Useless Hints

[+Airstreaming]

Rootstock............something you use for your soup if you don't have Chickenstock......

Edited March 30, 2008 by Airstreaming

[+prairieview_IL]

I put out a cache that was pretty easy and was hidden behind/under a rock. The hint was "It ain't that hard." I thought it was a pretty good double meaning hint. The reviewer didn't get it, recommended I not use the hint because it "didn't mean anything".

[+Klatch]

<snip>"It ain't that hard." I thought it was a pretty good double meaning hint. The reviewer didn't get it, ...</snip>

So, your hint was to imply it was a soft rock?

Edited March 30, 2008 by Klatch

[+godzillaman1234]

we went to bays mountain and many of the caches said under a fallen tree, in a stump, or in a pile of sticks

ended up they had logged there and there was hundreds of them

 

 

Mysteryseeker

[knowschad]

<snip>"It ain't that hard." I thought it was a pretty good double meaning hint. The reviewer didn't get it, ...</snip>

So, your hint was to imply it was a soft rock?

 

Exactly what I thought when I read that!

[knowschad]

on a 4/4 (that I haven't attempted):

 

uvagf jvyy or tvira jura n QAS unf orra ybttrq

 

hints will be given when a DNF has been logged

 

I had no problem with hints like that until I took my first geocaching vacation and ran into one. In fact, that one said, "No hints will be given until your third DNF."

[+Aquacache]

I put out a cache that was pretty easy and was hidden behind/under a rock. The hint was "It ain't that hard." I thought it was a pretty good double meaning hint. The reviewer didn't get it, recommended I not use the hint because it "didn't mean anything".

I wish all reviewers were more active when it comes to the hints. I realize that this would add yet another aspect of the cache they'd have to worry about and it also wouldn't keep the twits that love useless hints from adding them after the cache was published. But it may help with the "none needed" hints.

[+Pegasi]

I'm sure its been said but "Go to where the sign used to be in 1978 and turn left where the five trails merge."

[+qlenfg]

Laugh if you want to, but we had a dispatcher that had lived in the same small town all of his 65 or so years. He knew every road and landmark in the whole county, and probably every inhabitant as well.

 

Unfortunately, some of the landmarks no longer existed, and a few roads had changed names or been closed. It sometimes made getting out to a job site very interesting, especially until I learned where things used to be. Best one was the brown horse that stood in the corner of a certain pasture every evening. If the horse ever died, we'd have to rely on a map.

[+msrubble]

An urban micro I looked for today had this gem:

 

R-Znvy sbe n uvag. V jvyy abg tvir lbh n uvag ba lbhe svefg gel fbeel.

[+Ed_S]

on a 4/4 (that I haven't attempted):

 

uvagf jvyy or tvira jura n QAS unf orra ybttrq

 

hints will be given when a DNF has been logged

 

I had no problem with hints like that until I took my first geocaching vacation and ran into one. In fact, that one said, "No hints will be given until your third DNF."

 

My problem with that is, there's no rule that says you must log a DNF. Some people choose not to log DNFs. Some do only after a couple attempts at a cache. Yes, the cache owner can decide what rules he wants to incorporate regarding his caches, but the finder has the right to do what he wants when it comes to logging finds or non-finds. So the cache owner won't give out a hint, and the frustrated guy looking decided the owner is a jerk, and avoids the owner's other caches, or maybe trashes them out of spite. Who wins then?

 

Isn't a little more cooperation and a little less self-righteousness the better way to go?

[+climbstuff]

An urban micro I looked for today had this gem:

 

R-Znvy sbe n uvag. V jvyy abg tvir lbh n uvag ba lbhe svefg gel fbeel.

 

in english???

[+mizdeeds]

An urban micro I looked for today had this gem:

 

R-Znvy sbe n uvag. V jvyy abg tvir lbh n uvag ba lbhe svefg gel fbeel.

 

in english???

 

It's ROT-13... and translates to:

 

E-Mail for a hint. I will not give you a hint on your first try sorry.

 

Along with 'Why put it in the encoded hint field?', my question is: 'Why not?'

 

[+qlenfg]

Along with useless hints, I hate long-winded descriptions. If you do paperless caching (save that tree) some of the units only store so many characters, so part of the description is lost, perhaps the part with an actual clue.

 

I don't want to know your life story, the names of your dogs, etc... Just tell me about the cache and send me on my way.

