Pill Bottles. Pro's and Con's?

[+bittsen]

Today I was at the Dr office and was handed a handful of sample medication. I immediately thought these would make good cache containers. They have a screw on lid so they should seal OK. Are about the same size as film containers (that always leak) and are FREE (relatively).

 

So, as far as micro (or small) cache containers go, what are the pro's and con's of using pill bottles as caches?

 

P.S. I have seen some out there as well as jumbo bottles for bulk medications.

[+DragonsWest]

Today I was at the Dr office and was handed a handful of sample medication. I immediately thought these would make good cache containers. They have a screw on lid so they should seal OK. Are about the same size as film containers (that always leak) and are FREE (relatively).

 

So, as far as micro (or small) cache containers go, what are the pro's and con's of using pill bottles as caches?

 

P.S. I have seen some out there as well as jumbo bottles for bulk medications.

 

I've encountered a number of containers previously housing medications. Some work, some leak and some break far too easily. YMMV

[knowschad]

Well, I remember one where I had to climb about 30 feet up a pine tree, hanging on by wrapping my elbow around a branch as I fumbled with the childproof opener. The cache owner frequents these forums and probably knows who he is

[+briansnat]

Pros: They are free

 

Cons: They are not waterproof. They shatter easily in cold weather.

[Skippermark]

I've seen them work great and othertimes not work at all.

[+bittsen]

Pros: They are free

 

Cons: They are not waterproof. They shatter easily in cold weather.

 

Not the brown ones, the white ones!!

 

OK, freezer test complete. No cracking.

How would you suggest I do a water test? I was thinking I could heat them up and seal them while they are warm. Then submerge them in hot water and observe as they cool. If they leak they will draw water in, right?

 

And, they still have to be better than film cannisters.

 

I will report the water test shortly.

[+briansnat]

Pros: They are free

 

Cons: They are not waterproof. They shatter easily in cold weather.

 

Not the brown ones, the white ones!!

 

OK, freezer test complete. No cracking.

How would you suggest I do a water test? I was thinking I could heat them up and seal them while they are warm. Then submerge them in hot water and observe as they cool. If they leak they will draw water in, right?

 

And, they still have to be better than film cannisters.

 

I will report the water test shortly.

 

Never mind the kitchen test. Just find a few and hide a few. You'll soon learn that they crack and/or leak frequently. I' been doing the kitchen test long enough to learn that is not worth much. I've tried many containers that passed the kitchen sink and freezer test with flying colors yey failed quickly outdoors.

[+carleenp]

I have seen far more wet pill bottles than I have seen wet film canisters.

[knowschad]

I have seen far more wet pill bottles than I have seen wet film canisters.

I have to agree. If you need a container about that size, spring a buck for a match container.

[+Jeep4two]

I have seen far more wet pill bottles than I have seen wet film canisters.

I have to agree. If you need a container about that size, spring a buck for a match container.

 

I've seen those small beach safes and wonder how they might hold up with a coat of camo paint. I have two ready to go out, just need the time to place them.

 

They have rubber seals so they should hold out the water well, if the seals hold up. They come in rectangular shapes (about large enough to hold a deck of cards) and a smaller round shape (around the same size as a medium prescription bottle). evil bay has them available in small lots, and I think some of the cheesy import mail order companies sell them as well.

[+flask]

I have seen far more wet pill bottles than I have seen wet film canisters.

 

i've seen about as many wet pill bottles as film canisters, based on percentage of failed containers for the type.

 

i have seen MANY more film canisters overall, and therefore more total failed film canisters. pill bottles seem to have just as high a failure rate over the life of the container.

 

and if you're going to get a matchsafe, please spring for a good one. cheap ones fail as quickly as film canisters.

[AZcachemeister]

PRO: Cheap and easily obtainable. Can work well in a protected hide location.

 

CON: (depending on the style...the type with a 'neck' are NFG!) impossible to remove log without damage, the plastic will likely not hold up in the desert heat and crack, or perhaps the local rodents will have fun chewing on it.

[+FunnyNose]

I have seen far more wet pill bottles than I have seen wet film canisters.

I have to agree. If you need a container about that size, spring a buck for a match container.

 

Get the plastic match stick container

 

Not the metal ones.

[knowschad]

About a dime at the local hardware store will get you a proper o-ring for your match safe, and maybe even a spare. That seems to be the weak link in that chain, I think, but really I've found very few of the plastic match safes that have been wet. They're pretty good as far as micro containers go.

