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When Should You Place Your 1st Cache?


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Have you ever looked for a cache placed by someone who has found 10 caches and placed 20? To preserve the integrity of caches on Geocaching.com, I feel like they should adopt rules on placing caches. My suggestion would be find 100 to be eligible for placing 1. This gives the hider some experience using their GPSr and some experience on what a quality cache is. Often time a "new" hider will mark a spot without averaging or checking their own coordinates. Later it is learned the cache is 200 ft away from the posted coordinates. Another good reason for the "100 rule" would be... it is obvious the hider may continue an interest in Geocaching beyond the 3 month "new toy" period.

 

I recently listened to an interview on podcacher.com with Moun10bike. He was asked what advice would he give to a new cacher. His answer was hunt caches... do NOT hide caches. He stated it gives the new cacher a chance to get used to their new equipment. I realized after hearing that, I was not the ONLY person who is often disappointed with possiblity of another Muggle-Mart cache across the street from the Bullseye lightpole.

 

What do you guys think... Yes or No to a waiting period?

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I don't think any set "rule" before a cache can be hidden is a good thing.

Some people have a better handle on equipment and hiding than some longtimers. I think time may be a better thing. If you are still doing this game after 2-3 months, you should be able to hide a cache. Any rule on hiding, however, removes a part of the game from newbies that may make them continue this game. If anything I would say to anyone who is new and reads this, I would suggest that they have at LEAST 10-15 caches of a certain type (Regular, Multi, Micro, Puzzle) under their belt prior to hiding one of those types. In other words, have hunted 10-15 micros before you hide a micro, 10-15 multi-stage caches before you hide a multi. This way you will see what is out there and get good ideas for your cache. Also read these logs and read the cache container threads. Happy hunting!

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I am always a little leary of adding new rules.

If asked I recomend waiting till a new cacher has a feel for what a good cache is.

Some are good at hidding with a GPS right out of the box, others can have 500 finds or more and still have no clue. These things will sort themselves out.

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Why poison the mind of someone with great ideas by making him find 100 guardrail micros first?

 

I've found lousy caches hidden by people with thousands of finds and great caches hidden by people with none, or a few. From a personal standpoint, I hid my first cache after one find and the only thing I learned since was that I didn't have to put so much thought into the container, contents and location. Had I first found a lot of the slop that passes for geocaches these days, I probably would have emulated it. Instead my first hide, still active 4 1/2 years later, compares favorably to anything I've hidden since.

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I disagree entirely. While I think it's helpful to see some caches before placing them, I think 100 is about 10 or 20 times too many. I've only been caching for a couple months, I've found 24 caches and placed 4. I'm familiar enough with my GPS to do the job. I've gotten several compliments on my caches, dozens of finds and only 1 person to disagree with my coordinates. And that was on a cache where I warned of poor reception, left a waypoint for good reception, and left an obvious clue.

 

While I may be the exception to the rule, I think it would be a major hinderance to not allow folks to place caches soon. Many folks might give up on the sport altogether because they love the idea of hiding a cache, and may have access or ideas about excellent locations, but they just don't have the time to spend a few months finding 100 caches before they place any.

 

This would be especially true in rural areas... where I grew up in PA, 100 caches would have me driving about 50 miles in various directions to take in that many, while not allowing me to further the sport in my area by placing caches.

 

Not to mention the folks with physical or kid limitations and the amount of territory they can access. Or the simple fact that some folks enjoy placing much more than finding... I've seen profiles of folks with 30 finds and 30 hides. Is that someone bad for the sport? I don't think so.

 

If a person places a bad cache (regardless of experience) the logs will show, and from what I've seen the site does a fine job of policing those.

 

If a rule were in place requiring 5 or 10 finds, I think that would be ok and if someone had good reason for the reviewer, even less would be fine.

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the limit would be helpful, i read this forum numberous times before buying my GPS, i currently am at 9 finds and just purchased a container to create my first cache, i'll hide it next weekend... i've been waiting to hide the cache because i knew i would learn from caching... after doing that 9, i seen what containers were the best, what were commonly used... it wasn't a big sampling, but i seen enough to see some what worked ands some that didnt... i seen some wet containers and dry containers. if i placed a cache with only 5 finds, it would have been horrid! i'm glad i've been waiting.

Edited by Red 07Z
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You should place your first cache when your muse speaks and you are now inspired to place it.

 

Sooner and you won't be inspired, later and you might forget that inspiration.

 

Finding caches and placing caches are different things. With different lessons to be learned from doing each. Finding caches won't teach you everthing you need to know about placing them. Plus areas have styles and get stuck in a rut. If you find caches first and only see one style your may mistakenly think that's how it should be done and your own ideas may suffer for it.

 

(This was the longer way to say what BrianSnat and webscouter said).

