Creating Night Caches

[+UPSgirl]

There is a serious lack of night caches in my area (none), and I think they are tons of fun. I would like to create some. I am looking for advice, tips, traps to avoid, etc., for anyone who has advice to offer for creating night caches. (Some of the neighborhood parks are open until 10:00 PM)

[+JohnE5]

Remember to tell your finders to hold the flashlight as close to their eye as possible when using firetacks.

[+UPSgirl]

I just found some great instructions from eHow.com and at

http://tripcyclone.wordpress.com/2009/01/0...e-night-caches/

 

I bought some refective spray paint for re-doing the address at the curb...think I'll experiment with that too.

[+TeamTunsKeen]

i set up my own night cache this year using reflective adhesive stickers and drawing pins ...

wasnt much fun sticking the tape to the pins but the end result was pretty good

it was also cheap to do

saying that its only had two found logs to date

hope this helps

[+Roland_oso]

I have hidden a few, well the same one re-done a few different times.

 

Best advice I have is scope out the area and find the starting point and end points first. When you are ready to place the tacks or what ever you use, start by placing the tacks closest to the end and work your way back to the starting point. Keep in mind while placing the tacks, especially this time of year, as next spring vegetation may grow to obscure your tacks.

 

It’s also a nice touch to provide a reverse set of tacks to guide cachers back out of the area. I usually try to use different color tacks for the reverse route and state that in the cache description.

 

As JohnE5 stated, if you use the fire tack brand instruct cachers to hold their lights at or near eye level as they are designed to reflect directly back to the light source.

 

Before you publish the cache do a dry run to make sure the reflectors guide you to the correct location.

Take into account if the trail has forks where one has to choose between left and right and place tack accordingly.

 

I have tried using some of the reflective paint and did not like the results, but your mileage may vary.

 

Using reflective tape is an option, but usually involves cache maintenance later on, as it tends to not weather as well as the fire tacks do.

 

I would recommend spending the little extra on the fire tacks as in the long run it will save you time and money.

[+Mudfrog]

We've set up a couple of night caches and have found that they are easier put together during the day. Two people make this alot easier.

 

First thing is to pick out a spot for the final cache itself. See if it's location is accessible at night and make sure to get permission if needed. Next is to figure out how you want cachers to come into it and to make a quick run through to see if it's doable. Might even be a good idea to temporarily mark your route with plastic ties or something so that you can find it easy enough on the next walk through. Keep in mind while marking this route, that you will need to be able to place the reflectors in some manner. After you walk it out and it looks good, then go back to the final and start placing your reflectors. The final is usually marked in a different way than the rest of the route. This is where having two people really helps. One walks to the approximate location you think your next reflector will go and eyeballs in your direction to make sure he/she can see the one you're placing (note that during the day you can't hardly see them things so you'll probably have to point it out to make sure the other person can see where it is). Lot's of variables as to distance between each so you'll have to decide that depending on if it's wide open area or more dense foliage. Mark the coordinates for where the first reflectors take off from and then wait for night fall so that you can make a test run. You'll probably find reflectors that you want to adjust or move, so tweak as needed to get it the way you like.

 

Oh, almost forgot, make sure you get coordinates for where the final is since the reviewer will want those too when you make your submission.

[+Prime Suspect]

There is a serious lack of night caches in my area (none), and I think they are tons of fun. I would like to create some. I am looking for advice, tips, traps to avoid, etc., for anyone who has advice to offer for creating night caches. (Some of the neighborhood parks are open until 10:00 PM)

Remember that night caches still have to meet the "GPS Usage" requirement for caches. That means that just bringing someone to a general area like a parking lot won't cut it. Simplest way to do this is to have the posted coordinates be for the first firetack. Another, more clever way, is to set up the first firetack so that it can only been seen if you're standing in one specific spot. That's your posted coordinates.

[+Thrak]

I have hidden a few, well the same one re-done a few different times.

It's also a nice touch to provide a reverse set of tacks to guide cachers back out of the area. I usually try to use different color tacks for the reverse route and state that in the cache description.

 

This is an EXCELLENT suggestion and is the one that I was going to make myself. I've heard from a number of folks who had difficulty making their way back out to their vehicle because they were so intent on following the tacks IN that they didn't pay attention to the actual path they took. Red tacks in and white tacks out makes things much easier if the path to the cache is very long or convoluted.

[+UPSgirl]

AH!!!! A Zorker!!!!

 

This is an EXCELLENT suggestion and is the one that I was going to make myself. I've heard from a number of folks who had difficulty making their way back out to their vehicle because they were so intent on following the tacks IN that they didn't pay attention to the actual path they took. Red tacks in and white tacks out makes things much easier if the path to the cache is very long or convoluted.

 

LOL, I've made that same mistake! And on another night cache I was grateful for the tacks out.

 

THANK YOU to everyone for excellent suggestions/recommendations!!! Keep 'em coming. I'm going to scope out a place now I think may be a good place. I did order a LOT of fire tacks, white and "flame orange". I'm going to experiment with them in my local park (not for placing a cache, but just to practice with the tacks and muggle-proofing). Hopefully, I'll be able to successfully place more than one night cache!! I'm so excited!

