Recognizing Micros

[+BlandClan]

We went to Clinton today to shop and I thought I would try out my new sleuthing skills. Unfortunately the 4 we went to were all micros. We didn't find any of them. We were right on top of it according to my gps, but didn't see it. grrrr

My question....is there a website where I can see what a 'micro' is? I'm not sure what I'm looking for. One co-ord was next to a light pole. One co-ord was between a tree and the chain link fence in a park. I was looking for something about the size of a nut or hex screw and magnetic. Is that what a micro is?

 

Susan

[+JohnTee]

Hi Susan,

 

Welcome to the hobby, addiction, sport, affliction, curse of geocaching!

 

One place to start would be checking out the forum topic Cool Cache Containers That will give you a BIG boost on ideas of what can be done in hiding geocaches, including micros and nanos.

 

What you are describing sounds like a nano, which is smaller than a micro. Cache sizes run something like:

Large - 5 gallon bucket

Regular - ammo box

Small - can of SPAM

Micro - 35mm film cannister

Nano - as small as an aspirin tablet

 

Those sizes are generalities and you will find lots of crossovers. One wicked cacher around here hid a nano-micro hybrid.

 

The CCC threads ought to give you a good place to start!

 

Cache On!

 

JohnTee

[+JohnTee]

BTW, a common general suggestion is to start out with lower difficulty level caches, say something like 1-2 or 2.5 to get a good feel for things. Starting out with micros, much less nanos, is the way of frustration! <grin>

 

Cache On!

 

JohnTee

[+Chuy!]

Nano next to a dime.

 

Bison tubes next to a quarter.

 

These nano bison tubes are pet collar ID tubes. They're about the length of a quarter and about 3/8" diameter.

[+BlandClan]

Thanks for the pictures! That helps. I was looking for something about the size of my pinkie and I see it could be much smaller.

 

These caches were rated 1 and 1.5 I think they need to reconsider..... Of course, the next time I go back I may swat myself for overlooking it. :-)

[+briansnat]

We were right on top of it according to my gps, but didn't see it. grrrr

 

That could be your problem right there. Remember that your GPS has a margin of error that ranges from 5-30 feet depending on a variety of factors. So if your GPS says you are right on it, you could still be 30 feet away.

 

Now consider the fact that the person who hid the cache had the same margin of error. When that is factored in, the cache could be 40, 50 or more feet from where your GPS says it is.

 

Most of the time you'll find the cache within 30 feet of where the GPS says it is, but rarely will you find it right at ground zero and over 30 feet away is common.

 

So when you get in close forget about what your GPS says and think about where you would hide something if you were in that general area.

[+Renegade Knight]

...My question....is there a website where I can see what a 'micro' is?...

 

A micro is anything film canister sized and smaller. The smaller they get the more difficulty they can be because of the needle in the haystack effect. More spots in the same space are available the smaller they get. The smallest that I've ever found was the size of the eraser on a pencil.

 

Based on your post, two spots I'd of looked are:

The lamp post has a skirt as it's base that lifts up. A popular spot.

A chain link fence has caps on the posts. Some are loose.

 

Personally I find there are now so many caches I can skip micros and still keep my caching calender too full to get to them all.

[+m.austin]

One thing I usually try after an unsucessful hunt is to go back & re-read the cache page. Read the deciphered hint, and also the logs. Sometimes you'll discover the answer. Sometimes it is helpful to know that you are looking for a magnetic key holder - generally that means it is stuck to metal somewhere, which helps narrow the search.

[+BlandClan]

One thing I usually try after an unsucessful hunt is to go back & re-read the cache page. Read the deciphered hint, and also the logs. Sometimes you'll discover the answer. Sometimes it is helpful to know that you are looking for a magnetic key holder - generally that means it is stuck to metal somewhere, which helps narrow the search.

 

Yes, we have learned a great deal from the logs. One of them we couldn't find had no cyphered clue at all and the logs were short....'thanks for the hide'....'quick find'.... etc, which leads me to believe it is our inexperience since others seem to be able to find it easily. The other did have a clue, but looking at all the things in the area, it made no sense to me.

