Favorite "Types" of caches

[+JasNBex]

I'm not talking about containers here....well maybe only slightly....I mean what type (description) of caches do you prefer? Some of my favorites have been "themed" caches as well as the name of the cache is a "play" on its location. (example...cache called "Cache Cow" hidden next to a statue of a cow or something similar). One of my favorite local cachers hid several themed caches, and they were a lot of fun to find. She used The Lord of the Rings as the theme and hid appropriate items with the cache. Also, in the description of the cache was a "back story" on the theme, movie and cache items to be found. I was thinking of doing several that way myself.

I would like some opinions however. Do you really read the story within the description of the cache or would you rather it be short and sweet (i.e. look for the bent maple tree then go 5 yards to the left)? Some of the most interesting caches are also the ones that take me to historical places that I have never been before. They give a "back story" on the history of the location and sometimes some little known facts (i.e. several local graveyards have Civil War heroes buried within).

The themed caches I am thinking of doing are regarding horses.....I will use themed items within and give a "back story" on a breed of horse, or something similar. Good idea or could people care less? I know most of the time the GPS coords are just downloaded to the device and away they go....but DO you really read about the cache before hunting? Opinions please.....I come and bow before the great Geocachers who have come before me requesting advice.....

[+briansnat]

There is a large segment of geocachers who don't give a clam's patootie about themes, back stories, history, whatever. They want their smiley, quickly, so they can move on to the next cache.

 

There are also geocachers who love that stuff.

 

Personally themes for the sake of themes don't do much for me. I've seen themes, (e.g Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, certain movies, books, etc.) that had nothing whatsoever to do with with the subject other than the name of the cache and the text on the page. Never saw the point of that. I've seen people use "themes" such as these for the most mundane caches. A theme will not take a lousy cache and make it an interesting one.

 

I've also seen theme caches where the cache is closely tied to the theme in some manner. I recall a secret agent themed multi where you had to solve ciphers at each stage, and one that was themed after Trivia Pursuit that used actual Trivia Pursuit game cards to provide clues to the next stage. Those are cool.

 

I like names that are a play on the location, but even a cool name can't turn a cache in an unappealing area into an appealing one. Call it "I've Been Dumped" and stick it to a dumpster it's still a cache on a dumpster.

 

As far as history related caches, I love those. Background on the page is great, especially where the significance of the site is not readily apparent. For example I found a cache in what appeared to be a nondescript section of a field and only learned that the path I took to the cache was created hundreds of years ago by Indians and was one of their most significant travel routes in the region. To me that made what at first seemed to be an ordinary cache into a fascinating one.

[hoosier guy]

Themes can be fun. If you just like getting outside and caching is a nice sidebar or augmentation to hiking/camping you probably enjoy them more. If you are a numbers person probably less.

 

My favorite caches are the regular size (girls like to trade) at a historic or nice natural feature (e.g. waterfall, cave).

[+Dragery]

I enjoy a good pun in the title/hint of a cache. But the only time I'm ever really excited over a find recently is when it's well camo'd. Anything that's clever, or beyond 'just a container' is awesome. I like when people get creative.

[+popokiiti]

While caching recently in an area we didn't know well, about 2 hours from home, we had a lot of caches that included history of the area in which each cache resided. We learned a lot that day and had fun too.

[+DanOCan]

I would like some opinions however. Do you really read the story within the description of the cache or would you rather it be short and sweet (i.e. look for the bent maple tree then go 5 yards to the left)?

 

I like a story because when seeking a cache I always ask myself "Why did the hider bring me here?"

 

An example: Plain old cache hidden in a neighborhood park. Nothing special. If the cache page tells me that they picked this tree because they used to play in this park all the time when they were kids and they once fell out of this tree and broke their arm, it becomes something more memorable.

 

However, I normally like the cache descriptions written like a newspaper story -- important facts up front, less important details further down. When I am out caching I want to be able to get what I need to know without having to do a whole whack of scrolling. "Cache is a small LnL hidden in a neighborhood park. Playground nearby so cachers without kids may look suspicious." up at the top and the story underneath is more effective than the other way around.

 

That's just me, others may be different and not care at all.

[hoosier guy]

I would like some opinions however. Do you really read the story within the description of the cache or would you rather it be short and sweet (i.e. look for the bent maple tree then go 5 yards to the left)?

 

I like a story because when seeking a cache I always ask myself "Why did the hider bring me here?"

 

An example: Plain old cache hidden in a neighborhood park. Nothing special. If the cache page tells me that they picked this tree because they used to play in this park all the time when they were kids and they once fell out of this tree and broke their arm, it becomes something more memorable.

 

However, I normally like the cache descriptions written like a newspaper story -- important facts up front, less important details further down. When I am out caching I want to be able to get what I need to know without having to do a whole whack of scrolling. "Cache is a small LnL hidden in a neighborhood park. Playground nearby so cachers without kids may look suspicious." up at the top and the story underneath is more effective than the other way around.

 

That's just me, others may be different and not care at all.

 

+1

[+the4dirtydogs]

I like themed caches. We just put out a 9 ammo can painted series in Big Bear Ca., and people seem to like the series very much. Its always fun to find something different.