Garbage in Caches

[+MrBee&WillowTree]

Hello fellow cachers! I've been noticing an unfortunate trend amongst caches. Almost every cache I find lately has garbage or inappropriate items in it (batteries, lighters, candy wrappers, plastic, etc.). Please, respect the cache! Remember, it's not all about the swag. If you go spur of the moment caching or forget swag, just sign the logbook and come back later. It's better to do that than to make a cache into your personal garbage bin. Thanks!

[+cerberus1]

Hello fellow cachers! I've been noticing an unfortunate trend amongst caches. Almost every cache I find lately has garbage or inappropriate items in it (batteries, lighters, candy wrappers, plastic, etc.). Please, respect the cache! Remember, it's not all about the swag. If you go spur of the moment caching or forget swag, just sign the logbook and come back later. It's better to do that than to make a cache into your personal garbage bin. Thanks!

The "trend" has been happening for years...

One of my favorite things to place in distance hides is batteries.

[+narcissa]

Since it's not all about the swag, best to just heave a sigh and move on. There will always be garbage in caches, no matter how often people complain about it in the forum.

[Pup Patrol]

Hello fellow cachers! I've been noticing an unfortunate trend amongst caches. Almost every cache I find lately has garbage or inappropriate items in it (batteries, lighters, candy wrappers, plastic, etc.). Please, respect the cache! Remember, it's not all about the swag. If you go spur of the moment caching or forget swag, just sign the logbook and come back later. It's better to do that than to make a cache into your personal garbage bin. Thanks!

 

This is hardly a "new" problem. Or a "new" topic in the forums.

 

I fail to see how batteries are inappropriate or garbage.

 

You're making the assumption that only geocachers find these boxes and leave this stuff. I find it amazing that people are surprised to find that "kids" discover their caches.

 

And you're making an assumption that a lot of cachers read these forums. Thankfully, there are far more cachers than there are forum participants.

 

 

B.

[+Pork King]

The geocaches that I found today had loads of "generic free app" logs, and also appeared to have been filled by random people emptying their pockets. Old business cards, receipts, even snuff cans!

[4wheelin_fool]

I've found enough garbage in caches to know that it isn't accidental or from muggles. I don't know why this happens, but some people think that they have to trade something. Any cache that requires some effort to get to, it is less likely to occur, so look for those.

[+WarNinjas]

I got a comment today about there son finding it interesting to find a tampon in our cache! Great!

[etarace]

even snuff cans!

You can take those, tap out most of the left over snuff, and you've got yourself a new cache container!

 

 

 

(please don't really do this)

[+TopShelfRob]

I think the problem might be some new geocachers hear the rule "take something, leave something" and misguidedly figure it's better to leave something that's inappropriate than to not leave anything at all.

[+.Flo.]

Last night I found a little ziplock bag with crumbs of dried herbs and a paper (for making a joint). I don't know whether it was real drugs or just a stupid joke, most likely the latter. Anyway, I removed that stuff from the cache.

[+Team Dredd]

We usually clean the garbage out of any cache we find. Only "garbage" or inappropriate items though (trash, candy wrappers, beer bottle tops, old food, bullets) not anything we just consider worthless swag because that may only be worthless in our opinion of the swag. When we found the oldest cache in North East Florida it had a homemade copy of a porn DVD in it with an inappropriate picture on the case for a child. Although that may be cool swag for someone we removed it, broke it, and through it in the trash can near the parking area.

[+Lieblweb]

A cache I once visited...... had a big bag of white powdery stuff and a big bag of what could've fooled someone to thinking it was marijuana.

 

Granted, I don't know much about either of those, but I'm pretty certain it wasn't (my college years have exposed me to the wrong people - LOL).

 

Besides....obviously someone knows about the container and knows people visit there. A smart druggie wouldn't hide their 'very expensive' big bag of goods in a geocache! LOL

[+Shinook & White Juan]

Cache in, trash out! Works for us.

[+worstcaster]

Check the snuff and altoids cans. I sometimes leave hand tied fishing flies but place them in puncture proff containers so kids rummaging through the cache don't stick themselves.

[+.LMN.]

Since it's not all about the swag, best to just heave a sigh and move on.

 

Unless you need 2 pairs of rubber gloves to wade through the mess to get to the logbook! *shutters*

 

I wonder if they mean used batteries? I'm good with fresh in the pack batteries.

[+Team Microdot]

I wonder if they mean used batteries? I'm good with fresh in the pack batteries.

 

Don't certain types of batteries break down and corrode over time?

 

That sort of thing, especially in a rarely visited cache, could cause an unattractive and possibly toxic mess.

[+.LMN.]

I wonder if they mean used batteries? I'm good with fresh in the pack batteries.

