Tuff hide flack

[+Team MonkeyLove]

Last weekend I placed a new cache.... It is a homemade super hide. within 24 hrs. I had 5 DNFs three of which left some rather negative logs. I'm new to placing hides and did make some mistakes as far as my listing. I have revamped my listing since then. What do you do when everybody is coming down on you over your cache. It kinda takes the fun out of it when you get tore down on your second hide......

[knowschad]

Well, certainly the hint that you now have would seem to make it pretty obvious, but that all depends on the place. I WOULD suggest, given the DNFs and the comments in them, that you're still talking about an even higher difficulty rating... I'd suggest a 4.

 

How well a difficult cache is received depends on many things, not the least of which is the geocaching community. Some areas seem to relish "evil" hides, some tolerate them, and some hate them. It also depends, I think, on how "honest" the difficulty is. What I mean by that is, a micro in a spruce tree or a cache hidden in a rock pile is hard by nature, and not by any particular cleverness on the part of the hider. That sort of difficulty isn't received very well, at least not in my area.

 

On the other hand, a cache that is uniquely hidden and very hard to detect is generally LOVED once people begin to find it (and yeah... word spreads).

[+Kit Fox]

Last weekend I placed a new cache.... It is a homemade super hide. within 24 hrs. I had 5 DNFs three of which left some rather negative logs. I'm new to placing hides and did make some mistakes as far as my listing. I have revamped my listing since then. What do you do when everybody is coming down on you over your cache. It kinda takes the fun out of it when you get tore down on your second hide......

 

Brush it off as a lesson learned. This is only my perception, but the hiding spot looks like a needle in a haystack type hide.

[+Team CeDo]

Don't let people get you down, we too hide some real "special" ones. Some people just are simply out to pad their numbers and get pissed when the cache is anything more than a park and grab. People will appriciate your efforts before long and learn from your hide.

[+doingitoldschool]

Last weekend I placed a new cache.... It is a homemade super hide. within 24 hrs. I had 5 DNFs three of which left some rather negative logs. I'm new to placing hides and did make some mistakes as far as my listing. I have revamped my listing since then. What do you do when everybody is coming down on you over your cache. It kinda takes the fun out of it when you get tore down on your second hide......

 

I got fed up at a newbie's hide once, and let them have it in my log. Turned out they were two twelve year old kids. I revamped my log and felt rather foolish.

 

If you make a harder find, some people will get frustrated looking.

Now, I don't know you or your caches, so take what I say now with an open mind:

 

If it's hard to find becuase of a clever container, good camoflague and tricky but safe and reasonable location, than more power to you and just be ready for some people to get frustrated.

 

If, however, you make your cache hard to find through sloppy hiding techniques,

like bad co-ords, lousy containers and poor terrain choice, people will not enjoy it at all, and some may blast you in thier logs. It ain't nice, but it can happen.

 

And finally, there's nastiness everywhere, even in caching. But I have found that there is so much more fun and encouragement. Press on and enjoy!

[+Unkle Fester]

Another point to consider is that as the hider, it may seem obvious or easy. Kind of the same about riddles or puzzles being considered easy to the one who wrote it, but for someone like me, might as well be mathamatical calculations to get a man on the moon.

 

I agree with the post about people getting irritated that it's not a park and grab either.

 

Having made hiding mistakes myself, I recomend starting with easy hides as a guideline, work your way to progressivly harder caches. This also lets local cachers feel your style. Then when you nail them with a difficult one, they will stand and applaud. (or ruin a good manicure as I got informed)

 

Yup, take it as a learning experiance and move on.

 

(maybe send the offended cachers a little note explaining your frustration at not providing a better experiance)

 

Best of luck, a lot of us have been in similar situations (not really but it sounds good )

[+Unkle Fester]

Don't let people get you down, we too hide some real "special" ones. Some people just are simply out to pad their numbers and get pissed when the cache is anything more than a park and grab. People will appriciate your efforts before long and learn from your hide.

Um, have to ask...

 

By "special" do mean retarded? because if you do, I'm the "special" hide master!

 

 

 

No harm or malice was intended by this post, the poster is simply being sarcastic and even used emoticons to prove the point... No rolleyeyes were harmed in the posting of this reply.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Tell folks what to expect in the description.

 

One of the reasons my bison tube in the woods (Rambler's Evil Micro) has been found 100+ times with no complaints is that I tell them right up front, in the cache name and in the description, that it's a hard-to-find micro in the woods.

