Advice for 1st time cache hide?

[Leverknight Family]

After caching for a few months,I've started to get the itch to do a hide near our home. Being the type who likes to do it right I was wondering if you long-time cachers would care to share your opinions on what makes a good hide. I'm planning on having it in the woods and I was going to use a smaller sized container than would fit swag but larger than a bison tube. Most of our finds so far have been the same old ammo can/tupperware container under very obvious rock piles so I wanted to do something different. Any ideas folks?

[GOF and Bacall]

First advice is to read the guidelines. Then read 'em again. A solid understanding of them can help avoid disappointment down the road.

 

As for the hide just try to make it fun. Pick a place that folks will enjoy visiting. Someplace they would have fun going to even if the cache wasn't there. Make sure your container is appropriate for the location. A nano in the woods is going to be stressful on the environment. After a few dozen folks turn over the same rocks and leaves it will start to show. On the other hand an ammo can under a park bench is likely to raise a few eyebrows. With any luck it won't be the bomb squads eyebrows. A needle in a haystack type hide isn't clever, it's obnoxious. Besides, it has been done nearly as often as lamp skit lifters. Make sure your container will stay dry inside. Nobody likes the smell of moldy log paper. Either place a waterproof container or hide it in a sheltered location.

 

Good luck with the hide and have fun.

[+L0ne.R]

After caching for a few months,I've started to get the itch to do a hide near our home. Being the type who likes to do it right I was wondering if you long-time cachers would care to share your opinions on what makes a good hide. I'm planning on having it in the woods and I was going to use a smaller sized container than would fit swag but larger than a bison tube. Most of our finds so far have been the same old ammo can/tupperware container under very obvious rock piles so I wanted to do something different. Any ideas folks?

 

I think you've got the right idea - swag size, woods, not in a rock pile. Make it a water-tight container in a nice part of the woods and you've got a good caching experience. The caches in the woods that get the most favorite votes seems to be those that take people to something interesting - a boardwalk, a water body, an old bridge, an old barn, an old silo, a view from an outlook/outcrop.

[Leverknight Family]

Thank you for the fast responses. Lone R, I think you misunderstood me. I meant that I wasn't going to use one big enough for swag as I've found that most swag in our neck of the woods gets to be of low quality pretty fast. Some more discussion on this will be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[GOF and Bacall]

Thank you for the fast responses. Lone R, I think you misunderstood me. I meant that I wasn't going to use one big enough for swag as I've found that most swag in our neck of the woods gets to be of low quality pretty fast. Some more discussion on this will be very much appreciated. Thanks!

 

Choose the size that would be appropriate for the location. Just because the container is bigger than a thimble doesn't mean you have to stuff it full of trinkets. Plus a bit of elbow room in the container makes it good for moving trackables.

[+GeoBain]

First advice is to read the guidelines.

 

Don't forget the knowledge books because apparently we now agree to those too when we check that box.

[GOF and Bacall]

First advice is to read the guidelines.

 

Don't forget the knowledge books because apparently we now agree to those too when we check that box.

 

It's all part of Groundspeak's decentralized information system. Use DIS, 'cause nobody should have full and immediate access to all the information!

[+Walts Hunting]

Don't forget the $100 for FTF although around here you can get seriously hurt trying to get it first even with no prize.

[+Sol seaker]

I recommend going out and finding 50-100 of the type of caches you want to hide.

If you are asking us for recommendations, then you haven't seen enough to know what to do and what not to do.

A lot of that comes from experience with finding them.

 

You have only found 10 so you don't have any experience yet.

 

Yes, now some will jump on me for saying this (although others will agree) because some new cachers have hidden good caches.

But remember that hiding a cache takes a commitment of many years. You need to maintain the cache, and if you've only been doing it a few months, are you sure you're going to stick with this?

 

the more you find the better you'll get at hiding them.

You'll know what caches have been overdone already, and you'll have a better idea what makes a clever hide.

 

Consider finding some more first.

Have fun. Consider it the honeymoon phase of the game when you don't have any cache maintenance to do.

