When Should You Be Able To Set Up A Cache

[+c88m]

I have been seeing \ finding people who haven't been caching very long who set up caches not knowing what to do and how to take care of them . I recently had one that this cacher only had one to his name and decided to set one up along with a TB but didn't log the bug and used a really cheap container in a area the is prone to adverse weather . I tried to contact him a couple of times with out any response from him . So my question is how many caches should you have found before setting one up ?

[+Renegade Knight]

Zero.

 

Why suck the fun out of caching? They will learn the lessons you talk about soon enough.

[+robert]

Zero.

 

Why suck the fun out of caching? They will learn the lessons you talk about soon enough.

finding a cheap water-logged cache sucks the fun out sometimes.

 

while there should be no set rule of finds before you hide, people should think it through. i know a lot of folks make the "gladware" mistake then learn from it when they have to constantly maintain it or replace it.

[+Spencersb]

I tried to do this myself. Hid a cache the same day I got my GPSR. Our local approver was very nice, but let me know I really oughta go find a few first. After about a week and 10 finds, I knew what details he needed and he quickly approved it! There shouldn't be a minimum number of finds to "earn" a hide, but I do think the approvers should use the approval process to "steer" hiders in the right direction, and at least around here, I think they do a heck of a job at it! I believe local organizations can help, too, by welcoming newbies and gently offering some advice.

[+briansnat]

I have been seeing \ finding people who haven't been caching very long who set up caches not knowing what to do and how to take care of them

 

I've seen people with hundreds of finds set up caches not knowing what to do and how to take care of them.

 

I placed my first cache after one find and the only thing I have learned since was that I didn't have to put so much thought into the contents, location and container.

 

So my answer is the same as RK's. Zero.

Edited January 24, 2005 by briansnat

[+AuntieWeasel]

Hm. I count myself an agnostic here. The very best caches I've ever done were by people with few finds and one hide. The very worst caches I've ever done were by people with few finds and one hide.

 

The worst come from people who get an early, up-front rush of enthusiasm for geocaching and go pitch some crappy gladware onto a waste lot near their old elementary school and then forget the whole thing.

 

The best come from people who know of a piece of public land that only the locals know exists, and lead you to their absolute favorite beauty spot, some lovely bit of geography you would never find by yourself, and tend the cache like a gardener.

[Smaug1]

I agree with some of the others; zero. If the person is in an area with a lot of crappy micros, we wouldn't want him/her learning lessons from that...

 

If it is the type of person who puts some thought and care into things, he/she will not have too crappy of a first cache.

 

What makes more sense to me is to have something like this set up:

 

1) If a person has no caches of their own yet, geocaching.com would automatically refer that person to the page where it explains how to set it up correctly and politely ask them to read it.

 

2) There would be a quick quiz. This is basic stuff so it shouldn't be too hard.

 

3) After the first cache is planted & approved, the user would only have to take another quiz; slightly different than the first to make sure he/she gets the idea.

 

4) After hiding his/her second cache, there would be no more quizzes.

 

The thing I'm finding in my area is that people don't maintain their caches very well. The contents go to poop, freezer bags develop holes, log books get unbound...

 

The cache I found today actually had a tarnished, nasty fork and spoon, and about 20 cracked McToys. I know I shouldn't be snobby, but jeez... The cache was planted in June of 2001 I think. I made good notes in the log, but I think it will fall on deaf ears.

 

C'est la Vie