thoughts on tiny micro caches in very public places

[+wheretheskygrows]

What's everybody's take on tiny mico caches that are so difficult to find because they are hidden in very touristy areas where there are hundreds of muggles around?

 

I just came back from vacationing in Florida, and most of the caches I tried to find were DNFs. They were hidden so close to very high traffic areas, that I started to look like a criminal (bending over and looking under things, on top of things... all while other vacationers were staring).

 

I love this sport, and I am grateful to people who hide caches - they are what makes this sport continue on. But it's kind of frustrating when a cache is so hard to find because a) it's smaller than car key, and it's somewhere that has a ton of people milling about.

[+BCandMsKitty]

I usually pass on these caches. The smallness doesn't bother me, and actually make for a real challenge sometimes, but I really don't like the ones in high traffic areas. I like the test to my skills (or lack thereof) of the search, not my stealthiness. There are no doubt lots of people who do enjoy the stealthiness, but I'm not one of them.

[+StarBrand]

I too largely pass on these unless I have readily spotted it. Then I just boldly go take care of business.

[+Renegade Knight]

What's everybody's take on tiny mico caches that are so difficult to find because they are hidden in very touristy areas where there are hundreds of muggles around? ...

 

About the best kind of cache for those spots. I'd pass on them myself. I don't really enjoy hunting for a cache in a public spot liket that.

[+Totem Clan]

I see nothing wrong with them in general. Some folks love them. I have hunted them before, but like the others above, I'd rather find something else.

[+Thrak]

I really dislike searching in highly public places. I've found some like that but anymore I'm more likely to look briefly and, if I can find it easily, snag and log it. If I have to do a lot of searching in a place with a bunch of people I'd just as soon pass it by for something else. I tend to use the NHF rule.

 

My bottom line is: If I'm not enjoying myself there's no point to geocaching.

[+peajay84]

There's a nano here that is on a light pole in the parking lot of a large medical clinic. The last cacher has somehow placed it so high up on the light pole that it will take a tall ladder to get to it (even for my 6' tall hubby).

 

So what's the fun in that?

[+Renegade Knight]

There's a nano here that is on a light pole in the parking lot of a large medical clinic. The last cacher has somehow placed it so high up on the light pole that it will take a tall ladder to get to it (even for my 6' tall hubby).

 

So what's the fun in that?

Getting it down.

[+ZSandmann]

I love them, the stealth is part of the challenge, if I am not doing anything wrong I refuse to act like a criminal. Worst case, I get caught, pull out a Cacher-U pamphlet and explain GC to another person. If there were no muggles there would be no cachers.

[+bpp_picnic]

My bottom line is: If I'm not enjoying myself there's no point to geocaching.

 

That is the best response.

 

I have found and enjoy finding this kind of hide. I have many DNF's and finds. But if you don't like them and are not having fun then just don't try that one. They are very good for tourist areas. If you are in a city and there are lots of street corner hides then it makes for some fun in between meetings and such. Also some people don't like walking 5 miles to find a box under some logs. Which is fine also. Just do the ones that make it fun for you.

 

PS. I have a rule that if you take more than 10 minutes to look, you post a DNF. This helps the CO and nobody really keeps track of your DNF's!

 

bpp_picnic

[+LaTuFu]

If its something that doesn't require too much odd-looking behavior for the scene, I don't mind them. But if I wind up having to spend too much time in one spot scrounging around, generally drawing "what the heck is he doing" looks, I just keep on going.

 

A good, well hidden micro can be fun, and looking while among the general public adds to the excitement sometimes.

 

But if my definition of "fun and well hidden" is different than the Cache owner's, I'll just move along.

 

Usually the only time I go after an urban micro if I am traveling is if I'm there for some other reason. So I don't have more than 5-10 minutes to spare looking for it.

[+Team Cotati]

What's everybody's take on tiny mico caches that are so difficult to find because they are hidden in very touristy areas where there are hundreds of muggles around?

 

I just came back from vacationing in Florida, and most of the caches I tried to find were DNFs. They were hidden so close to very high traffic areas, that I started to look like a criminal (bending over and looking under things, on top of things... all while other vacationers were staring).

 

I love this sport, and I am grateful to people who hide caches - they are what makes this sport continue on. But it's kind of frustrating when a cache is so hard to find because a) it's smaller than car key, and it's somewhere that has a ton of people milling about.

