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I hate Micros


Zartimus

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One day while looking for a micro with Tripper and Hook, Tripper said: "I hate micros. I'm gonna put a micro cache out there and call it I HATE micros.

 

Not to be outdone, I said "I'm gonna put one out and call it I hate micros too!

 

And then Hook said: "Hey, I actually Love micros!"...

 

Ya see, I hate them cause they are so small and hard to find and you can't stuff anything good in them.

 

But hey, a cache is a cache! Anyone else hate 'em?

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Similar feelings with Doc... Though, when there are plenty of places for regular size container, I don't see a reason to hide a micro, unless the hiding place is really something special. Looking for a micro in a rocky hill with large boulders is mostly just frustrating.

 

- I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. -

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I'm not crazy about them, but they have their place. In urban parks, or other high traffic areas they are necessary. I don't like them where a regular cache could easily be hidden.

 

I think part of the reason for their popularity is becuase they don't require a lot of thought, effort, or maintenance. Just a film canister and some paper and presto, a cache.

 

"You can't make a man by standing a sheep on his hind legs. But by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" - Max Beerbohm

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I like micros, in urban settings. Micros hidden in the woods are the top of my list for evil caches. I'll search for them and get frustrated looking but I will search. A cache is a cache, and I know I don't have to search for them if I don't like them. But finding challengeing caches is good for my morale and a micro in the woods is definitely a challenge.

-Jennifer

 

Age does not bring wisdom, but it does give perspective.

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Nothing worse that a tiny film canister in a huge hollow tree. What's the point? I love Urban Micros, especially when you can skunk people like this one Most of the logs say 'we walked right past 2 or 3 times.'

 

Hey Doc, did you enjoy your visit to my neck of the woods?

 

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.

 

[This message was edited by J&MBella on October 28, 2003 at 10:35 AM.]

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Micros are low maintenance, which means if you have a place you'd like people to see, and you don't have the resources (time, et. al.) to maintain a cache in the particular spot, it still gives a hunt for those who wish to do the micro.

 

If you see a micro where you think a traditional cache belongs, consider asking the owner to archive or modify his so that one of you (or both collaborattively) can put a traditional there.

 

Generally tough... I agree with Doc's post above.

 

I prefer a traditional, but will do a micro, puzzle, or multi if I am in the right mood &/or have the additional time required.

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I found a micro in the middle of nowhere in Patuxent State Park in MD with my dad. After quite a hike (Famous Last Words: "Don't worry...it's only .6 mi from the parking lot") out of the river bed and into the hills...we wandered around the trees...and it turns out it was most the most evil hiding spot. But having done it (and knowing that I don't have to do it again! icon_smile.gif ) I am happier for it. The same goes for puzzle caches....virtuals...man, just about every cache I've done has been worth it for one reason or another. Even my non-finds have been adventures.

 

--

 

http://healinghearts.freeservers.com/pandee.html

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Micro's a sore subject. A 35mm film canister on a dead end road sign ain't bad, even a 5" long 3" round pill bottle with a 2" mouth opening stuck in some small tree trunk hollow, ok BUT I HATE those balsted pen cap pog tubes evn a 2"x4" pog tube up a tree or someother impossible place. There is micro and there is MICRO. Mostly I avoid them now.

I also wish there was a way to identif them from regular caches in the listings.(oops that's another group)

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I initially had the same thoughts, but then started doing quite a few -- now I actually may like them better. Most often I don't trade items anymore anyway, just sign the log. Micros provide considerably more opportunity for creative hiding places, sometimes right out in the open. One then has to use stealth to remove, sign the log, and put back...in addition to finding. Quite fun, actually. To show you how nuts this can get, I did a micro last week that was attached to a newspaper box outside the door of a public library. There was a constant flow of people going in and out. I knew where the cache was from my GPS (had to pretend it was a cell phone a couple of times), but how to get that cache? Simple -- I took out 50 cents and pretended to buy a paper. I then pretended to drop one of the quarters under the machine. While reaching down for the coin, I grabbed the cache. I bought the paper, and started looking at it on top of the box (while signing the log). Then a couple of minutes later I pretended to drop a section of the paper (butter fingers !) and back when the cache. Now this is what I call FUN.

 

icon_wink.gif

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I just read an admin note on Bender's cache, and was pretty irked by it:

 

ADMIN NOTE: Please be responsible cache hiders and try not to hide micro caches where regular sized triditional caches can be hidden. Micro caches are great fun but lets not fill the woods with micros. Thanks a million.

 

WTF? First it's virtuals - are micros next? Where in the guidelines does it say that you should only use a micro where a regular cache can't be placed?

 

I'm familliar with the "tearing up the forest looking for an altoids tin" argument, but IMHO, it doesn't hold water. I've found plenty of micros in rural areas without disturbing ANYTHING.

 

There's nothing like an admin imposing their personal views on the activity, and publicly at that.

