Hiding a cache - Advice

[+goddess25]

Ok so I have ordered a few bits of ebay and this website to hide a few caches.

 

I have a Magellan explorist GC...and I am just wondering if anyone has hidden caches with this unit.

 

Can anyone recommend a good thread or page with instructions on what I need to do to hide a cache that are easy to understand. It looks pretty difficult.

 

Any advice would be great!

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

All you need to know: http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=57

 

Not really, BUT it is the best place to start.

 

Questions will probably more than likely come up, but that is all part of the fun, ask them here and see/read the different interpretations.

 

Regarding hiding with the Magellan, I am sure plenty of caches have been hidden using that model. It should do nicely.

[+Coldgears]

First, pick what type of cache you want to hide. A nice park cache, with an ammo box at the end of the walk which is found moderately. An extreme 5/5 which is rarely found, or a lamp post and guard-rail which is found all the time. The harder the cache is to find, you'll get much better logs, but they will be infrequent. The easy caches you will get tons of logs, but they will mostly be cut/paste and a sentence or two.

 

I would suggest a park cache, even if you can only use a micro. There is a vocal group who really like swag, but i'm going to go out on a limb and say most only care about finding the cache and signing it. That's not to say you shouldn't hide an ammo box, in fact, I only hid ONE micro out of all my hides. I actually have 3 more ammo boxes waiting to be filled. Why please 90% when you can please the other 10% also?

 

How do you find a park? Easy. Go on the geocaching maps and look at parks, if there isn't a cache there, or it looks like there is a spot that has .1 mile space open... Get in their and place the cache. Try to go to the untapped parks, these tend to be in the not-so-good neighborhoods in the city, or parks in area's without many geocachers. This may require you to drive 10+ miles, but that really only takes a half hour or so. Plus, you'll be able to get a whole new set of cachers. Many people will not start caching if the closest one is a 5 - 10 miles away. Once they start though, cachers will go hundreds of miles.

 

After you place your cache, get the coordinates on your GPS device. Then list it on the site, write a few sentences about the area/history, and your experience in this area and/or the hiding of the cache.

 

If it is a suburban/rural park, you'll probably want to get permission, How do you get permission? Go to the website, and email them, they will usually foward it to the right person. If it doesn't really have owners/maintainers, and are maintained entirely by the community, and not with tax-payers/donation dollars, I honestly don't know what to do. I just hide them there, because there is a local park i've gone to for nearly my whole life, but I have no idea who owns it. It is suggested though, you get permission. This can be tricky.

 

As for the guidelines? They are mostly common sense. Do you really need them to tell you not to deface property, put it near a terrorist target, or not to promit a nearby buisness? Not really. It's generally a good idea to skim through them once though.

 

After that a reviewer will review your cache within about a week, if they don't, do it within a week don't sweat. If it's more than 10 days, and you live in Texas, than you might have a complaint. But that's about it. It'll probably be reviewed within days. If not that day.

 

Than? You just wait for the logs to start coming in. There will be an intial rush of FTF hunters, and than another rush of people in the area who found most local caches and search for the new ones.

 

Than you'll get a much slower, steady stream of finders from all over!

 

If there is an issue with the cache you'll need to fix it.

 

That's about all I can say.

Edited November 23, 2011 by Coldgears

[+webscouter.]

Wow!!!! Usually I just overlook some post. But this one has so much bad information in it that I just must respond

 

First, pick what type of cache you want to hide. A nice park cache, with an ammo box at the end of the walk which is found moderately. An extreme 5/5 which is rarely found, or a lamp post and guard-rail which is found all the time.

The best caches are always about location, location, location. Take a look at the caches near you that have lots of favorite points and you will find with few exceptions it is about where the cache takes you. So the first thing you want to do is to pick places near you that you would want to take a friend to visit even if there wasn't a cache there. After that you pick the container that can be hidden in that location.

 

I would suggest a park cache, even if you can only use a micro. There is a vocal group who really like swag, but i'm going to go out on a limb and say most only care about finding the cache and signing it.

 

How do you find a park? Easy. Go on the geocaching maps and look at parks, if there isn't a cache there, or it looks like there is a spot that has .1 mile space open... Get in their and place the cache. Try to go to the untapped parks, these tend to be in the not-so-good neighborhoods in the city, but people will usually thank you for bringing them here.

I don't want to be taken to a trash filled park, if you wouldn't spend time there on a date I really have no desire to see it. If there are needles and condoms laying around I really don't have a desire to be there. There is a reason that some locations on the map don't have caches there.

 

After you place your cache, get the coordinates on your GPS device. Then list it on the site, write a few sentences about the area/history, and your experience in this area and/or the hiding of the cache.

This is some good advice. Let me know why the place is special to you.

 

If it is a suburban/rural park, you'll probably want to get permission, if it's a city park, they have bigger issues (Drug addicts and hypodermic needles) to worry about than a geocache.

 

How do you get permission? Go to the website, and email them, they will usually foward it to the right person.

All caches should have permission. Take the time to find out who owns/controls the land and get permission to place your cache. This will reduce the chance of problems later, such as trespassing issues.

 

Sometimes parks don't really have owners/maintainers, and are maintained entirely by the community, and not with tax-payers/donation dollars.

 

If that is the case, check to see if is private property, if it isn't, you are good to go.

Every place has an owner. The problem is finding out who is responsible for the maintenance of the property.

 

As for the guidelines? Reading them isn't really neccessary, what is neccessary is common sense. It should be obvious not to hide one on private property, not to dig a hole/deface property, and not to hide near a terrorist target. You don't need the guidelines to tell you that!