 

That way folks who don't like this kind of cache can skip it, and those who hunt it can't complain... they know what it is before they go there.

[+briansnat]

Last weekend I placed a new cache.... It is a homemade super hide. within 24 hrs. I had 5 DNFs three of which left some rather negative logs. I'm new to placing hides and did make some mistakes as far as my listing. I have revamped my listing since then. What do you do when everybody is coming down on you over your cache. It kinda takes the fun out of it when you get tore down on your second hide......

 

I looked at the logs and I really don't see anybody tearing you down. Some complaints about the difficulty being wrong, which can be legit. I see you raised it already to 3.5 stars which should cut down on complaints. As long as your difficulty rating is somewhat accurate you shouldn't get too many complaints. It's when people see a bunch of DNFs on a 1 or 2 star difficulty hide that you'll see some beef spewing.

 

Another issue is that you don't have the size listed. I know a few people who get pretty miffed by that. It's becoming more and more popular among micro hiders to list the size as unknown so those who dislike micros won't avoid the cache.

[+traildad]

Last weekend I placed a new cache.... It is a homemade super hide. within 24 hrs. I had 5 DNFs three of which left some rather negative logs. I'm new to placing hides and did make some mistakes as far as my listing. I have revamped my listing since then. What do you do when everybody is coming down on you over your cache. It kinda takes the fun out of it when you get tore down on your second hide......

According to your own notes you felt it was necessary to make changes to your cache page. If my listing did not accurately reflect my cache I would not be upset by negative logs. I don't think they are because of your hide, but rather because of the problems you had with the hint and how it was rated. With that fixed now you will hopefully be in good shape and ready for some positive results. Also, I don't think the logs were too awful negative. Keep in mind that a DNF log is not normally going to be as upbeat as a found it log.

[jholly]

 

Another issue is that you don't have the size listed. I know a few people who get pretty miffed by that. It's becoming more and more popular among micro hiders to list the size as unknown so those who dislike micros won't avoid the cache.

 

Having learned that lesson I now avoid caches the have the size unknown. They are probably micros, or more accurately nanos.

 

Jim

[+m.austin]

I just did one that is listed as a 1/1. After I found it I realized that it is theoretically listed correctly, but it is one toughy. 4 DNFs, clues, even a flat out "it is a green bison tube hidden in something the same color", with only 1 thing being that color. I have figured out that this guy is just really good at hiding typical caches in plain site in such a way that causes you to spend a lot of time searching! My DNFs are more just letting the CO know I didn't find it, not anything against his hide. Keep hiding the caches - we've all had those caches we just can't find, but everyone else comments "easy find".

Edited December 16, 2008 by m.austin

[+Snoogans]

Last weekend I placed a new cache.... It is a homemade super hide. within 24 hrs. I had 5 DNFs three of which left some rather negative logs. I'm new to placing hides and did make some mistakes as far as my listing. I have revamped my listing since then. What do you do when everybody is coming down on you over your cache. It kinda takes the fun out of it when you get tore down on your second hide......

 

Unless you deleted a flame entry, I think you're being a little too sensitive about the DNFs. That first one looks like a rude DNF from a person who didn't even bother to try and just wanted to make a statement. I'd return the favor.

 

Remember, DNFs are a badge of honor for a really tricky hide. Especially before word of mouth between the locals spoils it for awhile.

 

I looked at your hint and even I know what the hide must be from that coupled with the title. There must not be any of that type on the area and your local continuum is unaware.

 

When it starts getting found it will be a favorite for the "A HA!" moment it provides.

Edited December 16, 2008 by Snoogans

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I wouldn't be too upset, but I have been there before. From the hint I'd say you were probably right on from the beginning, but it's not a style of hide that is popular in your area. Once people start finding it, its very likely you'll see a bunch of them pop up and the difficulty rating for that type will plummet. We have a similar cache that went for awhile without being found (including the criticism), but once it was found a couple times it started receiving reports of being an "easy find". So just keep hiding them and try to be fair in your ratings. People will soon learn a cache with your name as owner = longer looks and more clever hides. Not a bad reputation to have

[+Papa EGTH]

Some cachers may be prejudiced by your find count of 31 with the thought of "If a cacher hasn't found very many, how can they know how to hide well?"

 

As others have stated, learn from this experience.

 

Also, go try to find a 3.5 difficulty cache in your area. Perhaps you'll see some similarities between their hide and yours.

