Homemade caches

[+firestronaut]

Looking at placing some new caches to add to a very beautiful walk a few miles away.

 

Ideally I'd like to just reuse some things around the house, maybe make something interesting.

Do glass coffee jars work well? Never come across one on my travels, so I'm not sure how they would hold up.

Any other ideas of common items I could use?

[+mellers]

Looking at placing some new caches to add to a very beautiful walk a few miles away.

 

Ideally I'd like to just reuse some things around the house, maybe make something interesting.

Do glass coffee jars work well? Never come across one on my travels, so I'm not sure how they would hold up.

Any other ideas of common items I could use?

Best not to use anything glass, which (if broken) can start apparently a fire in the hotter months. Before you settle on any container, try the tissue test. Seal a piece of dry tissue or toilet paper in a pot, then leave it under a very slowly and gently dripping tap for 24 hours. If the tissue is dry at the end of it, the odds are it will be a good waterproof pot.

[+L0ne.R]

Personally I recommend that you spend the £3 and get the authentic Lock & Lock brand of container. These are tested and true and generally do a great job of protecting the contents. Do not use the knock-offs - they generally have tabs that break off quickly. Even if they are initially watertight, without the tabs they are junk. Take pride in your hide. Impress your finders with a quality cache container.

Edited November 20, 2014 by L0ne.R

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

You probably aren't going to come up with something that hasn't been tried before... you could, but you probably won't.

Lots of geocachers have tried lots of things and they too, most always go back to the proven containers. Lock and Lock®; ammo cans; bison tubes or even food jars (plastic).

 

Sure, broken glass may start a fire, but not likely. More likely, somebody will get cut either breaking it, stepping on it or sweep-searching for the cache. Best not to use glass at all.

 

If your hide-site is protected from the elements, you may use something that isn't "water-proof".

 

 

Hint: keep in mind that a container designed to keep liquids inside does not always keep liquids outside! Use something that has some type of rubber or neoprene seal. Threaded tops, without a seal, are usually a poor choice.

Something else to remember: cheap does as cheap is....

Edited November 20, 2014 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+firestronaut]

Well there's my parade rained on.

 

I'll stick to bland, generic caches then. Cheap Poundland brand, of course. Cheers.

[+Panther&Pine]

Well there's my parade rained on.

 

I'll stick to bland, generic caches then. Cheap Poundland brand, of course. Cheers.

I think you're missing the point of the responses, there is nothing to say you can't be creative with those logbook containers and clever/cute camo. Glass just doesn't do as well as plastic when dropped,.

[+firestronaut]

Well there's my parade rained on.

 

I'll stick to bland, generic caches then. Cheap Poundland brand, of course. Cheers.

I think you're missing the point of the responses, there is nothing to say you can't be creative with those logbook containers and clever/cute camo. Glass just doesn't do as well as plastic when dropped,.

 

Actually, my response was more pointed toward

 

You probably aren't going to come up with something that hasn't been tried before... you could, but you probably won't.

 

and

 

Something else to remember: cheap does as cheap is....

[+Pharisee]

I've used plastic drainpipe to good effect on a number of my caches. Easily and relatively cheaply sourced from the local DIY store. A length of pipe about a foot long, a blanking cap glued on one end and an inspection cap glued on the other makes a strong and waterproof container. The inspection caps have an 'O' ring seal. They can be painted or disguised with camo gaffer tape. Perhaps it's nothing new but it beats the hell out of those god-awful 35mm film pots.

[Rock Chalk]

You can use a Lock and Lock (or similar watertight container) and do some really interesting cammo with it. I've seen bark and/or leaves glued to them, etc. It can be inexpensive, but fun and very effective!

[+firestronaut]

Ignore my irritability, I have future geocacher in the oven, wreaking havoc on the world already :ph34r:

 

I have and will continue to stick unique caches out there (as well as boring generic ones )

The drainpipe idea sounds fantastic! A trip to B&Q may be on the cards

Thank you for the advice!

 

I have been using camo tape, but i'd prefer to try something else - the glue idea is great, I can blend it perfectly with the surrounding area!

 

 

I'm going to eat chocolate and avoid human contact now

[+L0ne.R]

Well there's my parade rained on.

 

I'll stick to bland, generic caches then. Cheap Poundland brand, of course. Cheers.

 

You can be creative. I've made birdhouses out of recycled material but inside is a water tight authentic Lock & Lock.

 

If you do decide to go for a recycled kitchen container, I have good luck with Kraft Peanut Butter jars. But I put a gasket on the inside of the lid. I have found pb jar caches that were quite leaky - none had gaskets inside the lid. I make my gaskets out of thin fun foam. I cut a circle that fits snuggly into the inside of the lid. It's best to hang your jar. I find if they are hidden on the ground they are more likely to get water inside. For ground hides you are better off with authentic Lock and Lock®.

[+Manville Possum]

Just remember to keep other geocachers safe, glass is never a good idea. I got a nasty cut myself once on broken glass while searching for a cache.

[+derektiffany]

Just a couple generic ideas / suggestions:

1) Having an "outer container" of some unique / custom design (plus an inner "standard" weatherproof container of some sort such as a lock-n-lock) can allow for significant uniqueness and creativity since the "outer container" then does not have to be entirely weatherproof.

 

2) Initial stages of multis/offset caches can allow for a lot of uniqueness and creativity since you don't have to worry about the protection of a paper log. Lots of unique ways to get a (weatherproof) set of numbers out in the field.

[+Graculus]

Glass containers are not 'banned' but we'd likely suggest you change it for something that won't break if dropped. Margarine tubs, ice cream tubs or take away boxes are not a good idea. They are just not strong enough and certainly not waterproof. So as long as your container is waterproof to protect the logbook and other contents you can be as creative as you like. It's been suggested you use a simple inner container - like a clip lock box or screw top pot - and then have something unusual as an outer. We did have a cache which was a plastic squirrel on a tree. Inside was a screw top plastic pot. It was quite easy to cut an opening in the squirrel to fit it. Around Halloween plastic skulls become popular. I've also seen snakes, rats and even a severed arm (complete with blood)..... That was quite a surprise when I lifted up a log covering it

 

Chris

Graculus

Volunteer UK Reviewer for geocaching.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

UK Geocaching Wiki

Geocaching.com Help Center

UK Geocaching Information & Resources website

[+Chrysalides]

Congratulations on having a future geocacher in the oven Just because it has been tried before doesn't mean it should not be tried again. Go ahead and have fun. If you make mistakes along the way, that's how we learn. Correct them and then move along.

[+hommer777]

A urin sample tube (unused) is the best . Very water tight .Well they have never leaked in my pocket on the way to the doctors

[+and1969]

I've made cache containers by cutting the tops off PET pop bottles, as close to the flange as possible, then putting two of them on an electric cooker ring, rotating them rapidly till they start melting, then pushing them together, holding them till they cool down. Obviously this is a dangerous task that is definitely not suitable for children. The tops should be ON when doing this.

 

This method of welding is similar to that used to join yellow plastic gas pipes which we will all have walked past at some time or other. The trick is to not get debris inside the 'container', and to align the two pieces accurately.

 

I've yet to deploy one of these as a cache but did find a broken/muggled clip lock container and left one inside with an emergency log, the original log having gone missing (along with the CO, it would appear ). I did mention in the log, that the CO can keep the container when he makes a reappearance.

 

Also I have seen a similar container where the CO complained about people undoing the wrong end. With the containers described above there is not a problem, as pop bottles are designed to withstand high pressures anyway in normal use, and the tops provide a good seal.

Edited November 28, 2014 by and1969