LightPoles and Caches

[+AATH]

I know giving too much information would ruin the hunt but i am having horrible troubles with light poles. i have 3 near me and tried all three of them multiple times. if there tricks to light poles i dont know about? Where do most people place caches on light poles?

[+Max and 99]

I know giving too much information would ruin the hunt but i am having horrible troubles with light poles. i have 3 near me and tried all three of them multiple times. if there tricks to light poles i dont know about? Where do most people place caches on light poles?

 

Well the first time my kids and I went to find a cache on a light pole, we walked around and around and around. My son lifted up the "skirt" and there we found the cache. Does that help?

 

Are you sure it's really on the light pole, not nearby?

[+Dan2099]

Also the cache might be attached to the lifted skirt, I have also seen magnetic faceplates attached to light poles.

[+AATH]

Thank you for the quick reply and i will definitely try the skirt i didnt even think about that. hopefully the wires under there arent exposed lol.

[+The A-Team]

Thank you for the quick reply and i will definitely try the skirt i didnt even think about that. hopefully the wires under there arent exposed lol.

You shouldn't need to worry about exposed wires. The skirts are just there to cover the mounting bolts.

[+CanadianRockies]

Thank you for the quick reply and i will definitely try the skirt i didnt even think about that. hopefully the wires under there arent exposed lol.

Actually, it's possible that it might not be all that funny. Here's a blog entry by an electrical safety professional/geocacher that you might be interested in reading.

 

Make your own decision, but let it be an informed decision.

[Mr.Yuck]

Thank you for the quick reply and i will definitely try the skirt i didnt even think about that. hopefully the wires under there arent exposed lol.

You shouldn't need to worry about exposed wires. The skirts are just there to cover the mounting bolts.

 

As much as I hate to admit this, I agree. The skirt is a weather cover for the mounting bolts, and you shouldn't need to worry about exposed wires. There's a small chance there could be some there though.

 

You are, however, exposing yourself to lameness.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Thank you for the quick reply and i will definitely try the skirt i didnt even think about that. hopefully the wires under there arent exposed lol.

 

Typically you won't find any wires when under the skirt. It's just a cosmetic feature that hides the bolts that mount the light pole to a plate embedded into the cement base. Some light poles *do* have an inspection plate near the bottom of the pole and I've seen some poles where the plate is missing and you *can* see the wiring inside. I've even seen cases where someone hid the cache inside the pole right next to those wires. If you stick around you'll find that Light pole caches are not highly regarded. It might seem clever the first time but after dozens of them the novelty wears off.

[+The A-Team]

You are, however, exposing yourself to lameness.

Arguably the most dangerous part of LPCs. Lameness exposure can be extremely hazardous to your health. Always take appropriate precautions when geocaching near lame caches.

[Andronicus]

... Lameness exposure can be extremely hazardous to your health. Always take appropriate precautions when geocaching near lame caches.

That may be the quote of the month!

[+farrtom]

I received a small shock while trying to find a cache at a light pole. I had lifted the skirt and was reaching under the base plate when I was shocked. It was less powerful then an electric fence, but it still surprised me.

[+scrapcat]

You are, however, exposing yourself to lameness.

Arguably the most dangerous part of LPCs. Lameness exposure can be extremely hazardous to your health. Always take appropriate precautions when geocaching near lame caches.

 

I'd argue 2nd dangerous.... Before lifting the skirt, it doesn't hurt to take it a few times and listen for bug life! I've found this mostly with the older posts though.

[+The Jester]

It might seem clever the first time but after dozens of them the novelty wears off.

That can be said about any hide style - I've found the novelty of finding ammo cans under a pile sticks/stones has worn off also...

[+NYPaddleCacher]

It might seem clever the first time but after dozens of them the novelty wears off.

That can be said about any hide style - I've found the novelty of finding ammo cans under a pile sticks/stones has worn off also...