[+StarBrand]

Just tell them generally what to expect in the description and adjust the difficulty rating appropriately.

 

Already done that??

 

Should be good to go.

 

Don't worry about a few negative comments. You will always get those from time to time. Apologize to the early seekers for a mistaken rating and move on with life.

[BelchFire]

I admire your positive comments in the log. Stick with it and you should have some finds soon. Looking at the CCC thread, I've decided that there is NO LIMIT to evil.......

[+wimseyguy]

Eh, if you hide a tuff one you should have some tuff hide to take the flak. I don't see any real flames in the logs, but it seems you have reacted properly by upping the D rating.

[+Renegade Knight]

Last weekend I placed a new cache.... It is a homemade super hide. within 24 hrs. I had 5 DNFs three of which left some rather negative logs. I'm new to placing hides and did make some mistakes as far as my listing. I have revamped my listing since then. What do you do when everybody is coming down on you over your cache. It kinda takes the fun out of it when you get tore down on your second hide......

 

If you fixed your mistakes and rated the cache appropriatly. Your cache is good. Wear the flames you are getting in the logs with pride.

 

Some folks just don't get that when others who read the ratings rate a cache as a 4 for difficutly (I haven't looked at yours) that it means "this hide is beyond your meager skill to find in one, or potentially several trips. If by chance you are the one to find it easily, you are worthy of the title geocacher and a standing ovation from the grasshopper neophites who tried and failed".

[Skippermark]

Challenging caches are interesting because some people love them and some hate them. The biggest thing to remember is that as an owner you know how the hide is, and even though it seems easy to you, it may not be easy to others.

 

Also, if the hide is something never seen in your area, it will be harder than if it's a common hide. We found a local cache that has a high rating pretty quickly because we'd seen something like it in another state, but it gets a lot of DNFs because it's not common around here. On the same token, we have a hard time on some 1.5 rated caches in other places because we've never seen anything like it before.

 

Raising the rating was a good thing. It won't make the cache any easier to find, but those who DNF it won't feel so bad, and those who don't like harder caches can filter it out and won't get mad thinking they're looking for an easy cache.

 

I like your positive comments. Getting cranky and "fighting back" doesn't usually help. I think you're doing fine.

Edited December 16, 2008 by Skippermark

[+The Hipster]

I can empathize quite readily with your consternation. I looked at your cache page & logs. You’ve obviously done right by your cache with the current difficulty listing & hints. I agree a short note to the DNFs would not be out of place. Thank them for trying & let them know you’ve made corrections. (If they are anything like me, they will be back. If they do not, it is their loss). I would love to be in your area & have the chance to give it a try. Clever hides, though they can be momentarily frustrating, are so much fun & to be savored.

 

I've only 4 months & 200+ finds under my belt, with DNFs galore on a few of the hides. (They were mostly bison tubes & camoed waterproof match containers in Spruce trees, as well as a few evil nano’s) When I finally find them, it just makes the whole experience that much sweeter!

 

My first cache hides are going out for Christmas caching. One is a 5 stage multi with puzzle attributes. Four of the stages are well disguised, using the most inventive examples observed in my geocache experience thus far. The weather up here has been hovering well below zero° F & it will be interesting to see what reception the cache receives.

 

Keep dreaming up devious hides, there are those of us out there who really enjoy them!

[+DanOCan]

Other than the "will ignore" log (which seems sort of rude) I think the comments where either useful feedback or just simply describing their experience. I didn't see anything really negative, with the one exception.

 

I see you have updated the hint and the difficulty. The only other "issue" raised that I didn't see covered is the one logger who mentioned he felt like he was on private property. Whether that is true or not I don't know, but I know I have left more than one cache with a bad taste in my mouth if I perceive the cache to be somewhere that is likely to get me questioned by a landowner or the person who owns the farm implements. The mention of the gate being closed at "odd hours" would also make me question whether I am supposed to be there or not, although in fairness the listing doesn't say the gate blocks the road to the cache site so I am making an assumption there.

 

My last comment is on the size listing. Since you say right in your description "It is the size of a micro" you may as well list it as such rather than "Unknown" so people who hate micros can filter it out. I know most people who filter micros tend to filter caches with no size listed as well, but...

[+Prime Suspect]

I'll echo what others have said about your failure to properly list the size. Also, it sounds like this is a needle-in-a-haystack hide. In my past experiences, these usually have nothing clever or interesting about them. Yours may be different. But when I encounter haystack caches, I usually look for a few minutes, then add it to my ignore list and move on to better caches.

