Define Special Equipment

[+JJTally]

There is a cemetery (please, keep the cemetery part out of this forum) that I would like to place a cache in. It is the old cemetery to the nearby town, which is a 1/2 down a very poor road behind a locked gate. The key to this gate can be obtained from the courthouse just up the road. The real question, does obtaining a key constitute as special equipment? I am not sure how to rate the difficulty if I placed a cache there.

[+Von-Horst]

The real question, does obtaining a key constitute as special equipment? I am not sure how to rate the difficulty if I placed a cache there.

 

I'd say no - it sounds like a puzzle/mystery cache with a difficulty of 2 since the only difficulty is getting to the courthouse when it is open and finding the correct person to ask (oh, and remembering to return the key afterwards!).

 

I must say that I'm impresed that they would allow people to have access to the key in order to go geocaching - can't see that happening around here!

 

Mike

[+webscouter.]

I'd say no, especially if you can walk from the locked gate.

 

To me special equipment would be something you don't normally carry that would prevent you from finding the cache if you didn't have it.

[+JJTally]

You can't walk around the gate without climbing a fence somewhere along the way. It is a stomach high chainlink gate with a hogwire and barbwire fence on either side. I thought about it, but it is not something you can just walk to unfortunately.

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

Can you place the cache just outside of the gate? The courthouse won't be open on weekends when a lot of cachers are out.

It sounds interesting, I just don't think we would bother since we don't normally cache on weekdays except in the evenings.

[+JJTally]

That is my backup plan if I cannot obtain permission from the groundskeeper. I really want people to see the cemetery, but also keep the numbers low.

[+briansnat]

To me special equimemt is something that a geocacher is:

 

1. Not likely to have with him, or have easy access to (even if he has to make a return trip)

2. not likely to be available at the site

3. requires specialized knowledge or skill to use

 

Examples of things that are not special equipment:

 

Screwdriver

flashlight

pen

stick or pole

ladder

 

Examples of special equipment:

 

Canoe or kayak

climbing or rappelling gear

SCUBA or snorkleling gear

zip line

Edited November 9, 2009 by briansnat

[+wimseyguy]

Perhaps making it an offset multi is your best option?

Are many of the stones you want seekers to view visible from outside the fence? Then use numbers from those stones to plug into a simple math formula that solves for the actual location of the cache outside the fence.

 

Or make the starting point the courthouse where the key is kept.

Either way, making it a multi will help keep the numbers down.

In some areas caches inside of the actual cemetery is more controversial than others.

[+bittsen]

To me special equimemt is something that a geocacher is:

 

1. Not likely to have with him, or have easy access to (even if he has to make a return trip)

2. not likely to be available at the site

3. requires specialized knowledge or skill to use

 

Examples of things that are not special equipment:

 

Screwdriver

flashlight

pen

stick or pole

ladder

 

Examples of special equipment:

 

Canoe or kayak

climbing or rappelling gear

SCUBA or snorkleling gear

zip line

 

I, personally, feel that ladder should be moved to the specialized equipment list. I don't own a ladder.

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

That is my backup plan if I cannot obtain permission from the groundskeeper. I really want people to see the cemetery, but also keep the numbers low.

 

You could make mention that it's worth the cacher's time to get the key to visit the grounds.

Having to get the key, use it and then return it all during a time the court house is open would keep the numbers very low.

[+Walts Hunting]

Not to be a pessimist but if the key is not available some will get in. Many will not but there will be more than a small amount that will look at that fence as a challenge and succeed in their mission. You are inviting trouble if you don't think anyone will.

 

If you are thinking about have them say in the log who they signed out the key from that would be an ALR and is prohibited.

[+sTeamTraen]

To me special equimemt is something that a geocacher is:

 

1. Not likely to have with him, or have easy access to (even if he has to make a return trip)

2. not likely to be available at the site

3. requires specialized knowledge or skill to use

 

Examples of things that are not special equipment:

 

Screwdriver

flashlight

pen

stick or pole

ladder

I, personally, feel that ladder should be moved to the specialized equipment list. I don't own a ladder.

I do own a ladder, but I don't think it's "common" equipment. I'd place it just over the line in the "special equipment" column. Having to make a return trip with something bulky doesn't seem the same as "doh, I wish I'd brought a screwdriver", somehow, although of course the end result is similar. (This weekend I found a cache which required a screwdriver, but I was able to improvise with a multi-purpose pocket knife.)

