cache placing addicts/hogs

[+StarBrand]

The simple fact is that some folks cache for numbers, not hikes or views or history. How many they can find in a hour or day or week. Some cache hiders help to accommadate that type of cacher by making seriously cache rich areas.

 

Sometimes it is just an area familar to the hider and they want to attract folks there.

 

Sometimes it just happens over time without much planning.

[+grizzleypark]

I am curious how the OP knows that the caches are all hidden in a "similar way" when they have only found one cache by each of 5 cache owners? Seems there is more here than we are hearing (as is usual). I really hope you can find some cool places to hide a cache and some cool ways to hide a cache!!! Good luck, I'll bet at least briansnat would love to find another cache or 2!

I've read a lot about what people log and have looked at hundreds of caches on the site, just because ive only found a few so far doesnt mean i'm completly ignorant.

[+briansnat]

To answer your question as to why the need to hide groups of caches. Geocaching has changed over the years. In the early years people would drive many miles and hike a few hours to find a single cache. In recent years geocaching has evolved into more of a numbers game, so "lone" caches are generally ignored, regardless of their quality. So it has been a common practice in recent years to fill in the area with additional caches in order to draw people to that area.

 

Another possibility is that the hider is very familiar with the area and knows of a lot of interesting places that he wants to bring people to.

[+WRASTRO]

OK people, obviously everyone has an opinion on this topic, and i know dam well i can find a spot to hide a cache. There are hundreds of acres of woods right behind my house with out a single cache in them. I could easily go and hide a cache on every acre of it, but why? thats what boggles me, i know there are tons of areas of woods, urban areas, parks, etc. I have mtn biked, hiked, snowshoed, motorcycled, 4x4'd, boated, fished all over north jersey and surrounding areas. The main question is why does a single person need to hide so many in a more or less confined area. Obviously people that have been here a long time are going to have a lot more caches owned, i dont see the problem with that. And just because ive only found 5 so far, doesnt mean i havent educated myself on the "scene", i have looked at hundreds of caches on the site and read countless logs. Just because i cant always get the time to go out and cache, doesnt mean i'm not getting involved. My thoughts were based on not only what i have experianced in the short time i've been here, but on what i have seen and read on the site also. I'm not here to bad mouth anyone, its just something i dont understand, i know there is a lot of room out there to hide something, but i see so many grouped in small areas, i just dont get it.

Now I am really confused. Are you suggesting that cachers should not be able to place more than xxx caches within a certain area regardless of the fact there is plenty of area in the general vicinity where new caches could be placed?

[+Ecylram]

OK people, obviously everyone has an opinion on this topic, and i know dam well i can find a spot to hide a cache. There are hundreds of acres of woods right behind my house with out a single cache in them. I could easily go and hide a cache on every acre of it, but why? thats what boggles me, i know there are tons of areas of woods, urban areas, parks, etc. I have mtn biked, hiked, snowshoed, motorcycled, 4x4'd, boated, fished all over north jersey and surrounding areas. The main question is why does a single person need to hide so many in a more or less confined area. Obviously people that have been here a long time are going to have a lot more caches owned, i dont see the problem with that. And just because ive only found 5 so far, doesnt mean i havent educated myself on the "scene", i have looked at hundreds of caches on the site and read countless logs. Just because i cant always get the time to go out and cache, doesnt mean i'm not getting involved. My thoughts were based on not only what i have experianced in the short time i've been here, but on what i have seen and read on the site also. I'm not here to bad mouth anyone, its just something i dont understand, i know there is a lot of room out there to hide something, but i see so many grouped in small areas, i just dont get it.

 

(Smart) cachers tend to get group their hides together for maintenance reasons. The more spread out your caches, the harder it is to quickly perform maintenance on a cache. These groupings are often near the cacher's home and/or work, to make it easier to perform quick cache maintenance.

