Hiding a Cache in Africa

[+Fish Eagle]

Please take a look at the draft Guide for Hiding a Cache in Africa

 

This is mainly aimed at new geocachers, and is part 2 of 3.

Part 1 will be about finding caches in Africa, and will contain guidance for both locals and international visitors.

Part 3 will be a guide about getting geocaching going in a new country or area.

 

We'd appreciate your comments either here or by email.

[+cownchicken]

Like it! New cachers really do need this guidance. How do you intend to get this message to them as in our experience they are not aware of the Forums.

We have also had numerous questions regarding TB's and coins from newbies. They are just SO excited at having found a 'traveller' that they don't 'retrieve' it from the cache and just drop it off again without any paper work being done. They tend not to see the various options available on the geocaching.com site.

Maybe you can explain this to them as well.

[+Fish Eagle]

Thanks!!

 

The main opportunity is when they submit their first cache hide for review.

I've got a canned "welcome, and congrats on your first hide" message which every first hider gets, and I'll put something in there with a linky.

 

Regarding travellers, probably best to point newbies to the Groundspeak Knowledgebase

[+Louise_Gerhard]

Fisheagle, I had various e-mails from cachers to ask me what TNLNSL indicate and various other abbreviations. I normally point them to a web site explaining the terms and jargon the cachers are using. Maybe you should include this as well. I also think that the various pages relating to caching should also be included for example the geocaching shop, CF’s stats, forum, etc.

Gerhard

[+Carbon Hunter]

I'd also add a bit about the "non-acceptable" contents (knives, food, lighters etc.).

 

Also perhaps a paragraph on caches not close to your home location (for the rest of Africa)

 

But I like it - good work.

Thanks

[+CapeDoc]

Thanks for all the work!! What a fantastic set of guidelines, just sad that it was not around when I started placing caches and have had to learn a lot of it for myself.

I started this thread a while ago, hoping to discourage "lame caches" and was so happy to see your tactful discouragement of such caches. Thank you!

 

One thing I am trying to sort out in my caches are additional waypoints. I have a Nuvi and have Cachemate on my cellphone. Additional waypoints can be annoying for me in that these paperless programmes list these points almost as a cache listing. If they are not named with reference to the parent cache, it can be difficult using them. Sometimes I am following a winding path with additional waypoints, and need to read each one just to figure out which comes next. If the are labelled with the name of the cache first, then a description of the point (all in the waypoint Name) it would be much easier to use them. A description in the description area is also helpful, especially if it is a question to answer at the way point. As an example. Name of cache and clue in the name, name of cache and question to answer in the description.

Its a small thing, but as we try to offer the best, most professional cache descriptions we can. I wish I known about it earlier. Obviously I do this from my own experience with my own equipment, would it help on other GPSr?

 

Ditto on the "non-acceptable" items.

 

Thanks again for all the work! certainly some reminders there for me.

Edited February 16, 2009 by CapeDoc

[+erik88l-r]

Great job Andy! You may get a few more ideas of things to include from this site 'though it looks like you've got things well covered.

 

~erik~

Edited February 16, 2009 by erik88l-r

[MnCo]

Thanks Fish Eagle,

 

Getting ready to launch my first cache so this made for an interesting read and an invaluable help to (hopefully) getting it right.

[+Tricky Vicky & Mickey]

Fantastic site, Andy - am sure it is going to be most useful to lots of cachers. Thanks for all your hard work and commitment.

[+DamhuisClan]

I just had a geocacher contract me from the USA, asking me with regards to safety while geocaching in South Africa.

 

I am pretty sure someone wanting to tour SA and do some geocaching would look at the forums before they come to South Africa, so maybe we can add something and Pin it to the top of the SA forum. It would be of great help.

Maybe also list a few people they could contact in each area, for more "local" knowledge.

 

I more then willing to help with the eastern side of Johannesburg, and with international arrivals.

[+CapeDoc]

Battled a bit to find this thread. Can the info on hiding a cache be pinned somewhere?

[+Henzz]

I've been caching for about 15 months now, and never really looked at the Forums before...

Reading through your guidelines here is most interesting, some of it I knew and got right with my cache placements, but some notes opened up my mindset to where I could have done better...

 

Thanks for all the effort...

 

Guess I'll be looking at Forums differently now...