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How many "finds" should someone have before hiding a cache?


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I don't want to start an argument but I am curious how many "finds" you think a geocacher should have before they hide a cache? I see people saying they are going to hide one now because they just got 50 or 100 finds so I was curious if there is a general consensus? Does the length of time the person has been involved with geocaching make a difference to your opinion?

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While most here will disagree, and others will mention how many times this topic has come up in the forums, I'll throw my opinion out and then duck and run.

 

I think a cacher, in general, should have a few finds before hiding a cache. A common response i that some people are just naturally good hiders, to which I say "Bunk". If a cacher hasn't seen what works or what doesn't work, they'll have to go with what they know. If all they have found is a Kool-Whip container under a bush, that's what they will think is acceptable.

 

I can't give a solid number of finds someone should have before hiding a cache, but it is certainly more than two.

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I don't want to start an argument but I am curious how many "finds" you think a geocacher should have before they hide a cache? I see people saying they are going to hide one now because they just got 50 or 100 finds so I was curious if there is a general consensus? Does the length of time the person has been involved with geocaching make a difference to your opinion?

 

This same topic has been talked about in length in the Canada Forum at this link:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=208747

 

Take a look if you are interested.

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I think it does to an extent. I've seen most cachers say that you should have at least 50 finds before you attempt your first hide, just so you can get the experience of how and where to hide different caches. However, you can go out 100 times and only have 50 finds, so eventhough you're not too successful with the finds, you've still gained valuable experience.

 

For instance, I'll have one year of caching experience in April. Due to my work schedule, I only get out about once a month, which is quite a bit less than most folks. However, I've got 23 finds in that time and I also have learned a lot on here and other caching websites, so I think my "experience" goes far beyond my actual time out in the field. I still do not have my first hide, but I am planning it for sometime this Spring, as soon as the weather here in Wisconsin settles down a little bit.

 

It really is a matter of your own personal experience and belief in yourself. If you truly think you know enough to assemble and search out your first hiding spot, then go for it, but be honest with yourself, and make sure you're ready.

 

BTW, this happens to be my 100th post!! My first milestone post!!

Edited by crockett3663
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More than a few, enough to know some of the common features of good and bad hides. You should find enough that you know what you`re doing, and that will be different for different people in different areas. Twenty-ish should be enough finds to give you an idea of the variety in any given area. I`ve seen some people look askance at anyone with less than 100 finds, but that seems like too high of a threshold to me. When you live in an area with not so many caches it can be difficult to quickly rack up a high find count; if all the cachers in my area had waited until they had x number of finds there would be even fewer caches to look for around here.

 

It`s definitely good to have some finds, but then again, I just finished up a cluster of caches in a very,very rural area hidden by someone with only one find. They were all great hides, in my opinion.

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If you want to have a number of finds before hiding, I would make sure that it's a VARIETY of finds so that you get a sense of what you like. If all you find are Park-and-Grabs, 1/1 micros in a Walmart parking lot - then you'll think that's what all caches are like. Find several - including some large size caches, micros, easy, hard, etc. Once you've sampled a variety, then place caches that tickled your fancy.

 

But like others have said, I wouldn't say that you HAVE to have a certain number (or any) finds before hiding.

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you may hide a cache whenever you are ready.

 

number of finds does not seem to be a good indicator of the quality of a hider's caches. in fact, sometimes finding a bunch only kills somebody's natural creativity once they sample the wide variety of guardrail and lamp post caches out there.

 

i'm generally suspicious whenever i see a thread like this, because often the "what do you think?" really translates into "i have an axe to grind and am looking for ammunition".

 

typically this question is opened and re-opened by two sorts of people: those who want approval to start hiding caches but do not feel confident, and people who for some reason want somebody else not to hide caches.

 

i was born ready to hide caches; i spent the first forty years of my life waiting for geocaching to be invented so that people would come find them.

 

as soon as you have an idea for a cache placement and you have read and understand the guidelines, you're ready.

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129! Or at least that's how long it appears to have taken me to step up to the plate and hide a cache of my own. But you see, I wanted my first hide to be an intricate Scrabble puzzle (because Scrabble was my favorite pastime before geocaching came along and I also love puzzles), and I wanted the listing to be "perfect" with colored text and pictures (including one of the puzzle itself on the cache page like I'd seen a few other people do). However, since I didn't know anything at all about using HTML code, I had to learn the basics of how this works from scratch.

