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Submerged GeoCaches (underwater) containers


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I am looking for opinions on the best underwater GeoCache container.

The limitations I have for an underwater cache is that I need to place it below the potential ice level (<2ft).

The current container being tested is similar to a Pelican case. After almost 2 weeks submerged, with the temperature fluctuating from ~5'C to ~25'C, it is showing signs of moisture.

 

Has anyone hidden a submerged cache, and what did you use for the container?

How is it holding out?

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I only own 1 submerged cache. In the selected environment, (a natural spring), I don't need to worry much about temperature fluctuations. I used a freezer ziplock, inside a Lock & Lock, inside an ammo can. I've also heard good things about Nalgene containers. Pelican makes some good cases, but unless their advertising has changed, none are rated at waterproof. The highest claim they've made in the past is watertight, even on their Storm product line. Otterbox claims to have several cases which meet "waterproof" standards, up to 100 feet, such as their 3250.

http://www.otterbox.com/waterproof-cases/otterbox-3250/

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Two lock & Lock boxes inside each other and up different ways. The outer container should ideally be placed lid down, the inner one, lid up. Then even if water does come into the outer container a little bit air pressure will stop it filling up, like a moon pool on a submersible. Also if the outer container does leak the inner one will float on any water like a boat!

 

Marry that all up with a 100% waterproof log book (fully plastic textured paper) and a pencil and it doesnt matter if it does get wet anyway. :mad:

 

Have fun!

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Two lock & Lock boxes inside each other and up different ways. The outer container should ideally be placed lid down, the inner one, lid up. Then even if water does come into the outer container a little bit air pressure will stop it filling up, like a moon pool on a submersible. Also if the outer container does leak the inner one will float on any water like a boat!

 

Marry that all up with a 100% waterproof log book (fully plastic textured paper) and a pencil and it doesnt matter if it does get wet anyway. :mad:

 

Have fun!

 

The double lock & lock boxes is actually a really good idea. Suprisingly I didn't even consider that as an option. We have a dozen or so different styles of these in our house.

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I had an ammo can under 3 feet of water in a local lake 'til somebody stole it. No problems with moisture. I hid it with swag that could withstand moisture (inflatable pool toys) and the log itself was in a second waterproof match container.

 

I'll be replacing it soon with the same setup.

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My camera died while placing this, so my pics are gone. Guess it wasn't as waterproof as Olympus said it was. A friend who was with me took a pic of my submerged cache in its original location. Even at that depth, (about 12 feet), it was way too visible from the surface, so we moved it.

The cache:

fa564c6d-0776-4bb7-bbf1-8792d7212119.jpg

Getting ready to place it:

5eb491d9-585c-4df9-95e4-8d0a335cd5fa.jpg

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An alternative to trying to create an underwater waterproof container, is to create one completely open to the water.

 

See Clan Riffster's image above. Drill holes in that box, put a divers slate in it for a log, some lead weights, and it would lay nicely on the bottom.

 

Gold coins make great swag, and are unaffected by submersion. :unsure:

 

I have a couple of ancient stainless steel battery canisters for underwater dive lights in service as caches. Both are in places of intermittent water, submerged at times, above the water line mostly. Obviously ideal for keeping water out, but not something you're going to find unless by sheer dumb luck.

 

The dive industry makes a variety of containers for underwater use - camera cases for instance, and flash lights. Might be able to find this stuff for cheap somewhere. Some dive stores have "resell it" days. Dive lights in particular would make a decent small - put the log and swag in the battery area. And they're designed to tether. Of course, they're usually brilliantly colored too.

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I used a ammo can, filled 1/4-1/3 of the way with cement, then a Nalgene bottle inside just to be sure.

The ammo can stays dry at about 2' deep, if people are just a little careful with it.

I hid a pole with a hook about 25' away so it can be retrieved without getting wet, if you should so desire.

The FTFers really pulled my leg on it, He he he.....

I wonder if they found the pole....................... :)

PP

Edited by pigpen4x4
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I am about to place my first underwater cache and have my fingers crossed that it will stay dry. I got full permission from several different sets of authorities to do this. The parks department asked me what it was made out of, so I described my 3 inch pvc contraption to him, His next question was " so it looks like a pipe bomb" so I had to do some back peddaling there.

