What makes a Cache your favorite?

[+HD_Diva]

Now that I have reached the 100 caches found mark, I guess it's my turn to place a few caches. I have found some really amazing caches. Some with really gorgeous views over looking rivers, streams, and in parks. I have found caches in trails that I never knew existed right in my own home town and nearby towns. The ones that I really like are the ones that the owner has put some thought and creativity into. One cache owner put out 150 caches and mapped it on the GPS as the maple leaf for Canada's 150th Birthday. Amazing and a lot of hard work. Another cache was on someone front yard in a wooden house done up like the house on the property. Very cute cache. Another one was hidden in a pole carving hidden just off a wooden trail. Another had about 2 dozen little egg capsules in which you had to open to find the log sheet. That was a funny surprize. So what I'm asking in this forum is: Does anyone have a cache that really stands out in some way. I'm looking for ideas to put out a few caches myself. If I'm going to the effort to put them out I want to make it worthwhile and fun for the seeker.

[+cerberus1]

A favorite (for me) is one that takes you to a unique area, an awesome view, or one that requires special equipment to access.

 

We found enough "there's a log in one of these..." caches (usually in an ammo can) that they're not funny anymore.

Unless there's a good hike involved with varied hide styles, geoart isn't that special anymore either.

 - Often they're "filled in" over time (like the older hike-to caches are now), by the "placed this because there's room and I can" crowd, often obliterating the art that was once there anyway.

Many "gadget" caches we've found were broken by the time we got to them.  Folks are impatient these days I guess...

 

Good luck with your first hide. 

[+HawkMan1999]

A unique container or hiding spot is always fun. I usually reserve my favorite points for caches that are fun to find, challenging and lead to an adventure. One we found recently was on a play ground in a very unique spot. We spent a good 45 minutes looking all around and were about to give up when my wife uncovered the clue that led us to find the cache. Those types are always more fun than the quick park and grabs, and more rewarding for the effort put in. 

[+Manville Possum]

Location and container.

[+MartyBartfast]

It can be many things, the container, the location, the journey, etc. But basically  if I think I will still remember that specific cache for a positive reason in 6 months or a year then it's likely to get a favourite point.

 

[+Mudfrog]

For me, there are a number of things that can make or break a cache. I'm a bit different than most in that my favorite caches to find are ones that offer up a challenge. A cool puzzle to solve, a well camouflaged container (not a needle in haystack), or one with tricky/difficult terrain are my favorites. A simple cache that brings us to a nice location is always good. One that is creatively hidden, has a unique container, or incorporates an onsite puzzle to figure out are great too.

 

We've found some nice urban caches but for the most part, 95% of them are basically the same. Get us out to the country and caches tend to be more fun for us.

[+thebruce0]

I think there are more qualifications that are likely to gain a favourite from me than there are qualifications for caches won't.

 

So, I'd say there's more chance that a cache won't gain a +1 from me if it's

* typical/standard/basic container

* heavy stealthiness required

* parking lot / non-climbing evergreen micro

There are exceptions to every rule, but those are more unlikely to get a +1 unless there's something unique that really stands out for me.

 

I tend to give points out for

* amazing views

* great/fun tree climbs, physical requirements, unusual locations

* personal experiences (for my own record); friends, occurrences, etc unrelated to the cace

* excellent container construction

* learning something new

* well formed puzzles (which I enjoy, since puzzle quality is pretty subjective)

 

Basically, a favourite point is very very vague and could mean any host of things   For me, if something about the cache experience stands out as exemplary, it'll get a +1.

Edited July 19, 2017 by thebruce0

[+stevebrassett]

I usually give an FP for a cache that makes me smile.  It may be location, it may be the cache itself, or even that the cache owner obviously put thought and effort in.

[+justintim1999]

I've issued favorite points for all the reasons you've listed.

 

Some of my favorites have nothing to do with the cache or the location but involves something unique that happened during the adventure.   An animal encounter or someone I got to meet.  It may be as simple as enjoying a nice walk on a perfect fall afternoon.   

 

I always try to include one of these three things in my hides.

