TOTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD GEOCACHING!

July 3, 2009

I was under the impression that Geocaching was hiding a treasure, posting it, and unless 'travelling bugs' were left, the treasure was to be kept intact for other explorers. But what I've been learning is, people find, take and add something in place of what they took....why? What's the point of gathering together a treasure to hide if the treasure is going to be altered from its original state? Our caches aren't even our caches anymore - so our days of pondering and planning were for not...we may as well have just thrown in some buttons, and plastic cutlery! When we get an email now telling us another person has found our cache and they say what they've taken and what they left....we have no idea of what they're talking about! They took something we never put there and of course left again something we didn't even think of wanting.

Now this all said, could someone tell me what the point is of hiding and finding if what you've hidden is no longer what it was and basically no longer "Your" cache. Did I mis-read something in the 'Getting Started" pages? We did not have any travelling bugs with directions to be taken to be helped on its journey yet most of our treasures are now gone and what the next guy takes isn't ours anymore anyway so no point in emailing us anymore we have no idea what you're talking about!

July 3, 2009

In the purest sense, geocaching is about the hunt, not the trade.

but, if the container is large enough, trading does take place.

You see, if you choose to hide a container large enough to hold anything other than the logbook, folks will trade trinkets. Unless some eccentric comes by and leaves the keys to a BMW.

When you hide a cache you should start it out with items you want to give away. Don't expect to get anything of value in return other than the logs of folks that enjoyed hunting your cache.

Travel bugs and geocoins are a seperate item. they are sent out in the world to travel. they are not trade items. they are not ment to be kept. but the topic of TBs is discussed elsewhere.

July 3, 2009

The 1st thing that comes to mind is simply not to put any 'treasures' in your cache that you aren't willing to part with. Trading swag is one of many things people look forward to in geocaching... especially the kids. The point of adding swag is not to just look and admire it, but to take something and leave something in its place for the next to find. (If someone even wants to take anything.) If you don't want to deal with swag, you could put out micros which hold no room at all for anything, but the log.

The point in our family for geocaching is the fun we have together finding caches, exploring new places, and also watching the logs come in of others who have found and enjoyed ours. Our caches will always remain ours. We regularly maintain them, make sure they are still there and dry, and add swag when they are empty. It's interesting to us on our mainentance runs to see what people have left in the cache.

Only you can decide if geocaching is for you. If you aren't enjoying the fun of the game... you can always back out. Seeing as you have only found 1 cache so far, maybe after going out and finding more you will become more familiar with the game.

9.2k · July 3, 2009

I was under the impression that Geocaching was hiding a treasure, posting it, and unless 'travelling bugs' were left, the treasure was to be kept intact for other explorers.

And what would be the point of THAT? People find your cache just to ooh and aah over what you put it in, then close it up and walk away?

The point is the Journey. If you're in it for cache contents, you're going to be quickly disappointed. Think of the trading as just an anonymous swap meet.

1.1k · July 3, 2009

This is one of the basic assumptions of geocaching. People assume that items in a cache are for trade unless otherwise marked.

9.5k · July 3, 2009

This is not an assumption of the game, it's the premise of the game.

From the Getting Started page:

Share Your Experience

If you take something from the geocache, leave something of equal or greater value.

Write about your experience in the geocache logbook.

Place your geocaching stories and photos online. Learn How to Log Your Find

This has always been the premise of the game.

1.3k · July 3, 2009

I rarely ever trade swag, for me it's about the hunt. I do like to help travel/bugs along the way, but I'm out for the hunt

1.7k · July 3, 2009

I look at this a bit differently. To me it is the challenge of the hunt, and the thrill of the find. It's not about what "great things" you've put in your cache. I'm not going to fawn over things you consider treasure.

I'll look at TBs and GEOcoins, and if one catches my eye I'll pick it up and move it along but again that's not the main reason I'm out there caching. I want the exercise and scenery of the hike, I want the mental challenge of where it is hid, and I want the company of the people I cache with.

