Combination Locks On Caches

[+Kilroy Gang]

I'm thinking about a cache that has a math type theme, and I can't get the numbers to work using the typical GPS waypoints or the chosen mathematical theme for my cache.

 

I want to know if I can put a combo lock on the cache, requiring the cacher to enter a three number combination, which will be easy to determine from the puzzle/clue given on the cache page.

 

To make it easier for some, I could multicache the combination at an earlier or alternate micro location.

 

Can I put a lock on the final large cache container?

 

I've heard of some people doing this, to prevent pillagers of large caches in the woods.

 

I've asked my usual local/regional reviewer on this, but he/she totally ignored my question.

 

What thinks you all?

[WH]

Ive come across several caches with combination locks on them. The hiders use many different puzzles for obtaining the coordinates.

 

To answer your question, yes, a combination lock on a cache is perfectly ok.

[+sbell111]

Sure you can. Many people have done it.

 

For a while, I toyed with the idea of making people have to learn how to crack a master lock's combination, but I ditched the idea because I figured very few people would make the effort.

[+AtlantaGal]

Yep there are a few that use either a combination lock or a key lock to open the cache...

 

ComboLock:

GC9C40

GCHRVX

GCM6XV

 

Key:

GCMCCH

GCF5BE

 

I'm sure there's others, but these are the ones I could remember offhand.

[+Skyman]

Here's another example of key use.

 

 

GCAA8B

[+the hermit crabs]

And another combination-lock one:

Wayland 1.0 (GCGCD2)

[+CompuCash]

See Planes in Alameda, v.5 by bthomas

N37° 46.798 W122° 17.889 (WGS84)

Use waypoint: GC5E1F

 

cc

[+hoovman]

Another combination lock example:

Help meeee...Not exactly!!! (GCNB66)

[+Criminal]

Allowed? Why does everybody feel the need to ask what's allowed? If you are not aware of some specific rule that forbids it, just do it. Sheesh

[+QDman]

Allowed? Why does everybody feel the need to ask what's allowed? If you are not aware of some specific rule that forbids it, just do it. Sheesh

I think asking if it's allowed is another way of asking if there is a specific rule that forbids it.

If you do something that's not allowed, your cache gets archived. Trust me on this. It's better to ask first.

[+sbell111]

I don't necessarily agree. Read the guidelines. If your idea is not forboden, list it. If it's approved, its all good.

[+briansnat]

One of mine with a lock. To get the combo you need to go to several locations in the park and find a micro with one of the numbers OR find a travel bug that is circulating in the area that has the entire combo.

 

Here is how the lock was installed. It's proven to be waterproof so far.

 

 

[+zcubed]

Here is mine.

 

Someone in the area has been making them selves happy by destroying it though. It is a MOC so someone has paid their money to go trash it.

[+StarBrand]

I've had one of these for 3 years and it has proven popular - it is part of a multicache. I've recently had to replace the cache box as the lock no longer "locked" it - some critter it looks like. (plastic box)

[+Team GPSaxophone]

There's a combination lock cache in my area that keeps disappearing. Rather than just taking the contents, the muggles take the whole cache home in order to get into it.

[ATMouse]

The best I've seen is in our area, set out by thehiker.

 

It is called "Rushford Runaround" and we had cachers working on the puzzle for up to three months.

 

A bunch of funny stories came out of this hunt, including my husband and I disagreeing on some numbers we came up with for the combination. He began to try to "prove" my numbers were wrong (because they were too high for the combo locks he had seen) by dragging me to every lock display in every hardware store we went into. I got so I wouldn't come when he headed off down an aisle, saying "Look at these locks, honey..."

 

Imagine my delight when we found the cache and the numbers I had were correct - and the combination lock DID have numbers that went "that high".

[+Jeep_Dog]

The Burbank Travel Bug Lock Down is a combination lock cache that I stopped at and thought was particularly very well done.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

One of the multis in my area uses stages that reveal part of the unlock code. The final is a metal ammo box chained to a tree. Almost muggle-proof!

[+sTeamTraen]

There is a combination lock cache not far from me. To get the combination, you have to finish another cache nearby from the same owner. But reading the logs, I get the impression that half the people who find it have used some form of "brute force" method - using that term either in the computing sense, or maybe even the physical one.

[+OienLabs]

There is a little snag here. I recently bougth a set of combinatinon locks and my intention was to use them on geocaches. (Un)fortunately I managed to lock one of them and failed to use the code to open it again. What actually happened was that when the lock was open and in a 'programmable state' I did turn one of the weels and changed the code without noticeing. Locked it and was stuck. Now this one was garbage, but with som luck it was only weel numer 4 that had been positioned on 9 instead of 0. If this can happen to me in the livingroom, it can can certainly happen in the field. What am I going to do then? I do not think I will use these code padlocks. If I can misprogram the padloc, anybody else can. Then the only solution is pliers. So get quality programmable locks if you are going to use them on a chache

[+zcubed]

Here is mine.

 

Someone in the area has been making them selves happy by destroying it though. It is a MOC so someone has paid their money to go trash it.

I love quoting myself.

 

I think I have found a way around the loser that is messing with my combo locked cache. On the above cache page under my user id is a web site that has a virtual lock on it. I didn't spend much time on it, but it seems to work fine. I have to go get the new coords where the physical cache with the logbook will be located, so if you do open it the coords listed are wrong. Let me know what you think.

 

I also removed it from being a MOC.

[+AtoZ]

Here is mine.

 

Someone in the area has been making them selves happy by destroying it though.  It is a MOC so someone has paid their money to go trash it.

I love quoting myself.

 

I think I have found a way around the loser that is messing with my combo locked cache. On the above cache page under my user id is a web site that has a virtual lock on it. I didn't spend much time on it, but it seems to work fine. I have to go get the new coords where the physical cache with the logbook will be located, so if you do open it the coords listed are wrong. Let me know what you think.

