Guest Ambush Bug Posted December 12, 2000 Share Posted December 12, 2000 What are some items we'd like to see left in a GeoCache? What are some of our favorite items that we've found, and why? What's the best thing we ever left in a GeoCache? Quote Link to comment
Guest jeremy Posted December 12, 2000 Share Posted December 12, 2000 One of the first caches had a GPS unit in it, though I was much too late to get that one. I've also seen lots of caches have gift certificates for one thing or the other. It's a neat way of getting people to go from your cache somewhere else Also relatively durable or easy to protect from the elements. I usually put toys in my caches, knick knacks and such. My caches aren't as cool as some others. Usually it's the place I hide them more than the items themselves. We'll probably add some variations to the game so they're treasureless, especially in urban environments. You're also welcome to experiment! Quote Link to comment
Guest jeremy Posted December 12, 2000 Share Posted December 12, 2000 One of the first caches had a GPS unit in it, though I was much too late to get that one. I've also seen lots of caches have gift certificates for one thing or the other. It's a neat way of getting people to go from your cache somewhere else Also relatively durable or easy to protect from the elements. I usually put toys in my caches, knick knacks and such. My caches aren't as cool as some others. Usually it's the place I hide them more than the items themselves. We'll probably add some variations to the game so they're treasureless, especially in urban environments. You're also welcome to experiment! Quote Link to comment
Guest CaptainCurmudgeon Posted December 13, 2000 Share Posted December 13, 2000 What are some items we'd like to see left in a GeoCache? I prefer things that are small, cheap, and have an element of humour. Quote Link to comment
Guest Ambush Bug Posted December 13, 2000 Share Posted December 13, 2000 "I prefer things that are small, cheap, and have an element of humour." Good Heavens! You haven't stuffed Martin Short in a GeoCache, have you?? If you have an extra compass lying around, that's always something the occasional geocacher can find handy! A.B. Quote Link to comment
Guest PaulF Posted December 14, 2000 Share Posted December 14, 2000 I find that hiking and 4W-driving related items are rather popular in Arizona. I've seen; "AA batteries" for GPS units that are losing power, "Fix-a-Flat" in case the road into the area is rugged, and in one of my caches I put a flashlight that helped someone off of a hill once it got dark. Actually, I share this cache with a friend of mine, Carl. We put a "one-time camera" in our cache and asked everyone who visits the cache to take pictures of themselves. Quote Link to comment
Guest Mike_Teague Posted December 16, 2000 Share Posted December 16, 2000 I'm still waitin' for some rich guy to put $1000 in one! Quote Link to comment
Guest jeremy Posted December 16, 2000 Share Posted December 16, 2000 If you're looking for some cool stuff to put in your stash (and inexpensive), check out Archie McPhee - http://www.archiemcphee.com They have some crazy stuff. They're local for me (Seattle, Washington), but they do ship around the US. And yes, I'd expect quite a race to get to that $1000 bill Jeremy Quote Link to comment
Guest jeremy Posted December 16, 2000 Share Posted December 16, 2000 If you're looking for some cool stuff to put in your stash (and inexpensive), check out Archie McPhee - http://www.archiemcphee.com They have some crazy stuff. They're local for me (Seattle, Washington), but they do ship around the US. And yes, I'd expect quite a race to get to that $1000 bill Jeremy Quote Link to comment
Guest Ambush Bug Posted December 18, 2000 Share Posted December 18, 2000 Got a DVD lying around that you bought because everyone said it was amazing, and now you're stuck with it? Plant it in a GeoCache! You may not have enough room to leave the case, but the disk can fit in pretty much all stashes! They'll be able to survive in the cold, too. CD's as well. "MapSource: Metro"... "MapSource: Roads and Recreations"... Those would be EXTREMELY popular in a GeoCache! Quote Link to comment
Guest andy Posted December 18, 2000 Share Posted December 18, 2000 hey, i've got a magellan 315, and therefore not much use for mapping cds, but if a kind person on here would be willing to send me some cdrs of mapsource cds or whatnot, i'd be glad to put a bunch in my caches as well, i have tons of extra cdrs lyin around... andysolo@mindspring.com Quote Link to comment
Guest Mark Posted January 6, 2001 Share Posted January 6, 2001 Thats a good idea, I'm thinking of putting CD-r's of music mixes in my cache, like a mix of rock, country, jazz and such. Now I just have to find a place to put my cache. Quote Link to comment