 

It hasn't worn off for me, but then I don't find a lot of ammo cans in strip mall parking lots.

[+kunarion]

Thank you for the quick reply and i will definitely try the skirt i didnt even think about that.

The very first one I ever tried had been freshly painted. It wouldn't budge. So I was utterly mystified about where the thing was hidden.

 

The second one was in an alley, with people within earshot. Lifting that skirt caused a metal-grinding racket that probably echoed for miles (both for lifting and replacing). Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice.

Edited May 31, 2012 by kunarion

[+Chief301]

OK, quick show of hands, how many of us got all bumfuzzled by our first LPC until someone told us those skirts lift up? I know I did

[+Michaelcycle]

OK, quick show of hands, how many of us got all bumfuzzled by our first LPC until someone told us those skirts lift up? I know I did

 

First traditional cache I hunted, 1300 miles from home on a business trip, was a two-fer: LPC on the top floor of a multi-story parking garage. I figured out the altitude possibilities quickly but I stood next to that LP for some time before I tried to lift the skirt. Who knew? I even mentioned how clever the hide was in my log...

[+AATH]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. lots of very helpful input from everyone. i did find the cache and it was under the skirt. i dont believe it was lame... however that was only my 8th find so maybe after some time i might agree but as of now any find is a fun find.

[Mr.Yuck]

OK, quick show of hands, how many of us got all bumfuzzled by our first LPC until someone told us those skirts lift up? I know I did

 

Uh, very tiny street corner City park, leg of a 4 leg multi-cache I believe it was. Looked under a couple benches first, but found within a few minutes. It just looked like it would lift up. This was apparently mid-January, 2005. I had not heard of them, and didn't even look at these forums back in those days. Not that they were discussed very often in January, 2005. Who knows, I'll bet the "LPC" terminology hadn't even been invented yet.

[GOF and Bacall]

I know you are talking about finding these but let me just give you some advise for the future. Most LPC hides suck. That is because they are in crap locations. The local strip mall or wally world lot is not worthy of a cache. Take you seekers to a location you think will be interesting for them to visit. Anyone can stick a film can under a lamp skirt. Be different, be creative. Or at least take them someplace nice.

 

That said, one of my favorite caches is an LPC. But it isn't about the hide. It is about the history of the location. The cache takes you to the slip of an historic fire boat and the page tells you about that history.

 

So, no matter what size your hide is, try to make it interesting in at least some aspect. Those who find your caches will thank you.

[GOF and Bacall]

I received a small shock while trying to find a cache at a light pole. I had lifted the skirt and was reaching under the base plate when I was shocked. It was less powerful then an electric fence, but it still surprised me.

 

Some sort of short in the wiring. I could be much worse. These things usually run at much higher voltage and can carry much higher current than your house. But the odds of getting electrocuted are probably much, much lower than getting hit by some moron trying to park their car.

[+AATH]

I know you are talking about finding these but let me just give you some advise for the future. Most LPC hides suck. That is because they are in crap locations. The local strip mall or wally world lot is not worthy of a cache. Take you seekers to a location you think will be interesting for them to visit. Anyone can stick a film can under a lamp skirt. Be different, be creative. Or at least take them someplace nice.

 

That said, one of my favorite caches is an LPC. But it isn't about the hide. It is about the history of the location. The cache takes you to the slip of an historic fire boat and the page tells you about that history.

 

So, no matter what size your hide is, try to make it interesting in at least some aspect. Those who find your caches will thank you.

 

very good point good way to think about it.

[+Chief301]

I know you are talking about finding these but let me just give you some advise for the future. Most LPC hides suck. That is because they are in crap locations. The local strip mall or wally world lot is not worthy of a cache. Take you seekers to a location you think will be interesting for them to visit. Anyone can stick a film can under a lamp skirt. Be different, be creative. Or at least take them someplace nice.

 

That said, one of my favorite caches is an LPC. But it isn't about the hide. It is about the history of the location. The cache takes you to the slip of an historic fire boat and the page tells you about that history.

