Fake sprinkler head versus fake rock geocaches?

[Nick - Cacher]

Hi, I just ordered a fake rock cache online, and also bought one of those fake sprinkler head key holders from Lowe's.

 

I feel excited, however I want to ask your opinion on using fake sprinkler heads. I'm kind of worried that they may condition cachers to get in the habit of pulling on and twisting real sprinkler heads. Should I be worried?

 

At the same time, I'm also concerned that fake sprinkler heads may be better geocaches than fake rocks? The reason, I called up Home Depot when shopping around for various fake key holders, and the man who answered the phone said fake rocks used to be extremely popular in stores all over. He said that they were then replaced by fake sprinkler key holders because thieves got so used to knowing what the fake rocks look like. He said it's much more difficult to tell if a sprinkler is fake or not, because all of them are automatically man-made (where rocks aren't). I don't want to rely on fake rock geocaches too much if they're so easy they'll be muggled?

 

I'm still a newbie, but was wondering if anyone here has experience on how these two types of geocaches compare to each other?

[+2hypergirls]

I placed a fake sprinkler Friday. Apparently an Easter Bunny hiding eggs placed a egg on top of it Sunday. LOL I want to buy another one to create a tricky hide.

[+Chokecherry]

I wouldn't put a fake sprinkler head around where real ones may be to prevent the real ones from getting destroyed in the search process.

[Team Soupbones]

I wouldn't put a fake sprinkler head around where real ones may be to prevent the real ones from getting destroyed in the search process.

While this is true, it also doesn't make sense to put a sprinkler head where there is no others. It sticks out and becomes an obvious hiding spot.

[+Chokecherry]

I wouldn't put a fake sprinkler head around where real ones may be to prevent the real ones from getting destroyed in the search process.

While this is true, it also doesn't make sense to put a sprinkler head where there is no others. It sticks out and becomes an obvious hiding spot.

 

Yup it does. But seems like a better option to me then setting up a situation where hundreds of dollars of sprinkler equipment will be wrecked and have to be replaced. There have been long past threads about this topic where it has happened. I would not put out a fake sprinkler head where real ones are unless I personally owned the property they were going on and was prepared myself to pay for replacement parts. I would never ever under any circumstance place these where I do not own the property and real sprinkler heads. Not to mention that the finders of said cache are getting set up for some property destruction citations if it's not your own property as well.

 

I get the concept perfectly fine and why it's going to be difficult but I don't see encouraging property destruction to be a way to be a good steward of geocaching.

[+2hypergirls]

My fake sprinkler head is at the base of a tree hidden in a crevice created by the roots. It is in a park that doesn't have a sprinkler system. Maybe next time I will place one under a bush. Most bush caches here are at the base or hanging in the bush. Hopefully one in the ground would provide a challenging experience.

[+DanOCan]

I wouldn't put a fake sprinkler head around where real ones may be to prevent the real ones from getting destroyed in the search process.

While this is true, it also doesn't make sense to put a sprinkler head where there is no others. It sticks out and becomes an obvious hiding spot.

The fake sprinkler head has been around for so long now it became a fairly obvious hiding spot years ago.

 

I'm with Chokecherry on this one -- put a fake sprinkler head around where real ones are and be prepared for angry landowners who are constantly replacing the real ones from cachers opening them up.

 

I've done it and I've seen plenty of others do it. These "clever" hides lead to inadvertent property destruction. To the OP -- yes, fake sprinkler heads condition cachers to open the real thing.

[+Geodalf]

Wouldn't a fake sprinkler head violate the no bury rule?

[+addisonbr]

I'm kind of worried that they may condition cachers to get in the habit of pulling on and twisting real sprinkler heads. Should I be worried?

It's a concern, even if the fake sprinkler head is nowhere near real sprinkler heads. There is a cache hidden in a local park that is not a fake sprinkler head (it's a standard bison tube, although it's hidden very deviously). But there is a real sprinkler head nearby. On my first attempt I wound up partially disassembling the real sprinkler head before realizing my mistake. I've kept it on my watchlist since and it's happened multiple times since then.

 

I'm not sure what the solution is, really. But I have noticed what you suspected - fake sprinkler heads in one location seem to affect real sprinkler heads in totally different locations.

[knowschad]

Wouldn't a fake sprinkler head violate the no bury rule?

 

It would if you actually hooked it up to the underground water system.

[+jellis]

I am both like and dislike sprinkler heads. I have seen many real ones destroyed due to cachers searching.