 

Sheesh. icon_rolleyes.gif

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quote:
I think part of the reason for their popularity is becuase they don't require a lot of thought, effort, or maintenance.

 

ExCUSE me??? I put a great DEAL of thought, effort and maintenance into my Teeny-Weeny Meanie Micros.

 

Not all traditionals are great caches and not all micros suck. Let's be a little more discriminating, hm?

 

Oh, and "If you see a micro where you think a traditional cache belongs, consider asking the owner to archive or modify his so that one of you (or both collaborattively) can put a traditional there" has to be the epitome of arrogance. Let's just ask them to go out and put better goodies in the cache while we're at it.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid={AB6F7615-447C-49F0-A44C-36CE1ECA47CF}

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micros make sense in urban areas where a traditional cache wouldn't work. Part of the fun of the micro is that it could look like something else than what it is, or is hard to spot because of good camo.-- I've found a few brilliant ones in my area. I like them because they have their own particular challenge to them-- not only are they hard to spot, but you may have to use stealth to get them-- this past weekend I visited two I have been unable to get because of too many people around-- and I still couldn't get them, even though I generally know where they are-- because of too many people around watching.

 

so I guess my answer is yes, I love to hate micros, and I love to hunt them! icon_smile.gif

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Well we seem to be getting an overabundance of micros in my area. No challenge. Walk right up and look for the film container in the tree trunk or the hide-a-key box sucked fast to the drain pipe. The cough drop tin under the curb block. 1/1 stuff. Sad thing is some of them have the difficulty rating skewed, so you don't know till you get there. I'd rather do an interesting virtual. In some cases they could have hidden a traditional cache, but have now screwed up the area for the 1/10th so no-one can put a good cache in it. I agree, I beleive many are there just to avoid maintenance. I wish they labelled micros as a separate animal. They'd be on bottom of my list, or almost. Just below virts and above locationless.

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I was none too happy with Admin's note on my cache either. On the other hand, It was approved in like 10 minutes or so! What I wonder though, is if this is admin's policy or just gln's opinion?

 

At any rate, it is nice to have a few of you supporting me on this one. Thanks.

 

Bender

 

Searching, for the lost Xanadu

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I remember a discussion about a cache full of caches. I think there was a concern about junk/poor quality caches popping up in uninteresting locations. Over saturation was another concern. It's been a while but someone should have a Markwell for it.

 

There was another where you had to hide a cache before you could claim a find.

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quote:
Originally posted by J&MBella:

Hey Doc, did you enjoy your visit to my neck of the woods?


O.K. I admit it! I walked past it once. I was surprised because I was looking for that type of trick and I still missed it at first. I heard the squirrels laughing at me the whole time but I found it upon further review! icon_smile.gif

 

I really appreciated NOT having to undergo a search and destroy mission for ticks after your cache.

 

Only slightly OT:

I am setting up a micro and wanted to know if its too evil... I am using a breath strip container (you know the strips that melt on your tongue). Probably magnatize it or velcro it somewhere urban.

 

 

30296_400.gif30296_1700.gif

 

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

Free your mind and the rest will follow

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quote:
Originally posted by The Two Navigators:

Having done all three caches that Zartimus stated and also getting first finds on his. We really like micros. They make the hunt so much harder and interesting.


 

Can't stump you recently seperated geocaching siamese twins! icon_smile.gif That cache was supposed to draw curses and no finds and outline what I love to hate about micros!

 

But heck, a cache is a cache is a cache.

 

A cache is like Pizza or sex. Even when it's bad it's still pretty good.

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I love micros. The harder to find, the better. Since people say it's all about the hunt, well then keep hunting is what I say.

 

Edit: Also, some people put more into a microcache than many do in traditionals. And as far as them not having trade items, well some do. And then how many traditionals don't have any decent trade items and how often do we sign TNLN? Many...

Brian

www.woodsters.com

 

"TOUGH NUTS" - for those who don't like it...

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I like all types of caches. They each have their own pro's and cons.

 

Micro's never contain more geotrash than I can cito in my back pocket and when all the trades are gone, it peacefully joins the rest of the micros as a log only cache. They are also a much more economical way to help populate a cache poor locale.

 

On the other hand...

 

Very few bugs can fit in a micro and the logbook runs out of space fast. Many are never maintained by the owner and are plundered more often.

 

When done properly and with some creativity, they are among my favorite caches.

 

"Me transmitte sursum, Caledoni!"

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quote:
Originally posted by Doc-Dean:

I am setting up a micro and wanted to know if its too evil... I am using a breath strip container (you know the strips that melt on your tongue). Probably magnatize it or velcro it somewhere urban.


This cache is one of those containers with a magnet siliconed to it. It's received some interesting comments in the logs.

 

How evil it is in the hiding place. Mine isn't too evil, but those containers definately have evil potential in them.

