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Do You Actually Hide A Cache...


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I recently looked for 45 minutes for a new cache to no avail. Turns out, the cache owner hadn't placed the cache yet. On the cache page he states in a note that he expected to get up early in the morning and put the cache container out. Another cacher was looking for the cache when he arrived to place it.

 

On another previous cache in the area, the cache owner states on the newly "placed" cache, "This one will be coming out soon. Keep an eye out for it." I got a kick out of this one. (ended up being archived after the cache never arrived)

 

I may be doing this wrong. Are you supposed to actually hide a cache before getting it listed?

Edited by Googling Hrpty Hrrs
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*ALWAYS* have your cache in place and ready to be hunted at the time you press the "submit" button. It hits the queue instantly after that, and if your reviewer happens to be working on new cache reviews at that time, your cache can be published within minutes. With caches coming in to most reviewers at the rate of 1 to 3 caches per hour during waking hours, the odds are good that each day several people will say "wow, that got listed FAST!"

 

If you have special circumstances for why your cache can't be published yet, be sure to mention this very clearly in the "Note to Reviewer" field. Examples: "HOLD for release on 10/29 for our Halloween Event" or "PLEASE HOLD until I finalize permission from the park manager, who wants to see this cache page and check out the location."

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Hear! Hear! We spent forty-five minutes looking for a magnetic micro in the drizzle. It obviously was not put into place until two days later. (Hmm... the hider grabbed the other FTF opportunity in the meantime. Hmm...)

I am sure that there are other ways to get your fellow cachers really miffed at you, but not having the cache in place before submitting it is near the top of the list! :mad:

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I usually go find the location, come home and enter the cache page details, but I don't click the 'enable' button yet. Sometimes, I decide to change the container or the hide location while writing up the page details. We always make sure to have the container in place before we click the 'enable' button and send the cache page to be reviewed though.

 

Well maybe once I made a mistake and had to go straight to the location with the container in the middle of the night right when our cache appeared live!!!! But I know a bunch of other cachers who've accidentally made this mistake too...

 

So now, to be safe and sure, I always have a container with a log book in place, even if it's not what eventually ends up there, before I start typing in the cache details even if I don't plan to enable it right away.

 

- T of TandS

Edited by tands
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Three of our last four DNF on FTF runs were because the cache owner did not place the container before submission. Now I look to see if this is a newbie's first hide before rushing out on a FTF run. :mad: I think that TPTB should verify that the cache is in place before approval..... maybe a verification message. It may seem redundant, but I would bet that this is the most common issue for newbie hides.

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I almost always have my cache in place before I list it. Since approvals in my area often take a couple of days, one time I listed the cache just before I went to bed, figuring I had time the next day to place it.

 

The next morning I woke up at 4:30 and decided to check on it and saw it was already approved :mad: . As a result, I wound up heading out in the early morning darkness to get it in place so it was there for any FTF hounds. I learned my lesson quickly.

Edited by briansnat
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Always have everything ready to go then list the cache for approval. I did have a cache that I wanted to wait for a couple of weeks before it was listed but the cache was in place. I would be really miffed if I went hunting for a new cache and nothing was there. My most recent cache was found within 12-14 hours of me listing the cache for approval - now that is what I call service.

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I seldom actually construct and place a cache before I submit it. I think that is one of the ways that the cache approval process is broken. I don't want to take a chance that a cache I have spent hours and hours on does not get approved because it is too close to an "invisible" intermediate stage of a multi or there is something not kosher about the way I set it up.

 

I do the initial planning and before I put a lot of effort into it, I create the listing and ask the reviewer to give me preliminary approval. When I hear back, I finish the real work and then submit it for final approval.

 

It would appear that this is not the way gc.com would like it to work, but no one has made a deal out of it. It seems to me like they could accomodate this if they wanted. I have not had a conversation with anyone at gc.com about it. but I am surprised that they expect people to put all the effort in up front without

 

On the other hand a couple of my planned caches have not been completed after several months. One is requiring more talent than I have in the rock fabrication department and the other has been 95% complete for two or three months and parts of it keep disappearing due to mother nature, not muggles. This latter one is requiring a lot of effort to make nature proof!

 

Still, I think there ought to be a reservation system in place with a time limit of maybe 45 days.

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I just hid a night time only cache in which I submited the coordinates before the cache was ready, but I also posted a note for the reviewer not to publish the cache because I did not want to spend several hours placing the fire tacks if I was going to have to remove them. Once he saw that there would be no problem I place the fire tacks and snet my reviewr a note. Then he published the cache.

 

IF it were not a night time cache I would have hid it first.

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This reminds me of a local cache hidden by a person with only a few finds, the cache had a great location, but wasn't in place until a week or so after being approved.

