Caches disguised as...

September 27, 2003

I'm currnetly doing an article on caches and how they have been disguised. I've personally done one that looks like a birds nest, while I've seen ones that are pine cones and logs.

How has anyone else diguised their caches?

--

SpongeRob

rwmech@keenpeople.com

www.keenpeople.com

WPWU826

1.6k · September 27, 2003

yeah, I've seen the pinecone thing. Also, seen the fake sprinker head, fake fence strut, and the fake birdhouse.

CR

September 27, 2003

A Fake sprinkler head? How did they do that?

--

SpongeRob

rwmech@keenpeople.com

www.keenpeople.com

WPWU826

1.6k · September 27, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by SpongeRob:
A Fake sprinkler head? How did they do that?

Check your email.

CR

3k · September 27, 2003

Fake stumps and logs are pretty common around here. Well, not that common but I've seen several. Both made in different ways. The logs were cut in half and carved out where the stumps were made with spray foam around a plastic container then had bark and spray paint added to it.

brdad has cut out a large space in a large log big enough for a ammo can to fit in. There should be a pic around here somewhere for that.

I have done some clever hides (I think) but can't give out that info here.

__________________________

Caching with a clue....

4.8k · September 27, 2003

The fake sprinkler head I've heard of and have been considering for a multi I'm conjuring up. But how do they keep it from being removed by the maintenance type people?

3k · September 27, 2003

Fake sprinkler heads are so "last year." This year, everybody-who's-anybody is painting tiny little bison cylinders to look like the stumps of broken-off tree branches.

Still, my all-time favorites remain the pvc "pipe bomb" caches. One I found even had a little red pushbutton that functioned as a pressure release.

[This message was edited by BassoonPilot on September 27, 2003 at 07:53 AM.]

September 27, 2003

quote:
Fake sprinkler heads are so "last year." This year, everybody-who's-anybody is painting tiny little bison cylinders to look like the stumps of broken-off tree branches.

Can I quote you on that? Hey, looks like I just did

Seriously, what are the trends for this. I personally did a Birds nest and had not seen that before. Are there somethings that are "overdone?"

--

SpongeRob

rwmech@keenpeople.com

www.keenpeople.com

WPWU826

3k · September 27, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by SpongeRob:

Seriously, what are the trends for this. I personally did a Birds nest and had not seen that before. Are there somethings that are "overdone?"

Such novelty caches are fun the first time one encounters one (and when it is unique in the area.) But they are no different than the prototypical plastic-box-hidden-under-parallel-sticks after the first one.

2.5k · September 27, 2003

double post

[This message was edited by cachew nut on September 27, 2003 at 08:35 AM.]

2.5k · September 27, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by cachew nut:
The problem with fake sprinkler heads is that in order for them to blend in to the environment, they are hidden among real sprinkler heads.

This causes the hunter to start unscrewing the tops, and then the springs in the real ones send all of the parts flying all over the place.

Luckily I, err.. I mean the geocacher, can usually gather up the pieces and put it back together, in most cases.

4.5k · September 27, 2003

I hunted one that turned out to be hidden in a hollowed out rock set alongside other rocks that made up the border of a flower bed. I knew something was wrong when I lifted it and it was too light. But it was very clever nonetheless.

Alan

5k · September 27, 2003

While not so clever as a birdhouse, one cache I hunted was disguised as trash.

I don't know if it was intentional, but after looking around for a while among some illegal dumping, I found the cache in a rusty coffee can just sitting out in the open. Brilliant. No one would ever bother with it.

I know what you think. A cache amongst illegal dumping? Well, it was an old cemetary on a dirt road in Arkansas. Not the most scenic cache, but it was fun to look for. As recounted in my log, the day I found this one (was/could have been) a pivotal day in my life.

Jamie

5.3k · September 27, 2003

I have one that is a fake sprinkler head. I also have done on that looks like part of a fire hydrant.

4.5k · September 27, 2003

You just reminded me, Jamie, I just hid a cache in a 4" Rubbermaid inside a black plastic bag. I know a lot of people don't like this. BUt it's a quick way to disguise the container. Black is hard to see. PLus where I hid it in an urban park's woods, there's enough real garbage and bags around that should mine be uncovered, I'm hoping non-cachers would just take it for some more trash and not plunder it.

We'll see.

Alan

September 27, 2003

Don't think it's a good idea to spoil the past or future ideas of the imaginative folks who come up with the more creativge ideas by posting here..

I'll email one to you.

"Today's truth remains valid only as long as it withstands the test of tomorrow's discoveries" - George Hicks

3k · September 27, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by gallahad:
Don't think it's a good idea to spoil the past or future ideas of the imaginative folks who come up with the more creativge ideas by posting here..

