Cache Maintenance Etiquette

[+SookeMomcat]

I am relatively new to this activity and have a cache on the grounds where I work. It is a micro and the log is full. This has been documented by those of us who have recently located this cache and logged the find on this website. I have sent an e-mail to the cache owner offering to replace the log but have not received a reply. I have a new log with me and was wondering if I am overstepping my bounds if I go ahead and replace it. I'm also not sure what to do with the full log that I would remove.

 

Any thoughts/direction would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

SookeMomcat

[+luvvinbird]

I am relatively new to this activity and have a cache on the grounds where I work. It is a micro and the log is full. This has been documented by those of us who have recently located this cache and logged the find on this website. I have sent an e-mail to the cache owner offering to replace the log but have not received a reply. I have a new log with me and was wondering if I am overstepping my bounds if I go ahead and replace it. I'm also not sure what to do with the full log that I would remove.

 

Any thoughts/direction would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

SookeMomcat

Although it's nice of you, I wouldn't add a new log, that's the owner's responsibility. I would post a "needs maintenance-log is full " and leave it at that. Move on to your next cache.

[+popokiiti]

In the past when we've come across this in micros, we've put a new temporary log in, and let the CO know that we will mail them the original.

Greetings from another Mom-Cat...in Metchosin! Hi neighbour

 

edit - I think I know which cache you mean, the CO was last on the site a couple of days ago. Hopefully, he'll take care of it, or get back to you soon.

Edited June 30, 2011 by popokiiti

[+StarBrand]

Yes your heart and your approach is in the right place. Notify the owner and seek their permission before ever taking an old log and replacing it. If it is ever necessary to do so - always offer to mail the old log to the owner at your own expense.

 

If there is room - few owners would object strongly to adding an additional logsheet and leaving the old one.

[+kellye&jeremy]

I've been wondering about this too. We're fairly new to this & haven't honed our seeking skills to the level of some folks, but as I'm plotting a trail for us to try, I read the logs & frequently see comments saying "it wasn't there but I had one in my car & replaced it for you, hope you don't mind"... If it was my cache, I would mind, who are you the Geocaching Gods? Maybe you just didn't find it even with all your infinte skills. We're searching for a place to put some caches of our own & I certainly don't want anybody assuming that I want them to replace my hide or "move it back to where it's supposed to be". Perhaps your unit is not exactly accurate... When we hide ours, we will certainly check on it every time somebody says they didn't find it just to make sure it hasn't been moved or mangled. Maybe I'm just being to harsh about this but it makes me talk to my computer & not in a nice language when I read those kinds of entries. As a matter of fact, I think I'll go back & look harder for some we didn't find & other people have since then, but I would never replace someone else's hide just because I didn't find.

[+StarBrand]

I've been wondering about this too. We're fairly new to this & haven't honed our seeking skills to the level of some folks, but as I'm plotting a trail for us to try, I read the logs & frequently see comments saying "it wasn't there but I had one in my car & replaced it for you, hope you don't mind"... If it was my cache, I would mind, who are you the Geocaching Gods? Maybe you just didn't find it even with all your infinte skills. We're searching for a place to put some caches of our own & I certainly don't want anybody assuming that I want them to replace my hide or "move it back to where it's supposed to be". Perhaps your unit is not exactly accurate... When we hide ours, we will certainly check on it every time somebody says they didn't find it just to make sure it hasn't been moved or mangled. Maybe I'm just being to harsh about this but it makes me talk to my computer & not in a nice language when I read those kinds of entries. As a matter of fact, I think I'll go back & look harder for some we didn't find & other people have since then, but I would never replace someone else's hide just because I didn't find.

hmmmm - I think this topic is about replacing a log in a cache you found - not whole caches.....

[+SookeMomcat]

I am relatively new to this activity and have a cache on the grounds where I work. It is a micro and the log is full. This has been documented by those of us who have recently located this cache and logged the find on this website. I have sent an e-mail to the cache owner offering to replace the log but have not received a reply. I have a new log with me and was wondering if I am overstepping my bounds if I go ahead and replace it. I'm also not sure what to do with the full log that I would remove.

 

Any thoughts/direction would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

SookeMomcat

Although it's nice of you, I wouldn't add a new log, that's the owner's responsibility. I would post a "needs maintenance-log is full " and leave it at that. Move on to your next cache.

[+SookeMomcat]

In the past when we've come across this in micros, we've put a new temporary log in, and let the CO know that we will mail them the original.

Greetings from another Mom-Cat...in Metchosin! Hi neighbour

 

edit - I think I know which cache you mean, the CO was last on the site a couple of days ago. Hopefully, he'll take care of it, or get back to you soon.

