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14 stage multi... How would you like to do it?


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Ive got BIG plans for a 14 stage multi cache in my town. Im not sure how to set it up. Would you, the Geocache experts, want to do...

A: 13 caches giving clues to or parts of the final cache co-ords so you would add 14 finds to your count

OR

B: ONE multi cache with 13 clues to the final cache that only shows as one find.

:rolleyes:

I still need to run the idea past the 3 Kings :blink:

 

What do you think?

 

Cheers Matt (1/3rd of the GeoCornettos)

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that entirely depend s on the location.

 

if there are 14 locations that each can carry a cache that is worthwhile then go for that option.

 

if the is one location that would make a nice long walk then go for the one cache option.

 

sorry if that hasn't helped much but as long as there aren't 13 lame micros just put out for the sake of numbers then i think everyone will be happy. :rolleyes:

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I agree with nobby.nobbs statements regarding micros. I'm quite happy to go around to 'answer to question' to get the multi. Even if it meant 13 answer to questions and one final, as long as everyone knew that before hand, I think most people would know it will be a challenging cache before they start.

 

Don't go in blind! :rolleyes:

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Well my clock cache series is 12 micros/small caches leading by cryptic clues to a bonus 13

 

I suppose you could call it a power trail as it is based on the Avon cycleway

 

The spots in themselves are of variable interest

 

Personally I think 12 or 13 stages of a multi leading to a single cache would put most off - unless of course there is a really good theme or you are deliberately making a 4* difficulty rating (which is what I did)

 

Don't underestimate the time commitment in looking after 12 caches (unless you choose the sites carefully to minimise maintenance)

 

edit:typo

Edited by macroderma
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Are you planning all 13 caches to be in easy(ish) walking distance of one another? If so, then perhaps it would be fine to set them up as one multicache.

 

On the other hand, that would be an awful lot of caches to maintain in order to keep the final one 'findable'. If someone gets to stage 12 of a multi and finds it's gone missing, they've done an awful lot of work to get a 'dnf'. If they get to cache 12, and they have been able to log the other 11 as 'finds' then perhaps it wouldn't feel so bad that the trail went 'cold'.

 

I have a series where you have to find six individual caches to get co-ord's for the final cache. I'm certainly not claiming it's perfect, but I have had a few good comments, so I hope people enjoy it. As they are not really within walking distance of one another, I have set them up as separate caches. Some people just find one or two of them, some complete the whole series. I've tried to put each cache in what I think is an interesting area.

 

:rolleyes:

Edited by ryme-intrinseca
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as long as there aren't 13 lame micros just put out for the sake of numbers then i think everyone will be happy. :(

 

So as long as they arnt 'lame' micros, micros (for the 13) would be ok?

 

 

By far and away the best cache the other short. fat bloke with beard and specs has done was this one. Read the logs and each tells a great story! I can't tell you off hand how many stages there were, but eaqch was a cracking cache in it's own right!

 

Best of luck with your cache!

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Just personally speaking, I wouldn't bother with it if it was a 14 stage multi with a single final cache - partly because there'd be a high likelihood of a lot of wasted effort due to a DNF or a muggled cache, and partly because it doesn't fit in with the Team Sieni way of caching.

 

We like to do a bit of caching while out walking (not the other way round) but if you had 14 individuals I'd probably log a few of them if they lay on a nice walk route, but I doubt we'd ever get around to doing them all. A couple of examples:

 

GCVCZC, "This is England" is a series of 7 caches with a bonus at the end, including some micros (I'm not sure if they were "lame" or not) and a final that we worked around a long walk on the downs (extended by doing them in the "wrong" order). And we had a great day out, that was really enhanced by the caches.

 

GCMJ67 "Snow White" is also a series of 7 (natch!) caches with a bonus at then, the series had a micro that had been muggled when we found it (we found the hiding place OK) so we couldn't complete the series and find the bonus - but that's no big deal. But we did log a few finds and we had a very good walk, again enhanced by the caches.

 

We probably wouldn't have bothered with either of those had they been a single cache with stacks of stages, but we would have still visited the respective areas for the walking, trigpoints, the fungi, photos, waymarks, other caches and so on.

 

That's just the Team Sieni way, but the great thing about Geocaching is that we're all free to do it our own way.

 

On the other hand, GCM4YE "Reigate mini multi Ramble" is just one a single cache with two physical caches plus some other non-cache places to visit to gather numbers, and that was a lot of fun too. Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes. (Walt Whitman)

 

Other thoughts, take 'em or leave 'em: If your 14 points are all valid and interesting cache locations and you are happy you have permission etc, then why not make them caches? If they're not interesting locations then why bother with them anyway? This might be a good test as to whether you really want/need all 14 of them. If you have problems with permission then yes - maybe you should just make them places to visit and solve a clue with no cache.

 

All IMHO, YMMV

 

Whatever you decide - hope it's a success! :(

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Funny this should come up, I did a 15 stage multi today with the 16th location being the bonus cache.

 

It was 4 hours from leaving the car to getting back to it and I covered 8.9 miles of going up, down and around on the South Downs.

 

It was hard work, but the multi was well thought out and there was a big feeling of satisfaction when I sat down at the 16th cache (the bonus).

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC11xke

 

If it's done right and each stage of the multi is worthwhile on its own, it makes for an enjoyable day.

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Ive got BIG plans for a 14 stage multi cache in my town. Im not sure how to set it up. Would you, the Geocache experts, want to do...

A: 13 caches giving clues to or parts of the final cache co-ords so you would add 14 finds to your count

OR

B: ONE multi cache with 13 clues to the final cache that only shows as one find.