[southpawaz]

I came across this doozy of a hint yesterday. Decrypting in the field yielded:

 

Judges 16:25 KJV Last 3 words

 

Guess I should be packing a Bible in my caching bag.

[+bflentje]

I came across this doozy of a hint yesterday. Decrypting in the field yielded:

 

Judges 16:25 KJV Last 3 words

 

Guess I should be packing a Bible in my caching bag.

 

So, does Judges 16:25 end with "no hint required"? I'll have to reread my Bible and check it out.

[+incrediblemagpie]

I came across this doozy of a hint yesterday. Decrypting in the field yielded:

 

Judges 16:25 KJV Last 3 words

 

Guess I should be packing a Bible in my caching bag.

 

So, does Judges 16:25 end with "no hint required"? I'll have to reread my Bible and check it out.

 

Judges 16:25 KJV Last 3 words

between the pillars.

 

That's the scene where Victor Mature brings down the house.

 

A hints a hint.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Try translating this one in the field:

Pbzvat sebz gur ynxr lbh jvyy frr n cngu gb gur jngre, vg'f n pbzzba ybg. Gur pnpur vf 10 srrg hc gur cngu naq ba lbhe yrsg nobhg naq nobhg 20 srrg va gur jbbqf. Arne n erq pnzc ohg abg ba gur fnzr cebcregl.

 

Ol ynaq- lbh pna qevir qbja n qveg ebnq cnex ng gur urnq bs gur genvy,irel irel fubeg jnyx gb jnggre. Gur pnpur jbhyq or ba lbhe evtug nobhg 20 srrg vagb gur jbbqf 10 srrg sebz gur jngre.

 

byq phg sverjbbq ba nzzb obk

 

Which comes out to:

Coming from the lake you will see a path to the water, it's a common lot. The cache is 10 feet up the path and on your left about and about 20 feet in the woods. Near a red camp but not on the same property. By land- you can drive down a dirt road park at the head of the trail,very very short walk to watter. The cache would be on your right about 20 feet into the woods 10 feet from the water. old cut firewood on ammo box

 

Or, even worse:

Vg unf orra fnvq gung jura lbh yvxr n cynpr lbh fubhyq chg qbja ebbgf . . . nccneragyl guvf vfa'g gur pnfr urer jvgu guvf pnpur.

 

N fcrpvny abgr . . . Cre gur erdhrfg bs Znvar Qrcnegzrag bs Genafcbegngvba sbyxf . . . cyrnfr nibvq jnyxvat ba gur yrnpusvryq (sbe lbh sbyxf jub ner pbaarpgrq gb Pvgl Frjre Flfgrzf naq unir ab vqrn jung guvf nern vf . . . vg'f gur terra tenffl erpgnathyne nern jvgu gur "pnaql pnar"-yvxr CIP cynfgvp cvcrf. Lbh pna trg gb guvf pnpur ol jnyxvat nybatfvqr gur jbbqyvar. Nyfb . . . vs lbh frr nal sbyxf sebz gur QBG rlr-onyyvat lbh nf lbh tb gbjneqf be yrnir gur pnpur cyrnfr znxr n fcrpvny cbvag gb vqragvsl lbhefrys nf n trbpnpure fvapr gurl unir ab ceboyrz jvgu trbpnpuvat, ohg ner fnsrgl pbafpvbhf naq jnag gb znxr fher gung abguvat vyyrtny vf tbvat ba ng guvf erfg nern. Gunaxf.

 

Which translates to:

It has been said that when you like a place you should put down roots . . . apparently this isn't the case here with this cache.

A special note . . . Per the request of Maine Department of Transportation folks . . . please avoid walking on the leachfield (for you folks who are connected to City Sewer Systems and have no idea what this area is . . . it's the green grassy rectangular area with the "candy cane"-like PVC plastic pipes. You can get to this cache by walking alongside the woodline. Also . . . if you see any folks from the DOT eye-balling you as you go towards or leave the cache please make a special point to identify yourself as a geocacher since they have no problem with geocaching, but are safety conscious and want to make sure that nothing illegal is going on at this rest area. Thanks.

 

Nice to warn us about walking on the leachields in the encrypted hints!

[+bflentje]

I came across this doozy of a hint yesterday. Decrypting in the field yielded:

 

Judges 16:25 KJV Last 3 words

 

Guess I should be packing a Bible in my caching bag.