Edited December 16, 2008 by Prime Suspect

[+Team MonkeyLove]

Thanks to all that have replied. I have talked with one of the DNF (they made the contact) and they helped me to get some of the things straightened out.

In my own deffense I thought this hide stuck out like a sore thumb and was right out in the open before getting into the haystack.

I have read all of your replies and all are great information for future hides. Your help has been greatly appreciated.

 

Geocachers Are Really Good People..... Thanx, MonkeyHead

[+venicedan]

you must be better at hiding stuff than you thought i have yet to hide one myself. soon

[+chuckwagon101]

If you had made it a BIG PILE OF STICKS near a huge tree.....you wouldn't be having these problems!!!

 

People won't listen.......they just WON'T LISTEN!!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Some cachers may be prejudiced by your find count of 31 with the thought of "If a cacher hasn't found very many, how can they know how to hide well?"

 

As others have stated, learn from this experience.

 

Also, go try to find a 3.5 difficulty cache in your area. Perhaps you'll see some similarities between their hide and yours.

 

That's good advice. There is a cache here that was hidden by someone that had no previous hides and only one find (and that was four years ago). Although it's listed as an unknown, most people figured out that it was a nano....on a train...that is painted all black...near one of the busiest intersections in town. When he first listed it he listed it as a 2 and after two hours searching for it I sent him email and suggested that he raise the difficulty level (which he did, to a 4). It had 13 DNFs before it was first found. From the time it was placed to FTF the train was completely repainted and the owner verified that it was still there as soon as the maintenance was complete.

 

I've followed the logs on lots of really difficult caches (check out Shelter II, and Shelter III, also in Indiana) and one of the things that I noticed is that when the C/O is actively involved in the logging, even it's just to write "Checked on the cache today. It's still there", the DNF logs get more interesting. It's almost as if reminding those that haven't found it that it's there, ready to be found, it becomes more of a challenge to find it. From reading the listing I have a pretty good idea what kind of container was used and how it was hidden but I'm too far away to search for it.

 

I also found the one log interesting from the person that claimed to have 10 FTFs that morning. Are there really that many new caches in your area that someone could actually get 10 FTFs? I think I might have something like 15 FTFs in two years of geocaching and I've never had more than 1 FTF a day.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

If you had made it a BIG PILE OF STICKS near a huge tree.....you wouldn't be having these problems!!!

 

People won't listen.......they just WON'T LISTEN!!

 

Ironically, when I was out geocaching today one of the caches I was looking for was called "I hate Micro's" which is allegedly a well camo'd regular sized container in the woods. It was actually in a wooded area just off a road very near a golf course. Apparently it's also a spot where people pull over the side of the road and toss their garbage off the side of the hill as it was one of the best examples of a place in need of CITO where a cache was located that I have ever seen. It also included a couple of large piles of sticks, which were actually bundles of wood slats that were dumped over the side of the hill. I spend 20 minutes searching for the cache before DNFing on it.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I also found the one log interesting from the person that claimed to have 10 FTFs that morning. Are there really that many new caches in your area that someone could actually get 10 FTFs? I think I might have something like 15 FTFs in two years of geocaching and I've never had more than 1 FTF a day.

It can happen.

 

One morning two years ago 15 new caches were published. I looked at the map and it was a series hidden along 20-something miles of a road through a forest.

 

I called a buddy and we headed out. 1st cache, FTF, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, we're digging this... get to the 7th and meet another team coming from the other direction! We each got 7 FTFs and shared 1.

 

If they hadn't started at the other end of the series we would have been FTF on all 15.

 

This same scenario played out about 6 months ago... here's the log for one of them Cache Course 101 - 115 Again I got half the FTFs and met the other hunters in the middle.

[+mchaos]

I have been thinking about it, and I have come up with 2 questions.

 

Are we hiding these caches from muggles? Or, are we hiding these caches from every one?

 

I figure that when we hide these, we hide them from every one else but other cachers. I can see wanting to make it a little challenging but why would you want to make your cache so hard to find, that no one can find it? I can understand being creative. If you hide is soooo blended in that it is almost impossible to see, maybe there should be some kind of clue to help ppl find it.

 

If no one is finding it, maybe a better clue.

[knowschad]

I have been thinking about it, and I have come up with 2 questions.

