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Coping with Muggling


MandyKota

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A new cache of mine was recently muggled. First, it was just cleaned out of all contents and the container was left in place. The next time i went to check it, the whole container was gone.

 

I feel angry, disappointed, and other negative emotions right now. Browsed the forums to see if there was a thread for cache owners who have had to deal with muggling before, but didn't find one. If this thread is a first, share your experiences about your caches getting muggled, in a sort of support group manner. It's a frustrating experience, but I think that if there is discussion on it, it might make us feel better.

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A new cache of mine was recently muggled. First, it was just cleaned out of all contents and the container was left in place. The next time i went to check it, the whole container was gone.

 

I feel angry, disappointed, and other negative emotions right now. Browsed the forums to see if there was a thread for cache owners who have had to deal with muggling before, but didn't find one. If this thread is a first, share your experiences about your caches getting muggled, in a sort of support group manner. It's a frustrating experience, but I think that if there is discussion on it, it might make us feel better.

Unfortunately it happens. There are steps that can be taken to avoid it. I took my caches to Premium Member Only and that cut down on a lot of it. I also had one placed with permission at a park. But the neighbor across the street didn't like people actually using the park. So when he figured out why people where going there, he stole 3 caches in a row before I got smart and moved the hide. I've also got an ammo can chained to a tree to keep it in place. A lot of my hides are not in spots where a muggle is going to stumble upon them.

Edited by AKStafford
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A 1/1 "regular" size container in a area that needs stealth ("stealth is an absolute must")... I guess I don't understand what you expected. :)

 

These days, now that one can access your cache by loading a free app and that's it, it might not have been a "muggle" (one who doesn't geocache), but a member (weekend warriors, muggles with apps...).

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I'm considering no longer using real metal ammo cans anymore-- everyone loves them, but some people love them a little too much. They keep getting stolen. The one super-easy cache I still have, I've had good luck with so far, but the rest of mine are higher than the 1.5/1.5 cutoff for the free muggle app.

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My first hide was repeatedly muggled. I hadn't anticipated the abuse the location would receive from local skateboarders. And I hadn't anticipated what the local skateboarders would do when my cache was dislodged from its hiding spot, rendering its camouflage ineffective. Eventually, the skateboarders destroyed the wooden steps where my cache was hidden. When they destroyed the replacement steps (less than a month after the city had built them), I decided to archive the cache. And the city decided to stop trying to rebuild the steps at that location.

 

But I learned a lot about hiding and maintaining a geocache from that first experience, and my later hides haven't had nearly as many problems with muggles, nor have they required nearly as much maintenance.

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Elaborating a bit on the ammo can thievery-- around me, they're getting stolen even when they're in the middle of nowhere, and above the free muggle app range. Most of us in my area are starting to go to plastic ammo boxes. They've been working well for us, and the thieves only seem to steal the metal ones. This is in upstate NY, it gets cold but not Northern Canada cold, and plenty of rain and snow. The plastic boxes are holding up well, not getting stolen, and are quite a bit cheaper.

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https://goo.gl/maps/sVMHCCRD3322

 

I had a look at the cache location via Google Streetview. Definitely a high muggle zone. Don't fret too much. Most of us hiders have lost a cache or two (or more) over the years. I have hidden 62, probably 10 went missing. Some we've replaced, some we archived instead of replacing them. The first one (in 2002) went missing 3 months after it was hidden. The last one that went missing, lasted for more then 3 years then someone cut it down from the tree (it was a handcrafted birdhouse tied to a tree in the woods). I like to think that someone liked the birdhouse so much they had to have it for their own. Gave me an excuse to hide a new and different cache in a nearby spot but not the same spot, since that location was now compromised.

 

Anyway, I hope you try again. I like the theme of the cache. It might be worth one more try. If anyone here looks at the streetview map, maybe they might have some good suggestions about how to hide the cache in the current location.

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https://goo.gl/maps/sVMHCCRD3322

 

I had a look at the cache location via Google Streetview. Definitely a high muggle zone. Don't fret too much. Most of us hiders have lost a cache or two (or more) over the years. I have hidden 62, probably 10 went missing. Some we've replaced, some we archived instead of replacing them. The first one (in 2002) went missing 3 months after it was hidden. The last one that went missing, lasted for more then 3 years then someone cut it down from the tree (it was a handcrafted birdhouse tied to a tree in the woods). I like to think that someone liked the birdhouse so much they had to have it for their own. Gave me an excuse to hide a new and different cache in a nearby spot but not the same spot, since that location was now compromised.

 

Anyway, I hope you try again. I like the theme of the cache. It might be worth one more try. If anyone here looks at the streetview map, maybe they might have some good suggestions about how to hide the cache in the current location.

I looked at the location, and anything in full view of the street is at high risk. That being said, 1. the vacant parking lot. Maybe at the concrete parking chocks. If one of the holes that is usually used to stake it in the ground with rebar is unused i.e. no rebar in the hole (they often are unused), a small metal bison that is just a bit smaller than the diameter of the hole in the chock could be used, (secured or a RE magnet) to a piece of rebar and placed in the chock hole. Rebar would have to be cut to be flush with the top of the chock (put the newly cut side in the hole and leave the rusty bitter end exposed on top). 2. If that clothing donation bin is metal, a magnetic sheet cache would work if painted the exact color as the bin. Or, a small altoids type tin with magnets secured in a clever spot on that box and painted might work also. I don't know if any of these suggestions will work in Mass. as they get a lot more moisture than we do where I'm at. These types of caches work great in our desert climate, but may be a maintenance nightmare there.

If it were me, I would have ready made replacement containers in an area like that, like 3 or 4 of em. It's not a matter of if, just a matter of when it goes missing in that kind of area.

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Elaborating a bit on the ammo can thievery-- around me, they're getting stolen even when they're in the middle of nowhere, and above the free muggle app range. Most of us in my area are starting to go to plastic ammo boxes. They've been working well for us, and the thieves only seem to steal the metal ones. This is in upstate NY, it gets cold but not Northern Canada cold, and plenty of rain and snow. The plastic boxes are holding up well, not getting stolen, and are quite a bit cheaper.

 

I've hidden five or six ammo cans in the woods. Only one has disappeared. Multi/mystery cache, with a mile hike in with 700' of climb. That surprised me very much!

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