Puh-Leeeaze

[+Charlie Fingers]

Saw this and nearly dropped my lunch plate:

 

http://www.rei.com/product/783610

 

Tell me ppl are smart enough to not buy an almost $30 cache container and expect it to be there very long.

[+t4e]

that is not specifically for geocaching, is just a regular Pelican container, which are expensive anyway because they are waterproof and what not, but for that size is the regular price

[+popokiiti]

And it wasn't waterproof, just water resistant! We found a cache that was housed in a Pelican case - soaked! The foam insert was part of the culprit - wrang that out and wiped the case as dry as possible.

[+thedeadpirate]

that is not specifically for geocaching,

 

It's got the geocaching logo on it.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

That's not your average plastic box. Quality matters.

[knowschad]

That one is an Official Geocache. All the caches I've hidden have (I guess) been unofficial geocaches. You pays your money, you takes yer choice.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

And it wasn't waterproof, just water resistant! We found a cache that was housed in a Pelican case - soaked! The foam insert was part of the culprit - wrang that out and wiped the case as dry as possible.

That was probably due to operator error, some Cacher closed it wrong. These would be good for underwater Caches that get brought to the surface to open. They are designed for boaters, and are just as expensive at any boating store. There are cheap versions at Walmart($6-8), and they are my favorite container nowadays.

[+thedeadpirate]

I prefer the 88 cent unofficial micros. For $26 I can buy at least 5 unofficial regulars.

[Dinoprophet]

I prefer the 88 cent unofficial micros. For $26 I can buy at least 5 unofficial regulars.

The "Micro" in the name is the kind of Pelican case, not the kind of geocache. Those dimensions would probably qualify it as a small.

 

It looks like you can find the Pelican 1050 Micro for as low as $12 online. No geocaching logo.

[+geodarts]

I have used a few nonofficial Pelican cases about this size but have had problems with water. Whether through user error or design, there are a couple I need to pull before it starts raining again.

[+SwineFlew]

Anything with the geocaching logo, you are paying for the middleman's mark up. I tend to look where I can cut out the middleman.

[+t4e]

that is not specifically for geocaching,

 

It's got the geocaching logo on it.

 

nothing different than the regular stickers you can buy for your own boxes, except that one is transparent or the writing is stamped on it

 

 

i have a pelican container just like that to place an underwater cache, but i got it at the outdoor store and has no sticker on it

the Pelican Micro Cases can be purchased at Amazon starting at around $9.

Edited July 25, 2010 by t4e

[+Da Beast]

love pelican cases mostly i use them for my camera and gps(when transporting and not in use) they have a life time warrenty (just on the case not the contents) with the exeption of sharks bears and kids under Five, no kidding thats what the warrenty card said on the big one i got. Any way i know that hey are water tight but i dont think that they had in mind being under water for a long long time

[+Chrysalides]

I found one hidden underwater. It was dry when I found it, but I found it within the first couple of weeks. I think someone who found it a few months later mentioned that it was leaking. CO had to do multiple maintenance on it. It was eventually archived when it went missing.

 

As for price, well, shop around.

[+Casting Crowns]

True....I found one above ground and it was wet inside. I was really surprised because I thought these things would keep water out better than that. And, if it WAS due to user error, then it's STILL a bad design.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

True....I found one above ground and it was wet inside. I was really surprised because I thought these things would keep water out better than that. And, if it WAS due to user error, then it's STILL a bad design.

 

If a "user" finds a cache in a completely waterproof container, then leaves the top open for a few minutes while signing the log during a heavy rain the contents inside are going to get wet. Sometimes even a good design is no match for user error.

 

I've used pelican cases long before I started geocaching. Our local kayak shop (owned by a good friend of mine) sells lots of them. For most things, such as dry clothes, snacks, or my wallet I'll stuff them into a dry bag and if I happen to capsize (something I might frequently do intentionally) the contents will stay dry. However, I'll put my cell phone into a pelican case because it's specifically rated for immersion up to a specific depth for a specific amount of time. In the case of the Pelican Micro container that rating is a IP67 Certificate (1 meter submersion for 30 minutes). I would imagine that a container left in an open area exposed to a heavy rain for several hours might approach the limits of that rating.

 

Pelican cases are excellent for protecting items from water, dust, and shock at some fairly extreme levels, but not necessarily for an extended amount of time. The water resistance requirements for a geocache are fairly unique in the it's may likely be exposed to the elements for years, and a container that was specifically rated for such a use would likely be quite expensive.

[+thedeadpirate]

If a "user" finds a cache in a completely waterproof container, then leaves the top open for a few minutes while signing the log during a heavy rain the contents inside are going to get wet. Sometimes even a good design is no match for user error.

