Where have all the traditional/regular caches gone?

[+RebekahJP]

I first got in to geocaching in the spring of 2010. My favorite part was/is opening up the cache and finding all the "treasure" inside (I rarely take anything, but like to look at what all is in  there), and then leave a little trinket of my own. But more and more lately, every place I go only has nano or micro caches. Even in the Geocaching store almost all the containers are only big enough for a log. I find those rather boring. (It's gotta be somewhere around here, probably magnetic, feel around, feel around some more, here it is, sign log, done.) There is also no way to put any trackables in these tiny caches. Trackables are fun, because you can pick one up on vacation and hide it at home, (or vice versa), or if you are traveling from one place to another on vacation you can pick one up and drop it off somewhere else along the way, and then you get to watch online every where it goes. The name of the game is geoCACHE (Cache: a collection of items stored in a hidden place), but it seems there are very few actual caches anymore.

 

I suppose a big part of the reason for all the micros is that they are easier to keep from being muggled. I'd love to see more items in the geocache store that are big enough to hold trackables and swag, yet disguised enough to not draw attention from non-players. Also any suggestions on how to make my own, or where to hide them? I'd like to place one in our city park and one at our local veterans memorial. 

Edited May 15 by RebekahJP

[+RebekahJP]

35 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

I'm having trouble reconciling your post with the title of your post. 

 Why? Both the title and post ask the same question. "Why are there so few geocaches that are actually caches (ie. a hidden container with items in it.)?"

 

35 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

Good luck hiding large containers in those areas.

This was also the point of my post. Perhaps if there were larger containers available that looked like rocks, or logs, or whatever, we could have more actual caches to hunt and hide. Or maybe other veteran hiders have suggestions on how they disguised their own larger cache.

 

I'm having trouble understanding why you would respond to a post with no answers, only criticism.

Edited May 15 by RebekahJP

[+RebekahJP]

40 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

Anyways, city parks have curious kids, and adults who can feel uncomfortable searching near kids and playgrounds for geocaches.

 

I wouldn't hide it in the kids' playground. There are walking paths, trees, a lake full of ducks, etc. I thought the idea was to lead someone to some place they may want to visit?

43 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

A local veterans memorial would have significant visitors, maybe.

It doesn't. We are a small town. Again, I'm trying to lead people to a place they may want to visit. Trying to follow guidelines.

[+MartyBartfast]

51 minutes ago, RebekahJP said:

I'd love to see more items in the geocache store that are big enough to hold trackables and swag, yet disguised enough to not draw attention from non-players.

I think the problem with this is that such containers will necessarily be custom made, and therefore much more expensive, so COs are less likely to risk it in a high muggle area where it might be found and taken, and  would still resort to micro caches which cost next to nothing.

An approach I've taken, rather than having a custom container is I've taken a few small clip-lock containers and put them inside hollowed out logs, which means they're still inexpensive but it takes a bit more time and some technical ability & tools to make.

[+RebekahJP]

17 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

I'm just confused! It's hard to respond if I'm not sure what you're asking. 

 

I think of a traditional geocache as a type of geocache but I think in your post you are using traditional in the sense of size? 

 

 

 

 Yes, traditional means an actual container, regular refers to size. That's why I put both. The vast majority of caches every where I have looked are either traditional, but very tiny with nothing but a log; or else one of the many other categories that are not traditional. It would be nice if we could get back to basics with more actual caches with things actually hidden in them. I used to bring my grandkids along. They loved taking a little treasure and leaving something behind, but they are not interested in finding a tiny piece of paper with names on it. Our town used to have many regular size, traditional caches, now there is only one.

Edited May 15 by RebekahJP

[+arisoft]

1 hour ago, RebekahJP said:

The name of the game is geoCACHE (Cache: a collection of items stored in a hidden place), but it seems there are very few actual caches anymore.

 

Nowadays, it is the logbook that is stored in the cache and sometimes a pencil. If you want to find regular size caches I suggest to filter out smaller ones. There is no need to find every cache. Most of them are hidden just for statistics because Challenges...

[+fizzymagic]

1 hour ago, RebekahJP said:

 Our town used to have many regular size, traditional caches, now there is only one.

 

If they went missing, there is your answer.  I tend to put regular-size caches in hard-to-reach spots.  For urban caching, micros tend to last a lot longer

.

Like it or not, it is a fact of life.  I think regular-sized traditionals in harder-to-reach areas are still quite popular.

 

[+niraD]

2 hours ago, fizzymagic said:

If they went missing, there is your answer.  I tend to put regular-size caches in hard-to-reach spots.  For urban caching, micros tend to last a lot longer

Exactly.

 

One pattern that I've seen over and over is for a series of caches to appear in an urban/suburban park, only for each to be muggled and archived within a few days/weeks. Eventually, someone hides a micro-/nano-cache, or a puzzle micro-/nano-cache, and that cache actually survives.