[+grizzleypark]

OK, so i'm new to geocaching, have known about it for a while ,but just getting into it recently. Have found a few caches, and starting to think about placing my own somewhere, but somewhat discouraged. I look at the geocaches on the maps and there are so many alrteady, and then i look at the people that have placed them, and sometimes its the same people with a half a dozed or more caches within reasonably small area, or some have over a hundred within 10 or 15 square miles......... Really??????? What are some thoughts on this? Does one person need to own so many caches within such a small area, what is the point? Especially when all their caches are similarly placed and hidden. How about saving some space for future cachers and not having a cache every 200' on a trail At what point does it become excessive or overkill? Thumbs up to all those that place interesting, innovative and original caches, and take pride in that rather than how many they own. Am i alone in this way of thinking?

 

I've hidden over 200 caches but I've hidden them over 6 years. Where were you six years ago to hide caches for me?

Where was i six years ago to hide caches for you?!...... sorry, must have not gotten that email that i was supposed to be hiding caches for you.

[+KBLAST]

I am curious how the OP knows that the caches are all hidden in a "similar way" when they have only found one cache by each of 5 cache owners? Seems there is more here than we are hearing (as is usual). I really hope you can find some cool places to hide a cache and some cool ways to hide a cache!!! Good luck, I'll bet at least briansnat would love to find another cache or 2!

I've read a lot about what people log and have looked at hundreds of caches on the site, just because ive only found a few so far doesnt mean i'm completly ignorant.

 

Thank you for clarifying! That is exactly what I meant by "more here than we are hearing". I understand your statement. There's a nearby city I've NEVER cached in, but I've heard from numerous cachers how horrible the coordinates are in that city. So I choose not to cache there. I assume you are in a similar boat where you've heard others talk about the hides (or read about them).

 

Anyway, as many have already stated, a number of people are numbers people. I have personally only hidden one of what I would call a traditional P&G, the rest I have put a lot of thought into. I hide what _I_ would like to find. One of my geo-friends recently was super excited about his 700 in three days run and how he is getting ready to build a power trail near us (a power trail is an example of putting lots of caches in a row - saturating a roadway.) He loves numbers runs and is hiding what HE would like to find. I will probably go do his power trail just to try it out and because he is my friend, but it's not my personal preference. I have a feeling you are running into this very thing where you are.

[+grizzleypark]

To answer your question as to why the need to hide groups of caches. Geocaching has changed over the years. In the early years people would drive many miles and hike a few hours to find a single cache. In recent years geocaching has evolved into more of a numbers game, so "lone" caches are generally ignored, regardless of their quality. So it has been a common practice in recent years to fill in the area with additional caches in order to draw people to that area.

 

Another possibility is that the hider is very familiar with the area and knows of a lot of interesting places that he wants to bring people to.

Numbers, schumbers! To each his own i guess. I've always been about quality and not quanity.

[+briansnat]

To answer your question as to why the need to hide groups of caches. Geocaching has changed over the years. In the early years people would drive many miles and hike a few hours to find a single cache. In recent years geocaching has evolved into more of a numbers game, so "lone" caches are generally ignored, regardless of their quality. So it has been a common practice in recent years to fill in the area with additional caches in order to draw people to that area.

 

Another possibility is that the hider is very familiar with the area and knows of a lot of interesting places that he wants to bring people to.

Numbers, schumbers! To each his own i guess. I've always been about quality and not quanity.

 

I'll be looking forward to your hides then.

[+Sioneva]

It's very simple for me. I see a good place to hide a cache, I'll hide a cache. I'm not big on hiding micros, so it doesn't happen very often, but I do a lot of off-path meandering spying out possible areas. Doesn't bother me if it's in the same area I already hid a cache, and I've never heard any complaints.

[+StarBrand]

To answer your question as to why the need to hide groups of caches. Geocaching has changed over the years. In the early years people would drive many miles and hike a few hours to find a single cache. In recent years geocaching has evolved into more of a numbers game, so "lone" caches are generally ignored, regardless of their quality. So it has been a common practice in recent years to fill in the area with additional caches in order to draw people to that area.