 

Bad..bad..bad. Ought to be banned out right. A blight on the game and all it's participants.

[Jantaculum]

I didn't like them at all when I first started caching - now I quite enjoy the challenge

 

(living in London there's lots of them to choose from!)

 

I found one recently that I've DNF'd several times (although only admitted to it twice in my logs ) and that gave me a HUGE sense of satistfaction

[+sbell111]

What's everybody's take on tiny mico caches that are so difficult to find because they are hidden in very touristy areas where there are hundreds of muggles around? ...

I like them.

 

If the muggletude prevents me from making that find, I've learned that I can walk away.

[+DavidMac]

Caches like that are why I'm thankful for the ignore list .

[+Totem Clan]

 

Bad..bad..bad. Ought to be banned out right. A blight on the game and all it's participants.

 

Wow! Like I said I don't like 'em prefer them, but that seems a bit harsh to me.

Maybe I don't understand. Can you explain to me how they are, "A blight on the game and all it's participants." when some folks have already said right here that they love them?

 

Edit to wording.

Edited April 25, 2008 by Totem Clan

[+ventura_kids]

What's everybody's take on tiny mico caches that are so difficult to find because they are hidden in very touristy areas where there are hundreds of muggles around?

 

We love them. Hide some more!

[+wiseye]

In Florida please remember that the tourists just think you are a "colorful local" and they are going home tommorow anyway.

The locals know you are a tourist, exspect strange behavior from you and know you are going home tommorow.

The locals know the locals, exspect strange behavior from them and enjoy "colorful friends".

So when in Florida, hunt what you want to, enjoy our caches and don't be concerned about how you look to others. We don't

[+TeamGumbo]

I like 'em! They really weed out the poor finders.

 

[+Renegade Knight]

I like 'em! They really weed out the poor finders.

 

Oh, that's just brutal.

[+joranda]

I had the problem when I was in Florida this earlier year. Stuff on the outside of the city was a piece of cake but when I was caching Orlando the muggles was very heavy and made the finds harder. Guess that's the name of the game.

[+TeamGumbo]

 

Oh, that's just brutal.

 

I keed, I keed!

 

[+JacobBarlow]

What's everybody's take on tiny mico caches that are so difficult to find because they are hidden in very touristy areas where there are hundreds of muggles around?

 

I just came back from vacationing in Florida, and most of the caches I tried to find were DNFs. They were hidden so close to very high traffic areas, that I started to look like a criminal (bending over and looking under things, on top of things... all while other vacationers were staring).

 

I love this sport, and I am grateful to people who hide caches - they are what makes this sport continue on. But it's kind of frustrating when a cache is so hard to find because a) it's smaller than car key, and it's somewhere that has a ton of people milling about.

 

I love high traffic areas for caches, I think it's fun to have everyone staring at me like I'm a fool, maybe because I am, but I just stare back, point at them and laugh, or do something else to make them give up and forget about me.

[+Morning Dew]

My least favorite cache but I think they are totally fine and just another great part of this game.

 

For the ones in my local area, I try to hit them at low muggle population times, i.e. weekday 1/2 hour before sunrise.

 

If NO relatively muggle free times exist I might skip it. But I do love a good challenge.

 

Another reason I don't like guard rail caches along bridges. Search...wait for car to drive by....search...wait for car to drive by...repeat. Boring...

 

I just feel too responsible to the cache owner to keep right on searching. I worry that a couple teens will be driving by, see me searching, have some free time on their hands and go back and muggle the cache and because I was impatient, I'm responsible for a nice cache being looted.

 

Probably too paranoid though.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Remids me of a standard-sized cache in a gazebo in a popular park. Two out of state cachers pointed athe the lake yelling "Look at that" while I climbed over the lady sleeping in the gazebo to retrieve the cache. Yes. They can be quite challenging! And a lot of fun!!

Hey. I'll hunt for almost anything. Ammo cans on mountaintops. Micros on city streets. As long as I'm having fun, that's what counst.

We just hid our first nano. Ignore it if you want, but you'll miss the spectacular view!

[+ventura_kids]

Many times I've been in a large group, all searching in front of a very busy spot.

Usually someone will feel a bit guilty, and you will hear this conversation....

