Is HamsterCaching making a comeback?

[+Isonzo Karst 1012]

 

Norway.... a recent log

 

It's been a while since I've seen any hamstercaching in Florida. The darn things draw too many snakes. Annoying, and some sticklers complain about the whole No Food in Caches thing. Who's feeding what to which?

 

Anyway, I wonder if others have been seeing a resurgence of what was once a part of the sport?

 

Lep?

[+9Key 1]

If you'd like to start hamster caching, check this link for a helpful guide >>

http://www.geocacher-u.com/resources/hamster.pdf

 

Thanks cybret!

 

I wonder if this post will make my stalker's profile page.

[+The Blorenges 22]

I recently read the briefest of references to HamsterCaching in a post on the UK Forum and I have now read the relevant leaflet and the Forum thread about it. Be assured that the First Hamster Cache in Wales will be appearing soon. (Just as soon as I've caught a genuine Welsh hamster in my humane trap.)

 

MrsB

[+The Leprechauns 338]

"Comeback?" Sorry, but I wasn't aware that hamstercaching was on the decline. From where I sit, hamstercaching is stronger than ever as it approaches its five-year anniversary. It's officially recognized by Geocacher University, and for Groundspeak's opinion, I direct you to my avatar to the left of this post.

 

Perhaps the only major trend in hamstercaching is dealing with the proliferation of micro and small caches. Hamsters don't do well in anything the size of a Decon container or smaller. (PLEASE trust me on this -- do not attempt to duplicate the experiences I've had.) As an accommodation to this trend, I've taken to using white mice in the smaller containers. They have also proven heartier in colder climates. I think I've overcome the criticism leveled at me during the harsh winter of 2003.

 

[+WebChimp 0]

"Comeback?" Sorry, but I wasn't aware that hamstercaching was on the decline.

 

I'm in the dark here.

 

Hamstercaching? What did I miss?

[+briansnat 106]

I tried hamster caching and was very disappointed in the results. First off the things died and the cache smelled reeeeeal bad after sitting in the hot sun. I talked with one of the leading hamster caches and he explained that I need to put little air holes in the ammo box.

 

I tried that and it worked for a while, but then a rain storm came along and filled the cache with water. Well I guess hamsters can only swim for so long.

 

Anyway, being at my wits end I totally gave the sport up.

[+knowschad 21]

"Comeback?" Sorry, but I wasn't aware that hamstercaching was on the decline.

 

I'm in the dark here.

 

Hamstercaching? What did I miss?

 

There may be more, but this is the one that I'm familiar with: Cruelty to Animals?

[+The Leprechauns 338]

I tried hamster caching and was very disappointed in the results. First off the things died and the cache smelled reeeeeal bad after sitting in the hot sun. I talked with one of the leading hamster caches and he explained that I need to put little air holes in the ammo box.

 

I tried that and it worked for a while, but then a rain storm came along and filled the cache with water. Well I guess hamsters can only swim for so long.

 

Anyway, being at my wits end I totally gave the sport up.

You were doing it wrong, Brian.

 

I do, however, respect your right to play the game your way. Which, apparently, is fur-free.

 

It's your loss, really.

[+The Blorenges 22]

My Hamster Cache will be based on information in the following links:

 

http://www.geochums.com/forums/lofiversion....php/t2201.html

 

http://www.backtrail.net/hamster.pdf

 

I, too, was concerned about the problem of providing enough fresh air for my hamster, whilst not piercing the cache and possibly drowning him out in heavy rainfall. I think I've covered both these eventualities by hand-crafting a suitably scaled-down SCUBA tank for him. Don't worry! - Once I have my hamster the pre-cache training will be extensive.

 

MrsB

[+Ambrosia 117]

I love furries.

[+parker313 0]

Maybe you can have the hamster talk to Brian's clams.

[+flask 1]

I love furries.

 

uh, maybe you're just too sweet and innocent, but that's kind of a code among a certain subset of people.

 

please don't make me have to explain it to you.

[+briansnat 106]

I love furries.

 

uh, maybe you're just too sweet and innocent, but that's kind of a code among a certain subset of people.

 

please don't make me have to explain it to you.

 

I'm all ears. Big, long, furry ears

[+Ambrosia 117]

I love furries.

 

uh, maybe you're just too sweet and innocent, but that's kind of a code among a certain subset of people.

 

please don't make me have to explain it to you.

 

I know! I'm not as sweet and innocent as most people take me for.

 

I'll shut my mouth now. *zip zip*

 

[+The Jester 618]

Why is the song "Hamster Love" running thru my mind now???????

 

Edit to add link.

Edited June 27, 2008 by The Jester

[+The Leprechauns 338]

I'm not as sweet and innocent as most people take me for.

Gosh, I wouldn't say that. I think you're really sweet!