[+BCandMsKitty]

I agree with what mudfrog said above, except the part of it being easier to set up in the day. I like doing it at night, using the flashlight to "plant" the fire tack that your helper is holding up against the intended marker tree. At night there will be no doubt as to whether or not the tack will be seen, because you are doing it in actual conditions.

For longevity, keep an eye out for any prospective little trees that might become bigger next spring and block the tacks from the searcher.

To comply with the requirement that you need GPS involvement, I posted the starting coordinates, fire tacks from there, and then at the final "marker" (double verticle tacks), I hid a cache with only coordinates to the final. The cacher has to input the coords and use their GPS to find the ammo box.

I provided an alternate marked trail to guide folks back to the start.

This is one type of cache that I would recommend having someone (who didn't help set it up) do a trial run on before you publish. As careful as we were, because mine is in a fairly small woodlot, when my test driver did it, he could see some of the return markers which confused things greatly! I had to rearrange my return route so as to take it farther from the cache route.

So far, it has been very well recieved.

It might be just our area, but night caches aren't searched for as often as regular ones, so be prepared for fewer searchers on it.

[+The Jester]

There are other ways to use fire tacks than just doing a trail of them. I have three night caches that use different ideas: Nighttime Isn't Just For Sleeping, Nighttime Still Isn't Just For Sleeping, and Nighttime Is For Caching. No Sleeping Allowed!.

 

One tip for setting fire tacks in the day - use a laser pointer (held up near the eyes). It 'lights' them up nicely.

[+UPSgirl]

Thanks Jester! I wouldn't have thought of the laser pointer.

 

My all time favorite night cache (granted I haven't done yours yet) is not that far from you. It is fantastic. Clearly a LOT of planning went into it:

By the Light of the Silvery Moon (a Night Cache)

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...1f-cc5a9988721f

 

And if you are in that area, you might as well grab this one too.

A "NIGHT CACHE" with no name!

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...49-88cfa8957eab

[+DocDiTTo]

I've hidden one night cache and it's quite popular with those who've hunted it. What I'd suggest to make yours a hit is to be creative -- don't just think "reflective tacks" but consider what other cool things you can do with light -- reflective tape that can be seen a LONG way off can be used to make a "sign" with coordinates that you can read across a field. (Reflective tape comes in a black color too that looks black by day but shows up white at night) Glow in the dark paint can be used as well -- consider painting coordinates inside a "fake birdhouse" type of hide so people have to look in with their light to make them glow. You can also take advantage of the fact that people will have flashlights with them. Perhaps a stage where you need to shine a light inside a container to make coordinates "appear" or make a light-sensitive electronic switch activate something. There are all sorts of possibilities for night caches other than just the standard trail tacks. While those are certainly fun, a little imagination and creativity can turn a good night cache into an awesome caching experience.

[+UPSgirl]

DocDiTTo -- THANK YOU! Those are some fantastic ideas! My brain wheels are really turning now! I'm going to look for the black reflective tape.

 

The first place I thought of, is not going to work because there is no place to park legally. I've got other ideas, of course!

[+flask]

Remember to tell your finders to hold the flashlight as close to their eye as possible when using firetacks.

 

...or not. i prefer not to give people instructions, but let them meet the challenges of night caching themselves.

 

It’s also a nice touch to provide a reverse set of tacks to guide cachers back out of the area. I usually try to use different color tacks for the reverse route and state that in the cache description.

 

 

likewise, many cachers will prefer not to have their hands held.

 

if you're making a cache for baby nightcachers, by all means be instructive. i get tired of nightcaches where the hider spells everything out for me.

 

when setting up a night cache, i set my trail specifically so it can't be seen returning. it's up to the finder to make his or her way out of the woods.

 

it's also a nice touch to make a sequence of colors for the finder to follow; failure to get the order right will result in following tacks that take you in the wrong direction. if i tell you the color order is red, white, orange, you'd better not follow the firetacks that are red, white, white, red.

 

..and you should be pretty certain that i will have given you opportunities to get that wrong.

 

i'm also very fond of a nightcache on which the hider assumes you will miss the really important clue and need to backtrack; he has therefore placed the important clue so it can ONLY be seen once you've gone a half mile through dense brush and then returned.

 

and there's a well-known nightcache on which crashco and i ONLY got a good secure firstfind because we know how to use firetacks properly, and the people we were racing didn't.

 

where's the fun in it if you spell EVERYTHING out for people?

 

i want to do a nightcache where you go to a waypoint, pick up a laser pointer and if you sight it correctly, the beam bounces off of a series of little mirrors that take you to the cache. i intend (if i can pull it off) not to give any instructions, but let give people the box with the pointer, a coordinate and a bearing and maybe a little grooved shelf for the pointer and let them figure out for themselves what to do with it.

 

those are the best caches: you have some stuff and you have to figure out what to do with it.

 

then usually some cacher from away visits it, loves it, and sets one up like it at home, only they give explicit instructions.

 

pfft.