Hiding a Geocache
Before hiding a geocache you should ask several questions.
Why are you hiding it?
1. I found a beautiful place and I want to share it with others. In our opinion this is the best reason to hide one.
2. I know of a historic site and I want others to learn the history. This rates right up there with the first reason.
3. I want to give back to the geocaching community.
4. Other cachers say I should hide one. This is the worst reason to hide a cache. Your heart should really be in it.
5. I have an idea for a devious camo job.
6. I know of a great puzzle that I would like to see if somebody can solve it.
What you want people to see?
1. Several scenic areas in a small park
2. Several scenic areas in a large park.
3. All the trails in a small park.
4. All the trails in a large park.
5. A single scenic spot.
6. Nothing in particular.
Who do you want to find the cache?
1. Everybody.
2. People that like strenuous hikes.
3. People that love to see cool places.
4. Nerdy types like yourself.
5. Primarily the local cachers.
6. Out of Towners. Make it worth their while to stop in your area. They've driven a distance.
7. Elderly cachers, those with handicaps, and cachers with small children.
How many people do you want to attempt to find your cache?
1. Everybody.
2. Quite a few.
3. Just a few that prefer challenging caches over numbers.
How many other caches are nearby and what types are they?
If all the other caches are multis or puzzle caches and you hide a multi or puzzle cache, you might not attract many cachers except for the locals that like to find difficult caches. You have to remember that many geocachers like to find as many geocaches as possible in an area. If all the geocaches in a locale look like they might be difficult they might avoid the area entirely. You can never go wrong in hiding a traditional cache.
Now lets consider the possibilites:
First the no brainers.
1. If you want to attract everybody and have nothing in particular that you want people to see, then a "lame" micro hidden in a guardrail or lamp post might be in order.
1. If you have a confined area, or short walk, of interest with no muggles (especially if all the above are true) then maybe a creative hide is in order.
2. You have a great scenic or historic spot and want lots of people to see it, then you should consider a traditional cache with a clue.
3. If you only want a few locals obsessed with finding hard caches, then you should hide a puzzle cache, a multistage cache or a devious hide.
Other possibilities:
1. You have several scenic areas that you would like people to see in a small park. You should consider a multi with containers at each area you want people to see.
2. You have several scenic areas that you want people to see in a large park. Maybe you should think about hiding several traditional caches at each spot.
3. You have several interesting historical facts you want people to read and see. Maybe you should consider a multi where people have to take facts from the signs or plaques, do some math and move on to the next stage (s) and final cache.
Placement considerations:
1. Height. If you want the cache to be off the ground consider putting it at a reasonable height. For all you tall people out there - remember not all geocachers are 6 feet tall.
2. Rivers. Check out the area of the normal flood plain and try to place the cache on ground high enough where it will not be floating down the river every spring or after a heavy rain.
3. Muggle factor. If it is an area that has many muggles you might want to consider adding a good hint so that you don't have to periodically replace the cache. The suspicious activity of the finders coincides with caches getting muggled.
4. Heavy tree cover. Not only is it hard for you to get good coordinates but it is also hard for the finders to get a good lock and find the cache. This is especially true in pine forests. Give a very good clue.
5. How far off the trail. If you place a cache on the trail it needs a great camo job to make it muggle proof. Placing it too far off the trail might be considered to be environmentally unfriendly.
6. The container. Pick a container that matches up well and fits in the hiding spot.
Summary
What you hide and where you hide it will determine who attempts and finds your geocaches. Consider what you hope to accomplish and whom you wish to attract to your cache.
Why are you hiding it?
1. I found a beautiful place and I want to share it with others. In our opinion this is the best reason to hide one.
2. I know of a historic site and I want others to learn the history. This rates right up there with the first reason.
3. I want to give back to the geocaching community.
4. Other cachers say I should hide one. This is the worst reason to hide a cache. Your heart should really be in it.
5. I have an idea for a devious camo job.
6. I know of a great puzzle that I would like to see if somebody can solve it.
What you want people to see?
1. Several scenic areas in a small park
2. Several scenic areas in a large park.
3. All the trails in a small park.
4. All the trails in a large park.
5. A single scenic spot.
6. Nothing in particular.
Who do you want to find the cache?
