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What Do You Like In A Multicache


Enspyer

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I am interested in hiding a multicache. Unfortunately, the closest active multicaches are about 20 miles away. I don't drive (I'm not old enough) and my parents are not interested in driving me that far just yet. I would like to know what some of the good basic things for a multicache are, and I would also like to hear about clever or different approaches to multicaches. Thanks! ;)

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Possible uses for multicaches: (There's more than these)

1. Use the waypoints on a multicache to guide the finder on a tour of interesting or scenic places.

2. To force the finder to follow a specific path to the cache - either because it's the best way to get to the cache to avoid something like private property or other hazards, or to get the finder to face certain obstacles.

3. To extend the duration of a cache. Suppose your final location is just a quick park-n-grab, 100 feet from the parking lot. Adding a couple of well chosen intermediate stages could turn this into an interesting walk in the woods instead.

4. You have a clever way to hide coordinates in a micro, but no way you can fit a logbook in it. So you make it a stage in a multicache.

5. You can't think of a really unobvious place to hide your primary cache, and you want to increase the difficulty for your finders.

6. You really wanted to place a virtual cache, but it's not going to be approvable as such, so you use data from some interesting place you want to show the finder as an offset to the final coordinates.

 

A classic example of a type of cache that almost has to be a multi is a night cache. Typically you go to a starting point and follow a trail of reflectors by flashlight to the final cache. Well executed, caches like this can be a lot of fun.

 

The main thing to think about when doing a multi is whether or not the cache really needs to be a multi. At a certain point, any of the things I described above can be abused, which can make your cache less fun.

 

Also keep in mind that these can generally take a little more planning and maintenance than other types of caches.

 

Well executed multi's are a lot of fun in my opinion. Poorly executed ones can really suck - and what's worse is that it can take a long time before you realize that your experience is just going to suck!

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I enjoy the puzzle type multi's over the "standard" waypoint type multi's. While the puzzle multi's usually take longer and can be frustrating, they keep me interested much better than most of the other types.

 

If I'm just going to walk from Point A to Point B just to get the waypoint for Point C, etc., I'd rather do three regular caches unless each point has something interesting to see.

 

I just completed a 9-point multi that was a load of fun. It took about 3 1/2 hours and 4 miles of hiking to complete. If it was just go here, substitute this number at this point, and go on to the next, I wouldn't commit that much time and energy to it.

 

Jim

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When I plan a day-hike with some caching, I really like when the multi description says an approximate length and direction of the hike through the stages. If I come to the first stage and it points me back to where I came from, I rather skip the whole multi, or I just mark the waypoint for the next visit.

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I did a cool multi once. The cache page doesn;t say much, so I'll tell about it here.

 

1 first stop, and ammo can with coords to a micro

 

2 micro with coords to a bridge. It says the 3rd part was at the 17th bridge downstream from this one. This step took a while

 

3. micro on bridge. Give coordinates & says they take you "home", it was home plate on a baseball field. Then it says to add 26 degrees to the compass direction from stop 1 to stop 2. Says walk 96 feet.

 

4. Micro with many sheets with hints for stop 5. It says we can take one. It gives final coordinates and a hint. BUT, it all in SPANISH, with the coordinates spelled out.

 

5. ammo can in mountains.

 

this was a LOT of fun, and took a week to do. Also took 50 miles of driving back an forth across the valley and a total of 1.5 miles in hiking.

 

dino_hunters

Edited by dino_hunters
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My favorite Multi's, Fair Hill Multicache and Ruined Chicken, so far, are in the same area, and entail a good long, walk through the stages in a beautifual area encompassing rolling hills, woods, and a small river. Stages combined GPS with orientering compass use, and took a good long day to accomplish. I felt tired and satisfied at the close of the cache. There are also several other caches along the path not a part of the multi's (by the same cacher) which add incentive to do more. For me, it's incentive to keep coming back.

