Discreet Caching 101

[Gunn Parker]

I thought I would start a thread on the secretive side to cacheing as suggested by Devar.

Do you think enough cachers out there are being descreet when searching?

Do you think that some of us should be more careful when searching?

And if a team is found to be not too careful and caches go missing, should there be some kind of warning handed out?

So at this point there is no need to name names, just a topic for discussion, I myself have lost two caches, one was trashed and one a big 10 ltr container full of kids toys just went missing.
Andrew

[dcr]

Good topic :: Having been the *last finder* at a few caches I had become very paranoid about this exact thingc. The only one of these caches that I feel we may truely have compromised is Biggles Bear's
Ready, Aim,.........!!, but this my not be the case (with an exposed area you can never be truly sure that you haven't been seen, even if you do create a distraction away from the cache itself).
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My feeling is that even if you will never get a chance to do the cache again, you should never compromise the cache ... this is the way we have been approaching things. An example of this is our recent attempt at
West Lake - Mid Lake Pavilion (China) (Traditional Cache).
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That said, if cacher's are going to police stealth skills, it should rely on more than a 'last find' that is posted on the web as I am sure most people are aware that the online logs do not reflect the true visitation status of the caches as many cachers only log their finds in the physical logbook.
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How do other cachers approach the stealth aspect? Night raids in full cammo; gaffa tape over the kids mouths??
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cheers Darren

[Rabbitto]

Due to the nature of our sport, I think it would be hard to nail an undiscreet searcher unless you actualy, caught them in the act. It would be unfair also to blame the last person to find before it goes missing as they may not be the culprit. (Better to let a hundred guilty men go free than accuse an innocent man)

I always feel very aware of what is happening around before searching close to GZ and will abandon if we feel watched, but even so, on more than one occasion, I have been searching only to realise I have been spotted by someone coming around a corner or over a hill etc. Our sport takes place in public areas and accidental spottings will happen.

Having said that, I realise you are trying to more highlight the "I don't care if anyone is watching or not" user, but being as careful as I am, I would feel fairly hurt to receive a warning for an accidental uncareful act.

I think that this is the way to go -
If you catch them at it, then a quiet word. Keep highlighting on the cache instructions the need for stealth and keep discussing on these forums and wherever cachers gather so that the word will spread.

Finally I love the freedom of the sport. I would hate to think we are now on the lookout from the geo-police.

[The Rats]

My feeling is that even if you will never get a chance to do the cache again, you should never compromise the cache ... this is the way we have been approaching things. An example of this is our recent attempt at
West Lake - Mid Lake Pavilion (China) (Traditional Cache).
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<P>
Who cares about the cache - have a look at the spot, half your luck for being in such a lovely spot and I presume on holidays.

[Mix]

I just had a look at the 2830 caches and I estimate that only 5% would require extra discretion (or second visit) as at most of the locations of caches in area you would have to be very unlucky to run into a non-cacher, the most obvious exception would be my own ‘town talking footyÂ’ at which everyone (myself included) has been sprung. As one person said “ItÂ’s a good cache in a high profile area, discretion neededÂâ€

[EcoTeam]

I think most cachers take due care, and that should be good enough.
If you place a cache in an urban area then you run the risk of having it trashed, it goes with the territory. A warning in the cache description to avoid detection is all you can do.
It's not really a cachers fault if someone sees them and trashes the cache later, that is the risk we all take. I'm sure many of us get seen and we don't even realise it.
I think punishing someone (or even having a quiet word) is not in the spirit of the sport. The cache placer has to cop it on the chin.

The hardest part is actually extracting and replacing the cache without being seen. If you have to roam around GZ for a while to find a cache, then the cache is usually well hidden, and muggles would most likely have an even harder time finding it. However, if they see you walk into a bush with a container and then come out empty handed, there is a good chance they will go and investigate. Sometimes I will put the cache in my pack when extracting and replacing, that way no one actually sees the cache container.

EcoDave

[Phlosten]

Having only been caching for a few weeks i do not have a huge array of experience from the various caches I have found.

The one thing that is generally on my mind is the fact that if someone saw me/us we might be automatically assumed to be plotting some type of terrorist act. Has anyone had the police called on em yet?

In todays, be wary of your surrounds, world. I wonder what some people are thinking that might see the occasional cacher.

The Dubbo 'Town Talking Footy' cache is a great example as Mix pointed out. There is one very suspicious neighbour who thinks the area is his land. There are probably a few other examples around the country too.

[Mix]

There is one very suspicious neighbour who thinks the area is his land.

Just I case the approvers are reading its not on private land, the neighbour is just a dick. 1stly He dumps his grass in the park and 2ndly seemingly has this attitude that makes him think he has the right to question anyone in the park.

[Damo.]

If you place a cache in an urban area then you run the risk of having it trashed, it goes with the territory. The cache placer has to cop it on the chin.

Fair enough comment I think. If you place a Cache somewhere that will have people walking around in the open looking suspicious, surely it's only a matter of time. I get frustrated by Caches that do put me in that position.

[SNIFTER]

The 2 Dogs have been in this position many times and it happened to us today. Lets just say that sometimes it pays to be a little more rotund than others. I can cause a total eclipse so Hounddog can retrieve and replace a cache.
We have waited for more than half an hour for some one to finish their lunch and even longer for people to finish their bento box and fill in a diary whilst sitting on a bench under the harbour bridge.
Its all part of the caching process.

[riblit]

There is one very suspicious neighbour who thinks the area is his land.

Just I case the approvers are reading its not on private land, the neighbour is just a dick. 1stly He dumps his grass in the park and 2ndly seemingly has this attitude that makes him think he has the right to question anyone in the park.

I'm glad you cleared that up. I had to shield i.riblit's eyes while I read it.

[Ebenezer]

Good topic :: Having been the *last finder* at a few caches I had become very paranoid about this exact thingc.

Yep - this has happened to me a couple of times. We try to be discreet, but if the cache goes missing and I was the last finder, I do wonder if it was my fault.

even longer for people to finish their bento box and fill in a diary whilst sitting on a bench under the harbour bridge

I think I gave up on this one and came back another day.

Unfortunately caches do get muggled, burnt, eaten by a grue, or washed away in a flood (maybe I had better plan a bit better next time I place one near a river).

[Gunn Parker]

Perhaps it comes down to placer beware, if you palce one thats need others to be very secretive then there is a chance that it might go missing.

[dcr]

Who cares about the cache - have a look at the spot, half your luck for being in such a lovely spot and I presume on holidays.

Possibly better than scoring a find: we had a great series of emails with the cache owner, so it turned out to be a win for us anyway as well as being in a great location with an unusual cache-mobile!
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Some more pictures ...