Anyone who loves geocaching would like to hide a geocache of their own sooner or later. If that’s you then finding the right spot for hiding a geocache can seem to be a difficult task. So, if you are wondering about how to hide a geocache then this is what you should keep in mind –
You should hide your geocache in a place that you think is safe and where people would like to visit. Try to hide it in a hidden location where most people won’t go besides searching for a geocache. Avoid hiding geocaches in dangerous places and common tourist spots.
But you need to be aware of a few other things as well to make sure that the people who are looking for your geocache have fun and truly enjoy their hunt for your hidden treasure. And I will cover all of that in this article. So, make sure you read till the end.
How to Choose The Best Place to Hide a Geocache?
The fun-factor of geocache depends more on the location of the cache than the content inside it. We geocachers love clues that guide us to the treasure. Small puzzles and hunting for clues is what makes the game so thrilling.
You probably found a few geocaches already. If you didn’t, then I strongly urge that you do go and find a bunch of caches first before planning to hide your own. Afterward, List all the aspects that you liked about other people’s geocache. Now, try to incorporate those aspects into your geocache so that others can also enjoy the same things that you did.
However, when looking for the place to put your cache, you must keep a few things in mind:
- Accessibility: Your geocache location should not be a place that people can’t find by accident. So, avoid choosing hiding places that are too easy to reach. Similarly, try to avoid locations that are extremely difficult to find, such as deep jungle trails. Do not place your geocache on properties that are owned by other people. They might not appreciate it when strangers come sniffing around for hidden treasure on their property. If you must do it anyway, then clarify with the owners first. Make sure that they are on board with the idea before placing a geocache anywhere on their property.
- Exoticness: Geocache is only fun because it takes us to beautiful places that we usually can’t find alone. When you hide a geocache, avoid popular tourist spots in your area no matter how exotic and beautiful they may be. Instead, try to hide your cache in an exotic local place that most people can’t find on a local tour guide. It could be a small hill, a hidden glade, or anything as long as it’s beautiful and off the beaten path.
- Natural Elements: A lot of time, decent geocaching locations such as tree hollows and small caves have small animals living inside. Never clear out an animal nest to put a geocache as it destroys a part of the very nature you’re trying to show other people. Similarly, avoid areas with dangerous animals. Do not place geocaches in the middle of flower beds or other similarly delicate natural beauties, as many people will come to visit your geocache, and too much activity might harm the natural beauty of the place.
What to Hide in a Geocache?
Before you think about what to hide in your geocache, you need to decide on a suitable container. There are various types that you can use, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Choose a size that fits your hiding place the best. Just keep a few criterias in mind while choosing a geocache container.
- They must be waterproof.
- They need to be strong enough to handle the elements.
- They should be easily identifiable as a geocache container.
- They should not look like anything conspicuous or dangerous.
There are a few essential items that you need to include in your geocache:
- Logbook and marker: You can put several things in a geocache box, but the most important one is a Logbook. Anyone who finds your geocache will write his or her signature as proof that they found it. You should also include a marker or a pencil with the logbook. Usually, most people would bring their own when hunting a geocache, but there’s always a chance that they might forget.
- Trinkets: What’s a treasure hunt without a treasure? You don’t need to put any valuable stuff in a geocache, but at least keep something in there that people can take as a souvenir. Don’t worry; they will drop something else in there for the next hunter. You could also include a trackable trinket like a Geocoin or travel bug. These items are trackable via GPS, and a geocache hunter will take it to the next geocache they visit. It’s a fun little addition to the game. You can go and hunt it down later if you want.
What To Do After Placing Your Geocache?
Sadly, your job does not end after hiding your geocache at a suitable location. Now you need to submit your geocache on a geocache listing site. You can do it via a listing site’s web page, or you might even find an app that does it for you.
- Select Geochece type: When you go to a listing site, you need to select what sort of geocache you have. It can be either traditional cache, multi-cache, puzzle cache, etc. pick the type that fits your geocache.
- Coordinates: You’ll need to take note of the exact coordinates of your geocache. Open your GPS and find the accurate coordinates of your location. Make sure it is correct before you enter it on the site. Most people will rely on it to find your cache.
- Cache Description: Give a short review on why the location is good for geocaching or if it has any interesting bit of lore tied to it.
- Difficulty level: Based on how easy or how hard it is to reach your geocache, different listing sites have varying criteria that you can follow to gauge the difficulty level of the terrain. It’s usually on a scale of 1-9.
After that, agree to any terms and conditions prompt from the site and submit. Now a volunteer will review your geocache. Once they confirm that your geocache follows the standard rules, they will publish it. It usually takes around a week, so be patient.
You need to maintain your geocache after it is published. Check on it from time to time to make sure that nothing is out of place. Sometimes you might get a notification from the website, letting you know that your geocache needs maintenance.
Mistakes to Avoid While Hiding a Geocache
There are some common mistakes that geocachers make. I’ll list them here so that you can avoid them:
- Do not bury your geocache.
- Do not place a geocache within 161 meters of another geocache.
- Do not put advertisements in a geocache, like a business card.
- Do not damage natural constructs to place a geocache.
Conclusion
I hope this guide has helped you on how to hide a geocache. Hiding a geocache isn’t as hard as some people might think. Just follow the standard rules, avoid restricted areas and dangerous places, and your geocache will be perfect.
Thanks for reading till the end. Best of luck with your geocache adventures.
