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:lol: Hello everyone,

Isn't geocaching great. One minor problem that we have run into lately. It isn't fun to climb a mountain or to walk a trail for a mile or two just to find a wet yucky cache. I know that any container can get damp but using the flimsy glad throw-away containers is sooner of later going to provide a poor caching experience for your "fellow" cachers. These containers can't take the weather and take away from the fun. I realize that not everyone can afford a new ammo can or a water proof Rubbermaid box but flea markets, Goodwills are full of good used containers. Thanks and what do you think?

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Agreed. I am new to GeoCaching and due to time limitations, have not been able to get out much. So far only four caches but one of the four was a cheap throw away container that was soaked. I carry extra zip locks with me so I put the log book in one but I think it was probably already too late, the log book was soggy.I still enjoyed the hunt but the find needed some improvement. Also, I notified the hider and got no response.

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I think the objection to containers from goodwill is that they have usually contained food at some point in their history. The food smell will attract animals, who will destroy the cache. Or so the argument goes. I've never seen it but have heard the tales of chewed caches.

 

There factors other than the container that determine how well a cache holds up. Number one is location. Is the cache under a fern in the Pacific Northwest? In a small cave in New Mexico? Is the cache in a local park where it may or may not be re-hidden in the sheltered spot you found?

 

I found a rubbermaid container under a sage brush last weekend. There has been a lot of rain here (well less than an inch, but thats a lot for the desert) but the cache was fine.

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I think the objection to containers from goodwill is that they have usually contained food at some point in their history

 

one thing I have learned about tupperware/rubbermade is it multiplies in the cupboards.

 

also, it would be a funny thing to have a geocachers tupperware party. wonder what the tupperware lady would thinK?

 

LOL!

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I think the objection to containers from goodwill is that they have usually contained food at some point in their history. The food smell will attract animals, who will destroy the cache.

 

Umm.... Since people use peanut butter jars, this argument is a bit off.

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If the container used to hold food, I suggest using bleach to soak/wash the container. Bleach will certainly take out or cover the scent of most foods.
Good point. That and a couple of cycles through the dishwasher will work.

 

Nothing beats the good 'ol ammo can though.

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I've found the probelm is normally self correcting with a few "Gee the log is wet so it got all ripped up when I signed it" comments. The local cacher even figured out the writing on a wet log test was inspired by her caches. I suspect the next batch of her hides will see containers that work better. Odds are the old ones will be upgraded.

 

Everyone has a learning curve to go through. My first cache had that same issue. Fortunatly it was stolen before it got wet, teaching me another lesson. Later after a tweak that same spot hosted a cache right up until I moved and realized that I could not maintain it like I'd like to. However I'm thinking of bringing it back with some help.

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I think the objection to containers from goodwill is that they have usually contained food at some point in their history. The food smell will attract animals, who will destroy the cache.

 

Umm.... Since people use peanut butter jars, this argument is a bit off.

 

Nope. It's right on target. I was FTF at a cache in a peanut butter jar. The jar was sitting out on the trail, all chewed to hell. Most of the log book had been eaten and the inedible contents were strewn about. Looked like possum tracks in the mud.

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I've been to caches in the woods in peanut butter jars without problem.

And we have animals that would chew them all to hell.

As you may see, this matters for naught. One cacher somewhere found a cache in an ex food container that had been ravaged by the local rodent population. Therefore no cache should ever be made using a ex-food container. I'd Markwell a few threads but I'm pretty sure we will see enough testimonials right here.

 

Cookie tins are similarly verboten. They don't work in Ecuador so they shouldn't be used in Arizona.

 

On the subject of appropriate cache containers there seems to be a bit of tunnel vision which won't allow some cachers to admit that something that doesn't work in their back yard will work elsewhere. Or that because one cacher placed a cache in a cookie jar after a quick rinse and it got destroyed that anybody else can use the same container successfully.

 

The only thing universally agreed upon is that the ammo can is nearly the perfect cache container. Now if we could just make them clear.

