Field Puzzle

[+Steve77450]

I have been caching for several months now (Yes, I am a newbie), and I have heard the term Field Puzzle used in connection with caching.  What exactly is a field puzzle and if it is a type of cache, which one?  Traditional or Puzzle or what?  What sort of a puzzle would it be - presumably something solved out in the field or when located at the posted Cache co-ordinates?

All the information you can provide will be appreciated.

[RuideAlmeida]

Field Puzzle is basically an Attribute that a owner can had to any type of physical cache, when in any stage you need to solve a puzzle in the terrain. 

[+niraD]

I've seen field puzzles at the posted coordinates, or at the solved coordinates for a mystery/puzzle cache. In these cases, the field puzzle is something to figure out so you can open/retrieve the container. Gadget caches are often like this.

 

I've also seen field puzzles as stages of multi-caches and multi-stage mystery/puzzle caches. Some sort of physical puzzle is used to direct the seeker to the next stage (which may or may not be the final stage).

[+Max and 99]

On 3/9/2020 at 5:04 PM, Steve77450 said:

I have been caching for several months now (Yes, I am a newbie), and I have heard the term Field Puzzle used in connection with caching.  What exactly is a field puzzle and if it is a type of cache, which one?  Traditional or Puzzle or what?  What sort of a puzzle would it be - presumably something solved out in the field or when located at the posted Cache co-ordinates?

All the information you can provide will be appreciated.

This is one of several different field puzzles that I use.

https://shop.geocaching.com/default/geocaching-supplies/cache-containers/micro/combo-lock-geocache.html

[+ras_oscar]

I can recall 2 "field puzzle" caches in recent history. One was a plastic tube with bottom cap mounted to the side of  a tree with holes drilled in the side at seemingly random points. The log was in a bison tube at the bottom of the tube. You had to maneuver the bison to the top of the tube to retrieve and sign the log.

 

The other was a birdhouse  with a padlock on the side. You had to figure out the combination to open the birdhouse and retrieve the log.

 

I have also heard of a cache that required addition of water to float the log to the top of the tube and retrieve.

[+cerberus1]

I think the simplest field puzzle was an acrylic money puzzle to get to the log inside a large container.  That could be a "gadget" as well.    

The oddest (so far...) was a stage of a multi in the beginning of a series of caches, and a clue there was needed for another cache later in the series  (and not the final).

[+barefootjeff]

Pretty much anything that requires solving a puzzle on location in the field without access to the internet or other tools that you might use for a solve-at-home puzzle, would count as a Field Puzzle. I have a couple of multis (GC879J3 and GC88K3H) that use words found on signs at the virtual waypoints to complete a crossword puzzle, which then reveals the final coordinates. Others I have require matching photos to virtual waypoints (like GC6XHHJ) or manipulating numbers found at the waypoints (like GC6JMDK).

[+DarkZen_EvilCowPie]

On 3/10/2020 at 7:34 PM, Max and 99 said:

This is one of several different field puzzles that I use.

https://shop.geocaching.com/default/geocaching-supplies/cache-containers/micro/combo-lock-geocache.html

Do list them as Traditional or Mystery?

[+niraD]

2 hours ago, DarkZen_EvilCowPie said:

Do list them as Traditional or Mystery?

I wouldn't list a field puzzle as a traditional cache. Doing so almost guarantees that it will be discovered by geocachers who just want to find the container, sign the log, and move on. Not all of them will react well when they discover that a field puzzle is required to open the container or access the log, even if the cache is located at the posted coordinates.

[+Shawna426]

Anything you'll need to solve on site (as opposed to a puzzle -type mystery cache, which can often be solved from home, but has different published coordinates than the actual ones, and you're solving to find them.  A field puzzle very well might be at the published coords, but some examples include needing to look around at items then determine the padlock combo to access the cache, or a gadget cache where you have to slide pieces or unlock locks in the right order to access it.  They can also be mystery (correct coords are a mystery until you solve the puzzle, and puzzle can only be completed once you're at the posted coords) or multi caches (you have to solve a puzzle at the first location to find the second, and possibly on down the chain of multiple caches until you find the final).  I have one and still haven't solved another one locally, where you retrieve a box from the posted coordinates, then have to use the items inside to figure out where the final cache is.  It can mean figuring out numerical values for the new coords, or figuring out that the clues mean it's at a certain location or is a certain type of hide, but still in the vicinity of the original coords, or something like that.  But in general, field puzzle means you'll be solving SOMEthing on site.  The cache description may give you enough clues to know what kind of puzzle-solving it entails so you can decide if you're interested or not, or you might have to get there to find out.  Have fun!

[+DarkZen_EvilCowPie]

Thanks for the feedback!