Micro tips

[+sunriseoverwater]

I've been geocaching for about a month and have had pretty good success in finding caches of regular and small size. But every time I go looking for a micro, I have no success whatsoever. I've been checking the logs on these caches to make sure they've been found recently, so I don't think the problem is that I'm searching for caches that have been muggled. The problem is more that I have no idea what I'm doing when looking for a micro. If you have any tips on finding micros, typical hiding spots, etc., please help me! Thanks!

[+StarBrand]

Tough question to answer.

 

Micros come in a wide varitey of sizes and shapes. So just use the general rule of looking for anything that is just a bit out-of-place (bark, leaves, discolored branch, fake nest, bolt not like others, etc). Also look for metal surfaces as many micros incorporate a magnet. Look in and around all little "hidey holes" between other objects.

 

Common micro containers are film cans and similar, altoid tins, magnetic sheets, bison tubes. Get familar with the size and shape of all such things.

[+Miragee]

Welcome to the Forums!

 

I just hid a micro yesterday as a way of guiding people to a parking area for a trailhead. I drilled a hole in piece of Manzanita burl wood to hide a little bison tube. In two other places I have hidden bison tubes inside large pinecones hanging from not-pine trees.

 

Other Micros might be hidden in fake bolts on a structure. They could also be teensy-tiny magnetic containers attached to the bottom of a fire hydrant. Magnetic keyholders can be hidden in lots of places, like under lamppost skirts . . .

 

Hunting Micros is a whole other aspect of this game.

[+hairball45]

I not long ago found a drilled out pine cone in a pine tree. Kinda blend in, ya know. It was bigger than the other pine cones. I've also seen two plastic leaves on a plastic stem stapled together. The log book was in a plastic bag between them. It was hung in a wild vine of some sort with very similar leaves. It was easy to tell where it was, the GPS was right on, but it took me three frustrating visits to find the blasted thing.

I've also seen a bunch of the key case on a whatever and film can stuffed in somewhere. They can be fun, or pretty mundane. I've got one out there that was intended to be mundane, there is a pretty big tongue in cheek factor.

hairball

[vtmtnman]

Check out this thread.Read every post and check out all the pics....you'll get some ideas what micros will look like and where to look.You basically have to look for things out of place in an area you've never been before....easy as pie.

[+briansnat]

THey are very often magnetic, so look for something metal that it might be stuck to.

 

They also might be well concealed and not in view so you might have to feel around dark places with your hands. Feel under and behind any structures at ground zero.

 

If its in the woods look for knotholes in trees or they are also sometimes duct taped to the branches of a tree or bush.

[+Gadget_Cacher]

Sometimes they are VERY tricky here is a micro that took me a while to find

 

 

It's magnetic and it was on the end of some metal overhang that was the same diameter. It blended in perfectly. You cant give up you will find it eventually.

[+trainlove]

If you have a Gramin GPS then you are golden, but if you have a Magellan then take the folowing hints to mind.

 

When getting close to a cache, turn the GPS off and then back on, wait the few seconds for the satellites to be re-acquired and maybe a few more seconds for the EPE to get as low as possible. Do this all while NOT moving. Then goto the cache coords. I found that this had improved my success at micros/picos tremendously when I first started out. Not so important with regular and small sized caches since you mostly look for those with the GEO-spidey sense anyway. Over time you'le use that sense for the micros also.

[Neos2]

I sometimes set my gps down for a few minutes while I search nearby. Free of my flailing around, the gps settles down to point to one spot. If I haven't found the cache after a few minutes I look to see where the unit is pointing. Usually the cache it at the other end of the pointer.

 

Of course, that also means you also have to remember to pick the gps back up again when you are done.

 

Also, small mirrors are nice for peering into dark holes. I carry a "dentist type" one and a larger credit card size one--used with a flashlight, they can see around corners into dark holes.

[Donald, Daisy and Kids]

Micros come in various shapes and sizes, We find that the best bet is to look in the spot where you think that you would most likely hide a micro cache.

 

Our first few were very difficult, even multiple attempts too, but we found them in the end, several visits later.

 

You will either like them or hate and despise them.......

[+Super_Nate]

Most of the posts that I am seeing here are representing the hard micros. Micros that have difficulty ratings of 3 and over.

 

If you are new to the game, I always tell people to try caches that are less than a 2 on difficulty/terrain and then work your way up. The first few easy ones will get you a feel for how caches in general work. It gets you a feel for using your GPS to find a cache, and you can see how caches are hidden, and how the log signing works...etc....etc!

 

In your instance, I would recommend finding the micros that are 1*, 1.5*, or 2* on difficulty ratings. Most of those types are hidden under lamppost covers, or attached to guardrails, or hanging in plain sight in a tree. Those methods is only scratching the surface of how easy micros are hidden....I'm just giving you a few examples. Once you have gotten a few of those under your belt, then you can move forward and try harder ones. Once you are 100% confident with finding a micro cache, and you are going after harder ones (aka "evil micros) then the possibilities are endless of how to hide them. Anything and everything that you put your hands on is fair game for coming apart and containing a micro cache.

 

Good luck with it, and hang in there.

[+stites1]

I'm admittably new to this, but I've been lucky when looking for a string holding the micro to a tree rather than for the container itself. Good Luck!

[+sunriseoverwater]

Thanks for all the tips! I'd forgotten that there are crazy people who disguise their micros as pine cones, etc. Hopefully next time I go looking for a micro I won't be quite so frustrated!

