Jump to content

Large Caches


Cache$Bros

Recommended Posts

Posted

Hello Geocachers! I just wanted to see if anyone was feeling the same way I am. I live in Evansville, IN. It is a fairly big city and there are a ton of caches around. However, I have discovered that 99% of the caches in my area are micros or small caches. I would really like to see more people put large/medium sized caches out there for people to enjoy. I am fairly new to this, but I plan on contributing to this whole situation. A friend is coming in town this weekend and we plan on placing on ammo can and a medium sized container in the Evansville area. I encourage geocachers to place more caches like these. They are the most fun for me and I'm sure many people would agree. :rolleyes:

Posted

In busy areas, larger containers tend to get muggled quickly. There's a reason why urban caches tend to use smaller containers.

 

It isn't just the container being spotted in its hiding place. It's easier for finders to discreetly pick up a smaller container, walk somewhere nearby to sign the log, and then return the container to its hiding place.

Posted

Large containers also require some expense to purchase and fill with swag. Many people can't afford that or don't care enough to make that investment.

 

Lots (most?) keen cachers don't actually care that much about swag so that probably influences their decision about the type of caches to hide.

 

My philosophy is that people should hide the kinds of caches they enjoy finding.

Posted (edited)

You all made some great points. I like the idea of hiding the type of cache you would like to find. Now that I think about it, the micros are often the most difficult/challenging to find, which makes them fun as well. BTW, the bomb squad comment is hilarious, but probably true!

Edited by NatureBoyJMarsh
Posted

I've only cached in two cities, philadelphia, and new york. Possibly two of the most well known/biggest in the world... Both of them had mostly all bigger caches... Then again, I cached in fairmount park and central park most of the time.

Posted

Another reason larger caches are a poor idea (other than those previously mentioned) is that trade items would need to be continually replaced.

 

That reminds me. I need to go check on mine. Back to the topic though, like others have said large containers in an urban area are to easy to get stolen. In LA we have a huge urban park with plenty of space to hike, and hide large caches. You might see if you have something like that close to you. Then go hide one your self.

Posted
In busy areas, larger containers tend to get muggled quickly. There's a reason why urban caches tend to use smaller containers.

Large containers also make bomb squads and the public nervous.

Complicating matters, at least where I live, is that many of the popular geocaching containers have names like "Ammo Can" or "Decon Container". "Ammo Can" in particular is often bandied about as an ideal that hiders and seekers often strive for.

 

In an area where law enforcement is nervous about mysterious packages, hiding containers designed to keep ammunition (or possibly explosives?) may not be the best idea. I don't know how often folks actually read the warnings printed on the outside of Decon Containers, but if I were a muggle who was at all suspicious, it would freak me the heck out.

 

If you'd like to hide something larger than a micro in an urban environment, I'd urge anyone to move away from military packaging. Transparent containers are ideal, and marking them liberally with information about geocaching on the outside helps a lot too.

Posted
In busy areas, larger containers tend to get muggled quickly. There's a reason why urban caches tend to use smaller containers.

Large containers also make bomb squads and the public nervous.

Complicating matters, at least where I live,

What? You mean manhattan? I didn't find a single ammo box there.

Posted
What? You mean manhattan? I didn't find a single ammo box there.

I meant that Ammo Cans and Decon Containers are popular in a geocaching-wide sense. They are not popular in Manhattan.

 

People often assume that an Ammo Can is the ultimate cache container to hide, and my only words of caution are to make sure you take the entire context of the area into consideration.

Posted

:unsure: Me, I love the Mtns' and that is where I plant most of my caches. Due to this fact I use "ammo-cans" which are getting scarce & costly. But "ammo-cans" are low maintenance items and hold up well in the Mtns' :ph34r:

 

I always tell folks, the next time you hide a micro or a nano, hide it in an ammo-can :(:huh:;):)

 

You gotta love it :ph34r:

Posted

Another reason larger caches are a poor idea (other than those previously mentioned) is that trade items would need to be continually replaced.

You dont need to restock if people would trade fair,,,,,,,, :unsure: (But we know that wont happen)

 

I would take an empty ammo can over an LPC ANY time ANY place ANY were ;)

Posted

 

If you'd like to hide something larger than a micro in an urban environment, I'd urge anyone to move away from military packaging. Transparent containers are ideal, and marking them liberally with information about geocaching on the outside helps a lot too.

Good point,, Lock n Locks work very well

Posted

Another reason larger caches are a poor idea (other than those previously mentioned) is that trade items would need to be continually replaced.

You dont need to restock if people would trade fair,,,,,,,, :unsure: (But we know that wont happen)

 

I would take an empty ammo can over an LPC ANY time ANY place ANY were ;)

I never restock them. Cache evolution baby. Sometimes the cache gets better, sometimes it gets worse.

Posted

Another reason larger caches are a poor idea (other than those previously mentioned) is that trade items would need to be continually replaced.

 

That reminds me. I need to go check on mine. Back to the topic though, like others have said large containers in an urban area are to easy to get stolen. In LA we have a huge urban park with plenty of space to hike, and hide large caches. You might see if you have something like that close to you. Then go hide one your self.

 

I'm planning on doing just that! There are several nice parks, including one with a nature preserve. I'm going to place a couple this weekend!

