Hey, we all live and learn.

Yes, I have found many of his boxes and they are heavy duty. The only thing that I've seen mess them up are mud and found one that was frozen up with dirt on it. Any ideas on where to find something similar that isn't really pricey?

the felt would just wander around in there.

What's going on inside your letterboxes while they're sitting there, Kirbert! LOL, I can't get that image of felt crawling around out of my head! But seriously, I've never had an issue with wandering felt. I do make the felt a good size, wider than than the stamp and very long so it wraps around the stamp more than once. I use the heavy pint freezer baggies, which are more rigid than sandwich baggies, and maybe they snug it up a bit.

I'm a daring kind of person. Why not stick both the stamp and the logbook together in the same baggie? I'm sure there's a reason, I just don't know what it is. BTW, Lock&Lock containers are made in China.

I was blown over last night when the "daring" Jessie Graff became the first woman to ever complete the punishing Stage 1 American Ninja Warrior course in Las Vegas. She had the second fastest time while several other accomplished men expected to do well didn't even finish the course. A few tears of WOW Joy! were in my eyes.

Well, they don't make them (L&Ls that is) like they used to. Those darn accountants always looking for a way to save a few pennies to justify their salary by using less reliable material items. After all do they even understand that "zero tolerance" means their L&Ls must past the following requirement ...

A few years ago i retrieved a Lock&Lock that had been submerged between 1-3 feet under water for over two months. Once retrieved there was 1/4" of water in the bottom of the L&L. Both the stamp pouch and logbook were in separate baggies (she's an elite boxer).

The stamp pouch baggie was at the bottom of the L&L and although the contents were damp they were easily dried out and wiped off good as new. The logbook baggie was sitting above the stamp baggie. Because of the quality of the logbook baggie and being sealed tight the logbook was as dry as if it were in an Arizona desert. The owner let me keep the L&L =:)

I've just recently gotten back into the game, so the whole camo pouch thing is new to me (and here come the flames) but I really don't like them. Yes, they are easier to hide but they are no fun to open or close. Granted, I am OCD about resealing letterboxes properly, but the pouches are nearly impossible to reseal properly without special equipment. By special equipment, I mean I now carry an old toothbrush with me to brush out the crap that collects in the multi-channeled ziplock seal! It doesn't work with mud! What do I carry next? A squirt bottle of water to flush it all out? Oh, but that would make it wet! ARG!

Some of my oldest plants (circa 2001) in the old fashioned blue rubber lipped rubbermaid containers are still perfectly intact. Any other similarly containered plants did not fair so well.

I have never used a true LnL (cha-ching!) but I almost exclusively use the LnL knockoffs from OSJL since they appeared and they hold up well even in the great range of temps and conditions here in New England. I confess, I am a triple bagger to boot.

Warrior Woman
likes to play it safe

I was blown over last night when the "daring" Jessie Graff became the first woman to ever complete the punishing Stage 1 American Ninja Warrior course in Las Vegas. She had the second fastest time...

4th fastest, actually. She was 2nd place in the qualifying round, which is also incredibly impressive. It's worth noting that only 8 people total finished that Stage 1, out of the dozens who attempted it, who in turn were out of the thousands who tried out for qualifying rounds.

L&L's might actually fool people performing the submersion tests. The pressure from submersion may actually tighten the seal, while they may actually leak when just left to sit in a humid environment. Even if they're not as good as they once were, I'd still argue they're among the best choices we've got.

WW, you're not the only one who dislikes the duct-taped baggie pouches, and for the reasons you state! That's perhaps one reason the non-baggie pouch is better; it doesn't have the seal at all, just an opening that gets folded over to close it.

I started boxing in 2004 and those Rubbermaid containers were de rigeur. They fell out of favor not because they failed so much as they tended to collect leaves and debris in the seal, requiring extensive cleaning by every finder before reclosing -- and a lot of finders clearly weren't taking the time. They might work OK in some hides where mud and leaves aren't an issue. But L&L's soon shown themselves to be superior in all respects and boxers quit buying the Rubbermaids.

There are zillions of L&L knockoffs out there, most of them are thinner plastic than true L&L's but many of them seal just as well. The problem, as I learned after buying and planting entirely too many Dollar Tree containers, is that there are other ways to fail. The blue gasket in the Dollar Tree items, left in the woods, will dry out and crumble and fall right out of the lid in chunks. It might work OK for storing food in your refrigerator, I dunno, but it is NFG for letterboxing -- and you can't tell that by looking at it or by testing it in the bathtub. It's only having them in use in the woods for a coupla years when you really know if they will hold up.

I have never used a true LnL (cha-ching!) but I almost exclusively use the LnL knockoffs from OSJL since they appeared and they hold up well even in the great range of temps and conditions here in New England.

I've always used the LnL knockoffs from OSJL, too, but I'm not thrilled with the new version of these knockoffs. They don't snap closed as well as the previous version, so I'm not sure how well they'll hold up. As a result, I bought my first real LnLs this past week. Cha-ching, indeed, especially for someone who likes to plant! :^(

See old message #521339 from 2010 for an experience I had with a L&L.

See old message #521339 from 2010 for an experience I had with a L&L.

I've found that box. It was all dry when I found it.

Safari Man's pouches were closed by simply folding the open end over and tucking it under a strap, IIRC. I think the instructions for making those pouches are around here somewhere. They involve a fabric, no baggie.

