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Placing geocaches without getting crazy?


The_Cachefinder

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So my problem is every time I place a geocache I get a notice from a reviewer that there is a final of a mystery or a Wherigo or something else. Im just curious but bothers this problem only me or is this a well known phenomenon? Is there a possibility to know if the chosen location is free to place a cache or do I have to complete all caches around a possible hiding spot (I dont have the time to do this)? For me personally, I don´t do any mysterys or wherigos or other stuff only traditionals and multi-caches because of this problem.

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27 minutes ago, The_Cachefinder said:

So my problem is every time I place a geocache I get a notice from a reviewer that there is a final of a mystery or a Wherigo or something else. Im just curious but bothers this problem only me or is this a well known phenomenon? Is there a possibility to know if the chosen location is free to place a cache or do I have to complete all caches around a possible hiding spot (I dont have the time to do this)? For me personally, I don´t do any mysterys or wherigos or other stuff only traditionals and multi-caches because of this problem.

You can ask your reviewer if a particular localization is "free" before placing a physical cache there. My reviewer not only answers in reasonable time, but when I start a cache listing in this localization soon after his response, he "reserves" the localization for the cache for a month giving time to publish it.

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It's a problem just about everywhere where the area is cache dense. I started having to use the method outlined by rapotek around the year 2011 when power style hiding had an exponential growth in my area. 

 

It was often hard to get a spot even on a brand new trail. Cachers who know about the development of new trails, reserve it for their power trail set of caches. A new local trail was just days old when I went out to scout for a couple of locations to hide a cache. I found a pill bottle in a stump, the bottle was labelled 'Cotton Trail #32' (it was published about 3 weeks later along with the rest of the PT, and I did not hide a cache on that trail). I was fortunate once, when the person who had reserved a trail before it was officially opened, wasn't ready to hide caches when I submitted 2 hides.  I got 2 good spots (and prevented a power trail from going in). 

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1 hour ago, The_Cachefinder said:

So my problem is every time I place a geocache I get a notice from a reviewer that there is a final of a mystery or a Wherigo or something else. Im just curious but bothers this problem only me or is this a well known phenomenon? Is there a possibility to know if the chosen location is free to place a cache or do I have to complete all caches around a possible hiding spot (I dont have the time to do this)? For me personally, I don´t do any mysterys or wherigos or other stuff only traditionals and multi-caches because of this problem.

 

Guess I don't understand how this is a problem.  This makes no sense (to me)...

If I wanted to know where all the spots were, I'd do those mystery and other stuff caches, and find out myself where those open spots are.  :)

I don't feel  "I don't have the time..." is a reason to rant about other's caches and your placement issues,  just because they were there before you. 

 - Most folks we've discussed this issue with say that many Reviewers would be happy to help steer you to a spot (they're cachers too).   ;)

We seem to have this happen a lot here with basic members wishing to hide, with pmo caches adding an additional problem for them.

 

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It can be a problem in some areas.  The final locations of Mysteries and Wherigos can be a problem with your desired locations, but also physical waypoints and finals of Multi caches as well.  Solving the Mystery caches around you can certainly help with finding a place to hide your caches. You don't have to actually find them, just solve them to identify the final coords.

 

If you can't or won't do that, then you can check your desired hiding spot with a Reviewer.  Just create a cache listing with your desired hiding coordinates and name the cache something like "COORDINATE CHECK ONLY", then Submit it for Review.  When submitting it, you should write something like "Just want to check that this spot is available. No cache has been placed yet, so please do not publish."  In such cases, you do not need to worry about filling in correct D/T/Attributes/etc.

The Reviewer will let you know if the location is okay and that spot will be reserved for you to place your cache and write up your cache page  OR  The Reviewer will let you know that the spot is too close to another cache. If the latter, then they might tell you where you could move the cache a little bit to be okay.

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7 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

If I wanted to know where all the spots were, I'd do those mystery and other stuff caches, and find out myself where those open spots are.  :)

You know, I envy you this attitude: "if I wanted, I'd do" even the most difficult mysteries. There are some mysteries in my area I am not able to solve for years...

