+Spoo Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 My limited experience shows that Ammo Containers make water tight, fool proof Cache containers. I have not been fond of Tupperware style containers because they are not always sealed well by the previous finder BUT they are generally smaller and easier to hide. Mayonnaise Jars are fine, but fragile. Does anyone have any other ideas on what to use? I am looking for something that is easily hide-able, durable and fool-proof to seal against the elements. Spoo Quote
+quills Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 my first cache was with an ammo box i bought at Gander Mountain. It was a plastic box with a seal on the lid. the plastic was camo colored. it's been out since last summer through rain sleet snow and freezing rain and no complaints yet. i actually did a maintenance run on it shortly after i placed it because we had alot of rain. i found it with water puddled on the lid but everything was dry inside. the container was i think either 7 or 10 bucks. Quote
+gallahad Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Mayonnaise jars? Fragile? You're not using glass jars are ya? Cigar tubes and 35mm film canisters are some of my favorites. I regularly visit those second hand shops where I sometimes find small plastic cheese jars (the type with the sealing lid with the wire "snap over" latch on top. They make great cache containers. Quote
Swagger Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Ammo cans (my fav), mortar tubes, pelican boxes, film cannisters, plastic jars (like the ones you get nuts in, in the "bulk buy" section of the grocery store), altoids tins (not water-tight but make good micros), plastic peanut butter jars and waterproof match containers are what I can think of off the top of my head. Quote
+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Mayo jars aren't that fragile and neither are peanut butter jars. The plastic ones hold up great. Quote
+bigredmed Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Fuse cans from artillery shells are my new find for small waterproof containers. Decon boxes are good if you just want a small container. For micros, I like to use spinal fluid tubes (test tubes with a screw on cap). Quote
SBPhishy Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 eewww... spinal fluid? Where do you get those? Quote
+GEO.JOE Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Plano Stowaway Waterproof Utility Boxes: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...p018586ii01.jpg Also check Ebay for waterproof box/can/etc. Check army surplus stores, I found some Light, Target, Surveying carryi;ng case in Utah. Case is 6" x 6" x 4" Happy Caching GEO.JOE Quote
+briansnat Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 (edited) I like the .30 cal ammo boxes because their thin profile makes them easy to hide and they're still large enough to hold a lot of stuff. For smaller caches, decon boxes are pretty good. For log only micros Bison cylinders are great. They are totally waterproof (I used on for an underwater cache and the log stayed dry). Nalgene Straight Jars are waterproof and make pretty good containers. The 2 and 4 oz are nice for micros and the 16 oz makes a good, smallish regular cache. Lock 'n Lock containers are pretty good as long as the tabs hold up. The Rubbermaid Seal' n Savers (with the blue rim) are pretty good too. Most caches I find in them are dry and we get a lot of rain and snow in this area. I don't care for film canisters because they leak. The newer ones that is. If you can find a supply of old ones they are excellent. Other things to avoid. Gladware (and similar containers), Folgers plastic jars, any container that previously held food. Altoids tins are popular, but are not waterproof, so shouldn't be hidden anywhere they will be exposed to the elements. I don't think any container is foolproof. Ive even had an ammo box leak and my guess is because someone closed it and the Ziploc the logbook was in got caught in the seal. I removed it and tested it and found the seal to be fine, so I can't imagine what else could have caused it to leak. In every case you are depending on the finder to close the lid properly and re hide it the way you left it and that doesn't always happen. This is why periodic maintenance is important. Edited February 16, 2004 by briansnat Quote
NESeakayaker Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 For log only micros Bison cylinders are great. They are totally waterproof (I used on for an underwater cache and the log stayed dry). Briansnat... Those Bison cylinders look great. I did a Google search on them but no joy. Any suggested sources or other names they go by? Thanks! Quote
