First...Find 100

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

Welcome new Cachers! Happy Holidays and all that. I'm posting this topic in reference to some questions from new members who seem excited to run out and hide a new Cache of thier own. I know it seems like great fun and you're full of cool ideas, but this is just a bit of my own personal advice (which, of course, is not a rule and will be disagreed with by many).

 

Go out and find a bunch of Caches (that part is really fun). At about the time you hit 100 Finds, you will have seen a lot of things that really don't work well in GeoCaching, and a lot of things that are just incredible. Gaining this experience will help you avoid some real disappointments (Missing Cache, Leaky Container, Washed Away, Bad Coordinates etc.) , and possibly some major problems (Police, Bomb Scare, Injury, Tresspass etc.) . This has always been my theory, and can be tailored to meet your specific situation, but will probabaly make you more satisfied with the results of your hides.

 

Another thing I would mention is not to worry too much about creating a signature trading item. This will probabaly "Click" for you at about the same time, after you've developed your own GeoPersonality. One day you'll just be out and about, and have a "Light Bulb" moment where your SigItem will come to you.

 

Good Luck out there, WRITE SHOP ROBERT

[+Beaverbeliever]

I agree. The first cache I put out (I had 5 finds or so) got washed away by a rising creek, and had to be replaced 2 weeks later (or so). Although, I had 8 finds when I had 4 hides, and 3/4 caches I hid at that time are still quite popular.

 

I like this post, it will help newbie cachers...LOL

 

BTW Another important rule when placing a cache is to get very good coords

[+briansnat]

I'm going to disagree with Write Shop Robert's usually solid advice. I've found great caches hidden by people with no, or few finds and terrible caches hidden by people with hundreds or thousands of finds.

 

If you think you have some good ideas for a cache, go ahead and hide it no matter how many finds you have. If you make mistakes, you'll learn from them quickly.

 

Why find a hundred mundane parking lot micros, think that is what this sport is all about and copy it? We have enough of that already.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I'm going to disagree with Write Shop Robert's usually solid advice. I've found great caches hidden by people with no, or few finds and terrible caches hidden by people with hundreds or thousands of finds.

 

If you think you have some good ideas for a cache, go ahead and hide it no matter how many finds you have. If you make mistakes, you'll learn from them quickly.

 

Why find a hundred mundane parking lot micros, think that is what this sport is all about and copy it? We have enough of that already.

That is a very good point, and couldn't be more true...

 

But I stand by my theory.

[+briansnat]

I would like to add that regardless if you wait until you find 25, 50 or 100 caches, or decide to hide one right away, be sure to read the guidelines for placing a cache.

 

Yes they are long, but the 10 minutes it takes you to read them can save you hours of work down the road. I've seen many a novice come along and put a lot of effort into creating a cache, only to have it rejected due to guideline violations.

 

The guidelines tell you what is acceptable and what isn't. If you read them and are still unclear about something, send your local reviewer an e-mail. He will be happy to work with you to make sure

your first attempt to place a cache is a successful one.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

Thanks for adding that, I've never been very good at adding links and such in these forums.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Gotta disagree with this one! There's no reason to wait - read the guidelines pointed out and go for it!

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

Gotta disagree with this one! There's no reason to wait - read the guidelines pointed out and go for it!

Many things can go wrong (or even just not well) that are not against the guidelines, or even discussed. Having a little experience will help you avoid the pitfalls.

 

I'm not really refering to what's allowed or not, but just what makes a Cache better or worse, or bad. And what makes the game more fun. By following this you may be more likely to discover through your own experience that a certain kind or Cache is lame or outstanding. There has been more than one new Cacher to copy a Cache as a newbie, only to discover later that they themselves think that type of Cache is lame.

Edited December 26, 2007 by WRITE SHOP ROBERT

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

Gotta disagree with this one! There's no reason to wait - read the guidelines pointed out and go for it!

