micros....

January 4, 2007

How do people put caches at shoping centers such as a walmart, target, home depot, etc.? I know it would probably be a micro.

3.9k · January 4, 2007

The majority are under the lamp post skirts. Those skirts lift up and the micro...usually magnetic is placed underneath.

El Diablo

January 4, 2007

The majority are under the lamp post skirts. Those skirts lift up and the micro...usually magnetic is placed underneath.

El Diablo

are we allowed to lift the skirts up? the lamp post skirts...

3.9k · January 4, 2007

The majority are under the lamp post skirts. Those skirts lift up and the micro...usually magnetic is placed underneath.

El Diablo

are we allowed to lift the skirts up? the lamp post skirts...

All I can say is that thousands have.

El Diablo

January 4, 2007

The majority are under the lamp post skirts. Those skirts lift up and the micro...usually magnetic is placed underneath.

El Diablo

are we allowed to lift the skirts up? the lamp post skirts...

All I can say is that thousands have.

El Diablo

Probably tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. Without turning into a bashing thread, it should be noted that these types of caches are generally considered the lamest of the lame, and all the other caches in the area come to life when no one is looking and point and laugh at them.

I felt it was my geoaching duty to point this out just in case the OP has 100 magnetic keyholders ready to go and is thinking how cool it will be to saturate all the parking lots in his area.

20.7k · January 4, 2007

Without turning into a bashing thread, ...

The geocaching forum equivalent to, 'I don't mean to be rude, but...' :rolleyes:

Edited January 4, 2007 by sbell111

20.7k · January 4, 2007

Probably tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. ...

Before too much is read into ThePropers' post, the fact that so many of these caches are placed would suggest that many, many people enjoy them.

1.1k · January 4, 2007

I have gone on entire cache runs where 100% of the caches I found were under lamp skirts......new lamp skirts, painted lamp skirts, '60s lamp skirts, rusty lamp skirts, dented lamp skirts, old lamp skirts, stubborn lamp skirts, black lamp skirts, narrow lamp skirts, wide lamp skirts, bulky lamp skirts, bolted lamp skirts, and maybe even an occational albino lamp skirt.

All of these lamp skirts have one thing in common.....they all contain a film canister! :rolleyes:

(or a magnetic key holder, or a bison tube, or an altoids tin........you get the idea)

January 4, 2007

Lamp skirts?????? None in my area. Never seen a lamp skirt cache! NO, I'm not kidding. Perhaps I should be placing some. Hmmmmmm :rolleyes:

January 4, 2007

Is it odd that there are NO "lamp skirt" caches in my area? Never seen one!

8k · January 4, 2007

What a way to spoil it for the newbie. I remember how difficult it was to find my first lamppost hide. I looked all over that parking lot before discovering that the skirt on that lamppost was not bolted down and then was happy to find an Altoids tin underneath it. I hope this newbie will be able to discover how other caches are hidden on his own and enjoy that sense of discovery. Of course once you've found one lamppost hide you know the secret and that may be why they are so vilified in the forums.

January 4, 2007

I like micros, lamp post hides are easy finds.

The type I hate the most are caches in prickly bushes.

(I better like micros, I only have about 250 containers in varying states of readiness (and about 10 larger ones)

Edited January 4, 2007 by norsehawk

January 4, 2007

What a way to spoil it for the newbie. I remember how difficult it was to find my first lamppost hide. I looked all over that parking lot before discovering that the skirt on that lamppost was not bolted down and then was happy to find an Altoids tin underneath it. I hope this newbie will be able to discover how other caches are hidden on his own and enjoy that sense of discovery. Of course once you've found one lamppost hide you know the secret and that may be why they are so vilified in the forums.

Absolutely right! I remember my first one too. I own a lamppost cache (they are not really common in our city because we have relatively few skirted posts) which I hid mainly to annoy my daughter who at the time parked next to it. But it gets a lot of logs and a number of them comment on the clever hide. So we need these to give new cachers a bit of urban caching fun.

They also come in handy if you have limited time and want a cache for your city, county, state, Quest game, whatever list, or you are trying to do a marathon record run.

January 4, 2007

Probably tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. ...
Before too much is read into ThePropers' post, the fact that so many of these caches are placed would suggest that many, many people enjoy them.

You're right, I shouldn't have mentioned the general perception. My apologies.

Edited January 4, 2007 by ThePropers

9.1k · January 4, 2007

Is it odd that there are NO "lamp skirt" caches in my area? Never seen one!

