Worst swag?

[+.Flo.]

The cards and pamphlets were torn in half and put in the mixed-paper recycle. The aluminum dog tag was put in my scrap aluminum bin,

 

Good job!

[+ByronForestPreserve]

I cleaned out a couple caches in the last couple days and put in new small bags of swag. Some of the stuff was just gross and unrecognizable...a mass of lumpy plastic glued together with wet, moldy business cards. One had what I guess might have been a preschooler's hand-made Christmas ornament once--a big Styrofoam oval covered with glitter. Unfortunately it had started to fall apart, and the cache was coated with smaller Styrofoam pills and glitter.

 

I've found bullets, clods of dirt, balls of embroidery thread (wet), single plastic beads, and countless broken bits and bobs. The worst was probably paint sample strips (Wet. I can't imagine they happened to have them in their pockets, so must have planned that beforehand. But why?)

[+MMaru]

Maybe a log was full and they were trying to log the find by writing their name on the samples? That's my best guess!

[+Spenny!]

Found some tacks in a micro the other day. Hooray for random finger jabbings!

[+narcissa]

I have yet to encounter any swag that is actually worse than complaints about swag.

[knowschad]

I have yet to encounter any swag that is actually worse than complaints about swag.

 

That was really helpful. Thanks!

[+Seaglass Pirates]

It has gone in waves since we started ...

 

Used hair bands - clumps of hair in it - that was quite popular

A handful of dog buscuits was often found - mouldy of course - idiots.

A tampon a couple of times

In Scotland on the banks of Loch lomand - a box full of lube and condoms

Visitor cards and business cards so many the box wouldn't shut. I always bin them.

A handful of casette tape tape. Stuffed in.

Plasters

Ketchup sachets

Salt as well though this may be to reduce dampness.

Urine a couple of times - obviously THAT co had upset someone.

Bones.

Stones.

Leaves.

Old coins is a favourite by some. One particular cacher had a brilliant reason for this sadly they moved away.

Used dog poo bag. Better than hanging it in trees I suppose.

Motherboard

Football cards

 

Things we have left as swag in our caches or others

 

Loombands popular here apparently

New sealed alcohol gel hand dispenser

DVDs

Geocon Unactivated

Tb Unactivated

Fake turf for cache making.

Film pot for the same

New waterproof log sheet

Crystals

Figurines

Marbles

We dare not speak their names [] leave a lot of those - just sayin

Cups

Books

Coffee grinder

Unused headphones

Geolympics coins

 

And one great experience that's worth mentioning - our lighters Flint had fired out on a long walk. No lighter. Quite gutted. No walking back to the car. Happened across a cache and in it - a lighter empty of fuel but able to light. I could have kissed that cacher whoever you were lol.

[+Team Microdot]

Last night I found a dandelion in a keybox.

[+ayrbrain]

Paracetamol pain tablets

 

An up to date debit bank card unsigned!

[+Team Batpony]

About the worst we've found are random non-special rocks in caches in areas with plenty of similar rocks.

[+PlantAKiss]

Recently: soggy pack of peppermint gum (could smell the cache before I saw it), skateboard wheel (?), skateboard ball bearing (that the cacher responsible actually noted in his log he left ...), cigarette butt, religious pamphlets, soggy hard candy, a pretty little lpaper box containing chocolate pretzel candy. I never used to find food. ?

 

And let me speak up for rocks and fossils since there has been a lot of dis'ing. Lol While I admit a piece of gravel left in a cache is irritating (I've found that in mine), I have left mineral specimens and fossils, all properly IDed with age and location data. Not to everyone's taste but provided for science/nature lovers, adult and child alike. And I've left civil war bullets labeled with general location data for history buffs. So, not everyone is disgruntled to find a rock...if it's a cool one! ? ?

[+fbingha]

Recently: soggy pack of peppermint gum (could smell the cache before I saw it), skateboard wheel (?), skateboard ball bearing (that the cacher responsible actually noted in his log he left ...), cigarette butt, religious pamphlets, soggy hard candy, a pretty little lpaper box containing chocolate pretzel candy. I never used to find food. ?