Keep in mind that this disagreement comes from the self proclaimed "Staunch Defender of Everything Lame"

 

Aww...Don' cry, Ahm jus' funnin'

WSR

[+Lacomo]

Gotta disagree with this one! There's no reason to wait - read the guidelines pointed out and go for it!

Many things can go wrong (or even just not well) that are not against the guidelines, or even discussed. Having a little experience will help you avoid the pitfalls.

I have to agre with the ones that say don't wait until you have a set amount of finds before you place a cache. Read the guidelines and if you don't completely understand them read them again.

Sure you may make a few mistakes but you will learn from your mistakes. After you make a mistake you will probably not make that mistake again.

[+TrailGators]

I hid an ammo can at the top of a mountain after only finding 6 caches.

[+vw_k]

I wouldn't necessarialy say wait until you've found 100 caches, but certainly find at least 10 of varying types and locations to get an idea of what is a good and bad placement/idea. The most important thing I'd say, as well as following geocaching.coms guidelines is to take some time to think carefully about what you're doing, could it be discovered easily? Will it attract attention if people are searching in the area? Cachers may well drop TBs and geocoins in your cache, would you be happy to have one of your TBs or geocoins in that cache? do you think it would be safe?

 

If in doubt abouot anything, either ask on the forums or email your local reviewers.

[lewis82]

I hid my first cache when I had found 4. It is still my most popular cache, (altough I think the others I hid are way better) and yet nothing has happened to it.

 

The only thing I suggest is to read the guidelines very carefully. Just know what to do and what not to do. And, for the first one, just hide a traditionnal. Simpler is easier.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Common sense is an important part of being a good cache hider. Of course, following the guidelines is the most important part!

Sometimes common sense can be learnt, and sometimes it cannot. Yes, I can think of cache hiders with hundreds or thousands of finds who hide terrible caches that disappear very quickly (and have coordinates far off, and are in prickly evergreens in manicured parks.) I would be hard put to come up with many newbies who have hidden good, or great, caches. I guess I keep thinking back to the newby who hid three Chinese food containers in the park. One was under a twenty pound rock. Two were archived quickly. One was replaced by a Lock an Lock (by another geocacher) and is still doing well. Hunting newby cache hides can be very frustrating. Sometimes thaty're pretty good. Sometimes not.

So, my advice is: use common sense, and I think that it is a learning experience to hunt for a number of caches before hiding one.

Of course, some people never learn.

[+hukilaulau]

I agree with the OP and would add: read ALL the logs for the caches you find. Getting an idea of what other people thought is valuable information too. As for "Why find 100 lame parking lot micros?" the simple answer is, "Don't." Find a bunch of different types, but either concentrate on ones similar to your idea for a hide, or hide one like your favorite finds.

[+BlueDeuce]

Gotta disagree with this one! There's no reason to wait - read the guidelines pointed out and go for it!

Keep in mind that this disagreement comes from the self proclaimed "Staunch Defender of Everything Lame"

 

Aww...Don' cry, Ahm jus' funnin'

WSR

 

I'd have to say that reading the guidelines is the best place to start. Yes, experience of finding other peoples caches does count for something, but not everything.

 

If you want to place a cache, take the time to understand the requirements. That will give you more and better experience rather than simply finding a bunch of caches. Chances are pretty good that a properly placed cache will stay in place.

 

 

edit: redundant sentence.

Edited December 27, 2007 by BlueDeuce

[+tozainamboku]

I hid an ammo can at the top of a mountain after only finding 6 caches.

I guess that proves WRITE SHOP ROBERT's point

 

Seriously, there is no need to have a minimum number of caches to find before you hide your first. The best advice is to read the guidelines and ask questions (publicly here in the forum, asking other cachers you meet at events, and emailing your local reviewer if necessary). Take the time and effort to make sure that your first cache meets the guidelines and is something you can be proud of hiding.

[Neos2]

Golly gee, did any of these esteemed folks mention that you don't ever have to hide a cache of your own?

