Enough with the micro caches! Am I right, folks?

[-cheeto-]

How is this thread an announcement?

[furfool]

@bugsmasher69 wrote:

@furfool wrote:

What I really don’t like is the micro in a pine tree hide. I found some nice size caches hanging in pine trees. So why hide a micro in there? I thought caches were meant to be found not placed with the “I bet you can’t find this one” train of thought.

I also added a pair of ratcheting shears to my cache bag just for such hides.

Thats right instead of just not doing micros, instead go out and destroy someone elses hide. Real mature and I bet you would be the first person screaming if someone did that to yours or takes it.

I didn’t think it would take this long for a reaction like that. It is out of frustration that I think of pruning every pine tree I see. Rest assured, I would not actually do something like that. There are many cachers in my area that would vouch for me. Unfortunately, the cachers in this forum don’t personally know me, or I them. I hope I put your mind at ease a bit bugsmasher.

[bugsmasher69]

@furfool wrote:

@bugsmasher69 wrote:

@furfool wrote:

What I really don’t like is the micro in a pine tree hide. I found some nice size caches hanging in pine trees. So why hide a micro in there? I thought caches were meant to be found not placed with the “I bet you can’t find this one” train of thought.

I also added a pair of ratcheting shears to my cache bag just for such hides.

Thats right instead of just not doing micros, instead go out and destroy someone elses hide. Real mature and I bet you would be the first person screaming if someone did that to yours or takes it.

I didn’t think it would take this long for a reaction like that. It is out of frustration that I think of pruning every pine tree I see. Rest assured, I would not actually do something like that. There are many cachers in my area that would vouch for me. Unfortunately, the cachers in this forum don’t personally know me, or I them. I hope I put your mind at ease a bit bugsmasher.

Well I don’t know you but I really didn’t think you would admit it in such a public forum if you did. But I hate you giving ideas to eveyone. Caches get moved around enough all ready, and get replaced when they can’t find them and this only gives them more ideas.

I kinda like the micros in the trees. Makes things a little more challenging.

As for why we hide them instead of ammo cans or such is that the micros are a lot cheaper to replace then the bigger containers when they disappear. Also they don’t get filled up with trash. I just hate having to go thru a big container full of junk to find the log book and the geocoin that is suppose to be in there. And it seems like more and more often I wish I had a pair of rubber gloves to wear while looking thru some of the stuff that is left behind.

[HOT TROT]

Several years ago I was “bashed” in a similar forum to this for not having much or any swag in my new regular to large sized caches. Most cachers who posted notes agreed with the “basher”. Now swag is widely regarded as junk. Such is caching.

[gotta run]

@bugsmasher69 wrote:

micros are a lot cheaper to replace then the bigger containers when they disappear. Also they don’t get filled up with trash. I just hate having to go thru a big container full of junk to find the log book and the geocoin that is suppose to be in there. And it seems like more and more often I wish I had a pair of rubber gloves to wear while looking thru some of the stuff that is left behind.

Hear hear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the Left Side of the Road...

[cheezehead]

For my ammo can caches. I usually hit the dollar store and get about $10 wroth of stuff, deck of cards, small flash light, key chain and the like. 3 things go in. Now, you are to trade equal or up, so in theory, there should always be something in the can. I recently received about 8 or so regular size ammo cans from the ammo can fairy. I’m working on couple projects that all of the ammo cans and a few plastic jugs will be put out. 2 very large plastic jugs also. I’d go broke and divorced if I tried to fill them up. There are all gonna be out in the boondocks a quite a hike to check on them. Now unlike pill bottles, they shouldn’t get eaten or carried off by the critters. I also have a dozen large pill bottles that will be part of a different project. There will be 2 final ammo can caches. The finals will have more swag in them. Up here, we have very few micro, or film can/pill bottles for caches. The only “local” caches that been put out in the Hayward area in the last year have been mine. I enjoy working and setting up caches. I’m out in the “bush” with my dogs 5-6 days a week. I went through all my notes for possible cache hides. It’s in the 50’S! 😯 😯 ❗ ❗

When it’s all said in done, there could be about 10 new ammo can caches and about 15-20 large pill bottle/peanut butter containers in Sawyer county. The finals will be fairly full. The others not so much.

(I’m not sure what I just said, could be just a bunch of gibberish, but, I said it!)

[Da Bloodhound]

I’ll hunt whatever seems to be available in an area I am heading to but must say that the more creative the hide is the more fun it is to find.

Large or small caches by friends like Knowschad and Mutsley & Crew are almost ALWAYS rewarding to find.

I think all those out there could take a lesson from these Master Cachers.

DB

[Lander Lancelot]

Like Cheezehead, we make trips to the dollar store to put out quality caches, and we always get compliments from those who come to Camelot to find them. Some of us want to make the finds a little more rewarding. However, as was mentioned earlier, the rule is supposed to be trade up or trade even. After filling one of the caches with Canadian souveniers – mugs, windchimes, keychains, hand warmers, etc., we came back two months later to find not much other than broken 10 cent toys. Will that stop us from doing what we do? No. I guess we hope that people will eventually understand and elevate their trading practices.

