Altoids tins: good or bad?

[+Florafloraflora]

I am (finally!) planning to place my first cache, a multicache. I was thinking of leaving the first set of coordinates in an Altoids tin, but then I realized that as a food container it might attract animals. Anybody with Altoids tin experience care to comment?

[+David]

I think if you wash it out good, it wouldn't attract animals. Most animals I know can't read.

[+wimseyguy]

Altoids tin with crumbs and mints left inside-BAD!

Altiods tin rinsed out, cleverly hidden maybe with a magnetic attachment and even a new paint job-priceless.

 

These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes;

Nothing remains quite the same.

Through all of the islands and all of the highlands,

If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane

[+Team Shibby]

Its hardly weatherproof, so make sure it is sheltered from the elements and place the logbook in a suitable sized ziplock bag. Signing a wet log sheet is no fun

 

Kar

[+Florafloraflora]

Thanks. I've never found an Altoids cache myself so I don't know how they hold up. Re: weatherproofing, since it will be the first leg of a multicache I won't have a log sheet. I was planning on just a laminated card with the coordinates on it.

 

Now that I think of it, animals probably don't have much of a taste for mints. Or do they? Because the minty aroma - curiously strong and all that - could be pretty hard to get out of the tin.

[+David]

quote:

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Originally posted by Sugar Kane:

Because the minty aroma - curiously strong and all that - could be pretty hard to get out of the tin.

---

 

If you rinse it out with something like clorox then water, it won't smell minty. You do need to put whatever goes inside into a ziplock to weatherproof.

[+Grandpa Rocks & Grouchy Gramma]

Check Curiously Strong out.

 

I've gone to look for myself, if I should return before I get back, please keep me here.

[+Web-ling]

I have both placed and found caches in well-cleaned Altoids tins, and have had no problems with animals. However, they are NOT weather-proof, so make sure the clue inside is laminated well, or else just write the coords on the inside of the tin itself.

 

[Team Kender]

my one and only hidden cache so far is an Altoids tin. I sprayed it with enamle paint for camo and then a clear coat enamle to seal it even better from rust. There's not much of a way to waterproof them though so follow the others advice about laminating or a zip lock.

 

Team Kender - "The Sun is coming up!" "No, the horizon is going down."

[BassoonPilot]

As others have stated, they leak and rust pretty quickly. Ziplok bags definitely required, even in sheltered locations ... condensation forms in them.

[+MissJenn]

quote:

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Originally posted by Web-ling:

or else just write the coords on the inside of the tin itself.

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If your location can handle rocks, just paint data on one side of a flat-ish rock ... they're quite weather proof.

-- I recognize fun when I see it.

[+jollybgood]

I've had extremely good luck with altoids tins (especially the newer round ones).

 

I spray the inside with a coating of WD40. Keeps the critters away and helps water proof the tin.

 

I just checked a tin I put out last winter and it's dry as a bone inside.

 

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://kenzerco.com

"Never declare war on a man who buys his ink by the gallon."

[+georgeandmary]

As micro containers go, I prefer tins to film cannisters. Especially for urban micros where you can attach a magnet to the container and stick them someplace creative.

 

Out in the woods, I've found them and they're ok, but I think decon containers work better.

 

george

 

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