Overflowing Caches...

[+Alan2]

This situation that I've run into many times leads to waterlogged containers. The best move I could have made would be to remove something to make some room so you can assure the lid stays on. But haven't done it because of "the rule" of Leave Something if you Take Something.

 

What do you think about modifying our standard policy actually encouraging removals with overloaded caches?

[+Touchstone]

I carry a variety of items for trade of all sizes. If I see and overloaded container, I just tend to take something large, and leave something small but nice (i.e. geocoin). Nobody's complained yet

[+ironman114]

Take two large items and leave one better small item.

[CoyoteRed]

My philosophy is "always protect the integrity of the cache." Sometimes that means take a large item and leave a small one.

 

Some folks get hung up on the "trading up" thing, forgetting the primary focus should be on the cache, and compromise the whole thing as a result.

 

The best thing is, even if you can't trade kindly, make sure the cache is secure for the next person. That's what is most important.

[+IV_Warrior]

Usually, if a cache is "overflowing" there's likely some junk in there that just needs to be thrown away. If not, and you don't have anything to trade, still take something large out to make enough room for the cache to close properly.

[+VisionQuest220]

Common sense should rule the decision...although it's been said that common sense isn't as common as it used to be.

 

Bwahahahahahahaha!!!

[+Robespierre]

ditto

[Bobthearch]

There's often a large item that's deserving of the dumpster. Problem solved.

 

-Bob

[+ironman114]

One mans trash is another man(or childs) treasure!

[+briansnat]

One mans trash is another man(or childs) treasure!

But often its acutal trash.

 

I think if the lid won't close and the cache contents are jeopardized by leaving it the way it is, its the responsible thing to do to take extra to make room. If you feel real bad about it, a few Wheresgeorge bills or SBA dollars won't take up much room.

 

I did this very thing today. Found a cache where the lid didn't seal thanks to the fact that it was stuffed. Most of the contents were soaked and ruined. A few items were dry because they were in their own Ziplic. I packed out all the nasty, wet stuff which probably amounted to 9 or 10 items and only left 3 to replace them. Was it a fair trade? No, but I still think I did the right thing.

[+the hermit crabs]

If you feel real bad about it, a few Wheresgeorge bills  or SBA dollars won't take up much room.

I read this thinking "What's a 'Should Be Archived' dollar? One that's old and tattered?"

 

Finally dawned on me what it was...

[+Alan2]

Good solutions all around. Tks.

[+Katydid & Miles Stone]

If the cache is full of good stuff, you could exchange small for large and then place the larger items in another deserving cache. If you know the cache is likely never to be visited by youger geocachers (i.e. a very rigorous hike), you could move some of the toys to an appropriate cache. MS

[+Renegade Knight]

If there is an overstuffed cache, often there is an empty one down the road. Takeing something from one and leaving it in another is fair in my book.