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Matches In Caches


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There used to be a cache near here that was a coffee can filled with nothing but matches. Sure, kids can get matches from plenty of other places, but it just seemed less than brilliant to place a container chock-full of matches in a dry, brushy, but easily accessible area of a neighborhood park.

 

On a more general note, I once ran into a situation where there was something I wanted to trade for in a cache, but my bag was nearly empty. I ended up leaving a moderately expensive tube of sunblock, as it was the only item of value I had. There have been occasions where I failed to plan ahead for what was a cloudy day at home but a sunny day inland, and a discovery of sunblock in a cache helped save my hide. I thought it wasn't a FUN item to leave, but it was potentially useful and better than leaving my pocket change. The next cacher removed the sunblock as hazardous (out of fear it would attract critters) and left something that was certainly worth less than

$10 in exchange. Now I feel extra-guilty for not having had something nicer to trade, because the cache has certainly degenerated in value.

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Coyote Red is right, use common sense to what to leave in a cache. Several of my caches are in areas that are extremely dry most of the year, in a park near baseball and soccer fields. One match at the wrong time would destroy many acres of brush and several to dozens of homes. It would be extremely irresponsible to leave matches, fireworks, lighters in one of these caches. Knowing how lawyers work, it would also subject you to huge liability.

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"As a general rule of thumb, don't leave anything that you would not give a complete stranger you see in that same location, regardless what age." instead.

 

I'm pretty certain I wouldn't go up to a complete stranger and offer him an allen wrench set, but I leave them in caches all the time.

 

 

I would have to agree with you and say no matches in caches. Temperatures inside the cache can get off the scale, especially down here in the SouthWest. Just a bad idea, IMO.

 

So caches concealed under rocks, or sticks will get hotter than a car sitting in the hot sun all day? I'm sure that the inside of our cars get much hotter on a sunny July afternoon than any cache out there, yet I've yet to hear about packs of matches and lighters spontaneously igniting in glove compartments. Maybe your experiences differ?

Edited by briansnat
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I would have to agree with you and say no matches in caches. Temperatures inside the cache can get off the scale, especially down here in the SouthWest. Just a bad idea, IMO.

 

So caches concealed under rocks, or sticks will get hotter than a car sitting in the hot sun all day? I'm sure that the inside of our cars get much hotter on a sunny July afternoon than any cache out there, yet I've yet to hear about packs of matches and lighters spontaneously igniting in glove compartments. Maybe your experiences differ?

Anything that can start a fire down here in the very dry Southwest should not be left in a cache, IMO. Not just because of the incredible temperatures that can be reached inside the cache, but because they might end up in the hands of someone who gets careless, or makes just ONE mistake, and then you get this:

 

29083_16400.jpg

 

I know this can happen very easily. I live down here in Arizona and know exactly how flammable the dry terrain is. One less pack of matches is one less chance for another out-of-control wildfire.

Edited by TEAM 360
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I'm pretty certain I wouldn't go up to a complete stranger and offer him an allen wrench set, but I leave them in caches all the time.

 

You may not, but would you be more apt to give the stranger the allen wrench set or a knife, not knowing who he is? Plainly put, if you don't want a juvenile delinquent to get ahold of something that you left for anyone to get, then don't. People can make a bunch of excuses of it won't happen, well things do happen. The common sense part comes into play that others have mentioned. Is it something that could be used to cause harm, destruction, or death? If so, don't leave it. Of course they can get things otherways. But you can be held responsible. Ask parents who leave alcohol unlocked and unattended and their child or friend gets into it. Ask someone who has a gun in their house loaded that a child gets ahold of. People are charged with these things everyday. They have good intentions and think they are safe with it, but they aren't. Knives are cutting instruments. Matches and lighters are for lighting things (fire). And so on. While used properly, these things are great tools, but if not used properly, they can cause bodily injury, property destruction and up to death. escouts mention of the fires is a good example. Some of those fires were intentionally set, some were accidents. Anything can happen. We just had a home burn down here that started when someone was jumpstarting their car in the garage. I'm sure they didn't expect that. We can get all technical about it if we want. Use common sense. We too remove these type of things in caches. Sometimes we will write it down, sometimes we won't.

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inside the cache, but because they might end up in the hands of someone who gets careless, or makes just ONE mistake,

Exactly! Ask someone who has lost their home and their possessions in a fire because of someone else. I can imagine that their viewpoint would be not to leave matches where an idiot or a juvenile delinquent could get a hold of.

