Worst Item Ever Found In A Cache By You?

[+Bear_Left]

Some local wit left a dead seagull in this New Zealand cache...

[Grimstone]

I read where leaving sharp items like knives is a no-no. Out of the 3 caches I found yesterday, 2 contained small pocketknives. Im hunting for 3 more today so it will be interesting to see how many more are out there.

Can I ask why knives are a no-no? I love knives. Is it so the little kiddies wont stab their eyes out???

[Midnight Rider]

Grimstuff, I think thats the reason. Seems logical to me when I think about it. Living in San Antonio, we are the Texas capital for stupid people.

 

I think Im come to the agreement with myself that I will take the knives whenever I find them, lest they fall into the wrong hands and someone gets hurt.

 

Im still new to all this and Im still learning too, so Im trying to give a lot of thought to what I think is a good idea for cache contents.

[Grimstone]

I think Im come to the agreement with myself that I will take the knives whenever I find them, lest they fall into the wrong hands and someone gets hurt.

Wait a minute, what exactly are the "wrong hands"?

Help me out here. I am going to plant a cache soon, and I cant see any reason not to put a little swiss army knife or something like that in it.

Is it really so kids wont get hurt?

[+the hermit crabs]

Help me out here.  I am going to plant a cache soon, and I cant see any reason not to put a little swiss army knife or something like that in it. 

Is it really so kids wont get hurt?

Mostly because it's against the guidelines for cache contents listed in geocaching.com's Cache Listing Requirements / Guidelines page: "Explosives, fireworks, ammo, knives (including pocket knives and multi-tools), drugs, alcohol or other illicit material shouldn't be placed in a cache. "

 

It's not just "to protect the children", I think. It's partly to make land managers / government bureaucrats less likely to ban or restrict geocaching, since they're being assured that people aren't placing boxes of weapons on public property.

[Grimstone]

Help me out here.  I am going to plant a cache soon, and I cant see any reason not to put a little swiss army knife or something like that in it. 

Is it really so kids wont get hurt?

Mostly because it's against the guidelines for cache contents listed in geocaching.com's Cache Listing Requirements / Guidelines page: "Explosives, fireworks, ammo, knives (including pocket knives and multi-tools), drugs, alcohol or other illicit material shouldn't be placed in a cache. "

 

It's not just "to protect the children", I think. It's partly to make land managers / government bureaucrats less likely to ban or restrict geocaching, since they're being assured that people aren't placing boxes of weapons on public property.

Oh yea, that makes sense I guess... so that they could say there wern't any "weapons" on the premesis. For some reason i overlooked that when I was reading the guidelines.

But dang, if I found a swiss army knife of something I'd be pretty exited (If I had something worth trading, of course).

Edited November 7, 2004 by grimstuff

[+Mudinyeri]

Anything Political

I agree.

Keep personal agendas out of caches.

That and religious stuff as well as those "hate group" literature.

OK, I'm a newbie. This is my first post and I'll probably get flamed for it but here goes ...

 

In a land that places premium value on freedom of speech and expression how can religious and/or political materials be the WORST thing someone has found in a cache? Maybe they've just had the good fortune of finding great stuff in all their caches.

 

Oh, I'm really going to go out on a limb here and say with a 4 year old caching sidekick McToys are great finds! We've even left one!

 

Gentle Reminder: This isn't an all-adult passtime. Young kids LOVE McToys (at least for 15 minutes). Why do you think Mc and BK put 'em in their kid meals?

 

Let the flaming begin ... I fully support free speech and the right to place and trade McToys ... and your right not to select them from my caches (or anyone else's for that matter). You can alway TNLNSL!

Edited November 7, 2004 by Mudinyeri

[+Mudinyeri]

2nd post ... worst thing ever found in a cache ... a fishing lure, complete with hooks. My son nearly embedded it in his finger looking through the cache.