 

Location - a nice view or interesting spot.

Container -  Something out of the ordinary or some good camo.

Presentation -  a unique way to hide or find the cache.

 

If your cache has one of these three it's a good cache.

If it has two of them,  it's a great cache.

If you can get all three,  its exceptional.

 

Good luck.          

[+lee737]

I take into account all the above, but also try and only award to active cachers who are maintaining the cache. It might be a killer location and container, but if the log is now scraps of paper, and the owner last found a cache in 2005, I'll keep my FP for someone else.....

[+TriciaG]

Usually a unique cache - camo, the container, something that makes it stand out.

Must be well maintained

Sometimes the location

[+BCandMsKitty]

We agree with all of the above points.

For us it's any well maintained cache that we can tell the hider made an effort to hide a quality cache. It doesn't have to be anything grand or wonderful.

A unique container, or camo, or nice location always helps.

For urban caches, I'll almost always award a fav. point if we can search for the cache in privacy. I detest the caches that have a description asking one to use stealth, and we find it hidden where we will be exposed while searching.

 

 

[+Gill & Tony]

For me, the number one criterion is Location.  If a cache takes me to an interesting place that I would otherwise not have visited then it is an almost guaranteed favourite.  I don't care if the cache is a blinky on a guard rail or an ammo can, if the location is worthy, the cache gets an FP.

Next is a cache which makes me see something in a different way.  These are usually earthcaches or virtuals.  Different types of marble in a cathedral, fossils in the wall of a building, something not obvious about whatever it is I'm looking at.

Finally, the cache itself.  Something unusual about the container, clever camouflage or a unique idea.

[+Viajero Perdido]

4 hours ago, BC & MsKitty said:

For urban caches, I'll almost always award a fav. point if we can search for the cache in privacy.

Telling.  It means you must find that <10% of urban caches offer privacy for the search.  Otherwise you'd be totally out of FPs to hand out.

But yeah, I'm with you on the whole stealth-needed thing.

[+HD_Diva]

Thank you for your thoughts. I will have to put some thought into this. I have a couple ideas for locations I just have to make the cache itself unique.

[+SeattleWayne]

On 7/19/2017 at 7:07 AM, cerberus1 said:

A favorite (for me) is one that takes you to a unique area, an awesome view, or one that requires special equipment to access.

 

We found enough "there's a log in one of these..." caches (usually in an ammo can) that they're not funny anymore.

Unless there's a good hike involved with varied hide styles, geoart isn't that special anymore either.

 - Often they're "filled in" over time (like the older hike-to caches are now), by the "placed this because there's room and I can" crowd, often obliterating the art that was once there anyway.

Many "gadget" caches we've found were broken by the time we got to them.  Folks are impatient these days I guess...

 

Good luck with your first hide. 

Even with specific directions on how to retrieve the cache, people still manage to ruin a good thing. 

[+WarNinjas]

Location and all the stuff already said is the main reason.  After having a few 1000 finds I try and make this a rule.  If I have to take a picture or video of the cache itself to show my daughter who loves caching then I most often give it a favorite. It is obviously cool enough and different from what I have found before for me to stop and take a pic of it so I feel it needs a favorite.

[+SeattleWayne]

What makes a cache my favorite? Not being in a rock wall. 

Edited July 21, 2017 by SeattleWayne

[+thebruce0]

8 hours ago, SeattleWayne said:

What makes a cache my favorite? Not being in a rock wall. 

For me that would depend if it requires scaling the rock wall to a fairly obvious overhang hidey spot, or staying on a trail and moving rocks until you find the cache behind one.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

1 hour ago, thebruce0 said:

For me that would depend if it requires scaling the rock wall to a fairly obvious overhang hidey spot, or staying on a trail and moving rocks until you find the cache behind one.

This is, allegedly, the large freestanding climbing wall in the world.  If someone were to place a geocache at the top of it I bet it would get a real high percentage (if not 100%) of favorite points.

The largest climbing wall in the world, though, is Diga di Luzzone, up the side of a dam in Switzerland (540' high).  The top is easily accessible by just walking across the top of the dam, but if a cache was placed in a hand hold half way up...

