Smaug1 Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 (edited) It cost about $25 I think. Everything is new. Case: Plano tackle box in dark green and beige Logbook: small, but thick and spiral-bound, w/ pencil & pen in Hefty One-Zip freezer bag Swag: 3-in-1 magnetic game (chess, checkers, backgammon), pocket Sorry imitation game, two thin CD cases, 6' extension cord, two small C-clamps, small tire pressure gauge, heavy-duty plastic quick clamp, super glue... ...and from my wife: a small tin marked "For Girls Only" which includes: lip gloss, tiny hair clips, and an emery board. The last step is to print out the couple of sheets: one which explains what geocaching is, in case it gets muggled, and some the other sheet which I will carry as I'm planting it, in case I get caught by a cop or something. I'd like your input. Am I up for a disappointment as people slowly bring the quality of the cache down with junk? How often am I going to have to 'refresh' it to keep it good? Edit - I just realize that I'm probably going to have to wait a while to plant this cache. There is snow on the ground up here, and I'm afraid that if I plant the cache now, some muggle will follow my tracks and find it. Curses! It's going to be a long wait north of Chicago... Edited January 17, 2005 by Smaug1 Quote Link to comment
+Team Tigger International Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I guess my only question is how waterproof/durable is the tacklebox? I realize they're designed for fishing and would be water resistant, but if it were submerged for more than an hour, would it stay dry? I'm not sure if that's a issue when you've placed it, but you might want to keep it in mind for a future cache. Wulf Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 (edited) All looks good except for the tackle box. They aren't waterproof. If you use it make sure everything inside is double bagged in Ziplocs, but you're better off using it to store nuts on your workbench, or for your fishing tackle and getting a better container. You can probably get an ammo box for less than you paid for the tackle box. And yes, your cache contents will degrade in time. After about a dozen finds your nice stuff will be gone and replaced with candy wrappers, metro cards with no rides left on them, ticket stubs for your local minor league baseball team and pocket lint. If you are serious about keeping the quality of the contents up you should probably check on the cache every 10 or so visits. In all a very nice job and its also nice that you care enough to look for input. If you plant your cache just before a snowstorm you won't have to worry about footprints. That, or you can just make numerous tracks going all over the place to confuse anybody who tries to follow them. Edited January 17, 2005 by briansnat Quote Link to comment
+The Neverlanders Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Dito the container. But it sounds good otherwise. My hats off to you for wanting to keep the swag good. It is fustrating to see so many caches out there that recieve no maintenance from the owners. Quote Link to comment
+tirediron Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I too am a little doubtful of the tacklebox. I know Plano makes some pretty heavy duty ones... A good lock-n-lock will cost less and probably be more durable. Overall though.. hey, you got another 'cache out there, and that's an A+ in my books! Quote Link to comment
+jelinidas Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Sounds good! Might want to do what others said with the box. I love ammo boxes! Watch that pen and lip gloss too, it may freeze and explode. This happened to me. Contents will degrade, but checking and restocking is also fun. Alot of folks around here only sign the log book and not online. It is always a surprise! Good luck, have fun! Jeff at Jelinidas Shar pei Quote Link to comment
+DaveA Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I will weigh in and offer some really profound words of advice: I agree with what the others have said Perhaps the trickiest part in placing a cache is getting a container that will hold up to the elements. That Plano box (I have a ton of them I use for fishing) will not keep water out. There is a reason the ammo can is ubiquitous in caching, there are few easily available containers in it's price range that are as weatherproof. I have also seen some plastic containers that have a screw on lid hold up well, but not the snap on lid kind. Quote Link to comment
Smaug1 Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 Question on waterproofness of cache boxes: If the cache will be hidden such that the box will only get moisture from the top, how do the contents get wet? For instance, my tackle box should be rain-proof, right? (assuming it’s placed level) I don’t doubt your wise words or anything, I’m just wondering if you all have any insight on this. I think I’m going to head to my local gun shop and see if they have any ammo cans for cheap… Quote Link to comment
+AtoZ Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Tackle box hummmm but if in right location okay. I would get rid of the lip gloss as it may attract animal, and I don't like the idea of consumable itmes in caches. But otherwise where can I find it sounds like you got some neet items to trade. cheers Quote Link to comment
Smaug1 Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 But otherwise where can I find it sounds like you got some neet items to trade. cheers I knew you would like the lip gloss! It will be in Northern Illinois when we plant it. We haven't decided which state park to plant it in yet. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 If the cache will be hidden such that the box will only get moisture from the top, how do the contents get wet? For instance, my tackle box should be rain-proof, right? (assuming it’s placed level) You're assuming it will only get moisture from the top. If it snows or floods it may come from any direction. Even rain can splash upward. Also, you're assuming people are going to take care to place the cache exactly the way you left it. They they might not even put it back in the same spot, let alone make sure it's sitting so it will shed rain. If there is a way a geocacher can screw up, they will. I even had an ammo box leak on me because someone closed the lid on a Ziploc inside the box and compromised the seal. Ammo boxes are the best for worry free cache placement. You can get away with inferior containers if you are willing to make the trek out to the cache frequently to dry it out. I always use ammo boxes for my more remote cache placements precisely for this reason. I'll use Rubbermaid Seal 'n Savers (with blue rim on lid), Lock 'n Locks or decon boxes for caches I can get to quickly and I do find myself needing to get to them quickly because someone complained they were wet. As far as the commonly available plastic containers go, I find the Rubbermaid Seal n' Savers to be the best. I have a few caches out in them, some as long as 2 years and they've all stayed dry so far. I started expermenting with Lock 'n Locks this year and the results have been mixed. I've had a few that have taken on moisture. Real Tupperware (the stuff you get from the Tupperware Lady) is on the expensive side and seems to fail after a year or so in the wild. The vast majority of wet caches I've found were in Tupperware, or cheapl dollar store Tupperware knockoffs. Quote Link to comment
+Dave1976 Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I just started purchasing the things for my first cache and take there advice. Go to a local army surplus store and buy the ammo boxes I did they where 4.99 each. And there also right the lipgloss should go as well as the Super Glue. Replace the glue with Duct Tape. It always works Quote Link to comment
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