1. Everybody.
2. People that like strenuous hikes.
3. People that love to see cool places.
4. Nerdy types like yourself.
5. Primarily the local cachers.
6. Out of Towners. Make it worth their while to stop in your area. They've driven a distance.
7. Elderly cachers, those with handicaps, and cachers with small children.
How many people do you want to attempt to find your cache?
1. Everybody.
2. Quite a few.
3. Just a few that prefer challenging caches over numbers.
How many other caches are nearby and what types are they?
If all the other caches are multis or puzzle caches and you hide a multi or puzzle cache, you might not attract many cachers except for the locals that like to find difficult caches. You have to remember that many geocachers like to find as many geocaches as possible in an area. If all the geocaches in a locale look like they might be difficult they might avoid the area entirely. You can never go wrong in hiding a traditional cache.
Now lets consider the possibilites:
First the no brainers.
1. If you want to attract everybody and have nothing in particular that you want people to see, then a "lame" micro hidden in a guardrail or lamp post might be in order.
1. If you have a confined area, or short walk, of interest with no muggles (especially if all the above are true) then maybe a creative hide is in order.
2. You have a great scenic or historic spot and want lots of people to see it, then you should consider a traditional cache with a clue.
3. If you only want a few locals obsessed with finding hard caches, then you should hide a puzzle cache, a multistage cache or a devious hide.
Other possibilities:
1. You have several scenic areas that you would like people to see in a small park. You should consider a multi with containers at each area you want people to see.
2. You have several scenic areas that you want people to see in a large park. Maybe you should think about hiding several traditional caches at each spot.
3. You have several interesting historical facts you want people to read and see. Maybe you should consider a multi where people have to take facts from the signs or plaques, do some math and move on to the next stage (s) and final cache.
Placement considerations:
1. Height. If you want the cache to be off the ground consider putting it at a reasonable height. For all you tall people out there - remember not all geocachers are 6 feet tall.
2. Rivers. Check out the area of the normal flood plain and try to place the cache on ground high enough where it will not be floating down the river every spring or after a heavy rain.
3. Muggle factor. If it is an area that has many muggles you might want to consider adding a good hint so that you don't have to periodically replace the cache. The suspicious activity of the finders coincides with caches getting muggled.
4. Heavy tree cover. Not only is it hard for you to get good coordinates but it is also hard for the finders to get a good lock and find the cache. This is especially true in pine forests. Give a very good clue.
5. How far off the trail. If you place a cache on the trail it needs a great camo job to make it muggle proof. Placing it too far off the trail might be considered to be environmentally unfriendly.
6. The container. Pick a container that matches up well and fits in the hiding spot.
Summary
What you hide and where you hide it will determine who attempts and finds your geocaches. Consider what you hope to accomplish and whom you wish to attract to your cache.
3 Comments:
Very good post and perfect timing since I am preparing to hide some of my first caches soon. I enjoy caches with a nice hike in a pretty setting or something interesting to see...maybe a historical site. I know lots of cachers want the quick numbers but I want to place caches that will also be interesting to those like myself who enjoy exploring.
Happy caching,
Brandon
Howdy! Had to come check out your site since you somehow discovered mine. This is a nice article.. I'll have to point some people to it.
One additional thing about "placements." In my area, a lot of the parks and trail systems - especially county parks - are built on flood plans. The land is cheap and no one can/wants to build on it. It's an unfortunate necessary evil in order to keep *some* greenspace in metro Atlanta, and from what I understand it's that way in a lot of municipalites as well.
Anyways, the floating away problem is easily remedied by tying or cabling the cache down - to a tree, post, abandoned car - whatever. Some folx use cheap bicycle cable locks (if they think the cache will "walk" away in addition to floating), others go so far as to use link chain.
Another reasonably cheap and easy solution is parachute cord. It's strong enough to withstand fairly strong currents, and we discovered in one particular case that it's strong enough to withstand floating debris the size of 2' long, 20" diameter firewood chainsawed tree-parts. It also has the added benefit of "blending in to the environment" better, too.
Again, nice post, look foward to reading more of your site.
Thanks for stopping by.
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