[+StarBrand]

I have seen far more wet pill bottles than I have seen wet film canisters.

Me too.

 

No need for a long term or complicated test. Just put a kleenex in the container with a lid and place it in a sink on its side. Turn on a decent drip of water and let it hit the container. Come back in a few hours and you'll see at least some dampness I'll bet.

[+flask]

About a dime at the local hardware store will get you a proper o-ring for your match safe, and maybe even a spare. That seems to be the weak link in that chain, I think, but really I've found very few of the plastic match safes that have been wet. They're pretty good as far as micro containers go.

 

agreed. too many of them don't have proper o-rings. with a proper o-ring they do quite well. it must be stressed, though, that o-rings will need periodic replacement. there are good plastic matchsafes and cheap ones. the cheap ones don't do so well even with a good o-ring. they're not threaded very well and don't screw down reliably.

 

ya get what ya pay for.

 

 

tangentially related: recently i found a bright orange plastic matchsafe that had been painted black, i guess to make it camouflaged on a BRIGHT ORANGE snowplow. sometimes there's no figuring people.

[Mr.Yuck]

I have seen far more wet pill bottles than I have seen wet film canisters.

I have to agree. If you need a container about that size, spring a buck for a match container.

 

Get the plastic match stick container

 

Not the metal ones.

 

Woowee, do those metal match containers cause a ruckus on the rare occasion someone places on in my area.

 

I'm going to buck the trend here though. I think screw top plastic containers are generally pretty good. You got a pic? I think most people are thinking along the lines of the amber pill bottles such as you would get from a pharmacy. I agree, they crack in the cold very easily, and aren't remotely close to being waterproof.

[knowschad]

tangentially related: recently i found a bright orange plastic matchsafe that had been painted black, i guess to make it camouflaged on a BRIGHT ORANGE snowplow. sometimes there's no figuring people.

tangentially related: Oh yeah. I've seen containers covered with woodland camo duct tape attached to guardrails, and containers covered with silver duct tape hidden in a pile of sticks. Go figure.

[+bittsen]

I'm going to buck the trend here though. I think screw top plastic containers are generally pretty good. You got a pic? I think most people are thinking along the lines of the amber pill bottles such as you would get from a pharmacy. I agree, they crack in the cold very easily, and aren't remotely close to being waterproof.

 

Yeah, they look similar to this

 

[Mr.Yuck]

I'm going to buck the trend here though. I think screw top plastic containers are generally pretty good. You got a pic? I think most people are thinking along the lines of the amber pill bottles such as you would get from a pharmacy. I agree, they crack in the cold very easily, and aren't remotely close to being waterproof.

 

Yeah, they look similar to this

 

 

I'll probably hear otherwise, but I don't think that's too bad of a micro container. Other than the log being a big PITA to remove and replace. But I really can't argue against plastic match containers with 10 cent o-ring replacements available from the hardware store either.

[4wheelin_fool]

I'm going to buck the trend here though. I think screw top plastic containers are generally pretty good. You got a pic? I think most people are thinking along the lines of the amber pill bottles such as you would get from a pharmacy. I agree, they crack in the cold very easily, and aren't remotely close to being waterproof.

 

Yeah, they look similar to this

 

 

I used one of those and glued a turtle shell to the outside. It sat in the crotch of 4 trees that collected a lot of water and it got wet inside. I had to add a waterproof match container inside to keep the log dry. If it was in a different location, it may have been ok.

[+fizzymagic]

Pill bottles of all kinds are not waterproof on purpose. They are designed to let air in and out. Using one as a cache container is guaranteed to result in wet contents.

 

I recommend against using them.

[knowschad]

I'm going to buck the trend here though. I think screw top plastic containers are generally pretty good. You got a pic? I think most people are thinking along the lines of the amber pill bottles such as you would get from a pharmacy. I agree, they crack in the cold very easily, and aren't remotely close to being waterproof.

Yeah, they look similar to this

 

One real nice touch with that sort of container is to take a short piece of PVC pipe that will fit into the neck of the bottle, and roll the log up inside that. Otherwise, the problem is that the log will unroll itself to fit the larger body of the jar, and it can be a real bear to get out at times. With the PVC, you only need to shake the section of tubing out and slip the log out of that. Works real slick!

[+sbell111]

Well, I remember one where I had to climb about 30 feet up a pine tree, hanging on by wrapping my elbow around a branch as I fumbled with the childproof opener. The cache owner frequents these forums and probably knows who he is

I would hope that every one of us knows who he or she is.

