What Irks you most?

[+J Grouchy]

There are far too many caches out there that are nothing more than neglected junk.

 

Yes, and the ownerless caches. I came across a neglected cache a few days ago and was going to leave a note to the cache owner and the send message feature is disabled because the account is inactive. Why not archive caches that belong to inactive accounts?

 

This one irks me, there is a cache like this in my area that has a few recent DNF, the CO is inactive and has been since early 2011 and doesn't respond to e-mails. I messages the publishing reviewer some months back asking that it be archived but they haven't done it yet.

 

Maybe you should post that NA on the cache page, but I have found out that doesn't always get a response from the volunteer reviewer either.

If that did not work and I were interested in placing a cache where a ownerless one was holding me up, I would contact GS and explain to them directly.

 

I would post an NA log in a heartbeat on any caches with disabled CO accounts.

[+FlyingDuc]

Here's a new one for me. Placing a cache for review only to have the Reviewer tell me that it's too close to the end of a puzzle cache that I haven't solved yet. This happened to me twice in two days with the same cache. While I appreciate the fact that the puzzle caches are fun and more involved, they take up twice the real estate as a normal cache.

[+lee737]

Here's a new one for me. Placing a cache for review only to have the Reviewer tell me that it's too close to the end of a puzzle cache that I haven't solved yet. This happened to me twice in two days with the same cache. While I appreciate the fact that the puzzle caches are fun and more involved, they take up twice the real estate as a normal cache.

 

They are annoying when placing caches - but they don't take up double real estate, you can place a cache on top of the ? location if you want.....

[+FlyingDuc]

That's not what happened with me. The Reviewer said that I was too close to the ? location. Maybe I need to clarify with them.

[+Anthony Stark]

I'm sure this has been said before, but looking at your map on geocaching.com, seeing all the smileys in an area, and having that one cache that isn't a smiley, but rather a DNF, because the cache is missing and the CO never does maintenance on the cache. I hate that spot on the map.

[+lee737]

That's not what happened with me. The Reviewer said that I was too close to the ? location. Maybe I need to clarify with them.

 

I was under the impression only physical caches needed to be 160m apart....

Here's part of a map showing my cache very close to a mystery coordinate....

 

[+TriciaG]

Physical STAGES need to be 161m apart - not just physical cache containers. Perhaps the mystery cache you're trying to place a cache near has a physical stage at the ? location?

[+fizzymagic]

Physical STAGES need to be 161m apart - not just physical cache containers. Perhaps the mystery cache you're trying to place a cache near has a physical stage at the ? location?

 

To clarify: physical stages need to be at least 160m from all physical stages of all other caches. Stages within a single cache can be closer.

[+lee737]

I thought a physical stage was a cache container??

[+on4bam]

I thought a physical stage was a cache container??

 

A cache container is a physical stage but not all physical stages are containers.

 

A physical stage is ANYTHING a CO places him/herself at any stage of a cache. A virtual stage is ANYTHING already there that has to be used to find a cache.

[+lee737]

I can't think of anything I've found, planted/placed by a CO, that wouldn't be called a container..... I can imagine things like tags etc might be used, but I haven't found one.....

[+on4bam]

I can't think of anything I've found, planted/placed by a CO, that wouldn't be called a container..... I can imagine things like tags etc might be used, but I haven't found one.....

 

Try some more multi's. I'm sure there are long multi's with several WPs in NSW. We've seen all kinds of physical stages (tags, containers, homemade stuff..) doing the 998 multi's (16.5% of what we've found) we've done so far. It's our preferred cachetype, especially if it's not to easy or in any other way special or original.

[+orienteeer]

i don't use a phone, i copy GC codes from my computer to my GPSr. but i've had this happen 3 times in the past year: i locate a cache, sign the log, then come home to post my find. what??? the cache is no longer on the site??? no indicator saying it's been archived or disabled, just no longer on the map! what's up with that?

You should still be able to get to it via a direct link: http://coord.info/[insert GC code here]

Very, VERY rarely are cache listings entirely removed from the website, so they should still be around.