[+The_Incredibles_]

I'd say find 10 more before you hide one. When you do hide, make sure you average the coordinates a few times so it's accurate.

 

If you're looking for something different, one really fun idea that I've come across a few times is cache up a tree. Either they have to climb to get it OR it's rigged up so cachers have to pull a string to get it down.

[+L0ne.R]

I recommend going out and finding 50-100 of the type of caches you want to hide.

If you are asking us for recommendations, then you haven't seen enough to know what to do and what not to do.

A lot of that comes from experience with finding them.

 

You have only found 10 so you don't have any experience yet.

 

Yes, now some will jump on me for saying this (although others will agree) because some new cachers have hidden good caches.

But remember that hiding a cache takes a commitment of many years. You need to maintain the cache, and if you've only been doing it a few months, are you sure you're going to stick with this?

 

the more you find the better you'll get at hiding them.

You'll know what caches have been overdone already, and you'll have a better idea what makes a clever hide.

 

Consider finding some more first.

Have fun. Consider it the honeymoon phase of the game when you don't have any cache maintenance to do.

 

Very wise words Sol Seeker.

Find a few more and remember that cache ownership is a big responsibility. You will be expected to provide accurate coordinates. You will need to maintain both your listing and your physical cache in a timely fashion. Expect to invest some money in order to provide a water tight container, some swag, and a logbook and don't forget the gas money to do regular maintenance visits. You will also be expected to monitor your email for logs that come in about any problems with your cache.

[+L0ne.R]

Being the type who likes to do it right

Thank you for the fast responses. Lone R, I think you misunderstood me. I meant that I wasn't going to use one big enough for swag as I've found that most swag in our neck of the woods gets to be of low quality pretty fast. Some more discussion on this will be very much appreciated. Thanks!

 

What? That's really too bad. Micro caches are enjoyed by a subset of geocachers. Well-maintained swag size caches please everyone. Micros were intended for locations where a larger cache won't fit, but it does seem they've evolved into the cache of choice for people who don't want to maintain a cache with swag. It's not all that expensive - about $5 a year. And if you really don't want to put in a few dollar store items then just take out the trash and leave a clean swag-size cache so that people can leave and trade stuff. I love to leave my signature items in caches and I pick up signature items. Lots of people love trackables too, it's a big part of the game.

 

From the guidelines/knowledge books:

 

is suitable for your particular environment

• Can this forest support a nice, large cache with room for many trade items?

Edited September 19, 2011 by Lone R

[+The Blorenges]

Please try and hide a container of a suitable size to hold travel bugs and geocoins, if possible, and if the location is suitable. It's getting more and more difficult to move trackables around as the trend seems to be for ever smaller caches.

 

Also, consider this advice from the Guidelines:

 

"When you go to hide a geocache, think of the reason you are bringing people to that spot. If the only reason is for the geocache, then find a better spot." – briansnat

 

Good luck with it.

 

MrsB

[+SeekerOfTheWay]

Ammo can! Ammo can!

 

I don't like swag either. I just started a thread about leaving a regular sized cache with no swag, which I just did.

 

Seems ok.

Edited September 19, 2011 by SeekerOfTheWay

[+briansnat]

1. Pick a place for your cache that people would enjoy visiting even if the cache wasn't there. 2. Use a quality container of a size appropriate for the area. 3. Follow the guidelines

 

Do those three things and songs will be written about you, schools named after you and statues raised in your honor. Well not quite, but your caches will soon gain a "must do" reputation among locals.

Edited September 19, 2011 by briansnat

[+DanOCan]

After caching for a few months,I've started to get the itch to do a hide near our home. Being the type who likes to do it right I was wondering if you long-time cachers would care to share your opinions on what makes a good hide. I'm planning on having it in the woods and I was going to use a smaller sized container than would fit swag but larger than a bison tube. Most of our finds so far have been the same old ammo can/tupperware container under very obvious rock piles so I wanted to do something different. Any ideas folks?

