How many is too many?

[+Bad Dog 1762]

I have been researching and walking out, taking notes, all the fun stuff that comes along with setting up a nice multi-cache.

 

I have taken notes of places to see history unfold for a local town. There are 32 different sites to see within a 2.7 mile walk through the town. I have prepared to make this a series of multi-caches, all very easy with pictures of the waypoints that the cacher will find historical tidbits.

 

Ok, I think I have given enough background to now ask my question.

 

How many waypoints are too many waypoints? It took me less than a hour to complete the 2.7 mile walk, reading each of the waypoints.

 

[+Graveseeker]

The only problem I see is that if you're trying to show them some history, you need to allow time for them to appreciate it. Should they spend two minutes at each way point? 10? 30? I'd say that anything over four hours (lunch is too long. {Hmm, wonder if there are enough geocachers to make a diner at the end viable?}

 

Good Hunting! -- Graveseeker

[+Sissy-n-CR]

I think that's too many. Maybe if you divided it up into smaller sections, each with a different theme or era.

 

CR

 

[+CWL]

There is a local muilt-cache in my area that (I think) has too many leggs. It is a 7 part multi. 6 being micros with the final one being a ammo can. It really depends on the area and way you present your cache. If your doing it in a historcal area its prob ok to have a high number of waypoints. But I wouldn't expect a new comer to go hit it anytime soon. I know alot of people who even frown apon virturals.

[SpinnerB82002]

Seems to me that you've got a fine cache going there. Keep in mind that only the people who want to do your cache will. Being that I live close to both Gettysburg and Harrisburg, PA, We've got tons of virtual caches here. Alot of caches are set up as a series, though. Check this out. The CCCooper Agency et al have virtual caches all over this area.

Hope this helps.......

 

"Seek and ye shall find"

 

[This message was edited by SpinnerB82002 on January 03, 2003 at 11:19 AM.]

 

[This message was edited by SpinnerB82002 on January 03, 2003 at 11:38 AM.]

 

[This message was edited by SpinnerB82002 on January 03, 2003 at 11:40 AM.]

[+Bad Dog 1762]

As I wrote, I am planning on making these a "series" of caches, however my question is, how many do "you" feel is too many?

 

Let's say I make this a multi-cache series of 4 caches, that would be roughly 9 questions or 9 waypoints to find the answer to the question.

 

We have quite a few teachers and history buffs in this area, I just don't want to over do it.

 

Each waypoint question should take the cacher, 5 to ten minutes to read the sign, find the answer, look at the picture or fact, and then move onto the next location. Which in most cases are less than 1/10 of a mile away in places.

 

[+Bad Dog 1762]

....geez, I forgot to mention that each series of caches, I have prepared a final location with a REAL cache so each multi-cache will have a final location and a cache to locate with the coordinates you will get as you attain each answer at each waypoint. None of the waypoints are virtual. I

 

[SpinnerB82002]

Hey BadDog,

 

I finally got that link working right if you want to see what I was talking about.

 

Sorry if I gave you a headache

 

 

"seek and ye shall find"

 

"Seek and ye shall find"

[+Bad Dog 1762]

Thanks for fixing the link...I was just going to be a bit more patient and see if it worked later. Now, I'll just go check it out.

 

[+Renegade Knight]

If it took you 2.7 hours to walk it how long would it take you to set up the cache? You know what you are doing so take that time and about double it and that's how long you will have a geocacher out there working your multi cache.

 

The number of cachers goes down with difficulty. You could consider smaller legs? Or if you like the entire idea go for it.

 

Wherever you go there you are.

[+JoeCthulhu]

We have a cache in Northern Virginia called Occoquon Ramble that is just like the concept you described. There were 10 separate site none of them WP'd (just described) within a 5 block radius that lead you to a cache a 1/2 mile away.

 

What I would do is break it up in to 4 or 5 caches of various hiking distances and difficulties. Pick out the 7, or so, toughest clues no matter where they are to create a difficulty 3 or better. Bunch up the others by area or theme.

[+Kodak's4]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bad Dog 1762:

I have been researching and walking out, taking notes, all the fun stuff that comes along with setting up a nice multi-cache.

 

I have taken notes of places to see history unfold for a local town. There are 32 different sites to see within a 2.7 mile walk through the town. I have prepared to make this a series of multi-caches, all very easy with pictures of the waypoints that the cacher will find historical tidbits.

 

Ok, I think I have given enough background to now ask my question.

 

How many waypoints are too many waypoints? It took me less than a hour to complete the 2.7 mile walk, reading each of the waypoints.

 

http://www.geocachingwa.org

 

I'm excited to hear of your plans, it sounds like a great cache idea, and of course I'm in your area so I'm hoping to be able to do it, too.

