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How many caches should you own?


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It's a topic I haven't seen discussed.

I expect it has, but searching for it hasn't yielded any results.

 

We have three caches, having found around 200.

Is this a reasonable ratio, are we doing enough for the community?

 

Obviously we don't want to place a cache for the sake of it, and say if every cacher owned 20 caches there would be no more room in the UK would there?

 

I know it's quality not quantity, but we do sometimes feel we should hide more.

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Keep hiding 'em I say. If you feel you need to hide more caches then go for it. The big question is, can you maintain the caches you put out.

If you've got a good idea for a cache, lets say it's a puzzle, then it would be a good idea to pop off a few trads nearby to encourage puzzlers and non puzzlers to the area.

More often than not we find the following:

Puzzles

Locals will come and do it and that will be that

Multis

Locals will do and some visitors

Trads

Everyones a winner

 

I think I got that about right, so if you own an area you might well wanna start out with your puzzles and multis(really bloody good ones) then hammer the place with trads(a real mix of trads would be good)!!

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It's a topic I haven't seen discussed.

I expect it has, but searching for it hasn't yielded any results.

 

We have three caches, having found around 200.

Is this a reasonable ratio, are we doing enough for the community?

 

Obviously we don't want to place a cache for the sake of it, and say if every cacher owned 20 caches there would be no more room in the UK would there?

 

I know it's quality not quantity, but we do sometimes feel we should hide more.

This has been discussed many times. The answer is typcially to hide as many as you can maintain and don't feel pressure to maintain some ratio. It's better not to hide them if you are busy and can't attend to them in a timely manner. Good luck! :)
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I used to think a ratio was a good idea, but it really isn’t; people who’ve got many hundreds of finds wouldn’t be able to maintain them. I have a gut feeling about it though, and I think people should put out a respectable number. If I see someone with 2000 finds and only 5 set, then I think that’s not enough and seems IMHO, selfish to be honest. It is highly unlikely that “their” area is totally flooded, and if they are that experienced, a bit of effort would be in order. If, however, they have 20+ then that’s great. I was going to go for 10% myself but that failed so I thought about 20%, which also failed. Someone had the great idea of putting one out for every FTF they had but, in my case that would also fall by the wayside. Anyone can maintain 20 caches if placed properly.

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One key question is "how many "finds" have the 5 caches you have hidden obtained"? If this number is more than the number of finds you have yourself then you are a net contributor to geocaching. If this number is less than the number of finds you have yourself then you are a net recipient.

 

Consider Alan, Betty and Charlie. If Alan and Betty each set 5 caches and Charlie only sets one, then there are 11 caches out there. If they all go and find each other's caches then Alan and Betty have 6 finds each and Charlie has 10 finds. Alan and Betty have each had two people find their 5 caches and thus have 10 finds for their caches. They have each found 6 and set up caches that have contributed 10 finds. Charlie's single cache has had 2 finds, but he/she has gone and found 10 caches.

 

Of course, this should never be more than an indicator. The quality of the caches you have set in terms of enjoyment for others is a major factor that the above calculations cannot take into account. Nor does the above take into account your own ability to hide caches or if you find loads because your job takes you all over the country (and can therefore maintain fewer of your own caches properly), etc.

 

Also, of course if some people set up loads of caches and make themselves into net contributors, then this forces others to be net recipients!

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One key question is "how many "finds" have the 5 caches you have hidden obtained"?

It isn’t really key at all. :) Without entering mathematical deliberations in which I am well qualified to contribute, my point was that some folk don’t seem to be @r$d to set many caches themselves. :D They certainly wouldn’t go analysing this sort of thing. I would, actually. :DB)

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It's a topic I haven't seen discussed.

I expect it has, but searching for it hasn't yielded any results.

 

We have three caches, having found around 200.

Is this a reasonable ratio, are we doing enough for the community?

 

Obviously we don't want to place a cache for the sake of it, and say if every cacher owned 20 caches there would be no more room in the UK would there?

 

I know it's quality not quantity, but we do sometimes feel we should hide more.

 

I'd say there's no hard and fast rules at all. I've got two caches out there at the moment, and I will probably add some more shortly, but there's no way I'm going to rush it.

 

The most important thing is being able to resolve issues with your cache reasonably quickly. It annoys me when I come across caches that are left in a terrible state by their owners for long periods at a time, when they've placed dozens of them - a case of an obvious overstretch, really.

 

Just place what you can confidently maintain to a high standard.

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You should own no caches at all!

 

Some people prefer to hide caches and some prefer to find them. Some people like to do both and in different quantities at different times of the season.