 

I've seen those small beach safes and wonder how they might hold up with a coat of camo paint. I have two ready to go out, just need the time to place them.

 

They have rubber seals so they should hold out the water well, if the seals hold up. ...

The containers hold up quite well. The rubber seals, however, will break down. This will happen in a very short time or an incredibly long time, depending on hide location. The seals for the tubular beach safes can be found at teh hardware store.

 

Regarding pill bottles, some are good and some are bad. All will fail eventually. Of course, that can be said about every single cache container.

[+Team Cotati]

Pros: They are free

 

Cons: They are not waterproof. They shatter easily in cold weather.

 

Not the brown ones, the white ones!!

 

OK, freezer test complete. No cracking.

How would you suggest I do a water test? I was thinking I could heat them up and seal them while they are warm. Then submerge them in hot water and observe as they cool. If they leak they will draw water in, right?

 

And, they still have to be better than film cannisters.

 

I will report the water test shortly.

 

Agree. The white bottles are waaaayyyy better than film canisters. Just be certain that they have a good seal.

 

Not as good as match holders though. And just because they might be 'free', when compared to the small cost of known waterproof containers, they are probably not the best choice.

Edited December 16, 2009 by Team Cotati

[+sbell111]

Pill bottles of all kinds are not waterproof on purpose. They are designed to let air in and out. Using one as a cache container is guaranteed to result in wet contents.

 

I recommend against using them.

I'm pretty sure that the bolded bit is not correct. Otherwise, the safety seals would inhibit this 'design feature'.

[+bflentje]

Well, I remember one where I had to climb about 30 feet up a pine tree, hanging on by wrapping my elbow around a branch as I fumbled with the childproof opener. The cache owner frequents these forums and probably knows who he is

I would hope that every one of us knows who he or she is.

 

I don't know of any fella that'd do something so cruel.

[+bflentje]

Pill bottles of all kinds are not waterproof on purpose. They are designed to let air in and out. Using one as a cache container is guaranteed to result in wet contents.

 

I recommend against using them.

I'm pretty sure that the bolded bit is not correct. Otherwise, the safety seals would inhibit this 'design feature'.

 

I believe that all medicine bottle (types) are not created equal. Some work well and some do not. Of course, I would not know from experience..

[+Castle Mischief]

I'm going to buck the trend here though. I think screw top plastic containers are generally pretty good. You got a pic? I think most people are thinking along the lines of the amber pill bottles such as you would get from a pharmacy. I agree, they crack in the cold very easily, and aren't remotely close to being waterproof.

 

Yeah, they look similar to this

 

http://www.gloriaswebdesigns.com/clients/S...cine-bottle.jpg

 

What the little number on the bottom with the recycle symbol? That might give an indication of the enviromental limits.

 

Is there a gasket of some kind up inside the lid?

[+buttaskotch]

just make sure you camo them with paint or tape. I have seen pill bottles in one area of the country that were uncovered, un camoed, that just look like trash.

[+sbell111]

Well, I remember one where I had to climb about 30 feet up a pine tree, hanging on by wrapping my elbow around a branch as I fumbled with the childproof opener. The cache owner frequents these forums and probably knows who he is

I would hope that every one of us knows who he or she is.

 

I don't know of any fella that'd do something so cruel.

I know who I am. Do you know who you are?

[+ArcherDragoon]

Well, I remember one where I had to climb about 30 feet up a pine tree, hanging on by wrapping my elbow around a branch as I fumbled with the childproof opener. The cache owner frequents these forums and probably knows who he is

I would hope that every one of us knows who he or she is.

 

I don't know of any fella that'd do something so cruel.

 

There is one down my way set by cachers that don't frequent these forums...just in case you guys had a craving for another tree climb!!!

[+DutchBoy]

I am a pharmacist, so I also have access to many stock bottles just as you pictured......they definitely are not waterproof, but what here is what I do.

 

I use a larger stock bottle, then cover it with camo tape.......then I put the log into a 35mm film cannister and put it in the bottle.....I also have a photo lab in my pharmacy so they are free also.....that way you have the log double bottled and protected better....seems to work ok

[+wimseyguy]

My experience with small plastic containers:

black with gray top film cans-poor

white film cans-OK

screw top pill bottle-good

plastic screw top match safe-better

beach safe with rubber gasket-best

[knowschad]

Well, I remember one where I had to climb about 30 feet up a pine tree, hanging on by wrapping my elbow around a branch as I fumbled with the childproof opener. The cache owner frequents these forums and probably knows who he is

I would hope that every one of us knows who he or she is.

