I Need Ideas For A Cache

[+archaeor]

I picked these up today because I think they would be perfect for a cache. Not much room inside, but more room than in a film canister. Anyway, they both have programmable combinations, one uses three letters, and the other, any combination of up to ten numbers.

 

 

 

Anybody got any good and/or clever ideas on how to integrate these into a cache and how to keep them from getting muggled??

 

Thanks,

 

Rick

[+TeamK-9]

Umm, find a way to put each number or letter of the combination on something. Like paint each one on the underside of a rock. And then hide each rock and list coordinates. People have to find the rocks with the combination on it, before they proceed to the final cache and open the box using the combination.

 

I guess it's not very clever, but I'd just hide this somewhere just like an ordinary cache...

 

I've seen something like this before, but it was painted on tops of birdhouses...

 

Are you willing to share where you got them.

 

My dad's a realtor, and he has these, but he hasn't ever had anything other than one of the electric ones, or at least not that I know of...

Edited June 8, 2004 by TeamK-9

[+BadAndy]

A cable with eyes in the end, like for a bike lock, around a tree. A big eyebolt screwed into a tree or fencepost (with permission of course). Through the nose of a cache maggot?

[+briansnat]

Thats a tough one. You don't want to stick them on private property and lock someone out, but ya can't hang them just anywhere because they'd look out of place. Perhaps there is an old gate in a park that isn't used anymore?

 

I have a similar problem with a hide-a-key thermometer. Thought it would be great for a cache, but can't figure out where to put it. It looks like a normal outdoor thermometer, but the face slides up revealing a good sized compartment that would fit a a pair of film canisters.

[+flask]

oh, man.. you have to ASK for advice on those babies?

 

buy a commercial property if you have to. put it on the doorknob. man, that'd be great.

[+archaeor]

Are you willing to share where you got them.

 

One came with my house when I bought it (so I knew the combo), the other I grabbed today from work from an abandoned Real Estate Sales Office slated for demolition. I didn't have the combo, but it didn't take me long to figure it out . . . the Real Estate Company name is Shea Properties, Inc., and the combo was "S-P-I".

 

Rick

[+archaeor]

ya can't hang them just anywhere because they'd look out of place. Perhaps there is an old gate in a park that isn't used anymore?

 

Yeah, they would look a little out of place. I like the old gate idea, or perhaps way down low on a chain-link fence, or something . . .

 

Rick

[+Boot Group]

Those would be really cool to use in a multi-cache set up. The prior step could give the combination.

[+archaeor]

Apparently, those are available at HOME DEPOT for $31.95.

 

Do a search on their site for "keysafe" (all one word).

 

Rick

[+TeamK-9]

Apparently, those are available at HOME DEPOT for $31.95.

 

Do a search on their site for "keysafe" (all one word).

 

Rick

Rest assured that the ones you have are of a better quality, sort of...

 

My dad says that one of his realtor catalogs where he orders his good lockboxes from has ones like you have for around $10, and that the ones you have, haven't been used, or at least haven't been used in Western PA for at least 10 years...

[+Renegade Knight]

Missing my bike lock. My friends stole my lock and put it somewhere leaving me with these stupid clues to find it. I don't have time to get it. Maybe you can help. The lock has a secrete compartment. If you find it you can swap out what's inside.

 

Or mabye

 

Being an evil but absent minded genius I have lost my container containing the virus that will enslave all the men and marry me to all the women on the planet. You my evil minion will go find it.

 

Or

 

Three lock box (you are shy a lock for this one.)

[+archaeor]

Being an evil but absent minded genius I have lost my container containing the virus that will enslave all the men and marry me to all the women on the planet. You my evil minion will go find it.

 

I like that!!!!

 

(psssst . . .where can I get some of that virus??!!??)

 

Rick

[+archaeor]

Three lock box

 

Another Sammy Hagar fan, methinks??

 

Rick

[Cachengrab]

Make a multi and leave a pc of the combo in each of the previous caches. lock the final cache so that you need to get into the trickets by unlocking the cache itself. Sort of like a treasure chest.

