Night Time Caching

[+Woodlit]

There are not that many around me, but I'm pretty sure everybody has done at least one night time cache. Give coords for parking, then follow the reflectors until you see a small cluster of reflectors, then start looking for the cache. I want to place a night time cache, but I want it to be a pure night time cache, and have no possiblity of finding it during the day. The thumbtack reflectors are really small, and light up bright with a flashlight, but with a good eye you can still pick them out during the day. I'm wondering if anybody has come across a way to day-proof a cache, so it is next to impossible to find during the day, forcing the cachers to do it at night. I've been thinking about it for a while, but i'm not coming up with anything. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

[+Team Noltex]

One of the reasons I placed THIS night cache was because I wanted to do something very different than the usual "follow the glints", which always seemed a little weak on GPS use to me. There haven't been any daylight finds yet that I'm aware of. Even if someone was able to find all of the other waypoints during the day, you still can't see the laser at the final in the daylight.

[+oldsoldier]

They offer camoed ones too. Set them off a little bit off the path, note it in the cache description, and you should be fine. We ahave a local one here that has the white ones part of the way, then they switch to the camo ones, so you cant find it during the day (in theory, as a few people have).

[+briansnat]

Make sure the posted coordinates are pretty far from the starting point. That will make it harder to find the starting point without a flashlight.

[+globalgirl]

Brilliant night cache idea Team Noltex! I may just whiz down there for my 900th find!

 

Meanwhile, my most recent hide is decidedly only available after dark:

 

For Whom the Bell Tolls

[bogleman]

Some good caches out there I've done my only"night cache" during the day. No matter how hard you make it folks will manage to find a way to seek your cache when they want.

 

My suggestion (already mentioned) would to be simply mark the trailhead then have them walk the trail until they see the markers. Want to make it even harder don't give any information on where to find the markers, how they are placed ect. they will be blind.

 

Funny, it must be this time of year again, I even have one in the works. I plan on making it a multi - parking, trailhead - walk until you see the markers, find the first step then wander off blind into the woods.

[+Woodlit]

That is a great idea Team Noltex. But how many times has somebody lost / broke / forgot to return your remote though?

I didn't know they made those little reflectors in camo. I might just end up using them.

[+Kit Fox]

Another cacher on this forum had a brilliant idea. He placed a "dummy trail" of painted white tacks. If cachers just followed the color, they would be led astray. If they did the cache at night, they would realize that there was no reflection, and skip the "dummy trail."

 

You might check out http://firetacks.com/ , specifically the "Stealth Brights."

 

I found the original thread: Help making it so that night cache found ONLY at night?

 

User Halffast

 

On my Night cache I used regular white fire tacks.I put them along a trail so they would be easy to see even in the day.As the tacks left the main trail I hid the so they would be hard to see in the day.I painted some more tacks with white paint and placed them along the main trail further into the forest.At the end of the painted tacks I placed 3 into a tree to give the impresion of THIS IS THE CACHE SITE.When I get a log stating finding 3 tacks in a tree and no cache I know they tried in the day.

Edited October 16, 2006 by Kit Fox

[+Woodlit]

Kit Fox, I like that idea. I think i'm going to do that, along with any other ideas come up, and not mention that on the cache page. I was thinking about doing dummy trails with reflectors, but I'd imagine that would just get plain old annoying.

[+Mudfrog]

I don't hink you will have anything to worry about if you're placing this in the woods. I bought the cheap white trail tacks at Walmart and they are a booger to spot during the day. Put them in trees with a lighter bark, 50 feet or more apart and they are near impossible to find during the day.

 

We have a night cache out that we can only do maintenance on at night. Believe me, we've tried and have never had any luck finding all the tacks while the sun was up.

[+Renegade Knight]

I've got a night cache sitting on my shelf. It uses UV paint. While it's supposed to be invisible in stanard light you can see the clue if you know what you are looking for. That aside you can't see the UV glow in the daytime because daylight is too bright.

[+9Key]

I've got a night cache sitting on my shelf. It uses UV paint. While it's supposed to be invisible in stanard light you can see the clue if you know what you are looking for. That aside you can't see the UV glow in the daytime because daylight is too bright.

