How sturdy are these containers for caches?

[+lizziesmama]

If you or anyone you know is diabetic and checks their sugar level on a regular basis, they have little containers that contain the testing strips.

 

I took one of these containers and dunked it in water for a while and it was water tight (had tissue paper inside). Has anyone ever used these as their caches? They seem like they'd be a perfect size. I just wondered how they would weather.

 

Thanks!

 

Lizziesmama

[Clan Riffster]

I haven't used them myself, but I've heard good reviews from several folks who have used them. Of the few I've found, all were dry.

[jholly]

They seem to do okay here on the wet side of Washington.

[jholly]

They seem to do okay here on the wet side of Washington.

[+lizziesmama]

That's good to hear. I haven't found any (yet). I'm still relatively new to this whole thing but I'm trying to get a troop of Girl Scouts to each make a cache and hide it on our field trips and I think I can find enough people who use them that we can get them from for each girl to have one. I'd hate to see their caches get ruined because I told them it was a good idea. LOL

 

Lizziesmama

 

I haven't used them myself, but I've heard good reviews from several folks who have used them. Of the few I've found, all were dry.

[knowschad]

Yeah, not too bad. Definitely far superior to the look-alike, film canisters.

[Clan Riffster]

...I think I can find enough people who use them...

If not, there are other viable options. Educational Innovations sells something called a Soda Bottle Preform that makes a great micro.

[+Harry Dolphin]

They are waterproof. I've had a diabetic test strip container out, as a stage in a mystery cache, for almost five years. It's never had a problem.

[+SwineFlew]

They work pretty good. I got a few out there and so far no problem.

[+palmetto]

Hi lizziesmama, this part of your post concerns me, "I'm trying to get a troop of Girl Scouts to each make a cache and hide it on our field trips".

 

My experience is that scouts will not be able to maintain caches set on field trips. Please don't ask them to hide caches that they cannot be responsible for. Even if you are willing to maintain them, it seems to me that part of what they could enjoy and benefit from in cache ownership, is accepting the responsibility for the cache.

 

Until recently, I'd not seen a scout placed cache that was maintained by its owner. *

I've disabled them when they went missing, after being contacted by frustrated cachers. I've archived them when after many months they weren't repaired or replaced. I bookmark scout owned caches, knowing that the listing maintenance is probably going to be done by me (and the physical cache maintenance isn't going to be done at all).

 

*Recently, in south Florida, a BSA troop hid caches within walking range of the scouts. The boys can and are being responsible for the ownership of these hides.

 

Thanks for reading.

[+Charlie Fingers]

 

This is one I plan on placing soon. I have had no problems with them so far.

[+BikeBill]

I have one that I've had out there for a couple years. I bored a hole in a chunk of wood (literally a chunk - it was a piece of wood meant for smoking on a BBQ) and glued a test strip container in the hole.

 

I had one problem. I got a report that the log was wet. I pulled the cache to find that was the case so I tested the container by submerging it under water for an hour. Afterward the container was completely dry inside.

 

Apparently, someone was caching in the rain, got the log wet and put it back that way. Those containers are so air and water tight that a wet log will never dry.

 

Other than that, I'd say they make great little containers. The ones I use are a bit smaller than a 35mm film canister but I would imagine different brands are different sizes.

[+9Key]

They're waterproof as long as cachers snap the lid back on securely. Same with any container - careless cachers can ruin even a preform or an ammo can.

 

Regarding Palmetto's comments, I've seen the same issue in my area. Scouts place caches and then never maintain them.

[+GeoGeeBee]

I tested the container by submerging it under water for an hour. Afterward the container was completely dry inside.

 

Apparently, someone was caching in the rain, got the log wet and put it back that way. Those containers are so air and water tight that a wet log will never dry.

 

 

Submerging a container underwater for an hour is not really a good test. A container out in the wild is going to expand and contract with temperature changes, among other things. A disposable Gladware sandwich container will keep water out for an hour submerged in my kitchen sink. It won't keep a logbook dry when placed under a pile of leaves in a Carolina forest.

 

I'm not saying your container is no good, I'm just saying your test doesn't prove anything.

