Nano caches, eh? Discuss.

For all your general chit chat, caching or not.

What do you think of nano containers?

Love 'em!
5
5%
Fine with me when hidden in appropriate locations
50
52%
One or two around for 'novelty value' are okay
25
26%
Hate 'em!
11
11%
I haven't come across them
5
5%
 
Total votes: 96

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Bewilderbeest
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Nano caches, eh? Discuss.

Post by Bewilderbeest » 03 December 07 9:33 am

There's been a surge in the popularity of nano caches in the ACT recently. I don't know if you have any in your area, but there are two types in use around here, both screw-together cylinders about 1cm long containing a 'log scroll'. The type that's become popular has a magnetic base.

I find them a complete pain. I can usually find the thing okay, BUT trying to:
. get the log out;
. write something legible in a tiny space on a narrow strip of paper; and
. get it rolled back up and back in the container
can be a real ordeal if, like me, you don't have very nimble fingers.

So what are your views? Everybody gets something different out of geocaching, so there's a place for everything. But maybe this will give potential hiders some guidance as to what finders want at the end of the hunt...

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Lucy
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Post by Lucy » 03 December 07 9:49 am

I think they show a lack of imagination. 1 or 2 for the novelty was fine, but now with them appearing everywhere, it stops being fun, or funny. Useful when there is absolutely no alternative, but hiders can also consider multis and offsets to take someone to that interesting and special location.

My nearest urban centre with increasing cache saturation is Wollongong, and there is an increasing number of caches placed, just for the sake of a cache, and no other value, e.g. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... 9cddd0d269

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Teglian
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Post by Teglian » 03 December 07 10:33 am

I like them for areas where they have to be used, like a particular one in Canberra that's near some art work, the cache location itself is great and relevant, there's just no where to put a larger cache without it being found.

I did do one recently up in Bathurst which was out in the bush, but a micro.... there's all these tree's and stumps to put a larger one in, they were just being painful.

So I say I'm fine with them, as long as there is some kind of thought process behind where it is hidden and why they used a micro.

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calumphing_four
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Post by calumphing_four » 03 December 07 11:35 am

Don't mind them on puzzle caches as its often a relief to solve - although I wished eclipse tins were slighly larger so geocoins would fit.
For others I don't mind, if it was the largest container that would fit. I find it fun when its hard to find a well concealed regular container.
Have hidden a small one in the country - could have found a spot for a larger one, but I dont like the idea of swaps near rememberance memorials - just prefer cachers to come and enjoy the spot and remember those that served mankind.

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Eynowd
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Re: Nano caches, eh? Discuss.

Post by Eynowd » 03 December 07 12:51 pm

Bewilderbeest wrote: So what are your views? Everybody gets something different out of geocaching, so there's a place for everything. But maybe this will give potential hiders some guidance as to what finders want at the end of the hunt...
Despite the fact I have one in the field (it was given to me by ShifterBrains when they visited Canberra), I'm not really a fan of nano-caches. One or two of them occasionally are OK, but I don't think I'd like to see them become too much more common.

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If
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A cache is a cache of course of course

Post by If » 03 December 07 7:13 pm

I think it has been proven that if someone put a nano cache on top of a mountain requiring a 3 day bushwalk through trackless terrain in the Kimberley with a 3 day 4WD trip to get to the start point from the nearest town..... then there are some of us who would still try to find it :D
Horses for courses I think. That's why we have a cache grading system including terrain, difficulty and size etc. So we can choose which caches to go after and ignore those that seem unsuited to our tastes 8)


I like nano caches

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SecretSquirrel-BJC
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Post by SecretSquirrel-BJC » 03 December 07 8:07 pm

I have 3 nanos out and I am really happy that I had them to use in those particular circumstances. They weren't my first choice of cache container - it was more necessity than want.

For those with less than nimble fingers, pack tweezers or don't bother doing the cache - there are so many others.

However I think it is the old story - no cache will please everybody. For instance I don't like hides under lots of bark and detritus on the ground - but others do. I do like remote caches - some others hate them. I like long multis - some others don't. I like puzzles - some others don't. Some people like public places and stealth - others hate it...and the list goes on and on. One day my cache will get a very bland response and the next day the same cache is the bee's knees! Different stroke for different folks.

I think that the trick is variety, balance, context and appropriateness for the situation. I have found 4 Canberra nanos very recently - and I rated overall experiences 2,3,4,5.