 

Our teenage son has said he will go back with us 'girls' and show us how to find it. I can't wait. Although if he walks right to it, I'm really gonna feel dumb!

[+BlandClan]

...My question....is there a website where I can see what a 'micro' is?...

 

A micro is anything film canister sized and smaller. The smaller they get the more difficulty they can be because of the needle in the haystack effect. More spots in the same space are available the smaller they get. The smallest that I've ever found was the size of the eraser on a pencil.

 

Based on your post, two spots I'd of looked are:

The lamp post has a skirt as it's base that lifts up. A popular spot.

A chain link fence has caps on the posts. Some are loose.

 

Personally I find there are now so many caches I can skip micros and still keep my caching calender too full to get to them all.

 

Thank you for the suggestions. There was a metal sqaure piece that did lift up. We felt up inside it looking for something magnetic, but our fingers only found rust. There was a piece off the lightpost and you could reach inside, but wires were exposed and my husband thought it was an accident waiting to happen and shouted at our daughter to stop before her hand got in.

 

I'll try the caps idea. I looked on the backside of the posts, I thought it might be stuck there where you just had to look over, but no dice.

 

I'm in a rural area, and for some reason 80% of the caches within easy driving distance are micros. We were trying to hit the local ones first where we knew the streets and neighborhoods. It's really fun when you can find something!

[+Renegade Knight]

...There was a piece off the lightpost and you could reach inside, but wires were exposed and my husband thought it was an accident waiting to happen and shouted at our daughter to stop before her hand got in....

 

Your husband has the right idea. The access plate is normally fastened so it doesn't come off. The skirts are a bit different. They usually aren't fastened.

 

Caches in places where muggles can see you caching tend to come up missing quite often. That's another possibility.

[Neos2]

...There was a piece off the lightpost and you could reach inside, but wires were exposed and my husband thought it was an accident waiting to happen and shouted at our daughter to stop before her hand got in....

 

Your husband has the right idea. The access plate is normally fastened so it doesn't come off. The skirts are a bit different. They usually aren't fastened.

 

Caches in places where muggles can see you caching tend to come up missing quite often. That's another possibility.

Sometimes the caches on lightposts are right out in the open on the outside of the pole, too. A lot of micros in my area look like something that is supposed to be there.

[logem]

I have found it handy to have a small flashlight with me for looking into small places, under logs, etc.

 

Mike L.

[+Trucker Lee]

And with those lightpost micros, they can be hidden 4 different ways.

1. Under the skirt, on under the base of the bolted down post

2. Under the skirt, sitting on top of the bolted down post

3. Under the skirt, clinging to the underside of the metal skirt

4. Attached to the pole in some manner, cleverly disguised and in plain sight. This was the most frustrating, because I was convinced it was under the skirt and failed to look up.

[+TellMeIfYouSeeAChicken]

I appreciate the comments and the hints. Mr Chicken and I did find one under a lamppost skirt the other day. All the same, I want to smite myself when the logs say "Quick find. TFTC" and I have no idea what I'm looking for. Over the past two days I've sought micros in muggle-filled shopping centers, which doesn't help.

 

How do folks who hide microcaches in shopping centers (seriously. I think one is outside Starbucks) have the confidence they won't be muggled?

Edited June 26, 2008 by TellMeIfYouSeeAChicken

[jholly]

I appreciate the comments and the hints. Mr Chicken and I did find one under a lamppost skirt the other day. All the same, I want to smite myself when the logs say "Quick find. TFTC" and I have no idea what I'm looking for. Over the past two days I've sought micros in muggle-filled shopping centers, which doesn't help.

 

How do folks who hide microcaches in shopping centers (seriously. I think one is outside Starbucks) have the confidence they won't be muggled?

 

A. no one but a geo cacher goes around looking up skirts, ah, er, lamp post skirts.

B. Most folks don't pay much attention to other people around them.

 

Jim

[+wapahani]

Tonight I ran into a first. It was a micro, was an old air filling port of an air compressor (the old style). It has a bolt added to the old port and had the entry port welded shut and a magnet glued into it.

It was a snug fit, but it worked well.

Had I not give the object a second glance I wouldn't have found it.

Then, had I not know it didn't belong on this object, I wouldn't have even grabbed it.