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So I'm getting ready to hide a few new caches and decided to use a .30 cal ammo can and a decon container for two of them. There is a small military surplus dealer in town so I stopped by to pick some up. I hadn't been there for three years but the last time I was there .30 cal ammo cans were $6.99 and decon containers were about three or four bucks. So I went in and asked for a decon container and they guy asked me weather I wanted the regular one or the geocache version. I ask what the difference is and he says the geocache version just has a note pad and a pencil in it. I ask about price and he says $10 for a regular and $30 for a geocache!!! I think my jaw hit the counter top. I didn't even bother to ask about ammo can prices but I did notice a couple of .30 cal cans sitting on the floor with price tags of $24.99! Don't think I'll be going back there again.

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Wow, $30. I went to one of those stores and picked up a nice first aid container (about the same size as a decon) for 99 cents. It keeps water out and holds trade items, and now it's a geocache. Perhaps you could get a better price for a container at a store that doesn't know about geocaching.

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One of our local stores sells ammo cans by the pallet full to the local survivalist sorts of people. They know nothing about caching. My goal has been for a year to get in there before the survivalists do to grab a couple cheap (because they sell them cheap). I don't know how it happens but with absolutely no technology all these folks know the day those cans some in that they're there and hit up the phones everywhere to reserve them. It's amazing.

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So I'm getting ready to hide a few new caches and decided to use a .30 cal ammo can and a decon container for two of them. There is a small military surplus dealer in town so I stopped by to pick some up. I hadn't been there for three years but the last time I was there .30 cal ammo cans were $6.99 and decon containers were about three or four bucks. So I went in and asked for a decon container and they guy asked me weather I wanted the regular one or the geocache version. I ask what the difference is and he says the geocache version just has a note pad and a pencil in it. I ask about price and he says $10 for a regular and $30 for a geocache!!! I think my jaw hit the counter top. I didn't even bother to ask about ammo can prices but I did notice a couple of .30 cal cans sitting on the floor with price tags of $24.99! Don't think I'll be going back there again.

 

Keep a dialog going with your local club. Certain farm and hunting stores will get in a pallet of cans from time to time and once you hear about it, spread the word. Forget that 30 buck reseller and eventually he'll come down in price as well.

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I have not gotten an ammo can for awhile but the last time I did the surplus dealer apologized for the price and said that people buying them to store ammo in case of a future shortage drove up the price. Still, it was nowhere the price quoted by the OP. And $30 for a geocaching version of a decon container? People will leave the lid slightly open and the expensive log will get wet.

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Don't EVER pay more than $25.99 for the geocaching version. I actually have them for $25.98, if you are interested.

 

:P :P :P :P

 

There is at least one gun show (sometimes more) every month in my area and surplus stuff is readily available at them. Not a chance I would pay the prices they were asking, but apparently other local cachers must have.

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One of our local stores sells ammo cans by the pallet full to the local survivalist sorts of people. They know nothing about caching. My goal has been for a year to get in there before the survivalists do to grab a couple cheap (because they sell them cheap). I don't know how it happens but with absolutely no technology all these folks know the day those cans some in that they're there and hit up the phones everywhere to reserve them. It's amazing.

And we resale them "as is" or add a geocaching sticker, log book, and a Va Lotto pencil and really make a HUGE profit! :ph34r::laughing:

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Look for your local 'gun shows' - you can get all sorts of ammo cans for under $10. The smaller ones can be had for $5 (atleast in my area).

 

The only downside, is admission into the gun shows are like $6-10. So while you're in there, you might as well pick up a bunch of ammo cans!

Edited by Lieblweb
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It's not a "rip off" if people willingly pay it. But I'm very surprised that anyone would willingly pay and extra $20 just to get a pencil and notepad! For that matter, I'm surprised that anyone would pay $10 for a decon container.

 

As CR already said, you did right by voting with your feet and your wallet.

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You do know that you can go to the government auctions and buy pallets of empty cans yourselves, right? They're pretty cheap. All you got to do is set up an account and focus in on a site near a major military installation. Don't foget National Guard Camps too. They sell their stuff too. Scrap metal, or so they assume.

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What is a decon container?

It's a military surplus container used to make small geocaches with perpetually wet logbooks, as no one knows how to close it properly.

DING DING DING!!! We have a winner!

 

Ah but the same can be said of ammo cans, lock & locks, pelican boxes, bison tubes, match containers and any other waterproof container that someone fails to close properly or breaks. I have found wet logs in all of the above mentioned containers. I have found probably 4 or 5 caches in decon containers and (knock on wood) none of them have had wet logs. Ultimately, no container is 100% fool proof, and there in-lies the importance checking on your own caches often.

