PVC Pipe as cache

[mtbcacher]

I am making a multi-cache and I am thinking of using PVC pipe with a threaded end cap as the initial direction caches. Has anyone used these?

 

Thanks

[Atilla the Pun]

I would attempt to discourage you from this. Home made bombs are sometimes made from PVC pipe and I would hate to see your cache detonated by the Bomb Squad.

 

AtP

[+urbo]

not a good idea dude.

 

urbo

[+Hawk-eye]

I agree ... but also the threaded insert usually is hard to unscrew without a tool as it gets dirty or under temperature changes.

 

[Jake.Hazelip]

Agreed. If you're really hooked on the cylindrical (did I spell that correctly?) shape of this cache idea, perhaps an 80MM mortar ammo tube? Unless the whole military vibe for that container is too risky as well. It is for me, but I'm sure there are tons of morons in my area...

[+cliffy]

Personally, I DO like this type of container and have used it for all 6 of my caches, but as discussed before in other threads, there are some considerations. First off, I'd NEVER use one in an urban environment....The chances would be too high that non-geocachers would accidently discover and mistake it for something sinister. I would imagine most bomb-building twits generally wouldn't want their efforts to go unoticed by the 6 o'clock news out in the wilderness...but even then, make sure it's concealed well so that only fellow-geocachers who are expecting to find such a container actually find it.

As for the containers being hard to open, this does happen. To counter this, I found that applying petroleum jelly to the threads kept moisture out and prevented freeze ups.

 

....just my two cents. Cheers, cliffy

[+cliffy]

Personally, I DO like this type of container and have used it for all 6 of my caches, but as discussed before in other threads, there are some considerations. First off, I'd NEVER use one in an urban environment....The chances would be too high that non-geocachers would accidently discover and mistake it for something sinister. I would imagine most bomb-building twits generally wouldn't want their efforts to go unoticed by the 6 o'clock news out in the wilderness...but even then, make sure it's concealed well so that only fellow-geocachers who are expecting to find such a container actually find it.

As for the containers being hard to open, this does happen. To counter this, I found that applying petroleum jelly to the threads kept moisture out and prevented freeze ups.

 

....just my two cents. Cheers, cliffy

[OFF RODE]

My guess is an 80mm motar tube may bring even more panic...

If that is what you really want to use I'd make sure the outside is clearly labeled as a Geocache by the sticker available as well as attaching the explantion letter to the outside somehow (laminated?)

And the Threads...I'd use anti-seize compound available at most hardware stores if the climate is extreme..although vasaline would probably hold up quite awhile in most cases.

 

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." Yogi Berra

[+barondriver]

I used a PVC pipe buried in the ground..capped the bottom and made a base frame to keep it in the ground then put a cap over it..the cap comes off fairly easy so I drilled a hole in the side of the cap for a eye bolt to slide in..and marked the cap and tube so it's easy to re-install. it and the cap are on a chain so they have to dig up the whole apparatus if they decide to take it. It has worked well so far.

 

[Robereno]

I’ve played around with PVC pipe myself but experienced the problems Hawk-eye described with the threads. Tried the Anti-seize compound as well (I think anti-seize is a combination or graphite and Vaseline) but it really collected sand and dirt. I haven’t ruled out PVC pipe, it could be labeled in a non-threatening way, I just can’t get around the binding thread problem.

[+SherwoodForest]

oddly enough, all the caches placed by the Cleveland Metroparks are placed in camoflague-painted PVC tubing. so I think you'd be fine, just clearly mark it as a geocache, and don't place it anywhere that people would think that it's a bomb..

 

"You will kneel before her in her altar in the trees" - Tara MacLean, Let Her Feel The Rain

[Geo Quest]

You might want to try ABS pipe instead of PVC. The end caps on ABS don't bind up like PVC does. As for the bomb scare angle, I wouldn't worry. I know of two caches that have been found and detonated by bomb squads (from these forums). I know for sure one was tupperware and I think the other one was too. In the end it doesn't matter how you label it or what kind of container you use. A suspicious package will get the same attention no matter what it looks like.

 

[+CacheCows]

Three of our caches are in PVC pipe containers as you described. One is in a surplus mortar tube. The mortar tube is smaller, but very easy to open and the O-ring seal is great. And the mortar tube is much cheaper than building the PVC/ABS tube container.

 

Member:

[+Tedoca]

I bought one of these mortar tubes pre 09/11 but decided not to use it for all the obvious reasons. Lately I've been thinking about stripping some bark off the wood in my wood pile and gluing it onto the tube so that it looks like a log. Alternatively, you could use the expanding foam/cammo paint method detailed here.

 

Regards,

Tedoca

[+Clan Ferguson]

We did the 4" PVC tube in both of our caches. but we used the the pressure plug. This is basiclly 2 plates with a rubber gasket between them and a wing nut on a bolt to tighten. does not require tools to open. down side. if the last person to open it doesn't tighten it it will leak a little and getting it open after it's been sitting awhile involves a little persuation and or patience. (that means after loosing the wing nut you wait for the gasket to relax or you drop the tube about 6 inches on to a solid surface)

 

Just my experience.

