How Hard Is This?

3k · December 8, 2003

People, people, people........you know who you are.

Some pet peeves have come up in chat and rather than hunt out an old thread, I'm starting one fresh.

1. Please rehide the cache exactly as you found it. If a tiny corner of the container is peeking out leave a tiny corner peeking out. If it's under a puzzle pile of rocks, remember how the puzzle goes back together as much as possible.

2. Do not "move the cache a little closer to the coordinates". How do we know how accurate your GPS is compared to the other 20 finders that found it just fine? Besides, it screws up the hint, sometimes in a major way.

3. You cannot find a "better spot" just because you think it's better unless it's YOUR cache.

Thanks for letting me vent, not just for myself, but for others as well.

Edited December 8, 2003 by CO Admin

5.9k · December 8, 2003

Remember this?

3k · December 8, 2003

Remember this?

(Planet replies in her very best Miss Piggy voice: Oh thank you Crimie!! )

I knew there was a thread somewhere. It's a subject that should be refreshed now and then.

December 8, 2003

I agree. On a related note, I have a cache that I placed a little while back. Due to problems with it taking on water, I had to replace the container (a prescription pill bottle) with a larger one (Small rubbermaid - I know, I feel dirty for using rubbermaid). With the hiding space not being very large, I asked those that found it to hide it as well or better than they found it. One local (prominent) cacher posted this note when logging:

"Hmmmm. Was tempted to hide this better than I found it, as you suggested, by placing it in a new spot in the nice field to the south, but figured that's not what you meant."

I guess I shouldn't let this comment bug me, but it does.

To bring this back full circle, and agree with the thread, Hide the cache as it was meant to be hidden, where it was meant to be hidden, and keep your rude comments to yourself. So what if you have ideas on what or how the cache should be hidden, it's not your place to decide.

5.9k · December 8, 2003

Remember this?

(Planet replies in her very best Miss Piggy voice: Oh thank you Crimie!! )

I knew there was a thread somewhere. It's a subject that should be refreshed now and then.

Those were the good old days. A guy could use the capital letter F without fear of having another bite taken from his fudging warn meter.

3.9k · December 8, 2003

Amen! I have never been back to one of my caches for maintinence (after 10 or so finds) and found it the same way I hid it. Never. My personal rule of thumb is to re-hide the cache at least as well as I found it. Better for it to be a little more difficult to find than it be found and plundered by a muggle.

4k · December 8, 2003

From the other thread that was locked WHILE I was posting a reply:

I think some people DO geocache like they were playing frisbee golf: after signing the log, they step back and throw the cache back toward it's oringal hiding place. The first cache I found was supposed to be under a large evergreen cedar with limbs down to the ground. I found it out in the open next to a half dozen fresh cigarette butts. If someone had the time to smoke half a pack of cigarettes while looking through the cache and signing the log book, why didn't they take the 5 extra seconds to replace it under the tree?

QUOTE: How Disc Golf is played:

1 From the Tee pad, Throw disc toward the basket(Disc Pole Hole)

2 Walk over to the Disc that is lying on the ground, and place a small Marker disc, up aganst the Disc on the ground.

3 With disc back in hand, step up to the Marker disc, and throw Disc toward the basket.

Edited by Sparky to include quote from post in other thread.

PS: CO Admin, you must ride that little purple pony REALLY fast to catch me in mid post and close a thread like that!

Edited December 8, 2003 by Sparky-Watts

4k · December 8, 2003

And, you can gohere to see another related post (one that CO Admin missed when stopping to water the little purple pony) that refers to leaving a trail to caches.

December 8, 2003

I have a cache that is repeatedly rehid wrong. Consequently, I've had cachers email me with concern that the cache is MIA. Then when I go check on it, the cache is always there...except its never replaced back to its original hiding spot.

Its original hiding spot is very visible and its an easy find. But people just don't like to repeat the action required to retrieve the cache in order to put it back, so they throw it beneath a different area near the cache site. Problem is, this different area is in complete darkness, so of course no one can find the cache cause they can't see it.

December 8, 2003

1. Please rehide the cache exactly as you found it. If a tiny corner of the container is peeking out leave a tiny corner peeking out. If it's under a puzzle pile of rocks, remember how the puzzle goes back together as much as possible.

We're supposed to REHIDE 'em after we find 'em?

I was wondering what to do with all the ammo cans I found...... after a couple hundred finds, my basement was starting to fill up.