 

No one is trying to deny urban/suburban geocachers access to larger containers, or to traditional caches. It's just a matter of what can survive in that location.

[+thebruce0]

If you live in an area that welcomes containers like that and they survive, then that area will likely have a bigger proliferation of larger geocaches. Most cities and towns get 'littered' with micros because those are what last.  The game is dictating its own landscape.  What's normal in one region may be foreign in another.  If you think larger containers can survive in your area, then place more - inspire other geocachers to hide similar containers. If it's what the area wants, it will trend upwards.

 

[+The Leprechauns]

There are 467 Traditional Caches in Louisiana that are size "Regular" or "Large."  At least 78 of these are ammo boxes, generally recognized as a great water-resistant container that holds trade items and trackables very well.

 

You have 64 cache finds.  It sounds like you have a lot more opportunities to find the kind of caches you like.  Use the tools the website and API applications to filter on those caches.  If you need help learning about those tools, which I used to produce the above statistics in less than two minutes, just let us know and the community will be happy to help.

 

I also noticed that you haven't hidden a cache.  I encourage you to hide the type of cache that you like to find.  Finders of your cache who are like-minded will see your example, and perhaps hide similar caches for you to find.

[+x7Kevin]

8 hours ago, RebekahJP said:

Perhaps if there were larger containers available that looked like rocks, or logs, or whatever, we could have more actual caches to hunt and hide. Or maybe other veteran hiders have suggestions on how they disguised their own larger cache.

 

A small "Real Wood Log Devious Cache Container" was added to the shop very recently and already sold out. It's only a micro and already cost $35USD. Larger containers that look like a rock or log are expensive to make, not to mention the massive shipping costs. If someone does make a cool cache like that, it's unlikely they would want to put it in a public park or where there's lots of muggles, because the chances of it being taken/destroyed are high. It doesn't matter how well it's disguised anyone up to no good can join and still find it. 

 

I have a small frog hide a key under a lampost cover and already replaced it 3 times. 

 

If you want to hide a larger container in a public park my go to would be an empty peanut butter. Make sure it's cleaned out very well with soap, and you can wrap it in camo duct tape. I leave the bottom part uncovered so anyone can still see inside and now it's not dangerous. Also, label it somehow as a geocache. Some parks will have much better hiding spots then others. You could make it a tree climb or underneath a broken log, etc.... Be prepared with replacements containers and to restock with SWAG if you always want there to be things inside.

 

I just ordered a bunch of .50 cal ammo cans for $15CAD each. I will be spray painting them with the geocaching stencil on the outside. These are going in remote areas though, almost impossible to hide one in an urban setting. 

 

Also, one last thing, the best way to hide a large cache in the city is on your own property! If you have a front yard there's lots of very cool and creative options, and maintenance will be super easy. A common thing is to incorporate it into a Little Free Library if you make one of those too.  

[+schmittfamily]

What I have seen is regular and larges in urban areas that survive tend to have some combination of these features: on private property, locked/bolted to something, and pad lock on the door.    

 

I have seen regular or large travel bug hotels in tourist places have a habit of being listed as something other than as a traditional.    

For example - the OP's second to last find is GC27JAM ... 0.2 miles away is an unknown (GC10RDC) at the visitor center that fits the description of what the OP is looking for while traveling.  

 

[+cerberus1]

 

14 hours ago, RebekahJP said:

I first got in to geocaching in the spring of 2010. My favorite part was/is opening up the cache and finding all the "treasure" inside (I rarely take anything, but like to look at what all is in  there), and then leave a little trinket of my own. But more and more lately, every place I go only has nano or micro caches.

 - skip -

The name of the game is geoCACHE (Cache: a collection of items stored in a hidden place), but it seems there are very few actual caches anymore.

I understand what you're saying and kinda agree, but I only started in 2004 and micros were already even with "regular" sized caches.

They're "actual" geocaches too.  

Now that there's so many hides, and after "covid" more folks want to get out, so hiding those larger caches gets a little bit tougher.

I'd bet if you looked for larger pockets of green on the maps and go past that 1.5 (2 and up) in terrain, you'll find what you'll looking for.

Works for me... 

 

Edited May 15 by cerberus1
eee out

[+barefootjeff]

11 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

If you live in an area that welcomes containers like that and they survive, then that area will likely have a bigger proliferation of larger geocaches.

 

Yes, my region is like that with lots of rocky bushland areas that lend themselves to the larger cache sizes. Here, the smalls (43%) and regulars (27%) both outnumber the micros (23%). My own hides are a mix of regulars, smalls and a few "others" (novelty containers that don't really fit the standard size definitions), with the size being dictated by the hiding place. For the regulars and smalls, I've used a mix of Sistemas and, more recently, Duratech ABS instrument cases which survive immersion very well, plus a couple of ammo cans.