[+SookeMomcat]

Guess I'll wait a few more days and hope that it gets replaced or that I hear from the CO. Having fun discovering areas os Sooke I never knew existed via the geocaching. Yes, I have a kitty menagerie of spoiled little furballs. Mostly rescues with a story :-)

[+nascarwc88]

On wet or full logs, we usaully replace them and let the owner know through e-mail. If they want them back, we mail them.

[+briansnat]

I would never remove a logbook from a cache without the owner's permission. If there is room for one, I might add another if needed.

[+L0ne.R]

I am relatively new to this activity and have a cache on the grounds where I work. It is a micro and the log is full. This has been documented by those of us who have recently located this cache and logged the find on this website. I have sent an e-mail to the cache owner offering to replace the log but have not received a reply. I have a new log with me and was wondering if I am overstepping my bounds if I go ahead and replace it. I'm also not sure what to do with the full log that I would remove.

 

Any thoughts/direction would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

SookeMomcat

Although it's nice of you, I wouldn't add a new log, that's the owner's responsibility. I would post a "needs maintenance-log is full " and leave it at that. Move on to your next cache.

 

I agree with luvvinbird - post a "Needs Maintenance". If you feel compelled to add a log, tuck in a 2" strip of paper, enough to tide the cache over for a couple of weeks. The CO needs to maintain his/her cache - it's part of the guidelines they agreed to when they posted their cache.

Edited June 30, 2011 by Lone R

[+sixsix210]

I have replaced a few logs in the last week. The first two caches my wife and I found had no logs at all. I came home, sent messages to the owners and waited. When I didn't get a reply, I went out and did some refurbishing and added temporary logs. Not a big deal. I think we should all leave things better than we found them at all times. Whether that's replacing a log, cleaning and repairing a cache, or just grabbing a few pieces of trash on the way out.

[+AbbieK]

I keep a couple of sheets of paper in my caching bag, and had first call to use them yesterday. The log book was so full there really was absolutely no space to sign another name. Previous logs mentioned the log book being full, so I just slipped in a small sheet of paper, as a temporary solution.

[+SookeMomcat]

Just wanted to share that I heard from the cache owner this evening and their preference was to deal with the log issue personally. They appreciated my e-mail which reminded them of the need to take care of things at their cache. I have learned that actually removing the log isn't the preferred option and that adding another log is OK if the original one can be left in place.

 

Thanks to everyone for their input. I'm sure I'll have more questions as I get into this sport. I have my first cache planned out and ready to go but want to make a few more 'finds' before actually getting it up and running. I also want to make sure my location remains undisturbed for a few weeks as well (used some small rocks to conceal the area and want to make sure they blend in rather than draw attention). I want to be very careful to do this correctly, so I'm reading a lot, watching videos and talking with other geocachers with a lot more experience than I currently have. It's been a lot of fun planning and filling the lock-n-lock :-)

 

Thanks again to everyone that helped me by sharing their thoughts.

 

Happy caching.

 

SookeMomcat

[+popokiiti]

Glad it is all sorted out. Looking forward to seeing your cache published!

[+NeverSummer]

 

Although it's nice of you, I wouldn't add a new log, that's the owner's responsibility. I would post a "needs maintenance-log is full " and leave it at that. Move on to your next cache.

 

I would agree, but with an asterisk...

 

It IS the cache owner's responsibility to replace a log and maintain their cache. I'd leave a note on the page, and email the owner. Ask if it is cool to replace it since you work on site. Ask what to do with the old logbook, too. I like to keep mine to read the fun logs people leave in them.

 

I'm glad it got sorted out. Proof that good, kind, well intentioned communication is always a win.

[+L0ne.R]

I keep a couple of sheets of paper in my caching bag, and had first call to use them yesterday. The log book was so full there really was absolutely no space to sign another name. Previous logs mentioned the log book being full, so I just slipped in a small sheet of paper, as a temporary solution.

 

I was curious to see if anyone posted a NM. In February a NM was posted for a full logbook. No reply from the owner. No Owner Maintenance log. There were 7 reports of an almost full/full logbook since April. I checked the owner's status and they haven't logged in for over a year (April 2010). Personally, I would log another NM.

[the3gmen]

I was curious to see if anyone posted a NM. In February a NM was posted for a full logbook. No reply from the owner. No Owner Maintenance log. There were 7 reports of an almost full/full logbook since April. I checked the owner's status and they haven't logged in for over a year (April 2010). Personally, I would log another NM.

 

If it is a good sized cache and can hold another log book or even a single sheet of paper, I would just put one in and log a Needs Maintenance. If it is a micro and there is absolutely no way to fit more paper in the container, I'd take out the old log and replace it with a blank one if I had one with me. I would then send an email to the Cache Owner letting them know that I will deliver the full log to them if they want it.

 

Since the C.O. hasn't even logged in in over a year, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a reply.