 

 

A skateboard ball bearing has all sorts of useful non skateboard uses. That is definitely not trash to some.

[+Ant89]

Reading through this I'm glad 90% of my caches are micros

[daniela_lotta]

When I did some 'guided geocaching' with a group of kids on holiday, I found the swag I put in the very same cache exactly one year ago for last years tour :-D

I left the postcard lying in there and took the now-outdated-invitation for some unrelated event. I really don't know why I left it there in the first place ;-)

[xonewingx]

Rules aside, finding things like ammo, fireworks, lighters, nude cards, fish hooks/lures are the best loot by far. "Kid friendly" loot is the worst for me, the lame plastic toys people leave boring as hell.

 

Saying it the way it is.

[xonewingx]

Empty shell casings from various handgun calibers. Food of any type. I try and clean up those caches.

I really like bullet casings. I would love to find those in acache.

 

This.. if you are "offended" by something as benign as a shell casing then that is YOUR problem, simply don't take the dadgum thing and leave it there for someone else that may find it interesting.

Edited April 30, 2015 by xonewingx

[+mrreet]

This.. if you are "offended" by something as benign as a shell casing then that is YOUR problem, simply don't take the dadgum thing and leave it there for someone else that may find it interesting.

 

The main reason I recommend not allowing spend casings is for general Geocaching image. We as a community have a big enough problems with the bomb squad destroying our caches. My next fear (trying to stay as un political as possible) what happens when one of the Bloomberg / Anti-gun groups find out there are people going around hiding ammo in parks and around town. I know it's spent, you know it's spent, but these groups aren't the most knowledgable in regard to these things.

[+KatnissRue]

People are morons. There's no other explanation.

 

Today's XKCD strip is weirdly prescient of this:

 

A little late, but, that is awesome! I love XKCD. Randall is a genius.

 

Now, back on topic.

 

I found some dried out sharpies yesterday, moldy gum, and some time ago a used tampon applicator. In a residential cache. I washed up a lot after fixing that one.

Edited May 5, 2015 by KaRue

[hannahrain]

There was a water bottle cap in my first cache that was big enough for swag....it was only my 2nd cache ever (5 min after the first) but there was better stuff too....

[+LittleRedToyota]

Today i found cigarrettes and anti christian propaganda.

 

Whats the worst thing you've found?

 

Empty candy wrapping, used tickets and torn off rubber bands. I consider these items trash, so I wonder what the cachers who left them in the cache was thinking... or would they seriously pick up something like that? Do they seriously consider them decent swag items??

[+tomfuller & Quill]

Among the worst geocaches I have found are the caches that are spent shotgun shells. Among the regular size caches I've found were several that had live ammo.

I've found caches after more than a year without a find that had full water bottles that had obviously been frozen.

[+Furrhan]

I found new, unused a ticket to a specific showing of a movie that had already passed. I guess it would have been good if I'd gotten there in time. There were also a variety of other expired vouchers in that cache.

 

I also found a pencil sharpener with a completely rusted blade in a cache that was full of water. Hello tetanus!

 

I've also seen the odd religious pamphlet.

[SicilianCyclops]

I have yet to encounter any swag that is actually worse than complaints about swag.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards in a cache are all worse than complaints about them.

[+narcissa]

I have yet to encounter any swag that is actually worse than complaints about swag.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards in a cache are all worse than complaints about them.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards can be tossed out and forgotten (unlike complaints about swag, which are perennial as evidenced by this needless reply to a comment that is more than two years old).

[SicilianCyclops]

I have yet to encounter any swag that is actually worse than complaints about swag.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards in a cache are all worse than complaints about them.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards can be tossed out and forgotten (unlike complaints about swag, which are perennial as evidenced by this needless reply to a comment that is more than two years old).

 

So you're saying that comments can't be forgotten as well if chosen to be? Why not? And seriously, you're calling another person's comment "needless"? Pot, kettle.

[+narcissa]

I have yet to encounter any swag that is actually worse than complaints about swag.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards in a cache are all worse than complaints about them.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards can be tossed out and forgotten (unlike complaints about swag, which are perennial as evidenced by this needless reply to a comment that is more than two years old).

