Someone explain the guard rails/key holder?

[sevendustlady]

I've been reading in the forums for a few days now. I'm new to this and haven't gone out caching yet. But I keep coming across people mentioning guard rails and keys and key holders. I just wondered if someone could explain to me what that's all about.

Thanks for patronizing a greeny. LOL

[+Dan2099]

I've been reading in the forums for a few days now. I'm new to this and haven't gone out caching yet. But I keep coming across people mentioning guard rails and keys and key holders. I just wondered if someone could explain to me what that's all about.

Thanks for patronizing a greeny. LOL

A magnetic key holder is just a quick and simple way to hide a cache...you attach it to the backside of a guard rail. Many people look down on it because they are "generic" and there are so many of them, while others like them because they are quick and easy finds..

[+T.D.M.22]

One of these.

I don't think it's the keyholder as much as the guardrail. The gaurdrails are often looked at as lame because there is no reason for the cache to be there other than to put a cache out. It's not even a great view, often a road.

[sevendustlady]

Thank you both, very much.

 

After all the posts I've seen now about wasps, nests, bees, etc, Is there some way I could just avoid these altogether? I mean, is there a way to Know it's a guard rail cash before you venture out?

Edited July 1, 2012 by sevendustlady

[+Cachefoxxe]

Check the Cache description and use the google maps link to look at the satellite images. I use this method to find them since I dont have a GPS, and after a few times you can pick up on details about placement.

 

Also in the description you might see the letters MKH. Thats short for Magnetic Key Holder.

[+humboldt flier]

One of these.

I don't think it's the keyholder as much as the guardrail. The gaurdrails are often looked at as lame because there is no reason for the cache to be there other than to put a cache out. It's not even a great view, often a road.

 

That having been said, not all Goobers are lame.

 

There is a couple team in N.W. Coastal Calif. who place Goobers at some of the most amazing coastal overlooks along the Pacific Coast Highway.

 

Yes, many times Goobers are lame, however, there are some exceptions.

[+Dan2099]

If you are a beginner I actually recommend doing a few guardrails and lpc's just to say you have...I enjoyed my first guardrail find its just after a dozen similar ones it gets dull....but if I am on lunch break and have time to kill I will still hunt one.

[sevendustlady]

LOL! They're seriously called GOOBERS? hahaa that is strangely appropriate!

I'm more concerned about flying, stinging insects, since I'll have my 6 yr old son with me. I'd rather say I haven't had any than to say we've been stung hahaa

 

thank you all for so much helpful info.

 

Now I'm googling to get ideas for what to put in a cache.

ANY ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[+Cachefoxxe]

Two words Dollar store!

[sevendustlady]

Husband gets his paycheck tomorrow. This is gonna be fun! muwahahahaaa

[Dulce-Joy]

LOL! They're seriously called GOOBERS? hahaa that is strangely appropriate!

I'm more concerned about flying, stinging insects, since I'll have my 6 yr old son with me. I'd rather say I haven't had any than to say we've been stung hahaa

 

thank you all for so much helpful info.

 

Now I'm googling to get ideas for what to put in a cache.

ANY ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

I can honestly say that in all the GRC (Guard Rail Caches) we have found, we have never encountered wasps or bees or anything of the like. Probably the only thing we normally find are spider webs. Also, GRCs aren't always magnetic key holders, sometimes they are 35mm film canisters. --Dulce-Joy

Edited July 2, 2012 by Dulce-Joy

[+Vater_Araignee]

Thank you both, very much.

 

After all the posts I've seen now about wasps, nests, bees, etc, Is there some way I could just avoid these altogether? I mean, is there a way to Know it's a guard rail cash before you venture out?

If you truly find out that you want to avoid them and want an easy way to avoid them then the next step you will want to take are:

1. Become a premium member.

2. Learn to use pocket queries.

3. Filter out micros.

4. Should you find that one or more of the following sizes are returning more than you want to deal with then filter them out also.

Not chosen

Other

Small

Not chosen and other around me are micro about 90% of the time and small is micro about 15%. YMMV.

[GOF and Bacall]

One of these.

I don't think it's the keyholder as much as the guardrail. The gaurdrails are often looked at as lame because there is no reason for the cache to be there other than to put a cache out. It's not even a great view, often a road.

 

That having been said, not all Goobers are lame.

 

There is a couple team in N.W. Coastal Calif. who place Goobers at some of the most amazing coastal overlooks along the Pacific Coast Highway.

 

Yes, many times Goobers are lame, however, there are some exceptions.

 

99.9% of all guardrail caches are pure crap. But that is 100% my opinion. Go ahead. Find a few dozen and draw your own conclusions.

[Pup Patrol]

Some guardrail/key holder caches can take you to a scenic location.

