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Maintaining caches


POWRcacher

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I wanted to see how hardcore people are so I did a search and came up with this http://www.zinnware.com/HighAdv/Geocaching...aches_found.php

 

Quite interesting. I only started under a month ago and have found a few. I am wondering how people that have hidden a lot of caches manage to maintain them. I realize a lot of it has to do with the cooperation of all geocachers as a community but I would imagine the cache maintenance is ultimately the responsibility of the cache owner. Seems like a lot of work to maintain 50 or 100 different caches. Logbooks, pencils, new containers etc.

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Most of mine are only found a few times per year. I need only visit for maintenance once a year or less. The more frequently visited ones are nearby - no problem to get to them. A very few of the older outlaying ones get less attention then they deserve sometimes but I am working on correcting all issues better these days.

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I've hidden nearly 250 caches and have close to 200 active. I have no problem maintaining them. Obviously I don't visit every one regularly, but I keep an eye on the logs and if I see an issue I try to get there within two weeks and usually sooner. Many involve longish hikes, so a maint trip can take a good chunk out of my day, but I try to make each cache an enjoyable hike so maintenance trips are actually pleasant for me.

 

Sometimes local geocachers will offer to help if they see an issue and will be in the area. I gratefully accept their offer of assistance, but most of the time I have to visit the cache site myself.

 

Using quality containers such as ammo boxes certainly cuts down on the need for maintenance. Choosing a good hiding place where the cache is unlikely to be encountered by non geocachers also goes a long way.

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Prudent selection of location and container leads to low cache maintenance requirements. It takes a long time for a notebook in an ammo can hidden more than five minutes from parking to fill up! (86 physical caches hidden with 84 still active and only two archived)

Edited by Ladybug Kids
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I wanted to see how hardcore people are so I did a search and came up with this http://www.zinnware.com/HighAdv/Geocaching...aches_found.php

 

Quite interesting. I only started under a month ago and have found a few. I am wondering how people that have hidden a lot of caches manage to maintain them. I realize a lot of it has to do with the cooperation of all geocachers as a community but I would imagine the cache maintenance is ultimately the responsibility of the cache owner. Seems like a lot of work to maintain 50 or 100 different caches. Logbooks, pencils, new containers etc.

I don't think they should approve any new caches from someone that has any caches that need maintenance. That would provide a limit based on actual ability to maintain ones caches. It also provides for more accountability. Edited by TrailGators
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I have right at 100, they are spread out in an area of about 200 miles here in Oklahoma. I have lived on both ends of this area and currently live in the approximate center.

 

I do maintainance runs regularly (3 months or so) just because I like to travel on my motorcycle. I can visit every cache I own out west in one day. I can visit every cache I own in Southeastern OK in a half a day. Caches I have in the metro area, I go to them often the same day if someone tells me there is a problem. If I have a needs maint issue on a cache out in the country, I'm out there within a week or I disable it until I can get there. Sometimes both, it just depends on what is the issue.

 

I disagree with the notion that a certain number of hides cannot be properly maintained. I am getting to the point that sometimes they are hard to remember where I hid the darn thing, but I think that's a function of age rather than how many hides I am taking care of.

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In my area, I have read posts about caches needing maint. and/or a note asking the owner to check to see if the cache is actually still there one cache owner in particular has 2 caches that have at least 3-4 "notes" stating please repair/ make sure cache is still there and there hasn't been a single response from the cache owner.

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When a cacher logs that a cache requires maintenance this information is placed on the cache description log but no further 'action' is taken.

 

When the note requests a cache is archived that information is passed to the local reviewer who is responsible for progressing the request - perhaps this is the best solution to ensure caches are maintained up to date.

 

However do the local reviewers have the time to progress these? This is not meant to be a dig at reviewers but a considered request for guidance if this feature should be used more widely.

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I wanted to see how hardcore people are so I did a search and came up with this http://www.zinnware.com/HighAdv/Geocaching...aches_found.php

 

Quite interesting. I only started under a month ago and have found a few. I am wondering how people that have hidden a lot of caches manage to maintain them. I realize a lot of it has to do with the cooperation of all geocachers as a community but I would imagine the cache maintenance is ultimately the responsibility of the cache owner. Seems like a lot of work to maintain 50 or 100 different caches. Logbooks, pencils, new containers etc.

 

If you hide caches in durable containers (like ammo cans), and use nice sized logbooks, the need to replace caches is almost never an issue. As for replacing pencils, I haven't had to replace one pencil in 4 years of hiding caches.

 

99% of my cache maintenance is to replace stolen caches, not to fix broken caches.

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To help the situation when cache owners do not maintain their caches - should we invoke the powers of the local reviewer or just not bother putting forward any suggestions.

Perhaps there are no answers!!

If you find a cache that needs maintenance, you can do a few things. If it's something that you can fix, fix it and mention it in your online log. If you can't fix it up, mention it in your online log. Post a NM log, or not.

 

This is not a new situation, nor is it rocket science.

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When a cacher logs that a cache requires maintenance this information is placed on the cache description log but no further 'action' is taken.

 

When the note requests a cache is archived that information is passed to the local reviewer who is responsible for progressing the request - perhaps this is the best solution to ensure caches are maintained up to date.

 

However do the local reviewers have the time to progress these? This is not meant to be a dig at reviewers but a considered request for guidance if this feature should be used more widely.

 

I wish the Needs Maintenance feature was used by more people. It certainly would make my life easier. All I would need to do is run a PQ on my caches to see which ones need maintenance. I do read the logs but once in a while I might miss one and if there is mention of a need for maintenance in one I missed, the cache might be out there for a while before I get to it.

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Well, as suggested in guidelines, keep them to a reasonable distance from your home. I won't go hide a cache that is more than 2 hours from my home, because it isn't realistic to get to them frequently enough beyond that. However, 2 hours is just my own arbitrary number that works for my life. Someone else may be available and willing to travel much farther to maintain their cache.

 

Also, I read my owner notices daily, and, weather permitting in my area, will maintenance a cache within a day or two of getting a notice of needing maintenance.

 

For me, I take great pride in my caches, and have them there for the specific purpous of showing people new and great places, so I want to make sure they continue to be desirable and available to hunt.

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I wish the Needs Maintenance feature was used by more people. It certainly would make my life easier. All I would need to do is run a PQ on my caches to see which ones need maintenance.

 

I have a second account that I use to log NM on my own caches so I don't space out.

 

Unfortunately, this attribute is broken as fas as PQs go -

 

Any cache that has ever had a NM log will be returned if you ask for caches with the NM attribute, even if the attribute has been cleared.

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