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It's not a "rip off" if people willingly pay it. But I'm very surprised that anyone would willingly pay and extra $20 just to get a pencil and notepad! For that matter, I'm surprised that anyone would pay $10 for a decon container.

 

As CR already said, you did right by voting with your feet and your wallet.

 

The M258A1 Army Decon Kit boxes are almost impossible to find. When you do find them, the price is highly inflated simply because of basic supply and demand principles. I have about ten left that I paid $1.79 each for in 2006. The idea that I could stick a 25 cent logbook and a golf pencil in them and then sell them for $30 each is fascinating.

Edited by Don_J
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What is a decon container?

It's a military surplus container used to make small geocaches with perpetually wet logbooks, as no one knows how to close it properly.

DING DING DING!!! We have a winner!

 

This must be a regional thing. We only have one guy in the area that seems to leave a corner un-snapped. :rolleyes:

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So I'm getting ready to hide a few new caches and decided to use a .30 cal ammo can and a decon container for two of them. There is a small military surplus dealer in town so I stopped by to pick some up. I hadn't been there for three years but the last time I was there .30 cal ammo cans were $6.99 and decon containers were about three or four bucks. So I went in and asked for a decon container and they guy asked me weather I wanted the regular one or the geocache version. I ask what the difference is and he says the geocache version just has a note pad and a pencil in it. I ask about price and he says $10 for a regular and $30 for a geocache!!! I think my jaw hit the counter top. I didn't even bother to ask about ammo can prices but I did notice a couple of .30 cal cans sitting on the floor with price tags of $24.99! Don't think I'll be going back there again.

 

If I were you, I would be willing to pay EVEN MORE (including S&H) to avoid buying from those bastards.

That being said, it's the law of supply and demand...if people will *are stupid enough* to pay it, then who can blame them for charging it?

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What is a decon container?

It's a military surplus container used to make small geocaches with perpetually wet logbooks, as no one knows how to close it properly.

DING DING DING!!! We have a winner!

 

Ah but the same can be said of ammo cans, lock & locks, pelican boxes, bison tubes, match containers and any other waterproof container that someone fails to close properly or breaks. I have found wet logs in all of the above mentioned containers. I have found probably 4 or 5 caches in decon containers and (knock on wood) none of them have had wet logs. Ultimately, no container is 100% fool proof, and there in-lies the importance checking on your own caches often.

 

I found a fool proof container recently. Walked inside and asked for the geocache that was behind the counter. Sorry. Just had to throw some goofy response in there. This thread did make me decide not to use the decons I just got. I think I've only found one decon, dry inside, but in a location that it might not get wet if the lid was just sitting on it. I agree that nothing is fool proof. Even otterboxes as simple as they seam have seals that can twist if your not careful.

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ammo boxes are considered to be waste by the army here,

they dont care to recycle them,

I newer payed a cent for one of them,

they best way to get them, is to know the right persons,

they will be happy to let you pick them up and remove them,

so they dont need to toss them out as trash.

offcourse if people start to call in and offer to pay for them and resell them,

it kind of stops for the free access by nature, what a terrible world..

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Next time a surplus retailer tells you that the DOD isn't disposing of ammo cans anymore, point them to govliquidation.com for examples such as this - 900+ 50cal boxes with a strating bid of $150!

 

I've been watching GovLiq for a couple of years now and I've never been able to win an auction, after all costs said and done (auction fees, tax and shipping) for less than what it costs to buy ammocans at Fleet Farm. Someone is paying a heck of a premium for these things.

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I dunno. I recently saw a sale on ammo boxes, by the pallet, for about $4 each, not including freight. It's the way to go if you have a large enough number of local cachers to pool money and have a place to stage the receiving and distribution (i.e. garage) from.

 

I can still find people selling .30 cal ammo boxes on ebay, with shipping included, for about $10 a pop. I'll have to try the gun shows one of these days (I'm always off in Yosemite or somewhere else when they hold these things.)

 

Just bought some of the Mighty Mega containers from GxProxy, which have about the volume of a decon and were priced $5 (now $6 each, as of this writing, and an extra $1 if you want camo.)

 

Not a bad little container, but I'm feeling to much love for my money to buy very many more. 9key tipped me off to the Therapak Medium Canisters, which can be bought from Fisher Scientific 15 for $39 is a pretty darn good deal for a container and you can wrap them in camo tape, or peal off the labels and paint them up as you like and are my most common Small container hide. Link for those interested I'm running low and will have to order some more pretty soon. I usually get 30 at a time.

