My first cache (and grown-up swag)

[+ThreeRushkateers]

OK, so how do you people do it? I hid my first cache. It hasn't been out a week yet and it's a rather challenging puzzle, but I can't wait for someone to find it!!!!!!!!! I know it will take a while for someone willing to put in the work to discover it, but.... I'm checking the logs like four times a day to see if anyone's found it.

 

Where's the forum for Geocachers Anonymous again?

 

And by the way, I'm thinking about sweetening the pot with some more adult-ish swag. It's a regular cache filled with mostly kids toys. Anyone have any ideas for swag that's not really expensive, but good for adults?

 

Thanks!

[+robert]

Congrats on your first hide, it looks fun! You'll get an email when someone finds it, no need to check the page (unless you don't have access to your email, of course).

 

Will put it on my watchlist to see how it goes!

 

[+nameless301]

You could always give like a $10 dollar gift certificate to REI or something or hmm, put hiking related things in there. Or even put an unused TB so someone can make there own TB.

[+GreyingJay]

A couple bucks' gift certificates to the local coffee place (e.g. in Canada, that would be Tim Horton's) would be inexpensive and make me happy.

[+briansnat]

Anyone have any ideas for swag that's not really expensive, but good for adults?

 

Insect repellent wipes

small screwdriver sets

clip on "ball" compasses

survival whistles

travel packs of Handi Wipes

individual packs of Armor All wipes

collectible or interesting coins (Mercury dimes, buffalo nickels, Indian head pennies, Kennedy halves, Ike dollars, SBA and Golden dollars)

mylar "space" blankets

emergency ponchos

[+sparqui66]

Can't have enough 'biners! Even at the local "expensive" sporting goods store, they are only $.99.

 

Congratulations and try to be patient!

Edited August 30, 2006 by sparqui66

[+niraD]

A cacher around here leaves steel pennies as a kind of sig item. Others buy cases of single-use pouches of Tecnu and leave them in caches, especially in caches near PO.

[+ThreeRushkateers]

Thanks for all the ideas! I'll go swag shopping this weekend.

 

By the way, I googled tecnu (never heard of it)... does it actually work?

[+tucson twosome]

Don't worry, you're not alone. I was obsessive that way initially. However, I discovered we have a certified genius geocacher living here in Tucson that will solve ANY puzzle cache within 48 hours of its posting. Only one of my 6 puzzle caches was not found by him first and I think he was out of town that weekend. lol. So, the only anticipation now is how long it will take him to solve it.

 

Oh, and gift cards are always good as a First Finders prize. Almost right up there with unactivated geocions.

[+Thrak]

$5.00 at In-n-Out Burger or Starbucks is always appreciated by folks for a FTF. Passes to a local movie theater are great. Remember though that finding the cache is what most folks are into. I know people who have missed out on great FTF items because they didn't even look through the swag in the cache - just signed the log and went on their way. Of course I've also left the FTF prize behind on purpose if it was something I already had (nice flashlight for instance) and I thought another cacher should be able to snag it and get better use out of it.

[+hydnsek]

Thanks for all the ideas! I'll go swag shopping this weekend.

 

By the way, I googled tecnu (never heard of it)... does it actually work?

Tecnu is a godsend. It's amazing stuff, and orienteers (folks who run through the woods for recreation) buy it in bulk. I used it for years in the California Bay Area (aka PO Central); orienteered through thickets of PO but never had a problem thanks to Tecnu. Put it on within a few hours of exposure, and you almost never get a rash. Or it will minimize the rash if you are highly sensitive. They make two other related products, one a pre-exposure preventative, and the other an anti-itch cream if you do get a rash (by forgetting the Tecnu ).

[+OHMIKY]

Where I live, my puzzle caches go for months without a find. Seems folks around here don't appreciate a puzzle much. Even the very easy one I placed in a library has only two log entries - and only one of them is in the online log.

 

I know it's hard to wait for that first find, but it is worth it. Patience.

[+team moxiepup]

A lot of people cache with their dogs. We love it when we find dog toys in caches that we can give to Moxie. Once, she even marched a squeeky toy alll the way back to the car from the cache! Walmart usually has some at decent prices.