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I guess all of my future logs will have to read "took _______ left something which in some way some how could be misconstrued as being potentially dangerous in some areas of the country where young unsupervised childeren or complete morons could use item as a weapon. ps removed dangerous pencil and replaced with a fat crayon". :D

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Two thoughts:

 

First, some of the latest posts remind me of the Dan Akroyd skit on SNL for Xmas toys from Mainway...Giant Bag O' Glass....Dry Cleaning Bag....and then in rebuttal to Jane Curtin, he points out that you could easily be using a toy phone when...woops, you slip and the cord is around your neck in a noose and your kid's hanging from the ceiling...it's all dangerous...let's just go look at the trees and pretend to find items...

 

I believe that if a juvenile delinquent were looking to play with matches, he'd probably try 7-11 ("my mom forgot to get some matches for the cigs you just sold her") before praying that some day he'd stumble onto a tupperware box in the woods. If he stumbled on the box and there were matches inside, if he lights them up and sets the woods on fire, then someone wasn't thinking when they put matches in the middle of a dry forest to begin with. In other words, look around you and place location appropriate items. I don't think there's ever been a forest fire in Acadia near Bar Harbor, ME. There are a lot of people that do the caches on the island while they camp in Acadia. I'd imagine finding waterproof matches might come in handy there and the place isn't really crawling with derelict kids. If I found some matches there, I wouldn't think twice. If it's 102 outside and there's been no rain for 3 months in New Mexico and I find matches 20 ft from the parking lot in some scrub brush, then I trade it out and post a note recommending this not be done further in that cache.

 

Focus on what is plausible not possible and this might make a bit more sense to discuss. A Bowie knife in downtown Philly....not a good hide. A Bowie knife halfway up Mt. Rainer....sure, just don't necessarily hang it from a tree on the trail...

 

Problem solved?

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Give me a break! Some of you people are wound too tight or you need to quit smoking the poison ivey. You cache police sound like a bunch of PTA members trying to control every aspect of a game that already has set guide lines. I think water proof matches as a trade item for an activity that is based on being out doors in the wild is a great trade item.

 

I have been catching flack on a recent cache because it had a bottle of bubbles in it. The bottle of bubbles were sealed in a plastic bag. The cache police quickly removed the bubbles citing that bubbles should not be left in a cache since they may leak and spoil the cache. These cache police also indicated "Bubbles" were an illegal cache item. Give me a break! It is the responsibility of the cache owner to maintain their cache.

 

You don't want children finding knives, matches and BUBBLES?!?!?! A pocket knife and matches would come in handy while camping. Bubbles are just fun.

 

If you don't like a trade item but it does not violate the stated guid lines don't take it. Just be offended and go away.

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Give me a break! Some of you people are wound too tight or you need to quit smoking the poison ivey. You cache police sound like a bunch of PTA members trying to control every aspect of a game that already has set guide lines. I think water proof matches as a trade item for an activity that is based on being out doors in the wild is a great trade item.

 

I have been catching flack on a recent cache because it had a bottle of bubbles in it. The bottle of bubbles were sealed in a plastic bag. The cache police quickly removed the bubbles citing that bubbles should not be left in a cache since they may leak and spoil the cache. These cache police also indicated "Bubbles" were an illegal cache item. Give me a break! It is the responsibility of the cache owner to maintain their cache.

 

You don't want children finding knives, matches and BUBBLES?!?!?! A pocket knife and matches would come in handy while camping. Bubbles are just fun.

 

If you don't like a trade item but it does not violate the stated guid lines don't take it. Just be offended and go away.

OMG bubbles in a cache what are you thinking. What if a little blind kid stumbles across that cache and thinks those bubbles are a drink and he ends up drinking the bubbles and he walks out of the woods foaming at the mouth and a hunter stumbles accross this mouth foaming little boy bouncing into the trees and shoots him out of fear that he has rabies and doesnt want the whole town to get infected or worse yet killed by this little rabbid boy. Then when the cops find out the little blind boy wasnt rabid at all and just drank some bubbles that a wreckless GEOCACHER left behind in a cache and they execute this guy for trying to protect the world from a ferocious rabbid monster, you can say good bye to your caching days.You people better start thinking about the consequences of your actions when placing these dangerous items in your caches.

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