+DNK in CC Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 This is an alternative to ammo cans, only slightly larger than .50 cal. cans. It's made by MTM, and I found it at Academy near the shotgun ammunition for only $5.99. Quote Link to comment
CharlieBull64 Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Pretty nice ! looks wet proof and weather proof. What is the cost? Do they have it listed on their web site? That looks better than a tupperware container. Quote Link to comment
luvs2bake Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Have you tried it? Do you think it will hold up well? Quote Link to comment
+TerraTrekkers Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 I have used them before; in fact I have a couple in my garage as I write. I replaced them with real ammo cans because they are not water tight. They just don't withstand the elements like the real thing. That’s been my experience. Jim Quote Link to comment
+CompuCash Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 it says Dry Box on the lable = what does that mean if it is not water proof? Quote Link to comment
mad1! Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 how would u hide something that big???? Quote Link to comment
+jmorris9999 Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 It means that under normal conditions, it can be resonably expected to keep the contents dry. Normal conditiions would be some rain and wet or general dampness. If you could throw it in the middle of a stream and retreive it a month latter with the contents dry it'd say waterproof on it. You'll find that very, very few things actually say waterproof. Most will say water resistant. Quote Link to comment
Mighty Tiggers Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 (edited) Put a little silicone grease around the gasket and you'll probably be fine (as long as you don't throw it on a stream on purpose). If you look at the label, it says, "Water Resistant (Non-Submersible)." I have one of these, and was thinking about using it for a cache... I'll have to think about that some more. If it stayed upright, you would be fine... but how can you guarantee that will happen (might depend on cache location)? Edited January 31, 2005 by Mighty Tiggers Quote Link to comment
+pater47 Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 They're water-proof. Until they get wet. I've had a few for other things. They're not remotely water-tight. The latch also breaks easily. Quote Link to comment
+DNK in CC Posted January 31, 2005 Author Share Posted January 31, 2005 (edited) Wow! Lotsa good feedback, thanks. This ones already paid for, so it's going to get placed. It will be in the elements, and will get a good test. I'll keep a close eye on it for a year, keep a monthly performance record, take another picture of it, and post it all here. If it fails, I'll switch to .50 cal boxes, and change it out. I'll play Consumer's Report. Edited January 31, 2005 by DNK in CC Quote Link to comment
+Shoebox Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 I have a pair of those boxes in the field for a year or more and I get regular reports of them being damp all the time. I figure to replace them with ammo cans this spring. One thing you might consider is putting your boxes in more protected areas like in the hollow of a tree. That way they won't get directly rained on or covered in snow (depending on where you live). Quote Link to comment
TahoeJoe Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 They look like they would do well in a dry climate but I bet they wouldn’t hold up well under several feet of snow. Quote Link to comment
+DNK in CC Posted January 31, 2005 Author Share Posted January 31, 2005 I'll put it in a WalMart sack and stash it beside a fence along the highway near a WalMart. Mobody will ever pay attention to it, and the sack will keep the rain off :-) Quote Link to comment
+welch Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 it says Dry Box on the lable = what does that mean if it is not water proof? thats its to keep stuff dry, not waterproof? Oddly a lot of those dry/ammoholder/field boxes, have no rubber seal in them. Just a flat area and lip.... Of those i've seen at stores/showes etc, a few have foam seal, but most do not. Quote Link to comment
+DaveA Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Lately I have been hearing about lock&lock containers. I tried to locate some at Walmart, but they didn't have them. Supposedly they are tupperware like, but they have a silicone seal and they 'lock' shut. They are labelled as moisture proof and airtight, not sure about waterproof. Anyone use these for a cache and if so how did they hold up? Quote Link to comment
rescue557 Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Has anybody tried Otter Boxes? They are completely water and air tight, stand up to anything, and strong enough to drive a fire truck over them! Yes, I have done some of my own testing. The only downfall is that they can be somewhat pricy. I'm thinking of putting one through the ultimate test -- a Geocache container. Here is a link to the Otterbox Website if anybody would like more information. Quote Link to comment
+CYBret Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Has anybody tried Otter Boxes? They are completely water and air tight, stand up to anything, and strong enough to drive a fire truck over them! Yes, I have done some of my own testing. The only downfall is that they can be somewhat pricy. I'm thinking of putting one through the ultimate test -- a Geocache container. Here is a link to the Otterbox Website if anybody would like more information. I have an Otterbox but I've never placed it. It's just a little bigger than an Altoids tin. Yeah, they are a tad pricey, but you can usually get some decent deals on eBay. In reference to Mad1!'s reply: how would u hide something that big???? Welcome to the game (I notice your account was opened about a week ago). Hopefully you'll soon discover that there are a lot of BIG caches hidden out there in some very unique and fun ways. Many of them dwarf the box in the picture above. Bret Quote Link to comment
