What containers have you used to store a cache?

[Guest summitcacher]

g to cart the unopened ammo box off to the sheriff for disposal. If you're going to use a non-transparent container, you need to put a description on the outside that tells accidental finders what it is and that it's safe to open. The words "Mad Jack" on the outside of the ammo box weren't too reassuring to the hikers that found it From now on it's transparent rubbermaid containers for my caches.

[Guest db8tr]

quote:

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Originally posted by summitcacher:

From now on it's transparent rubbermaid containers for my caches.

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Those can work, but I find that they don't always have a completely watertight seal and they can be too visible. I use ammo containers, but I mark them carefully. They are first painted (if needed) OD green and then written on all sides with a black sharpie marker (permenent, waterproof) "Geocache, Please Do Not Disturb. http://www.geocaching.com I think this will keep any misunderstanding about the contents to a minimum. I do think it is only a matter of time before a geocacher sees his cache blown to bits by a bomb squad on the evening news :-).

[Guest Jamina1]

Well, at Home Depot, they sell containers that resemble those bank tubes. They've got rubber caps on them about 2 inches long so they make a good seal, and they come in various different lengths and diameters. Those would make really good cache containers!

 

quote:

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Originally posted by Backwoods.:

What about Tennis ball cans?

They're clear, have snug snap on lids

about 3.5 inches in diameter, about a foot long.

 

Cheers

 

 

Originally posted by cleenjeep:

What would really be cool is the clear containers you used to get from banks, that shoot through tubes and have the flip lids on the end, not the sides

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[Guest Campeon1981]

I'm no boyscout, but I would like to mention that although I think it's thoughtful to use some sort of a clear or see-through container in case someone stumbles upon it by accident, I would like to remind all geocachers that glass itself can intensify the sun's rays and work like a magnifying glass on a bright day.

 

Yes I feel like Smokey the Bear, but please use caution if you're using a glass container.

[Guest HomeChicken]

Being a painter you know what I used...The five gallon buckets are just to big so I used a 1-gallon paint can with the label removed. going back tonight to tie a washer on it and spray paint the brand new silver can flat black. Might think of a way to make it look like a rock..Thanks for the tips!

 

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Bought a eTrex Legend on 7/24/01

placed one cache Here

[Guest Cache-potato]

Food for thought:

 

Tupperware/Rubbermaid containers are easily opened by varmits looking for lil tasties. This has happened to one of my caches. Screw on lids only from now on. Lesson learned.

 

Also, temp. change causing expansion and contraction of tupperware/rubbermaid containers w/ snap on lids will pop em off.

Lesson re-enforced.

 

AMMO cans hard to beat. Sure did like the PVC Camo pipes tho.

 

[This message has been edited by Cache-potato (edited 05 August 2001).]

[Guest Cache-potato]

Food for thought:

 

Tupperware/Rubbermaid containers are easily opened by varmits looking for lil tasties. This has happened to one of my caches. Screw on lids only from now on. Lesson learned.

 

Also, temp. change causing expansion and contraction of tupperware/rubbermaid containers w/ snap on lids will pop em off.

Lesson re-enforced.

 

AMMO cans hard to beat. Sure did like the PVC Camo pipes tho.

 

[This message has been edited by Cache-potato (edited 05 August 2001).]

[Guest EyezOfTheWorld]

quote:

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Originally posted by summitcacher:

After my experience this weekend at the Mad Jack cache (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=2239) I see a big problem with ammo boxes. As I arrived at the cache site I found 4 hikers who had stumbled upon the cache. They were preparing to cart the unopened ammo box off to the sheriff for disposal. If you're going to use a non-transparent container, you need to put a description on the outside that tells accidental finders what it is and that it's safe to open. The words "Mad Jack" on the outside of the ammo box weren't too reassuring to the hikers that found it From now on it's transparent rubbermaid containers for my caches.

---

 

It really doesn't matter what you write on the outside... certainly you've seen Looney Tunes cartoons where things like carrots and easter baskets have bombs in them? hehehe, okay, so it was a cartoony image that came to mind.

 

Ouch, now i just had a not so nice image come to mind. I wish we lived in a society where me saying this would be pure fiction... but we don't, sadly. Hypothetically, someone starts using PVC or ammo boxes or something else non-transparant, hides the cache, sets up the page here, someone goes out, finds it and blows off their hand, loses half their face, or dies because it was a bomb... "oh, but it said Geocache on it and it looked okay..."

