Photos/Images of bad cache containers

9.3k · August 25, 2010

Personally, i don't care what its in as long as i can sign a log!

It's often at this point that the logic train jumps the tracks, at least for those folks who live in a region with an average humidity above 0.01%. When you place a film can cache, of course the log is dry. It's those poor unfortunates who come along later that get to experience the joys of soggy, moldy logs, just because you refused to utilize a container with a proven track record. Take pride in your hides! Use the best container possible, and those who follow in your footsteps will thank you for it. Use the poster child of crappy containers and folks are going to mutter nasty things about you behind your back. :unsure:

7.5k · August 29, 2010

Seems that some CO's think duct tape is the answer to protecting bad cache containers. Found this candy tin covered in brown duct tape today. The inside is OK because it's only a week old. I should go back in the 3 months and take another photo (it's not protected from the elements, so it's sure to get water in it).

Still in good shape but it's only 7 days old and it hasn't rained since it was planted.

September 3, 2010

Another "no" for the coffee can container. This one was placed in a low-lying area and we actually found it 100 yards downstream from the coordinates. But we've found ammo cans that had fallen into water and were floating, with perfectly dry contents.

Pretty amazing that the logbook was dry in its ziplock.

I'd just take a picture of that. i wouldn't want to risk tetanus or death by mystery goo...

5k · September 30, 2010

Great view, great location. 14 year old boy placed this Tupperware container, then dropped off the scene. It's a good illustration why you can't place a heavy rock on anything made of plastic in our area. The rocks become so hot that they simply melt what's underneath them.

This sat up there at the perfect viewpoint for two years. I finally went through the process. Posted an MN, waited a month, posted a NA, and the reviewer archived it the next day. I wasn't ready for that. It took a bit, but I now have a fully stocked ammo can at the exact same coordinates

Oh, I did pack out the trash

October 1, 2010

Kin to the cheap storage containers are the butter/coolwhip tubs. Best saved for homemade salad bowls!

If you have a full set salad bowls with the words Cool Whip on the side, you might be a Redneck.

Jeff Foxworthy

October 2, 2010

I think some food containers with screw on lids may be alright, such as the peanut butter jar. HOWEVER, I think I would suggest anything BUT peanut butter jars, only because of the potential for serious allergic reactions, even if cleaned well. (It only takes exposure to a minute quantity of PB.)

October 4, 2010

Even tho we have been caching for nearly 2 months, I went and borrowed several caching books from the library to try and learn some more about the "sport". In 3 out of 4 books they state that mint tins are good containers for caches. I disagree. They quickly turn to a rusty wet mess. Explain that? How did people get books published with misleading info like that in it?

20.7k · October 4, 2010

I found a black and gray film canister yesterday for my 3rd find but it was in a VERY protected hiding place. Our light poles in our town have little plastic 'skirts' around the pole over the cement top. This little canister was shoved under the corner of the 'skirt' Very good hiding place and it was not even damp!

Assuming this isn't some kind of a joke...

That hiding place is not as protected as you might expect it to be. That film can you found wasn't even damp because it hasn't been there very long. You'll notice that the cache page says the cache is in a magnetic key holder. It's been replaced.

Indiana might be different (though I doubt it), but here in the Carolinas we have a lot of film cans under lamp skirts, and most of them are damp.

I've cached in many different areas and I have never found a film can PLC with a damp log. Of course, I have nover cached in the Carolinas. Perhaps they are strangely different.

Personally, i don't care what its in as long as i can sign a log!

It's often at this point that the logic train jumps the tracks, at least for those folks who live in a region with an average humidity above 0.01%. When you place a film can cache, of course the log is dry. It's those poor unfortunates who come along later that get to experience the joys of soggy, moldy logs, just because you refused to utilize a container with a proven track record. Take pride in your hides! Use the best container possible, and those who follow in your footsteps will thank you for it. Use the poster child of crappy containers and folks are going to mutter nasty things about you behind your back.

