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What Makes The Best Micro Cache Containers


TimSkells

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Kodak is first on my list.

 

But an aol tin is great for caches that need to be thin. A larger micro can be placed in a variety of containers. I just located a beef jerky container which is totally water proof. It's made by Chipper Beef Jerky and holds 2 ounces of beef jerky but maybe it holds about 6 ounces of liquid. A nice size, even a small TB would fit in it.

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It all depends on the location of the cache. I have one hidden made out of an altoids breath strips container. Most of the cachers here have said it's one of the smallest they have seen.

Yes, these work great, and can be painted to match the background. I have one in plain view attached to a tree in a large grocery store's parking lot. It has been sitting right there in plain view for 3 weeks, seen by geocachers, but unseen by others. These items also work well:

 

-- empty spice containers

-- empty vitamin bottles

-- round breath mint containers

-- Advantix film containers (slightly flatter shape)

 

I also have seen automatic lawn sprinkler heads used as micro caches, again

right out in the open.

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I have one in plain view attached to a tree in a large grocery store's parking lot. It has been sitting right there in plain view for 3 weeks, seen by geocachers, but unseen by others.

How did you manage to get permision for that cache. or didnt you?

 

Tell the truth I dont care if you didnt get permision. alot of the time geocachers dont get permision for caches.

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Random thoughts:

 

Altoids tins with an earth magnet tend to stay attached to benches, light poles, mailboxes, etc. And attached like that they have an air of "This is deliberate".

 

Film canisters are hard to attach to things and poking a hold in them to secure string or fishing line makes them no longer waterproof unfortunately. They also look remarkably like litter unless you do things like put the geocaching.com stickers on them. Normal writing on them is easy to overlook, unfortunately.

 

After seeing a tupperware container chewed through by an animal, I'm leading towards metal over plastic but that really depends on where it's placed.

 

Magnetic keyholders are a nice solid pre-built solution.

 

I've seen some Tinker Toy keychains that might be nice to use as hanging caches.

 

Bison tubes are popular.

 

soda preforms look interesting.

 

Nitroglycerine pill containers are evil.

 

Whoever made this mini ammo box is a genius.

 

Think about what the logbook is going to be.

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I also have seen automatic lawn sprinkler heads used as micro caches, again

right out in the open.

The first time I came across one of these I actually kicked it, it laid over a little so I pushed it back in where it "belonged". Then I went home and emailed to owner for some help. I really laughed when I found it.

 

That's one of the best ideas ever. It's lasted in this public garden for a couple of years now.

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Film canisters regularly leak. Altoids tins sometimes leak. I recently put out a match container and it is reported as soaked (although I'm not sure that finders are closing it properly).

 

The first rule of container choice in a temperate climate is that it must be waterproof. Test before placing. Secure screw tops work better in my experience than things with lids.

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I just picked up some "coin holders" on the clearance rack at my local scout office. It is about 1.25" diameter and about 4.5" tall. It has a threaded top with a rubber gasket and is supposed to be for carrying your money etc when you go swimming. For less than a buck each, I could pass them up.

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Full size ammo boxes. Just kidding, sort of. Living in Nashville, I'm a little over micros.

 

That being said, I use 35mm film canisters. I believe that the ones where the top snaps into the container keeps out mother nature better than the ones that just fit over the container like a tupperware bowl. Also, I've found that the Advantix containers leak often.

 

I'd love to get my hands on some soda preforms, but I haven't been able to find any.

Edited by sbell111
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I think the best thing I can think of is a camera film holder. (one of those black tubes with grey caps). I have also heard of altoids tins but I think the film tubes would be better.

 

I've found that the newer 35mm film canisters don't seal as well as older ones. I don't know when the changeover occurred, but I have some that are a few years old that seal quite well and newer ones that don't seal very well at all (all are Kodak). So leaking could be an issue with film canisters.

 

Altoids tins and AOL tins are OK, but they are not waterproof, so you have to take care where you hide them. If they are exposed to the elements your contents will get soaked.