They are out there. I found one recently within 25 miles of Vandergrift. There's several within miles of my own home west of Pittsburgh. I may or may not own one, I ain't sayin'.

So the solution is, GO FIND CACHES until you come across one!

My first cache of this type took me 45 minutes to find. It (temporarily) made my all-time favorites list, because it was different. Once I found many more, it dropped from the favorites list. That doesn't diminish the fun I had. And, there is a cache of this type on my favorites list currently, not because of the hiding style but because of the very special location.

There are many variants of this cache type, which can stump even the veteran. That keeps the game interesting.

There are also many variants of the containers and hiding methods used in the public spaces around shopping centers. I've found everything from ammo boxes to magnetic sheets. I've DNF'd many that were hidden too well for me to find, or which required special equipment that I did not have. That keeps the game interesting.

38.2k · January 4, 2007

How do people put caches at shoping centers such as a walmart, target, home depot, etc.? I know it would probably be a micro.

The question is why would you want to? With all the wonderful places around West Orange to hide caches, are shopping mall parking lots the best you can come up with?

January 4, 2007

How do people put caches at shoping centers such as a walmart, target, home depot, etc.? I know it would probably be a micro.

The question is why would you want to? With all the wonderful places around West Orange to hide caches, are shopping mall parking lots the best you can come up with?

no, I am just wondering since i seen them before and thought that was private property.

9.1k · January 4, 2007

Oh. That is a different thread. Thanks for clarifying.

Yes, a shopping center parking lot may be private property, but its character is a whole lot different than, say, your neighbor's backyard. Unless I see signs like "parking for customers only - no trespassing," I don't worry much. A shopping center is a place where the public is invited to come onto the property.

Also, I know of many caches placed at businesses with express permission from the owner, manager, etc. Why wouldn't they want more traffic near their store? I'd rather have geocachers having fun in my parking lot than drug dealers.

If you have a concern about a specific cache placement, and you don't wish to seek it without an assurance of permission, then write an e-mail to the owner. Not every owner addresses permission as part of their cache page.

1.1k · January 4, 2007

The question is why would you want to? With all the wonderful places around West Orange to hide caches, are shopping mall parking lots the best you can come up with?

You place caches because you like geocaching. Those micro "haters" sure do love to talk about it. Rather than talking about it, why not go geocaching? I hope I never have more forum posts than I do cache finds.

9.1k · January 4, 2007

The question is why would you want to? With all the wonderful places around West Orange to hide caches, are shopping mall parking lots the best you can come up with?

You place caches because you like geocaching. Those micro "haters" sure do love to talk about it. Rather than talking about it, why not go geocaching? I hope I never have more forum posts than I do cache finds.

Well, with a disrespectful attitude like that, I hope so also.

I may disagree with briansnat's opinion about shopping center caches, but I respect his right to express it politely. I also respect his *thousands* of helpful posts to assist people with questions about geocaching. I would stack up his record for being helpful against just about anyone.

January 4, 2007

The question is why would you want to? With all the wonderful places around West Orange to hide caches, are shopping mall parking lots the best you can come up with?

You place caches because you like geocaching. Those micro "haters" sure do love to talk about it. Rather than talking about it, why not go geocaching? I hope I never have more forum posts than I do cache finds.

as many have said before, if you don't like hunting micros, don't hunt micros. With a brief check on google maps you can tell if it's in a parking lot.

Personally I'm not a big fan of them, and won't go to do one specifically. But if I'm out and about and it's on my way, sure, I'll snag it just for chuckles and a smiley. :rolleyes:

38.2k · January 4, 2007

How do people put caches at shoping centers such as a walmart, target, home depot, etc.? I know it would probably be a micro.

The question is why would you want to? With all the wonderful places around West Orange to hide caches, are shopping mall parking lots the best you can come up with?

no, I am just wondering since i seen them before and thought that was private property.

Whew, you had me worried there for a minute!

38.2k · January 4, 2007

as many have said before, if you don't like hunting micros, don't hunt micros. With a brief check on google maps you can tell if it's in a parking lot.

I don't care whether a cache is a micro, small or regular. What I do care about is finding interesting locations.

I don't have a wireless loptop with with me when I go geocaching, so Google maps are no help to me.