 

We wanted to place our first hide as soon as we read about them, before we even found the first one. We even knew where we wanted to hide it (a special spot to us)--but we ended up waiting until we had about 60 finds before we hid our first cache and it was at least a year later before we put one out in that special spot. Looking back, I can honestly say that the hide wasn't any different than it would have been if we had gone ahead and done it, but that is because there just aren't many spots to hide a geocache in that area. Still, folks have enjoyed that hide.

 

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that some people have a talent for creating good hides, and others just do not, or at least they have to work at it. I think I fall into the latter category.

 

My personal rules of thumb go something like this:

 

* You don't have to hide geocaches just because you like to find geocaches.

* Just because a place is interesting, doesn't mean it has to have a geocache.

* There should be some redeeming quality to every cache: good location, good hide, etc

* If you can't think of a creative hiding method, or at least a pleasing one--just pass on that cache hide, no matter how wonderful the spot.

Edited December 27, 2007 by Neos2

[+welch]

I'm going to disagree with Write Shop Robert's usually solid advice. I've found great caches hidden by people with no, or few finds and terrible caches hidden by people with hundreds or thousands of finds.

 

If you think you have some good ideas for a cache, go ahead and hide it no matter how many finds you have. If you make mistakes, you'll learn from them quickly.

 

Why find a hundred mundane parking lot micros, think that is what this sport is all about and copy it? We have enough of that already.

That is a very good point, and couldn't be more true...

 

But I stand by my theory.

 

One thing I perosnally think could improve your theory is to add a clause that the 100 (or whatever number) caches be from many different hiders, different ratings, and if possiable different areas / terrains. If the focus is just on the number alone the person your (I assume) trying to give perspective to may just end up following around a few of those people that seem to travel with micros in the glovebox (you know the kind, seems like if they find a bush, bench, or crack in the sidewalk that's 600ft from all other caches it becomes yet another urbanish micro). Not that some can't graviate to that sort of hiding/finding on their own, but at least they would know there are different things out there.

[+welch]

hicup

Edited December 27, 2007 by welch

[+StarBrand]

I too must disagree.

 

I'm just not convinced that experience at finding caches equates into any special knowledge or aptitude at hiding a cache.

 

Some folks are just better hiders then they are finders. If you have a good idea and a good location - follow the guidelines (closely) and feel free to hide away.

[+Jeep_Dog]

I believe placing a quality cache requires some or all of the following:

• a creative idea (combining container and unique location)
  
• common sense (ability to think through second and third order of effects)
  
• understanding the guidelines (the "rules" of the game)
  
• experience
  

Generally speaking, it seems good caches were placed with at least three of the four above applied. Average caches at least 2 of the 4.

 

Lack of experience (below "100 cache finds" as defined by you - although I would state that I had as much "experience" at 40 finds as I garnered by 500 finds - each person and area is different) can easily by made up for by someone who thoroughly understands the guidelines, has superb common sense, and applies creativity to their hide.

 

Take someone without common sense and never reads "rules," and you are correct - coupled with lack of experience, the only thing they may have going for them is a creative idea (resulting in a great cache that lasts little over 80 days then gets washed away during the first flood, for example).

 

Experience is good, but I too have seen an experienced cachers (above 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 1000 cache finds) who lacks creativity, common sense, and amazingly cannot articulate the guidelines place really awful caches!

 

100 caches is sage advice to someone lacking attributes/abilities in the other areas. Yet, each person must judge themselves. Then, there's those that will only learn by "doing" (indeed, experiential learning is the quickest for a majority of folks in western society), so sage advice is also "get out there and start placing."

 

As you plan the cache, ask yourself "would I enjoy finding this cache, or am I placing it just to place a cache since that activity gives me self-worth in seeing my name on a cache page?"

 

I never place a cache for my benefit. I place caches for the benefit of others. That particular outlook seems to net decent cache placements.

