Jump to content

Night Caches?


oldnavy59

Recommended Posts

I have neither found a night cache or hid one sice there are none close by. but i would like to do one nothing to complex but one to see what kind of interest there would be. so as not to make to many mistakes or get someone killed maimed or worse i figured what better place to get some input

thanks inadvance

Link to comment

I have a couple night caches in the Albuquerque area. They are Dark of the Night and Dark of the Night 2. Both rely on following a set of reflective tacks from the starting location to the final cache site. The funs comes in now because while at the cache site, you can't see the reflectors to get back. Thay are all on the wrong side of the trees. But, since the starting point is in their GPS', then it's a matter of following your GPS back to the car. So, it's like a reverse geocache.

 

Here is one place that sells the tacks. Archery Reflective Trail Tacks

 

Make sure you pick an area where the seekers could still get back safely in case of an equipment malfunction. Also, you can do a search for waypoints using keyword "night" to find more night cache ideas.

 

I say, go for it. It's a lot of fun and different from the same old thing.

Edited by Puzzzler
Link to comment

You might want to try caching at night before you try a night cache. I happen to enjoy night caching, especially in the woods. Use a headlamp in the woods so you don't catch a stick in the eye, but for urban night caching a small hand-held flashlight is better as you can flip it on and off quickly. If you enjoy caching after dark, by all means try one of the more challenging night caches. I've done a few and I always enjoy them.

Link to comment
do you make arrows for turns or how do you keep them pointed in the right direction?

 

Trying to find the next set of reflectors is half the fun. I've done a couple, one was a multi where the reflectors led you to a marker that you had to use as a reference to find the next set of reflectors as they are not visible from the marker.

 

The best time to do a night cache is just before dawn. If you have an equipment manfunction....no worry.

Link to comment

do you make arrows for turns or how do you keep them pointed in the right direction?

 

No arrows. When a team arrives at a set of reflectors, then have to search for the next set. Each set of reflectors should be visible from the previous station. So, I agree that half the fun is trying to spot the next reflector.

 

I use the phrase "set of reflectors" because I usually put two or three reflectors at each stage in case one of them is damaged or removed. Also, at the end I use a different color reflector so that the seekers know when they've reached the cache. Someday I hope to get a big plastic owl with reflective eyes to use as the end point. That would be a blast and totally unexpected.

Link to comment

You might want to try caching at night before you try a night cache. I happen to enjoy night caching, especially in the woods. Use a headlamp in the woods so you don't catch a stick in the eye, but for urban night caching a small hand-held flashlight is better as you can flip it on and off quickly. If you enjoy caching after dark, by all means try one of the more challenging night caches. I've done a few and I always enjoy them.

I think Ill try a couple of regular caches at night then just to get a feel for what its like. I have a pretty good head lamp and a set of Mag lights wish we had a couple that were close. so do you keep the cachers on trails, bushwacking or what i dont want to get anyone hurt. Im wanting to do one in a state park where Im planning a camp and cache, another local cachers has already gotten permission to do a rapelling cache and maybe a scuba cache. that got me thinking about a night cache

Link to comment
No arrows. When a team arrives at a set of reflectors, then have to search for the next set. Each set of reflectors should be visible from the previous station. So, I agree that half the fun is trying to spot the next reflector...

Or, you can make it a little more challenging by making any reflectors difficult to locate. And when searching for night caches remember, BFLs adversly affect your night vision; use ambient light as often as is practical. :o:lol:

Edited by sept1c_tank
Link to comment

Hold the flashlight up at the side of your head so the fire tacks reflect back to your eyes. Every night cache I have done has been on good trails until the final. Your best bet is to go out with some experienced night cachers to learn the routine. Always mark the parking spot .... it might be a lot shorter walk out then the way you came in. ImpalaBob

Link to comment

I've got two night caches, The Etch-O-Sketch Night Cache, (GCPX66) which is a 3/5 covering about a mile and a half worth of swamp, and Carpe Noctum, (GCT5DP) which covers about a mile. I bought rolls of Scotch Bright reflective tape from Home Depot and cut it into about a zillion triangles. I staple these triangles to the trees, pointing in the general direction I want the cacher to look.

 

A few things I've found useful when building a night cache;

1) Don't start your reflective trail near any are where muggles might walk. Head into the woods a hundred feet or so before placing your first marker.

2) Don't have the cache at the end of the reflective trail. Instead, hide a waterproof match container on the final tree, with coords inside leading to the cache. Around here, the most common cause of a night cache getting muggled is because muggles stumble across the reflectors, then follow them, where they find "a kewl metal box full of stuff".

 

Those two tips will drasticly reduce the chances of that happening.

Link to comment

You can also make it a little harder by capping your reflectors. Chapstick lids are great for the tacks. Put the tack inside the lid point first and push the tack through the lid so it only reflects from one angle. Wrap some camo tape around the outside and your done. Larger scale using the rolls of reflective tape(all at wally world). Cut circles the size of soda bottle lids, and use a screw or nail to hold the tape to lid/lid to tree. Our night cache starts on a bridal trail and leads to the reflector starting point. A tack every 150' or so leads them to a design that marks the final location. They then get to crawl into a very unique hole to look for the box. It has freaked many a cacher out to have to crawl into that hole at night, but the cheaters who did it during the day enjoyed it too. Yes it is not dayproof, but I think I'll change that as soon as it warms up. The problem is that since it's a pine grove, it's always kinda dark. Dark enough to use a flashlight during full daylight, plus I tried to keep to a sort of trail since there are dangers nearby that could hurt at night.

Link to comment

You can also make it a little harder by capping your reflectors. Chapstick lids are great for the tacks. Put the tack inside the lid point first and push the tack through the lid so it only reflects from one angle. Wrap some camo tape around the outside and your done. Larger scale using the rolls of reflective tape(all at wally world). Cut circles the size of soda bottle lids, and use a screw or nail to hold the tape to lid/lid to tree. Our night cache starts on a bridal trail and leads to the reflector starting point. A tack every 150' or so leads them to a design that marks the final location. They then get to crawl into a very unique hole to look for the box. It has freaked many a cacher out to have to crawl into that hole at night, but the cheaters who did it during the day enjoyed it too. Yes it is not dayproof, but I think I'll change that as soon as it warms up. The problem is that since it's a pine grove, it's always kinda dark. Dark enough to use a flashlight during full daylight, plus I tried to keep to a sort of trail since there are dangers nearby that could hurt at night.

your cache is actually the closest night cache to me and i may give it a try one saturday night.

Link to comment

Dang! That's what I was doing wrong!!! Actually the thing is so bright it created such deep and hard shadows you couldn't see anything. Plus the battery only lasted for a half hour.

 

I know what you mean, sometimes you can't see the smaller reflectors 'cause everything around them is also just too bright =)

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...