[Guest EyezOfTheWorld]

quote:

---

Originally posted by summitcacher:

After my experience this weekend at the Mad Jack cache (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=2239) I see a big problem with ammo boxes. As I arrived at the cache site I found 4 hikers who had stumbled upon the cache. They were preparing to cart the unopened ammo box off to the sheriff for disposal. If you're going to use a non-transparent container, you need to put a description on the outside that tells accidental finders what it is and that it's safe to open. The words "Mad Jack" on the outside of the ammo box weren't too reassuring to the hikers that found it From now on it's transparent rubbermaid containers for my caches.

---

 

It really doesn't matter what you write on the outside... certainly you've seen Looney Tunes cartoons where things like carrots and easter baskets have bombs in them? hehehe, okay, so it was a cartoony image that came to mind.

 

Ouch, now i just had a not so nice image come to mind. I wish we lived in a society where me saying this would be pure fiction... but we don't, sadly. Hypothetically, someone starts using PVC or ammo boxes or something else non-transparant, hides the cache, sets up the page here, someone goes out, finds it and blows off their hand, loses half their face, or dies because it was a bomb... "oh, but it said Geocache on it and it looked okay..."

[Guest spiny norman]

While in the army surplus store to pick up standard ammo cans I saw a bin full of these decontamination boxes. great in-b-tween size. It's just a bit bigger then a pack of cigarettes. Like the Ammo cans, it will need many reassuring words on the outside before placement.(Sandpaper can take off the scary words on the lid.) I found a pic for it. Here is the URL. http://rangersurplus.tranguard.com/images.asp?id=2019

 

[This message has been edited by spiny norman (edited 15 August 2001).]

[Guest cavenagh]

I don't think anyone has mentioned this possibility in the preceding posts, but apologize if I am repeating. A company called Otter Box makes a waterproof, crushproof and lifetime warranted box. They come in a variety of sizes and colors and are the real deal if you want something very durable. They even float, so those of you who might like to set a catch out in the water could use one. They are easy to find on the net - case4less.com has been the place I have purchased, but there are many other sites that stock them.

 

Another possibility is the Nalgene wide-mouth bottle with attached screw top. They are very durable, relatively cheap and come in many sizes and colors from many camping sites on the net.

 

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Tom Cavenagh

[Guest MNMartian]

I have a plastic 5 pound dog biscuit container I'm going to try. I camo painted most of it, but left a portion of the top area still see through(safety). Thinking about using some kind of vecro tabs for the lid to make it more secure because it's like a coffee can lid, it just snaps on.

It's gonna be big!

[Guest Snowtrail]

I am doing a multi cache in a few weeks, so several small boxes include:

 

a loose leaf tea tin

an aspirin bottle

a computer screen wipe bottle

 

with the end box being a $2 ammo box. I also have a drywall box about as large as a paint can after finishing some renovations recently...

[Guest nbrege]

I was at WalMart earlier this evening looking for containers when I ran across a 1/2 gallon Igloo cooler jug with a screw on lid for $3. It was built like a tank & comes in a variety of colors, including a dark green. Should be watertight since it's made to keep liquids in & should be critter proof too. Plenty of room for items too...

[Guest fractal]

I picked up a waterproof powder container from the army surplus store for $15. I think it holds a little more than a 5 gallon bucket.

The container itself was kind of boring, so I spruced it up with a lot of paint and made some metal Geocaching logos and permanently mounted them to 4 sides. I'm quite proud of the finished product and hope to be hiding it soon

 

 

-fractal

[Guest fractal]

I picked up a waterproof powder container from the army surplus store for $15. I think it holds a little more than a 5 gallon bucket.

The container itself was kind of boring, so I spruced it up with a lot of paint and made some metal Geocaching logos and permanently mounted them to 4 sides. I'm quite proud of the finished product and hope to be hiding it soon

 

 

-fractal

[Guest leskowitz]

My new thing now is to buy old wooden boxes, jewerly boxes, that has designs on it and coat the crap out of it with polywhateveritis. I am into the more authenic old style look.

 

Here is another idea that I am about to lauch. I am going to get a log and hollow it out and make a lid with part of the log itself. That will blow people away. No one would ever think. I have the waterproof issue covered, I simply bag everything.

[Guest AZMark]

One summer in AZ, tupperware=not a container.

varmits bite, heat warps. Gotta go with ammo.

[Guest tedoca]

Hey Spiney Norman,

I used one of those De-con boxes for a cache I hid. The label peeled right off and, as you said, sandpaper took the lettering off the top. I also sandpapered the rest of the container to take away the sheen.

