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Is a Carmex container water tight?


Fireflying

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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.

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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.

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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 by briansnat
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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 by Fireflying
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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.

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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...

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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.

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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. :lol: You would be amazed at some of the stinkers I've found out in the wild. :blink:

 

Here's a link to an article you may find useful in creating your first cache: Clicky Clicky!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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