Take Something - Leave Nothing

[+Sagefox]

That is, when the container is so full the lid either won't close or it breaks from trying.

 

For the third time (there are probably more than three) one of our caches had a log note posted that said the lid wouldn't close because of too much stuff. This is a log entry that shoul never need to be posted. Just TAKE SOMETHING out!

 

I have found several containers fitting this description wherein I promptly remove enough stuff to make it work. Even if I am in TNLN mode and don't have something to put back. The entire contents and more importantly the logbook are at risk when this is not taken care of during rainy seasons.

 

Hierarchy of removal when nothing available to put back: Damaged goods first, then junk, then lowest value. The first two are almost always present.

[+WeightMan]

And a corollary to this would be to leave extra stuff if the box is somewhat empty. I was at one last week that had very little in terms of swag so I left a TB and three other items and took nothing. In the case mentioned here, yes take the lowest value stuff out and leave room to at least close the box. I have to admit leaving too much stuff in one in Anchorage, but I had two TB's that wanted to be in Alaska and that was likely the only cache I would be able to find. As soon as I posted the log, the owner came by and took out the two bugs. Most helpful although I was able to close the lid and keep it sealed.

[+GoaTSniFFer]

I will often add extra loot when a cache is lite or has been looted.

[+briansnat]

In cases like this, I usually take something large...even if I have no use for it, and leave something small.

[+Fritz_Monroe]

I agree entirely. Too many people are stuck on the trade even mindset. That's really the way to go, but occasionally common sense must prevail. If there's nothing in there, leave something. If there's too much, take out something. If you take something when you would normally TNLN, then leave it in the next cache you hit.

 

I found a cache where the lid was held shut with a rubber band. Not because the clasp was broken, but because there were 4 golf balls. To me, used golf balls are useless. I took each of these. I tend to take any golf ball that's in a cache. They are worthless and take up a relatively large amount of space. I get back to the car and dump them in the trash.

 

F_M

[+Renegade Knight]

I've done that often. Pull things from a cache when I can't get the container to close. It just ends up in an empty cache down the line and the balance of the universe or at least our RASH is maintained.

[+GPSKitty]

I've never been able to make sense of some of the online logs I've read that go something like "I left this and that and one of those, took nothing. Had a hard time closing the container. Next person to find should plan on taking something".

Huh?

It's wonderful to be generous and help restock a cache that's in need, but to overstuff an already full cache? I repeat...huh?

 

I'm still new enough that I have yet to come across caches that are full of junk or trash, (mostly doing micros and virts) but I have wondered what the acceptable action is on those occasions. I understand "take something, leave something of equal or greater value" but if there is a bunch of junk, is it proper to leave one or two decent items and take out several trashy things?

 

GPSKitty

[+Sagefox]

I understand "take something, leave something of equal or greater value" but if there is a bunch of junk, is it proper to leave one or two decent items and take out several trashy things?

 

GPSKitty

Yep.

[+briansnat]

I had one cache, a decon box, that got pretty full. People would complain about hard it was to get everything inside, but often would mention in their log that they left something and didn't take anything. What's with that!

[+Imajika]

I understand "take something, leave something of equal or greater value" but if there is a bunch of junk, is it proper to leave one or two decent items and take out several trashy things?

 

GPSKitty

Yes, that is acceptable.

 

And to flip that, sometimes I take nothing and leave 2 or 3 items in a cache that has slim pickings! (Slim Pickings = cache items...not the country singer! I don't think he would ever fit into a cache!)

[+IVxIV]

I'm still pretty new to this, and trade what I got from the last cache to the current one & so on.. I imagine that's what a lot of people do. But I also try to keep a swap-theme going.,, like swapping a car key for a toy car, then the toy car for a toy figurine belonging to the car,, etc. From a full caching day can wind up a long streaming story on how I left the house with a ski-club badge & come home with a plastic rock lol

 

Yeah I've come across some caches that had the lid bulging off, but felt too guilty to trade more than 1 thing for another.. but putting it into perspective about how the cache may otherwise get waterlogged & damaged without some "thinnage" of booty makes sense to me.

[+Sir Cache-A-Lot]

I had a cache that had some unsharpened pencils that someone left in it. One cacher went on about how difficult it was to open the container since the pencils were catching on the twist off lid. Eventually after banging it around he was able to get the lid off to sign the log. After all that... you gussed it, he put the pencils right back in! Just take the them with you if they don't fit.

