Who makes the Micro bison tubes?!

[the_patagonian]

Hey Everybody,

 

I was wondering if anyone knew who in the heck makes the Micro Bison Tubes?? I've searched high and low and I haven't found the actual maker of these things. I wanna buy a bunch directly from the manufactor. If anyone could help, I would really appreciate it!!

 

Thanks,

 

The_Patagonian

[+wimseyguy]

Try searching on tube pet ID tags, I bet that's what you are really looking for.

Bison Designs makes the real Bison tubes in several sizes and there are a lot of knock offs out there.

Edited July 15, 2013 by wimseyguy

[+J Grouchy]

On that link...I'll just warn you that the spherical ones suck. I've found two and on both of them I had trouble getting them to screw back together...they kept popping open.

 

[+Isonzo Karst]

Per wimseyguy, try pill fob, or pet id tag. If you want really good quality, try Bison® brand. They are excellent.

 

I used to buy 24 on a sheet for $25 delivered. These were not brand name, but were okay quality, chromed brass. Recently I bought some $1 tubes as I needed replacements for the few of this type that I still own.

 

They were awful, the threading so crappy that they were essentially cross threaded brand new. I started to put them in caches as swag, and then realized that if I thought they were too poor to be used as a cache, maybe I shouldn't be dropping them in caches. I threw them away.

[Clan Riffster]

All I can do is echo the prevailing sentiment. If you want quality, stick to the Bison Design tubes. These are machined out of quality grade aluminum, and the end result are good threads, leading to a quality seal. If you want the crappy ones, which are formed by a series of pressing processes, leading to crappy threads and a poor seal, check any online geocaching store, or eBay.

[JASTA 11]

 

I was wondering if anyone knew who in the heck makes the Micro Bison Tubes...

 

They're made by evil gnomes who live deep in the forest.

 

(Or are they the ones that make nanos?)

 

[+kunarion]

All I can do is echo the prevailing sentiment. If you want quality, stick to the Bison Design tubes. These are machined out of quality grade aluminum, and the end result are good threads, leading to a quality seal. If you want the crappy ones, which are formed by a series of pressing processes, leading to crappy threads and a poor seal, check any online geocaching store, or eBay.

Do you buy direct from the Bison company? I needed some recently, couldn't find the genuine ones anywhere except Bison, and the shipping costs were more than the products. So I bought a bunch of cheapies instead.

[Clan Riffster]

All I can do is echo the prevailing sentiment. If you want quality, stick to the Bison Design tubes. These are machined out of quality grade aluminum, and the end result are good threads, leading to a quality seal. If you want the crappy ones, which are formed by a series of pressing processes, leading to crappy threads and a poor seal, check any online geocaching store, or eBay.

Do you buy direct from the Bison company?

I don't hide micros, but if I did, and opted for a bison style tube, yes, I would get them directly from Bison Designs. Part of my "Take Pride In Your Hide" mantra is using the highest quality container you can get, regardless of size. In that range, Bison Designs wins hands down. I personally could not even conceive of intentionally using a crappy container, knowing that my choice was likely to result in other players having to experience the ickiness of wet, moldy logs, when I could significantly reduce the odds simply by spending a few bucks.

 

I do use micro containers for stages of multis and Wherigo caches though. For these, I opt for match safes, which run about $0.88 a piece, or soda bottle preforms, which run about $0.60 a piece. Both have stood the test of time in multiple environments, a claim which the cheap bison tube fakes cannot claim. If you bought a bunch of crappy bison style tubes, then perhaps you'll consider Isonzo Karst's advice?

Edited July 16, 2013 by Clan Riffster

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

All I can do is echo the prevailing sentiment. If you want quality, stick to the Bison Design tubes. These are machined out of quality grade aluminum, and the end result are good threads, leading to a quality seal. If you want the crappy ones, which are formed by a series of pressing processes, leading to crappy threads and a poor seal, check any online geocaching store, or eBay.

Do you buy direct from the Bison company? I needed some recently, couldn't find the genuine ones anywhere except Bison, and the shipping costs were more than the products. So I bought a bunch of cheapies instead.

 

REI carries the Bison brand.

 

Make sure you have some spare O-rings on hand, as they will eventually wear out. Some of the ones I bought had rings that were already deteriorating, so I replaced them before I hid them in the wild. Several of them became submerged (on a paddle multi-cache) due to high rainfall amounts, but recent finders were pleased to find them nice and dry on the inside. I use Rite-In_rain paper as well, just to be a little more safe.

[+kunarion]

Make sure you have some spare O-rings on hand, as they will eventually wear out. Some of the ones I bought had rings that were already deteriorating, so I replaced them before I hid them in the wild.

I've never bought genuine "Bison tubes" (not even sure where REI is, somewhere across town, I think). But the ones I have purchased almost always have a dry-rotted o-ring. I have a box of assorted O-rings, but none ever are exactly right.

 

How do you buy anything at a local shop, for "Geocaching"? I'll bring an example to a hardware store, ask if they have O-rings for this container, they always ask what it's for, and I say "Geocaching". And their eyes glaze over . I always have to state a realistic intended use and lie. "I take a lot of pills, and I need to seal these 500 pill containers for all my pills". And "Do you have spring clips that would work for these? I need to hang my pill containers in trees outdoors. To store all my pills for long hikes? Maybe?"

Edited July 16, 2013 by kunarion

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Make sure you have some spare O-rings on hand, as they will eventually wear out. Some of the ones I bought had rings that were already deteriorating, so I replaced them before I hid them in the wild.

I've never bought genuine "Bison tubes" (not even sure where REI is, somewhere across town, I think). But the ones I have purchased almost always have a dry-rotted o-ring. I have a box of assorted O-rings, but none ever are exactly right.

 

How do you buy anything at a local shop, for "Geocaching"? I'll bring an example to a hardware store, ask if they have O-rings for this container, they always ask what it's for, and I say "Geocaching". And their eyes glaze over . I always have to state a realistic intended use and lie. "I take a lot of pills, and I need to seal these 500 pill containers for all my pills". And "Do you have spring clips that would work for these? I need to hang my pill containers in trees outdoors. To store all my pills for long hikes? Maybe?"

 

I never mention geocaching. "I need some o-rings that fit these things" showing what I have.

[+J Grouchy]

Make sure you have some spare O-rings on hand, as they will eventually wear out. Some of the ones I bought had rings that were already deteriorating, so I replaced them before I hid them in the wild.

I've never bought genuine "Bison tubes" (not even sure where REI is, somewhere across town, I think). But the ones I have purchased almost always have a dry-rotted o-ring. I have a box of assorted O-rings, but none ever are exactly right.

 

How do you buy anything at a local shop, for "Geocaching"? I'll bring an example to a hardware store, ask if they have O-rings for this container, they always ask what it's for, and I say "Geocaching". And their eyes glaze over . I always have to state a realistic intended use and lie. "I take a lot of pills, and I need to seal these 500 pill containers for all my pills". And "Do you have spring clips that would work for these? I need to hang my pill containers in trees outdoors. To store all my pills for long hikes? Maybe?"

 

You're in my area, I believe. There's one about 500 feet from me right now by Perimeter Mall. Another up 85 near N Druid Hills. One in Kennesaw, too, I think.

 

The one by me has a VERY small rack of geocaching goods...TBs, some micro containers, a beginner's kit, some trade items. Not the greatest selection. REI is generally way overpriced on just about anything you want to buy, anyway. You're probably better off at hardware stores and online.