Helping To Maintain Someone Else's Cache

[+brodiebunch]

What is the protocol/etiquette about this? There is a very large city park near my home containing two caches, one is my own. The other cache was marauded by geomuggles at some point. However

cachers are continuing to find this cache, use the remaining papers for signing, etc. Then are many comments about this cache stating how its in dire need of maintenance.

 

I live close by and was thinking of putting the remnants in a new container and putting in a new log book. I have extras so thats not the problem. I just want to help out and keep that cache going because this park is too large for just one cache. Its hidden is great place there. I just don't want my actions construed as taking over that cache. The owner has a webpage and has placed other caches, I am surprised they havent read the comments and taken action? Like I said, I just want to help out.

 

Thoughts/suggestions/flames?

 

Brodiebunch

[+southdeltan]

I have done this in the past. It's quite common for geocachers to replace ziplock bags, logbooks, or pens/pencils if they come across a cache in need of help. I have replaced containers 2 or 3 times as well. I have heard of others doing the same, especially for caches with MIA owners.

 

Email the owner, there may be a good reason that he hasn't fixed the cache and he will probably welcome the help.

 

southdeltan

[+briansnat]

Personally, if the cache was a nice one in an interesting area, I'd fix it up. But appasrently the owner is no longer interested in maintaining it, so if you posed a SBA log, I don't see how the guy can complain. Its your choice and either would be appropriate.

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

E-mail the owner and find out if he is going to take care of the cache. If he's not interested in doing so maybe you could adopt it with his permission.

 

John

[Reel Rider]

Im sure people (most) will be glad with the help you provided, For i have sometimes forgotten to put LOGS in my caches... (whoops) . I was glad when someleft left a scrap paper, than i wnt back and put a real log and signed everybody who had signed it over again.

[+JMBella]

If the cache owner is no longer active send your local approver an email asking to adopt it. It may take a while for it to go through but in the meantime I would go ahead and fix it up. I think in general people consider it a good deed to help out with a cache.

[+Planet]

I do it all the time. If you don't mind doing it and the cache owner doesn't mind, you are only doing a favor. I wouldn't do it if I didn't think it was worthy though. Then I'd post a note saying your cache needs maintaining.

[Reel Rider]

(this is more of a funny post)

If you keep on posting notes but the owner never checks just put

"cache owner needs to do some major matinice"

Me and my friend did this once, the cache owner than saw as at a event cache and was made at us (made a joke about it)

 

Never place a cache where you think it was supposed to be becuase than the owner wont be able to find it (this ahs happened also to us)

 

If a cache looks to b in a wrong spot just say that

[dampeoples]

I wouldn't personally mind if someone helped me with a cache I had placed (if I had placed one ) I think it would be good for everyone involved. Life takes unexpected turns, and this could be a welcome helping hand to the owner. An email explaining your intent/doings would be nice though.

[+JMBella]

I do it all the time...

And I can attest to that!

[Reel Rider]

If we all could help out the world could be a better place,(put caches back where there supposed to be!!!) Also mak sure not to make noticable footprints near the cache like you jumping up and down, when its raining...LOL

[+shunra]

Personally, if the cache was a nice one in an interesting area, I'd fix it up. But appasrently the owner is no longer interested in maintaining it, so if you posed a SBA log, I don't see how the guy can complain. Its your choice and either would be appropriate.

If Briansnat recommends an SBA, who am I to object?

 

I am thinking about posting one for the Tri Area Cache. I was FTF when the cache was still in its original hiding spot, which was a birdhouse on a tree, and is now gone. The cache survived for a while in a ziplock bag on the ground at the same coords, and the owner never did a thing about it. The location is uninspring, and with the original creative hiding spot gone, I wouldn't want to initiate adoption. So I'm just letting it be, but it annoys me. I's the only "bad" cache in our county.