 

So, does Judges 16:25 end with "no hint required"? I'll have to reread my Bible and check it out.

 

Judges 16:25 KJV Last 3 words

between the pillars.

 

That's the scene where Victor Mature brings down the house.

 

A hints a hint.

 

I am in your camp. A hint is a hint, unless it reads (encrypted) "no hint required". That is the only thing that bothers me. But not to the extent where I get angry.

[+Kurdogso]

The only one that really made me feel a slow burn out in the field was

"Use your geosense"

I felt insulted that I had looked and looked for that thing (still haven't found it) and

that was what they offered. I guess I just don't have geosense yet. Maybe someday.

[+Team O-Zone]

I know that there has been quite a few "under the rock" hints, but here is a prime example! GCVGZN Dana's Rocky Road to Pelican Town. The hint says "between large rocks and under smaller rocks". Now click on the map, then click on the 'satellite' option and zoom in. This is the jetty at the Dana Point Harbor. The whole this is made up of rocks & boulders!!! The only thing missing from the hint is "covered with Pelican poop" It smells really bad! I am looking forward to finding this one, BUT I'm waiting for a really good Santa Ana wind conditions in the local weather, that will lessen the stink. Iam also debating on hiking out there or taking a kayak?!

[+qlenfg]

I know that there has been quite a few "under the rock" hints, but here is a prime example! GCVGZN Dana's Rocky Road to Pelican Town. The hint says "between large rocks and under smaller rocks". Now click on the map, then click on the 'satellite' option and zoom in. This is the jetty at the Dana Point Harbor. The whole this is made up of rocks & boulders!!! The only thing missing from the hint is "covered with Pelican poop" It smells really bad! I am looking forward to finding this one, BUT I'm waiting for a really good Santa Ana wind conditions in the local weather, that will lessen the stink. Iam also debating on hiking out there or taking a kayak?!

 

had one like that locally that was on the dam of a lake. Dam is about a mile long and the rocked slope is probably 150 yards wide. At least the CO mentioned you didn't have to get off the path (illegal to walk on slope) to get the cache, and he used one of those fake rocks that was not the same color as all the other rocks. I might have re-hid it a bit better so the next person would have to look more than 10 seconds.

[Kalae]

There was one cache that led us to a thick wooded area in a park.

The hint?

 

"kick the bucket."

 

The woods were SO THICK that we got no GPSr reception. So I had to triangulate it for my dad while he went into the trees. You know the routine. "left...a little too the right....twenty fee and you've gone too far, dad!" My dad makes it past the treeline.

 

"Kick the bucket, right? Well, there's gotta be five dozen buckets back here!"

[+Kit Fox]

New cache hint when decrypted.

 

you don't need a hint. did you really think i wrote a long good hint so you could find it quick. i don't think so!!! just messing with ya.

[+Ike 13]

I've seen a few of the No hint needed, it's not that hard. Please don't insult me.

 

Here is one from a cacher that I respect for all their hides, but I felt this clue was evil (which I said in my log)

Under the stop sign...really..it is!

 

The container has a stop sign on it. Grrr not amused.

[marikun]

There was a cache that I found with the name "On The Rocks". The hint? "in the rocks".

[Mr.Yuck]

I forgot all about this thread! I think I would like to rant, thank you. Actually, there's been quite the rash on non-hints in my area as of late. You know putting things such as "none", "not needed", "too easy for hints", etc..............

 

The explanation for the hint box in the cache submission form says this people:

 

If you don't have a hint, leave it blank.

 

What part don't y'all understand? The next reviewer over from me actually has a form letter, and sends it out to potential useless hint offenders before publishing. Apparently this practice hasn't spread to my reviewer yet.

Edited February 6, 2009 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+KBI]

A cache hidden in a four-acre cemetary packed full of old gravesites.

 

The hint: "Final resting place."

 

Gee, thanks. That narrows it down.

 

I finally found the cache. It was in one of the few spots not occupied by a "final resting place."

[+Airstreaming]

That's why I decrypt the clues before I go. I know.......not very good of me but I HATE standing out in the middle of the woods practically lost, cold, hungry, getting dark only to find out the clue is 'at the bottom of the tree' OR 'in the rock pile'.

 

I guess, since I'm still sort of new at this, that the hints are supposed to be helpful, not annoying.