Guest JD Posted January 7, 2001 Share Posted January 7, 2001 Someone left a Billy Bass in the cache I visited a few days ago. Imagine opening a cache and having a fish sing "Don't Worry-Be Happy"....... Quote Link to comment
Guest zeta Posted January 7, 2001 Share Posted January 7, 2001 I really like that Billy Bass idea. I saw another fish at a store earlier today that could have been a funny surprise for someone opening a cache "What are you looking at?" Quote Link to comment
Guest zeta Posted January 7, 2001 Share Posted January 7, 2001 I really like that Billy Bass idea. I saw another fish at a store earlier today that could have been a funny surprise for someone opening a cache "What are you looking at?" Quote Link to comment
Guest Ciemon Dunville Posted January 9, 2001 Share Posted January 9, 2001 Hi all, New to this, and it appears so is the rest of the UK, but having read a fair bit about what to put in the cache, has anyone thought of putting some of those mini CD's in? You know, the business card sized ones that'll take 50Mb. You can get them for £0.94 or $1.49. You could put a fancy greeting, with photographs of you..your web page..pictures of the cache area..the cache itself at different times of year..the nearest other caches..some music..a copy of the cache log..piccies of previous visitors....the list is endless. The amount of data you can put on one, and the fact that they're so cheap to reproduce make it quite appealing, to me anyway! Happy hunting...Ciemon Quote Link to comment
Guest jeremy Posted January 11, 2001 Share Posted January 11, 2001 I have a great item I'm adding to a geocache - MAME roms. If you don't know about them and you're an arcade game fan, you gotta check them out. http://www.mame.dk All my favorite games, 720, Toobin, Dig Dug, etc. Just like the arcade. I'm going to burn a bunch of roms on CD and hide it in my next cache find. Jeremy Quote Link to comment
Guest andysolo Posted January 11, 2001 Share Posted January 11, 2001 i hope you are including a bunch of emulators also, for pc/mac etc. it would be really cool to come upon a cache with like, you know, every NES game ever on a cdr, along with Nesticle and whatnot. that would be really cool. i lost all my roms after a computer crash in college. andy ps i can't believe you didn't mention Qix! [This message has been edited by andysolo (edited 01-11-2001).] Quote Link to comment
Guest fiser Posted January 15, 2001 Share Posted January 15, 2001 I've prepared a couple stashes, and I've come up with a low-fi bit of fun. I started a mix tape. I put one song on a tape and wrote where (stash location) and when I left it on the liner notes. I left instructions for the next visitor to take the tape, add a song, put it in the next cache they visit, and write that location on the liner notes. Ideally, next time you open a cache you'll find a well-travelled, eclectic mix tape. Quote Link to comment
Guest Toymaker Posted January 18, 2001 Share Posted January 18, 2001 What about some sort of Geocache collectible cards? Take a picture of the spot, use a desktop publishing program and print some business cards up with the picture, location, etc... Toss a bunch of them in the cache! Quote Link to comment
Guest Richard Amirault Posted January 18, 2001 Share Posted January 18, 2001 How about something that would not fit in a cache?? I have a few (extra) things that I was considering as cache prizes. BUT they are way too large for even the largest cache. How to do it?? Well .... take a stamped post card, pre-address to myself with a note saying what the prize is and for the "winner" to fill out his name and address and send the card to me. When I receive it I'll mail out the prize to them. A sort of personal gift certificate. Richard in Boston Quote Link to comment
Guest Frederic Posted January 20, 2001 Share Posted January 20, 2001 Here is an idea for an urban cache... Put your mobile phone number in the box and tell the person who find it to call you. Then take a telephoto lens picture of them from a nearby building. Quote Link to comment
Guest Deuterium Posted January 26, 2001 Share Posted January 26, 2001 You'd have to really motor to get a picture of them in time...that is if you were across town...the 'onetime' camera thing is a good idea though... I was thinking that for multiple cache adventures you could leave clues for the following ones in the first cache to be located...make for a 'joined cache adventure'... Quote Link to comment