 

I also removed it from being a MOC.

That was pretty cool Zman as I am the only one on the forums that can actually open the LOCK, LOL. I'll talk to you soon.

cheers

[Pinster56]

I want to set up a lock cache myself, but I am a bit concerned that the combo lock will get rusty and become inoperable in a couple of months. What's the solution?

[A^2]

I want to set up a lock cache myself, but I am a bit concerned that the combo lock will get rusty and become inoperable in a couple of months. What's the solution?

Bolt cutters.

[+zcubed]

I want to set up a lock cache myself, but I am a bit concerned that the combo lock will get rusty and become inoperable in a couple of months. What's the solution?

Tri-flow

 

Much better than WD-40 IMHO.

[+zcubed]

There is a little snag here. I recently bougth a set of combinatinon locks and my intention was to use them on geocaches. (Un)fortunately I managed to lock one of them and failed to use the code to open it again. What actually happened was that when the lock was open and in a 'programmable state' I did turn one of the weels and changed the code without noticeing. Locked it and was stuck. Now this one was garbage, but with som luck it was only weel numer 4 that had been positioned on 9 instead of 0. If this can happen to me in the livingroom, it can can certainly happen in the field. What am I going to do then? I do not think I will use these code padlocks. If I can misprogram the padloc, anybody else can. Then the only solution is pliers. So get quality programmable locks if you are going to use them on a chache

One of the locks that I used had a little "nub" on the shaft of the locking part and that is what activated the programming mode. I filed that off after setting the combo to what I wanted and it couldn't be changed in the field.

[+VegasCacheHounds]

I had one of those large black toolboxes (the black plastic ones) that the latches were busted on, and the only way to keep it shut was to use the lock. So, when I made it into a cache I had (the first cache we placed, in fact) a couple of trivia questions on the cache page related to the theme that gave the combo. In the two years it was active I had no major problems. Until the cache vanished, that is.

[CacheNCarryMA]

This one - Wayland 1.0 - Upper Mill Brook - has a lock, as well as being camo'ed as a natural object. It weighs about forty pounds, so if it's accidentally found by muggles, it'll probably stay put.

Edited April 27, 2005 by CacheNCarryMA

[+VegasCacheHounds]

Heck, I've even heard of someone placing micros that are locks. I guess there are some combo locks that have a storage area internally, and hear tales of these being locked to a random object in an urban setting.

[+chris-mouse]

Here's another cache that uses combination locks. Blue Box 7 - sunday

 

It's the final cache of a series of caches that takes you all over the place. It's locked with two combination locks. In order to get the combinations to those locks, you have to visit the other six caches in the series. Each of those caches has one number in one of the combinations.

 

The really fun part is that those six caches are also locked with combination locks. To get the combination for one of those locks you have to go to the sites of three other local caches. There's a small tag attached to the underbrush within a couple of feet of the other caches. Each tag has one number on it. In order to get to the final cache open, you need to visit a total of 18 caches to read the tags, then six caches to get the numbers for the two final cache locks, then the final itself. Grand total of 25 caches. That's good for a few weekends of caching

[+Corp Of Discovery]

Here is one by Markwell. The resettable locks with the numbered dials can possibly be done quite easily without completing all the steps. They are also made easier if the previous finder does not spin the dials seperately in a random manner.

[+Hunt]

Heres a thought for all you guys who have had their locked caches stollen by mugglers and idiot poser cachers. I'm thinking of bolting it to something like a tree or a rock or something. that way the only way in is through the lock. no take home and saw in half any more. just be sure to ask the owbner of the tree/rock first

[Pinster56]

One of mine with a lock.[/url]  To get the combo you need to go to several locations in the park and find a micro with one of the numbers OR find a travel bug that is circulating in the area that has the entire combo.

 

Here is how the lock was installed. It's proven to be waterproof so far.

So, to make a hole in the ammo box, can I use a power drill with the drill bit you would normally use to drill into wood/walls? I have a limited amount of tools!

[+briansnat]

One of mine with a lock.[/url]  To get the combo you need to go to several locations in the park and find a micro with one of the numbers OR find a travel bug that is circulating in the area that has the entire combo.

 

Here is how the lock was installed. It's proven to be waterproof so far.

So, to make a hole in the ammo box, can I use a power drill with the drill bit you would normally use to drill into wood/walls? I have a limited amount of tools!

It may work. The metal is soft, but you'd be better off with a bit for metal. Make the hole the exact size of the eye bolt so it has a very tight fit and you have to screw it in. I also used two flat faucet washers, one on each side, then a metal washer, then a nut.

[+zcubed]

Heres a thought for all you guys who have had their locked caches stollen by mugglers and idiot poser cachers. I'm thinking of bolting it to something like a tree or a rock or something. that way the only way in is through the lock. no take home and saw in half any more. just be sure to ask the owbner of the tree/rock first

The last one that was stolen was attached to a fence post with four 6" lag bolts. Looks like they nipped the lock and unbolted it. It was a MOC so it could have been somebody that already knew the combo.

 

If you go here and click on the link under my user id, the lock on the first page is what this cache started with and if you put in any number like 1234 and hit enter, 10 seconds later you will see what they did to the cache. Now if they want to smash the lock they can hit their monitor.

[+Markwell]

Here is one by Markwell. The resettable locks with the numbered dials can possibly be done quite easily without completing all the steps. They are also made easier if the previous finder does not spin the dials seperately in a random manner.

And in that one it was not only allowed, but required by the Forest Preserve District...

[+Deliveryguy428]

Be a real pain in the cache, and don't let it be known it is locked and make them obtain about 5 sets of "possible" combinations then send them to the cache