[+orienteeer]

found another archived cache today that had been deleted from the map, and it was not grayed-out as archived caches usually are, just gone! i tried your method to post my find, and it worked! thanks very much!

[+Tassie_Boy]

found another archived cache today that had been deleted from the map, and it was not grayed-out as archived caches usually are, just gone! i tried your method to post my find, and it worked! thanks very much!

 

Only disabled caches appear on the map greyed out, archived caches do not appear at all, because they are no longer available to be logged at this site for whatever reason.

 

And please stick to default font size/colour for forum posts, it comes across worse than all caps.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Tassie_Boy

[+Luckyone80]

There are far too many caches out there that are nothing more than neglected junk.

 

Yes, and the ownerless caches. I came across a neglected cache a few days ago and was going to leave a note to the cache owner and the send message feature is disabled because the account is inactive. Why not archive caches that belong to inactive accounts?

 

This one irks me, there is a cache like this in my area that has a few recent DNF, the CO is inactive and has been since early 2011 and doesn't respond to e-mails. I messages the publishing reviewer some months back asking that it be archived but they haven't done it yet.

 

Maybe you should post that NA on the cache page, but I have found out that doesn't always get a response from the volunteer reviewer either.

If that did not work and I were interested in placing a cache where a ownerless one was holding me up, I would contact GS and explain to them directly.

 

I would post an NA log in a heartbeat on any caches with disabled CO accounts.

 

I just logged a NA note so we'll see what happens.

[+colleda]

That's not what happened with me. The Reviewer said that I was too close to the ? location. Maybe I need to clarify with them.

 

I was under the impression only physical caches needed to be 160m apart....

Here's part of a map showing my cache very close to a mystery coordinate....

 

If that's the ? Cache "It's All About the Numbers" there is no physical cache or item there. The actual cache is more than 161 metres from yours which is why your cache was approved.

Luckily, in our area, we don't have the saturation problems of our North American and European cousins.

Must make a mental note to go and get yours.

[+lee737]

It's Timaeus - I know where GZ is, much more than 161m..... It actually wasn't until after I had actually placed the cache did I see how close its false coords were, the ? doesn't show up brightly on the GPSr screen......

[+lee737]

Another pet peeve of mine is hints like "near the tree", in a forest.....

[+colleda]

It's Timaeus - I know where GZ is, much more than 161m..... It actually wasn't until after I had actually placed the cache did I see how close its false coords were, the ? doesn't show up brightly on the GPSr screen......

Ah yes, Timaeus, that's it.

[Moun10Bike]

The normal process isn't working very well (however, it's a good process in my opinion). It relies on the community to embrace the NM and NA system. The majority do not. The amount of geojunk is growing. The acceptance of geo-junk is growing.

Speak for your own community: the normal process works fine in my community. I'd go so far as to say poorly maintained caches are at an all time low in my area, certainly proportionally but possibly even in absolute terms.

 

I have always said that about my community as well, but this all changed when I moved across the state last summer. I suddenly started regularly coming across caches that had strings of DNFs going back months with no signs of action from either the owner or the community. It seems that one side of my state polices itself quite well while the other side is more laissez faire.

[+GEO COWBOYS]

I really enjoy Geocashing.

I've read a lot on this forum. One of my partners is wheelchair bound. We've found several wheelchair accessible caches in our area.

Another partner is my four year old granddaughter. She loves caches with toys to trade.

I read that geocachers with a lot of finds should give back by hiding caches. I agree to a point. I am a full timr RVer and will be traveling across the country and neighboring countries. I will be unable to maintain caches at that point. I do plan to make my RV into a traveling TB.

 

Ok. My irks...

1: Hiking a mile and a half for a nano or micro. My signature isn't worth it.

2: Trying to be "stelthy" in front of security cameras, Businesses, Busy highway gaurdrails, ect. Again,My signature isn't worth it.

3: Finding caches that is swamped with water and everything reeks as mold. My granddaughter wont touch it.