+Planet Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 how would u hide something that big???? Mad1, the majority of caches are hidden in either ammo cans, a metal version of the container pictured above, that you can find at www.cheaperthandirt.com or at army/navy surplus stores, among other places. Or they are hidden in Tupperware/Rubbermade containers of various sizes. Then there are there are the Project APE caches that were hidden in waist high ammo cans like this one: and I did a search on caches using the key word Big Bucket and came up with 4 caches with that in the name. Those are 5 gallon buckets like this one: I could post more pictures, but you can get the idea. The first thing to do is to find a place you want to bring to people to. Then scope it out for a good hiding spot that muggles (or civilians) would not stumble onto, that isn't a fragile area, and that would fit the container you are going to hide. Follow the guidelines for hiding a cache, and take several readings when you've hidden it, to average out and post on the cache page. Most cachers would recommend finding a few before you go out and hide any. This will give you a better understanding of what makes a good cache and what makes a bad cache. All containers should be waterproof. Generally, in order of preference and regarding the need to go back and do cache maintenance, the common containers are: 1. Ammo can, it is waterproof, animal proof (not bears), and some have floated for miles and been recovered after a flood. It holds lot of goodies too, and will fit in lots of places. 2. Rubbermaid, Tupperware, Lock N' Locks. Will for the most part keep things dry IF they are closed dorrectly with no dirt in the seal. They can freeze in winter and if someone lowers a rock back down on them too hard, they can crack when frozen. 3. Cookie tins, they rust shut after a while in certain climates. 4. Gladware, lousy stuff, not waterproof, sure way to set yoursefl up for many a maintenance trip. 5. A ziplock bag, really not a container, and can be chewed. That by itself is a bad idea. 6. A film cannister (micro cache) They work but are not completely waterproof, depending on the lid style. Any micro should be hidden so as to keep it out of the elements. There are a multitude of cache containers out there, these are the kind that I have typically seen. They must be waterproof, they cannot ever have had food in them (sure death for a cache) and they should withstand the climate. Size doesn't matter if you're clever. Now get out there caching and have fun!!! Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 I had one of these boxes and the latch broke with only 6 visitors and 1 winter of use. Without the latch working properly, the "dry" part goes out the window very quick. I tested it before putting it out in the wild by putting it in a bathtub and rotating it with the shower running for 20 minutes and it kept the tissue paper inside nice and dry but then the latch broke out in the wild---sigh. Also showed some visible UV wear and tear after sitting out. Quote Link to comment
+DNK in CC Posted January 31, 2005 Author Share Posted January 31, 2005 Oddly a lot of those dry/ammoholder/field boxes, have no rubber seal in them. Just a flat area and lip.... Of those i've seen at stores/showes etc, a few have foam seal, but most do not. This MTM dry box has a rubber seal all the way around. Quote Link to comment
+DaveA Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 I had one of these boxes and the latch broke with only 6 visitors and 1 winter of use. What box? The one mentioned in the OP or one of those mentioned further down the post list? Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 The one that is the topic of this thread from Original Post. Quote Link to comment
+Kfam Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 DaveA Posted on Jan 31 2005, 06:31 AM Lately I have been hearing about lock&lock containers. I tried to locate some at Walmart, but they didn't have them. Supposedly they are tupperware like, but they have a silicone seal and they 'lock' shut. They are labelled as moisture proof and airtight, not sure about waterproof. Anyone use these for a cache and if so how did they hold up? Lock 'n Lock containers are the best for being inexpensive and watertight. Bomb squads seem to appreciate the clear plastic too! You can order them from Target or Amazon. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Lately I have been hearing about lock&lock containers. I tried to locate some at Walmart, but they didn't have them. Supposedly they are tupperware like, but they have a silicone seal and they 'lock' shut. They are labelled as moisture proof and airtight, not sure about waterproof. Anyone use these for a cache and if so how did they hold up? I've been using Lock 'n Locks for about a year with mixed results. I had one where the contents got pretty damp, so I replaced it with another Lock 'n Lock and all new contents. The new container was found this weekend and the finder mentioned it was damp inside. That's only after a couple of weeks. This one is in a spot where it probably gets directly rained on. I have others in slightly sheltered areas that have stayed quite dry. I find that as far as plastc containers to, the Rubbermaid Sean n Savers with the blue rim on the lid seem to hold up the bestt. Quote Link to comment
+Jamie Z Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Bomb squads seem to appreciate the clear plastic too! You would think, but this has been proved otherwise. More than one transparent container has been blown up. Jamie Quote Link to comment
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