As already stated by numerous posters, the white film cans actually do a pretty good job of keeping the log dry.

Even tho we have been caching for nearly 2 months, I went and borrowed several caching books from the library to try and learn some more about the "sport". In 3 out of 4 books they state that mint tins are good containers for caches. I disagree. They quickly turn to a rusty wet mess. Explain that? How did people get books published with misleading info like that in it?

Mint cans work OK if 1) they are not placed where they will get directly assaulted by mother nature, 2) the log is placed in a baggie, and 3) the cache owner is willing to provide maintenance as needed.

9.3k · October 4, 2010

How did people get books published with misleading info like that in it?

Because the people doing the publishing are not geocachers? :anitongue:

7.3k · October 4, 2010

Found another bad idea for a container today....a dollar store wooden treasure chest:

It was planted on May 2 2010. Mold is starting to build on the inside of the container.

There's no seal, the cache is not watertight. The contents are being protected by a zippered baggie. The slider/zipper piece had come off and was sitting in the bottom of the container.

That's a bit of a regional problem. I had a birdhouse cache like that, out for years, and never had mold problems. But we live in the desert, so that helped.

20.7k · October 4, 2010

Found another bad idea for a container today....a dollar store wooden treasure chest:

It was planted on May 2 2010. Mold is starting to build on the inside of the container.

There's no seal, the cache is not watertight. The contents are being protected by a zippered baggie. The slider/zipper piece had come off and was sitting in the bottom of the container.

That's a bit of a regional problem. I had a birdhouse cache like that, out for years, and never had mold problems. But we live in the desert, so that helped.

It might be worth noting that, according to the picture, the log appears to be staying dry.

October 5, 2010

found tupperware, and a multi that contains a plastic egg as the first stage

however i haved yet to encounter one in a plastic bag, but i agree that it would not keep water out as well as it would hold it in

This cache I found was a plastic bag: http://coord.info/GCJB0H

And it was an awesome find! :anitongue:

5.3k · October 5, 2010

found tupperware, and a multi that contains a plastic egg as the first stage

however i haved yet to encounter one in a plastic bag, but i agree that it would not keep water out as well as it would hold it in

This cache I found was a plastic bag: http://coord.info/GCJB0H

And it was an awesome find!

Images of illegal caches hide might be more use full, but most cachers are not willing to go out on a limb and get the caching community upset with them.

Now if grounspeak had a page showing illegal cacheds hides, that might be cool

being back in school I do not get much time for caching, but I still find illegal caches when I got out. I just found four more illegal caches a week ago-in one day

3.6k · October 5, 2010

found tupperware, and a multi that contains a plastic egg as the first stage

however i haved yet to encounter one in a plastic bag, but i agree that it would not keep water out as well as it would hold it in

This cache I found was a plastic bag: http://coord.info/GCJB0H

And it was an awesome find!

I love the hint! I had a really good idea what its.

20.7k · October 5, 2010

found tupperware, and a multi that contains a plastic egg as the first stage

however i haved yet to encounter one in a plastic bag, but i agree that it would not keep water out as well as it would hold it in

This cache I found was a plastic bag: http://coord.info/GCJB0H

And it was an awesome find!

Images of illegal caches hide might be more use full, but most cachers are not willing to go out on a limb and get the caching community upset with them.

Now if grounspeak had a page showing illegal cacheds hides, that might be cool

being back in school I do not get much time for caching, but I still find illegal caches when I got out. I just found four more illegal caches a week ago-in one day

You are apparently using some non-standard definition of 'illegal'.

October 5, 2010

what is illegal about these caches?

7.5k · November 15, 2010

Another photo to add from my week's caching experience. Around here this is often the cache of choice for inexperienced newbie COs.....the yogurt container covered in duct tape:

Inside the cache was a pen and an assortment of cut up bits of loose paper.

November 15, 2010

new to this forum...and geocaching but...

