bnolan Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 Today I am caching with my daughters and we find three caches. The first one has matches and a piece of candy in it. The second one has a bag of nuts in it. The third has several pieces of candy and three packets of spiced cider. The smell of cider that has been locked in an airtight ammo can in 90 degree weather for several weeks is pretty strong. We could smell the cache 10 feet away. At each of these caches, I took the offending items out, but felt obliged to leave something in trade. Do you leave a trade when you take out forbidden items ? Should I just leave the food in the cache and let wild animals smell them ? How do we get people to quit putting food in caches ? ____________________________________________________ I may be lost, but at least I am making good time. Quote Link to comment
+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 I'll remove food just because it's wrong. I look at it as protecting the cache from ants, animals etc. If I have something to trade, I will, but I won't worry about it if I don't have anything to trade. I may still take an additional item for myself which I will definitely trade for. Sometimes I leave stuff without taking anything trade items too. Consider it cache maintainance. Till a voice, as bad as Conscience, rang interminable changes On one everlasting Whisper day and night repeated -- so: "Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges -- "Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!" Rudyard Kipling , The Explorer 1898 Quote Link to comment
+Hawk-eye Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 I agree ... if it's food remove it. If it might smell like food ... scented candles, mint flavored dental floss (Hawk 3 had a very unfortunate animal encounter because someone left dental floss!) or anything that might draw in the local critters! Definitely the right thing to do even if you don't swap for it! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first! Quote Link to comment
+Brian - Team A.I. Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 IMHO, the answer is no. Just like last summer when I removed 2 LIVE 5-round WWII era clips of rifle ammunition, I left nothing in return, choosing safety over anything else. Brian Team A.I. Quote Link to comment
+Hawk-eye Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Brian - Team A.I.:... I removed 2 LIVE 5-round WWII era clips of rifle ammunition... That's amazing. I would assume that the person thought it would make an interesting trinket and probably thought they were not live. Every once in awhile you hear of a live WWII, K.War, V.war artifact turning up in some's attic or garage ... absolutely amazing how careless some folks can be. But putting in a cache ... geesh. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the "NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION" ... when you absolutely have to find it first! Quote Link to comment
jarja_grl and G-man Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 It's early and I haven't had my first cup of coffee yet (Okay, it's not that early but it's a Holiday and I have houseguests who were up all night so give me a break ) BUT I think I have an actual idea that might help with this situation. When we found our first cache there was a page inside that explained geocaching. The page encouraged making trades. I think it would be helpful if there had been a list of forbidden trade items! A simple list of 'keep this fun for everyone by avoiding the following items' would alert newbies to some simple guidelines. If any figure of authority were to find one of our caches, it would also be good PR to demonstrate that we are safety conscious. Is there a page that people print out to put in their caches? If so, we could simply add this to that page. Those are my before coffee thoughts...just wait til I get cranked up! Quote Link to comment
Buttons Brigade Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 Just don't eat the food, whatever you do Opinions based on experiences with eTrex Vista... Quote Link to comment
+fly46 Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 Do you leave a trade when you take out forbidden items ? Nope. Well, I still trade items, but I don't leave items in exchange for something forbidden. Should I just leave the food in the cache and let wild animals smell them ? Absolutely Not. You want the caches you to go be there, so if you can prohibit a racoon from running off with one, do it. How do we get people to quit putting food in caches ? You're kidding, right? Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 Have too? No. Should you? Probably. It is a better outcome. People who leave food are well intentioned. They will learn down the line not to leave food. Quote Link to comment
2oldfarts (the rockhounders) Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 If someone put food into one of your caches should you be punished and have your number of cache items reduced? Agreed that some items should not be in caches but in all fairness to the cache owner the idea is to trade EVEN or trade UP. Trade and then do whatever you feel is appropriate with the contraband. Common sense works wonder if it is used. John of 2oldfarts ******************************************************* Human beings can always be counted on to assert with vigor their God-given right to be stupid.--Dean Koontz Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 You did the right thing. Thanks! "You can't make a man by standing a sheep on his hind legs. But by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" - Max Beerbohm Quote Link to comment
