Another How do I..Create a Virtual Cache?

[+Wolfiesden]

It does not seem to be an option in the dropdowns.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Virtuals have been disallowed for some time now.

 

Rumor is that they may reappear.

[Pup Patrol]

It does not seem to be an option in the dropdowns.

 

Before attempting to create any kind of cache, it's highly recommended that you read the Guidelines... at least a few times.

 

Guidelines:

 

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

 

There's very little important information that is not covered by the articles in the

 

Help Center:

 

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=1

 

 

B.

Edited March 18, 2012 by Pup Patrol

[+niraD]

Geocaching Challenges were the replacement for virtual caches:

http://www.geocaching.com/challenges/

 

Note that Challenge Caches are something completely different:

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=206

 

Yes, it's confusing.

[+Wolfiesden]

Virtuals have been disallowed for some time now.

 

Rumor is that they may reappear.

 

Meh. Figures. I had a nice one to make

 

Girls are back from church and girl scouts..guess its time to get off the forums and get in the car for some caching

[+niraD]

You can still use virtual stages as part of a multi-cache. Seekers go to the plaque, sculpture, or whatever other landmark and collect some information (a date, a name, the number of birds in a mural, whatever), and then use that information to get the coordinates of the actual cache.

 

See the guidelines and other resource links above for more info.

[+Wolfiesden]

I was more interested in making a 'cache' like GL7MXZKN Mariner's Plaza where you go somewhere, look something up, log and then email the owner. I thought it was a nice way to get folks to some monuments or significant structures they might not otherwise know about. Shame they removed this interesting form of 'cache'.

 

I do get that its not an actual cache in the strictest sense as there is no physical container to look for. But, and being new maybe I have my head in the clouds, I like being taken to places and showing me things I didn't know about more than trading dollar store bobbles in a box somewhere uninsteresting. Sure, that is what the kids want, but isn't that why there are so many different types of caches? Varieity to satisfy everyone?

 

Please bring the virtuals back. The couple I have been to I found very interesting places to go. With rules of placing caches, its unlikely that caches could or would (out of respect) be placed thee and these out of the way places go unnoticed and unvisited.

 

I have lived here 20+ years, never knew that memorial was there. I do now and so do my granddaughters. I didn't know that a mother of a famous writer was borne not 10 miles from where I work. I do now. Isn't this one of the good things about caching? Removing virtual caches, removes the ability for folks to take other cachers to places where it would be inappropriate to place a plastic box in a bush like memorials and statues and birthplaces.

[+The A-Team]

I like being taken to places and showing me things I didn't know about more than trading dollar store bobbles in a box somewhere uninsteresting.

...

Removing virtual caches, removes the ability for folks to take other cachers to places where it would be inappropriate to place a plastic box in a bush like memorials and statues and birthplaces.

It sounds like you may like Geocaching Challenges or Waymarking more than geocaching. Challenges were Groundspeak's replacement for the virtual geocaches, and Waymarks are basically points of interest submitted by others. Both are somewhat loosely associated with geocaching in that you find a spot using coordinates.

[+J the Goat]

Or as mentioned above, you could make the site a virtual stage of a multi cache. In doing that, you still bring people to the spot, you don't clutter the area with a cache (if that's a concern), and you can still place a final with trinkets for the kids to find. It's a win/win/win for everybody

[+Wolfiesden]

Or as mentioned above, you could make the site a virtual stage of a multi cache. In doing that, you still bring people to the spot, you don't clutter the area with a cache (if that's a concern), and you can still place a final with trinkets for the kids to find. It's a win/win/win for everybody

The more I think about it, the more I like this one. To people like multi-caches? I have never done one so I am not familiar with them (still new). How popular are they and do people shy away from them or actually like them?

[ao318]

Or as mentioned above, you could make the site a virtual stage of a multi cache. In doing that, you still bring people to the spot, you don't clutter the area with a cache (if that's a concern), and you can still place a final with trinkets for the kids to find. It's a win/win/win for everybody

The more I think about it, the more I like this one. To people like multi-caches? I have never done one so I am not familiar with them (still new). How popular are they and do people shy away from them or actually like them?

It all depends on how many stages and how far apart the stages are. If there are just a few stages and don't require driving, you'll get more interest. If not, than you'll get fewer people doing them.

 

It's a good idea to state in your listing how many stages they must do and about how far apart the stages are like this, "you are going to do a three part multi with all the stages within walking distance. You'll end up walking just over a mile to complete this cache." This doesn't tell them how far away the end is just how far they need to walk because you may send them 1/2 a mile east and then 1/2 a mile west for a 1 mile hike.

 

Good luck.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Or as mentioned above, you could make the site a virtual stage of a multi cache. In doing that, you still bring people to the spot, you don't clutter the area with a cache (if that's a concern), and you can still place a final with trinkets for the kids to find. It's a win/win/win for everybody

The more I think about it, the more I like this one. To people like multi-caches? I have never done one so I am not familiar with them (still new). How popular are they and do people shy away from them or actually like them?

 

Whilst multi-caches may not get as many visitors, they often get a better log!

