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How Long To Keep A Cache


Davispak

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I have just placed my first cache and hope it has a long and fruitful life. The question I have for you fellow cachers is how long is too long. When should a cache be "retired". After a year? 6-12 months without a visit? My personal feelings on it are it should stay active for as long as it is getting regular visits. If it goes more than six months without a visit, a note should be posted to the page letting anyone working on it that you will be "retiring the cache" in 30 days. How does anyone else feel about this? does that sound about right or should I maintain it in perpetuity?

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I'll keep my caches active as long as they don't get stolen or damaged, regardless of the frequency of finds. I may restock the contents and remove the garbage from time to time. Some require frequent maintenance visits, others are maintenance free even after several years in the wild.

 

Why remove something that works just because they've been there a while?

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My opinion on this varies depending on where the cache is. If the cache is in a fairly cache-sparse area, than I'd say leave the cache active as long as its in good shape, or longer if you still feal like doing maintenace to it. I've got a cache out in the Nevada desert that didn't get a hit for almost a year, but then got 3 within 2 months. Even if it seems like most cachers that were interested in that cache have done it, theres always going to be new cachers.

 

Now if the cache is ini a cache rich area, I'd say that if a cache hasn't got a hit in a while, say 6-8 months, then maybe it should be pulled to open up that area for a new cache. However, I'd hate to see a rule (or guideline, or whatever) that forced this.

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What would be gained from removing the cache?

You give another cacher a chance at a hide in the same general vicinity. This allows for cache 'churn', I.E. your locale gets a steady stream of 'newish' caches, thus avoiding the need the continue traveling further to find a new cache.

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I think the guideline are clear.

 

Cache Permanence

 

When you report a cache on the Geocaching.com web site, geocachers should (and will) expect the cache to be there for a realistic and extended period of time. Therefore, caches that have the goal to move (“traveling caches”), or temporary caches (caches hidden for less than 3 months or for events) most likely will not be listed. If you wish to hide caches for an event, bring printouts to the event and hand them out there.

 

We realize that it is possible that a planned long-term cache occasionally becomes finite because of concerns with the environment, missing or plundered caches, or the owner’s decision to remove the cache for other valid reasons. Please do your best to research fully, hide wisely, and maintain properly for a long cache life.

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It depends on the cache, and the cache owner.....

 

Its fairly typical that caches are visited frequently at first, and then after some time only out-of-towners come to visit. If the frequency of those visits is still pleasing to you, and you will feel like it is worth it to maintain the cache for those cachers, there is no need to archive it.

 

Of course, you still have the option to archive the old cache and put out a new different hide for both the local and the visiting cachers to enjoy in that area. I agree with the person who said that in an area that diesn't have many caches, that is a good option if the location is great, but all the locals have already found the 'old' cache.

 

If the cache is rarely visited, you may want to decide if the reason for that is lack of interest in the cache, or remote location. If it is just remote, you might leave it longer....if there is a problem with the cache itself, you can decide to improve it, or archive it hoping someone more creative will put one out in its place.

 

Congratualtions on your first hide! I hope you enjoy it for ages and ages.

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I can tell you that as a fairly new cacher (first find 8/8/05) I wish fewer caches in this area had been archived. I've looked at profile pages for other local cachers and see great pictures of places they have cached but many (MANY) of the caches they did have been archived and I missed the chance to find them.

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I see this question having a two fold answer from me. I live in an area where there is not a lot of room for cache placement anymore. Every cemetery has a cache and there is no room for a cache in any park around here. So what is left, urban micros. I archived all my caches but a few and now new cachers are placing caches there. I get to hunt them and the other older cachers get a new find. If I was in a large area that could support more caches, I would have left mine, but since things were getting stale around here, I let someone else have a crack at hiding.

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If its not negatively impacting the area, I think a cache should stay as long as the owner is interested in maintaining it.

 

Having a set time is fine for some owers if thats what they want, but some more difficult or remote caches can go many months between finds.

I would agree most of all with that point. If your cache has created a geotrail it might be a good time to think about giving the area a rest to recover. Besides what fun is it finding a cache that you can follow clearly where people have been to retreive it?

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I have placed well over 100 caches.

 

Some have been archived because they were muggled or had other problems.

 

Recently, I archived several and placed new ones nearby. Why? First, they weren't among my most spectacular hides. They were basic "box in the park" sorts of caches. Secondly, I'm beginning to run out of good places to hide caches nearby. By archiving one cache, then replacing it with a new one in the same park, I created additional opportunities for local cachers to hunt caches without traveling quite as far as they might. As for new cachers that never found the originals, the new ones are nearby, so the hunt is similar. They don't really lose anything, and veteran cachers have another cache to hunt. Win/win for all involved. I did not archive all my caches, just a select few that I was tired of and that weren't getting as many hits as they used to.

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You maintain the cache as long as you want to (but at least for three months. :D )

I've been to some great caches that have very few finds. One, in particular, that was place in 7/01. Found in 10/01, twice in 2/04, in 4/04, twice in 4/05 (by us), and twice in 5/05. That's eight finds in four and a half years! It's a good cache. (Yes, we went looking for a cache that had not been found in a year.)

Another one with twelve finds since 4/03. Or fourteen finds since 7/02.

I've got one with five finds since 9/04. Have I considered archiving it? Yeah. Have I? NOPE! It's a good cache in a pretty, and (obviously) seldom visited area. Nearest cache: 1.2 miles.