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recently i saw a bunch of containers (the kind you get your grocery store salad in) for which the hiders said they "waterproofed [them] with duct tape". here's a little known fact: covering the facing edges where the container closes does not waterproof anything. duct tape has no magical quality that allows it to seal watertight when it contact another piece of duct tape, especially if the contact points are the OUTSIDE of the tape.

 

in order to coem close to waterproofing a thing with duct tape, you'd have to seal it in a fashion as to make it impractical at best to open and reseal it.

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recently i saw a bunch of containers (the kind you get your grocery store salad in) for which the hiders said they "waterproofed [them] with duct tape". here's a little known fact: covering the facing edges where the container closes does not waterproof anything. duct tape has no magical quality that allows it to seal watertight when it contact another piece of duct tape, especially if the contact points are the OUTSIDE of the tape.

 

in order to coem close to waterproofing a thing with duct tape, you'd have to seal it in a fashion as to make it impractical at best to open and reseal it.

Now THAT'S lame! And I thought Gladware was bad.

Edited by briansnat
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recently i saw a bunch of containers (the kind you get your grocery store salad in) for which the hiders said they "waterproofed [them] with duct tape". here's a little known fact: covering the facing edges where the container closes does not waterproof anything. duct tape has no magical quality that allows it to seal watertight when it contact another piece of duct tape, especially if the contact points are the OUTSIDE of the tape.

 

in order to coem close to waterproofing a thing with duct tape, you'd have to seal it in a fashion as to make it impractical at best to open and reseal it.

Now THAT'S lame! And I thought Gladware was bad.

 

lame is a good word!

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Sadly, our experience here along the Gulf Coast (specifically in Mobile, AL, hidden by one particular dominant hider) is that cookie tins get rusted and bent, thus leading to leakage.

 

I've addressed the subject of cache containers in my article that I will shamelessly plug here again (as I have in other threads recently):

 

Dave's Opinions on Geocache Hiding

 

-Dave R. in Biloxi

Edited by drat19
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I've found the probelm is normally self correcting with a few "Gee the log is wet so it got all ripped up when I signed it" comments. The local cacher even figured out the writing on a wet log test was inspired by her caches. I suspect the next batch of her hides will see containers that work better. Odds are the old ones will be upgraded.

 

Everyone has a learning curve to go through. My first cache had that same issue. Fortunatly it was stolen before it got wet, teaching me another lesson. Later after a tweak that same spot hosted a cache right up until I moved and realized that I could not maintain it like I'd like to. However I'm thinking of bringing it back with some help.

Doesn't seem to work here. I think the learning curve is really broad, cause the owners tend to ignore those comments.

 

If it says disposable when you buy it, then I don't think that it will last in the out of doors for years. But a lot of people seem to ignore that. A lot.

 

I like things with solid screw top lids. They seem to do well. I spend a lot of time in Wal-Mart opening and closing lids over and over, seeing how hard they are to close back up, and how good of a seal they have. I often wonder what people think when they see me. ;)

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If it says disposable when you buy it, then I don't think that it will last in the out of doors for years.  But a lot of people seem to ignore that.  A lot.

Sadly, I believe that in many cases that ignorance of the truth about disposable containers is in fact the "cheapskate factor" at work...especially among some new cachers who are just trying to get their feet wet (as well as the contents of their caches!) at low cost, with their first hides.

 

Not necessarily true about all users of these containers, but certainly a population of them. Same applies to those who bomb an area with 35mm container micros...it's a cheap way to get a bunch of caches out quickly...and a major festering problem with our great game (and let me be clear...the festering problem to which I refer is not the USE of these containers in moderation, but the BOMBING of areas with them).

 

-Dave R.

Edited by drat19
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Sadly, our experience here along the Gulf Coast (specifically in Mobile, AL, hidden by one particular dominant hider) is that cookie tins get rusted and bent, thus leading to leakage.

....