 

There is a pic here:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=6333

 

Tedoca

 

 

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Always remember to burp your tupperware!

[Guest Pote]

I just planted an underwater cache this weekend. It is an ammo box that I painted "rust bucket red" with Rust-olium and I stenciled "www.geocaching.com" and the name of the cache onto the side w/ day glow orange. No felt in mine, but I do have 15 lbs of diving weights.

[Guest Big Booty Bob]

I took an idea from one the earlier posts and made up a special goofy logo for myself. Bought a $6.00 Ammo box, added a little felt, a homemade stencil, stickers with logos, laminating plastic for the stickers, and camo paint. A fun project for me and my young sons. I think it looks a whole lot better than a blue topped Rubbermade container. Once hidden, you would have to be on top of it to find it.

 

 

Although, I just checked on my one box that's hidden and the moisture did get to the paper stickers. I'll either double laminate or just use stinciling only.

 

[This message has been edited by Big Booty Bob (edited 22 November 2001).]

[Guest Point Man]

PVC pipe with end caps for my first cache but changed my mind because of this.

 

Cliffy, your containers look great and I don't think anyone would confuse them for a bomb. Labeling is very important to let people know what they have found but placement is even more impotrant. The size and markings seem to scream to me, "Hey, i'm not a bomb!" If you place one in an area that normally has people around or right along a path, the thought of "pipe bomb" is much more likely than it is if you place it far off the path and in an area no one is likely to go.

 

I also read another post where someone was going to use capped off PVC pipe because it fits in his back pack. I think there is much greater risk of a misunderstanding if you are found carrying something like this than if it is found in the woods. I like to mountain bike to caches and I almost always wear a back pack. I will never put any type of capped pipe in a back pack when doing this because in the event of an accident, if one of the pipes becomes exposed, medical treatment may be delayed until a bomb squad is able to investigate. This could cause a very long delay in some (most) parts of the country.

 

Please keep in mind that if you place any type of container that have any wires or strings coming out of them, this will make it more threatening to the average person or bomb squad.

 

If I was called to investigate a suspicious ammo can I would most likely not be too hesitant to walk up to it. The second I saw a window in the side of the can I would be headed back the other direction and looking for a way to approach so the can couldn't "see me."

 

Remember, I am looking at this from the point of view of a person who doesn't know about geocaching (everyone else but you).

 

Painting and labeling is important because people believe what they read. At a minimum I would put www.geocaching.com and the coordinates on your cache.

Do not do something stupid like putting "This is not a bomb" on your cache. By the time someone finds it, not will be covered by a leaf.

 

I personally use plastic 1 gallon ice cream containers--I have more of them than I would like to admit. I also have some large ammo cans I plan to use, and now that I saw cliffy's work, I might make some out of 4" PVC.

[Guest edyck]

At risk of flogging a dead horse, I'd like to add my $0.02. I spent a lot of time on the net searching for an ideal cache box, and I think I found something pretty close, and my mother taught me to share.

 

I found this box at Campmor. It is waterproof (the O-ring worked so well I had to pry the box open the first time to break the seal), sturdy (made of Lexan), has solid latches, and has stainless steel hinges. They are a little pricey at about $20 each, but there are smaller sizes which (duh) cost less.

 

Below is a picture of Christmas Willie, a TB soon to be released at Tuttle Puddle, caught trying to break into one of the boxes. The "Official GeoCache" sticker didn't fit on the box, so I cut it in half - I'm going to use the Groundspeak logo half as a bumper sticker.

 

 

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Eric

www.KansasFolks.net

[Guest Markwell]

VERY VERY nice. Study, waterproof, yet transparent for the paranoid police. I may have to get me some.

 

However, I looked all through the online catalogs and couldn't find it. What category was it under (or could you provide a direct link to the item)?

[Guest martinp13]

quote:

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Originally posted by Markwell:

VERY VERY nice. Study, waterproof, yet transparent for the paranoid police. I may have to get me some.

 

However, I looked all through the online catalogs and couldn't find it. What category was it under (or could you provide a direct link to the item)?

---

 

http://www.campmor.com , item number 73506.

 

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> Martin

Magellan 330 (1.56/WAAS enabled!)

Don't have time to program and record your shows while geocaching? Get a TiVo !

[Guest martinp13]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markwell:

VERY VERY nice. Study, waterproof, yet transparent for the paranoid police. I may have to get me some.