 

The best advice? A combination of Alabama Rambler, WSR, and Starbrand -

 

When placing a cache you should not be selfish, know yourself, know the guidelines - and have fun!

[+Isonzo Karst]

You suppose there are any novices still reading this thread?

 

What I see as the usual "bad first hide" is a cache hidden by someone who has just discovered geocaching and is quite excited by the mere existence of caches.

They hide something near home or work, or along a regularly traveled route, just because they can.

 

They haven't found enough caches to be over the sheer excitement that such things exist. For those cachers, waiting until they've found 100 might well be perfect. They'd likely be over it, and starting to want something more from the cache then just the shared secret.

 

Other cachers get the idea of the shared specialness (special hide, special place, special view) right away. If they've got something special to share they could likely read the guidelines, get an understanding of their gpsr, and hide something immediately.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

Thanks for all the great perspectives. If some new Cachers visit this thread before they run out and hide a Cache, they will get some good advice from a variety of different folks. That is one thing I was hoping to achieve through the topic.

 

I was mostly addressing the urge of newcomer to run out the day after Christmas and hide a new Cache, before they have even played long enough to determine if they will stay in the game or not. I've seen some really good points brought up that are somewhat (or completely) different from my own theory, but still are sound advice. My theory is mostly based on personal experience, where I was able to find a variety of Caches by a variety of Hiders in a variety of different environments.

 

Lets keep the advice coming for a bit. Thanks

Edited December 27, 2007 by WRITE SHOP ROBERT

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

You suppose there are any novices still reading this thread?

 

No. They're out hiding the first Cache now, and will be reading it in a week...when they're trying to figure out what they did wrong on the first 12 Caches they hid...that are all missing, or blown up, or have 17 DNFs.

 

Aww...Don' cry Ahm jus' funnin'

[+Driver Carries Cache]

I think there's great merit in what Robert is putting forward. I'm closing in on my 1 year cache-iversary (Jan 2!) and feel today like I didn't even have my feet wet until I was four months-a-cachin'. Today I feel like I have a better grasp on what makes a good hide (at least what I would describe as a good hide ) and I'm sure most folks will hide things the way they like to find them. While someone may go out on their second day of caching and make a tremendous hide, a better breadth of knowledge when it comes to finding a cache will definitely be a plus when it comes time to hide a cache.

 

DCC

[+Renegade Knight]

My first cache is still a good one.

 

Finding other caches tend to teach you "what caching is" in your area. Local areas have styles. Monkey see monkey do. A lot of it is from seeing the other monkey's. If the cost of finding then placing is for one great new idea to be lost from the MSMD problem then I'm for new and orginal caching mistakes if it also leads to new and orginal caches.

 

Some of the most important lessons can only be learned as a cache owner.

[Mushtang]

Why find a hundred mundane parking lot micros, think that is what this sport is all about and copy it? We have enough of that already.

Yeah, wait until you find a hundred mundane ammo cans under a pile of sticks in the woods and copy those instead.

 

We don't have enough ammo cans in the woods hides yet.

[flying brick]

Is it just me, or do some folks just naturally lean towards taking the fun out of just about everything? Maybe I just spent too long in the military, where we used to do this for fun (only we really did not have a name for it other than wasting a Friday afternoon, read "training") and did not find it to be similar to rocket science. We were just dumb recce grunts, who needed to be very good at locating things, big and small. And BTW,we also used a map and compas until recently. If someone needs to mentaly reverse engineer a process 100 times before trying it themselves..well, you get my point. I agree that one needs to educate those who need it, but perhaps making the tone a little less "lawyer-ish" and a little more fun? I dunno, is it just me? ....I am probably get a little too curmudgeonly for my own good, but now its off my chest...now go outside and play!..shoo! go find something!

 

P.S., and if we weren't in the middle of a blizzard, I'd be out finding other peoples stuff!

[+ironman114]

I strongly disagree.

 

If I waited till I got 100 finds before I hid one I would have waited almost 2 years.