July 3, 2009

I haven't took anything from caches because I never get anything good from them! I love hunting for Caches, but the stuff is usually garbage (like a teabag and some plastic coins) Thats why I enjoy micros more. I thought I would like trading because in books it says that it has great stuff like dollars, compasses batteries, water bottles, stickers, but I never get anything that great, I have a bag with hiking gear that I wanted to place, but I never see anything of high enough value to trade it with. When I place my first cache, I'm only going to put nice stuff in it in hopes that other people will putt nice stuff in it.

July 4, 2009

Now this all said, could someone tell me what the point is of hiding and finding if what you've hidden is no longer what it was and basically no longer "Your" cache.

I haven't hid my first cache yet but I am looking forward to it. I would say the point of leaving the treasure is not for people to find exactly what you left, but to see how your treasure evolves into something else. When we're out caching I let all 3 kids take what they want and trade up for every item. I kind of think of our "takes" as souveniers of having visited that cache, and our "leaves" as thank you gifts.

July 4, 2009

While it is understandable that you are frustrated, the rules do discuss trading. Our children love exchanging trinkets, but if I am out alone, I don't usually trade so there are goodies for the next set of kids. The point of geocaching is the hunt and, for us, the opportunity to bond as a family while celebrating the environment. The little "prize" helps my two first graders stay focused, but the true "treasure" is the time we spend together.

I was under the impression that Geocaching was hiding a treasure, posting it, and unless 'travelling bugs' were left, the treasure was to be kept intact for other explorers. But what I've been learning is, people find, take and add something in place of what they took....why? What's the point of gathering together a treasure to hide if the treasure is going to be altered from its original state? Our caches aren't even our caches anymore - so our days of pondering and planning were for not...we may as well have just thrown in some buttons, and plastic cutlery! When we get an email now telling us another person has found our cache and they say what they've taken and what they left....we have no idea of what they're talking about! They took something we never put there and of course left again something we didn't even think of wanting.

Now this all said, could someone tell me what the point is of hiding and finding if what you've hidden is no longer what it was and basically no longer "Your" cache. Did I mis-read something in the 'Getting Started" pages? We did not have any travelling bugs with directions to be taken to be helped on its journey yet most of our treasures are now gone and what the next guy takes isn't ours anymore anyway so no point in emailing us anymore we have no idea what you're talking about!

4.4k · July 4, 2009

This Old saying applies well here.

One mans trash is another mans treasure.

July 4, 2009

It will always be "your" cache. The swag you left inside it was only a small part of your contribution. The larger part is how and where you placed the cache. That's your real contribution, the thing people will "get" from you over and over again, if that makes any sense. The swag is secondary.

The stuff inside the cache isn't for the cache owner; it's for the finders of the cache, if they so choose. It's understood that if there is swag in a cache, it's acceptable - actually encouraged - to trade for it. It would be bad form for them to take some of your swag without leaving something behind. So your cache will fill up with other people's swag pretty quickly, and your cache will remain an ongoing succession of other people's swag until you add more swag yourself or archive the cache.

I'm sorry your first cache-placing experience was marred by frustration and disappointment from this misunderstanding. The suggestion to find some more caches is a good one, I think; it will allow you to get an idea what other caches are like in your area. You might also want to consider "themed" caches in the future, if you want to have input over the swag that comes and goes from your cache. There are caches for which the trade items are limited to dog toys, pirate-themed swag, yo-yos, foreign coins, $1 scratch-offs, etc.

2.5k · July 4, 2009

One other thing you may not be clear on. The people who are finding the cache are not specifically emailing you to tell you what they have found. As the owner of the cache, you will get an email notice any time the cache is logged--with a found it, and did not find note, a note of any kind, a should be archived notice, or a needs maintenance note etc.

That's a good thing, even if the things they are trading are not the originals you left. It lets you monitor the cache a little. If someone were to mention leaving unsafe items in there for instance, you might want to take them out to maintain the family friendly safe environment. Of course, some people don't mention what they trade at all.