 

So, while I don't believe that there's a magic number of caches you need to find before hiding one of your own, it does seem to make more sense to me to gain a bit of experience by finding a variety of other people's caches first before you take the plunge and hide one of your own. :laughing: .

Edited by JamGuys
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I'll say zero finds. If the muse strikes you, read the guidelines, understand them, then go ahead and hide a cache.

 

I've found some outstanding caches hidden by people with one or two finds and I've found many poorly thought out caches hidden by people with hundreds or thousands of finds.

 

I hid my first cache with two finds under my belt. The main things I learned since were that I didn't have to put so much thought into the location, container and contents. I'm not so sure that is a good thing.

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I waited for 50 - was planning to wait for 100, but I got impatient... I see now how poor they actually are...

 

There's somebody around here with 63 finds, and three really nice hides (I guess that's the result of living in Bibbits & Zartimus territory though) - And somebody else who doesn't exactly have a low find count, but started putting out really nice caches early on

 

I guess there are people who are naturally creative, and can hide nice caches early on, even if they haven't been exposed to a great variety of hides. Who knows - A cool-whip container under a bush could give somebody a good idea...

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I'll say zero finds. If the muse strikes you, read the guidelines, understand them, then go ahead and hide a cache.

 

I've found some outstanding caches hidden by people with one or two finds and I've found many poorly thought out caches hidden by people with hundreds or thousands of finds.

 

I hid my first cache with two finds under my belt. The main things I learned since were that I didn't have to put so much thought into the location, container and contents. I'm not so sure that is a good thing.

But Brian, you were born to be a cacher so you had a leg up on most of us. :laughing:

 

We found that our hides have improved as we hid more caches. Finding more helps as well but it is a much more intense learning experience when you hide them and get the reviews from the finders.

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Since you are obviously active in these forums, you have no doubt read the good/bad container threads and the good/bad cache threads so you have a lot more insight than an average "newb" cacher. The fact that you asked the question implies that you are probably conscientious enough to do a good job with your first hide.

Keep in mind that a cache will require maintenance. If you don't think you will be able to maintain a cache for whatever reason, then you may want to reconsider if hiding a cache is really a good idea.

If you do hide one, come back here and let us know how it goes.

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I waited for 100 very diverse caches before putting my first one out (GC19GZ2).

I had it proof runned by an experienced cacher.

 

GC19ZGZ2 is a complicated cache and it generated several remarks and e-mails from fellow geocachers.

Based upon this feedback I tweaked the cache until I was fully confident it worked well.

Thereafter it went smoothly, with several very positive postings as a result.

 

For the next four own GC's I waited till over 300, these ones passed easily with the community.

 

Conclusion - expertise helps, but listening to good advise is more important.

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Newbie Cachers Should Not Be Allowed To Place Caches

 

Minimum Requirements for placing cache

 

New Geocachers placing caches?

 

When Should You Place Your 1st Cache?

 

Cache Placing Limitations

 

Cacher's stats are only one hidden

 

360 placed caches, and one find!

 

Rather than a minimum number of finds, I think cachers should pass an IQ Test, and write a one paragraph essay to the reviewers, to prove they understand the cache hiding guidelines.

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Rather than a minimum number of finds, I think cachers should pass an IQ Test, and write a one paragraph essay to the reviewers, to prove they understand the cache hiding guidelines.

 

Good idea. How about a test?

 

1. It's OK to place food in caches if:

a ) It's well wrapped

b ) it can withstand extremes of temperatures

c ) it tastes good

d ) All of the above

e ) None of the above

 

2.If you are placing a cache on private property make sure you:

a ) do it late at night so nobody sees you

b ) camouflage it well so the property owner won't find it by accident

c ) ask permission

 

3. A reviewer has failed to publish your cache as posted, so you:

a ) post a note in the forums ranting about how unfair the reviewers are.

b ) call Jeremy at home and discuss it with him.

c) Try to work with the reviewer to determine a way to make it acceptable.

 

4. When choosing a cache container:

a ) make sure its cheap in case its stolen

b ) make sure its easy to open

c ) make sure it's solid, watertight and an appropriate size for the area.