 

Why is the song "Hamster Love" running thru my mind now???????

You made me weep.

[+Sioneva 1]

My clam ate my hamster.

[+Western Mass Clan 0]

Be forewarned. Don't get your expectations too high. As with any form of caching, you should expect the quality of the SWAG in any hamster cache to degrade with time.

 

 

[+zoltig 0]

The first Hamster caching made an appearance before lamp skirt caches. Introduce the two ...?

 

 

YUCK

[+va griz 2]

I talked with one of the leading hamster caches and he explained that I need to put little air holes in the ammo box.

 

Holes in the box....I'll have to try that. Do you drill the holes before or after you seal the little rodent inside?

[+El Diablo 0]

Hamster caching gave me the idea of cat caching. I have way to many of them and needed to weed a few out. Now stuffing a cat in an ammo can isn't an easy job. You'll have better luck trying to brush their teeth. With the help of welders gloves I finally got him in there though. Here's a note for those that want to try this in the future, don't do what I did....make air holes BEFORE you put him in there.

 

I finally got the cache placed with just a little loss of blood on each side. However when the first cacher found it....not to good. Have you ever heard of the expression "Opening a box expecting a kitten to come out, but a wild cat jumped out instead"?

 

Anyways he made his way back home, and my life is now miserable. I'm also now on the FTF's ignore list. I think I'll take the cat hamster caching to make ammends. He'll like that.

 

El Diablo

[+Ambrosia 117]

I'm not as sweet and innocent as most people take me for.

Gosh, I wouldn't say that. I think you're really sweet!

 

Aw, thanks.

 

And now, I have to post some cute hamster pictures to offset that zombie blech.

 

 

 

 

[+TakeTheLongWay 0]

I love furries.

 

I'm sure lep knows too that his home town is host to the big furry convention every year..

 

http://www.anthrocon.org/

[+GSVNoFixedAbode 0]

I love furries.

 

uh, maybe you're just too sweet and innocent, but that's kind of a code among a certain subset of people.

 

please don't make me have to explain it to you.

 

I'm all ears. Big, long, furry ears

And there I was picturing you as a Knight in Shining White Armour!

 

 

(I'm sure there's a big Hamster in there somewhere keeping this post on topic )

[+NYPaddleCacher 1938]

Why is the song "Hamster Love" running thru my mind now???????

 

Edit to add link.

 

The one that has been going through my head is this one.

[+crosschk 0]

I love furries.

 

uh, maybe you're just too sweet and innocent, but that's kind of a code among a certain subset of people.

 

please don't make me have to explain it to you.

 

I'm all ears. Big, long, furry ears

And there I was picturing you as a Knight in Shining White Armour!

 

 

(I'm sure there's a big Hamster in there somewhere keeping this post on topic )

 

OMG I think I found my new avitar, or just one for today LOL

[+paleolith 10]

Micros? No problema. In Florida, this is quite naturally solved by substituting cockroaches for hamsters.

 

..........

[+Isonzo Karst 1012]

In Florida.... substituting cockroaches for hamsters

 

Wow! of course! I should have figured that out for myself. That's what I'm seeing....and not just in micro-caches either. While there's a hint of cheapest-possible-swag about the practice, it does have a charming local flavor. Many thanks for the explanation, paleolith.

[+wimseyguy 5]

"Comeback?" Sorry, but I wasn't aware that hamstercaching was on the decline. From where I sit, hamstercaching is stronger than ever as it approaches its five-year anniversary. It's officially recognized by Geocacher University, and for Groundspeak's opinion, I direct you to my avatar to the left of this post.

 

Perhaps the only major trend in hamstercaching is dealing with the proliferation of micro and small caches. Hamsters don't do well in anything the size of a Decon container or smaller. (PLEASE trust me on this -- do not attempt to duplicate the experiences I've had.) As an accommodation to this trend, I've taken to using white mice in the smaller containers. They have also proven heartier in colder climates. I think I've overcome the criticism leveled at me during the harsh winter of 2003.

 

Why would you put a perfectly healthy Grade A hamster in a crappy gladware container?

[+Ambrosia 117]

I want a picture of a hamster in an ammo can!!!

[+The Leprechauns 338]

[+The Leprechauns 338]

By the way, Groundspeak refused to put that picture on the front banner, despite my begging and pleading. Something about scaring away new visitors. But show up with a frog and they put you in the photographer's hall of fame.

[+Ambrosia 117]

 

 

 

[+Western Mass Clan 0]

[+TeamAtlas 0]

Ok, I have no idea what 'hamster caching' is, and probably don't want to know... but I reallllllly hope you are all just kidding...

[+The Jester 618]

Ok, I have no idea what 'hamster caching' is, and probably don't want to know... but I reallllllly hope you are all just kidding...

