a cache longevity question

[+amishangel]

Hope I don't get rocks thrown at me.

 

I have gone as far as replacing a cache box after finding it dry rotted from atmospheric exposure and animals using it for a chew toy. Tupperware can only last so long in such a hostile environment.

 

I carry around a couple of ammo boxes with geocache stickers and have transposed the data information exactly as it appeared on the old one. I also have a few pages of this "do not take letter" that is listed on:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/articles/making.asp

 

laminated and ready to go for caches that don't have one.

 

All of the contents goes into new box and I go my way.

 

which brings me to a question.

How does you feel on this topic it it was done for/to you?

 

corollary added: I have notified the owner(s) and to mostly a dismay never get a reply, some that do are most receptant to such an offer and others are...not.

 

Been interesting to see the comments from the owners who don't reply (been only three) when they discover the changes that goes from !!!!! to $#%%$^&%.

 

I don't feel like a candidate for sainthood for this, nor on the otherhand compared to a serial murderer.

 

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

 

http://www.texasgeocaching.com

 

[This message was edited by amishangel on October 24, 2003 at 07:18 AM.]

 

[This message was edited by amishangel on October 24, 2003 at 07:20 AM.]

[lowracer]

I always ask the cache owner first, after reading the logs to see if the cache might need some help. Then with the owner's permission, I'll go out and upgrade the cache container.

[+Smitherington]

Owner's permission would be appropriate. I always ask. If I get no response, I make no change. The exception was a cache container that was totally trashed and the owner had moved out of the area. I was traveling and could not replace it but I recommended disabling it, threw it away, took photos and notified the owner.

[+Renegade Knight]

Well now. Swapping a log and mailing the full one to the owner is considered a favor.

 

Trading Tupperware for ammo cans is frowned upon. Trading Ammo cans for tupperware would be a big thumbs up in my book and you can do that to my caches any time.

 

I'd find a regional forum and see what the locals think since they will own the caches you are doing this too. You can't email while in the field when you find the problem and expect an answer in time to matter. But you can know what they area opinion is and who hates the entire idea because they love that gladware and the rodent holes add to the caches story.

[+amishangel]

les see if i can get a bit more response to this query

 

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

 

http://www.texasgeocaching.com

[+Team Og Rof A Klaw]

All of our containers have a "signature" camo job. In my own personal case, I'd honestly rather that you send me a "needs maintenance" PM and let me do the replacement myself. But, absent that, I'd prolly be tickled if someone did it for me.

 

____________________________

- Team Og Rof A Klaw

All who wander are not lost.

[Lesbaru]

I've only set up 2 caches. One ran into some significant difficulty (velcro holding the cache to the underside of a bench came loose) I was VERY grateful that cachers let me know it needed fixing. I was also grateful that someone hid the "broken" cache in another place and left the new info in the log, so other cachers could keep visiting it until I fixed it. I look kindly on folks "helping" with my caches, especially because I'm a newbie.

 

"You'll curse when the need comes. Make it loud, make it complicated, make it long, and make it up if you have to, but it'll work all right." -Granny Weatherwax

[+Touchstone]

We have a couple of caches with "needs maintainence" logs on them. Both are somewhat long hikes, so nobody's gotten back to them. A leaky container and a soggy log are no fun I think a PM type log and a friendly email to the owner is appropriate, but otherwise I think your going above the call and duty of most cachers. Good job.

 

Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. The rest go geocaching.

[McKenzie Clan]

I say try to contact the owner first, if no reply then refurbish it.

 

I know I would be a little annoyed if someone took it on themselves to that to a cache I have placed.

 

Too possesive??

 

Scott

[+honeychile]

I'd be pleased if someone tried to help out one of my caches by replacing missing, rotten or weather-worn materials - even the container - if it was warranted. I'd probably be a little embarrassed, though, if one of mine was in bad shape and I hadn't caught it through regular maintenance. If you replaced dead tupperware with a nice ammo box, I'd also want to repay the expense.

 

The only "help" that ever annoyed me was a couple of times when someone moved my cache because they didn't like the hidng place. I don't like having to hunt for my own caches (I have a hard enough times with other folks' caches). But even then, I shrugged it off and went to examine the location. Once, it really DID need moving because the location had become too obvious. In thinking about it afterward, I think it was my pride that was the root of my aggravation -- after all, did I really want the cache to be plundered because the location had disintegrated? Or would I prefer that someone move it a bit until I could get out there? Yeah...the latter...but it still stung a little.

 

Of course, the problem with waiting for permission is that you're no longer there and unlikely to go back to save someone else's cache. I guess it depends on just how bad it has gotten and how thick your skin is if your good samaritan efforts aren't appreciated.

 

I'm always happy to beef up the contents of a cache, and have been known to add another logbook if the original is filled or destroyed, but that's about as far as I usually take it. Once a local cacher asked me and a fellow-cacher to help with a cache due to health issues and I was happy to do that.

 

I think it's great that you care enough about the sport to want to help make the experience of the next guy a little better.

 

-honeychile- "a joyful heart is good medicine"

[+Bloencustoms]

Almost sounds like the "take something, leave something, trade up" is being applied to the container as well as the contents.

 

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

[+OneOfEm]

Here's how I've done it and will handle it again if needed in the future:

 

Email the cache owner first. You'll either get a "yes, please" (replace at will), a "no, thank you" (do nothing), or no response (add a "needs to be archived" note).

 

Easy.

[+honeychile]

Certainly if you knew in advance there was a problem, you could notify the owner of your intent to seek the cache and go from there.

 

But I think the situation Amish Angel was describing was whether to offer first aid when unexpectedly finding a wounded cache on the trail.

[+JMBella]

It's not always easy to get out there to do maintinence. All of my earlier hides are tupperware type containers. Now I only use ammo cans and I plan to eventually changing all my caches. So if you changed a tupperware to an ammo can, I'd say thatnks for saving me the time of doing it myself.

 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Because now I am Lost.

[+IndyMagicMan]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

Trading Tupperware for ammo cans is frowned upon. Trading Ammo cans for tupperware would be a big thumbs up in my book and you can do that to my caches any time.

---

 

Wow. Now that's very interesting to me. I have found ammo cans to be consistanly better caches than tupperware. They are the only type of cache that has always been dry. Why is tupperware better to you? Because it is see through and therefore there could less paranoia if happened upon (I could see this a bit for ammo cans).

 

[This message was edited by IndyMagicMan on October 29, 2003 at 12:27 PM.]

[btouch]

quote:

---

Originally posted by IndyMagicMan:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

Trading Tupperware for ammo cans is frowned upon. Trading Ammo cans for tupperware would be a big thumbs up in my book and you can do that to my caches any time.

---

 

Wow. Now that's very interesting to me. I have found ammo cans to be consistanly better caches than tupperware. They are the only type of cache that has always been dry. Why is tupperware better to you? Because it is see through and therefore there could less paranoia if happened upon (I could see this a bit for ammo cans).

 

[This message was edited by IndyMagicMan on October 29, 2003 at 12:27 PM.]

---

 

I think you misunderstood RK's post. I did too the first time I read it. I believe he is saying that replacing Tupperware with an ammo can is good.

 

Matthew 5:1-11

[+Renegade Knight]

quote:

---

Originally posted by IndyMagicMan:

...I have found ammo cans to be consistanly better caches than tupperware. They are the only type of cache that has always been dry...

---

 

I agree. My post must of been worded strange. It was a take on a thread that happened awhile back. A guy had been literally trading tupperware for the ammo cans the cache was in.