What is your definition of a lame cache?

[+Fuchsiamagic]

The write-up on the page of a cache near me says "Sorry it's only a micro, it was all I had in my bag at the time".

 

Comments like that make me wonder why they even bother setting a cache and I for one certainly won't be bothering to look for that one!

[+DanOCan]

- Any cache where I need to spend more time watching for muggles than I do looking for the cache.

 

- Caches where it is clear the owner put the bare minimum of effort into writing the cache description. No attributes, incorrect spellings, etc.

 

- Any cache where I get to ground zero and I find self asking "Seriously? Someone thought a cache should go HERE?" Trashy, dumpster, full view of muggles, electrical equipment, industrial area, parking lot or any combination thereof.

[+naturesbyte]

Any cache that gives up without a fight!

[+somegeek]

Nano caches or the flat ones which just have the log on the backside... where is the cache there? /lame

 

Cache - a hidden storage space

Edited October 9, 2010 by somegeek

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Nano caches or the flat ones which just have the log on the backside... where is the cache there? /lame

 

Cache - a hidden storage space

 

Both nano caches and magnetic sheet caches are hidden (though sometimes in plain site) and both store a log sheet.

[+Azisbest]

For us, we tend to ask "why did you bring me here!?!"

 

If we cannot readily determine the answer, the lame-o-meter will begin to twitch!

 

Happy Geocaching! - hawkeyetob

 

Congrats hawk, you hit the nail on the head. Why did you bring me here? It could be a great view, an interesting historcal object, a clever hide, a nice bauble, anything that makes me glad I took the time. Any one of these factors raise a cache above the lame level.

[knowschad]

Container in the woods, camo'd with silver duct tape.

Container on a guard rail, camo'd with woodland duct tape.

Spruce tree hides. Especially film cannisters in a spruce tree.

I can add a new one to the list:

A green magnetic nano (you know the type) hidden under a blue non-magnetic lamp skirt!

 

As far as I could tell (I had to be quick about rehiding it... busy parking lot) there was nothing magnetic there... not the skirt, not the flange... possibly the bolts were, but when I found it, it was just lying on its side under there.

 

To be fair, though... this was the cacher's first hide. They tried.

Edited October 12, 2010 by knowschad

[+Harry Dolphin]

A lame cache is any cache that makes me ask: Why did you bother bringing me here? A dumpster in a shopping center parking lot. The latest one was in a Hooters parking lot. Wow! That's lame!

[+dreamarcher]

How about a nano where a nano is not required.

[+michigansnorkelers]

sorry, dupl.

Edited October 13, 2010 by michigansnorkelers

[+michigansnorkelers]

I've seen caches where the container was a ziplock bag.

 

I've also seen an empty pop bottle with a torn sheet of paper for the log.

 

I'm not kidding you!

 

In each case, I was really PO'd.

 

Can you get any lamer?

[+larzanth]

Caches beside narrow roads (we have those in the UK) where there is nowhere to park.

 

We have those here too in Okinawa. I really don't like those. And the worst part is I've heard of cachers rolling up to these caches and throwing their 4-ways on to make the find. They might as well light up a flare and announce on a loud speaker, "We're looking for a cache, please stay clear of the area until we've departed!"

[+larzanth]

My list of lamos:

 

1. Micro after a great hike. Really? I want to trade!

2. A cache that constantly has me under the watchful eye of muggles (Starbucks caches, busy intersection caches, etc.)

3. A cache hide that makes me look suspicious and I end up surrounded by securiity guards and local police.

4. A cache that hasn't been checked on in forever and the CO doesn't respond to my inquiries (or those of anyone else).

5. A cache where the CO no longer lives even close to the cache and hasn't either archived, set up a maintenance plan with another cacher, or adopted it out.

[+bflentje]

A lame cache is any cache that makes me ask: Why did you bother bringing me here? A dumpster in a shopping center parking lot. The latest one was in a Hooters parking lot. Wow! That's lame!

 

I don't doubt you but I have yet to see a dumpter hide.. and that's 4100 finds in 42 states. Perhaps I am just lucky in that aspect of geocaching.