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I love to hate to love micros. It's an interesting thing. They can be drive-bys or treks into highly public areas, and you can have interesting interactions with the local law enforcement icon_wink.gif

"Well officer, I'm looking for something the size of a film can that this website said was hiden at thes coordinates. Hav you seen it? No sir, this is not a cell phone. No sir, I haven't been drinking. It's a game. Really! No sir, I have no information on terrorist plots. Thank you, have a nice day."

It seems that most of the caches I've found have been micros, and they provide an interesting challenge. Mostly trying to figure out how to look for the cache, yet alone get it without seeming too freakish in public. Great fun! Heck, I even like the challenge of "ok, I know what the container is, I know I'm in the right area, now HOW did they hide this thing!!!" I haven't been subjected to the micro in the woods but once, but that one was hard due to the lack of sat reception, once found, I think it's one of my favorites. Micros are fun because they can be so horribly frustrating, and how they are hidden can show you just how twisted the owners mind is. I find its nice to know that I'm not the only sickly creative one out there.

 

...the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese...

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My Opinion...

 

There is only so many places you can hide an ammo can, and only so many ways you can disguise it...

 

Now, a micro... it could be a Plastic Frog Doggie Chew toy that has been cut open and a cache inserted...

 

It could be an unsuspecting looking rock in the grass (that is really a hollowed out "key-hider" molded plastic unit from Wal-Mart)...

 

It could be a 6-volt flashlight that contains a cache rather than a battery hidden in the hollow of a tree...

 

Or, my greatest micro, a stuffed squirrel with an Alka-Seltzer bottle in him for a cache rather than stuffing (with a zippered bottom for easy access...) He was so hard to spot in the eye-level tree limb off of the trail that I eventually had to dress him in a Blue Leisure suit (I got from a seventies Ken Doll) and a silver Michael Jackson glove... then they found him...

 

Alas, each of these was stolen before their tenth finding, and I determined not to make my future caches so "unusual and interesting" that gweekers would actually steal them!

 

too bad, so sad, I had so many interesting plans for such interesting micros...

 

--majicman

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quote:
Originally posted by J&MBella:

Nothing worse that a tiny film canister in a huge hollow tree. What's the point? I love Urban Micros, especially when you can skunk people like http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=92797 Most of the logs say 'we walked right past 2 or 3 times.'


 

OH, yeah... that looks like one I need to hit the next time I visit the inlaws in Queens!

 

Joel (joefrog)

 

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for ye are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!"

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I personally don’t like them that much, although I will concede that they have their places. Placing them in a small city park or along an urban bike trail is certainly appropriate.

 

I don’t really enjoy looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. I much prefer the hike and seeing new places. I typically view finding the cache as the culmination to the hike and therefore of secondary importance. What I mean is this – I prefer knowing that I’m going two take a two mile hike through a scenic area with a particular goal in mind: finding the cache. That opposed to taking a hike with no goal in mind not really knowing how long I want to go or what I want to see. In fact, my favorite cache to date is a virtual that is in the mountains in the middle of nowhere. It was a point of significant interest that required a lot bushwhacking to get to it.

 

Now what I’m about to say is my personal belief. I’m not criticizing anybody who holds a different view or instill my ethos on anyone. Generally, I won’t seek out a micro that is hidden on or near a significant public works structure such as dam, bridge, public overlook etc. I think of the potential for unnecessary alarm and publicity created by an outsider seeing a participant placing a small cylindrical object in a hole on a bridge abutment. Again, that’s just my view.

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quote:
Originally posted by majicman:

Or, my greatest micro, a stuffed squirrel with an Alka-Seltzer bottle in him for a cache rather than stuffing (with a zippered bottom for easy access...) He was so hard to spot in the eye-level tree limb off of the trail that I eventually had to dress him in a Blue Leisure suit (I got from a seventies Ken Doll) and a silver Michael Jackson glove... then they found him...


 

Since it seems my last reply was deleted or edited or something, I'll say it again --

 

HA HA HA HA HA! Great idea -- that's hilarious!

 

Joel (joefrog)

 

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for ye are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!"

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Zartimus,

 

I think the greatest fun and satisfaction I have had due to this Geocaching R.A.S.H. has been the responses of others locally telling another geocacher, "Ooohh! You have just GOT to go check out this new cache!" and then finding out that they were talking about one of my "weird container" caches, and that was the reason for their excitement.

 

Unfortunately, as I explained, every single "extremely unusual" cache that I placed disappeared within a dozen finds.

 

Sad, but true, I believe that if you put "too good" a set of stuff in a cache (lets say, 20 dollar bills, 10-packs of batteries, and inexpensive GPS units) it somehows turns normally honest people "dishonest" enough to not do the right thing...

 

I think I understand human nature pretty well, so I will just have to stay within the confines of what I believe people will do... UNTIL, I find some way to absolutlely secure my "special caches containers" so that they cannot be removed without a key or something...

 

Hey, maybe I'll search and if I don't find it, I'll post a new thread regarding how to secure a "special cache" like my Michael Jackson Squirrel...

 

--majicman

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