When Guardrails are Devious

[+2Tickles]

So there are two caches in our area that upon first pulling up you think, ok, quick P&G. However, they are not. Comments left include "very tricky" "nice camo" "great container". My question is, what are some sneaky ways to hide a cache on a guardrail other than the obvious? I am definitely missing something and want in on the fun...what should I be looking for?

 

Thanks for any help!!

[+geodarts]

With most of that type of thing I start to look for things that are out of place. Nuts that are not nuts, bolts that are not bolts, spiders that are not spiders, guard rails that aren't guard rails, metal that is not metal. I once found a container in a hollowed out wooden block holding a rail to a post, but that probably violated several guidelines. Hides in the post or standard nanos are probably too obvious. But there is always the possibility that it could be what looks like a cigarette butt on the ground, a bottle cap, or anything else where the rail is just a decoy. Think outside the box, make no assumptions, and see what you come up with.

Edited July 20, 2011 by mulvaney

[+Manville Possum]

With most of that type of thing I start to look for things that are out of place. Nuts that are not nuts, bolts that are not bolts, spiders that are not spiders, guard rails that aren't guard rails, metal that is not metal. I once found a container in a hollowed out wooden block holding a rail to a post, but that probably violated several guidelines. Hides in the post or standard nanos are probably too obvious. But there is always the possibility that it could be what looks like a cigarette butt on the ground, a bottle cap, or anything else where the rail is just a decoy. Think outside the box, make no assumptions, and see what you come up with.

Many people just used a hide-a-key. I have used Decon and Altoids containers with magnets. VDOT banned geocache guardrail hides in the Commonwealth recently.

[knowschad]

So there are two caches in our area that upon first pulling up you think, ok, quick P&G. However, they are not. Comments left include "very tricky" "nice camo" "great container". My question is, what are some sneaky ways to hide a cache on a guardrail other than the obvious? I am definitely missing something and want in on the fun...what should I be looking for?

 

Thanks for any help!!

 

I think that Mulvaney did a fine job of answering your question without making it a giveaway for you. I strongly suspect the answer is in one of his suggestions.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

So there are two caches in our area that upon first pulling up you think, ok, quick P&G. However, they are not. Comments left include "very tricky" "nice camo" "great container". My question is, what are some sneaky ways to hide a cache on a guardrail other than the obvious? I am definitely missing something and want in on the fun...what should I be looking for?

 

Thanks for any help!!

 

One that stumped me for awhile used a "container" created by folding duct tape to create a very small "wallet" to hold the log sheet. It had a couple of earth magnets in it and was stuck into a little nook along the guard rail. Most of the guard rail caches that I have found were either hide-a-key or altoids tins (and even a few nanos) which are usually pretty easy to see by getting down low and looking along the rail. This one, however, blended in really well.

[+GeoGeeBee]

My question is, what are some sneaky ways to hide a cache on a guardrail other than the obvious?

 

Hide the cache 25 feet into the woods behind the guardrail. Since that's within the usual error for a GPS receiver, people will drive up, assume that it's in the obvious place, and make a thorough search of the guardrail before following their GPS to the actual hiding place!

[+Jayman11]

My question is, what are some sneaky ways to hide a cache on a guardrail other than the obvious?

 

Hide the cache 25 feet into the woods behind the guardrail. Since that's within the usual error for a GPS receiver, people will drive up, assume that it's in the obvious place, and make a thorough search of the guardrail before following their GPS to the actual hiding place!

 

LOL that's just mean, but funny. These blend in pretty well to the guardrails:

[+SeekerOfTheWay]

Does the guardrail have a magnetic number on it?

[+FunnyNose]

My question is, what are some sneaky ways to hide a cache on a guardrail other than the obvious?

 

Hide the cache 25 feet into the woods behind the guardrail. Since that's within the usual error for a GPS receiver, people will drive up, assume that it's in the obvious place, and make a thorough search of the guardrail before following their GPS to the actual hiding place!

 

Or better yet: Hide the cache 25 feet into the woods, attach a bison to a section of model railroad guardrail and in the hint say guardrail.. Yup I've seen it already.

[+edscott]

With most of that type of thing I start to look for things that are out of place. Nuts that are not nuts, bolts that are not bolts, spiders that are not spiders, guard rails that aren't guard rails, metal that is not metal. I once found a container in a hollowed out wooden block holding a rail to a post, but that probably violated several guidelines. Hides in the post or standard nanos are probably too obvious. But there is always the possibility that it could be what looks like a cigarette butt on the ground, a bottle cap, or anything else where the rail is just a decoy. Think outside the box, make no assumptions, and see what you come up with.

 

adding: "Reflective caution tape" that is really a magnet with a log in a small plastic bag underneath. Poor container BTW as they are almost always wet.

[+briansnat]

I had one that was a flat magnetic sheet with a log made from waterproof paper glued to the back. Stuck some random numbers on it and many were totally stumped. This was about 7 years ago though. This is a lot more common now and probably wouldn't fool too may people other than some newbies.

[+SeekerOfTheWay]

I had one that was a flat magnetic sheet with a log made from waterproof paper glued to the back. Stuck some random numbers on it and many were totally stumped. This was about 7 years ago though. This is a lot more common now and probably wouldn't fool too may people other than some newbies.

 

I've found a few like this. The first one took forever to find of course.

 

If a cache that was new in 2002 and was hard to find because of that newness and heater at a 3, should the CO then lower the difficulty rating in 2011 because it's now a common and easy cache?

[4wheelin_fool]

I have a lock n lock underneath a guardrail that is laying in the woods, as it was never installed. The hint says "not a keyholder, but.." it has fooled a couple of people but I don't have any idea why.

[+PokerLuck]

Here's one that I like:

 

It's close to the guard rail, but not on it. It's underneath a bottle cap on the ground about 6 or 8 feet behind the guardrail. The area is still gravel there, so it's very easy to place and is very inconspicuous.

[+2Tickles]

Thanks all for the suggestions! I am familiar with the reflective tape or magnetic numbers that you peel off. I have checked what is there and it is meant to be there. I will look a few feet behind the guardrail...it certainly is possible I mistook some "trash" for the cache!

[+EdrickV]

I've seen a fake electrical box underneath a guardrail. (The other guardrail caches I've seen around here were usually pill bottles.) Also seen a big fake cable utility box that IIRC was near a guardrail. (A large sized guardrail cache is a bit of an oddity.)

[+power69]

So there are two caches in our area that upon first pulling up you think, ok, quick P&G. However, they are not. Comments left include "very tricky" "nice camo" "great container". My question is, what are some sneaky ways to hide a cache on a guardrail other than the obvious? I am definitely missing something and want in on the fun...what should I be looking for?

 

Thanks for any help!!

 

One that stumped me for awhile used a "container" created by folding duct tape to create a very small "wallet" to hold the log sheet. It had a couple of earth magnets in it and was stuck into a little nook along the guard rail. Most of the guard rail caches that I have found were either hide-a-key or altoids tins (and even a few nanos) which are usually pretty easy to see by getting down low and looking along the rail. This one, however, blended in really well.

Ahhhhh. the geopouch!

Well known in these parts. if theres a crack wide enough to slip one in