 

Don't certain types of batteries break down and corrode over time?

 

That sort of thing, especially in a rarely visited cache, could cause an unattractive and possibly toxic mess.

 

Sure, that is why you bag them up. I've read several posts about batteries being left in caches. It's really good for people who have a dead/dying GPS.

[+Pork King]

even snuff cans!

You can take those, tap out most of the left over snuff, and you've got yourself a new cache container!

 

 

 

(please don't really do this)

 

There was definitely snuff left in this can. The whole cache smelled of wintergreen!

 

I DO have a signature item from a caching friend in Louisiana, though I don't think he invented the idea... It's a Copenhagen can that has been emptied and relabeled "xxxxxx's Redneck Compass". You open it up, and inside is a compact mirror, with another label on the inside lid that says "This compass can't point you North, East, West, or South. It just shows you who is lost!"

Edited July 5, 2014 by Pork King

[+NYPaddleCacher]

You open it up, and inside is a compact mirror...

 

Based on a recent internet meme (lookup Shane at Walmart), I'd be inclined to name that cache "Self check-out".

 

 

[TahoeJoe]

I haven't seen trash in caches for years, but then again it's difficult to leave trash in a micro.

I actually remember being annoyed with trash in caches when I first started. I guess you can't change how clean people are.

Edited July 5, 2014 by TahoeJoe

[+popokiiti]

I got a comment today about there son finding it interesting to find a tampon in our cache! Great!

We have found those in a few, and it is something we remove...especially in a wet cache! While I appreciate the handiness of this for someone, I am sure parents don't want to explain their use before they are ready to do so.

[+badger10]

While doing our Geocoin challenge I found a "pipe", well used, in the cache. Needless to say I removed and disposed of the offending item.

[+L0ne.R]

I got a comment today about there son finding it interesting to find a tampon in our cache! Great!

 

I found this interesting article:

 

The Swiss Army Survival Tampon : 7 Survival Uses

[+Wadcutter]

A few months ago we found a Tupperware cache where someone had left a handful of candy pieces. We removed all the candy and posted in our log that we had removed the food items. We got a nasty email from the person who had left the candy that "Candy isn't food. It's not like a sandwich."

You can't argue with stupid.

[+wimseyguy]

Hello fellow cachers! I've been noticing an unfortunate trend amongst caches. Almost every cache I find lately has garbage or inappropriate items in it (batteries, lighters, candy wrappers, plastic, etc.). Please, respect the cache! Remember, it's not all about the swag. If you go spur of the moment caching or forget swag, just sign the logbook and come back later. It's better to do that than to make a cache into your personal garbage bin. Thanks!

 

As already posted, nothing new, and nothing new to discuss here. I don't go caching for swag so it doesn't bother me much. As long as the log is in decent shape and I can get some ink on it I'm happy.

 

I got a comment today about there son finding it interesting to find a tampon in our cache! Great!

 

I am always puzzled by people who think that placing personal hygiene items in a container out in the woods is a good idea.

 

even snuff cans!

You can take those, tap out most of the left over snuff, and you've got yourself a new cache container!

 

(please don't really do this)

 

I've heard those referred to as Arkansas Tupperware.

[Red_Dirt]

Yesterday we had our first three geocaching adventures. We did take something (didn't matter what we took) and we did leave something special. This time around we left an item we made this past Halloween. We left what we call Duefenpak skulls (teal for the Hornets). We did find trash in some caches but since we are noobs we didn't consider "cache in, trash out". But we will moving forward.

 

We are Red_Dirt a family of creative, exploring, "Knights", on the trail we usually leave only footprints and take only pictures, but now we are bored. Our objective is to find treasures (taking only one when appropriate) and leaving behind something special (something we make for the finder to keep). We are former letter boxers who got frustrated following riddles & clues to find nothing and leave nothing. Now Red_Dirt has been born, named after two of our knights: Nefarious the Red and Snug (the Dirt Knight) joining us are squires Harry Mac & Jack Cheese. We started Red Dirt Labs earlier this year for creative ventures and we are sharing some of our creativity in Cache finds. Let us know when you find one and/or share.

[+Paganmen]

I totally agree with you. I take the time to clean trash out of cache containers when I find it. That includes rusted, moldy, food, offensive, large items or too many items jammed into a small container, "calling cards" or personal tokens jammed into small containers rather than signing the log book, etc.

 

For the most part, swag containers have been dying for a long time because people think that trash and bottle caps make good swag, and almost no one trades evenly or better. I always carry large zip lock bags of good inexpensive swag with me, because I know kids like to find stuff, and I'll throw a big handful into large caches that need it (especially after I've cleaned the trash out of them).