How many caches can I hide?

[+onekewlpenguin]

As long as all of the caches fit the placement requirements (more than .1 miles from another cache, not near train tracks, etc.), is there a limit to the number of caches a single person can hide? I'm really enjoying hiding these!

[Motorcycle_Mama]

The limit is the number that you can maintain in accordance with the Cache Listing Requiremnts/Guidelines. Otherwise, have fun.

Edited June 11, 2009 by Motorcycle_Mama

[+briansnat]

There are 4 geocachers with over a thousand hides. Many with hundreds. I'm approaching the 300 mark myself.

 

You are only limited by the number that you can reasonably maintain. Some people can't take care of 1 cache, while others have no problem maintaining 500.

[+onekewlpenguin]

Great, thanks so much! I'm looking forward to stocking the Kansas City area full of caches!

[+Kohavis]

Great, thanks so much! I'm looking forward to stocking the Kansas City area full of caches!

I wish more cachers had that attitude. We have a number in our area with a thousand finds and not a single hide of their own. To me that's taking from the sport but not giving back anything.

 

Good for you!!

[+gof1]

Great, thanks so much! I'm looking forward to stocking the Kansas City area full of caches!

I wish more cachers had that attitude. We have a number in our area with a thousand finds and not a single hide of their own. To me that's taking from the sport but not giving back anything.

 

Good for you!!

 

And yet there are those who hide many caches that I wish would stick to finding. If they can't maintain them it is just as well they don't hide them.

[+briansnat]

Great, thanks so much! I'm looking forward to stocking the Kansas City area full of caches!

 

Concentrate on quality rather than quantity. People who throw film canisters around like grass seed and leave no lamp post and dumpster area without a cache are a dime a dozen in many areas.

[+onekewlpenguin]

No worries, I am getting more and more creative with each of my hides. I know from experience how obnoxious it can be to find micros in the most boring of places.

[+Kohavis]

Great, thanks so much! I'm looking forward to stocking the Kansas City area full of caches!

 

Concentrate on quality rather than quantity. People who throw film canisters around like grass seed and leave no lamp post and dumpster area without a cache are a dime a dozen in many areas.

I think that's the other extreme. We have a few caches in our area that don't even have containers - they're a Post-It note pad inside a baggie, tossed under a bush.

 

I agree that quality should be the most important factor, but for the cachers who have 1000 finds and two hides, it's pretty hard to make a "quality over quantity" argument. More likely it's a case of "I'm an FTF hound and hiding doesn't help my numbers at all", unfortunately.

[+Markwell]

More likely it's a case of "I'm an FTF hound and hiding doesn't help my numbers at all", unfortunately.

And for those individuals, I'd rather that they focus on what they do best. In my opinion, people shouldn't hide a cache for any other reason than the fact that they've got a great location to which they want to bring others.

[+Zolgar]

As long as all of the caches fit http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/style_ima...eft_just.gifthe placement requirements (more than .1 miles from another cache, not near train tracks, etc.), is there a limit to the number of caches a single person can hide? I'm really enjoying hiding these!

 

>.>

It's a little known fact, there IS an upper limit.

1,098,548,487,895,963

If any single cacher reaches that many hides, the world will explode.

 

[+jearsy]

There are 4 geocachers with over a thousand hides. Many with hundreds. I'm approaching the 300 mark myself.

 

You are only limited by the number that you can reasonably maintain. Some people can't take care of 1 cache, while others have no problem maintaining 500.

 

Wow!!!!!

 

I have to say I am continually being impressed with some of the numbers various members have when it comes to finding and hiding caches. People must go out a couple times a week at least...... I try to get out once a week with my busy schedule and a good day for me is finding around 10 caches. (I wont mention too loudly that within that there are between 2 - 4 DNFs)

[+TomToad]

As long as all of the caches fit http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/style_ima...eft_just.gifthe placement requirements (more than .1 miles from another cache, not near train tracks, etc.), is there a limit to the number of caches a single person can hide? I'm really enjoying hiding these!

 

>.>

It's a little known fact, there IS an upper limit.

1,098,548,487,895,963

If any single cacher reaches that many hides, the world will explode.

 

Where did you get that number from? According to my calculations, the upper limit would be

19,706,080,000

That's assuming everyone else archives their cache, you don't mind maintaining caches in the ocean, and you can get permission for placing all of them.

 

now if you want to do just land caches, then the upper limit would be

5,726,890,000

[+StarBrand]

As long as all of the caches fit http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/style_ima...eft_just.gifthe placement requirements (more than .1 miles from another cache, not near train tracks, etc.), is there a limit to the number of caches a single person can hide? I'm really enjoying hiding these!

 

>.>

It's a little known fact, there IS an upper limit.