Also finding scrap paper, gum wrappers, expired coupons, rocks, ect.

4: Caches that are suppossed to be " kid friendly" that are hidden up a near 90 degree muddy bank only to find moldy smelling broken garbage such as spent glow sticks, a headless doll. You get the point. Another partner slipped in the mud and fell to the bottom of the bank spraining his ankle. The cache wasn't worth the hospital bill.

5: Lazy cache owners. Where I'm at now, there are more micro caches than anything else. Hid a micro and forget about it until someone posts it needs a new log.

 

Those are my little irks.

Some may agree some dont. That's what makes us adults.

 

Good luck hunting.

[+Luckyone80]

I'm sure this has been said before, but looking at your map on geocaching.com, seeing all the smileys in an area, and having that one cache that isn't a smiley, but rather a DNF, because the cache is missing and the CO never does maintenance on the cache. I hate that spot on the map.

 

Ditto! What is worse is you have seen that CO active almost daily but they still won't fix their cache.

[+L0ne.R]

I'm sure this has been said before, but looking at your map on geocaching.com, seeing all the smileys in an area, and having that one cache that isn't a smiley, but rather a DNF, because the cache is missing and the CO never does maintenance on the cache. I hate that spot on the map.

 

Ditto! What is worse is you have seen that CO active almost daily but they still won't fix their cache.

 

Time for an NA. Outline the problems with the cache and the dates the NMs were posted. I like to preface my NAs with Needs Attention. It seems to get active owners less angry.

 

Sometimes the reviewer disable note gets the CO to respond. More often the cache ends up archived by the reviewer. But it finally gets the cache off of the map.

[+on4bam]

I'm sure this has been said before, but looking at your map on geocaching.com, seeing all the smileys in an area, and having that one cache that isn't a smiley, but rather a DNF, because the cache is missing and the CO never does maintenance on the cache. I hate that spot on the map.

 

Ditto! What is worse is you have seen that CO active almost daily but they still won't fix their cache.

 

LOL, Why would that DNF or just one cache be a problem? I fail to see why one would like to "clear the map" anyway. Clearing an area would mean to find all caches there and I've never been to an area where I'd consider ALL caches to be interesting enough to go find them all. I would never go for an (for me) uninteresting cache just to clear the map. I still have 36 unfound caches within 2 Km from home and see only 2 I just might do. 7 are T4 and higher so we're not doing those anyway.

[+Luckyone80]

I'm sure this has been said before, but looking at your map on geocaching.com, seeing all the smileys in an area, and having that one cache that isn't a smiley, but rather a DNF, because the cache is missing and the CO never does maintenance on the cache. I hate that spot on the map.

 

Ditto! What is worse is you have seen that CO active almost daily but they still won't fix their cache.

 

LOL, Why would that DNF or just one cache be a problem? I fail to see why one would like to "clear the map" anyway. Clearing an area would mean to find all caches there and I've never been to an area where I'd consider ALL caches to be interesting enough to go find them all. I would never go for an (for me) uninteresting cache just to clear the map. I still have 36 unfound caches within 2 Km from home and see only 2 I just might do. 7 are T4 and higher so we're not doing those anyway.

 

To each their own on how you want to play the game. I myself would like to be able to claim all the caches in my surrounding area, I don't see where or why that would be a problem, that is my personal goal.

[+on4bam]

To each their own on how you want to play the game. I myself would like to be able to claim all the caches in my surrounding area, I don't see where or why that would be a problem, that is my personal goal.

 

Of course, I just couldn't bring myself to logging a LPC or parkinglot micro just to clear the map (or any other reason).

[+BCandMsKitty]

I'm sure this has been said before, but looking at your map on geocaching.com, seeing all the smileys in an area, and having that one cache that isn't a smiley, but rather a DNF, because the cache is missing and the CO never does maintenance on the cache. I hate that spot on the map.

 

The ignore button will clear that problem up for you.