 

 

 

B.

[+kunarion]

I'm more concerned about flying, stinging insects, since I'll have my 6 yr old son with me.

Stay aware of your surroundings. Sandy areas may be have homes to ground-dwelling wasps. Picnic pavilions, bridges, fences, all may have wasp nests in areas protected from the weatehr. Maybe you'll hear or see a wasp or two, to get an idea of where it's going. Where I live (Atlanta), I never lift a board or move a log with my hands (nor reach into stump holes), I always use my hiking stick instead, just in case there's a snake in its perfect sleeping spot. It's nothing to be afraid of, just leave them alone, and they'll leave you alone (although by the time you realize you've made a wasp mad, the situation may get ugly). But it's worthwhile learning what you may encounter and being watchful for it.

Edited July 2, 2012 by kunarion

[+NYPaddleCacher]

One of these.

I don't think it's the keyholder as much as the guardrail. The gaurdrails are often looked at as lame because there is no reason for the cache to be there other than to put a cache out. It's not even a great view, often a road.

 

That having been said, not all Goobers are lame.

 

There is a couple team in N.W. Coastal Calif. who place Goobers at some of the most amazing coastal overlooks along the Pacific Coast Highway.

 

Yes, many times Goobers are lame, however, there are some exceptions.

 

Goobers?

 

There's a guard rail cache in Vermont that I found a couple of years ago on the way back from a Maine vacation. We had taking a route back home for which I had not created a PQ along a route. We got to the spot along the road where there were lots of cars parked on both sides of the road and pulled over to take a break. I thought, "this would be a great place to hide a cache" and checked the Geocaching app on my iPhone and sure enough, there was one about 200' away. In this case, it was actually not a hide-a-key but a large lock-n-lock. There were a *lot* of muggles nearby but everyone was looking at the view so I was able just to walk up and grab the container, take in back my car to sign the log, then walk back and replace it without anyone noticing.

[+Ohiosiouxfan]

There is no way to avoid coming in contact with a MKH as they are not always advertised. I personally don't have a problem with them. My kids actually like them because they are easy for them. They open well and aren't usually too difficult to retrieve. I have sturdy gloves in my "swag bag" if it looks a bit icky to reach in. I recently found a guard rail MKH that was stuck inside a white sport sock - my son wouldn't touch it.

[+Viajero Perdido]

BTW, never use a dollar-store MKH for its original purpose, eg hiding a $100 key underneath your car. When you finally need that key because you're locked out, all you'll find is the magnet.

[+ras_oscar]

LOL! They're seriously called GOOBERS? hahaa that is strangely appropriate!

I'm more concerned about flying, stinging insects, since I'll have my 6 yr old son with me. I'd rather say I haven't had any than to say we've been stung hahaa

 

thank you all for so much helpful info.

 

Now I'm googling to get ideas for what to put in a cache.

ANY ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Wasps like the usual spot to hide a micro in a guardrail, so you will get stung eventually. I have a small first aid kit in the geomobile that includes lidocane wipes. Its a topical anesthetic and will usually reduce the pain in very small children. I usually just suffer through. I have been stung twice geocaching in my career, so I just don't worry about it. If you're allergic I'd recommend leather gloves or a non allergic caching partner.

[+Thrak]

This thread reminded me of a GREAT guardrail cache called Avant_"Guard"

 

The cache has been archived but I went back to see if I had awarded it a favorite point when they came out. I was quite surprised to not find my log on the page anywhere! I wonder if I forgot to log the thing or what. It was a guardrail cache but it was definitely worth a favorite point.

 

Not all guardrail caches are lame.

 

(Now I have to try to figure out when I found the dang thing and log it properly. Time to dig back through my notes.)

 

[Edit]

 

Found my log in my "All Finds" database. It seems there are two caches of the same name by the same hiders! I edited the link above to point to the right cache - which does indeed have my log.

Edited July 3, 2012 by Thrak

[+Sharks-N-Beans]

To the OP...It would probably serve you well to go out and find some caches before looking for advice on what to ignore. If you ignore all guardrails because of what you hear here, you may miss some pretty cool hides. As far as getting stung?...never put your hand on something that you didn't poke with a stick first. Have fun!

[Mr.Yuck]

To the OP...It would probably serve you well to go out and find some caches before looking for advice on what to ignore. If you ignore all guardrails because of what you hear here, you may miss some pretty cool hides. As far as getting stung?...never put your hand on something that you didn't poke with a stick first. Have fun!

 

I for one applaud someone who read up on Geocaching before trying it out. How much you want to bet their not going to go around logging peoples caches with an emoticon for a log? I just want to know that they meant by "Thanks for patronizing a greeny. LOL"