 

Another possibility is that the hider is very familiar with the area and knows of a lot of interesting places that he wants to bring people to.

Numbers, schumbers! To each his own i guess. I've always been about quality and not quanity.

 

I'll be looking forward to your hides then.

 

Me too - as I might be in the area in early June for a few days.

[+BlueDeuce]

If they are anything like me, it just happens over time. A few caches here a few caches there. A few this year, a few the next. Found a new interesting place nearby a few years later - so 1 or 2 more. Nobody else is really placing anything much. Next thing I know, a local newbie is accusing me of hogging an area.

First come, first serve I say.

 

Agreed, except for when it comes to that micro spew cacher - dozens of randomly placed caches within a couple-three months.

 

 

bd

Edited February 10, 2011 by BlueDeuce

[RedShoesGirl]

To answer your question as to why the need to hide groups of caches. Geocaching has changed over the years. In the early years people would drive many miles and hike a few hours to find a single cache...

 

ah, the good ol' days.

[+BlueDeuce]

To answer your question as to why the need to hide groups of caches. Geocaching has changed over the years. In the early years people would drive many miles and hike a few hours to find a single cache...

 

ah, the good ol' days.

 

I don't consider myself an old-timer. I missed that by a year or two.

 

I did however notice that it wasn't the parking lot lamp post locations that filled up first forcing people to place caches further and further out into the wild.

[+slukster]

The main question is why does a single person need to hide so many in a more or less confined area.

I really enjoy hiding unique caches and physically challenging caches. I prefer hiding caches in parks and reservations. Most in my area have a bunch of caches in them already and I discover new places to hide caches as I am searching for caches. Many of my hides are clustered in a single park only because this is where I could find space that wasn't in a parking lot and because the parks are near home. I generally put a lot of thought into my hides and many of my caches are hand made so I need a wooded area to safely hide them. People tend to visit my caches more when they are hidden near several other caches. If someone is coming in from out of the area to cache they generally want to find a bunch rather than driving in for only one cache.

 

P.S. Judging by your found caches I probably am located only 10 - 20 miles south of you. I look forward to finding your caches!

[+slukster]

OK people, obviously everyone has an opinion on this topic, and i know dam well i can find a spot to hide a cache. There are hundreds of acres of woods right behind my house with out a single cache in them. I could easily go and hide a cache on every acre of it, but why? thats what boggles me, i know there are tons of areas of woods, urban areas, parks, etc. I have mtn biked, hiked, snowshoed, motorcycled, 4x4'd, boated, fished all over north jersey and surrounding areas. The main question is why does a single person need to hide so many in a more or less confined area. Obviously people that have been here a long time are going to have a lot more caches owned, i dont see the problem with that. And just because ive only found 5 so far, doesnt mean i havent educated myself on the "scene", i have looked at hundreds of caches on the site and read countless logs. Just because i cant always get the time to go out and cache, doesnt mean i'm not getting involved. My thoughts were based on not only what i have experianced in the short time i've been here, but on what i have seen and read on the site also. I'm not here to bad mouth anyone, its just something i dont understand, i know there is a lot of room out there to hide something, but i see so many grouped in small areas, i just dont get it.

Thank you for clarifying your post. Like others who have posted I thought you were bothered because you couldn't find a good spot to hide your cache because one person was taking up all of the good spots.

[+Gan Dalf]

I saw a thread once in these forums where someone said that a good rule of thumb should be to strive for a caching karma of 1 where caching karma is the ratio of the number of your finds to the number of finds on caches that you have placed. That way you are giving back as much as you have taken from the game. I have found that can be easily obtained by keeping your hides between 1-2% of your finds and by placing a variety of different cache types and locations.