 

Don't knock the ammocan under an obvious pile of rocks hide. A lot of times it depends on the location. If someone makes a significant effort to reach one of my hiking caches I want them to be able to find the dang thing, especially in the winter when the location might be covered in snow. There's nothing wrong with an easy find if the location will support it.

 

Of course, I come from the school of thought that says the point of caching is to hide the container from muggles, not from other cachers...

 

I also say hide the largest container the area will support, even if you don't want to put any swag in it.

[+L0ne.R]

If someone makes a significant effort to reach one of my hiking caches I want them to be able to find the dang thing, especially in the winter when the location might be covered in snow. There's nothing wrong with an easy find if the location will support it.

 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

[Leverknight Family]

Well thanks for the ideas everyone. I think we will do some more finds and wait for the leaves to fall (so as to get a more accurate read on coords) before I hide one. Thanks for bringing some of this up. Keep the ideas coming. This stuff will make anyone a firm believer in the power of listening to the experts.

Edited September 20, 2011 by Leverknight Family

[+popokiiti]

And if you haven't done so yet, check out the thread "Cool Cache Containers" - lots of pictures to go through, so have a sandwich and a brew by your side...

[+RapsterRats]

While we on the subject of first time hides, permission to hide the cache on someone elses land is obviously imperative. I have two sites in mind on local woodland. The woodland is owned by the County Council whom I have contacted but to no avail. I know "no news is good news" but "no answer is not permission to place" either!

[+Bear and Ragged]

While we on the subject of first time hides, permission to hide the cache on someone elses land is obviously imperative. I have two sites in mind on local woodland. The woodland is owned by the County Council whom I have contacted but to no avail. I know "no news is good news" but "no answer is not permission to place" either!

Have you checked out the GAGB's list of Landowner Agreements?

There may already be an agreement in place, or a contact listed.

[+Semper Questio]

Ammo can! Ammo can!

 

I don't like swag either. I just started a thread about leaving a regular sized cache with no swag, which I just did.

 

Seems ok.

 

Even if you don't want to leave swag, a large cache not only provides room for travelers, but also lets you leave an actual log BOOK vs. a log scroll and there are still some folks that really enjoy seeing those and writing something more than the date and there name. They usually make for good reading when you do maintenance also.

[+"grimlock"]

Just my $0.02 worth,

 

Limit micros, everyone likes cache with swag! even if it isn't trackable, the kids love opening a swag filled cache to discover what others have left.

 

Micros have their place and can be used in cool ways or difficult muggle ridden locations as a challenge to cachers.

 

.... but most of all be creative..... .....cool creative caches are the way to favorite points!!

[+Semper Questio]

Well thanks for the ideas everyone. I think we will do some more finds and wait for the leaves to fall (so as to get a more accurate read on coords) before I hide one. Thanks for bringing some of this up. Keep the ideas coming. This stuff will make anyone a firm believer in the power of listening to the experts.

 

If you are waiting until Fall or Winter to hide, you also need to keep in mind what will happen to the area when Spring comes. What looks like an easy-to-access good hiding spot could, come Spring, become a poison ivy coated, insect-infested nightmare. Just keep it in mind when scouting sites.

[I!]

care to share your opinions on what makes a good hide

I've found that, for the week or two following me having had an idea for a cache, I am inclined to believe it's the best location/hide/challenge ever. So I force myself to create the cache listing, place the cache, but not submit ... then wait a couple of weeks, checking the cache often, before reassessing: is this really such a fab hide that I must ask people to visit? About half the time, I either change something significant before publication or back out of submitting it altogether. (Any locals want Birdlip cave? You're welcome to it.)

[+swissgreys]

Check the co-ordinates (I know someone else said this, but I think it is worth mentioning again).

 

And then go back and check them again (with a warmed up GPS, in reasonable weather conditions).

 

I haven't been caching long, have made 4 hides, and one was a disaster! The coordinates (taken multiple times, but on a GPS that had just been switched on and in less than perfect weather) were 10 meters out, and within 12 hours of the cache being listed I had a few DNF's, and one rather angry response demanding 'immediate owner comment'.

 

I have learnt my lesson.