It's happened to several of my ammo cans a few times. There's not really a design that will remain waterproof when opened in the rain.

[niraD]

Another thing that can compromise an otherwise waterproof container is if someone traps a plastic bag in the seal with they close the container. The plastic allows water to wick into the container.

[+wimseyguy]

I agree that REI does carry some pricey merchandise. But have you ever been able to take a pair of budget jeans back to wal-mart two years later and exchange them for a brand new pair when the zipper fails? I've done this twice with the Sahara convertible pants.

 

REI will stand by their products like no one else except for LL Bean.

[+bittsen]

I've been into REI twice and both times I was disgusted at the prices.

No, it's not about quality being expensive. It's about markup.

REI sells cheap junk too and their cheap junk prices are double the cheap junk prices anywhere else.

[+bramasoleiowa]

Not so much the geocaching stuff, but all the hiking and camping gear I've bought since moving west: I've never been disappointed with the quality of gear I buy at REI.

 

They've always had better prices than GI Joes (now out of business and copyright violation in attempt to restart), US Outdoor Store, or Shields.

 

I'd rather go online for geocaching gear. Wider variety than a mainstream store would consider keeping in stock.

[+briansnat]

For $26 I'd buy a multi piece set of Lock n Locks and get 8 containers and have change leftover.

 

As far as REI it can be expensive, because you are usually paying list price. No different than any major chain, EMS, Dicks, whatever. But REI does sell quality stuff and they back it up with a guarantee. I know many people who are willing to pay a few bucks extra because they know that if they don't like what they purchased REI will take it back, no questions asked.

Edited July 25, 2010 by briansnat

[Clan Riffster]

These would be good for underwater Caches that get brought to the surface to open.

As a kayaker, I bought a couple of similar cases, the Micro 1060, the Micro 1030 and a couple of the Micro 1010 cases. One of the 1010s got ruined by my overzealous use of glue, trying to apply camo, but the other one came out well. I replaced a decon kit hide that had moisture issues, thinking the 1010 would surely be waterproof. It wasn't. The contents were a moldy mess within a couple months. An inspection of the seal does not show any indication that anything had been caught in it. I use the 1030 to hold my Oregon 300 when I paddle. When I bring my second GPSr, a 60CSx, I put it in the 1060. Both the 1060 and the 1030 have trace amounts of water in them every time I finish a paddle. They are great cases, for keeping your gear from being fully immersed, but unless your gear is already fairly waterproof, these cases won't protect it. To be fair to Pelican, I will say that I am pretty rough on my gear. My kayak is a sit on top, and as I am constantly hopping out/climbing in to it, it always has some river water floating in it. As I shift around, these cases are constantly plopping into that water. I also have an Otterbox 5000, (discontinued, I think), which holds my cell phone, wallet, Glock, etc. This case has never showed any signs of internal moisture.

 

There are cheap versions at Walmart($6-8), and they are my favorite container nowadays.

The clear square ones with the blue seal, and rubber strap/split ring for securing it to stuff? I bought one, believing the advertised "waterproof" claim. I had recently archived a small cache, and as a test, I dumped the (dry) contents from that cache into the Wally World box. Then I tossed the box into the bed of my truck where it bounced around for a few months, mingling with all the other junk back there. When I checked it, I found several tablespoons of standing water in the box. I checked the box itself for any failure points, as well as the seal, not finding any. The only answer I could come up with was it simply leaked, (albeit a minuscule leak), collecting water over time. For me, that was a container fail, and I won't use them as caches.

Edited July 26, 2010 by Clan Riffster

[+rockymtn8iv]

If seals are good and no apparent "user error" it could be condesation issues as well.

Just a thought.

[Andronicus]

condensation can be a serious issue. If your underwater cache is opened on a hot humid day, all that humidity will get trapped in the cache. Then it gets put back into the cold water. The internal air temperature and the cache walls will drop, and most of that humidity will condence out, forming standing water.

[+Castle Mischief]

The clear square ones with the blue seal, and rubber strap/split ring for securing it to stuff? I bought one, believing the advertised "waterproof" claim. I had recently archived a small cache, and as a test, I dumped the (dry) contents from that cache into the Wally World box. Then I tossed the box into the bed of my truck where it bounced around for a few months, mingling with all the other junk back there. When I checked it, I found several tablespoons of standing water in the box. I checked the box itself for any failure points, as well as the seal, not finding any. The only answer I could come up with was it simply leaked, (albeit a minuscule leak), collecting water over time. For me, that was a container fail, and I won't use them as caches.

 

Do you think the bouncing might have had something to do with it? I've found a couple of these (both off the ground) and one had even been chewed on by an animal. Both were staying dry. I think the fact that they were off the ground might have been a big factor.

 

I haven't really given the two that we own a good stress test yet.