 

All DNF logs included how they loved the location, and it was great for kids, but couldn't find the cache.

 

It turned into a mystery, until the owner posted a note the same day as the FTF, that he was sorry. All was good after that.

 

Please remember, FTF hounds have programs that when the listing is published, they can run at it. If the cache isn't placed when they get there, most of the time...they will be mad.

 

Good luck on hiding caches.

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I recently looked for 45 minutes for a new cache to no avail. Turns out, the cache owner hadn't placed the cache yet. On the cache page he states in a note that he expected to get up early in the morning and put the cache container out. Another cacher was looking for the cache when he arrived to place it.

 

On another previous cache in the area, the cache owner states on the newly "placed" cache, "This one will be coming out soon. Keep an eye out for it." I got a kick out of this one. (ended up being archived after the cache never arrived)

 

I may be doing this wrong. Are you supposed to actually hide a cache before getting it listed?

I would say "Yes." There is a check box on the cache submission form to check whether the cache is "Active" or not.

 

I can't imagine submitting a cache for approval, and stating that it is active, without actually having it in place. Around here our FTF hounds go out at all hours of the night to find new caches. Two of my new caches were found at one in the morning on a moonless night.

 

That guy would not be very happy to be out looking for something that wasn't there . . .

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Do You Actually Hide A Cache..., before you get it listed?

yes

 

If I have specific questions about a placement being approved I'll check with the local reveiwer before and explain what I want to do and where (exact coords are good) to make sure it would be ok. But usually the cache is placed and ready to go before anything is submitted... trying to guess when the the reviewer will be to my listing doesn't seem like a lot of fun :mad: .

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One day I came home from work and checked for new caches in my area and there were none....I then checked my e-mail and it was just some junk mail so I was back on the cache pages with-in two minutes ..AND A NEW CACHE WAS UP...Less then 2 miles from my house!!!! I punched in the CoOrds and out the door I went....I found that cache with-in ten minutes (probably less!) From when it was approved...I posted a find ,on-line, with in twenty minutes...

So ....Yes ....Its a very good idea to have the cache in place first!!!!

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Still, I think there ought to be a reservation system in place with a time limit of maybe 45 days.

That's a bad idea. I see lots of potential for abuse by squatters. The caches that you said has had trouble is a perfect example of that squatter abuse. You've locked out potential areas for others to place caches for reasons that you stated are beyond your ability to handle or control.

 

It's always been first come first served, and although your method of preapproval still serves that philosophy, there is no ability to red flag that cache for the reviewer to go back and say this cache needs to be archived because you took too long to set it up.

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I recently looked for 45 minutes for a new cache to no avail. Turns out, the cache owner hadn't placed the cache yet. On the cache page he states in a note that he expected to get up early in the morning and put the cache container out. Another cacher was looking for the cache when he arrived to place it.

 

On another previous cache in the area, the cache owner states on the newly "placed" cache, "This one will be coming out soon. Keep an eye out for it." I got a kick out of this one. (ended up being archived after the cache never arrived)

 

I may be doing this wrong. Are you supposed to actually hide a cache before getting it listed?

I would say "Yes." There is a check box on the cache submission form to check whether the cache is "Active" or not.

 

I can't imagine submitting a cache for approval, and stating that it is active, without actually having it in place. Around here our FTF hounds go out at all hours of the night to find new caches. Two of my new caches were found at one in the morning on a moonless night.

 

That guy would not be very happy to be out looking for something that wasn't there . . .

I agree... If my cache isn't in place when I put the page together, I just leave the active box unchecked so that the cache doesn't go in before I put something out in the spot; my most recent cache was found within a couple hours of being posted...

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Sometimes I will submit then hide, and sometimes I will hide then submit. Since most of my caches require a lengthy back country hike the FTF race doesn't exist.

I usually don't have to worry about the 528' rule since I'm usually the only one that plants caches in the hills West of town.

PLease, just hide then submit.

 

Let's say some avid hiker, such as myself, is bored one day. He has everything ready to go on a cache. He looks in his email and sees a new cache pop up in his immediate area. It's a brand new cache, he's never had a FTF on one of your caches before, so he sets out to get one. He goes out, and parks gets all his gear ready to get to this cache. Hikes 10 miles in to the location on rugged ***** terrain trails. Great location, awesome view. No cache!

 

20 miles roundtrip....

Wasting precious gas.....

Wasting precious time......

 

Once again, hide before you place. For the cache finder's sake!