I've written to the owner, some months ago, and all I got was a virtual shrug: "yes, you can improve it if you like". She lives near the cache, but appears to have lost interest. But since the container inside the ziplock bag was closed and the contents were dry, last time I looked, I don't feel comfortable with posting an SBA here, although I'd rather see this cache go.

[+SixDogTeam]

I've fixed a lot of caches and had some of mine fixed. I always thank the cacher. But I've rarely been thanked. Sometimes cachers who don't maintain their hides seem to resent it when you try to help themfor some strange reason...

[+Night Stalker]

I think one of the bast examples of this was a cache that Renegade Knight had hidden. For some reason he had a mental lapse that day and:

1. Did not actually place the cache at the chosen destination.

2. Forgot to include the logbook.

3. Forgot to include any goodies in the cache.

 

When he wrote up the log page he included this informtion. As a result one cache took the cache to it intended destination and updated the coordinates. A cacher put a logbook in the cache and another cacher filled it with goodies. Now thats the geocaching spirit if I ever saw it.

 

[Reel Rider]

Thats Nice of them

[+briansnat]

When he wrote up the log page he included this informtion. As a result one cache took the cache to it intended destination and updated the coordinates. A cacher put a logbook in the cache and another cacher filled it with goodies. Now thats the geocaching spirit if I ever saw it.

 

Sounds a bit like one cache I heard of. It was a Ziploc bag with a piece of paper in it that the owner placed spontaneously because he thought the spot was nice. He asked that subsequent finders bring a logbook, pencil and stuff to "build the cache". Last I heard it went from the Ziploc to Gladware and is now an ammo box full of goodies.

Edited May 18, 2004 by briansnat

[+flask]

i am of two minds. sometimes i'm in the mood to clean things out and replace everything in new ziplocs and upgrade the contents and sometimes i'm in the mood to leave crappy caches crappy.

 

i think partly i make my decision based on my subjective perception about the original intent of the cache. if it appears to be a good cache fallen on hard times, it gets a nice upgrade. if it appears to have always been a crappy cache and a neglected one at that, i let it continue that way.

 

i'm naturally a helpful person, but after a while i start to resent people who do not appropriately take care of these things.

[Find Now, Log Later?]

When he wrote up the log page he included this informtion. As a result one cache took the cache to it intended destination and updated the coordinates. A cacher put a logbook in the cache and another cacher filled it with goodies. Now thats the geocaching spirit if I ever saw it.

 

Sounds a bit like one cache I heard of. It was a Ziploc bag with a piece of paper in it that the owner placed spontaneously because he thought the spot was nice. He asked that subsequent finders bring a logbook, pencil and stuff to "build the cache". Last I heard it went from the Ziploc to Gladware and is now and ammo box full of goodies.

Gee, then there's only one step left ... all "cache owners" need to do is post coordinates and leave everything else up to the finders. Nice.

[+nfa]

Hi,

 

There was a cache near my base of operation that had not been found for a while, and as there are very few caches in the ADK park anyway, I was worried that it would eventually be archived.

 

I sent the owner an email after looking for it once, and then asked our approver about adopting the cache...no go because the approver saw that as a violation of the grandfathering of caches placed on state preserve land...I agree with the position even if I'm not crazy about it.

 

I devoted one afternoon to doing a spiral search of the area, and found the cache stuffed in a stump way away from the location it was supposed to be (based on coords given and photos of the site). So I moved the cache back to it's original location, cleaned it out and resupplied it with mctreasures and log (some of the stuff was still inside, but it was soggy and gross).

 

I didn't do this out of the goodness of my heart, I did it so that the cache would remain active, and so that I would be able to visit it with my son when he is old enough...the cache density in my area is too low to let any cache go the way of the dodo.

 

nfa

[+Pobre Rico]

My cachin' pack contains zip-locs, logbooks, writin' utensils, sometimes a Rubbermaid-type container, paper towels for dryin' stuff, and things like that.

 

I don't mind doin' a little maintenance on a deserving cache. I know I've appreciated it when someone has done a little work on one of my caches, saving me a trip into the wilderness.