ChiefPig Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 what's the next best thing for a cache container??? I think the supply of ammo boxes in Canada is pretty low Quote Link to comment
+GeoCraig Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 A good watertight plastic container, like Tupperware or Rubbermaid. The cheap stuff seems to leak too easily. Quote Link to comment
+Hard Oiler Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 Better still Lock&Lock plastic containers. Readily available in Canada (Zellers, Home Hardware) and I've found they seal better in the Canadian climate than Rubbermaid. "If you don't know where you are going, then it doesn't much matter where you are." - Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass Quote Link to comment
ChiefPig Posted September 16, 2003 Author Share Posted September 16, 2003 Oh yeah I probably should have mentioned that it needs to survive -30*C temperature. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 Check www.cheaperthandirt.com for ammo boxes. They have the best prices I've seen. "You can't make a man by standing a sheep on his hind legs. But by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" - Max Beerbohm Quote Link to comment
+Doc-Dean Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 Go with cheaperthandirt.com... --------------------------------------------------- Free your mind and the rest will follow Quote Link to comment
dsandbro Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 Go to your local second hand store. Alternatives to ammo boxes are metal cookie tins, kid's lunch boxes, or old toolboxes -- all available for less than a dollar. These may not as weatherproof as an ammo box so use a plastic ziplock bag inside. Camo spray paint the outside. =========================================================== "The time has come" the Walrus said "to speak of many things; of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and Kings". Quote Link to comment
ChiefPig Posted September 16, 2003 Author Share Posted September 16, 2003 Unfortunately, cheaperthandirt does not ship outside the US but their prices do look good. Quote Link to comment
+Spiker_ Posted September 16, 2003 Share Posted September 16, 2003 Why not buy some ammo? Then you get a "free" cache container. Which reminds me... honey, I need to get some more ammo.... Quote Link to comment
+Wadcutter Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 What about making your own containers? A length of PVC, some glue on end caps, screw caps and a can of spray paint will cost about the same as ammo cans. You can then customize them to the length, size, and shape you want. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 quote: alternatives to ammo boxes are metal cookie tins, kid's lunch boxes, or old toolboxes -- all available for less than a dollar These may be Ok in the desert, but are very poor choices for areas where it frequently rains, or snows. Ziplocs inside are a great last line of weatherproofing, but shouldn't be the primary means, because they wear out quickly. quote: nfortunately, cheaperthandirt does not ship outside the US but their prices do look good. Where in Canada are you? Tell ya what. I'll send you two ammo boxes if you pay for shipping. "You can't make a man by standing a sheep on his hind legs. But by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" - Max Beerbohm Quote Link to comment
+carleenp Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 quote: Better still Lock&Lock plastic containers. Readily available in Canada (Zellers, Home Hardware) and I've found they seal better in the Canadian climate than Rubbermaid. I bought some lock-n-locks in Nebraska and was very happy with them. Unfortunately they are no longer sold around here. Quote Link to comment
ChiefPig Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 quote:Originally posted by BrianSnat:Where in Canada are you? Tell ya what. I'll send you two ammo boxes if you pay for shipping. Thanks BrianSnat! That is a very nice offer. I really appreciate it. I'm afraid shipping those heavy metal boxes from East to West wouldn't be cheap. But I'll email you my postal code so that you can get an estimate from the USPS website. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 quote:I'm afraid shipping those heavy metal boxes from East to West wouldn't be cheap. But I'll email you my postal code so that you can get an estimate from the USPS website. I'll look into it. If the cost is prohibitive, I won't bother, but if it's reasonable (is under $10 US reasonable?), I'll do it. "You can't make a man by standing a sheep on his hind legs. But by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" - Max Beerbohm Quote Link to comment
ChiefPig Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 quote:Originally posted by BrianSnat:I'll look into it. If the cost is prohibitive, I won't bother, but if it's reasonable (is under $10 US reasonable?), I'll do it. Well, the cheapest I have found here so far is US$10 (or C$15) for a single box. The "cheap" surplus stores don't have them in stock. So I guess under US$10 for 2 boxes is reasonable enough. I know C$15 for an ammo box is not that expensive and won't "break my bank" but I'm too practical (or "cheap") to leave a C$15 box + contents out in the wild where anybody can steal it anytime. [This message was edited by ChiefPig on September 17, 2003 at 09:22 AM.] Quote Link to comment
+Dave_W6DPS Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Wadcutter:What about making your own containers? A length of PVC, some glue on end caps, screw caps and a can of spray paint will cost about the same as ammo cans. You can then customize them to the length, size, and shape you want. That could be a good plan to get on the news. Quite similar to the outer shell of your basic pipe bombs. I like to keep mine as innocent looking as possible--much easier to explain as a game. I tend to avoid ammo cans for the same reason. It could just be because I work at a nuclear power plant, but it seems most of the people I know get very nervous around unattended military hardware. See this thread for more on ammo cans. I generally use cookies tins with a sealed container inside. A clean paint can also works well. Sometimes at second-hand stores or yard sales you can pick up the gallon size insulated drink containers very cheap,a nd they work great also. Plastic isn't so plastic at very low temperatures, so Tupperware may not be a good choice either. Below about +30°F the corners tend to crack when you open the container. You might want to see what other cachers in your area use. Dave_W6DPS My two cents worth, refunds available on request. (US funds only) [This message was edited by Dave_W6DPS on September 17, 2003 at 09:36 AM.] Quote Link to comment
