+Wet_Ground Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 hey just wondering can I hide a glass geocache? I've seen a few but I've heard that you no longer are allowed to hide glass is this true, I did not see anything in the guide lines saying anything on this topic. Quote Link to comment
+Touchstone Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Nothing really in the Guidelines to restrict you from using glass, but this Help Center article mentions that it’s not a great choice: https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=128&pgid=75 Although, rather than saying it may get broken and cause a hazard, I would say it’s inevitable. Quote Link to comment
+South_Stander Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 I wouldn't personally. Is there a particular reason why you want to use glass? Can you use a substitute substance instead? After seeing how roughly some caches have obviously been handled in the past, I would highly recommend against it. It will get smashed at some point. I usually cache with my doggo, and glass shards in a paw can be bad for both the pooch and my wallet. I imagine a receiving a cut hand whilst in the field will be bad for anyone, and cachers will always stick hands in and underneath everything. Especially children. 1 Quote Link to comment
+Goldenwattle Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Maybe consider where the glass container is to be hidden. Likely okay where if someone drops it, it falls on grass or sand, but likely not a good idea among rocks. If it's to avoid plastic waste, metal containers are another idea. Quote Link to comment
+Wet_Ground Posted July 17, 2019 Author Share Posted July 17, 2019 20 minutes ago, South_Stander said: Is there a particular reason why you want to use glass? only because it stands a control burn better than plastic and I don't have to many metal caches but I see why it could be a bad Idea. Quote Link to comment
+South_Stander Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 3 minutes ago, Wet_Ground said: only because it stands a control burn better than plastic What do you mean by control burn? Do you mean like when heather is periodically burnt to control how much grows? If so, can you ask the landowner of their burning schedule and disable the cache for that period? Quote Link to comment
+Touchstone Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 12 minutes ago, Wet_Ground said: only because it stands a control burn better than plastic and I don't have to many metal caches but I see why it could be a bad Idea. I had an ammo can on the edge of a wildfire. The can sort of survived, but the rubber gasket was completely melted and useless. The contents were blackened and charred beyond recognition. All the trees in the area survived with only slight damage to their bark. I may be wrong, but I’m pretty sure glass would fair far worse. I replaced it with a plastic container, expecting that replacement just comes with the territory. Quote Link to comment
+arisoft Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 1 hour ago, Wet_Ground said: hey just wondering can I hide a glass geocache? I've seen a few but I've heard that you no longer are allowed to hide glass is this true, I did not see anything in the guide lines saying anything on this topic. It is allowed. If you are going to use glass containers I recommend to wrap the container with sticky tape to make it less vulnerable. Quote Link to comment
+Goldenwattle Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Wet_Ground said: only because it stands a control burn better than plastic and I don't have to many metal caches but I see why it could be a bad Idea. In the Northern Territory in Australia there are many fires, and metal tins are used there because of that. When I have visited there, away from urban areas, that's what I mostly found. Ammunition cans would be good in areas like this, but there are also cheaper options, although these days with the advent of plastic lids on metal cans, maybe harder to find. Metal biscuit (cookie for Americans) tins are one option. The old fashioned style chocolate can, with its metal can and lid is another option. Of course, the NT has a lot of very dry areas, so steel cans don't rust so quickly there. Where you live these steel cans might rust too quickly. I would suggest aluminium, except I have seen what fires do to aluminium. Edited July 18, 2019 by Goldenwattle Quote Link to comment
+Goldenwattle Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 5 minutes ago, arisoft said: It is allowed. If you are going to use glass containers I recommend to wrap the container with sticky tape to make it less vulnerable. Don't completely hide though that it is glass, or it might be smashed. In a remote area I found a cache and couldn't get the lid off. So I banged the edge of the lid on a rock. Only when I got the rusted on lid off, did I see most of the container was glass. Oops! Luckily it didn't break. So, I guess the tape did work, but maybe leave a bit free of tape as a warning it's glass. 1 Quote Link to comment