 

I agree with the OP that some cachers hide more caches than they should based on the quality of those hides. I've always thought that those hiders like (or even need) getting the notifications that Cache Owners get when someone logs their caches and so they place lots of caches to maximize the number of e-mails they are getting.

 

The problem I see with hiding so many caches is that it will be difficult for the CO to maintain them all and this is evident by the high number of DNF and needs maintanence logs placed on caches from CO's with a high number of caches placed.

 

What do you consider to be a high number of caches placed?

I have a total of 158 hides with about 20 of them archived. Of the roughly 140 active caches, none of them have open NM logs. 2 are disabled, 1 because the area is still closed after the largest forest fire in California history. The other, I'll admit that I have been procrastinating.

 

I think it is a relative thing that depends on the cacher that is doing the hiding. You have been caching for nearly 6 years and have over 4000 finds. Given those figures I would guess that for the most part your hides are decent and that you are fairly conciencous about maintaining them. I said that some cachers hide more than they should based on the quality of the hides, I did not say Don_J hides too many caches based on the somewhat arbitrary numbers that I gave in my original reply.

 

Let me give you a couple of examples. Last year a guy, new to caching, shrtly after Christmas, found about 10 or 15 caches and then proceeded to hide caches at every bus stop along main thoroughfares within a five mile radius. By the time he was finished he had nearly as many hides as he did finds and the quality of those hides left a lot to be desired. Consequently they were constatnly being muggled, getting wet and soggy logs or hidden under somewhat questionaable circumstances. He quit caching and has not been on site other than to archive the caches that people have complained about for 7 months now. I think that guy hid too many caches.

 

There is another person who write now (I found 3 of their caches today) is hiding lamp skirt caches in parking lots all over the area. It's the only way that I've ever found a cache that they have hidden. They currently have less than 300 finds and have hidden nearly 40 caches. I think that person has hidden too many caches.

 

There are a couple of people around here that carry bison tubes with them where ever they go. They like to hide micro caches in heavily wooded areas with bad coords in places where there are litterally thousands of ways to hide a bison tube and then call them "clever". Granted these people have several thousand finds between them but together they have hundreds of hides (they are friends) and the majority of them are the way I have described them. I think these people have too many hides.

 

Yes, I continue to find these caches (actually I don't look for the bison tubes in the woods anymore because it just makes me angry) because I am one of those cachers that likes to have my map clear, but believe me I would much rather spend time looking for a well thought out traditional or solve a cool puzzle then spend my time logging these caches. It's just that those types of caches are getting fewer and further between and I take what I get when new caches publish.

[+Ike 13]

A majority of my hides are in the same part of town. It makes maintanence really easy. I can easily maintain 20 of my active caches in one day, and I occasianally do this to make sure the placement is correct, the log is dry, etc.

 

I have 5 caches on a neighborhood trail system. This trail system is near our biggest mall (where the micro spew is beignning to spread), and before I hid my 5 caches it only had 2 caches (both close to alternate parking). I wanted to highlight this nice neighborhood trail and knew that 5 caches would lure more people out than just one at the end. Each cache is different. 4 of the 5 are micros but that's because this trail borders a neighborhood and anything bigger would disappear.

[+GeoGeeBee]

 

.... I think that guy hid too many caches.

.... I think that person has hidden too many caches.

.... I think these people have too many hides.

 

In the cases you are describing, if they only hid one or two it would still be too many. Lousy, uninspired, thoughtless hides is a separate issue from the topic of the thread.

[+wimseyguy]

My guess on local concentrations is due to where trails are located. Most cachers do enjoy finding 2 or more along a trail while on a hike, instead of a single one at the end of a long hike. Sometimes the original owner places all of them, sometimes more are added over time closer to the trail head so there is something to find along the way, and sometimes cachers engage in a game of leapfrog, placing new ones even further along the trail than the previous one. At least that is what tends to happen in NC. I doubt NJ is all that different.

 

What you will also learn over time is that some of us prefer finding and some prefer hiding. It's all geocaching.

