How long should you be geocaching before you hide your first cache

[+chrisrayn]

I would be more concerned with those who have 600 odd hidden caches. I can't imagine how one could maintain that many.

 

THANK you...

[+chrisrayn]

...I want to wait until I've found about 100 of different varieties before I hide, to gain some experience, read these forums and feel the experience....

 

One thing I find is that different regions have styles. Styles come from the locals copying each other. So when someone is inspired to hide a cache and they wait until they see "what everone else is doing" that's what they hide.

 

Creativity in hiding a cache comes from within, it doesn't come from copying the other 100 hides you found.

 

What I'm saying is when your muse whispers in your ear about a great cache idea, and you haven't hit your magic 100, listen to your muse and not the 100.

 

I must be a rebel.

 

I'm put off by so many magnetic key holders and 35 mm film canisters and lock & locks. I recently placed one which took a wide departure and I had FUN making it. Perhaps this is what's spurring me, over in the Hollow out a Rock thread, to make better and more interesting fake rocks. One exercise has taken a turn to appear as an old mileage marker, which will get coats of plaster whitewash before going out. Another is a fake sprinkler (which I've seen done a few times) but with a larger container inside. I bought these parts a year ago and will finally do something with them) I'm also waiting on papier mache to dry (assuming the rotten old balloon I'm using doesn't pop) to form a fake rock. Also a little camo painted 10 round paintball tube is drying.

 

I still like to walk through stores, particularly hardware and home & garden for inspiration. I don't want my finders to be looking for the ordinary, I want them to be seeking the extraordinary.

 

Okay...I think my issue is this: not everybody out there has a muse like that. I think that if someone isn't the type to think so creatively, then they should wait awhile.

 

I'm waiting awhile for different reasons though. I want to make a small trail of caches, but I want to see a number of different kinds of caches first so I don't end up with 6 fake rocks along the way. I want to put something out there for everyone. I want to be kind to newbies and seasoned veterans alike. I want to include an easy one and a hard one. I want a mystery or multi included. I want large and small containers.

 

I just think the vast majority of people who are out there hiding after only 4 finds are placing just for placement's sake, like the newbie up there said. ;-) I still sort of consider myself a noob after around 140 finds. But it's been a fun 3 weeks. I've even helped someone replace a cache that broke rather than make my own.

 

But there are exceptions of course...I don't think there should be a REQUIRED amount of finds before someone can place. It might sour someone on the whole idea.

 

The title, however, says "should." I think, on general principle, that most people should wait a little while to see what's out there. Others, however, get their rock-drill out and start working their second day.

 

It all just depends.

[+jasondulac]

Just to let you know The cache I mentioned in the first post I'm pretty sure it was archived because I can't find it when I do a search or acsess it through the origanal link I posted

[+Crow-T-Robot]

How long should you be geocaching before you hide your first cache

 

He had to rely on google maps since he doesn't have a GPS unit.

 

Long enough to know that you need to use a GPS unit to HIDE a cache is a good start...

 

Bruce

[Clan Riffster]

It has little to do with experience.

I agree with everything Brian said except that line. I believe personal, individual experience is the single greatest teacher any of us can have. The obvious caveat is, we, (hiders), have to be willing students of that experience. I can't help but think that those folks who, having played this game for years, and still think a black & grey film can makes for a decent hide in a state with an average humidity above 0%, are those who either can't or won't listen to the voice of experience. The other possibility is hider apathy, which strikes me as a bit too negative to survive long in this game. On a similar note, I think that someone who grasps the art of hiding after finding their first cache, will still improve over time.

[Clan Riffster]

I don't see how an intelligent person needs caching experience to know that your container must be watertight if it's going to be exposed to rain.

Because not everyone has the same definition of watertight.

Things that local noobs thought were watertight: (in a state with high humidity)

 

Gladware

Black & grey film cans

Altoids tins

Paintball tubes

M&M tubes

PVC pipes with caps

Tackle Boxes

Cookie tins

Duct tape covered Ziplock baggies

Snuff cans

 

Obviously, none of these would even remotely qualify as being water resistant, much less watertight.

Had the folks who hid these mold collection stations had some experience with these types of containers, in real world settings, they would've known they were completely inappropriate for use in a moderate to high humidity environment.

[+L0ne.R]

Just to let you know The cache I mentioned in the first post I'm pretty sure it was archived because I can't find it when I do a search or acsess it through the origanal link I posted

 

Yes. It was. One of the finders posted a SBA citing that google maps should not be used for coordinates as they are not accurate. Then the reviewer retracted the listing explaining that... "All caches must be placed using a GPS in order to obtain accurate coordinates. Online mapping solutions such as Google Earth are not sufficient. I will be happy to re-publish your cache once you have your own GPS or access to one and have acquired accurate coordinates."

