+gem_ivy Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Hi all! I’m in the process of planning a relatively large geocache and am going to put a lock on it to stop muggles getting inside. I’m just looking for some tips/advice for making a creative 3 digit combination for this lock? Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment
+lee737 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 If it is only to stop muggles (good luck), then just put the combination in the description - even in the cache title. A lock might just make someone smash it open rather than just take a peek..... 1 2 Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, gem_ivy said: Hi all! I’m in the process of planning a relatively large geocache and am going to put a lock on it to stop muggles getting inside. I’m just looking for some tips/advice for making a creative 3 digit combination for this lock? Thanks in advance You could make a simple word puzzle, such as the story here: https://coord.info/GC79GQN Cachers skip my combination lock caches, and some people who try them can't figure out how to work a lock. Whether or not it stops muggles depends on how determined the muggles are in that place. Edited October 30, 2019 by kunarion 1 Quote Link to comment
+DerDiedler Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) 22 minutes ago, kunarion said: I’m just looking for some tips/advice for making a creative 3 digit combination for this lock? I have a feeling that the task lacks space for much creativity. You have 1000 posible combinations. Using 666 or so is not only uncreative, but also not verry secure. One way to figure a 3 digit combination is to use a randomiser. https://www.random.org/ Set minimum to 1 and maximum to 1000, klick generate. Done! Maybe it´s more creative to use the numerical value of anything related to the cache. Edited October 30, 2019 by DerDiedler Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 55 minutes ago, kunarion said: I’m just looking for some tips/advice for making a creative 3 digit combination for this lock? 34 minutes ago, DerDiedler said: I have a feeling that the task lacks space for much creativity. The OP, not kunarion said that. Quote Link to comment
+DerDiedler Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 9 minutes ago, cerberus1 said: The OP, not kunarion said that. Strange. Seemingly something with the quote function failed. I haven´t tempered that. Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 5 hours ago, gem_ivy said: I’m in the process of planning a relatively large geocache and am going to put a lock on it to stop muggles getting inside. I’m just looking for some tips/advice for making a creative 3 digit combination for this lock? No offense, but if muggles are already gonna be an issue, I'd start with being a bit more creative in hiding the container. You don't say where it's going, or what the container might resemble. That'd help a lot. Trying to figure how "creative" a combination to a lock is, but I do know of a guy who's locks used to all be 36-24-36 from a commodores song. Similar to kunarion, there are way-more issues we've seen with locks than any small help they provided. - Though all we've seen were part of a series, or puzzle, and not used to keep "muggles" away... Most had to do with basics in the woods, leaves and animals kick up/drop dirt n grit, and mixing in a couple freeze/thaws doesn't help either. Just a couple issues were "muggles". Probably kids, by the grit and gouges from beating it with a rock. Woulda been easier to take it... Quote Link to comment
+Goodgulf Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 My recent World Series puzzle Cache has a lock. To get the combination you need to replace the "fallen" pennant flags in their proper order corresponding to standings at the end of the 1989 season. 1 Quote Link to comment
+TeamRabbitRun Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 23 minutes ago, cerberus1 said: No offense, but if muggles are already gonna be an issue, I'd start with being a bit more creative in hiding the container. You don't say where it's going, or what the container might resemble. That'd help a lot. Trying to figure how "creative" a combination to a lock is, but I do know of a guy who's locks used to all be 36-24-36 from a commodores song. Similar to kunarion, there are way-more issues we've seen with locks than any small help they provided. - Though all we've seen were part of a series, or puzzle, and not used to keep "muggles" away... Most had to do with basics in the woods, leaves and animals kick up/drop dirt n grit, and mixing in a couple freeze/thaws doesn't help either. Just a couple issues were "muggles". Probably kids, by the grit and gouges from beating it with a rock. Woulda been easier to take it... "Brick ____ House!" 1 Quote Link to comment
garyo1954 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Our area had an wonderful little bed and breakfast......https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3ZBW5 As you see in the logs someone cut the lock. As far as the setup, it was a 12" by 12" waterproof electrical box attached about 4' up a light post. So for all practical purposes it was hidden in plain sight. A combination is not going to stop a person who can't stand not knowing what's behind that lock. You could attach box to a tree with 12 inch spikes, Gorilla glue, and a chain and some of the more curious would come along with a chainsaw and take the whole tree if necessary! For that reason, I would proffer your setup and camouflage is more important than the combination. As far as a combination, you might consider using a combination lock with alpha characters (alphabet) to a spell word obtained by solving clues in the description? 1 Quote Link to comment
+The A-Team Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 10 hours ago, gem_ivy said: I’m just looking for some tips/advice for making a creative 3 digit combination for this lock? A creative combination would somehow be related to the cache's theme, but we don't know what that is. We'd need to know more about that. Even then, there are only so many options with a 3-digit lock. That being said, I do agree with the others that the lock shouldn't be relied upon as a defence against muggles. The best defence is not having muggles even consider trying to get into the container. If the cache is outside of an urban area, the best way to accomplish this would be to camo or otherwise hide the container so the muggles don't even see it. However, if it's in an urban area where it's out in plain sight, it should be as unnoteworthy as possible. Do what you can to make it match its surroundings, like paint it the same colour as the object it's attached to, place it in the same way as other similar objects, etc. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
+gem_ivy Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 Thanks everyone, I didn’t consider that a lock would make the box more likely to be broken in to. I’ve decided to not use the lock on this one, thanks for all the help and advice! 1 Quote Link to comment
+bflentje Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 On 10/30/2019 at 5:48 PM, gem_ivy said: Thanks everyone, I didn’t consider that a lock would make the box more likely to be broken in to. I’ve decided to not use the lock on this one, thanks for all the help and advice! I think the risk is being exaggerated somewhat. But personally I wouldn't worry so much about locking the cache shut but locking the cache in place. Quote Link to comment
+niraD Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 3 minutes ago, bflentje said: I think the risk is being exaggerated somewhat. But personally I wouldn't worry so much about locking the cache shut but locking the cache in place. That might be the best approach. Finders can tell there is nothing valuable inside, so they're less likely to cut the lock to take the cache than if you locked just the cache, or if you locked the cache and locked it in place. Unless they're after the ammo can itself, of course. Quote Link to comment
+kunarion Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 (edited) On 10/30/2019 at 6:48 PM, gem_ivy said: Thanks everyone, I didn’t consider that a lock would make the box more likely to be broken in to. I’ve decided to not use the lock on this one, thanks for all the help and advice! Even with just the typical Geocachers a lock can be hard on a cache container. I recently found one where the handle of a plastic ammo box was locked to a tree by a cable. When I found it, the handle had broken off. I've signed the log on a plastic ammo box without opening the lock (couldn't figure out the combination). Squeeze a new plastic box, and the log sheet in its baggie may appear. It did that time . I even added a couple of Swag items. I've installed eye bolts on metal ammo boxes. Sometimes one on each end, so I can both secure the box to a tree and to lock the latch. But a standard military ammo box is to hold ammo. It's not a safe, not designed to prevent being opened. And enduring locked cache is in a special spot, a place where for one reason or another, it doesn't get messed with and remains unbroken. Edited November 3, 2019 by kunarion Quote Link to comment
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