"Took Cache - left footprints".

Edited December 8, 2003 by HartClimbs

December 8, 2003

Speaking as a newbie, I have seen caches with the instruction "hide it better than you found it". Now, with the benefit of experience (and a little common sense) I realize that DOESN'T mean "in a different spot" or "in a different manner", but I can tell you in all honesty I puzzled over that comment at first. I don't think I'm especially dense, but new geocachers are apt to misinterpret such instructions. I never acted on this potential misunderstanding, thankfully. Remember the old saying - be careful what you ask for, you might get it!

3.9k · December 8, 2003

If I think a cache is not where the owner intended it to be or if it's obvious, I'll decrypt the hint. If it tells me where the cache should be, and I found it 8 feet away out in the open then I'll re-hide it as per the hint. Then I'll email the owner and let them know. This is the only time I'll move a cache.

December 8, 2003

I have a key-case micro that relies on being 'overlooked'. At the edge that is true. In the 'middle' it's not. At the edge it's within reach of even shortest cachers. In the middle it's not. Guess where it consistently gets replaced?

Why? (C'est la vie...)

This is the reason we maintain our caches. I've found I get to nearly all of mine every 6 weeks or so.

This also accomodates the majority of cachers who don't read these forums!

So that's my suggestion, 'cause we all know cachers and muggles will mis-replace them in the future too...

Enjoy,

Randy

PS: OTOH, I remember one cache that animals apparently pushed out repeatedly, and rain has been known to float/move micros also.

5.3k · December 8, 2003

I stopped to check on one of my micro caches and found someone had tied a ribbon of yellow flagging tape to it. I'm amazed at the mental capacity of someone who finds a camo painted container and figures it's a good idea to attach 18" of bright yellow tape to it. Maybe I should have just painted the thing dayglo orange in the first place?

Edited December 8, 2003 by Stunod

1.2k · December 8, 2003

I didn't realize how big of a problem this was. I try to (and thought it would be common knowledge) to leave it as I found it. It was put there for a reason and should probably be put back there.

3.9k · December 8, 2003

Speaking as a newbie, I have seen caches with the instruction "hide it better than you found it". Now, with the benefit of experience (and a little common sense) I realize that DOESN'T mean "in a different spot" or "in a different manner", but I can tell you in all honesty I puzzled over that comment at first. I don't think I'm especially dense, but new geocachers are apt to misinterpret such instructions. I never acted on this potential misunderstanding, thankfully. Remember the old saying - be careful what you ask for, you might get it!

That's a good point. I will sometimes write that on my cache page, in fact I should write it on all of them. The reason I write it is not so people will hide it better than I did, or to make it harder for the next person, it's simply because invariably as a few people find it it will become less hidden. So with the hope that someone will actually follow direction I write "Please hide cache better than you found it". The idea is that MAYBE someone will hide it as well as I did originally.

Edited December 8, 2003 by JMBella

38.2k · December 8, 2003

Speaking as a newbie, I have seen caches with the instruction "hide it better than you found it".

If everyone hides it better than they found it, then eventually it would be impossible to find . If in doubt, hide it in a manner consitent with its difficulty rating. If you see the cache peaking out a bit, but it's a 1 star difficulty, then that's probably the way the owner wanted it. I know I've had caches that I made sure were visible from certain angles, so I could rate them 1, or 1.5 stars and returned to have a hard time finding the thing myself because someone took it upon themselves to conceal the thing real well. On the other hand, if it's a 3 star difficulty and you find the cache out in the open you can bet the owner didn't want that either, so you should try to hide it better.

I think JMBella has a point...that there is always someone who won't bother to cover it properly...and even a few who leave the cache totally exposed, so that's why some owners ask that it be hidden better than it was when they found it.

I stopped to check on one of my micro caches and found someone had tied a ribbon of yellow flagging tape to it. I'm amazed at the mental capacity of someone who finds a camo painted container and figures it's a good idea to attach 18" of bright yellow tape to it. Maybe I should have just painted the thing dayglo orange in the first place?

I've heard of stuff like this. People flagging a route to the cache, people placing an arrow made of stones, or sticks pointing to the cache, leaving it totally exposed and similar things. I think they think they are doing the next person a favor. What, they think the rest of us are idiots and need their help ?

Edited December 8, 2003 by briansnat

2.3k · December 8, 2003

PS: CO Admin, you must ride that little purple pony REALLY fast to catch me in mid post and close a thread like that!