If you have a cache that is not a sprinkler head near real ones then put a note on the cache page that it is NOT a sprinkler head!

If you have a sprinkler head hide then put a good hint on it and a marking on the sprinkler head to identify it from the rest. Muggles won't notice.

[+TAZ427]

Wouldn't a fake sprinkler head violate the no bury rule?

 

Buried is being placed under ground, a sprinkler head has the head at the surface and many containers are placed this way.

 

That said, I've taken the top off probably a dozen sprinkler heads so far, and I've damaged none of them. All are very easily reassembed, push it back down and screw it back on. So far I've only found one sprinkler head cache hide. I'm considering buying a new sprinkler head to replace one of my existing ones that has the nice water mineral build up on it and placing it out there. The one thing about these is that they tend to be fairly muggle proof.

[+J the Goat]

Wouldn't a fake sprinkler head violate the no bury rule?

 

Buried is being placed under ground, a sprinkler head has the head at the surface and many containers are placed this way.

 

That said, I've taken the top off probably a dozen sprinkler heads so far, and I've damaged none of them. All are very easily reassembed, push it back down and screw it back on. So far I've only found one sprinkler head cache hide. I'm considering buying a new sprinkler head to replace one of my existing ones that has the nice water mineral build up on it and placing it out there. The one thing about these is that they tend to be fairly muggle proof.

 

Yes, but you have to put part of it underground. Buried.

 

My suggestion? Buy a ammo can and put out a quality cache in a good spot.

[+niraD]

My 2 cents:

 

Yes, you can use a "shovel, trowel or other pointy object [...] to dig or break ground" when you're hiding a sprinkler cache, and in doing so, you would violate the no-digging guideline. But you don't need to. I've found several sprinkler caches that were supported by loose landscape bark, or that were otherwise hidden without digging. Such caches don't violate the no-digging guideline any more than an ammo can covered with a few handfuls of leaves and twigs does.

 

The problem with geocachers disassembling real sprinklers is not just that they'll break them or neglect to reassemble them. The problem with geocachers disassembling real sprinklers is also that the sprinklers are likely to be misaligned after they've been reassembled. The result of that is damage to the landscaping, among other things.

 

I don't see sprinkler caches going away any time soon. But if you're going to hide one, at least try to hide it in a way that finders can know that it isn't a real sprinkler before they disassemble it.

[+Sol seaker]

The "nothing buried" rule includes things that are partially buried. In fact, rumor has it that the cache that inspired the "no digging with sharp objects" was a partially buried cache.

 

The rule says no digging with sharp or pointy objects to place your cache.

I would suggest one thing that can dig without sharp pointy objects but I might get in trouble.

 

I've been against sprinkler head caches since I found a lawn in a park with 6 sprinkler heads disassembled and left lying all over the ground.

 

And no, TAR, everyone doesn't know how to put them back together, so they should not be taking them apart.

If one is taken apart in a park, it turns into an instant fountain when the auto sprinklers go on. Since the sprinklers are often automatic, there's no one there to see what has happened and even if no other damage is incurred, there's a huge waste of water.

 

Here. Dig with this. Nothing pointy.

 

[Mr.Yuck]

The legality of phony sprinkler head caches has come up many times, and so I've posted what I'm about to post several times. A reviewer once personally told me that if the cache is something you can push into the ground using your handsthen you're good, and this would obviously apply to a sprinkler head cache. This does not matter to me though, as I've never personally known there to be a phony sprinkler head cache in my area, which receives more than enough annual rainfall in a cold climate, and real sprinkler heads are quite rare. Who knows if I will ever find one of these things? Maybe next Florida vacation.

[+DragonsWest]

I find the fake sprinklers, as the real ones, can be found with much water in them. As they are not designed to be watertight, at least half of them I find have soggy log sheets. Don't even bother with a bag, as bags work for about the first 5 finds and then are torn or holed and do more to keep water with the log than away from it.

 

Fake rocks seem to work great and making your own is a lot of fun.

[+The VanDucks]

I think it would be funny to use a fake sprinkler head in a location where there would not possibly be a sprinkler system, like maybe in the woods near the roots of a tree. A fake rock can be hidden among real rocks, but be kind to fellow cachers and use a fake rock that's a different color or texture from the surrounding ones! To avoid wet logs in either of these containers, you can put in a small bison tube with the log inside. I'm not a fan of micro caches in wooded areas, but if there are already larger caches nearby, it can be a nice change of pace to grab a micro, as long as it doesn't take hours of hard work to locate.