 

Are we hiding these caches from muggles? Or, are we hiding these caches from every one?

 

 

That is a very fair question, and I guess the only fair answer is, "both". Some caches are hidden only well enough to keep them from being muggled. My guess is that 100% of the early caches were hidden that way (but I wasn't caching at the time, so that's only a guess). But others are hidden to provide a challenge to the other cachers. The difficulty level is what usually helps us make that separation.

 

My personal preference is for caches that challenge me. I get bored quickly with walking up to a pile of sticks or a hollow tree and reaching for the cache as though I had already found it. I like it when a cache can teach me something new. But that certainly isn't the case for everyone.

[+wavector]

Last weekend I placed a new cache.... It is a homemade super hide. within 24 hrs. I had 5 DNFs three of which left some rather negative logs. I'm new to placing hides and did make some mistakes as far as my listing. I have revamped my listing since then. What do you do when everybody is coming down on you over your cache. It kinda takes the fun out of it when you get tore down on your second hide......

 

If I hide a cache to challenge other geocachers as opposed to thwarting muggles I try and make the hiding spot a location that can withstand a lot of searching, your location looks like a place where searchers won't cause issues. I try to use pretty specific clues when I hide my caches but if I want to challenge other geocachers I use clues which are not exact, some interpretation may be required so your clues look fine to me. On occasion I provide an Easy Clue and a Hard Clue, it depends on the cache.

Ride has 11 found logs and 7 DNF's, it uses the cryptic clue technique.

 

Sally has an Easy Clue and a Hard Clue for the stage, I really want everyone who searches for this cache to find it and all the DNF's happened before I added the Easy Clue.

Some caches just rack up DNF's and I have learned that it is just the cache, I don't even check when I see a DNF on the Pikacache because I am sure the cache is OK and it is just hard to see. It is just under a 3 to 1 ratio of Finds to DNF's (41 Finds 17 DNF's) and it continues to rack up DNF's.

 

Some cachers really like hard hides and it is good to have some tough caches sitting in your local area. The people who like looking for really tough caches will let you know in the logs that they appreciate your cache. I have one cache called Goldfish that has been found 7 times in 3 1/2 years and it has had 7 DNF's logged on it in the same 3 1/2 years, it was almost a year before Goldfish wa sfirst found.

To the best of my knowledge the first micro at Goldfiish has only been found by one geocacher, I am sure that this cacher has showed others how that micro is hidden and that doesn't bother me at all because the route to the final has not been disclosed, if you make a challenging cache that people enjoy they won't necessarily help other geocachers find the cache.

 

After your caches have been logged thousands of times you will learn one invaluable lesson, every cacher is different and every cacher likes different things and you will never be able to please everyone. Don't sweat DNF logs left by cachers who can't find your cache, just do as you have done, revamp your clue or your description until you are happy with the result.

 

Another technique you might consider is taking your caches for a test run. I often let the family try my hides first and then adjust the parts that don't work, as you get more inventive you will find that this is really beneficial because peoples mind work in different ways and things that may seem apparent to you may not be apparent to others.

[+fizzymagic]

Last weekend I placed a new cache.... It is a homemade super hide. within 24 hrs. I had 5 DNFs three of which left some rather negative logs. I'm new to placing hides and did make some mistakes as far as my listing.

This may come out of left field, but have you checked the coordinates again to be sure that the searchers are looking in the right place? A common problem with first or second-time hiders is bad coords. If I were you, I would go back and make certain that the coords you posted are spot on.

 

For me, supposedly "tuff" hides with bad coordinates tend to lead to testy logs.

[+Team CeDo]

Don't let people get you down, we too hide some real "special" ones. Some people just are simply out to pad their numbers and get pissed when the cache is anything more than a park and grab. People will appriciate your efforts before long and learn from your hide.

Um, have to ask...

 

By "special" do mean retarded? because if you do, I'm the "special" hide master!

 

 

 

No harm or malice was intended by this post, the poster is simply being sarcastic and even used emoticons to prove the point... No rolleyeyes were harmed in the posting of this reply.

 

Opps did I say "special"? I ment surroundings challenged....er something like that

[+Prime Suspect]

In my own deffense I thought this hide stuck out like a sore thumb and was right out in the open before getting into the haystack.

IMO, many bad hides (not that yours is or isn't) are the result of the placer not being able to put him or her self in the place of someone who doesn't already know where the cache is.