 

Personally I'm not sure that it should be listed again in the current location, as the fencing is there for safety reasons. Even if the CO says the reservoir/drainage ditch is not hazardous and the fence is only there to keep the kids from the nearby school out, I have my concerns about turning a blind eye to the fencing issue.

[J.A.R.S.]

It has little to do with experience.

I agree with everything Brian said except that line. I believe personal, individual experience is the single greatest teacher any of us can have.

 

I'm not sure that's true. We once had a cache owner that had found 2 very good examples of geocaches (traditional forest hides, regular size good containers) before placing 4 of her own. The containers: one was a candy tin, another an airline zippered pouch, another a dollar store gladware type of container that was crammed into a stump and cracked within a couple of days of planting, the 4th a film canister. Placements were mostly urban. Problems arose immediately and were noted in the logs. The CO posted notes saying she was a busy student and would get to the caches when she wasn't so busy. After a few months with no maintenance visits, she posted that she was leaving the country. She never maintained her caches, never disabled her caches and never archived them. Yet her experience with 2 good cache finds did not reflect in her hides.

 

I was going to check the profile of the CO of the cache noted in the OP's message but since the cache was retracted it no longer exists. It would have been interesting to see what he found and compare them to what he planted.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

The answer is simple. The wait should be 5000 caches found if hiding a lamp post micro and 50 caches found if developing an EarthCache!

[J.A.R.S.]

It has little to do with experience.

I agree with everything Brian said except that line. I believe personal, individual experience is the single greatest teacher any of us can have.

 

I'm not sure that's true. We once had a cache owner that had found 2 very good examples of geocaches (traditional forest hides, regular size good containers) before placing 4 of her own. The containers: one was a candy tin, another an airline zippered pouch, another a dollar store gladware type of container that was crammed into a stump and cracked within a couple of days of planting, the 4th a film canister. Placements were mostly urban. Problems arose immediately and were noted in the logs. The CO posted notes saying she was a busy student and would get to the caches when she wasn't so busy. After a few months with no maintenance visits, she posted that she was leaving the country. She never maintained her caches, never disabled her caches and never archived them. Yet her experience with 2 good cache finds did not reflect in her hides.

 

I was going to check the profile of the CO of the cache noted in the OP's message but since the cache was retracted it no longer exists. It would have been interesting to see what he found and compare them to what he planted.

 

Ook, my mistake. I re-read briansnat's and Cliff's messages. I'm actually agreeing with them - i.e. experience doesn't equal good cache placements. It has more to do with imagination and creativity of the CO.

[+Don_J]

Our family team has now found 25 caches and we are just now feeling like we might be qualified to hide a cache, but we're still giving it some time. The kids are very excited and have been asking us since day 1 when we get to hide something.

 

But to me it's about gaining experience and also paying your dues - proving that you're dedicated because hiding a cache requires a certain level of commitment and responsibility. The CO has to maintain the cache and if they decide after 10, 25, or even 100 finds that they don't really want to do this anymore, do they abandon the cache at the detriment of the environment? Because once a cache has been abandoned, it becomes just another piece of litter. Not to mention the fact that an abandoned cache will also become a source of frustration to fellow geocachers if it disappears or is damaged.

 

A newbie determined to hide a cache with little experience under his/her belt seems to be motivated by reasons of entitlement (no one can tell me what I can and can't do), competition (my cache/hiding spot is better than everyone else's) or a need for instant gratification. Personally, I don't see any reason why some kind of experience requirement shouldn't be mandated in order to place a cache. Too many people think they should start at the top of everything and not have to work their way up to it.

 

Sorry, I guess that was a bit of a soapbox rant but I have issues with entitlement.

 

Thank you. You seem to have a good grasp on this issue. I found about 500 caches, mostly in the mountains, before I hid my first one. The first one that I hid, was also the first one that I archived. What was a clear area in February, saw fifteen feet high poison oak in July. I had to wear a rain coat to recover the thing. I have a friend that is an aerospace engineer. He hid his first cache after about five finds. A magnet Altoids on a dirty charity donation bin. He learned from that experience. His next 100 caches are simply a work of art.

 

Personally, I hike with various different caches in my backpack. I will not place a cache simply because there is a clear spot on the trail. I have to "feel it". When I "feel it" and I have the proper sized cache in my backpack, we have a new cache.

[+Don_J]

OK I am a newbie, only found 24 caches at probably a rate of only 1 or 2 a week, find it difficult even to grab the local ones 1km away currently because of a newborn, a 2 yr old and a 3 year old, but that's another story. I've already found caches that I didn't like, cache areas that I took a quick look, thought I'd don't even want to look here, went home and pressed the ignore button and ones that were great, well thought out or amusing, finding more will widen this and give me more ideas.