 

5. The best places to hide caches are:

a ) in hypodermic needle strewn lots next to homeless encampments

b ) next to railroad tracks, bridges or military installations

c ) in an area that others may find appealing

 

6. When choosing trade items for your cache:

a ) always use broken toys from the bottom of your kids toy chest since its all about the hunt anyway.

b ) dump discards from your junk drawer in the into the cache

c ) thoughtfully chose items that might be of interest to adults and children

 

7. When using old food containers as cache containers always:

a ) wipe the inside clean with your t-shirt

b ) shake out the crumbs

c ) run it through several diswhasher cycles and soak it in bleach, Oxy Clean or baking soda for a few days.

 

8.After placing your cache you should:

a ) leave it be, other geocachers will take care of it

b ) forget about it

c ) visit it periodically, or if someone reports a problem.

 

9. If a visitor reports a problem with your cache:

a ) post a note asking that the next visitor fix it.

b ) let it go. Some people actually like caches with soaked log books and 2 inches of slimy water inside.

c ) Visit the site at the next possible opportunity to check on the cache

 

10. If your state park implements rules regarding cache placement, you should:

a ) Ignore them. Rules are for fools.

b ) place a multi with the first leg outside the park

c ) Follow the rules

 

11. If your 1 difficulty cache has several consecutive "not founds" you should:

a ) Ignore it. They were probably newbies

b ) Ask someone who found it before to check on it for you.

c ) Promptly check for yourself to see if its still there.

 

12. If you choose not to replace your missing cache:

a ) Leave it active so others can still enjoy the area

b ) Disable it and leave it that way for at least 2 years.

c ) Archive the cache

 

13. If your local park bans geocaching:

a ) place your cache anyway

b ) try to discuss the benefits of geocaching with the park manager

 

14. When placing a cache deep in the forest:

a ) use a micro and hide it so well, people have to turn over every rock and log to find it.

b ) hide it well enough so it won't be accidentally discovered, but impact from searching will be limited.

 

15. When placing a geocache in a popular city park:

a ) use a big ammo box with the military markings intact to scare off muggles.

b ) use a PVC pipe, or morter shell and add a fuse and some wires as a joke.

b ) use a small cache container, or micro and hide it carefully.

 

16. When placing a cache in an environmentally sensitive area you should:

a ) walk on your tip-toes

b ) forget about it and look elsewhere

 

17. If you notice social paths and other damage around your cache you should:

a ) leave it. It will make it easier for others to find it.

b ) post a note on your cache page asking people to be careful.

c ) move the cache to a different area.

 

18. If you find a denned bear in the cave where you placed your cache you should:

a ) hide there with a camera and take pictures of the look on people's faces when they see the bear.

b ) grab a stick and drive the bear out of your cave.

c ) disable the cache until the bear has left the den for the season.

 

19. Your encrypted clue should contain:

a ) Important information about parking, trespassing issues and special equipment that might be required.

b ) Several paragraphs, describing in detail which trails to take to get to the cache.

c ) Information that will help narrow down the search area if the finder is having problems.

 

20. When placing caches on vacation:

a ) Make sure its placed in an interesting spot

b ) Ask local Geocachers if they mind

c ) just don't do it.

 

21. If the reviewer won't publish your cache because it is near active RR tracks:

a ) move it away and after it is published sneak it back to your original spot

b ) archive all of your other caches in a fit of pique.

c ) move it far enough away to satisfy the reviewer

 

22. Caches with agendas are not allowed, with the following exception:

a ) Caches that support the military

b ) Caches that spread the word of the lord

c ) Caches that promote hemorrhoid awareness

d ) none

 

23. Caches can be buried if:

a ) your dog digs the hole for you

b ) you use dynamite to clear the hole. Dynamite is not a "pointy" object so its OK.

c ) Cache shouldn't be buried

 

24. Hiding geocaches are a fun way to:

a ) promote your business

b ) lure unsuspecting people into dangerous situations

c ) entertain other geocachers

 

25. Which of the following make good cache swag:

a ) live hamsters

b ) cigarettes and little bottles of booze

c ) kielbasi

d ) hunting knives

e ) carabiners

Edited by briansnat
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18. If you find a denned bear in the cave where you placed your cache you should:

a ) hide there with a camera and take pictures of the look on people's faces when they see the bear.

b ) grab a stick and drive the bear out of your cave.

c ) disable the cache until the bear has left the den for the season.

