Finding "Stealth Required" Caches

[+musterfamily]

My family and I have been geocaching for about a year. We love hiking and are pretty good at finding caches in the woods. However, almost every time we have looked for a cache in a more urban area, many of which say, "Stealth Required" or "Beware of Muggles," we come up empty handed. Does anyone have suggestions on how we can find more of these type of caches?

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Simply put, we tend to avoid such caches. We don't really have any interest in trying to be "stealthy".

[+Panther&Pine]

Like Gitchee-Gummee we don't tend to look for those, but when we do we either just look for it and assume no one cares what we are doing (nothing looks more out of place than someone trying to be stealthy) or chat on the phone.

[+Beach_hut]

Don't act furtive would be my suggestion. Act like you're meant to be there, or you will arouse suspicion...

[+ByronForestPreserve]

I would Google geocaching containers and see what kinds of things people use. I've found caches behind fake electrical outlets, stuck to the bottom of metal newspaper boxes, zip-tied to the underside of benches...remember that most urban caches will be micro or nano, and often magnetic. I'm not a huge fan, myself, but I'll look for one or two if I'm in Chicago or somewhere.

[+luvvinbird]

As a rule, finding an LPC in a busy shopping centre requires a lot of stealth but doesn't always end up as being very rewarding. However, there are exceptions for some caches in the same busy venues that may earn a favourite point and be very rewarding. Here's the log I posted on a 4.5 difficulty cache a couple of years ago which got a big fave point from me, "I did my homework on this one before venturing over, due to high muggle activity. My plan (stage one) consisted of reading the logs, reading the hint, and copy/pasting the coords onto Google Earth for a general topo view. Stage two was for me to buy a paper and nonchalantly pretend I was reading it while scanning the GZ area. Bingo! My plan paid off. Thanks for a terrific cache." Try an early Sunday morning approach on high muggle caches and you also may find one that's exceptional.

[+dprovan]

"Stealth Required" doesn't necessarily tell you want kind of cache you're looking for, but generally it suggests one of two things:

 

1. The cache is hidden under a lamp post skirt, normally called a "lamp post cache", or LPC. A lamp post skirt is that metal square box around the bottom of lamp poles in parking lots, and, in case you haven't discovered this yet, they lift up, typically with a mind numbing screech that everyone in the parking lot will hear. People hide caches under those.
   
2. The cache is a "nano", which is a very small cache about the size of a pencil eraser.
   

In either case, don't worry about stealth any more than you always do, 'cuz "Stealth Required" is almost always on caches where stealth is impossible.

[+Trav'lin Two]

We go at it like we belong there

[+joe schlubb]

I have decided against looking for a few "stealth required" type caches just simply because I am not very good at looking inconspicuous, that and there didn't seem to be any good reason for a cache being placed there. I like to be led somewhere with a nice view, somewhere of historical significance, or maybe a nice quiet spot without kids running and screaming or car radios blasting. A rusty lamp post next to a sopping wet oil spot in the parking lot at the Dollar General store just doesn't do it for me.

[+Walts Hunting]

I don't check attributes so don't no if stealth is required. I go and find the cache if someone sees me i explain the hobby and show them the cache if I found it. This whole secretive stealth thing seems to be a little childish to me.

[+WarNinjas]

I try and be stealthy when looking for hides that need it. If I think someone noticed what I was doing then I hang out for a while and make sure no one is going to check it out. Not much more you can do. Just have fun and look for it. I agree though that I prefer them to be in a place I without a bunch of people hanging out. I often pass them by because of people around.

[+Chief301]

If I drive up and the coast is relatively clear I will make an attempt. If there are too many muggles about I'll usually just keep on driving. Like luvvinbird said, such locations are usually not very rewarding.

[+musterfamily]

Thank you all for your suggestions. Joe Schlubb and dprovan you gave me quite a laugh. We were looking for one at a nature park yesterday, but it is located in the entrance. I felt stupid walking around and around trying to find it. I reread the logs last night and with your suggestions, I think I have a better idea what to look for and will try again today. Thanks again!

[+J Grouchy]

"Stealth Required" doesn't necessarily tell you want kind of cache you're looking for, but generally it suggests one of two things:

 

1. The cache is hidden under a lamp post skirt, normally called a "lamp post cache", or LPC. A lamp post skirt is that metal square box around the bottom of lamp poles in parking lots, and, in case you haven't discovered this yet, they lift up, typically with a mind numbing screech that everyone in the parking lot will hear. People hide caches under those.
   
2. The cache is a "nano", which is a very small cache about the size of a pencil eraser.
   

In either case, don't worry about stealth any more than you always do, 'cuz "Stealth Required" is almost always on caches where stealth is impossible.

 

That's just silly and not really accurate in my experience.

 

Perhaps in other areas "stealth required" means something else...but 'round here all it means is the cache is hidden in an area where there are likely to be other people that might see you. That means anything from a parking lot LPC to a scenic park to a public sculpture/mural to a roadway guardrail. It's actually kind of a given that stealth is required in about 90 to 95% of all caches in the metro Atlanta area...so I don't rule any out based solely on that attribute.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

If I drive up and the coast is relatively clear I will make an attempt. If there are too many muggles about I'll usually just keep on driving. Like luvvinbird said, such locations are usually not very rewarding.

