 

Some hardware stores will cut threads into a section of pipe for free.

 

Might want to explain the hobby, because a short stick of capped PVC is also the housing of a pipe bomb.

believe it or not, these DO leak!

one i found had a half inch of water on bottom[luckily there was a ziplock bag in it for logsheet]

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I respectfully disagree with the use of any coffee can -- plastic, metal, glass or otherwise.

Amen. There is no compression seal in a plastic or metal coffee container, (never saw a glass one), so all you have really is an oversized film can, with a low quality plastic lid that pops onto a low quality plastic body. While this might be a great way to collect rainwater in the forest, it's probably not such a great idea for a trinket & logbook storage device. Placing baggies in them might help, until the baggies get punctured. These things, (along with any other crappy plastic containers), should go into a recycle bin, not a forest.

 

One of my most basic mottos is; if you must use a baggie to protect the contents of your cache, your container has already failed at a very basic level. Take pride in your hide. Don't use crap just because it's free.

 

I use glass Coffee jars with v.good seals on them... I originally tested them for 3 days under water... not a drop inside!

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I made 2 micros :laughing: out of a mini maglite that one of the horde managed to break. The outside was fine, just the plastic housing that holds the bulb was broken. So i cut the mag in half. I filled the cut end of both halves with 5 min epoxy then they were ready to go. One had the piece that screws off for the battery, the other you screw off the bulb end to access the log. They seem to be holding up well so far. I am keeping a close watch on the bulb end though, it doesnt thread together as tight as the other end.

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I use glass Coffee jars with v.good seals on them... I originally tested them for 3 days under water... not a drop inside!

 

Glass jars are not a good idea (IMO). Too much danger of breakage. Even the slightest chance of a young'un being badly cut is plenty good enough reason for me to disagree with glass! Not to mention when it does break, just who in the world cleans up that geo-trash?

 

They very may well seal fine, but the other drawback overrules its' use.

 

Besides... I do not see that you have any hides.

 

Stirring the pot maybe? :laughing:

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I myself always like designing containers that other may not have seen in our area. For that I've found a few things that work good.

 

1.) Kool-aid drink mix (or store brand) containers. They look like a morter shell and have a threaded top.

I had one of those. boiled it and the critters still could somehow smell the sweet.

they chewed the bottom out

 

I actually had a bunch of them and before painting I ran them through the washing machine (not the dishwasher, the actually front load washer). So far the few I have out have not been attacked yet. The only container I have had that has been chew on is a mini plastic ammo can that is hidden in a tree. You can see where it's been nibbled on. :laughing:

 

Odie

mine was a hide in the mountains and had rocks in front and a small rock on top, only thing that could squeeze in there is probably a small lizard.

 

Have you guys tried cleaning out these containers using baking soda & lemon juice? My wife uses this for cleaning around the house (she has tree-hugging tendencies). I've tried it on a peanut butter container that I'm going to use for my first cache. Simply washing it thoroughly wasn't good enough but after using this mixture, there's no hint of nut smell.

 

Try equal parts of baking soda and lemon juice and swirl it around the container. You don't need much.

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Why not threaded PVC pipe with end caps screwed on? There's some room in one foot of 3 inch pipe. After all, it is for plumbing.

 

Some hardware stores will cut threads into a section of pipe for free.

 

Might want to explain the hobby, because a short stick of capped PVC is also the housing of a pipe bomb.

 

I've found quite a few of these. I don't recall one where the contents were dry. If you screw the caps on tight enough to keep water out, it is impossible to remove it without a wrench. If you don't screw it on tight enough it leaks.

 

Not to mention that unless you have parts laying around your house, these things can get expensive. When I first started caching I thought of making one and by the time I priced all the parts at Home Depot I was over $12.

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In a perfect geocaching environment it would be nice to have every cache in a nice, quality container like ammo cans, L-N-L's, etc. Around here those type don't last too long.

 

An example: I was FTF on a new bug hotel. The owner had done a spectacular job with this hide. Coords good and the container was a newer ammo can that was packed with what had to be at least $20 worth of trade items. Tools, toys and other stuff. A few weeks later I notice that the hide is disabled.....sure enough, the cache was stolen. This wasn't even my hide and it pi$$'d me off.

