How does someone take over my caches if I move?

[+Nat Sherman]

Hi all,

 

I might be moving within the next few months and was wondering what is the protocol for a friend taking over my caches since you're not allowed to own a cache more than 100 miles from your home. Is there a place to change the cache owner name? If I begin placing new caches in the new location do I start with zero caches and lose those cache hides? Does the new cache owner suddenly have 30+ cache hides if he takes over my caches? Or do I simply archive them and make them go away?

 

Thanks for any help!

Nat Sherman

[+Panther&Pine]

Personally, I'd archive most of my hides (what I did) and adopt out the very few that were unique.

If your friend is willing to own caches, how about you help them place new hids after archiving your own? That way you keep the hide count, cachers get new caches to find and your friend gets to own caches.

 

Make sure if you archive them, you pick up the containers.

 

 

Edit for spelling.

Edited January 18, 2013 by MooseJawSpruce

[+Kochibu]

You can let another cacher adopt your caches:

http://www.geocaching.com/adopt/

 

I don't know exactly, but I think they will then also disappear from your hides and the one who adopted will have them all in his profile.

Another option would be archieving all of them and let the new owner create new listings of them. Then, the archived ones would still be displayed in your profile and the new versions in his.

[+Nat Sherman]

Thank you...I like that idea! So if I archive my caches would my friend be able to immediately place a new cache in it's exact location using the same coordinates?

[+Panther&Pine]

Thank you...I like that idea! So if I archive my caches would my friend be able to immediately place a new cache in it's exact location using the same coordinates?

Well I'd think that was lame.

I'd call it cache churning.

 

It would be better for you to help your friend place new caches in the same area, not the exact same place.

 

Many cachers like to find new places.

[+Nat Sherman]

Okay, I see what you mean and that makes sense. I'm assuming it could be in the general area then (not necessarily 526 feeta way)?

[+Panther&Pine]

Okay, I see what you mean and that makes sense. I'm assuming it could be in the general area then (not necessarily 526 feeta way)?

Sure that would be fine.

You might want to note in the cache page or title that it is a 2nd or a redux of the previous cache.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Okay, I see what you mean and that makes sense. I'm assuming it could be in the general area then (not necessarily 526 feeta way)?

As your caches will be archived, there is no requirement for your friends caches to be 526nfeet away from them, only any other caches in the area.

 

You could, if you let the reviewer know and they are OK with it, place your friends caches with a reviewer note to say yours are being archived.

That way the new caches won't be declined because of being too close to a 'nearby cache'

[+Don_J]

Thank you...I like that idea! So if I archive my caches would my friend be able to immediately place a new cache in it's exact location using the same coordinates?

 

Yes. (It looked like a yes or no question, so I'm not sure how the personal opinion of lameness applies).

 

1. You have several options. You can transfer ownership of the caches to your friend through the adoption process. This removes the cache from your ownership and responsibility and transfers it to the other cacher. It also removes the caches from your statistics.

 

2. You can archive the caches, either removing the container, or simply leaving it in place and giving it to your friend so he can create a new listing. Once archived, your friend, or anyone else for that matter, can reuse the spot by creating a new listing. In this case, the original cache listings remain as a part of your hide stats.

 

3. You can leave everything as it is and have your friend agree to maintain the caches for you. This is the least desirable of your options because you are still responsible regardless of what your friend does, or doesn't do. I personally would not take this approach.

 

Many people simply move and then archive the caches as they fall into disrepair, leaving the geo-trash for someone else to clean up. Understand that if you take the last option, this may be the end result.

 

Personally, I would collect my containers and archive the caches and then I'd have a whole bunch of containers to hide at my new home. This not only opens up the spots that my caches were in, but it also opens spots that other cachers may be looking at to hide a cache but couldn't because of the proximity guidelines.