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I just picked up a.50 cal can for $10.00

 

I recently got a double tall .50 cal can for 13.99

 

I had that option as well but the bank account (read as wife) put the nix on that ph34r.gif

 

The money or you having metal boxes around the house? :laughing:

 

Well I have 1 box... right now so ...... ph34r.gif

 

 

 

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So I'm getting ready to hide a few new caches and decided to use a .30 cal ammo can and a decon container for two of them. There is a small military surplus dealer in town so I stopped by to pick some up. I hadn't been there for three years but the last time I was there .30 cal ammo cans were $6.99 and decon containers were about three or four bucks. So I went in and asked for a decon container and they guy asked me weather I wanted the regular one or the geocache version. I ask what the difference is and he says the geocache version just has a note pad and a pencil in it. I ask about price and he says $10 for a regular and $30 for a geocache!!! I think my jaw hit the counter top. I didn't even bother to ask about ammo can prices but I did notice a couple of .30 cal cans sitting on the floor with price tags of $24.99! Don't think I'll be going back there again.

 

That's nuthin'. Go to R.E.I. and look what they are charging for containers and geocaching supplies. It's laughable. My wife bought me a fake rock geocache from REI and I hit the roof when I saw 24.99 for a $4 fake rock with a $5 bison container inside. :rolleyes:

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So I'm getting ready to hide a few new caches and decided to use a .30 cal ammo can and a decon container for two of them. There is a small military surplus dealer in town so I stopped by to pick some up. I hadn't been there for three years but the last time I was there .30 cal ammo cans were $6.99 and decon containers were about three or four bucks. So I went in and asked for a decon container and they guy asked me weather I wanted the regular one or the geocache version. I ask what the difference is and he says the geocache version just has a note pad and a pencil in it. I ask about price and he says $10 for a regular and $30 for a geocache!!! I think my jaw hit the counter top. I didn't even bother to ask about ammo can prices but I did notice a couple of .30 cal cans sitting on the floor with price tags of $24.99! Don't think I'll be going back there again.

 

That's nuthin'. Go to R.E.I. and look what they are charging for containers and geocaching supplies. It's laughable. My wife bought me a fake rock geocache from REI and I hit the roof when I saw 24.99 for a $4 fake rock with a $5 bison container inside. :rolleyes:

 

Small wonder people turn to pill bottles, spice jars and Glad-ware.

 

Want cheep fake rocks? Try your local locksmith or hardware store.

 

Really... walking around in a Home Depot, Lowe's or Builder's Square when contemplating hiding caches is really asking for it. zomg.gif

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So I'm getting ready to hide a few new caches and decided to use a .30 cal ammo can and a decon container for two of them. There is a small military surplus dealer in town so I stopped by to pick some up. I hadn't been there for three years but the last time I was there .30 cal ammo cans were $6.99 and decon containers were about three or four bucks. So I went in and asked for a decon container and they guy asked me weather I wanted the regular one or the geocache version. I ask what the difference is and he says the geocache version just has a note pad and a pencil in it. I ask about price and he says $10 for a regular and $30 for a geocache!!! I think my jaw hit the counter top. I didn't even bother to ask about ammo can prices but I did notice a couple of .30 cal cans sitting on the floor with price tags of $24.99! Don't think I'll be going back there again.

 

That's nuthin'. Go to R.E.I. and look what they are charging for containers and geocaching supplies. It's laughable. My wife bought me a fake rock geocache from REI and I hit the roof when I saw 24.99 for a $4 fake rock with a $5 bison container inside. :rolleyes:

those are $5.99 at locksmith near me

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The problem with decons isn't just people not knowing how to close them. They leak even when properly closed. Possibly not all of them -- I'm sure they come from many sources -- but the ones I've tested, leak.

 

Read the decontamination instructions on them. It's obvious that in its original function it's just a plastic box and does not need to be airtight.

 

They work OK in Southern California because between the occasional rains, it's so dry. The fact that they have a loose seal means the water can also get out. In Florida they almost never dry out. But they seldom get used to begin with in Florida. I've used a couple when a matchsafe is actually too small -- I place the decon with the matchsafe inside it and the log in the matchsafe.

 

Take a fresh, properly closed decon. Grab the top and push it around. Does it rattle? If so, it can't possibly by watertight. As I say, I suspect that some are much more watertight than others, so it's possible you have one that really is watertight. That doesn't mean the rest of them are watertight.

 

If it still seems watertight, put a tissue inside, close it, and arrange for it to be held under water for at least ten minutes, preferably an hour. Dry the outside thoroughly before opening it. If the tissue is even the tiniest bit damp, the log will be soaked in a month if it gets rained on regularly.

 

Edward

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Just buy these. I'm not connected with these people in any way and benefit not in the least. But dang, at about 40$ for 15 containers, with twice the volume of a decon, plus have a rubber gasket in the lid, these are terrific containers for caches. Rugged, weather resistant and roomy. Further, you can doll them up any way you like. I'm pretty good at peeling the labels off, scuffing them up and painting them camo colors, but the can be cast in concrete or camo-duct-taped up however you like. The utterly beat decons and what the game really needs is more caches you can stuff travel bugs and geocoins in, so they're nearly perfect.