 

Another example....another TB hotel a few miles down the interstate....original was an ammo can. Someone decided that the ammo can was a trade item and left a stupid Igloo cooler. Then that was stolen. I replaced the container for the owner just because it was the first TB hotel I ever found. This was a cammoed Sun washing powder container. It disappeared in a week or two.

 

I haven't hidden a lot of caches. but I've had three stupid L-N-L containers stolen so far. You have to be putry low to covet a $3 L-N-L. or a recycled plastic washing powder box.

 

There are three nice ammo cans I bought with the intention of using for hides. They sit in the shed. Two with tools in them and one with ammo.

 

One of my recently stolen hides is probably going to be replaced with a plastic potato chip can for crying out loud.

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In a perfect geocaching environment it would be nice to have every cache in a nice, quality container like ammo cans, L-N-L's, etc. Around here those type don't last too long.

 

An example: I was FTF on a new bug hotel. The owner had done a spectacular job with this hide. Coords good and the container was a newer ammo can that was packed with what had to be at least $20 worth of trade items. Tools, toys and other stuff. A few weeks later I notice that the hide is disabled.....sure enough, the cache was stolen. This wasn't even my hide and it pi$$'d me off.

 

Another example....another TB hotel a few miles down the interstate....original was an ammo can. Someone decided that the ammo can was a trade item and left a stupid Igloo cooler. Then that was stolen. I replaced the container for the owner just because it was the first TB hotel I ever found. This was a cammoed Sun washing powder container. It disappeared in a week or two.

 

I haven't hidden a lot of caches. but I've had three stupid L-N-L containers stolen so far. You have to be putry low to covet a $3 L-N-L. or a recycled plastic washing powder box.

 

There are three nice ammo cans I bought with the intention of using for hides. They sit in the shed. Two with tools in them and one with ammo.

 

One of my recently stolen hides is probably going to be replaced with a plastic potato chip can for crying out loud.

 

Why not try a new approach?

 

Equate geocache hides as would a Realtor: Location; location; location.

Did I mention that LOCATION is everything?

 

:o:surprise::laughing:

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Why not threaded PVC pipe with end caps screwed on?

I've found a whole bunch of PVC pipe caches. With only one exception, they all had moisture inside. The myth that PVC would keep water out because it keeps water in is dependent upon the sections of pipe being glued together, which would make it difficult to open. Another option is screw on caps, which require tools if you want them tight enough to keep water out.

 

(Oops. I see that deceased equine has been thoroughly thrashed by others.)

 

One of my recently stolen hides is probably going to be replaced with a plastic potato chip can for crying out loud.

I think it's way kewl that you are able to recognise crappy containers vs. quality ones, and I understand your frustration at having the good ones stolen, even when they belong to someone else. If you decide to continue as a hider of quality containers, I would suggest finding locations that won't appeal to the P&G crowd. An ammo box 20' from a parking spot is a tempting target for a cache maggot. The same can a couple miles into the woods might have less appeal. Maybe?

Edited by Clan Riffster
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Why not threaded PVC pipe with end caps screwed on?

I've found a whole bunch of PVC pipe caches. With only one exception, they all had moisture inside. The myth that PVC would keep water out because it keeps water in is dependent upon the sections of pipe being glued together, which would make it difficult to open. Another option is screw on caps, which require tools if you want them tight enough to keep water out.

 

(Oops. I see that deceased equine has been thoroughly thrashed by others.)

 

One of my recently stolen hides is probably going to be replaced with a plastic potato chip can for crying out loud.

I think it's way kewl that you are able to recognise crappy containers vs. quality ones, and I understand your frustration at having the good ones stolen, even when they belong to someone else. If you decide to continue as a hider of quality containers, I would suggest finding locations that won't appeal to the P&G crowd. An ammo box 20' from a parking spot is a tempting target for a cache maggot. The same can a couple miles into the woods might have less appeal. Maybe?