I'm not sure that I understand the concept of "I live in an area where there is not a lot of room for cache placement anymore." Unless one is a pedestrian, there is always somewhere to put a cache! There are two hundred caches within ten miles of where I live.

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I think the guideline are clear.

 

Cache Permanence

 

When you report a cache on the Geocaching.com web site, geocachers should (and will) expect the cache to be there for a realistic and extended period of time. Therefore, caches that have the goal to move (“traveling caches”), or temporary caches (caches hidden for less than 3 months or for events) most likely will not be listed. If you wish to hide caches for an event, bring printouts to the event and hand them out there.

 

We realize that it is possible that a planned long-term cache occasionally becomes finite because of concerns with the environment, missing or plundered caches, or the owner’s decision to remove the cache for other valid reasons. Please do your best to research fully, hide wisely, and maintain properly for a long cache life.

Well, only if you consider terms like "realistic and extended period of time", "long-term" and "long cache life" "clear". Who defines what "long term" means? That is about as UN-clear as you can get. If a cache hasn't been visited in years, is it really anything more than geo-litter?

Edited by ParrotRob
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You maintain the cache as long as you want to (but at least for three months. :D )

I've been to some great caches that have very few finds. One, in particular, that was place in 7/01. Found in 10/01, twice in 2/04, in 4/04, twice in 4/05 (by us), and twice in 5/05. That's eight finds in four and a half years! It's a good cache. (Yes, we went looking for a cache that had not been found in a year.)

Another one with twelve finds since 4/03. Or fourteen finds since 7/02.

I've got one with five finds since 9/04. Have I considered archiving it? Yeah. Have I? NOPE! It's a good cache in a pretty, and (obviously) seldom visited area. Nearest cache: 1.2 miles.

I'm not sure that I understand the concept of "I live in an area where there is not a lot of room for cache placement anymore." Unless one is a pedestrian, there is always somewhere to put a cache! There are two hundred caches within ten miles of where I live.

Read rural area where 75% of land is corn fields.

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Recently, I archived several and placed new ones nearby. Why? First, they weren't among my most spectacular hides. They were basic "box in the park" sorts of caches. Secondly, I'm beginning to run out of good places to hide caches nearby. By archiving one cache, then replacing it with a new one in the same park, I created additional opportunities for local cachers to hunt caches without traveling quite as far as they might. As for new cachers that never found the originals, the new ones are nearby, so the hunt is similar. They don't really lose anything, and veteran cachers have another cache to hunt. Win/win for all involved. I did not archive all my caches, just a select few that I was tired of and that weren't getting as many hits as they used to.

This is what I was talking about. After about six months A local will have hunted just about all the close caches. I guess I should have been more specific in that I was talking about urban caches. I had a hard time finding an area that was close to hide my first cache and I feel that hiding a cache is just as much a part of Geocaching as is hunting them. If new members can't hide caches because the area is saturated with old caches,,they may lose interest in the hobby and that would be a great loss indeed. I don't begrudge the previous cache hiders their caches, though. They have earned the right to have those caches. I just was thinking about keeping the hobby fresh for everyone involved including the 1000 finders.

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I'll keep mine going until:

 

a. the cache is muggled a couple of times

b. I find maintenance is too difficult

c. the cache has disintegrated and I know of a better spot

d. land usage rules for the spot change (they sometimes do)

e. I get tired of geocaching (not going to happen :D )

 

JDandDD

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My thought has always been if it hasn't been found for a year, it's time to archive it. I just decided on that time period arbitrarily. I figure a year pretty much covers all seasons and allows cachers plenty of time. So far a couple of mine have come close, but none have made it a full year without a hit.

 

I'd always give at least 2 or 3 months of notice, as there may be a lot of people who want to do that cache, but just don't get around to it. (Deep woods caches usually fit this category). Give people warning, and a chance to get out there. If enough people hit it, reconsider the archival. If no one bites, well, there's your answer.

 

If the cache is exceptionally difficult or way off the beaten path, a year probably isn't long enough. Even if it doesn't get many finds, it will mean a lot to those who do find it.

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If it's a good cache, let it be and let it run, especially if you're in a cache-sparse environment. I've got two caches placed within 5 miles of my house, both in places I like to frequent, but few people know about them. After the initial wave of local hard-hitters, it's slowed down to one visit every couple months or so. Now that winter is pretty much here, I really don't expect either of them to get visited until spring again.

 

Just because a cache doesn't get visited often, or has been around for a while, doesn't mean it should be removed. Granted, one of the caches near my house I've considered removing and relocating a bit, but as it is right now it is a very kid friendly cache and I don't want to change that--by moving it, I'd be boosting the terrain rating a point or three. If the cache is still okay, not causing any problems, etc, leave it be...if you've got a much better idea for an area and the cache appears to have run it's course, remove it and place the new one--but if you're in a cache dense area, maybe wait a month or two and give someone else a chance at the area. Unfortunately, not a problem I'm going to face around here anytime soon by the looks of it.

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You give another cacher a chance at a hide in the same general vicinity. This allows for cache 'churn', I.E. your locale gets a steady stream of 'newish' caches, thus avoiding the need the continue traveling further to find a new cache.

 

I think this is a good observation and a very valid reason to archive/remove a cache. I, personally, would like to see this sort of thing happen more often!

 

Happy Cachin'!

Lori V.

TeamVilla5

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