Fireflying Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 I am looking to hide a cache. I was thinking of using an old carmex lip balm container...cleaned out of course. Would that be a good container to use? Or will it leak? Any other suggestions for containers from household items I can use would be helpful. Thanks. Quote Link to comment
+Ms.Scrabbler Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 I put any and all containers I think might work in the dishwasher with a piece of paper towel inside. If it's even slightly hinting at being damp it's out. I even do this with loc n locs. Quote Link to comment
Clan Riffster Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Hi FireFlying, way kewl user name! Carmex lip balm containers are not water tight. The standard you should be reaching for, if you have an annual humidity rate exceeding 0.1% is water proof. If you are looking to hide an itty bitty container, Google Bison Designs. They make great, waterproof, very small containers oft called Bison tubes. So good, in fact, that they are copied relentlessly, using inferior production methods. The cheap imitations are not much better than a lip balm container. Other micro sized quality containers are match safes and soda bottle preforms. Really good small to medium containers include real Lock & Lock containers, medium Therapak canisters and Nalgene jars. If you want the best container out there, I recommend the venerable ammo can. Quote Link to comment
Fireflying Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 Hi FireFlying, way kewl user name! Carmex lip balm containers are not water tight. The standard you should be reaching for, if you have an annual humidity rate exceeding 0.1% is water proof. If you are looking to hide an itty bitty container, Google Bison Designs. They make great, waterproof, very small containers oft called Bison tubes. So good, in fact, that they are copied relentlessly, using inferior production methods. The cheap imitations are not much better than a lip balm container. Other micro sized quality containers are match safes and soda bottle preforms. Really good small to medium containers include real Lock & Lock containers, medium Therapak canisters and Nalgene jars. If you want the best container out there, I recommend the venerable ammo can. Thanks for your input, but I am more looking for an old container of some sort around the house that I would normally throw away. I don't really want to spend much for a container. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) Hi FireFlying, way kewl user name! Carmex lip balm containers are not water tight. The standard you should be reaching for, if you have an annual humidity rate exceeding 0.1% is water proof. If you are looking to hide an itty bitty container, Google Bison Designs. They make great, waterproof, very small containers oft called Bison tubes. So good, in fact, that they are copied relentlessly, using inferior production methods. The cheap imitations are not much better than a lip balm container. Other micro sized quality containers are match safes and soda bottle preforms. Really good small to medium containers include real Lock & Lock containers, medium Therapak canisters and Nalgene jars. If you want the best container out there, I recommend the venerable ammo can. Thanks for your input, but I am more looking for an old container of some sort around the house that I would normally throw away. I don't really want to spend much for a container. Consider the number of times you will have to go to replace or dry out the logbook if you use a crappy cache container vs. using something that will last and ask yourself if it is worth the savings. Waterproof match container. 99 cents at Walmart. It will save you numerous cache maintenance trips. Heck, PM me and I will send you some decent containers. Please don't use crappy cache containers for your own sake and that of those who will be hunting your caches. Edited October 24, 2013 by briansnat Quote Link to comment
Fireflying Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) Hi FireFlying, way kewl user name! Carmex lip balm containers are not water tight. The standard you should be reaching for, if you have an annual humidity rate exceeding 0.1% is water proof. If you are looking to hide an itty bitty container, Google Bison Designs. They make great, waterproof, very small containers oft called Bison tubes. So good, in fact, that they are copied relentlessly, using inferior production methods. The cheap imitations are not much better than a lip balm container. Other micro sized quality containers are match safes and soda bottle preforms. Really good small to medium containers include real Lock & Lock containers, medium Therapak canisters and Nalgene jars. If you want the best container out there, I recommend the venerable ammo can. Thanks for your input, but I am more looking for an old container of some sort around the house that I would normally throw away. I don't really want to spend much for a container. Consider the number of times you will have to go to replace or dry out the logbook if you use a crappy cache container vs. using something that will last and ask yourself if it is worth the savings. Waterproof match container. 99 cents at Walmart. It will save you numerous cache maintenance trips. Heck, PM me and I will send you some decent containers. Please don't use crappy cache containers for your own sake and that of those who will be hunting your caches. ok will definitely be thinking about getting a match container. Didn't know they were so cheap Edited October 24, 2013 by Fireflying Quote Link to comment
+WarNinjas Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Sometimes I am shocked by some of the containers that get lucky and do hold up to the elements for some caches. lip balm containers is not one that I have seen hold up and are always a problem from the ones I have found. I have seen some peanut butter containers do well if kept upright and we have for some reason had good luck with some metal with a plastic lid onion dip containers from the dollar store. We just make sure the sharp edge from where you take off the lid is taped or somehow made not sharp. We have had one out probably for 2 years and the only reason we checked on it was to swap some TB's. It is built into a log so that probably helps it out. Quote Link to comment
+The_Incredibles_ Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) How about a peanut butter screw-top container? These work and if you don't eat peanut butter, it's likely someone you know will. I don't think a Carmex tube will be watertight. Edited October 24, 2013 by The_Incredibles_ Quote Link to comment
