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Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Nov 29, 2009 8:47pm
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I have heard rumors of creative and unique "containers" used for letterboxing, particularly those that might be hiding in plain sight. Having just hidden my first hollow book box, I am curious about the most unusual "boxes" that you have found or planted ...
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467010 by ArchaeoFrog
Nov 29, 2009 8:57pm
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How about this one: june 26th post
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467010 by ArchaeoFrog
Nov 29, 2009 9:03pm
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Check out some of X Marks the Spot's plants. They are the most imaginative I've come across. He's probably an evil genius ;-) just kidding he's real nice and would probably give you some ideas storm rider
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467010 by ArchaeoFrog
Nov 30, 2009 4:46am
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I think that X Marks the Spot has some fabulous plants (boxes), but we have also found some that were disguised to look like one of the massive nuts holding up a metal light pole at a rest area, or part of a electric meter box, or a pinecone on a tree. (we're not telling which....that wouldn't be fair)

3 Blind Mice
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467010 by ArchaeoFrog
Nov 30, 2009 5:41am
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Check out the CCC - Cool Cache Containers forum. Lots of photos...

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=62421
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467010 by ArchaeoFrog
Nov 30, 2009 5:41am
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I have heard rumors of creative and unique "containers" used for letterboxing

You could check out some of the geocaching websites. I've seen some pretty clever "containers" on there.
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467076 by Mountain Heart
Nov 30, 2009 7:16am
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You could check out some of the geocaching websites. I've seen some pretty clever "containers" on there.

There's one here in Tallahassee I've gotta mention. It's a giant mousetrap, and I mean giant: The wooden base is a 4x8 sheet of plywood. The wire parts are made from copper tubing. And the piece of cheese is an ammo can, painted yellow. When you first approach it, you're a little nervous that touching that ammo can might make the whole thing snap on you, but a quick check confirms there's no real snappage possible.

And this monstrosity was planted by the Tallahassee Department of Parks and Recreation. Now there's a governmental entity that "gets it"!
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467075 by Lone R
Nov 30, 2009 8:31am
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Ok, I checked out that forum and some of the ideas were really ingenious. Now, to be perfectly clear, I have nothing against geocachers. I've never had any bad experiences with any of them and at least in my area, they seem to be very respectful of the places they plant. However, that being said, after looking at those pictures of caches, I can see why some people have problems with them. Don't get me wrong... as I said, some of those ideas were ingenious and I got some of my own ideas from them. But there were some pictures of caches that were camouflaged as trash. I understand the boxes are not trash, but if your camouflage makes it look like trash, in my mind it's still littering. Just because it hides a log doesn't make it look any better on the outside, and it still clutters up the scenery. I saw pictures of caches made to look like discarded yard gnomes, coke cans, etc. Aside from the trash caches, I really enjoyed the painted ammo cans for their equivalent of a Hitchhiker Hostel and I had been trying to picture the boxes sprayed with foam insulation since Kirbert mentioned it and I finally got to see one. I loved how people took stumps from dead trees and made them into huge boxes and the ammo can with the nested child safety device gave me a real good chuckle.
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467099 by Kirbert
Nov 30, 2009 8:39am
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It's a giant mousetrap, and I mean giant

Is it this one:

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?s=&showtopic=62421&view=findpost&p=3648317

=}
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467010 by ArchaeoFrog
Nov 30, 2009 8:43am
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Found a geocache years ago in Las Vegas; it's now gone so this description isn't going to be giving anything away. It was a multi-cache. Locations 1 through 3 gave the coords for the next location - plus an extra number. When you reached the final "box," it was a safe - yes, a real, heavy-duty steel safe - buried in the ground so that the door was facing up and the only part exposed. The extra numbers you collected along the way were the combination to open the safe.

BL47
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467015 by The hicks from the sticks
Nov 30, 2009 8:49am
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I use decon boxes a lot.
https://secure.armysurplusforless.com/productView.php?id=1002

They are not totally waterproof if submerged (no gasket under the lid), but I've not had any reports of damp contents when hung from a tree or fence.