 

James

"Big Dog"

-Clan Ferguson

[+cliffy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tedoca:

Lately I've been thinking about stripping some bark off the wood in my wood pile and gluing it onto the tube so that it looks like a log. Alternatively, you could use the expanding foam/cammo paint method

Regards,

Tedoca

---

 

The expanding foam method works great on the PVC tubes. I did one not long ago and am hoping it'll stand up to the elements

 

[+cliffy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tedoca:

Lately I've been thinking about stripping some bark off the wood in my wood pile and gluing it onto the tube so that it looks like a log. Alternatively, you could use the expanding foam/cammo paint method

Regards,

Tedoca

---

 

The expanding foam method works great on the PVC tubes. I did one not long ago and am hoping it'll stand up to the elements

 

[+Hawk-eye]

Looks great Cliffy ... let us know how the foam holds up!

 

[+Markwell]

I used 1½" diameter pipe at about 13-14" tubes with screw caps as the first three stages of Hard as Pi. But then again, all I've got in there is rolled up paper. Cammo'd and WELL hidden is the key.

 

Markwell

Non omnes vagi perditi sunt

[+MrGigabyte]

Here is one of my plastic pipe caches.

 

I used 6" diameter ABS. One end has a threaded cap for easy access. The other end of the cache has a 2" dia. chimney, 4' long, for good cache ventilation. There is a 1-1/2" dia. handle for easy cache placement. There is also and electric BBQ starter to keep the cache contents warm in the cold Canadian winters.

 

This is also the only cache I have ever seen that can fire a potato over 500m ballistically into the air.

[Jake.Hazelip]

*shaking head* Buried caches...what's wrong with some of you?

 

I can only hope that MrGigabyte is joking about a cache that looks like a gun with a trigger button...

[+Mopar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jake.Hazelip:

*shaking head* Buried caches...what's wrong with some of you?

 

I can only hope that MrGigabyte is joking about a cache that looks like a gun with a trigger button...

---

 

Yes, but did they put any food in them?

 

Illegitimus non carborundum!

[+Hawk-eye]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jake.Hazelip:

*shaking head* Buried caches...what's wrong with some of you?

 

I can only hope that MrGigabyte is joking about a cache that looks like a gun with a trigger button...

---

 

It's a potato cannon ... don't tell me you've never heard of those? Potato in barrel ... Spray hair spray or other propellent into chamber ... close end cap ... aim and hit grill igniter ... BOOM ... potato is in next county!

 

[+geospotter]

If you are only using it for directions, you might try one of these. 1.5 inch clean out plug and 1.5 inch end cap.

 

[+cliffy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by MrGigabyte:

Here is one of my plastic pipe caches.

 

---

 

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!

[+300mag]

Really funny MrGigabite

[+300mag]

Really funny MrGigabite

[+TresOkies]

I use PVC quite a bit. I use the 4 inch and 2 inch variety with sewer cap ends and threaded tops. I camo paint them and/or use the expanding foam like Cliffy showed in his pictures.

 

Around here, people aren't very concerned with terrorists, so there isn't much chance of the bomb squad being called in. I did tell friends in the neighboring police departments about them, just to be safe.

 

The downside of PVC is that they are hard to open with just your hands. I've fashioned a crude pipe wrench out of angle iron that I've camoed and placed alongside the container, after one of my finders couldn't get it open.

 

-E

 

--

N35°32.981 W98°34.631

[+MrGigabyte]

quote:

---

Originally posted by cliffy:

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by 300mag:

Really funny MrGigabite

---

For more tips on Pipe Caches, check out Chapter 5 of my new book, in this thread. Backyard ballistics are covered in chapter 6.

[+MrGigabyte]

quote:

---

Originally posted by cliffy:

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by 300mag:

Really funny MrGigabite

---

For more tips on Pipe Caches, check out Chapter 5 of my new book, in this thread. Backyard ballistics are covered in chapter 6.

[+TresOkies]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hawk-eye:

It's a potato cannon ... ... BOOM ... potato is in next county!

---

 

Oh, that's just too cool. I assume I can use my standard-issue craftsman 5 gal air compressor for similar purposes...

 

--

N35°32.981 W98°34.631

[+GeoVamp]

I made some cache pods for a multi-cache I did the other day and I made 2 out of 1.5 caps and plugs 1 from 3in pvc.

 

I would follow my GPS to the gates of hell if it pointed that way.

[+Vertigo]

Man that log cache looks really cool.

[+RAD Dad]

Just make sure that the cache container is WELL marked. If I saw a PVC pipe container in the woods around here, and it wasn't CLEARLY labled so that I could see from a distance it was a geocache, I would probably call the bomb squad. You see there is a group called Earth Liberation Front, and these nuts have been placing pipe bombs in the woods where they think people don't belong. They've blown up outhouses, they've blown up ranger stations, they've blown up campground facilities. These people are nutballs. I hope they don't find out about Geocaching, because they are radical enough to replace geocaches in places they think people shouldn't be with bombs or something, to them the human race come second to a tree or an endangered form of slug.