[+Camo-crazed]

beer bottle caps and leaves

[+jamrasc]

A little plastic toilet with fake poop in it. Of course my kids wanted it, but it was nasty looking. And to agree with the other Mom, my kids LOVE mctoys. The kids are the ones usually trading stuff, not me.

[+Mudinyeri]

A little plastic toilet with fake poop in it.  Of course my kids wanted it, but it was nasty looking.  And to agree with the other Mom, my kids LOVE mctoys.  The kids are the ones usually trading stuff, not me.

LOL ... not a Mom but a Dad and I've never traded anything, only my son has. I have pulled one TB and plan to move it this coming weekend.

Edited November 8, 2004 by Mudinyeri

[+lostinjersey]

I hear Avroair has been dumping his supply of glow in the dark aliens, sometimes filling ammo canisters full with them. That's what you get when you can't tell the difference between 10 *dozen* and 10 *gross*.

[+lostinjersey]

Anything Political

I agree.

Keep personal agendas out of caches.

That and religious stuff as well as those "hate group" literature.

OK, I'm a newbie. This is my first post and I'll probably get flamed for it but here goes ...

 

In a land that places premium value on freedom of speech and expression how can religious and/or political materials be the WORST thing someone has found in a cache? Maybe they've just had the good fortune of finding great stuff in all their caches.

Simple really. this is about sport. it is not a forum (well this is a forum, but the caches are not) for advancing personal beliefs, ideals, POV, agendas etc. Its the same reason why there arent any commercial caches (or at least they try not to allow them). Newspaper letters to the editor is an appropriate place to be preached to do that, and I say that not meaning just religion, but in reference to politics, and any other agendas.

 

If I knew that every cache was going to contain pamphlets like "10 reasons to vote for G W" or "Christians are going to heaven and here's why" I wouldn't bother caching. I want to avoid that stuff. And I am sure that "10 reasons why the war in iraq is wrong" or "there is no god, and here's how I know" would be just as offensive to others...

Edited November 8, 2004 by Gwho

[Kazriko]

Does that mean my stickers with a URL on them should be disallowed? Or Business cards?

 

As for religious pamphlets, I get those frequently on my car when I'm in parking lots. Should I avoid parking lots?

Edited November 8, 2004 by Kazriko

[Midnight Rider]

No, but if I found a cache with political crap in it, depending on POV, it might end up on fire. :-)

[shadango]

My feelings are: The cache is a community chest of sorts and represents all the folks who came before you.

 

I dont mind of a political or religious item is there....finding that item will not sway me from my personal beliefs so what harm is there??

 

As long as everyone trades equal or up, it shouldnt matter....Trade for what you want and ignore the rest...you will never visit that cache again, so who cares?

 

There is one cache that is in my area that is a dog-toy themed cache.

 

Not being a big pet lover, I was a little disappointed, but I did the ache anyways and had a good time doing it. My 5 year old couldnt understand why we couldnt really take anything, but we had a good time finding it anyways and reading the log.

 

Isn't THAT the sport?

 

More on topic: Kid loves McD toys (in fact we have a travel bug that is a McD toy) and he also loves golf balls (go figure)......I would prefer to find tools and maybe a couple hundred in small unmarked bills, but I am not holding my breath.... I havent really found anything that was terible.....although we found one cache that was a bunch of rubber bands, paperclips, etc......Disappointing but the find was fun.

[+Mudinyeri]

Hmmm ... I thought the sport (agree with shadango) was in the search and find, not in pulling great stuff out of the cache. If I found something in a cache of a political, religious or other nature with which I didn't agree I would simply trade for something else. (Actually, I never trade. Only my son does. He loves McToys by the way.)

 

Personally, I would still 'cache even if there was nothing but an X to mark the spot of the find. I'm not trying to improve my lifestyle by finding great stuff in caches (nor am I saying that you are MidnightRider). I'm doing this to spend time with my son, help him learn a little bit about orienteering and navigation and enjoy the outdoors.

