Ya think it'll work?

[+Puppy Dawg]

So here's my idea for a night cache: The first little chunk of it has so many firetacks all around it's impossible o get lost, then that diminishes to a normal amount, and I tack trails making a wide loop and eventually walking on the trail you came in on, back to the starting point where the cache is. My question: Do you think geocachers will turn around and see the trail of tacks behind them?

[+WRASTRO]

Sooner or later someone will post a log that gives it away. I would make sure the final is far enough from the start that folks can't simply brute force the final. Having the final at the same spot as the start seems just a bit too obvious and contrived. Maybe it would work after all since no one would expect it. But that would only work until someone gave it away in their log. So in a circular argument I started out with it being a bad idea and came back to the same opinion.

 

Any time a night cache has an obvious final it is a bad idea in my opinion.

[+bittsen]

So here's my idea for a night cache: The first little chunk of it has so many firetacks all around it's impossible o get lost, then that diminishes to a normal amount, and I tack trails making a wide loop and eventually walking on the trail you came in on, back to the starting point where the cache is. My question: Do you think geocachers will turn around and see the trail of tacks behind them?

 

So, let me get this straight....

 

A cloud of tacks, that diminish into none so the cachers "essentially" give up and head back, only to see the real trail?

 

Yes, i think it will work, though I would be mildly P.O.d that I was led to walk down a trail for no other reason than to trick me.

 

But that's just me.

 

In some ways I think it's a great idea.

[+gof1]

They will probably notice them at some point. Most night caches are done by groups of two or three. The cacher in the lead turns to say something to their buddies and sees the tacks. Good news is they will probably think they are so they can find their way back.

[+Puppy Dawg]

Sooner or later someone will post a log that gives it away. I would make sure the final is far enough from the start that folks can't simply brute force the final. Having the final at the same spot as the start seems just a bit too obvious and contrived. Maybe it would work after all since no one would expect it. But that would only work until someone gave it away in their log. So in a circular argument I started out with it being a bad idea and came back to the same opinion.

 

Any time a night cache has an obvious final it is a bad idea in my opinion.

Well, I suppose...

 

So, let me get this straight....

 

A cloud of tacks, that diminish into none so the cachers "essentially" give up and head back, only to see the real trail?

 

Yes, i think it will work, though I would be mildly P.O.d that I was led to walk down a trail for no other reason than to trick me.

 

But that's just me.

 

In some ways I think it's a great idea.

No, the cloud of tacks is so there's no chance you will look anywhere that's not ahead of you. Then, it diminishes into a normal amount so you don't turn back. They will end up doing a giant loop and then arriving at the start again. That will be a nano, BTW. It will have coords for the next start point.

 

They will probably notice them at some point. Most night caches are done by groups of two or three. The cacher in the lead turns to say something to their buddies and sees the tacks. Good news is they will probably think they are so they can find their way back.

Yeah, didn't think of that.

[+C@H]

Place the fire tacks in such a way so they cannot be seen from the starting direction.

[+Puppy Dawg]

Yes! That's what's going on. But if you turn around, you will see them, no way around it.

[knowschad]

A night cache is tricky enough by itself, and like a puzzle or a multi, will suffer from a lack of tries anyway. Don't attempt to obfuscate it... you will only piss people off.

[+9Key]

Edited August 11, 2009 by 9Key

[+Puppy Dawg]

A night cache is tricky enough by itself, and like a puzzle or a multi, will suffer from a lack of tries anyway. Don't attempt to obfuscate it... you will only piss people off.

Probably right. I guess I'll make it only 2-3 miles.

[+hudsonfam]

So here's my idea for a night cache: The first little chunk of it has so many firetacks all around it's impossible o get lost, then that diminishes to a normal amount, and I tack trails making a wide loop and eventually walking on the trail you came in on, back to the starting point where the cache is. My question: Do you think geocachers will turn around and see the trail of tacks behind them?

 

Oooh, this is the first time I've heard of firetacks so I had to look it up. Those are SO freakin' cool! I love nighttime caching - this gives me soooooooo many ideas!

[+J-Way]

Does the loop come back to the start in a different location, or is any backtracking involved? If you're walking back on the same trail you left on, you should expect quite a few DNF logs where people assume the "back" tacks are marking the trail back out and that the trail got messed up, or that they missed something.

 

And I agree with knowschad - there's a trick to being tricky with night caches. Get too tricky, and you just make people mad and they avoid your caches.

[Dinoprophet]

So here's my idea for a night cache: The first little chunk of it has so many firetacks all around it's impossible o get lost, then that diminishes to a normal amount, and I tack trails making a wide loop and eventually walking on the trail you came in on, back to the starting point where the cache is. My question: Do you think geocachers will turn around and see the trail of tacks behind them?

 

So, let me get this straight....

 

A cloud of tacks, that diminish into none so the cachers "essentially" give up and head back, only to see the real trail?

 

Yes, i think it will work, though I would be mildly P.O.d that I was led to walk down a trail for no other reason than to trick me.

 

But that's just me.

 

In some ways I think it's a great idea.

It's no different than if the tacks were in the middle of the woods. You still have to walk back to your car. I like multis that loop around and end near the start.

 

Does the loop come back to the start in a different location, or is any backtracking involved? If you're walking back on the same trail you left on, you should expect quite a few DNF logs where people assume the "back" tacks are marking the trail back out and that the trail got messed up, or that they missed something.

 

And I agree with knowschad - there's a trick to being tricky with night caches. Get too tricky, and you just make people mad and they avoid your caches.

You raise a good point. If the tacks are in a full loop, you don't have to worry about people turning around.

[+Puppy Dawg]

I live um...let's see...100 feet or so from this area, and know of no alternate way to get there without backtracking. But I could always MAKE a trail that would do it, just connect spur trails, bu that's a lot of work.