Attachments For Preforms

[+JL_HSTRE]

I've seen preform tubes attached in various ways including monofiliment line, zipties, and wire. (Sometimes no attachment is necessary and the preform can simply be tucked into something.)

 

Monofiliment line seems the most sturdy, but also the most difficult to use. Namely, you have to be able to tie knots with it.

 

Zipties are easy to use, but the option most susceptible to falling apart from heat and/or sunlight. Especially important on the flora to hang loosely.

 

Thin wire rusts out too quickly, but thicker wire seems pretty sturdy and fairly easy to bend into shape. Potential tetanus issues for the unwary and even sturdy thicker wire will eventually rust through.

 

Any other attachment methods? In your experience which method do you think works the best?

[+lee737]

I use wire..... take some spare wire with you when you do a maintenance check, replace it if it is getting rusty and looks to be about to fail..... use galvanised wire, it will last long enough.

[+Viajero Perdido]

Garden wire from the local dollar store chain is ideal. It's metal wire, fairly stiff, with a dark green plasticized coating so it blends right into the foliage.

 

Don't forget to wrap it loose around the branch, or maybe just form a hook to hang over the branch, because branches grow.

[+Pork King]

Rusty metal in itself does not pose a greater risk of tetanus. The bacteria that causes tetanus can be found anywhere anaerobic bacteria can be found, including dirt. The longstanding belief comes from that fact that metal is more likely to rust in areas that harbor bacteria (i.e. outside), and metal can cause cuts and scrapes to the skin, giving the bacteria a way in to your body. Rust contains no more c. tetani bacteria than other surfaces.

 

Anyhooo...

 

I like to use paracord to tether my preforms. It lasts forever, it's easy to buy in a myriad of camo colors, and it does less damage to flora than wire. Tying a knot just below the lip of the preform is usually enough to hold it, though I have gotten fancy and braided the paracord around the preform to hold it.

[+Mudfrog]

Trotline string works for me. It lasts a long time and is easy to tie.

[+cerberus1]

We've used fishing wire on caches and wind chimes, and haven't had any "rust" or wear.

[+kunarion]

Any other attachment methods? In your experience which method do you think works the best?

I haven't placed my preforms. But I placed match tubes and 50ml vials (even roomier than match tubes). One uses a short PVC pipe capped at the bottom and Velcro-wrapped to a near-vertical tree branch. The cache tube drops into the pipe. Most of my match tubes use magnets velcro-wrapped onto branches, which are held to magnets vecro-wrapped to the match tubes. The magnets are JB-Welded to the velcro, or wrapped into the Velcro in the case of strong magnets.

 

I recently bought a bunch of large, black "UV" plastic zip-ties, but haven't used them. They'd probably be more for securing something to the tube, rather than holding it to a branch. As you mentioned, it can be problematic to strap zip-ties to a branch. But supposedly UV zip-ties hold up well in sunlight.

 

I've used plastic-coated gardening wire in many ways on my caches, for a long time. I can easily bend a cut end out of the way, but if there's a cut end that's loose and could cause injury, I file it smooth. I guess the wire can eventually rust, here in Atlanta's humidity. But there's been no issue with rust nor tetanus so far.

 

This one uses plastic-coated gardening wire and a spring clip for holding table cloths to picnic tables. Un-clip it from its tree branch to access the tube. The clip has foam rubber jaws. I've had a similar one in a park for years:

 

 

Edited February 28, 2017 by kunarion

[+Isonzo Karst]

I use 2 different attachments, in both cases because I have them around.

 

I strip out individual copper wires out of standard wiring romex - I've got piles of scrap around. Great stuff, bends well, no rust, goes to a wonderful camo patina shortly. I think you can buy this by the foot (?) at big box stores.

 

 

Also, braided nylon kevlar core line. This is used by cavers, cave and wreck divers, and likely other applications - narrower in diameter than your average shoe lace, and incredibly strong and durable. Too pricey to purchase for geocaching, but I've got old line reels around. It does get discarded when it starts to show outer wear, so if there are wreck diving shops around, you might come up with some as a freebie.

 

Edited to mention that I seriously covet a flamingo spring clip...

Edited February 28, 2017 by Isonzo Karst

[+kunarion]

Edited to mention that I seriously covet a flamingo spring clip...

A camo-painted flamingo, no less!

[+JohnCNA]

Thin wire rusts out too quickly, but thicker wire seems pretty sturdy and fairly easy to bend into shape. Potential tetanus issues for the unwary and even sturdy thicker wire will eventually rust through.

I have used a variety of tethering methods, and I prefer copper electrical wire the best. I bought a 50-foot roll of dark brown 14 gauge wire for maybe $4 at Home Depot. The copper never rusts and the insulation coating blends in well. It's stiff enough to hold it's shape yet can be un-bent and re-bent for years without breaking.