 

The best micro containers I've found (both were mentioned previously) are Bison Cylinders and waterproof match containers. The Bison cylinder works for a log only micro where the finder supplies their own pen. They are totally waterproof (I used one for an underwater cache and it stayed dry for weeks). The match containers have room for a stub of a pencil and maybe even some real small trade items and they have a rubber gasket to keep things dry.

 

Also, decon boxes (though they tread the ground between a micro and full sized cache) are pretty good small containers.

 

Another container that I've used with some success is a clear plastic coin holder (half dollar size) with a screw on top (sold in coin stores and craft shops). They are under a buck, but they aren't totally waterproof if the top isn't screwed on properly.

Edited by briansnat
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...The best micro containers I've found (both were mentioned previously) are Bison Cylinders and waterproof match containers. ... The match containers have room for a stub of a pencil and maybe even some real small trade items and they have a rubber gasket to keep things dry. ...

I've noticed two problems with match cotainers.

 

First, people often don't seal them fully; causing the log to get wet.

 

Second, after they've been out in the elements for a while, they can get rusty. I've seen a few that became very difficult to open. One, I had to disassemble to get it open. I think i took me about twenty minutes to take it apart, sign the log, clean up the container as best as possible, and put it back together.

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i went to my local ammo store today just looking to see what they had to be used as a micro.after looking around on my own a bit i found these very small containers that are clear plastic very hard tho with a white snap on lid the lid fits real tight.they were about 50 cents each so i took the box of them up to the countwer and started my search for the best of the bunch.there were only a few there so i just got the ones that looked and worker the best when the guy at the counter said i got some more of those in the back if you need anymore so i said sure bring them out here.he came back but he had none of them but he said i found these back there..he has some clear tubes thiner than the smaller ones but bigger in size so i took some of those as well for the same price.if you have seen the military style green match holders these tubes are the same size outside as those but maybe 1/2 inch taller and will hold alot more inside due to the thin walls.both of these would be great if you needed tubes for a multi of even for your basic micro.i will take pics of anyone would like to see them.or if someone wants some i can mail you some next time i go to bedford.i love the ideas i get from these posts.lol

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3.99? Ouch! Is that normal? Our local army surplus store sells them for 99 cents. I'm going to have to stock up!

 

Yeah, Ranger Surplus raised the price on the decon boxes. I was getting them there for $1.29, then they really jacked the price up. Cheaperthandirt.com has them for about $2 a box. Not great but better than Ranger Surplus.

 

BTW, people talk about the gasket in the lids. I've purchased a total of 50 decon boxes at different times, from different dealers and not one had a gasket.

 

What about the mini M&M tubes? Brightly colored, I know, but are they waterproof.

 

No, they are not waterproof.

Edited by briansnat
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What about the mini M&M tubes? Brightly colored, I know, but are they waterproof. May put some out for some young friends.

The mini M&M containers are also water proof because I did my own experimenting. I put it in a sink filled with water and it just floated for hours. Never leaked. But I do worry that the plastic hinge will become brittle in the cold weather or just give out after it has been open and closed a lot.

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Snuff cans. I don't dip snuff, but I know folks who do, and they save cans for me. They work out great. Also, Sucrets boxes and Pepcid AC bottles. Little girls' vinyl change purses that you can buy at the dollar store. Pencil lead containers are wonderful. . .and TINY. They are log-only containers, and even then it's hell getting even the tiniest log in there, but you can, if you really work at it. Pencil lead containers are great for shoving up into things and leaving just a bit protruding. . .plus they tend to be smoke colored or clear. . .not conspicuous.

 

Dollar stores are now selling fake plastic rock-looking things that go in the garden. Some of them have birds or gnomes or toads or whatever sitting on top of them. If you can find a way to pry off the creature and color in that spot, you can use the bottom of this plastic rock as a redirector for a multi-cache, and it's a lot cheaper than the fake rock key safes that folks buy. The fake rock may even be hollow, in which case you are really in luck. Get yourself an exacto knife and make yourself a micro.