[+sbell111]

A lame cache is any cache that makes me ask: Why did you bother bringing me here? A dumpster in a shopping center parking lot. The latest one was in a Hooters parking lot. Wow! That's lame!

I guess that you haven't tried their wings.

 

(Truth is, I almost always get the buffalo chicken sammie.)

[+bflentje]

I love everything about geocaching except these three things..

 

1. Bad coordinates

2. Bad ratings (I mean obviously bad)

3. Anything having to do with liar type scenarios

 

Any situation where there is intentionally wrong information, those cache owners should be flogged. A little obfuscation is fine. Even NO information is better than false information. I mean outright lies: fuzzy coords, false ratings, liars caches, you get the idea. I DON'T mean: play on words, mental challenges, etc.

[GPS-Hermit]

A Lame cach is any cache where you thought - well this is stupid!

 

Take me somewhere and tell me about something neat - anything will do!

 

I don't like caches that a blind person could find, or in a place with no interest right near the road.

 

I am in it for the discovery and will avoid the cache just because it is beside the road, if it is muggle prone, and the logs never say anything good about it.

 

Give me a hike, a veiw, some history, interesting tree, battle ground, nice rocks, more trails to discover, bike riding, I totallly love loop trails. I love wildlife areas. I also love to trade so make the trade items interesting.

[+ventura_kids]

A lame cache is :

 

Any cache that is hidden in a growing object (bush, grass, tree, hedge, etc)

Any cache that is hidden near poison oak

Any cache that is hidden so difficult.....that the only people finding it had to get additional information from the owner of the cache.

 

A good cache is a clever urban hide..... including nano's and magnetic micros (especially lampost hides).

[knowschad]

A lame cache is any cache that makes me ask: Why did you bother bringing me here? A dumpster in a shopping center parking lot. The latest one was in a Hooters parking lot. Wow! That's lame!

 

I don't doubt you but I have yet to see a dumpter hide.. and that's 4100 finds in 42 states. Perhaps I am just lucky in that aspect of geocaching.

I will 2nd that. No dumpsters in my caching history. A few caches that probably should have been tossed in one, though.

[+Castle Mischief]

For me:

 

Leaky containers and leaky containers that are never maintained or replaced.

 

Micros under lamp skirts.

 

Multiple typos, lack of capitalization and spelling errors on the cache page.

 

Obvious lack of permission in a high-traffic area.

[+LandStar]

I love everything about geocaching except these three things..

 

1. Bad coordinates

2. Bad ratings (I mean obviously bad)

3. Anything having to do with liar type scenarios

 

Any situation where there is intentionally wrong information, those cache owners should be flogged. A little obfuscation is fine. Even NO information is better than false information. I mean outright lies: fuzzy coords, false ratings, liars caches, you get the idea. I DON'T mean: play on words, mental challenges, etc.

 

I agree. I enjoy the various challenges presented by clever construction, placement and depth of concealment. I do not enjoy sorry coordinates, whether standing in the middle of an ancient forest or a desolate strewn field. No.2 and 3 are also right up there near the top of the lamatic scale.

[+Stargazer22]

There are lots of things that can contribute to my definition of a "lame" hide.

 

Leaky containter, really bad coords, poor placement in an unispired area, a micro at the end of a diffcult puzzle or long hike. All these make a cache "lame" to me.

[+tonyandamanda]

No cache is lame for me so far but there are always better ones out there.

[+madmomma72]

I've seen caches where the container was a ziplock bag.

 

I've also seen an empty pop bottle with a torn sheet of paper for the log.

 

I'm not kidding you!

 

In each case, I was really PO'd.

 

Can you get any lamer?

 

I just found a 20-ounce recyclable water bottle (like a Poland Springs bottle) with a torn paper log. I was FTF on Tuesday. I'm fairly new at this, but was disappointed.

[+philmir]

A lame cache is one that is put out for commercial advertising purposes and that Groundspeak allows to continue regardless of being informed. Commercial caches have specific rules for being published. What do they matter if Groundspeak is prepared to turn a blind eye ? I don't support these caches nor will I ever support these caches.

 

These caches are deceptive and unethical. Commercial caches should be identified as such. Apparently , however , there are a myriad of loopholes that unscrupulous individuals can drive their semi- trailer trucks through to get around Groundspeak 'regulations'.