:(

I still need to run the idea past the 3 Kings B)

 

I did a multi a couple of weeks ago which was about 14 stages, and it was all just one cache. The clues took you around the Museum of Welsh Life, which is a big outdoor museum. Took a couple of hours to get around all the clues, and the cache was located in one of the buildings. Worked really well, and was enjoyable to do.

 

However, if the stages of the multi are quite a walk apart, and it could take more than one trip to do them all, then it's fair to split them into more than one cache entry - you don't have to go as far as 13 seperates, but could split it into 4 - perhaps where each of the 4 can be done independently, but you need the answers from all four caches to find the final.

 

Simon

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I have to agree with Team Sieni. Walking is my primary interest. If I'm keying in coords every 2 minutes it drives me nuts, though some people don't seem to mind it.

I think most of us have done a cache where we walk 10yds and then it's data entry time again. :( What's that all about?

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The (recently blown-up) cache in Peterborough was a multi and had many questions (over 10) before finding the final cache. This was not a problem as all locations were suitable for questions but not for physical caches.

It bothers me slightly when people add stages of a multi in locations that could have held a traditional cache (due to the 'minimum distance' rule).

Does this matter if you are visiting the site anyway? Possibly not - but I do prefer to find a cache than answer questions for the sake of it.

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Ive got BIG plans for a 14 stage multi cache in my town. Im not sure how to set it up. Would you, the Geocache experts, want to do...

A: 13 caches giving clues to or parts of the final cache co-ords so you would add 14 finds to your count

OR

B: ONE multi cache with 13 clues to the final cache that only shows as one find.

:)

I still need to run the idea past the 3 Kings :)

 

What do you think?

 

Cheers Matt (1/3rd of the GeoCornettos)

A: I would be happy to do. :laughing:

B: Would be filtered out in GSAK. :laughing:

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Or break it down into several multi caches in worthwhile places with a bonus cache for folks that have done them all... 3 or 4 multi caches and a bonus would make a nice compromise for us. Would allow folks to break down the cache into manageable chunks, especially important if you're taking the dustbin lids around with you.

 

J

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Ive got BIG plans for a 14 stage multi cache in my town. Im not sure how to set it up. Would you, the Geocache experts, want to do...

A: 13 caches giving clues to or parts of the final cache co-ords so you would add 14 finds to your count

OR

B: ONE multi cache with 13 clues to the final cache that only shows as one find.

:laughing:

I still need to run the idea past the 3 Kings ;)

 

What do you think?

 

Cheers Matt (1/3rd of the GeoCornettos)

 

My two penn'orth:

 

We would do a 14-stage multi within easy reach of home.

 

We would be unlikely to do a 14-stage multi in an unfamiliar area, but might travel to that area if it meant the possibility of finding 14 caches. If for any reason we couldn't find one or two of the 14, or ran out of time or daylight, it wouldn't spoil a good day's caching. If we were unable to find one or two stages of the multi, and were therefore unable to bag the cache at all, this would spoil a day's caching.

 

When looking for caches to do in a new area, we don't usually consider long multis. If we have to travel for a length of time to get to an area, we don't want to come away with only one find - or even none.

 

So I would go for Option A.

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Ive got BIG plans for a 14 stage multi cache in my town

Heck hope you don't live near me? !!!! ;)

 

Seriously though... I'd say it depends on the area and the quality. I would probably not be the first to try it and wait for some logs before I started.

I can recommend a couple of multi-stage caches that were hard work but worth every minute...

 

The Bracknell Ramble and ...Lost in Translation?

 

Both listed as mysteries but essentially long......multies.

 

AND...

 

What's wrong with so called 'power trails'? Some of my most enjoyable expeditions have been had walking down river/canal towpaths! :laughing:

 

Jon

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You only have to look at the stats on your caches - I have both complex multi caches which get good feedback but only seem to be visited once or twice a year and I also have a series of caches which is visited once or twice a week!

 

Cachers round here seem to vote with their feet - I am discouraged from setting any more long multis - no-one ever does them.

 

My next planned caches will form a series and a bonus...

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Is it possible to group or theme some of the caches together? Say a 4 - 4 - 4 and a bonus cache of 2? It depends on the distance and routes between them, but I think a series split up into chunks, makes it more attractive for people who don't live locally. I've just set a series of 5 caches with a lot of intermediate cache locations and long walks, but each has a logical route/thread connecting them. That way, if one of the clue-caches gets muggled, there are still others while people are in the area.

 

I think the main thing is to take people somewhere nice and/or interesting, and not require them to punch in new co-ordinates every 200 yards.

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Thanks for all your input with this one. Ive set 13 micros, all traditional caches, each one with clues to the 14th and final cache (NOT A MICRO!). What ive done is set some live today with the rest going live over the next few days. I wanted to try and spread the FTFs around. The 14th cache is cool. An ammo can in a great location. Its really hard to get to as there is NO gps signal for about 300 meters around ground zero. Once you get within 20 meters BANG all the signal pops back up again. I dont know why. It did it on 3 different GPSrs over 3 days. Hmmm...

If you want a look, the first one that went live was GC13WFZ

 

Thanks all! :laughing:

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Well my clock cache series is 12 micros/small caches leading by cryptic clues to a bonus 13

 

I suppose you could call it a power trail as it is based on the Avon cycleway

 

The spots in themselves are of variable interest

 

Personally I think 12 or 13 stages of a multi leading to a single cache would put most off - unless of course there is a really good theme or you are deliberately making a 4* difficulty rating (which is what I did)

 

Don't underestimate the time commitment in looking after 12 caches (unless you choose the sites carefully to minimise maintenance)

 

edit:typo

No way was that a power trail macroderma, it was a mega event in itself! For me I have done some long multis enjoyed some and hated others, its not the stages but the cache as a whole that is important for me.

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