+colleda Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 1 hour ago, Wet_Ground said: only because it stands a control burn better than plastic and I don't have to many metal caches but I see why it could be a bad Idea. What material is the lid made from. If it's plastic it's going to melt and if metal it will rust. I've found two or three glass containers - they were all broken to some degree. The last one I found late last year was hidden among rocks on a rocky slope. I NM'd it and the CO was quick to replace it. BTW the place had the wonderful name of "Yorkey's Knob". 1 Quote Link to comment
+barefootjeff Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 (edited) 23 minutes ago, Goldenwattle said: In the Northern Territory in Australia there are many fires, and metal tins are used there because of that. When I have visited there, away from urban areas, that's what I mostly found. Ammunition cans would be good in areas like this, but there are also cheaper options, although these days with the advent of plastic lids on metal cans, maybe harder to find. Metal biscuit (cookie for Americans) tins are one option. The old fashioned style chocolate can, with its metal can and lid is another option. Of course, the NT has a lot of very dry areas, so steel cans don't rust so quickly there. Where you live these steel cans might rust too quickly. I would suggest aluminium, except I have seen what fires do to aluminium. Maybe this stainless steel cookpot that I used on one of my hides would be a good solution, after all it's designed to be placed in a camp fire. I got it from a camping store for about $20. Edited July 18, 2019 by barefootjeff 1 Quote Link to comment
+Max and 99 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 I once used a glass container that was perfectly suited for the cache name. It was a cool bottle I got from a Medieval Fair. It lasted for years until the area was cleared, if I remember right. It's the only time I've used glass. Quote Link to comment
+Goldenwattle Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 2 minutes ago, barefootjeff said: Maybe this stainless steel cookpot that I used on one of my hides would be a good solution, after all it's designed to be placed in a camp fire. I got it from a camping store for about $20. That's brilliant, although, not a cheap option for the 'cheap among us. 1 Quote Link to comment
+Windstorm+ Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 I've melted a few beer bottles in campfires before, so glass may not be the best option if you're trying to avoid fire damage. The melted bottles made some cool shapes, but were really brittle and broke easily afterwards. Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Glass is awful. Condensation happens, water seeps in. Water will seep into an outdoor glass container especially at dew point, air condenses inside the glass. The lid, once it's opened and the seal is broken, is no longer airtight. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 (edited) Even ammo cans don't survive a fire. If the outer container survived, the contents will be charred. Expect to have to check and replace your container if there's a fire. Edited July 31, 2019 by L0ne.R grammar 1 Quote Link to comment
+K13 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 I've found maybe a half dozen glass containers through the years. Broken or water-logged every time. 1 Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 1 hour ago, L0ne.R said: Even ammo cans don't survive a fire. Even if the outer container survived, the contents will be charred. Yep. I use an ammo can we bought at a geowoodstock to burn char cloth. - The gaskets fell out before we got to use it... Can survives the brief time it's sitting in the burn barrel, but everything inside is charred. Quote Link to comment
+Goldenwattle Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 1 hour ago, L0ne.R said: Even ammo cans don't survive a fire. Even if the outer container survived, the contents will be charred. Expect to have to check and replace your container if there's a fire. I've found ammo cans which have survived a fire, while the nearby plastic one didn't. It depends on the speed of the fire and intensity. Many (not all) fires in the NT are 'light' grass fires'. Plastic doesn't survive, but metal does. Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 4 hours ago, Wet_Ground said: hey just wondering can I hide a glass geocache? Sure. Why you want to doesn't make much sense to me though. Ever crack marbles ? Heat, glass and a bit a water. Controlled burns here, there's a guy with a water tank right next to the one starting them... We test containers and once a seal's gone (mason jars) they're worthless. The seal didn't help much with condensation anyway. Condensation is a science project waiting to happen. Pyrex came close, but never worked well for condensation either. Soaked the folded construction paper within a week. But, YMMV... We found glass jar hides when we first started, mason jars epoxied under concrete benches mostly. Usually after a season change someone would be the lucky one to break it in half. Surprised no one cut. Wonder how the CO removed the lids... 2 Quote Link to comment