BL47
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467109 by Dizzy
Nov 30, 2009 8:55am
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But there were some pictures of caches that were camouflaged as trash. I understand the boxes are not trash, but if your camouflage makes it look like trash, in my mind it's still littering.

I don't get the disguised-as-trash hides either. Not so much for the aesthetics but because many cachers also CITO (cache in trash out) and may inadvertently toss it out with the other trash in the area. Same for clean-up crews or park maintenance workers who pick up litter.

Other containers that bother me are those disguised as public utilites - e.g. junction boxes. If it is a junction type of box it should be obvious that it's the correct box - a GC logo on the box (or AQ/LBNA logo if it's a letterbox). I also don't like anything on public safety equipment like water and fire safety devices.
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467120 by Lone R
Nov 30, 2009 9:04am
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I'm not real sure I like the ones disguised as harmful objects, either. Since I sometimes take my young daughter, I wouldn't want her poking around real hornet nests or bear traps thinking they might be letterboxes. I'm with you on the things on public safety equipment and utilities. I'll give them credit for creativity.

I think my favorite one was the lamppost with the real working lamp. It was a solar powered lamp but looked like one of those old lampposts you'd find in a "gaslight" district. Wouldn't want to spend that kind of money on a box, though. The perk of that cache is that it is not only functional as a cache, but functional as a light source.
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467123 by Dizzy
Nov 30, 2009 9:56am
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I think my favorite one was the lamppost with the real working lamp. It was a solar powered lamp but looked like one of those old lampposts you'd find in a "gaslight"

And it's sitting in the middle of a forest, where you don't expect to find a working lamppost. :)
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467145 by Lone R
Nov 30, 2009 9:58am
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I think my favorite one was the lamppost with the real working lamp. It was a solar powered lamp but looked like one of those old lampposts you'd find in a "gaslight"

And it's sitting in the middle of a forest, where you don't expect to find a working lamppost. :)

Oh yeah, and it pokes fun at lamp post hides, (the type in the middle of a walmart parking lot) which are the bain of many a seasoned geocacher.
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467111 by Lone R
Nov 30, 2009 11:01am
Thread (disabled) Board
Is it this one:

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?s=&showtopic=62421&view=findpost&p=3648317

=}

I dunno, give me another hour for that page to load on my dial-up!
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467111 by Lone R
Nov 30, 2009 11:11am
Thread (disabled) Board
Is it this one:

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?s=&showtopic=62421&view=findpost&p=3648317

=}

Didn't see any giant mousetraps on there, but several photos have been moved or deleted. That double longspring bear trap was pretty nasty-looking, though, wasn't it?
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467169 by Kirbert
Nov 30, 2009 11:15am
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Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467177 by Lone R
Nov 30, 2009 11:27am
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This might be faster....it's just the photo:

Nope, that's not it! Similar idea, though. The one I found is perhaps twice the size of that one, and the ammo box is bright yellow. And it doesn't just have a swinging bar; it has the coil spring, the latch, everything. The "cheese" is actually held up in the air by the latch. It didn't have that cool "Victor" paint job, though.
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467177 by Lone R
Dec 1, 2009 5:41am
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http://img.geocaching.com/cache/log/db8f6f6a-f682-4ed1-808c-1467040d3d24.jpg

wow! talk about multitasking--not only is it a geocache, it's also a changing table.

p
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467452 by PapaSolo
Dec 1, 2009 9:53am
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OH, I thought that was a trade item :)
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467117 by Boxer Lover47
Dec 1, 2009 9:57am
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I use decon boxes a lot.

Wow, I just about passed out when I saw the price on these - am I reading correctly that this is $4.99 for one box? A lot of us use these same boxes in Pennsylvania but are fortunate to get them from an Army Navy store for under a dollar a piece.
Re: Unique "boxes"
Board: Traditional Letterboxes
Reply to: #467552 by Janila
Dec 1, 2009 9:30pm
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Yes, the online price is high! I get mine from the local army surplus store for about $2. Your price is even better - lucky you! I posted the link so people could see the photo. Also many people who contact me about them don't have a local store and ask about online sources. This link isn't the only place; google for decon box for others.