 

 

These are a few of my novelty containers that are themed to the cache's narrative, which in turn was inspired by the location:

 

 

I don't generally put swag in my caches, though, as most are in higher terrain locations that really aren't suitable for small children. Some are also in national parks where the only contents allowed are the logbook, a pen/pencil, a sharpener and a cache information card. On one occasion, in a cache that's more suitable to young families, I did add some swag but, five years later, my swag is still in there and others have added to it.

Edited May 16 by barefootjeff

[+JL_HSTRE]

"Classic" would probably be a better term for what the OP means rather than "traditional" which has another meaning in geocaching. 

 

As caching became more popular, apps brought in more people who were dopamine junkies instead of primarily hikers and explorers during the first decade, prohibitions against power trails (and thus numbers spew in general) ended, and ammo cans got steadily more expensive, the majority of geocaches shifted to easier to access locations that couldn't support Regular containers. 

[+Goldenwattle]

8 hours ago, schmittfamily said:

What I have seen is regular and larges in urban areas that survive tend to have some combination of these features: on private property, locked/bolted to something, and pad lock on the door.

 

That's describing one of my caches. GC847R1   is all of those things.

 

When I placed caches (no plans to place anymore at present; my area is saturated), I would first try to put a 'small', that would be big enough for trackables, trinkets, as well as the log. Only when I could find no safe place for a small would I regretfully put a micro, which for many urban ones it had to be. I won't put a nano . Some exceptions, are theme caches.

What annoys me, is when I find micros, and worse nanos 👿, in places where a larger cache could easily be hidden. I agree there are too many micros and worse-👿 hidden these days, and although in some places it would hard to hide bigger than a micro, there are still too many which could have been at least a small. I think it a combination of laziness, not planning to check logs (esp. with 👿caches, the logs of which are often impossible to read), and too many new geocachers seeing what is already there, micros and nanos, and copying. Tinier caches are self perpetuating.

[+kunarion]

On 5/15/2024 at 1:57 AM, RebekahJP said:

I'd love to see more items in the geocache store that are big enough to hold trackables and swag, yet disguised enough to not draw attention from non-players. Also any suggestions on how to make my own, or where to hide them? I'd like to place one in our city park and one at our local veterans memorial. 

 

For what the Geocaching.com shop charges, you might instead find a decent sized container that's inexpensive, and available when you need more.  I'm not complaining, I'm just saying that pre-camo "big containers" would be at a premium price, yet not custom designed for all hiding spots.  But you can get some ideas by checking out what they sell.  

 

To make a container, start with a durable, waterproof container, and then add some camo (if necessary) once you decide on the spot.  And that spot generally will be at a place that's at least a little out of the way of where people typically go in the place.  Maybe there's some little cubby hole, on the way to the central attraction.  People walk right past it.  That's a candidate as a cache spot.

 

And attend Geocaching Events and ask about your selected park.  If there seem to be a lot of perfect cache spots without caches, sometimes the reason is, there once were.  Your challenge is to create a cache that can endure there when the rest could not.  Especially if the containers are big enough to hold trackables.

[+niraD]

4 hours ago, kunarion said:

To make a container, start with a durable, waterproof container, and then add some camo (if necessary) once you decide on the spot. 

For inspiration, check out the CCC thread to see what others have done:

 

(Start at the end, because the photos are no longer available for many of the earlier posts.)

[+thebruce0]

12 hours ago, JL_HSTRE said:

As caching became more popular, apps brought in more people who were dopamine junkies instead of primarily hikers and explorers during the first decade, prohibitions against power trails (and thus numbers spew in general) ended, and ammo cans got steadily more expensive, the majority of geocaches shifted to easier to access locations that couldn't support Regular containers. 

 

I would also say that culture has changed as well, with the proliferation of gps and location-based games, and people using technology outside, and a general increase in outdoor natural activity, making muggle activity much more common, along with a desire to be out and about in town moreso than in the boonies.

A container that could have been hidden, or a location used in the 00's without much concern is more likely a general risk today, even outside of the geocaching context.

[+NanCycle]

11 hours ago, kunarion said:

 

  Maybe there's some little cubby hole

If it's in a park that is suitable for children. . . that's exactly where the children will go.  

[+kunarion]

42 minutes ago, NanCycle said:

If it's in a park that is suitable for children. . . that's exactly where the children will go.  

 

Maybe, but my unedited text is about considering a spot where everyone does not go.  If the children go there, then that's not a place where they don't go.  Anyway, if it confused you, it confused others, so it's good to clarify the issue.

 

It is possible to hide a container among playing children, where there's no issue.  I know, because I've done it.  But the OP was about "big" containers, and those would be tougher to set up.