[+J the Goat]

Or as mentioned above, you could make the site a virtual stage of a multi cache. In doing that, you still bring people to the spot, you don't clutter the area with a cache (if that's a concern), and you can still place a final with trinkets for the kids to find. It's a win/win/win for everybody

The more I think about it, the more I like this one. To people like multi-caches? I have never done one so I am not familiar with them (still new). How popular are they and do people shy away from them or actually like them?

 

Whilst multi-caches may not get as many visitors, they often get a better log!

 

Very true. The more information you give about the multi cache in the description, the more people will be willing to go find it, or not. You can make it just two stages; the stage where they get the information and the final.

 

You still probably won't get quite as many logs as a traditional, even if it's a two stager that's only offset by a couple hundred feet. Still highlights what you want to show off though...

[+Wolfiesden]

Wonderful tips folks! Boy, you guys just validated my reason to pay the yearly with stuff like this. Such a helpful community and welcoming to a noob.

[+highbarn2]

I was more interested in making a 'cache' like GL7MXZKN Mariner's Plaza where you go somewhere, look something up, log and then email the owner. I thought it was a nice way to get folks to some monuments or significant structures they might not otherwise know about. Shame they removed this interesting form of 'cache'.

 

I do get that its not an actual cache in the strictest sense as there is no physical container to look for. But, and being new maybe I have my head in the clouds, I like being taken to places and showing me things I didn't know about more than trading dollar store bobbles in a box somewhere uninsteresting. Sure, that is what the kids want, but isn't that why there are so many different types of caches? Varieity to satisfy everyone?

 

Please bring the virtuals back. The couple I have been to I found very interesting places to go. With rules of placing caches, its unlikely that caches could or would (out of respect) be placed thee and these out of the way places go unnoticed and unvisited.

 

I have lived here 20+ years, never knew that memorial was there. I do now and so do my granddaughters. I didn't know that a mother of a famous writer was borne not 10 miles from where I work. I do now. Isn't this one of the good things about caching? Removing virtual caches, removes the ability for folks to take other cachers to places where it would be inappropriate to place a plastic box in a bush like memorials and statues and birthplaces.

 

Virtual caches fill an important niche for places where caches are specifically disallowed for one reason or another. Imagine spending a week at the Grand Canyon and being unable to log a single cache... At the same time, urban caches in some spots have a very short shelf life so placing a virtual in an interesting spot might be the only option. Challenges were supposed to be something new but if they are gradually eroding the game of geocaching as we used to know it then it's definitely a downward spiral.

[+mcgillz]

I was more interested in making a 'cache' like GL7MXZKN Mariner's Plaza where you go somewhere, look something up, log and then email the owner. I thought it was a nice way to get folks to some monuments or significant structures they might not otherwise know about. Shame they removed this interesting form of 'cache'.

 

I do get that its not an actual cache in the strictest sense as there is no physical container to look for. But, and being new maybe I have my head in the clouds, I like being taken to places and showing me things I didn't know about more than trading dollar store bobbles in a box somewhere uninsteresting. Sure, that is what the kids want, but isn't that why there are so many different types of caches? Varieity to satisfy everyone?

 

Please bring the virtuals back. The couple I have been to I found very interesting places to go. With rules of placing caches, its unlikely that caches could or would (out of respect) be placed thee and these out of the way places go unnoticed and unvisited.

 

I have lived here 20+ years, never knew that memorial was there. I do now and so do my granddaughters. I didn't know that a mother of a famous writer was borne not 10 miles from where I work. I do now. Isn't this one of the good things about caching? Removing virtual caches, removes the ability for folks to take other cachers to places where it would be inappropriate to place a plastic box in a bush like memorials and statues and birthplaces.

 

Thanks Wolfiesden, I couldn't say it better. I live next to a National Wildlife Refuge. No caching is permitted there but I have been fortunate to be friends with one of the volunteers who know the area well and has studied the history of the area. He has taken me for walks on the trails in the bogs and shown me remarkable things that others will never have the opportunity to know about because there is no printed sign to inform them and no one to lead them to the spot. These features wouldn't qualify as EarthCaches in my mind but are interesting nonetheless. A virtual cache can provide both but instead we have guardrail caches and boxes of plastic soldiers.

 

I have found several virtuals in Toronto, one at the old city hall and one in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery that were fun, very informative and impossible in any form other than virtual.

 

It seems that somebody doesn't like virtuals and I have found no compelling reason for that in reading the forums. I have tried challenges and Waymarking as replacements for virtual caching and find them both poor substitutes.

 

What I do whenever possible is place a nano cache where a virtual should be and give a decent description of the location that the cacher can enjoy.

 

Would love to know what really possessed them to disallow virtuals. Maybe they will come to their senses

Edited March 25, 2012 by mcgillz

[+niraD]

Would love to know what really possessed them to disallow virtuals.

Here's a link to tozainamboku's excellent explanation:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=245965&st=0&p=4284964entry4284964

[+T.D.M.22]

Step ONE; Read ALL Guidlines. If still can't do it do a forum search. Neither of which you did. STEP THREE. Get a time machine. If you read the other responses, You'll see why.