I do recall seeing that tutorial he had made. It is interesting that just folding it over and placing the strap around it is enough to keep everything dry.

I use baggies for my pouches, but they are the heavy duty ziplocs with the notched top and wide zipper that is fairly easy to close (although I am sure there are still some finders who will struggle with closing the bag). I fold over the top (pretty much fold it in half) and secure it with a strap similar to the one you are describing, so even if somebody doesn't seal the baggie well, it has some protection. I was worried about bugs though. I just started using these in places where excessive water should not be an issue -- so far they've held up well, but the true test will be how well they handle the snow this winter.

I put the stamp and logbook in the same baggie sometimes with just a square piece of felt (unwrapped) as a buffer between the inky part and whatever it is in contact with.

The pressure from submersion may actually tighten the seal, while they may actually leak when just left to sit in a humid environment.

I never thought of that. Also, it doesn't matter how good the container is when mud and debris gets in the seal. I used to carry an old toothbrush with me to brush the debris off of the seal.

In New England we use the Freshness Keepers from Ocean State Job Lot, L&L knockoffs. I haven't seen any real difference in quality so far, and they are $1.50 for the popular size. Either brand can leak on occasion. One of the few leaky boxes I've had was a real L&L.

In New England we use the Freshness Keepers from Ocean State Job Lot, L&L knockoffs. I haven't seen any real difference in quality so far, and they are $1.50 for the popular size.

Have you been using the new version of the Freshness Keepers, Tessie? I loved the old version, but the new version of the small rectangular ones doesn't snap closed as well as the old version. And the new version doesn't include a small round container.

Out of Habit? And not by the planter but by the finder.
We really dislike the plastic bag and try to plant without them when possible. We have several lnl boxes that even though are outside are also under a roof/railing/bench so will never see hard rain.
But more often than not when checking on those boxes we find that a previous finder has bagged them up! And the stamps in those boxes have their very own cozies so messy ink is not really a problem. Comes down to nothing but pure habit and trying to be helpful I think.
We have lnl planted out under the open sky and we do bag those, that's called insurance in Florida!

Talenti containers are my cache/box of choice! Roomy (HH'er friendly) Fairly secure when it comes to rain & ants. I wrap the sides with camo-duct tape & we're good to box ;)

Yup. I've used them a few times too. I have a whole flock that have been spray painted with the camo paint in green and brown (pretty accurate colors for most of my hides) and they seem to be working. I did try to make a silicon seal on one, but that seems to be more trouble than it's worth, though I may have cut the tube a little to big, so perhaps another $7 dollars is needed to get another tube of silicon caulk for more experimenting.

Wow, that is a good price. I looked on the OSJL Web site to see if I could order some, but they do not seem to have online shopping.

We really dislike the plastic bag and try to plant without them when possible. We have several lnl boxes that even though are outside are also under a roof/railing/bench so will never see hard rain.

A baggie serves little purpose in lnl boxes hung from a bushy conifer branch or located in a position above the ground to quickly shed-off any water/snow.

"The term 'going commando' has been adopted by some letterboxers to refer to a letterbox with no plastic baggies protecting the contents. Lock-n-Locks, most noteably, are legendary for their ability to repel water. However, a baggie that gets caught in the seal can let water get in, thus removal of the baggie and 'going commando.' " http://www.atlasquest.com/about/glossary/c.html#commando

Have you been using the new version of the Freshness Keepers, Tessie? I loved the old version, but the new version of the small rectangular ones doesn't snap closed as well as the old version.

Yes, I liked the older version better.

Wow, that is a good price. I looked on the OSJL Web site to see if I could order some, but they do not seem to have online shopping.

Yup, and they used to be $1.25 for the size that fits a logbook, 75 cents for the little round one that's a good size if you don't have a logbook. Maybe this is one reason there are so many boxes in New England.

Maybe this is one reason there are so many boxes in New England.

That is a good thought!

(I think from beating ants off).

Not even going to make a comment

BTW, Lock&Lock containers are made in China.

The ones I got directly from Lock 'n Lock are made in Vietnam. It is an interesting theory that quality varies based on where it was manufactured.

Yup, and they used to be $1.25 for the size that fits a logbook, 75 cents for the little round one that's a good size if you don't have a logbook. Maybe this is one reason there are so many boxes in New England.

That's an excellent point, Tessie! I doubt I would have planted as many boxes if I'd had to pay for real LnLs. And I wouldn't have been as likely to replace other people's failed boxes if I were paying LnL prices.

It is an interesting theory that quality varies based on where it was manufactured.

I wouldn't call that an interesting theory. I'd call it a pretty well known fact that is true for many products.

A L&L I have here, which I've had for several years, says it was made in China.

It's a fine howdy-doo when "Made in China" is a sign of the good stuff!

It's a fine howdy-doo when "Made in China" is a sign of the good stuff!

Ain't that the truth!

It is an interesting theory that quality varies based on where it was manufactured.

I wouldn't call that an interesting theory. I'd call it a pretty well known fact that is true for many products.

There is no arguing that product quality (of many things) varies with the manufacturing process and/or place of production. In this specific instance I was referring to the fact that it seems the LnL made in China is actually the quality product. I found that interesting. Apparently that is not of interest to you, which quite frankly, does not surprise me in the least. I am sure there are many things in life I find interesting that you don't, and vice versa. I'm okay with that... you should be too. Generally when that happens, I see no need for comment, rather just ignore and/or move along.

Well. Goodness.

Okie dokie then.