How to hide a geocache

[+Max and 99]

How to hide a geocache.

 

How to hide a geocache

You’ve found geocaches that delighted you, but have you thought about hiding your own? Hiding a geocache is a big step in the life of a geocacher. Having a geocache of your own takes work but it’s rewarding! While placing a geocache may seem hard, we break it down into three basic steps.

Why hide a geocache?

Geocaching is all about adventure, exploration, and discovery! Hiding just one quality geocache can bring delight to many people. It helps connect you to a community of millions all from a single set of coordinates. Plus, it’s pretty rewarding to watch the Found it logs roll in! 

It will be easier to determine what a great cache hide is, if you have found a variety of geocaches yourself. Start your hiding journey by finding geocaches and pay attention to what you liked or disliked about your caching experience. Take this learning to hide a great cache and follow the steps below!

Hide a geocache in three steps:

1. Choose where you want to place your geocache

Do you have a special location more people should see? A place with history that others don’t know about? Hide a geocache in a unique location to create a moment of joy for millions of geocachers around the world!

2. Decide what and how you want to hide it

There’s a difference between finding a good geocache and finding a geocache that makes your jaw drop, racks up the Favorite points, and inspires geocachers around the world. Get inspired by the Geocache of the Week and read these seven tips! But at a minimum, make sure the container is waterproof and can withstand natural forces like wind and rain, and there is an empty logbook in the cache.

3. Submit your geocache for publication and wait for the FTF!

After you submit your geocache following the hiding guidelines and while you await the first logs on your newly published cache (it won’t be long!), begin to think about a maintenance plan. As the owner of a geocache, you are responsible for keeping your cache in good shape. Afterall, you know your cache better than anyone else!

Hiders around the world:

362,411 Geocache Owners

188,817 Logs per day (on average)

33,686 New caches per month (on average)   

Ready to hide your own? 

Visit the Create a geocache page to get started!

[+L0ne.R]

36 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

After you submit your geocache following the hiding guidelines and while you await the first logs on your newly published cache (it won’t be long!), begin to think about a maintenance plan.

 

The above is the part I have a reaction to. I'd change it to....

 

Quote

After Before you submit your geocache following the hiding guidelines,  think about a maintenance plan. 

 

[+Wet Pancake Touring Club]

And be prepared to adjust your maintenance plan based on feedback from the logs.

[+barefootjeff]

2 hours ago, L0ne.R said:

The above is the part I have a reaction to. I'd change it to....

 

Quote

After Before you submit your geocache following the hiding guidelines,  think about a maintenance plan. 

 

 

I'd go a step further and put thinking about maintenance right back at the beginning. Ideally the cache and its hiding place should be designed so it won't need regular maintenance, such as by using a rugged container that won't be damaged by rough handling, a logbook big enough to cope with all the finds the cache is ever likely to get and a hiding place that protects it from the elements and stray muggles.

[+The A-Team]

5 minutes ago, barefootjeff said:

I'd go a step further and put thinking about maintenance right back at the beginning. Ideally the cache and its hiding place should be designed so it won't need regular maintenance, such as by using a rugged container that won't be damaged by rough handling, a logbook big enough to cope with all the finds the cache is ever likely to get and a hiding place that protects it from the elements and stray muggles.

 

I agree. The maintenance plan also comes into play regarding how far the cache location is from home. If it's too far from your typical caching area, you may need to come up with a good plan for who will be performing necessary maintenance, otherwise your cache may be classified as a "vacation cache" and won't get published. There's no point going through all of the other steps if the spot is too far away and maintenance can't be performed.

[+The A-Team]

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It will be easier to determine what a great cache hide is, if you have found a variety of geocaches yourself.

 

I like this. Rather than the typical statements that one should find a fixed number of caches, this one focuses on finding a variety of caches, which is often much more useful.

 

I have to say, in general, these recent blog posts are much better than some in the past that gave poor or inadequate advice. Whatever changed at HQ that led to these, it was a good move.

[+Max and 99]

20 minutes ago, The A-Team said:

 

I like this. Rather than the typical statements that one should find a fixed number of caches, this one focuses on finding a variety of caches, which is often much more useful.

 

I have to say, in general, these recent blog posts are much better than some in the past that gave poor or inadequate advice. Whatever changed at HQ that led to these, it was a good move.

Finding a variety of caches before hiding one MAY help a new geocacher understand the concept of hidden waypoints and how it might affect the placement of a new cache.