[+GeoJunkie]

Just found one in the middle of the woods. The hint was: "I wood hide it this way."

 

Yea, OK. So it's in or near wood. Um..I'm in the WOODS! Yep, that sure narrowed it down!

[+Airstreaming]

Just found one in the middle of the woods. The hint was: "I wood hide it this way."

 

Yea, OK. So it's in or near wood. Um..I'm in the WOODS! Yep, that sure narrowed it down!

 

LOL Ok, I know that's not that funny! Well it's only funny after a few days of being grumpy about it! lol

[+gdpsych]

This hint:

 

After placing the cache, I tried to find it myself (with GPS only) by hiking from the trail head. The GPS tended to guide me off the trail too soon, since the trail itself is winding. Unless you are enjoying the bushwhacking, stay on the trail until the trail goes down AND you see big rocks on your right side. The stash is around 100 feet to the trail and hiden under the biggest rock.

The rock, which hides the stash, also has a 'sheltering' structure.

 

was a pain in the butt to decrypt in the field and did not really help. If a useless hint is a few words; I don't think it's a problem. It keeps you looking. Perhaps too many cachers automatically decrypt and print the hints just so they can get a smiley.

[POLE POSITION]

There is this one geocache my friend put out with the following hint: in rock near tree. Problem is, there are 3 trees and a gazillion rocks! It didn't help that my gps was confusing.

[+PorscheSpyder]

There is this one geocache my friend put out with the following hint: in rock near tree. Problem is, there are 3 trees and a gazillion rocks! It didn't help that my gps was confusing.

 

Sorry pal, you ain't going to get any more hints on that cache from me! MY LIPS ARE SEALED!!!!!!!

[POLE POSITION]

There is this one geocache my friend put out with the following hint: in rock near tree. Problem is, there are 3 trees and a gazillion rocks! It didn't help that my gps was confusing.

 

Sorry pal, you ain't going to get any more hints on that cache from me! MY LIPS ARE SEALED!!!!!!!

 

Too bad you'll be taking me there tomorrow, like it or not. :D

[+PorscheSpyder]

Here is a REALLY USLESS HINT!!!

 

Short discription:

Muggles, Muggles, Muggles

 

Long discription:

Muggles, Muggles, Muggles, Muggles, Muggles

 

USELESS HINT!!!!:

Stealth will be required. Did I mention Muggles?

 

Totally useless! And no, I DIDN'T find it!

[+Colonial Cats]

I've seen "Sorry no hint".

[+qlenfg]

"The log is under a log."

 

Yup. It was under some fake dog poop. Had me turning over tree limbs and old railroad ties for 30 minutes before I spotted the faux turd.

[+atmospherium]

"The log is under a log."

 

Yup. It was under some fake dog poop. Had me turning over tree limbs and old railroad ties for 30 minutes before I spotted the faux turd.

 

I think that would inspire me to practise a bit of CITO. Scoop it up, throw it away. Smile innocently and log a DNF.

[+Airstreaming]

"The log is under a log."

 

Yup. It was under some fake dog poop. Had me turning over tree limbs and old railroad ties for 30 minutes before I spotted the faux turd.

 

That would make me steer clear of it! And of course say to myself 'THAT"S why we aren't allowed to bring dogs to places anymore!'

[+msrubble]

Hint: For the Norwegians

 

It's a micro in a park shelter. Thanks, that hint made all the difference. Not.

[Aluecke]

"watch your step, someone let the dogs out."

 

O...now i get it????

 

Thanks alot...the cache was a small waterproof match container, hidden in a pine tree.

It took me three or four different trips to find this cache. I spent one day looking for a fake dog poop cache container...as seen on the "best containers" forum.

[+Zork V]

I looked for a cache in a lovely bush park, then read the hint that was in Latin.

Very helpful, Not!

[+todd300]

Micro Cache in a forest.

 

Hint: Balsam.

 

Gee, that narrows it down.

[+Sol seaker]

OK, just this weekend I got:

"Keep your feet on the ground" as a hint. The cache was up in a tree. My TALL geopartner couldn't reach it without climbing on a bench.

 

another one: "park at north end of blacktop. Walk road up the hill". What blacktop? Where? The cache was in a campground so we assumed it meant the blacktop pavement inside the campground. Only after finding the cache did we realize they meant you to park OUTSIDE the campground on the busy highway. I don't think so. Glad I didn't understand that one to start.

