Advice for placing my first Geocache.

[+MsGhost87]

Hey friends,

 

   My name is Sarah, I live in Utah & I really want to place my first cache! 

Can I get some advice? 

I'd like to know, for example; If I wanted to place a hide in the nearby park, do I just call up the city & ask for permission? 

How does that work? 

I wouldn't want to get in trouble or get anyone else in trouble. 

I'm sure the answer is yes, call them & ask for permission but, if there's anything else I should know, if appreciate any advice. 

 

   Thank you ?

          - Sarah

 

[+Max and 99]

6 minutes ago, MsGhost87 said:

Hey friends,

 

   My name is Sarah, I live in Utah & I really want to place my first cache! 

Can I get some advice? 

I'd like to know, for example; If I wanted to place a hide in the nearby park, do I just call up the city & ask for permission? 

How does that work? 

I wouldn't want to get in trouble or get anyone else in trouble. 

I'm sure the answer is yes, call them & ask for permission but, if there's anything else I should know, if appreciate any advice. 

 

   Thank you ?

          - Sarah

 

I love geocaching in Utah!

Here's something to consider before you proceed with your plans to hide a cache. Are you sure that there isn't already a cache there! Have you checked the nearby multicaches and puzzle caches and wherigos? There are a lot of forum discussions from cachers trying to hide a cache, and getting it denied because the location conflicts with the final of another, non-traditional geocache.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[+Touchstone]

Thanks for asking.  The first step I take when I want to place a cache is to refer to the Public Wiki on Regional Cache Policies/Rules/Laws in my State.  Lucky for you, the State of Utah is a pretty short read:

 

https://wiki.Groundspeak.com/display/GEO/Utah

 

The next step I would take is to go to the Park and Recreation page for the City, and see what kind of Rules they have in place, and if they have a posted Policy regarding Geocaching.   For most Federal Agencies, it's pretty common to have a stated Policy already in place.  With City and County government, it can be kind of hit and miss.

 

The final step would be to check out the resources on geocaching.com.  The best place to get started is the Help Center:

 

https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=19

 

[+Goldenwattle]

This is a personal thing, but I needed many more cache finds to feel confidant to place my first cache. I had found several hundred before I felt I had enough experience to place my first cache. At 47 finds I was not experienced enough. Even after several hundred finds the first cache I ever placed was extremely ordinary; a nano...and my only nano. It's now archived.

I have seen some very nice caches placed by inexperienced geocachers, but more terrible ones. Coordinates wrong (up to 150metres off in several cases), unsuitable cache containers, wrong size rating,  etc. Experience helps overcome this. I would find few more first before placing a cache. But it you decide to place a cache, please take any advice that finders give in the spirit it is meant; being helpful. Not saying this is you, but I have seen beginners get huffy when offered advice. I would consider it and accept it if it improves the cache.

Whtever you do, have fun and welcome to geocaching.

[+MsGhost87]

On 9/16/2019 at 9:23 PM, Goldenwattle said:

This is a personal thing, but I needed many more cache finds to feel confidant to place my first cache. I had found several hundred before I felt I had enough experience to place my first cache. At 47 finds I was not experienced enough. Even after several hundred finds the first cache I ever placed was extremely ordinary; a nano...and my only nano. It's now archived.

I have seen some very nice caches placed by inexperienced geocachers, but more terrible ones. Coordinates wrong (up to 150metres off in several cases), unsuitable cache containers, wrong size rating,  etc. Experience helps overcome this. I would find few more first before placing a cache. But it you decide to place a cache, please take any advice that finders give in the spirit it is meant; being helpful. Not saying this is you, but I have seen beginners get huffy when offered advice. I would consider it and accept it if it improves the cache.

Whtever you do, have fun and welcome to geocaching.

Hi Goldenwattle,

   Thank you for your honest opinion! 

When my fiance & I first started, I read somewhere you had to have at least 100 finds in order to place a cache? So, when we started up again, I thought the same thing until I read up on it & now it says you have to find 20. Did they change that? 

I definitely agree that people should have more experience before placing caches. Or, at least, take the time to educate themselves & ask questions. 