I wrote precisely the same thing in the several previous incarnations of threads on this topic, but nobody ever listened ... so learn to "go with the flow."

3.9k · September 27, 2003

The very first cache I hid over 2 years ago I used a fake plant that I got from Walmart. It looked so natural sitting right out there in the open.

El Diablo

Everything you do in life...will impact someone,for better or for worse.

http://www.geo-hikingstick.com

September 27, 2003

I have seen a toadstool. It had a spot on the back hollowed out and a 35mm film canister fit in perfectly. Placed on the log with wood pegs.

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

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

N61.12.041 W149.43.734

2.1k · September 27, 2003

About 200 feet from the real cache (painted tupperware) I once found a fake rock and it was fake enough that if you saw it you knew, but if you glanced, it would be real enough.

It was hollow and plastic, so I picked it up (suspecting it was the cache). The location matched the cache description but the coords were off by 50-100 ft (but I wasn't getting the greatest reception). Once I had it up and looking inside one of the holes in its side...I realized it was a poison trap for mice...

--

http://www.piratetravels.com/pirate.htm

9.4k · September 27, 2003

What's with the avatars, ju66l3r?

My favorite is still the perfectly placed fake electrical box. i was rolling on the ground when I realized it was the cache I had searched an hour for.

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness

September 27, 2003

Two of my "disguises" are here:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=80579

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=82883

BAAAD! BAAAAD!!!!

A BAAAD Ancestor is Good to Find!!!!

http://blacksheep.rootsweb.com/

September 27, 2003

Check out:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=34807&log=y&decrypt=

Its a great container that you can wear.

September 27, 2003

I have one that I wrapped in tree bark and camoflauged to look like a branch of a tree (still attached to tree). I thought it looked great, until the bark started falling off I've also seen a cache that was inside a 2 inch diamater pole...Best cache I've ever seen in my life!

jhwf4

September 27, 2003

Making it more of a challenge is definitely a good thing, but I have issues with some of them. Fake birds nests? I try to avoid hiding mine (just 2 so far) anywhere need bird nests/boxes so nobody mistakenly diturbs it. Fake electrical boxes. What happens if its not fake? Kzzzzzzzzzzzap!

Maybe we shouldn't encourage people in certain directions that may be unhealthy to the environment, themselves, or the reputation of those dadgum sprinkler vanadlizing geocachers in general.

September 27, 2003

I've seen a lot of good camo jobs, but around here the most creative camo jobs are done by Team Dakiba. You might want to contact them to discuss - I don't want to give away their techniques in the forums...

--

Pehmva!

Random quote:

sigimage.php

September 27, 2003

What about a fake porta-potty cache?

"I cache; therefore I am"

September 28, 2003

Just fpund pne yesterday that was disguised as a rock. They took a small mason jar and "made" a custom rock with the jar in the center. It most definitely a custom job. It lloked like they used a concrete/rock mixture. It even had some wheight to it. Totally looked like the real thing. I lifted it up, not realizing that I had the cache in my hand. Very well done.

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

When everything is comming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

September 28, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Cruzin!:
I've seen a lot of good camo jobs, but around here the most creative camo jobs are done by Team Dakiba. You might want to contact them to discuss - I don't want to give away their techniques in the forums...

--

Pehmva!

Random quote:

http://sthomas.net/sigimage.php

Yeah - he is good. Very prolific as well. He has hidden 67+ caches (I have only found 1 of his so far)

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When everything is comming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

September 28, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Bo Peep & The Sheep:
Two of my "disguises" are here:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=80579

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=82883

BAAAD! BAAAAD!

Okay, so what were they? Why post the links, have me read the page & logs, and tell absolutely nothing of any use? That was an utter waste of time.

I have an idea for one that'd take a bit of work to do very well... disguise a cache as road kill.

September 28, 2003

I guess you are going to have to look for them...

BAAAD! BAAAAD!!!!

A BAAAD Ancestor is Good to Find!!!!

http://blacksheep.rootsweb.com/

[This message was edited by Bo Peep & The Sheep on September 28, 2003 at 10:16 AM.]

September 28, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by SpongeRob:
Seriously, what are the trends for this. I personally did a Birds nest and had not seen that before. Are there somethings that are "overdone?"

Don't worry too much about overdone. Geocaching is a global game played locally. Most geocachers will rarely find a cache more than 50 or so miles from their home. So if you had identical caches 50 miles apart, very few people would find both of them.

I haven't ever found 2 caches camoe'd the same.