Guest Team Griswold Posted February 4, 2001 Share Posted February 4, 2001 I took the family - me, wife and boys (7) and (4) - out for our first ever geocache hunts this weekend. Both sites had nice stuff for them, I mean they were really excited when they got stuff like Pokemon, Gumby, matchbox cars, and travel chess. We of course left a CD and some kids stuff in return. I really like the suggestion of CDRs with stuff like mix CDs or just albums, or even better a copy of GPS map software. A unique gift we found in one was deoderant! and also some German coins for anyone who might be from there or going there. Regards, Team Griswold in Tucson Quote Link to comment
Guest Nostromo Posted February 4, 2001 Share Posted February 4, 2001 I my first geocache, I left a yo-yo (purcashed 2/$1 in a dollar store) and a scratch-off instant lotto ticket. The lotto ticket could be worth up to $1500 or zero, but I feel it's an additional thrill for the finder to have a chance at a good prize. I can see someone seated next to the open geocache, scracthing away in anticipation while friends and/or family looking on. A whole lotta fun for a $1 investment. Quote Link to comment
Guest Nostromo Posted February 5, 2001 Share Posted February 5, 2001 geocaching with friends of mine, and one told me of a long-running game in England that has a similar concept, without the GPS. They use clues and compasses, but they do have a cache. The cool thing is, they leave a rubber stamp for you to stamp a log you carry. Each is unique to that cache. This gives the finder a momento that stays with him/her, and becomes a unique conversation piece. Our national parks have a similar passport theme, my niece has a ?passport? book and makes sure she gets a stamp whenever they visit a park. A rubber stamp may be a little much, but with the prevalence of computers, printers, and label-making software, we could come up with something similar. We could print off labels and put them in our caches. I would think the bare minimum info would be: 1. A reference to http://www.geocaching.com 2. The coordinates of the cache 3. The Name given to the cache After that, some nice-to-haves: 1. On-screen name of the cache hider 2. The origin date of the cache 3. A picture or logo 4. Something unique to make the sticker special. Just a thought, Nostromo [This message has been edited by iryshe (edited 02-05-2001).] Quote Link to comment
Guest spike Posted February 5, 2001 Share Posted February 5, 2001 Nostromo, I think you're talking about letterboxing. Chek out http://www.letterboxing.org Quote Link to comment
Guest Nostromo Posted February 6, 2001 Share Posted February 6, 2001 Yes, exactly. Thanks for the link. Is there any interest in creating a unique label for each cache? Suddenly the arrogance of this has struck me: Here I am, new to this whole thing and trying to change it already. Ah, well. That's me I guess. -Nostromo Quote Link to comment
Guest dhill00 Posted February 6, 2001 Share Posted February 6, 2001 I like the idea of a unique stamp or sticker in each cache for the seeker to mark his/her personal logbook with. That would be great! Maybe even have the coordinates on it too? David Quote Link to comment
Guest Ultralight Posted February 6, 2001 Share Posted February 6, 2001 I think the contents of the cache should be determined by the difficulty rating of the cache. i plan on placing a cache that requires a few days hike, and i would place a worthy prise in this cache for whoever found it. eg a GPS or $200 voucher etc. just a suggestion. Quote Link to comment
Guest Nostromo Posted February 7, 2001 Share Posted February 7, 2001 And here I was looking for an excuse to visit Australia. Let me know when you place that Jackpot one, and I?ll cash in some frequent flyer miles and dig out my camping gear. Actually, I agree with the thought of bigger rewards for more sweat on the part of the searcher. I am "upping the ante" on a cache I plan to take on a rather strenuous hike on a remote trail. Instead of 1 lotto ticket, I might leave 2. I have piles of things that I was planning to get rid of, but haven?t because I am too busy (or lazy) to conduct a yard sale. I have some old binoculars, transistor radios, clock radios, cameras, etc., in perfect working order. Just gathering dust in the basement. I also have piles of books on just about any subject. My wife is excited, because she hasn?t found any other way to motivate me to clean out all that junk. ?One man?s trash is another man?s treasure?? Quote Link to comment
Guest Nostromo Posted February 7, 2001 Share Posted February 7, 2001 And here I was looking for an excuse to visit Australia. Let me know when you place that Jackpot one, and I?ll cash in some frequent flyer miles and dig out my camping gear. Actually, I agree with the thought of bigger rewards for more sweat on the part of the searcher. I am "upping the ante" on a cache I plan to take on a rather strenuous hike on a remote trail. Instead of 1 lotto ticket, I might leave 2. I have piles of things that I was planning to get rid of, but haven?t because I am too busy (or lazy) to conduct a yard sale. I have some old binoculars, transistor radios, clock radios, cameras, etc., in perfect working order. Just gathering dust in the basement. I also have piles of books on just about any subject. My wife is excited, because she hasn?t found any other way to motivate me to clean out all that junk. ?One man?s trash is another man?s treasure?? Quote Link to comment