[+BlueDeuce]

I’ve thought about using those too, personally I think they are good protection from muggles. They’d have to bring a hammer and chisel to get it open. You’d probably have to make it a multi cache otherwise you’d have to post the combo on the cache page. Just have people visit historical markers or something to get the numbers. You could attach it to a fence post along a barbed wire fence or even a chain link fence. I guess it would have to be placed low to be covered up with leaves or grass.

[+bigredmed]

A twisted prankster might go to a less than actively used park or wildlife area and hang one on the latrine door in such a way that it "looks" like the door is locked by it, but in reality, they are just hanging on. (Of course you would need permission).

[MickUpi]

S P I is the default combination from the factory.

Most realtors don't bother to change them.

Mick

[+archaeor]

S P I is the default combination from the factory.

 

S P I is also an acronym for the company name of the manufacturer of the key box, "Supra Products, Inc."

 

Strange coincidence, perhaps??!!?? (I guess I just got lucky!! ).

 

Rick

 

edit=spelling

Edited June 8, 2004 by archaeor

[+TimInOhio and Brittany]

Are you willing to share where you got them.

These exact boxes can be had here, for only slightly more than the Home Depot version.

 

Or, of course eBay has a couple here and here.

Edited June 8, 2004 by TimInOhio

[+EnergySaver]

First thing I would do is spray paint the things to camo them ... or more specifically colors that would blend with the chosen hide location (so I guess this would not be the first thing, or I wouldn't know where I'm hiding it ).

 

As for a hiding location ... I would find some kind of bridge with an area you can get to under the bridge safely from land ... got to be something metal under there with a hole or rod that you can snap the thing on.

 

You could easily convert the A, B, C, D, etc buttons into 1, 2, 3, 4, etc if you want to somehow work coordinates into the game plan.

Even better, maybe something I'll try ... make a couple Micros that lead to a Mystery ... hide a film canister micro with a key in it (some obsolete key to your old car or something) (for the ironic factor), on the key write something like:

N43 29.FAJ W87 42.GDI

35317

Then in another micro film canister, place a code:

A=5 B=2 C=3 D=4 E=7 F=9 G=0 H=1 I=6 J=8

They de-code the cordinates of the lock box to be:

N43 29.958 W87 42.046

And de-code the lock box combo to be:

CACHE

 

I'll have to go now ... got to find myself some of these lock boxes.

Edited June 8, 2004 by EnergySaver

[+wildearth2001]

Umm, find a way to put each number or letter of the combination on something. Like paint each one on the underside of a rock. And then hide each rock and list coordinates. People have to find the rocks with the combination on it, before they proceed to the final cache and open the box using the combination.

 

I guess it's not very clever, but I'd just hide this somewhere just like an ordinary cache...

 

I've seen something like this before, but it was painted on tops of birdhouses...

 

Are you willing to share where you got them.

 

My dad's a realtor, and he has these, but he hasn't ever had anything other than one of the electric ones, or at least not that I know of...

and

A cable with eyes in the end, like for a bike lock, around a tree.

I like a combonation of these two put together

 

and I also like this one

As for a hiding location ... I would find some kind of bridge with an area you can get to under the bridge safely from land ... got to be something metal under there with a hole or rod that you can snap the thing on.

 

You could easily convert the A, B, C, D, etc buttons into 1, 2, 3, 4, etc if you want to somehow work coordinates into the game plan.

Even better, maybe something I'll try ... make a couple Micros that lead to a Mystery ... hide a film canister micro with a key in it (some obsolete key to your old car or something) (for the ironic factor), on the key write something like:

N43 29.FAJ W87 42.GDI

35317

Then in another micro film canister, place a code:

A=5 B=2 C=3 D=4 E=7 F=9 G=0 H=1 I=6 J=8

They de-code the cordinates of the lock box to be:

N43 29.958 W87 42.046

And de-code the lock box combo to be:

CACHE

Edited June 8, 2004 by wildearth2001

[+joefrog]

I have a mystery cache here in Birmingham that uses a technique I had seen once before. You have to find the coords in other caches.