 

d) look for a different hiding spot far away from the known den of a wild animal

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I didn't start thinking about and working on my first hide until I had about 75 finds. I think I published my first at about 85-90. I am now at only 215 finds and have only 4 hides. I'm developing some 4 to 6 others but I take my time. I hide the type I'd like to find and from all of the logs, others appreciate my hides too. I know that there are a lot of cachers out there that like to find 35mm canisters and rinsed out yogurt containers but everyone has their style and preferences.

 

I do have to agree with many of the established caches: You shouldn't do a single hide until you have at least 75 to 100 finds, so that you have a good understanding of the sport/game and you know what it's like from the perspective of someone trying to find a cache.

 

There is a small group of cachers around my area that have a disproportionate number of hides to finds. They all are uncreative and uninspiring. I understand that is what this sport is to some, but it does have the potential for being much more than a yogurt container in the bushes.

 

There should be a limit to the number of hides you may have "active" if for no other reason, so that you can keep them maintained in a reasonable amount of time.

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While it's possible to write a good novel without ever having read one, it's probably not very advisable. I think the same thing is true with placing a geocache.

 

Since I believe in the "hide the kinds of caches you enjoying finding" approach I think you should find enough so that you can figure out what you like.

 

In my experience, the more time someone spends thinking about their hide, before actually placing it, the better the end result is like to be. Finding a bunch of caches gives you time to think about your own ideas.

 

As others have said, no single number suits all situations. I'm in a fairly cache-rich area and 100 finds seemed to be about right for me. In some areas that might be a ridiculously high number.

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I didn't start thinking about and working on my first hide until I had about 75 finds. I think I published my first at about 85-90. I am now at only 215 finds and have only 4 hides. I'm developing some 4 to 6 others but I take my time. I hide the type I'd like to find and from all of the logs, others appreciate my hides too. I know that there are a lot of cachers out there that like to find 35mm canisters and rinsed out yogurt containers but everyone has their style and preferences.

 

I do have to agree with many of the established caches: You shouldn't do a single hide until you have at least 75 to 100 finds, so that you have a good understanding of the sport/game and you know what it's like from the perspective of someone trying to find a cache.

 

There is a small group of cachers around my area that have a disproportionate number of hides to finds. They all are uncreative and uninspiring. I understand that is what this sport is to some, but it does have the potential for being much more than a yogurt container in the bushes.

 

There should be a limit to the number of hides you may have "active" if for no other reason, so that you can keep them maintained in a reasonable amount of time.

 

So if someone new creates an account in your area, they would have to find 75 to 100 caches, in order to hide their first cache? Since your area is inundated with crappy caches, this new cacher will be exposed to many of these crappy caches. By your own definition, this cacher's "Feel for geocaching" would be "crappy caches in crappy locations seems to be the norm.

 

I'd much rather they not be poisoned by the exposure to crappy caches. I've found awful caches hidden by new hiders (some with no clue), and i've also found spectacular caches hidden by cachers with only a few finds. As a general rule, the worst caches i've ever found were hidden by "experienced" cachers who "should have know better."

Edited by Kit Fox
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Rather than a minimum number of finds, I think cachers should pass an IQ Test, and write a one paragraph essay to the reviewers, to prove they understand the cache hiding guidelines.

 

Good idea. How about a test?

 

1. It's OK to place food in caches if:

a ) It's well wrapped

b ) it can withstand extremes of temperatures

c ) it tastes good

d ) All of the above

e ) None of the above

 

2.If you are placing a cache on private property make sure you:

a ) do it late at night so nobody sees you

b ) camouflage it well so the property owner won't find it by accident

c ) ask permission

 

3. A reviewer has failed to publish your cache as posted, so you:

a ) post a note in the forums ranting about how unfair the reviewers are.

b ) call Jeremy at home and discuss it with him.

c) Try to work with the reviewer to determine a way to make it acceptable.

 

4. When choosing a cache container:

a ) make sure its cheap in case its stolen

b ) make sure its easy to open

c ) make sure it's solid, watertight and an appropriate size for the area.