 

I've already taken a different direction in planting hides this last year. Even archived a few. My main focus is not so much on containers/swag. I mainly try to focus on a good location ( with expendable containers). That way if the cache walks off the seeker still gets something nice for thier efforts. This will mean a less finds for folks, but hopefully they'll like the few they search for.

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In a perfect geocaching environment it would be nice to have every cache in a nice, quality container like ammo cans, L-N-L's, etc. Around here those type don't last too long.

 

An example: I was FTF on a new bug hotel. The owner had done a spectacular job with this hide. Coords good and the container was a newer ammo can that was packed with what had to be at least $20 worth of trade items. Tools, toys and other stuff. A few weeks later I notice that the hide is disabled.....sure enough, the cache was stolen. This wasn't even my hide and it pi$$'d me off.

 

Another example....another TB hotel a few miles down the interstate....original was an ammo can. Someone decided that the ammo can was a trade item and left a stupid Igloo cooler. Then that was stolen. I replaced the container for the owner just because it was the first TB hotel I ever found. This was a cammoed Sun washing powder container. It disappeared in a week or two.

 

I haven't hidden a lot of caches. but I've had three stupid L-N-L containers stolen so far. You have to be putry low to covet a $3 L-N-L. or a recycled plastic washing powder box.

 

There are three nice ammo cans I bought with the intention of using for hides. They sit in the shed. Two with tools in them and one with ammo.

 

One of my recently stolen hides is probably going to be replaced with a plastic potato chip can for crying out loud.

 

Why not try a new approach?

 

Equate geocache hides as would a Realtor: Location; location; location.

Did I mention that LOCATION is everything?

Prime location like a walmart parking lot? :ph34r:

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I use glass Coffee jars with v.good seals on them... I originally tested them for 3 days under water... not a drop inside!

 

Glass jars are not a good idea (IMO). Too much danger of breakage. Even the slightest chance of a young'un being badly cut is plenty good enough reason for me to disagree with glass! Not to mention when it does break, just who in the world cleans up that geo-trash?

 

They very may well seal fine, but the other drawback overrules its' use.

 

Besides... I do not see that you have any hides.

 

Stirring the pot maybe? :ph34r:

Regardless of his experience and your fears, glass jars have been successfully used by many geocachers. As you say, it's all about the location.

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I use glass Coffee jars with v.good seals on them... I originally tested them for 3 days under water... not a drop inside!

 

Glass jars are not a good idea (IMO). Too much danger of breakage. Even the slightest chance of a young'un being badly cut is plenty good enough reason for me to disagree with glass! Not to mention when it does break, just who in the world cleans up that geo-trash?

 

They very may well seal fine, but the other drawback overrules its' use.

 

Besides... I do not see that you have any hides.

 

Stirring the pot maybe? :ph34r:

Regardless of his experience and your fears, glass jars have been successfully used by many geocachers. As you say, it's all about the location.

I have one glass jar hide and the only negative comments i get about it are from the purists with thousands of finds. its wrapped in strapping tape so even if it broke, there'd be no danger.

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I use glass Coffee jars with v.good seals on them... I originally tested them for 3 days under water... not a drop inside!

 

Glass jars are not a good idea (IMO). Too much danger of breakage. Even the slightest chance of a young'un being badly cut is plenty good enough reason for me to disagree with glass! Not to mention when it does break, just who in the world cleans up that geo-trash?

 

They very may well seal fine, but the other drawback overrules its' use.

 

Besides... I do not see that you have any hides.

 

Stirring the pot maybe? :ph34r:

Regardless of his experience and your fears, glass jars have been successfully used by many geocachers. As you say, it's all about the location.

I have one glass jar hide and the only negative comments i get about it are from the purists with thousands of finds. its wrapped in strapping tape so even if it broke, there'd be no danger.

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I recommend spending a little time hitting yard sales, where you can find wide-mouth 1-liter nalgene-knock off polycarbonate water bottles for 25 cents to 50 cents each without much trouble at all. With the BPA-free frenzy, people are getting rid of old water bottles and they make great cache containers. Quite moisture-free with good, gasket-free seals at the lid. I also save the little silica-gel packs when I get them with consumer products (common with shoes) and threw one in my first Lock-n-lock container cache to absorb any atmospheric moisture that might get in.

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