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No new rules. Hide when you feel the need, seek when you want to. Be selective about what you seek if it makes you happier.

 

I agree that more exposure to exisiting hides adds more experience, but does is it always add positive experience? :ph34r:

Some of us are already born to creative hides or containers, or showing off neat locations; other are happy content just hiding something for others to find without the same degree of inspiration. :ph34r:

There's room for both in this sport.

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I do not think that finding 100 caches will make some a good cache placer. That are some very creative people out there who knew how to use the GPSr before they ever heard of geocaching. There are people who were active outdoor enthusiests before they ever heard of a GPSr. and there are people who have hundreds of finds that do not see their environment in a creative way when it comes time to hide. I have almost 100 finds, and have placed one cache so far. I decided that I would place it in a little used park less than 1 km from my house so I could check on it if I needed to. (first placement jitters.) I have had several comments about the memories my placement has brought back for people who played in the park years ago, good enough for me.

 

I don't like painting broad strokes, when I do it usually means I painted over something important.

 

No new rules, If someone new places a bunch of caches you don't like why not meet them and take them out when you hide one of your good caches?

 

bwmick

Edited by bwmick
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Daddycoz started planning his first hide after our first find. I think we have about 34 finds, but DH is really good with the GPS, he would double, triple and then check 10 times again on coords to make sure they are good.

 

Haven't hidden the first yet, still struggling to find time just to find caches. We do have all the supplies though and hopefully we will get it out there before the end of the summer.

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I hid my first cache after 10 finds. I spent more than a month planning it and setting it up (it's a 5 leg multi, 11 miles point-to-point as the crow flies, probably closer to 20 or 25 miles as my bike goes!)

 

That cache is still active, and still recieves many commendations!

 

Just because I'm the way I am:

I hid my first multi after finding 2 multis (10 caches total)

I hid my first traditional cache after 15 traditional hides (20 total)

I hid my first micro after finding 2 micros (21 total) (that micro has since been upgraded to a "small")

I held my first event after attending 0 events (21 total)

I hid my first puzzle cache after finding 2 puzzles (25 total)

 

As of this posting, I've found 54 caches and hidden 10.

Three of the ten are archived- two were events, the nearby landowner didn't like the amount of extra traffic the third archived cache was generating and asked if it could be removed.

 

Go ahead, tell me I'm detrimental to the game because I've hidden caches before I found 100+. I can say with fair certainty that anyone who has found any of my caches will be happy to disagree with you.

 

Happy Caching!

Jeff

 

edit: clarification

Edited by uber_bike_geek
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In a lot of the rural areas, people dont have 100 caches in a 50 mile radius. To travel to get their remaining 100 finds before placing a cache would lead to a financial problem with gas prices the way they are.

 

lets say from my house there are 35 caches in a 50 mile radius... I got lucky and found them all....But wait the other 65 are further than 50 miles away...

Over 65 caches times 50 miles x2(round trip) a possible 3250 to 6500 miles before I can hide a cache....GET REAL

 

NO TO THIS PROPOSAL

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In a lot of the rural areas, people dont have 100 caches in a 50 mile radius. To travel to get their remaining 100 finds before placing a cache would lead to a financial problem with gas prices the way they are.

 

lets say from my house there are 35 caches in a 50 mile radius... I got lucky and found them all....But wait the other 65 are further than 50 miles away...

Over 65 caches times 50 miles x2(round trip) a possible 3250 to 6500 miles before I can hide a cache....GET REAL

 

NO TO THIS PROPOSAL

Yep, I don't think Guam even has 30 caches on the entire island. So I guess they would have to wait for someone to move to the island with enough finds before a new cache could be placed.

 

Also I'm not sure what the OP is trying accomplish with his idea. If a cache is illegal or truely dangerious an SBA log can be made. If a cache is just in a bad location then the logs should reflect it. If the logs don't then the caches in your area are doing a disservice to the community just because they don't want to hurt someone feelings. Then people would stop hunt that cache and hopefully owner would get the hint and improve the hide.

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Why poison the mind of someone with great ideas by making him find 100 guardrail micros first?

 

I've found lousy caches hidden by people with thousands of finds and great caches hidden by people with none, or a few. From a personal standpoint, I hid my first cache after one find and the only thing I learned since was that I didn't have to put so much thought into the container, contents and location. Had I first found a lot of the slop that passes for geocaches these days, I probably would have emulated it. Instead my first hide, still active 4 1/2 years later, compares favorably to anything I've hidden since.

Briansnat is right on. :ph34r:

When you are ready.

 

thats my answer and I'm sticking to it.

You should place your first cache when your muse speaks and you are now inspired to place it.

 

Sooner and you won't be inspired, later and you might forget that inspiration.