[+Renegade Knight]

...I have hidden bison tubes inside large pinecones hanging from not-pine trees. ...Hunting Micros is a whole other aspect of this game.

 

Thank you. Pinecones in a pine tree...that's brutal.

 

Back On Topic.

 

Micro's really are another aspect to the game. They are much easier to hide in a way that is very hard to find. But due to their small size and due to more options on how they can be hidden.

[JohnX]

I've been geocaching for about a month and have had pretty good success in finding caches of regular and small size. But every time I go looking for a micro, I have no success whatsoever. I've been checking the logs on these caches to make sure they've been found recently, so I don't think the problem is that I'm searching for caches that have been muggled. The problem is more that I have no idea what I'm doing when looking for a micro. If you have any tips on finding micros, typical hiding spots, etc., please help me! Thanks!

I can't believe I am the first person to post that I have found every micro I have ever looked for.

 

I will reveal my secret method when someone promises to donate $10.00 to any legitimate charity.

 

The honor system is at work here folks.

 

JohnX

[+michigansnorkelers]

Sometimes, micros are large, but flat with no actual container!

 

These have invariably been magnetic strips with the logsheet glued to the back side! The actual micro might be 4" by 8". They might be in the form of signs, or mimic stickers pasted to metal surfaces.

 

Hundreds of people might look directly at them daily, without a clue that there is more than meets the eye.

 

I have also seen "micros" as stages in a multi, where the "micro" is simply a paper or plastic tag containing the coordinates to the next stage. This would be taped to the side or bottom of an item, such as a park bench.

 

It gets very difficult looking for a container when there is no container!

[+Knight2000]

I can't believe I am the first person to post that I have found every micro I have ever looked for.

 

I will reveal my secret method when someone promises to donate $10.00 to any legitimate charity.

 

The honor system is at work here folks.

 

JohnX

[+Knight2000]

Can you spot the micro here? This was a drive up micro. Ughh. No workout for me.

 

The first micro of this type we DNF, then later found. After you know that this is a way of hiding them, then its a little easier for the next of this type.

[+ClairBrock]

I've been geocaching for about a month and have had pretty good success in finding caches of regular and small size. But every time I go looking for a micro, I have no success whatsoever. I've been checking the logs on these caches to make sure they've been found recently, so I don't think the problem is that I'm searching for caches that have been muggled. The problem is more that I have no idea what I'm doing when looking for a micro. If you have any tips on finding micros, typical hiding spots, etc., please help me! Thanks!

 

Hi Sunrise -- My family has been caching for just around a month, too. I almost gave up on this sport over frustration from Micro DNFs in the beginning. Soon after, I fortunately found a few very well done regular-size caches in great venues, and I became an addicted GCer.

 

Currently, I have Micros eliminated from my Pocket Queries, but I still have 422 non-micros within 20 square miles, so I will concentrate on those first. My 7-year-old grandson is my frequent cache buddy, and he prefers caches with prizes and not just logs like a Micro. I plan someday to tackle Micros, but it's nice having lots of time to do the easy big ones now.

 

Cheers and happy hunts,

CB

[+the mad cow]

Don't even bother looking for micro's! To me, they are not worth the time. Don't get me wrong, If there are no regular sizes caches and I need the quick caching fix, I'll hunt the occasional micro, but if I have to drive 20 miles for a regular cache of 1 mile for a micro, regular cache, here I come!!

 

Hints on finding micro's = don't look for them!

 

TeamOVCacher

[+Knight2000]

It is what you make it i think. My 4 year old doesnt like them. My 9 year old does. Just do what you enjoy. When you stop having fun, leave. They do get easier the more you do.

[+cainrcc]

I enjoy looking for all types of caches micros included,sometimes I have had to make a few trips to find the tricky micro.I also enjoy putting micros in places that would not be suitable for a regular cache.

[+scnascar]

I also enjoy finding micro's but they can be real frustrating at times. I have found that reading past logs can at times lead me to what I'm looking for. Something else that helped me was to go caching with a buddy of mine on micro run, I seen and learned a lot that day while hunting down a bunch of micro's from him.

 

Here's two that were the hardest micro's I have to find to date.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...34-80bcbd63bf7a

 

I lost sleep over this one and added a few gray hairs to boot.. This is one of the most evilest hide I've seen in my area. But was loads of fun trying to find, once found all I could do was smile.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...17-550410a726cd

Edited May 13, 2007 by scnascar

[+cainrcc]

This little micro took me 7 trys and a year went by before I could finaly log it.My first hunt - DNF for it was

May 29 2005 and I finaly found it April 30 2006.The cache is hide a key rock container in the woods among the other rocks in the area.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...=y&decrypt=

Edited May 13, 2007 by cainrcc

[+Macinvilas]

I've been geocaching for about a month and have had pretty good success in finding caches of regular and small size. But every time I go looking for a micro, I have no success whatsoever. I've been checking the logs on these caches to make sure they've been found recently, so I don't think the problem is that I'm searching for caches that have been muggled. The problem is more that I have no idea what I'm doing when looking for a micro. If you have any tips on finding micros, typical hiding spots, etc., please help me! Thanks!

 

I hate them, but i have one hidden. LOL.

Think like where you would hide them. Think beyond the shell!

[+figtreesky]

I found this one today, but it took me two tries.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...2d-7794f297909d

 

It was not at all where I thought it would be. But, I put on the biggest smile when I did finally find it. I'm stoked to find a 4.5 star.

 

I've just started, and the few caches I've found have all been micros. I enjoy seeing the clever and devious ways micros are hidden; the ones I've found so far have been ingenious!