 

 

So, no matter what size your hide is, try to make it interesting in at least some aspect. Those who find your caches will thank you.

 

+1...I have issued a Favorite point to one LPC in Baton Rouge, but it was far more clever than an ordinary LPC. I have also Favorited one because it was at a very scenic location, and I can think of a couple of others where the location was worthy of bringing visitors to and the lamp post skirt just happened to be the most convenient hiding spot in the vicinity.

 

Really, a lamp post skirt is a perfect hiding spot....practically muggle-proof and protected from the elements. But there really should be something better than a Wally World parking lot there.

Edited May 31, 2012 by Chief301

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

Wonder who the first cacher was to plant a LP cache was....

[+AATH]

well according to a lot of the people on here he was probably lame haha

[Mr.Yuck]

well according to a lot of the people on here he was probably lame haha

 

Oh don't take it so hard. I'm probably at fault, I was the one with the "you will however be exposed to lameness" crack. C'mon, I couldn't resist.

 

I believe there is documentation of an LPC planted in a medical office parking lot in California, in 2001. But I certainly don't have it, maybe someone else does. And it wasn't a micro, the guy jammed a small tupperware container under there.

 

So personally, I'd like to hear some more "my first LPC" stories. Who was totally baffled?

[+Chief301]

[

So personally, I'd like to hear some more "my first LPC" stories. Who was totally baffled?

 

One of my earliest caches was behind the local WalMart....my iPhone brought me to a lamp post but of course I had no idea that you could lift the skirt. So I DNF'd it (twice, if I recall) before I finally read about LPC's. Next time I confidently lifted the skirt and found...nothing. A little more searching and I finally found it, under a fence post cap about 10 feet from the lamp post.

 

I still get a little chuckle over my noobness on that one.

 

To tell the truth, I don't recall what my first ACTUAL LPC was, but I'll always remember the LPC that wasn't....

[+AATH]

I'm not taking it hard mr yuck I was just playing around haha well my first time was obviously what started this post (I changed my name from trentandaaron btw) It was in the marsh parking lot and me and my son walked to every single light post looking around. There are a lot of lights in the marsh parking lot. They were probably watching the cameras thinking we were up to no good.

[4wheelin_fool]

My first lamp post cache was a blank electrical plate magnetically stuck to the side of the post. I found it on the second visit. I remember walking up to it, and discovering that the skirt lifted, and thought "well that would be a great spot to hide something", and finding a bugs nest. It was in front of a church which had a street address of #666.

[knowschad]

It might seem clever the first time but after dozens of them the novelty wears off.

That can be said about any hide style - I've found the novelty of finding ammo cans under a pile sticks/stones has worn off also...

Ah... but the possibility of finding a business card in one makes it all worthwhile!!

[knowschad]

Wonder who the first cacher was to plant a LP cache was....

I ran across a thread when I first started hanging out here. I have tried to find it several times since, to no avail. But anyway, it was a very early thread, discussing the possibility of hiding a cache under a lamp skirt. The discussion was basically in favor of it, with some expressing what a cool idea it was, and that somebody should really give it a try.

 

But as threads tend to do, it eventually scrolled out of sight and was forgotten about for a couple of years, when somebody dug it up, dusted it off, and posted a great one liner:

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[+tozainamboku]

Sure spoilers are okay for light poles but they will skewer you in this forum if you discuss resistor color puzzles.

[4wheelin_fool]

Wonder who the first cacher was to plant a LP cache was....

I ran across a thread when I first started hanging out here. I have tried to find it several times since, to no avail. But anyway, it was a very early thread, discussing the possibility of hiding a cache under a lamp skirt. The discussion was basically in favor of it, with some expressing what a cool idea it was, and that somebody should really give it a try.