"We will probably be the LTF"

"Well then, the hider should of thought of all these muggles watching when they hid it here"

"OK, keep hunting"

 

 

 

 

 

edited spelling errors

Edited April 26, 2008 by ventura_kids

[+Ed & Julie]

What's everybody's take on tiny mico caches that are so difficult to find because they are hidden in very touristy areas where there are hundreds of muggles around?

 

I just came back from vacationing in Florida, and most of the caches I tried to find were DNFs. They were hidden so close to very high traffic areas, that I started to look like a criminal (bending over and looking under things, on top of things... all while other vacationers were staring).

 

I love this sport, and I am grateful to people who hide caches - they are what makes this sport continue on. But it's kind of frustrating when a cache is so hard to find because a) it's smaller than car key, and it's somewhere that has a ton of people milling about.

 

Don't like 'em, and usually won't look for them.

[+usyoopers]

In my local area this type of cache goes on our ignore list. When traveling and we don't have much time we will have a go at a select few...we start feeling uncomfortable and we are outta there!

[+NeoAddict]

I hate being in high traffic areas! Makes me feel very awkward. I've hidden one tiny micro, but that was in an appropriate place, with little traffic to worry about.

 

I wouldn't ever go to Florida and hunt for these micros. Well, maybe if it was a rainy day or I broke my legs in a fall...

[+Team Cotati]

I hate being in high traffic areas! Makes me feel very awkward. I've hidden one tiny micro, but that was in an appropriate place, with little traffic to worry about.

 

I wouldn't ever go to Florida and hunt for these micros. Well, maybe if it was a rainy day or I broke my legs in a fall...

 

How about Idaho?

[+NeoAddict]

Never been to Idaho, but I would rather go out to the mountains than hunt nanos in town.

[+Zolgar]

If I'm on the bike and out.. I'll look for 'em .. if I feel like it.

 

If I'm out with Roo or my parents. Screw caches like that.

 

I'll hit them on the bike, or on foot. Because it's kind of a conclusion to a nice walk/ride. In a car though? PnGs in general don't interest me. Let alone muggle-heavy urban PnGs.

 

I fall in to the school of thought though "don't hunt what you don't enjoy". And I tend to enjoy at least a 15 minute hike to find an ammo can under a pile of rocks.

[+Mother Wolf]

Im not real crazy about them. I like the out & about caches but sometimes I will hit a micro. I just wish the CO would signify it is a nano. I know the cache page only has a micro listing which can be from nan to 35mm to pill bottle etc. altoids can etc. I wish we had a nano cat.

[+wimseyguy]

Don't mind them a bit. When I'm in the mood, they can be fun to search for. I don't care much what others think about my actions anyway. If I'm looking for a cache in a high traffic area, I act like I'm not doing anything wrong, and assume that onlookers won't think I am doing anything wrong.

 

When it isn't FUN to seek them, I walk away and go somewhere else.

 

I own more than a few caches that fit this category, and they have been well received by those who look for them. And if you bother to read the cache pages on a couple, you might even learn something interesting about the location too.

[+Confucius' Cat]

Count me as another that passes on them. Once in a while i'll try one, but in general, as I drive up and see that the area is in the public eye, I drive on.

 

Mostly I like to walk in the woods, but urbans are cool from time to time for a quick "fix."

 

I have come to prefer cemeteries for my quick fixes in general since there is rarely much serious mugglage.

[Neos2]

I like them. I finally realized that most people are too busy worrying about what other people are thinking about them to pay attention to other people (me). The "trick" I think is to act like you are doing just exactly what you are supposed to be doing.

 

I've only walked away from one or two and not gone back while traveling. Ordinarily I'd just go back another time when it isn't so busy, but you can't always do that when you're traveling.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Snagging a cache in public without being noticed is fun.

 

I was with a group caching one night when we came to one that appeared to be on a telephone kiosk. After waiting at a distance the group pondered skipping it. I watched the guy and could tell he was in an argument with someone and unaware of anything else. I was able to casually walk up to the phone booth and snag the cache literally from under his nose and he was too focused to even see me do it.

 

My favorite was under a bench outside a Florida WalMart with two women sitting on it. I walked up and said "Excuse me ladies I need to get something out from under you" reached under them and got the keyholder, didn't bother them a bit!

 

A friend has one outside his optometry shop window on a No Parking sign... the challenge is to get it during business hours without he or his staff seeing you.

[+ventura_kids]

Twice this happened....as unbelievable as it may seem....

 

Sandy spotted the cache as we approached the two benches.

