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First cache placed


blb9556

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While clever caches are fun, the basic goal of a geocache is to take someone where they probably would not have gone so 'see' something else 'neato.' For instance, a small park hidden in a suburban area; a beautiful view of the mountains (I'm in Denver) from an obscure bike path; a new open space area; a piece of public artwork, etc. The cache location is to help us notice some really nice things in our area that either we didn't know about or just run past so quickly in our daily lives.

 

That being said, your next choice is safety and container size. I went to the link that you posted and saw the cache is listed as a micro. I then read the hint and figured that it is placed in a tricky location. I then read some recent logs and found that the location is so tricky, you can't get it if the river is frozen. To me (personal opinion here), that would be a negative towards that cache since it seems to be exposed to the weather. Extreme weather can damaged the contents of a cache, depending upon the container. Ammo cans can hold up to almost anything, but they surely are not 'micro' sized! Micros are the easiest to hide, but often very disappointing. I've seen really nice areas where a larger cache could have been hidden, but the cache in the area is just a micro, so you can't put another cache in the area (too close to an existing cache). A micro precludes trading items and travel bugs--two components of geocaching that make it great family fun (again, personal opinion). All of us enjoy finding a cache and upping our "Found" number, but I do try to stay away from micros unless that is the only choice.

 

The safety issue comes with the location of the footbridge. I've found larger caches on the concrete ledge under the footbridge or magnetic caches on the framework or in the rip-rap (not my favorite since it tears up my hands if I've forgotten my gloves) around and under the bridge. I did have a find of a magnetic business card (like the ones you get on your phone book for plumbers) with the log on the magnetic side and the exposed side painted the same color as the bridges metal framework. Most of the caches (in my opinion) were safe to get to if you had kids OR if there was a kid safety issue, that was listed in the cache description. One cache I found in Glenwood Springs, CO was quite treacherous to get to due to the steepness of the slope to get under the bridge. This one was definitely NOT for kids or anyone without good hiking skills and footwear.

 

I don't know if I've addressed your posting--this is more just rambling thoughts about footbridge caches I've found. Thanks soooo much for waiting a bit to hide a cache. I didn't hide a cache until I had found 100 of others caches (I waited 'til 100 per suggestions from more experienced cachers). After finding a 100 or so, I had a much better idea of the game, the skills, the clues, the camo and the locations that I enjoyed instead of just shoving a film case under a lamp post skirt (not trying to start a lamp post skirt fight--sometime the skirt is the only answer, but often for newbies a quick, east first cache). 'Tho I am not a parent, I do enjoy kids and I try to keep kids in mind first when looking at a location to hide a cache. Swag and kids go together like winter and hot chocolate!

 

Take care and have fun,

Outspoken1

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What and where you hide is up to you. Let me strongly encourage you to read through the gudelines. I mean really read and understand them. Then read them again. Make certain any cache you consider hiding will fit nicely within those guidelines. That is what is really important.

 

The best advice I can give aout hiding is location, location, location. That is what I find the most important. Somewhere scenic, historic, interesting, out-of-the way or just somewhere with a story. Somewhere you you would share with others with or without the cache. Others opinions will surely differ.

 

Use a container that will stay dry year-around. Something with an "O" ring. Camo'd for the hiding spot. With appropriate trade items and a dry logbook. FOllow any local rules if it isn't your property. Have fun!!

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I am about 6 months old and I think the time has come to place a geocache. I was thinking on a foot bridge like this cache (Visit Link) Any other ideas for cache container or different location? :)

 

The best foot bridge cache I ever found was hidden in a piece of wood that had been drilled out to hide a small container. The wood was then placed betweeen two of the bridge planks. It blended in, but once you saw it you had a classic "Doh!" moment and knew it was the cache. No harm was done to the brige to place the piece of wood.

 

Another excellent one was someone had found a socket cover (the kind used to cover an electrical socket or wall switch that is no longer used. Painted it an exact match for the bridge color and used magnets to stick ot to a post. It also blended in very well and was a "Doh!" moment when found.

