How often do you visit your hides?

[Penguin_ar]

I expect different answers to this question depending on location of the caches and number of hides of the cacher, I am just curious...

 

If there are no Needs Maintenance logs on your hide, how often do you visit, if at all? For example, do you visit if there are a certain number of DNFs? Do you visit if the smallest problem is mentioned in a log (such as "co-ordinates are of" or "log a little wet" or whatever)? if your cache container is a rubbermaid tupperware container or other not-completely-watertight cache, do you try and visit after each rain storm? I have three hides, al within a couple of miles of my home. My current plan is to visit the two "normal" caches once a quarter to make sure everything is ok, or when there is an obvious problem mentioned in the log. The book cache I will visit more often, probably every month or after 3-4 Found logs, to check on the books and register any that have not been registered on bookcrossing.

[+zoltig]

Almost yearly to check on their condition and surrounding area.

There are a few that I do not get to but most of my hides are in mountainous areas and have very few people find them in the course of a season.

[+JacobBarlow]

Usually when I'm with other cachers who need to stop and sign the log.

[+sunsetmeadowlark]

Unless it's one of my hard to find hides I visit after one or two DNF's, on the HTF ones I check after 4 or so. If there is any mention of a problem such as the log being damp I try to visit after the first mention of it. If it's the type of hide that normally elicits good logs and it all of a sudden gets a couple of simple TFTC logs I check on it. If there are no reported problems I still try to stop if I happen to be driving by that area. I have 97 active hides and generally spend 1 day every 2 weeks checking on them whether they need it or not, checking often helps prevent problems from arising.

[+RIclimber]

I have 40+ caches out right now. Some have gone 3+ years without a visit, others I walks by weekly.

My 20-mile multi gets a full run once every spring.

My virtuals have been out almost 7 years, some without a visit.

[+StarBrand]

My goal is once per year but I must admit that I haven't been to 4 of them in at least 4 years. No reports of problems though so no need to worry I guess. Not that they are terribly remote or out-of the way - I just haven't been back to check or had reason to.

[+PDOP's]

Almost yearly to check on their condition and surrounding area.

There are a few that I do not get to but most of my hides are in mountainous areas and have very few people find them in the course of a season.

Same here. I will also check if there are more than a couple of DNF's in a row.

[+entogeek]

Our local reviewer had a good suggestion - if you haven't had a visit to one of your caches for some months, check it to make sure it is intact and post an Owner Maintenance note to say it is still there, assuming it is. Some folks may not bother visiting caches that don't have recent logs.

[knowschad]

I have no hard & fast rule. It depends on the logs:

 

If its an easy cache and is getting DNFs, I'll check on it.

If its a hard cache and it isn't getting DNF's, I'll check on it.

If it gets a Needs Maintenance note that sounds reasonable, I'll check on it.

If it gets a "found on ground, rehid where I thought it should go" on a Found It log, I will check on it.

 

It also depends on the type of container, and on where and how its hidden. In other words, I play it by ear.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Hmm... I've never been back to check on my first cache. Going on five years. But I'm not worried about it. A few others that I've never felt the need to check on. (Hiking permits tends to turn off some cache hunters.) Got one I should check on when I get the chance. Hasn't been found in over a year. (Again: hiking permit, a two-mile round trip hike, with a few hundred feet of climb each way.) But Cindy Bear is hunting it. She tends to chew on containers to get the necessary info. Maybe when she gets to the final, she'll stop?

Muggly areas, I'll check a few times a year. A couple of DNFs, I'l check when I get the chance.

Answer: When I feel the need.

[+Crow-T-Robot]

Being a new cache owner (two hides, both published within the last two months), I admit to being a little zealous in my visits. Only a few were for actual maintainance (minor, at that: touching up the artwork on the container, adding a geocoin pouch, checking WP's) and most of the other visits were to replenish swag. My caches are themed, so I like to keep themed swag in the caches. Most of these visits were simply because of convenience. The park they are hidden in is close to me, it opens at 6 am and I get done with work at 6 am...so it's easy to drive over right after work and do whatever.

 

Bruce

[+Team Perks]

Currently: very infrequently (unless I happen to be nearby already), usually because I very infrequently need to. I try to hide caches that are not likely to get plundered, and that are of durable construction, and that don't have teeny-tiny log sheets that need to be constantly replenished. I'm slowly archiving most of my old micros, so most of what's left are ammo cans in fairly remote areas. I have several caches that have been active for years and that I've never been back to because every finder has reported it to be in good shape and properly hidden.

[+cerberus1]

We try to do maintenance at least once every year. Just normal logging produces dirt (or who-knows-what) entering the containers. Add a bit of moisture from someone not carrying an umbrella or other form of protection and it's crud at best.

 

We definately go out if someone with a few finds under their belt has a problem finding it.

Most of the time, it's "re-located" by another (guess they didn't like our spot.) One in particular has moved seven times.

We usually make a point of stopping by if a "numbers" cacher hit's them. We've found that in their rush, they don't even bother to reclose the lids securely most times - "Gotta get 'em all !" - and to heck with everyone else.

 

A unique container we have out, simply by it's design/material, creates it's own condensation. Maintenance became bi-monthly. We've now placed a small waterproof container IN it, to retain it's identity (under it's cache name.)

[+briansnat]

I shoot for a minimum of once a year, but it's just not practical. Some of my caches receive frequent maint visits because they are in places that I frequent.

 

A few have gone 4+ years without a visit from me. It seems every time I start considering visiting one of these, it gets a find, or someone who found it before happened to be in the area and checked on it for me.

[+Jagski]

We check ours every few months. We'll check to see if the coordinates are still good; any damage to it; what crap some people might have left in it (trust me, we see a lot of junkie caches); or if someone reports a DNF or needs maintenance. Course we only have 5 caches out so it's easy to do. What I don't care for is when people have tons of caches....I mean, how can you check on 100 caches??!! For instance, there's one who has a little over 100 hidden. We had a DNF on one of their caches so posted it and turns out they think it's missing. It has been over 4 months since we couldn't find it and we'd like to get that one checked off. I imagine they have too many caches out there and can't keep up with the maintenance. I believe in quality over quantity and checking on them at least once in a while.

[+Bmxer11]

If the cache is close to your house check or in your city/town then check on it monthly (on a specific day of each month just like a car payment). If it is out of town aways maybe once or twice a year.

[+Hrethgir]

One of mine is near an area the wife and i go to bicycle a lot, so I check it now and then. Due to it's location, it's only out about 6 months out of the year, so I don't check too terribly often, and if it has something that needs fixing, I'll have all winter to do it! My second on, it just got published, and is kind of remote, so I don't have a plan to check it every x number of months, I'll play it by ear.

[+Ciril]

I'll visit after 2 or more DNF's or if a problem is reported, all my caches are watertight so I don't need to worry about environmental issues. I've seen far too many cheap non watertight containers that are wet and in some cases full of water, the contents generally stuffed. It frustrates me to see someone take the trouble to place and develop a cache then use the cheapest thing they can find to place it in. For a couple of dollars and a little bit of thought all these caches can be long lasting. It's even more frustrating that when you notify someone that there is a problem with their cache they usually ignore it or abuse you for taking the time to let them know. Anyway I try to visit all the caches yearly which is not hard as they are all within 100 km of my house.