I had an idea can someone tell me if or how it would work

[+4monkeysandaprincess]

Hi to all you Canadian Cachers

 

This last Monday was a day off school for my daughter and I was playing with my new Iphone looking for..you guessed it...apps. I stumbled onto the geocaching app around 7am and it got me going. Ended up online researching and by 8:30 I had us registered and told my daughter to bundle up we were going on an adventure. As we were heading out the door my bestest friend on the planet called and he had the day off too. I told him I was going to the store to get some tradables for geocaching and to meet us on the corner for an adventure. He grabbed his Iphone and hit the door running.

 

We spent the morning and early afternoon walking to 2 caches near our home and I fell in love with this..game, hobby, sport immediately. It was fun, good for you and took us through some really pretty trails. Later I told my husband about it and expected him to give me a hmmm..thats interesting dear speech. I got what I expected and went out to a grocery store with my daughter to sell Brownie cookies.

 

An hour and a half later my husband shows up and says..let's go on one of your treasure hunts.

 

You would have to know our family to really realize and appreciate what kind of miracle this entire day was. We dont go out...ever. We don't own camping gear, we don't hike, we dont own a dog, we are utterly and completely inactive. Our family of 4, owns 3 computers and 3 televisions. Get it?

 

In 6 days we have been out 3 nights trapsing through bushy areas around our place, walking paths, talking being outside and loving every minute. We have found 6 caches, not found 2 and placed one of our own. Not a crazy creative one but that will come, for now I just wanted one close to home in one of our favourite spots when we do walk.

 

OK so...on with the idea.

 

I was at a craft store the other day and they had Christmas ornaments on sale. One type of which was a plastic ball that separates into 2 halves which you can put things inside or build a scene or whatever crafty thing you can think of. A light went off in my head. This is what my thought process was like.

 

I imagined 12 such balls. Each made sort of like a cache but with no log book. Each placed in a different tree in a different town. Each with 2 small gifts inside ..one for a child and one for the grown up who brings the child. I want to place them in evergreens with a theme like..trimming the trees...record thier locations and post them for people to find.

 

Is this sort of one time cache allowed? if not is it something I could post here on the forums and expect people to hunt down? I want to separate them by quite a ways because I would hate the thought of one person finding them all...it would totally defeat the idea.

 

I brought up the idea at dinner the other night and the family and our friend all jumped right into the idea, and I thought of it as a small gift to give back to a community who literally has given us a miracle.

 

Plans are in the works for the next 3 weekends straight of different areas to discover thanks to..all of you.

[+Cowboneneck]

Don't know if it's allowed... but it's a lovely idea! []

[+WCoaster]

Glad you guys found a hobby that you can all get into.

 

"Anything that gets a geek outdoors is a good thing."

 

Not sure about your cache idea. I think it would be a tough sell. One way to go about it is to place a traditional cache - say "The 12 days of Christmas Cache". Inside the the cache and on the website you could let hunters know that the first 12 parent toddler combo can go for the bonus bauble. Perhaps a list of 12 coordinates inside the log book or 12 slips of paper. That way the team can take it with them and others won't try to find a bauble that has already been claimed.

 

Now you could scatter these throughout one average size park, or you could still have the baubles scattered far and wide however they may not be picked up by the team if they realize they are too far away. Another option is 12 traditional caches spread around like you suggested, each one caontaining one FTF (First to Find) prize of the coords to one bauble nearby their find.

 

Good Luck & Enjoy

[+tangerineman]

What a great story about your discovery of Geocaching. It reminded me of how exciting it was to find those first caches.

[+Fish Below The Ice]

You'll never get it approved if there's no logbook. The way I'd do it would be to find a big evergreen and hide a proper cache in it. Then hang the twelve ornaments on the same tree. Put a note in the cache and on the cache listing saying "Take an ornament if you're caching with a child, otherwise leave the ornaments for someone who does have a child along." Most people are decent and will go along with what you're trying to do. Having them all in the same tree will make it look like a big Christmas tree when it's brand new, which will really add to the effect, imho.

