placing locations

[+daisiegrl]

I have tried to place 2 caches-one of which ended up being on DNR land and another that ended up being too close to a puzzle cache- ARGH!! How can you find a place to hide-it seems like every spot is taken??? How do people place 2000 + caches? I love hiding them and finding them-but really struggling with finding a location that hasn't been discovered.

[aniyn]

Well, the only suggestion I can come up with is to move to a small town. Worked out pretty well for me.

[jholly]

2000 caches? You must live in Minnesota. On puzzle caches, well, they are a puzzle. Not much you can do there unless you do the puzzle caches. The only other suggestion is email you reviewer ahead of time with a proposed location and he/she will say yea or nay. In my drives around and when doing other caches I take note of locations. I guess DNR land where you live do not allow caches so you just need to be aware of the areas. Emailing your reviewer before you submit a cache for listing saves a lot of disappointment. All the reviewers will be happy to work with you on a location. I also use mapsource to check for possible conflicts when I'm planning a cache. I put the caches in the surrounding area in and I can see open areas. (I use 0.1 mile proximity circles).

 

Jim

[+Hakali]

I have tried to place 2 caches-one of which ended up being on DNR land and another that ended up being too close to a puzzle cache- ARGH!! How can you find a place to hide-it seems like every spot is taken??? How do people place 2000 + caches? I love hiding them and finding them-but really struggling with finding a location that hasn't been discovered.

 

I live in Sunnyvale, CA, which is cache-central. Seriously, this place is loaded. I thought really hard about my first cache: what is it that I want for the cacher? I wanted to call out someplace that was historic, someplace that even longtime locals sometimes don't know about, someplace with a fascinating story and tidbits that even some of the oldtimers might have forgotten, and someplace that is still pleasant to visit. I'm looking for the "wow" factor.

 

And I knew exactly the spot in mind. So I headed over there, did a "find nearest me" with my caching app, and discovered that I was clear of another historic cache by a few dozen feet. Then my next step was, what kind of cache would I hide? Well, I adore geocoins and I really enjoy travel bugs, so I wanted a cache big enough to stock several of each. Besides, this place is crawling with nanos. So I went for the largest clear Geocache from Groundspeak (I adore the design).

 

Lastly, the question was how to hide the thing. I wanted something on the clever side that didn't require tramping through bushes or digging holes...and ultimately I went for existing urban camoflauge. I was thrilled when I accidentally ran into Digitalfish searching out my cache and he said it was a "very nice cache". That's high praise coming from one of our Caching Elders, especially for a first hide by a rank noob.

 

I really love the "wow" factor, as opposed to "I stuck a cache here cuz I could" approach, so I have another large cache planned for another historic site and then I'm off to work on a themed set of caches that may turn into a multi-cache....again, no smaller than smalls. I'm tired of nanos.

 

So:

1. What do you want the cacher to experience?

2. What other caches are nearby? (your app or GPS can tell you that from where you're standing....I even used a Geomate on mine)

3. What size is lacking in that area?

[+msrubble]

daisiegrl, caching is allowed on some DNR land and not on others. See Cache Guidelines for various kinds of public land in Minnesota. State parks require a permit, and caches are reportedly difficult to place. Wildlife Management Areas: new caches are banned; surviving caches placed before the ban are grandfathered in. Scientific and Natural Areas: not allowed. A state forest might be a possibility for you. They have special guidelines. State trails are OK. Public water accesses are OK. The page I linked to also has information on Washington County.

 

If there are any puzzle caches within about two miles that you haven't solved, maybe you could run your proposed location by the reviewer first.

 

So how do you find a spot? Consult maps. Keep an eye out during your daily routine and while caching. Watch the newspaper for stories about parks.

[+daisiegrl]

I have tried to place 2 caches-one of which ended up being on DNR land and another that ended up being too close to a puzzle cache- ARGH!! How can you find a place to hide-it seems like every spot is taken??? How do people place 2000 + caches? I love hiding them and finding them-but really struggling with finding a location that hasn't been discovered.

 

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I will try these suggestions! I will not be deterred!