Stealth?

[+HeatherAndMike]

Alright, we're very new at this -- only two days! This evening, we tried finding a local cache near a busy road. I'm "sure" it's in near-by shrubs, but how do you tear through them without drawing attention to yourself?!

[+Team Teuton]

Bring a trash bag and pick up trash while you search.

[RubiconJW]

I''ve heard of some folks wearing an orange-reflective vest as part of their camo / cover in a high muggle area. If the eye see's you wearing a vest & pickin up trash then the mind will believe thats all your doing & chances are 99-1 that no-ones gonna think twice, let alone ask!!

On the "off chance" that someone does ask a good answer is that your civic group has adopted a section of highway. If it's a police officer..tell the truth because he may have noticed others & thought it might be a drug drop. Explain what caching is about & reference the website.

There are print-out pages available to hand to folks as well. These are nice to have available, at least in the vehicle.

Hese is one such BROCHURE in .pdf format.

Keep trying..be creative..but most of all have fun.

[+Lasagna]

There's always the "having a phone conversation on your GPSr" trick as well ... people think you're having a chat with someone and otherwise dismiss your "pacing about" as nervous energy while engaged in conversation.

 

Of course ... that only works as long as your "real" cell phone doesn't ring while your "talking" on your GPSr!

[+RedMatrix]

You make me laugh, Lasagna.

 

I don't know what's worse.. being in a high muggle area, or being in a high muggle area at 7 am, wondering if someone might be watching from afar and call the heat.

[+Mom the Cook & cashnhubby]

Good suggestion about the trash bag

[+StarBrand]

I sometimes carry a book on botany with some "fake" notes in a little notebook. I also bring a camera. If somebody ever asks, I just pretend to be identifying the bush.

 

Must admit to using many of the other above ideas as well. Fake cell phone on the GPS is a good one.

 

Bring a ball or frisbee with you - Accidently "lose" it in the bush - gives you an excuse to look.

[+oldsoldier]

I used the "cell phone" rusew tonight. worked great. right on the side of a highway. Bent down, while on my "phone", scooped the micro, back into the car, signed it, back out, played the same game. Easy, simple. If you LOOK like you know what you're doing, people wont question you. If they do, pretend you dont speak english

One other one that worked, quite by accident, is the clothing I normally wear. I have brown TNF nylon pants, and a beige longsleeve flyfishing shirt. To the untrained, I looked like a park ranger. I have been asked "which way to...", and other similar questions, but never, even while in active search mode, have I been asked what I was doing. Inadvertantly, I looked like a native, and blended right in .

Edited May 31, 2006 by oldsoldier

[+Mile Runner]

tie your shoe, look for something you lost. In the city blending in is the name of the game---just look like you belong and you should be fine. if you are spoted its probably good to be honest and also remove the cache for about 5-10 minutes then replace it to be sure no one is around.

[CacheLord]

As I'm new to all this I was also wondering how to lessen notice. I was thinking of taping or just holding some earphones to the GPS so it looks like some weird MP3 player or a portable TV (since your staring at the thing). You can probably only get away with walking past a cache in a first or second pass though.

Edited June 1, 2006 by CacheLord

[whitetailfan]

I''ve heard of some folks wearing an orange-reflective vest as part of their camo / cover in a high muggle area. If the eye see's you wearing a vest & pickin up trash then the mind will believe thats all your doing & chances are 99-1 that no-ones gonna think twice, let alone ask!!

This is great. I'm still getting geared up for my first hunt, and never really gave thought to anti-muggle protection. I have my disguise all figured out now:

Orange vest, trash bag, and if anyone asks the reply will be "Community Service hours". See how many ask any more questions after that...and watch them run back to the car! LOL

[+ThePropers]

I usually just pretend I'm talking to the bush, fence, parking lot lamppost...etc. Everybody usually dismisses me as crazy, but in the odd case someone asks me something, I just start having an argument with my "Mother"...like "Shhh Mother....he's just asking a question. Yes Mother, I know I shouldn't talk to strangers. Be quiet, we'll talk about this after I get home" and it usually does the trick.

[Peanut Butters]

I usually just pretend I'm talking to the bush, fence, parking lot lamppost...etc. Everybody usually dismisses me as crazy, but in the odd case someone asks me something, I just start having an argument with my "Mother"...like "Shhh Mother....he's just asking a question. Yes Mother, I know I shouldn't talk to strangers. Be quiet, we'll talk about this after I get home" and it usually does the trick.

 

This same tip works if a suspecious character tries to talk to you in NYC and you fear getting mugged. Just throw your arms up and act crazy and then keep walking.

[+Mile Runner]

I usually just pretend I'm talking to the bush, fence, parking lot lamppost...etc. Everybody usually dismisses me as crazy, but in the odd case someone asks me something, I just start having an argument with my "Mother"...like "Shhh Mother....he's just asking a question. Yes Mother, I know I shouldn't talk to strangers. Be quiet, we'll talk about this after I get home" and it usually does the trick.

 

This same tip works if a suspecious character tries to talk to you in NYC and you fear getting mugged. Just throw your arms up and act crazy and then keep walking.

ussaly just looking and acting like you live in NYC scares off most of the tourists

[+Geo-Cad]

Orange vest, trash bag, and if anyone asks the reply will be "Community Service hours".

 

Just add the Community Service is a requirement of your Anger Management Class...

[+jaredl]

doing a survay on Asian Long Horned Beetles. the gov here put up tons of signs around here about them and they are constantly cutting down trees in the parks because of them. they really grew into a big problum here in ontario.

 

I've also said I was hunting for snakes. that uausually scares people right away. I've said I was part of the canadian geological survay team, survaying local parks, for improvments. and i even thought about making a fake photo card saying that too.

 

I've used the orange vest, and organe light on the roof of my car, to act as a official highway person. I've even stopped ont he grass on the side of the road to cache and the cops just drove past.

 

As long as you act like you sure about what you are doing most people wont question you. I guess the cops figured my car looked official enought and just let it go.

 

They sell the light at canadian tire for liek 20 bucks, and they have a magnet on th bottom to stick to your roof