Camper caches?

[+swizzle]

I'm setting up one which will have a small trinket trader with a log book in it and a bunch of stay in cache non-trade items. It's a 5 gallon bucket cache. So far it has a scout type pan and plate, plastic forks and spoons, tin foil, coffee, tea, cocoa, 4 oversized mugs, an airtight canister to hold the tea & coffee..ect... Hmmm.. a frisbee, 2 pairs of new wool socks, a candle, firestarter, waterproof matches, and TP. Its a starter list and I only have the bucket half full. I definately have to add more. I might add a dehydrated meal or two and a coffee/tea pot and a small fish kit. Is there anything else that you guys would add? Small radio, lantern with a fresh tank of propane? Hammock, maybe? I want to make sure it is mostly comfort items and mention to anyone who plans on using it to bring there standard gear just in case its been muggled. I'm still waiting for wally world to get in some more pack rods. Swizzle

[+SCCS]

Sounds like quite a lot for a cache. I don't get the point of non-trade items as they will most likely get traded out anyways.

Oh by the way I would remove the matches and propane tank, as it will not get published like it is worded. Just my .02

[+Confucius' Cat]

I'm setting up one which will have a small trinket trader with a log book in it and a bunch of stay in cache non-trade items. It's a 5 gallon bucket cache. So far it has a scout type pan and plate, plastic forks and spoons, tin foil, coffee, tea, cocoa, 4 oversized mugs, an airtight canister to hold the tea & coffee..ect... Hmmm.. a frisbee, 2 pairs of new wool socks, a candle, firestarter, waterproof matches, and TP. Its a starter list and I only have the bucket half full. I definately have to add more. I might add a dehydrated meal or two and a coffee/tea pot and a small fish kit. Is there anything else that you guys would add? Small radio, lantern with a fresh tank of propane? Hammock, maybe? I want to make sure it is mostly comfort items and mention to anyone who plans on using it to bring there standard gear just in case its been muggled. I'm still waiting for wally world to get in some more pack rods. Swizzle

 

Bolded items violate guidelines.

 

I assume the point is for people to come camping unprepared and use the contents of your cache?

 

I think it has a lot of practical problems.

 

The supplies will get used up and will be a maintenance nightmare for you to keep it stocked. The utensils, if intended to be used and replaced in the cache, will never meet reasonable sanitation requirements after the first use. Persoanlly, I would never use anything I found hidden in the woods to prepare my food or hold my drinking water... you just don't know where it's been.

 

I think it is a very noble cache, but it probably won't work as intended.

[+1stimestar]

Also, if you have food in there, you WILL have critters chewing their way in.

[+Subterranean]

That's kind of a cool idea. Long before geocaching, hikers/campers used containers stashed along the trail for similar purposes. The only problem with a geocache of this purpose is that a camper could never, with 100% confidence, depend on the cache or any particular item in it to be there when they need it, essentially voiding it's purpose. Unfortunately, most cachers would treat this cache like any other, and replace useful items with McTrash.

[+swizzle]

Thanx for the input on this guys. I forgot about the matches and propane tank. I'll make sure to exclude them. The point of the plastic utensils is to be disposable, thus more sanitary. The point of this cache is to have comfort items that allows your stay in the woods to be more enjoyable. I will keep in mind the items that you put in bold and make sure they don't make it in the cache. I may include a hammock and some of those folding campers chairs. I will need a bigger container for those though. Any other suggestions would be great. As far as not using any cooking utensils that you find in the woods then that is personal choice. I will post the contents and if someone disagrees with the pan then they are more then welcome to bring their own. I will look into adding items that won't need to be replenished. I have also added playing cards and dice. If I add the lantern then it will be just the lantern and extra mantles and it will be up to the finders to bring their own propane if they choose to use the cache for its true intentions. It is by no means a reason to abandon common sence and bring nothing, expecting the cache to contain all their needs. It is only for added fun and hopefully a few good memories shared through the pages of geocaching. Swizzle

[+Confucius' Cat]

Thanx for the input on this guys. I forgot about the matches and propane tank. I'll make sure to exclude them. The point of the plastic utensils is to be disposable, thus more sanitary. The point of this cache is to have comfort items that allows your stay in the woods to be more enjoyable. I will keep in mind the items that you put in bold and make sure they don't make it in the cache. I may include a hammock and some of those folding campers chairs. I will need a bigger container for those though. Any other suggestions would be great. As far as not using any cooking utensils that you find in the woods then that is personal choice. I will post the contents and if someone disagrees with the pan then they are more then welcome to bring their own. I will look into adding items that won't need to be replenished. I have also added playing cards and dice. If I add the lantern then it will be just the lantern and extra mantles and it will be up to the finders to bring their own propane if they choose to use the cache for its true intentions. It is by no means a reason to abandon common sence and bring nothing, expecting the cache to contain all their needs. It is only for added fun and hopefully a few good memories shared through the pages of geocaching. Swizzle

Now I like it a lot. About the lantern- I am assuming a PROPANE lantern and not GASOLINE? A gas lantern will have fumes even if emptied b4 replacing it in the cache.

 

If the concentration is on "comfort" items and not food and cooking, this has the makings of a VERY GREAT cache.

 

Still, I wish you luck in keeping it stocked. I kinda expect the contents will "shrink" as time goes on. As cachers, we ARE about trading and it is going to be hard to break that mindset. Plus there will be things that get "used up" even if they are "durable" goods. And things that will just plain get stolen.

 

It is a great idea. If it works, perhaps we will see more like it.

 

Sure beats a film can on a lamppost!

[+Hula Bum]

I love the idea, hope it works out, keep us posted. You have a lot of faith that geocachers are good and honest people that won't take the stuff!

[+swizzle]

Most of the camping stuff that I'm putting in it I've had for a few years now and just don't use it. Some items like the pan I bought at a garage sale for $0.50 cents. The wool socks were 6 pairs for $3. The propane lantern that I might add is a single mantle. the folding camping chairs I sometimes find at garage and yard sales for $2 or $3 bucks each. I will be placing this cache at least 3 miles back in the woods. As far as trade items I will have a secondary cache within or next to the 5 gallon bucket with trade items in it to hopefully encourage trading outside of the 5 gallon bucket. The location I'm gonna place this in might very well be a good place to set up base camp for a set of 4 multi's that will be in the same area. It's all in the works as well as another fisherman's cache. So far I have 11 active hides and 2 archived. One by choice and the other reborn under another name with the original cache in the original location. I am going to put a lot of thought and effort into these caches so it maybe a year or 2 before its all set up. Hopefully things start going fast and I can get it all done by next spring. Swizzle