lame-o things to put in a cache

[Guest cache_ninja]

AOL cd

 

[This message has been edited by cache_ninja (edited 03-18-2001).]

[Guest Quinnow]

Heyyy!...I left a "aol" cd in one of my caches, now if I kept it that would have been lame!

But I guess you are right, besides, how do you get a aol cd in one of those microcaches of yours?

 

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Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.

Navicache.com

[Guest Florian]

I put an AOL disk in one of my caches (GC30A) and the second person that found the cache took it for a friend. ;-)

[Guest cache_ninja]

i dunno, i get a million in the mail, basically consider them annoying garbage, and figured everyone else did as well, thought the person was rather lazy and uncreative when i found one in a cache... but, whatever...i know there are some uses for them.

c/n

[Guest makaio]

yeah, they make great skeet targets

[Guest makaio]

yeah, they make great skeet targets

[Guest juno88]

Or good coasters!

[Guest Quinnow]

-----

Quinn Stone

Rochester, NY.14616

www.Navicache.com

[Guest kbraband]

A book of matches. All we need is some yahoo or kid finding the cache and then burning down the dang forest.

[Guest drs]

I wrote the following and sent it to the email list. Cache Ninja suggested I post it here as well.

 

quote:

---

As Geocaching has grown more popular, I've noticed a great deal of, for lack of a better word, "crap" is being placed in caches - stuff that no one would be excited about finding, stuff that attracts animals, stuff that soils the cache, etc. In reading through some of the cache logs in Colorado, I've noticed people have left soft drinks and orange juice (some of which have exploded in cold weather), and one person opened a cache and found a couple bottles of beer. Someone else bragged about leaving cigarettes and condoms, and in one of my caches (in the Dallas area) someone left packets of McDonald's jelly.

 

People seem to be forgetting that

(1) some people geocache with their children

(2) some things can explode in extreme temps

(3) some things may attract animals that can damage themselves and/or the cache

(4) no one will be excited about finding McDonald's jelly

 

I know of a couple caches that have been hidden by families, one in particular by someone with a 5 year old daughter. It makes me sad that they may someday, if they haven't already, go check up on their cache and have to explain to their 5 year old what condoms are.

 

For me, the enjoyment in cache hunting has always come from the hiking and the finding, not the exchanging of items. I realize that a lot of people really do like exchanging items, and I'm not trying to say that is any less a part of the game, but it seems to be the part of the game that causes the most damage to the caches, the environment, and the game itself.

 

I don't really know of a solution to improve the "signal to noise ratio" of cache items, but I have been thinking that the next cache I hide will be a log-only cache; only big enough to hold the logbook with instructions not to leave anything but a note in the log.

 

I'm not suggesting that all caches be like this. I'm not trying to suggest we need cache police or anything like that. Really, the only point of this big, long, rambling message was to ask what others think of log-only caches.. Sorry it took me so long to say that.

---

 

As for lame-o things to put in a cache, I would have to say McDonald's Jelly.

 

dave

[Guest drs]

I wrote the following and sent it to the email list. Cache Ninja suggested I post it here as well.

 

quote:

---

As Geocaching has grown more popular, I've noticed a great deal of, for lack of a better word, "crap" is being placed in caches - stuff that no one would be excited about finding, stuff that attracts animals, stuff that soils the cache, etc. In reading through some of the cache logs in Colorado, I've noticed people have left soft drinks and orange juice (some of which have exploded in cold weather), and one person opened a cache and found a couple bottles of beer. Someone else bragged about leaving cigarettes and condoms, and in one of my caches (in the Dallas area) someone left packets of McDonald's jelly.

 

People seem to be forgetting that

(1) some people geocache with their children

(2) some things can explode in extreme temps

(3) some things may attract animals that can damage themselves and/or the cache

(4) no one will be excited about finding McDonald's jelly

 

I know of a couple caches that have been hidden by families, one in particular by someone with a 5 year old daughter. It makes me sad that they may someday, if they haven't already, go check up on their cache and have to explain to their 5 year old what condoms are.

