What containers have you used to store a cache?

[Guest Hobbyhorse]

Hi

We have been letterboxing here on Dartmoor Uk for some time and I have seen what works and what fails in the rain and snow. We did use ammo boxes however Dartmoor in an Army training area and these caused a few problems. The army found them with metal detectors while training and removed them. Unknowing visitors phoned up the army to come and defuse them making the army very pissed off. The army ocasionally leave real ammo lying around making it unsafe to use them.

The best I have come across is the safety travel containers used for transporting 5 litre (winchester) size glass chemical solvent containers. They are chemical resistant black plastic with a solvent rsistant screw top seal. The cache can be made out of a pipe/wood box buried to slide this sealed container in with a rock over the end to help conceal it.

The main problems are weak plastic being split or cut with rocks used to hide the cache. The boxes soon get damp and soggy. A good tip if using a plastic tupperware box is to is to leave it lid side down as lid side up when leaking holds more water. Using plastic bags as an outer covering is a disaster as these cut easily and soon end up holding in the water not keeping it out. Always think of the rain and prevailing wind when planting the cache even when it is a sunny day when you are doing it. Uk has prevailing westerly winds and any box placed on the western side of a rock etc is soon wet. Think also of the searchers needing somewhere dry to open and look in the box. A big overhanging rock nearby is usefull.

see http://www.letterboxing.org/ for letterboxing.

 

Dave

[Guest Mack]

Who's rich? Well i'm not (other wise i'd be doing this myself) but if you have more money on your hands then Bill Gates, Pelican Cases would be a good idea....airtight, watertight, etc. etc...you can even get pelican to engrave "GPS Geocache" on the out side if you so like... these are roughly 30 bucks a pop for the small ones....

[Guest Dan Bollinger]

See my thread below on "Other Safes" which lists three unique cache containers that I think would serve. Dan

[Guest Dan Bollinger]

Plastic Shipping Tubes will work. They are available up to 4" with watertight caps. Just cut the clear tube to length. Very inexpensive, too. You can find them at "Mailboxes", etc.

[Guest EraSeek]

I've been using 9 1/2 cup ziplock plastic containers with the thought that this would discourage turning caches into 'a garage sale on a hill'. They are modest in size and price. Only problem is, is that people overstuff them anyway. Just doesn't work! Going for the bigger tupperware from now on. (Unless I can find some unique containers.)

[Guest excession]

For the inexpensive clear plastic cache, I like the pretzel containers with the screw on top. They're reasonably watertight and a good size.

[Guest daviskw]

I've gone with a few different kinds of containers. One is a large plastic Owl you can buy at a garden store. They are very realistic and it is easy to cut a larger hole in the bottom that can be plugged with a compression lid from the dollar store. They are watertight and add something unusual to the hunt. I have also used a turkey decoy over an ammo box, lots of fun.

 

Butch

[Guest Anton]

Aren't you worried some hunter will shoot up all your owls and turkeys?

 

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Anton Ninno - N2RUD

Syracuse, NY 13210

[Guest kpw]

We just started using empty 1 ga. paint cans (about $1.50 from any paint store) and they seem to work well. Watertight, light weight and very cheap. We've also taken to spray painting them with our signature blue and yellow - looks pretty spiff. Only thing is that you should tie an opener to the handle, just in case someone treks out there without a pocket knife.

 

kpw

[Guest Ron Streeter]

Today I found what has to be one of very few 30 cal ammo boxes in northern CA. It took me back to my old army days popping that thing open. So much so, that I am thinking of using some now. The seal is pretty tight and this particular cache hider did not use any plastic bags inside. I think plastic bags would still be a good idea.

 

As for the idea of putting in a plexiglass window, I think that would be beyond my ability and beyond need.

 

After all, the places I find caches are NOT going to be found by the casual hiker. They are not on main trails and are hidden enough that only a cache placer would have put it there (therefore probably not a bomb) and only a cache finder would find it there after using a gps.

 

Anyway, ammo boxes looking better to me.

[Guest Anton]

Greetings,

 

I'm going to switch from ammo boxes to antique steamer trunks. I need more room for those really large prizes my fellow cachers want to put it my caches. Yeah, that's it.

 

Anton

 

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Anton Ninno - N2RUD

Syracuse, NY 13210

 

[This message has been edited by Anton (edited 30 April 2001).]

[Guest easom1]

I like the Coleman and Igloo water jugs, the ones with the screw on lids. They are insulated and are very water tight as well as durable. I typically find these at garage sales for less than a buck. I have used canning jars with the rubber seal and the metal lock mechanism. Those are pretty small but the water jugs are just right. easom

[Guest haw]

I would use a ammo box or a waterproof airtight container...

greatings and good luck

[Guest Dan Bollinger]

bjects. The shape would allow hiding flat, upright on and its edge. Color would be flat black or in camo.