 

Three years after I first started I still only have 126 finds. With my latest 2 hides I now own 10. All have been well received, only one is an Urban cache but still only has 17 finds because it is a puzzle and excellent camo.

 

Your position would be depriving cachers of some quality hides. I even led one cacher to a place his grandfather had told him stories about but he didn't know where it was.

 

If I was a newbie I would see this as elitist. You can't be as smart or as good as I am till you do x amount.

 

Maybe some of us are better than you are before we even started.

[+briansnat]

Why find a hundred mundane parking lot micros, think that is what this sport is all about and copy it? We have enough of that already.

Yeah, wait until you find a hundred mundane ammo cans under a pile of sticks in the woods and copy those instead.

 

We don't have enough ammo cans in the woods hides yet.

 

Thanks for making my point.

[+Bad_CRC]

i don't think people need finds before hiding.

 

in fact I think that is more harmful, since the tendency would be to copy what they see, and end up with more of the same.

 

I do think some better, more clear instructions for a *good* hide would be helpful.

 

game rules of course, but also:

 

explain why ammo cans are best, why gladware is bad.

 

explain what a good site is, what a bad site is.

 

explain what maintenance is required, and not to hide a cache if you can't maintain it.

 

 

I think some of the best hides could come from people who've never made a find, since they won't be just more of the same.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

 

 

 

...If I was a newbie I would see this as elitist...

WOW, I can't believe I've made it into that category!! My theory is based on my own experience of waiting almost a year before I felt ready to hide a Cache. Some thought my first was lame but others really liked it. Anyway, I am the least of you all.

 

IMHO...there are no real "Elitists" left at this site, they have all run away to other sites. How do I change my "Group" from Premium Member to Elitist??

[+Texsox]

I am surprised that no one has mentioned IMHO the best benefit to waiting, you know if you like the hobby enough to maintain your hide. I see a day when we will need a telethon to adopt all those orphan caches, whose owners have lost interest after their hide is all grown up and not as cute and frisky as it once was. When it needs it's diaper changed, etc.

[+joranda]

Let me jump in too. I disagree too. How many finds did the first cacher have when the first cache was hid? If I'm right, the answer would be zero. We all start somewhere. I hope all the newbies goes out and hides a lot of caches, my area is getting dry anyways. It would cut down on my driving out of town and having to go a hour and a half from my home area to find a cache.

[dagger dog]

Can we add our 2 cents ?

 

Being newbies and just now hitting our 100th, we have 7 caches 6 seem to be popular. Don't know why the 7th doesn't get the traffic the others do, most likley 'cause of the remote location ,compared to the others.

Also we drove our reveiwer nuts by placing caches BEFORE we checked the location for current caches.

 

But hey people this is just a game! So have fun .

[+Wazat]

I disagree on this. I had a 1 to 1 ratio of finds to hides at one stage but that is now around 3 to 1. The thing is location. I live far from active cachers and have only 4 other cachers in the area one been my young son. The thing is that when I started there were only 5 caches in the area. They were all visited ages ago by some cachers from far away but then they became dormant. No-one else seemed to worry to travel a long distance for a few caches. I started to place a few and since the number of caches has increased the number of visitors in the area have increased again. I am getting finds on them almost every week now. My problem still remains that I also have to travel far just to find some but with me placing some in my area I am hoping to get more local cachers interested and hopefully they will place some for me to find. I even encourage the out of town visitors to place them, I offer to help maintain them too. I don't see that placing caches is a problem after all we want this game to be popular.