 

In the end you need to follow your muse. It will tell you where to place a cache, it will inspire you on the container. If you follow the advice given to "only place them in nice spots" you will miss out on placing some great caches in great spots.

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Much of what I would say has already been said.

Re-read guidelines, and when you do, pretend like you are a reviewer, and think of any possible reason why you couldn't publish the cache. On the flip side, think like a cacher, and look at other caches in the area, is there a particular cache that your local cachers don't like? If so, avoid placing that type of cache.

Really think about that location part. Our first placement we had to archive much too quickly because of the bad location, and lack of forethought.

Be creative, and think outside the box. Just because everyone is doing a particular thing, doesn't mean you can't do something totally different, or with your own spin on it.

When in doubt, ask a popular cacher for advice. Many of them are really helpful and will assist you and give you their honest(sometimes brutal) opinion on the matter.

Having said all of that, enjoy, and make your cache something that you will be proud of, no matter what.

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While clever caches are fun, the basic goal of a geocache is to take someone where they probably would not have gone so 'see' something else 'neato.' For instance, a small park hidden in a suburban area; a beautiful view of the mountains (I'm in Denver) from an obscure bike path; a new open space area; a piece of public artwork, etc. The cache location is to help us notice some really nice things in our area that either we didn't know about or just run past so quickly in our daily lives.

 

That being said, your next choice is safety and container size. I went to the link that you posted and saw the cache is listed as a micro. I then read the hint and figured that it is placed in a tricky location. I then read some recent logs and found that the location is so tricky, you can't get it if the river is frozen. To me (personal opinion here), that would be a negative towards that cache since it seems to be exposed to the weather. Extreme weather can damaged the contents of a cache, depending upon the container. Ammo cans can hold up to almost anything, but they surely are not 'micro' sized! Micros are the easiest to hide, but often very disappointing. I've seen really nice areas where a larger cache could have been hidden, but the cache in the area is just a micro, so you can't put another cache in the area (too close to an existing cache). A micro precludes trading items and travel bugs--two components of geocaching that make it great family fun (again, personal opinion). All of us enjoy finding a cache and upping our "Found" number, but I do try to stay away from micros unless that is the only choice.

 

The safety issue comes with the location of the footbridge. I've found larger caches on the concrete ledge under the footbridge or magnetic caches on the framework or in the rip-rap (not my favorite since it tears up my hands if I've forgotten my gloves) around and under the bridge. I did have a find of a magnetic business card (like the ones you get on your phone book for plumbers) with the log on the magnetic side and the exposed side painted the same color as the bridges metal framework. Most of the caches (in my opinion) were safe to get to if you had kids OR if there was a kid safety issue, that was listed in the cache description. One cache I found in Glenwood Springs, CO was quite treacherous to get to due to the steepness of the slope to get under the bridge. This one was definitely NOT for kids or anyone without good hiking skills and footwear.

 

I don't know if I've addressed your posting--this is more just rambling thoughts about footbridge caches I've found. Thanks soooo much for waiting a bit to hide a cache. I didn't hide a cache until I had found 100 of others caches (I waited 'til 100 per suggestions from more experienced cachers). After finding a 100 or so, I had a much better idea of the game, the skills, the clues, the camo and the locations that I enjoyed instead of just shoving a film case under a lamp post skirt (not trying to start a lamp post skirt fight--sometime the skirt is the only answer, but often for newbies a quick, east first cache). 'Tho I am not a parent, I do enjoy kids and I try to keep kids in mind first when looking at a location to hide a cache. Swag and kids go together like winter and hot chocolate!

 

Take care and have fun,

Outspoken1

 

It is a creek and from the bottom it is about 10ft up so the only way to get it is from the bridge.

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No I am 6 months old on geocaching.com ( joined in Jul)

 

I think you need to look at my post again...

 

Or maybe you don't understand the way internet forum communication works?

 

When someone adds big grins to their post, they are kidding you, having fun, because something about it gave the impression of an an amusing contradiction. NOT misunderstanding what you said, or even making fun of you. No explanation back to that person needed.

