Cache Attrition

[+RatPakk]

After about a 3 year hiatus, for various reasons, I'm getting back into geocaching. In the process of doing so I've had to create a new account, name, etc.

 

Just to try and see what I've missed out on I did a search of caches in the area where I used to live. Much to my surprise, VERY few of the 100+ caches I found before are still active. I knew there would be some loss, but never expected it to be that extreme. This is a fairly large city, so I'm aware that some will get muggled, some will disappear due to lack of maintenance, and some will simply go missing.

 

The area I live in now is MUCH more rural, so it seems the caches are much more stable. A few have disappeared, but nowhere near the percentage in the more urban area. I suppose mainly due to the higher traffic.

 

On the plus side, there's a whole new batch to find!

[+dfx]

The area I live in now is MUCH more rural, so it seems the caches are much more stable. A few have disappeared, but nowhere near the percentage in the more urban area. I suppose mainly due to the higher traffic.

i wouldn't count on that. most caches (or rather cache listings) don't disappear due to being muggled, they disappear due to the COs dropping out of the game. if a cache with an active CO is being muggled, they will replace it and it will live on. if it continues to be muggled, they'll most likely move it, improve the camo, etc. on the other hand, a cache without an active CO will eventually always disappear, even if it hasn't been muggled. no maintenance = no cache. it's just a matter of time then.

[+Walts Hunting]

Just checked my found file and over 25% of the caches I have found are currently archived. I think it is just a general turnover.

[+Isonzo Karst]

I live in a rural area, and do mostly hiking type caches.

In looking at my finds (physical caches only) over the years I see that 30% of the caches I've found are archived.

 

Micros are archived at 38%, smalls at the lowest percent 19% and regulars at 27%.

 

In the first year I cached (3/2003 to 3/2004) I found 86 regulars - 47 of those are archived, 55%

and 50 micros - 36 of those are archived, 72%.

Small as a size wasn't in use then.

 

People place more micros now, and they last less time.

 

I wonder if the better life expectancy of smalls is partly because they because they're cheaper to replace? I've seen people not replace burnt ammo cans because they didn't have another can.

[+L0ne.R]

Interesting stats.

 

I had a look at our hides. We've planted 38 caches in 8 years. 24 of them are archived, which leaves current 14 active caches.

 

Reasons for archiving our caches fall under 4 categories:

• Muggled, didn't replace it and archived the listing instead: 8
  
• Maintaining the box got tiresome after 3 or more years so it was pulled and archived: 10
  
• The area deteriorated in some way - the tree fell over/trail closed/flooded : 5
  
• Land manager asked to have it removed or a finder had concerns about the location wrt moss/plants: 2
  

[+EscapeFromFlatland]

After about a 3 year hiatus, for various reasons, I'm getting back into geocaching. In the process of doing so I've had to create a new account, name, etc.

 

 

Just curious why you had to create a new name?

[+e-bird67]

After about a 3 year hiatus, for various reasons, I'm getting back into geocaching. In the process of doing so I've had to create a new account, name, etc.

 

 

Just curious why you had to create a new name?

 

I'm not RatPakk, but I had a similar experience. I found a few caches back in the very, very early days, but never logged them. I probably found about 10 total. When I got back into the sport recently, I could not remember my old user name, and I no longer have access to the e-mail account I had back in 2002, so I just created a new name...

[+RatPakk]

I actually left a relationship in which I felt the other person had a fairly high possibility of causing mischief. In the process I changed as many online accounts and passwords as possible. As a result I changed my e-mail pw, as well as my geocaching.com pw. Groundspeak could only e-mail my password to the address that they had associated with my caching identity, an address that I could not access.