 

This same cache also became so full that everything would not fit, so a ziplock bag with stuff in it was left under the cache. Eventually a nice cacher came along and took the extra stuff and put it in another cache... Thanks.

[+OKThumper]

And to flip that, sometimes I take nothing and leave 2 or 3 items in a cache that has slim pickings! (Slim Pickings = cache items...not the country singer! I don't think he would ever fit into a cache!)

Slim Pickens was a movie star, at least the Slim Pickens I knew. He and I lived in a little town in CA (old gold rush town of Columbia) and I went to his house on several occasision, and yes you are right he would not fit in a cache. However I don't believe I ever heard him sing, heck he could hardly talk some of the times we were together, you know too much booze.

 

And back on the topic, yes I have had to take something big out of a cache and leave something small just to make room in the cache. The funny thing was what I left was a lot better than what I took.

 

Thumper

[+bushi]

Hmmm ... interesting thread. Being new to this, I find threads like this very useful. I had this situation happen just yesterday so e-mailed the hider about the problem. The suggestions here are better since the problem is immediately resolved. I'd like to see a section in the FAQs like "Common Sense Solutions to Cache Problems". That would be very helpful for newbies like me.

[+Sagefox]

Slim Pickens was a movie star, at least the Slim Pickens I knew. He and I lived in a little town in CA (old gold rush town of Columbia)...

I once flew into the Columbia, CA airport as a passenger in a small plane. Small world.

 

(I still don't know how to quote two different posts in one response. Hope to find out someday. I've convinced myself I don't have time to research it - oops there goes my office phone again.)

 

Miru's response makes this topic worth its salt. Yes, when we are new to geocaching and even after substatial expierence we find that we must make decisions in the field that we hadn't thought about before. We make stuff up on the fly but we can bounce it around later in the forums to get other opinions. (Opinions are vey easy to find here!)

[+fly46]

there were 4 golf balls. To me, used golf balls are useless. I took each of these. I tend to take any golf ball that's in a cache. They are worthless and take up a relatively large amount of space. I get back to the car and dump them in the trash.

 

F_M

May I ask why you would throw away something someone put in a cache that wasn't broken?

 

As for golf-balls, I know quite a few people who would love to find golf balls in a cache. Even if you didn't want to play with them, they'd be great for practice.... Especially if you're like me... I've a huge back yard, and frequently golf balls get lost there (no, not by me, by my dad and the neighbor's family), so being able to get some more for free would be cool.

[+Imajika]

And to flip that, sometimes I take nothing and leave 2 or 3 items in a cache that has slim pickings! (Slim Pickings = cache items...not the country singer! I don't think he would ever fit into a cache!)

Slim Pickens was a movie star, at least the Slim Pickens I knew. He and I lived in a little town in CA (old gold rush town of Columbia) and I went to his house on several occasision, and yes you are right he would not fit in a cache. However I don't believe I ever heard him sing, heck he could hardly talk some of the times we were together, you know too much booze.

 

And back on the topic, yes I have had to take something big out of a cache and leave something small just to make room in the cache. The funny thing was what I left was a lot better than what I took.

 

Thumper

You're right. It was late and I was tired. Hey at least I got his name right!

[+DevilDriver]

And to flip that, sometimes I take nothing and leave 2 or 3 items in a cache that has slim pickings! (Slim Pickings = cache items...not the country singer! I don't think he would ever fit into a cache!)

Slim Pickens was a movie star, at least the Slim Pickens I knew. He and I lived in a little town in CA (old gold rush town of Columbia) and I went to his house on several occasision, and yes you are right he would not fit in a cache. However I don't believe I ever heard him sing, heck he could hardly talk some of the times we were together, you know too much booze.

 

And back on the topic, yes I have had to take something big out of a cache and leave something small just to make room in the cache. The funny thing was what I left was a lot better than what I took.

 

Thumper

You're right. It was late and I was tired. Hey at least I got his name right!

 

Its "Pickins" not Pickings. I never heard him sing either, but I did see him ride a atom bomb dropped out of a B-52 bomber once!

Edited April 12, 2004 by DevilDriver

[bug and snake]

There are more than one sharing similar names - I think this was the one first refered to in thia thread.....

 

Slimbo

[+Geo Ho]

In cases like this, I usually take something large...even if I have no use for it, and leave something small.

Exactly! Been there . . . done that . . .

 

Happy caching and stuff!