[+carolnbarney]

As a definite novice/newbie/newcomer/rank amateur/(suggestions?) at this I've read with interest the various posts here. And yes I was still reading at the post where someone wondered if any newcomers were still reading. There have been a lot of good points made here by both the original poster and subsequent sages. It goes without saying that the guidelines should be adhered to very close. Anything well planned and executed is better. But let's not lose sight of the fact this is supposed to be fun. Let's don't get "too caught up" with arbitrarily setting requirements or for that matter with ignoring what the more experienced have suggested. I'm an amateur radio licensee and seem to remember the concept in that hobby of having an experienced "Ham" as your mentor. I seem to remember the term as being your "Elmer" but I'm not sure. Anyway that mentor was someone you could go to for advice, help, guidance, etc. to keep you from doing something illegal and/or stupid. Maybe seeking that kind of relationship with an experienced cacher is the answer for a lot of things in this hobby. So you get the hankering to hide a cache. Then you talk with your mentor who looks at your idea for a hide and "maybe" even helps you assemble and/or hide it. That way you get the thrill of doing it along with the experience of learning and no one hopefully has been hurt. And that newfound enthusiasm has not been dampened. If keeping the newcomer interested is part of the equation, then it occurs to me keeping that enthusiasm level high is a big consideration.

 

Meanwhile, I'm still reading and waiting for my 60cx to get here so I can do "something."

Edited December 30, 2007 by carolnbarney

[+edscott]

Gotta disagree with this one! There's no reason to wait - read the guidelines pointed out and go for it!

 

And I gotta disagree with this one only because we all know that most people only skim the reading and head out to place a cache. Hey, I taught 7th grade for years... giving a reading assignment is like spittiin' in the wind for most kids and adults. But they will learn from experience and at least try to avoid the mistakes that they see. Don't know if 100 is the magic number, but it should be enough to get a good cross section of the local standards.

[+Barnie's Band of Gold]

In the long run Enthusiasm seldom beats Experience (IMO). Take in some varied cache experiences before placing one of your own (and try to avoid "100 lane parking lot lampposts")..

[+carolnbarney]

In the long run Enthusiasm seldom beats Experience (IMO). Take in some varied cache experiences before placing one of your own (and try to avoid "100 lane parking lot lampposts")..

 

But without initial and "continuing" enthusiasm, experience is never obtained.

 

Insisting on a certain amount of "experience" being gathered before you are deemed capable of doing something can tend to severely dampen the "enthusiasm" if it's not handled carefully.

[+edscott]

But without initial and "continuing" enthusiasm, experience is never obtained.

 

Insisting on a certain amount of "experience" being gathered before you are deemed capable of doing something can tend to severely dampen the "enthusiasm" if it's not handled carefully.

 

I note you say continuing.. That is important and if their enthusiasm continues they will quickly gain the experience to place a good cache.. if it doesn't and they've already placed one, we have a cache with an absentee owner.

[+carolnbarney]

I note you say continuing.. That is important and if their enthusiasm continues they will quickly gain the experience to place a good cache.. if it doesn't and they've already placed one, we have a cache with an absentee owner.

 

Also true!! My point is to encourage participation and learning to keep that enthusiasm at a high state. But by telling someone they shouldn't do something like hiding a cache until they reach a certain arbitrary number of acts such as finds, you run a real chance of dampening that enthusiasm to the point they lose interest a whole lot quicker. Especially when/if the newcomer is all fired up and wanting to be more fully involved, but keeps getting told "they don't know enough yet." I'm not advocating buying a GPS one day, hunting a cache or two the next day and hiding one the third day. What I am encouraging is for the more experienced to reach out the the newcomer and "take them under your wing" to help them along and in doing so educate them and help make sure they are good contributing members of the hobby. Has there ever been an effort to solicit experienced cachers who might be willing to mentor new folks in the right way to do it? Good limited experience with an experienced person seems to me would beat a quantity of self gathered experience where the gatherer had no one but their inexperienced self to judge what they had been doing.

[+MaplessInSeattle]

I think 20 is more than adequate. As long as guidelines are read, re-read, and implemented.

As newbies with a few hides out there, we've had one "bad" hide, which we archived, and later turned into a CITO.(which is happening 12 Jan 2008 for those in the area)/end self cache promotion

I've been to a few caches, from what I have seen, even our local "great and respected" cachers have had their fair share of crappy, or ill maintained caches. It happens, you learn from it, if you don't, then hiding isn't your forte. But if you are able to learn from your mistakes, and those of others, then I say Hide away!