Be sure to cover the UV paint with clear fingernail polish so it will be protected from the elements. The paint I used only worked for a few hours after dark before the glow faded, so you should keep that in mind as well.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Please be sure to put this cache more than ten miles from my home coordinates! I already have enough caches that I cannot or will not do (kayaking caches, and cemetery caches) nearby. I have no night vision and do not go out at night. I would be forced to put obtuse mystery caches near your home, in retaliation. (Okay, so I'm joshing you. But Allamuchy would be a good place for this cache!)

On the other hand, it would be a challenge for me (as long as it's further than ten miles...) We have found one Night Cache so far!

On the other hand, I might have to start using the 'Ignore' button.

[+Kit Fox]

I've got a night cache sitting on my shelf. It uses UV paint. While it's supposed to be invisible in stanard light you can see the clue if you know what you are looking for. That aside you can't see the UV glow in the daytime because daylight is too bright.

 

To make the UV paint more effective, try what I did. I bought a 5 pack sample of invisible UV Paint. Each color looks clear in the daylight. I wrote the coordinates in the "Green Color," then painted squiggly lines, using the other colors. It is quite hard to see the coords in the daylight. At night, the coords stick out quite well. Of course I also used several clear coats to protect the UV paint.

[+Kabuthunk]

Want to make it even harder don't give any information on where to find the markers, how they are placed ect. they will be blind.

Although, if someone goes with this suggestion, you may want to throw in a "it should take you around X minutes" or "if you pass <object>, you've gone too far" or something like that. I personally wouldn't do a cache if it pointed me to a trail and said walk it at night for an unspecified distance. I don't know if it's 50 feet in, but if I miss it, I might keep going, expecting a 2-hour hike into the wilderness.

[+coreynjoey]

One of the reasons I placed THIS night cache was because I wanted to do something very different than the usual "follow the glints", which always seemed a little weak on GPS use to me. There haven't been any daylight finds yet that I'm aware of. Even if someone was able to find all of the other waypoints during the day, you still can't see the laser at the final in the daylight.

 

I've done this cache (a few times) and can attest it would be really hard to do in daylight. The first time we did it, it wasn't quite dark yet, and we had a heck of a time seeing the blinking LED. It's very small and not noticable in the dalight, but once it got dark, it was pretty cool.

[+Woodlit]

I would be forced to put obtuse mystery caches near your home, in retaliation.

 

Harry Dolphin, your Something evil in Dover is about 6 miles from my home. I must have looked at that thing 20 times, spanning close to a year. Maybe one day i'll get it!

[+Woodlit]

Although, if someone goes with this suggestion, you may want to throw in a "it should take you around X minutes" or "if you pass <object>, you've gone too far" or something like that. I personally wouldn't do a cache if it pointed me to a trail and said walk it at night for an unspecified distance. I don't know if it's 50 feet in, but if I miss it, I might keep going, expecting a 2-hour hike into the wilderness.

 

Thats a good idea. Give them a good idea of how long it should be, but not tell them where to locate the reflectors.

 

oops didn't mean to double post.

Edited October 17, 2006 by Woodlit

[+edscott]

Mine has not been found during the day. I used the triangular camo reflectors and put them relatively high in the trees. Makes them harder to find in daylight. I spaced them out a bit, only providing a reflector out of sight down the trail after each trail junction. I do give the approximate total route distance to the box, but not the total distance from the starting coordinates.

[+tands]

Hi All, The night cache links posted so far in this thread are excellent.

 

If anyone has others they can post I would appreciate it so much!

 

- T of TandS

[+eagletrek]

You may want to check out GCRP5B It's my night cache which uses LED flasher units which run continuously. The batteries last about 3 1/2 months so it does require maintenance. The redirectors take you to a location set away from the flasher units. Once you arrive at the location, you need to peer into the distance to find the "flash." The flash have been attenuated by using an opaque crystal. Therefore the flash is almost impossible to see during the day; at night no problem. I've gotten good comments on it so far.

[+Woodlit]

That sounds awsome. Where might I find those?

[+TheManInStripes]

There are not that many around me, but I'm pretty sure everybody has done at least one night time cache. Give coords for parking, then follow the reflectors until you see a small cluster of reflectors, then start looking for the cache. I want to place a night time cache, but I want it to be a pure night time cache, and have no possiblity of finding it during the day. The thumbtack reflectors are really small, and light up bright with a flashlight, but with a good eye you can still pick them out during the day. I'm wondering if anybody has come across a way to day-proof a cache, so it is next to impossible to find during the day, forcing the cachers to do it at night. I've been thinking about it for a while, but i'm not coming up with anything. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Here's the best soultion. Put it out at dusk. Go pick it up at dawn. Everyday.