 

Somecachers place a big tub "for kids" out in the open, "so it's easy".  It might work great, or maybe it will work for a while.  But the optimistic cache owners do arrive in this Forum to note that their cool "easy" cache has vanished.  Try an idea, maybe it will be fine.  I'm just suggesting to try a place a little more out of the way, a little farther than the children go.

 

Edited May 16 by kunarion

[+kunarion]

One thing I've done, if I'm not 110% sure that my selected spot is not a hangout, I place a container and leave it there for months or years.  If anyone or any animal finds it and messes with it, make some adjustments or try another spot.  Some hiding areas look peaceful most of the time, then accrue a large crowd at other times.  I have some hides next to soccer fields, and soccer is so uninteresting to attendees, they wander into the woods looking for something to do, and will destroy anything they find out of sheer boredom.

 

Edited May 16 by kunarion

[+cerberus1]

21 minutes ago, kunarion said:

One thing I've done, if I'm not 110% sure that my selected spot is not a hangout, I place a container and leave it there for months or years.  If anyone or any animal finds it and messes with it, make some adjustments or try another spot.  Some hiding areas look peaceful most of the time, then accrue a large crowd at other times.

Yep.  I found a cave and went to the Township for permission, and they said sure. It's far enough from the other (now archived).

Next day another Supervisor showed at the house and asked where. Guy's here over 40 years and never heard of this spot.  

That cave that "no one knew about" turned out to be a hangout for teens and I archived the hide.

The way I noticed was a cacher emailed asking "why do those bats have white stuff on them?", I looked and found the kids there.

White Nose Syndrome would have made me archive it anyway...  The entrance was altered a bit by a chiropterologist and the kids left.

[+kunarion]

9 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

Yep.  I found a cave and went to the Township for permission, and they said sure. It's far enough from the other (now archived).

Next day another Supervisor showed at the house and asked where. Guy's here over 40 years and never heard of this spot.  

That cave that "no one knew about" turned out to be a hangout for teens and I archived the hide.

The way I noticed was a cacher emailed asking "why do those bats have white stuff on them?", I looked and found the kids there.

White Nose Syndrome would have made me archive it anyway...  The entrance was altered a bit by a chiropterologist and the kids left.

 

The OP may ask the power cachers in the area.  I found a county park with almost no caches in it, and was told that over the years, nobody could keep a cache there.  After the final cache was archived, I plotted and planned for 5 years, and created some caches that addressed the muggle problem.  It goes way beyond a little camo, it's a multi-faceted issue.  But as with the OP, I also didn't want it to be just another Nano in the woods (which of course is easy to hide, impossible to find).  Could I place, say, a large ammo box painted bright yellow, and have it endure?  Turns out, yes.  Yes I can.  

 

Edited May 17 by kunarion

[+barefootjeff]

16 hours ago, kunarion said:

Your challenge is to create a cache that can endure there when the rest could not.  Especially if the containers are big enough to hold trackables.

 

I have a regular-sized Sistema placed on this headland at the end of the local beach, where there's an almost constant stream of muggles walking past with their young kids and dogs, and often of a morning there's someone sitting on the ledge sunning themselves right next to it.

 

 

When I placed it in 2020 I didn't know how long it would last, but the only problem it's had has been someone taking its camo rock but leaving the cache sitting there.

 

 

It's an AL bonus cache so if it does eventually get muggled I'll just archive it and not have a bonus, since bonus caches for ALs are no longer recommended. But until then, it's close to home so I'll just continue checking on it whenever I feel like a walk out there.

[+Team Canary]

1 hour ago, barefootjeff said:

... since bonus caches for ALs are no longer recommended. 

 

Where did you get this from?

 

There's a couple every week placed in Australia.

[+Max and 99]

13 minutes ago, Team Canary said:

 

Where did you get this from?

 

There's a couple every week placed in Australia.

From the Help Center: 

You are allowed to place one Mystery Cache as a bonus cache for your Adventure. However, Geocaching HQ does not encourage this since it creates a confusing experience.

[+Team Canary]

8 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

From the Help Center: 

You are allowed to place one Mystery Cache as a bonus cache for your Adventure. However, Geocaching HQ does not encourage this since it creates a confusing experience.

 

Love it!!!  

 

I can ignore the ALs when people start listening.

[+Goldenwattle]

15 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

However, Geocaching HQ does not encourage this since it creates a confusing experience.

Another reason not to do ALs. The bonus cache is the best part of an AL.

[+thebruce0]

Sometimes hidden in plain sight is the best way to go. Consider bird houses, or little free libraries. Often used for geocaches in places where there's not really a good natural "hiding" place. Or even a real library, if you speak with the staff for permission. Lots of ideas for larger containers than hiding in nature in more urban environments.