Night cache ideas

[+thelownlycheese]

I am starting this thread to share some night cache field puzzle ideas ideas. 

Idea #1

Take a piece of tin foil and cut coordinates into it. Then place pieces of paper around it and laminate it. When the finder shines their light on the card the cords appear on the other side.

Idea #2

Have a very hard maze with numbers written throughout it. The cacher needs to take a uv light and shine it on the maze showing the solution.

Idea #4

Use IR LEDs to make up numbers. Then place them behind something the light will pass through but you can't see through(black plexiglass etc.) Have the cacher use a camera that can see IR to get the cords.

 

These are a few Ideas I have and I will share some more if this thread picks up.

 

[+niraD]

Here are some techniques I've seen:

The stereotypical night cache uses FireTacks or other reflective trail markers that are visible in the dark when you shine a flashlight at them.

I've also seen clues written with fluorescent ink/paint, which can be read only with a UV light. The fluorescent ink/paint needs to be protected from sunlight during the day. And the cache can be made harder to do during the day by painting an assortment of clues at each location, only one of which is painted with fluorescent paint.

I've also seen clues that used phosphorescent (glow in the dark) paint. The glow fades, but can be visible for a few hours after sunset.

[+cerberus1]

Seems (to us) the ones around here that stood the longevity test were simple trail markers.

 - Folks learned quickly to put 'em high, or they'd all go missing by hunters.   

 

Whenever a gizmo, paint, or something out of the ordinary was involved, they seemed to be down a lot for maintenance.

 - Quite a few folks act differently in darkness, and you sorta have to make things idjut proof.

[+Manville Possum]

I have a UV required cache and a Night Cache that uses reflective tacks. Neither have any finds in over a year, and both are simple. The UV cache is a multi with the real coordinates written in UV ink with fake coordinates to the middle of a small lake.

 

I enjoy a good night cache, but nothing too difficult on solving it.

[+RufusClupea]

2 hours ago, Manville Possum said:

I have a UV required cache and a Night Cache that uses reflective tacks. Neither have any finds in over a year, and both are simple. The UV cache is a multi with the real coordinates written in UV ink with fake coordinates to the middle of a small lake.

Do all that many cachers carry UV flashlights as part of their regular accoutrements/paraphernalia?

[+Manville Possum]

10 minutes ago, RufusClupea said:

Do all that many cachers carry UV flashlights as part of their regular accoutrements/paraphernalia?

 

Likely not. They are called TOTT, or tools of the trade. Look for the UV attribute.

[+thelownlycheese]

I used UV on my night gadget cache which I provided the cacher with a uv light. It won't be cheep though to buy a ton of Uv lights because they aren't the cheapest.

[+thebruce0]

On 7/23/2017 at 4:59 PM, RufusClupea said:

Do all that many cachers carry UV flashlights as part of their regular accoutrements/paraphernalia?

 

I have one or two in my bag of TOTTs Just in case. You never know. Well, you should, if the CO adds the attribute, but there've been a couple of times I've spontaneously went for a field puzzle cache w/ or w/o looking at attributes, and so if I'm ever stuck, one of the first things I do is break out the UV to look for something hidden.

But in my region we have quite a whole lot of larger night multi-caches and puzzles. So it's almost essential to have one around here.

Doesn't hurt to pick one up though!

[+niraD]

On 7/23/2017 at 1:59 PM, RufusClupea said:

Do all that many cachers carry UV flashlights as part of their regular accoutrements/paraphernalia?

Years ago, a group of geocachers around here organized a group purchase of UV flashlights. From what I understand, the unit price ended up being very reasonable. And not surprisingly, a number of UV-based caches were published not long after that. Some of those are still around.

[+RoombaCats]

1) I found one of the best caches at night.   It was on the Central Coast of California and the location was in the middle of nowhere, I mean the location was nothing but sand, no trees, shrubs, rocks or grass for 20 feet all sides.    The Ground Zero was in the center of this "Void".   The hint was, it's in the air.   After searching for some time I figured it out by reading subtle clues  in the log history, it was an ISP router wifi name that I found on my smart phone.   The name of the router was the coordinates to the next cache location.    Genius!!!!!

2)  The best  night cache I found has got to be The Butterflies of Solvang GC2D1FE .   Solvang is a Bavarian-style town on the Central Coast of California with several reflective butterfly stickers  place in locations that led a walkthrough of this beautiful and magical town.   

 

[+hobgoblinkiteflier]

I have a night cache that has earned a few favourite points.  It starts off with a conventional trail of reflectors but they don't lead you straight to the cache.  Instead, I used reflectors designed to clip onto bicycle spokes to make a display that shows some digits which give you the coordinates for the final cache.  The reflectors are clipped onto wire mesh with the numbers shown in 7-segment LED style.  I managed to climb a tree and attach the wire high up out of muggle range.   It is possible to miss it if you are not looking high enough, but after backtracking, people are amused to see something that shows up so obviously in the dark.