Just thought I'd start a bit of discussion about various topics (based on the Geotalk podcast).

When I was at the Illawarra event last weekend I asked what people thought of microcaches.

I'm finding that a number of them are appearing in places where a regular or large is more appropriate, for example, in the bush. I've been guilty of it (Down on the Border in the ACT ).

It also appears that small caches (the smaller 100 ml variety) are following this trrend. These commonly appear in rocky outcrops that make them near impossible to find without either luck or turning over the whole site.

Admittedly, I'm becoming old (in geocache years) and want more than just a bit of plastic hidden in the bush (or the 'burbs ), but am I biased? Are there two (maybe more) 'schools of thought'. One group for the numbers, another for the journey, another for the hunt?

Interested in your thoughts. Remember, there's no right or wrong answer. This is more of a 'social thermometer'.

Micros we luv em! Large caches have their place under a rock out in bush location, but micros and smalls have their place in caching wonderland

Micro's have a place in the burbs or on structures in picnic spots but it does piss me off having walked in a long distance to then have to spend ages looking for a micro hidden in a tree.

Given the amount of destruction that some cachers are capable of I have seen a number of trees (sometimes with historical significance) suffering from the micro cache.

ruzzelz

ditto

i think they have their place in the game/sport

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I think they have their place in the sport, particularly as a traditional to take people to an interesting place that they might not ordinarily visit.<br>
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Having said that, I do think they should be used sparingly and not just put out as a hider's first choice of container.

Cunningly hidden, or site appropriate, great.

A 35mm film cannister where you could hide a 44 gallon drum, nope.

Unfortunately you don't know what the hide method is until you get there, so sometimes I'm disappointed, other times I'm OK with it.

I'm not a big fan of micros as I sometimes think they are hard to find. But in certain locations like the CBD, I understand that it would be almost impossible to hide a largish cache.
I personally enjoy regular type containers hidden well. And they offer room to hold all kinds of sized TB. You can never leave a TB in a micro, which is a shame.

Some of the clever ones are better than any large cache you would find.
In my region caches like Gong Celebration , Limb , Animal, veg, Mineral , Copious Caches on the Coast spring immediately to mind as great cache finds.
A film canister under a rock on an inconspicuous road is another matter.

There's a lot to be said about finding plenty before you hide any......

I hate the film canister, hidden in a huge hole in a tree trunk, (big enough for an ammo box) in a place that can only be felt out blind, where a snake or spider, or other creepy crawly could hide, in an isolated rural location and where the person who hid the cache has trouble finding the cache to confirm it's there. Typically this will be hidden by a cacher who has 25 finds and 20 hides.

I agree with all of the above. If there is no particular reason for the cache to be a micro, ie, a tricky camouflage (think wingaap), a clever series (think the Nosugref's nano's or 7 dwarfs) or because of its location; I would much rather see a regular cache. Although I'm probably saying this because I usually find micros difficult and I am lazy by nature.

An honest answer

Two additional points that run through my head.

1 - Despite micros and smalls being cheaper, I've found that they are typically hidden in places that have more muggles and are therefore more likely to be muggled. From a cost perspective, ammo cans and regular caches may be cheaper in the long haul.

2 - If you're taking me to an out of the way location or place I've never been before (the reward), why make the hide so damn difficult as you frustrate me with a haystacked micro? (This is not an attack on any particular geocache or geocacher, just a generalised thought)

This topic, and the one in the ACT about quality of caches, is certainly showing that there is a diverse ranges of geocachers, with a range of tastes. I doubt we'll ever get agreement, but then that's probably good for the sport.

I can certainly see myself filtering the geocaches that I plan to find, as will many other people, depending on their preferences.

1. It's not the cost for us! It's horses for coarses and a micro usually fits the bill! Yes I have placed micros in out of the way spots but they will not drive you crazy to find them, they are there to give you a smiley and to show something! Most of our bush caches are regular containers(most ammo boxs) so we can speak from both sides of the fence! As I have covered in other threads "the bigger the cache the quicker the goodies disappear" This is not as bad in caches in not so regularly found places!
But large caches in high traffic end up full of maccas and kfc crap!! The worst swap I have seen was a used hair brush,Would you swap that out??
There is no sense writing about 2. as I side tracked on 1.

Haystacking is a different topic. You can haystack an ammo can too if you try hard enough. Not happy Jan.