Home caches?

[+PorscheSpyder]

I have been considering placing a cache along my fenceline, and I was just wondering: How popular are "home caches" (i.e. putting one on or along your property)? Do ya'll out there have any? I know of a couple of caches in my area that are within sight of the owners home.

(If you want to share experiences with home caches, feel free to do so!)

[+Max and 99]

I do not feel comfortable finding caches at someone's home. We have driven away from several caches when we realized they are smack in someone's front yard! However, there is a local cache that is at the front of someone's property, and not close to their house, and that one we really enjoyed. I don't mind the ones in rural areas where it's unlikely we'll look suspicious. But, snooping around someone's front yard in an urban setting is just not something I feel comfortable doing. I did make some new geocaching friends recently who assured me it's OK to be in their yard, so I may go find that one the next time I'm in their area.

[+Knight2000]

We have one in the works for our home. The only reason is because this hide needs to be in a residential area. It is quite unique.

 

We just had one published on the end of a fence near the sidewalk at my parents house.

 

Now that i think about it, we have two residential caches. (And one in the works.) ALL of them are unique. None are just a simple cache in a tree or bush.

 

I don't think they are that uncommon- but i know some dont like them. I think much depends on the area and how the caches are described. While we wouldn't prefer them in these locations, we just work with what we have.

Edited April 5, 2009 by Knight2000

[+Max and 99]

I'll agree with Knight2000. It all depends on the location, how close they are to the house, and the information given on the cache page.

[+Semper Questio]

Won't do 'em. For one thing I don't like to feel like I'm being watched while I'm caching, but mainly I don't want to freak out the neighbors and get the cops called on me by them.

[+Knight2000]

Another thought is that not all residential areas are the same. Some are dense and others aren't so much.

 

As an owner of some residential hides, i would urge some of you to at least consider it before you immediately dismiss the idea. Judge each on its own merits.

 

I understand the timidity involved with these. We have found a few. So far, all of them have been creative and none of them have been awkward. (Although i did fear that they might be.)

[+GeoJunkie]

I have one I recently placed on my front porch. Took some tweaking as I found out some unique challenges. For one, accurate coordinates are a must, plus put something there so people KNOW they're at the right house if you live in a dense area! I live in a duplex and my neighbors got to meet some wonderful area cachers when I first put mine out. now I have a stained glass Nebraskacher sign on my porch to guide people to the right house if the satellites get fuzzy.

 

I'm OK with finding private property caches as long as the placer has identified how they are allowed to send me there. If they tell me it's their property, or their mom/brother/sister/etc who said it's OK, then I'll go. Sometimes I even get to meet some nice area cachers!

[+DiamondDaveG]

I have no problem with caches at the owner's house. That being said, there are some I probably would not hunt though. It all goes back to the finder's comfort level. If I see a posting for a cache in a dense area (Homeward Bound) I would tend to avoid it but based on the 157 finds there are those that have no problem. On the other hand, ones like Two Gallons?(cheap advert for previous poster's cache) that are in a slightly rural area would get my attention.

 

If placed properly, with the hunters 'view' in mind, I would love the chance to meet more cachers and this would be a great way to do it.

Edited April 5, 2009 by DiamondDaveG

[Groleau]

I have a cache on my property. Living in Maine affords some acres. I have 45, with a small swamp in the back forty. I placed a cache there only available in the winter. Summer its too wet. I've had lots of fun with it... take a look GC104BG

[+mfamilee]

We will sometimes do a drive-by.

 

The majority of the time... we keep on driving.

 

It's simply a matter of preference.

[+king-of-halloween]

We have a great cache in our backyard. It is called Lawrence Counties Largest Cache Container.. It is a steel 7 1/2' missle crate. In the description on the cache page we explain which house to park in and we have cachers at all times of the day and night, AND we love it!!! We have made some great friends in our backyard... We live in a town of 1250 people, and all our neighbors know its there so no reason to call the police.

 

It also helps that we have a Halloween event in the back yard every year so that seems to ease the idea to local cachers that has not done the cache yet.

 

I can see concerns with people in large cities that have trouble with things, but here the main problem always, Who is going to roll up the streets tonight??After all it is 8:30 PM.

[+webscouter.]

For me if there is a visible sign that I am in the right place I have no problems with them. If there isn't something for me to see I will not depend on my GPS having the correct coords or that the CO had good coords when he/she placed the cache. In that case I will pass on the find, log a DNF and move on.

[+Brassine Family]

I have been planning on putting a cache behind my garage in an alley way with clear blunt description on where it is and what to look for....

 

However, today. I am driving to my next cache when it leads me to a very nice subdivision. from the description and gps reading, I was going to have to walk on someone's property into the woods...