 

So you're saying that comments can't be forgotten as well if chosen to be? Why not? And seriously, you're calling another person's comment "needless"? Pot, kettle.

 

I've never had a damp business card crawl home after two years and a candy bar wrapper has never shouted at me.

[+hzoi]

I have yet to encounter any swag that is actually worse than complaints about swag.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards in a cache are all worse than complaints about them.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards can be tossed out and forgotten (unlike complaints about swag, which are perennial as evidenced by this needless reply to a comment that is more than two years old).

I recently read a reply by you to a comment left about a year or two ago. Pot, meet kettle. Oh, I see you've already been introduced.

[SicilianCyclops]

I have yet to encounter any swag that is actually worse than complaints about swag.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards in a cache are all worse than complaints about them.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with that. Rocks, candy wrappers, and business cards can be tossed out and forgotten (unlike complaints about swag, which are perennial as evidenced by this needless reply to a comment that is more than two years old).

 

So you're saying that comments can't be forgotten as well if chosen to be? Why not? And seriously, you're calling another person's comment "needless"? Pot, kettle.

 

I've never had a damp business card crawl home after two years and a candy bar wrapper has never shouted at me.

 

Who's shouting? I was completely respectful in disagreeing with the comment. It might have been two years old (which I admittedly did not notice), but it's still relevant to the topic today. If you didn't like my comment, you could have simply forgotten about it or "tossed it out" like you would a rock or business card in a cache.

[+Furrhan]

Guys, please. You're derailing the thread. We're here to discuss bad swag, not whether bad swag or bad comments are worse. Let's please stay on topic instead of fighting over irrelevant non-issues.

[+cerberus1]

I also found a pencil sharpener with a completely rusted blade in a cache that was full of water. Hello tetanus!

OT, but Wow ! That's rare here.

 

- Not that any caches were filled with water and rusting things, but that the pencil sharpener was there.

 

We leave a couple extra pencils (no pens) and two sharpeners in every ammo can.

Doesn't seem to matter when maintenance is done, at least a pencil or two is gone, and never any sharpeners left inside.

[SicilianCyclops]

Guys, please. You're derailing the thread. We're here to discuss bad swag, not whether bad swag or bad comments are worse. Let's please stay on topic instead of fighting over irrelevant non-issues.

 

I think it is on topic. A valid question is: Should bad swag be an issue or not, and does it affect the overall experience?

[+Furrhan]

Well that's an entirely different question to whether or not bad comments or bad swag are worse.

 

And in answer to that question I'd say it depends what you want to get out of the game. For me I like the experience of finding the cache so swag doesn't mean much to me since I never take it anyway. But for people that collect it or people who're taking kids hunting I think they would say bad swag is an issue because they'd like to find something worthwhile. And I like the idea of there being something special in there as a reward for FTF and for people hunting with kids or people that hunt for the swag that would make it more attractive.

[+Manville Possum]

Guys, please. You're derailing the thread. We're here to discuss bad swag, not whether bad swag or bad comments are worse. Let's please stay on topic instead of fighting over irrelevant non-issues.

 

New here aren't you? In a World full of micros there is no such thing as bad SWAG, but negative comments do exist.

Edited April 27, 2017 by Manville Possum

[+Furrhan]

Well, I don't know about you, Mr. Possum, but I personally don't go for micros. Even if I don't go for the swag I find the idea of opening a treasure chest more alluring. Plus I feel that finding a proper container is a fairer challenge than finding something barely big enough to hold a single mint.

 

Besides, micros don't contain swag anyway so they're really not relevant to this discussion since the original question this thread asked was what kinds of bad swag we've found. Just because micros are more common these days doesn't mean traditional containers with swag don't exist and it's those containers and the swag therein that this thread was made for discussing.

[SicilianCyclops]

Well that's an entirely different question to whether or not bad comments or bad swag are worse.

 

And in answer to that question I'd say it depends what you want to get out of the game. For me I like the experience of finding the cache so swag doesn't mean much to me since I never take it anyway. But for people that collect it or people who're taking kids hunting I think they would say bad swag is an issue because they'd like to find something worthwhile. And I like the idea of there being something special in there as a reward for FTF and for people hunting with kids or people that hunt for the swag that would make it more attractive.