[+somegeek]

Nano caches or the flat ones which just have the log on the backside... where is the cache there? /lame

 

Cache - a hidden storage space

 

Both nano caches and magnetic sheet caches are hidden (though sometimes in plain site) and both store a log sheet.

 

Guess my ramblings there were not accurate enough. Anything that can't hold a coin or the like is too small IMO. I find nanos and flatsies(what do you call the magnetic logs?) lame at least.

[+sbell111]

A lame cache is one that is put out for commercial advertising purposes and that Groundspeak allows to continue regardless of being informed. Commercial caches have specific rules for being published. What do they matter if Groundspeak is prepared to turn a blind eye ? I don't support these caches nor will I ever support these caches.

 

These caches are deceptive and unethical. Commercial caches should be identified as such. Apparently , however , there are a myriad of loopholes that unscrupulous individuals can drive their semi- trailer trucks through to get around Groundspeak 'regulations'.

The guidelines allow for commercial caches if approved by TPTB.

 

I'm actually very happy that there are ways to make commercial caches happen (and not just because I own a cache that requires a minimum $76.00 entrance fee).

[+worldtraveler]

What is your definition of a lame cache?

Here's the answer I gave to the same question in 2003 and again in 2005. Nothing I've seen or read since then has altered my opinion.

 

Characteristics of caches that I considered lame:

 

Containers inadequate for their environment. If they can't protect the logbook & contents from the elements, they are trash-in-the-making. I've NEVER found a Gladware cache that wasn't ready for the trashbin.

 

Lack of a decent logbook. Loose sheets (or scraps) of paper, or poorly bound logbooks are shoddy, IMO. Geocaching.com sells decent, durable logbooks. Buy them or something at least as good. If it's a microcache, consider using the letter & logsheet appropriate for the size.

 

Trashy location. I'm up for a good challenge, and I don't mind getting dirty; but I don't like wading through heaps of trash and other refuse while searching for a cache. Even if the purpose of the cache is CITO, try to find a nice place for the cache.

When I find a cache with these characteristics, I get the impression (right or wrong) that the owner doesn't really care much about the sport or its participants, but has placed it primarily for his own ego gratification.

 

Some of the other cache characteristics mentioned here such as needle-in-haystack micros I wouldn't personally describe as lame per se - I just don't hunt 'em because I don't enjoy 'em. YMMV.

[knowschad]

I just found a 20-ounce recyclable water bottle (like a Poland Springs bottle) with a torn paper log. I was FTF on Tuesday. I'm fairly new at this, but was disappointed.

Sigh... cache owner with 1 find, 2 hides.

[+Ecylram]

A lame cache is one that is put out for commercial advertising purposes and that Groundspeak allows to continue regardless of being informed. Commercial caches have specific rules for being published. What do they matter if Groundspeak is prepared to turn a blind eye ? I don't support these caches nor will I ever support these caches.

 

These caches are deceptive and unethical. Commercial caches should be identified as such. Apparently , however , there are a myriad of loopholes that unscrupulous individuals can drive their semi- trailer trucks through to get around Groundspeak 'regulations'.

I've seen three commercial caches archived near me in the last few months.

[+Castle Mischief]

A lame cache is one that is put out for commercial advertising purposes and that Groundspeak allows to continue regardless of being informed. Commercial caches have specific rules for being published. What do they matter if Groundspeak is prepared to turn a blind eye ? I don't support these caches nor will I ever support these caches.

 

These caches are deceptive and unethical. Commercial caches should be identified as such. Apparently , however , there are a myriad of loopholes that unscrupulous individuals can drive their semi- trailer trucks through to get around Groundspeak 'regulations'.

I've seen three commercial caches archived near me in the last few months.

 

Did you suspect that they were listed without approval? Did you report them to your local reviewer?

[+Rathergohiking]

Just my opinion: 95%+ of all micros are lame including, but not limited to, caches placed on light poles, fire hydrants, electrical boxes, air conditioning units, street signs, metal fences and telephone poles.

 

Caches in muggle prone areas are lame, especially in playgrounds and busy street intersections.

 

If you don't remember finding the cache after a week, it is more than likely lame (most micros are that way).