[Guest Dan Bollinger]

Check out the Otter Cases at:http://www.cases4less.com/index.html

[Guest david chow]

My first geocache will be in a

nalgene bottle. they are indestructable and are moisture tight. I will even through in a silicate packet to keep the inside dry. they are about $8 at REI

 

dchow

[Guest Dan Bollinger]

The Igloo cooler made to hold a six-pack look good for our use. They have a tight locking lid. Spray the outside camo or ultra-flat black. Really cheap at a yard sale, or try a discount store.

[Guest logscaler]

Try the cookie tins at COSTCO. Might as well have some goodies before refilling with prize's.

[Guest jazzman141]

Anyone thought about putting a small combination lock onto a small toolbox? I was thinking it might be an idea for my first cache. It's going to be a suburban cache on an allotment I own. I could post the combination with the coordinates - It'd sure keep out casual thieves, and would easily be tough enough.

[Guest JIntorcio]

I think a lock would just invite vandalism. If you do decide to do it, I?d at least post something like the ?stashnote? on the outside of the box so folks will know what it is. Otherwise, accidental finders (and maybe the bomb squad) are going to have motivation to break it open!

[Guest bob_renner]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jazzman141:

Anyone thought about putting a small combination lock onto a small toolbox...

---

It's been done before, but it was too visible and therefore vandalized.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=149

 

Bob

[Guest Silver]

We have a cache near here that used a small toolbox with a lock. You can read about some of the problems here.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=1194

 

Silver

[Guest DrunkenBard]

I'm half considering paying up a couple months extra rent on my apartment when I get tired of it, leaving the door unlocked, and posting coordinates.

I have no intention of moving about half the stuff in there, and I think that would qualify as a very unusual cache container

 

 

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DrunkenBard

http://www.drunkenbard.com

[Guest martinp13]

Woohoo DrunkenBard.... a cache near Fort Worth that even *I* could probly find!

[Guest martinp13]

Woohoo DrunkenBard.... a cache near Fort Worth that even *I* could probly find!

[Guest Peter Scholtz]

Being from outside of the USA, the constant reminder of ammo cases as ideal geocache containers, seems a bit weird! Do americans use a lot of ammo?!

 

Tupperware is the way to go in South Africa ...

 

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Peter Scholtz

www.biometrics.co.za

[Guest bob_renner]

The ammo cases are generally military surplus, not from private use.

[Guest jeremy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Peter Scholtz:

Do americans use a lot of ammo?!

---

 

You can buy them pretty cheap at any military surplus store in the US. Since they were designed to keep ammo dry, they are pretty water resistant and some even have rubber seals inside. They're also an olive drab which works well as camoflage in many different outdoor environments.

 

Just bought 4 of the smaller ones today, and the surplus shop had a pallet of them in the back. I'm sure they got them dirt cheap.

 

Jeremy

[Guest nkeys]

I think I'll go into selling tupperware/rubbermaid. and army surplus. As well as geocacheing.. earn an income,and big bonuses from replacing all the tuppeware you guys are lifing from your kithchens. LOL! Do your parents/partners know you're heisting their best storage containers? Or are you just teling them they are still lost in the glacier inside your freezer, with last Thanksgiving leftovers in it!

LOL!

 

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Carmen Sandiego is at:

utm: e:2450000

N:62550000

[Guest chipper]

The other day my wife bought a set of 2 tupperware-style containers from the Dollar Store. After I had already written "Geocache" on the container, she told me it was for my lunches. Ooops! Then she said, "you think everything is for geocaching." Anyway, check out the dollar store they have tons of containers for a dollar.

[Guest genegarris]

This weekend I put out three caches. One I used an ammo can and in the other two I used silver one-gallon paint cans as reccommended in another post here.

 

I did tie some big washers onto the paint can handles so that you could open the can without difficulty. I am a bit concerned about the force necessary to properly close the can. Walking my palms around the lid it did take a couple of tries to get the can completely sealed. I hope that this fact doesn't discourage anyone from making sure the can is sealed. I, as is customary, put everything in slide-zip-lock bags and also left a few empties for new cache items.

 

I hope this works out but I might have to start a local geocaching "co-op" to purchase ammo cans in bulk.

 

I have caches in Georgia and South Carolina and when I first read about geocaching back in November 2000 I had no idea how much fun this would be.