 

ummmm....not sure what to say here....so ummm, well errrr, uhhhh, well I guess that's it.

[Geo Quest]

Placing a bomb where you think people shouldn't be? What, do they have a spotted owl air drop it for them? Environmentalist wackos really are.

 

"There's no need to be afraid of strange noises in the night. Anything that intends you harm will stalk you silently."

[Rybren]

I can attest to Cliffy's creative genius. His log really does look like a log. And because the bas$#@d hid it amongst a bunch of real logs, it was hard to spot

 

Cacha-Cola was, again, pure creative genius! He is a true artiste!

[Rybren]

I can attest to Cliffy's creative genius. His log really does look like a log. And because the bas$#@d hid it amongst a bunch of real logs, it was hard to spot

 

Cacha-Cola was, again, pure creative genius! He is a true artiste!

[+ZingerHead]

I found a cache here in CT that used PVC pipe (Heublein Tower) - a 3 or 4 inch diameter, 1 and 1/2 foot long pipe section buried vertically, with only the clean out showing above ground. The screw-on clean out had a metal rod inserted through the square end, forming a "+", which acted as a lever for more unscrewing leverage. It looked nearly impossible to walk off with the cache without a shovel, everything inside was dry, there was tons of room for trinkets. No scary pipe bomb, and what's the big deal with burying things anyway, as long as part of it's above ground??

[+dlynch]

I have placed a couple of Caches out here in New Mexico and I used the PVC (painted). I like everyone else was concerned about the threads “locking up” so I made a handle to fit on the lid. I use a piece of ¼” all thread about 12” long and bent it and drilled 2 holes, put the ends in the holes and washer and double nutted both of them. Then a small piece of plastic glued on the inside over the square to make it watertight. Have had no complaints but have not had many seekers or finders.

 

[This message was edited by dlynch on April 05, 2002 at 03:51 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by dlynch on April 05, 2002 at 03:52 PM.]

[irvingdog]

N1KV, tree huggers think there a brigades of us cachers, shovel in hand, looking to dig up the forest floor in search of this treasure. There is the arguement to be made that dis-allowing digging within a piece of public land, and leaving something behind is a good idea. Heck,what's so creative about burying something, anyhow?

 

G

 

[This message was edited by Irvingdog on April 05, 2002 at 01:32 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by Irvingdog on April 05, 2002 at 01:34 PM.]

[irvingdog]

N1KV, tree huggers think there a brigades of us cachers, shovel in hand, looking to dig up the forest floor in search of this treasure. There is the arguement to be made that dis-allowing digging within a piece of public land, and leaving something behind is a good idea. Heck,what's so creative about burying something, anyhow?

 

G

 

[This message was edited by Irvingdog on April 05, 2002 at 01:32 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by Irvingdog on April 05, 2002 at 01:34 PM.]

[+mornin'glory]

this cache uses pvc pipe

 

cache houdini

www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID+2279

 

it is where it looks like it should be though.

[+ZingerHead]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Irvingdog:

N1KV, tree huggers think there a brigades of us cachers, shovel in hand, looking to dig up the forest floor in search of this treasure. There is the arguement to be made that dis-allowing digging within a piece of public land, and leaving something behind is a good idea. Heck,what's so creative about burying something, anyhow?

 

http://www.hunting-pictures.com/members/Irvingdog/boo2.jpg G

 

[This message was edited by Irvingdog on April 05, 2002 at 01:32 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by Irvingdog on April 05, 2002 at 01:34 PM.]

---

 

I completely agree with you - a cache must be visible - this sport would quickly earn a deservedly bad rep if there were folks entering the woods intent on digging up buried treasure. But this one instance of burial was, in my opinion, very clever and done in an "environmentally sensitive" manner. Digging up a patch of alpine zone topsoil in the mountains - bad! Digging one small hole 50 yards off a woods trail to conceal *most* of a cache - seems to make as much sense as tucking an ammo box under a rock. But under no circumstances would I recommend situating a cache such that people have to dig for it. What a mess that would make!!!

[+ZingerHead]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Irvingdog:

N1KV, tree huggers think there a brigades of us cachers, shovel in hand, looking to dig up the forest floor in search of this treasure. There is the arguement to be made that dis-allowing digging within a piece of public land, and leaving something behind is a good idea. Heck,what's so creative about burying something, anyhow?

 

http://www.hunting-pictures.com/members/Irvingdog/boo2.jpg G

 

[This message was edited by Irvingdog on April 05, 2002 at 01:32 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by Irvingdog on April 05, 2002 at 01:34 PM.]

---

 

I completely agree with you - a cache must be visible - this sport would quickly earn a deservedly bad rep if there were folks entering the woods intent on digging up buried treasure. But this one instance of burial was, in my opinion, very clever and done in an "environmentally sensitive" manner. Digging up a patch of alpine zone topsoil in the mountains - bad! Digging one small hole 50 yards off a woods trail to conceal *most* of a cache - seems to make as much sense as tucking an ammo box under a rock. But under no circumstances would I recommend situating a cache such that people have to dig for it. What a mess that would make!!!