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I just don't see any reason for submit the listing before hiding other than "squatting", as someone mentioned earlier. Assuming that other approvers are like mine, you can always ask if you have a "questionable" cache before hiding it, if you're worried about wasted labor. And really, if the cache is that questionable, we probably need to reread the guidelines anyway. I've only had one cache not approved, and it was my fault. (rookie mistake) When the cache is approved, and is listed as "Active", there needs to be a cache placed at that time. Go searching for a non-existent cache and I think you'll agree with me.

 

What's the advantage of pre-submitting, other than trying to "claim" a spot?

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What several cachers do in this area is place the cache and leave it out for a week or so before even submitting it. After the week, they go check on it to make sure the container is still dry/concealed/not eaten, then they submit it.

I like that practice.

I just don't see any reason for submit the listing before hiding other than "squatting", as someone mentioned earlier. Assuming that other approvers are like mine, you can always ask if you have a "questionable" cache before hiding it, if you're worried about wasted labor. And really, if the cache is that questionable, we probably need to reread the guidelines anyway. I've only had one cache not approved, and it was my fault. (rookie mistake) When the cache is approved, and is listed as "Active", there needs to be a cache placed at that time. Go searching for a non-existent cache and I think you'll agree with me.

 

What's the advantage of pre-submitting, other than trying to "claim" a spot?

Sometimes, you want to be certain before finalizing your puzzle cache solution. There might be another puzzle cache nearby that you didn't know about. Some puzzles might lose their elegance if the coordinates have to be changed.

 

I have a few locations that I "pre-submitted" to the approver. If someone else takes them before I activate them, it's my loss, but no big deal.

 

As to the original question, you should always place a cache before making it active.

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Sometimes, you want to be certain before finalizing your puzzle cache solution. There might be another puzzle cache nearby that you didn't know about. Some puzzles might lose their elegance if the coordinates have to be changed.

That's true, but you only need to email your reviewer with the coordinates, and they'll tell you if they past muster or not.

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Sometimes, you want to be certain before finalizing your puzzle cache solution. There might be another puzzle cache nearby that you didn't know about. Some puzzles might lose their elegance if the coordinates have to be changed.

That's true, but you only need to email your reviewer with the coordinates, and they'll tell you if they past muster or not.

A "Pre-Approval" location check would of saved a lot of hastle at the Rainbow Bridge in Idaho. That cache was never approved but they shut down the road for 6 hours and it made headlines for a week.

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To be more specific, I carry a ready-to-go cache container with me at all times. There's no reason not to leave a log at a cache site while you're writing it up This is true, even if you're not sure about approval. It causes no issues at all if you've done the right thing and gotten landowner permission first!

 

We also usually get 'pre-approval' on our caches and then do the finishing touches before they are finally enabled. But we see this as a courtesy extended to us by SC_Reviewer, who, by the way is AWESOME!!!!! It would be unreasonable to expect the reviewer to always be able to do this for us since it takes several logging transactions and much more time on the reviewer's part to help us this way.

 

It all comes down to this:

 

You know you're a geocache hider if... You always carry around a micro, small, and regular cache containers, full of swag, and ready to go, in each of your vehicles.

 

Or... keep track of your friends who are planning to make a hide, and call them up to 'adversely possess' their ready-to-go containers if you get in a bind. Thank you Geoholic_28!

 

- T of TandS

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I've only placed 2 so far and they were hidden first.

 

I've been out the door right when a new one has been published several times and would be really annoyed to go looking for a cache that I later find out hadn't even been placed yet. Many of the caches I go after involve long drives and long hikes up in the Colorado mountains. I'm in Tahosa and Sons neck of the woods. Haven't looked for any of their's yet and with the comment that some are submitted before hiding, I'm probably not going to bother looking for any of their new ones until someone else logs a find.

 

There are enough caches out there to find - why waste time and gas going for one that isn't there? If it's active, it should be there. Period.

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I recently looked for 45 minutes for a new cache to no avail. Turns out, the cache owner hadn't placed the cache yet. On the cache page he states in a note that he expected to get up early in the morning and put the cache container out. Another cacher was looking for the cache when he arrived to place it.

 

On another previous cache in the area, the cache owner states on the newly "placed" cache, "This one will be coming out soon. Keep an eye out for it." I got a kick out of this one. (ended up being archived after the cache never arrived)

 

I may be doing this wrong. Are you supposed to actually hide a cache before getting it listed?

GHH, we often wunder if you place them at all!!! ;)

 

Which caches are you referring to? (Most of what we went after yesterday were previousily found).

 

Place the cache and submit the cache for listing ... as the guidelines state. I think Prime Suspect and Keystone have laid that out perfectly in this thread.

 

Hang in there!

 

:mad:

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I put a cache in a Maryland State Park and submitted it. I hadn't done my research and didn't realize that I needed written permission from DNR. Mtn Man informed me of the requirement and I printed the form... only to find out that the ammo can I used was not an approved container.

