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Regular Caches Vs. Mystery/virtual/other Caches


J-Man

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It seems as though, if it is a hike of more than a quarter mile, the visits will drop. If it is other than a 'traditional' the numbers of visits drop drastically. At least in our area - northern AZ/southern UT.

 

If it is an off-set just listed on the cache page as XX number of feet from the coordinates, it will get a LOT of hits. If is listed as a mystery or multi-cache, visits drop.

 

Hope this helps a little.

 

Shirley & John

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When I'm in my home area, I will find *ANY* cache of any type, with the exception of webcams which I do not like. We save the multi's and puzzles for days when we want a bit of a challenge and only feel like finding one or two while enjoying a good hike or a bike ride.

 

The answer changes when traveling outside the area. If I'm out of town in an unfamiliar area, I'm more likely to focus on the caches that are easier to find, in order to make better use of my time before having to drive back home. My finds for trips out of town will be heavily weighted towards 1/1 caches in suburban parks, urban micros with nearby parking, and interesting virtuals.

 

There's an exception for so-called "destination" caches. Sometimes I will pick out a handful of caches that are worth driving 100 miles just to visit them. On the way to and/or from the "destination cache" I will, of course, be unable to resist the urge to stop and pick up some of the easier ones that are along my route.

 

If you primarily want to make the locals happy, and earn a reputation as a good hider, place some challenging caches like multi's or puzzles. They may only get hit once a month, but those who take the time to do them will truly appreciate your effort and the nice break from yet another cache behind the baseball field at ABC Town Park. If you primarily want to get a lot of visits, place caches that are close to parking, major travel routes, and other caches. Then you'll get hits from travelers passing by, as well as from the locals.

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I think that the caches people enjoy vs. the caches that get the most visits are often two very different things.

 

My favorite caches are ones that are not quite straight forward and lead me to beautiful and unexpected places.

 

The caches I am most likely to visit are the ones that are close to the road and easy to grab because I'm there (i.e., just off a high trafic area).

 

Both cache types have their purposes. I recomend placing caches according to your personal enjoyment factor and then let the caching world seek it out as they will.

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In my short caching experience caches are frequented more often when:

1. They are close to other caches - thus saturating the area with a bunch people can do in an afternoon

2. They are easy

3. They are well executed (such as a neat idea or cache container) and develop word-of-mouth

 

I prefer #3 to the first two, but if your goal is to have as many people as possible find it I would try and incorporate all three. :laughing:

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Thanks for all your input and suggestions. I, too, like caches in which the destination is the goal, so I try to hide my caches in spectacular places. I'm also very proud of my latest, which is different in that it leads you to a treasure map in which you have to find the locations on the map and follow the directions to the cache (all in the confines of the state park, or "island"). I think people will really enjoy it if they give it a chance. I put a ton of effort into it (to the point of dragging 160 pounds of sand to bury it in up a majorly steep hill, scoping out locations and landmarks to put on the map for days, etc.) because it's the sort of cache I would love. I mean, isn't it every child's fantasy to find and follow a treasure map and dig up a treasure chest?

 

I just worry that people will be put off by the Question Mark (Mystery Cache) before they even give it a chance. I even thought of marking it as a traditional cache just so people would at least open it up and read the description.

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A lot of people like the easy, short hike caches. Personally, I like caches that offer as many of these as possible, in this order:

 

-a view

-a mental challenge

-a physical challenge

-a uniqueness

 

I think that multicaches often do the best job of this. Multicaches are a great way to lead the cacher around on a leash and make sure he/she experiences everything you plan on. That's what I did with the 2 multis I hid.

 

This hobby is one of the ways I get exercise, so I like the longer hikes as well.

 

What I don't like are caches that are placed simply because a piece of public land exists there.

 

A good way to entice cachers to try both cache types is place an easy and a difficult cache both in the same vicinity. You will learn a lot about the local preferences.

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... I'm also very proud of my latest, which is different in that it leads you to a treasure map in which you have to find the locations on the map and follow the directions to the cache (all in the confines of the state park, or "island"). I think people will really enjoy it if they give it a chance. I put a ton of effort into it (to the point of dragging 160 pounds of sand to bury it in up a majorly steep hill... I mean, isn't it every child's fantasy to find and follow a treasure map and dig up a treasure chest?

Please, please tell me that you obtained express permission from the State Park to bury your cache on a hillside using 160 pounds of sand?

 

I see that you did not mention this in a note to the reviewer who listed your cache.

 

Burying a cache is prohibited under the listing guidelines. An exception could be made if the owner demonstrated clear permission from the landowner/land manager.

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... I'm also very proud of my latest, which is different in that it leads you to a treasure map in which you have to find the locations on the map and follow the directions to the cache (all in the confines of the state park, or "island").  I think people will really enjoy it if they give it a chance.  I put a ton of effort into it (to the point of dragging 160 pounds of sand to bury it in up a majorly steep hill...  I mean, isn't it every child's fantasy to find and follow a treasure map and dig up a treasure chest?

Please, please tell me that you obtained express permission from the State Park to bury your cache on a hillside using 160 pounds of sand?

 

I see that you did not mention this in a note to the reviewer who listed your cache.

 

Burying a cache is prohibited under the listing guidelines. An exception could be made if the owner demonstrated clear permission from the landowner/land manager.

did I hear a big gulp and and 'OOPS!' ?

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Thanks for setting my mind at ease. I am glad to hear that you obtained permission for your buried cache. Please understand that the perception that "caches are buried" is far and away the number one concern of land managers when they learn about geocaching. This perception is one of the direct contributing factors to the ban on caching in properties managed by the U.S. National Park Service. We would like to avoid further bans of this nature by being able to point to the listing guidelines and say "buried caches are not permitted." When you have a cache that pushes the envelope in regard to compliance with one of the listing guidelines, it is a good idea to mitigate the concern by leaving a "Note to Reviewer" when submitting the cache. Don't assume that you can just slip it by. There are four volunteer reviewers in California and one of them may try your cache someday. Or, another finder, seeing that the cache is buried, may report a concern about it. A proactive approach is always preferable.

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Thanks for your advice. I always try to be a conscientious cacher. I should put a note on my cache page letting people know it has been approved. I, too want geocaching not to become something frowned upon because of unthinking or careless people. I think, on the whole, that cachers are very good about respecting the sanctity of an area.

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Of the caches I've placed, the one with the most hits by far is an easy downtown park and grab. It's clear that many out-of-towners who come to downtown for business or for the convention center are looking for things to do in the near vacinity. They are staying in downtown hotels, often without their own transportation, but are looking for an evening or lunchtime caching diversion.

 

So if you are looking to create a cache that gets lots of traffic, perhaps that's something you could exploit by placing one near the convention ctr of your city, within walking distance, or on the buslines. Even better if you can place a number of individual such caches, so the visitors can create a cache route and hit several in close proximity.

 

Just a suggestion.

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I will hunt for any cache that looks like it will take me somewhere interesting. That is why I enjoy virtuals, especially when I am traveling. It's fun to visit a friend in another city, take them caching, and hear "wow, I never knew that mural was there!" I also like multis (when they can be walked) because it usually means the owner has put some time into the cache. State parks are also a good bet for scenic caching. I've learned to avoid caches where the description includes words like "truck stop," and "trash can." Heh.

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Personally I like the more challenging caches such as the multi's, mysterys, and regular caches that haven't been found in a while, but I go with my 6 yr old son so we go to lots of regular and virtuals to keep his interest.

As many of the posters say though, the best caches are those of any type or difficulty that take me someplace unique or are particularly clever.

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