 

I don't know if you've done The Jester's Multi-cache Mania. It's nine legs, and it took my family several weekends to complete. In the end, we decided that 9 legs was just too many.

 

Beyond the obvious endurance challenge it presents, the probability of problems with the multicache increases dramatically as the number of legs increases.

 

I would say how many legs can be done without problems depends to a large degree on whether the legs are microcaches that must be found, or whether they're information that's permanent at each location, used to lead searcher to the next location (e.g. date off a statue, etc).

 

Microcaches go missing. It's a fact of life. If the probability that a single microcache is missing is 1%, then the probability that at least one leg of a 32 leg multi will be missing is 27%.

If the probability for a single micro is 2%, then the probability for a 32 leg multi goes up to nearly 50%

 

There's also the issue of just how much work people will do to score a single find. For my Bear Creek series, I figured people would not want to visit more than 3 locations for each cache find. That seems to have worked out fairly well. For that series, searchers visit 9 locations to find 3 caches - at each of the caches, they get info about the location of the final cache. When they have all the info from the first three caches, they put it together and can find the final cache, which completes the series.

 

[+Genius Loci]

Everybody's giving good advice on this, and I think the idea about the number of points relating to the difficulty of finding those points is the key.

 

I did a 10 or 12 part multi, BUT I only had to spot a landmark at most of the parts, so there was not an extensive hunt involved for each part. Most of the parts just helped steer me through the area (ie. go to the tall tree at XX.XXXX, then find a log to cross the stream at XX.XXX). I only had to get close to the coordinates at most of the points, so they went by quickly. That was a fun cache!

 

On the other hand, I've done a 5 part multi that involved a difficult search for a tiny mini cache at each part. That was getting rather tedius after about the 3rd part (I still thought it was fun, but a lot of cachers never complete it).

 

So, if you want to have a lot of points, just make 'em easier to find. That also puts the emphasis on the history or scenery, rather than on how clever (or difficult) the hiding places are.

 

Also, as our area fills up with more and more caches to choose from, I've noticed that lots of people are beginning to skip the multis. I assume these are mostly people who are looking to pump up their Find counts as fast as possible, or are afraid they won't be able to finish the cache in the time they have alloted. So, you might wind up with a great cache, but if the number of points looks too high, you might not get as many visitors as you'd like.

[SpinnerB82002]

quote:

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Also, as our area fills up with more and more caches to choose from, I've noticed that lots of people are beginning to skip the multis. I assume these are mostly people who are looking to pump up their Find counts as fast as possible,...

---

 

I would be inclined to believe that geocaching is more about the hunt than pumping up your numbers. I'm new at this, did I miss the small print that said that this is a competitive sport????

 

"Seek and ye shall find"

[+Logscaler and Red]

If I read your postings right, you plan on haveing several primary caches with several multi leg hunts to get the final cache per series.

 

Have at it, sounds cool from our end of it. And if these people think that is a bad hunt, look at this one.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=40625

 

TTFN, logscaler.

[+GeoVamp]

If the cache page tells you ahead of time how many legs the cache has and about how long it will take them and you are up front about the cache-then the only limit is what you are willing to go thru to set it up.I just put out a cache that will take about 5 hours from start to finish and I put that right on the cache page.I think that if you are willing to spend hours of you life setting up a cache.And you do it for the love of the game-then there are people who love it just as much and are willing to hunt it.You don't go to there house and twist there arms after all.

[+evergreenhiker!]

Anything over 6 points is way too many. I agree with others that ideal is probably about 4 stops includign the Final.

 

However, you could break these guys into 3 or four caches and each could provide a clue for a Final.

[+Bad Dog 1762]

Alrighty then.....

 

I have not completely finished my series of historical multi-caches, but I am close. I even ran into another cacher (run4cache and Icemonkey while scoping out a final cache location). I have just a bit more information I wish to get from the Bothell Historical Society and then this series of caches will be complete.

 

FYI: This series of caches (the number of series is yet to be determined) are all FIXED waypoints (rocks and pictures posted around the town of Bothell), no hunting or routing around looking for micros or well hidden treasures. My intent isn't to make this hard and impossible to complete.

 

I will post pictures of the types of waypoints, and it will be rather obvious once you walk up to the first two waypoints. Teh waypoints are even maintained by the City of Bothell, so no missing waypoints! I am even going to post spoiler pictures of where to find the caches.

 

Exercise and education are my primary goals. At each waypoint listed, a question will be asked, the questions are short and sweet and easy to locate on the waypoints.

 

I do not really care how many cachers finish or even start the series, but those who do will be richly rewarded with the wealth of knowledge and nice healthy beating heart.

 

Thanks to those who gave input and their opinions.