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  1. #1

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    Question Keeping it dry. Containers that work or not

    Prompted by this thread https://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/in...owtopic=195879 i thought id ask what other peoples experience is of containers and keeping them dry.

    Ive never found a dry log in a breath mint container. 35mm film canisters are not waterproof and need good protection and drainage to work. Magnnetic key safes are definitely not waterproof.

    Of course all caches can get wet and if its raining a small container will suffer much more than a large one. (another argument in the UK for the use a large container)

    There again I have also had an ammo box which consistently got wet due to heavy, dew forming foliage.

    Whats other peoples experiences? how do you keep them dry what does not work and does logging under your coat really keep the cache dry !
    "If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning."

  2. #2
    keehotee Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by markandlynn View Post
    Of course all caches can get wet and if its raining a small container will suffer much more than a large one. (another argument in the UK for the use of a large container)
    Why's that then? I don't follow your logic..

    Surely severity of water ingress and cache sufferage (?) is going to be dependant on a caches lid seal length, and proportional to the volume of the cache - so a 35mm film canister, with a relatively large volume to seal length ratio, will actually let in a smaller volume of water as a proportion of total cache volume than a larger, flatter, tupperware (not Lock'n'lock) container.........?

    Add to that the fact that rain does not descend as a continuous fall of water - but instead comes down in drops, with an interstitial space between each drop - and it is easy to speculate that a 35mm film canister, having a far smaller opening than a larger container, could conceivably collect far less rain water whilst open for any given amount of time........

    h34r:h34r:
    Last edited by keehotee; 10th June 2008 at 01:12 PM. Reason: just being cocky - mwahahahahaha

  3. #3

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    Found several micro caches in the Lake District at the weekend where the 35 mm film canister was in a slightly larger screw top container.
    Happy Caching

    Gazooks

    - Setting a good example for children takes all the fun out of middle age.

  4. #4

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    I've got a couple of 35mm film canisters out there, and they're certainly not watertight - they need to be in pretty sheltered spots to remain dry inside.

    My own favourites are lock 'n' lock boxes - they have really good seals and provided people close them properly they're absolutely watertight. I do realize that the same could be said of ammo cans, but personally I don't like those, as they're noisy to open and close, and so can be a dead giveaway in quiet spots. They can also be a pain to open sometimes!

    No, I don't think using one's coat or whatever to keep a cache dry is particularly successful - it may (or may not) keep the rain out, but in heavy rain the air's laden with moisture which is going to get shut in the cache when it's closed and then condense.
    ​​Do not go gentle into that good night.
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  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by keehotee View Post
    Why's that then? I don't follow your logic..

    Surely severity of water ingress and cache sufferage (?) is going to be dependant on a caches lid seal length, and proportional to the volume of the cache - so a 35mm film canister, with a relatively large volume to seal length ratio, will actually let in a smaller volume of water as a proportion of total cache volume than a larger, flatter, tupperware (not Lock'n'lock) container.........?

    Add to that the fact that rain does not descend as a continuous fall of water - but instead comes down in drops, with an interstitial space between each drop - and it is easy to speculate that a 35mm film canister, having a far smaller opening than a larger container, could conceivably collect far less rain water whilst open for any given amount of time........

    h34r:h34r:
    The water ingress would surely depend on how many times its opened in the rain.
    "If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning."

  6. #6

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    To digress slightly from the original topic, I have a nano out there that is anything but watertight. I use waterproof paper for the log strip and on the cache page request finders to sign in pencil as pens are likely to run. generally this works well apart from...

  7. #7

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    Have carried a film pot filled with water for many years in a kit box.
    Never a leak!

    Use the kodak tubs, black tub grey top.
    A lot of the more recent cheapo tubs certainly are not water tight!
    I have a Geocaching problem...
    Work gets in the way!

    * Cache Walker -Caching by byway, not highway! CacheWalker.co.uk
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  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bear and Ragged View Post
    Have carried a film pot filled with water for many years in a kit box.
    Never a leak!

    Use the kodak tubs, black tub grey top.
    A lot of the more recent cheapo tubs certainly are not water tight!
    I have never found too much problem with the regular 35mm pots with the snap on lids except they do seem to attract mice/squirrels/? which chew round the edge of the lid causing leaks.

    The oval APS ones and, as others have said, newer 35mm ones, with push in lids would put a sponge to shame

  9. #9
    keehotee Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by markandlynn View Post
    The water ingress would surely depend on how many times its opened in the rain.
    So you're saying micros are going to be opened more often than regular containers??
    No doubt due to their popularity amongst hardened cachers lol

  10. #10
    Alan White Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by markandlynn View Post
    35mm film canisters are not waterproof and need good protection and drainage to work.
    Sorry, I have to - slightly - disagree there. It's true that they're not waterproof (in the sense that they would pass any standard test) but we've used many 35mm containers and not one of them has ever been reported as being wet inside.

    But all 35mm containers are not the same. As Bear and Ragged say, the ones with the grey tops are fine. The lid fits tightly and has a good seal. Then there are the white/clear ones, which are almost sponge-like in their ability to attract and retain water .

    Other micros to avoid are the Groundspeak ones (http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=152615). Despite their high price the rubber seal hardens and breaks very quickly and even when hung with the opening at the bottom the two of them we've used were always very wet inside.

  11. #11

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    used, no. Seen, yes! wouldn't recommend them -not in the slightest bit waterproof! might as well leave the log in a placcy bag and not bother with the container!

    I can't think of any flat waterproof containers of the top of my head. Key safes are quite popular but also prone to leakage. You may need to improvise!

  12. #12

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    OoooK.

    So they have been used then.

    I have purchased a Mini sewing kit, just for the clear plastic container but its a bit wider than the battery case, might place that with just magnets. and leave it a week to see if it gets spotted.

  13. #13

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    For micros, I now use the soft drink bottle preforms.. These are probably as waterproof as things get.. Apart from being cheap, they are also immensely strong..

  14. #14

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    I also have gone to Preforms for micros too, for exactly the same reasons. There's even one round here that's submerged and when I found it it was bone dry inside


  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by PopUpPirate View Post
    I also have gone to Preforms for micros too, for exactly the same reasons. There's even one round here that's submerged and when I found it it was bone dry inside

    Has anyone found a good source of supply for these where you don't have to get 5000 all at once and postage is reasonable?

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