[+briansnat]

To me special equimemt is something that a geocacher is:

 

1. Not likely to have with him, or have easy access to (even if he has to make a return trip)

2. not likely to be available at the site

3. requires specialized knowledge or skill to use

 

Examples of things that are not special equipment:

 

Screwdriver

flashlight

pen

stick or pole

ladder

 

Examples of special equipment:

 

Canoe or kayak

climbing or rappelling gear

SCUBA or snorkleling gear

zip line

 

I, personally, feel that ladder should be moved to the specialized equipment list. I don't own a ladder.

 

You may not own one, but a ladder is easy to find and takes no special skill to use. I need to get a lawn chair to reach a cache once. I don't consider that fact to make it a 5 star terrain cache.

[+Curioddity]

Not to be a pessimist but if the key is not available some will get in.

I don't think there's anything pessimistic about that at all. It's just plain fact that some people are going to jump the fence to get at the cache and they'll possibly do some damage in the process and that fact needs to be considered when pondering the wisdom of placing a cache there.

 

Pete

[+Arrow42]

You may not own one, but a ladder is easy to find and takes no special skill to use.

 

Tell that to the University of South Carolina, United States Department of Labor, and Washington State.

 

Might seem silly... It's a little bit like a gun - it's just easy to use dangerously wrong. There are around 100,000 hospital visits attributed to from falls from ladders annually (source).

Edited November 10, 2009 by Arrow42

[+Minimike2]

100,000 visits attributed to falls from ladders? How many attributed to falls from kitchen chairs? House roofs? Tripping over a crack in the sidewalk?

[+Arrow42]

100,000 visits attributed to falls from ladders? How many attributed to falls from kitchen chairs? House roofs? Tripping over a crack in the sidewalk?

 

I wasn't able to find specifics for each type of fall, but I did find two interesting statistics:

- there is an average of 392,000 deaths from falls annually world-wide. A bit less then 1% of all deaths. (WHO)

- Falls are the second leading cause of work-related death in the U.S., 717. (NIOSH)

[+bittsen]

To me special equimemt is something that a geocacher is:

 

1. Not likely to have with him, or have easy access to (even if he has to make a return trip)

2. not likely to be available at the site

3. requires specialized knowledge or skill to use

 

Examples of things that are not special equipment:

 

Screwdriver

flashlight

pen

stick or pole

ladder

 

Examples of special equipment:

 

Canoe or kayak

climbing or rappelling gear

SCUBA or snorkleling gear

zip line

 

I, personally, feel that ladder should be moved to the specialized equipment list. I don't own a ladder.

 

You may not own one, but a ladder is easy to find and takes no special skill to use. I need to get a lawn chair to reach a cache once. I don't consider that fact to make it a 5 star terrain cache.

 

Canoes are easy enough to come by, or at least some sort of floatable, locomotable device. Yet, that classifies it as a 5.

How tall of a ladder would it take to qualify. Surely you wouldn't equate the 6 foot step ladder on the same level as a 32 foot ladder.

All ladder needing caches should be a 5. If you can get to it without a ladder, ie climb or stand on something available, then it can be less IMHO.

[Dj Storm]

 

You may not own one, but a ladder is easy to find and takes no special skill to use. I need to get a lawn chair to reach a cache once. I don't consider that fact to make it a 5 star terrain cache.

 

I always thought that "If special equipment is required, then the cache should be rated 5 stars for terrain, but if special equipment might be needed, then the cache might be rated less than 5 stars".

When a cache is placed on a vertical rock in the middle of a river, you can get it either by using rock climbing gear or by renting a helicopter - 5 star terrain because of special equipment needed. A cache hidden in a tree 8-10 feet above ground can be retrieved by using a ladder, or by improvising a stepping tool, or by climbing the tree, or by getting help from another cacher, etc - less than 5 stars for terrain.

 

Regarding getting the key from the courthouse, that doesn't qualify as a special equipment in my opinion; it's just a matter of following simple instructions (go to courthouse, get key, unlock gate, find cache, lock gate, return key). I probably would not seek that cache, I try to avoid interactions with people while geocaching.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Dj Storm

[+Isonzo Karst]

A way to limit finders to those who use the key, is to design the cache around a number on the key. First get key, then convert numbers (or letters if necessary) to coords for cache. Bingo, no key, no cache coords.

 

Good luck with this.

 

I'd probably design it as an off-set multi-cache, but Mystery might work as well.

[+kraushad]

A way to limit finders to those who use the key, is to design the cache around a number on the key. First get key, then convert numbers (or letters if necessary) to coords for cache. Bingo, no key, no cache coords.

 

For my money - best idea of the day!

[+legolaws]

Do I get a bonus FTF if I know what cemetery you are talking about?

[+JJTally]

I finally made it back up there to remove the cache I placed. I asked permission, but was denied.