 

Finding caches and placing caches are different things. With different lessons to be learned from doing each. Finding caches won't teach you everthing you need to know about placing them. Plus areas have styles and get stuck in a rut. If you find caches first and only see one style your may mistakenly think that's how it should be done and your own ideas may suffer for it.

 

(This was the longer way to say what BrianSnat and webscouter said).

I once had 2 finds and 3 hides. All 3 of them are still up and going and get great comments.

 

That and what briansnat said.

I think all these people have it right! ;):

 

One of the best hikes I went on, which brought me to a really cool cache location, was to find a cache placed by someone with fewer than 10 finds. He went on to place even more great caches in fantastic locations.

 

He turned out to be a "hider" more than a "finder." Numbers mean nothing to him. thumbsup.gif But great locations are important to him. :ph34r:

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When you are ready. --webscouter.

when your muse speaks and you are now inspired to place it. --Renegade Knight

 

And Markwell adds an additional criteria:

When you have found a location that is really quite interesting, and there are no other caches nearby.

Edited by Markwell
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Whats cool is that this can actually be enforced - have the hide a cache online form only pop up for a GC.com member once their account has a minimum number of finds tied to it. Under the limit and the form is all greyed out and unable to be submitted for publishing consideration. With that in place we can make it a minimum of 1000 finds starting immediately. All those with less than 1000 finds will just need to start doing what is necessary to get their own hides published! This will also have the additional beneficial side effect of prompting member to learn how to research and find archived caches to post a smilie to - or to figure out a new creative way to twist and justify a DNF into a find. All this creativity is bound to result in a greater quality in caches.

 

My vote is for a 1000 minimum find requirement to hide!

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I am getting ready to place my first one and I am just now getting to 100 finds. I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I think it has challenged me to be creative and thoughtful while designing the hunt. I don't think that there ought to be a rule, but I think it does help for someone to have seen some good caches before. On the other hand, as I mentioned in another thread, I've got friends who just started geocaching a week ago. They don't own a gpsr (they borrow one of mine) and most of the caches they have seen around us have been fairly unimaginative micros--the light pole skirt in the BK parking lot type of stuff. So, just because you've seen caches doesn't necessarily make you any better qualified to hide one. The bad ones may inspire you to the highest levels of mediocrity. :ph34r:

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Blah, blah, blah...

Get used to the game as it now stands, there are plenty to find now and get a feel for a good hide.

I HAD to hide one before I found one because there weren't any close by. But that was in the Dark Ages.

 

BTW, I shouldn't be allowed to hide under the X- number rule, because I find under an different name.

I keep my 2 hides and rants under my first account name. :)

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I found plenty of bad caches hidden by well known number freaks, and I've found some wholesome quality caches by newer cachers so it really all just depends.

 

Been there and done that with Geoholic. I think this is a bad bad BAD idea.

 

a) We don't need more rules.

 

2) Cache density sucks in some places.

 

c)How do you learn if not by experience.

 

I kinda understand where you are coming from, but this would kill any hope of a cacher learning to hide, averaging their coordinates and a whole host of other things. I hid my first one with only 10 or 12 finds and it lasted a whole two years before it was stolen. I only had one complaint about "averaged" coords. If you want to be dropped dead on top of the cache thats fine. I like to have to hunt a littleand have a little fun. Even with a DNF I still have fun and I have had a few. I have cached with you once Night Hawk and had a good time, so no disrespect intended, BUT, suggestions like this alienate new cachers rather than helping them. How about dropping the new cacher a line or two about his hide and helping him or her out? How bout inviting said cacher to go along with you on a run and sharing your caching experience?

 

Just suggestions.

 

X

 

I'm sorry!

 

I recently listened to an interview on podcacher.com with Moun10bike. He was asked what advice would he give to a new cacher. His answer was hunt caches... do NOT hide caches. He stated it gives the new cacher a chance to get used to their new equipment. I realized after hearing that, I was not the ONLY person who is often disappointed with possiblity of another Muggle-Mart cache across the street from the Bullseye lightpole.

 

Ya know, just cause a "prolific" cacher says it doesn't mean a whole lot to these new guys. I have never met the cacher in question and I am sure he is a real nice guy and all. But, alot of the folks that I kinda looked up to in caching when I first started turned out to be number ho's and just plain crappy hiders that were only in this for the numbers. I have started to really be choosy with who I do cache with. I only have 150+ hides in the time I have been doing this and have just as much experience with what a good or bad hide is than anyone else in this hobby. A cache is only as good as the person who finds it thinks it is.

 

Again no disrespect meant.

 

X

Edited by Clan X-Man
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I think making a person find 100 before hiding there first would be way lame, I hid my first cache after 12 finds, it was an easy cache but at a good location with good swag and good coords, looking back after 100 finds I would not change anything about the hide. Also it would really cut down on the number of hinds, some people just really like to hide caches, I hid 12 before I hit 100 finds.