I don't know of any fella that'd do something so cruel.

I know who I am. Do you know who you are?

In this case, at least... he does not.

[Mr.Yuck]

I'm going to buck the trend here though. I think screw top plastic containers are generally pretty good. You got a pic? I think most people are thinking along the lines of the amber pill bottles such as you would get from a pharmacy. I agree, they crack in the cold very easily, and aren't remotely close to being waterproof.

Yeah, they look similar to this

 

One real nice touch with that sort of container is to take a short piece of PVC pipe that will fit into the neck of the bottle, and roll the log up inside that. Otherwise, the problem is that the log will unroll itself to fit the larger body of the jar, and it can be a real bear to get out at times. With the PVC, you only need to shake the section of tubing out and slip the log out of that. Works real slick!

 

That is a great idea! And an even better idea for larger screw top bottles that actually hold swag or TB's.

 

I was thinking mostly of larger things, like large mayonaise/peanut butter jars, Tupperware, or even large pretzel jars. But I really do believe screw-top plastic containers are some of the best ungasketed containers. Keeping in mind all the best containers are gasketed.

[Clan Riffster]

Pros: They suck so bad that the learning curve is pretty sharp. For those who actually care about their hides, the Needs Maintenance logs rolling in demonstrate soundly that the hider made a real crappy container choice. Hopefully, they won't make the same mistake twice.

 

Cons: They are free, so the deadbeat hiders will continue to use them regardless of their quality.

[+Renegade Knight]

Today I was at the Dr office and was handed a handful of sample medication. I immediately thought these would make good cache containers. They have a screw on lid so they should seal OK. Are about the same size as film containers (that always leak) and are FREE (relatively).

 

So, as far as micro (or small) cache containers go, what are the pro's and con's of using pill bottles as caches?

 

P.S. I have seen some out there as well as jumbo bottles for bulk medications.

 

Con: They smash nicely under rocks and heavy objects since they are normally brittle plastic.

Pros: They seal better than film canisters and the price was right.

Con: They still aren't waterproof.

[+bittsen]

Pros: They suck so bad that the learning curve is pretty sharp. For those who actually care about their hides, the Needs Maintenance logs rolling in demonstrate soundly that the hider made a real crappy container choice. Hopefully, they won't make the same mistake twice.

 

Cons: They are free, so the deadbeat hiders will continue to use them regardless of their quality.

 

That was a pretty disrespectful thing to say. Calling cachers who use free containers "Deadbeat" isn't very friendly. Implying that cache owners, who use inexpensive containers, don't care about their hides is pretty offensive.

[Clan Riffster]

Perhaps I should elaborate?

It is my belief, that someone who intentionally chooses a crappy container, simply because it is free, as opposed to spending a whopping $0.88 for a container of roughly the same size, which has a proven track record, is a cheapskate. In my little world, (contrary to what may be found in a dictionary), cheapskate and deadbeat are fairly synonymous. If that upsets the cheapskates, then hopefully they'll feel so bad that they'll stop using crappy containers. I also believe that someone who intentionally selects an inferior container does not care about their hide, nor do they care about the experience that those who follow will have. By knowingly and deliberately selecting an inferior container, they are giving the rest of the caching community the opportunity to experience wet logs and moldy swag. Someone who does so, then claims to care about their caches, seems kinda hypocritical. If my expressing my beliefs will cause even one person to stop selecting inferior containers, and start taking pride in their hides, then the caching world will be a better place, for me.

[+bittsen]

Perhaps I should elaborate?

It is my belief, that someone who intentionally chooses a crappy container, simply because it is free, as opposed to spending a whopping $0.88 for a container of roughly the same size, which has a proven track record, is a cheapskate. In my little world, (contrary to what may be found in a dictionary), cheapskate and deadbeat are fairly synonymous. If that upsets the cheapskates, then hopefully they'll feel so bad that they'll stop using crappy containers. I also believe that someone who intentionally selects an inferior container does not care about their hide, nor do they care about the experience that those who follow will have. By knowingly and deliberately selecting an inferior container, they are giving the rest of the caching community the opportunity to experience wet logs and moldy swag. Someone who does so, then claims to care about their caches, seems kinda hypocritical. If my expressing my beliefs will cause even one person to stop selecting inferior containers, and start taking pride in their hides, then the caching world will be a better place, for me.

 

I would call it recycling, not being cheap.