+mrmnjewel Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Ammo cans (my fav), mortar tubes, pelican boxes, film cannisters, plastic jars (like the ones you get nuts in, in the "bulk buy" section of the grocery store), altoids tins (not water-tight but make good micros), plastic peanut butter jars and waterproof match containers are what I can think of off the top of my head. Have a question. Any good tips on waterproofing a mortar tube? We won one as a door prize at the GA Geocachers Association Meeting this weekend. It looks like it will be a good container with some work. Was thinking about just wrapping it in waterproofing tape. Any other suggestions are very welcome, though. Quote
+briansnat Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 You can get the Bison cylinders here. I think REI and Campmor also sell them. Quote
Swagger Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 For log only micros Bison cylinders are great. They are totally waterproof (I used on for an underwater cache and the log stayed dry). Briansnat... Those Bison cylinders look great. I did a Google search on them but no joy. Any suggested sources or other names they go by? Thanks! Check your local pet store. Ask them for "ID Tubes". Quote
Ferreter5 Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Pet ID tubes (at least the ones I've seen around here) are much smaller than a Bison tube and do not have a rubber gasket like the Bison tubes do. I've ordered the Bison tubes from this page at REI's website. I also just put out a cache using one of these from REI. I was actually able to cram some tiny trade items into it along with the handmade log (modified post-it-note pad) and short pencil. Quote
+Carl LaFong Posted February 17, 2004 Posted February 17, 2004 I recall reading an account elsewhere on the Forum about a non marked PVC-pipe-with-end-caps causing major uproar with the local police and bomb squad when a member of the public came across it while out for a walk. I guess they'd have to deal with it carefully anyway, once they got involved, but it seems to be a really good idea to put a PROMINENT explanation on the outside of any container of this type that would make someone think "pipe bomb". Quote
+blindleader Posted February 17, 2004 Posted February 17, 2004 The Bison Home Page. Click on [Key Accessories] for the capsules. Quote
+9Key Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Painball ViewLoader tubes are very good cache containers. I've placed them both horizontally and vertically without leakage. Academy Sports sells them 2 for $3.99! Cheap! They come in flat black which is a great camo colour. The micro lobgook fits the container without folding and a full size pen or pencil fit too. Quote
+briansnat Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Here's an idea. Get a piece of 6" PVC pipe, you determine the length...but make sure one end is threaded. Get 2 screw-on end caps for it. Using super glue, attach one cap to the non-threaded end. Then use silicon sealer (comes in a tube) to seal the edges. Next, get a rubber o-ring type gasket that will fit the other cap; screw it into place. Ta da! Waterproof tube! Wrapped in green or camo duct or rigging tape, this should be easy to hide. I priced the PVC parts needed to make such a container at Home Depot recently and was shocked at how much it would cost. It'd be close to $20, before painting and lableling! At less than $4 per ammo box, I think I'll stick with them. Quote
Major Catastrophe Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Any good tips on waterproofing a mortar tube? I've always found a sheet of aluminum foil over the top, held on with a few strips of masking tape, works perfectly. After all, it only has to last until you shoot it, and the outgoing shells have no problem getting through the foil. Uh, you were talking about mortars, weren't you? Quote
+Geo Ho Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Ammo cans are GREAT . . . tupperware or similar is good as long as it's quality material and not the cheap stull . . . any other heavy plastic container is usually good as long as it has a good seal and is durable . . . however, I don't think that glass is good in a majority of cases for obvious reasons (it breaks, DUH!) I would never use a glass container . . . I don't use Gladware because it is thin and will not hold up under harsh conditions. So, that is my opinion . . . such as it is. Happy caching and stuff! Quote
+The Commissar! Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 FWIW, in addition to being expensive, the PVC threads also tends to "stick" so you have to use a wrench to open them...I have not discovered any lasting solution to this problem. (I have lots of PVC laying about from an old hobby and figured I'd give it a try...) Quote
rameous Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 I use 1 gallon rubbermaid containers and camo them with a little paint. They seal really well and are inexpensive. A lot of cachers in this area use them and they work fairly well Quote
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