The problem was...the cache was under a muggle (sitting on the bench).

We quickly sat down on the other bench.

Sandy came up with the plan...I was to create a distraction, while she made the grab.

Putting the cache back was easier...because after I created the distraction, I didn't have to come back to the bench.

 

Most people are just not paying much attention.

[+ncfinn]

I might be a bit upset if I was sitting on a bench and suddenly found someone crawling under me or grabbing for something that close to me.

 

I wish cashes placed in high muggle density areas had a warning posted on the page so I would not have to waste time or gas going to it at the wrong time.

[+BlueDeuce]

I'll pass on them unless I have my kids with me. Nobody's surprised or concerned about a kid being curious and poking around.

 

Plus it makes caching easy.

Edited April 28, 2008 by BlueDeuce

[+briansnat]

I think ammo boxes wold be tough to hide in very public places so tiny micros are the only real alternative.

[CoyoteRed]

Personally, I'd prefer a high-risk micro over one around back behind the strip mall behind a smelly dumpster.

 

Yep, on my continuum of cache desirability high-risk micros aren't near the bottom. There's a lot more that I'd rather ignore.

 

That being said, I guess I've sort of out-grown them or maybe a better way to say it is my tastes have shifted. I prefer hikes or canoes into the wilds, a more elaborate "spy game" sort of cache, or spots that make you go "huh!" (...versus "huh?")

[CoyoteRed]

I think ammo boxes wold be tough to hide in very public places so tiny micros are the only real alternative.

Ammo boxes maybe, but caches larger than a pencil eraser takes only a bit more imagination. Hiding a S.A.W. ammo can in a local park took a bit of ingenuity and has grabbed this state's Best Camo Job award two years in a row. Folks walk within inches of it everyday. It can be done.

 

My opinion is only a little different than yours. Micros are so much easier to hide in very public places so there are fewer larger caches in similar places.

[+briansnat]

I think ammo boxes wold be tough to hide in very public places so tiny micros are the only real alternative.

Ammo boxes maybe, but caches larger than a pencil eraser takes only a bit more imagination. Hiding a S.A.W. ammo can in a local park took a bit of ingenuity and has grabbed this state's Best Camo Job award two years in a row. Folks walk within inches of it everyday. It can be done.

 

My opinion is only a little different than yours. Micros are so much easier to hide in very public places so there are fewer larger caches in similar places.

 

True, I have an ammo box hidden within 50 feet of a busy parking lot and a just as close to a popular picnic table. Still, it's not an easy thing to pull off and even if you can, an ammo box would be inappropriate in many very public places.

[+DrgnTrappr]

I cant say that I love them but I recently saw a listing for a web cam cache in Times Square NYC where you find a micro that has a sign in it that you hold up for the camara. The sign reads "Found It", this cache is on my must find list.

That is what makes this game so fun, it can take you anywhere from the woods, to the sea, to the city, just have some fun and dont worry about the muggles.

[Skippermark]

I'm not as stealthy as my wife, but we tend to like finding urban caches. We have an eight year old, and he's a great finder. When a muggle sees an adult acting weird (looking for the cache), it raises their eyebrows, but when a kid is doing something weird, people just say it's a weird kid.

 

True, I have an ammo box hidden within 50 feet of a busy parking lot and a just as close to a popular picnic table.

 

There's a "lunchtime stress buster" series here in an urban business area and most of the caches are micros. We decided to add to the series and placed a regular about 50 feet from a bus stop, and the logs are all positive. Everyone is surprised by the size when they find it.

[+KerBear]

I don't mind tiny caches in highly public areas. usually the cache has taken you to a nice scenic view, some touristy area, someplace you wouldn't have visited without a cache there. even if you don't find the cache you've still had a great time learning a new town and seeing the sights.

[+valntine]

I'm pretty new at this but I've found a few of each size hide including one micro the size of a pencil eraser. The log inside was so tiny you had to unroll it and just add your initials. I searched for it several times and when I found it I was shocked - I hadn't imagined anything that small. It seems to me that there is a place for caches like that - probably not out in the woods on top of a mountain but as someone noted - "I'd rather search for one of these in public than stuck on a rail behind a smelly dumpster in the back of a strip mall." It probably would help all concerned though if an additional category was added so that you could filter them out of pocket queries. I don't like solving puzzles or doing multis so filtering those out makes my experience much better. Filtering out nanos might make other's better as well.