+DconBlueZ Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 I want to hide a 5-gal bucket locally in some woods where I have permission. I plan to make this a "kiddy" cache, lots of toys. (I wish my dad had done something cool like geocaching when I was little.) It's a low-lying area, mostly pines, quite a few blown-over trees. The obvious thing would be to hide it among the roots of a downed tree, but I don't want it to be so obvious. What I'd LIKE to do is partially bury it out in the open maybe 15-20 feet from a downed tree. Problem is that I don't want to run afoul of the "shovel rule". Anyone have suggestions on a good way to do this? Thanks! Quote Link to comment
CoyoteRed Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 I want to hide a 5-gal bucket locally in some woods where I have permission. I plan to make this a "kiddy" cache, lots of toys. (I wish my dad had done something cool like geocaching when I was little.) It's a low-lying area, mostly pines, quite a few blown-over trees. The obvious thing would be to hide it among the roots of a downed tree, but I don't want it to be so obvious. What I'd LIKE to do is partially bury it out in the open maybe 15-20 feet from a downed tree. Problem is that I don't want to run afoul of the "shovel rule". Anyone have suggestions on a good way to do this? Thanks! Is there a place that is in the open, but out of line of sight? What kind of foot traffic is in the area? The reason I ask is you only have to hide it from the accidental finder. Burying is generally a no-no, but if you can find a hole left by a rotten stump that should work. Then, find a large log and cut a section out of it to use as a cover for the hole. Be creative. Quote Link to comment
+Vinny & Sue Team Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 In late 2005, I found a 5 gallon bucket cache container which had been placed in 2001 near Targhee National Forest in Idaho. The buket was in a rather remote backcountry area, and had simply been placed upright in the space under several fallen trees which had not fallen all the way to the ground, but rather were suspended (by about two feet above ground level. This largely obscured the bucket from the sight of most casual visitors to the area. Quote Link to comment
+Wacka Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 I found one once that had bark glued to the top and sides and appeared to be a stump. Alas, it was washed away during the rainy season last winter. Quote Link to comment
+nfa Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 I have two 5-gallon bucket caches that are both hidden using a combination of: camo duct tape to break up the visual image being off the beaten path by a bit being placed in natural depressions that have been improved by piling some brush around them Jamie - NFA Quote Link to comment
bogleman Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 I have 3 large caches hidden and 1 is a 5 gallon bucket. Paint it flat black and go with the roots. I found a nice pile of "natural" sticks (well a large log pile) to hide the bucket in. If you want it to be a kid hide play it up in the listing and don't bother trying to hide it too hard, make it easy so the kids can use the GPS to find it themselves. Quote Link to comment
+TEAM 360 Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 If there was....cough, cough....an 'existing hole' already there....cough, cough....you can place the 5-gallon bucket and fill in the....'existing hole'....with dirt to secure the cache in place.... See? No rules broken at all.... Quote Link to comment
+ThePropers Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 Have you considered a really really big pile of parallel sticks? Quote Link to comment
Geopuckz Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 maybe put it in a large bush but still accessible with the gallon bucket camoflouged well but back where noone goes. Quote Link to comment
+DconBlueZ Posted June 10, 2006 Author Share Posted June 10, 2006 I already have the bucket camo painted, didn't really want to put it in a downed tree because it would be so obvious once you got within 50 feet or so. "Hmm, arrow points directly at that 6-foot high root ball over there, I wonder where the cache could be?" There is a fair amount of foot traffic about 100 feet away, mostly kids cutting throught the woods between two subdivision neighborhoods. Think I'll go back out and see if I can find a natural depression somewhere... Thanks for the ideas. Quote Link to comment
+paintfiction Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 If there was....cough, cough....an 'existing hole' already there....cough, cough....you can place the 5-gallon bucket and fill in the....'existing hole'....with dirt to secure the cache in place.... See? No rules broken at all.... Just make sure no "pointy object" is necessary for retrieval. 5 gallon bucket holes are common where trees have rotted below ground. You could actually being doing everyone a favor by filling in the hole with your bucket as stepping in one of those holes could easily break something! Quote Link to comment
+Lighteye Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 The best way to hide one that I know of , and have seen in action, is this: The bucket was hoisted up about 35' in the air and the rope was run through the neighboring treetops via dollar store carabiners and nylon line, and came down to the ground alongside the trunk of another tree 100' or so away. The moss took to the line like it belonged there, and it has never been muggled. Even after seeing the bucket up there, it took another 10 minutes to lower it to the ground, as the end of the rope was a beast to find in the oaks and pines. Quote Link to comment
+wimseyguy Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 Up in the air is also what I would suggest. If you want to keep it on the ground, you could try making a ghilly suit out of some cargo netting and leafy branches to break up the outline, and stash it at the base of some evergreen shrubbery. Quote Link to comment
+Beta Test Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 Set it behind a 10 gallon bucket. What kind of ground cover is there other than what was already mentioned? Quote Link to comment