July 4, 2009

I rarely ever trade swag, for me it's about the hunt. I do like to help travel/bugs along the way, but I'm out for the hunt

yah mon.

1.3k · July 4, 2009

I was under the impression that Geocaching was hiding a treasure, posting it, and unless 'travelling bugs' were left, the treasure was to be kept intact for other explorers. But what I've been learning is, people find, take and add something in place of what they took....why? What's the point of gathering together a treasure to hide if the treasure is going to be altered from its original state? Our caches aren't even our caches anymore - so our days of pondering and planning were for not...we may as well have just thrown in some buttons, and plastic cutlery! When we get an email now telling us another person has found our cache and they say what they've taken and what they left....we have no idea of what they're talking about! They took something we never put there and of course left again something we didn't even think of wanting.

Now this all said, could someone tell me what the point is of hiding and finding if what you've hidden is no longer what it was and basically no longer "Your" cache. Did I mis-read something in the 'Getting Started" pages? We did not have any travelling bugs with directions to be taken to be helped on its journey yet most of our treasures are now gone and what the next guy takes isn't ours anymore anyway so no point in emailing us anymore we have no idea what you're talking about!

Rather than thinking of your cache as a display case of your swag, think of it as a trading post. Or maybe a Goodwill drop-off in the woods. Just think of when you do a maintainence run and all the strange loot you'll find!

I have a bag with hiking gear that I wanted to place, but I never see anything of high enough value to trade it with.

That's the premise behind trading up. Sometimes you gotta be willing to be the pioneer and break new ground.

When I place my first cache, I'm only going to put nice stuff in it in hopes that other people will putt nice stuff in it.

And as you're seeing with the caches you're visiting, don't get your hopes up too high. Best course of action is to place a difficult/remote cache. The 1/1's get plundered pretty quickly.

Bruce

9.2k · July 5, 2009

I have a bag with hiking gear that I wanted to place, but I never see anything of high enough value to trade it with.

That's the premise behind trading up down. Sometimes you gotta be willing to be the pioneer and break new ground.

Fixed!

July 5, 2009

I rarely ever trade swag, for me it's about the hunt. I do like to help travel/bugs along the way, but I'm out for the hunt

yah mon.

I'm in this camp too. If the kids are along, they might trade but more and more they don't seem to care if it's a nano or an extra large, the challenge of the hunt makes it worthwhile.

July 5, 2009

It's always about the challenge of the hunt to me. I've only traded swag just once in my 160+ finds.

Otherwise, it's the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction of making the find and the agony when I don't make the find. IT's what geocaching's all about.

Right?

July 5, 2009

I always trade but the sad thing is that it seems that there arent a lot of people that trade equal or better that the contents. That's why I maintain my caches and change swag if needed.

1.6k · July 5, 2009

If i've found a well placed cache in a beautiful spot that devoid of swag I'll often leave something without taking.

July 5, 2009

I was under the impression that Geocaching was hiding a treasure, posting it, and unless 'travelling bugs' were left, the treasure was to be kept intact for other explorers. But what I've been learning is, people find, take and add something in place of what they took....why? What's the point of gathering together a treasure to hide if the treasure is going to be altered from its original state?

It sounds as if the OP isn't complaining about poor swag, but that what they placed in their cache is being traded for other items... which means they don't fully understand all the aspects of geocaching yet. Too bad the OP hasn't come back to learn more.

July 5, 2009

It sounds as if the OP isn't complaining about poor swag, but that what they placed in their cache is being traded for other items... which means they don't fully understand all the aspects of geocaching yet. Too bad the OP hasn't come back to learn more.

Pity, hope they at least came back and read some posts to learn more.. Hate to lose a geocacher over a simple misunderstanding. I do find it an interesting concept though of having a geocache made where you do hide treasures of the owner and make it so the geocache cannot be muggled and the treasures are protected and cannot be trade. Like behind museum glass or something.. Then you could have something interesting to examine besides just finding the cache itself.... Hmmmm.