All I have to go on is what is on my GPS and my GPS doesn't tell me whether or not a cache is in a mall parking lot. I recently had to abandon a planned day of geocaching while on vacation when we discovered we were being taken on a whirlwind tour of strip malls. We didn't know this until we arrived at each cache site, took a look and said "no thanks". After about 8 of those in a row we decided to call it a day.

Before too much is read into ThePropers' post, the fact that so many of these caches are placed would suggest that many, many people enjoy them.

People hide what they know. If all they find are parking lot micros that is what they think geocaching is all about and they emulate it. You can't tell me that everybody in northern NJ hates shopping mall hides, but just across the river in PA everybody loves them. Yet mall parking lot hides are rare in northern NJ (and believe me we have our share of strip malls) and quite common just across the river.

Edited January 4, 2007 by briansnat

10.2k · January 4, 2007

as many have said before, if you don't like hunting micros, don't hunt micros. With a brief check on google maps you can tell if it's in a parking lot.

I don't care whether a cache is a micro, small or regular. What I do care about is finding interesting locations.

I don't have a wireless loptop with with me when I go geocaching, so Google maps are no help to me.

All I have to go on is what is on my GPS and my GPS doesn't tell me whether or not a cache is in a mall parking lot. I recently had to abandon a planned day of geocaching while on vacation when we discovered we were being taken on a whirlwind tour of strip malls. We didn't know this until we arrived at each cache site, took a look and said "no thanks". After about 8 of those in a row we decided to call it a day.

Only happened to me a couple of times while out of town. But I can believe what happened to BrianSnat for sure. So, did you log smileys for them? :rolleyes:

Edit: Oh, I just noticed my current forum title sums up my feelings on the issue!!

Edited January 4, 2007 by TheWhiteUrkel

10.2k · January 4, 2007

as many have said before, if you don't like hunting micros, don't hunt micros. With a brief check on google maps you can tell if it's in a parking lot.

I don't care whether a cache is a micro, small or regular. What I do care about is finding interesting locations.

I don't have a wireless loptop with with me when I go geocaching, so Google maps are no help to me.

All I have to go on is what is on my GPS and my GPS doesn't tell me whether or not a cache is in a mall parking lot. I recently had to abandon a planned day of geocaching while on vacation when we discovered we were being taken on a whirlwind tour of strip malls. We didn't know this until we arrived at each cache site, took a look and said "no thanks". After about 8 of those in a row we decided to call it a day.

Before too much is read into ThePropers' post, the fact that so many of these caches are placed would suggest that many, many people enjoy them.

People hide what they know. If all they find are parking lot micros that is what they think geocaching is all about and they emulate it. You can't tell me that everybody in northern NJ hates shopping mall hides, but just across the river in PA everybody loves them. Yet mall parking lot hides are rare in northern NJ (and believe me we have our share of strip malls) and quite common just across the river.

Agreed. A newbie in my area joined Dec. 26th (obviously a Christmas GPS). Found 4 caches last weekend (all parking lot micros). Go figure, last night they hid their first cache, a parking lot micro.

January 4, 2007

I can understand the sentiments about lamp post caches BUT...people have to remember that what doesn't appeal to one person, may to another. Out of my whopping 11 finds, I've never seen one. There is a constant flow of newbies, like me, for whom a lamp post find would be a triumph. Or someone who doesn't have the time to go on a 10-mile trek in the wilderness or someone who might be handicapped in some way and needs something a little less difficult. And to some, being in public view and managing to secretely get a micro out of a lamp skirt without people wondering why you are molesting a lamp post IS a challenge!

I'm sure if your find count is high, a lowly lamp post micro is pretty boring. But I think there will always be SOMEONE who doesn't mind. Time and experience will grow thoughtfulness in hiding techniques. I'll bet there are a lot of experienced people here who, in looking back, feel their first hides were pretty dumb. Oh yeah, I meant "lame" since that seems to be the popular term. I can promise that my first hide is not going to be in a lamp post skirt or under a bush or beside a creek.

January 4, 2007

And to some, being in public view and managing to secretely get a micro out of a lamp skirt without people wondering why you are molesting a lamp post IS a challenge!

I'm pretty new, but I just found not a lamp skirt parking lot hide but a guardrail parking lot one, and I have to say that this statement is pretty accurate. In fact, the find was simple, but getting it without being noticed too much was very difficult (especially during lunch hour)

That being said, I can see why a load of only lamp skirt/parking lot micros in one area would get boring, but I'd say just try to be aware of that when you're searching for area caches.