Edited January 18, 2013 by Don_J

[+Nat Sherman]

Thank you, Don...very helpful! I'm thinking that archiving them and opening up space for other cachers to place caches and starting over in a new location sounds like my best bet. And there is always the possibility that the move won't materialize. Thanks, again, and hope everyone has a great weekend!

[+Moose Mob]

I should add a bit of clarity here.

 

There is no guideline that says you cannot own a cache more than 100 miles from home. What the guidelines say is that you cannot place a cache outside of your maintainable distance unless you have a maintenance plan. 100 miles is the point in which reviewers consider as 'area of operations'.

[+Nat Sherman]

I should add a bit of clarity here.

 

There is no guideline that says you cannot own a cache more than 100 miles from home. What the guidelines say is that you cannot place a cache outside of your maintainable distance unless you have a maintenance plan. 100 miles is the point in which reviewers consider as 'area of operations'.

 

Very interesting...so with relatives in the area, I could consider leaving all of my caches here in play if someone were willing to check on them periodically and keep them maintained? Thank you for that information!

[+hzoi]

I've moved a few times since I started caching and am about to move again. I've handled it a couple different ways.

 

When I got started, I lived in one part of Germany and worked in another, and I had caches in both areas. When my job moved to the town where I lived, I wanted to archive the caches. A local cacher asked to keep the listings alive, so I lef tht econtaienrs there, he put in fresh log books, and he published his own listings as soon as I arhived mine.

 

When I moved from Germany to Virginia, I made arrangements with a couple cachers to maintain my listings, and I kept the caches going. Over time, I felt bad about having to keep asking them to repair my caches, so I decided to archive the caches. Another local cacher wanted to keep them going, so he replaced the log books and published those caches in his name.

 

When I moved to Virginia, I was only there for a year, so I only hid a few caches. I archived some and made arrangements to keep others going. I return to the area often enough that I could keep them going if I wanted to; but I think the next time I am in town, I am going to archive those caches.

 

I am currently in Alabama and getting ready to move to Oklahoma. This was a three year assignment, so I put out a lot of caches. I quit hiding physical caches a while ago, and I've been archiving our existing caches as maintenance needs have arisen. The month before I leave the area, I'm going to remove all the remaining caches, because there are only so many active cachers in the area and most of them have already logged 'em (so, not much use in keeping them going after we leave).

 

I have yet to adopt any of our caches out and let someone take over an existing listing. I'm not really sure why. I guess I want to take sole credit (or blame) for our caches.

[+Don_J]

I should add a bit of clarity here.

 

There is no guideline that says you cannot own a cache more than 100 miles from home. What the guidelines say is that you cannot place a cache outside of your maintainable distance unless you have a maintenance plan. 100 miles is the point in which reviewers consider as 'area of operations'.

 

Very interesting...so with relatives in the area, I could consider leaving all of my caches here in play if someone were willing to check on them periodically and keep them maintained? Thank you for that information!

 

Yes, as I explained above. Just understand that while your friends and relatives may think that maintaining your caches sounds like an exciting adventure, they may feel very differently six months or a year from now. In the end, you are still presumed to be responsible for your caches.

[+Moose Mob]

I should add a bit of clarity here.

 

There is no guideline that says you cannot own a cache more than 100 miles from home. What the guidelines say is that you cannot place a cache outside of your maintainable distance unless you have a maintenance plan. 100 miles is the point in which reviewers consider as 'area of operations'.

 

Very interesting...so with relatives in the area, I could consider leaving all of my caches here in play if someone were willing to check on them periodically and keep them maintained? Thank you for that information!

Statistically speaking, non-caching friends/family are notoriously undependable, especialy if any of the caches need frequent attention as they will tire of this.

 

The major factor in deciding if you want to keep them would be durability. Plastic containers can last a few weeks to several years. Cookie/altoid tins will rust. Locations that have many cacher visits will fill small log books quickly. Caches well off the beaten path will not turn up missing as often (in particular, very little pedestrian traffic).