Making A Night Cache Great

[+Birdsong-n-Bud]

We have a good idea for a night cache, and found the perfect spot in which to place it.

 

I want to make this "different," though. I need some creative enterprising here. Any ideas for making a night cache a stand-out experience?

 

What *don't* you like about some of the night caches you've been to? And are there suggestions you can offer to rev up the experience?

 

Thanks for any input & ideas. We're hoping to make this something out of the ordinary.

[+Pablo Mac]

A friend told me about these, and I will be using them on my next cache. Check it out and let your imagination run.

[+Jamie Z]

I've only hunted a handful of night caches, and one of them was during the day (long story).

 

One thing I didn't really care for during my night hunts is that they didn't require the use of GPS. Sure, you navigated to the parking area with the GPS, but from there is was simply flashlight use.

 

The one night cache I searched for in the day time had a combination of reflectors and additional GPS coordinates to find. One of the clues was written in UV ink.

 

So my relatively inexperienced suggestion for your night cache is to use more than just flashlight reflectors. Involve the GPS somehow.

 

Jamie

[+wimseyguy]

An assortment of trip wires and booby traps would liven the search up a bit!

 

 

just kidding!

Edited April 20, 2005 by wimseyguy

[Mushtang]

I have a great night cache method that uses GPS, and doesn't use reflectors. I'll email you my idea instead of posting it here, as lots of locals read the forums.

 

It's actually something I made over a year ago and just haven't gotten around to placing yet. The first place I was going to hide it turned out to be a wooded area occupied by homeless people. Not a place to send people you like into at night.

 

Since then I havent found a good place, so it's sat in my carport. Now that it's gotten warmer, I'll probably go place it soon.

[+NoLemon]

There were two great night caches at M.O.G.A. 2005. They were both setup using thumbtack sized white reflectors (similar to the firetacks link in a previous post in this thread). No GPSr was required, just good flashlights. Both were quite fun with unusual hides waiting for the finders.

 

Since these were temporary caches set up for the event, and since spoiler pictures are vailable on the SLAGA website, I guess I can tell the following:

 

The first one we did involved a 1.6 mile roundtrip hike. The journey to the cache was all uphill. A mostly different route to the start/end point was marked for the return trip from the cache. A surprise was waiting for the finder. When the finder removed the cache from its hiding spot, a rope was pulled that released a trigger causing a 18"ish diameter stuffed spider to fall from above onto the head of the hider. Inside the ammo can was a note saying that you hadn't found the final cache after all and more instructions were given. Instructions for resetting the spider were also included in the ammo can.

 

Everyone seemed to really enjoy this night cache.

[+fishingfools]

I had the exact thought wimseyguy did. Now thats scary!

[+wornout]

I disagree with those that say you don't need a GPSr for a night time reflector cache. You may not need it to find the cache but it is handy when returning from finding the cache if it is quite a distance from the start area. I didn't use mine when we went for and found a night time cache in the hills of a regional park in California and got lost coming out. Yep, took the wrong trail and ended up a mile away from the parking area. All trails look the same at night! If I had uses the GPSr, I would have been able to find the correct trail using the track back feature.

[+sbell111]

I don't mind that the GPSr is only needed to find the starting point. Many caches are like that. In fact, the starting point could be 1/10th of a mile down the main trail, where the first reflector is placed.

 

The thing about a night cache is that you shouldn't be able to find it during the daytime. So make the hike interesting and the reflectors hard to spot during the day. One good thing to do is to mark the trail back from the cache also. Its easy to get turned around in the woods at night. Perhaps you could use one color reflector for the trip in and another for the trip out.

[+Kit Fox]

I have one night cache that requires you to follow Trail Tacks to a tree where the final coordinates are hidden in a micro.

 

I have plans for a UV lamp cache, using invisible ink (UV visible only)

 

I have future plans for a night cache that uses camouflage LED blinkers, with long life batteries. The blinking light would only be visible at night, so day hunters would have a hard time "cheating" .

 

Some good ideas (including infrared) can be found here http://babelfish.altavista.com/trurl_pagec...ng.org&lp=de_en

 

Bill,

[+WARedBear]

The first night cache I did used red stick-on reflectors. No good. Half of them had fallen off their tree or branch. I knew the cacher so I asked her if I could fix the problem. I went in and replaced them with reflective tacks. Lesson learned...make sure your reflectors stick.

 

I did a night time cache in Oklahoma City where the hider, "Darkmoon" put out the reflectors during the fall...no leaves. I was searching for it in the spring...lots of leaves. We spent two nights trying to find all of the reflectors and ended up missing half of them. We did find the cache and picked-up a lot of ticks during the hunt. Turned my daughter off going again. Lesson learned...make sure your reflectors can be seen year round.

 

I am in the process of putting out my first night time cache. The reflectors (30) are in, the cache page written, so all I have to do is make the cache container. That is going to be one of my projects this weekend. I am going to create a second cache that is going to be a continuation of the first one for those that didn't get enough or get scared enough.

 

I have a neat (mean) idea that I am thinking about adding. I picked up a wireless, battery operated motion detector and alarm. I am thinking about painting it black and hiding it at the cache. That should add a little excitment when bells start going off. I am also thinking about breaking into the alarm box and replacing the bell with a light. Nothing like having a spot light shine in your face in the middle of the woods.

 

My opinion on putting out reflectors for the trip out...I tell them to make sure they bring their GPS and to mark the location of their vehicle BEFORE they head out....they will need it to get out. Otherwise it will be a long night in the woods.