We had a number of people look at us with a shocked look when they found out we have only been cachers for two months. It's not always about the numbers, nor the experience. Sometimes it's just your ability to think things through and plan out stuff.

If any newbies should read this, take what you read in the forums like the stuff you hear in the breakroom at work. Some if it is solid, well-grounded advice, some of it is complete nonsense. You have to learn to pick out the truths, discard the bs, and go from there.

Don't let those with more experience scare you off from doing what you like, but at the same time, if someone gives you some sage advice don't just shrug it off.

PS If this sounds like demented rambling I hit my head really hard and fell quite a bit today on cache #99.

So with blood loss, bruising, and ... sorry, lost my train of thought, I think I'll log off now.

Peace

-=[MaplessInSeattle]=-

[allypally]

Yeah, i agree.

 

I know i'm no expert as this is my second day geo caching. Yeasterday i got lost in some woods, but today i'm on top form and have found two, my first two!!!! I'm proud.

 

When i joined geo caching through a friend, all i wanted to do was start one and make it travel the world, but now after only two finds i realise how hard it must be to find a good place which wont get damaged.

 

I would encourage people to atleast wait until you've found about 100 or abit less, so you know what you want to do with yours.

[+geowizerd]

You suppose there are any novices still reading this thread?

 

Yes, I'm still here... I haven't rushed out and placed any... yet. But I am getting some ammo cans this week, and will probably be placing a cache or two this week. I have some good locations in mind - including PA State Game Lands, see my post about the NPS caches - and think I will do a good job of hiding. I know better than to put one 3 feet from a creek, or right in view of a path. But I have also been an "outdoorsman" (hunter, fisherman, hiker, dirt bike rider, etc) since I was a kid, so the great outdoors and noticing something out of place there, are not foreign concepts to me. Wish me luck!

[+im2cuteferu]

we drove our reveiwer nuts by placing caches BEFORE we checked the location for current caches.

I did that too! Twice! Now I have one that is doing well in another location. Folks seem to like it.

[+Annie & PB]

And then there are those experts who say 'place the kind of hides you like to find' - and if there are people out there who happen to like to find lots of urban micros in otherwise unaesthetic locations, well I guess that is what they will legitimately place. And it there are superfit superhikers who only like caches on the top of mountains - well I guess that is what they would place based on that concept.

 

One person's treasure is another person's trash - in types of hide/location/cache as well as the contents.

 

We placed our first simple traditional hide pretty early on (we now have 125 finds and 8 hides), after having another location turned down due to saturation, and it is still going OK after a couple of months and has had lots of visits. In our area it seems like relatively easy traditionals get the most visits. This is likely due to ia couple of factors including it being a high tourist area, and most tourists are on a pretty tight time schedule so won't bother with anything too complex, and some of the local cachers being family groups or young teens. Whereas the more difficult puzzles or multis get less visits from mainly only the relatively 'expert' adult local cachers.

 

So I could set a bunch of easy traditionals or very simple maths or historical fact puzzles (which are also the kind of caches I personally like to find) and be pretty much guaranteed they would get lots of finds, or I could use my time to set a few fiendish puzzles (of the kind that I can't actually solve myself based on other examples in our area!!!!) for the local pro-cachers. Which would you do????? Well, as it happens we'll be doing a bit of both ..... but realising that the harder puzzles are only likely to get done by about two local cachers -- not because they are terrible caches/locations, but just because that's how it is in our area.

 

In summary what I'm trying to say, is that there are too many variables to really say what makes a good or bad cache, and these variables make it meaningless to 'impose' any 'restrictions' on how many finds someone should have before they make any hides.

[+Annie & PB]

Drat ---- grrrr ---- double post

Edited January 14, 2008 by Annie & PB

[+rlridgeway]

Geesh...Its geocaching, not rocket science.