[+Mudfrog]

I'm sure this has been said before, but looking at your map on geocaching.com, seeing all the smileys in an area, and having that one cache that isn't a smiley, but rather a DNF, because the cache is missing and the CO never does maintenance on the cache. I hate that spot on the map.

 

The ignore button will clear that problem up for you.

 

I thought it was kinda funny to see someone post an irk about this.

 

Several years ago, i too challenged myself to keep the map cleared. There were times when the map got in the lead but honestly, i never thought about getting upset about it. It didn't take me long to figure out that this was too ongoing and that i didn't want to continue logging the same ole stuff being more and more routinely placed. Some advice, don't hate on them non smileys. They're just not worth it..

[+cerberus1]

To each their own on how you want to play the game. I myself would like to be able to claim all the caches in my surrounding area, I don't see where or why that would be a problem, that is my personal goal.

 

Of course, I just couldn't bring myself to logging a LPC or parkinglot micro just to clear the map (or any other reason).

I'm with you.

When we first started, we'd "clear our area" of caches.

- So few back then, "our area" went 30+ miles into another State's border (around 50 total).

I'm still lpc free, tricked into a grc or two, and a few roadside.

Now those non-descripts caches abound.

There's around 40 just within 5 miles of home I'm not interested in today.

Forget further out...

[+dibug]

The people that take tbugs geo coins and do not move them along. This happens even after contacting them, and their promising to move them along.

[+colleda]

As a CO, reading logs where cacher XYZ logs "Found with ABC" and cacher ABC logs "Found with XYZ" and nothing else.

[+Luckyone80]

When cachers write larger than they should taking up several places on a nano log.

[+Tassie_Boy]

When cachers write larger than they should taking up several places on a nano log.

 

Can you supply the ultra fine point pen, the board to lean against and the clamps to hold the log then, not many people can actually write that small and you need to consider then when thinking about maintenance.

[+Luckyone80]

When cachers write larger than they should taking up several places on a nano log.

 

Can you supply the ultra fine point pen, the board to lean against and the clamps to hold the log then, not many people can actually write that small and you need to consider then when thinking about maintenance.

 

Not speaking of my caches, I don't place nanos b/c they are a pain. As a cacher, in my opinion, you need to try to be prepared for as many scenarios as possible. Knowing I will be out looking for nanos, I do carry a fine tipped pen with me and I usually do have a hard surface to write on such as my phone/GPS which I believe most of us have with us. So NO I don't think this is an unusual or difficult request. If you have a long cache name, you can always shorten/abbreviate it. For example: mine I could shorten to L180, Lucke180, etc. It is not an impossible feat to write small.

[+L0ne.R]

When cachers write larger than they should taking up several places on a nano log.

 

Can you supply the ultra fine point pen, the board to lean against and the clamps to hold the log then, not many people can actually write that small and you need to consider then when thinking about maintenance.

 

Not speaking of my caches, I don't place nanos b/c they are a pain. As a cacher, in my opinion, you need to try to be prepared for as many scenarios as possible. Knowing I will be out looking for nanos, I do carry a fine tipped pen with me and I usually do have a hard surface to write on such as my phone/GPS which I believe most of us have with us. So NO I don't think this is an unusual or difficult request. If you have a long cache name, you can always shorten/abbreviate it. For example: mine I could shorten to L180, Lucke180, etc. It is not an impossible feat to write small.

 

Do nano owners ever look at their logs and check them against the online logs? Trying to decipher mostly scribbled initials must be tedious. I've read that many cachers don't bother signing button nano logs. It would be less irksome to not bother signing them.

Edited February 1, 2016 by L0ne.R

[cezanne]

I usually do have a hard surface to write on such as my phone/GPS which I believe most of us have with us.

 

My GPS would not be helpful at all. Moreover, my greatest issue with logging on nano sheets is my bad vision and that becomes more and more of a problem with each year that passes.