January 4, 2007

Oops my above post has the quote from PlantAKiss first. It didn't put it in quotes for some reason.

1.1k · January 4, 2007

What a way to spoil it for the newbie. I remember how difficult it was to find my first lamppost hide. I looked all over that parking lot before discovering that the skirt on that lamppost was not bolted down and then was happy to find an Altoids tin underneath it. I hope this newbie will be able to discover how other caches are hidden on his own and enjoy that sense of discovery. Of course once you've found one lamppost hide you know the secret and that may be why they are so vilified in the forums.

Oh my goodness...I am just answering the OP question here.

How do people put caches at shoping centers such as a walmart, target, home depot, etc.? I know it would probably be a micro.

One of those ways would be lamp post skirts! For the newbies out there...we have MANY ways of hiding caches in Walmart, target, home depots, and Applebees! I was focusing my post toward lamp post skirts, which is one of the techniques used. So maybe we didn't need an evaluation......? Sorry for that, so lets hear about somemore ways that caches can be hidden at these wonderful institutions so that we can fulfill a good answer for the OP!

3.9k · January 5, 2007

What a way to spoil it for the newbie. I remember how difficult it was to find my first lamppost hide. I looked all over that parking lot before discovering that the skirt on that lamppost was not bolted down and then was happy to find an Altoids tin underneath it. I hope this newbie will be able to discover how other caches are hidden on his own and enjoy that sense of discovery. Of course once you've found one lamppost hide you know the secret and that may be why they are so vilified in the forums.

Oh my goodness...I am just answering the OP question here.

I think he was talking about my post to th OP as being the spoiler. However....just because you know it's under a lamp post skirt doesn't make it an easy to find. Anyone that has read these forums for even the shortest period should know that they are under the skirt.

El Diablo

January 5, 2007

What a way to spoil it for the newbie. I remember how difficult it was to find my first lamppost hide. I looked all over that parking lot before discovering that the skirt on that lamppost was not bolted down and then was happy to find an Altoids tin underneath it. I hope this newbie will be able to discover how other caches are hidden on his own and enjoy that sense of discovery. Of course once you've found one lamppost hide you know the secret and that may be why they are so vilified in the forums.

Oh my goodness...I am just answering the OP question here.

I think he was talking about my post to th OP as being the spoiler. However....just because you know it's under a lamp post skirt doesn't make it an easy to find. Anyone that has read these forums for even the shortest period should know that they are under the skirt.

El Diablo

sad to say, i didnt think that under the ''skirts'' were allowed...but still there are many in a certain area.

9.1k · January 5, 2007

When the coords point me to a lamp post, it is *usually* visible once you lift the skirt, but not always. I can think offhand of five different variations that I've seen. One that I found a few weeks ago took me three checks of the lamp post before I found it. The possibility of a creative variation is one of several things that keeps lamp post caches on my to-do list when I feel like finding urban caches. When I don't, I drive right past them on the way to the state park. With dozens if not a hundred lamp post finds, I can still find fun in them when I'm in the mood. If they didn't provide fun, I'd stop looking for them, at least temporarily. I've done that a few times.

I don't see anything in the listing guidelines about lifting a lamp post skirt. :laughing:

January 5, 2007

In defense of this method of Caching keep in mind there are individuals with limited transportation, disabilitys etc. They don't own a 4 x 4 to get to remote caches may not even own a vehicle. But they enjoy the sport. So keep this in mind.

January 5, 2007

One very interesting variation of the lamp post hide is Wuthering Heights, a Vinny & Sue Team cache. If you think lamp posts can not be interesting / challenging then I suggest you that you consider giving one of these a try, as it definately is not your typical lamp post skirt hide. Infact after you complete one of these depending on how prepaired you are for it, then the skirt hide may be a blessing the next time your gps points to the lamp post :laughing:

20.7k · January 5, 2007

People hide what they know. If all they find are parking lot micros that is what they think geocaching is all about and they emulate it. ...
Agreed. A newbie in my area joined Dec. 26th (obviously a Christmas GPS). Found 4 caches last weekend (all parking lot micros). Go figure, last night they hid their first cache, a parking lot micro.

You are both correct, of course. People do hide what they know. However, the reason that they hide them is because they enjoyed them.

Just because the two of you don't enjoy them doesn't mean that it's not OK for others to like them.

Edited January 5, 2007 by sbell111

micros....

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