Creative cache hides

[+AJAM15]

Hi I am fairly new to Geocachng and had an ideal about a creative cache. I want to be able to drop a cache on a parachute when the finder interacts with something near the cache such as a branch or rock, but I want it to be easy to reset for the next guy. I have thought about it and figure that ill need to be able to get it to about 35 to 40 ft to get a good flight out of the chute, but I don't know how to get t up that high easily.

 

it would be great if any of you more experienced cachers had any ideals to help me with this

 

Thanks in advance AJAM15

Edited January 24, 2013 by AJAM15

[+maxx borchovski]

The obvious solution would be to use a pulley and string / fishing line to hoist the chute back up into it's hiding location. The downside is when the trigger is activated, the pulley string needs to be free flowing to allow the chute to fall freely. If the cache is located in a tree, then the string will get caught up in leaves and branches. If the cache is urban you could run the pulley string up a drain pipe. You would need a spool to keep the excess pulley string on when the chute is set. Hiding all that could be tricky. Also ensuring when the finder resets the cache, they do it correctly could be tricky. I think this would need a lot of maintenance, which is not a bad thing, but are you happy to keep visiting the cache to maintain the mechanism?

[+StarBrand]

Kind of a cool idea but as noted - going to be a lot of logistics. I think the pulley system is workable with some kind of release hook and a 'circular' path to get the release back down. Sounds like a maintenance nightmare as well as performance issues across various types of weather.

[+AJAM15]

I'm currently working on the pulley system it seams pretty temperamental but I think i can get t to work the biggest problem is getting the rig high enough, at the moment I have a mock up set up between two trees near my house but that only gets it about 8 ft off the ground which isent high enough to use the full potential of the parachute, someone suggested I string it across two cell towers but I don't think that would be a good ideal

Edited January 24, 2013 by AJAM15

[+popokiiti]

We found a cache that was attached to a pulley system. Cache was spotted high up in a tree, and the rope and pulley was so well camouflaged, it took longer to find that!

[+geoing nuts]

I love this idea and will probably use it in my area soon. The simplest way I can come up with (that can also guarantee an easy and reliable reset) would be to use a fishing reel from an old (or new) fishing pole. The reel would be permanently affixed to an attachment point and heavy duty fishing ling would be securely attached to the top of the parachute. When the cacher gets to GZ all they would have to do is push the release button on the reel and the cache would "free fall" from its hiding place up high. A tangled mess of fishing line on the reel's spool should be avoided by only using enough line on the spool to allow the cache to reach ground level. To reset, the cacher would only need to "reel in" the cache which would return it to it's hiding spot and reset the release button. Hope this helps. I would love to see the cache listing once you get the logistics worked out.

[+niraD]

I love this idea and will probably use it in my area soon. The simplest way I can come up with (that can also guarantee an easy and reliable reset) would be to use a fishing reel from an old (or new) fishing pole. The reel would be permanently affixed to an attachment point and heavy duty fishing ling would be securely attached to the top of the parachute. When the cacher gets to GZ all they would have to do is push the release button on the reel and the cache would "free fall" from its hiding place up high. A tangled mess of fishing line on the reel's spool should be avoided by only using enough line on the spool to allow the cache to reach ground level. To reset, the cacher would only need to "reel in" the cache which would return it to it's hiding spot and reset the release button. Hope this helps. I would love to see the cache listing once you get the logistics worked out.

That sounds a lot more workable than the ideas I had been coming up with. You may still end up with people not resetting it, but at least you've made it as reliable and idiot-proof as you can.

[+StarBrand]

I love this idea and will probably use it in my area soon. The simplest way I can come up with (that can also guarantee an easy and reliable reset) would be to use a fishing reel from an old (or new) fishing pole. The reel would be permanently affixed to an attachment point and heavy duty fishing ling would be securely attached to the top of the parachute. When the cacher gets to GZ all they would have to do is push the release button on the reel and the cache would "free fall" from its hiding place up high. A tangled mess of fishing line on the reel's spool should be avoided by only using enough line on the spool to allow the cache to reach ground level. To reset, the cacher would only need to "reel in" the cache which would return it to it's hiding spot and reset the release button. Hope this helps. I would love to see the cache listing once you get the logistics worked out.

Nice and simple - I like it.

[+wmpastor]

I love this idea and will probably use it in my area soon. The simplest way I can come up with (that can also guarantee an easy and reliable reset) would be to use a fishing reel from an old (or new) fishing pole. The reel would be permanently affixed to an attachment point and heavy duty fishing ling would be securely attached to the top of the parachute. When the cacher gets to GZ all they would have to do is push the release button on the reel and the cache would "free fall" from its hiding place up high. A tangled mess of fishing line on the reel's spool should be avoided by only using enough line on the spool to allow the cache to reach ground level. To reset, the cacher would only need to "reel in" the cache which would return it to it's hiding spot and reset the release button. Hope this helps. I would love to see the cache listing once you get the logistics worked out.

Nice and simple - I like it.

 

Why oh why do I have this premonition that those are famous last words, & that Mr. Murphy (of "Murphy's Law") will be visiting this cache before long? How can I shake my worries?

Edited February 12, 2013 by wmpastor

[+cerberus1]

An up-in-a-tree hide was placed near me with a little kid's Zebco push-button reel. It only lasted a Month with mono.

Mono stretch and the Sun killed it.

Replaced with one of the super-braided lines and it lasted three years until archived.

Hurricane ripped through, blocking the trail with downed trees in a bog.

Reel was still fine (covered with a flat rock from Sun exposure on plastic).

If I remember correctly, he climbed up with a deer stand and used a clothesline pulley zip-tied to a limb for the line to run through.