Locked Caches

[Tenor_sax]

Imagine caches you could only reach if you had a locker combination. That would be really interesting. You would colect the combo on the website, and yeah... But in the winter the lock might freeze or break.... hmmm, maybe not a good idea.... what do you guys think?

[+ibycus]

Been done...

 

GC289B, GCRXA0, GCN1XB...

[+Riverside]

one more in Windsor..GCR91K

[+Adventure.AS]

One in Toronto GCTCGG.

 

I used one of the boxes that realtors use.

 

 

And camouflaged it.

[+Team JSAM]

It will work however to prevent the lock from rusting on the inside you must build a cover for it nothing to fancy but if you are going to do it do it right I have done one cache with a combo lock but it was unlocked when I found it and I could not lock it due to the inside rusting out.

[+Amazon Annie]

GCGR22, GCJB27, GCHF2N, GCNWYR have varying combinations of this idea.

 

The Blue Box Series in Niagara GCJ4H7, GCJ4H9, GCJ4HB, GCJ4HD, GCJ4HE, GCJ4HH, GCJ4NV which is due to be archived soon had a good twist on the idea.

[+ibycus]

I should mention, the other problem with locked caches is it increases the mugglability of the cache. The second a muggle finds a cache with a lock on it, all they want to do is get the lock off.

 

Make sure your cache is clearly labeled on the outside that this is a "game" piece, and please leave it undisturbed. (good practice anyways)

[+Lasagna]

Imagine caches you could only reach if you had a locker combination. That would be really interesting. You would colect the combo on the website, and yeah... But in the winter the lock might freeze or break.... hmmm, maybe not a good idea.... what do you guys think?

 

Seen lots of variations on this theme ... one of my local favorites is:

 

Big Bad Wolf (GCJPA3)

 

You of course need to find the three little pigs first.

 

There's also twists on this which use a puzzle cache theme. Another local favorite being:

 

Llama Corner: Revisted (GCKC11)

[+The Blue Quasar]

As Annie mentioned... I had 7 caches with combination locks on them.

 

After a while, they become stiff... although I only tried filling them with WD-40 (I know, repels water only).

 

Actual field life, just under two years... 2 failed, the other 6 are close to failure (one cache was double locked)

 

I took no extra precautions to cover the lock, hoping people would place them back so as to sheild the lock with the cache.

 

Of the seven caches, two were destroyed by people that found them that weren't cachers, despite being labelled as Geocaches and all that jazz.

 

One other cache I had with a lock on it (a $15 Masterlock all weather lock) was stolen by a local

Another cache with a programmable combination lock was stolen as well, but that was a very poor placement, and has been relocated to hopefully a better spot.

 

Be aware that the locks will require maintenance on a frequent basis.

 

If you are planning a Lock & Key style.. be sure to place where it won't be found by non-players. Keep a few spares of the keys, they will go missing.

If you are planning a Combination sytel... use a programmable one, or you will have to keep updating players when a new lock replaces the old one (if they have collected part of the combination).

 

The Blue Quasar

[BC Tripper]

I actually do have a "locked cache" called Locked Out on Lonsdale It's a multi, with three stages to get the lock combo. So far, the lock has held up well.

 

BC Tripper

[CharlieZulu]

My variation on locked caches:

 

GCTZZF

 

Very few finders so far.....

[+jeff-trex]

some other locked caches are "key to success" and "Hockey hall of Fame 1,2 and 3"

 

Where you have to search for keys attached to geocoins or TB tags that are placed in other caches within a 50km radius.

 

Oh yeah How could I forget the April fools 2005 series "let's make a deal"

[BC Tripper]

There is also a very cool cache located in Chilliwack BC called What do you mean I need a key?. The keys were distributed all around the surrounding area in different caches. When a finder grabs a key, they log that they've picked it up then find the cache and place the key into another cache. The trick is, you''re not allowed to tell which cache you re-place the key in. It was a great find for us!

 

BC Tripper

[+jeff-trex]

that sounds like the hockey hall of fame caches, but the keys are attached to TB tags so you can track them.

[+TK421-]

that sounds like the hockey hall of fame caches, but the keys are attached to TB tags so you can track them.

 

Lets add GCPRQ5 to the list - and my combination lock only lasted about 6 months before it became nearly impossible to open. It was in a very sheltered area too!

[+Pharmadude]

Another one for the collection GCMP0K

[tinkernoonoo]

Oh crap. I've been planning one for a while, and I thought there couldn't possibly have been that many. I'm keeping the name top secret, though!

[+GreyingJay]

I'm a bit late to this thread

 

Add one of mine, "CQD, Q!" (GCKP2B) to the list.

 

The cache is locked inside a grey metal utility box bolted to the exterior of an abandoned Dairy Queen building (the property was purchased by my church, who intends to rebuild and expand... one of these years...) To the casual observer it looks like an electrical box with a combination lock on it.

 

The combination is derived from simple arithmetic described in the cache listing. I had one finder who didn't realize he needed it, and when he arrived at the cache, sat and tried every combination until he got it. 001.. 002... 003...

Edited May 3, 2006 by notjustjay

[+seekie-findie]

GCJJFE "Jenny" (Las Vegas, NV) Was a fun one. Once you got to the cache it was a locked electrical box on a Telephone pole. The box was locked with a tumbler style three digit lock.

 

After a minute or so we realized the pole was numbered by the utility company.... guess what it was 8675....

 

Anyone want to guess what the combo was.... Go Tommy Tutone.

 

With the low level of rain in the Nevada desert, oiling the lock was not really an issue.

 

Also had another cache that was a locked box on a pole in the middle of the desert, but it required a key. The key turned out to be under a pile of fake dog doodoo.