On laying out a good hunt

[+PlantAKiss]

For a while now I have been preparing a few more new caches to put down. I recently discovered there has been some renovation to a little-known park area where I have one cache now. I have been hiking and exploring the areas I knew about plus the new areas trying to plot my "layout." I think two caches will be pretty simple. It's the other ones that are giving me a headache trying to work it all out AND fit the sat. rule.

 

The ideal would be to lead cachers in a logical woodland walk (on trails) with some minor bushwhacking to caches. There are two things preventing me from doing what I'd really like to do.

 

One would be a multi-cache that takes the cacher through a nature trails along a stream with informational singnage. But after stage two I would need to find a way to guide the cacher at certain points to get to the see something unusual in the forest. The turn spots or woodland entrance spots don't fit the cache sat rule so I can't do more stages. So...how can I get cacher to follow a particular route to the final cache so that they get to see the sights I brought them there for when I can't guide them with stages?

 

It is my understanding that stages of a cache must fit the .1 sat rule. Is that always the case? Might a reviewer be a little lenient in order to create a more cohesive and interesting cache hunt?

 

Next point: being out the woods there are actually a number of ways one could approach a cache. In most instances I'm trying to get a cacher to walk a particular trail for the scenery. If its a single-stage cache, how do I set a particular path for the cacher? If I gave trail head coordinates but wanted someone to turn at a specific point, how do I do that unless I add a stage to it.?

 

I'm not sure if what I said made any sense. I am trying to get this completed over my few days off but I'm getting very frustrated. I've been out studying it for the last 2 days and I'm still scratching my head.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

Sorry...forum was doing something weird not taking the topic and then took it twice. A mod can delete this one.

Edited August 31, 2008 by PlantAKiss

[Neos2]

If I'm not mistaken, the individual legs of a multicache do not have to be .1 miles apart. You could have waypoint by waypoint instructions with stopping points nearer than .1 miles apart. (In this case, you show them as "virtual" stops rather than as places where you have something hidden.

 

(and if I'm not mistaken, that also means someone else could still use the spot to hide a tradtional cache, as long as they don't violate the .1 miles rule for any of you "real" stages).

 

How would you feel if the cachers opted to skip your tour and just went to the final location? It would be their loss, not yours. If you felt that was no big deal, you could make the final location the coords and have the entire tour portion just be optional.

 

If you really want them to have to go the way you want them to go, then you really need specific stages they have to visit. Multicaches will have fewer visitors. I usually filter them out--but the idea of a guided tour that was optional would intrigue me, and I might follow it figuring it I have to get to the cache somehow anyway, right? Might as well see something interesting along the way.

 

Another track to consider might be making it a letterbox hybrid. Letterboxes often use descriptive step by step instructions of some sort. The use of a gps has to be integral to some portion of the hybrid cache, but that is easy enough to do for what you want, I think. You use waypoints for the beginning point of the cache or for the final but use descriptive instructions for the "tour" portion of the cache that eventually lead the cacher to the final.

 

I've never created either type of cache, so hopefully someone will be along to correct or clarify anything I have wrong here.

[+Too Tall John]

From the Guidelines:

The cache saturation guideline applies to all physical stages of multicaches and mystery/puzzle caches, as well as any other stages entered as "stages of a multicache." The guideline does NOT apply to event caches, earthcaches, grandfathered virtual and webcam caches, stages of multicaches or puzzle caches entered as "question to answer" or "reference point," or to any "bogus" posted coordinates for a puzzle cache. Within a single multicache or mystery/puzzle cache, there is no minimum required distance between waypoints.

If your points of interest you are bringing cachers to are listed as "question to answer" or "reference point," there is no distance limit. Make them answer a question at each point that will help give them the final coords.

[+J-Way]

I may be wrong here, but I don't think there's ever a distance limit for points of a multi cache, even physical containers.

[+wigglesworth]

Why do you wish people to go along a specific route. Presumably it is because you consider it interesting or fun. If the cache meets the fun or interesting criteria than cachers will willingly walk the route. If it is a boring route excuses wil be made to complete a short cut.

 

Keep the cache alive by making it enjoyable - that is the basis for us to go caching.

[+Too Tall John]

I may be wrong here, but I don't think there's ever a distance limit for points of a multi cache, even physical containers.

I'm pretty sure that that is true within a single cache, but the stages of 2 different multi caches would need to be seperated by 528'.

 

That is my understanding, anyways.