He may be tiny but he is Uber-fast and a good pony too

5.9k · December 8, 2003

PS: CO Admin, you must ride that little purple pony REALLY fast to catch me in mid post and close a thread like that!

He may be tiny but he is Uber-fast and a good pony too

If he's such a good pony, why does he keep telling you to close my threads?

2.3k · December 8, 2003

PS: CO Admin, you must ride that little purple pony REALLY fast to catch me in mid post and close a thread like that!

He may be tiny but he is Uber-fast and a good pony too

If he's such a good pony, why does he keep telling you to close my threads?

Because he IS such a good pony.

Besides I didn't close the thread because it was YOURs I closed it because there are two the same and we routinely do this. Yours was OLD Planets was NEW. The pony liked the NEW thread better, said it tasted like wildflowers. Who am I to argue.

December 8, 2003

If everyone hides it better than they found it, then eventually it would be impossible to find

December 8, 2003. Nice day for a hike. I found the cache after sixteen hours of searching. It was suspended from a tree fifty feet in the air, covered in invisible ink. Keeping with Criminal's hide-it-better-than-you-found-it edict, I attached an anti-gravity plate and activated a small cloaking device inside the ammo box.

Good luck to the next guy (rehiding it better I mean).

5.9k · December 8, 2003

If everyone hides it better than they found it, then eventually it would be impossible to find

December 8, 2003. Nice day for a hike. I found the cache after sixteen hours of searching. It was suspended from a tree fifty feet in the air, covered in invisible ink. Keeping with Criminal's hide-it-better-than-you-found-it edict, I attached an anti-gravity plate and activated a small cloaking device inside the ammo box.

Good luck to the next guy (rehiding it better I mean).

Actually, I've always said "hide it as you found it", not better.

1.3k · December 8, 2003

The very first cache I placed has had a substantial number of finds, almost all of the locals have hit it, and a couple of tourists. It has remained within a foot of it's original location for 11 months. The answer? A short nylon tether. Even if they completely untie the cache, the webbing remains secured at the cache's hide, so they have no trouble remembering where to replace it. Everyone who has found it has been good enough to tie it back in place.

December 8, 2003

When I went to mine after a find it was sitting right in the open, not at all like I hid it and some of the stuff that was originally in the container was laying on the ground outside of it.

Heres how I hid it.

Heres how I found it.

I'm going disable this one and move it to another spot.

Edited December 8, 2003 by Oat

1.4k · December 8, 2003

PS: CO Admin, you must ride that little purple pony REALLY fast to catch me in mid post and close a thread like that!

He may be tiny but he is Uber-fast and a good pony too

If he's such a good pony, why does he keep telling you to close my threads?

Because he IS such a good pony.

Besides I didn't close the thread because it was YOURs I closed it because there are two the same and we routinely do this. Yours was OLD Planets was NEW. The pony liked the NEW thread better, said it tasted like wildflowers. Who am I to argue.

So now we've got a moderator who takes advice from a cartoon pony? That's funny -- but it's all starting to make sense now.

*****

Geo 95UY

1.4k · December 9, 2003

I tend to take into consideration where the cache is located. If it's right beside a busy trail, I'll generally make sure that it's well hidden from passers-by, even if it was not hidden that way when I found it. I've been to a few caches where the cache was left lying out in the open for all to see. I'm not going to feel guilty or think that I've done something wrong by covering it up to avoid it getting plundered.

Generally, unless the cache is lying right out in the open, and if it is off of a trail I'll replace it just as I found it.

*****

Edit: typo

Edited December 9, 2003 by Jomarac5

1.3k · December 9, 2003

So now we've got a moderator who takes advice from a cartoon pony? That's funny -- but it's all starting to make sense now.

Nonsense. What cartoon characters are giving directions to some of the other forum members here? Beavis and Butthead?

1.4k · December 9, 2003

Bloencustoms wrote:
Nonsense. What cartoon characters are giving directions to some of the other forum members here? Beavis and Butthead?

Hmm... which forum participants would you be referring to?

*****

Geo 97M 113

December 9, 2003

I may get another 10% warn but Jomarac5 you are plain mean.

2.3k · December 9, 2003

Everyone play nice

It's a big sandbox

December 9, 2003

Yes Sir, I respect the admin riding the real fast pretty pony……..JOE

December 9, 2003

I may get another 10% warn but Jomarac5 you are plain mean.