+DerDiedler Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 6 hours ago, Wet_Ground said: only because it stands a control burn better than plastic and I don't have to many metal caches but I see why it could be a bad Idea. I doubt that. If you are using jelky or maramelade glasses or so, they will likely blast due the heat. Also the metal lids will become rusty in a outdoor environment real quick and the sealing will be compromised. As cheap and easy available they might be, they don't make a great cache container at all. 1 Quote Link to comment
+Goldenwattle Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 If you don't mind micro caches, how about a cache like this to resist fires. Quote Link to comment
+TeamRabbitRun Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Much more simply put, if it's glass, it'll break. If it breaks, a cacher will get hurt. End of story. Reconsider the use of glass. If the possibility of fire is that much of a factor, reconsider the location. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On the other hand, if the possibility of fire is a ATTRACTIVE FEATURE of this cache, then let me know; I'm interested! 2 Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 (edited) Maybe I missed it mentioned yet, but these days when we see glass outdoors we usually pick it up as trash. So depending on where you're placing it may be an issue. Picked up in CITO because no one saw that before. Ask anyone who ever tried using plastic soda bottles as containers. Keep in mind folks may also be seeing a pulpy mess inside (from that condensation) as most "things" in glass n cans found along the road/trail in clean-ups. A square container not looking the same, maybe makes someone curious enough for a second look. We're often surprised with how many glass beer bottles we see in the middle of nowhere. Someone lugged them in filled. - Guess lugging the empties back out wasn't an option afterwards... Edited July 18, 2019 by cerberus1 1 Quote Link to comment
+Wet_Ground Posted July 18, 2019 Author Share Posted July 18, 2019 1 hour ago, TeamRabbitRun said: On the other hand, if the possibility of fire is a ATTRACTIVE FEATURE of this cache, then let me know; I'm interested! on this cache its not a attractive feature however I've found a cache where a it was. Quote Link to comment
+arisoft Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 15 hours ago, L0ne.R said: Glass is awful. Condensation happens, water seeps in. Water will seep into an outdoor glass container especially at dew point, air condenses inside the glass. The lid, once it's opened and the seal is broken, is no longer airtight. 13 hours ago, cerberus1 said: Pyrex came close, but never worked well for condensation either. Soaked the folded construction paper within a week. It is interesting to see that the material of the container have effect to the performance of the seal. There is also many plastic containers with the same problem. Moisture condensating inside the container. Containrs without a seal works better. Here is the solution for this problem https://www.gore.com/products/categories/venting Quote Link to comment
+South_Stander Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 (edited) Coincidentally, I was out caching today and whilst reaching under a tree root with my left hand I used my right hand to steady myself, only to put my hand onto a shard of glass hiding in the leaf litter. I had to cut the caching short to go back to the car and clean the cut. That's why you shouldn't use glass! Edited July 18, 2019 by South_Stander Spelling. Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 On 7/17/2019 at 9:15 PM, barefootjeff said: Maybe this stainless steel cookpot that I used on one of my hides would be a good solution, after all it's designed to be placed in a camp fire. I got it from a camping store for about $20. $20 My guess is the OP wants to use glass because the jar is free. PS Kudos for spending some money on your containers. 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment
+Goldenwattle Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 On 7/18/2019 at 11:15 AM, barefootjeff said: Maybe this stainless steel cookpot that I used on one of my hides would be a good solution, after all it's designed to be placed in a camp fire. I got it from a camping store for about $20. Maybe I should check the 'cheap shop' next time I am in it. You never know; maybe they might have something suitable in. I bought cheap stainless steel cake and baking dishes from them. Good quality too; not thin rubbish. Quote Link to comment
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