 

And that was my first point. If I take my son caching, I don't want to see a rock or business card in there. In that case, bad swag affects the experience.

[+narcissa]

Guys, please. You're derailing the thread. We're here to discuss bad swag, not whether bad swag or bad comments are worse. Let's please stay on topic instead of fighting over irrelevant non-issues.

 

I think it is on topic. A valid question is: Should bad swag be an issue or not, and does it affect the overall experience?

 

"Bad swag" is a moving target and nobody writes detailed logs about swag anymore, so it's pretty hard to pinpoint who the culprits are, or what their intentions might be.

 

Okay, so a candy bar wrapper is garbage. Was it placed there by a cacher, or just a muggle? Was it meant to be swag or did it fall into the cache by accident? Who knows? Why be angry about it?

 

Business card. Is this swag? Maybe it's meant to be a replacement for signing the log. Maybe someone's just kind of a knob and thinks this is a good way to advertise. Sure, maybe it's kind of annoying if there are damp business cards in a cache, and they fall out when you open it or something, but its impact on the overall experience is a matter of attitude on the part of the finder.

 

The bigger issue is that even when people try to discuss "good" swag, there is nothing but relentless criticism and complaining, not to mention irreconcilable personal preferences that people want to turn into steadfast rules. Don't put toys in caches, but make sure caches have toys so people's kids have something to enjoy. Swag should be brand new cool stuff still in the package, but consider finding things at garage sales to put in caches. Everyone appreciates unique homemade items in caches, but nobody wants your falling apart crafts in caches.

 

Swag used to be fun and quirky, and most of us would just kind of roll our eyes at people who didn't get it. An adult doesn't need to let a dirty golf ball ruin the day. But now it's become a focal point for so much negativity and viciousness toward fellow geocachers. I just don't get it.

 

I decided some time ago that I would no longer participate in swag. My caches, regardless of size, are swag free and my maintenance includes removing any swag that has been left in them. Since nothing is ever good enough, nothing it is.

[+Manville Possum]

Well, I don't know about you, Mr. Possum, but I personally don't go for micros.

 

I filter out the micros as well, but what I was getting at was you attempting to moderate those forum regulars here.

Most of us here are already aware.

[+Manville Possum]

Business card. Is this swag? Maybe it's meant to be a replacement for signing the log.

 

Really it's no different than a Geocaching Trail Card or similar card left in a cache.

 

I found a locked cache a few weeks ago and I left my business card with my user name on it.

[+Furrhan]

Heh, sorry. Bad form, I know. I moderate two out of the other three forums I'm a member on so I guess it's a bit of a bad habit. That and I don't like unnecessary fighting.

[SicilianCyclops]

Business card. Is this swag? Maybe it's meant to be a replacement for signing the log.

 

Really it's no different than a Geocaching Trail Card or similar card left in a cache.

 

I found a locked cache a few weeks ago and I left my business card with my user name on it.

 

I don't think it's the same because business cards are solicitation which is explicitly against guidelines. I'm not talking about business cards geocachers make as a signature item, but actual business cards advertising businesses.

[+Manville Possum]

Business card. Is this swag? Maybe it's meant to be a replacement for signing the log.

 

Really it's no different than a Geocaching Trail Card or similar card left in a cache.

 

I found a locked cache a few weeks ago and I left my business card with my user name on it.

 

I don't think it's the same because business cards are solicitation which is explicitly against guidelines. I'm not talking about business cards geocachers make as a signature item, but actual business cards advertising businesses.

 

Placing my business card in a geocache is not against the guidelines.

[SicilianCyclops]

Business card. Is this swag? Maybe it's meant to be a replacement for signing the log.

 

Really it's no different than a Geocaching Trail Card or similar card left in a cache.

 

I found a locked cache a few weeks ago and I left my business card with my user name on it.

 

I don't think it's the same because business cards are solicitation which is explicitly against guidelines. I'm not talking about business cards geocachers make as a signature item, but actual business cards advertising businesses.

 

Placing my business card in a geocache is not against the guidelines.