We understand the rules for placing a basic cache. We won't be placing any of the large ones with swag, trackables etc. just yet. I was just curious to know how I go about getting permission so that I can do it the right way. 

 

   There was a cache we just found that had been eluding us for 2 years!! 

We finally found it because another fellow cacher went beyond the coordinates & found the cache 10ft away from the original spot. I guess someone thought the original hiding spot wasn't good enough. So, I get it & I definitely want to do it right & nearby so that I can regularly check on it. 

 

   Another thing we've noticed; in the rules, it states to place a cache in a place with meaning or significance to you. Some that we've found seemed like they were just out there to be put there & with no care. You can feel it when you first read their description & then you find it & it's just as blah as the description was. 

That's another reason why I want to place my own because I know we can place some good ones & they would be in places we love to visit! We walk our dog everyday & on the weekends we hike new trails. Our walks give me inspiration for some great cache spots! 

 

   Thanks again for your input! I truly appreciate it & I will be sure I do it the right way when we do place our first cache ?

          - Sarah ?

Edited September 19, 2019 by MsGhost87
Grammer & spelling errors.

[+MsGhost87]

On 9/16/2019 at 9:08 PM, Touchstone said:

Thanks for asking.  The first step I take when I want to place a cache is to refer to the Public Wiki on Regional Cache Policies/Rules/Laws in my State.  Lucky for you, the State of Utah is a pretty short read:

 

https://wiki.Groundspeak.com/display/GEO/Utah

 

The next step I would take is to go to the Park and Recreation page for the City, and see what kind of Rules they have in place, and if they have a posted Policy regarding Geocaching.   For most Federal Agencies, it's pretty common to have a stated Policy already in place.  With City and County government, it can be kind of hit and miss.

 

The final step would be to check out the resources on geocaching.com.  The best place to get started is the Help Center:

 

https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=19

 

Hi Touchstone,

 

   WOW!! Thank you so much!! You're fantastic!! 

I really appreciate this information!! 

I will read all 3 links with my fiance so we both can understand it together. 

 

   Thanks again ✌️??

          - Sarah ?

 

[+MsGhost87]

On 9/16/2019 at 9:07 PM, Max and 99 said:

I love geocaching in Utah!

Here's something to consider before you proceed with your plans to hide a cache. Are you sure that there isn't already a cache there! Have you checked the nearby multicaches and puzzle caches and wherigos? There are a lot of forum discussions from cachers trying to hide a cache, and getting it denied because the location conflicts with the final of another, non-traditional geocache.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Hi Max and 99,

   

   Thank you very much for your input! It's definitely something to take into consideration! 

We plan on hiding caches in places we enjoy visiting, which not a lot of people go to but, we definitely don't want to infringe on a fellow Geocachers hide(s) so we will be extra cautions & triple check locations before we  submit it. 

 

   Thanks again ✌️?

         - Sarah ?

[+niraD]

3 hours ago, MsGhost87 said:

When my fiance & I first started, I read somewhere you had to have at least 100 finds in order to place a cache? So, when we started up again, I thought the same thing until I read up on it & now it says you have to find 20. Did they change that? 

People have come up with all sorts of numbers. I've seen numbers as high as 1000 recommended. For a long time, the guidelines didn't say anything. Now they say, "We encourage you to find at least 20 geocaches before hiding one."

 

I think find count is the wrong measure. Half a dozen varied caches will teach a potential cache owner more than a thousand identical film canisters in the desert.

 

And ultimately, you learn how to be a cache owner by creating and owning caches, not by finding them. I learned a lot from my first cache, and my later caches have been better because of it. But I wouldn't have learned any of that from merely finding more caches.

Edited September 19, 2019 by niraD

[+DerDiedler]

I have one simple advice: If your cache idea is like 95% of the caches you have found, rethink hiding it

[+Mermaid.Man]

4 hours ago, MsGhost87 said:

We plan on hiding caches in places we enjoy visiting, which not a lot of people go to

You've got the right idea already.

[+MsGhost87]

10 hours ago, Mermaid.Man said:

You've got the right idea already.