 

Aquarium shops are another place to go hunting for micro containers and/or multi redirectors. Things that can sit on the bottom of an aquarium we know are immune to getting wet. You can probably write on them in permanent marker and sit them out in the weather with no problems at all. Fake stones, fake hollow logs, fake plants, plastic tubing of all sizes that could probably be utilized in some clever fashion. . .all great for hydrocaches, too.

 

Another thought: rain gauges and outdoor thermometers. They give them away free in some rural areas. If you can find a way to plant one so that it looks like it belongs there, you may also be able to turn it into a micro, depending on the construction of the thing.

 

Another favorite micro container: I purchase jeweler's size ziploc bags. You can get bazillions of them for dead cheap. Check out eBay for this. Camo tape them. Doesn't take much tape, that's for sure, and the tape makes the bag VERY sturdy. They will handily hold a little log and they don't let in any water. For a slightly larger cache, you can buy clear plastic, zippered pencil cases for about fifty cents and camo tape them. They are squishable and foldable and will go into all sorts of spaces.

 

A lot of folks have made an issue of water-tightness. That's not an issue, or it shouldn't be if you go out and buy a $1.00 roll of plumber's tape. It's made of silicone, is white and stretchy. You can wrap it around the mouth of whatever it is you need to close. When you put the lid on, the lid seals. The lid will still open (with some difficulty), but no water will get in. That's what the stuff is made for. Well, it's made for keeping water in. . .not out. But fortunately, it also works in reverse. :rolleyes:

 

Also, camo-taping small items right up to the lip of the container (Altoids tins and AOL cans especially) will help make them more watertight. It will also make them hell to open, but hey, you can't win them all! If nothing else works to make the micro water-tight, don't sweat it. Get a ziploc bag sized to suit your cache (and there IS one out there sized to suit your cache, or it can be folded to work, most likely), stick in your log and the contents of your cache, and put it inside. Instruct folks on the cache site to seal the bag properly when they visit the cache and to alert you should the bag start falling apart. Problem solved.

 

A GREAT micro container: Rubber dog poop with the lid of a film container or some such affixed to the bottom. Then you dig a little canister-sized hole in the ground for the container such that the poop will sit flush with the ground when you stick the lid on the container. It may push the envelope a bit about buried caches, but then, so does that sprinkler head bit. . .and we have one of those here in town, too. This concept will also work with fake vomit, fake bird poop, fake litter (beware fake litter, though. . .might get picked up).

 

Pieces of garden hose stoppered on both ends with corks. Everyone has a garden hose around somewhere that has bitten the dust, don't they? Get out the tin snips and start cutting three-inch lengths out of that thing. Go down to the hardware store and find the right size cork, and PRESTO! Container. This will work for small pieces of PVC pipe, too. Admittedly, that's harder to cut, but if you know of a hardware store willing to give you scraps, you are in business.

 

Republic of Tea travelers' tins. Tea drinkers know what I'm talking about.

 

Well, I hope this gives you a few ideas. . .or leads you to a few more that I haven't considered.

 

MJ

Edited by stellalunag
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What about the mini M&M tubes?  Brightly colored, I know, but are they waterproof.  May put some out for some young friends.

The mini M&M containers are also water proof because I did my own experimenting. I put it in a sink filled with water and it just floated for hours. Never leaked. But I do worry that the plastic hinge will become brittle in the cold weather or just give out after it has been open and closed a lot.

Setting a container in a sink full of water does not simulate a cache in the field (or stump, or tree etc.). Normal atmospheric pressure changes will cause the container to pop open.

 

To test the container set it out on a hot sunny day (high temp, high pressure), then look at it on a a cold rainy night (low pressure, low temp). I bet the M&M container is open.

 

A positive locking device, is the only way to assure the container stays closed.

Edited by martmann
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A positive locking device, is the only way to assure the container stays closed.

This is why i think medicine bottels would be the best.

 

Not those pill a day things that you buy im talking about the orange ones that come for free when you get pills.

 

Know what im talking about?

 

Well those would be perfect

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the orange ones that come for free when you get pills.

