Honest-to-goodness Stealth

[+art begotti]

im having a problem with doing some caches in public places with any stealth... i mean, today, i found a cache hidden underneath a sign... only a couple things were a little weird.

 

1. the street i was doing this on was a setup/arrangement site for floats for a 4th of july parade

2. there was a line of six portapotties right next to the sign.

3. i was wearing a costume... nothing too standout-ish, just clothes from 100 years ago.

 

so yeah, whatever i did to find/rehide the cache was pretty horrible. i managed to wait til the area was clear when i found it, but rehiding it... oh man, it was bad... one of my main strategies is to pretend like i found something where i want to go (like throwing a dollar bill down, and picking it up, acting surprised, etc.) i dont think whoever was watching bought the dollar-bill excuse. i mean, losing a hacky-sack near a playground while kids are playing is one decent way to rehide the cache near the under the slide... i thought that was downright clever.

 

nonetheless, i still kinda... what's the word... stink like old sauerkraut. (okay, words.) does anyone have any suggestions for going about a little more discretely? any sleight of hand that anyone practices? i usually wear black or other dark colors, so i dont stick out like a sore thumb. but is there anything else i could do?

[+gallahad]

When I'm working on a cache that's VERY public, I generally try to wait until the area is quiet and at its lowest population potential. Frankly, I've even passed up a cache or two when it was obvious that the "hide" wasn't well planned and no amount of reasonably applied stealth would be successful.

[+Imajika]

Don't wear period costumes and don't go on a day when there is a parade.

 

No really, I don't worry too much about acting stealthy. The more you think about it, the more paranoid and obvious you become.

 

When I am with my team mates we just talk until the coast is clear and then go for the cache.

 

When I am alone, I TRY to wait until the coast is clear. If there is no way that is going to happen, I wait until I see the least amount of people and just go about my business. Most people won't stop and ask what the heck you are doing. If they do stop me, I just say I was in the area earlier and I lost my cell phone/ring/watch/whatever and I came back to look for it. Most people will not offer to help you. I rarely get busted but the few times I have, this trick always works and they never offer to help me.

 

If there are just WAY too many people around and there is no way I can get to the cache, I will leave and come back another day, at a different time when there won't be so many people out and about.

 

The other trick I use when alone is to pretend my GPSr is a cellphone. I will stand with it to my ear and talk loudly saying, "Where are you guys? I thought we were going to meet here 30 minutes ago!". I admit, this was an easy trick to use with my Legend but with my new GPSr, it might be a little harder.

Edited July 4, 2004 by Imajika

[+KG7JE]

I've been known to bend over and tie my seemingly loose shoelaces. Have to tie the other side when I put something back though! Works great for those magnetic caches on the bottom rail of an iron fence. Guess I can say that since the one I know about has been archived!

[+Milbank]

Get to the cache site early.

 

Get to the site before sunrise and look for it at first light.

 

Or go late, hours after sunset and bring your night vision goggles.

 

You can also go when it's raining, not so many people out and about then.

 

Most all the caches I have found have been in out of the way places.

 

I did place one cache were I had to go durring a hot, humid, stormy day because any other day there are always people fishing in the area.

[+art begotti]

Don't wear period costumes and don't go on a day when there is a parade.

 

--------------

 

The other trick I use when alone is to pretend my GPSr is a cellphone. I will stand with it to my ear and talk loudly saying, "Where are you guys? I thought we were going to meet here 30 minutes ago!". I admit, this was an easy trick to use with my Legend but with my new GPSr, it might be a little harder.

yeah... i guess i could have done a better job with the costume thing. but another cacher said to me, hey, there's a cache here... you wanna look for it? thing was, he already found it, so he couldnt help me... not like it would have helped me look any more normal anyway.

 

the cell phone thing... i actually suggested that. i came up with a list of things to camoflage yourself... cell phone... fake a camera, take a picture of a couple people... check your blood sugar levels... plenty of weird things you can do with those things. and of course, i have actually taken pictures with cameras to act natural. well, at least as natural as any "n00b tourist" would act...

[+SixTen]

Sometimes it's best to just walk up and do it...like there is nothing suspiscious about it...if you look around and hesitate and look uncomfortable or nervous...people will watch you even closer...but if you wanted to put the cache back...just walk right up and do it...I think that may have worked best in that situation...