Hi Mermaid.Man, 

 

   Thank you! I think I'm itching to place my first cache because of the types of caches we've found; their not as interesting as I know they could be & the places have all been very basic. I know my fiance & I can create some interesting ones in locations that are just as Interesting  plus, Halloween is coming & we love the spooky time if year, I want to create a cache to reflect that! 

 

   Thanks again! 

          - Sarah ?

[+MsGhost87]

12 hours ago, DerDiedler said:

I have one simple advice: If your cache idea is like 95% of the caches you have found, rethink hiding it

Hi DerDiedler, 

 

   I agree ?% I'm the type of person who doesn't follow the herd & makes my own path. So, I think I will create some interesting caches ✌️??

 

   Thank you!

          - Sarah ?

[+thebruce0]

Keep in mind that a lot of the opinions here (while good) are opinions and not strict rules.  Ultimately, you can place the geocache as you like, when you like, as long as it abides by the very basic rules of cache ownership and listing on gc.com.  I'd say many these comments are good practice if you want to own a geocache that stands little chance of having issues, and good chance of being favoured   But, you never know, because what you might consider a great cache or location, someone else might not, and vice versa.

 

So lots of good ideas to keep in mind, but if you're ever uncertain, you can hold off and find more to get a better handle on them, or if you find a cache that's similar to something you'd like to hide, or location perhaps, then you can always contact that owner and find out what they did to hide theirs; if they got permission, who from, how, etc. There's a whole lot of grey area in cache hiding where common sense and respect are strongly encouraged when it comes to property and nature.

 

My best advice is...

• be creative;
• hide what you'd like to find (container, location, experience, etc);
• maybe try to spread out a bit from other geocaches - but avoid placing one somewhere just because there's nothing nearby (though really there's no reason why that's a Bad Thing, it could just be a much Better Thing than that );
• place it where it's reasonably simple for you to perform speedy maintenance if necessary;
• don't let downers get you down;
• if there's an issue with the hide, learn from it and improve instead of making a fuss about it;
• and yeah... have fun doing it

[+NYPaddleCacher]

13 hours ago, niraD said:

People have come up with all sorts of numbers. I've seen numbers as high as 1000 recommended. For a long time, the guidelines didn't say anything. Now they say, "We encourage you to find at least 20 geocaches before hiding one."

 

I think find count is the wrong measure. Half a dozen varied caches will teach a potential cache owner more than a thousand identical film canisters in the desert.

 

And ultimately, you learn how to be a cache owner by creating and owning caches, not by finding them. I learned a lot from my first cache, and my later caches have been better because of it. But I wouldn't have learned any of that from merely finding more caches.

 

I'd add a couple of things here.   The "We encourage you to find at least 20 geocaches before hiding one." i just a suggestion.   If a 20 finds or worse, 100 finds before hiding a cache were enforced there would be a lot of countries with no caches at all.  74 of the 244 "official" countries have fewer than 20 caches in the entire country.

 

It can be quite common for new cachers to want to create "the ultimate cache".   It's amazing how often we see someone that just started the game come up with some complex mulit-cache/puzzle idea for their first hide.   Focus on a good location and use a good container and don't worry so much about trying to make it unique and complex.  Unique and complex caches, more often than not, are difficult to maintain and while you may not want to put out something that is "basic",   a basic cache will give you some experience in cache ownership, and you can look at making "the ultimate cache" once you've gained some experience as a cache owner.

[+BethDaddyKaty]

Sounds like you have great ideas so I would say go for it. I don't have many finds relatively speaking, but what I have found is there are loads of caches which are just a micro in a fairly unremarkable tree or a magnetic micro on a road sign. They're still fun to find, but it doesn't really explain why the CO thought the place was special beyond it's just physically possible to hide something there.

 

The best caches I have found have been where the CO has made an effort to do something special with the container, created a series, or they've clearly chosen a place very special or somewhere you wouldn't think to go if a cache wasn't there. They're my favourite caches, BUT even questionable caches there's still an achievement in finding it and crossing it off your list.