[+eagletrek]

They are homemade using plastic conduit junction boxes, "AA" battery holder (two battery version), circular crystals aka. dragon tears used for the lenses, and flashing LEDs (3-6 volt variety). Solder the battery holder to the LED (ensure you have the right polarity to ensures it flashes). I use no switches. Hot glue the crystal in the hole or holes of the junction box. I've used both single and double hole varieties. (Make a one-eyed or two-eyed beast.) Place the LED near the crystal. The crystal helps to attenuate the intensity of the flash thereby making it almost impossible to see during the day. If the flash seems to be too faint, you can make a small reflector out of cardboard and aluminum foil to boost the flash. Install the batteries. Secure the cover on the box and attach the whole flasher unit to a tree or other object with zip ties or another fastening device. You're in business. If you want some photos, drop me an email and I'll fix you up.

 

v/r

 

Eagletrek

[+Skillet68]

Reflective Paint

 

The Vulchers are watching

[+Kit Fox]

Since this thread reappeared, I'll share my secrets.

 

My geocache The Lair of the Great Horned Owl Used a reflector trail, and terminated with "Hooty" my custom modified scarecrowl Owl. Sadly. Hooty was mauled by a Black Bear. I'm going to build a new Hooty, and enclose him in a welded square tubing "bird cage."

 

 

My geocache The Legend of Big Ben Incorporated invisible UV paint, and a reflector trail.

 

My next night cache will incorporating Reflectors, Blinking LEDs, UV paint, and one other "Top Secret" ingredient.

 

I want my 90th cache to be legendary!

 

Some great reading for those that are interested in LEDs. I spent several hours compiling this list:

 

http://wolfstone.halloweenhost.com/Lightin...weringLEDs.html

 

http://www.gizmology.net/LEDs.htm

 

http://www.theledlight.com/ledcircuits.html

 

http://metku.net/index.html?sect=view&...dcalc/index_eng

 

A dark activated circuit. http://www.redcircuits.com/Page64.htm

 

How about some cave eyes? http://www.cowlacious.com/CaveEyes.htm

Edited December 3, 2006 by Kit Fox

[+DocDiTTo]

One trick to help stop daytime finds is to take the trail across a field or other large open area. At night, you walk to the middle of the field and shine your light in a circle until you spot the reflector. Easy. During the day, you have the entire boundary of a field to search. Not easy.

Edited December 4, 2006 by DocDiTTo

[+briansnat]

Reflective Paint

 

The Vulchers are watching

 

Just a word of warning to others. While yours is is OK because it's on private property with permission of the land owner, spray painting trees, rocks, buildings or anything could be a violation of this guideline:

 

Off Limits Caches

 

Caches that deface public or private property, whether a natural or man-made object, in order to provide a clue or a logging method.

[+kingsting]

I saw an item at a sporting goods store a few weeks ago. It's used for hunters to find where they put their tree stands. It consists of a remote and a flashing light. You point the remote in the area of the light and it flashes a few times. The trick to making this work would be making sure the remote didn't walk off.

 

Here it is:

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00...sg-20/ref=nosim

Edited December 4, 2006 by kingsting

[+halffast]

Another cacher on this forum had a brilliant idea. He placed a "dummy trail" of painted white tacks. If cachers just followed the color, they would be led astray. If they did the cache at night, they would realize that there was no reflection, and skip the "dummy trail."

 

You might check out http://firetacks.com/ , specifically the "Stealth Brights."

 

I found the original thread: Help making it so that night cache found ONLY at night?

 

User Halffast

 

On my Night cache I used regular white fire tacks.I put them along a trail so they would be easy to see even in the day.As the tacks left the main trail I hid the so they would be hard to see in the day.I painted some more tacks with white paint and placed them along the main trail further into the forest.At the end of the painted tacks I placed 3 into a tree to give the impresion of THIS IS THE CACHE SITE.When I get a log stating finding 3 tacks in a tree and no cache I know they tried in the day.

Still no daytime finds on my night cache