 

For me, the enjoyment in cache hunting has always come from the hiking and the finding, not the exchanging of items. I realize that a lot of people really do like exchanging items, and I'm not trying to say that is any less a part of the game, but it seems to be the part of the game that causes the most damage to the caches, the environment, and the game itself.

 

I don't really know of a solution to improve the "signal to noise ratio" of cache items, but I have been thinking that the next cache I hide will be a log-only cache; only big enough to hold the logbook with instructions not to leave anything but a note in the log.

 

I'm not suggesting that all caches be like this. I'm not trying to suggest we need cache police or anything like that. Really, the only point of this big, long, rambling message was to ask what others think of log-only caches.. Sorry it took me so long to say that.

---

 

As for lame-o things to put in a cache, I would have to say McDonald's Jelly.

 

dave

[Guest Markwell]

[Deleted by Markwell] - See "Lame things to Post in a Forum."

 

[This message has been edited by Markwell (edited 19 June 2001).]

[Guest cache_ninja]

i now add condom to the list of lame-o things to put in a cache

 

please add more items to this forum as necessary

[Guest Ron Streeter]

As an AOL user and an AOL stockholder, I think I speak for the over 20 million people who use this service (and compuserve) when I say that the AOL CD has a place in caches. If you don't want one, don't take it.

 

On a related note, how about a thread on "lame" words to use in postings?

 

As a teacher I would suggest the word "lame" should be stricken from use in its vernacular sense ! (IMHO) But then maybe that would be considered lame or not PHAT.

 

[This message has been edited by Ron Streeter (edited 04-05-2001).]

[Guest cache_ninja]

hello Ron

 

i was under the impression that AOL cds were predominantly used these days by people who send out tons of spam, but perhaps you like that type of mail, since AOL has the tendency to send its users spam of its own. I stand corrected though, seems as if people have some(s) use for the cds....I just get tons in the mail and find them a nuisance, and as i said, as a result thought people who were sticking them in caches were just being plain lazy.

 

As far as your suggestion goes, I don't find it particularly useful, or productive to criticize other people's speech here on the boards, perhaps that discussion would be more well suited to an education forum of some sort. Maybe that's the best place to publicly make jabs at others for their choice of words if you so desire. Or if it was just directed at me in particular, I apologize for not being articulate enough for you, but it seems lame-o(i.e. silly) for you to even bring it up here.

 

c/n

[Guest Ron Streeter]

C_N

 

Touchy, touchy !

[Guest Cape Cod Cache]

Lame: 2, lacking needful or desirable substance....

 

Good things to leave in a cache, pocket dictionary or thesaurus...French/English English/French dictionary near the ME/Quebec border would be a plus

 

(I used to teach too Ron, American Lit is full of vernacular, I didn't tolerate it when I taught US History, but this is just a casual conversation. Take your tie off and relax Bud !)

 

[This message has been edited by Cape Cod Cache (edited 04-06-2001).]

[Guest cache_only]

I enjoyed it so much I kept it for years. I enjoy finding caches simply for the sake of finding them. I think it's unfortunate that some people might actually expect a certain minimum dollar amount of each gift in a cache. Gosh, at this point I would recommend a large-coiled metal detector to find real buried caches. No gift in the two caches I've placed exceeds three or four dollars. I did this because I do not want greedy treasure seekers to visit my cache. I want people who are interested in the sport solely for the love of the game. And, as an act of deference, I've passed on many nice gifts in caches I've found. I've left them for those seeking the nicer gifts. My wife and I just love this sport. We would drive a hundred miles just for the thrill of the search and to sign the log book: No gifts necessary. Rob.

[Guest garyc]

I think aol cd's are great. "for target practice"........ha ha ha.....

[Guest Anton]

Greetings,

 

Anything that would embarrass a parent opening a cache with a child, or an adult opening a cache with their THEIR parent, could reasonably be labled "lame", or worse.

Not sure? Well, what would you like to see as you open a cache if you were a parent, grandparent, or child, in that situation?

 

BTW, count me as another teacher who laments the gradual, but relentless impoverishment of the English language. The suggestion I make to students that they save their favorite slang words to make a point or to create a feeling that has some meaning in that moment.