Found a CHAPSTICK tube...chapstick removed (don't really want to know how ) and the log JAMMED into it. It had velcro stuck to it and the hiding spot. The hardest part of that find was getting the log BACK into the container!!!! The middle..."post" thing had NOT been removed!!!

November 15, 2010

what is illegal about these caches?

nothing is illegal about these caches

they are just really bad ideas

containers should keep the contents dry

most of these you will notice are full of water

7.5k · January 2, 2011

More photos to add:

Many dollar store containers - no gasket to keep out water.

This CO's theme was hardware tools. Metal tools in a wet container are not a good idea - they rust.

Thin plastic shoe boxes - no gasket and the thin plastic cracks easily.

7.5k · January 2, 2011

Example of a cookie tin gone rusty:

This one ended up archived by the reviewer

4.5k · January 2, 2011

Coffee cans keep getting mentioned here. The trouble is that they're not quite airtight, so air seeps in and out, and condensation forms.

Here's what three years of condensation looks like:

In this case, thank goodness there was an inner container. Believe it or not, the contents were dry.

January 2, 2011

What a lovely thread. Way to keep things constructive and positive, guys. :laughing:

Edited January 2, 2011 by daschpeeg

January 3, 2011

I'm sure you're not serious, but in all actuality this is a helpful (and hilarious) thread. As a total newbie who has plenty of ideas for cache spots, it's good to see what works and what doesn't. Water always wins!

January 3, 2011

In Korea we have tons of BAD containers. The locals just get the itch to hide a cache and hide what ever is in their pocket.

Plastic bag with dollar store duct tape

Film cans WITH OUT lids

empty lipstick cases.

crappy plastic "tupperware"

this one is the rubber thing off the bottom of a chair with a ball of electrical tape for a "lid"

I also found one in a ball point pen and in a zippo lighter.

1.9k · January 4, 2011

What a lovely thread. Way to keep things constructive and positive, guys.

People need to see what works and what does not so that they can make better choices when it comes to what makes a good cache container.

January 4, 2011

This was a great read. It wiped out 3 of my 5 choices for containers. Looks like lock & locks or ammo cans.

It seems that friends don't let friends use crappy containers !

Team JaxDog

9.3k · January 5, 2011

It seems that friends don't let friends use crappy containers !

I feel a new snarky T-shirt coming:

"Friends don't let friends hide film cans" :lol:

January 7, 2011

Am wondering about the rubbermade brand called lock it's? I've bought a few but haven't tested them yet. Thinking I should stick one outside upside down and let it have a nasty central Illinois winter and see how it holds up? Or has anyone tried these yet? They're not cheap at at least $4 for a small one. And they do have a rubber gasket and i've sat here for hours several nights opening and cosing the tabs to see how long before the tabs bust off and the tabs seem ok still.

Thanks

1.4k · January 7, 2011

I have no pictures to post, but I'll start taking them. Here's my list off the top of my head:

A black garbage bag sitting in an old rusty wheel.

Plastic electrical cover with magnets glued on the inside stuck to a light post.

Listerine pocket tab dispenser. This one kept the log dry, but I don't think it was there for very long.

2 tackle boxes. One worked well. The other didn't last long enough to tell as it was set under a small bush in a very busy lunchtime break/sitting area.

Several rusty metal tins of varying sizes.

I had one placed that was a fishing liscense holder. I archived that particular cache because of homeless folks making the area a cool place to hang out, but in the year (+/-) that it was there, I had no issues with leakage. Anyone else have any experiance with these? I'm thinking about integrating another one into a puzzle cache I'm imagining right now.

2.3k · January 7, 2011

Sounds like I need to just throw all the 35mm film cans away!

Why would these be handed out by other cachers as seed cache containers….

Must be a wise guy!

I have six that I was getting ready to hide!

the white film cannisters are good better, the black and grey ones toss out. burn

I have plenty of 35mm film cans hidden in London.

They are very acceptable containers. The log usually gets damp if a finder doesn't close the lid properly or someone steals the plastic ziplock bag.