I agree with IF about "horses for courses" and about some people will hike 3 days up a mountain to get a nano. Actually there is "Canberra's Smallest" cache and I was tempted to do an anagram cache "Canberra's Llamesst" with a nano cache :twisted: :twisted: in a super uninspiring spot and people will bitch and compain but they will get out there and do it so they can tick it anyway. :lol::lol: It would probably be my most popular cache!!!!! :shock: :lol:

So in my back room I have a really really big container waiting for the right moment, 20 sistemas of different sizes, and a plan to get some more micros and nanos - just in case. And I just wish I didn't come last in my Grade 8 woodwork and metalwork so I could come up with inspiringly hard camo - which is why my niche is elsewhere.

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Mr Router
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Post by Mr Router » 03 December 07 8:39 pm

A cache is a cache ! and it's all in the hunt :wink: as has been said before ! one cannot please everyone all the time.
I would rather find a tricky nano that took some finding over a regular that is full of treasures such as kfc hand towels and feathers and other crap stuff!
Theres nothing like filling a cache with choice goodies only to cache check it later to find crap :oops: This is a Router 2 cents worth!
Nanos !!! Bring em on :wink:

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THENANKS
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Re: A cache is a cache of course of course

Post by THENANKS » 03 December 07 10:21 pm

If wrote:I think it has been proven that if someone put a nano cache on top of a mountain requiring a 3 day bushwalk through trackless terrain in the Kimberley with a 3 day 4WD trip to get to the start point from the nearest town..... then there are some of us who would still try to find it :D
Horses for courses I think. That's why we have a cache grading system including terrain, difficulty and size etc. So we can choose which caches to go after and ignore those that seem unsuited to our tastes 8)


I like nano caches
HERE, HERE!

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The Spindoctors
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Post by The Spindoctors » 03 December 07 11:02 pm

I prefer the larger size caches, not for the swaps (although ask me again in a few years when junior is caching alongside me) but for a decent sized log book and room to store the odd coin or TB swap.

I thoroughly enjoy reading a log book with interesting stories, which are sometimes different to those online.

Nanos and micros have a place, but certainly down the pecking order.

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Richary
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Post by Richary » 04 December 07 12:00 am

I tend to agree with what has been said. They have a use. There was a particularly nasty one in Adelaide (hi Unicycle) that was there as a novelty and placed before they became too popular. Found another in Sydney on the weekend, and the thought was "why"? Plenty of space to put a decent container there, so it was obviously done as a challenge.

I can see their place, especially if you need to take someone to a spot in a busy area and hide the thing. For somewhere suburban/bush - NO.

I have found micros in the bush where there wasn't space for more than the logbook and maybe a coin and thought why? There is space for an ammo tin or big lunchbox in the same location. If the location permits, make it big enough for swaps for those that into it (no kids on my team anymore so I rarely bother).

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Bundyrumandcoke
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Post by Bundyrumandcoke » 04 December 07 6:52 am

Anyone who has been up my way, and been to a particular red hotrod, will know I like nano's. Had some very good comments about it from the finders. Cant remember any/have ignored negative comments about it.

Cheers
Bundy

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Papa Bear_Left
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Post by Papa Bear_Left » 04 December 07 12:43 pm

I do appreciate a comment in the listing about the fact that the cache is smaller than the average micro, so we at least know what we're looking for.

If we see it's a nano (or even a micro, often as not) we're likely to shrug and drive past unless it's close to home.

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Mr Router
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Post by Mr Router » 04 December 07 5:10 pm

Papa Bear_Left wrote:
If we see it's a nano (or even a micro, often as not) we're likely to shrug and drive past unless it's close to home.
Sounds as though someone has trouble finding micros :oops:

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Papa Bear_Left
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Post by Papa Bear_Left » 04 December 07 6:06 pm

Mr Router wrote:
Papa Bear_Left wrote:
If we see it's a nano (or even a micro, often as not) we're likely to shrug and drive past unless it's close to home.
Sounds as though someone has trouble finding micros :oops:
Naar, MBL can find ANYthing (although I'm prone to bloke's-look-itis), but life's too short to spend much time poking into every little nook and cranny in a rock wall or garden bed or wherever.

Some micros have been great, but the majority seem to be in places where only a failure of imagination has prevented a camouflaged larger container being placed.

As a placer, the fun is in rising to the challenge of securely hiding the largest container the environment can support, and that's usually larger than a micro!

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