[John E Cache]

I thought of two things when I first saw this:

 

A) The logs sound like some FTF hound was the only person at the cache site and he could not find the flippin cache. He takes his frustration out on the cache owner.

 

Torturing FTF zealots may make some people happy.

[+Team MonkeyLove]

To answer a few new questions...

I did return to make sure that the coords are right at which time I saw that a seeker had knocked some debris over the cache itself so I re-exposed it. I have been a lurker on the forums here for a while and most times forget that 99% of the people on here aren't from my area. I thought that my cache was more common I guess not around my area. That and I looked for the perfect area for a month before placing it. It looks as though it could belong there. Alright if you're a So. Indiana local spoiler soon. It is a (tlob ytsur wolloh) {read backwards} placed near some old farm implements that haven't moved in the last five years.

So I guess it blended too well. So love me or hate me this is just the beggining of the evil genius hides that I have planned. Some will even be large cans for the micro haters.

 

Lastly to the question of who are we hiding from. I place the types of caches that I love to find. Yes I too hate looking for them but, Oh! the sense of accomplishment when I do find it. Thanx to all again for your words of wisdom pro or anti I definately enjoy the help.

MonkeyHead

[+Unkle Fester]

To answer a few new questions...

I did return to make sure that the coords are right at which time I saw that a seeker had knocked some debris over the cache itself so I re-exposed it. I have been a lurker on the forums here for a while and most times forget that 99% of the people on here aren't from my area. I thought that my cache was more common I guess not around my area. That and I looked for the perfect area for a month before placing it. It looks as though it could belong there. Alright if you're a So. Indiana local spoiler soon. It is a (tlob ytsur wolloh) {read backwards} placed near some old farm implements that haven't moved in the last five years.

So I guess it blended too well. So love me or hate me this is just the beggining of the evil genius hides that I have planned. Some will even be large cans for the micro haters.

 

Lastly to the question of who are we hiding from. I place the types of caches that I love to find. Yes I too hate looking for them but, Oh! the sense of accomplishment when I do find it. Thanx to all again for your words of wisdom pro or anti I definately enjoy the help.

MonkeyHead

I'm a little concerned. Personally, as a seeker I would want assurance that the equipment/property owner knows I'm going to be there, possibly at odd times. If debris is getting knocked over the cache while being searched for, then the chances of someone pulling apart the machines to look deeper is a real issue and to be responsible, steps need to be taken to assure private property is not accidently vandilized by a few overzelous cachers. Not to mention someone getting cut on a rusty hunk of metal.

 

So a good question to ask is: If this equipment was yours, would you want people poking around it? Abandoned or not, we need to respect it.

[+bflentje]

Just dump the darn hint and rate it properly. There's not a thing wrong with a difficult hide as long as it is rated accordingly. I would not even feel obligated to put anything obvious in the cache description.

[+Bad Duck]

Don't ya think a person should find it before making suggestions on ratings?

[+Kit Fox]

It sure looks like the found it logs indicate what a great cache it actually is.

 

Not to mention someone getting cut on a rusty hunk of metal.

 

You have read the disclaimer on the cache page haven't you?

 

I've stuck Joshua Tree needles underneath my fingernails, gotten stabbed by tree branches, scratched by sharp rocks, and twisted my knee during a hike. I take responsibility for my own actions. I wouldn't worry too much about rusty metal scratches.

[+jtbrady01]

Some cachers may be prejudiced by your find count of 31 with the thought of "If a cacher hasn't found very many, how can they know how to hide well?"

 

As others have stated, learn from this experience.

 

Also, go try to find a 3.5 difficulty cache in your area. Perhaps you'll see some similarities between their hide and yours.

 

That's good advice. There is a cache here that was hidden by someone that had no previous hides and only one find (and that was four years ago). Although it's listed as an unknown, most people figured out that it was a nano....on a train...that is painted all black...near one of the busiest intersections in town. When he first listed it he listed it as a 2 and after two hours searching for it I sent him email and suggested that he raise the difficulty level (which he did, to a 4). It had 13 DNFs before it was first found. From the time it was placed to FTF the train was completely repainted and the owner verified that it was still there as soon as the maintenance was complete.

 

I've followed the logs on lots of really difficult caches (check out Shelter II, and Shelter III, also in Indiana) and one of the things that I noticed is that when the C/O is actively involved in the logging, even it's just to write "Checked on the cache today. It's still there", the DNF logs get more interesting. It's almost as if reminding those that haven't found it that it's there, ready to be found, it becomes more of a challenge to find it. From reading the listing I have a pretty good idea what kind of container was used and how it was hidden but I'm too far away to search for it.