But the real key to these caches is...I maintain them if any problems.

Maintenance is the key.

9.3k · January 7, 2011

I have plenty of 35mm film cans hidden in London.

They are very acceptable

Interesting. If you don't mind, I'd like to explore this further. Most cachers who use containers which are inadequate to the environment, (AKA Crappy), do so because they are unaware that the container is a poor choice. You seem to be the exception to this rule. You state that you know film cans are subject to frequent failure, (though you blame other cachers for this instead of the container itself), and you not only keep using them, you actually defend them. I guess it would be OK if you lived in a geographic region where crappy containers were all that were available, but London certainly doesn't meet that definition. You have access to gobs of micro sized containers that have a proven track record. It boggles my feeble mind to think you intentionally select one you know to be inferior. True, you have a maintenance plan, which is a good thing for any cache, but why use crappy ones in the first place? That's the part I don't get. By deliberately selecting a container with a poor track record, you knowingly subject future finders to an increased likelihood that they will get to experience wet, moldy logs. While that's not the end of the world, it's something you could avoid for a very small investment.

Color me curious. :unsure:

My mantra?

"If you must use a baggie to keep your log dry, your container has already failed at a very basic level"

Edited January 8, 2011 by Clan Riffster

January 7, 2011

This cache in some dense forest, with this container:

The bonus was the magazines, candle and matches inside.

9.4k · January 7, 2011

I think some food containers with screw on lids may be alright, such as the peanut butter jar. HOWEVER, I think I would suggest anything BUT peanut butter jars, only because of the potential for serious allergic reactions, even if cleaned well. (It only takes exposure to a minute quantity of PB.)

That would be one way of cleaning up the gene pool - use more peanut butter containers! Suvival of the fittest, right?

Yes, I'm joking.

3.1k · January 8, 2011

Besides the allergic reaction risks, I don't think you can truly ever get the food smell out of plastic containers enough that an animal - especially a raccoon - will overlook it. No matter how well you clean than peanut butter jar a four legged cache bandit will try to chew on it.

January 8, 2011

What if you spray painted a tin with a anti rust paint?

3.6k · January 8, 2011

What if you spray painted a tin with a anti rust paint?

I see it out in the field and it doesnt work.

7.5k · January 8, 2011

What if you spray painted a tin with a anti rust paint?

If you spray paint it inside and outside with rustoleum paint it slows down the rusting process. If you plant it where it never gets rained on it may last a year before it needs replacing (or perhaps longer in a dry environment like a picnic shelter in the desert). If there's some moisture issues expect to replace the tin about every 3-4 months, even with a coat of rustoleum.

January 8, 2011

Been keeping my eye on this one since it was published...

Currently disable by the reviewer for being over 500' off from the posted coordinates...

Wow. That's a new one to me. Thanks for posting a photo of this bad container.

Glad to see a picture of my all-time worst cache find made the list. When I found it, there was just a piece of paper in the can. It was right next to a shopping center about 20 feet from the parking lot. I added the plastic baggie which probably added about a week to this disaster. It was too bad because in the right location and container, this concept could have been cool.

January 8, 2011

this one is the rubber thing off the bottom of a chair with a ball of electrical tape for a "lid"

wow! now that is one ghetto cache container...FAIL <_<

9.3k · January 9, 2011

What if you spray painted a tin with a anti rust paint?

I suspect you'd spend more on paint than you would for an ammo can.

1.3k · January 9, 2011

I found a cache in one of those clear plastic bubbles that holds little toys in the vending machines.

January 10, 2011

Just ran around an area of Riverside this weekend and found a bunch of altoid containers. They were so rusted. One was missing a magnet so it couldn't reasonably be placed where it should be. The rust was the worst part since it caused issues with possibly re-opening. Also found a giant pill bottle at another, which took a while to find, but it had water in it, definitely not water tight.

I have decided that whenever I get around to hiding a cache I will do some submersion tests first.

