Tin cookie box for a hide?

[+ruutherford]

I like this box, but I have a hunch it won’t last longer than a year outside. Any insights? Like a tin cookie box. 

[+kunarion]

In wet areas, rain, fog, humidity, containers without a compression weather seal tend to fail quickly, so they’re not recommended.  It depends on where it’s placed, the care of finders, lots of things.  The specific metal alloy may also be a factor.

 

I found a large round cookie tin in a forest in Georgia.  It’s been there for years, and it’s placed in a unique way that somehow keeps it in good shape.  If you’re handy and can build wooden structures, and if the spot allows it, I can describe how they did it.  Otherwise, go buy a nice Lock-N-Lock and place it somewhere.

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by kunarion

[+cerberus1]

5 hours ago, ruutherford said:

I like this box, but I have a hunch it won’t last longer than a year outside. Any insights? Like a tin cookie box. 

 

We used to find them ten years or more ago, large cookie tins wrapped in black plastic.  A cute lab experiment in every one.   

 - That is if you could get the thing pried open.  

There's no seal, and the material's thin enough that it creates condensation inside.

Where you are I'd say forget it, but it might work in very arid conditions.    

 

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by cerberus1
splellinng

[+arisoft]

2 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

There's no seal, and the material's thin enough that it creates condensation inside.

 

My experience is opposite. As there is no seal, water can escape the container and even a wet content may dry.

[+kunarion]

2 hours ago, arisoft said:

 

My experience is opposite. As there is no seal, water can escape the container and even a wet content may dry.

This would be a good point for the OP to mention how dry the region is where the cache may be placed.

 

I have seen one tin can stay dry inside in a forest that gets a lot of rain, but it’s all in the hide style, and probably the container size and how careful cachers are, and the fact that it’s not opened frequently.  And other factors.

 

A host of other tin cans didn’t fare as well and are long gone.

[+ruutherford]

This is going to be a far away hide maintained by a fellow cacher. An island in Maine. Very wet, snowy, serious weather. I’ve settled on a jar with a painted metal lid. We’ll see how it goes. 
 

 not a lot of traffic out there, as it’ll be a 5/5 boat required. I have an ammo box I’m also planning on hitting with marine paint I can swap out with later.

 

I appreciate the feedback and community!

[+cerberus1]

On 7/31/2021 at 10:32 PM, ruutherford said:

This is going to be a far away hide maintained by a fellow cacher. An island in Maine. Very wet, snowy, serious weather.

I’ve settled on a jar with a painted metal lid. We’ll see how it goes. 
not a lot of traffic out there, as it’ll be a 5/5 boat required. I have an ammo box I’m also planning on hitting with marine paint I can swap out with later.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I feel it'd be better to wait until you can place the ammo can, rather than a "jar".     

 - Of course that depends on your "fellow cacher", and which they feel would be easier on maintenance for them (since they're helping you).

We have/had ammo can hides near water, and with snow, and (for us) they've held up the best.  We just used Krylon camo paint.

[+L0ne.R]

Examples of rusted tin caches.

 

Cookie tin geocache:

 

 

Altoid  tin caches:

 

 

 

Coffee can tin:

 

 

 

[+ruutherford]

@L0ne.R Hahahah well that answers that!