Cache maintennance etiquette

[Fangsoki]

Being relatively new to caching, I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing. I have come accross a few caches that are badly in need of maintenance (mostly due to water getting in caches).

I have been drying what I can out - and then adding a new notebook. I always make a point of leaving the old notebook - no matter how sodden it is. I then let the Owner know in my log.

My questions are -:

Should the old logs always be left in there - no matter what the condition - even if it means the inside of the cache still has moisture inside?

If a cache is missing (ie - it's home is very obvious) - is it acceptable to replace the cache (container, notebook) for the Owner?

Any comments and opinions are welcome

[totalube]

Hi,

Yes I think you should leave the log in there. If I know the cache owner personally and expect to see them, then I will take the log book and hand it to them.

You should only replace the cache container if you are very sure that it is gone, if you are at all in doubt, then don't. Also it is also OK to replace a broken cache container.

Just my thought.

Tony

[mundoo]

Last year I had a new geocacher remove a wet log book from one of my caches and take it 'home' to dry it out. They mentioned it in the online log entry.

As the cache owner I have to admit I was peeved by their action at the time because I live near most of my caches and if a 'needs maintenance' had been posted for the cache I would have dealt with the wet log book within 24 hours.

I arranged to collect the log book from them and they had done a good job of drying it out. I returned it to the cache.

I wondered about my reaction later and concluded that I felt that they had interfered with my cache. I had a strong sense of ownership and hadn't been given the choice or chance to fix a maintenance issue on my cache.

[Richary]

In general I won't perform a huge amount of cache maintenance on city caches, if it needs fixing it is the owner's job. The exception is when I know the owner is no longer active or not local and I believe the spot is worth keeping.

Country caches are a bit different, I have unasked come across broken or muggled containers and repaired them with what I had on hand. This is especially the case if I know where the owner lives and it's not close, or the location is such that it is unlikely they live locally if I don't know them. That's generally a case with older caches before GC started cracking down on vacation caches.

I think replacing a broken container is OK in those circumstances, even if it's not identical to the original. After you have logged what you have done the owner is free to come back and replace it with the original style container if they wish. In the meantime it's at least staying dry. I generally wouldn't remove the logbook unless it had totally dissolved into a pile of mush, even if wet I would seal it as much as possible in it's own ziplock bag and put a replacement book in a separate one.

[Fangsoki]

Thanks for the replies guys.

When I do this "maintennance", I try to use a bit of empathy and try to figure out what the cache owner would want. Personally, I would want the log book of my cache left in there as well - sodden or not.

I recently did a cache and the poor thing hadn't been look after - full of water.. and the logs were satched. The Owner had not been online since 2008. I made the call and installed a new logbook in a sistema container (in the original bigger container). I left (and have always done in the past) the old log book.

I don't mind helping out folks.. but by the same token - I don't want to tread on their toes.

[SamCarter]

Perspectives are interesting things.

I have found saturated log books, and wondered what was the best thing to do. On a couple of occasions I reasoned that they were so wet as to be unusable, and that they'd go mouldy if they didn't get dried out soon, and that the caches were a long way from their owners. Since I was carrying a spare notebook, I replaced the log and took home the sodden one and dried it out, and I contacted the owner and arranged to post them the recovered logbook. It never occurred to me that this might be regarded negatively.

Oh, I hope I don't come across any more damp log books. I'm indecisive at the best of times, and now I'm going to be worse!

[pprass]

....I'm indecisive at the best of times, and now I'm going to be worse!

Yeah - I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure

I wouldn't be too worried about what the owner thinks in these situations. You are doing a great service for so many other cachers who follow you and in any case I don't know how many times I've emailed an owner or left a "needs maintenance" note only to get absolutely no response and no action.

mundoo stating that he would check on his cache within 24hrs is certainly the exception to what we have experienced.

We are absolutely delighted when a kind cacher takes the time to maintain one of our caches - we feel that they respect the cache and want to make sure that it continues to give enjoyment to others. Regarding the log book - we are in 2 minds whether it should be returned. If it is in reasonable condition, then we will ask for it to be returned as a memento and to read any other notes that may not have been posted in logs.

[SA_ParrotHead]

I totally agree with pprass and Richary.
I lost count a long time ago of the number of caches I have replaced in rural areas (but dont worry mundoo if I know the owner lives close by I would let them know). I will e-mail the owner and offer to post them their Logbook and if I dont receive a response then I pass the logbook to TeamAstro to go into the South Australian Travel Bug Log Book Library (TB29RBK).
I cant imagine it is an easy job to get a remote caches in Australia approved and I want to keep them going as long possible for all those who follow to enjoy.

[Bundyrumandcoke]

I do maintenance on caches when and where possible. I can think of 3 examples in the last 3 weeks where we did major maintenance on caches. One was were the cache was completely soaked, and log book ruined. We dried the container, removed trashed swag, put soaked log book in a new baggie, put a new log book in another baggie, and replaced the writing stick.

Another we replaced the entire cache, container, log book, pen and swaps. The previous finder had removed the entire previous cache because of damage.

The third one we replaced a damaged container, because we happened to have the same size container on board.

Its all just part of the service, and the game.

Cheers
Bundy

[DISK]

We try to help out as much as possible and appreciate it when others respond the same way to our caches.

Thanks Parrothead for the info on Astro's TB Log Book Library (seem to have missed seeing that one ).

There have been times we've been out (particularly when it's rained a few days before), that we've replaced 6 to 8 log books/bags and a couple of containers, so much so, we've run out of replacements! We particularly like to replace containers/logbooks on older/interesting caches/locations.

Also, we intentionally don't carry too many replacements, because it can become onerous and spoil our day out, so it's the ones we visit first that get the best attention - after that it's usually a note within our log.

We always leave the old log book, unless there's no room for it - then we email the owner.

[BaldEd]

I generally do as richary does. Leave urban caches as is and just place a needs maintenance notice. Rural or outback I will usually dry out, repair, replace baggies, logbooks etc particularly when I know that the owner does not live in the immediate area, but I will remove sodden, manky, mouldy, unreadable, unwriteable logbooks and rusty swaps (who would ever take one of those?) from the cache - no sense leaving them there to ruin the replacements - and post in the log what I have done. No owner has ever contacted me requesting the logbook. I eventually chuck them out in the rubbish.

[MtnLioness]

......then I pass the logbook to TeamAstro to go into the South Australian Travel Bug Log Book Library (TB29RBK).

What the heck is that?
Never heard of it