 

As such, I'd recommend anyone to place a cache especially in somewhere like a park. It's very unlikely anyone except a tiny minority will complain about having more caches. You will get feedback in your log, and you can use that to improve future caches. If after a year you think you can do better than your first cache then you can archive it and replace it with something better. IMO the advice should be nothing to do with caches as long as you have a few, it should be whether you have a good idea for a cache and, perhaps, to not use a micro for your first cache because IMO micros are easier to put somewhere less special.

 

I've never regretted a CO placing a cache, only COs who don't maintain caches and respond to DNFs.

Edited September 20, 2019 by daddybeth

[+MsGhost87]

Hello again,

   I just wanted to thank ALL of you for the great advice you gave me in regards to hiding my first cache! 

   My fiance & I are still thinking about it & trying to find the best place for our first cache! 

   I do have one last question; about on average, how long does it take for a hide to be approved by the reviewers? 

I'm curious because, I want to place our first cache as a Halloween theme, I know it's a little over a month away but, if it's going to take a month to get approval, we might need to re think it ?

 

   Thanks again! 

          - Sarah ?

 

[+niraD]

4 minutes ago, MsGhost87 said:

   I do have one last question; about on average, how long does it take for a hide to be approved by the reviewers? 

For reference, see the Help Center article Cache review process.

 

The volunteer reviewers try to complete the initial review within 7 days of submission. If there are issues, then publication depends how quickly you can resolve those issues. If there aren't any issues, then the listing can be published very quickly. (Make sure the cache is in place before submitting the listing.)

[+Max and 99]

9 minutes ago, MsGhost87 said:

Hello again,

   I just wanted to thank ALL of you for the great advice you gave me in regards to hiding my first cache! 

   My fiance & I are still thinking about it & trying to find the best place for our first cache! 

   I do have one last question; about on average, how long does it take for a hide to be approved by the reviewers? 

I'm curious because, I want to place our first cache as a Halloween theme, I know it's a little over a month away but, if it's going to take a month to get approval, we might need to re think it ?

 

   Thanks again! 

          - Sarah ?

 

It can vary between 3 minutes and 3 weeks, depending on how complicated it is. My caches: average of a few days! 

[+MsGhost87]

5 minutes ago, niraD said:

For reference, see the Help Center article Cache review process.

 

The volunteer reviewers try to complete the initial review within 7 days of submission. If there are issues, then publication depends how quickly you can resolve those issues. If there aren't any issues, then the listing can be published very quickly. (Make sure the cache is in place before submitting the listing.)

Hi NiraD,

 

   Thank you! Sounds like it just depends then. 

We're going to get to work this weekend then so we can submit it for approval & hopefully have it approved before the 31st ???

 

   Thank you,

          - Sarah ?

[+MsGhost87]

7 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

It can vary between 3 minutes and 3 weeks, depending on how complicated it is. My caches: average of a few days! 

Hi Max and 99, 

 

   Thank you! I guess it really just depends then.... ??? I will keep my fingers crossed that we can get ours approved before the 31st then! 

 

   Thank you, 

          - Sarah ?

[+MsGhost87]

Hello,

 

   Ok, one more question ?

Do any of you watch any Geocachers on YouTube? 

If so, who do you recommend? 

I found a few people but, their out of the country (USA) & although their content is very interesting & I will continue to watch them, especially for ideas on caches, I'd like to find some in America to watch as well. 

 

   Thanks AGAIN ?

          - Sarah ?

 

[+Max and 99]

7 minutes ago, MsGhost87 said:

Hi Max and 99, 

 

   Thank you! I guess it really just depends then.... ??? I will keep my fingers crossed that we can get ours approved before the 31st then! 

 

   Thank you, 

          - Sarah ?

You can ask the reviewer to publish it on a specific day.  I see that quite often in my area.

[+MsGhost87]

Just now, Max and 99 said:

You can ask the reviewer to publish it on a specific day.  I see that quite often in my area.

Hi Max and 99, 

 

   Oh yeah!? Awesome! Good to know ? I will keep that in mind when I submit for review! 

 

   Thanks,

          - Sarah ?

 

[+bflentje]

On 9/19/2019 at 2:00 AM, DerDiedler said:

I have one simple advice: If your cache idea is like 95% of the caches you have found, rethink hiding it

 

Better advice. Ignore this ^^^ advise and just hide a good cache.