 

[+SwineFlew]

I use really think wire and they last forever. The reason for it, geocachers are hard on things. I bend the tip so it wont cut anyone. I have to show you all a picture of how I do it. I make it extra long and bend it to the shape I need out in the field.

 

My advice, try your best not to make it looks like a bomb.

[+hukilaulau]

I have one that's camo taped to a branch over a creek that can only be reached by canoe. The top sticks out at the end of the branch so you don't have to remove the container.

A couple of others taped to sticks stuck into hollows in trees.

[+DragonsWest]

I've been using gardening wire - it's a steel wire with a plastic layer on the outside. It seems to be the best option where oxidation may happen, as we have a minor problem with sea salt / ions borne on the air.

 

I'm loathe to use copper wire because it may interact with plant life in a negative way.

[+mraudrey]

I work in a metal fabrication shop, so I have access to plenty of very nice stainless steel filler rod that we use for tig welding. Small quantities of it should be available at any welding supply store. It comes in several thicknesses, and the thicker stuff can be difficult to work with, so I would suggest looking for .040" size. It is very durable, resistant to abrasion, and will likely last longer than any preform. It is also environmentally safe. For my hides near the coast that are hangars, I won't use anything else. One thing that might put off the average geocacher is the price, so you may want to split the cost with a few others.

[+Oxford Stone]

I'm with Viajero and Dragon.

https://www.geocaching.com/seek/gallery.aspx?guid=da30f862-688f-4a2b-9df1-914e0b4ae6fa

I twisted the wire to make a loose hook and a cradle.

Edit to add: woohoo I managed to add a photo to a post! (html dummmy...)

So on the page I've said something like, unhook and replace the whole thing but leave the pot in its cradle (which took maybe 2 minutes of weaving to make and would work on any size - double up for heavier containers)

So far so good.

My 3 tree climbs are all attached with old bootlaces. Loosely tied round branches, then use pots with a lip and / or superglue the lace round the pot.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Oxford Stone

[+kunarion]

I'm with Viajero and Dragon.

https://www.geocaching.com/seek/gallery.aspx?guid=da30f862-688f-4a2b-9df1-914e0b4ae6fa

I twisted the wire to make a loose hook and a cradle.

Edit to add: woohoo I managed to add a photo to a post! (html dummmy...)

So on the page I've said something like, unhook and replace the whole thing but leave the pot in its cradle (which took maybe 2 minutes of weaving to make and would work on any size - double up for heavier containers)

So far so good.

My 3 tree climbs are all attached with old bootlaces. Loosely tied round branches, then use pots with a lip and / or superglue the lace round the pot.

These will tend to be unsuitable for urban hides. Yours may be way out on some trail, so it's not always a problem. Just keep in mind how any given hide appears at first glance. You don't want the news report of the bomb squad activity to say that they "found a military camouflaged cylinder with wires sticking out of it" . Most of my hides, as mentioned, are not using "wires" specifically because of what it looks like to a nosey passer-by... it looks like a movie spy's handmade "bomb". Yet design it in a slightly different way with a different tube decoration, and now it's just a harmless "game piece". First impressions are everything.

 

I do have a cool lock-n-lock held with paracord, up a tree! I secured an eyelet to the box, and there's a hook on the cord. I might try that instead of magnets on some of my other hides.

Edited March 7, 2017 by kunarion

[+Oxford Stone]

I'm with Viajero and Dragon.

https://www.geocaching.com/seek/gallery.aspx?guid=da30f862-688f-4a2b-9df1-914e0b4ae6fa

I twisted the wire to make a loose hook and a cradle.

Edit to add: woohoo I managed to add a photo to a post! (html dummmy...)

So on the page I've said something like, unhook and replace the whole thing but leave the pot in its cradle (which took maybe 2 minutes of weaving to make and would work on any size - double up for heavier containers)

So far so good.

My 3 tree climbs are all attached with old bootlaces. Loosely tied round branches, then use pots with a lip and / or superglue the lace round the pot.

These will tend to be unsuitable for urban hides. Yours may be way out on some trail, so it's not always a problem. Just keep in mind how any given hide appears at first glance. You don't want the news report of the bomb squad activity to say that they "found a military camouflaged cylinder with wires sticking out of it" . Most of my hides, as mentioned, are not using "wires" specifically because of what it looks like to a nosey passer-by... it looks like a movie spy's handmade "bomb". Yet design it in a slightly different way with a different tube decoration, and now it's just a harmless "game piece". First impressions are everything.

 

I do have a cool lock-n-lock held with paracord, up a tree! I secured an eyelet to the box, and there's a hook on the cord. I might try that instead of magnets on some of my other hides.