 

However, I looked all through the online catalogs and couldn't find it. What category was it under (or could you provide a direct link to the item)?

---

 

http://www.campmor.com , item number 73506.

 

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> Martin

Magellan 330 (1.56/WAAS enabled!)

Don't have time to program and record your shows while geocaching? Get a TiVo !

[Guest TresOkies]

I created some of these, but given the current paranoia about averything, I'm a little more cautious about where I place them.

 

 

It's PVC pipe with a sewer cap end on one side and a end cap on the other. Costs about $6 each to make. Painted flat black with spots of brown and green for a camoed look.

 

I figure I'll make one of those fake tree stumps next.

 

-E

 

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--

35°32.981 98°34.631

[Guest Markwell]

TresOkies:

I've done the PVC tubes with a screw cap using 1½" diameter x 18" long for the first couple of stages of a multi-cache. I'd probably go to something like 4" diameter for an actual cache. But you're right: given the current climate, I like the idea of something transparent with a note like "Please don't blow me up" on it.

 

martinp13:

BTW, the item number you gave was for the teeny version. Even the $20 one isn't that big (3 5/8 in. x 6 1/2 in. x 8 in.), and not as big as an ammo can. Here's a link to the page that lists the various sizes.

[Guest Soup]

I just recently placed a cache that looks identical to a log. Took some old firewood, removed the bark and cut off the top. Glued it all to a coffee container (using great stuff). Its pretty new, so no one has attempted it yet. I am interested to hear their thoughts. I thought it might be kinda hard to find, so I included a device to help cachers find it. (I won't explain that until somebody finds it, dont want to spoil the fun). Just waiting for the first log... and waiting... and waiting.

[Guest Markwell]

quote:

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Originally posted by Soup:

I just recently placed a cache that looks identical to a log. Took some old firewood, removed the bark and cut off the top. Glued it all to a coffee container (using great stuff).

---

 

Sounds like a great variation of the "fake stump" that so many have tried. They usually are fun. I won't provide links to any fake stumps 'cause it does spoil the surprise.

[Guest TTracker]

I like to use the 30cal ammo boxes. The plastic ones from Gander mountain are nice but a little expensive. I get the metal ones from a surplus store at two for seven dollars. I do my own camo with paint I have lying around. An Official Geocache sticker goes on the side of the box. These 5 x 10 inch stickers are available from //store.geocaching.com. I reformatted and laminated a copy of stashnotes and glue it inside the lid with contact cement. I use zip-lock bags in the container in case of moisture from leakage or condensation. I like the Easy-Zip bags with the little zipper. After Sept. 11 people are getting so paranoid they just might blow up any suspicious container that isn't plainly labeled, though they probably wouldn't get too freaked out if they found it in the woods.

 

[This message has been edited by TTracker (edited 28 October 2001).]

[Guest kd7mxi]

i use

tupperwares/ammo boxes and m&m minis containers/

 

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"GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 93" ~~~KD7MXI

[Guest pater47]

Standard metal ammo boxes work great. I've never had one to leak or rust out. You can get stickers from www.geocaching.com which clearly identify it as a "geocaching game piece". To take care of what little moisture that might get into the box when it gets opened on a "hit", I save the little silica gel packets that come in dang near everything now to throw in the box.

[Guest SirRalanN]

3 Quart Plastic CLEAR(for all your paranoiacs) screw on lidded conainers are a good one for me and the ammo can also works well. I have been thinkin of using 4inch PVC pipe for some caches but still have to work out the details. Well, I guess the debate will continue on for some time. Ammo caans work great but so do plastic CLEAR thingies.

[Guest jbmccarthy69]

I just saw this item yesterday. Thought it would be a nice container for caching.

[Guest ClayJar]

I've used a clay jar.

[Guest ClayJar]

I've used a clay jar.

[Guest gnbrotz]

My first was in a LARGE plastic pretzel barrel painted black.

 

 

I plan to use mainly ammo cans. I get them sandblasted (only $1.00 each) before painting them flat black.

 

 

I also have a label similar to the sticker sold on the site so hopefully on one will blow them up!

 

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Greg

N39°54.705'

W077°33.137'

My geocaching page

 

[This message has been edited by gnbrotz (edited 13 November 2001).]

[Guest Hamster]

I found these at Gander Mountain for $9.99!!! Pretty cook huh? They are water resistant w/ orings, and are cammo color!

 

Now If I can only figure out a way to label them properly.

 

Here is a closeup of the hinge showing the o-ring