+RobDJr Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Although, as mentioned repeatedly above, nothing will ever take the place of a good container, one of the better techniques I've seen used by those who don't want to spend money on containers is to double down on the containers, like a good pill bottle inside a peanut butter jar. With regular maintenance, those that I have seen like this seem to hold up pretty well provided they're hidden so they are sheltered from elements as much as possible. Even so, maintenance rates will likely be higher than if the container was a high quality one. With tongue in cheek, and I'm pretty sure this sentiment has been expressed many times in various forms, the only proper way to hide a carmex tube would be to put it inside an ammo can... Quote Link to comment
+NanCycle Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 ok will definitely be thinking about getting a match container. Didn't know they were so cheap They used to be 89 cents at WalMart and are now $1.00. There are more expensive ($4.95)versions available at Sports Authority, etc. but I don't know if they're any better. They stay waterproof as long as the O-ring is intact. Depending on weather the O-ring might need to be replaced in a year or two. The ones you buy as replacement will likely be better quality and should last longer. Quote Link to comment
+desmognathus Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Peanut butter jars don't seems to survive very well in my neck of the woods, even if you run them through the dishwasher. They must still retain some food odor and seem to attract critters. Maybe if you bleached them out? Quote Link to comment
+Don_J Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 I have found a few of the jars and they seemed to hold up pretty well. I have also found many of the tubes, and unless they are totally protected from the rain, it's not worth the trouble of placing it. Your log will be ruined with the first rain. Quote Link to comment
Clan Riffster Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 I don't really want to spend much for a container. Nothing wrong with that! As others have mentioned, there is no reason to break the bank just to hide a cache. Personally, I find it way kewl that you cared enough to ask. Many folks don't adhere to the age old axiom, "Take Pride In Your Hide", and simply toss out whatever crappy container they happen to find laying under their mom's couch. You would be amazed at some of the stinkers I've found out in the wild. Here's a link to an article you may find useful in creating your first cache: Clicky Clicky! Quote Link to comment
+J Grouchy Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Most surprising cache container I've found where the log inside was actually dry: A chapstick tube...where turning the dial pushed the log out. When I found it, it was dry...a few logs have mentioned it being damp, but signable. Over three years and still okay. http://coord.info/GC26NX7 I still would recommend against such containers. Quote Link to comment
+St.Matthew Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 A local hide is a lip balm tube under a roof. Because of the roof, the container remains dry. If the container was anywhere else, it wouldn't survive. Quote Link to comment
+Meandering WA Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 metal cap = rust around here Quote Link to comment
+Don_J Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 metal cap = rust around here A metal cap on a metal container will rust sooner or later. The Carmex container is glass so it doesn't scratch the paint off the lid. Quote Link to comment
+Mudfrog Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 ok will definitely be thinking about getting a match container. Didn't know they were so cheap They used to be 89 cents at WalMart and are now $1.00. There are more expensive ($4.95)versions available at Sports Authority, etc. but I don't know if they're any better. They stay waterproof as long as the O-ring is intact. Depending on weather the O-ring might need to be replaced in a year or two. The ones you buy as replacement will likely be better quality and should last longer. I guess it just depends on how lucky a person is. Seems strange since they are supposed to keep matches dry but most of the matchstick containers i've run across have been wet inside. I tried using them on a couple of my cache hides and didn't have any luck with them keeping out the moisture. Bison tubes have not fared much better but as CR mentioned above, this may be because they weren't "real" bison tubes. The little key holder containers that go around your neck for when you go swimming seem like they should work but again, they don't seem to do the job either. The one item found at home that i've had good luck with, is plastic spice bottles. You can buy the bottle, full of the spice of your choice, for around .60 cents at the local wally world place. I've used these on stages of multis and on a couple of hides with good success. Don't think they would be good for underwater use though. Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Seems strange since they are supposed to keep matches dry but most of the matchstick containers i've run across have been wet inside. Coghlan's? Or dollar store knock-off? I've used an authentic Coghlan's orange matchstick container that has stayed dry for 2 years so far. Quote Link to comment
+Mudfrog Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Seems strange since they are supposed to keep matches dry but most of the matchstick containers i've run across have been wet inside. Coghlan's? Or dollar store knock-off? I've used an authentic Coghlan's orange matchstick container that has stayed dry for 2 years so far. The ones i tried and have come across more often are the green ones. Not sure of the brand but i do remember that they cost less than a buck when i bought them. Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Seems strange since they are supposed to keep matches dry but most of the matchstick containers i've run across have been wet inside. Coghlan's? Or dollar store knock-off? I've used an authentic Coghlan's orange matchstick container that has stayed dry for 2 years so far. The ones i tried and have come across more often are the green ones. Not sure of the brand but i do remember that they cost less than a buck when i bought them. We've used the green ones. We replaced the hard, plastic-like washer with a rubber one, and add a drop of super glue to the bottom, so it stays there (like bisons, folks don't realize they've dropped it). Other than when someone hit 'em in the rain, we haven't had a problem with wet logs. Quote Link to comment
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