 

Each person has their own reason for doing this and I respect that. However, each person also has the opportunity to TNLNSL if there's nothing in the cache they want. Why threaten to burn a cache just because there's something in it that is not idealogically in line with your beliefs?

Edited November 8, 2004 by Mudinyeri

[+Pork King]

The most memorable thing that I could have done without was one of those CD openers that you apparently slide over a new CD and a little razor blade comes out and cuts open the plastic wrap for you...repeat...a little razor blade comes out and cuts open the plastic wrap for you!!! Well, not knowing what this strange little device was, I did what any inquiring mind would do...I started playing with it...repeat...a little razor blade comes out and cuts open the plastic wrap for you!!!Well, needless to say, that little venture sent explicatives sailing into the night. I also left a good bit of DNA on the log book...maybe no one will try to clone me!

[+PC Painter]

I actually expected feces.

 

I can imagine the log book... "took small McDonalds figure, left large bowel movement"

Hey....at least he traded up.

 

[+Harry Dolphin]

I have found many inexplicable things in caches. Body Lotion? But perhaps the strangest was at Turkey on Rye, wher I found an opened bag of latex gloves. Eww...

[+Leaping Lizards]

We found a black brazier in a 60's cache.

[Fire_Fly]

Well, it probably wasn't THE grossest thing in the world, but WHY would you leave a USED Chapstick! EWWWW and EWWWWW. That was gross and now in the garbage!!

[+dshifter]

Its the same reason why there arent any commercial caches (or at least they try not to allow them).

 

What about those little yellow jeep travel bug thingys. Isn't that kind of commercial?

 

Oh, the worst thing I found was a very dirty, wet and soggy stuffed toy rabbit. My wife took it home and washed it and it came out looking pretty good.

[+Alibags]

We found a black brazier in a 60's cache.

Very useful if you wish to light a nice little fire to keep warm, or perhaps you mean brassiere?

[+doctor scotland]

with regards to tampons - (and speaking as a man!)

tampons are cool! - theyre really good for using as kindling for fires - can be split and used for wounds - they can soak up small quantities of water if your boat has a leak - cut in half, they make great ear plugs - and if you're a lady with that time of the month thingy - they can bung up all sorts of stuff!

dont knock the tampons!

every cache should have one!!!

i think!?

[+Mr Hedgehog]

with regards to tampons - (and speaking as a man!)

tampons are cool! - theyre really good for using as kindling for fires - can be split and used for wounds - they can soak up small quantities of water if your boat has a leak - cut in half, they make great ear plugs - and if you're a lady with that time of the month thingy - they can bung up all sorts of stuff!

dont knock the tampons!

every cache should have one!!!

i think!?

Even better are sanitary towels. They can also be used as pads to keep knees warm if you ride a motorcycle in winter.

[+Katydid & Miles Stone]

What I thought was a new hair brush. My daughter informed that it wasn't after I gave it to her.

[+Fireman78]

Used toothbrush.

[koz]

Anything Political

I agree.

Keep personal agendas out of caches.

That and religious stuff as well as those "hate group" literature.

OK, I'm a newbie. This is my first post and I'll probably get flamed for it but here goes ...

 

In a land that places premium value on freedom of speech and expression how can religious and/or political materials be the WORST thing someone has found in a cache? Maybe they've just had the good fortune of finding great stuff in all their caches.

Simple really. this is about sport. it is not a forum (well this is a forum, but the caches are not) for advancing personal beliefs, ideals, POV, agendas etc. Its the same reason why there arent any commercial caches (or at least they try not to allow them). Newspaper letters to the editor is an appropriate place to be preached to do that, and I say that not meaning just religion, but in reference to politics, and any other agendas.

 

If I knew that every cache was going to contain pamphlets like "10 reasons to vote for G W" or "Christians are going to heaven and here's why" I wouldn't bother caching. I want to avoid that stuff. And I am sure that "10 reasons why the war in iraq is wrong" or "there is no god, and here's how I know" would be just as offensive to others...

hear, hear!