 

I ended up turning around and leaving due to the fact that I use a beat up, dinged up, paint chipping off back road dust an inch thick, Dodge Intrepid for geocaching due to all the dirt roads here in my neck of the woods.

 

If I am ever in my reg. vehicle or my wife's and in the area, I might search for it, but highly unlikely.

[+bafl01]

personally they always make me uncomfortable but one of the best caches i have grabbed was hanging off of someones BACK fence with basically street alley access. So i was not standing infront of their house. it was huge it was a multi were you got a combinations off of the front of the house could park on the street no problem behind the home. it was secluded enough and far enough away from other homes that it felt right

[+jwe4i]

my son placed one that we can see from the upstairs in our home. i'm thinking of placing another that can be seen from the front drive. I have found 3-4 of these caches and I like them but it does seem like you are doing something wrong while attempting the find!

[MikeB3542]

Out in the country, no problem. One of my faves was one that CinemaBoxers had out out in front of there place -- they of course saw me and we got to chatting.

 

City and suburbs, not such a good thing. I have done a few, but felt like eyes were watching, and have had the cops called on me once. And of course there is always a dog that starts yapping to blow your cover.

[+undertree]

I have two ammo cans hidden at homes. One is at my house and it is right off the sidewalk on the property line. It is far enough away from the homes so that people are not right in front of the house. It is a 50 cal ammo can hidden in an old irrigation pipe with a head gate.

 

The other one is a plastic ammo can larger than the 50 cal. It is hidden at an abandoned home that has a field fence around it. I just placed the ammo can behind one railroad tie fence post. I placed two reflector poles to mark the driveway and one round reflector on the fence post that the cache is behind. It makes a super quick large cache for families to get. The road in front of the home is 50 mph and has no sidewalk. Muggles are non-existent except for the folks ripping by at 60+.

 

There are several home caches we have done. You can make nice larger caches at a home and have more lee way with the hide. If you can make a unique hide that is enjoyable people will visit them just fine. Be prepared for the "Don't like caching in someones yard" logs. I get lots of logs about how people enjoyed the hide. Some meet my dog or my kids on occasion. One person had to fend off the goat, but some of those experiences make for funny memories.

[+bloken]

I have one that is accessible from the hydro corridor I back onto. There is a path that is regularly used by dog walkers, and also students from the local school. You do not have to get on my property, as it is a well concealed. I have informed both my neighbours of the Cache and they have a blast seeing Geocachers coming to find the cache. One neighbour will actually call me to tell me someone is there.

In my Posting I say to wave as I may be there. I have meet many cachers at my backyard and actually tease them that they are getting close.

 

Here is a picture...

[+bloken]

double sorry

Edited April 18, 2009 by bloken

[+zachh1020]

We have a great cache in our backyard. It is called Lawrence Counties Largest Cache Container.. It is a steel 7 1/2' missle crate. In the description on the cache page we explain which house to park in and we have cachers at all times of the day and night, AND we love it!!! We have made some great friends in our backyard... We live in a town of 1250 people, and all our neighbors know its there so no reason to call the police.

 

It also helps that we have a Halloween event in the back yard every year so that seems to ease the idea to local cachers that has not done the cache yet.

 

I can see concerns with people in large cities that have trouble with things, but here the main problem always, Who is going to roll up the streets tonight??After all it is 8:30 PM.

I don't mind home Caches like this one. I have actually seen this one and it is the largest one in Lawrence County! I wish we could have met KOH, but i don't think anyone was home. LOL. Now...I do have a problem finding a cache if it is right up on someone's house. We drove right by one that was in someone small fenced in yard in a cramped neighborhood with TONS of neighbor muggles, dogs, and kids.

[+homeseller]

I have a travel bug inn in my front yard, and it has been quite popular. We live in a rural subdivision and all the lots are .5 to one acre+. Also, all the neighbors are aware of our caching addiction and that the cache is there. Sometimes the neighbor's dog announces your presence, but I have only run into cachers a few times.

 

I also have an ammo can hide and 4 stage multi on a farm my brother and I own. I just placed the ammo can recently to attract more attention to the multi.

[+plkapmaj]

I won't do them either at residences. If it is on someone's land away from buildings and personal property I might. I always fear I will be arriving just after the thief who broke in and just before the police responding.

I think that it could also be a issue is that a cacher who might be shown logging caches away from their home perhaps on vacation in another state or country could let a burgular know that they are not home and provide the coordinates from the "home cache" to the unoccupied home.

[+plkapmaj]

I won't do them either at residences. If it is on someone's land away from buildings and personal property I might. I always fear I will be arriving just after the thief who broke in and just before the police responding.

I think that it could also be a issue is that a cacher who might be shown logging caches away from their home perhaps on vacation in another state or country could let a burgular know that they are not home and provide the coordinates from the "home cache" to the unoccupied home.