 

I would also say make sure you will be around for at least a week (or two) after the cache goes 'live'. This can happen up to 3 days after you submit the listing for review (but in my own personal experience is much faster).

 

You need to be close by, so if it does go wrong and you have a herd of furious geocachers baying for your blood, then you can pop back quickly to the scenic location you carefully handpicked (hoping not to bump into any of the aforementioned cachers) and sort the problem out.

 

But hiding is fun, and in fact my kids love hiding as much as finding.

If only I could cope with the pressure.....

[+A & J Tooling]

Make sure that it'll withstand Mother Nature at her worst in your neck of the woods. I've been building a few that haven't held up as good as I'd like. And remember that if someone might accidently break it, they will.

[+GeoReapers]

Check the co-ordinates

 

Please just do this. Good co-ordinates are imperative. Please Please Please

[+A & J Tooling]

Check the co-ordinates

 

Please just do this. Good co-ordinates are imperative. Please Please Please

 

Bah! Adds to the fun when they're 100 meters off or so. Makes the find more fun.

[Leverknight Family]

Well the site I picked is one we are already familiar with so I'm sure that as of this spring there were no nasty plants. We've also had the pleasure (NOT!) of looking for a cache that had the coords off and to make matters worse it was our first micro. We did manage to find it after three attempts but learned the hard way just how vital accuracy is.

[+GeoReapers]

Check the co-ordinates

 

Please just do this. Good co-ordinates are imperative. Please Please Please

 

You know, you are right. Please OP, make the coordinates seem like it is either in the neighbor's yard or in the gulch on the other side of the street. Then jack up the difficulty rating to compensate. ;-/

 

I do suggest making sure you have an accurate D/T rating. That is just as important as good coords.

[+popokiiti]

If you are thinking of placing your cache in an area that caching children will go to, maybe some items from the dollar/pound store - even polished pebbles - might be good. I also prefer a log book to the sheets in micros...unless your cache is a home made rock? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy micros...but in an area that could hold a larger cache...for travel bugs, signature items and more...make it a bit bigger.

We found a micro in the end of a small branch on the ground in the woods - the branch came from the cacher's yard, but was the same type of trees that existed at the cache site. Sneaky, and took a couple of visits...

[+RapsterRats]

While we on the subject of first time hides, permission to hide the cache on someone elses land is obviously imperative. I have two sites in mind on local woodland. The woodland is owned by the County Council whom I have contacted but to no avail. I know "no news is good news" but "no answer is not permission to place" either!

Have you checked out the GAGB's list of Landowner Agreements?

There may already be an agreement in place, or a contact listed.

 

Thanks Bear and Ragged. Fabulous list which I had previously found on the net but alas, no help to me. Hopefully it will help others though. Thanks again.

[elvenmage16]

While we on the subject of first time hides, permission to hide the cache on someone elses land is obviously imperative. I have two sites in mind on local woodland. The woodland is owned by the County Council whom I have contacted but to no avail. I know "no news is good news" but "no answer is not permission to place" either!

Have you checked out the GAGB's list of Landowner Agreements?

There may already be an agreement in place, or a contact listed.

 

Thanks Bear and Ragged. Fabulous list which I had previously found on the net but alas, no help to me. Hopefully it will help others though. Thanks again.

 

Is there one of these for America? It would be a very useful bookmark for sure!

[+power69]

Check the co-ordinates

 

Please just do this. Good co-ordinates are imperative. Please Please Please

And Please Please Please Please Please Please don't take coords with an iphone!@#$%^%$#@!

[+FloridaFour]

If ur going for a smallish container, how about something memorable, like a fake snake, frog or rock? Anything different or funny would be appreciated.... Lots of stuff you can buy online or make your own.

[+Sharks-N-Beans]

If ur going for a smallish container, how about something memorable, like a fake snake, frog or rock? Anything different or funny would be appreciated.... Lots of stuff you can buy online or make your own.

 

Great point. If the purpose of the cache is to bring cachers to an enjoyable spot and have nothing else in the cache other than the log, why not use something more interesting than a lock-n-lock or a pill bottle?