 

Big thanks to 9key for tipping me off to these. I'll be getting another 30 or so in the next month.

Edited by DragonsWest
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here's something that i find interesting.

 

you guys obviously spend some money putting caches together.

but if i tell people that i make FREE replacement tags for lost TBs / geocoins they think it's a scam / rip off, and i don't get it.

for the price of 30 of those medical containers, i can put 160 trackables back in the game.

 

we all play the game in our own way.

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Wow, $30. I went to one of those stores and picked up a nice first aid container (about the same size as a decon) for 99 cents. It keeps water out and holds trade items, and now it's a geocache. Perhaps you could get a better price for a container at a store that doesn't know about geocaching.

 

Geocaching is also like the word "tactical". You can take a normal everyday item like duct tape, call it "tactical duct tape" and now it is $15 more. Even though the original item never changed or improved.

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Wow, $30. I went to one of those stores and picked up a nice first aid container (about the same size as a decon) for 99 cents. It keeps water out and holds trade items, and now it's a geocache. Perhaps you could get a better price for a container at a store that doesn't know about geocaching.

 

Geocaching is also like the word "tactical". You can take a normal everyday item like duct tape, call it "tactical duct tape" and now it is $15 more. Even though the original item never changed or improved.

 

Like the word 'Official' somehow makes it more genuine - like those "As Seen On TV" splashes I see on stuff. :laughing:

 

These days I see 'Extreme' thrown around a lot - I guess that's the new hype - "Hey, you gormless twit, this is what you need to be more socially acceptable and recognized as a savvy, hip and happening person! Buy it! Wear it! Eat it! Drink it! And above all, be sure to tell everyone you meet how utterly cool it is that you have it. Also, paste our logo on your shirt or back of car window!"

 

Maybe my fortunes lay in neon, dayglow Extreme cache containers for $30. B)

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Wow, $30. I went to one of those stores and picked up a nice first aid container (about the same size as a decon) for 99 cents. It keeps water out and holds trade items, and now it's a geocache. Perhaps you could get a better price for a container at a store that doesn't know about geocaching.

 

Geocaching is also like the word "tactical". You can take a normal everyday item like duct tape, call it "tactical duct tape" and now it is $15 more. Even though the original item never changed or improved.

 

Like the word 'Official' somehow makes it more genuine - like those "As Seen On TV" splashes I see on stuff. :laughing:

 

These days I see 'Extreme' thrown around a lot - I guess that's the new hype - "Hey, you gormless twit, this is what you need to be more socially acceptable and recognized as a savvy, hip and happening person! Buy it! Wear it! Eat it! Drink it! And above all, be sure to tell everyone you meet how utterly cool it is that you have it. Also, paste our logo on your shirt or back of car window!"

 

Maybe my fortunes lay in neon, dayglow Extreme cache containers for $30. B)

 

But you only get it at that price if you are a member of their "club".

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If you're wanting to buy from REI, try these

 

Nalgene bottles

 

You might be able to get these cheaper right from Nalgene, I didn't check.

 

These are leak proof, and come in about 4 sizes.

 

The four fluid ounce size is $1.70 US

They make great micros.

The problem with containers with O rings for seals, is they need to be periodically replaced.

 

I've got some of these nalgene bottles that are 25 years old. I've been using them for shampoo and stuff for traveling and they go on airplanes still without leaking in my luggage.

Now, granted they haven't been outdoors, but still, try that with anything with an O ring. Not gonna happen.

 

I just cut the log to be as tall as the rim of the container so you don't have to worry about fishing the log out of the inside lip of the container.

 

Nalgene started out making containers for laboratories. They make good stuff!!

(No, I'm not associated with them in any way)

 

pixel.gif

Edited by Sol seaker
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They might work, but the Therapak canisters have a heavy duty lid, with actual rubber gasket in it, pluse the container was is very thick. Quite tough containers. I like a container that I can place for a few years and count on revisiting to find a dry log, plus contents in good shape.

 

Those little Nalgene's might be suitable for casting in Bumpkins. Should swing by REI tonight to see if I can score a couple to play with.

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try these

 

Nalgene bottles

The problem with those is that they are polyethylene and will deteriorate quickly in sunlight. I bought quite a few of them about 25 years ago, for outdoor use, and none of them lasted more than ten years. Kept inside, or carried in a pack, they are great, just not for sunlight exposure. Nalgene also makes polycarbonate bottles, which hold up to sunlight, but only in larger sizes.

 

The Therapak containers which DragonsWest is recommending are PET, and PET stands up well to sunlight. Those definitely sound interesting. What exactly is the size? I can't find that information on either the Fisher Scientific or Therapak web sites. "Larger than a decon" covers quite a range.

 

Edward

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