 

First, hide around 6 micro caches at the same time -- that way Joe Cacher won't know exactly which ones he has to find for the coords and/or clue to the combination. In some of them, write partial coords. In others, (in your case, three) write a part of the combination.

 

It's been well-received!

 

[+EnergySaver]

First, hide around 6 micro caches at the same time -- that way Joe Cacher won't know exactly which ones he has to find for the coords and/or clue to the combination.  In some of them, write partial coords.  In others, (in your case, three) write a part of the combination.

Exactly!

 

"Rainbow's End...Pot-of-Gold" at zip code 53090 placed by "ecorangers" is a cool example of that. He uses six colored plastic eggs, "Rainbow ###### Raindrop" (###### replaced with the color), to hide coordinate "clues" to the pot of gold. Very cool and well received cache series ... check it out if your ever in south-eastern Wisconsin.

 

I've done a similar thing with "Valley of Oz TB Zoo" at zip 53012, but using PVC pipe with sliding sections, that look like part of the tree, but open to reveal clues and a log-sheet.

 

Personally, I really enjoy a series of "clues" that lead to a mystery cache ... especially when the first finders get some kind of rewards at the destination, for their extra effort ... even though scoring multiple cache "finds" on a single hunt is a great reward in itself.

Edited June 9, 2004 by EnergySaver

[+TeamK-9]

Someone might have said this already, but I think I've come up with a very "clever" idea that may make local cachers think you're evil....

 

Okay, it's a multi. So you get maybe 3 micros. You put the coords for the first micro on the cache page. In the micro you have coords for the next micro and part of the combination for the lock box. Then they have to go to the next micro and get the next part of the combo and more coords. Then the final micro they get the final part of the combination and the coords to the lockbox.

 

At the lockbox, geocachers put in the combination and find a key and a set of coordinates. The coordinates will be needed to take them to the final full sized cache container, and the key would be needed to open the padlock on it...

[+Torry]

For the numerically keyed lock, enter a combinaion of the co-ords for the alpha-keyed lock try and get the local mod to issue you a "GC" designation that's all letters. Lock up to any old metal you find on the "dumpy" side of your favorite park. Leave no other clues about how to gain entry or engrave further instructions for a "cheat sheet" on the back of the locks. Inside locks place co-ords for a "Bonus" cache only.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

You could always make the combination "H-A-L"

[+wildearth2001]

for the alpha-keyed lock try and get the local mod to issue you a "GC" designation that's all letters. Lock up to any old metal you find on the "dumpy" side of your favorite park. Leave no other clues about how to gain entry or engrave further instructions for a "cheat sheet" on the back of the locks. Inside locks place co-ords for a "Bonus" cache only.

thats a good idea, but is it even possible for the mods to give/change a GC number assuming they were willing to

[+EnergySaver]

... At the lockbox, geocachers put in the combination and find a key and a set of coordinates. The coordinates will be needed to take them to the final full sized cache container, and the key would be needed to open the padlock on it...

I like the "key to open a lock" idea (I think someone else said that too) ... I'm wondering if that would ever get approved, since only one cacher could solve the puzzle at a time ... I know when my mystery cache was approved, Finder #1 and Finder #2 passed each other in opposite directions on the final approach (#2 wishes he had not stopped for breakfast first).

 

If it would "pass inspection" I really like it, because then the finder has to make another trip back to the prior micro to hide the key again.

[+EnergySaver]

I little off topic ... but spurred on by the "little sneaks" approach ... what do you all think of this:

 

Make a Multi-Cache or series of Micros leading to a Mystery, starting with the "Parking Lot" Coordinates for the Mystery ... bounce them around finding coordinate clues in the Micros, the last Micro tells them "go to the coordinates listed for the parking lot, that's where the Full Size Cache is". So basically, the coordinates LISTED for parking might actually be 20 feet in the woods of the parking area ... no one would worry about being right on target when they park their car, so they're not going to park under a fallen tree ... but NOW you send them back to find the cache under that fallen tree. It's sneaking, but at least the walk back to their car is short!