[knowschad]

I will say that I have yet to hear of a fake sprinkler to be blown up by the bomb squad. Probably true of fake rocks, too, but I can't say that for sure.

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

1. I have not heard of a fake sprinkler head being blown up, either.

 

2. I carry parts and if I take apart a real sprinkler, I do a normal service on it. Its plenty easy.

 

3. Rather than taking a sprinkler apart, try pulling the pop-up. If it moves, its real, i.e. the insides and spring are intact.

[+lamoracke]

there was a cache in our area that was actually in a functioning water sprinkler on a business property (yes, with permission). Personally I hate looking in sprinklers as am worried am going to break it so when actually one is in one, I kinda sigh but that is me. If its obviously in a fake sprinkler, that is okay, but I hate searching in sprinklers as a general rule. I like it with COs include it in their description or hint, not in the sprinkler.

 

So, I prefer fake rocks vs sprinklers of the two. Only once or twice have I seen damage from a rock wall or fake rock but have seen a lot more with sprinklers or the thought it could be in one.

[+GrateBear]

The best fake one I found was placed between a bench and a tree about 4' behind the bench. No grass around. Even then, looked at it and passed it by for a while until I put 2 and 2 together. I also have one that's attached to a 3' piece of pipe--just waiting to find the right place where there clearly would be no sprinkler.

[AZcachemeister]

Fake sprinkler head in the woods makes me laugh heartily!

 

Another fake sprinkler head in the park?

 

Meh!

 

Is that a haiku?

[4wheelin_fool]

I've heard of and found fake sprinkler head caches laid on the ground without being properly reinserted. I suppose there are some cachers who really rebel against the anti burying rule.

[+terrkan78]

One of my earliest finds was a fake sprinkler head. In the middle of several acres of wetlands. I'd never heard of a fake sprinkler head cache, and I'd never set foot in wetlands before. When I saw it I thought, "aha!" Took the thing apart...no cache. "Well, crap. A real sprinkler head (now ruined by me) out here in the middle of wetlands? Seriously? Ummm...maybe that's how they keep the wetlands wet in the summer???" You know, in the middle of a cold night, holding a flashlight in my mouth, trying to reassemble a sprinkler head, that didn't sound nearly as stupid as it does now.

 

After looking a long while I went back to the sprinkler head and took it apart again, this time dismantling it completely. Voila!

 

The fake sprinklers I've found since weren't firmly pushed into the ground, so they've been relatively easy to identify as caches. If I wriggle a sprinkler head and it doesn't budge, I assume it's real and don't mess with it. Most of the fake rocks I've searched for have been very difficult to find, requiring multiple trips. Even though when I finally find the thing it sticks out like a sore thumb.

[knowschad]

Fake sprinkler head in the woods makes me laugh heartily!

 

Another fake sprinkler head in the park?

 

Meh!

 

Is that a haiku?

 

You should hide one out in the desert!

[+DragonsWest]

Fake sprinkler head in the woods makes me laugh heartily!

 

Another fake sprinkler head in the park?

 

Meh!

 

Is that a haiku?

 

You should hide one out in the desert!

 

If you want maximum laughs in the desert, try leaving a metal above-ground springler head on a pipe out there.

 

Not sure how much it would surprise -- the desert is full of incongruity.

[+OZ2CPU]

florida is stuffed with real sprinklerheads and alot of them with caches inside,

amazing how many I found there, the first one WOW haha that was a cool and funny hide,

the next one, easy ok, the next many many.. eh done that seen them, now too easy. :-)

however it will look really dumb if I place a sprinklerhead cache in my contry, since we dont use sprinkler heads normally

 

the fake rocks mostly come from the same one and only factory, so the mold is the same !

just a bit different colour, or age, for a geocacher they are easy to spot,

I like that, for a non geocacher they will be impossible to spot,

for a theif who looks for a hidden key in a garden, yes, even people with bad intentions can learn to identify known objects too

The trick with fake stones is : make one your self, it will be the one and only of its kind,

if this sounds a bit hard to make, glue rock pieces and sand to a plastic container, and it will hide a cache under it very well too

[+dbrierley]

1. I have not heard of a fake sprinkler head being blown up, either.

 

It wasn't blown up, but GC2YKTA now seems to be in the evidence room. Media story.

[knowschad]

1. I have not heard of a fake sprinkler head being blown up, either.

 

It wasn't blown up, but GC2YKTA now seems to be in the evidence room. Media story.