Posted

@Renegade, I like the theory of cache evolution haha. That's great! I'm gonna post on here more often. It's fun seeing what everyone has to say. Thank you to everyone for your responses! :unsure:

Posted

Hello Geocachers! I just wanted to see if anyone was feeling the same way I am. I live in Evansville, IN. It is a fairly big city and there are a ton of caches around. However, I have discovered that 99% of the caches in my area are micros or small caches. I would really like to see more people put large/medium sized caches out there for people to enjoy. I am fairly new to this, but I plan on contributing to this whole situation. A friend is coming in town this weekend and we plan on placing on ammo can and a medium sized container in the Evansville area. I encourage geocachers to place more caches like these. They are the most fun for me and I'm sure many people would agree. :(

Are you asking cachers to spend more than $5.00 to hide a cache? ;)

Are you asking cachers to put some thought into hidding a cache? :)

Are you asking cacher to try to hide a large cache in a way that a muggle will not find it? :huh:

Are you asking cachers to hide caches that will hold a travel bug? :ph34r:

Are you asking cacher not to place micro spew? :ph34r:

 

You should understand that putting effort into placing geocache's has gone the way of the buggy whip. :unsure:

Posted

Hello Geocachers! I just wanted to see if anyone was feeling the same way I am. I live in Evansville, IN. It is a fairly big city and there are a ton of caches around. However, I have discovered that 99% of the caches in my area are micros or small caches. I would really like to see more people put large/medium sized caches out there for people to enjoy. I am fairly new to this, but I plan on contributing to this whole situation. A friend is coming in town this weekend and we plan on placing on ammo can and a medium sized container in the Evansville area. I encourage geocachers to place more caches like these. They are the most fun for me and I'm sure many people would agree. :(

Are you asking cachers to spend more than $5.00 to hide a cache? ;)

Are you asking cachers to put some thought into hidding a cache? :)

Are you asking cacher to try to hide a large cache in a way that a muggle will not find it? :huh:

Are you asking cachers to hide caches that will hold a travel bug? :ph34r:

Are you asking cacher not to place micro spew? :ph34r:

 

You should understand that putting effort into placing geocache's has gone the way of the buggy whip. :unsure:

 

Every day more and more people are using smart phones and become instant geocachers. So a pill bottle makes a lot of sense for them since that is what they see. You see, iPhones have no reception where people put ammo cans. That is because the iPhone's carrier is AT&T. My 2cents.......

Posted (edited)

I used to feel this way, but after I started hiding caches I realized that a regular or large in an urban area is really just going to cause more frustration than its worth. Its going to be really hard to hide a regular sized cache in an urban area that doesn't look suspicious. In fact, I've had a regular sized cache in my living room and ready to go for a few months... I just haven't found a place that I was confident it would last.

Some people might call it lazy on the part of COs but I would just say its a difference in view. I don't care about trade items. I only care about interesting hides and locations. We have found two regular sized containers in EXTREMELY busy/urban areas that were amazing, but the locations happened to be able to support them.

If you are taking me somewhere cool and there isn't room for a regular sized cache there is no reason NOT to take me there. I WILL agree that there should be more smalls and they usually work where a micro would work, but I'm not going to worry about it.

Also, there are a lot of homeless people in austin and a ton of people picking up litter. Even with fantastic camo, a larger cache is probably going to be muggled frequently and that is just going to make life difficult for both the CO and cachers.

 

If people want to find ammo cans, they should go to places where an ammo can is appropriate and can last 3 months+. I think micros in general are less likely to get the hobby bad PR at the end of the day and sometimes they just make sense.

 

Long story short, the location should determine the container.

In busy areas, larger containers tend to get muggled quickly. There's a reason why urban caches tend to use smaller containers.

Large containers also make bomb squads and the public nervous.

Complicating matters, at least where I live, is that many of the popular geocaching containers have names like "Ammo Can" or "Decon Container". "Ammo Can" in particular is often bandied about as an ideal that hiders and seekers often strive for.

 

In an area where law enforcement is nervous about mysterious packages, hiding containers designed to keep ammunition (or possibly explosives?) may not be the best idea. I don't know how often folks actually read the warnings printed on the outside of Decon Containers, but if I were a muggle who was at all suspicious, it would freak me the heck out.

 

If you'd like to hide something larger than a micro in an urban environment, I'd urge anyone to move away from military packaging. Transparent containers are ideal, and marking them liberally with information about geocaching on the outside helps a lot too.

This is a fantastic post.

Edited by d+n.shults
Posted

Depends on what you qualify as urban, and what you qualify as medium and regular caches. Consider all factors.

 

I mainly avoid parking lots for my hides. Look for walking trails, pocket parks, undeveloped woods, etc. These places usually will support at least a small up to a large, the owner/manager is easy to track down, and it gives finders a nice break from parking lot micros.

 

BTW one of my favorite urban ammos: http://coord.info/GC13VZC

Posted

True, there aren't many larger (regulars & above) in urban areas. I wanted to buck the trend, so I put a large plastic container in a bush directly next to a busy bus stop in a large business park. I figured it would probably last awhile since the only people who go there are business people, and it probably wouldn't be found by kids or "general" muggles.

 

I cammo'd the sides but left the top and bottom clear so people could see inside and clearly wrote "Geocaching Game Piece - Do Not Remove" on the top and bottom. It was clearly visible if someone looked into the bushes.

 

It lasted for 2 1/2 years before getting broken apart by the landscape crew who came through and mowed down the bushes that it was hidden in. The logs were great because people said they were shocked to find such a large container in such a busy spot. Some wouldn't even check the size before getting there and assumed they were looking for a micro in the bus stop.

Posted

I think we've found less than 30 larges, out of over 3,000 finds. I'd definitely like to see more.

 

I keep meaning to get a bucket or other big container and hide our own large, I just haven't found a spot I trust so it lasts.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...