 

5. The best places to hide caches are:

a ) in hypodermic needle strewn lots next to homeless encampments

b ) next to railroad tracks, bridges or military installations

c ) in an area that others may find appealing

 

6. When choosing trade items for your cache:

a ) always use broken toys from the bottom of your kids toy chest since its all about the hunt anyway.

b ) dump discards from your junk drawer in the into the cache

c ) thoughtfully chose items that might be of interest to adults and children

 

7. When using old food containers as cache containers always:

a ) wipe the inside clean with your t-shirt

b ) shake out the crumbs

c ) run it through several diswhasher cycles and soak it in bleach, Oxy Clean or baking soda for a few days.

 

8.After placing your cache you should:

a ) leave it be, other geocachers will take care of it

b ) forget about it

c ) visit it periodically, or if someone reports a problem.

 

9. If a visitor reports a problem with your cache:

a ) post a note asking that the next visitor fix it.

b ) let it go. Some people actually like caches with soaked log books and 2 inches of slimy water inside.

c ) Visit the site at the next possible opportunity to check on the cache

 

10. If your state park implements rules regarding cache placement, you should:

a ) Ignore them. Rules are for fools.

b ) place a multi with the first leg outside the park

c ) Follow the rules

 

11. If your 1 difficulty cache has several consecutive "not founds" you should:

a ) Ignore it. They were probably newbies

b ) Ask someone who found it before to check on it for you.

c ) Promptly check for yourself to see if its still there.

 

12. If you choose not to replace your missing cache:

a ) Leave it active so others can still enjoy the area

b ) Disable it and leave it that way for at least 2 years.

c ) Archive the cache

 

13. If your local park bans geocaching:

a ) place your cache anyway

b ) try to discuss the benefits of geocaching with the park manager

 

14. When placing a cache deep in the forest:

a ) use a micro and hide it so well, people have to turn over every rock and log to find it.

b ) hide it well enough so it won't be accidentally discovered, but impact from searching will be limited.

 

15. When placing a geocache in a popular city park:

a ) use a big ammo box with the military markings intact to scare off muggles.

b ) use a PVC pipe, or morter shell and add a fuse and some wires as a joke.

b ) use a small cache container, or micro and hide it carefully.

 

16. When placing a cache in an environmentally sensitive area you should:

a ) walk on your tip-toes

b ) forget about it and look elsewhere

 

17. If you notice social paths and other damage around your cache you should:

a ) leave it. It will make it easier for others to find it.

b ) post a note on your cache page asking people to be careful.

c ) move the cache to a different area.

 

18. If you find a denned bear in the cave where you placed your cache you should:

a ) hide there with a camera and take pictures of the look on people's faces when they see the bear.

b ) grab a stick and drive the bear out of your cave.

c ) disable the cache until the bear has left the den for the season.

 

19. Your encrypted clue should contain:

a ) Important information about parking, trespassing issues and special equipment that might be required.

b ) Several paragraphs, describing in detail which trails to take to get to the cache.

c ) Information that will help narrow down the search area if the finder is having problems.

 

20. When placing caches on vacation:

a ) Make sure its placed in an interesting spot

b ) Ask local Geocachers if they mind

c ) just don't do it.

 

21. If the reviewer won't publish your cache because it is near active RR tracks:

a ) move it away and after it is published sneak it back to your original spot

b ) archive all of your other caches in a fit of pique.

c ) move it far enough away to satisfy the reviewer

 

22. Caches with agendas are not allowed, with the following exception:

a ) Caches that support the military

b ) Caches that spread the word of the lord

c ) Caches that promote hemorrhoid awareness

d ) none

 

23. Caches can be buried if:

a ) your dog digs the hole for you

b ) you use dynamite to clear the hole. Dynamite is not a "pointy" object so its OK.

c ) Cache shouldn't be buried

 

24. Hiding geocaches are a fun way to:

a ) promote your business

b ) lure unsuspecting people into dangerous situations

c ) entertain other geocachers

 

25. Which of the following make good cache swag:

a ) live hamsters

b ) cigarettes and little bottles of booze

c ) kielbasi

d ) hunting knives

e ) carabiners

Not sure if this was meant to be tongue-in-cheek humor only (seems too well thought out to me to be so) but this kind of MCQ test actually has merit as it is both educational and entertaining and reinforces many of the key concepts in good cache placement and maintenance. I would recommend that this (or a more palateable version) be placed on the gc.com site with a link and a tagline that says something like ... "SO YOU THINK YOU'RE READY TO HIDE YOUR FIRST GEOCACHE" In fact, it could be set up so that, if you don't score at least 80%, you'll have to retake the test .......... but only after EITHER a waiting period of 3 months (preferably spent boning up on the cache placement guidelines) OR you've logged another 50 caches, whichever comes first! :)