 

One of the four showed the officer the cache, which the officer described as a "false automatic sprinklerhead"

... snip!

... snip!

The officer noted that caches could be misconstrued as pipe bombs

 

Some caches can be... perhaps this cacher chose to use a fake sprinkler head as a way to avoid that problem?

 

Not only that, but once they know that its out there, and what it is, how is it ever going to cause "serious disruptions to police services."? Sounds to me like the officer got up on the wrong side of the bed that day.

 

 

 

[+DragonsWest]

Interesting side note: A prime example of the No Fun Club (related story to the Kitsap geocache-in-the-old-evidence-room ploy)

[+lamoracke]

Interesting side note: A prime example of the No Fun Club (related story to the Kitsap geocache-in-the-old-evidence-room ploy)

 

same town at any rate, but different issues. Was worried while reading that story it was going to turn out to be a geocacher. Am sure many of us have wish cars near GZ would move on, but hopefully no geocachers would threaten them with a bat.

[+power69]

Hi, I just ordered a fake rock cache online, and also bought one of those fake sprinkler head key holders from Lowe's.

 

I feel excited, however I want to ask your opinion on using fake sprinkler heads. I'm kind of worried that they may condition cachers to get in the habit of pulling on and twisting real sprinkler heads. Should I be worried?

 

At the same time, I'm also concerned that fake sprinkler heads may be better geocaches than fake rocks? The reason, I called up Home Depot when shopping around for various fake key holders, and the man who answered the phone said fake rocks used to be extremely popular in stores all over. He said that they were then replaced by fake sprinkler key holders because thieves got so used to knowing what the fake rocks look like. He said it's much more difficult to tell if a sprinkler is fake or not, because all of them are automatically man-made (where rocks aren't). I don't want to rely on fake rock geocaches too much if they're so easy they'll be muggled?

 

I'm still a newbie, but was wondering if anyone here has experience on how these two types of geocaches compare to each other?

DON'T DO IT! I can't count how many flooded areas i've seen by people breaking heads and not putting them back thinking it was the cache.

destroyed property gives caching a black eye.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

Hi, I just ordered a fake rock cache online, and also bought one of those fake sprinkler head key holders from Lowe's.

 

I feel excited, however I want to ask your opinion on using fake sprinkler heads. I'm kind of worried that they may condition cachers to get in the habit of pulling on and twisting real sprinkler heads. Should I be worried?

 

At the same time, I'm also concerned that fake sprinkler heads may be better geocaches than fake rocks? The reason, I called up Home Depot when shopping around for various fake key holders, and the man who answered the phone said fake rocks used to be extremely popular in stores all over. He said that they were then replaced by fake sprinkler key holders because thieves got so used to knowing what the fake rocks look like. He said it's much more difficult to tell if a sprinkler is fake or not, because all of them are automatically man-made (where rocks aren't). I don't want to rely on fake rock geocaches too much if they're so easy they'll be muggled?

 

I'm still a newbie, but was wondering if anyone here has experience on how these two types of geocaches compare to each other?

DON'T DO IT! I can't count how many flooded areas i've seen by people breaking heads and not putting them back thinking it was the cache.

destroyed property gives caching a black eye.

Agreed.

Sprinkler hides cause folks to trample in very nice landscaping and gardens also.

[knowschad]

Interesting side note: A prime example of the No Fun Club (related story to the Kitsap geocache-in-the-old-evidence-room ploy)

 

You don't suppose he was trying to chase muggles off so he could check under a lampskirt, do you?

[+Harry Dolphin]

Wouldn't a fake sprinkler head violate the no bury rule?

 

It would if you actually hooked it up to the underground water system.

 

Many reviewers will not publish them. Pointy object pushed into the ground. That's a violation.

[knowschad]

Wouldn't a fake sprinkler head violate the no bury rule?

 

It would if you actually hooked it up to the underground water system.

 

Many reviewers will not publish them. Pointy object pushed into the ground. That's a violation.

First I've heard of that. "Many reviewers", or "one reviewer in particular"?

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Fake sprinkler head in the woods makes me laugh heartily!

 

Another fake sprinkler head in the park?

 

Meh!

 

Is that a haiku?

 

I don't think I've ever seen a real or fake sprinkler head of the type being described since I moved to NY 17 years ago. The ground freezes here so underground sprinklers wouldn't work so well. I found one out in Monterey a couple of years ago and it was pretty obvious to me that it was a fake when I saw it.