ChiefPig Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 Other than looking like a pipe bomb, a cylindrical cache container would also force the cacher to empty the contents of the container just to see everything that is available for trade or even just to find the travel bug. The weird thing is the handful of caches that I have found so far were all in plastic "tupperware type" containers...some were even of the disposable "gladware" type. That is why my first cache is in the same container. Now I don't think my hockey cards would even survive the winter Quote Link to comment
ChiefPig Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 You also have a good point regarding ammo cans and military hardware out in the wild and people being threatened by them (especially Canadians ) Quote Link to comment
+Cave Troll and Eeyore Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Here in the Uk QVC sell lock & lock containers.Maybe worth trying the US QVC website.I,ve used a lock & lock container as they are 100% waterproof Quote Link to comment
+TheGertridgeExplorers Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Canadian Home Depot flyer has a 22 piece Lock&Lock set for $19.99 - less than a dollar a cache! Enjoy! -Donna G Quote Link to comment
ChiefPig Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 Thanks for the replies. I'll try to get some lock & lock containers on my way home from work tonight and maybe grab some camo paint or tape as well. Quote Link to comment
+OuchieJumbug Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 I imagine that those disposable Glad containers might be OK if you are able to maintain the cache well and replace the container now and then. I'd think the sturdiness needed is in proportion to the cache's remoteness (along with climate and so on). Then again, I'm a rank beginner, so maybe I'm just blathering nonsense. Quote Link to comment
+Hard Oiler Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 quote: Canadian Home Depot flyer has a 22 piece Lock&Lock set for $19.99 - less than a dollar a cache! Enjoy! -Donna G Well not quite that good - top and bottom count as 2 pieces so it's really only 11 cache containers but still a good deal and I'm off to Home Depot to get a supply. Thanks - had to rescue the flyer from the garbage! "If you don't know where you are going, then it doesn't much matter where you are." - Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass Quote Link to comment
ChiefPig Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 Hehe...that's what I figured...2 pcs per container so it came with 11 containers...still less than C$2 per cache! well, if you use every container for caches . I did end up going to home depot on my way home and grabbed 2 sets (my wife wanted to hide some caches in the kitchen too???) I also grabbed 2 cans of Krylon Fusion spray paint for plastic (hunter green and river rock beige) so I can have fun putting camo on the cache containers Quote Link to comment
+TheGertridgeExplorers Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 Gee, I should learn to read the fine print! As a note of interest - I have had a Lock & Lock container as a cache container for over a year now and it is still in great shape. It is hidden in a fairly well sheltered spot, but is sitting on the ground. Now for its second Canadian winter! -Donna G Quote Link to comment
ChiefPig Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 BTW, thanks for the great shopping tip, DonnaG! Quote Link to comment
+Wadcutter Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 quote:Originally posted by ChiefPig:Other than looking like a pipe bomb, quote:Originally posted by Dave_W6DPS:That could be a good plan to get on the news. Quite similar to the outer shell of your basic pipe bombs. So what's a bomb look like? Just wondering what people think a bomb really looks like. I've spent over 32 yrs in law enforcement which included 8+ yrs with a federal agency, 10 yrs on SWAT, and running several different state wide investigative units. I also spent a total of 26.5 yrs in the military including commanding security forces unit and a nuke, chem, bio warfare unit which dealt a lot with bombs and such. A bomb will look like anything in common everyday life. Books, shoes, milk jugs. Just because it doesn't have 3 red tubes taped together with wires running to a clock and battery doesn't mean it's not a bomb. Every cache container you've ever picked up could have easily been a bomb. PVC cache containers are quite common. I've logged several of them. They're water, snow, crud tight. The contents can easily be seen in 4" PVC. No need to empty everything. But if you don't like PVC containers, then don't make them. Just a suggestion. Quote Link to comment
+Perrin Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 The other problem with the pvc pipe caches, besides looking like pipe bombs, is that sometimes the lids are a major pain to get off. If dirt gets into the threads they can jam. I had to abandon a find because the lid wouldn't come off with just my bare hands. Hand to come back a couple days later weilding my giant monkey wrench of You better open this time. So people looked at me a bit strangely when I went stomping off down the trail with a big wrench in my hands. Most of them decided not to use that trail and went walking off in the other direction. (I'm not sure why though) "Sometimes you are a very large fool Perrin Aybara. Quite often in fact." Annoura Sedai (Book Nine of The WoT) Quote Link to comment
+T10X Posted September 17, 2003 Share Posted September 17, 2003 I agree with Wadcutter, a bomb could look like anything. There is nothing better than a genuine US military surplus ammo can, you pick the size. Quote Link to comment
ChiefPig Posted September 17, 2003 Author Share Posted September 17, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Wadcutter:The contents can easily be seen in 4" PVC. No need to empty everything. I guess that depends on how long the pipe is and how much light you have under tree cover and how big the trade items are. quote:But if you don't like PVC containers, then don't make them. Just a suggestion. Exactly, that is why I bought square plastic transparent watertight containers Quote Link to comment
gitarmac Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 I was wondering about ammo box alternatives after reading about false bomb scares and someone suggested waterproof containers for diving. I hadn't looked at them yet but I'll bet they would work good. Quote Link to comment
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