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Have you ever looked for a cache placed by someone who has found 10 caches and placed 20? To preserve the integrity of caches on Geocaching.com, I feel like they should adopt rules on placing caches. My suggestion would be find 100 to be eligible for placing 1. This gives the hider some experience using their GPSr and some experience on what a quality cache is. Often time a "new" hider will mark a spot without averaging or checking their own coordinates. Later it is learned the cache is 200 ft away from the posted coordinates. Another good reason for the "100 rule" would be... it is obvious the hider may continue an interest in Geocaching beyond the 3 month "new toy" period.

<...snip...>

What do you guys think... Yes or No to a waiting period?

My opinion is you are either a troll, have control issues or are of limited intellect. And I am being restrained in my response.

 

Would you please explain to the readers of this forum exactly what the "integrity of caches" is? Also, did you really have to find 100 caches before you figured out how to use a GPS reliably?

 

I think the concept of a waiting period is absurd, and I question the intentions of your post. Please do respond, but not without answering the two questions I asked. I think your response will clarify your position greatly.

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I have less than 100 finds, and I have placed a cache which I am not afraid to say I am very proud of. I spent alot of time and energy on it and alot of thought went into it and some of the top cachers in my area signed my log with words of appreciation. I think if you continue to want rules added to a great sport, you will have nothing but a book of rules. Look what excessive rules have done to a once great game called football.

*edited for spelling corrections

Edited by Poidawg
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What do you do about the cachers out there that do not record there finds online? I know one person in AZ that refuses to get caught up in the numbers game and will not log any of his finds online. He also has some really good hides, quality ones. On the other side I know of some with over 1000 finds that have wall mart lampskirt micros. By your rule the quality ones would not exist and the wally world ones would. I'll take a beautifull hike over a parking lot anyday.

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360 placed caches, and one find!

 

I have almost 900 finds, and the majority of caches that I found that were dangerous, lame, etc, were placed by experienced cachers with hundreds of finds. I can name 4 cache placers who I will never search for their caches again, and they all have over a 1000 finds.

 

I have found a couple of caches hidden by new cachers, that really should have found a few caches before they hid one on there own.

 

Also, this topic has been hashed out before:

 

Cache placing limitations

 

Cacher's stats are only one hidden

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What do you do about the cachers out there that do not record there finds online? I know one person in AZ that refuses to get caught up in the numbers game and will not log any of his finds online. He also has some really good hides, quality ones. On the other side I know of some with over 1000 finds that have wall mart lampskirt micros. By your rule the quality ones would not exist and the wally world ones would. I'll take a beautifull hike over a parking lot anyday.

 

HAH! Had to check and see if humanloofa lived in SC or NC. We have the same problem here. One cacher in particular complains about the quality of caches then hides crap. This person can come up with really creative cache puzzles and it is completly wasted with what you find at the end.

 

Of course folks will play the game as they want.

 

X

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I threw this topic out just to get some general response. There have been tons of good reasons NOT to restrict anything and I think they are ALL great reasons. All of those reasons are positive... Especially for the rural cacher with limited caches to find. There have been some very bitter responses... I don't really know why some people respond like that when a reason is good enough. Thanks Kit Fox for linking us to prior topic discussions.

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I think you should only place a cache when you have found a 'great' location for the container you are going to use. I think a cache should show the finder something sort of special, the location, the view, the hide, the container, or even a reason to stop along a lonely highway or have something to do in rural areas. Oh yes, what briansnat said as well.

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The OP is a local for me and an outstanding cacher! His question made me think about the first cache I ever placed. It was placed after I had found 2 caches and seemed to be well received by the local community. I hope this brings back memories Night Hawk. Here is your post to that cache called the The Greenway.

 

May 1, 2002 by Night-Hawk (1991 found)

I took a right turn while I was out and jumped into the woods in the middle of the day. I arrived at the 1st location and searched for a while... not knowing what you are looking for makes for an interesting hunt. And then... there it was... clever!!

After work I headed for the real stash and found it in good shape.

 

I took a gold dollar, a silver dollar and a screwdriver. I left an American Flag lapel pin and AAA Map 'N Go software. The software is a good mapping tool for trip planning!!

 

Thanks for the hunt!!

 

The Flag . End quote.

 

Cache hiding isn't rocket science, just a little common sense. There are people out there with thousands of finds that hide caches that aren't worth looking for. I found my first two caches and had an idea of what would be fun and based my hides on that. I have less than 100 finds after 5 years and about 12 hides. So far I've never heard anyone say that my caches were bad. Then again...that might be because I carry a big staff! :)

 

El Diablo.

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