 

Do I have a bias against micros? Definitely yes.

[+Sol seaker]

A cache where the coords are off by quite a bit and the CO will not change them

 

A cache that takes everyone multiple visits to find it, and it's rated a 1 difficulty (went to another one of these today)

 

A location that is full of garbage and/ or a homeless camp

[+GeoGeeBee]

Lame: Cache page is a tribute to war veterans and describes a local memorial to said veterans. But when you get there, the actual cache is a quarter-mile away, a magnetic hide-a-key stuck to a highway guardrail.

[Northwoods Tom]

Poorly thought out caches.

 

To often it seems as though the owner placed one there just to place a cache. If we all put effort into the process of why it is here ( a little story, history, the "why"), I know I personally would search for more of those nondescript hides.

 

Even if it is just to stretch your legs, let us know.

[+L0ne.R]

Lame puzzle: ends in a film canister in a ho hum location with no connection to the puzzle.

Lame letterbox hybrid: a box with a commercial stamp (as opposed to a one-of-a-kind hand-carved or one-of-a-kind custom-made rubber stamp) inside, with no relation to the location or theme of the box

[+onthegomom]

Micros in the woods, really why?

 

Most park and grabs, Lamp posts, drains etc in parking lots just because

 

No more cedar trees please

 

broken, disgusting caches that desperately need to be checked

 

Puzzles I can't figure out LOL

[Andronicus]

Here is my definition of a lame cache:

If after making the find I think to myself "Man, I wish I had spent this time on the geocahing forums instead of searching for this cache", it is a lame cache.

 

By this definition, I have not yet found a lame cache.

[Ayeaka]

Any cache that isn't maintained, and that's just left to rot...

 

I don't mind nanos. I LOVE the ones that are harder to find. I don't even mind park and grab lamp post caches. They're typically clearly marked as such, and they still give me an excuse to walk a few miles so I can sign 'em.

 

I think the key difference though is that I only go caching where I can walk to at a given time, though, haha.

[+coman123]

This guy explains it all in 1 video

[Mr.Yuck]

Just my opinion: 95%+ of all micros are lame including, but not limited to, caches placed on light poles, fire hydrants, electrical boxes, air conditioning units, street signs, metal fences and telephone poles.

 

Caches in muggle prone areas are lame, especially in playgrounds and busy street intersections.

 

If you don't remember finding the cache after a week, it is more than likely lame (most micros are that way).

 

Do I have a bias against micros? Definitely yes.

 

Well then again, your username is "rathergohiking".

 

Well, in some areas, 95% of micros are as you describe. I've seen them on the Geocaching.com Google maps, believe me, and in some cases they are the totally dominant cache type in the listings. Fortunately, I don't live in one of these areas, and I can't for the life of me ever see it happening. I've been hovering around 25% of my finds being micros ever since I first downloaded the program Cache Stats, and I ignore and do not find the ones listed in your first paragraph.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Just my opinion: 95%+ of all micros are lame including, but not limited to, caches placed on light poles, fire hydrants, electrical boxes, air conditioning units, street signs, metal fences and telephone poles.

 

Caches in muggle prone areas are lame, especially in playgrounds and busy street intersections.

 

If you don't remember finding the cache after a week, it is more than likely lame (most micros are that way).

 

Do I have a bias against micros? Definitely yes.

 

Well then again, your username is "rathergohiking".

 

Well, in some areas, 95% of micros are as you describe. I've seen them on the Geocaching.com Google maps, believe me, and in some cases they are the totally dominant cache type in the listings. Fortunately, I don't live in one of these areas, and I can't for the life of me ever see it happening. I've been hovering around 25% of my finds being micros ever since I first downloaded the program Cache Stats, and I ignore and do not find the ones listed in your first paragraph.

 

My percentage of micros is a bit higher than that (42%) but 46% of my finds are 20 miles or more from where I live.

[+briansnat]

I just found a 20-ounce recyclable water bottle (like a Poland Springs bottle) with a torn paper log. I was FTF on Tuesday. I'm fairly new at this, but was disappointed.

Sigh... cache owner with 1 find, 2 hides.

 

A DNF on the cache, but at least I trashed out a water bottle someone left behind.