 

I haven't had the same experience as you with the screw on lid pill bottle containers. I can't recall seeing one with a wet log and I live in a VERY wet part of the world. I have seen a good deal of wet logs in film cannisters though.

I have also not seen a cracked white pill bottle in the field and I have seen a few of the larger size plastic containers full of dry swag.

[+Castle Mischief]

Just out of curiosity, do you plan on telling that the container is in the description? This is not a clever trap, I'm just curious.

 

I have found one cache in a off-the-shelf aspirin bottle that was dry, but the log was hard as the dickens to get out. I've found about maybe 10 or so that were in prescription bottles and were dry but one was cracked. It might not be the top-shelf container solution, but I can think of worse. It's not like you're going to use a (queue dramatic organ music) GLASS JAR.

[+bittsen]

Just out of curiosity, do you plan on telling that the container is in the description? This is not a clever trap, I'm just curious.

 

I have found one cache in a off-the-shelf aspirin bottle that was dry, but the log was hard as the dickens to get out. I've found about maybe 10 or so that were in prescription bottles and were dry but one was cracked. It might not be the top-shelf container solution, but I can think of worse. It's not like you're going to use a (queue dramatic organ music) GLASS JAR.

 

I usually don't tell what the container is other than the size unless I'm placing an ammo can and then I say it is Tupperwareͭͫ.

[+pyro07]

just a thought from my crazy troubleshooting mind i wonder if you could find and o-ring that would fit in the lid of the film canisters, pill bottles. etc that when u close them it seals the inside of the container, i could see it being more feasible on a pill bottle over film canister but hey is just a thought =

[knowschad]

just a thought from my crazy troubleshooting mind i wonder if you could find and o-ring that would fit in the lid of the film canisters, pill bottles. etc that when u close them it seals the inside of the container, i could see it being more feasible on a pill bottle over film canister but hey is just a thought =

They wouldn't close with an o-ring in them (at least not the containers that you mentioned). I have made gaskets for larger jars that lacked them by cutting circles out of EDPM rubber (essentially... innertube rubber), and that seems to have worked well.

[+ThePetersTrio]

Bittsen you might try a specimen container instead. Those are definitely meant to be leak-proof!

 

I actually have a cache that uses one as a container (new, not used) and so far it seems to have held up well. Of course, it really is dependent upon how well the last cacher tightens the lid down.

[+bittsen]

Bittsen you might try a specimen container instead. Those are definitely meant to be leak-proof!

 

I actually have a cache that uses one as a container (new, not used) and so far it seems to have held up well. Of course, it really is dependent upon how well the last cacher tightens the lid down.

 

I've hear of people using specimen containers and suppose they would work well.

 

I'm not looking for things to use as cache containers as much as I was hoping to recycle the pill bottles. I have a few cache containers ready to go. 6 ammo cans to be more precise. I just hate to see these little bottles go into the garbage (recycle bin).

 

I was thinking that adding a rubberized cork gasket might make them watertight even longer.

[+ThePetersTrio]

Bittsen you might try a specimen container instead. Those are definitely meant to be leak-proof!

 

I actually have a cache that uses one as a container (new, not used) and so far it seems to have held up well. Of course, it really is dependent upon how well the last cacher tightens the lid down.

 

I've hear of people using specimen containers and suppose they would work well.

 

I'm not looking for things to use as cache containers as much as I was hoping to recycle the pill bottles. I have a few cache containers ready to go. 6 ammo cans to be more precise. I just hate to see these little bottles go into the garbage (recycle bin).

 

I was thinking that adding a rubberized cork gasket might make them watertight even longer.

 

Oh well if you are looking to recycle them, just take them to your nearest pharmacy. I bet they'd know how to put em to good use!

[+StarBrand]

......

I would call it recycling, not being cheap.

 

I haven't had the same experience as you with the screw on lid pill bottle containers. I can't recall seeing one with a wet log and I live in a VERY wet part of the world. I have seen a good deal of wet logs in film cannisters though.

I have also not seen a cracked white pill bottle in the field and I have seen a few of the larger size plastic containers full of dry swag.

I'd call it being cheap. So long as the the hider was aware that much better containers can be had and for very little money.

 

My guess would be that at least 80% of the white screw on pill bottle caches I've seen were somewhere between damp and soggy.

[Clan Riffster]

It's not like you're going to use a (queue dramatic organ music) GLASS JAR.

I wonder if the dramatic music would increase if one used a glass peanut butter jar?