GC in buildings

[+Bychowiec]

Hi all!

 

I´m panning the placement of my first GC :-) 

If can place a GC inside but not in a commersial way (not is a store)--- then where inside? Does it has to be in an abonded building? I would love to place it i a coffee shope for example, but that is not ok? 

What about in a library? 

 

Thanks all!

Bychowiec

[Keystone]

You're correct about not placing a cache inside of a business - that's prohibited by the commercial caches section of the Geocache Hiding Guidelines.

 

See this Help Center article about "Indoor Caches" for guidance on how to place a multi-stage cache with one stage inside a non-commercial building, like a library.

[+MNTA]

Library caches are great and I've done a couple. Here are a few 

 

Book ‘em Danno GCMZKA

So Many Books; The Sequel GC3PQRN

 

Urban Cache: Plagiarized GC6C21 

I've also seen unknown & multi caches based upon questions about the library.

[+GeoElmo6000]

18 hours ago, Bychowiec said:

If can place a GC inside but not in a commersial way (not is a store)--- then where inside? Does it has to be in an abonded building? I would love to place it i a coffee shope for example, but that is not ok? 

What about in a library? 

 

Geocaches can be inside a building like a library but it cannot be a traditional cache, since geocaches require a GPS component to the search and you can't use GPS accurately inside a building.  But you can make it, for example, a mystery cache, and hide something outdoors that directs the finder to where the cache is indoors.  

 

I have a library cache that has an outdoor component (find the container with the puzzle in it) and when the puzzle is solved, it will direct the finder to where the cache is inside the library.

[+arisoft]

5 hours ago, GeoElmo6000 said:

Geocaches can be inside a building like a library but it cannot be a traditional cache, since geocaches require a GPS component to the search and you can't use GPS accurately inside a building.  But you can make it, for example, a mystery cache, and hide something outdoors that directs the finder to where the cache is indoors.  

 

There are geocaches, for example,  in caves and sewers wihtout GPS reception at all. Many geocaches are so deep in the forest that you can not get accurate readings. How do you explain this is possible but a library is not?

 

I am planning an indoor geocache, this is why I am generally interested in this topic.

Edited November 12 by arisoft

[+hzoi]

1 hour ago, arisoft said:

6 hours ago, GeoElmo6000 said:

Geocaches can be inside a building like a library but it cannot be a traditional cache, since geocaches require a GPS component to the search and you can't use GPS accurately inside a building.  But you can make it, for example, a mystery cache, and hide something outdoors that directs the finder to where the cache is indoors.  

 

There are geocaches, for example,  in caves and sewers wihtout GPS reception at all. Many geocaches are so deep in the forest that you can not get accurate readings. How do you explain this is possible but a library is not?

 

Geocaches are supposed to require the use of GPS. Reviewers generally enforce this.

 

Typically a cave or other underground cache will at least take one to the entrance and then go from there, and they're typically going to be a mystery/unknown, multi, or letterbox that walk you through how to get to the cache from the entrance. It's generally going to be the same with an indoor cache.

 

I would guess that any traditionals you're seeing are old ones, when this was not as enforced.

Edited November 12 by hzoi

[+GeoElmo6000]

3 hours ago, arisoft said:

 

There are geocaches, for example,  in caves and sewers wihtout GPS reception at all. Many geocaches are so deep in the forest that you can not get accurate readings. How do you explain this is possible but a library is not?

 

I am planning an indoor geocache, this is why I am generally interested in this topic.

 

If you follow the link Keystone provided, you'll see the following:

 

Quote

GPS and indoor caches

All geocaches must involve GPS use. Inside buildings, GPS signal is either unreliable or not present. To follow the GPS rule, indoor caches must have an additional stage outdoors. Coordinates at the entrance to the building are not enough.

The outdoor stage can be before or after the indoor stage. Because they must have more than one stage, indoor caches can never be traditional caches.

 

As an alternative, you can create an adventure lab, which isn't a geocache and is part of the "wild west" of GPS games with few if any rules.

[+niraD]

55 minutes ago, GeoElmo6000 said:

 

If you follow the link Keystone provided, you'll see the following:

 

 

As an alternative, you can create an adventure lab, which isn't a geocache and is part of the "wild west" of GPS games with few if any rules.

 

Just because there is no GPS signal at GZ doesn't mean that the CO can't use a GPS device to get accurate coordinates for GZ, or that seekers can't use a GPS device to locate GZ.

[+arisoft]

56 minutes ago, niraD said:

 

Just because there is no GPS signal at GZ doesn't mean that the CO can't use a GPS device to get accurate coordinates for GZ, or that seekers can't use a GPS device to locate GZ.