 

If you want to hide caches then do so, if not then don't. The only "should" is that you should try to make them interesting and should be able to maintain them. Everything else is just incidental....just do what you enjoy :)

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According to my profile, I've found 1517 and hidden 53. However, 19 of those have been archived which leaves 34 active caches I have to maintain. That's 34 caches.... Some are multis and 'unknown' caches; the total number of locations that I have to maintain exceeds 60. Unlike some who rely on the goodwill of others to do their maintenance for them, I do my own and of the time I have spare to indulge in geocaching I spend approximately 30% on cache maintenance.I dare say that's a lot higher than some but that's what I accept when I hide a cache.

 

So... How many caches should you hide? It has nothing what-so-ever to do with the number that you've found. Ratios and mathematical formula don't mean diddly-squat... It's how many you're prepared to maintain properly.

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I tend to be in agreement with the view that you do what you enjoy. Putting any kind of pressure on people that they "should" set caches would probably only result in rubbish caches, placed in a hurry, out of a sense of compulsion rather than for the fun of it, without landowner permission, to the detriment of Geocaching as a whole.

 

On the plus side, I'm sure a ratio would give the numbers addicts something else to keep them happy, making league tables and so on. Whatever floats your boat.

 

One key question is "how many "finds" have the 5 caches you have hidden obtained"? If this number is more than the number of finds you have yourself then you are a net contributor to geocaching. If this number is less than the number of finds you have yourself then you are a net recipient.

 

Substitute the word "incomprehensible" for "key", and I would agree. But then, I am fick.

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Thanks for the repiles so far.

Maintainence is obviously the key to this then.

 

Thinking about numbers and ratios may not be the answer, but I do take Hi5ers point about the number of visitors our caches get. Also maybe worth taking into account that some of them have had really nice comments.

 

I don't feel so bad now.

 

The trouble is anytime we are out walking, it's to go geocaching. So there are already caches in the area. It seems a little cheeky to use someone else vicinity for our own cache.

Also we dislike urban caches (especially pointless micro multis) but we live in a city, so maintaining caches where we love to be (up mountains in a wilderness) is impossible.

 

Maybe we are being too fussy, if you find an old post about pill holder containers you'll see I was researching good containers. Well I have now got 10 mag nanos and 10 pillholders, as well as about 8 DIY camoed snaploc plastic boxes of all sizes already with green cache stickers and laminated signs glues into them. Also more unregistered trackables than I can count.

 

Might be time to suggest some good hiding expeditions with the neighbours, who are now addicted too.

 

Thanks.

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Dino-irl is quite right: there's no "should" about it.

 

Only hide a cache when you're inspired to.

 

As for "net contributors and recipients": just by finding caches you're contributing to the sport, so don't feel that you're at all selfish if you decide not to set many (or any) more caches. Hiding caches is not "giving something back to the community"; although a couple of really good ones will always be welcome, you have to do it for your own enjoyment and not because you feel under pressure in some way. Most people like shopping, but should we be under pressure to start our own shop after we've vsisted a certain number?

 

Just think how you'd feel if your caches were rarely visited because everyone in the area was too busy sorting out cache permission and researching sites! I'm very grateful to cachers who clearly aren't interested in hiding any caches but take the trouble to seek mine and keep them alive with on-line logs.

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.... So there are already caches in the area. It seems a little cheeky to use someone else vicinity for our own cache...

 

Speaking personally, if some outsider places a cache "on our turf" :D I'm very happy to see it because it gives us something to find! :) As long as permission has been granted and the owner can maintain it regularly, it's fine by us.

 

MrsB

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I found a geocoin the other day that was commemerating 1000 hides by a particular cacher. Try maintaining those! (although I'm sure some would be archived).

 

Blimey! I can only assume that this person has a huge amount of time and energy to devote to the hobby. I'm guessing that they might have a job that involves extensive travel following a regular pattern. 1000 caches - even if placed very close together - involves a lot of space to cover.

 

Lee

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Dino-irl is quite right: there's no "should" about it.

 

Only hide a cache when you're inspired to.

 

As for "net contributors and recipients": just by finding caches you're contributing to the sport, so don't feel that you're at all selfish if you decide not to set many (or any) more caches. Hiding caches is not "giving something back to the community"; although a couple of really good ones will always be welcome, you have to do it for your own enjoyment and not because you feel under pressure in some way. Most people like shopping, but should we be under pressure to start our own shop after we've vsisted a certain number?