SLCDave Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 Over the weekend, I removed a firework from one cache, and sunflower seeds from another. I did leave something for the firework, and took nothing else, and for the seeds, we took those in addition to the trade we made, just to get them out of the cache. If I didn't have my "Cache Bag" with me, I would have removed both items without leaving anything else. On a side note, I just got about 200 samples of those Eclipse Breath Strips from someone that I know that works at an airline. Too bad I can't leave those in cache containers! "I'm 35 Years old, I am divorced, and I live in van down by the river!" - Matt Foley Quote Link to comment
+showbizkid Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 No. I'm wondering who exactly would put food in a cache? Would YOU eat food left by a stranger in a box in the middle of nowhere with no idea of how old the food is or how long its been sitting in a hot and/or cold and/or wet box? I'm sure that most of the food left in cache boxes is okay, but didn't your mother tell you "don't take candy from strangers?" Quote Link to comment
Gory Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 SLC Dave wrote On a side note, I just got about 200 samples of those Eclipse Breath Strips from someone that I know that works at an airline. Too bad I can't leave those in cache containers! They weren't dropping hints were they? just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you Quote Link to comment
+Newenglandah Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 quote:Originally posted by showbizkid: I'm wondering who exactly would put food in a cache? Would YOU eat food left by a stranger in a box in the middle of nowhere with no idea of how old the food is or how long its been sitting in a hot and/or cold and/or wet box? " Great point, I'd say this goes for condoms also? Would you use it! ----not the condom issue again---- NOSEEUMS--High Protein Low Calorie unpacked trail snacks!!!! See You In the Woods!!! Natureboy1376 Quote Link to comment
+TEAM 360 Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Natureboy1376: quote:Originally posted by showbizkid: I'm wondering who exactly would put food in a cache? Would YOU eat food left by a stranger in a box in the middle of nowhere with no idea of how old the food is or how long its been sitting in a hot and/or cold and/or wet box? " Great point, I'd say this goes for condoms also? Definitely don't eat the condoms. Quote Link to comment
+Green Toad Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 While I wouldn't say that you are required to leave a trade item in the cache if you remove food. Personally, if I had something to trade I would do so, if only to maintain the cache. I have left items in caches that I took nothing because the cache was getting low. Basically, it can be a judgement call. If there is not much in the cache, then I would definitely leave something if I had something to leave (I do this even if I don't take anything); if the the cache is full, then there is less of a need to leave something. Use common sense, will the cache be hurting if you don't leave something to trade???? -Stroh -Technology...I have no idea what I would do without my GPSr, my TiVo, or my Computer with a broadband connection. I guess I would spend more time with my wife! Quote Link to comment
+Shoebox Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 If the person who left food logged the trade in the book or on line, I often send them a gentle reminder that food attracts raccoons and they trash caches in an attempted to get to the food. Reminding the offenders should prevent future similar problems. Quote Link to comment
+Brian - Team A.I. Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Hawk-eye: quote:Originally posted by Brian - Team A.I.:... I removed 2 LIVE 5-round WWII era clips of rifle ammunition... That's amazing. I would assume that the person thought it would make an interesting trinket and probably thought they were not live. Every once in awhile you hear of a live WWII, K.War, V.war artifact turning up in some's attic or garage ... absolutely amazing how careless some folks can be. But putting in a cache ... geesh. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Co-founder of the _"NC/VA GEO-HOG ASSOCIATION"_ ... when you absolutely have to find it first! That was the EXACT reason they were left in each of those caches. I posted my find with a very strong anti-ammo comment in caches, hoping that this cacher would read one or both of the logs and think twice about it. Oddly enough, those clips are still sitting on my desk at home. I haven't decided on a way to get rid of them. They were 2 out of the way caches with one having little risk of detonating due to heat or anything, as the ammo can (ironic, isn't it?) was under constant shade near a very large boulder. Hrmph. Perhaps I should drop off this black market LAW rocket I picked up in a nearby park at an urban micro. Brian Team A.I. Quote Link to comment
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