 

I want to wait until I've found about 100 of different varieties before I hide, to gain some experience, read these forums and feel the experience.

 

Luckily when I do decide, I'm regularly in this area (wifes parents)

 

http://maps.google.ch/maps?hl=en&rlz=1...sa=N&tab=wl

 

which I feel is lacking in quantity, but it will have to be quality

 

Point of the post apart from waffling on? I think there should be a criteria for hiding, ca 50 or 100 finds, but I guess with armchair cachers around, it is unenforcable anyway.

 

It seems that you have three junior hikers to take care of.

Good luck to you, my friend.

[gojkgo]

I guess that what I meant was that it's not hard to figure out how to hide a box. Thanks for rolling your eyes at me though.

 

Spoken like someone who doesn't really get geocaching yet. Sorry, I don't mean to come down on you. There's just a lot more to a good geocache than a hidden box.

 

Why not take some time to develop your own geocaching sensibilities and preferences. Do a bunch of caches and you'll end up doing some good ones and some not-so-good ones, and that's how you'll figure out which is which.

[+Don_J]

I was introduced to this game last Friday and I am absolutely loving it. The problem is there aren't all that many caches in the area where I live. I will have found all the caches in my immediate area in the next couple of days, so for now the best way for me to contribute is to play on the hiding side of the game.

 

I don't see how an intelligent person needs caching experience to know that your container must be watertight if it's going to be exposed to rain.

 

I love this game because it motivates me to get exercise. Soon I will run out of caches in my immediate area and I run the risk of losing interest. If I get into hiding caches though, I will be out checking on them every week and that will keep my interest up until I have time to travel.

 

I don't think that lack of experience is the problem when it comes to hiding caches. It's more likely a lack of imagination and common sense.

 

I would be more concerned with those who have 600 odd hidden caches. I can't imagine how one could maintain that many.

 

Just my two cents.

 

Beem me up Scotty.

As long as you are devoted to maintaining these caches that you plan on hiding, you will learn how to hide caches that the locals like to find. I think that all of us have to put out "Stinker".

 

I did. My first cache was in park that I had been hiking in for almost 40 years. I put it in the drainage, not thinking that when it finally rained in Southern California, It would be washed away. Well, it never rained, and instead, the Poison Oak grew about ten feet tall.

 

BTW, it doesn't rain in Southern California, but the Browns Canyon Wash just filled up. Must be a thunderstorm up on the mountain.

[+TheMadScotsman]

I guess that what I meant was that it's not hard to figure out how to hide a box. Thanks for rolling your eyes at me though.

 

Spoken like someone who doesn't really get geocaching yet. Sorry, I don't mean to come down on you. There's just a lot more to a good geocache than a hidden box.

 

Why not take some time to develop your own geocaching sensibilities and preferences. Do a bunch of caches and you'll end up doing some good ones and some not-so-good ones, and that's how you'll figure out which is which.

 

Or maybe I'll just start hiding caches and see what works and what doesn't. It's really not as hard as you make it sound.

[gojkgo]

I didn't say it was hard. I said there's more to it, and there is. Being open to that and willing to learn from your experiences finding geocaches is going to serve you much better than an assumption that you already know all there is to know from the get-go.

[Clan Riffster]

We once had a cache owner that had found 2 very good examples of geocaches before placing 4 crappy ones of her own.

I think this speaks even stronger to the value of experience. Finding quality containers can give you a good idea of what does work, but it won't necessarily tell you what won't work. If someone has little to no experience with storing stuff in less than ideal environments, they may honestly not realize what kinds of containers are doomed to fail. Assume for argument's sake that the cacher you are referring to is part of the group that is capable and willing to learn. If she had found a few dozen candy tins, airline zippered pouches, gladwares and film canisters, she would've come to the realization that these containers are not suitable for her environment. Assuming again, that she was even remotely conscientious, this realization could have caused her to rethink her container choice.

 

Ergo, experience would've taught her, as it teaches us all.

[+Raenne]

I am a new geocacher by most of the standards I've seen on this forum (47 finds), however, I do plan on a hide very soon. There is a trail that winds along an inactive, unused railroad track behind the town hall of my town. There is already a micro on one part of the trail, placed by a prolific and skilled caching team in my area (4Swans). I hope to hide a small or regular sized cache (thinking one with a haiku theme, where cachers can contemplate on haikus written by previous cachers and add one of their own).

 

I try very hard to make sure that my actions as a finder are representative of the true spirit of geocaching, and I also hope to make my hide memorable enough that I will be thought of not as a newbie with a penchant for throwing film cans out windows, but as someone with only a few hides that have true meaning.