How about permanence issues? School property ok to hide a cache? How about writing clues on the back of a billboard? What about placing a cache in a National Park? What about having cachers going to a site that they have to register at to find clues? Can you do these things? Only by reading the guidelines will you know. They don't take a lot of time and will help your cache get approved. Besides you are going to indicate that you have read them.

 

After that a reviewer will review your cache within about a week, if they don't, do it within a week don't sweat. If it's more than 10 days, and you live in Texas, than you might have a complaint. But that's about it. It'll probably be reviewed within days. If not that day.

 

Than? You just wait for the logs to start coming in. There will be an intial rush of FTF hunters, and than another rush of people in the area who found most local caches and search for the new ones.

 

Than you'll get a much slower, steady stream of finders from all over!

 

If there is an issue with the cache you'll need to fix it.

 

That's about all I can say.

Don't forget to check the box that says that the cache is active. Otherwise you will wait for much longer for the cache to be approved.

[+briansnat]

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-and-Hide-a-Geocache

[Pup Patrol]

As for the guidelines? Reading them isn't really neccessary, what is neccessary is common sense. It should be obvious not to hide one on private property, not to dig a hole/deface property, and not to hide near a terrorist target. You don't need the guidelines to tell you that!

 

That has to be the worst piece of advice I've ever read, and should be completely ignored.

 

Telling a person new to hiding caches to read the Guidelines thoroughly, and more than once, would be the appropriate thing to do.

 

Hiding Your First Geocache:

http://www.geocaching.com/about/hiding.aspx

 

The Guidelines:

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=11'>http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=11

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx

 

The Knowledge Books:

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php

[+StarBrand]

The best advice I can give (as several others have noted) is to read the guidelines. Then read them again. Then go back and really read and understand them.

 

Location is everything. Pick a spot that is [scenic, historic, little known, special to you, cool, off the beaten path] and then tell me why you have brought me there (other than for a cache).

[+L0ne.R]

• Good coordinates - learn how to average your readings.
• Good hint
• Watertight container
• Good location
• Use appropriate D/T (difficulty/terrain) ratings - use the Geocache Rating System link in the submission form
• Cache size appropriate for the location
  • hide a micro appropriately - to bring someone to a nice location where a swag size container will not fit

  [*]Be committed to the game and prepared to maintain your cache and cache listing in a timely fashion.

  • watch email for reports of problems,
  • fix problems quickly,
  • post notes when needed to let finders and reviewers know when you intend to fix a problem,
  • know how to use the Disable feature,
  • and the Owner Maintenance feature,
  • know how to add additional waypoints,
  • pick up and archive the cache if you grow tired of maintaining it,
  • archive the cache if you do not intend to replace a missing cache.

Edited November 23, 2011 by Lone R

[+Coldgears]

I fixed my guide. I wrote it at 2 in the morning. I didn't convey some-things the way I would have thinking clearly. Now it should be a much better guide, with good information.

[+GeoBain]

How do you find a park? Easy. Go on the geocaching maps and look at parks, if there isn't a cache there, or it looks like there is a spot that has .1 mile space open... Get in their and place the cache.

 

So basically open up a map and point your finger at one of the green spaces regardless of whether or not you've ever visited that park yourself?

 

That sounds more like some of that hiding caches for the numbers bit that has been infecting this game.

 

Instead of looking for random places on a map to place a cache, consider placing caches in locations that you have been to and liked. If you personally enjoyed the location, chances are others will too.

[+GeoBain]

I fixed my guide. I wrote it at 2 in the morning. I didn't convey some-things the way I would have thinking clearly. Now it should be a much better guide, with good information.

 

It needs more work.

Edited November 23, 2011 by GeoBain

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

I fixed my guide. I wrote it at 2 in the morning. I didn't convey some-things the way I would have thinking clearly. Now it should be a much better guide, with good information.

 

It needs more work.

+1

[Pup Patrol]

As for the guidelines? They are mostly common sense. Do you really need them to tell you not to deface property, put it near a terrorist target, or not to promit a nearby buisness? Not really. It's generally a good idea to skim through them once though.

 

This is supposed to be an improvement????

 

Please don't reply to new cachers. Your advice will just get them in trouble.

 

Your spelling will just confuse them, as well.

[+NicknPapa]

Our local reviewer links to Dave's ("drat19's") Opinions on Geocache Hiding in his review logs. That is well worth reading.

Edited November 24, 2011 by NicknPapa

[+goddess25]

Thanks guys lots of great replies.

 

I have a few spots in mind in some local parks that my husband and kids love to go to. I have read the instructions and I just need to get out now and practice with my GPS... and have a go at coordinates and learning how to average the readings. Once I am comfortable with that I think I am good to go.

 

Cheers!

[+L0ne.R]

Thanks guys lots of great replies.

 

I have a few spots in mind in some local parks that my husband and kids love to go to. I have read the instructions and I just need to get out now and practice with my GPS... and have a go at coordinates and learning how to average the readings. Once I am comfortable with that I think I am good to go.

 

Cheers!

 

I had a look at the Magellan Explorist GC manual. Here's the instructions regarding "Adding a Geocache" (looks like the unit does the averaging for you...you just need to wait a couple of minutes):

 

Adding a Geocache

 

1. Press MENU and select ‘Add Geocache’ from the Options menu.

2. Wait approximately 2 minutes while the receiver uses ‘waypoint averaging’ to calculate an

accurate position. The bottom of the “Add Geocache” screen will display the estimated accuracy

when it is done averaging.

3. To change the name, highlight the Name field and press ENTER. Use the keyboard to enter the

desired name.

4. To change the Difficulty, Terrain, or Size move the highlight to the desired field. Use the joystick

left or right to change the setting.

5. Press MENU and select ‘Save’ to save the geocache.