 

Of course one can get the final coordinates from other finders. It is somewhat unsporting if used for purpose of cache find only, but in some circumstances it is allowable in my opinion. One of the local cachers wanted to place a cache too close my mystery final. When warned about it by a reviewer, she got my final coordinates from its previous founders and asked me if I could move it some distance in given direction. Well, I couldn't find another place nearby fitting the cache size, so she had to find another place for her cache. Later she found my mystery out of curiosity, but it seems she is not interested in solving by herself more difficult mysteries.

 

7 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

We seem to have this happen a lot here with basic members wishing to hide, with pmo caches adding an additional problem for them.

I agree, in case of PMO mysteries, multicaches or other "not direct" types this can be a big problem for basic members. In case of PMO traditionals there are ways to approximate physical waypoint coordinates.

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8 hours ago, rapotek said:

You know, I envy you this attitude: "if I wanted, I'd do" even the most difficult mysteries. There are some mysteries in my area I am not able to solve for years...

 

 I didn't say that...

Sure, some I'd never be able to do, but most I can.  Others I might have to ask a Reviewer if I'm sorta okay.   :)

It used to be the normal reply to do those caches to find open spots.  Now for some odd reason folks don't want to do things themselves.

When we started, I don't recall having most of the bells n whistles available to find open areas today, yet one here wants to see the site "improve" the hiding process even further. 

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10 hours ago, MNTA said:

I truly wish GS would improve the hiding process. Definitely turned me off of hiding, for those of you who go through the hoops many thanks.

 

There has got to be a better way.

 

What would you suggest that couldn't be used to pinpoint other CO's locations?

 

If not a tool, then how could a workflow be developed to find an available spot that's simpler than asking a Reviewer if a specific location is OK?

 

I'm not being snarky; I actually want to see if we can come up with something reasonable that primarily protects the people who got there first.

 

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40 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

 I didn't say that...

Well... I read it as you were saying that you could solve each mystery in your area if you wanted to.

 

48 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

Sure, some I'd never be able to do, but most I can.  Others I might have to ask a Reviewer if I'm sorta okay.   :)

It used to be the normal reply to do those caches to find open spots.  Now for some odd reason folks don't want to do things themselves.

When we started, I don't recall having most of the bells n whistles available to find open areas today, yet one here wants to see the site "improve" the hiding process even further. 

I agree with asking a Reviewer, as I wrote before. I agree with trying to find by myself coordinates of every cache which could have physical waypoints in given area, too (can be difficult with multicaches having no distance limit). But definitive answers like "go and find by yourself" can discourage a cacher not interested in mysteries etc. from placing any cache.

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1 hour ago, rapotek said:

But definitive answers like "go and find by yourself" can discourage a cacher not interested in mysteries etc. from placing any cache.

 

Creating a new cache has never been something the system is trying to encourage. New caches happens to pop up in great numbers anyway. Cache makers may complain about problems and lack of tools to help creating and owning their caches but it does not matter. If you really want to make a cache you will do it. If you are not dedicated to owning a cache it is better not to create any caches at all.

 

Edited by arisoft
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The easiest way I've found:

 

  • Set up notifications so you get an email every time a traditional cache is archived
  • Upon getting the email, immediately set up a new cache page with the coordinates of the archived cache. This gives you first dibs on the location.
  • Go hide the cache!

 

I actually did this recently. I moved to a new city and wanted to hide a cache, but didn't want to do all the nearby puzzles and multis. So I just waited for a cache to get archived. Easy peasy.

 

A similar thing you can do is to scan the map for Disabled caches and put them on your watchlist. If they end up getting Archived, you can use the spot, same way.

Edited by The_Incredibles_
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On 5/16/2019 at 3:50 AM, The_Incredibles_ said:

The easiest way I've found:

 

  • Set up notifications so you get an email every time a traditional cache is archived
  • Upon getting the email, immediately set up a new cache page with the coordinates of the archived cache. This gives you first dibs on the location.
  • Go hide the cache!

 

I actually did this recently. I moved to a new city and wanted to hide a cache, but didn't want to do all the nearby puzzles and multis. So I just waited for a cache to get archived. Easy peasy.

 

Some caches get archived because there may be a legitimate reason why the cache shouldn't exist in that location at all.  

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