Location, location!

GeoJo · Post by **GeoJo** » 10 July 04 7:45 pm

"Ultimately you'll want to place a cache in a place that is unique in some way. The big reward for geocachers, other than finding the cache itself, is the location. A prime camping spot, great viewpoint, unusual location, etc. are all good places to hide a cache." (From geocaching.com "Hiding Your First Geocache")

I'm just wondering how people pick locations for their caches. I've been to some fantastic places with incredible scenery, and some really dodgy areas that I would never want to see again. Do teams think about the surrounding area or simply place a cache because there aren't any hidden nearby?

Derringer · Post by **Derringer** » 10 July 04 10:30 pm

Team Derringer endeavours to place caches with high location value.
This usually means on top of a hill with stunning views.

Our most difficult caches are set in glorious positions.
All it requires is the time and effort to get there.

We have been to far too many caches set in areas with little intrinsic value.
K&M

Papa Bear_Left · Post by **Papa Bear_Left** » 10 July 04 10:31 pm

Certainly there are bad places to place caches, but the location is only one of the facets of a cache.

If it's just a plastic box under a rock or bush at the marked coords, then the setting had better have something going for it!
If it's a cunningly hidden container or the end of a clever clue chase, then I'll forgive a more ordinary locale.

There's a couple of cachers over here in the same out-of-town area and their styles really typify the difference: one could be considered a litterbug, with dull caches in places that vary from dull to nasty, while the other is one of our favourite placers and has taken us to some lovely little spots that we'd've never found on our own. Neither of them do anything very fancy by way of clues or containers, but one of them is on our "must do" list and the other gets filtered out in GSAK.

Dingbats · Post by **Dingbats** » 11 July 04 11:35 am

The location and the journey are the two things that make a cache for special for me. I expect atleast one, if not both to be special, and I am generally disappointed if they are not.

We aim for the same when hiding a cache. I would much prefer an easy to find cache in a good location than a difficult to find cache in a poor location. In fact I get frustrated and annoyed when I'm searching for a "well hidden" cache in an unpleasant spot.

Effrem · Post by **Effrem** » 11 July 04 2:52 pm

I doesnt matter to me if the cache is in a dodgy spot or not.

The cache I have placed are (usually) scenic or a place you would normally visit ( an unknown oasis near home etc).

But if i find a particularly evil location (unpleasant smells, sights etc) I consider it part of the game. after all life isnt always roses.

Effrem

maccamob · Post by **maccamob** » 11 July 04 5:51 pm

We've always tried to put our caches in interesting and/or scenic spots, and that's the way we prefer to find them as well. We've passed up opportunities to hide caches at, or later removed our caches from, spots that have looked ok on paper but turned out to be little better than rubbish dumps or frequented by dodgy characters. We've always managed to find plenty of places for our caches that we'd love to come back to without having to resort to the more unpleasant ones.

ian-and-penny · Post by **ian-and-penny** » 11 July 04 9:22 pm

We will be trying to place our caches in an interesting and/or scenic spot.

Naturally its this sort of spot we would prefer to visit when we are looking for caches too.

If we can't find a cache at a nice spot, we will try to go back again another day. Conversely if we can't find a cache in a crappy spot we are unlikely to give it another try. (Todays spot we won't go back to had a lot of washing machine parts littering the area.)

Cheers

Ian & Penny

Dingbats · Post by **Dingbats** » 11 July 04 9:45 pm

Effrem wrote:after all life isnt always roses.

That is why we geocache!

Phlosten · Post by **Phlosten** » 11 July 04 9:51 pm

Maybe GC could have a cacher'a rating system (apart from the dificulty stuff). Therefore caches with good caching value could have a high rating.

Would maybe make it easier to pick a cache to do based on a quick previous cachers survey of it.

Shrugs

Cheers

Dingbats · Post by **Dingbats** » 11 July 04 10:02 pm

Phlosten wrote:Maybe GC could have a cacher'a rating system

Do you mean like an "enjoyment" rating that cache hunters get to submit their vote on?

Phlosten · Post by **Phlosten** » 11 July 04 10:07 pm

That was what I was thinking.

ie out of 5 stars how much did you like doing that cache?

would be ok if there some guide to rating the cache, so that cachers didnt rate them down just because they couldnt be found etc.

Cached · Post by **Cached** » 12 July 04 3:03 pm

That sounds like a good idea, but we would need a guide so that there was some consistency about how we rate caches.