What's Your Hiding Strategy?

[+The Cheeseheads]

In going through the threads about useless hints, I got to wondering...

 

What is your intent when hiding a cache?

 

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Wisconsin Geocaching Association

[+Markwell]

Depends...

 

Liberal Arts and Hard as PI are meant to be incredibly difficult.

 

I've got some moderate ones (The Giving Tree, Conundrum, and Tribute to Cumberland Trail) that are posers, but not impossible.

 

The rest of mine are meant to be pretty easy, and just a nice walk in the woods (or the city) to cool spots.

 

My Photographer's Caches may have a difficult element to it (guessing what you're supposed to photograph), but they're meant to be found.

 

So as I said - depends.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

[kurtuleas]

So far I have only placed 5 caches, but I should have waited until I found a lot more caches.

 

I made them entirely TOO easy to find in my opinon, especially for the area that I cache in. I live in an area with several pretty hardcore cachers, and my caches were not even a challenge for them.

 

I sincerly believe someone should find at least 20-25 caches until they place thier first cache. That way they will have a better idea of how hard to make it.

 

KURTULEAS

[+georgeandmary]

I have easy ones and hard ones. I may place an easy to find cache in a spot where I want people to visit but NOT trample. Other caches will be harder to find since the location may not be wrapped up in a great view. Lot more of the later type.

 

george

 

Pedal until your legs cramp up and then pedal some more.

[+Kodak's4]

quote:

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Originally posted by Cheesehead Dave:

In going through the threads about useless hints, I got to wondering...

 

What is your intent when hiding a cache?

 

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http://www.wi-geocaching.com/

 

I think there's a place for everything: easy drive-up 1/1's, physically strenous hikes to difficult hides, you name it. I've experimented with progressive hints (that is, a series of hints, each of which gives up a bit more information) which allow searchers to scale the difficulty to whatever level they like.

 

Different folks will like different things. There's no requirement that a cache appeal to everyone, nor is there a requirement that each cacher should enjoy every variety of cache.

 

The more variety, the better.

 

[+welch]

depends some im trying to make easy and some just end up that way

 

but as i place more caches im trying to make the new ones harder

 

[+T-storm]

Well, I probably shouldn't have even filled in a poll, but I voted other. For the reason other folks have noted... I set more than one type of cache. I have a kids' cache, so I selected a site close to a good little kids' playground with toilet facilities and kept the walk as short as possible. The actual hide is not pretty obvious to cachers, I would think, but it tries to blend with the surroundings because it IS in a park traveled by LOTS of children and was trashed in its first location.

 

Then I have 2 that are in lesser used, undeveloped park lands that require longer walks. One is not tough to find your way to, but the hiding spot is a touch sneaky even though it's pretty clear it MUST be in there somewhere. The other is my toughie, and I get lots of not founds or multi-attempts on it. I feel good about that because I WANTED it to be hard. It is a multi-cache with very limited info on how to complete the interim stage(s). One must think carefully and take a step outside their average cache hunting experience to figure it out, but there are several that have solved it too. When it comes to seeking the actual physical cache, it isn't hard at all to figure out where the box is, but the opportunity exists to see all sorts of natural beauty if one takes the time. There are a plethora of 1/1-2 caches around me and it's growing all the time. The cache was originally placed by a now absent cacher and I adopted it. I didn't want to see it go because it WAS tough. Part of the original difficulty lay in the fact that it was listed as a regular cache (it's a multi), it had some sneaky thrown in, and the listing had grammar and sentence structure that made it difficult to follow. I changed the approach to some stages and completely replaced the clues with more permanent ones intended to do nothing more than help a cacher move on to the next to last stage if an earlier stage disappeared. They still HAVE to figure out the sneaky part to complete the cache. If e-mailed, I will offer a couple of small hints to help the cacher refocus their search thought process. As I see it, why construct a more difficult cache if you're going to turn around and lead seekers to it by the nose?

 

The response by a non-finder or two (that have not asked for help except that I check the cache-- it's intact) seems to be somewhat frustrated or annoyed. But for those who solve it, particularly after having to make a second attempt, I think they really enjoyed the sense of accomplishment from figuring it out. I know I did!

 

T-storm

 

http://www.cordianet.com/geocaching

[skydiver]

I try to make them a challange, either mentally, or physically. Obviously, what may be a mentla challange for some isn't for others, and what may be a physical challange for some, isn't for others.

 

When it comes to hints, if the cache is a physical challange, I try to make my hints be a dead givaway, since there's no way around the physical challange, so if they do that part, I think they have the right to find the cache with little difficulty. But with the mental challange caches, I try to be very careful to word any hints so that they don't let the hunter out of the challange, and I have even been guilty of giving those useless hints some speak of. My most recent, and personal favorite, was something along the lines of "Hint? You want a hint? Why don't I just come over to your house and give you the darn cache? Wouldn't THAT make it easier for you?"

 

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"We never seek things for themselves -- what we seek is the very seeking of things."

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

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[+Ish-n-Isha]

I try and make some difficult but NEVER because of bad GPSr signal.

If someone doesnt find it I want it to be due to the quality of the hide and not the bad signal.

A pet peeve of mine probably.

[+briansnat]

I too place a variety of types of caches. I have 1.5/1.5's and 3/4's. The difficulty of finding my caches has more to do with the area I'm hiding it and the container I'm using (.30 cal, or .50 cal ammo box, or small d-con container), than any plan on my part. In some places, the only good hiding spot is the obvious one, which makes finding the cache a cinch. In other areas, there are a number of good hiding spots, which makes for a more challenging cach hunt.

 

I do try to make the hint a dead giveaway and hope the searchers don't use it until they're totally stumped. I don't want anyone to go away disapointed.

 

"Life is a daring adventure, or it is nothing" - Helen Keller

[+Planet]

I hid one under my name and three with Bryno, actually he hid one of those and put my name on it and I had to go find it. Usually what goes through my mind is: This looks like a good spot! I try to put the cache out of the elements, because you never know when it might be a leaker. Then I try to make it a little difficult to find but give a hint. But really since no matter where you go the topography and landscape is different every situation will be different. And I don't and won't hide any urban caches. For me it's all about getting into the woods, or away from town. But never say never, I may search for an urban on a vacation someday, who knows.

 

Cache you later,

Planet

[+El Diablo]

I like to hide a cache or post clues right in front of their eyes. It goes back to the old saying "can't see the forest for the trees"

 

Of course that is why they call me El Diablo

 

El Diablo

 

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

[+jonboy]

I enjoy a well hidden cache, but I do not enjoy one where there is a very poor signal, forcing one to search a very wide area. If I can't good satellites, I will not place it, and I wish others would have a little discipline about good coordinates. Also I try to place a cache that takes a hiker to a area with a view or something of interest. Some cachers seem to walk in a little, get tired, and dump the cache any old where, even if there is something much nicer a little further in. I always start with the concept of a good distination when planning a cache, and in doing so, I think about whether or not the satellites will be good from the location I am selecting.

[+Alan2]

Living in a tick infested area with Lyme desease rampant, the idea of romping around off trail in the vegetation is not my idea of fun. I like to get in and get out. So my hints are pretty clear in general.

 

Alan

[+Marky]

quote:

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Originally posted by Markwell:

Liberal Arts and Hard as PI are meant to be incredibly difficult.

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I saw that Liberal Arts got archived before anyone found it. What happened?

 

--Marky