[+art begotti]

so... sometimes the best stealth... is no stealth... right?

[+Imajika]

Yep! Sometimes I walk right to the cache site and go for it. If you look 'official' and confident, no one will even give you a second look.

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

For urban park caches I find that if I dress like and act like a drunk I'm left alone.

[+OzarksJim]

One of these days I'm going to get myself a t-shirt made that says "STAFF" in big black letters on the back. If people think you work for the park, or maybe an event that is being set up, normally they won't give you a second thought.

[+OzarksJim]

Carrying around a clipboard can make you look like you're doing some sort of survey.

[+Cache Viking]

Stealth. I take my kids along most the time. They are far from stealthy but with all the collecting of rocks or whatever facinates 5 & 8 year olds at the time hardly a person pays attention to the fact they are looking for tupperware, ammo cans or the like. Half the time they have immediatly grabbed a stick and are along the entire search path poking them into everything. People do not even pay any attention. When I have been alone or with my brother its another story of wait till people leave.

[+TeacherMatt]

Yep! Sometimes I walk right to the cache site and go for it. If you look 'official' and confident, no one will even give you a second look.

I've gone as far as putting on a white hard hat and an orange vest. People don't think twice when you are looking under signs, near light poles, etc.

[+Wacka]

I found one in a park and ride lot at midnight (I was going home and it was on the way). I found the cache with no problem and went in my car to sign the log. A pickup pulled in and parked fairly close. I took the cache for a 10-15 minute ride and the pickup was still there.

I got out and pretended I was drunk, "staggered" to a nearby tree and pretended to relieve myself. On the way back to the car I "stumbled" and held onto the sign that the cache belonged on. Easy replacement.

[+Imajika]

For urban park caches I find that if I dress like and act like a drunk I'm left alone.

Suuuuuuuuure, 'act like'!

 

Maybe if I had a shopping cart with all kinds of junk in it when I went to urban parks, no one would bother me. And with all the stuff I carry in my caching bag, I just may need a shopping cart soon anyway. Grocery Store, here I come!

[+Beta Test]

Sometimes it's best to just walk up and do it...like there is nothing suspiscious about it...if you look around and hesitate and look uncomfortable or nervous...people will watch you even closer...but if you wanted to put the cache back...just walk right up and do it...I think that may have worked best in that situation...

Exactly. Just walk like you own the place and nobody pays attention.

[+rutson]

I sometimes do some caches on my way home from work, at work I wear a navy blue uniform and hi-vis vest. This makes me "look official". On one cache a couple of cachers reported a hostile reaction from a neighbouring householder, he came up to me and had a pleasant chat

 

Edited stoopid typo

Edited July 4, 2004 by rutson

[+Robespierre]

Always have a pair of long underwear (the kind with the buttons on the backside) and a pair of stilts, Oh, and an extra person. Then one person puts on the long underwear, unbuttons the back, and walks down the middle of the street on the stilts. No one will pay any attention to the other one at the cache.

[+art begotti]

hmm... looking official... having insane distractions... all sound like good ideas to me...

[+Torry]

The simplest is the best. Avoid carrying all the extra caching stuff when doing urban and crowded area caches. A fanny pack and your GPS is the most you should need.

 

The clipboard idea is one I have used several times and NOT just for geo-caching. I used to get into concerts and a variety of restricted areas just by carrying a clipboard and LOOKING AND ACTING LIKE I KNEW PRECISELY WHAT I WAS DOING.

 

Save the backpacks, vests and walking sticks for the woods.

 

Don't sweat if a family of hikers spots you, bring them into the game and explain what you're doing. Ditto for old folks and left over hippies. Avoid the sk8r boys, punks and stoners, though as they tend to be less than interested in the fun of caching.

 

Kids are a good cover for anything and ditto for partners who can need a pack adjustment, back rub or a chance to sit and chat and look for a lost contact lense.

 

DO NOT skulk about watching the kids in the area as it can be easily misconstrued.

[+AMMOMAN]

Walk around calling for "stinker". If anyone asks tell them it is your pet skunk. Then ask if they would like to help look for him. This usually helps clear the area!

[+art begotti]

or you could do really cruel reverse psychology... ask them to help you find something reasonable, like a camera pouch or something. if they find a film canister, thank them for helping you look, and say that you're just gonna leave.

then return.