 

For the record, I don't think ANY signature item placed in a cache is "bad swag" regardless of its condition. The effort alone makes it rise above that.

[+narcissa]

I don't think it's the same because business cards are solicitation which is explicitly against guidelines. I'm not talking about business cards geocachers make as a signature item, but actual business cards advertising businesses.

 

To the best of my knowledge, the guidelines against solicitation don't extend to items that other people place in the cache. Otherwise, cache owners would be on the hook any time someone left a branded keychain or a religious tract in their cache, and that's not really reasonable.

 

The guidelines don't work very well as a tool for enforcing rules / etiquette that applies to finders.

[lettuce_b0y]

Knives, sorry, I won't leave them if I find them. I'll usually leave some none-bladed swag in its place, but unless we're talking Back Country, don't leave knives.

 

I wish. Knives aren't allowed in any cache, even in Back Country. It's too bad, because you know I'd make a cache with that as the primary initial swag item.

[KitsapScouts]

>>Placing my business card in a geocache is not against the guidelines. <<

I don't see a problem with that unless it's the ONLY thing you left. The problem is with people trading DOWN instead of up. Yes, many people don't care about swag, but kids usually do. We recently took some kids out to a cache that purportedly had good kid swag. Found it with nothing but cheap little 1/4" cutouts left. Worst was that the finders before us were a girl scout troop, so it seems pretty obvious they grabbed all the swag. Shame on their troop leader.

 

Worst swag ever - used earplugs.

 

One of the best was a book of Wendy's frosty coupons.

[+narcissa]

>>Placing my business card in a geocache is not against the guidelines. <<

I don't see a problem with that unless it's the ONLY thing you left. The problem is with people trading DOWN instead of up. Yes, many people don't care about swag, but kids usually do. We recently took some kids out to a cache that purportedly had good kid swag. Found it with nothing but cheap little 1/4" cutouts left. Worst was that the finders before us were a girl scout troop, so it seems pretty obvious they grabbed all the swag. Shame on their troop leader.

 

Worst swag ever - used earplugs.

 

One of the best was a book of Wendy's frosty coupons.

 

There are cachers who complain about toys and other kid-friendly items in caches because swag should be for adults.

 

The actual problem is that even setting aside obvious garbage and well-intentioned blunders, there is a lot of really mean-spirited complaining about swag.

[+cerberus1]

>>Placing my business card in a geocache is not against the guidelines. <<

I agree.

- Though practically anything is trading up to remove it.

 

In ours, those just go bye-bye (unread) with all the other carpy, broken stuff we find.

[+OneEighth]

Besides things that are not allowed, it's annoying to find "swag" that was obviously picked up from the ground next to the cache (ie leaves, acorns, rocks). I wonder what the person took when they left a rock from the ground next to the cache?

[+Team Microdot]

Business card. Is this swag? Maybe it's meant to be a replacement for signing the log.

 

Really it's no different than a Geocaching Trail Card or similar card left in a cache.

 

I found a locked cache a few weeks ago and I left my business card with my user name on it.

 

I don't think it's the same because business cards are solicitation which is explicitly against guidelines. I'm not talking about business cards geocachers make as a signature item, but actual business cards advertising businesses.

 

Placing my business card in a geocache is not against the guidelines.

 

No - but it is incredibly lame.

[+narcissa]

Besides things that are not allowed, it's annoying to find "swag" that was obviously picked up from the ground next to the cache (ie leaves, acorns, rocks). I wonder what the person took when they left a rock from the ground next to the cache?

 

It's annoying when people assume the absolute worst of others at all times.

 

When we find a swag-sized cache, we often sit on the ground and look through the cache. We don't trade swag but we enjoy looking at the logbook and seeing personal items. We also sometimes spread things out to let them dry if we're staying at the GZ for a while.

 

I am certain that we're responsible for acorns, stones, sticks, pine needles, and other natural debris inadvertently ending up inside caches because those things get picked up along with the cache contents when we pack them back up.

 

But by all means, go ahead and assume that your fellow geocachers are bad people out to steal dollar store keychains by trading them for acorns.

Edited May 24, 2017 by narcissa