1,098,548,487,895,963

If any single cacher reaches that many hides, the world will explode.

 

Where did you get that number from? According to my calculations, the upper limit would be

19,706,080,000

That's assuming everyone else archives their cache, you don't mind maintaining caches in the ocean, and you can get permission for placing all of them.

 

now if you want to do just land caches, then the upper limit would be

5,726,890,000

Nope - you can get way more than 100 caches per square mile......

[+Curioddity]

This is actually a bit of a sore subject for me. I should start by stating that I'm relatively new to geocaching and haven't made a hide yet, but I'm also a lot more interested in enjoying the game than running up my numbers and any caches I'll eventually hide will be meaningful in one way or another.

 

But here's my issue: We have cachers in my neighborhood who like to carpet bomb large areas with a "series" of micro and nano caches, and it's quite apparent, due to the ill-conceived nature of the hides, that the impetus is simply bragging rights. Yes, I can choose who's or what kind of caches I search for, but it still rubs me the wrong way because this carpet bombing tactic saturates an area and prevents anyone else from making any hides in the area. For example, one of my favorite bike trails has a string of caches planted along it, all spaced in a manner which makes it impossible for anyone else to hide another cache that is far enough away. These were all hidden by the same person on the same day and now everyone else is locked out of hiding caches in that area. The situation around my workplace is basically the same: Total cache saturation by just a couple of people.

 

And as far as I'm concerned, that's pretty damned inconsiderate and I hope like heck that someone puts me in my place if I ever start to develop a high hide count mentality. And anyone who suggests that I'm not hiding enough caches will probably become a victim of a similar rant.

 

Pete

[+Arrow42]

This is actually a bit of a sore subject for me. I should start by stating that I'm relatively new to geocaching and haven't made a hide yet, but I'm also a lot more interested in enjoying the game than running up my numbers and any caches I'll eventually hide will be meaningful in one way or another.

 

But here's my issue: We have cachers in my neighborhood who like to carpet bomb large areas with a "series" of micro and nano caches, and it's quite apparent, due to the ill-conceived nature of the hides, that the impetus is simply bragging rights. Yes, I can choose who's or what kind of caches I search for, but it still rubs me the wrong way because this carpet bombing tactic saturates an area and prevents anyone else from making any hides in the area. For example, one of my favorite bike trails has a string of caches planted along it, all spaced in a manner which makes it impossible for anyone else to hide another cache that is far enough away. These were all hidden by the same person on the same day and now everyone else is locked out of hiding caches in that area. The situation around my workplace is basically the same: Total cache saturation by just a couple of people.

 

And as far as I'm concerned, that's pretty damned inconsiderate and I hope like heck that someone puts me in my place if I ever start to develop a high hide count mentality. And anyone who suggests that I'm not hiding enough caches will probably become a victim of a similar rant.

 

Pete

 

Have you asked the CO if they would be willing to archive one of thier caches in the "power trail" so you could place one? Might be worth trying.

 

I've had some of the same worries. Every park in the area has been saturated. Not with micros, thankfully, but I'm having a difficult time finding places near my own home to drop a cahce.

 

Oh well, I have some other areas in mind that are not so crowded.

[+Zolgar]

Zolgar wonders if it might be worth while for Groundspeak to institute a 1 or .5 mile rule between any one persons caches, to further prevent power trailing and/or total saturation.

 

This complaint seems to have grown more common recently, with the increasing popularity of GeoCaching.

[+briansnat]

And as far as I'm concerned, that's pretty damned inconsiderate and I hope like heck that someone puts me in my place if I ever start to develop a high hide count mentality.

 

I find it odd to characterize someone who spends the time, expense and effort to entertain people who he will probably never meet as inconsiderate.

[+Arrow42]

Zolgar wonders if it might be worth while for Groundspeak to institute a 1 or .5 mile rule between any one persons caches, to further prevent power trailing and/or total saturation.

 

This complaint seems to have grown more common recently, with the increasing popularity of GeoCaching.

 

Increasing the radius would vastly lower the number of caches in an area. It would also make it quite hard to have more then one cache in a public park, etc.

[+Wintonian]

@briansnat.

 

I can see how someone who is retired might bbe able to maitain say 50 hides but 267 (if you take out your virtuals and events) I'm supprised yo have time for finding them (other pepoles as well ).

 

Out of intrest how does someone maintain a large amount of caches perticualy when a large preportion of them are larger than micros and not tossed in the nearest hedge?

 

Just curious as I have only 4 hides at the moment and couldn't see myself being able to maintain more than say 10 or 15.

[+DiamondDaveG]

Zolgar wonders if it might be worth while for Groundspeak to institute a 1 or .5 mile rule between any one persons caches, to further prevent power trailing and/or total saturation.

