Tips for good hides?

[+e-bird67]

I am still a newbie, but am planning to begin placing caches when I have enough finds under my belt, perhaps around 100, and would like to get a sense of how and where to place caches effectively.

 

If you were going to give advice to a cacher who would like to mostly hide caches in interesting places that require a little bit of hiking, what would you tell them? Are there some hiding practices that drive you up a wall? Any preference for swag? I was thinking about leaving a gift card for a local bookstore for the FTF. Any containers that prove troublesome? How about descriptions on the item page and clues? For example, if I have to unscramble one more clue that basically spells out "none" or something similar, I'll stick a spork in my eyeball.

 

Anyway, I'd appreciate any advice you have to offer.

Edited June 8, 2010 by e-bird67

[+Clothahump]

I would suggest:

 

1. Hide a large enough container to put swag/TBs/etc. in.

2. Make the hide a challenge. The cacher should be able to get close, then have to scratch their head and do some cogitating to figure out where it is.

3. Please, please - DON'T hide it in a patch of poison ivy. Some folks do this deliberately. It's not funny.

 

In short, hide it in such a way that you would have a great time finding it if you were searching for it.

[+PorscheSpyder]

First of all, congratulations on getting started in Geocaching! Welcome to the forums as well! Now, about placing caches.....

 

When you say "require a little bit of hiking," I take it that this will be in the woods, or someplace like that. For a container, I'd recommend something like a water bottle, or something that is meant to contain a liquid. Those types of containers are meant to be water-resistant, so there is less worry of water getting into them! I've used a medium-sized Rubbermaid container before and was happy with it. As to swag, pretty much anything that is family-oriented will do. I like your idea of a giftcard to a local bookstore as a FTF prize, but, then again, I am a bookworm!

 

As for descriptions, that is really up to you. Everyone has their own style for describing the cache. And now for the clues! Make sure they're not dead give-aways! (Under rock, in hole at base of tree, etc.) Something more like "sure is rocky around here" or "Indiana Jones would run away screaming if he knew where it was hidden" ( ) would be (somewhat) better choices!

 

Anyway, that's my input. Hope you can get more input from other cachers. Good Luck and Happy Cachin'!

[+42at42]

It is a good idea to get some finds under your belt. While doing this, remember what you like and what you didn't. Learn from others' mistakes.

 

Incorporate all this into your hides. Use your imagination on the hides. You mentioned hikes. For me sometimes the hike there is just as good or better than the hike. My newest cache Roch Lomond has had the hike itself mentioned in most logs. I don't know if people liked the hike or not. I think they did. The hike is more of a challenge than the find.

 

The description, if the hide is in a historical place, do some research and give a short ACCURATE write up.

 

Hints, I give a few but I keep them slightly cryptic. If I don't give a hint, I leave it blank. I agree "none" should not be considered a hint. One of my clues is "I am hiding where the acorn would have been over a century ago." The cache is inside the base of a HUGE oak tree.

 

Just a few ideas from a newbie with a one years caching under my belt.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I try to take you somewhere interesting. I have some 1/1. I have some mile hike in the woods with 400' of climb. And a quarter mile bushwhack through mountain laurel and green briar! None of mine are tricky hides. I give good hints. I bring you here because it is interesting. I'm not going to make you waste your time hunting for a needle in a haystack. One of these days, I'll come up with a tricky hide. But it won't be after a hike in the woods! I do not leave FTF prizes. Empty log is your reward.

Some of my puzzle caches can be tough to solve. But once you solve them, the find should be easy, and at an interesting place.

[+Chokecherry]

My favorite hides thus far have been kind of varied. Universally if it doesn't take me some place pretty to look at or with some historical value then they don't land on my list of ones to remember. I prefer containers to fit their environment. I didn't enjoy looking for the nano glued all up in a tree in the middle of a very thickly wooded area. And it was pretty there.

 

My favorites have been one at a pioneer farm way out in the woods here. It was so peaceful and quiet when I was there and the trip to the cache led you through the farm. I just loved that one (great photographic opportunities there too).

 

Then there was a huge ammo can painted bright green behind a rock and the joke was about how easy it was to find. Was pretty there, a little historical and just flat out funny to find.

 

There was a more difficult one that I did (with a hint ultimately) and that was meaningful to me because of what happened in that area and the memorial park that the cache took us around. Because it took so long to find and with how everything was positioned we had a lot of opportunity to reflect on something we never put a ton of thought into before.

 

Then various caches that took me to ruins of old buildings I loved, especially if the history is attached to the cache. Although it was absolutely heartbreaking to stand in one ruin with my friend as he realized it was somewhere he remembered as a real building from his childhood.

[Tahosa and Sons]

First off if it requires a nice hike into some awesome hills, don't waste your time looking for a 100 caches, which most likely will be urbanized.