 

I emailed Mtn Man back telling him that since I had found an ammo can in that very park I was unaware that they were "illegal" and that I would retrieve it.

 

Well, the wording in my email sucked, and before too long I got this reply back:

 

"We can leave your cache in limbo for the time being. Please do not remove

the other person's cache. You can post a note on the cache page or send

them an email or give me the cache ID and I will contact them. You should

not remove their cache."

 

Thanks!

mtn-man

 

I still laugh every time I think about it. He probably thought he had a real nut on his hands, ready to swoop in and remove the "illegal" cache!

 

Anyway, I got my cache back, put it in Tupperware, put it back, faxed off my permit, and the rest is history! :mad:

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After one embarassing incident when I somehow posted incorrect coords for a newly approved cache, I now have a hiding routine.

 

I'll scout a spot, make and stock the container, then hide it. I'll record the best coords I can and leave. At least one day later, I'll enter those coords into my GPSr and go "search" for the cache.

 

If the coords are good and the container is stil intact, then and ONLY then will I go publish the listing.

 

After I get the cache published, I'll add the correct waypoint name to the log or container on my first maintenance visit, usually within a week of the FTF.

 

Oh...yeah, I also have a few "ready to go" containers in my garage, with at least one in the vehicle. Ya never know when you'll find a SUPER cache spot!

Edited by RockyRaab
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Only in one case was a cache that I put out was not hidden until after it was approved. I knew I could get away with this for because

 

A- It was a puzzle cache and it required you to go to another location, obtain more information there, go home, do what you found then come back and find the final location.

 

B- I forgot what B was...

 

This was the only time I did this but within minutes of approval I dropped the final stage off but the first stage was in place already. This is NOT a practice I do on a normal bases though and I agree, you should usually have everything in place prior to approval.

 

My luck it took 4 days for the first person to solve it :ph34r:

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I always have a cache in place and activated before it is sent to the reveiwer. Tweaking, and designing the cache and area has already taken place before they see it. Permissions have all been recieved prior to review. If this doesn't happen, the cache doesn't happen. When the reveiwer hits the button, well then, he's just baited the hook. I will often return to watch the social trail and make adjustments if need be after the cache has gone hot.

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1. Find an area and a theme for the cache.

2. Make sure there is no other caches nearby (0.1mi rule).

3. Report a "fake" listing unchecking the "Yes, this cache is currently active." box.

4. Go and seek out a good hiding for the cache (bringin the cache with you).

5. If a good spot is found, note GCid and name in the loggbook. Take appropriate pictures (spoiler included) and coords for the listing and hide the cache.

6. Go home and work with the listing until you see that it is good.

 

7. Now is the time to check the "Yes..." boks and update the listing.

 

Depending on the speed of your reviewer also consider when to do this. I.e. making the chances equal for as many as possible for the FTF race. :ph34r:

 

Og lev lykkelig med sukker på! <_<

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Yes, I think you should definitely place the container before submitting the cache for review....you just never know what may happen..............

 

I recently hunted a cache that wasn't there (no, not a DNF, but rather a WNT)...although I did log a DNF. Subsequent to that log entry the cache owner e-mailed me apologizing for not having the cache in place. He had planned to drop it off on the way to work, but was delayed...ah, the chances we take and lengths we go to for a FTF :ph34r:

 

In another case I placed a new cache container and then submitted the cache for review. I received an e-mail before the cache was approved...stating that "We found this and are unable to log it". Come to find out the cache was "retrieved" by a Labrador Retriever named Maggie...who was taking her owners for a walk. The dog found the cache (and if you saw the container you would know why she retrieved it)...and brought it out of the woods to her owners. They were not GC.com registered, but got my profile name from the sticker on the container. They registered on the site, contacted me and asked for assistance. Long story short - they signed the log, placed the container in the general area for me to find and relocate...the cache was approved, and Maggie got credit for the FTF on the cache page. Now all the local cachers want to know where Maggie lives so they can rent her on weekends <_< It's all good!

Regards,

Bill

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We've always had our #$%^ together before submitting a cache, we know where other caches in the area are and have the coords down to a T. We sometimes hide it and come back a couple of times to see how the approach works and have the GC page finished before we hit the "submit" button.

 

Thankfully we did just this last Saturday night when we submitted a new cache. It was approved in 31 minutes and FTF'd within two hours. WOW! (There's an adm in CO that has _got_ to get a life on Saturday nights!) <_<

 

Ironically, it's an "artsy" sundial that's only accurate during DST and doesn't work well at night. Oh well, the 2nd finder Sunday morning verified it was accurate after the time change and it indeed works best during daylight.

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