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Stash Sheets... Are They Important?


tirediron

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Something I noticed during the last dozen or so 'caches that I have done over the last week... Less than half the 'caches had a "proper" stash sheet, that is a clearly written explanation of geocaching, what it is, why the 'cache is where it is, and whom to contact for more info both on that 'cache and 'caching in general.

 

A couple of them had a quick hand-writtne blurb in the front of the log-books, but probably 40% of them had nothing other than the 'cache name and the 'cacher's "name". Further, there also seems to be a marked lack of information on the outside of the container. Case in point, a 'cache I did the other day which was a .30 calibre ammo can with NOTHING on the outside to indicate that it was anything other than an ammo box. Granted it was WELL hidden, and unlikely to be muggled, but I think that we, as a group need to make more of an effort to prevent minor oversites like this from blossoming into problems.

 

This seems like a foolish oversight to me. Given how paranoid people are becoming about "strange boxes" and such, shouldn't more of an effort be made to ensure that if a non-'cacher does find the 'cache, that there be information to explain that there is nothing "bad" about this container?

 

Yeah, okay... ,</rant>

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All of our caches have stash notes. I think they are handy because if a non-cacher finds this weird container in the woods, it gives an explanation of why it is there and not to move it. I assumed all cachers used the stash note but I guess they don't. All the caches I have found in my area had a note in them.

 

Just as an example: One of my caches was considered stolen after 5 no finds. I went to look for the cache and it was definitely gone. I archived the cache and placed a new one about 100 feet from the old hiding spot (I found a better hiding spot).

 

People started coming to find the new one and had no problems. Then I get an email from a cache hunter. The email said he had the coords for the old cache and decided to try and find it. Sure enough, he found BOTH caches. The old one was about 65 feet from it's original hiding spot but it was there, with everything inside. In the logbook there was a note from a lady named Lisa. She said, "I didn't know what this was so I took it home. After reading the note inside and seeing the WWW address on the can, I went to the geocaching.com website and saw that this can was part of a game. This game looks like fun! I put the can back where I thought I found it. Sorry for ruining your game.".

 

If that note had not been inside to give her a brief description of geocaching, I doubt she would have brought the can back and tried to hide it again. True, I did have the www.geocaching.com address written on the outside of the can, but to someone that has NO IDEA what geocaching is, the front page of the website really wouldn't explain it to them like the note does.

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My regular-sized caches have this information, but my micros do not. The micros merely have a log and the website's address.

you can print log sheets for micros that have the stash info on one side and the log on the other - if you can't print on both sides then print one of the skinny stash info and several of the logs

 

I see micros all the time with all the proper info in them.

 

I don't think size is an excuse for not doing what we know we should do -

 

I guess you can say size doesn't matter :lol:

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I have to agree with OP that caches don't seem to have the things they are supposed to. I sighned one today - no ziplock bag - no lable on outside - no stash sheet - the log felt ok but when I signed it, I knew it was damp by the way my vey fine pen made very wide lines.

 

Many of the latest caches I have found were in about the same shape.

 

I have helped out many - like with a zip lock or pen but can't do that for all of them.

 

Did 4 urban (read flat) caches today. got 50% so don't feel too bad - good reason for #1 - just too many people around - #2 seems to be a puzzle error on our part.

 

I try to use the good zip lock bags - the one with the slider because it is easy to close - you know it is closed - and I think if you try to make it easy they just might follow.

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I have gotten lazy and got out of the habbit of a stash sheet.

 

However one cache that I stuck in a juniper tree in a park had both the stash sheet but where the hide was supposed to be at. After a heck of a good run for such a simple cache placment were I thought it would be plundered in a week I pulled the cache.

 

It fell out of the tree about 4 times, and was put back each time by muggles who signed hte log book. A few other times it was found accidently by muggles and they also signed the log book.

 

That sold me on stash notes. They work. They won't stop a thief but they will tell the average joe what's up, and that's good enough. Now I've quite being lazy and put the waypoint number on the stash note also.

Edited by Renegade Knight
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I have gotten lazy and got out of the habbit of a stash sheet.

 

However one cache that I stuck in a juniper tree in a park had both the stash sheet but where the hide was supposed to be at. After a heck of a good run for such a simple cache placment were I thought it would be plundered in a week I pulled the cache.

 

It fell out of the tree about 4 times, and was put back each time by muggles who signed hte log book. A few other times it was found accidently by muggles and they also signed the log book.

 

That sold me on stash notes. They work. They won't stop a thief but they will tell the average joe what's up, and that's good enough. Now I've quite being lazy and put the waypoint number on the stash note also.

That's cool... I'm surprised it didn't "get got" but very cool!

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This seems like a foolish oversight to me.  Given how paranoid people are becoming about "strange boxes" and such, shouldn't more of an effort be made to ensure that if a non-'cacher does find the 'cache, that there be information to explain that there is nothing "bad" about this container?

Agreed.

 

I attempted to persuade GC.com to create a "stash note" sticker. I also wish they would better promote (and even enforce??) the regular use of both the stash note and the "official geocache" sticker that is used for labeling the outside of caches. I think these are very important issues and I was disappointed that Jeremy wasn't more receptive to the ideas. :lol:

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Agreed 100%

 

I have been placing stash sheets in all the caches I find that do not contain them. It is stupid not to. It could give the sport a bad name, cause bomb scares, and whatnot.

 

What's more, it would probably be prudent to lay off the ammo box and camouflaged things that look "military" as this could cause some serious scares, especially in urban locations. Even the GEOCACHE stickers that are put on some of these containers will not alleviate the paranoia of someone who knows nothing about the sport.

