+Team Og Rof A Klaw Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 After finding a soggy container yesterday, I dcided that if I'm going to put my own out, I'm darn well gonna make sure it's waterproof. So I ran a 90-minute immersion test on two candidate containers: a small plastic curry-paste jar and a Rubbermaid container that's been kicking around the kitchen for a few years. Filled 'em with lead fishing weights and sank 'em in a bucket of water. (The curry-paste jar failed after 30 minutes; the Rubbermaid container passed.) Just wondering: Does anyone else here run immersion tests on cache containers? ____________________________ - Team Og Rof A Klaw All who wander are not lost. Quote Link to comment
Jomarac5 Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 I filled up the bathtub with water and submerged a couple of Starfrit Lock & Lock containers after filling them with lead fishing weights and tissue paper. The contents of both boxes stayed completely dry for a 24 hours period. Sold me on them. In our area, I've recently been noticing a lot of caches placed in Lock & Lock containers. ***** Quote Link to comment
+Turtle3863 Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Team Og Rof A Klaw: and a Rubbermaid container that's been kicking around the kitchen for a few years. ____________________________ - Team Og Rof A Klaw _All who wander are not lost._ If you use a container that has been used for food any time in the past and you place it in the woods, it will get ate by the wildlife. I once bought a new container for a geocache and had it with my other groceries for 20 minutes on the way home. A weeks latter it was chomped to death by the local wildlife. [This message was edited by Turtle3863 on June 07, 2003 at 11:01 AM.] Quote Link to comment
+Ltljon Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 I mostly use ammo boxes so when I get them I leave them outside for a few weeks/months to see if they can cut it before taking a chance. So far I've only found one with a pinhole in it. It's now just something to carry tool's while in the truck. Quote Link to comment
+Mopar Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Turtle3863:If you use a container that has been used for food any time in the past and you place it in the woods, it will get ate by the wildlife. I once bought a new container for a geocache and had it with my other groceries for 20 minutes on the way home. A weeks latter it was chomped to death by the local wildlife. While in principle I agree, with great care I do think a food storage container can be made scent free. I've had good luck so far with some. granted, it's not fast. I start by hand washing, then it goes in the dishwasher and stays. And stays. I may leave it in there for 5-10 cycles. Then, after its done, I fill it with diluted bleach and let it sit. Maybe a week. Once more thru the dishwasher. Then I let it sit closed up in the sun (when we used to have sun here in NJ) for a few days, and give it a wiff. If I dont smell anything, it gets closed back up and added to my collection of "caches to hide someday". If there still isnt any smell a few months later when I'm ready to use it, I think I'm good to go. Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon. Quote Link to comment
+Team Og Rof A Klaw Posted June 7, 2003 Author Share Posted June 7, 2003 quote:If you use a container that has been used for food any time in the past and you place it in the woods, it will get ate by the wildlife.Thanks for the heads-up. I bought a new one to use, on the theory that I didn't want worn seals. But that's good to know about. ____________________________ - Team Og Rof A Klaw All who wander are not lost. Quote Link to comment
+alexm Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 quote:Just wondering: Does anyone else here run immersion tests on cache containers? A 7.62MM ammo can filled with newspaper will last at least 2 weeks wedged in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket full of water (submersed about 3/4 - 1 foot deep). That is, of course, assuming the seals and can are in fair shape. ... Quote Link to comment
+Freelens&Mosie Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 While in principle I agree, with great care I do think a food storage container can be made scent free. I've had good luck so far with some. granted, it's not fast. I start by hand washing, then it goes in the dishwasher and stays. And stays. I may leave it in there for 5-10 cycles. Then, after its done, I fill it with diluted bleach and let it sit. Maybe a week. Once more thru the dishwasher. Then I let it sit closed up in the sun (when we used to have sun here in NJ) for a few days, and give it a wiff. If I dont smell anything, it gets closed back up and added to my collection of "caches to hide someday". If there still isnt any smell a few months later when I'm ready to use it, I think I'm good to go. + _Tae-Kwon-Leap is not a path to a door, but a road leading forever towards the horizon. _ Dude, Just buy a freakin' ammo can. Heh I know that ammo cans can stay dry being sbmerged for 1 minute 10 seconds. I ran out of breath after that and had to come up. Wisdom comes with age... but sometimes age comes alone. Quote Link to comment
martmann Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 While testing a container under water is a good first test for a cache container, it does not mean the cache will stay dry in the field. Pressure and temperature changes can pop the lid on all but the best Rubbermaid/Tupperware container. Say You close up a container on a nice day (high pressure), then one day a low pressure system comes along, bringing rain clouds, POP goes the lid. Also, consider that the seal area will get worn, and dirty with use, and some containers handle that better than others. A good seal AND a positive lock on the lid, is the best insurance against damp logs. You can't beat an ammo can, and if you've had any in your house within ear-shot, you have, no doubt, heard them 'ping' with pressure/temp changes. I keep some in the closet of a spare bedroom that gets afternoon sun. My den is right next to the closet, and I hear the ping all the time. I've found a bunch of Rubbermaid/Tupperware caches and haven't found too many damp ones, but have found some with the lids loose. _________________________________________________________ If trees could scream, would we still cut them down? Well, maybe if they screamed all the time, for no reason. Click here for my Geocaching pictures and Here (newest) Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 quote:Just wondering: Does anyone else here run immersion tests on cache containers? Yes I do. I've found that the decon boxes leak slowly, Lock N Locks do pretty good. RubberMaid (with the blue rim) are pretty watertight when new, but the seal fails after some time in the wild. Ammo boxes are watertight. Cheap Ruppermaid/Tupperware knockoff usually leak, as does Gladware. "Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois" Quote Link to comment
+GOT GPS? Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 Some of my caches have a double container, which is a Rubbermaid container inside another Rubbermaid container. This has worked very well. -------------------------------------------------- My Old posts as Geoffrey My Current Post as GOT GPS? My profile My Home Page about what is GPS Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 I always put the logbook inside a ziploc just in case, even when I use ammo boxes. Sames goes for any items that might be susceptable to water damage. For decon boxes, I make sure the log book and all the contents are in ziplocs. "Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois" Quote Link to comment
+team travel pig Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 down at the coast in south texas here where it's humid as heck - bought some ammo cans - are they going to get rusted in the sea air? they have a pretty good paint covering... ___________________________________ who's got the pig? Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 quote:down at the coast in south texas here where it's humid as heck - bought some ammo cans - are they going to get rusted in the sea air? they have a pretty good paint covering... They will eventually rust esp. if there are nicks in the paint. Some I've purchased had little spots of rust on them...usually on the inside. It will however take a very long time for one to rust through. For added protection from rust, to cover the military markings (which may alarm some people) and to make them easier to hide, I always paint my ammo boxes with Rustoleum spray paint in a camo pattern. I start with a layer of olive green (or grey primer if it will be hidden among rocks), then little random squirts of brown, and black to complete the camo pattern. "Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois" Quote Link to comment
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