Checking on your caches

[+the church mouse]

I want to know how often one should check on their geocaches. I haven't hid one yet because there is no where around here I really feel like putting one but I do want to put one out around my old home. We go out there a lot in the summer and at Chistmas and Spring Break and other holidays. I know you should put them somewhere where you can check on them and Im not sure how much you need to check. And I have someone out there that could possibly check on one occasionally.

 

Thanks

[+TrailGators]

I want to know how often one should check on their geocaches. I haven't hid one yet because there is no where around here I really feel like putting one but I do want to put one out around my old home. We go out there a lot in the summer and at Chistmas and Spring Break and other holidays. I know you should put them somewhere where you can check on them and Im not sure how much you need to check. And I have someone out there that could possibly check on one occasionally.

 

Thanks

As long as people are finding it they are checking on it. If there is an issue that's when you need to get out there.

[+the church mouse]

Okay. So it would be ok unless I couldnt check on it when I needed to. Then what would I do? Like if I couldn't come to maintain it?

[4wheelin_fool]

I want to know how often one should check on their geocaches. I haven't hid one yet because there is no where around here I really feel like putting one but I do want to put one out around my old home. We go out there a lot in the summer and at Chistmas and Spring Break and other holidays. I know you should put them somewhere where you can check on them and Im not sure how much you need to check. And I have someone out there that could possibly check on one occasionally.

 

Thanks

 

You will get an e-mail when someone finds it. You will only need to check on it if someone mentions a problem.

[+TrailGators]

Okay. So it would be ok unless I couldnt check on it when I needed to. Then what would I do? Like if I couldn't come to maintain it?

You have to maintain it. You can disable it and then you should get to it within a few weeks if possible.

[+the church mouse]

Okay. thanks!

[4wheelin_fool]

Okay. So it would be ok unless I couldnt check on it when I needed to. Then what would I do? Like if I couldn't come to maintain it?

 

If you cannot maintain it then you shouldnt hide it. But if it is in an ammo box, hidden where only a geocacher would look, then there usually isnt any maintenence..

[+Driver Carries Cache]

I wouldn't hide anything that I couldn't check on at least quarterly.

 

DCC

[+Annie & PB]

Sounds like you will be in the area often enough to check on it to me. And as has been said, if it's going to be a couple of weeks until the next break/vacation that you are in the area, you can disable it for a wee while (just write an appropriate log to explain why).

 

I think your difficulty is more likely to be getting it approved as it is not near you. I would suggest starting an email conversation with the reviewer for that area now, AND also finding a lot of caches already in the area so that the reviewer knows you go there often.

 

Annie

[+Roarmeister]

I want to know how often one should check on their geocaches. I haven't hid one yet because there is no where around here I really feel like putting one but I do want to put one out around my old home. We go out there a lot in the summer and at Chistmas and Spring Break and other holidays. I know you should put them somewhere where you can check on them and Im not sure how much you need to check. And I have someone out there that could possibly check on one occasionally.

 

Thanks

 

You will get an e-mail when someone finds it. You will only need to check on it if someone mentions a problem.

 

I would rather check on it more often than that. Often a cache degrades from the swag trade-downs that happen over time. I think it is my responsibility to check on caches to update and refresh them even if they don't have a problem. Occasionally there may be a ripped zip-loc or animal damage that may not be reported by cachers so a routine maintenance check will come in handy.

 

On micro caches, it is handy to verify how much log "book" space there is left and perhaps refresh. Or perhaps there are coins that are supposed to be there but have gone missing, a check may verify that fact. Or perhaps the camo has degraded or the cache has been moved a bit out of it's intended spot - both good reasons to check on the cache.

 

If you place it, then it's up to the owner to maintain it so that it doesn't end up being geo-trash or archived.

[+briansnat]

Checking on a cache periodically is always a good idea, but it's more important to be able to respond promptly to reported problems.

[+Harry Dolphin]

As often as necessary, and sometimes more often. I've done an absurd 6 maintenance runs in March alone! On twenty active caches. And two more to go! That's more than I've done in three and a half years of geocaching! Cache missing. Log wet. Dang! Why do geocachers steal ziplocks? Or not reseal them? Oh, well. Part of being a cache owner! Checked on one not found in a year. Still right there! Was in the area, and checked on one not found in a couple of months. I could see the lid of the MKH hanging below the fence. Someone did not close it properly. Oh, well. "Replaced log".

Found logs will usually tell you when you need to make a maintenance run. But it doesn't hurt to check anyway, when you're in the area. But, if there is a problem, you should try to check it out within a couple of weeks.

[+gof1]

Just as a "Rule Of Thumb" kinda reply. I would limit the distance for a hide to how far you can travel in a day, round trip. So, If you are on foot for your transport how far can you comfortably walk round trip? If you are using a bicycle how far can you comfortably pedal in a day? Are you driving? How far are you comfortable driving there and back in a day? There are some circumstance that alter this. Do you go to an area often? If you are going to be there every couple of weeks and will have time to do maintenance while there you're good to go. Have someone in the area you can trust to do maintenance when needed? Then you have it covered. What you don't want is your cache to end up as geo-trash.

[+Big_John]

Have someone in the area you can trust to do maintenance when needed? Then you have it covered. What you don't want is your cache to end up as geo-trash.

 

Most reviewers will let you slide on a cache far from home if you can have a local person that can get to the cache in a timely manner. If it is your old home you more than likely have some one there, not necessarily a geocacher even, that can go check on it for you if there is something wrong between trips.

[GPS-Hermit]

The ammo box really helps for remote caches and I always email the finder and ask about cache condition if they don't mention it in their logs. Everyone has responded. Some cachers will replace plastic bags, replace stolen pens, sharpend pencils, remove wrongful items, and general clean up things like that. It is a very friendly game. If a log shows someone comes there often - by all means request them to look in on it. They can always say no, but if the bother is not high most will help you out. You really don't want a high maintence cache - no need to learn the hard way - think hard first - hide second. Bad containers don't last - easy finds get muggled, bad coordinates lose interest, animals check out everything and will investigate on a garanteed basis, particularly if a smell it detected. I alone have witnessed 7 animal trashings, and 4 muggle invasions. Instruct folks in your cache listing to report the condition every time and not to put odor borne objects in the cache, seeds are food to animals. It jogs our memory.

Good luck and think about it.