[+thebruce0]

That. Is. Amazing.

With permission, that would be a brilliant high T cache placement! (the photo, but the dam would be cool too)

[+Team DEMP]

27 minutes ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

This is, allegedly, the large freestanding climbing wall in the world.  If someone were to place a geocache at the top of it I bet it would get a real high percentage (if not 100%) of favorite points.

 

That's a gorgeous sculpture to the left of the climbing wall in the right sand pit ;-D 

[+Sol seaker]

Placements I like:

Ones that show me something: beautiful places, unique local features, something to do with history, etc.

I love gadget caches and unique containers.

Caches that teach me something: history, facts about the area, etc.

example below is one i just mentioned in another thread where they compared traveling through that pass and across the desert in the 1800's to now:

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5A56_get-back-into-the-air-conditioned-suv?guid=5d2604f8-b90a-49b0-8f93-b5c6f6813b38

Caches that give me a great experience: boat caches, island caches, multi's that are creative and lead me somewhere in a fun way, hiking caches, difficult, but not impossible to get to caches that are in a cool spot (like climbing a tough rock to get to view spot).

This is still my all-time favorite cache that took me to the most amazing places, and on the most fantastic adventures was:

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2T4GY_the-washington-state-island-hopping-challenge?guid=6e3ae9bc-89f1-4a0e-b6fd-623cbd788e6a

 

 

Caches I don't care for:

"needle-in-haystack" caches, such as finding a log in many containers, caches in ivy or rock walls, or real hell, an ivy covered rock wall (seen that).

Caches that are in very busy public places (someone on the forums once said, "A cache that says, 'Stealth required' means it shouldn't have been put there in the first place"), Caches at people's houses (especially up on their porch, what if I get the wrong house? coordinates aren't always accurate),

Nanos or small micros in the woods, especially in sensitive areas where people are trashing the place to find the cache

[+edscott]

A walk through old forests to a unique natural feature... cliff, boulder, tree, ruin, etc.....  to a sturdy container.  Nice views and a dose of off trail navigation is an additional plus. 

Edited July 22, 2017 by edscott
add photo

[+RoombaCats]

Although I have been caching since 2004 I have just over 330 finds.   I am very picky about caches I find.   Being an Engineer, I prefer the gadget caches.     These are often rare but I have seen many great gadget caches and field puzzles out there.  I would say these are my favorite with a second being caches that use the terrain and are hidden in plain sight.   Third, are amazing and beautiful places they take me.   My least favorite are nanos in wide open areas.    

Personally, I like building gadget caches more than finding geocaches, which is great for people who only like to find geocaches.  I recently placed two gadget caches, Grid and Template GC78VTG and That's How I roll GC78VT8.  I've included pictures below.    I have 23 gadget caches out there now.

Edited July 26, 2017 by RoombaCats

[+RoombaCats]

On ‎7‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 8:08 PM, Viajero Perdido said:

Telling.  It means you must find that <10% of urban caches offer privacy for the search.  Otherwise you'd be totally out of FPs to hand out.

But yeah, I'm with you on the whole stealth-needed thing.

That is a great criteria for an urban cache for "favorite-worthy" caches.  Love it.   Have not yet found one that yet fits.  

[One90proof]

"Favorite caches" for me is a moving target. Sometimes its an otherwise mundane cache that takes me to a part of my city I've never noticed before. Other times it's just a quirky little nano container that makes me smile. It could be the first cache I see of a particular gadget type or I might consider a cache favorite worthy just because of the people I was with when I found it. I love the diversity of caches (and cachers!) out there and look forward seeing what my next favorite might be. 

[BlueRajah]

Location, location, location

[+coach cache]

We love containers that CO's have put a lot of thought/work into and make it more than "another matchstick container in a tree". We recently have come across several gadget caches that have been so fun and challenging and we favorited most of them. Another one I gave a favorite point to was one that was hand crafted but blended into its surroundings. And yet another just this week was on a hiking trail that was so challenging but the view when we got there was so amazing. I guess it's all how the cache makes me feel once I attain the smiley.