Guest Mike_Teague Posted February 7, 2001 Share Posted February 7, 2001 That's the perfect kind of stuff to put in a cache... In fact, I could use a pair of binoculars! Quote Link to comment
Guest jessie2019 Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 GREAT THINGS TO LEAVE IN A GEOCACH! 1. Batteries; Batteries; Batteries 2. Bandanas ($1.99) 3. Water Bottles (or even bottled water) 4. Canoe Candles ($6) 5. Small swiss army knife (Cost about $9) 6. Compass ($5-20) 7. Sunglasses ($1.99 - 10.99) 8. Handwarmers (these are always welcomed!) 9. Small inexpensive field guide to local birds, flowers, etc. or guide to local trails. 10. Park or River maps. These are usually free, available from your state department of parks, and provide great information. They are welcomed because they are sometimes hard to find yet provide great information. 11. CDs or DVDs 12. Disposable cameras 13. Fetish figures (these are small stone carvings of bears, wolves, eagles, and other wildlife that were once carved by many native american tribes in the southwest)$5-10 14. Flashlight (especially those mini mag lights - but any model will do) 15. Mini-binnoculars $14.99 16. Sierra Cup 17. Yo-yos 18. Telescoping hiking pole ($9-15) 19. Ear Muffs or extra gloves (for colder climates) 20. Frisbee or boomerang 21. Any other humorous book or gadget (and if you are in Minnesota - Duct tape). Quote Link to comment
Guest Seamus Posted February 20, 2001 Share Posted February 20, 2001 s in the cache, they could add a note to the description encouraging searchers to bring along their own ink pad...? -- Seamus KC5UGQ (Already developing ideas for hiding one of my own...) [This message has been edited by Seamus (edited 02-20-2001).] Quote Link to comment
Guest jeremy Posted February 20, 2001 Share Posted February 20, 2001 The letterboxing folks are sure to be experts regarding inkpads. I've never searched for one myself, but I'd assume it all depends on the climate, and most probably bring their own inkpads. http://www.letterboxing.org - North America Jeremy Quote Link to comment
Guest O-man Posted February 21, 2001 Share Posted February 21, 2001 There is a cacher in CA that has set out six caches, but has only described 5 of them on the Geocaching site (MAMoran, I think). But in each of the five, there is a clue as to the location of the sixth. Brilliant idea, and compelling to slowly piece the puzzle together as you visit each site - its not so much the treasure as it is the game. Quote Link to comment
Guest Krepism Posted February 22, 2001 Share Posted February 22, 2001 My wife has purchased many items for our first Cache. It has a survial theme; A tent, folding saw, canteen, waterprof matches, body warmers, folding shovel with pick, pocket mirror, pocket knife, one use camera and of course the log book. I am new to the state so I am still looking for a good location. The dadgum snow is really putting a damper on things! Quote Link to comment
Guest cali9 Posted February 22, 2001 Share Posted February 22, 2001 Items to Leave: bird whistle flashlite compass batteries gift certificates fanny bag $$$$$$$ I was wondering whats been THE BIG CACHE? big money? new car keys? palm pilot? diamond ring? rolex watch? elvis tix stub? Quote Link to comment
Guest RyckZ Posted February 24, 2001 Share Posted February 24, 2001 There are some great ideas here for cache items. Not to make more work for Jeremy, but it might be nice if he added a list of suggested items including those from this forum for new geocachers to see on his site. On my first find yesterday, I left a laser pointer, and my companion left a baseball hat with $5 bill tucked inside. Quote Link to comment
Guest dobre Posted February 25, 2001 Share Posted February 25, 2001 I left my first cache today, mostly with knicknacks but I also put in a roll of film (unused) and some batteries. It is in a pretty high traffic urban area, so I don't expect it to last too long.For my next cache, a treat..I work for an airline, and I will be putting in a "buddy pass" which will allow you to travel at a very discounted rate anywhere we fly... Quote Link to comment
