Night Cache Ideas?

[+BeachBuddies]

Ok, I've just got my Fire Tacks in the mail, and I know the location of a nice park that's open after dark. So, I'd like to hide my first night cache soon.

 

I'd like to get some advice from people who have had some experience hiding and finding night caches. I've read through many of the old forum posts, and Criminal's Night Cache page, etc. But I have not found too much about what makes a good night cache, and what to avoid.

 

I gather that:

 

I should post the coordinates to the start of my trail

My trail should be marked (with Fire Tacks or whatever) so that it's visible at night only (ideally)

The trail should not be too long (don't want to get anyone lost out in the middle of the night)

It's going to have to be off-trail, through the woods (so I can mark the trees)

The cache should be fairly easy to find (at night), but hard to find during the day (not sure how to do that yet)

 

Anything else I should do or not do? Thanks...

[+BullDogBob&Double00]

How about a night cache through a cemetary. Would that be freaky or what?....LOL I've thought about doing one.

 

"Never rely on the glory of the morning, nor the smiles of your mother-in-law"

[+BeachBuddies]

That's a great idea! Wonder if I could arrange that in time for Halloween? Think anyone would mind a little UV paint on their tombstone?

 

I guess I could start the trail there, using numbers from the graves just like a multi-cache, but it could lead to a firetack-trail.... hmmm...

[floridaeverglade1]

Originally posted by BullDogBob:

How about a night cache through a cemetary. Would that be freaky or what?....LOL I've thought about doing one.

 

Please see below my post of exactly that...a creepy cemetery night hunt. the cache is called "Walk Among Us" in Fellsmere, FL near Vero Beach. The cache was by an abandoned, long forgotten plot from 1930's.

 

August 30 by floridaeverglade1 (6 found)

Went at night w/flashlights. 6 people (2 families) in a black Volvo stationwagon that looks kinda like a hearse. A cop pulled up as soon as we parked. I explained what we were doing (kinda) & he was OK with it. Found Robert & cache. Left a BUNCH of plastic snakes, frogs & lizards. Took rubber bat & where's george $2 bill with us back to Miami. This adventure was great. Wives & daughters were scared & wanted to go home, but we stuck it out & got the job done. Thanks Reverend! P. S. Enjoyed what I saw of your sacred papers & agreed wholeheartedly. LOL.

[+Criminal]

Here's one of mine.

 

And another

 

http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/

[+Brian - Team A.I.]

Ok, now I really want to come up to Tacoma to find those.

 

<Stan>You bastard!</Stan>

 

Check out these caches. Mainly the 3.5/1.5 and 4.5/1.5 ones. Those are some great caches, and you're kinda misfiring in the cranium if you hope to find them in the daylight.

 

[+BadAndy]

I submitted my first night cache today. Nearly got my truck stuck this evening while doing a doublecheck on it. Difficulty definately climbs after dark.

[+amishangel]

Probally wouldn't be a good idea to place a night cache along the fenceline at Pantex Nuclear Weapons Facility.

 

Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?

 

[+RJFerret]

I setup my first night cache after reading about them here. It was quite a success and elicited requests for another. That one is even better.

 

I did things a little differently, in that most night caches don't require a GPS! Sure, you use it to find the beginning, but then turn it off. So on my first one, it was an offset. At the end of the trail was a micro w/coords to the container.

 

The only complaint I heard about that one was it was short. People enjoyed it so much, longer would be better.

 

My second one I setup totally differently. It's a multicache instead--no trail. Not only did it make it easier to setup, but also more fun to hunt and you use the GPS throughout!

 

Instead of the usual trail, I provided 6 coordinates. Near each location a reflector is in view with a number written on it. Combine the numbers to generate the coordinates of the final container (which is also hidden nearby with a reflector marking the spot). Voila! 7 hunts, far more fun searching, and overall a higher rated experience than the first one.

 

The only night cache I've done was the usual reflector trail, which followed a blazed/beaten path. I'm in favor of getting off the path, 'cause otherwise you don't need the reflectors for anything save reassurance!

 

Don't forget to provide starting/parking coordinates, so people will have them in their GPSr's to return to after they get disoriented.

 

HTH,

 

Randy

[+Huntnlady]

I've got everything ready to make my night cache, Night Light. I bought the firetacks. I took apart an old refridgerator to get the switch and light, so if you lifted the UV painted rock that the cache was under, the light came on. I gathered light-related items to stock it with. Problem is, I haven't yet found a place to put it. All of the parks around here are closed at night. All of the cemetarys are still open for business. I like the idea, but don't have the place.

 

_______________________________

Vegetarian is Indian word for bad hunter

 

http://www.geocities.com/cacheinon

[+Bilder]

I am thinking of doing a night cache. During the winter we only get a few hours of daylight and I night cache would be a good fit.

 

Was looking at the Firetack site and saw that they have a great deal on some factory seconds. Only 5 bucks a set.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have never been lost. Been awful confused for a few days, but never lost!

N61.12.041 W149.43.734

[+Bloencustoms]

My local walmart carries 3 different types of reflective trail markers. One is a tack that has the reflector wrapped around the sides of it, and when placed in the side of a tree facing the trail can be seen from both directions. Another is a simple tack with the reflector applied to the head of the tack and is only visible from one direction on the trail. Yet another is a reflective bread tei with white on one side and red on the other, very versatile.

 

[This message was edited by Bloencustoms on March 32, 1999 at 25:60 PM]

[+Prime Suspect]

A Pink Floyd CD came out a few years ago, with a flashing red LED build into the case. The light was supposed to keep flashing for up to a year. I would be great to find a supply of those.

 

"Don't mess with a geocacher. We know all the best places to hide a body."

[Goldguru]

one thing to consider while appling your fire tacks is to check during the day who's windows are downrange of the 1million cp lite ....helps keep the low profile of a nite outing....Gg

[+RJFerret]

Good point Goldguru,

 

My first night cache was setup along a river, I kept the path such that lights would never be shined in the direction of houses (thereby limiting the size to half the park).

 

Since the parking is next to a house, I direct cachers to park at a nearby lit town lot and walk in so the neighbors don't thing something funny is going on.

 

My second night cache has a golf course on one side and pond on the other. No light transmission problems there. The parking is right on the street, so doubtful that anyone would consider it a trysting spot.

 

Surroundings and parking have to be evaluated much more carefully than usual with night caches. The one I've done was on an island that's a state park w/camping--obviously a phenomenal locale.

 

Enjoy,

 

Randy

[enfanta]

I bought rub-on numbers for my reflective thumb tacks and put one number on each tack for the entire set of coords. If they find all the tacks, they have the final coords for the cache.

 

Oh, and be sure to set them so you can see them going in, but not coming out.

 

BWAhahahahahaa!

 

Ode to a Pigeon: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, You Lookin' at Me? YOU LOOKIN' AT ME?! (b. katt, 7/14/03)