 

I have about 20 cookie-tin hides (in Arizona) with no problems.

Perhaps it's because I get them from the thrift stores, and any food smells have been overpowered by the thrift-store smell?  :o

At least they're metal and will last in the sun/heat. Plastic just can't handle the Arizona climate.

 

Anybody else see it? Selecting a cache container requires that you consider the emviroment it will be in. Even gladware can work under the right conditions.

 

drat19: You really should have that festering problem looked at I see it mentioned in thread after thread. B)

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Even gladware can work under the right conditions.

We're going to have to respectfully agree to disagree on this point. My experience is that regardless of climate conditions, the disposable ziploc/gladware containers just do not stand the test of time.

 

drat19: You really should have that festering problem looked at I see it mentioned in thread after thread. :o
True, trying to stem the "festering sore" of poorly-chosen cache hide locations and cache types and the BOMBING of many areas with these is indeed my "crusade". Yes, I know, I know, I know that "different strokes for different folks" says that some people think this situation is "OK". I don't. And I know that there are also others who agree with my "crusade", and agree that this trend is taking our game in a direction that many people don't necessarily want to see it go.

 

We're all entitled to our opinion...that's mine.

 

-Dave R.

Edited by drat19
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I chimed in earlier with a wise-acre remark, but I do have an actual opinion on this:

 

On my caches that are in remote or hard-to-reach locations, I use ammo cans, but I do have a few caches out there that are Tupperware/Rubbermaid, (even a couple of Gladware). They have held up fine, so far. I placed them with the knowledge that they are NOT going to last for an extended period of time. At the first hint that they are not doing the job, I will make a visit and replace the container. If you're diligent in maintaining your caches, *almost* any material can be used for a container.

 

That being said, I have visited several Tupperware caches that have been on the ground for 2+ years and they are still in good shape.

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Even gladware can work under the right conditions.

We're going to have to respectfully agree to disagree on this point. My experience is that regardless of climate conditions, the disposable ziploc/gladware containers just do not stand the test of time.

The right conditions: Pick a very sheltered location. Expect to make frequent visits to replace the container. So much for the test of time.

 

drat19: You really should have that festering problem looked at I see it mentioned in thread after thread. :o
True, trying to stem the "festering sore" of poorly-chosen cache hide locations and cache types and the BOMBING of many areas with these is indeed my "crusade". Yes, I know, I know, I know that "different strokes for different folks" says that some people think this situation is "OK". I don't. And I know that there are also others who agree with my "crusade", and agree that this trend is taking our game in a direction that many people don't necessarily want to see it go.

 

We're all entitled to our opinion...that's mine.

 

-Dave R.

I had just read another thread where you used the same term (festering sore) and thought it a bit odd you would use the exact same phrase in two threads. The smilie ( B) ) was intended to indicate that the comment was intended in a friendly manner. Sorry if the intent didn't come across.

 

I'm okay with your crusade, I'm okay with your opinions to. I think cache saturation can be quantified. Perhaps the 500' rule should be modified. The quality of a cache location on the other hand is very subjective, basicaly a matter of opinion. Opinions, as you point out , are allowed to vary with individuals.

 

BTW: I have a cache close to my house in one of those 1 gal cookie sized gladware containers, that used to have cookies in it. I was reluctant about using it since the location is adjacent to wet lands (read critters), and... well it was gladware. But it fit the hidey hole I had found so well! I hosed the thing out with bleach and accepted the fact that I would be replacing it before summer, that was last Febuary. So far everything is doing fine, much to my suprise. I had bought the party line and was convinced it wouldn't hold up. So much for the pundits.

 

My crusade is carte blanch statements. Micros are all bad, gladware should never be used. Anytime I see words like "always", "never", "all" the flags go up.

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I think cache saturation can be quantified. Perhaps the 500' rule should be modified.

I like the 500' rule. This past weekend I went to an arboretum where 10 caches are hidden, most within ~.10 mile of each other and it was wonderful being led around to different areas to see the different locations. There were some smaller containers, and some larger.