Mickey

Max Entropy

More than just a name, a lifestyle.

September 28, 2003

Why not a no-trespassing sign??? You could use either the pole/tree or the sign itself as the cache. The best thing is not many people pay attention to them

If it doesn't hurt your not doing it right

September 28, 2003

Single best cache (as far as disguise) in my book is THE WORLDS MOST VISIBLE CACHE by Kidkrazy. I can't even describe it to you because to do so would be a spoiler.

It's one of those caches that has to be seen to be believed.

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://kenzerco.com

"Never declare war on a man who buys his ink by the gallon."

1.5k · September 28, 2003

I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

I've used such disguises as statues to hide a virtual, or bushes/rocks to hide ammo cans.

At some point, I'll come up with a revolutionary method of hiding, but I'm just not sure it'll be in this lifetime.

Brian

Team A.I.

2.7k · September 28, 2003

I have a magnetically attached electrical box on a non-chilled water fountain.

I put the geologo on it so searchers would not be afraid to fool with it. It is not my intention that it NOT be found, only that it be in a public place and not be found by muggles.

"Freedom is a two-way street."

GDAE, Dave

9.4k · September 29, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by MaxEntropy:
Most geocachers will rarely find a cache more than 50 or so miles from their home. So if you had identical caches 50 miles apart, very few people would find both of them.

Since 'most' would include those that have logged one find and quit, you are technically correct. I'd hate to get Pan mad at me for assuming that I know what 'most' cachers do , so I'll use myself as an example. Yes, most of my total cache finds are in my local area, but let's look back at the past few months:

This month I logged 50 finds. 17 of those were within 50 miles. 2 were more than 50 miles one-way (1 of those was a 288 mile round-trip cache-specific trip meaning we drove there just for the cache), 31 were from a road trip to California.

I also logged 4 not-founds, 2 of which I was able to find on the second trip. (Yes, the not-found logs are still there. I don't believe in deleting them as they are part of the cache's history)

Our Geo-Tank broke down in August and we only logged 2 finds, both local.

In July, I logged 23 caches. 2 were within 50 miles (actually, both were within 2 miles from my house!) 9 were over 50 miles one-way, the other 12 were on a road trip from Chicago to Albuquerque loosely following Route 66.

10 of 16 caches we found in June were further than 50 miles from our house.

I didn't keep track of how many were in ammo cans, but there were several. It's terrible that everyone is copying the same container type. Quite a few micros were in Altoids tins, where will the copying end?

Took sun from sky, left world in eternal darkness

[This message was edited by Team GPSaxophone on September 29, 2003 at 09:03 AM.]

5.9k · September 29, 2003

I have a couple that look like ammo cans.

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

September 29, 2003

Today I visited and logged an empty glass jar in a plastic bag diguised as a cache, will that do?

col

September 29, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Jolly B Good:

It's one of those caches that has to be seen to be believed.

I'd say.... couldn't even find it on a keyword or username search!!!

I walk the Maze of Moments, but everywhere I turn to, begins a new beginning, but never finds a finish... -Enya, Anywhere Is

September 29, 2003

Cow%20Pasture.jpg

Now which "patty" is the fake one with the cache inside?

1.7k · September 29, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Squirrel Nut:

quote:
Originally posted by Jolly B Good:
It's one of those caches that has to be seen to be believed.

I'd say.... couldn't even find it on a keyword or username search!!!

Here it is. It's in my area, too. I might have to go check it out.

pirate.cgi.gif

September 29, 2003

If you are in the South and are really creative, you could make a cache to look like one of these...

September 30, 2003

I want to thank everyone who has emailed me regarding this. I really appreciate the input. I'll finish the article this week.

Once again, thanks to everyone on their input.

--

SpongeRob

rwmech@keenpeople.com

www.keenpeople.com

4.4k · September 30, 2003

spongerob

I sent you an e-mailwithout a link here it is.

Hollow Mushroom

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS

*GEOTRYAGAIN*

TAKE PRIDE IN AMERICA

http://www.doi.gov/news/front_current.html

1803-2003

"LOUSIANA PURCHASE"

http://www.lapurchase.org

"LEWIS AND CLARK EXPADITION"

http://lewisclark.geog.missouri.edu/index

Arkansas Missouri Geocachrs Association

http://www.ARK-MOGeocachersAssociatoin@msnusers.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ark-Mo-Geocachers

[This message was edited by GEO*Trailblazer 1 on September 30, 2003 at 01:04 PM.]

September 30, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by GEO*Trailblazer 1:
spongerob

I sent you an e-mailwithout a link here it is.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details?ID=526888

Link isn't working.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.