Lame Caches: An Owners Guide

[+Renegade Knight]

Lame Caches: An owners guide.

 

In the forums I’ve been a big advocate of peoples right to place lame caches. That doesn’t mean there are not things that can be done to make a cache a better experience. Read on for ideas. If you have your own ideas please add them.

 

Wherever possible use a larger container. A larger container allows travel bugs, and trade items. Even the most steadfast non trader often enjoys looking through the contents in high hopes of trading. It also leaves room for a better log book and a pencil you can actually write with. I have to admit whenever I find any cache that isn’t a micro it warms my heart and I dadgum near dance a jig.

 

Use a good container. The entire idea is to keep the log and contents dry. Some tough containers are not water resistant but can be used where they are sheltered from the elements. If you are in doubt use a container that can keep the rain out. The log itself can be placed inside a zip lock to keep it dry in case the container is compromised. After a few wet logs you start giving a mental thumbs up to the person who consistently has dry log books.

 

Location, Location, Location. If your town hasn’t seen a lamp post micro, do one. They are a tough hide for newbie’s and even for old timers who haven’t seen it yet. If your town has seen one, instead of a lamp post try something else out. Our Fred Meyer has had a lamp post micro. It was stolen. However behind the store is about an acre of nice landscaping hidden from the world. Even better it’s hidden from the public view.

 

Technical Hides. Sometimes the location just sucks. Any distance in any direction is just more urban wasteland. Rise to the challenge and create a technical hide. Something creative, different, hard to see even though it’s in plain sight. A fake electrical box. A garden gnome with a cache enema, a broken sprinkler head in a spot with no landscaping, a hollow 2x4 amidst the rubble, a fake rock, doggie doo from a joke shop… and so on.

 

Hype. Sometimes a box in the woods is just a box in the woods add some depth to the cache by telling a story. Back before D.B. Cooper jumped from the plane and made history, he robbed a local liquor store and made off with a small duffle containing a little cash. He was last seen headed for the 100 acre woods. The sheriff called in the blood hounds but they lost the trail here: N34d 43.222m W23d 36.987m. The next time he was heard from made the front page news. The duffle was never found. It was small, black, and only had about 20 bucks in it. Maybe you will get lucky and find the duffle.

 

Fun: If you can’t hype, can’t find a location, can’t do anything else, build a puzzle so the fun happens at home before the hunt. Just let people know the location is urban wasteland jungle and not the Wardrobe gateway to Narnia.

 

Experiment. If you are willing to try new things out some will be winners and some will be losers. Event caches, virtuals, locationless, puzzles, multi caches and other variations that people do enjoy came out of people willing to try new things. If it’s a loser of an idea don’t take it personally, just chalk it up to experience and kill the cache. If it’s a winner, well… that was the point.

 

Though there are things you can do to build a better cache, some people are going to complain anyway. I hid the first lamp pole micro in my area. The locals got a kick out of it since it was new to them. The locals are why I hid it. Still old hands blowing through on a trip took time out of their day to DPM the cache. This was funny to me, they thought they knew something but they missed the point.

 

Lastly, have fun. Without you as a cache owner there would be no game. Finders who whine about your caches are not playing the same game you are. Their version involves a lot less fun. Just smile, and remember, you always have the option to place a cache to maximize their lamentations.

[+fly46]

*Stands up and applauds*

 

I don't think anything needs added to that.

[+cache_test_dummies]

Excellent work, RK!

 

I'd just add what others have mentioned elsewhere, and that is to make sure you ask yourself why you are hiding a particular cache in a particular location.

Edited January 25, 2005 by cache_test_dummies

[+Markwell]

((/me cautiously looks around the room to see if any bricks are flying))

 

Holy cow. A thoughtful, rational and congiscent post suggesting good ways to place caches. Someone ought to document this...

 

GREAT JOB!!!

[+The Leprechauns]

I agree; it's an excellent essay. It would've made a fine post to this productive cache quality discussion from last month. But RK's always happiest when he has his own thread.

[+wimseyguy]

Huzzah huzzah huzzah! That is one of the best written posts I have ever read in here! WTG RK!

To quote myself from another thread, sometimes, it is about the quantity, sometimes it is about the quality, but it is always about the sanity. and Fun=Sanity

[+drat19]

Outstanding post, RK!

 

As readers might expect from my other related posts in other threads, I am adding exactly TWO points of emphasis to one of RK's paragraphs...see below:

 

Location, Location, Location.  If your town hasn’t seen a lamp post micro, do ***ONE***.  They are a tough hide for newbie’s and even for old timers who haven’t seen it yet.  If your town has seen one, instead of a lamp post  ***TRY SOMETHING ELSE OUT***.  Our Fred Meyer has had a lamp post micro.  It was stolen.  However behind the store is about an acre of nice landscaping hidden from the world.  Even better it’s hidden from the public view.

[+sbell111]

DPM?

[+fly46]

((/me cautiously looks around the room to see if any bricks are flying))

 

Holy cow. A thoughtful, rational and congiscent post suggesting good ways to place caches. Someone ought to document this...

 

GREAT JOB!!!

I'm developing a caching site of my own. I'll add it there. lol

[+Markwell]

DPM?

DPM

[TahoeJoe]

I think I'll copy that and place it in the lame caches nearby.

[CoyoteRed]

Not bad.

 

Now to get people to actually take heed.

 

Oh, here's something to add: "In your area try to exhaust the good locations first. Don't jump to the worse locations right off the bat."

[+sbell111]

DPM?

meh

[+briansnat]

I think I'll copy that and place it in the lame caches nearby.

The owners won't see it because they don't do maintenance .

 

Very good RK. Not much to add to that!

[+BigHank]

Well done. It made me stop and think about cache hiding all over again. Maybe it could be added to the FAQs area? And is there maybe some way that it could be circulated to everyone, not just those who read the forums? It would be a good "tutorial" for first time hiders, and a great reminder for those with more hides under their belt.

[dead_white_man]

Very good RK. Not much to add to that!

I concur, exept I might add this shoud be published periodically to remind people.

[+In Search Of Faeries]

Great points, and ideas.

[+GRANPA ALEX]

Great points, and ideas.

 

DITTO . . . well done!

[+WxGuesser]

Great write up.. but..... I believe that most people place caches with intentions of their cache being pretty "cool". However the problem is when people find your cache and take the cool stuff out and leave lame stuff.. I think it sucks to keep having to go out and restock my cache with cool stuff cause people were too lazy to leave good swag. It kind of pisses me off that people leave "weak" swag. Maybe the main post should include something like taking cool stuff = leaving cool stuff... I think we all know what's cool and what isn't!! but those are just my thoughts....