[+MasterFred]

I saw sometimes people complaining about exaggerated and quite high difficulty ratings of mystery caches but by now for me the opposite becomes more and more annoying: there are many mystery caches placed in the region having D2 or D2.5 but it even doesn't become clear how even the puzzle is working... please owners, you shouldn't take too high rankings but I think if you rate a puzzle cache with difficulty 2, then either it should be clear what is to do or it should be solvable in the way that if you get what to do then you almost got the solution.

[+bflentje]

I usually do have a hard surface to write on such as my phone/GPS which I believe most of us have with us.

 

My GPS would not be helpful at all. Moreover, my greatest issue with logging on nano sheets is my bad vision and that becomes more and more of a problem with each year that passes.

 

Moreover.. found in every thread participated in.

[+colleda]

I had an occasion to be "irked" last week. A high numbers German cacher was in the area doing some of our caches as well as with others. As each was found and logged I saw that they we logging just a couple of words, in German. I could recognise some words and had to translate others. It seemed these words were field notes, and a reminder to the cacher so that a later, more complete log, would follow. BTW the words indicated something about the cache that could only have been known if they were there and found it.

I thought this was good and looked forward to reading the updated logs. Sure enough, a day or two later full logs appeared but this is where I got irked, they were all the same copy and paste type. I think boilerplate is the term? Not a mention of anything unique about the search and find, nothing. Also, there were a few caches missed (they were part of a series) and obviously DNF'd. Not one DNF logged. That irked me.

[+Ambrosia]

I get frustrated when someone posts a log to one of my caches that says something like, "Needs maintenance". Um, thanks? Without details, I don't know what to bring with me when I do the maintenance. New baggie? New logbook? Wet? Broken container? New pencil? Etc.

[+GC_LostNFound]

Cachers who submit a cache that has not yet been placed. It is dishonest to put a check mark on the submission page stating the cache is in place, when it isn't. It gets published and there is nothing to be found at the given location. It is a waste of time and energy for cachers who are searching for a non-existing container. This has happened to me on several occasions.

 

The rules set forth by Geocaching.com are there for the safety and enjoyment of all who participate in Geocaching. There should be some consequences for those who disregard these rules.

[+MtnMutt-ProDuckShins]

How about a pocket full of my coins to drop off and find nothing but Nano, film canister or pill bottle. Then leave home without coins and find a cache large enough for a coin. I just can't win for losing.

[+Pinballwiz]

I absolutely HATE when I'm 2 miles into the woods on hiking trails and there is precious caching space wasted on micros. You could successfully hide a car in some of the places I hike, yet I repeatedly find my self searching for incredibly long periods of time for a film container. Put some thought into your cache and make it truly worthwhile for those who are willing to make the journey to it.

 

Filter your caches so you only see "normal" size or larger. Then you won't be wasting time on micros ever again!

Edited February 17, 2016 by Pinballwiz

[PhillyRiver]

What irks me - When one person places way too many caches and monopolizes a whole town or parkland. Surprised there isn't a rule to limit how many you can place near each other. What if someone else wants to do some hides in her town or along her favorite trail? Worse, for finders, there may be little to no variety in cache/hide style in a given area.

[+bflentje]

What irks me - When one person places way too many caches and monopolizes a whole town or parkland. Surprised there isn't a rule to limit how many you can place near each other. What if someone else wants to do some hides in her town or along her favorite trail? Worse, for finders, there may be little to no variety in cache/hide style in a given area.

 

This has been discussed ad nausiam in the past. My personal story is a great example of this. I've been caching for 11 years now. There are three particular areas that I own and have complete dominance over. But this did not happen with some overnight spew. It starts out with an empty area, I hide a few caches. Time elapses no other caches so I hide more caches. Rinse and repeat over 10 years, no caches published by other cachers, lo and behold, it ends up being my UNINTENTIONAL de facto territory. On year 11, some cacher comes out of the woodwork complaining about how one person owns the place and that there's absolutely no room to hide anything (which is hogwash BTW). And rather than come talk to me about a. ideas for hiding spots, or b. where would I be willing to archive, said cacher raises a big stink in public forums.