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1. Once you have found both interesting and lousy caches

2. Once you have a GREAT idea for a hide

3. Once you learn how to Average your position

4. Once you understand we are starving for high quality caches

5. Once you learn who sells Ammo boxes

6. Once you are comfortable with the Web site

7. Once you are sure you are interested

8. Once you understand the finder needs a signal to find the cache

9 Once you are in love with your container

10 Once you have found 25 caches.

 

Make it fun for someone - location location location!!!!!

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Zero. I've seen some hides by geocachers that had never found a cache and the hides were excellent. There are plenty of geocachers out there with lots of hides that place really horrible geocaches.

 

I agree there are exceptions both ways but the vast majority of hides I've seen from novice cachers are substandard in one way or another. I seldom seek hides from newbie cachers until a couple people log it and leave positive responses. To pull a magic number out of the air isn't fair to those that have the skills early in the game, but if a number had to be assigned I'd be thinking 100 or so.

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I agree there are exceptions both ways but the vast majority of hides I've seen from novice cachers are substandard in one way or another. I seldom seek hides from newbie cachers until a couple people log it and leave positive responses.

 

When does a person stop being a "newbie" though? After a certain number of finds or what? What if someone went out with a group and found 30 or 50 caches on a weekend trip-- does that make them no longer a newbie? How about someone who has found a lot of caches but have only been caching for a few weeks? How about if someone has been active for a long time but has not found a lot of caches? Newbie or no?

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I think it depends on the person as to the exact number...Some of us can read about them, find a couple, and place an excellent cache--others can find thousands and not manage to place even one reasonably interesting cache.

 

We do have resources other than just physically finding the cache to use, as well. There are these forums, worldwide cache pages, local forums, youtube videos, event workshops, talking with others, and so many other places to gain ideas about hiding a cache. Someone truly determined could likely use some of those resources to hide an excellent cache before they had even found their first one.

 

I wouldn't want to see a minimum find count made into some sort of guideline, for lots of reasons--but in general, I think most people feel more comfortable placing their first cache if they wait until they have found at least a couple dozen caches of various types ~and the caches tend to get reviewed faster, last longer, require less maintenance, and be more enjoyable for all concerned.

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There should be a limit to the number of hides you may have "active" if for no other reason, so that you can keep them maintained in a reasonable amount of time.

 

did this flag anyone's interest?

 

sure, there should be a limit. it should be the number that the hider and appropriately maintain.

 

we have no way of knowing what that number is, and therefore cannot set a limit that applies to all cachers.

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There should be a limit to the number of hides you may have "active" if for no other reason, so that you can keep them maintained in a reasonable amount of time.

 

did this flag anyone's interest?

 

sure, there should be a limit. it should be the number that the hider and appropriately maintain.

 

we have no way of knowing what that number is, and therefore cannot set a limit that applies to all cachers.

I absolutely agree. Some can't handle one properly. Others can handle hundreds.

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Hmmm, how about: "How many finds should someone have before they really should give back to the community by hiding a cache?" If I were a person with 6822 finds and NO hides, I'd certainly be feeling guilty. It's sort of like having fun at someone else's expense, in my mind.

 

Hiding is definately a good thing, and I think some of the most creative ideas might come from those who haven't "seen it all", and can come up with a fresh vision. Personally, I had a unique idea early on, but since then, I've read how certain plastics will not stand up to sun exposure, and that idea got put on hold. So waiting some time/having some experience can be useful. But wouldn't it be nice if everyone with 100 finds had placed some caches?

 

PS- I WILL place that cache after I tweak it. Got some other ideas too, all of them not run-of-the-mill.

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Hmmm, how about: "How many finds should someone have before they really should give back to the community by hiding a cache?"

 

once again we have more "shoulds". what IS it with you people who worry about how many hides (or finds) others have?

 

if people don't feel like hiding, they are under no obligation to hide. as we have seen, some folks will snap up those hiding places and there will be no shortage of caches.

 

it is a mistake to assume that people who don't hide do not offer anything back to the community. what about leaving good swag? performing maintenance on other people's caches? taking nice pictures? writing decent logs? how about just picking up the tab for some other cacher's lunch?