 

Just think how you'd feel if your caches were rarely visited because everyone in the area was too busy sorting out cache permission and researching sites! I'm very grateful to cachers who clearly aren't interested in hiding any caches but take the trouble to seek mine and keep them alive with on-line logs.

That’s an odd thing to think. If no-one hid them, there’d be nowt to do. I agree that you shouldn’t feel under peer pressure to do it but I really think people should hide some – or at least think about it – although we’ll never know if they have or not. A sort of, “I’ve done all the caches in the area but I could put one over there, now I know what people like” attitude would be nice.

 

Finding caches is certainly not putting something back into the community although it is obviously a very important part of that community and I too enjoy the finders’ logs. The people who are contributing are the ones who have bothered to put them out. Without that and, of course, their maintenance, there’d be nothing.

 

I wouldn’t say, though, that everyone had to hide 20. That’s not what I meant.

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I'm not really a setter, 850 finds and only 7 hidden (of which 2 are adopted).

I don't feel guilty at all, as I live in an area of lots of active cache setters (mainly converted Dartmoor Letterboxers in this part of the country). I also find it hard enough looking after what I've got , let alone adding to an already cache rich area.

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I'm not really a setter, 850 finds and only 7 hidden (of which 2 are adopted).

I don't feel guilty at all, as I live in an area of lots of active cache setters (mainly converted Dartmoor Letterboxers in this part of the country). I also find it hard enough looking after what I've got , let alone adding to an already cache rich area.

Ah, but you thought about it :D:)

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I don't think either finding or hiding are putting into or taking out from the community. They are both forms of participating in the community. Hiding caches isn't some kind of tiresome community service to be undergone on compulsion. To misquote Falstaff from Henry IV pt i "Hide you a cache on compulsion? If ammo boxes were as plentiful as blackberries, I would hide no cache under compulsion!"

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Finding caches is certainly not putting something back into the community ...

 

 

I disagree. I derive some pleasure from cachers finding my caches, particularly if they enjoyed the journey I took them on,it makes the effort of placing them worthwhile; so in that sense everyone who finds my caches is giving something back to me whether or not they have placed their own.

 

As far as the OP goes, I wouldn't get too hung up on it, the whole thing seems to find it's own balance in the end. If you find somewhere that's crying out for a cache go for it, otherwise hang on until you do find somewhere.

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Finding caches is certainly not putting something back into the community although it is obviously a very important part of that community and I too enjoy the finders’ logs. The people who are contributing are the ones who have bothered to put them out. Without that and, of course, their maintenance, there’d be nothing.

Peoiple contribute and put something back in many different ways. Cache placement (like Premium Membership) is just one of the more visible and obvious ways.

 

I think people that go out and find caches, swap fairly, move TBs and Geocoins, preform maintenance where necessary, write useful and interesting logs, let cache owners know about problems, etc are just as important as those who hide caches or pay the $3 a month.

 

They do tend to be overlooked though as it's not such a public contribution :)

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With 20 odd thousand hidden in the UK and probably a few thousand archived ones that are still there i dont think we will be running out anytime soon :)

 

If you decided that the enjoyable part of the sport is the finding and logging caches then good for you.

 

If you decide that hiding them is the enjoyable part then good for you.

 

If you decide a mixture of both is the enjoyable part then good for you.

 

If you find TB's a geo coins are the enjoyable part then good for you.

 

In the end its you going caching the way you want that's important and its important to you.

 

NB the top spot for hiding is between snaik and simply paul i believe ?

 

Finding caches is certainly not putting something back into the community ...

 

Err wrong good logs, moving tbs, replacing log books, drying out containers, re hiding, events, helping peope on the forum, helping people via email are all valid contributions.

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Finding caches is certainly not putting something back into the community ...

Err wrong good logs, moving tbs, replacing log books, drying out containers, re hiding, events, helping peope on the forum, helping people via email are all valid contributions.

But you've quoted me and then added implied content for your own rectitude. Just FINDING them isn't contributing, but I said nothing of the other things in your list. I didn't think I needed to as it's fairly obvious. To reiterate: I meant merely finding them.

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Finding caches is certainly not putting something back into the community ...

Err wrong good logs, moving tbs, replacing log books, drying out containers, re hiding, events, helping peope on the forum, helping people via email are all valid contributions.

But you've quoted me and then added implied content for your own rectitude. Just FINDING them isn't contributing, but I said nothing of the other things in your list. I didn't think I needed to as it's fairly obvious. To reiterate: I meant merely finding them.

 

I was quoting the quote in marty's post ive now read your entire post and agree you did say the above and no it was not to prove the righteousness of my quote it was to show other types of contribution.