[Guest cliffy]

What I found to work well is 4" diameter PVC pipe with an end cap and threaded fitting on the other end. It does look somewhat "Pipe-bombish" but has a big "Geocache" label painted on it. The nice thing about it is the rubber seal included on the threaded cap.....Keeps the moisture out really well.

 

[This message has been edited by cliffy (edited 25 November 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by cliffy (edited 25 November 2001).]

[Guest cliffy]

What I found to work well is 4" diameter PVC pipe with an end cap and threaded fitting on the other end. It does look somewhat "Pipe-bombish" but has a big "Geocache" label painted on it. The nice thing about it is the rubber seal included on the threaded cap.....Keeps the moisture out really well.

 

[This message has been edited by cliffy (edited 25 November 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by cliffy (edited 25 November 2001).]

[Guest cliffy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by GeoMonkeys:

Do your parents/partners know you're heisting their best storage containers? Or are you just teling them they are still lost in the glacier inside your freezer, with last Thanksgiving leftovers in it!

LOL!

---

 

LMAO GeoMonkeys!!!!! Actually my girlfriend caught me today. I needed a small tupperware for a "Hitch-Hiker" in my cache...I secretly airbrushed it a camo color and was almost out the door to place the cache......She looked in my backpack and found it (Doh!!)......Looks like I'll be pitching a tent tonight at the cache-site Gonna be cold....lol

 

www.geocaching.com/cache/images/2521_200.jpg

 

[This message has been edited by cliffy (edited 20 May 2001).]

[Guest cliffy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by GeoMonkeys:

Do your parents/partners know you're heisting their best storage containers? Or are you just teling them they are still lost in the glacier inside your freezer, with last Thanksgiving leftovers in it!

LOL!

---

 

LMAO GeoMonkeys!!!!! Actually my girlfriend caught me today. I needed a small tupperware for a "Hitch-Hiker" in my cache...I secretly airbrushed it a camo color and was almost out the door to place the cache......She looked in my backpack and found it (Doh!!)......Looks like I'll be pitching a tent tonight at the cache-site Gonna be cold....lol

 

www.geocaching.com/cache/images/2521_200.jpg

 

[This message has been edited by cliffy (edited 20 May 2001).]

[Guest Markwell]

Someone a while ago in a thread talked about a fake tree stump cache, using an old coffee can, "Great Stuff" spray insulation and flat spray paint. He said they almost looked TOO realistic, and needed to warn cache hunters that they were in a fake tree stump.

 

I just planted my first "tranditional" cache yesterday, and used a 9 qt "shoe box" container from K-mart ($1.50 US). Only problem was that it was bright blue and transparent - so it would stick out in the forest floor. Another cheap-o solution: 89¢ can of brown spray paint. Covered the whole thing and stuffed it under the rim of a hollowed out fallen tree. Gonna be REALLY hard to see from the trail, and seems pretty protected and weatherproof.

[Guest irishcb]

We have done several caches.

2 were used ammo cans we painted.

1 3/4 gallon margarita bucket.

2 new gallon paint cans, these are only about $2.50 each and totally water tight.

We use a large washer on a string to open it.

[Guest bunkerdave]

I have only actually placed two. One was an ammo can, the other was a 32 oz. drink bottle with the foam insulator on the outside. Not very durable, but the cache is close enough I check it a couple times a week. I love the ammo cans, but the crook who runs the local surplus store charges 10 bucks a pop for them. I bought two of them, but will be using coolers and tupperware until I find a more realistic price.

[Guest gstrong1]

bunkerdave---go to www.CheaperThanDirt.com. 50 cal. ammo cans,$4 each.Shipping is very reasonable.---Gimpy

 

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Gary "Gimpy" Strong

Rochester,NY

 

[This message has been edited by gstrong1 (edited 22 May 2001).]

[Guest Huaso]

dwards. Seems like ammo cans were only around $5.00 or so. They get them by the pallet load.

 

I also found a discarded paint ball canister which will get its turn when I start placing these things.

 

Huaso

[Guest KBoyKool]

quote:

---

Originally posted by genegarris:

 

I did tie some big washers onto the paint can handles so that you could open the can without difficulty. I am a bit concerned about the force necessary to properly close the can. Walking my palms around the lid it did take a couple of tries to get the can completely sealed. I hope that this fact doesn't discourage anyone from making sure the can is sealed.

---

 

Having painted with my dad for several summers, the easiest way to close a paint can lid is to step on it. Do this twice at right angles and you should be set. I had no problem "closing" gallon paint pails, even gummed up with spilled paint about the lip, and I was a mere 120 lbs. back then. Good luck!