[+CacheDrone]

If each ball also contains a logbook then they could each be listed as separate caches. Provided that they meet the listing guidelines of course.

 

Or

 

You could put a slip of paper into each ball that would give the coordinates of the next ball... repeat this process like a real-life connect-the-dots game until the final ball or even a Christmas style present that holds the logbook and list all of it as a Multi-Cache. Again, as long as all of the stops and the listing meets the listing guidelines.

 

Things to note:

 

} Caches should be in place for a bare minimum of three months or longer.

} All caches require a logbook at a bare minimum

} Spacing between physical components of different caches is 528 feet / 162 meters. Physical components of the same cache listing are exempt from this.

 

Please be sure to fully read the Listing Guidelines before starting to place your cache and be aware of existing caches nearby.

 

CD

[+WCoaster]

Glad you guys found a hobby that you can all get into.

 

"Anything that gets a geek outdoors is a good thing."

 

Not sure about your cache idea. I think it would be a tough sell. One way to go about it is to place a traditional cache - say "The 12 days of Christmas Cache". Inside the the cache and on the website you could let hunters know that the first 12 parent toddler combo can go for the bonus bauble. Perhaps a list of 12 coordinates inside the log book or 12 slips of paper. That way the team can take it with them and others won't try to find a bauble that has already been claimed.

 

Now you could scatter these throughout one average size park, or you could still have the baubles scattered far and wide however they may not be picked up by the team if they realize they are too far away. Another option is 12 traditional caches spread around like you suggested, each one caontaining one FTF (First to Find) prize of the coords to one bauble nearby their find.

 

Good Luck & Enjoy

 

Just to clarify my thought. These baubles would be taken and removed by the parent toddler hunters. A christmas gift for FTF'ers.

 

I like the idea and the main cache would meet all the proper criteria.

[+4monkeysandaprincess]

I like your idea Wcoaster, the only way a person could ruin it is to take all 12 slips of paper and I would seriously hope no one would do such a thing. I would actually make all 12 of them traditional caches but the balls would never hold up to multiple openings and closings..its a craft item, not a lock and lock. If it goes well, the family will make it a yearly tradition with new twists each year.

 

As an aside I am from the west coast, my family who is from the Richmond/ Steveston area is currently located in New West and Maple ridge, I come back each year between Feb and April depending on my schedule and am definately excited to bring this hobby to my family there. My dad is an avid hiker and does a lot of the west coast trail every year and I know he would love it.

[+WCoaster]

I like your idea Wcoaster, the only way a person could ruin it is to take all 12 slips of paper and I would seriously hope no one would do such a thing. I would actually make all 12 of them traditional caches but the balls would never hold up to multiple openings and closings..its a craft item, not a lock and lock. If it goes well, the family will make it a yearly tradition with new twists each year.

 

As an aside I am from the west coast, my family who is from the Richmond/ Steveston area is currently located in New West and Maple ridge, I come back each year between Feb and April depending on my schedule and am definately excited to bring this hobby to my family there. My dad is an avid hiker and does a lot of the west coast trail every year and I know he would love it.

 

Off topic, sorry.

 

I never was interested in hiking until Geocaching. It has taken me to some amazing places I would never have seen. I especially like to do a hike when on vacation. I usually end up in some magnificent "locals only" spot that is not in the tourist guides. Always a treat.

Edited November 16, 2009 by WCoaster

[+frinklabs]

Welcome!

 

Have a look at GCZHZB

 

[+CanadaKate]

Sounds like a lovely idea. I know my kids would enjoy finding a cache like this one.

 

Welcome to caching ... it's addictive.

 

CanadaKate

[+Team BaldRed]

A variation on WCoaster's post of 13 Nov 2009. Create 12 traditional caches based on the Twelve Days of Christmas, each containing a Christmas-themed FTF treat. In this variation, you have (only) 12 caches to create and hide, instead of 12 caches AND 12 "baubles" as suggested by WCoaster. (below)

 

Another option is 12 traditional caches spread around like you suggested, each one containing one FTF (First to Find) prize of the coords to one bauble nearby their find.

 

Best Regards,

 

RickGill

Kingston ON Canada