Stolen Geocaches

[jekoniak]

I live in the south suburbs of Denver and the geocaches that I have hidden keep getting stolen. There are in ammo boxes (metal or plastic) and I have had them stolen three times now. I am relatively new to Denver and I never had this problem in California. Do other people around Denver have this problem as well? How do others prevent their geocaches from being stolen? I want them to be fun to find, especially for kids, so don't want to just hide a logbook. Thanks for any tips or insights that you can provide.

[+cerberus1]

I live in the south suburbs of Denver and the geocaches that I have hidden keep getting stolen. There are in ammo boxes (metal or plastic) and I have had them stolen three times now. I am relatively new to Denver and I never had this problem in California. Do other people around Denver have this problem as well? How do others prevent their geocaches from being stolen? I want them to be fun to find, especially for kids, so don't want to just hide a logbook. Thanks for any tips or insights that you can provide.

If this question is important to you, why use a sock ?

 

Advertising ammo boxes on the cache page might be a reason they'd go missing, but eventually someone posts a pic anyway.

After the second ammo can (we don't use those plastic things) I'd realize the areas not such a good spot for 'em, and either leave a small LNL, or skip that area entirely.

[+CV Kurt]

I found a cache yesterday that was chained to a tree... I've found other caches otherwise secured to trees. A common method I've seen is to use of plastic ties to secure a small cache to a tree limb. Unfortunately these methods can result in injury to the tree and, as such, should be avoided. Securing them to a large man-made object might be a better option.

Edited August 3, 2015 by CV Kurt

[ATMouse]

I don't think you can ever really prevent a cache from being stolen. It's kinda the way it is. Like locks keeping honest folks honest. You aren't going to stop a thief. If he/she really wants it, the cache will be gone.

[+justintim1999]

I live in the south suburbs of Denver and the geocaches that I have hidden keep getting stolen. There are in ammo boxes (metal or plastic) and I have had them stolen three times now. I am relatively new to Denver and I never had this problem in California. Do other people around Denver have this problem as well? How do others prevent their geocaches from being stolen? I want them to be fun to find, especially for kids, so don't want to just hide a logbook. Thanks for any tips or insights that you can provide.

If this question is important to you, why use a sock ?

 

Advertising ammo boxes on the cache page might be a reason they'd go missing, but eventually someone posts a pic anyway.

After the second ammo can (we don't use those plastic things) I'd realize the areas not such a good spot for 'em, and either leave a small LNL, or skip that area entirely.

 

What dose the word sock refer to?

 

Tough to secure a cache to a tree (especially an ammo can without damaging the tree eventually). Most land owners and land managers are adverse to placing anything to permanent. Like cerberus1 said place a smaller cache or find a new more secluded location for the ammo can. I would also remove the "ammo can" from the description. I don't know what the area is like but sometimes turning a traditional into a short multi may do the trick. Hide the ammo can in another location not to far away.

[+Shop99er]

Sock refers to Sock Puppet Account. Which appears to be the case here.

 

Anyway, there are 2 ways to keep you container from being stolen, IME.

 

1) Chain them to something substantial. Up here, I wire-rope them to a large tree (we have plenty, and then set a lock. This does not guarantee no theft, though. I have had one go walkies after doing this.

 

2) Don't hide any.

 

Caches go missing all the time. It's a risk you have to be willing to accept.

[+kunarion]

I want them to be fun to find, especially for kids

Heh. Mission accomplished.

 

There are many reasons a cache can disappear, so it's tough to suggest ways to prevent that. Local cachers may have some suggestions. Write to trusted cachers in the area and ask. I hid several caches in a local park, then veteran cachers mentioned how they could never keep a cache there. That's why the hiding spots were available. A place that looks quiet today may be a hangout on the weekend, or even have large crowds at times.

 

Even the Cache Owner in this case doesn't seem to log cache issues, nor maintenance. There may be quite a few problems to sort out.

Edited August 3, 2015 by kunarion

[+Manville Possum]

I have one .50 cal ammo can attached with lag bolts and cement in a 80 lb block of concrete listed as a PMO cache hidden in a briar patch.

[+justintim1999]

Sock refers to Sock Puppet Account. Which appears to be the case here.

 

Anyway, there are 2 ways to keep you container from being stolen, IME.

 

1) Chain them to something substantial. Up here, I wire-rope them to a large tree (we have plenty, and then set a lock. This does not guarantee no theft, though. I have had one go walkies after doing this.

 

2) Don't hide any.

 

Caches go missing all the time. It's a risk you have to be willing to accept.

 

Thanks. makes sense now.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Sock refers to Sock Puppet Account. Which appears to be the case here.

 

I disagree. The use of the term "Sock Puppet" is frequently misused in these forums. A sock puppet isn't just an alternate username in addition to a users regular account. A sock puppet differs from a pseudonym in that it's created for the purposes of deception. It's been used that way going back to the mid/late 1990s on Usenet. In was typically an online identity created by a person or organization created to praise or defend that person or organization.

 

In this case, while the user name may be different from their regular account I don't see any deception involved.

 

 

[+Touchstone]

Sock refers to Sock Puppet Account. Which appears to be the case here.

 

I disagree. The use of the term "Sock Puppet" is frequently misused in these forums. A sock puppet isn't just an alternate username in addition to a users regular account. A sock puppet differs from a pseudonym in that it's created for the purposes of deception. It's been used that way going back to the mid/late 1990s on Usenet. In was typically an online identity created by a person or organization created to praise or defend that person or organization.

 

In this case, while the user name may be different from their regular account I don't see any deception involved.

+1. Perhaps alias would be a better term for some of these situations, but in this particular instance, the cache owner IS the OP:

 

Snake Den

 

I'm not sure where the idea of a sock account came from.

[+cerberus1]

Sock refers to Sock Puppet Account. Which appears to be the case here.

 

I disagree. The use of the term "Sock Puppet" is frequently misused in these forums. A sock puppet isn't just an alternate username in addition to a users regular account. A sock puppet differs from a pseudonym in that it's created for the purposes of deception. It's been used that way going back to the mid/late 1990s on Usenet. In was typically an online identity created by a person or organization created to praise or defend that person or organization.

 

In this case, while the user name may be different from their regular account I don't see any deception involved.

+1. Perhaps alias would be a better term for some of these situations, but in this particular instance, the cache owner IS the OP:

 

Snake Den

 

I'm not sure where the idea of a sock account came from.

Alias sounds good...

The OP claims that they never had these problems in CA.

There are no CA caches on this account.

[+Spotted: Correze]

I understand the problem. I'm one of those weird Geocachers who loves to create unusual & interesting cache containers bought for nothing at Boot Sales/Garage Sales. And then modify them to accept a Log of some description. They are my trademark. I also create Field Puzzles.

 

In 6 months I've had 5 pretty damned exxy Cache Containers nicked (all had Faves).

One was muggled by kids thinking it might be a drug stash. Fair enough. That can happen.

 

Do I care my work keeps getting destroyed or nicked? A little. Yet I'll never be put off by the idiot minority. My most oft used Geocaching edit is "Temp disabled".

p.s. I'm English but live in France. So my caches may not be special in USA, UK, Germany nor Holland. But they're unique here. I hardly ever use small black tubes nor tupperware of dubious quality.

Which is why my caches get nicked. #shrug

[+AKStafford]

I've had less theft problems when I made all my caches Premium Member Only. The one that got stolen the most is my Cache Across America cache, so I chained it to a tree...

[craigmusselman]

putting them out of reach can help. Amazing how having to climb 7 feet can remove the issue of casual theft.