[Guest glcanon]

From a safety factor, I only feel safe opening a cache if it's tranparent. The best container I've found is a clear acrylic jar with a rubber or silcon gasket and a flip tightening mechanism. They can be purchased inexpensively where they sell such kitchen canisters. It should hold several quarts, and would take several hundred or perhaps thousand pounds to crush it. Best of all, its completey see-thru!transparent.

[Guest seward]

I live in NYC and have used a number of sizes of rubbermaid, I like it better than tupperware, seems to seal better. MY smallest cache, the Midtown Micro Cache, is an old Altoid candy tin. real small, but sturdy, and can be wrapped in a plastic bag and then covered in rubberbands.

[Guest chriss]

I just placed a cache in a large plastic jar. The jar originally held biscotti, purchased at Sam's club. A tasty snack with a free cache container! I believe it is relatively waterproof, as I put about 10+lbs of lead in one, and put it in my kids' wading pool in the backyard for a couple of hours. It did seep some, but only about 1/2 inch of water, so I doubt that any rain will get in. (I hope.)

I'll post again soon, as we had 1+ inch rain last night. I'll go check the cache and see if it stayed dry.

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chriss

~~~~~~

Get a shot off _fast._ This upsets him long enough to let you make your second shot perfect.

-Lazarus Long

 

[This message has been edited by chriss (edited 14 June 2001).]

[Guest c_oflynn]

http://blackghostknife.webjump.com/cache.jpg

Just made it yesterday! It cost me $0.00 I made it by:

1. Getting some PVC piping I had

2. Cutting two Kraft peanut butter jars in half, and riviting them on the ends

3. Riviting some flexable tubing on as handle

4. Tried to drill big hole in center for window, failed and rivited metal plate over to cover up my falure

5. drilled a few smaller holes in tube

6. Rivited plastic stuff over holes, to form a window (a total of 32 rivits)

7. Use a bunch of silicon selent to seal it

8. Paint it all green

9. Now apply black spraypaint to form Camo.

 

Took a few hours, but loads of fun This will be my first cache (i haven't even gotten my GPS yet!).

 

-Colin

 

[This message has been edited by c_oflynn (edited 17 June 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by c_oflynn (edited 17 June 2001).]

[Guest c_oflynn]

http://blackghostknife.webjump.com/cache.jpg

Just made it yesterday! It cost me $0.00 I made it by:

1. Getting some PVC piping I had

2. Cutting two Kraft peanut butter jars in half, and riviting them on the ends

3. Riviting some flexable tubing on as handle

4. Tried to drill big hole in center for window, failed and rivited metal plate over to cover up my falure

5. drilled a few smaller holes in tube

6. Rivited plastic stuff over holes, to form a window (a total of 32 rivits)

7. Use a bunch of silicon selent to seal it

8. Paint it all green

9. Now apply black spraypaint to form Camo.

 

Took a few hours, but loads of fun This will be my first cache (i haven't even gotten my GPS yet!).

 

-Colin

 

[This message has been edited by c_oflynn (edited 17 June 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by c_oflynn (edited 17 June 2001).]

[Guest Omicron]

Believe it or not, Martha Stewart actually has something useful. There are these containers that she makes, that are clear plastic with a white plastic airtight lid. You just push the lid on, and it seals. You have to squeeze two little tabs on the top of them to get the lid off, otherwise it is sealed very well. I think they cost about as much as an ammo can, depending on the size. Homz (another product available at K-Mart) makes a cheap container with a screw top lid. I find them perfect for caches, and much more watertight than tupperware.

[Guest xanthari]

I have used ammo cans for everything...as long as they are painted they wont rust...as long as the gasket stays lubricated once every 5 years it wont leak...you can find them cheap at

 

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com

 

I get ALOT of stuff there...good place for GPS accessories too.

 

X

[Guest Lasivian]

http://store.yahoo.com/buybidwin/aer5piecstai.html

 

Stainless canisters, looks pretty nice, but a bit pricy

 

I need ideas for a cache container that will last 100+ years, (don't ask why, heh)

 

in a desert climate that is.. not much snow chance, but rust can be possible, and flash floods will bring lots of water so airtight is required

 

[This message has been edited by Lasivian (edited 14 July 2001).]

[Guest summitcacher]

g to cart the unopened ammo box off to the sheriff for disposal. If you're going to use a non-transparent container, you need to put a description on the outside that tells accidental finders what it is and that it's safe to open. The words "Mad Jack" on the outside of the ammo box weren't too reassuring to the hikers that found it From now on it's transparent rubbermaid containers for my caches.