Verifying an area is open BEFORE hiding the cache

[+Douce Us 5]

Hello all,

 

I'm wondering how to guarantee that a spot is available to hide a cache before spending the time setting it up and hiding it only to find there's a multi-cache stage or a puzzle in that area.

 

I scouted an are that no cache shows up on the map, found a great spot, but the hide is going to be a little elaborate and going to need some set up time.

 

I contacted the reviewer, gave the exact coordinates and asked if it was open. He/she said "create a cache page and submit it for review".

 

I did that, and wrote this note for the reviewer - "I'm looking to hide a cache in this spot, but want to make sure it is open before I do. There is nothing hidden so PLEASE don't release this if you deem the location ok. Thank you."

 

He/she disabled the page and wrote "Please don't enable your cache when it is not in place."

 

Any advice?

Edited October 29, 2014 by Douce Us 5

[+Crow-T-Robot]

It sounds as though there is a bit of a communication issue with your reviewer. For my reviewer, if I email him with the coordinates and ask if the spot is available to place a cache, he'll check the proximity and let me know. Other reviewers prefer you to create a page and submit it. I'm not sure what was lost in translation between the reviewer having you submit a page for review, you submitting it and then the reviewer sort of scolding you for submitting it for a coordinate check. Seems odd. I would try to get in contact with the reviewer again and get some clarification on whether the spot is available to use or not.

 

 

The good thing is that with the page you submitted, that will lock down those coordinates if they are available. If anyone else tries to place a cache there after you submitted the page, you will have "rights" to the spot and the reviewer will ask you if you plan on placing a cache there and allow you time to get your cache published. If someone had already submitted a page for coordinates within 528 feet of your spot, however, and hadn't placed their cache yet, they would have dibs on the spot. That does happen but not very often. My guess would be that the spot is yours.

 

 

[Keystone]

Hello,

 

There are no hidden waypoints within 528 feet of your proposed coordinates. In that park, you only need to worry about the three existing traditional caches. Hope this helps!

[+terrkan78]

Hello all,

 

I'm wondering how to guarantee that a spot is available to hide a cache before spending the time setting it up and hiding it only to find there's a multi-cache stage or a puzzle in that area.

 

I scouted an are that no cache shows up on the map, found a great spot, but the hide is going to be a little elaborate and going to need some set up time.

 

I contacted the reviewer, gave the exact coordinates and asked if it was open. He/she said "create a cache page and submit it for review".

 

I did that, and wrote this note for the reviewer - "I'm looking to hide a cache in this spot, but want to make sure it is open before I do. There is nothing hidden so PLEASE don't release this if you deem the location ok. Thank you."

 

He/she disabled the page and wrote "Please don't enable your cache when it is not in place."

 

Any advice?

 

Different reviewers handle this differently. My reviewer asked me to set up a cache page and submit it for review - I did it just like you did, with a reviewer note indicating the cache wasn't yet in place. I don't know why you got the "please don't enable" note - sounds to me like you did everything exactly right.

 

Now that Keystone has verified that no multi's or puzzles are blocking your hide, if it were me I'd go ahead and set up the cache (taking as much time as I needed, within reason) and when I had it ready, I'd enable it with a note in the reviewer box indicating that indeed the cache is now in place.

 

Good luck on your hide!

[+Isonzo Karst]

He/she disabled the page and wrote "Please don't enable your cache when it is not in place."

 

Any advice?

 

Next time, try this. Title the cache "Coords Check", DON'T enable it, instead email the area reviewer with the GC Code;

ask if they would take a look and post a reviewer note to the page about the availability of the location.

Here's the Help Center article on this topic, see point 3 at the bottom of the page

Checking for Geocache Saturation

 

I'd also recommend a reviewer note by you on the page with "hide elaborate and going to need some set up time", plus an estimate of when it might be ready.

 

Last year Geocaching.com archived old unpublished caches with no action for year, and added a new article about time frame for using a listing

Working with the Reviewer: Old Unpublished Geocaches May Be Archived

[+Douce Us 5]

Hello,

 

There are no hidden waypoints within 528 feet of your proposed coordinates. In that park, you only need to worry about the three existing traditional caches. Hope this helps!

 

Great! Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.....

[+Mn-treker]

Here is another way to find out. Go take your coords reading then create the cache page.

place a reviewer not that says please publish on this day. Give the date like a week out.

Now get your gear ready to make the hide. If the reviewer writes back say no way 528 rule

violation. Oh well! But reviewer may say OK! and he/she locks the page so you can't make

changes. Then waits till that day and bingo! I did this, not to test it but to have a hide published

on that day to coincide with something on that day. Worked for me.

[+Mockingbird559]

Just a few minutes ago I submitted a cache to my reviewer (actually more than one for the area) to see if there is a cache within 528 feet. Normally I would not have taken this approach but I am fairly certain that there is a puzzle final within 528 feet. Have written to the CO but no response yet.

 

In the reviewer note I asked for a coordinate check because I thought there was a puzzle final nearby. The title is Coordinate Check. There is only a reviewer note and lat/long, no description, hint etc.

 

How else would I do this since we have more than one reviewer in the area and I have no way of knowing who would be watching the site at any particular time?

 

Edit: is it my understanding that the reviewer won't see any part of the listing until/unless it is submitted for review. I think I read that in the forums somewhere.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Mockingbird559

[Keystone]

Edit: is it my understanding that the reviewer won't see any part of the listing until/unless it is submitted for review. I think I read that in the forums somewhere.

Not quite correct. While the cache won't appear in the review queue (a list of caches that have been submitted for review), a reviewer can still see everything on any cache listing, even if it hasn't been submitted for review. We would need to stumble upon it, either by researching caches hidden by that user, by receiving a link in an email from the CO, by seeing it appear on a list of caches nearby to one that we are looking at, etc.

[+Mockingbird559]

Edit: is it my understanding that the reviewer won't see any part of the listing until/unless it is submitted for review. I think I read that in the forums somewhere.

Not quite correct. While the cache won't appear in the review queue (a list of caches that have been submitted for review), a reviewer can still see everything on any cache listing, even if it hasn't been submitted for review. We would need to stumble upon it, either by researching caches hidden by that user, by receiving a link in an email from the CO, by seeing it appear on a list of caches nearby to one that we are looking at, etc.

 

 

Thanks for the info.

 

The red circles on the cache creation page are really helpful but don't show puzzle finals.

 

I guessed they could see a specific item if looking for that item, but overall not see something not published that had not been submitted... So they can see it if they look for it, which is fine for me if it is fine for you. If I had to submit it to "my" reviewer, I still would not know which of our local reviewers to submit it to so it seems I used the best approach for my area. Looks like it worked out ok.

 

Anyway, the cache I submitted last night for a coordinate check came back from the reviewer as not having any puzzles nearby and he marked it as disabled not published. A big help for me.

 

Thanks. Cache happy.