[+Big Dawgg & Cardinal Girl]

Did this cache and it uses reflectors, only on each reflector there are coords for the next location to look for a reflector. In other words go to start coords. and shine light around to find reflector. On that reflector are the coords. for second location. Go to that location and shine light around looking for another reflector. This cache had 4 legs that you needed to do this at each location to complete the trip to the cache. Use of both GPSr and light for finding reflectors is needed.

[markandlynn]

Is this cache the sort of idea you are after ?

You need to use your GPS etc to be in the right area for the night feature to work.

[jdoe]

UV sensitive paint has been brought up earlier, but glow in the dark paint has not. I've had some mixed reviews on a cache that uses an acrylic glow in the dark paint. You will have to do some experimenting because if you use the paint directly from the bottle the paint is visible in the daylight. I ended up diluting the paint with water.

 

For my cache I painted the next waypoint on a rock - a very big rock. I changed the solution so that only the degrees is visible in the daylight. The cache would have to bring a decent flashlight to "charge" the remaining numbers (minutes & seconds). The paint has so far weathered quiet well - it has almost been a year and the writing is still as good as the day I painted it. The rock is under a small grove of trees.

 

Oh yeah... more thing... a few weeks ago there was a thread discussing someone using a laser and IR receiver. The IR trips a laser which points lights up the cache location. That was the coolest idea.

Edited April 21, 2005 by jdoe

[Aushiker]

G'day

 

Really like this Sun Makes Light which utilises a solar panel and light. Was fun finding it.

 

Andrew

[+Birdsong-n-Bud]

There were so many good ideas here, I think we'll have to incorporate some of them in to future night-caches, as my imagination is throwing sparks there is so much going on!

 

We put many of your suggestions to work into our new night cache, which was just approved last night.

 

Here are the fruits of your labor: Mr. Jangles.

 

It is dedicated to MUSHTANG, who very generously shared a secret idea of his that we were able to incorporate into the cache.

 

We hope cachers will enjoy it. It was a blast to put out, and took 4-5 visits to finally get it out properly. Tonight is its first night out, so it'll be interesting to see how well it goes. I know that this would really be a fun Halloween adventure. Hope it doesn't get muggled so that in October it can be a good Halloween goal for many.

 

*Edited for link that didn't kick in.

Edited April 23, 2005 by Birdsong-n-Bud

[n0wae]

Another idea is to have the cachers go to a GPS location, find a group of reflectors and count them for an offset night cache. I used this idea on this Colorado night cache

[+Ed & Julie]

The two night caches I have done took me deep into the woods to the final cache....then it was up to me to find my way back to the car (at night, by flashlight, with no trail to speak of).

 

A night cache with a circular route would be ideal to me. Then you end up not far from your vehicle.

 

Ed

[+the hermit crabs]

We put many of your suggestions to work into our new night cache, which was just approved last night.

 

Here are the fruits of your labor: Mr. Jangles.

We finally got around to finding this one last night -- awesome job, B&B! I don't know how you arranged for there to be so much lightning in the sky on the night we chose to go, but we're impressed

[+Ambrosia]

The first night cache that I went to is the same one that redbear mentioned, I think. It was eventually archived because it was in an area that had lots of uneven ground, and we were worried that at night the little holes and things would be dangerous.

 

The new cache that was put up to replace it is in our riverfront park, and so you actually walk along a paved trail for most of the way. It is a good distance, and this part of the trail has a lot of natural growth and trees along a riverbank. The reflectors are small square pushpins that are very strong at night, but unnoticable in the daytime. When you get nearer the cache, the pins get more clustered, and the actual cache site has an x marks the spot, and is off trail a bit. Quite cute. This is a very enjoyable cache, easy to do for everyone.

[+RampagerBOH]

I have one night cache that requires you to follow Trail Tacks to a tree where the final coordinates are hidden in a micro.

 

I have plans for a UV lamp cache, using invisible ink (UV visible only)

 

I have future plans for a night cache that uses camouflage LED blinkers, with long life batteries. The blinking light would only be visible at night, so day hunters would have a hard time "cheating" .

 

Some good ideas (including infrared) can be found here http://babelfish.altavista.com/trurl_pagec...ng.org&lp=de_en

 

Bill,

Im planning a UV cache too. Any good examples on this is appreciated.

[jholly]

.

[+ATXTracker]

If you're thinking about reflectors, skip the firetacks and go straight to these (http://www.basspro.com/HME-Products-Reflecting-Metal-Tacks/product/71297/?cm_ven=bazaarvoice&cm_cat=RLP&cm_pla=71297&cm_ite=productname_link). They are much cheaper, and I think reflect as good or better. For the price, you can afford to use many more. I would suggest using small clusters of three, and making sure you can see two-three clusters at any time. That way if a few go missing, or are obscured, no problem. Consider some twists and turns.

[+The Jester]

If you're thinking about reflectors, skip the firetacks and go straight to these (http://www.basspro.com/HME-Products-Reflecting-Metal-Tacks/product/71297/?cm_ven=bazaarvoice&cm_cat=RLP&cm_pla=71297&cm_ite=productname_link). They are much cheaper, and I think reflect as good or better. For the price, you can afford to use many more. I would suggest using small clusters of three, and making sure you can see two-three clusters at any time. That way if a few go missing, or are obscured, no problem. Consider some twists and turns.

I've used both, the FiteTacks blend in better during the day. Both are brite at night. You use clusters like suggested here, it'll be easy to do during the day.