2.3k · July 5, 2009

I do find it an interesting concept though of having a geocache made where you do hide treasures of the owner and make it so the geocache cannot be muggled and the treasures are protected and cannot be trade. Like behind museum glass or something.. Then you could have something interesting to examine besides just finding the cache itself.... Hmmmm.

Little truffle pig and I have a cache with a Welsh theme (in an old cemetery where the original Welsh settlers of the town are buried) called The Dragon's Hoard. The ammo box includes a bag of materials representative of Wales that is marked as not intended for trade. We knew from the outset that someone could easily take the items from the cache, but we figured it was worth taking the chance. So far, anyway, cache finders have honored our request not to take those items.

--Larry

July 7, 2009

I was under the impression that Geocaching was hiding a treasure, posting it, and unless 'travelling bugs' were left, the treasure was to be kept intact for other explorers. But what I've been learning is, people find, take and add something in place of what they took....why? What's the point of gathering together a treasure to hide if the treasure is going to be altered from its original state? Our caches aren't even our caches anymore - so our days of pondering and planning were for not...we may as well have just thrown in some buttons, and plastic cutlery! When we get an email now telling us another person has found our cache and they say what they've taken and what they left....we have no idea of what they're talking about! They took something we never put there and of course left again something we didn't even think of wanting.

Now this all said, could someone tell me what the point is of hiding and finding if what you've hidden is no longer what it was and basically no longer "Your" cache. Did I mis-read something in the 'Getting Started" pages? We did not have any travelling bugs with directions to be taken to be helped on its journey yet most of our treasures are now gone and what the next guy takes isn't ours anymore anyway so no point in emailing us anymore we have no idea what you're talking about!

Ummm... did you do any research at all before becoming a participant in this game? The VERY 1ST CACHE was a bucket full of goodies to share. That was the point. (That, and getting to geek out with your newly accurate GPS.) You can read all about it here: The History of Geocaching

I think that perhaps before you make a heated and aggravated post, you should do some research and find out the history and culture of the group you are choosing to become a part of.

---------

Unless some eccentric comes by and leaves the keys to a BMW.

Holy crap! I'm gonna see if I can hit 5 or 6 caches a day now!!! I mean, you never know - and I have a better chance of finding a BMW the more caches I hit! Right? Anyone? [crickets chirping]

Edited July 7, 2009 by nericksx

6.7k · July 7, 2009

Unless some eccentric comes by and leaves the keys to a BMW.

Holy crap! I'm gonna see if I can hit 5 or 6 caches a day now!!! I mean, you never know - and I have a better chance of finding a BMW the more caches I hit! Right? Anyone? [crickets chirping]

Sure, but remember to trade up.

July 7, 2009

Unless some eccentric comes by and leaves the keys to a BMW.

Holy crap! I'm gonna see if I can hit 5 or 6 caches a day now!!! I mean, you never know - and I have a better chance of finding a BMW the more caches I hit! Right? Anyone? [crickets chirping]

Sure, but remember to trade up.

I keep the keys and tltles to my Porsche 911 Carerra and Ferrari 308 GTS handy for just such a situation. When I get there - it will be hard to decide which one to use as trade.

1.7k · July 7, 2009

I keep the keys and tltles to my Porsche 911 Carerra and Ferrari 308 GTS handy for just such a situation. When I get there - it will be hard to decide which one to use as trade.

This is exactly why I keep the keys and title for my AMC Pacer with me. The problem I have is that people take them out of the cache and mail'em back to me along with a note about leaving junk in caches.

I just don't get it.

1.3k · July 8, 2009

I keep the keys and tltles to my Porsche 911 Carerra and Ferrari 308 GTS handy for just such a situation. When I get there - it will be hard to decide which one to use as trade.
This is exactly why I keep the keys and title for my AMC Pacer with me. The problem I have is that people take them out of the cache and mail'em back to me along with a note about leaving junk in caches.

I just don't get it.

Maybe leave keys to an AMC Gremlin instead. Those cachers are probably looking for a higher quality AMC product.

Bruce

TOTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD GEOCACHING!

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