New Hider

[+Fritz_Monroe]

I hid my first cache today, after 40+ finds. It was an urban micro, so the cache size gives the finder an idea as to what they are looking for. I'll be hiding a regular cache in the next couple weeks. My questions is should I say what the finder is hunting? I see it both ways. Some will say it's an ammo can, or a tuperware container with a blue lid, others give nothing. What's your opinion? Is it better to say what it is, or not?

 

From the finder's side of things, I sometimes like to know what I'm looking for. But this gets me in trouble on occasion. I get looking for an ammo can, I fool myself into only looking where an ammo can will fit.

 

F_M

[+clearpath]

On a micro, the more clues you give, ie size of container, type of container, or any other type of description, then you should adjust the difficulty level accordingly. If you say its a micro and provide no other description, then you may want to consider a higher difficulty rating for the cache.. Just my 2 cents ...

[+Sparky-Watts]

I'd say it's up to the hider. For me, all I've ever hunted were ammo cans or tuppermaid containers, so I can't answer on the micro thing. I don't think I'd care one way or the other if I knew exactly what the container was. I think in some instances of caches I've looked at, telling the type would give it away too easily, but not in others.

 

Hmmm....this doesn't really help, does it? Sorry.

[+Fritz_Monroe]

On a micro, the more clues you give, ie size of container, type of container, or any other type of description, then you should adjust the difficulty level accordingly. If you say its a micro and provide no other description, then you may want to consider a higher difficulty rating for the cache.. Just my 2 cents ...

I would agree with this if it was a micro in the woods. But this is an urban micro and the coordinates put you in a place where you can almost grab it out the car window.

 

If I ever do a micro in the woods, I will definately give some clues. This one does have a clue that basically tells you where it is once you see the place.

 

F_M

[+Wulfster]

Some will say it's an ammo can, or a tuperware container with a blue lid, others give nothing. What's your opinion? Is it better to say what it is, or not?

I like to know in advance so that I can bring appropriate trade items with me to the cache. If it's Rubberware , I know it'll only hold small items that won't be hurt if they get damp. If it's an ammo can, I'll bring the nice stuff.

[+mozartman]

Personally, I would rather the hider not say what kind of container it is, other than micro or regular, that way it adds a little more (not much, but a little) challenge or mystery to the cache.

[+Leapin' Lizards]

I polled all other available lizards, and the vote leans heavily towards yes, we want to know what type of container we're looking for. If nothing else, at least give it to us in the encrypted hint so that when our (short) attention span and temper limits run out, we can decode and have a better idea of what it is that we're currently not finding.

 

How nice of you to ask!

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I polled all other available lizards, and the vote leans heavily towards yes, we want to know what type of container we're looking for. If nothing else, at least give it to us in the encrypted hint so that when our (short) attention span and temper limits run out, we can decode and have a better idea of what it is that we're currently not finding.

Amazing...the Smurfs feel the same way!

[Pooh and friends]

It is nice to know, how big the honey pot is, that is, that I am looking for in the hundred acre wood!

[+Renegade Knight]

I want to know the container type. It helps a lot to know you are looking for a mini altoids tin and not the larger one for example.

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

I make the majority of my urban micros pretty easy. Usually they are film canisters and sometimes I mention that, sometimes not.

 

Congratulations on placing one though. As an oldtimer I always appreciate new ones coming in and putting some caches out.

[+Fritz_Monroe]

Well, looks like the consensus it that you want to know what the container it. When I put out some regular caches, I'll tell what the container is, in the clue. I will probably list future micros as what they are.

 

How about multi caches? How many is too many? I see a lot of 3 stage. Is any more than that overkill?

 

F_M

[+rusty_tlc]

I say it depends. If the location is a rock pile with 1000's of nooks and crannies of all sizes knowing which size holes to look in can help. If the location is under the only bush for a hundred yards in any direction, well given 15 or 20 minutes I'll find it what ever the container.

[+clearpath]

Well, looks like the consensus it that you want to know what the container it.  When I put out some regular caches, I'll tell what the container is, in the clue.  I will probably list future micros as what they are. 

 

How about multi caches?  How many is too many?  I see a lot of 3 stage.  Is any more than that overkill?

 

F_M

I really enjoy multi's. For me, the best ones I've done had many stages. I did one that must have had over 10 stages and it was very clever. It would seem that somewhere between 3 to 5 stages is 'normal'. I think a lot depends on the energy level and imagination of the owner.

[+JMBella]

I like to know what I'm hunting. If I want it to be more of a challenge I just load the coords in my GPS and not read the cache page. I say post the info and let the players decide what to do with it.

[+SBPhishy]

I almost made a 6 leg multi, which I didnt think would be overkill at all. It ended up being only 4, mainly because of laziness. Make them as many legs as you want. If they are near me, I will find them anyway!

[+Tiwica]

How about multi caches? How many is too many? I see a lot of 3 stage. Is any more than that overkill?

 

F_M

I placed a multi in which the final cache is the ninth stage. The first and only finder (attempter) took about 2 hours to get through it. Exactly what I had estimated. It was well received. Take a look at MaxB's log.

 

As for the original post here, I also like to know what I'm looking for.

[+ZingerHead]

I'll tell you, I worked for four hours on what turned out to be a 9 stage multi, and while I was very happy to locate the final cache, there were times when the thrill of the hunt was wearing thin. But the only way to tell how your cache will be received is to put it out there and see what happens. If you don't get any takers, or if the logs are generally negative, you can recalibrate your sense of what makes a good multi. In the case of that 9 stager, the hides were varied and clever enough to make the hunt challenging and thus enjoyable.

As far as describing the container in your cache page, I say it depends completely on your target audience. If you are looking to create a "cache and dash" 1/1 or something for families & kids to hunt, then by all means add the clues. On the other hand, if you have a bunch of die-hard cachers in your area who have "seen it all", then you might want to put out something new and different and leave it to the hunter's imagination to figure things out on their own. I recently hunted a 3 stage multi where each stage used a technique I hadn't seen before, or at least hadn't seen in quite the same way. Took a while, but it was a very rewarding find. So don't be afraid to experiment.