 

I am in the vast minority, I am sure.

 

But then again, I like being a bit off the norm ;P

[Clan Riffster]

Raenne, it sounds like you've found a kewl spot, and your poetry idea adds a little something special to the hide.

Choose a quality container and you've hit the Trifecta.

[+hudsonfam]

I am a new geocacher by most of the standards I've seen on this forum (47 finds), however, I do plan on a hide very soon. There is a trail that winds along an inactive, unused railroad track behind the town hall of my town. There is already a micro on one part of the trail, placed by a prolific and skilled caching team in my area (4Swans). I hope to hide a small or regular sized cache (thinking one with a haiku theme, where cachers can contemplate on haikus written by previous cachers and add one of their own).

 

 

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I had to say that I LOVE the idea of a haiku cache! I would be thrilled to search for a cache that I knew would have a log of haiku written by fellow GCers. I hope you don't mind, but I just might borrow that idea when I decide to hide my own!

[+katie w]

...A newbie determined to hide a cache with little experience under his/her belt seems to be motivated by reasons of entitlement (no one can tell me what I can and can't do), competition (my cache/hiding spot is better than everyone else's) or a need for instant gratification. Personally, I don't see any reason why some kind of experience requirement shouldn't be mandated in order to place a cache. Too many people think they should start at the top of everything and not have to work their way up to it.

 

Sorry, I guess that was a bit of a soapbox rant but I have issues with entitlement.

 

So after finding one cache without a GPS, and about 2 minutes after getting my GPS I hid my first cache. Why? I knew this great spot and couldn't wait to hide a cache there. It's still a great spot and it still has a cache. Oh and the spot actually is better than most I see even now.

 

I really wouldn't want to confuse enthusiasm for entitlement.

I had a similar experience, I knew all these neat places in the local bush reserve and I could hardly wait to place some interesting caches in them.

I think if I had found more caches before I placed mine, I would have been disgusted at some of the less imaginative placements there are.

I like to place caches where I would like to find some, and my puzzles are always ones that I would like to solve.

Sadly there are some cachers out there who can't see past numbers.

Edited August 17, 2009 by katie w

[+StarBrand]

I hid my first cache after finding 1. It is is still there being enjoyed by many 7.5+ years later. Nobody should hide a cache even one moment before being inspired to do so after reading the guidelines and finding a great spot. That will vary greatly from person to person.

[+Jeep_Dog]

I hope to hide a small or regular sized cache (thinking one with a haiku theme, where cachers can contemplate on haikus written by previous cachers and add one of their own).

 

 

I think a Haiku cache is a wonderful idea! I found one that was quite fun - Haiku Cache. Just remember that ALRs are no longer allowed, so understand that actually getting Haikus contributed will be hit and miss. For example, in the link I provided, you have to go back to 2008 to find a steady stream of Haiku logs.

 

Back to OP - it depends on "how long." It is difficult to quantify experience. Someone may have 500 caches found, but these finds may all be urban micros or LPCs. If this person is hiding an LPC (egads!), then probably the requisite experience is on hand.

 

I hid my first cache at around 50 finds. It is still in place after nearly 5 years, still a good cache, and gets good comments. At the time I was belittled by some for not having enough "experience." On the flip side, I've seen some crappy caches placed by folks with more than 2K finds...

[+Don_J]

I hope to hide a small or regular sized cache (thinking one with a haiku theme, where cachers can contemplate on haikus written by previous cachers and add one of their own).

 

 

I hid my first cache at around 50 finds. It is still in place after nearly 5 years, still a good cache, and gets good comments. At the time I was belittled by some for not having enough "experience." On the flip side, I've seen some crappy caches placed by folks with more than 2K finds...

 

I would venture to guess that I had about 100 finds before I even thought about hiding my first cache. These 100 finds were all deep in the mountains, on hiking trails. I hadn't even attempted an urban micro at that point, so I had no real idea of what they were. I was very apprehensive about my first hide because I felt that I had to live up to the standard of the caches that I had been finding. My first hide was at the base of the mountains, next to the edge of a city park, along a dry stream bed. It was generally well received and that gave me the confidence to hide many more over the years. Unfortunately, with my first hide, six months later, the Poison Oak was six feet high and I had to don my head to toe rain gear, just to retrieve it. That was just part of the learning experience.

[steedaq155]

The only reason I can see there being a find number before hiding a cache is because of the new geocachers who hide one, and then never log in again after caching for a week. Afte a while, the cache just sits and sits there with DNF's mounting up until another active cacher lets the reviewer know that it's not there anymore. It's very annoying to see caches with multiple DNF's because a new cacher came along with zero finds, hid one, and for some reason or another - gets out of the game.

