GeoCache Logo Close to Cache Hide

[+IXLegionAD120]

I tried a search but can't find a topic on the idea. As it can be a real downer/depressing for a GeoCacher who has trekked kilometres to Find & Log a Cache they have had their eye on, or even for tourist GeoCachers having little time on site or only one chance of locating a cache before the need to move on with their travel schedule and cannot find the Cache, I thought why not add a conspicuous but not invisible marker perhaps 1 metere or 3 metres from the Hide, either as a surprise or as the Hint i.e. "Find The GeoCache Sign and you are a metre from the Hide", when spotted will give the GeoCacher the knowledge they are/were close to it. A small wooden disc for instance, with the Leatherman Variant GeoCache Logo burnt onto it and attached to a rock or tree etc; with a little wood glue or tied with string or simply placed securely. Is this an idea you have used or come across at a Cache Location?

Edited July 12, 2024 by IXLegionAD120
Grammar check...

[+GeoTrekker26]

There is a place on the cache listing where the owner can provide a hint. If more help is needed feel free to contact the owner for an a clue. Placing additional items at the cache location is a bad idea. 

[+Mudfrog]

41 minutes ago, GeoTrekker26 said:

There is a place on the cache listing where the owner can provide a hint. If more help is needed feel free to contact the owner for an a clue. Placing additional items at the cache location is a bad idea. 

 

I wouldn't say it was a bad idea but it does depend on what the additional item is. I don't see a problem with IX's idea but he or she does need to realize someone will probably end up taking a cool item like they have in mind. Will be kinda hard figuring out a way to keep a "cache proximity indicator" from walking. 

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, IXLegionAD120 said:

I tried a search but can't find a topic on the idea. As it can be a real downer/depressing for a GeoCacher who has trekked kilometres to Find & Log a Cache they have had their eye on, or even for tourist GeoCachers having little time on site or only one chance of locating a cache before the need to move on with their travel schedule and cannot find the Cache, I thought why not add a conspicuous but not invisible marker perhaps 1 metere or 3 metres from the Hide, either as a surprise or as the Hint i.e. "Find The GeoCache Sign and you are a metre from the Hide", when spotted will give the GeoCacher the knowledge they are/were close to it. A small wooden disc for instance, with the Leatherman Variant GeoCache Logo burnt onto it and attached to a rock or tree etc; with a little wood glue or tied with string or simply placed securely. Is this an idea you have used or come across at a Cache Location?

 

It's not uncommon for a cache logo to be painted or a sticker stuck to a box or fake birdhouse to help finders identify it as a cache.  Or they use piles of sticks or rocks as a clue that you're there.  I've sometimes placed an item that I found in the woods. Once it was a large model rocket, and "pointed" at the cache.

 

And finding a pencil or a piece of Swag on the ground tends to mean you're at the cache site.  So these are similar to your idea.

 

But for those wooden discs, it may be better to use them as trade items.  Sign them with your caching name, and place them into select caches.

 

Edited July 12, 2024 by kunarion

[+IXLegionAD120]

5 minutes ago, kunarion said:

 

It's not uncommon for a cache logo to be painted or a sticker stuck to a box or fake birdhouse to help finders identify it as a cache.  Or they use piles of sticks or rocks as a clue that you're there.  I've sometimes placed an item that I found in the woods. Once it was a large model rocket, and "pointed" at the cache.

 

And finding a pencil or a piece of Swag on the ground tends to mean you're at the cache site.  So these are similar to your idea.

 

But for those wooden discs, it may be better to use them as trade items.  Sign them with your caching name, and place them into select caches.

 

Many thanks Kunarion, I was thinking exactly that, and I think a wooden marker is fine if in the Hint it mentions when you see a 'Sign you will recognise, you are within 1,2 or 3 metres of the Cache" it will give them more reason to really try and find it before giving up and leaving and having to log a "Did Not Find" I'm definitely going to use them on some new future Caches I am planning in the area as there are so few over here and there are many thousands of tourists especially in the summer months and a lot of Geocachers going by the various Logs. Thank You!

[+arisoft]

Once I put a small reflector near a multi cache final to inform the finder that the solution is correct and the cache is somewhere near.

 

If you want to make a cache that is very fast and easy to find, then you put a photo of the cache in the description. Good photo also makes it easy to replace the cache correctly after someone missed the correct way.