[+ThreeRushkateers]

Doggie toys! I hadn't thought of that... and I cache with the dogs on occasion! Thanks

[Fandrel]

Doggie toys! I hadn't thought of that... and I cache with the dogs on occasion! Thanks

 

If you're going to do dog toys, Cuz balls would be a good choice IMO: almost any dog that likes squeeky toys or likes to play ball will have fun with them, they're very tough (my dear departed Jack Russell could manage to kill almost any toy, but could only kill the squeek in a Cuz, without damaging the actual toy), they're funny/cool looking enough to also appeal to kids, and they can be purchased in a cache-appropriate (although not appropriate for some larger dogs) size.....and, should your cache leak, they're also weather-resistant. ;-)

 

http://www.petedge.com/shopping/browse/dir...amp;keyword=cuz

[+cimawr]

 

If you're going to do dog toys, Cuz balls would be a good choice IMO

 

 

Argh! Actually, *I* wrote that; I'm using Fandrel's computer at the moment, was logged into geocaching.com as myself, clicked the forum button, and apparently it auto-logged me in under his forum account.

 

Oh well - he's the one who introduced me to Cuz balls in the first place. His dogs are also great at destroying toys, but the Cuz have lasted...

 

Which I actually came back to the thread to post that the link I had in the first post doesn't seem to operate quite correctly - however, if you type cuz in the search box, it'll pull up the listing for both Good Cuz and Bad Cuz.

[+blue fox]

OK, so how do you people do it? I hid my first cache. It hasn't been out a week yet and it's a rather challenging puzzle, but I can't wait for someone to find it!!!!!!!!!

 

A few days ago I dropped a note to you with a question to clarify the puzzle (through geocaching.com) but I haven't heard anything back. Is it possible it fell to your spambot?

 

Blue

[+sbell111]

Harbor Frieght has LED keychains for 99 cents.

[+Osoling]

You could always give like a $10 dollar gift certificate to REI or something or hmm, put hiking related things in there. Or even put an unused TB so someone can make there own TB.

 

Man, I would break my leg to get to a cache first if I knew it had an unused TB in it. I'd get up in the middle of the night. That is a GREAT idea!!!

[+ThreeRushkateers]

OK, so how do you people do it? I hid my first cache. It hasn't been out a week yet and it's a rather challenging puzzle, but I can't wait for someone to find it!!!!!!!!!

 

A few days ago I dropped a note to you with a question to clarify the puzzle (through geocaching.com) but I haven't heard anything back. Is it possible it fell to your spambot?

 

Blue

 

I just got it this morning. Thank you so much!! I wasn't able to reply the normal way, so I'll reply here. I did have a mistake indeed! I have fixed the problem and also clarified one thing that I thought was ambiguous. I really appreciate the note! Thanks again!

[+Cache'n'Carey]

You could always give like a $10 dollar gift certificate to REI or something or hmm, put hiking related things in there. Or even put an unused TB so someone can make there own TB.

 

Man, I would break my leg to get to a cache first if I knew it had an unused TB in it. I'd get up in the middle of the night. That is a GREAT idea!!!

 

That's how I thought people would react, but when I put a set of unused TB tags in my last cache, the FTF left them, which really surprised me. It was a nice surprise for the STF. Guess the FTF just wasn't into TBs.

[+James Lobb]

Just like you i have just hid my first cache, it got published the moment that i got back after i had been out caching. the FTF in my cache is the proud owner of a DVD movie "fun with dick and jane" the rest of the trade items are not kids toys as such, but there not vewry expensive.

 

eg. pack of cards

marble's

 

New TB'S would be great, im yet to find a cache with a travle bug, activated or not in it. i really want to find one. but i dont like it when there attached to large item's. because you cant carry them in your pocket with you. im a spontainus cacher.

Edited September 3, 2006 by James Lobb

[+CENT5]

Since your 1st cache is a 4/3 you can expect the # of people that tackle it to be somewhat limited.

 

Many people will not look for a cache over a certain rating and shy away from more challenging hides.

 

Looks like fun though I admit I do NOT do puzzles as my data oriented brain seems to lock up whenever I see the blue question mark.

[+ThreeRushkateers]

I just added a few things that are more "grown-up". I think it will take a while to find someone willing to put in the effort to solve the puzzle, or someone with the prerequisite knowledge. I did have a cacher who guessed the general area and spent an hour looking for it. Fortunately it's hidden just well enough that this method won't work. Frankly, I'd be a little irritated if the FTF found the cache without solving the puzzle, but a find is a find.

[+ThreeRushkateers]

YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY! Someone found it!!

[+Skillet68]

Doggie toys! I hadn't thought of that... and I cache with the dogs on occasion! Thanks

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...bf-d7b1f0da1108