[+roziecakes]

I've had mixed results with these containers. I've found some here in wet Oregon that were quite dry and had been out for several years, and I've also found some that were wet inside... possibly because of folks signing in the rain and then putting the log back. I think they're better than film cans for a nice micro hide.

[+bittsen]

Get waterproof paper. That way it doesn't matter if the seal is good or not.

[+jrou111]

I volunteer in an ICU and they go through dozens of these a week. I need to get them to hold some for me instead of just throwing them away.

[+Walts Hunting]

That's good to hear. I haven't found any (yet). I'm still relatively new to this whole thing but I'm trying to get a troop of Girl Scouts to each make a cache and hide it on our field trips

 

I am going to have to support what Palmetto said. Each cache placer is responsible for maintenance so unless you are going to put them all under your account and be responsible for maintenance then they are responsible and I doubt they can handle it.

 

We have a couple of active caching scout troops here but the caches are in the area close to where they headquarter and not afield.

 

Also each cache has to be .1 (528') apart so make sure you get them to space them out if you continue.

[+the4dirtydogs]

Those are good containers, but teach them to hide something bigger than a micro.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

...I think I can find enough people who use them...

If not, there are other viable options. Educational Innovations sells something called a Soda Bottle Preform that makes a great micro.

But if you're in the scouts, you can probably get a soda bottler to donate some of the preforms for free. I know someone who got 100 for free, he just needs to save up lids.

[+joukkusisu]

We have several that use that container and have had no problems. We've found some where the plastic hinges had worn out and snapped, but as long as the hiders replace the cap, they should be fine. Ditto on the scouts thing.

[+sodajerk]

I just found out two weeks ago that I have diabetis. I already have two empty containers and was wondering if they would work. I am going to put a couple out in the back yard to see if they will stay dry, but since it has not rained in a couple of months, I am not sure of the test. I can see how they stand up to the heat as we have had 18 days of 100 or better, and the weather lady says lots more to come.

[+Fuzzywhip]

They work great! I have created several caches using these handy waterproof containers.

 

Some brands even have moisture-absorbing crystals in the lid.

 

I have found that you can glue several together to create a tube with snap lids at both ends (cut the bottoms off and join together)

 

One cache that worked great with this container was hidden in a concrete road block with a plastic bag attached to the top. Looked like garbage when hidden, but had a geocache sticker on the outside when the cache was removed from its hiding location.

 

Another cache that I built with these containers had a HD magnet glued in the bottom. The whole thing attached magnetically to a sign out of sight.

 

Ask anyone you know that is a diabetic. They probably have a box full of these little gems! (And yes, they are FAR SUPERIOR to a film canister!)

Edited August 17, 2010 by Fuzzywhip

[+mesillywoohoo]

If any of you are hearing impaired and wear hearing aids The Hal Hen jars and Dry Aid jars are air and water tight and virtually indestructible.

 

 

 

I have the second kind and while my hearing aid has been in it I dropped the freaking jar into the sink full of water. The inside was completely dry. They are made to by sturdy and air and water tight.

 

I have an extra jar and have thought about turning it into a mini cache

[+joukkusisu]

If any of you are hearing impaired and wear hearing aids The Hal Hen jars and Dry Aid jars are air and water tight and virtually indestructible.

 

 

 

I have the second kind and while my hearing aid has been in it I dropped the freaking jar into the sink full of water. The inside was completely dry. They are made to by sturdy and air and water tight.

 

I have an extra jar and have thought about turning it into a mini cache

 

Is the container in the upper image made of glass? If so, the guidelines warn against using glass containers. They can break or shatter in the wild, leaving glass shards at GZ. Just so you know.

[+mesillywoohoo]

 

Is the container in the upper image made of glass? If so, the guidelines warn against using glass containers. They can break or shatter in the wild, leaving glass shards at GZ. Just so you know.

 

I'm not sure if the one pictured is glass but they make them exactly like that in plastic also but that was the only photo of the brand I could find via google (I kind of suck at googling)

[+yakimacacher]

i use the diabetic test strip containers, i get them from work, i have about 20 of them right now, ive given a lot away to events as prizes. if anyone wants some and live near yakima let me know, i do travel to olympia and spokane areas.