Fife Club Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 (edited) Just needed to vent: Got a log entry that said my cache was wet. Seemed odd since I took steps to prevent that from happening. I had the cache placed directly on top of small drainage stones (1" thick stones that couldn't be mistaken for natural) to keep the container above the ground. So I checked it out and yup the cache is soaking wet and the papers are green for some reason. But what I found when I checked was that some previous finder had gone through the effort and trouble of removing all the drainage stones and moving them to a pile a few feet away, only the still put the cache back in the same spot where the stones were previously. Why? Even if somebody didn't realize that the stones were intentionally placed there (which was very obvious) why in the world would anybody intentionally move them to the side like that but still put the cache back in the same spot? Isn't it know to leave things the way you found it? Edited February 16, 2013 by Fife Club Quote Link to comment
+Gitchee-Gummee Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Gonna worry yourself to death if you dwell on why people do what they do. Only the Shadow knows.... Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 It happens. Life is full of rude and inconsiderate people that don't seem to put much thought into things. It only makes sense that some of them become cachers. Or It could have been some kind of muggle. Quote Link to comment
Clan Riffster Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Did you use a waterproof container? I'm trying to figure out why you'd need stones to keep it above ground level. Quote Link to comment
+The_Incredibles_ Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Did you use a waterproof container? I'm trying to figure out why you'd need stones to keep it above ground level. This my question also. As for why? Well, who knows why people do things. Maybe they had kids with them? Best you can do is glue the rocks to the bottom of the container, if possible. Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Isn't it know to leave things the way you found it? When I've cached in a group, often everyone else signs the log, hands the container to me, then moves on. So I get to figure out how it was hidden. “Oh, it was next to that tree there, covered up a little”. Maybe your cache problem was some kind of cooperative effort . But unless the container is watertight (and unless there's no water or humidity in the cache spot), the contents can get wet & moldy over time, regardless of the "drainage". One of my caches is kind of tough to spot, and works great in its spot. But never gets placed back that way. So I just go check it upon a Found log, and set it back up (it's nearby, along my usual walk). My most recent caches are designed to be placeable only in their exact position. Cachers would have to try real hard to get them wrong. My plan is to make it very obvious and easy to put the container back where it goes. Quote Link to comment
Fife Club Posted February 16, 2013 Author Share Posted February 16, 2013 Did you use a waterproof container? I'm trying to figure out why you'd need stones to keep it above ground level. Yes, it's a waterproof container, but I don't trust people to close it tightly so the drainage rocks were a safety overkill. Or really just to help keep what the container was hidden in/under dry too. Quote Link to comment
+Lil Devil Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Stuff happens. Reset it the way you want it and move on. Quote Link to comment
+OZ2CPU Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 the more clever it is made or hidden, the easier it gets jammed up !! KEEP IT SIMPLE !!! and ORDINARY less trouble for you that way. Quote Link to comment
+MartyBartfast Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 I've seen people make a fake pile of sticks close to a cache to throw people off the scent, maybe someone thought they'd use that spare pile of stones to make a decoy? Quote Link to comment
+JKMonkey Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 people are idiots, people are mean, etc. etc. Quote Link to comment
+JL_HSTRE Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Sure it was a cacher and not some kids or other muggles who moved the stones? Quote Link to comment
+CanadianRockies Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Isn't it know to leave things the way you found it? When I've cached in a group, often everyone else signs the log, hands the container to me, then moves on. So I get to figure out how it was hidden. “Oh, it was next to that tree there, covered up a little”. Maybe your cache problem was some kind of cooperative effort. This isn't much of an excuse. When you cache as a group, then the group is responsible for letting the final person know where/how to re-hide the cache. Quote Link to comment
4wheelin_fool Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 It was the work of two people. One cacher found it and thought that it should not be sitting out in the open, and placed the stones on top. Another cacher came by and left the rocks aside perhaps because it was in the description or hint. Third cacher closes the lid on the baggie holding the logbook and you have a wet log. Quote Link to comment
+simpjkee Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Who the heck knows! Could have been anything. It may or may not have even been a cacher. Unless you have your cache under 24 hour surveillance, you'll never know why. Just take pride in doing some owner maintanence and let it go. Quote Link to comment
+BCandMsKitty Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 (edited) I think your container either wasn't shut properly, or isn't waterproof as you think it is. Just for interest sake, what is your container? I have found many containers right on the ground and they are dry inside. I've even found containers under rain water on the ground, and they are dry inside! You shouldn't need drainage stones under a container to keep it dry inside. As for why someone would move the stones .... people do dumb things! Edited February 17, 2013 by BC & MsKitty Quote Link to comment