 

Know what im talking about?

 

Sure, those are the child-proof containers: Impossible to get into without the help of a child. Expanded use of this type of container is bound to encourage more family caching!

 

I recently went to Olympia WA for a cache-machine event and found many decon canisters. It took me awhile to learn to keep the strap out of the way so the lid will snap back on. :rolleyes:

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Snuff cans. I don't dip snuff, but I know folks who do, and they save cans for me. They work out great. Also, Sucrets boxes and Pepcid AC bottles. Little girls' vinyl change purses that you can buy at the dollar store. Pencil lead containers are wonderful. . .and TINY. They are log-only containers, and even then it's hell getting even the tiniest log in there, but you can, if you really work at it. Pencil lead containers are great for shoving up into things and leaving just a bit protruding. . .plus they tend to be smoke colored or clear. . .not conspicuous.

 

Must not rain or snow much by you.

 

A lot of folks have made an issue of water-tightness. That's not an issue, or it shouldn't be if you go out and buy a $1.00 roll of plumber's tape. It's made of silicone, is white and stretchy. You can wrap it around the mouth of whatever it is you need to close. When you put the lid on, the lid seals. The lid will still open (with some difficulty), but no water will get in. That's what the stuff is made for. Well, it's made for keeping water in. . .not out. But fortunately, it also works in reverser

 

I find that this works for the first find or two. After that, the seal is compromised. This is one of deals where it works great in your sink, or tub, but not in the wild.

Edited by briansnat
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You'd be right about the rain and the snow. . .South Central Texas. . .San Antonio, to be exact. I haven't seen accumulations of snow here in over 15 years. Ice for a day or two every now and then. . .flash floods pretty regularly (emphasis on the flash), but that's about it. We don't have to deal with water that lingers. So let my advice about micros apply to those of us in the drier climes.

 

MJ

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What about the mini M&M tubes?  Brightly colored, I know, but are they waterproof.  May put some out for some young friends.

Used food containers, even thoroughly cleaned are generally not advised, as they may spark animal intrest.

 

I wonder if animals like snuff. :tongue:

Edited by hoovman
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I am in San Diego at the moment attending a conference and, of course doing GCing on the side. The caches in the city are, natually, mainly micro containers. And -- unfortunately -- mainly Altoid containers which are uniformly damp inside. Fie on these! Plastic bags around and in the containers do not help. People really need to come up better micros.

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:tongue: When one thinks of micro conatiners we think of the obvious, Pill Bottles, Altoid Cans, 35M Film Canister, Fake Rocks, etc. In my past experience I have seen other more unconventional items used.

 

* Electical Outlet Boxes with a pull off cover plate. (around $4.00 to make)

* Popup Sprinklers (around $1-$2)

* Haven't seen this but a dental FLOSS container.

* Glue (paste) Sticks where you rolled out the log.

* Metal or Platic Fence Post Caps with a Film Canister Glued to them.

* Salt and Pepper Shakers.

* Waterproof Match Container (around $1.00)

 

Along with the containers comes the question of logbooks. Ths biggest issue I have encountered is soggy log books so here is a tip. Whatever the container is, always make sure that the log books are made from waterproof Paper. I get mine at a local art supply store for around .08 cents a sheet and I use a laser printer to create approx 4 -5 log logbooks per sheet. Inkjet printers will not work. With a laser printer the toner is actually burned onto the paper. Ink jet printers blow the ink onto the paper and it tends to run off with a little moisture. What if you do not have a laser printer? Use a photocopier. It will do the same thing.

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Mossy Bark around a film cannister,Medicine bottle or I have a good supply of Test strip bottles for blood sugar. I take bark from around a dead tree about the same size in diameter as the bottle,Make them several inches ,I have 1 about a foot long so it looks like a small broken branch,you then find the thick moss that grows on the trees the green kind,you then use clear outdoor glue and start around the bottle,after that has dried you can then use the moss to cover the small spaces and it matches the enviroment perfectly, :bad:

 

And is Enviromental Friendly. :blink:

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