[knowschad]

The main question is why does a single person need to hide so many in a more or less confined area.

Let's try this again

[+Gan Dalf]

 

.... I think that guy hid too many caches.

.... I think that person has hidden too many caches.

.... I think these people have too many hides.

 

In the cases you are describing, if they only hid one or two it would still be too many. Lousy, uninspired, thoughtless hides is a separate issue from the topic of the thread.

 

I don't disagree that crappy hides is a seperate issue from too many hides but in the cases I have described all of the cachers have hidden there plethora of hides in a relatively small area, contributing to the overall cache density and keeping other cachers from placing caches near by.

[+hzoi]

I'm with the bespectacled dog on this one.

 

We started four years ago, but we've now moved twice since we started. This has essentially reset the game for us each time -- all three areas where we've lived have had different local caching styles.

 

This last move put us in a pretty healthy caching community, and there are a few prolific hiders around. Thankfully there are also plenty of places left. At no point did it even occur to me to complain about "cache hogs" -- I was glad there were so many around, because I enjoy finding caches.

 

Before moving here, we were in a town that had a little over 50 caches in a 10 mile radius. We could have used a "cache hog" or two. We placed about ten hides over our year there, and we rescued a dozen more caches that needed repair in order to keep caches around for others in the area. We definitely would have placed more if we'd been there longer.

 

Whether you intended to or not, you came across as very unappreciative of the folks who have hidden caches in your area for you and others to enjoy. (Also a little arrogant and entitled, I have to say.) My advice, stop trying to justify your original post. You've vented your spleen, and surprise, you've managed to offend some of the other cachers in your area already. Let it go, and go hide some caches.

[knowschad]

I would think after 500 finds you would have figured out how to predict which caches will give you that feeling, and which caches won't.

At 182 finds, such naivety is to be expected.

So, you think that at 182 finds, GeoGeeBee is naive about your ability to have fun caching? I'm not sure that his finding more caches will improve on that.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

 

To share the fun and reward of cache ownership, how about a time limit? A cache hide is limited to 3 years with one renewal option.

 

 

This sounds like a solution in search of a problem.

 

There have been a few laments in the forums by newbies who would like to enjoy cache ownership but can't find a good spot to plant. I believe this is a growing problem especially in cache dense areas of North America (and probably Europe too).

Then I suggest they are still too new to place a cache.

[+bflentje]

OK, so i'm new to geocaching, have known about it for a while ,but just getting into it recently. Have found a few caches, and starting to think about placing my own somewhere, but somewhat discouraged. I look at the geocaches on the maps and there are so many alrteady, and then i look at the people that have placed them, and sometimes its the same people with a half a dozed or more caches within reasonably small area, or some have over a hundred within 10 or 15 square miles......... Really??????? What are some thoughts on this? Does one person need to own so many caches within such a small area, what is the point? Especially when all their caches are similarly placed and hidden. How about saving some space for future cachers and not having a cache every 200' on a trail At what point does it become excessive or overkill? Thumbs up to all those that place interesting, innovative and original caches, and take pride in that rather than how many they own. Am i alone in this way of thinking?

 

I've hidden over 200 caches but I've hidden them over 6 years. Where were you six years ago to hide caches for me?

Where was i six years ago to hide caches for you?!...... sorry, must have not gotten that email that i was supposed to be hiding caches for you.

 

My point is, when I started hiding caches, very few, if any, cachers were hiding in an area I liked to visit. Over time, as my caches starting showing up on the maps, it was discovered by others. Now other cachers have started hiding in the area and there is PLENTY of room for more.

[+dasy2k1]

I currently have 4 hides 3 of which are quite close together, (within half a mile of where i live, one less than 50 yards from my door)

 

I will most likely only be hiding a couple more more that close to home 2 of them I have already agreed with the local park wardens (I occasionally attend the friends of the park meetings and they were interested in getting 2 more caches (saturation would prevent more than this) in the park next to where i live to attract more visitors)

 

while I keep getting logs like this http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=6b8358ca-22fb-4919-bf51-922788e72357

 

I will carry on hiding caches, trying to be more inventive with each one!