 

You are right. You can find references outside and use some triangulation to find the GZ.

 

I am planning an indoor cache that have GPS reception due to windows at the GZ. Maybe I have to put a screenshot of the receiver at the GZ to prove that it works.

[+arisoft]

4 hours ago, hzoi said:

I would guess that any traditionals you're seeing are old ones, when this was not as enforced.

 

I remember an old case where CO put Traditional cache coordinates at the entrance of the sewer, but then the reviewer ordered to use the correct coordinates. It was in the middle of the road. Without correct coordinates it was difficult to find. There was no problems with correct ones although GPS is not working inside.

 

[+MNTA]

6 hours ago, hzoi said:

 

Geocaches are supposed to require the use of GPS. Reviewers generally enforce this.

 

 

GPS maps you to the center of the building. Good enough for me.

[+hzoi]

18 hours ago, MNTA said:

On 11/12/2024 at 1:33 PM, hzoi said:

Geocaches are supposed to require the use of GPS. Reviewers generally enforce this.

 

GPS maps you to the center of the building. Good enough for me.

 

Might be good enough for you, but I suspect it might not be good enough for your reviewer. But I'll leave that between you and @GeoCrater.

[+Goldenwattle]

Singapore has many inside caches. Even way down under multistorey buildings in multistorey carparks. I think from memory they might have given hints. Or were multis. Tough finds at first when your are not used to these hides. In fact, even their outside caches can be tough at first getting used to the styles.

Though my first find in Singapore was on the roof of a multistorey building. The challenge there was finding my way to the top.

Edited November 18 by Goldenwattle

[+MNTA]

Make it a Letterbox Hybrid by adding a stamp some how. Then you can use written direction to follow to find the cache, or make it an unknown without the stamp.

 

Kind of silly if you ask me specially with the posts above about Lab caches (no adventure required)

 

On 11/12/2024 at 4:09 PM, arisoft said:

 

I remember an old case where CO put Traditional cache coordinates at the entrance of the sewer, but then the reviewer ordered to use the correct coordinates. It was in the middle of the road. Without correct coordinates it was difficult to find. There was no problems with correct ones although GPS is not working inside.

 

 

This happened to me once as well. Stumped me for sure then read the description and quickly made the find. Was a great cache.

[+baer2006]

52 minutes ago, MNTA said:

Make it a Letterbox Hybrid by adding a stamp some how. Then you can use written direction to follow to find the cache, or make it an unknown without the stamp.

The guideline, which requires GPS navigation for at least one stage of the cache, is valid also for LBH and Mystery type caches.

[+JL_HSTRE]

99% of library caches I've seen (excluding a couple very early hides that wouldn't be published nowadays) involve a physical container outside the library with the call number for a fake book inside the library.

 

Most of the non-library indoor caches I've done involve state parks. They usually have the container at the visitor desk, but the seeker must visit several GPS coordinates outside to gather the numbers to open the combination lock on the container. Some of these have required interacting with staff at the desk, but I assume Groundspeak gives more leeway for geotours and official park service caches than random individuals.

 

I have seen a couple hides against an exterior wall so your GPS gets you to the right location but the wrong side. One was at a city welcome center and the cache was clearly visible through the building's large glass front walls.

 

Indoor hides really should only be placed with a good reason. Library caches are usually special containers. Park visitor center hides are often at parks where outdoor physical caches aren't permitted, such as a historic or archaeological sites, or a NPS/NWR property that otherwise prohibits physical hides.

[+Goldenwattle]

12 hours ago, JL_HSTRE said:

99% of library caches I've seen (excluding a couple very early hides that wouldn't be published nowadays) involve a physical container outside the library with the call number for a fake book inside the library.

I have only found a few of these, but most were inside a hollow book inside the library. The staff knew about it. Some in commercial hollow books and some in cut out books. I guess some very boring book unlikely to be picked up by most people. This was one I got a shared FTF on. I was sitting on the library doorstop waiting for the library to open. Then my friend turned up. We were first in. The book was filed correctly on a book shelf under a number . In the photograph it appears the commercial hollow book version. This type of book is also popular for caches in Little Free Libraries, although for mine, my cache is in an attic in the ceiling. This cache still exists.

 

[+GeoElmo6000]

The video below shows my library cache, it was filmed by my buddy Halemeister when he visited in 2018, and I gave him permission for spoilers to be shown.  It currently has 81 favorite points (70% of premium finds).  You can skip to 1:40 in the video for the actual cache.  My cache is currently disabled because the library is having renovations done.