Question about hiding caches

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glorkar
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Re: Question about hiding caches

Post by glorkar » Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:15 pm

First off, simply go to opencaching.us and log in (not the forum, the regular site.) Once you log in, there will be more options on the very left of the screen. There is a top section titled "main menu" and a lower one titled "user's menu." The very first option is "hide a cache."
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Re: Question about hiding caches

Post by DudleyGrunt » Thu Dec 09, 2010 11:15 pm

What sort of settings? When you're properly logged in and see User's Menu and My Account, under that.
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Re: Question about hiding caches

Post by lostdogsarlington » Tue Jan 11, 2011 10:57 am

Having read over this discussion, I am still confused as to what the saturation rule is. The TOS states
A cache should not be placed within 300 feet of an existing cache (excluding virtual or guest book caches).
Does "cache" here mean any cache or does it mean an OCUS cache. I see in the discussion that different people would prefer different things, but I am not sure what the rule actually is.

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Re: Question about hiding caches

Post by DudleyGrunt » Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:35 am

We try to maintain about 300 feet between new physical OCUS caches and any other pre-existing caches, as best we can. Depending on the circumstances and the area, we can be a bit flexible, though.
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Re: Question about hiding caches

Post by glorkar » Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:51 pm

Notice it says "should" and not "has to be." It's a guideline, simple as that. Make a judgment call. If you think your cache might get confused for another one, then it is probably too close. Vice verse applies too. Is is possible that people hunting for your cache could find one from another listing service and incorrectly assume it's yours? Again, probably too close.
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Re: Question about hiding caches

Post by lostdogsarlington » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:21 pm

Okay, so let me try this thought on you.

I have been contacted by Arlington Public Schools to teach students about geocaching. I was thinking about creating a geocaching course in Bluemont Park, in Arlington, VA. The park currently is mostly saturated with geocaching.com caches. I am thinking it would be nice to overlay the park with caches - create a separate geocaching course separate from the existing caches. These are kids. Middle schoolers. If they find the existing caches, they are likely to mess with them. So instead of subjecting the existing cache containers to mobs of teenagers, I though - create a designated course, specifically for the purpose of Arlington students to learn geocaching. Bluemont park is sort of center Arlington - it is a large park - and the students can go in basically a large triangle without crossing any major roads. In fact, with the first time I do this project, I am going to have Arlington middle school students help me build the caches. All the caches would be relatively easy. I would also try to create a variety of types of caches to demonstrate them to the kids. If you look at http://coord.info/GC1F2P4, you are right in the middle of Bluemont. We could be talking about 10 new caches in the park in order to create this educational experience (and of course anyone could find these caches as well - I am simply trying to create a "classroom" that doesnt mess with pre existing caches. The goal is to create a course that many different Arlington groups of student could go through. And make the caches sort of expendable - maybe put advisories on them to say no TBs or TCs - and I will maintain them expecting them to go missing maybe a little more often then normal.

This cache series would be close to existing caches. But I would work to make sure that the old caches are not discovered by the new cachers (that's the whole purpose - keep the kids away from the existing caches until they have bought the goecaching bug). I have found the existing caches in that park, so keeping them distinct would be easy to do.

Thoughts?

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Re: Question about hiding caches

Post by TermiteHunter » Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:30 am

Sounds like an excellent idea. There appears to be plenty of room for an educational course that would not interfere with the existing caches.

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Re: Question about hiding caches

Post by Sabrefan7 » Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:00 am

I agree. Sounds like a good way to spread the word. Plus a way to teach good caching principles

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Re: Question about hiding caches

Post by DudleyGrunt » Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:33 am

Sounds good. While we try to maintain about 300 feet between physical OCUS hides and other caches, even from other sties, we can be flexible, if there appears to be little chance of confusion between the hides. (plus, I'd love to have a bunch of new caches in the area to go find)

Do you think you could get at least a couple hundred feet between yours and the existing caches?
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Re: Question about hiding caches

Post by lostdogsarlington » Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:44 am

Definitely an objective would be to make it so these caches are not confused with those caches. Therefore I would try to optimize the distance between caches. Also, knowing some of the pre existing caches in Bluemont, I know that there are some existing caches that beginners would never find unless they knew what they were looking for. So simply answer is yes, space between caches could be optimized.

Great. I am going to start talking about this on NOVAGO. I am working with Arlington. The kids are going to make the cache containers and descriptions. Then I will hide them. Then the first trip geocaching will be late April. Again, the goal is to make a course that many student groups can use.

Woof

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