A multi cache would have required us to visit each spot, but this gave us the option to visit all or some of them. In the right context, bombing a location can be good. That takes us back to quality.

 

Of course, living in Michigan, I always prefer ammo cans because of snow and the frost cycle and I have yet to find an ammo can that is wet inside. I've run into a lot of Tupperware containers that have been downright wet inside, but most of them seem to be watertight... I assume then that the moisture came from a chache seeker not closing it all the way or possibly seeking the cache in wet conditions and not keeping the inside of the container dry. You know when an ammo can is sealed. I've also seen my fair share of chewed up Tupperware containers (who would think that a cinnamon sachet was a good thing for a cache?).

 

I just make notes on the cache page if the container's in questionable condition, clean it up as best I can and leave it up to the owner to do maintenance.

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The biggest problem we have around here are paranoid land managers. The State Park system has requested caches be in clear containers as they don't want to frighten muggles - and now some county forest preserves are jumping on that bandwagon.

 

I had a great cache in an ammo box (Cachiversary 1: Forget-Me-Nots) that had no problems with muggles or animals. IDNR guidelines made me change the container to a rubbermaid, and I've had to replace it 3 times (once 'cause some idiot put mint toothpicks in the cache :huh:).

 

I now have a converation going on with a local Forest Preserve District that is requiring the transparent container as to whether my Planet of the Apes Cache Mission 12: Blind Canal can stay in its original huge ammo box.

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plastic jars out of sunlight seem like good compromise vs. tupperware-type contains. plastic lip-seal containers seem to be left open more than one would like. found this example quickly at froogle.com searching for plastic jar:

 

http://store.yahoo.com/cranberrylane/plasticjars.html

 

less than 2 bucks for 16 oz. jar seems cheap to me. i'd check some local makeup and beauty supply places to save shipping costs

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Well here in Denton Tx Im conducting an experiment with a micro. The idea is I have left a metal tag with a number instead of a log book. E me the # get the find. No more soggy log books and besides people write on the site what they write in the logs. I think it will cut down the number (I think) of cachers that claim finds they didnt make,Ive found quite a few where this one guy never signed the log but claimed he did???? HMMMM? :lol:

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ell here in Denton Tx Im conducting an experiment with a micro. The idea is I have left a metal tag with a number instead of a log book. E me the # get the find.

 

Good idea, but this website no longer allows caches without logbooks. Codeword caches like you propose were popular at one time and there are still some out there that are grandfathered, but no new ones are being approved.

Edited by briansnat
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This one was approved 10 days ago.  "lets play"  76210

It must have gotten by the approver by accident. This is from the Geocaching.com guidelines. The bold was added by me:

 

Traditional Caches

 

This is the original cache type consisting of (at a bare minimum) a container and a logbook.  The cache may be filled with objects for trade. Normally you'll find a Tupperware-style container, ammo box, or bucket filled with goodies, or smaller container ("microcache") too small to contain items except for a logbook. The coordinates listed on the traditional cache page are the exact location of the cache. A container with just an object or codeword for verification may NOT be approved if the cache does not also include a logbook.

Edited by briansnat
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My 2¢ worth several folks use filmcans for micros, and they seem to last for a while. I drink coffee by the potfull and am planning on using (recycling) the "new" plastic containers that coffee comes in, they will need painted, with an appropriate color for the area they are to be placed in,(I think the bright red color with a black or blue lid might be too easy to spot) and also there is the environmental angle.

Reduce Recycle Reuse

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also, it would be a funny thing to have a geocachers tupperware party.  wonder what the tupperware lady would thinK?

 

LOL!

"Sure, it can keep your broccoli fresh, but how does it hold up to being bounced around on a tether, in a flooded ditch." :D

The idea of the Tupperware lady fielding that one ... ROFL!

 

OTOH, I'd like to see Tupperware come out with a Geocachers' line of camo pieces. :D

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