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

Our family team has now found 25 caches and we are just now feeling like we might be qualified to hide a cache, but we're still giving it some time. The kids are very excited and have been asking us since day 1 when we get to hide something.

 

That's about the same attitude I took. My friend that got me into geocaching didn't put out his first hide until he and his kids were around their 100th find. I put my first hide out around my 50th find.

 

And then when you reach that point where you've seen caches and think you can successfully hide a decent cache, you'll fret about your first cache because you want to make sure others like it.

[AZcachemeister]

A) When you have found enough to really know what constitutes a good hide.

B)When you decide you are in it for the long haul.

[+AstroDav]

I found about 500 caches, mostly in the mountains, before I hid my first one.

 

Curiously, your profile find/hide stats show completely different. First solo hide on 31 May 05 -- De Ansa Trail Cache. Approx amount of finds at that time = 25 to 50 (Your first recorded find was only 17 days prior to this). By early November, you were hiding fairly regularly. Your 250th find was logged until Dec. 10th. By that time, you had at least 34 solo hides.

 

Checking stats before making a claim like this is always encouraged. Now what were you saying "about 500" ??

 

What gets me more is when veterans fudge their data to make it look more in the favor, when telling new members how long they should wait before hiding....see it all the time.

[+niraD]

What gets me more is when veterans fudge their data to make it look more in the favor, when telling new members how long they should wait before hiding....see it all the time.

Uphill both ways, through waist-deep snow across the blazing desert...

[YotaCacher]

Lately In my area we been having a lot of new geocachers and some of them have been hiding new geocach's. I all for new geocaches but this one was just posted about a hour ago and it sort of got me thinking. The thing is in the description it says to get to the cache you have to go through a hole in a fence. Sounds alittle sucpicioces to me by reading that it makes me think the cache is on private propertiy. Another thing Is does the person have excperience to hide 2 caches after only joining geocaching 4 day ago

just my 2 cents what do others think

 

When was your first hide?... Just 3 days after you signed up. Hummm... One day less experience

 

Now you know what I think.

 

No Geocashing experience needed to hide a container. Now finding it later on might be a different story.

 

But hey, what do I know I am just a tadpole. I guess to become a real geocacher one needs to spend more time loging forum posts than cahces.

[+LandStar]

Lately In my area we been having a lot of new geocachers and some of them have been hiding new geocach's. ...snip........Another thing Is does the person have excperience to hide 2 caches after only joining geocaching 4 day ago just my 2 cents what do others think

 

Great points that have already been made :

1.) When you know you are committed to the game (friends don't let friends litter in the name of Geocaching)

Basically if you are hiding a cache that you are not willing to maintain that is what you are hiding, trash.

2.) When you are confident that you understand the guidelines for placing/listing a cache.

 

one that I would like to add -

3.) When you understand that every cache you hide has your name on it and right, wrong or indifferent, is a representative of the geocaching community. If you are confident in the hide and the ability of the cache to perform up to your intended standard and those which are expressed by the geocaching community, then go for it. Standards and motives will indeed change over time. As varied as we are, so are our caches.

[+Itzalive]

I wanted to hide a geocache almost as soon as I started geocaching so that I was 'in on it' but knew that I didn't really know what sort of places they are best to be hidden in. Knowing that I bought some cache containers and contents but waited till I had at least 100 finds before scouting for a hiding spot. I think this has made my caches better because of this and I was able to score the ratings better.

 

I've learnt from what I have found so far that the ones I enjoy finding the most are ones that are different. Although creativity and imagination are big factors that make a good hide you cannot imagine a 'new and interesting' type of hiding place without already knowing whats out there.

[+Joshmac98]

When I first started geocaching, I wanted to hide one right away. I would've, but a more experienced cacher gave me some advice and told me to wait until I had around 50 finds ( good thing he did). Waiting longer to do a hide gives you an idea of what a good cache and a bad cache are, and when you do hide a cache, you'll be able to build off past experience.

[+L0ne.R]

I'm starting to think that experience and commitment might be a good thing. Maybe the rule should be that you can't plant until you've been caching for at least 6 months and found at least 10 caches.

 

It seems that many who plant no-investment caches even after finding a handful of good caches, tend to do everything quickly. Within a month they join gc.com, find less then a handful of caches, place a few, promptly get bored or busy and abandon the caches and the game. So, I think a marked commitment to the game is important. Commitment can be shown in time and finds - 6 months of geocaching activity with an average of at least 2 finds per month would show commitment.

Edited August 25, 2009 by Lone R

[YotaCacher]

I'm starting to think that experience and commitment might be a good thing. Maybe the rule should be that you can't plant until you've been caching for at least 6 months and found at least 10 caches.

