Question on placing a cache

[+archer520]

Hi all. The wife and I travel full time in a motor home. Several times a year we will volunteer for a month or two at really beautiful and interesting locations. We have volunteered at beautiful camp grounds, fish hatcheries, given light house tours and worked at a rural day use fishing area.

 

This lifestyle is going to be great for caching. I have been thinking that it might also be great for placing caches in these areas. We will have plenty of time to locate really good/interesting cache locations.

 

I guess my question is, since we are travelers, we would not be able to do maintenance. My thought was that if we choose a good location and a quality container it should be trouble free for quite some time. Is this acceptable, or does that preclude us from being able to place catches? Do locals ever adopt caches?

[Pup Patrol]

Hi all. The wife and I travel full time in a motor home. Several times a year we will volunteer for a month or two at really beautiful and interesting locations. We have volunteered at beautiful camp grounds, fish hatcheries, given light house tours and worked at a rural day use fishing area.

 

This lifestyle is going to be great for caching. I have been thinking that it might also be great for placing caches in these areas. We will have plenty of time to locate really good/interesting cache locations.

 

I guess my question is, since we are travelers, we would not be able to do maintenance. My thought was that if we choose a good location and a quality container it should be trouble free for quite some time. Is this acceptable, or does that preclude us from being able to place catches?

 

Guidelines

https://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx

 

Owner is responsible for visits to the physical location.

 

You are responsible for occasional visits to your cache to ensure it is in proper working order, especially when someone reports a problem with the cache (missing, damaged, wet, etc.), or posts a Needs Maintenance log. Temporarily disable your cache to let others know not to search for it until you have addressed the problem. You are permitted a reasonable amount of time – generally up to 4 weeks – in which to check on your cache. If a cache is not being maintained, or has been temporarily disabled for an unreasonable length of time, we may archive the listing.

 

The region in which a cacher is considered able to maintain caches responsibly will vary from person to person. A cacher who has previously logged caches within a wide range of their home may be considered able to maintain a geocache 200 miles (322 km) away. However, someone whose geocaching activities have primarily been within 25 miles (40 km) of home may not be able to maintain a geocache this far from home. This factor is determined at the discretion of the cache reviewer or Groundspeak.

 

Because of the effort required to maintain a geocache, please place physical caches in your usual caching area and not while traveling.

 

Caches placed during travel will likely not be published unless you are able to provide an acceptable maintenance plan. This plan must allow for a quick response to reported problems, and might include the username of a local cacher who will handle maintenance issues in your absence. Alternatively you might train a local person to maintain the cache. Document your maintenance plan in a Note to Reviewer on your cache listing. This should include contact information of the maintainer. The note will auto-delete on publication.

 

Do locals ever adopt caches?

 

Some times they do, some times they don't.

 

Why not just let the local caching community place caches? It would be far easier to let that happen than to place a cache, maybe get it published, and then try to find someone to adopt it or maintain it for you.

 

B.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Pup Patrol

[+cerberus1]

I believe it'd fall under Vacation caches, and not allowed.

Sure you might be able to get someone to adopt it, but you'd have to first get it published by a Reviewer, and I'd bet that ain't gonna happen.

[+T.D.M.22]

It's also not just the quality of the hide you have to worry about. Even the best, most waterproof container is useless if another cacher is careless enough to break it, or even not close it properly.

[+palmetto]

Sure you might be able to get someone to adopt it, but you'd have to first get it published by a Reviewer, and I'd bet that ain't gonna happen.

 

Unpublished caches will pass through the adoption utility.

www.geocaching.com/adopt/

 

There may be circumstances where your status as a volunteer might win you permission, as well as simple awareness of a good location, that some other geocacher might not have. And if you are willing to provide a quality container as a gift, that can be helpful.

 

The owner (adopter) needs to be known to whomever grants permission, the permission needs to attach to them. And they need to understand how to take new coordinates with an adequate device, in case the container needs to move, and how to edit (update) the listing.

(However, my experience is that caches where the owner has no initial investment tend to be poorly/zero maintained.)

[+archer520]

Well, I guess we will forgo placing caches. Thanks all.

[+fuzziebear3]

How long do you stay in these places? If you are there for a whole season, you may be able to hide a cache. If only for a few weeks then probably not.

 

You should consider it's long term plan though, whether you plan to adopt it out afterwards, or clean it up and archive it.

 

You will probably need to work with the reviewer to make sure that your availability and intention is clear.

[+Touchstone]

We've had visiting armed forces folks put out caches during a brief tour, but three months is kind of a minimum time frame. A couple of months probably won't make the cut.