 

I think it depends on the paranoia level of the country / city in question. I was amazed to find https://coord.info/GC21V3W in Switzerland a few years ago, magnetic box on the side of left luggage lockers in a railway station in Switzerland. That would be an instant bomb scare in many places.

But yes, my 2 as per the pic are out in the countryside.

When there was a bomb scare in Oxford (film pot velcroed under a park bench), the local police did at least sign the log paper.

[+scooby_loves_pooh]

I had a friend that dabbled in taxadermy give me a spool of waxed taxadermy string. Incredibly thin and strong and waterproof as well. Best thing i have found for tethering caches. It's black so it's hard to spot.

[+WearyTraveler]

I use wire from extra lengths of network cable (UTP). I poke a tiny hole in the top of the cap, thread the wire through and tie an overhand knot.

I extend it a bit and push the knot and a couple inches of wire into my tube of goop, then pull the wire so that as it's extracting it leaves a gob of goop where the know hits the inside of the hole.

 

I'm not sure how the UTP wire will hold up over time.

 

Anyone else use strands of UTP?

[+hzoi]

I use wire from extra lengths of network cable (UTP). I poke a tiny hole in the top of the cap, thread the wire through and tie an overhand knot.

I extend it a bit and push the knot and a couple inches of wire into my tube of goop, then pull the wire so that as it's extracting it leaves a gob of goop where the know hits the inside of the hole.

Over the last ten years, I have yet to run into a cache with a hole poked in the cap that hasn't eventually developed a leak, no matter what attempt was made to seal the hole back up. I suppose there are examples out there, but I don't recall ever finding one.

[+WearyTraveler]

I use wire from extra lengths of network cable (UTP). I poke a tiny hole in the top of the cap, thread the wire through and tie an overhand knot.

I extend it a bit and push the knot and a couple inches of wire into my tube of goop, then pull the wire so that as it's extracting it leaves a gob of goop where the know hits the inside of the hole.

Over the last ten years, I have yet to run into a cache with a hole poked in the cap that hasn't eventually developed a leak, no matter what attempt was made to seal the hole back up. I suppose there are examples out there, but I don't recall ever finding one.

[+Viajero Perdido]

One other thing to mention: critters. They'll chew through any kind of rope, string, thread, ... It's gotta be wire, or something containing wire, or sure as anything, someone will report finding the cache on the ground with some frayed rope attached.

[+cerberus1]

One other thing to mention: critters. They'll chew through any kind of rope, string, thread, ... It's gotta be wire, or something containing wire, or sure as anything, someone will report finding the cache on the ground with some frayed rope attached.

+1 Yep.

The last couple tree hides we did had mono , one with 550 paracord, and all were chewed, or shredded by tree bark.

Something even ate the top off a boat key float (wasn't a good container anyway).

Since we were already up there, CJ called her friends/Owners, and replaced that gnawed line with 20# fishing wire, and all but that carpy boat float are still there.

[+hzoi]

I use wire from extra lengths of network cable (UTP). I poke a tiny hole in the top of the cap, thread the wire through and tie an overhand knot.

I extend it a bit and push the knot and a couple inches of wire into my tube of goop, then pull the wire so that as it's extracting it leaves a gob of goop where the know hits the inside of the hole.

Over the last ten years, I have yet to run into a cache with a hole poked in the cap that hasn't eventually developed a leak, no matter what attempt was made to seal the hole back up. I suppose there are examples out there, but I don't recall ever finding one.

OK, then tell me which of yours have holes in the lids and have never leaked, and I can go find them and make them the first examples.

 

[+kunarion]

I have yet to run into a cache with a hole poked in the cap that hasn't eventually developed a leak, no matter what attempt was made to seal the hole back up. I suppose there are examples out there, but I don't recall ever finding one.

One way to seal a hole through a flat surface is with a long eyelet bolt, a nut and flat washer on each side of the hole, and lots of sealant (RTV or JB Weld or other flexible sealant, but not craft glue nor hot glue). That's the way to make a lockable ammo box using an eyelet, also a great way to set up a hanging ammo box. I've made a couple of those, and used JB Weld. I seal holes in a similar way when I bolt large items to a container. I've never made a hole in a match tube. Those I wrap in a layer of Velcro and glue magnets either on or under the Velcro. But I think the plan using washers & bolts could work.

 

This is not so good on the lid of a match tube or lock-n-lock since the lid tends to be the first thing to need replacement, and the hardware setup is probably a one time deal. But I did that on the lid of a couple of my lock-n-locks, since water won't tend to sit in the bead of the lid seal. And I made a replacement at the same time.

Edited April 19, 2017 by kunarion