 

Know that for future reference! Just so that you don't get confused next time. :D

 

And by the way... it's still interesting that your wording still says "I am 6 months old" rather than "I have been here for 6 months" which I originally knew you meant.

 

And even though that is what you meant, that STILL brings up amusing mental images of a genius little kid, and THAT is what was and still is worth a big grin. :laughing:

And sunglasses! :(

Edited by Sparrowhawk
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PM sent to OP. We'll see where this thread goes. I'll share my opinions later.

Hmmmmmmmm Fishy

My PM to the OP mentioned the very real chance that a bridge inspector or other muggle will report the cache as a possible bomb. I also asked what the OP's connection to Fairport, NY was, since Quill grew up there.

Next time I get back to that area I'll check out the mentioned cache.

I also recommended a hide in or under a covered bridge. Footbridges next to active highway bridges are not my favorite place to look for a cache. I have found some creative caches under footbridges on some scenic trails far from highways.

Tom Fuller & Quill

Crescent, OR

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Can we please stay on topic. And for the final time I am 6 months old to geocaching :huh::lol:

going back to the original topic.

Speaking as someone with experience in placing a poor cache that had to be archived way too soon...

I would urge you to find more caches, before making a hide. I have only been caching a short while as well. Believe me, the extra experience from locating different finds will greatly increase your chances for having a successful hide, as well as educate you as to how to avoid some of the problems you'll find with caches you manage to locate.

But that's just my $0.02 worth.

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As someone who has placed a few caches, I have some thoughts. I know that there are people who will disagree with what I have to say, but here goes:

 

Location is paramount. Think of why you are bringing people to the spot. Is it a nice view, interesting feature, oddity or just a nice walk? Would people want to visit it if the cache wasn't there? If you can't think of a reason for going there other than the cache itself, find another spot.

 

Use the largest container the area can accommodate. Of course if it's a high traffic area a micro might be necessary, but if you can use a small or regular sized container please do so.

 

Choose a quality container. By that I mean one that is durable and waterproof. Doing this will reduce the need for maintenance and show your fellow geocachers that you give a hoot about your cache. Here are a some ideas:

 

Regular

 

Micro

 

Read the guidelines. I can't stress this enough. The 10 minutes it takes can save you hours of work. I've seen people put days of work into a cache only to have it turned down for a guideline violation and sometimes several.

 

Maintain your cache. Don't just put it out there and forget about it. If you get a few DNFs check on it, if someone says the logbook is wet replace it. If you are tired of taking care of it, are moving or just no longer interested in geocaching, archive it and remove it.

 

Food for thought. If you go through these forms you'll find countless threads complaining about lousy containers, micros and caches placed in mundane or unappealing areas. However in all my years of reading these boards I've yet to see a single (serious) thread complaining about regular sized caches in quality containers hidden in interesting areas.

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briansnat makes good points, I'll add my personal thoughts as well.

 

In my experience geocaching age does not equate to the quality of ones hides. I have found bad caches by people that have been around long enough to be called old school, and I have found masterpiece's of geocaching gold by people with two months under their belt.

 

There are two types of good caches: 1) Those that take you to an inspiring location 2) Those that the fun is in the hunt, the container, or the style. And yes a subset of this would be a cache that have both attributes going for them, those are the gems.

 

Only you can really decide where and when to hide your first cache. You know the other local cachers better than we do. What do they like? To answer that, read logs, look at other caches in the area and how often they are hunted, and talk with locals. I have never met a cacher that couldn't take a few minutes to talk with a new hobbiest about caching. This is a social hobby no doubt.

 

After thinking about all that there are two last criteria to think about. 1) The types of areas around that can support a new cache, let's face it, we don't all have mountains or huge open spaces in our backyards. Urban caches can be as fun or even more fun than woodland caches if done correctly. 2) The cache itself. What is the highest quality container of whatever size you choose that you can afford to place, and what can you place in it. This is a nebulous concept. The basics should be a weatherproof container and sturdy paper. After that it is up to you.

 

But the most important thing is to have fun both in hiding and finding geocaches. If you aren't having fun, you are doing something wrong.

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