I know for a fact that J5 is anything but plain.

_________

Gorak

Geo 115

1.4k · December 9, 2003

JoeGPS wrote:
I may get another 10% warn but Jomarac5 you are plain mean.

Mean? I don't think you know me nearly well enough to make such a statement. Many people tell me how nice I am. What's mean about what I posted?

*****

2.3k · December 9, 2003

People, people, people........you know who you are.

Some pet peeves have come up in chat and rather than hunt out an old thread, I'm starting one fresh.

1. Please rehide the cache exactly as you found it. If a tiny corner of the container is peeking out leave a tiny corner peeking out. If it's under a puzzle pile of rocks, remember how the puzzle goes back together as much as possible.

2. Do not "move the cache a little closer to the coordinates". How do we know how accurate your GPS is compared to the other 20 finders that found it just fine? Besides, it screws up the hint, sometimes in a major way.

3. You cannot find a "better spot" just because you think it's better unless it's YOUR cache.

Thanks for letting me vent, not just for myself, but for others as well.

Lets try to get this back on topic

1.4k · December 9, 2003

Gorak wrote:
I know for a fact that J5 is anything but plain.

Thanks Gorak, I try but it seems that some people just misinterpret my playful and fun mannerism.

*****

Geo 101 106

1.4k · December 9, 2003

Sorry CO Admin, I didn't see your post until after I posted mine.

Yes, let's get it back on topic.

*****

Geo 97S

24.7k · December 9, 2003

Very hard.

Since the last finder always messes up the hide you really can't hide it like you found it if you want it to keep it from being plundered by maggots.

Now I know this isn't always true some people are truly gifted at re-hiding a cache. But the point is valid.

Hide it better than you found it works. Slowly the message sinks in. Normally before the 100th find.

December 9, 2003

I recently did move a cache. Here in the Panhandle, we have lots of flat, and relativley few trees. I came upon a cache which was sitting next to the only tree trunk within 1/4 mile - we could spot the cache container from 50' away.

After much consternation, we moved it 6' away to where there was a depression in the ground and a lot of tumbleweeds on top.

However, we also e-mailed the cache owner that we had moved it, and WHY we had moved it, and with a sincere offer to move it back if he wished.

We got back a nice appreciative reply. After reading about all the caches which have been plunderd, or worse yet, detonated by bomb squads, I don't think leaving a cache that exposed is a good thing, and relocate a cache like that again.

But then, I'd also send an e-mail to the cache owner advising them of what I'd done.

- Sue

Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.

Edited December 9, 2003 by Majormd&PUNditOK

1.4k · December 9, 2003

Majormd&PUNditOK, your post reminds me of a situation that happened a week or so ago while on a night caching hunt with Gorak. It appeared that a beaver had decided that it wanted the tree that the cache was placed under, and after removing the tree it left the cache exposed for anyone to see. I placed that cache about three feet away at the base of another tree and covered it up -- and then, as you did, I e-mailed the cache owner to let them know of what took place. They were very appreciative that the cache was moved to a nearby hiding spot and not left lying in the open (the clue still worked fine in the new spot).

I would say that if there is a good reason for moving someone else's cache, it is a prudent to e-mail them about it as soon as possible. I think in most cases, the cache owner will be thankful that you are looking out for the best interest of the cache.

*****

Geo 33H

3k · December 9, 2003

PS: CO Admin, you must ride that little purple pony REALLY fast to catch me in mid post and close a thread like that!

He may be tiny but he is Uber-fast and a good pony too

If he's such a good pony, why does he keep telling you to close my threads?

Because he IS such a good pony.

Besides I didn't close the thread because it was YOURs I closed it because there are two the same and we routinely do this. Yours was OLD Planets was NEW. The pony liked the NEW thread better, said it tasted like wildflowers. Who am I to argue.

So now we've got a moderator who takes advice from a cartoon pony? That's funny -- but it's all starting to make sense now.

*****

Geo 95UY

It's ok Jomarac5, the pony gets all orders from the frog, so we'll be alright!

December 9, 2003

During MUCH of the year, most of our local caches get re-hidden pretty well. During this year's bug season, I found that NOT to be the case. In infested areas, the logbook ziplock was left open and/or the lid was not fastened correctly and/or the cache was not properly covered back up.

Evidently, those cachers considered their blood to be of higher value than the cache.

-WR

How Hard Is This?

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