Geocache full of books?

June 9, 2009

I just got a large ammo can from my friend the police officer, and have a place within a couple of miles from my home where I think I can hide it, so it gave me an idea to combine my love for books with my love for geocaching. I read lots, and I am active in bookcrossing, which is the practise of registering books on a website, then leaving them about in cafes, buses, park benches etc for others to pick up, who hopefully will read it and post to the bookcrossing website what they thought of the book, then pass it on to someone else- a bit like TBs I suppose.

So I was thinking of filling the ammo can with different kind of books- I think it will fit at least 7-9. I'll call it something like "the Book cache", and encourage geocachers in the cache description to bring a book along for swag trading. I'll periodically visit the cache and register books on bookcrossing if they haven't been registered yet (leaving all books in the cache of course). Of course cachers would be free to keep the book they traded, or put it in another cache, or leave it anywhere. I can also put the books in zip lock bags, though I doubt that is needed as the ammo can is watertight, obviously.

Has anyone here experience with book caches, with or without the bookcrossing element? What do you think of it? Any suggestions and feedback welcome!

5.8k · June 9, 2009

They are a fun way to do a themed Cache.

6.7k · June 9, 2009

There are lots of media caches containing books, tapes, CDs and DVDs.

My favorite was (I think it's archived) Media Cache in Atlanta.

June 9, 2009

There is a cache here in my part of the world that is a book cache. It's hidden in a secluded, (potentially) romantic spot on a river bank and it's meant to hold .... romance novels. It's been there a long time and I think there are a few people who visit it regularly just to trade books.

June 9, 2009

I often leave books in my caches. For Mother's Day, we filled an ammo can with favorite books from the entire family and also ones about the area. I love book caches

June 9, 2009

I've always thought of making my favorite book, "The Giver" (I know its now Lewis or Tolkien...I love them too) a TB, have people read it and comment on it. I love the idea for a themed cache like this.

June 9, 2009

I have being thinking about creating a Bookcrossing cache myself. I've bought some camouflage netting, but I'm just looking for a container (big one) and a great location. I did a search on GC.com for 'Book Exchange' and a few came up. You might get some inspiration/ideas from these.

June 9, 2009

I like the idea, do it! And even though it's an ammocan, I'd still use Ziploc bags for the books. The ammocan is only as watertight as the last person left it, after all! And now off to go see what bookcrossing is all about, sounds interesting!

14k · June 9, 2009

I like the idea, do it! And even though it's an ammocan, I'd still use Ziploc bags for the books. The ammocan is only as watertight as the last person left it, after all! And now off to go see what bookcrossing is all about, sounds interesting!

I visited a book trading cache a couple of weeks ago. It was an ammo can out in the forest. There was a large ziploc bag which contained the books. All of the books as well as the inside of the ammo can was bone dry. There were some really nice books in the cache, including a brand new travel guide for the Finger Lakes, NY area.

I picked up a bookcrossing book that I thought I hadn't read in February. Turned out that I had already read it and it's still sitting on my desk. I've been using a smaller waist bag for geocaching swag lately and the book won't fit into it.

June 9, 2009

You can name your cache "The Cache of Alexandria" after the most famous of libraries.

Be sure to institute a no open flames policy.

June 10, 2009

We have a book themed cache. "Book Worm"

I would recommend placing each book in a ziplock baggie, and leaving extra baggies in the cache for folks who brought a book but forgot a baggie. Even just a few drops of rain could be awful for baggieless books sealed in an ammo can.

18.9k · June 10, 2009

For what it is worth - here is mine: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...90-382e70265805

June 10, 2009

We've got two bookcrossing geocaches in my area. That I know about, anyway.

7.9k · June 10, 2009

This is an excellent (if not original) idea!

You should do it ASAP.

1.5k · June 10, 2009

Anchorage Crossing Zone Cache

2.1k · June 10, 2009

.and my geocaching / bookcrossing hybrid..

Bookcrossing Betwixt the Blues (GCYBF8) by Maingray (1.5/1.5)

2.4k · June 10, 2009

Just be sure it's a good container.

A book cache near here had just one book it in, and it was sopping wet and moldy!!!

YUCK!!!!

I could have rung it out!!

It was a hike in cache, so I packed the book out.

And even if it's a good container, please do regular mainance checks on it.

THis one was in an area that got a lot of snow, which seems to do in caches that are not quite watertight.

In the proper container in a good area, it's a great idea!!!!

10.2k · June 10, 2009

I have being thinking about creating a Bookcrossing cache myself. I've bought some camouflage netting, but I'm just looking for a container (big one) and a great location. I did a search on GC.com for 'Book Exchange' and a few came up. You might get some inspiration/ideas from these.

I've seen several book exchange caches, but they rarely seem to mention bookcrossing.com (I see we have some examples of ones that do in the thread though). I found one book exchange cache(s) that was actually two 5 gallon buckets loaded with books. Unfortunately the land manager wanted it archived. Hopefully the cache owner lugged them out.

June 10, 2009

Cool idea. I gave up on bookcrossing since I don't like parting with my books.

3.7k · June 10, 2009

Big Bookworm is a Bookcrossing cache that's been active in Redmond, WA since 2003.