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Hmmm, how about: "How many finds should someone have before they really should give back to the community by hiding a cache?" If I were a person with 6822 finds and NO hides, I'd certainly be feeling guilty. It's sort of like having fun at someone else's expense, in my mind.

Well, others are entitled to feel guilty if they wish, but I'd rather someone left me a nice log about their day out finding a cache then they "gave back" by placing some inane "for-the-numbers" cache at some nondescript freeway exit.

 

If there's no "new" caches nearby, there's no penalty for going back to visit a cache a second or third time. Additionally, if so many caches are unappealing for a repeat visit, then maybe there's a flaw in this oft-mentioned "must give back" scenario.

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Hmmm, how about: "How many finds should someone have before they really should give back to the community by hiding a cache?"

 

once again we have more "shoulds". what IS it with you people who worry about how many hides (or finds) others have?

 

if people don't feel like hiding, they are under no obligation to hide. as we have seen, some folks will snap up those hiding places and there will be no shortage of caches.

 

it is a mistake to assume that people who don't hide do not offer anything back to the community. what about leaving good swag? performing maintenance on other people's caches? taking nice pictures? writing decent logs? how about just picking up the tab for some other cacher's lunch?

Or paying to be a premium member and supporting the game with a few $$?

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Hmmm, how about: "How many finds should someone have before they really should give back to the community by hiding a cache?"

 

once again we have more "shoulds". what IS it with you people who worry about how many hides (or finds) others have?

 

if people don't feel like hiding, they are under no obligation to hide. as we have seen, some folks will snap up those hiding places and there will be no shortage of caches.

 

it is a mistake to assume that people who don't hide do not offer anything back to the community. what about leaving good swag? performing maintenance on other people's caches? taking nice pictures? writing decent logs? how about just picking up the tab for some other cacher's lunch?

Or paying to be a premium member and supporting the game with a few $$?

 

yes. sometimes i overlook the obvious.

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Hmmm, how about: "How many finds should someone have before they really should give back to the community by hiding a cache?" If I were a person with 6822 finds and NO hides, I'd certainly be feeling guilty. It's sort of like having fun at someone else's expense, in my mind.

 

Many ways to give back to this little hobby of ours that do not invove hiding anything:

  • Always trade up
  • participate in local groups
  • write entertaining logs
  • do easy maintenance on caches that need help
  • teach geocaching classes
  • do CITO work
  • work with local land mangers for good geocaching policy
  • help others in the forums
  • etc

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I don't want to start an argument but I am curious how many "finds" you think a geocacher should have before they hide a cache? I see people saying they are going to hide one now because they just got 50 or 100 finds so I was curious if there is a general consensus? Does the length of time the person has been involved with geocaching make a difference to your opinion?

 

As already mentioned, this has been discussed many times before, but the true answer is that they should have something between 0 and 10,000 finds before hiding one.

 

Some folks just seem to be born with an innate ability and sense to produce enjoyable, high-quality hides with no previous 'experience' at all.

 

Others can't seem to produce anything beyond a deplorable embarrassment, despite large find numbers.

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I don't want to start an argument but I am curious how many "finds" you think a geocacher should have before they hide a cache? I see people saying they are going to hide one now because they just got 50 or 100 finds so I was curious if there is a general consensus? Does the length of time the person has been involved with geocaching make a difference to your opinion?

It does help with the "quality" of cache hides if the cacher has experienced a variety of finds. Now by saying "quality" I don't think that every cache hide needs to have a great view or be awe inspiring. :P I am a newbie...haven't reached 100 finds yet. :anibad: I have 13 cache hides already in place and to be honest...I am not as proud of some as I am of others. I am guilty of placing some LPC's, though, the cachers that find them seem to be thankful for them. My second ever cache find was an LPC. Being new to the game...I went to the area on 3 different trips...had no idea what I was looking for and could not figure it out. Come on...we all had our first LPC didnt we? :laughing: Nothing there but a light pole. When I finally discovered it, I was actually proud I figured it out. Go ahead and laugh :laughing: but it made me want to find more and different types of caches. I have come to appreciate more, the caches that require at least a hunt, or, are cleverly placed with an unusual container...even if its a log only cache...the ones I remember the most are the ones that I had trouble finding the first time and had to make a return visit or had me laughing when It finally clicked and I made the find. I can't go caching as much as I want...so having hides placed gives me the pleasure of at least reading the logs on my hides. I would rather find an LPC that is MAINTAINED than walk a half mile through a park to find, or not find, a cracked tupperware container that has a soggy log and nonexistent travel bugs and geocoins...with many notes to the CO upon a return trip back home and further inspection, crying for maintenance within the found logs. Don't shun the cacher that puts a magnetic key holder on the back of a drink machine or throws out an LPC. Think of those caches like rainy days...we need them...and they help us appreciate the sunny days even more. :D