+DconBlueZ Posted June 10, 2006 Author Share Posted June 10, 2006 (edited) Set it behind a 10 gallon bucket. What kind of ground cover is there other than what was already mentioned? But then what do I hide the 10-gallon bucket behind? No ground cover to speak of. it's in the piney woods. Pines tend to make the soil so acidic over time that not much grows around 'em. Edited June 10, 2006 by DconBlueZ Quote Link to comment
+DconBlueZ Posted June 10, 2006 Author Share Posted June 10, 2006 The best way to hide one that I know of , and have seen in action, is this: The bucket was hoisted up about 35' in the air and the rope was run through the neighboring treetops via dollar store carabiners and nylon line, and came down to the ground alongside the trunk of another tree 100' or so away. The moss took to the line like it belonged there, and it has never been muggled. Even after seeing the bucket up there, it took another 10 minutes to lower it to the ground, as the end of the rope was a beast to find in the oaks and pines. Hmmm... this is actually almost identical to how I planned to do another hide with a smaller cache. Already have all the materials laid out in the basement, the spot picked out, the listing page mostly built, and the waypoint number. :-). My goal is to place and maintain 5 decent-quality caches in my area. I see people with 30-40 caches or more and I think there's no way they can maintain them the way I think they should be kept. Quote Link to comment
Clan Riffster Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 I've got a shovel that's not "pointy". Would that work? Just kidding! Something else to consider is using a different container. Ammo cans come in extra large sizes, and a big one on it's side would be a lot less obvious than a 5 gallon bucket. Here's one I'm about half way done camoflauging; I just hid a regular ammo can in a pine scrub, and found this really neat camo at a craft store. the package said "Decorative Excelsior", but the contents said "natural shredded aspen wood fibers". It looked similar enough to pine needles, (which are a pain to work with), that I gave it a try. I cut the fibers into 1" to 2" pieces, smeared a thick layer of clear silicon on the ammo can, stuck on the camo, waited two days for it to cure, and Presto! Hindsight tells me I should've painted the can brown instead of olive drab. I will next time. Quote Link to comment
+Bill & Tammy Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 My own 5 gallon bucket cache is set within a hollow tree that could actually hold a 55 gallon drum and is actually quite small proportionally. I think you will be suprised how easily it is to hide one within some denser wooded areas. Quote Link to comment
+forman Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 (edited) I have a 5 gal. bucket @ this cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...cd-7a75827890a8 It is in some tree area under a bolder I bought from Home Depot. Protects valves from damage due to sunlight or weather. Made with weather-resistant material. Fits up to four WaterMaster anti-siphon valves. Fits easily over a WaterMaster jumbo valve box. Can be used in decorative landscaping as a cover for valves or exposed meters. Internet # 162806 Catalog # 100089457 Store In-Stock SKU # 456704 http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US...&prod_id=162806 I also have a cache that was a white 5 gal. bucket, after it got trashed I did a 5 gal. bucket with camo paint. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...f3-6cd14bdfcf55 Here is a funny post from someone who could not find it February 14, 2003 by Haicoole (1426 found) A myopic goat could have found this one, even with a bag over his head. There is no excuse for people leaving such rude notes on a log. [view this log on a separate page] February 10, 2003 by forman (1559 found) I have no clue how the Action Kids did not find this one. The ground is covered with green weeds, the bush that it is in has hardly any leaves and the cache container is a white 5 gallon bucket that sticks out like a sore thumb and the GPS showed at the cache site 13 feet away. I wish some other caches were that close. Nice drive out there and no ticket this time. Snagged the T.B. for the troubles. It has not been logged yet so I will place it then take it out. Don [view/edit logs/images on a separate page] [upload an image for this log] February 5, 2003 by action kids (23 found) Either this cache was removed and not posted or someone has taken it because it is no longer there. At least it isn't where the coordinates say. This site should be updated so people don't make a long trip and waste their time. [view this log on a separate page] Edited June 11, 2006 by forman Quote Link to comment
+sbell111 Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 If you get it far enough off-trail, no camo is really necessary. Quote Link to comment
+ChaseOnTheGo Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 I have 5 gallon bucket, but don't know where to get a top for a bucket? -ChaseOnTheGo [] Quote Link to comment
+oscar478 Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 I have 5 gallon bucket, but don't know where to get a top for a bucket? -ChaseOnTheGo [] Home Depot! They always have stacks of their orange buckets around, and in one or 2 of those areas, they usually have lids... Not a promise that it will fit other 5 gallon buckets... btu for less than $10 you can buy both... then spend $20 on camo materials to hide a bright orange bucket! Quote Link to comment
+MickieD Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Ok, I'm still pretty new to geocaching. You guys... I'll never find any, you're too clever by far!! Quote Link to comment
+MickieD Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 AND.. you spend far too much time figuring out how to torment me! LOL Quote Link to comment
+BadAndy Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Around here we have vast areas covered in ancient broken lava. You could be 3 feet from a 5 gallon bucket and never see it. Quote Link to comment
+Team Cotati Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 I have two 5-gallon bucket caches that are both hidden using a combination of: camo duct tape to break up the visual image being off the beaten path by a bit being placed in natural depressions that have been improved by piling some brush around them Jamie - NFA Kewel!! I don't suppose that you would mind posting the waypoint names for those caches for us to check out? Got any pics? Quote Link to comment
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