 

It seems that many who plant no-investment caches even after finding a handful of good caches, tend to do everything quickly. Within a month they join gc.com, find less then a handful of caches, place a few, promptly get bored or busy and abandon the caches and the game. So, I think a marked commitment to the game is important. Commitment can be shown in time and finds - 6 months of geocaching activity with an average of at least 2 finds per month would show commitment.

 

RULES RULES RULES

Some are going to follow them and some are not. the more we make the more work it is to police them. The more discouraging it is to all.

 

And abandoned cache rather placed by noob, (who lost interest within a month or so), Or an ole timer who suddenly deactivates them all and doesn't pick them up is still litter. So, if your local community like mine has commited cachers these problems will be resolved w/o haveing to make more rules. So I say if you are concerned about a placement that is abandoned then either adopt it or go and verify that it is removed and no longer litter.

 

In my short time in this game so far I have been exposed to so many different aspects, strategies and challenges that otherwise might not be available to the players if we continue to set limiting rules. Your rule proposal would stop the cacher whose enjoyment is to be a cache setter rather than a finder.

[+Don_J]

I found about 500 caches, mostly in the mountains, before I hid my first one.

 

Curiously, your profile find/hide stats show completely different. First solo hide on 31 May 05 -- De Ansa Trail Cache. Approx amount of finds at that time = 25 to 50 (Your first recorded find was only 17 days prior to this). By early November, you were hiding fairly regularly. Your 250th find was logged until Dec. 10th. By that time, you had at least 34 solo hides.

 

Checking stats before making a claim like this is always encouraged. Now what were you saying "about 500" ??

 

What gets me more is when veterans fudge their data to make it look more in the favor, when telling new members how long they should wait before hiding....see it all the time.

 

 

The De Anza Trail cache, along with about eight others in the trail system, were adopted from another cacher that could no longer maintain them. This was at least year after I started caching...

 

You were saying...

 

For reference, "South Park, Chatsworth" was my first hide. If you want to give me an exact count, I will gladly accept your correction. I'm sorry that you think that I "fudge" the numbers and it really is too bad that you completely misunderstood the point of my post. FWIW, I was offering my experience, not offering guidance on what any other individual should do. One of my best friends was making hand crafted fake rocks in his garage by the time that he found his tenth cache. I simply didn't have the confidence to hide a cache at that point in my caching activities.

Edited August 26, 2009 by Don_J

[+geodarts]

I just got around to reading this thread, which started about a new cache placed behind a hole in the fence. That got me thinking. I had recently found a cache that required you to go through a hole in a fence and ignore several signs that were designed to keep unauthorized persons from the area and warned that it was dangerous so people should keep out. The description states that you should not visit if you are scared of the law and that it was the owners first time caching (he has yet to log a find online).

 

I chose to do that one so I am not going to complain about it, but would more experienced cachers have placed a container there? Maybe. I chose not to do one that is on private property, behind barbed wire that is posted "no trespassing." After visiting there, I pointed out the signs and the nature of the property, but neither the more experienced cacher or the reviewers were concerned about it.

 

Two of my favorite caches were placed right after I started caching. Some other locations I have chosen when I had been caching longer did not work out nearly as well. Like the one that was emptied by a noncacher and filled with dirt within a day or so. The location seemed a lot better when I was there on an overcast, rainy morning. So I chalked that up to experience.

[Clan Riffster]

I had recently found a cache that required you to go through a hole in a fence and ignore several signs that were designed to keep unauthorized persons from the area and warned that it was dangerous so people should keep out. The description states that you should not visit if you are scared of the law

What cache was this?

[+sbell111]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet (though may have missed it as my eyes started glossing over all the OT posts) is that it takes experience to determine which kinds of hides you ultimately prefer (and thus want to hide). ...

Honestly, your logic makes no sense to me. You are basically arguing that people start caching, finding a few caches that they don't like. They then decide to hide a cache that they don't like.

 

I rather believe that people start caching and find a few caches. They then hide a cache. If this cache is similar to caches that they have found, it is because they enjoyed those caches.

 

Why would someone choose to hide caches that they don't like?

I guess that what I meant was that it's not hard to figure out how to hide a box. Thanks for rolling your eyes at me though.

Spoken like someone who doesn't really get geocaching yet. Sorry, I don't mean to come down on you. There's just a lot more to a good geocache than a hidden box.

 

Why not take some time to develop your own geocaching sensibilities and preferences. Do a bunch of caches and you'll end up doing some good ones and some not-so-good ones, and that's how you'll figure out which is which.

It kinda sounds like you don't really understand the game.