 

This complaint seems to have grown more common recently, with the increasing popularity of GeoCaching.

 

Increasing the radius would vastly lower the number of caches in an area. It would also make it quite hard to have more then one cache in a public park, etc.

 

I think Zolgar was talking about the radius for a single cacher. For example, I couldn't place 2 caches less than 1 mile apart, but anyone else could place their caches in between as long as they meet current distance guidelines.

 

Doing that would prevent someone making a 'power trail' of lame micros on a hiking trail and allow someone else to put a creative small or regular there also.

 

I agree with the concept but I am sure there will be much dissent claiming 'GC.com is changing the rules.'

[+briansnat]

@briansnat.

 

I can see how someone who is retired might bbe able to maitain say 50 hides but 267 (if you take out your virtuals and events) I'm supprised yo have time for finding them (other pepoles as well ).

 

Out of intrest how does someone maintain a large amount of caches perticualy when a large preportion of them are larger than micros and not tossed in the nearest hedge?

 

Just curious as I have only 4 hides at the moment and couldn't see myself being able to maintain more than say 10 or 15.

 

I use quality containers like ammo boxes and Lock n Locks, so that problems like wet logs and contents are rare. I usually hide them off the beaten path where they are unlikely to be stolen. I place many in areas that I frequently hike or do trail work so I can check on them in the course of other activities. And finally other local geocachers graciously offer assistance if for some reason I can't get to a cache right away.

 

In general my caches don't require a lot of maintenance visits. I might have one or two at a time that require attention, but most of the time none have issues. I can usually address any outstanding issues within a week or two after they are brought to my attention.

 

This weekend is typical. I had no cache issues for close to two months, then two were reported to me over the past two weeks (a full log book and a container apparently trashed by a bear). I got to one today. It took 2 hours out of my day between the drive and hike to and from the cache. It was a beautiful walk though, and got me out of doing housework.

 

Tomorrow I'll fix the other which is a 3 mile RT hike. Being close to my home it will probably take little longer than an hour to address it. A good excuse to take a walk.

 

I work full time and can handle the 200 some active caches I have with minimal effort. It certainly does curtail my finding somewhat, but that's a price worth paying.

[+BlueMoth]

For what my two cents is worth, here it is: Even though I am a noob, I am already sick of finding caches that are some variation of a tupperware container or film cannister stuck in some lamp post/bus stop pole/fence slat, to the side of or under a staircase, just because the place is up for grabs. How many ways can you say "booooring"? Imagine I know nothing about your town or rural setting? Don't you want to educate me (teach me about your history, geography, architecture, flora and fauna, your citizens), thrill me (be witty, enthralling, endearing, exciting, artistic in either the cache itself or its placement), want me go home and say what clever and inventive people live there/loved the place enough to put a cache there? I would rather there find one imaginative geocache than 100 boring ones. I have found so many caches in Portland that make me boil, and most of them I have refused to log. I love my home town and want others to love it too. But what good (just one example), does a cache do that is placed in one of the most historic intersections in town with only the blythe and ignorant explanation from some twit who couldn't be bothered to do five minutes worth of research, that "this place needed a cache so I thought I would put one there". Pleeeease.

Don't be like that, and I promise that when my first cache gets approved, I won't be either.

[+Zolgar]

Zolgar wonders if it might be worth while for Groundspeak to institute a 1 or .5 mile rule between any one persons caches, to further prevent power trailing and/or total saturation.

 

This complaint seems to have grown more common recently, with the increasing popularity of GeoCaching.

 

Increasing the radius would vastly lower the number of caches in an area. It would also make it quite hard to have more then one cache in a public park, etc.

 

I think Zolgar was talking about the radius for a single cacher. For example, I couldn't place 2 caches less than 1 mile apart, but anyone else could place their caches in between as long as they meet current distance guidelines.

 

Doing that would prevent someone making a 'power trail' of lame micros on a hiking trail and allow someone else to put a creative small or regular there also.

 

I agree with the concept but I am sure there will be much dissent claiming 'GC.com is changing the rules.'

 

Dave's got it right. This is what Zolgar was saying. This would prevent a single cacher from making a major power trail, or simply saturating an area to the point no other cacher could place a cache there.

 

Zolgar understand that this would lead to complaints about the "rules changing", however, these rules were written years ago, when GeoCaching was still a small thing, now it is an ever-growing sport which gets new people every day. The rules of a sport will evolve with the sport.

 

Of course any caches breaking said new rule would be grandfathered. It's not like Zolgar is proposing that we institute a change and archive all the violating caches. Or, proposing instituting a maximum lifespan of a cache.

[+jeanne123]

... carpet bombing tactic ...

Love this description! I think it says it all!