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One thing I've seen from a lot of the newer cachers in this area is that after they gain more experience their hides improve, and to their credit, they begin to archive their weaker efforts. To me this is the real key.. it's not where you start, but where you go from there that matters.

Edited by edscott
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While this isn't the politically correct company line, I am a proponent of cachers finding caches before they hide them. I believe the greatest teacher we have in this game is individual experience. Through the act of finding various sized caches, in varying terrain, people gain a better understanding of what works and what does not. Are there exceptions? Naturally. I'm sure we all know "that guy" who only found a few caches before hiding an awesome cache, and I wouldn't begrudge him that. I would opine, however, that "that guy" (with the inherent ability to create clever and memorable hides right from day 1), also improves over time.

 

On those occasions when I am asked by newbies, I suggest that they select an entirely arbitrary number of caches to find, intermixing the D/T ratings and sizes, prior to hiding their first. This gives them a goal to reach, as well as giving them that most valuable asset, experience. Sometimes these newbies will continue to press for advice, asking me what that magic number should be, at which point I suggest "100", not because it bears any particular magical wisdom bearing qualities, but rather because it rolls easily off the tongue, and they can buy a shiny coin & pin celebrating their milestone.

 

On a related note: When I find an amazing cache, I am clueless about the number of finds the hider has at the time they created it. However, I've noticed that, often, when I find a hide that does not meet my particular biased aesthetic regarding quality, (poor container choice, uninspired location, inept write up, etc), I can usually tell how experienced (or lack thereof), the hider is.

 

So, to address your question directly:

How many "finds" should someone have before hiding a cache?

In my opinion, there should be a number, however that number will be different for each cacher.

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I would rather find an LPC that is MAINTAINED than walk a half mile through a park to find, or not find, a cracked tupperware container

That's kewl. We all have our preferences. Mine are kinda the opposite of yours though. With an LPC, all I get is a trek through a 500 acre blistering blacktop, exhaust laden parking lot bristling with soccer moms in SUVs... and a smiley. With the aforementioned cracked Tupperware, at least I got a nice walk with Momma Nature, which always brings a smile to my face, even if it adds a frownie face to my history.

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One thing I've seen from a lot of the newer cachers in this area is that after they gain more experience their hides improve, and to their credit, they begin to archive their weaker efforts. To me this is the real key.. it's not where you start, but where you go from there that matters.

 

I agree with this very much. It's never to late to learn.

 

Today we archived a couple of our caches because we realized they are simply uninteresting & boring.

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After approximately 100 finds, I hid my first one. The next day is was muggled after someone had a FTF. It's a learning game and that also includes learning to provide a good hide. I personally don't believe it's the past experience that goes into a hide but rather the thinking process behind it. Just my 2 cents.

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I don't want to start an argument but [1]I am curious how many "finds" you think a geocacher should have before they hide a cache? [2]I see people saying they are going to hide one now because they just got 50 or 100 finds so I was curious if there is a general consensus? [3]Does the length of time the person has been involved with geocaching make a difference to your opinion?

  1. As many or as few as they are comfortable with.
  2. There seems to be, unfortunately.
  3. Well yeah, kinda...
    • Just finding: If finds are all junk and that is what you are learning from then you will hide the same so IMNSHO finding a cache doesn't have a RA to do with ones ability to hide.
    • Just hiding: If you are just hiding and not trying to be prolific, then over time you are learning to become a better hider.

Some people are naturals at hiding.

To cut off the argument that statement may generate, just because you have a big indestructible water proof container doesn't make the hide good, just because you have the leakiest micro container doesn't make the hide bad.

Containers only count towards hiding in so far as ones ability to hide them.

Bad container = bad cache.

Bad container dont.gif bad hide.

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