June 10, 2009

I had a Bxing cache that worked very well for about 2 yrs. Then a muggle took the ammo can and the books! The local cachers liked it alot and several started Bxing. Use Freezer bags on each book, any moisture at all will cause mildew, you know someone will open it on a rainey day. Go for it, you'll enjoy the cache. Good Luck

9.3k · June 10, 2009

I've done two of these, in a scrub jay sanctuary near a local library.

Reading is for the Birds was a 50cal ammo can full of Sci-Fi books. The idea for this one was for folks to trade books. That didn't happen very often.

Reading Is Fundamental, Folks was a giant ammo can full of childrens books, just a stone's throw from a pavilion. The idea for that one was for parents to let their wee ones find the cache, select a book, and have the parent read it to the child in the pavilion. That one was a bigger success.

June 10, 2009

GCZF6G is located west of Kalamazoo, MI. I have visited it once and will go there again.

Thanks for introducing me to bookcrossing. I had never heard of it. I signed up right after I read your post.

Edited June 10, 2009 by Wooden Cyclist

June 10, 2009

My ID on bookcrossing is PenguinSilja, feel free to have a look at my Available shelf (not too many right now, as I BCd over 400 before our transatlantic move 6 months ago). If anyone wants to trade books with the understanding that they'll be left in a geocache after reading, I'd be happy to do so!

June 10, 2009

I was just thinking of this idea this weekend and couldn't find anything on the boards about it! Wow coincidence! Thanks for bringing it up, and thanks for all the excellent ideas!

1.2k · June 10, 2009

I love finding and leaving books in caches so I think it's a great idea! I joined Bookcrossing a while ago but found it such a hassle to register and release books that I kind of gave up on it. Maybe I'll have to try it again.

1.3k · June 12, 2009

i have wanted to place a book cache for ages, but i cannot do so. the area i live in can get very wet so even with the best cache container and plastic bags on the books, the contents would be ruined.

i really wish there were more book caches within the uk, it certainly would make a change from finding a container full of useless weather damaged (or purchased junk) tradables.

June 12, 2009

Here is one in Wisconsin that I found. Book It Dano

7.3k · June 12, 2009

Just a single suggestion - don't overfill the container!

I've found 3 book caches, and at 2 of them, I simply could NOT trade book for book, because the owner had so tidily and tightly filled the entire cache with books. The only way to trade one for one was to come with a book of EXACTLY the same size as one in the cache already.

There wasn't anything I really wanted in one of them, although had the trade been possible, I'd have made it (ie, I was carrying a book). On the other, I finally took two and left one, and left some space for the next cacher.

June 12, 2009

I completed a very well done multi last month and found a bookcrossing book in the final. What a cool idea for a cache! The book I found was sitting in the cache for over a year. I still have it and will place it while vacationing down south...yes I read the book and re-sealed it in plastic.

June 14, 2009

Butler Book Repository

Moon Book Repository this one is mine

heres two book caches for ya

June 14, 2009

Thanks for all your feedback! I placed my bookcrossing geocache yesterday evening, and it got made live early this morning (the Arkansas reviewer is totally on the ball!), and has been FTF'd already!

I ended p buying a waterproof rubbermaid container, as I decided the ammo can didn't have enough space- I had some large books I wanted to out in it, and leave more space for more books. There is a photo of the geocache prior to placement on the cache's page, with my twins playing on it; for those interested, it is here:

Rogers Bookcrossing Geocache

Edited June 14, 2009 by Penguin_ar

9.3k · June 14, 2009

I ended p buying a waterproof rubbermaid container

I always love seeing caches geared toward education, especially reading, as that is one of my passions. You've got an excellent assortment of books, guaranteed to please even the most finicky of readers. Good Job! One concern regarding your "waterproof Rubbermaid container". That's a contradiction of terms. Rubbermaid has never made a container that is even remotely waterproof. The blue bin you've pictured would barely qualify as water resistant. I use those same bins in my garage to store my cache making supplies. There is no seal of any kind between the lid and the body. That might actually be a good thing, in this instance. If my glance at the cache page was accurate, the FTFer made his/her find in the rain. That means you now have water inside your bin. As the environment dries/heats up, some of the water vapors will be able to escape. Had you used an ammo can, all that rainwater would be trapped inside until you, or another friendly cacher, paid a maintenance visit, with a towel. Hopefully, you've got all your books individually double bagged.

In the future, if you should opt for a container that actually is waterproof, you can buy ammo cans that have similar amounts of volume as your bin.

June 14, 2009

Yeah all the books are in their own bags

I only live a mile and a bit from this hide, so I can easily ceck on it.

9.3k · June 14, 2009

Very kewl! I wish I lived closer. I'd borrow Oliver Twist. It's been a few decades since I read that one.

June 15, 2009

:laughing: I found my first book cache yesterday in Colorado. There were three books (themed), some CDs and a kid's DVD. I didn't have a book so I traded trackable geocoins. I do hope to revisit the cache and do a book exchange. What an awesome idea, my hubby was even impressed.

Books were in an ammo can and in very good condition.

Geocache full of books?

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