Guest Paul Lamble Posted March 2, 2001 Share Posted March 2, 2001 Can I make a suggestion about those cameras people leave in their caches? It occurs to me that if you take a picture that too clearly indicates the hiding place of the cache, and the picture gets posted online, then the next seeker who has seen the picture will have lost part of the fun of rooting around for the cache. I was at one last week that was hidden in a ledge. My wife took a close up photo of me with the camera in the cache. But if she had backed up more (and not fallen down the hill) she might have gotten more of the ledge in the shot, which could have given away where the cache was tucked in. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment
Guest GOMom Posted March 7, 2001 Share Posted March 7, 2001 For a short-hike-cache, how about a book of stamps, prepaid phone cards, calamine lotion or a nice 1st aid kit, a bottle of DEET or herbal equivalent, or an esbit burner and lighter with a coffee mug and a packet of gourmet instant beverage...etc, etc. Quote Link to comment
Guest RyckZ Posted March 11, 2001 Share Posted March 11, 2001 Polaroid makes the $20, "I-Zone" instant picture camera. You can get "sticky" film for it so that visitors can paste their picture in the logbook if they like. Polaroid also makes a $25 "Webster" portable scanner to capture those "I-Zone" pictures. It fits in the palm of your hand,is battery operated and stores 20 pics. You then take it back to your computer and connect it with a serial cable to download the pics from the scanner's memory. Great application for GeoCache Websites. Just get permission before posting pictures. I'll be posting some soon at http://www.tbbs.com/~zarick/GeoCache/ Quote Link to comment
Guest Quinnow Posted March 11, 2001 Share Posted March 11, 2001 In my area we have what is known as a dollar store. And by what the names says...you guessed it, everything is a dollar. Anything from lighted keychains to small tools as well as watches, batteries, cameras, you name it and you can get it there. i am not sure but I think most areas would have a store like this. I have been able to make great caches for about 10.00 + the cache box I use. Quote Link to comment
Guest firewolf Posted March 11, 2001 Share Posted March 11, 2001 , but money, buddy pass, things that have a value more then a few dollars seems to much. Sorry if anyone took offense. Quote Link to comment
Guest Anton Posted March 12, 2001 Share Posted March 12, 2001 Priorities! Priorities! What about toilet paper? Quote Link to comment
Guest Anton Posted March 13, 2001 Share Posted March 13, 2001 Almost forgot. What about a simple pocket knife? I would suggest the classic French pocket knife, the Opinel. FYI, there's an Opinel in the Museum of Modern Art. Wood handle, locking ring, and carbon steel - a wonderfully elegant, yet functional design, and very inexpensive. About $6-12 depending on the model size. The one usually seen in stores is the Number 8, for about $9. Look for them at Williams-Sonoma, if all else fails, but they're cheaper online. If you're lucky, you'll find one in a camping store. Opinel - Discount Knives http://www.tiac.net/users/knives/Opinel.htm Opinel - The Knife Center http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/opinel/opinel.html Opinel - Traditional French Knives http://premiumknives.com/ShopSite/Opinel_Traditional_French_Knives.html The Opinel "Effile" - a personal story http://www.nyu.edu/pages/ngc/projects/JetLog/summer96/071396.html Vive La Belle France - scroll to Opinel http://www.bavaria.com/entertainment/frenchday_us.html The Mushroom Hunters - scroll to Opinel http://www.theage.com.au/travel/20001031/A18221-2000Oct31.html Campfire Cuisine - scroll to Opinel http://www.pathfinder.com/FoodWine/805/camping.html Epicurious Food: The Hunt for Girolles http://www.epicurious.com/e_eating/e02_france/normandy/chanterelle.html Anton ------------------ Anton Ninno, N2RUD Syracuse, NY 13210 Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted October 27, 2002 Share Posted October 27, 2002 How about eggs? You can get a dozen of them for under $3. "Men don't stop playing because they get old, they get old because they stop playing" Oliver Wendell Holmes Quote Link to comment
+Planet Posted October 27, 2002 Share Posted October 27, 2002 I have been making homemade ornaments out of blown out eggs. They are not necessarily Christmas themed, but make great Christmas ornaments. I package them in tissue paper and give them their own little Rubbermaid container. So far two I have placed tow and both have been picked up and they have made it through weather and have fared well. So I will be making more and perhaps putting the geologo on them to fit the theme. Fragile, beatuiful, and time consuming to make, but inexpensive. It just takes a while to gather enough eggs if you don't want to eat scrambled eggs every day. Cache you later, Planet Quote Link to comment
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