 

But as threads tend to do, it eventually scrolled out of sight and was forgotten about for a couple of years, when somebody dug it up, dusted it off, and posted a great one liner:

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yeah, I bumped it.

 

But it has completely disappeared, so what can you do now?

[+The A-Team]

Wonder who the first cacher was to plant a LP cache was....

I ran across a thread when I first started hanging out here. I have tried to find it several times since, to no avail. But anyway, it was a very early thread, discussing the possibility of hiding a cache under a lamp skirt. The discussion was basically in favor of it, with some expressing what a cool idea it was, and that somebody should really give it a try.

 

But as threads tend to do, it eventually scrolled out of sight and was forgotten about for a couple of years, when somebody dug it up, dusted it off, and posted a great one liner:

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yeah, I bumped it.

 

But it has completely disappeared, so what can you do now?

I just tried finding it, but I failed. I tried "noooo" with 5 "o"s all the way up to 128 "o"s. Did you know Google can't handle words longer than 128 characters?

[+The Jester]

It might seem clever the first time but after dozens of them the novelty wears off.

That can be said about any hide style - I've found the novelty of finding ammo cans under a pile sticks/stones has worn off also...

Ah... but the possibility of finding a business card in one makes it all worthwhile!!

If it's an interesting business or unique card, yep!

[+terrkan78]

OK, quick show of hands, how many of us got all bumfuzzled by our first LPC until someone told us those skirts lift up? I know I did

Oh yeah. Multiple DNFs. Asked the person who introduced me to geocaching what on earth "lpc" meant (the hint). He had no clue (he was relatively new himself). In fact, that's how I found the forums - trying to figure out what that hint meant.

[+jellis]

types of hides on LamePostCaches. (did I misspell that?)

35mm just lying on the plate under skirt.

smallish containers laying on plate under the skirt.

key holder attached to inside of skirt.

Nano attached to the inside skirt or to post under the skirt

Flat magnet or face plate on the inside of skirt.

small lock an lock magnetized under skirt.

Heaven forbid a cache inside the plate on pole or under the plate where the wires are.

And last..... you may need an extended pole....look up for a container magnatized about 15ft up the pole.

 

I know I left off the most difficult.. the ammo can under skirt.

Edited June 1, 2012 by jellis

[+6NoisyHikers]

The first LPC we ever tried (and DNF'd because it was missing) was in the parking lot at Best Buy. The fun part was that it was a mystery/puzzle cache and you had to guess which of five lamp post skirts it was under. Then, when you found it, you were asked to move it to a different lamp post.

 

We thought that was pretty neat. I guess I still would (although I'd rather not play that game in a Best Buy parking lot any more).

 

The first electrical plate we found held a picture of a ghost drawn on clear plastic and gave instructions on how to take a picture with the ghost.

 

So they need not all be lame!

[+Don_J]

OK, quick show of hands, how many of us got all bumfuzzled by our first LPC until someone told us those skirts lift up? I know I did

 

I got lucky. The skirt was broken and I could see the film can as I drove up.

 

The only problem I have had with an LPC was a syringe with exposed needle under one. I disposed of it, but if look for one now, I keep my eyes open and don't put my hands in places that I can't see.

[+Don_J]

The first LPC we ever tried (and DNF'd because it was missing) was in the parking lot at Best Buy. The fun part was that it was a mystery/puzzle cache and you had to guess which of five lamp post skirts it was under. Then, when you found it, you were asked to move it to a different lamp post.

 

We thought that was pretty neat. I guess I still would (although I'd rather not play that game in a Best Buy parking lot any more).

 

 

What a trip. We have one of those locally as well, and it's in a Best Buy parking lot...

[GOF and Bacall]

types of hides on LamePostCaches. (did I misspell that?)

 

I don't think so.

[GOF and Bacall]

The first LPC we ever tried (and DNF'd because it was missing) was in the parking lot at Best Buy. The fun part was that it was a mystery/puzzle cache and you had to guess which of five lamp post skirts it was under. Then, when you found it, you were asked to move it to a different lamp post.