 

Just finding them is a contribution as it means they have visited the website created an account and gone out seeking what you wanted them to find.

No matter what else they do they have done what you wanted when you hid that cache, granted you would like them to do more but all you can ask is that someone seeks what you have hidden.

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all you can ask is that someone seeks what you have hidden.

And isn't it nice when they do 'cos it means you have got the coords/puzzle right :D:) I hate it when I make a cock up.

 

Actually, the more you hide, the more logs you get from grateful cachers, which is nice; I just had a guy found three of mine a few minutes ago (well, logged a few minutes ago), and he appears to have had a good lunchtime session. It’s only a matter of time on this thread before someone says “you should play the game the way you want to”. Before that happens, I’d just like to say that I think everyone should play the game the way they want to. They will anyway. :D

Edited by jerryo
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NB the top spot for hiding is between snaik and simply paul i believe ?

 

I reckon siloans would probably be up there too!!

 

Must be something to do with having a cachername that starts with an "s"?!? :)

 

I've done a few of siloans' caches, and he's mastered the art of both quantity and quality. They're all in good places, and all well looked after.

 

Lee

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...Hiding caches is not "giving something back to the community";...

...That’s an odd thing to think...

What I meant is that "giving something back to the community" is not really part of the game, so by hiding a cache you're merely taking part (the same as when you find a cache).

 

It's a game where people publish details of their cache hides on a public web site in a bid to encourage visitors to find and log them using GPS. IMHO, it's a REALLY odd thing to think that there's some inferred obligation on everyone to hide caches simply because they quite enjoy finding them.

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Possibly not up to date but guk says the following

 

Rank Cacher Caches placed

 

1 snaik 205

2 perth pathfinders 186

3 siloans 183

4 Team Clova 177

5 thehaggishunter 153

6 Simply Paul 143

7 LollyBob 130

8 THE SMILEYS 127

9 Gowenhouse 116

10 lost it 114

11 John + Carol 103

12 Phillimore Clan 102

13 mongoose39uk 100

14 The Windsockers 97

14 The Wombles 97

16 charlieg0pzo 96

17 allieballie 94

18 Happy Landins 93

19 harrogate hunters 88

20 JollyJax 84

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...Hiding caches is not "giving something back to the community";...

...That’s an odd thing to think...

What I meant is that "giving something back to the community" is not really part of the game, so by hiding a cache you're merely taking part (the same as when you find a cache).

 

It's a game where people publish details of their cache hides on a public web site in a bid to encourage visitors to find and log them using GPS. IMHO, it's a REALLY odd thing to think that there's some inferred obligation on everyone to hide caches simply because they quite enjoy finding them.

 

Agreed but, as I said, "If I see someone with 2000 finds and only 5 set[...]", these people have gone beyond "quite enjoying" the find and are into major numbers, and they should, also IMHO, reciprocate and give others the chance to find some too. A lot of cachers will go well out of their way and cover huge distances to cache, which is fine, but for those people left back in their home area, why not put out some (more) of their own before they venture forth?

 

And let's face it, anyone who does many tens of caches in a day isn't really in it for anything but the numbers and what they can personally get out of it, which is also fine but hardly contributing, per se. It helps me a lot when I get a log like "Number 72/325 today. Discovered TB. TFTC", and I go to the cache soon after and find it’s soaking wet; the logbook is full; the TB’s chain has come off and the mission card is fastened around a nearby tree. Merely saying “found it” helps not a lot there. I wasn't saying that the last finder would be responsible for this, just that if they didn't bother to report it, it would be bad.

 

<Dons body armour and ducks> (Doesn't don ducks: that was a verb)

 

Edited to say that I am not referring to a specific incident, or indeed any incident, cacher, date, cache, location, event, puzzle or anything whatsoever. It was all by way of example of the types of things that have happened to my caches and others’.

Edited by jerryo
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I used to think in terms of setting one or two caches per hundred finds ... however, I now think differently; I think someone else mentioned it above. You can set a plethora of what many would consider rubbish caches and not maintain them, in fact anyone can ... does it offer a great deal to the community? Probably not.

 

I now think in terms of what GSAK calls Cache Karma which is the relationship between the number of caches you have found and the number of finders on your caches.

 

My Caching Karma is 0.95 (480/506).

 

In that sense I have found 506 caches and 480 finds have been registered on caches I created.

 

I believe it is the truest illustration of quality rather than quantity I have come across so far.