[+edscott]

.....then i look at the people that have placed them, and sometimes its the same people with a half a dozed or more caches within reasonably small area, or some have over a hundred within 10 or 15 square miles......... Really??????? What are some thoughts on this? Does one person need to own so many caches within such a small area, what is the point? Especially when all their caches are similarly placed and hidden. How about saving some space for future cachers and not having a cache every 200' on a trail At what point does it become excessive or overkill? Thumbs up to all those that place interesting, innovative and original caches, and take pride in that rather than how many they own. Am i alone in this way of thinking?

 

All my hides are less than 6 miles from my house. ...Why?

(1.) I know the area well and have selected good spots for and/or interesting walks to all of them.

(2.) Makes maintenance relatively easy.

[AZcachemeister]

I know of two VERY PROLIFIC teams just to the north of the Phoenix area.

 

While I really don't begrudge their proclivity for placing new caches, both of them tend to archive rather than replace or repair if there is any problem with their caches.

 

If it's not worth fixing, why put it there in the first place?

 

Numbers, it's all about the numbers.

[+narcissa]

I know of two VERY PROLIFIC teams just to the north of the Phoenix area.

 

While I really don't begrudge their proclivity for placing new caches, both of them tend to archive rather than replace or repair if there is any problem with their caches.

 

If it's not worth fixing, why put it there in the first place?

 

Numbers, it's all about the numbers.

 

Sometimes you just don't if a cache is worth keeping for the long haul until it's been out in the wild for a while. I don't mind it if a cache owner recognizes that a cache really isn't very special and lets the space become available for someone else's idea.

 

I would hope that if it was a matter of very short turn-around, the local reviewer would say something about it.

[PirateKel]

My cache that I have hidden accidentally got duplicated. The one that isnt published has this message:

Cache Issues:

 

This cache is temporarily unavailable. Read the logs below to read the status for this cache.

 

How can I delete it? I am afraid that if I do anything, it will mess up the one that IS published.

 

Kelli

[+Unkle Fester]

I've placed a lot of caches, some good and some not very good. Live and learn. I've also Adopted about 60 caches from someone who's health keeps them from caching much anymore. Working in Iraq on the only base that has outlawed Geocaching, I've had a lot of time to think about my hides. when my poor ones come up missing or need maintenance, I have one of my Geobuddies check, clean it up and then I archive it. That is part of the live and learn process. My next hides will be much better thought out.

 

I like hiding as much as I do finding. Although, after a winter of maintaining a bunch of caches, I'm severly limiting my hides to ones that will requore little added maintenance. Best example; Film cans bad, ammo cans good.

 

By the same tolken, if someone asked me to archive a No Redeaming Value (NRV) hide so they could place a better one, I would gladly do so. However, if I archive it and an NRV hide goes in it's place, I would be pretty chapped.

 

When I started cahing in 2008, there were a lot of hides, but big open areas on the map. I've been mostly on the side line (with a few days for caching) for the last year. A lot of new hides have gone up, even in my own neighborhood. I'm loving the prospect of going home and starting all over, so to speak. Most cache lifes are cyclical. Only the good ones stay any length of time.

 

As time goes by, there will be fewer places to hide in general. but most of these hides will be NRV caches.

 

Auto archive or time limits on caches seems rediculous. I live near GC12, GC16 and GC17. I will be going for these later this year. I enjoy going after older caches THAT ARE STILL IN EXISTANCE. Iron Horse was GC79, near the APE Cache and currently the oldest, active cache I've found. These older ones have lasted because they are good and remote. I've even looked up the archived GC6 and gone out and found the remains of the hide.

 

I'd better get off my soapbox.