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Cache Cans


Spoo

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 by briansnat
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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.

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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.

 

<_<

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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".

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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.

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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! <_<

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