 

My usual micro is a clear glass vial. Macros, usually transparent or translucent containers. You wanna be able to at least see something of the contents, if you find a cache inadvertently.

 

--

Yop...

 

Nicko

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Stash notes are a very good idea. I laminate mine and glue them inside the lid so anybody opening the cache sees it immediately. I had one cache found by someone who took it hom, opened it, read the note and brought it back. I also know of a trail maintainer who found one, took it home, read the note and e-mailed the owner who dropped by to pick it up.

 

It's also a very good idea to mark the outside of the container. I've found ammo boxes with nothing but the original military markings on the side in fairly high traffic areas B) . That's just asking for trouble. At the very least paint over, or sand off the military markings.

 

Also, the more info you put on the outside the better. I usually put my e-mail address on the outside along with this website's URL. I'll also often write "Geocache - No Danger" on the outside of my ammo boxes.

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This is a timely post. I finally got off my A and hid a cache I had been holding on to for a while. Only thing was, I don't have a printer at home and couldn't print out the page. I plan on going back or I may post a request for someone to bring one up with them on the next find.

I FEEL SO GUILTY!

"Bad cache placer...bad, bad"

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I wonder how many hiders who do not use the stash note are quick to complain when the cache goes missing? B)

All of my caches, including micros have the stash note. For the micros I have an excel file with the note on the back and room for 32 :) names on the front. One fits in the smallest containers (well OK not those stupid nanos, and I'll put two or three in 35 mm or altoid sized ones. I also carry a few spares in the car at all times. Never know when your next find will need a new logsheet! B)

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HELP! I've been wading through every blessed forum trying to unearth links (I KNOW I've heretofore seen several threads here in the forums) to print outs of various stash sheets.

 

Yes, yes - stash sheets, very important but - WHERE DO I FIND A LINK TO ONE?

 

Sorry to yell, but I'm cranky and frustrated. I'm about to place my first cache and have read every blessed word of the geocaching.com hide cache tutorial/faq - I mean, you'd think THAT would be where you'd find a link to the all important stash sheet - but NOT!

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HELP!  I've been wading through every blessed forum trying to unearth links (I KNOW I've heretofore seen several threads here in the forums) to print outs of various stash sheets.

 

Yes, yes - stash sheets, very important but - WHERE DO I FIND A LINK TO ONE?

 

Sorry to yell, but I'm cranky and frustrated.  I'm about to place my first cache and have read every blessed word of the geocaching.com hide cache tutorial/faq - I mean, you'd think THAT would be where you'd find a link to the all important stash sheet - but NOT!

Its on this page in 24 languages.

Edited by briansnat
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uh, so we're gonna put stash sheets in all our hides, and take a few spares to put in caches we find that need them right?

Of the 15 caches I've found this month, I'd bet only about 5 had stash notes. I will start carrying laminated notes in my cache bag that I can add to noteless caches.

most of the ones I find have some form of cache note -

 

did 6 on Sunday and they all had notes -

 

not a bad idea to carry a couple - I will too.

 

I don't laminate mine, but I do attache them to the log book with the clear packing tape. I figure that if the log is so wet and unusable the cache note isn't going to help much. The weekest link is the log - no need having a note that is laminated. I put it all in a zip lock bag -

 

Most of my caches are in screw top jars - a few in TW containers with pretty good solid lids so I am not too worried about water intrusion.

Edited by CompuCash
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Another thought for stash notes, or just about any other printed items you may want to leave in a cache. Inkjet printer ink is water based. If the printed page gets wet, the ink runs. Laser printer 'ink' is really a plastic powder that gets melted into the page. Laserprinted pages do not run, even when immersed in water.

All of my caches have a laserprinted copy of the GC stash note, along with a line at the bottom giving my e-mail address. For a couple of the microcaches, I've reduced the size of the standard page to a wallet sized page (double sided) that I've laminated, and then trimmed to just fit inside the container.

I've also tried laserprinting on a weatherproof mailing label and sticking it to the outside of the cache (Seems to do OK) and most recently, using packing tape to laminate the page to the inside of the cache lid, so that it can be read from the outside through the clear plastic. (works very well)

The white labels tend to make the cache containers highly visible, so I've had to make sure that the hiding place is such that the container isn't normally visible at all. That's not a bad thing though, since all of my caches are in busy urban areas.

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Another thought for stash notes, or just about any other printed items you may want to leave in a cache. Inkjet printer ink is water based. If the printed page gets wet, the ink runs. Laser printer 'ink' is really a plastic powder that gets melted into the page. Laserprinted pages do not run, even when immersed in water.

Good point. Also, if you don't have access to a laser printer, a photocopy will fare better than an ink-jetted copy (it has to be black and white only, though).

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Actually, I think any/all information should be displayed on the outside of the container. Who in their right mind would look inside a sealed container they had found concealed somewhere expecting to find an explanation?

Ummm I don't know about all... at least something, "This is a Geocache" and "Go to www.geocaching.com for info" but all of the info? That's a pretty tall order for a small Lock-n-Lock, or a well camo'd container. I prefer to go with the gc.com "official" stickers for all but my micros, and then a detailed stash note inside with my email address and more info about this cache and caching in general.

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Like briansnat, I mark my caches with geocaching.com (not the other info) on the outside and glue a laminated stashnote (shrunk to 8 font) on the lid of the cache--or occasionally I just stick it in the baggie with the logbook.

 

I do carry extra laminated stash notes should I find a cache that needs one, but I've wondered if there are reasons that someone might NOT want a stash note in the cache. Don't want to put one in a cache that would be unwelcome.

 

Guess I could consider it a trade item. :huh:

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