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Geocache Containers?


seven_neves

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Hi All,

Very new to this, so I'm doing lots of reading to get my head around it, particularly as I'd like to do a hide shortly.  Something I noticed in the Hiding Guidelines was this statement:

  • Choose a transparent container to show that the contents are harmless.

Not sure about the rest of the world, but in Aus it seems that Sistema food containers are extremely popular as cache containers: http://sistemaplastics.com/products/klip-it-rectangular 
I'm a little confused though as whilst they are transparent almost every single one of these I've come across has been painted black - even if the cache is a concealed hide.

Is the transparent container rule only new, or perhaps simply a suggestion?

 

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The transparent wording used in the Guidelines is mostly for the benefit of Law Enforcement and Land Managers.  In my area, there is one Park that requires transparent containers.  You should check with your local park agency if you plan on hiding your first cache in a nearby park, to see if they have specific requirements.  If you do a search on the forum for "bomb" you'll see numerous issues regarding the Law Enforcement end of things.  If you're hiding your first cache in a more urban/city area, keep in mind that most people (aka "muggles"), don't have a clue about our activity.  Keep in mind what other people would think if they stumbled upon you container, and then think of the worst possible outcome multiplied by six.

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3 hours ago, seven_neves said:

Is the transparent container rule only new, or perhaps simply a suggestion?

 

The paragraph begins with "To avoid alarm, consider these tips".  That is a suggestion.  When you hide a cache, consider what it looks like to someone passing by.  And what happens if they become suspicious of it (and if it's painted black, for example, so it's not simple to know what's inside).  Urban hides especially.

There's a local cache that is a small camouflaged tube with a "tail", a piece of string that makes the whole reminiscent of a quarter stick of dynamite witha fuse.  It's under a Lamp Post Cap.  It's in the middle of a high-muggle area, where you likely can't find it unseen.  I picked it up and realized, how it must have looked to passers-by as I placed it under the LPC.  Sweet! B)

Anyway, I hope it's OK with you if there's a suggestion to make your cache look harmless.  Or you know, NOT make it look like a pipe bomb or whatever.  It's not a new rule, just a pretty good idea. :)

Edited by kunarion
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If you want to paint the container and also follow this suggestion you can take a piece of tape,  Say maybe tape that is 1" wide.  Put a strip of it around the bottom or a couple of strips on it before painting.  Paint the container how you want it and then when dry remove the tape and it will still have some places for someone who wants to look inside can but the container also isn't fully clear.  Or if you decided to camo the cache with duct tape you can leave a few spots open so it can be seen inside while also adding some camo to it.

 

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20 hours ago, kunarion said:

 

The paragraph begins with "To avoid alarm, consider these tips".  That is a suggestion. 

Whoops! Perhaps if i'd read that correctly I could have avoided this entire thread - silly me.

Makes sense to have some sort of camo I guess if it's exposed when in location, otherwise no I guess.  I am very much looking forward to hiding a cache

Thanks All :)

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2 hours ago, seven_neves said:

Whoops! Perhaps if i'd read that correctly I could have avoided this entire thread - silly me.

Makes sense to have some sort of camo I guess if it's exposed when in location, otherwise no I guess.  I am very much looking forward to hiding a cache

Thanks All :)

 

Cool!  :P

Many of the tougher hides have no camouflage at all.  It's in the way they're hidden.  The box is in a place where people don't tend to look, or in a quiet spot that people walk right past, or combinations of things.  Simply placing a container just above eye level can create a tricky hide!

My plan for a cache hide is not so much that nobody can find it, but that only Geocachers do.

Good luck!  :)

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Unless a locale requires a transparent geocache, that guideline is more of a suggestion.  After all, many of the oldest, longest lasting geocaches out there are re-purposed ammunition cans, and until someone invents transparent aluminum, ammo cans will remain stubbornly opaque.

Proper labeling then becomes key -- removing markings that would falsely indicate danger, like ammunition stencil labels, and clearly indicating it's a geocache, via sticker, stencil, etc.  Even just Sharpie on the lid (my cheap and lazy solution) is better than nothing.

8629043c-c73d-4057-a730-eb1b359bc7cd.jpg

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11 minutes ago, hzoi said:

Unless a locale requires a transparent geocache, that guideline is more of a suggestion.  After all, many of the oldest, longest lasting geocaches out there are re-purposed ammunition cans, and until someone invents transparent aluminum, ammo cans will remain stubbornly opaque.

Proper labeling then becomes key -- removing markings that would falsely indicate danger, like ammunition stencil labels, and clearly indicating it's a geocache, via sticker, stencil, etc.  Even just Sharpie on the lid (my cheap and lazy solution) is better than nothing.

 

There's a photo of an ammo box with a plastic window, somewhere in these Fori.

I've almost never encountered cache camouflage that turns a cache invisible.  Painting it black makes it stand out, probably more than if it was not painted.  But a couple of bold lines of color may be enough to break up the shape a little.  Outdoors, even red and yellow, or other colors that you would not immediately think of for a hide in the wilds.

I'm guessing that the "camouflage" is partly to make it identifiable as a Geocache, and partly a statement by the CO that he put some work into the container.  A few quick wraps of sticky electrical tape?  This pill bottle is da bomb!   :lol:

Oh wait, no, it's not a bomb. :o

Edited by kunarion
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1 hour ago, kunarion said:

My plan for a cache hide is not so much that nobody can find it, but that only Geocachers do.

YES!  That's a key element in what we try to do withour hides.  It's there, but looks as if it belongs, UNLESS you are looking for something more.  You likely are not going to find it unless you are a geocacher and expecting to see something beyond the obvious.  

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We own a quite a few caches which are Sistemas (Oz equivalent of Lock n Lock). Most of them I have painted black or olive drab as camo. The clips on a Sistema are usually a bright blue and can give it away so that's a good reason to paint it. We have one which is a D4 which I have not painted, if it were painted it would be even harder to find - 58 Found Its v 40 DNFs.

They make good, long lasting containers which a reasonably waterproof for our climate except when the lids are not replaced or clipped properly.

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6 minutes ago, colleda said:

We own a quite a few caches which are Sistemas (Oz equivalent of Lock n Lock). Most of them I have painted black or olive drab as camo. The clips on a Sistema are usually a bright blue and can give it away so that's a good reason to paint it. We have one which is a D4 which I have not painted, if it were painted it would be even harder to find - 58 Found Its v 40 DNFs.

They make good, long lasting containers which a reasonably waterproof for our climate except when the lids are not replaced or clipped properly.

I should have have really said that Sistema are the New Zealand equivalent of Lock n Lock. My apologies to any Kiwis I may have offended.

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