 

Anyways I sealed one end with pipe cement and the other is a thread cap. The kicker is on the threaded end we ran a small amount vaseline through the threads. In the testing it worked like a champ. So I'm hoping if cachers take the time for some mile maintenance as they go it should do fine.

 

Now my only real worry about this would be the liability issue. Am I liable if someone gets hurt trying to access this cache underwater.

~Rich

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Anyways I sealed one end with pipe cement and the other is a thread cap. The kicker is on the threaded end we ran a small amount vaseline through the threads. In the testing it worked like a champ.

Not going to work. The threads will leak, vaseline or no. Threaded ends make stunningly bad underwater cache container.

 

The only reliable seal is an O-Ring or a variant thereof.

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In the testing it worked like a champ.

Richard, first let me offer my thanx to you for creating something other than yet another film can under a lamp post kilt. Kudos! Second, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but PVC pipe caches have a long and distinueshed record of failure in this hobby. The thinking, (from the hiders), is, "If it keeps water in, it must keep water out", which dodges logic just a wee bit. The reason PVC pipe works so well at keeping water in is because all the joints are glued shut, with the exception of threaded caps, which are installed with a wrench, so tight the threads compress.

 

If this were mine, I would find a suitable replacement and keep it handy for when the "wet log" notice comes in.

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We have one submerged cache. It's actually a micro. Over the last few years it has been attacked by a gator and the floating part sunk. We fixed it and probably got another 6 months out of it before a missing persons search resulted in several caches being disturbed. Some were confiscated others probably just discarded perhaps. We don't know but figured the floating aspect isn't working as immediately after the search this one was gone.

 

Now the cleverly disguised cache lays on the bottom. So far it has remained in tact... Unfortunately still gets a lot of DNFs... Mostly because folks don't seem to want to do caches in or near the water. I say that because we have one that isn't in water but you have to wade out to fetch it. It's even in a designated swimming area.

 

Although both indicate the fact that they are in the water or you have to enter the water the most common log reads "Arrived at or near GZ and this one must be in the water and we weren't prepared to get wet"...

 

Yet we have a multi that stage one is a good 30 feet from the water and pictures indicate that folks can't resist going in the snake and gator infested water to look for it??

 

Stage two requires some climbing and wading, in the dark again gator and snakes are a high probability and other creatures like bats and creepy stuff yet folks are all over it and love it... Go figure...

 

Water caches accessible by boat but not submerged do seem to be more popular in our area. IMHO

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The reason PVC pipe works so well at keeping water in is because all the joints are glued shut, with the exception of threaded caps, which are installed with a wrench, so tight the threads compress.
This bears repeating. If a threaded cap on a PVC cache is tight enough to seal the container, then it will require tools to open. If it is loose enough to open/close without tools, then it will leak.

 

One workable design I've seen for watertight PVC caches is to cap one end of the pipe, and to attach a ball valve to the other end of the pipe. (Use PVC cement at both ends, of course.) But ball valves for larger diameter pipes are expensive, and they still need to be closed properly by each finder or the cache will leak anyway.

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Personally, i am making one out of an ammo can.

Add some rocks to help it sink.

Instant sunken cache.

Its sitting at the bottem of my backyard pond, and has been for a few weeks. Its staying air tight through the nightly temperature drop (created by a cooling unit)

Edited by Natman3400
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A container that can keep water out usually can keep water in. So anyone who opens any type of container that’s been underwater will more than likely drip water inside where is bound to stay and cause trouble.

 

The best underwater cache I’ve seen is a multi-cache, where part 1 is just a metal tag with the final’s coordinates stamped on it. Something along the lines of this one: http: http://coord.info/GC1YA42

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I'm working on one in one of those large plastic hollow rocks you place in the bottom of aquariums. Fixing a small pot on one side with the log book in, and a heavy stone on the other side to sink it (Due to the air in the pot making it float!). Just got to get a better waterproof pot! It will be placed under a stepping stone in a lovely stream and will hopefully blend in with all the other rocks (Mwahaha! :blink:). It won't involve getting too wet though due to the stepping stones, just one wet hand to retrieve it. I got the idea of an underwater one after seeing that dreadful movie 'Splinterheads' that involves Geocaching.

 

More info on my blog.

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