 

+ 1.

[+Chief301]

That means anything from a parking lot LPC to a scenic park to a public sculpture/mural to a roadway guardrail.

 

Guardrail caches are one type (even though I don't care for them much) where I don't bother with stealth. Cars are whizzing by at 60 mph, it's highly unlikely that anyone is going to a) notice, B} care, or c) bother to slow down, find a place to turn around, and come back to question me about what I'm doing there. And even if they do, guardrail caches are usually pretty quick finds.....by the time they turn around I will have already found, signed, and replaced the cache and I'm outta there 😎

Edited April 30, 2014 by Chief301

[+J Grouchy]

That means anything from a parking lot LPC to a scenic park to a public sculpture/mural to a roadway guardrail.

 

Guardrail caches are one type (even though I don't care for them much) where I don't bother with stealth. Cars are whizzing by at 60 mph, it's highly unlikely that anyone is going to a) notice, B} care, or c) bother to slow down, find a place to turn around, and come back to question me about what I'm doing there. And even if they do, guardrail caches are usually pretty quick finds.....by the time they turn around I will have already found, signed, and replaced the cache and I'm outta there

 

Well...not to digress too far...but there have been a few where either stealth was required or the hide was actually somewhat tricky.

On one, it was located on a busy street...but across from a popular speed trap. The location was actually interesting - a tiny scenic little cemetery between two large industrial properties - but it took some stealth to grab it with the police car across the street literally pointed right at the hiding spot. On a couple occasions it actually took some pretty close inspection to spot the cache...either because of a low profile or some camouflaging technique. No way to NOT look suspicious when you are closely examining a guardrail...especially near a bridge or private property where such activity might be misinterpreted.

[+dprovan]

That's just silly and not really accurate in my experience.

I'm not sure what you were saying was silly and inaccurate, but since the rest of your post supported what I was saying, I guess I won't worry about it.

[+J Grouchy]

That's just silly and not really accurate in my experience.

I'm not sure what you were saying was silly and inaccurate, but since the rest of your post supported what I was saying, I guess I won't worry about it.

 

Another silly and inaccurate post, since the rest of my post actually did NOT support what you were saying. Sure, it may INCLUDE those two qualities you mentioned...but in my experience they are more often than not a small subset of the "stealth required" caches.

[+fbingha]

Stealth Required can also mean that permission wasn't obtained and security doesn't know about the cache.

[Pup Patrol]

We also tend to avoid the "stealth required" type. Around here, that usually means that there are lots of other people around, or that you are in view of people in houses. Found one cache that was in a park, and had the lady in the house across the street watching us the entire time. Won't do that again.

 

When we have looked for caches in muggle-rich areas, it's been in the "off season". Around here, that means searching in the fall or winter, when the tourists/dog walkers/sun seekers, etc have gone into hibernation. Rain, snow and wind keep non-cachers at home.

 

If it's a lamp post in a parking lot, then we don't bother at all.

 

 

B.

[+worstcaster]

I've seen some tips mentioned on the forums before. Hold you GPS to your ear to make it look like a phone. When looking for caches on a guardrail or bridge wear a safety vest and carry a clipboard. It make you easier to see but makes it look like you belong there.

[+fbingha]

If you see "Stealth Required" and the cache has 2 finds, be wary. If it has 100 finds then everyone around, who is commonly there, will already know about it.

[+gpsblake]

I look for the cache the same way I would any other cache. Acting "stealthy" is the one sure fire way to get noticed. If I get questions, I tell them exactly what I was doing.

Edited April 30, 2014 by gpsblake

[+BAMBOOZLE]

As someone on this forum once said " Stealth Required " means " Don't Look For This Cache " .

[+dprovan]

As someone on this forum once said " Stealth Required " means " Don't Look For This Cache " .

That does seem like a popular attitude. To me, though, "stealth required" just means "prone to muggling".

[+popokiiti]

Always careful when retrieving and replacing, be it an urban cache or one on a country trail. I pretended to be eating from a Lock and Lock when muggles came along the trail once. For the urban caches, if it is low down, I "tie" my shoelaces. It is possible to find these, but if it is too busy we will move on rather than compromise the cache.

[+WarNinjas]

I was caching with a group not to long ago and we found 9 on a mountain. Then we were off to another town with the group to go find more. One cacher reminded me of a challenge to get 10 in one town in a day for 10 different towns. He said we need to grab one more. We picked a easy close one and when we pulled up there was a neighbor right there doing some gardening for what ever reason. I said we will have to go find a different one. The other cacher said Hold on let me see. He walked over and the guy there asked are you looking for the cache thing?

He knew about it and said he had seen many over the years looking for it and knew it was under the rock there and was very helpful! He had never actually seen it so we showed it to him and he thought it was cool there was so many signatures. Nice guy. Anyways my point is that I would have just driven away but it turned out it was cool to stop and grab it. Guess you never know.