 

Using slang or bad language when it isn't particularly meaningful just lets it become a bad habit. If you use those words all the time, regardless of need, they lose their special emotional and descriptive character. If you want an example, listen to Rap. Work in a barn, and you won't notice the smell.

 

Yo! Eh? Way! Chill.

 

Anton

 

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Anton Ninno - N2RUD

Syracuse, NY 13210

[Guest Ron Streeter]

Greetings garyc...

 

You funny guy...velly funny ! I laugh too every time I sell some of my AOL stock at a profit ! (see earlier post)

 

regards...still an AOL user and stockholder !

[Guest Exaibachey]

On my list of lame things would have to be...

taking WAY more than you put in. As I read the logs, I see a very common trend developing. People tend to take much more out than they leave. And before it starts, I know it is not about the value, it's the idea that's all. I placed my first cache last weekend and the value of the contents is approx. $100.00. I could care less about the money. But I would like to see people that like to exchange items be equally aware of what they are going to leave as to what they are taking. I have cache #2 about ready, and it is about $250.00 of stuff that I want to put out (laughing, clean out of the closet is more like it) But, I put the items I choose in there with a wide range of seekers in mind, and would like for a person 3 or 4 months from now be just as excited to find it as when the first person did.

Just my 2 cents. Cache on!

B r a d

 

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I used to think the world was flat. Now I know it's just crooked.

[Guest cache_only]

...On my list of lame things would have to be

taking WAY more than you put in.

 

I agree, but please read below.

 

...I placed my first cache last weekend and the value of the contents is approx. $100.00. I could care less about the money. But I would like to see people that like to exchange items be equally aware of what they are going to leave as to what they are taking. I have cache #2 about ready, and it is about $250.00 of stuff that I want to put out (laughing, clean out of the closet is more like it) But, I put the items I choose in there with a wide range of seekers in mind, and would like for a person 3 or 4 months from now be just as excited to find it as when the first person did.

Just my 2 cents. Cache on!

B r a d

 

It's good that you are a giving person and put so much monetary value into your cache, but I think it is unrealistic to expect people to reciprocate with such high-dollar items. If I were to visit your cache, out of deference I would not take anything because I would not give anything of equal value. But you cannot expect everybody to do the same. There may even be people who enter this sport for the sole purpose of raiding and plundering caches. To me, that's why the gifts should remain inexpensive; you want people to visit the cache solely out of their love of the game. When you leave such high-dollar items, you are unwittingly recruiting the rogue element to join the sport for the plundering value of the caches.

 

I've placed four caches. They cost me about $15 to $20 each (I try to keep each gift between $3 and $5). Nobody has posted a follow-up stating that my gifts were too inexpensive.

 

Think about it: geocachers visit many caches. Can they really afford to leave a $20 gift each time they visit a cache? I can't.

 

Rob

 

[This message has been edited by cache_only (edited 23 April 2001).]

[Guest bacpac]

I made a trip to the dollar store and then grabbed a couple items I would have sold at a garage sale to fill my cache.

 

$100.00? $250.00? No way I am investing that much dough in this silly game. I bet Exaibachey's next cache gets visited the day he posts it. LOL

[Guest cache boy]

Instead of going to a dollar store, try going to a good thrift store. One I know of has a table full of 10 cent "toys" - most of which are broken/stupid Happy Meal toys. But if one searches through the pile, you'll find some interesting items that would be great for a cache. I would rather encounter a cache with a bunch of unique cheap items rather than more costly generic items.

[Guest cache_ninja]

i agree completely, this is what i usually try to do. i find old toys much nicer and more personal. i really prefer something used/played with to some generic toy in a wrapper purchased in nearby "What's Up 99 cents". yes. thats the real name.

 

c/n

[Guest Exaibachey]

Originally posted by cache_only:

>It's good that you are a giving person and put so much monetary value into your >cache, but I think it is unrealistic to expect people to reciprocate with such high-dollar >items. If I were to visit your cache, out of deference I would not take anything >because I would not give anything of equal value. But you cannot expect everybody >to do the same.

>Think about it: geocachers visit many caches. Can they really afford to leave a $20 >gift each time they visit a cache? I can't.

