Hiding tips

[+geogod56]

I was wondering if any experienced hiders could give me some tips for my first hide

[+niraD]

It's a good idea to take advantage of the resources available on the site, for example:

 

The "Hiding Caches" section of Geocaching 101

The Hide a Cache section of the Help Center

The Hide a Geocache page on the main site

The YouTube videos Hiding a Geocache and Making a Favorite Point Worthy Geocache

[+Poker70]

As for me, I enjoy finding caches that are "Hiding in Plain Sight".  Well camouflaged, or made to look like something different than what it is.   

 

 

[+arisoft]

44 minutes ago, geogod56 said:

I was wondering if any experienced hiders could give me some tips for my first hide

 

My tip has been always the same. Make a cache you would like to find yourself.

[+dprovan]

My first word of advice is "wait". When I first started out, I thought of all kinds of hides I thought would be cool, but I was glad I didn't hide any of them since after a year or so I'd learned that most of them were bad ideas, or impractical, or both.

 

The second bit of advice is to hide the cache before you submit the cache page for review.

[+coachstahly]

I usually plan on having one or two replacement caches ready to go when the cache goes missing.  I try to place my caches where I think no one would go but I've found that places I thought were "safe" were prone to someone taking the container.  If I have a cache that gets taken a couple times in a few months I'll usually archive it.  It's just not worth the hassle.  I'll sometimes place a cache and wait a bit before going out to get more readings for coordinates and that way also allows me to see if it's been taken.

 

I'd find a few more types of hides as well, just to make sure you're hiding something you're happy with.  I want to be certain that I'm pleased with my hide before submitting it for publication and that meant I wanted to find as many types as I could before placing one.  That way, I had a better idea of the types of caches I'd consider creating.. If I'm not happy, I don't think my fellow cachers would be happy finding it.

 

Keep in mind that different types of caches will typically have a variance in the rate of a cache being found.  Traditional caches get found most frequently while other types get found less frequently.  That typically translates to a bit more cache maintenance for traditional hides and less for non-traditional caches.  If you want your cache found more frequently, I'd suggest a traditional cache; less frequently, a non-traditional cache.

 

Choose a good container.  You'll save yourself some maintenance in the long run.

 

Get coordinates and then go back a few times in different conditions and see how close you are each time.  If you move around a lot, then you'll need to average your coordinates to arrive the best set that will hopefully get them close.

 

You don't need to visit your cache after every DNF.  You're more than welcome to but it's not required.

[+justintim1999]

Make sure to get permission.   Always think of safety & about the impact your cache will have on the area.     All of my hides are on conservation land so I'm very careful how and where I hide caches.   It's very important in these situations to hide your cache in an environmentally responsible way.   It's equally important to think about the impact cachers will have on the area while searching.     By getting permission and establishing a relation ship with the property owners I was able to gain information about sensitive areas and habitats I wouldn't have known about and avoid those areas altogether.      Believe me this attention to detail will go a long way in developing your reputation as a good cache owner and will make getting permission in other like areas much easier.    

 

As for the hide itself.   For me there are three criteria for a good hide.  

 

Location - Find a spot that people are going to enjoy getting to.  

Presentation - Hide the cache in a way that's unique and interesting.

Camouflage - Disguise your container or use a container that's unusual.    

 

If you can incorporate one or two of these in your cache hide It will be a good one.  

 

Good luck.

[+barefootjeff]

10 hours ago, justintim1999 said:

As for the hide itself.   For me there are three criteria for a good hide.  

 

Location - Find a spot that people are going to enjoy getting to.  

Presentation - Hide the cache in a way that's unique and interesting.

Camouflage - Disguise your container or use a container that's unusual.    

 

If you can incorporate one or two of these in your cache hide It will be a good one.  

 

I'd add one more to that as it seems to be a common factor in many of the caches I've favourited over the years:

 

The journey - take the seeker on an adventure in getting from the starting point to GZ. Often it's the things I see and do along the way that are a lot more memorable than the cache itself, like this one...

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2019 by barefootjeff