They will give you no experience in hiding a cache that requires a nice hike.

Just find a nice rock outcropping etc, etc, or a view and put a nice ammo can there with some nice swag.

Go for it.

[+Flintstone5611]

I am still a newbie, but am planning to begin placing caches when I have enough finds under my belt, perhaps around 100, and would like to get a sense of how and where to place caches effectively.

 

Smart decision, but make sure that you vary the sizes, locations and D/T ratings as you decide which caches to do.

 

If you were going to give advice to a cacher who would like to mostly hide caches in interesting places that require a little bit of hiking, what would you tell them? Are there some hiding practices that drive you up a wall? Any preference for swag? I was thinking about leaving a gift card for a local bookstore for the FTF. Any containers that prove troublesome? How about descriptions on the item page and clues? For example, if I have to unscramble one more clue that basically spells out "none" or something similar, I'll stick a spork in my eyeball.

 

Looks like you already know what to look for in the caches that you will find!

 

Anyway, I'd appreciate any advice you have to offer.

 

There is no shortage of opinions on these forums. Take what you like and have fun with the game. Don't let your newbieness shake you. Just because someone finds 5000 tupperware in the woods doesn't make them a better person. You will get out of it what you put in!

[+niraD]

I'll echo the comment that the number of caches matters less than the variety of caches. My advice is to wait until you know what kinds of caches you enjoy the most. If you can figure out what kinds of containers work well (i.e., reliably keep their contents dry), then that's even better.

 

Other than that, I recommend that you think about cache maintenance. Is you hiding spot likely to be discovered by muggles? Is the container likely to be dislodged by critters? How quickly will you be able to return to the location when maintenance is necessary? How vulnerable is the hide to cache migration? (That is, how likely are finders to "return" the cache to a spot other than exactly where they found it?)

[+buzzy_cacher]

Make sure they're not dead give-aways! (Under rock, in hole at base of tree, etc.) Something more like "sure is rocky around here" or "Indiana Jones would run away screaming if he knew where it was hidden" ( ) would be (somewhat) better choices!

 

I agree. One that I enjoyed around here was "It's not in Australia, but another name for that place will help you". They intended you to think of Down Under, which isn't too difficult. Another is, this one could stump you.

[+Flintstone5611]

Make sure they're not dead give-aways! (Under rock, in hole at base of tree, etc.) Something more like "sure is rocky around here" or "Indiana Jones would run away screaming if he knew where it was hidden" ( ) would be (somewhat) better choices!

 

I agree. One that I enjoyed around here was "It's not in Australia, but another name for that place will help you". They intended you to think of Down Under, which isn't too difficult. Another is, this one could stump you.

Actually I have seen both sides and can appreciate the motivation for both. We have a well respected cacher in our area that has awesome hides in equally spectacular locations. Rather than have the area look like a herd of animals went through, he will give it away in the hint. His caches (the forest type locations) tend to last and have limited geotraffic signs.

 

I have also seen very clever hints that require you to use some research or perhaps some specialized knowledge (readily available though). They add a little extra challenge to the hunt.

 

I like both, I have used both.

[+kunarion]

If you were going to give advice to a cacher who would like to mostly hide caches in interesting places that require a little bit of hiking, what would you tell them?

"Hike back up there and check on the container, occasionally." Edited June 9, 2010 by kunarion

[+bittsen]

Remember this little piece of advice.

 

Everyone can hide a micro. Not everyone can pull off a regular sized hide.

 

Most people won't remember 1% of the micros they find but they will probably remember 25% of the regulars they find.

 

If you want good logs, hide big or hide clever. It's harder to make a clever hide as most have been done before but if you get a good clever hide, you will get praise.

 

And... A fake rock in a rock pile is NOT clever. Learn the difference between clever and annoying and you will be fine.

[+PorscheSpyder]

 

And... A fake rock in a rock pile is NOT clever.

 

 

I would be willing to challenge that statement. Personally, as long as the "rock" is not a tiny thingamajig I think those are some of the best types of caches. I've found medium-to-large fake rocks in the woods and thought they were pretty cool! I do agree, though, that it is good to learn between clever and annoying.

 

Another thing. If you're hiding a cache in a forest where there are pine trees, a really "evil" cache would be sticking a bison tube or something of similar size at the base of a pinecone.

[+Flintstone5611]

Remember this little piece of advice.

 

Everyone can hide a micro. Not everyone can pull off a regular sized hide.

 

Most people won't remember 1% of the micros they find but they will probably remember 25% of the regulars they find.

 

If you want good logs, hide big or hide clever. It's harder to make a clever hide as most have been done before but if you get a good clever hide, you will get praise.

 

And... A fake rock in a rock pile is NOT clever. Learn the difference between clever and annoying and you will be fine.

+1 for this comment!!