 

And one, "not a film canister" and that's supposed to be a hint? Doesn't even narrow it down.

 

"Don't think you'll need anything except let your GPS settle." Well mine settled for giving me the complete tour of the entire forest.

 

And I loved the one, "under a stump"

We got there and it was an area that had been logged. Imagine nothing but stumps as far as the eye could see.

It was only after we found it did we realize someone had put a big X on the stump with branches. I guess they thought a better hint was in order too!!

 

There is one near here, "under a rock" in a field of rocks. At least the guy has the decency to respond to e-mails with better clues, so I'm not complaining.

 

What I hate the most is the ones with no clue at all while the cache is in a sensitive plant area.

One really difficult one says, "don't step on the plants" and has no clue at all. No description, no clue. I think the guy has no clue. The area is being trompled. If you are looking all over for it with no clue you are going to have to step SOMEWHERE.

 

How about "page 74"? Ok, what the h..l? If you left a book for me to look the cache up in, you'll have to let me know where that is. BTW, this is not a library cache.

 

"when you see a huge rock you will know you are in the area." how big is huge? I searched for a while around a huge rock the size of a pitchers mound to no avail. The only big one I saw in the area. Walked off into the woods a little more, and there was a rock bigger than a school bus. OH, THAT huge rock.

 

There's one called Bridge with a view. I found the cache. I never found the bridge. No idea where the bridge was. The cache was in a lawn.

 

I've seen entire areas of the forest trashed because of lack of clues or bad clues. I e-mail the Cache Owner when I see this. Sometimes they care, sometimes they don't. Much good fortune to those who care and take steps to stop the destruction.

To those who don't care and just send nasty e-mails back, may all the clues that they find be meaningless.

[+Sol seaker]

Sorry for the double post, it told me it didn't take the first one, honest.

Edited May 26, 2009 by Sol seaker

[+Sol seaker]

Perhaps too many cachers automatically decrypt and print the hints just so they can get a smiley.

 

Perhaps some cachers want to have fun, not kill themselves at this game.

 

There are some pretty nasty one's around where I live. Really nasty ones.

 

I am here for the find, not the endless search. There's an adreniline rush I get from the finding, not the search.

Having said that, I must say that if I found them all it wouldn't be so much fun when I did find them afterall.

But still being new at this, I do need to find a few of them!!!! So, yeah, I look at the clue.

 

The ones that need the clues the most are the ones in sensitive areas.

i've seen forest areas totally trashed due to lack of clues.

I've got one hidden in a sensitive area and the clue is a spoiler. But the area won't be distroyed because of us. In fact, because it's such a good clue, I've had many new people, including children have this be their first find. I wondered whether I should make it so easy or not, and then the new finders logs started pouring in.

Someone talked about the joy on their child's face when they found it as their first find. Now That is worth a million "evil" finds.

[+sullude]

I was up Wixon Mi, same thing hint not needed. Creek with a 40 foot wood bridge with hiding place up the butt. Looked all around . Did a DNF and thanked them for the hint and told them I guess they were wrong about the hint. I wasn't in a good mood doing the logs and in a nice way told they they sucked

[+geeyo]

It may not be a bad idea just to save your self the trouble in creating too good of a hint or a bad hint, and not use a hint at all. Just increase the difficulty level of the cache.

[+Mr&MrsCrowley]

 

I've seen entire areas of the forest trashed because of lack of clues or bad clues. I e-mail the Cache Owner when I see this. Sometimes they care, sometimes they don't. Much good fortune to those who care and take steps to stop the destruction.

To those who don't care and just send nasty e-mails back, may all the clues that they find be meaningless.

 

I came across a cache like this today . The hint said

 

Don’t trample the ferns as you spy under there.

 

There must have been close to 50 ferns surrounding GZ..which was never really known as my GPSr zeroed out in 5 different spots distancing roughly 75 ' apart . And the ferns looked like as herd of elephants had been through there . The cache was found hiding under a log and a piece of bark

 

The irony in this is the cache is part of a series that centers around locations that were special to the CO in their childhood . If that's the case and you were the CO , would you not do your best to insure the area took as little damage as possible by cachers by supplying a hint that was USEFULL rather than complete BS ???

 

My log on this cache reflected my disgust and in a round about way suggested that if the CO truly cared about the area then the cache should be moved to stop the damage or archived