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Finds Vs. Hides


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For about my first 40 finds I ws usually around a 1-1 ratio. Now with almost 450 finds it would have been hard to keep that up.

 

Now I have 447 finds and and 147 hides so I guess that's a 4:1 ratio.

 

Like Team GPSax, I tend to place caches in waves. I may go a few months without placing one, then place a bunch. I've hidden 7 in the last 3 weeks or so.

 

I don't think there is an ideal ratio. Its up to each person to figure out how many caches they are willing to maintain.

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We're at 305 finds to 7 hides. I have tried 3 others that were either denied or have been archived. I also have 3 sitting in the garage ready to go out, just haven't done them yet. I kind of go in waves when I really want to get new caches out there, I call them my creative times. I come up with the idea and make it, then am slow to getting around to placing them. Then, sometimes the spot gets taken. Thats how it goes. I think some people enjoy hiding as much as or more than finding. As long as you make the effort to give back, I wouldn't say there should be any defining ratio. I am certainly not the expert, but that's my thought.

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I have 1089 finds -- this morning -- I'm going caching today. :)

 

I have placed 43. Forty-two are active -- one is out there waiting for approval.

 

I often place two or three or more at a time when I go for a long hike. That way it motivates people to get out because they will get more "smilies" for all their efforts. :blink:

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At its peak, I was somewhere between 3:1 and 4:1... now I am sitting between 5:1 and 6:1. The issue is I don't want to have more caches hidden than I can maintain, but that is not going to stop me from finding caches when I have the opportunity to do so. I already have plans to do a massive maintenence sweep this weekend if the weather cooperates. I expect that could take over 4 hours to check on only half of our caches. Maybe longer if I decide to place a new cache or two while at it.

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It seems the OP did not make a value judgement on the ratio, which is a good thing.

 

I have 14 hides and 3 adoptions, 1 disabled, and 1 archived, so I have 15 active caches. I have over 2000 finds, so my find-to-hide ratio is quite high.

 

My hiding trips and finding trips are usually separate, and I usually visit a potential hide location several times before I place a cache there. I also try not to saturate an area with my caches too quickly, and will pass on locations a bit too far for maintenance, so I'm a very slow hider, even though I know of several suitable locations.

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If you're really obsessed about the numbers, maybe instead of hide count, a better number might be your find count, versus the find count of your hides.  After all, who is giving more back to the community, the person who hides 15 caches that no one ever finds, or someone who hides 5 or 6 that are well-found and well-received?

That would only apply if you think that finding more sub par caches is better than finding less, but exquisite caches. Personally, i would rather find 5 awesome caches that take me to some new adventure than find 25 caches that take me to a mall parking lot.(especially the same mall parking lot)

Edited by tubby and
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If you're really obsessed about the numbers, maybe instead of hide count, a better number might be your find count, versus the find count of your hides.  After all, who is giving more back to the community, the person who hides 15 caches that no one ever finds, or someone who hides 5 or 6 that are well-found and well-received?

:P Most of my caches are on hiking trails. They don't get very many finds because people actually have to get out of their cars and walk a half a mile or more.

 

Your "giving more back to the community" idea is flawed because I think requesting -- by hiding a cache -- that people get out and hike and get some exercise, is better than hiding a cache in a parking lot or popular park where hundreds of people eventually find it. Although. . . I have a couple of those also . . . :lol:

 

Yesterday I only found four caches. One hadn't been found since last April, but it was an awesome find along a wonderful section of the Pacific Crest Trail. thumbsup.gif

 

To lure more hikers, I placed another cache along the trail more than a mile from the parking . . . how many people do you think will hike to that one, even though it offers clean air, lots of exercise, interesting geology, and great views, including one of the Space Shuttle Tracking Station? :lol:

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If you're really obsessed about the numbers, maybe instead of hide count, a better number might be your find count, versus the find count of your hides. After all, who is giving more back to the community, the person who hides 15 caches that no one ever finds, or someone who hides 5 or 6 that are well-found and well-received?

I didn't respond to the original post because I think the idea that you need to hide some number of caches base on your number of finds is ridiculous. Some people like to hide caches, others prefer to find. Some people hide cleaver, nicely camoflaged caches, others just stick a gladware container under a bush. Some people put caches in interesting places, others leave 35mm film cans in lampposts. I like looking for caches that require a bit of a challenge. I particularly like long tough hikes. All my hides are long tough hikes. Therefore they get very few finders. By your logic, I would be giving more to the geocaching community if I hid a few lamppost micros.

 

Here's my take - If you live in an area that has an active geocaching community and a relatively good density of caches - don't hide any caches unless you really feel the need and have a great place to put it and are willing to invest a little to get a good container and camouflage it if needed. If you live in an area where there are few geocachers and not many caches to find, then by all means hide a cache or two. As interest grows and more people participate, those that are better at hiding will take over hiding new caches and those that should stick to finding caches can stick to finding them.

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If you're really obsessed about the numbers, maybe instead of hide count, a better number might be your find count, versus the find count of your hides.  After all, who is giving more back to the community, the person who hides 15 caches that no one ever finds, or someone who hides 5 or 6 that are well-found and well-received?

That would only apply if you think that finding more sub par caches is better than finding less, but exquisite caches. Personally, i would rather find 5 awesome caches that take me to some new adventure than find 25 caches that take me to a mall parking lot.(especially the same mall parking lot)

I'd like to find the 5 awesome caches and find the other 25 too.

 

But your comment is basically my point also (and others'). One good one will be remembered and the 25 lamp base caches will be forgotten. Number of visits is not a measure of quality.

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Well my hide to find ratio is low compared to others that have posted theirs. 1 hide to 54.46 finds, but I am second out of 5 with those that have my exact number of finds and my caches seem to be well received by those that try them. I used to have a couple parking lot micros but archived them. My objective is to maintain 10-20 great caches regardless of how many I find.

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(but I do have a Groundspeak fake rock in my truck.)

 

What are the coords of your truck?

I'm not sure, they keep changing. Maybe that is why no one has logged a find for that cache yet.

Moving caches are no longer approved. (Dang. There is one only 30 miles from here...)

 

694 finds to 14 hides. (Hope to hit 700 this weekend!) 49.5 to 1. The important thing is that I like the caches that I hide! Most of the cachers who find my caches like them too.

That's the common answer whenever this question comes up. Hide caches that you'd enjoy finding, and that you can maintain.

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