 

At it's most basic, geocaching is a game of hide and seek. If he hides a box well (and it meets the guidelines) Many, many people will consider it a good cache.

Edited August 27, 2009 by sbell111

[+runawaybunny]

I'm not sure that number of finds necessarily equals experience in how to hide, but it does seem to me like planning a hide takes a fair bit of time (getting permission, researching locations, constructing camouflage, researching/purchasing containers/labels/contents etc.) It seems likely to me that someone might naturally accumulate a fair amount of finds while preparing their hide even if they decided to place a hide their very first day of geocaching.

Edited August 27, 2009 by runawaybunny

[gojkgo]

Saying or implying that geocaching is just someone hiding a container and someone else finding it is an oversimplification. It ignores the details and the nuances. It actually kind of cheapens the sheer amount of thought and creativity that some people have put into their hides. There's a big difference between a cache hidden under some garbage in a patch of dirty scrub near an industrial park and a cleverly camo'd cache hidden creatively along a lovely nature trail in an underused park. Both are containers hid by someone and found by someone else, but that's where the resemblance stops.

 

Experience broadens our tastes and understanding of the world. That's just how it works.

 

When we first started geocaching, if there was a cache hidden where it was supposed to be, we were ecstatic. It was so novel to us that the rest of the details didn't really matter. There was a hidden cache, and we found it. All was good.

 

As the novelty wore off a bit, other things started becoming more important. We started to develop preferences for certain variables. We most like being taken to parks, for example. We prefer there to be a hint if it's a micro in the woods, or rated high in difficulty. We've noticed certain types of containers work better than others for keeping things dry. I could go on, but I'm sure you don't care. The point is, as a result of our experience, I do think we'd be better able to place a cache we'd most enjoy hunting for now than we would have when we first started.

Edited August 27, 2009 by gojkgo

[+sbell111]

Saying or implying that geocaching is just someone hiding a container and someone else finding it is an oversimplification. It ignores the details and the nuances. It actually kind of cheapens the sheer amount of thought and creativity that some people have put into their hides. There's a big difference between a cache hidden under some garbage in a patch of dirty scrub near an industrial park and a cleverly camo'd cache hidden creatively along a lovely nature trail in an underused park. Both are containers hid by someone and found by someone else, but that's where the resemblance stops.

 

Experience broadens our tastes and understanding of the world. That's just how it works.

 

When we first started geocaching, if there was a cache hidden where it was supposed to be, we were ecstatic. It was so novel to us that the rest of the details didn't really matter. There was a hidden cache, and we found it. All was good.

 

As the novelty wore off a bit, other things started becoming more important. We started to develop preferences for certain variables. We most like being taken to parks, for example. We prefer there to be a hint if it's a micro in the woods, or rated high in difficulty. We've noticed certain types of containers work better than others for keeping things dry. I could go on, but I'm sure you don't care. The point is, as a result of our experience, I do think we'd be better able to place a cache we'd most enjoy hunting for now than we would have when we first started.

All of that stuff is important to you, but not necessarily to everyone else. For some, the definition of a great cache is one that they can fit into their already busy lives. When they find that micro near the industrial park that happens to be on their way home from work, that's a winner.

 

Here's my point: People like different things. People play the game for different reasons. People hide caches that they would like to find.

 

A successful cache is one that the hider would have liked to find (and it meets the guidelines).

 

(At the end of the day, geocaching really is just hiding stuff and finding stuff.)

Edited August 27, 2009 by sbell111

[gojkgo]

I absolutely agree that people have different preferences and that people should place hides that they'd like to find. That's actually at the foundation of my point. I've found it takes some finds and some exposure to different situations to really know what those preferences are. Why not take some time and figure out your preferences, what you think a good cache is, before placing one? That's been my point all along.

[+sbell111]

I absolutely agree that people have different preferences and that people should place hides that they'd like to find. That's actually at the foundation of my point. I've found it takes some finds and some exposure to different situations to really know what those preferences are. Why not take some time and figure out your preferences, what you think a good cache is, before placing one? That's been my point all along.

The very fact that they chose to hide that cache means that they like it. They don't need to find a million caches to discover that they like that cache. They already know that they do.

[Clan Riffster]

I think that the greatest lesson experience can teach us, (as related to this game), is what containers work for what areas, and what containers do not. There really is no set number of finds that will reveal this oft oblique wisdom. If someone finds 50 caches, and they are all film cans, they will likely walk away with a better understanding of when and where a film can makes for a suitable hide, as well as learning where and when a film can will quickly become naught but a soggy pulp receptacle. If that same seeker found 50 caches, and they covered a large spectrum of container types, in various environments, I think they would have a fairly good knowledge base regarding quality containers for their particular neck of the woods.... (or neck of the parking lot, as the case may be) Experience is an awesome teacher, assuming folks are willing and able to listen to the voice of experience.