January 10, 2011

We have found several of the plastic coffee containers around and they never end well. we are in the pacific northwest with a good deal of annual rainfall and there are many CO's that fail to really work out how to prep a cache for bad weather.

On the film cannister idea, though, there is a CO out here that will mount one upside down on a hanger with the lid facing down. I have yet to encounter a wet log with this configuration.

January 14, 2011

Here's one I found recently. I liked the cache, it was in a good spot, but these containers just don't hold up to the hundreds of openings a cache will see. There's a reason Glad calls them disposable.

January 14, 2011

Any cache that involves this,

and this,

Is pretty much lame, tired, and boring.

Any cache that involves this,

and this,

Is pretty much lame, tired, and boring.

Says you.

I still enjoy finding GRCs

Depends on the hide. A cool bridge with a scenic view is one thing and a bland country road or dead end is another.

I don't mind them at all.... While I do love the "Where it Takes me Factor" and the "Seach Factor" I am also in it for the "Numbers Factor" too.... So those are nice hides when I need to find that 1 cache for the day and the weather is horrible (Raining or snowing). Currently I am up to 132 straight days of at least 1 cache found a day!

TGC

Edited January 14, 2011 by texasgrillchef

7.3k · January 14, 2011

What if you spray painted a tin with a anti rust paint?

I suspect you'd spend more on paint than you would for an ammo can.

Not unless you're able to get super cheap ammo cans, I suppose. I always spray my cans with flat olive rust paint, inside and out. I figure it will be better in long run, anyway. It doesn't use a whole spray paint can, so it should still cheaper than the ammo can.

9.4k · January 14, 2011

What if you spray painted a tin with a anti rust paint?

I suspect you'd spend more on paint than you would for an ammo can.

Not unless you're able to get super cheap ammo cans, I suppose. I always spray my cans with flat olive rust paint, inside and out. I figure it will be better in long run, anyway. It doesn't use a whole spray paint can, so it should still cheaper than the ammo can.

Typically the paint sells for $3.99 at home Depot and the like. Ammo cans are $3.50 to $5.99 most of the time, although I have seen them for as much as $10.

I've tried tins before. They don't last regardless of how they are painted. I also have a couple of Altoids containers out there. One has been in place for more than 7 years, the other for almost 5. They aren't the best containers, but they do work.

7.3k · January 14, 2011

What if you spray painted a tin with a anti rust paint?

I suspect you'd spend more on paint than you would for an ammo can.

Not unless you're able to get super cheap ammo cans, I suppose. I always spray my cans with flat olive rust paint, inside and out. I figure it will be better in long run, anyway. It doesn't use a whole spray paint can, so it should still cheaper than the ammo can.

Typically the paint sells for $3.99 at home Depot and the like. Ammo cans are $3.50 to $5.99 most of the time, although I have seen them for as much as $10.

I've tried tins before. They don't last regardless of how they are painted. I also have a couple of Altoids containers out there. One has been in place for more than 7 years, the other for almost 5. They aren't the best containers, but they do work.

*sigh* Ammo can prices have doubled in my town in the last year or two. Very frustrating. :angry:

9.4k · January 14, 2011

What if you spray painted a tin with a anti rust paint?

I suspect you'd spend more on paint than you would for an ammo can.

Not unless you're able to get super cheap ammo cans, I suppose. I always spray my cans with flat olive rust paint, inside and out. I figure it will be better in long run, anyway. It doesn't use a whole spray paint can, so it should still cheaper than the ammo can.

Typically the paint sells for $3.99 at home Depot and the like. Ammo cans are $3.50 to $5.99 most of the time, although I have seen them for as much as $10.

I've tried tins before. They don't last regardless of how they are painted. I also have a couple of Altoids containers out there. One has been in place for more than 7 years, the other for almost 5. They aren't the best containers, but they do work.

*sigh* Ammo can prices have doubled in my town in the last year or two. Very frustrating.

All the more reason you should move to Colorado. :wub:

Photos/Images of bad cache containers

Recommended Posts

Join the conversation