Micros – They were created to be put in urban areas – like Toronto and Chicago – where it is difficult to place full sized ammo cans. We don’t mind finding them in urban settings, or as waypoints. We do, however, really hate seeing a forest or a lovely grove of trees WASTED on a micro. Also, it tends to tick us off to spend several hours to solve a puzzle only to be rewarded with a ‘micro in the pine tree.’ As was said before – if a puzzle solve, or a long walk to the cache is involved, make it worth it for the cacher. The slogan says “We use billion dollar satellites to find ‘tupperware’ hidden in the woods.” Tupperware has swag in it. When we tell people about caching and try to get them interested in the game, the description always includes finding a box of ‘treasure’.

Also, while we know that many caching families are out there with little kids – and after all we have 12 kids – not all cacher have young’uns in tow and it’s nice to find a bit of swag other than toys on occasion.

[Sagasu]

Gosh, I didn’t have to look long at the forums this morning to find an interesting announcement for a change. Guess this one gets more replies than most. Variety is spicy, but I’m pretty much with zuma! on preferences.

Look for them all. Like a tricky micro once in a while, and they are o.k. for good puzzle finals if they take you to a scenic spot or somewhere connected to the cache theme. Some cache owners do a good job on these. When I know it’s a micro and approach a group of pines, or even a solitary big one, I usually groan.

Most of my caches are ammo can to small, with good swag and trackables, which I diligently resupply as I can. Like a number of other cachers I know, I grit my teeth sometimes when I look inside a cache that had a small treasure of swag for old or young, and I try to leave a cache in better shape than I found it. Location is always important to me and I do CITO if an otherwise great or scenic area needs a little help from time to time. Most of the time I like the woods, but there are a lot of urban caches, many of which are special in their own way, some of them also regular sized, but some of them small to even nano. I guess everyone has the option of bypassing those 4/1 micros, those 1/3.5 regulars, or the six-stage multis depending on their preference, the weather, or the mood of the day. I take my chances on all that I can do, and have a hard time bypassing many when my choice of the day is a distant lonely cache cluster.

[EnergySaver]

I’ve never been a big fan of micros, but I can live with limiting how many I go after … we don’t tend to trade swag much any more, but it’s still fun to take a peek in there to see what’s in the box … sure many times it’s junk, but sometimes it’s something cool … kinda like being on a game show in the woods.

What I think is “sad” (within the low importance that a cache location has in the big picture of life), is when you find a a cache (typically a micro) after a long hike, that’s hidden under a rock or tied to a branch, when 50 to 100 feet away is a real cool tree, just asking to have something hidden in it. I just feel like the cool tree is “wasted”. I get over it right away, but my creative juices make me wish they had found that spot instead.

[marc_54140]

@Lander & Lancelot wrote:

Like Cheezehead, we make trips to the dollar store to put out quality caches …

Wait a minute ….. isn’t that a contradiction in terms?

🙄 😆 😯 😕

[seldom|seen]

Valley cachers who’ve done a number of s|s caches know one thing, they know that they never know what to expect at the end, i.e, Passings of Mr. Pink.

I place all sizes and sometimes an ammo can is sitting in a place where you wouldn’t expect it, Sins of My Father, while a micro is placed at the end of a difficult puzzle or journey, Grab my Stick. Of late, I’d echo gotta-runs comments about micros not disappearing as frequently and I have been defaulting heavily to those for urban puzzle finals.

To me it comes down to an absolute, what is the point of a cache I place? Very rarely do I look at a spot and say, “hmm… there should be a cache there”, and then quickly run home and put a 35mm canister together.

In fact, most of my caches take an amazingly long time to finally make it into the field. I have custom final caches still sitting on my bench that were ready to go out a year ago, but I’ve either not found the time, gotten the permission, or had quite the right set-up to make it happen. I have partially published listings waiting for finals to go out. Ferber on Film has been written up and has been sitting in my to-finish queue since Jan of 07 and it has an AWESOME and completely memorable final.

I wish people who put out simple “there’s a spot for one” caches would take just a little more time to create a memorable cache. Not to say there there aren’t really cool and interesting places to bring people with a simple tree hanger, but even those can benefit from a unique final container or puzzle set-up to get you there.

If it wasn’t for the challenge of the lonely cache game, I think I would have lost all interest in going out caching, but maybe I have higher expectations than most. About the only thing that makes it worthwhile anymore is the rare opportunity to go caching with a friend which is certainly the appeal of caching tours and one of the more rewarding aspects of the sport.

That, and the chance that someone might have placed a cool new cache and I have yet to discover it.

[Cache_boppin_BunnyFuFu]

I tyr to hide caches appropriate for the area. OK… my “Itzy Bitzy Teeny Meeny” cache was put out on Purpose. 😈 LOL

[cheezehead]

@marc_54140 wrote:

@Lander & Lancelot wrote:

Like Cheezehead, we make trips to the dollar store to put out quality caches …

Wait a minute ….. isn’t that a contradiction in terms?

🙄 😆 😯 😕

What the heck is that suppose to mean?? You can get a lot of quality items at the dollar store. Just what do you put in your caches for swag?

[gotta run]

I’m going to start stocking our new caches with all the torn and damp “calling cards” that we clean out when restocking our caches. Maybe a few muddy range balls or buttons. Heck, I just found a house key in one of our key caches–wonder if I could find the house it goes to…

On the Left Side of the Road...

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