 

I also found the one log interesting from the person that claimed to have 10 FTFs that morning. Are there really that many new caches in your area that someone could actually get 10 FTFs? I think I might have something like 15 FTFs in two years of geocaching and I've never had more than 1 FTF a day.

 

I'm from the other corner of the State. To answer your question just the other day one cacher released 10 caches all within about 2 miles of each other. So, yes a cacher has the ability of getting 10 FTFs in one morning. I've seen it happen quite a few times here.

[+va griz]

I just looked at some of the smilie logs. Congrats on what appears to be a well recieved and tough hide.

[+Team MonkeyLove]

Thanx to all that have left posts... Now that there have been some finds all seems to be well. I'm guessing it was a teritorial /rookie issue that had them all fired up. I have now been recieved and one has vowed revenge to my hide.

[+dakboy]

Not to mention someone getting cut on a rusty hunk of metal.

What, no gloves?

 

I have a pair of Mechanix gloves I wear anytime I need to grab a cache I can't completely see, or don't want to take a chance with grabbing with bare skin. Cheap insurance/protection. In the fall the provide a little insulation & protection against the wind too.

[+chuckwagon101]

If you had made it a BIG PILE OF STICKS near a huge tree.....you wouldn't be having these problems!!!

 

People won't listen.......they just WON'T LISTEN!!

 

Ironically, when I was out geocaching today one of the caches I was looking for was called "I hate Micro's" which is allegedly a well camo'd regular sized container in the woods. It was actually in a wooded area just off a road very near a golf course. Apparently it's also a spot where people pull over the side of the road and toss their garbage off the side of the hill as it was one of the best examples of a place in need of CITO where a cache was located that I have ever seen. It also included a couple of large piles of sticks, which were actually bundles of wood slats that were dumped over the side of the hill. I spend 20 minutes searching for the cache before DNFing on it.

 

That was my cache! Was that BRILLIANT camo...or WHAT!!!

[+VirginiaGator]

Last weekend I placed a new cache.... It is a homemade super hide. within 24 hrs. I had 5 DNFs three of which left some rather negative logs. I'm new to placing hides and did make some mistakes as far as my listing. I have revamped my listing since then. What do you do when everybody is coming down on you over your cache. It kinda takes the fun out of it when you get tore down on your second hide......

 

I looked at the logs and I really don't see anybody tearing you down. Some complaints about the difficulty being wrong, which can be legit. I see you raised it already to 3.5 stars which should cut down on complaints. As long as your difficulty rating is somewhat accurate you shouldn't get too many complaints. It's when people see a bunch of DNFs on a 1 or 2 star difficulty hide that you'll see some beef spewing.

 

Another issue is that you don't have the size listed. I know a few people who get pretty miffed by that. It's becoming more and more popular among micro hiders to list the size as unknown so those who dislike micros won't avoid the cache.

We have someone around here who hardly ever chooses a size. I've learned to watch his caches for a while before going after any. If I see a TB or coin listed, it's not a micro. At least that helps some.

 

What gets me is a lack of information on a cache page. No, I don't want a hike in the woods to look for a micro that's impossible to find. When I do get to an area like that, you better believe I'm highly ticked off. There's even micros out there where the owner has supposedly told me right where it is. I go back and look, and I still can't find the thing. Extremely frustrating. And they don't want any previous finders giving hints or help to those who can't find their caches.

Edited May 17, 2009 by VirginiaGator

[+Isonzo Karst]

Looks like you've got a proper write up and rating now and everybody is happy. congratulations!

 

 

years ago I owned this hide

 

A micro in the woods, no hint. If you hate it already, don't go looking for it.

 

rated 3 for difficulty....nobody complained

It wasn't nearly as brilliant as the chuckwagon101 hide referenced above

[Mr.Yuck]

If you had made it a BIG PILE OF STICKS near a huge tree.....you wouldn't be having these problems!!!

 

People won't listen.......they just WON'T LISTEN!!

 

Hey, you can't go wrong with an ammo box under a pile of sticks in the woods! Nice to see Chuckwagon back, advocating ammo boxes under piles of sticks in the woods, by the way.

[+J-Way]

FWIW, the hide that was being discussed in this old thread has long been archived.