+Gitchee-Gummee Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 (edited) Isn't it know to leave things the way you found it? When I've cached in a group, often everyone else signs the log, hands the container to me, then moves on. So I get to figure out how it was hidden. “Oh, it was next to that tree there, covered up a little”. Maybe your cache problem was some kind of cooperative effort. This isn't much of an excuse. When you cache as a group, then the group is responsible for letting the final person know where/how to re-hide the cache. Well... here's the typical scenario: A larger group is geocaching including the cousins, aunts, neighbors, and so on... Dad finds the cache, signs log and calls out to the others who meander over. He passes it on, by the time it gets to the last signature, Dad, the finder, has gotten tired of waiting and is long gone before the others finish, never telling anyone just where it was or how it was when he found it. The last signatory is left holding the bag, so to speak. Seen it many times before. Maybe he did tell someone else, but the someone else cares less than Dad... so it goes. I agree with you, there is responsibility, but that is usually out the window while everyone is laughing, lollygagging and what-not. Just watch groups larger than three, you'll see what I mean. True, not all groups are that way -- but just how many of those other groups does it take to make them all look bad? Edited February 17, 2013 by Gitchee-Gummee Quote Link to comment
+BlueDeuce Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Just needed to vent: Got a log entry that said my cache was wet. Seemed odd since I took steps to prevent that from happening. I had the cache placed directly on top of small drainage stones (1" thick stones that couldn't be mistaken for natural) to keep the container above the ground. So I checked it out and yup the cache is soaking wet and the papers are green for some reason. But what I found when I checked was that some previous finder had gone through the effort and trouble of removing all the drainage stones and moving them to a pile a few feet away, only the still put the cache back in the same spot where the stones were previously. Why? Even if somebody didn't realize that the stones were intentionally placed there (which was very obvious) why in the world would anybody intentionally move them to the side like that but still put the cache back in the same spot? Isn't it know to leave things the way you found it? I've never really looked for sympathy when a cache is trashed. Annoyed? Oh absolutely but then I look for a way to step it up so that the next time the trasher actually had to walk a trail. Or I could just do a LPC and call it good. Quote Link to comment
+The_Incredibles_ Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Isn't it know to leave things the way you found it? When I've cached in a group, often everyone else signs the log, hands the container to me, then moves on. So I get to figure out how it was hidden. “Oh, it was next to that tree there, covered up a little”. Maybe your cache problem was some kind of cooperative effort. This isn't much of an excuse. When you cache as a group, then the group is responsible for letting the final person know where/how to re-hide the cache. When I go out with a group, whoever found the cache has to rehide it. Works well! Quote Link to comment
+terrkan78 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Assuming it's adult who did this to the drainage stones (because if it was kids, then "Ooo, cool rocks!" may be the only reason), one reason I could imagine is someone thinking this "pile of rocks" elevated the cache too much and thus increased its visibility to muggles, and wouldn't the cache fit even better in its hiding spot if we got rid of these silly stones? If I didn't recognize the stones as being for drainage, I might have wondered to myself why they were there. I could see someone else taking that to the next level and "fixing" your cache by removing the stones. I can't imagine that anyone who actually recognized the stones' purpose as drainage would have actually moved them - I mean, what a weird act of sabotage. It almost has to be someone who thought they were doing you a favor. Quote Link to comment
+BlueDeuce Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 You placed a cache that takes some set up effort. Maybe something went wrong, maybe somebody did something bad. Here's your choice, reset it and see what happens or move on to something else. I like those cachers who make an effort and understand what can happen. Quote Link to comment
+wimseyguy Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Isn't it know to leave things the way you found it? When I've cached in a group, often everyone else signs the log, hands the container to me, then moves on. So I get to figure out how it was hidden. “Oh, it was next to that tree there, covered up a little”. Maybe your cache problem was some kind of cooperative effort. This isn't much of an excuse. When you cache as a group, then the group is responsible for letting the final person know where/how to re-hide the cache. When I go out with a group, whoever found the cache has to rehide it. Works well! That's how we roll too. Sometimes when it's hard to reach one guy will point it out to another so they have to make the grab and replacement. Quote Link to comment
+BlueDeuce Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Isn't it know to leave things the way you found it? When I've cached in a group, often everyone else signs the log, hands the container to me, then moves on. So I get to figure out how it was hidden. “Oh, it was next to that tree there, covered up a little”. Maybe your cache problem was some kind of cooperative effort. This isn't much of an excuse. When you cache as a group, then the group is responsible for letting the final person know where/how to re-hide the cache. When I go out with a group, whoever found the cache has to rehide it. Works well! That's how we roll too. Sometimes when it's hard to reach one guy will point it out to another so they have to make the grab and replacement. So you got this one solved. Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Isn't it know to leave things the way you found it? When I've cached in a group, often everyone else signs the log, hands the container to me, then moves on. So I get to figure out how it was hidden. “Oh, it was next to that tree there, covered up a little”. Maybe your cache problem was some kind of cooperative effort. This isn't much of an excuse. When you cache as a group, then the group is responsible for letting the final person know where/how to re-hide the cache. When I go out with a group, whoever found the cache has to rehide it. Works well! That's how we roll too. Sometimes when it's hard to reach one guy will point it out to another so they have to make the grab and replacement. So you got this one solved. Or... is it!! Quote Link to comment
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