 

Laughing.. Please don?t misinterpret what I meant. By no means is the emphasis on dollar amount. It was, and is to me only thoughtfulness of the exchange. I don?t expect anyone to be worried about that. Please to all of you, help yourself to anything I might put out there.

The first cache my wife and I found, I left something very special. I left a single stone from The Valley of Fire in Nevada. I had carried around that rock for quite a while and thought it would be pretty cool to leave it and see what if any reaction it would get. And to this day, absolutely nothing! LOL. In return, I took a single tennis ball. What was the value? To me it was allot, that stone had a very special personal meaning to me, but to others, absolutely nothing. I put in something, although worthless monetarily, but priceless in other ways. That is really all I meant by my comments. I would not put in anything because of value and expect the same in return. All of the items I put out are really of no particular value to me, just thought others would enjoy finding and would like to see things left with the same thoughtfulness in mind.

I guess a good example of what I am talking about would be finding the cache and taking a flashlight when it is light out, knowing that there probably will be a fellow cacher that might be trying to get out as it is getting dark and that flashlight just might be very useful to them to get back to their car.

I know the list could be very large, but as I said, I put much thought as to the situation of individual cachers. Perhaps I should re-think my caching practices.... Nah, I like thinking of others and what they might find.

Best personal regards,

Brad

[Guest bacpac]

I am pretty sure that there will be some folks who give more than they recieve, just as there will be folks who recieve more than they give.

 

How can you tell?

 

If I leave a very personal and meaningful possesion in a cache should I be disappointed when someone reveals that they took the Civil War Picture of my Great, Great, Grandfather, because the dog got hold of it and wouldn't let it go?

 

I had a guy leave a golf ball he found on the trail. A worthless range ball! As it turns out it was one I hit off the top of the mountain four years earlier (or it could have been).

[Guest Scout]

quote:

---

Originally posted by bacpac:

I had a guy leave a golf ball he found on the trail. A worthless range ball

---

 

I plead guilty of doing this on my first cache, when I learned about the take something/leave something ethic only after finding the cache. The cache hunter before us had mentioned in his online log entry the occasional lost golf ball to be found on the way. He advised, "Be sure to pick up some golf balls on your trip!" So we did. My son loved finding them, almost as much as finding the cache. So we felt some kid after us might enjoy taking one home. We left them in the cache. We didn't feel bad then and your post now doesn't change my mind. One man's trash is another kid's treasure.

[Guest Tyger]

re special picture, as it will be the only time I will ever get a picture of that cat, as she passed away last year of old age, at 19 years.

[Guest tnunnery]

Those pictures sound like a great thing to leave in a cache. I think it is much better for people (both hiders and seekers) to put items in caches that are meaningful to them. Not necessarily valuable but meaningful. It is much better than to find or leave items from the bargain table at the dollar store. I tend to leave things that are somehow personal and show my interests. I also try to leave/place items that are useful in a camping/hiking sense as well as things kids might enjoy. I will certainly look for one of your pictures when I am in SF again!

[Guest Silver]

If you do put something in a cache that has a special meaning, by all means put it in a ziplock bag with an explanation. A picture of a cat would not be very interesting, but a picture with that explanation would make the cache and the picture much more interesting.

 

I have found a couple of caches here near Seattle that have some of the local history inside. They make the caches much more fun to find.

 

Silver

[Guest Tyger]

I put a URL on the back of the pictures, along with the species and name of the cat. And I do put them in bags, as well. In the case of the late cougar, I'd also put a comment about that.

[Guest bunkerdave]

In the first cache I ever found, I traded for a pin. I have now made it a mission to get a pin form every cache. Of course, most of the time, there is no pin in the cache, but I try to trade anyway. I have gotten seven or eight pins from the 19 caches I have found since I began GeoCaching on April 27, and I have a cap I wear when hunting to which I attach all these pins. It is not about value - it's about experiences. Start a collection of worthless items you get from caches - you'll be amazed how excited you can get over other people's "junk."

[Guest wtmrn]

One mans junk is anothers treasure?