Edited July 12, 2024 by arisoft

[+thebruce0]

Keep in mind*, if this is a traditional cache, or the final stage of a puzzle or multi, any provided gps coordinates need to be as reliably accurate as you can provide - intentionally 'fuzzying' the coordinates to provide a hands on vague search is frowned upon if not disallowed (and can be extremely frustrating). But if it gets to that point, it essentially becomes a Letterbox Hybrid (after having already used GPS for some prior element) and may not be unexpected.  As a CO you need to be provide to the reviewer coordinates of any physical item placed for the purpose of finding the cache and none can be in 161m proximity to any other listing's physical components/stages.

 

Some exception ideas:

- A tree may have a container hidden on it; accurate coordinates may not be sufficiently accurate for most people and so coordinates (already giving a couple of meter bubble) pointing to the tree means the CO could add a load of red herring containers to it where one is the real container with the log.

- Projecting from a waypoint may produce hazy results depending on precision of the resulting decimal after the distance, but the starting point coordinates should be as accurate they can be.

- Night caching reflector tack trails typically aren't considered physical waypoints for a listing. You could fill a forest with a hike to every corner following tacks and only provide the trailhead and final cache location gps coordinates. Mainly because they're tiny, and commonly already used in forests.

 

Rule of thumb: Any time you provide coordinates, the public expectation is there is something at those coordinates. Exceptions are if there is intended to be a field puzzle aspect So your idea definitely wouldn't be a Traditional (unless perhaps the tree context above, or it had a Field Puzzle attribute explaining something).

 

But the best advice: If you're unsure or you want to just be sure for your area, ask a local reviewer what they will allow

 

* these comments are based on my understanding from interactions with reviewers in my region and may not reflect the interactions with reviewers in other regions. See 'best advice' above

[+DarkZen_EvilCowPie]

I have enough trouble keeping my caches from being stolen. I gotta think those things would disappear  pretty quickly. 

 

They are cool trinkets though. 

[+barefootjeff]

11 hours ago, IXLegionAD120 said:

A small wooden disc for instance, with the Leatherman Variant GeoCache Logo burnt onto it and attached to a rock or tree etc; with a little wood glue or tied with string or simply placed securely. Is this an idea you have used or come across at a Cache Location?

 

I would imagine that there'd be some who'd log a find as soon as they found the marker, without ever searching for the cache or signing the log, particularly as the official app encourages people to just select the cache icon and tap Navigate without ever looking at the description.

[+cerberus1]

On 7/12/2024 at 8:45 AM, IXLegionAD120 said:

I tried a search but can't find a topic on the idea. As it can be a real downer/depressing for a GeoCacher who has trekked kilometres to Find & Log a Cache they have had their eye on, or even for tourist GeoCachers having little time on site or only one chance of locating a cache before the need to move on with their travel schedule and cannot find the Cache, I thought why not add a conspicuous but not invisible marker perhaps 1 metere or 3 metres from the Hide, either as a surprise or as the Hint i.e. "Find The GeoCache Sign and you are a metre from the Hide", when spotted will give the GeoCacher the knowledge they are/were close to it. A small wooden disc for instance, with the Leatherman Variant GeoCache Logo burnt onto it and attached to a rock or tree etc; with a little wood glue or tied with string or simply placed securely. Is this an idea you have used or come across at a Cache Location

 

For your caches, right?   Anyone else it'd be a spoiler, and some might be really ticked that you ruined their D/T. Photos are bad enough...

Some time ago some jerk was placing bright surveyor's tape close to GZ.  We still see that now in some areas.

All we know give whatever additional hints for the cache in the cache's description.

We're often surprised how many non-cachers travel far into the woods, traveling the same paths. Some we've brought into the hobby.   

The Leatherman variant is known by many hikers, and now that hanging wooden object could tell non-players there's a cache nearby... 

[+JL_HSTRE]

On 7/12/2024 at 8:45 AM, IXLegionAD120 said:

A small wooden disc for instance, with the Leatherman Variant GeoCache Logo burnt onto it and attached to a rock or tree etc; with a little wood glue or tied with string or simply placed securely.

 

I have my doubts about the durability of the attachment. 

[+PlantAKiss]

I always thought the point of caching is HUNTING for the cache. I don't want someone telling me where it is. I rarely use the hint. It shocks me when a cache listing describes the container and where it's hidden. So personally I wouldn't want something showing me its hidey spot. I want to earn my smiley. 🙂 But those are nice little "coins."