 

So, I get your irritation. But be very careful about how you present it and how you go about finding your own space. Because if you're new to the game, remember, some of us have been around a long time, waiting and waiting and waiting for others to hide caches.. which never happened.. until that fateful day someone decides THEY want to hide a cache.

[+bflentje]

What irks me - When one person places way too many caches and monopolizes a whole town or parkland. Surprised there isn't a rule to limit how many you can place near each other. What if someone else wants to do some hides in her town or along her favorite trail? Worse, for finders, there may be little to no variety in cache/hide style in a given area.

 

And BTW, to judge the # of caches one owns... nevermind.

[PhillyRiver]

What irks me - When one person places way too many caches and monopolizes a whole town or parkland. Surprised there isn't a rule to limit how many you can place near each other. What if someone else wants to do some hides in her town or along her favorite trail? Worse, for finders, there may be little to no variety in cache/hide style in a given area.

 

And BTW, to judge the # of caches one owns... nevermind.

 

Why never mind? That's the whole point - I don't own any, I'm a new member, and trying to get into the game. It's hard to get in near where I live. If I hide them far away, it will be tougher to maintain them. But that's what I'll have to do. I don't mind dense coverage at all if there are a variety of cachers/styles hiding, but one person carpeting an area doesn't really seem fair to future players, whether they are hiders or finders.

I carefully didn't say where or who the monopolizers are. There's no way to know how long it took them to do their hides, but there's definitely one who did it within a short time - and I'm talking scores of caches.

Very sorry if it has been discussed before. Someone asked what irks us, and that's pretty much the only thing that's irking me so far – I'm enjoying geocaching very much. Going out now for a few more... thanks for your advice.

[+L0ne.R]

What irks me - When one person places way too many caches and monopolizes a whole town or parkland. Surprised there isn't a rule to limit how many you can place near each other. What if someone else wants to do some hides in her town or along her favorite trail? Worse, for finders, there may be little to no variety in cache/hide style in a given area.

 

Yes....that's definitely a problem in some areas. As a finder it's boring and frustrating especially because most of those power hiders hide cheap containers. Most of them hide micros. Most of them don't maintain their caches.

It's much more interesting to have a variety of cache owners. There's a better chance of getting something good and different occasionally. And it might free up space for the CO that invests a lot of thought and time and pride in each cache, and only puts out a cache or two a year.

 

 

[+L0ne.R]

What irks me - When one person places way too many caches and monopolizes a whole town or parkland. Surprised there isn't a rule to limit how many you can place near each other. What if someone else wants to do some hides in her town or along her favorite trail? Worse, for finders, there may be little to no variety in cache/hide style in a given area.

 

This has been discussed ad nausiam in the past. My personal story is a great example of this. I've been caching for 11 years now. There are three particular areas that I own and have complete dominance over. But this did not happen with some overnight spew. It starts out with an empty area, I hide a few caches. Time elapses no other caches so I hide more caches. Rinse and repeat over 10 years, no caches published by other cachers, lo and behold, it ends up being my UNINTENTIONAL de facto territory. On year 11, some cacher comes out of the woodwork complaining about how one person owns the place and that there's absolutely no room to hide anything (which is hogwash BTW). And rather than come talk to me about a. ideas for hiding spots, or b. where would I be willing to archive, said cacher raises a big stink in public forums.

 

So, I get your irritation. But be very careful about how you present it and how you go about finding your own space. Because if you're new to the game, remember, some of us have been around a long time, waiting and waiting and waiting for others to hide caches.. which never happened.. until that fateful day someone decides THEY want to hide a cache.

 

I can only point to one cache owner like you in our area. He's been hiding caches for over a decade. He's not a carpet bomber. Doesn't carry a sackful of pill bottles, and bison tubes. Hides quality containers. Maintains every one of his caches. Has about the same number of cache hides as you over 10 years (300+), and about the same number of active hides (around 100). No complaints about him. He's not of the same ilk as the power hiders that hide for the numbers crowd and carpet bomb, leaving no space in parks and trails.