The aol disks are good for monster rancher. personally my votegoes to letterbox stamps

[Guest cache_only]

I see more and more of "letterbox stamps." It's real big in England. But what in the world is this? I have no idea.

 

Thanks,

Rob

[Guest MountainDiver]

Check here for more information than you ever wanted to know...

 

http://www.letterboxing.org/

 

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

The MountainDiver

34 01.649 N

84 27.211 W

 

"GPS satellites are nice because they can answer two of the three most common questions in my life: "What time is it?" and "Where am I?" If they could also somehow determine whether I have any clean underwear left, the bases would be covered." --- The Brunching Shuttlecocks

[Guest chipper]

I'm thinking about posting a computer parts cache. You know modems, connectors ect. Would this be considered lame?

[Guest Latrom]

I placed a cache with CDs I burnt with tons of (legal) games on it like Duke Nukem 2 and Doom along with a copy of my web page, etc. I also placed one of my many extra computer mice in there. I know I'd be pretty happy to find a cache with that kind of stuff inside.

[Guest Latrom]

I placed a cache with CDs I burnt with tons of (legal) games on it like Duke Nukem 2 and Doom along with a copy of my web page, etc. I also placed one of my many extra computer mice in there. I know I'd be pretty happy to find a cache with that kind of stuff inside.

[Guest manuelcasi]

I have placed ram in a few caches. I wonder how manny finders know what it is?

[Guest suntzu]

dont worry about the monetary value, geeez. Just put something unique/interesting in.

[Guest brownbag]

I just went to one that had a Book of Mormon in it with a message about how it would change my life. Perhaps if it also had something from several other religions it would be properly tacky enough to be interesting.

[Guest ClayJar]

ld this be considered lame?

---

 

If you name it something appropriately geeky, and perhaps even mention such things in the description, perhaps it would fly. It'd be especially neat if it were a computer-themed cache container, although it may take a bit of work to do that, and it wouldn't be appropriate for just any cache site.

 

(Personally, I'm trying to think of a good container theme for my first cache, which I'll assemble as soon as I have planting permission.)

 

Oh, and as for AOL discs, I'd personally think they're tacky (since you can grab them at Sears, your mailbox, or your local whatever), but if it's one of the ones in the nice DVD-style cases, throw it in there! (The cases are definitely worthwhile.)

 

[This message has been edited by ClayJar (edited 18 June 2001).]

[Guest Byron]

I agree with the idea of something unique placed in a cache. Pins are one of the neater things or patches. I recently decided that I would include one of my other hobbies, kind of join the two. Wood carving is something I've done for several years. Just for the purposes of geocaching I developed a carved pin in the shape of an old stump. So far I've only left one, but I intend to leave one in every cache I find and a couple in any I plant.

[+SG-MIN]

Oh, and as for AOL discs, I'd personally think they're tacky (since you can grab them at Sears, your mailbox, or your local whatever), but if it's one of the ones in the nice DVD-style cases, throw it in there! (The cases are definitely worthwhile.)

 

Somethings change, other things never do.

[+sbell111]

Sometimes people dredge up the oldest threads they can find, sometimes they don't.

[+SG-MIN]

Sometimes people dredge up the oldest threads they can find, sometimes they don't.

 

I was searching the forums for all the threads started about junk in caches and this one came up. Don't tell me that now you are against using the search function. I just find it intersting that 5 years ago the arguements were the same.

 

The age of the thread only has to do with the age of the arguement. Interesting that AOL DVD cases were a worthwhile find.

[+Bad_CRC]

AOL cd

 

is it ok if we put 250 of them in a coworker's office when she went on vacation?

 

[+RealWorldAvatars]

Okay, now that is freaking evil. But at least it gave you something to do with all those discs!

 

I have to say, though, that AOL CDs would actually be better than some of the stuff I've found in caches. Used movie tickets, expired bus passes, a handful of blown fuses... yes, fuses... a parking ticket, an action figure with two limbs missing... at what point did "cache" become synonymous with "trash can"?

 

Wait, I take that back. Going by the age of this thread, I'd say it's always been a problem. Bloody irritating that it hasn't been solved by now, but I guess it's human nature to be an asshat if nobody's looking at you.