 

Hence if you have one cache that lots and lots of people find, then that is probably just as great a contribution to laying out lame caches which don't inspire people at all (whether that be by a pleasurable walk, view, puzzle, etc). :)

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I found a geocoin the other day that was commemerating 1000 hides by a particular cacher. Try maintaining those! (although I'm sure some would be archived).
Just as a matter of interest, who are the most prolific UK cache-setters, and how many caches do they own?

Lee

View Top UK cachers - As per markandlynn's info, but this is the page that's updated automatically. It's missing a couple I recently adopted, and a couple I set with someone else/against another account...and some more, somehow, but it's fairly accurate.

 

My view on the setting of caches is it's nice when people make the effort to place one or more, but there's no requirement to. A great cache is worth 50 micros in the woods so don't be afraid to go the quality rather than quantity route. There's no logical 'ratio' as everyone's cache hiding abilities and opportunities are different, so just place the sorts of caches you like to find and don't feel too bad if it's only a few. A few is (are?) better than none.

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List bit out of date now......

 

Snaik 218

Team Clova 214

perth pathfinders 207

siloans 184

thehaggishunter 154

Simply Paul 147

 

I set caches because I enjoy visiting and finding interesting places. If the spot is boring, I don't leave a cache.

I do not expect others to set them just because they have found plenty.

I have the time, energy?, means, I appreciate others do not.

I try not to encroach to much on others territory, but then if there is a cache desert and it isn't too far away, why not?

When will I stop hiding boxes? No plans to stop just yet!

And .... If I had a car there would be no stopping me! :)

Edited by perth pathfinders
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How many caches should you own? I thought I'd give a answer from a Reviewers point of view.

 

As to how many, as many as you are certain that that you can maintain within 4 to 6 weeks of being notified that there is a issue with it. Or that will not end up with a reviewer having to action it due to the length of time it's been disabled because of Non Maintenance [note I'm not referring to a justifiable reason such as illness, or cache location issues] or worse having to Archive it.

 

Some as has been shown feel happy owning several hundred, but others due to life style or work issues will not feel happy owning one. Cache owners are one side of the way the community supports the hobby, but finders are the other side. Without both we wouldn't have a hobby to do! Imagine being a cache owner with a cache no one goes to search for, on the other hand imagine being a cache searcher with no caches to search for.

 

Both support this hobby, and help keep Reviewers busy :D:)

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Possibly not up to date but guk says the following

 

Rank Cacher Caches placed

 

1 snaik 205

2 perth pathfinders 186

3 siloans 183

4 Team Clova 177

5 thehaggishunter 153

6 Simply Paul 143

7 LollyBob 130

8 THE SMILEYS 127

9 Gowenhouse 116

10 lost it 114

11 John + Carol 103

12 Phillimore Clan 102

13 mongoose39uk 100

14 The Windsockers 97

14 The Wombles 97

16 charlieg0pzo 96

17 allieballie 94

18 Happy Landins 93

19 harrogate hunters 88

20 JollyJax 84

I'd like to add Write and Mane to the list with 81 active caches. The reason being is that most of them are pretty remote and I know they spend a lot of time maintaining them. I have found 2 destroyed in heath fires and they were both replaced immediately.

 

Caching varies so much from region to region that many of the above statements just do not ring true where we live. I strongly disagree that number of finds on a cache has got anything to do with anything. If you want hits then place a power trail of road side micros near a city. If you place a great multi that takes a bit of effort to complete in a quiet caching area you won't get many hits, though I know which one I would rather do.

Edited by SidAndBob
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I don't really buy into the ratio stuff. A ratio is trying to impose some sort of rule on others, and the Lord knows we get enough silly rules from our state capitols and the clowns in D.C. Consider this..... I can't carry a tune in a well sealed ammo can. What if my church had a rule that everyone had to sing in the choir one out of four times you attended church. First, I'll resent the rule, and being expected to do something I know I have no talent for. Secondly, you can be sure that every fourth week, I'll be there singing to myself.

 

Some folks are great location finders, some great at camo, some better at hosting events (wish I was organized!). We each can give back to the community in the way which we are best. Read closely the following line......

 

"You should own only the number of caches that you can place imaginitively and maintain in good condition."

 

Thank you.

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People should not feel obliged to hide caches because are three ways major to contribute to this hobby, write a good log, hide a cache, or host an event and the first is open to all of us. I have to admit that the "TNLNSL" brigate used to irritate me at first, especially if a lot of effort went into the hide but I eventually came to the conclusion that it's like travel bugs. Assume your travellers have been stolen and your cache logs will be terse and then enjoy everything which exceeds these expectations.

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