Who??? Us???

 

Not about the air holes we're not.

[RedShoesGirl 1]

 

 

 

 

first thing i saw was the wildflowers!

 

rsg

 

galleries

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/redshoesgirl/

[+Tallahassee Lassie 0]

Well, here in Florida, you do have two choices - cockroaches for the smaller caches, and baby gators for those larger ones. Makes a fun surprise for the next cacher. AND they might get a pair of new shoes from it! It's the gift that keeps on giving.

[+Insane Kangaroo 0]

I love furries.

 

I'm sure lep knows too that his home town is host to the big furry convention every year..

 

http://www.anthrocon.org/

 

I've been in Pittsburgh for a trip, and yes I've been attending Anthrocon. Most of the programs are very boring because they're geared towards people who like to waste their life via video games, and the other part of the con which I don't really enjoy is how people talk... or there lack of regarding their anti-social customs. I did miss the programs I wanted to go see, mostly referring to fursuit construction and story writing, but that is okay. I can wait until next year to see what fun will occur. When I've been bored, a bunch of other furries have been getting together going to the movies. After the movie we went to go chow down some grub. The other meets I've been going to have been an Open Carry meet with a few furs but mostly with furs to a oriental food restaurant. The day before a bunch of gun furries went to go have tons of fun at the gun range.

[+Insane Kangaroo 0]

*removed double post*

Edited June 29, 2008 by Insane Kangaroo

[+briansnat 106]

The day before a bunch of gun furries went to go have tons of fun at the gun range.

 

Gun furries. Now I've heard it all.

[+Michael 0]

[+escondido100 0]

believe it or not hamsters are illegal in hawaii

[+Trucker Lee 0]

I hurt myself!

 

Laughed so hard I fell out of my chair. Thanks, beats "To the Manor Born" any day.

[+Isonzo Karst 1012]

believe it or not hamsters are illegal in hawaii

 

Understandable, really. You can use the Florida technique of using cockroaches instead of hamsters. They're really much lower maintenance, and work in many micro caches as well.

[4wheelin_fool 10]

Ok, I have no idea what 'hamster caching' is, and probably don't want to know... but I reallllllly hope you are all just kidding...

 

Some areas are more active than others, but the hampsters are usually taken fairly quickly. An exception that I heard about was a few years ago when one was left overnight in minnesota during a cold winter. However once it was discovered, the frozen carcass made it into about a dozen caches and over into Canada until a well meaning cacher tried to dethaw him back to life in a microwave.

 

A nice way to transport them is to lure them into a cardboard tube and then feed them some high protein hampster workout pellets to bulk them up.

 

Once they get stuck they make a nice football for hampster catching (note the different spelling)

 

Hampster catching is a completely different sport where they are tossed back and forth until they lose their "ballast" protein pellets out the back end. The person caught with the deflated hampster is "out". New regulations by the American Hampster Association (AHA) also require that they wear a tiny crash helmet.

 

Hope that answers some questions.

[+KerBear 0]

being close to pittsburgh have heard of hamster caching. interesting to read so much in detail about it. not so sure radar (my very cute syrian hamster) would like his cuddly home filled with cats to be moved outside where there's more cats. he's very fond of the indoor cats and would miss them.

 

and just an fyi-on the brochure it says use cedar chips. don't use cedar chips. see below...

 

posted from: http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/hamsters/a/hamstercare.htm

Bedding

Most owners use wood shavings to line the cage, but avoid cedar shavings - aspen or other hardwood shaving are the preferred choice as even pine shavings may emit irritating aromatic oils. Other bedding options are available (see "Top Ten Alternatives to Cedar and Pine." The bedding should be changed weekly, but most hamsters use an area of the cage for a toilet and this area can be cleaned more frequently to help keep the cage clean. Hamsters like to burrow, so provide a good depth of shavings for them to dig in.

[+paleolith 10]

Well, here in Florida, you do have two choices - cockroaches for the smaller caches, and baby gators for those larger ones.

Hi there no-dash ... yeah, I remember seeing rocket-launcher ammo cans that would be good for medium-size gators ... the great thing about cockroachcaching is that you can't kill cockroaches. Put a handful in an ammo can or a waterproof matchbox, toss it out in the sun for the summer, open it up in the fall and the roaches are just sitting there waving at you saying oh, hi ... can't drown them either.

 

Edward

[+Antihiro 0]

Be sure to prepare your hamster accordingly. This will help to ensure longevity.

 

[+Suburban Hillbillies 0]

So, Let's say I find a lamp post skirt lifter type micro, since the hamster won't fit in the film canister, is it acceptable practice to leave the hamster under the lamp post skirt, as long as I log it as such?

 

At least he'll be able to run in circles for a while.