 

We thought that was pretty neat. I guess I still would (although I'd rather not play that game in a Best Buy parking lot any more).

 

The first electrical plate we found held a picture of a ghost drawn on clear plastic and gave instructions on how to take a picture with the ghost.

 

So they need not all be lame!

 

The first one, move the cache from pole to pole, seems kinda pointless. One lamp post is lame. So wouldn't five be five times as lame?

 

The one with the ghost is a cute idea. But wouldn't it be even better in an interesting location? Perhaps in a place that is purported to be haunted?

[+Don_J]

The first LPC we ever tried (and DNF'd because it was missing) was in the parking lot at Best Buy. The fun part was that it was a mystery/puzzle cache and you had to guess which of five lamp post skirts it was under. Then, when you found it, you were asked to move it to a different lamp post.

 

We thought that was pretty neat. I guess I still would (although I'd rather not play that game in a Best Buy parking lot any more).

 

The first electrical plate we found held a picture of a ghost drawn on clear plastic and gave instructions on how to take a picture with the ghost.

 

So they need not all be lame!

 

The first one, move the cache from pole to pole, seems kinda pointless. One lamp post is lame. So wouldn't five be five times as lame?

 

The one with the ghost is a cute idea. But wouldn't it be even better in an interesting location? Perhaps in a place that is purported to be haunted?

 

It depends on your perspective. For some it could be 1/5 as lame.

[+ras_oscar]

Thank you for the quick reply and i will definitely try the skirt i didnt even think about that.

The very first one I ever tried had been freshly painted. It wouldn't budge. So I was utterly mystified about where the thing was hidden.

 

The second one was in an alley, with people within earshot. Lifting that skirt caused a metal-grinding racket that probably echoed for miles (both for lifting and replacing). Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice.

 

You also have to be very careful of the aluminum ones with a round aluminum skirt. The skirt sounds like a bell when you lift it. Perhaps next we should just carry a bullhorn and announce "we are now doing something strange" when we lift it.

[+6NoisyHikers]

 

The first one, move the cache from pole to pole, seems kinda pointless. One lamp post is lame. So wouldn't five be five times as lame?

 

The one with the ghost is a cute idea. But wouldn't it be even better in an interesting location? Perhaps in a place that is purported to be haunted?

 

My favourite part of caching is hiking out to far off places with beautiful scenery. But I also enjoy the hide and seek part of caching. If I am stuck in the city, having a game to play is a welcome thing. When it is even slightly creative to boot, that is a bonus.

[+debbidoesgeo]

OK, quick show of hands, how many of us got all bumfuzzled by our first LPC until someone told us those skirts lift up? I know I did

My husband WrongTurnRick and I were new at this, and geocaching on a 90 degree plus day. The cache was hidden at a railroad museum, where you could climb all over engines and rail cars. All the metal was making the GPSrs go crazy! We climbed up and down and searched with no luck. Finally, I'd had enough of the heat, and didn't even have the strength to walk back to our hotel without a break. I sat down on the ground, leaned against the base of a lamp post, and when I put my elbow on the skirt - IT MOVED!!! I knew immediately - I was so excited. I lifted the skirt, and there was a film container. And yes, I gave it a favorite and raved about the cleverness of the hide (oh, the shame). We thought that was just the coolest thing ever!!!

 

Then we went out another day and out of 10 caches, 8 were LPCs. Yeah, we kind of got that feeling you get when you give money to someone who claims they need gas money, then they walk over to their Lexus and drive off.

[+ras_oscar]

It might seem clever the first time but after dozens of them the novelty wears off.

That can be said about any hide style - I've found the novelty of finding ammo cans under a pile sticks/stones has worn off also...

 

It hasn't worn off for me, but then I don't find a lot of ammo cans in strip mall parking lots.

I found one once. I complemented the CO for having big hairy ones.