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Try combining urban micros with a regular cache. You can, and usually need to get pretty creative with urban micros. Don't just hide a multi for the sake of hiding a multi. Hide the legs for a specific purpose so players will see certain views or trails. One multi I found made sure that you walked completely around a small lake. One that I hid took you to a series of bluffs that were not very well known. I've seen people carve the coords for the next leg into a piece of wood and just hide that behind a tree. The possibilities are endless. Also, You should look into mass transit for some caching since can't drive yet.

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I did a cool multi once. The cache page doesn;t say much, so I'll tell about it here.

 

1 first stop, and ammo can with coords to a micro

 

2 micro with coords to a bridge. It says the 3rd part was at the 17th bridge downstream from this one. This step took a while

 

3. micro on bridge. Give coordinates & says they take you "home", it was home plate on a baseball field. Then it says to add 26 degrees to the compass direction from stop 1 to stop 2. Says walk 96 feet.

 

4. Micro with many sheets with hints for stop 5. It says we can take one. It gives final coordinates and a hint. BUT, it all in SPANISH, with the coordinates spelled out.

 

5. ammo can in mountains.

 

this was a LOT of fun, and took a week to do. Also took 50 miles of driving back an forth across the valley and a total of 1.5 miles in hiking.

 

dino_hunters

Evil. I like it.

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I tend to dislike plugging in serial numers and the like into coordinates. I placed a cache that used several types of stamped coords. The washers can be placed in all sorts of places in a urban setting, some quite devious. They're also way more durable than marker or paint. I've even stamped a small brass padlock.

 

waypoint_coords.jpg

 

BTW, I can do a better job now that I've practiced a bit.

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Hi. We enjoy good multi-caches.

The best one we have done so far has been one called "Dog Years" Besides a cute theme, the caches were orignal and clever. There were 4 legs to this multi. All micros up until the last one which was a large size dog biquit container. I don't want to give away too much about the micros, but like I said before it was all in theme and super clever.

Check it out.

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Pictures are a little blurry but  here are two of the stages of our latest cache...

Johnnie, tell me more about those rocks. Are they just native material picked up from the ground? Are they mixed into a pile or otherwise camo'd?

Could be a tough stage in a multi...I like it!

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I have avoided quite a few multis because I could tell from the description that the individual stages would not be anything particularly special. I am also not a fan of puzzle caches/mutis, but that is just me. I know that plenty of people love those. I would rather just get to the cache in most cases. With that in mind, I have done a couple of fabulous multis. One had something interesting to see at each stage and a scenic hike to get there. Another created a hike/tour of a very nice park. Basically it guaranteed that the person saw the whole area and took a good long walk. I could see liking an urban multi (especially in a city I was unfamiliar with) that took me to interesting landmarks.

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First off, I thought that Mr. Benchmark's post was the most succinct summary of the answers to "why do a multicache?" that I've ever read.

 

To answer a follow up question, it is sometimes fun to put instruction sheets in the first stage container. My Elves in the Heights uses this method, and another multicache in my area that takes the concept to an even higher level is Heart Attack at Sunrise. The benefit of putting the info. on instruction sheets, rather than on the cache page, is that it forces people to think clearly out in the field, rather than scouting out the cache's secrets back home in front of the computer. You really don't know what you're up against until you get there and read the instructions. It adds an element of mystery and challenge to the cache.

 

As the owner of 6 multicaches, their biggest drawback is the extra maintenance required. Elves in the Heights is a high-maintenance cache because I need to return often and stock more instruction sheets. No matter, since it's near my house and a beautiful park in all seasons. Also, in my experience, micros tend to go missing or have maintenance problems more often than ammo boxes, so consider using "virtual clues" for intermediate stages of a multicache.

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My first multi that i finished last week, started with a laminated leaf hung in a tree with the coords on one side. It also had the hint encrypted for the next leg.

 

The next leg is a tiny card hidden under the bark of a tree in the middle of a field.

 

The next leg is a rock, sitting next to a tree, with the coords and a hint engraved in them with a dremel tool.

 

The last leg is an ammo can. It turned out to be pretty difficult, just like I hoped for. One guy couldnt find the first leg, and gave up.

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