[gojkgo]

What someone likes when they first start geocaching and everything is new and exciting, and what they like after the novelty wears off and they have some finds under their belt, can be two different things.

 

It's kind of like beer. If you've only had one or two beers in your life, and you walk into a bar that sells 200 different kinds of beer, are you as likely to pick one that you'll really like as you would be if you've already tried 50 different kinds of beers? 100? At some point, wouldn't you realize that you like brown ales better than porters or pale ales better than spiced beers? You might have thought those two beers you had were good, even if they were actually swill, because it was new and exciting and you didn't really have a frame of reference. That doesn't mean you'll have the same opinion after you've sampled many more.

 

I'm not really sure how to explain this better, but it probably doesn't matter. It's just my opinion.

[+L0ne.R]

The very fact that they chose to hide that cache means that they like it.

 

After finding 2 regular size lock n locks hides a new cacher plants 4 caches - a film canister micro, an airline pouch, a tin can, and a gladware container. I doubt they were thinking "I like airline pouch hides, so I'm going to plant one" since they never even found a zippered pouch hide. I think that what they were thinking was -- "how can I hide something with the stuff I have sitting around the house. I'm not going to invest in this game until I'm sure I want to stick with it."

[+Don_J]

The very fact that they chose to hide that cache means that they like it.

 

After finding 2 regular size lock n locks hides a new cacher plants 4 caches - a film canister micro, an airline pouch, a tin can, and a gladware container. I doubt they were thinking "I like airline pouch hides, so I'm going to plant one" since they never even found a zippered pouch hide. I think that what they were thinking was -- "how can I hide something with the stuff I have sitting around the house. I'm not going to invest in this game until I'm sure I want to stick with it."

 

Wow! This actually happened in our area. Worse, they didn't own a GPS reader. They simply hid their caches and relied on Google Earth for their coordinates. It caused quite a problem for awhile, as everything was in deep brush and 300' off. It's two years later and the Gladware containers have decayed almost to dust.

[knowschad]

I don't think you should ever hide your first cache before you've become a member. Yup. I've been thinking this over for a long time. I don't think you need to be a Premium Member, but I do think that you should at least have signed up first. Not that its ESSENTIAL, mind you, but it would be the nice, polite thing to do. 'Cause you will have to sign up to post it, anyway. And by signing up, you will get a username, which is really cool, 'cause you can put it on the log book. A log book that just says, "Geocache by John" is, frankly, lame. A log book, on the other hand, that says, "Geocache by MasterCacher" is totally cool. I'm sure you can see the difference.

 

 

So... there you have it. Join first, hide later. Simple, huh?

[+sbell111]

What someone likes when they first start geocaching and everything is new and exciting, and what they like after the novelty wears off and they have some finds under their belt, can be two different things.

 

It's kind of like beer. If you've only had one or two beers in your life, and you walk into a bar that sells 200 different kinds of beer, are you as likely to pick one that you'll really like as you would be if you've already tried 50 different kinds of beers? 100? At some point, wouldn't you realize that you like brown ales better than porters or pale ales better than spiced beers? You might have thought those two beers you had were good, even if they were actually swill, because it was new and exciting and you didn't really have a frame of reference. That doesn't mean you'll have the same opinion after you've sampled many more.

 

I'm not really sure how to explain this better, but it probably doesn't matter. It's just my opinion.

You still don't get it. The guy that only tried one beer and has been enjoying his ice cold bud every day still likes that beer. It makes no difference that there are hundreds of other brands and varieties, some of which are likely 'better'.

 

My fun car is a '93 Cadillac Allante. It is an awesome car. It looks good and has the right ratio of power to amenities. I love the car. I am fully aware that there are newer cars that I might like even better, but that doesn't tempt me to get rid of Sophie.

 

The very fact that they chose to hide that cache means that they like it.

After finding 2 regular size lock n locks hides a new cacher plants 4 caches - a film canister micro, an airline pouch, a tin can, and a gladware container. I doubt they were thinking "I like airline pouch hides, so I'm going to plant one" since they never even found a zippered pouch hide. I think that what they were thinking was -- "how can I hide something with the stuff I have sitting around the house. I'm not going to invest in this game until I'm sure I want to stick with it."

I agree with you. The diversity of this game is a given, else all all caches would be half-buried buckets full of water. The only reason I went down this road is because some opine that a cacher who only finds a few caches will default to hiding caches just like those. Whereas, my position is that cachers hide caches that they would like to find and that if they hide caches that are similar to those that they found, then that is evidence that they enjoyed those found caches.