Geocache Types You May Not Know Of
I’m not normally one to recycle old articles, but in digging through some of our material I found this piece which I thought would be a good read to any of the newer geocachers out there. Here’s a quick glance at some of the lesser known, now retired, geocache types.
—
For anyone who is just getting into the sport of geocaches, you are likely learning that there are many “types” of geocaches. Traditionals, multi’s, etc. But one of the more common topics of conversation that come up from time to time has to do with cache types that are no longer permitted to be listed on the official geocaching.com website.
There are a couple of cache types that fit specifically into this category. This page attempts to explain what they are, the purpose they served, and why they are no longer permitted.
When geocaching first came out, one of the biggest reasons why people hid geocaches was to try and get people to certain locations that they thought were notable somehow. Whether they be great views of a valley, a mountain top, or maybe a really nice river, geocaches were used to bring folks to really awesome places. As the sport grew more popular, many cachers wanted to bring other cachers to notable locations where there was no place to hide a physical container. Groundspeak (the owners of geocaching.com) created the Virtual geocache to fill this void. In many cases, virtuals were created for many historical monuments, or for parks where physical caches were not permitted.
As time went on, virtuals began to pop up virtually everywhere (pardon the pun). Restaurants, coffee shops, and plenty of other non-notable locations became virtuals and it seemed that the spirit of why they had been created in the first place was lost. Virtuals also caused issues because there was no physical log to sign so it became necessary to find creative ways to prove you had been to the cache, most notable the use of a photo of yourself at a location. Many cachers were accused of “armchair caching” and not actually visiting the cache location to log a find. This caused a lot of tension back and forth between cache owners and people logging finds on their caches.
Groundspeak decided to retire the cache type and move them into waymarks (see below). All existing virtuals remained on geocaching.com but no new virtuals were permitted.
The topic of “bring back virtuals” is perhaps one of the most heated debates on the official geocaching.com forums. Many users have requested that this type be brought back but there has also been an equal amount of people who feel that the type should be left as is. As it stands today, virtuals can only be created as waymarks on waymarking.com.
Webcam caches are another type of non-physical container geocache. Like a virtual, there is no physical log to sign. Instead, the cacher is brought to a location where they can be seen on an internet web camera.
The cacher is then instructed to get someone to visit the webcam page while they are standing in front of the camera and capture the image of the cacher on camera. This image is then used for the cacher to log a “find” on the cache. If you have a web enabled mobile phone you can also capture the image yourself while at the cache location.
Unlike virtuals, these types of caches could only be created in very specific locations. However, many webcam caches were placed and then taken down shortly after being put up, solely for the purpose of having listed a webcam cache on a cachers profile. There also came an issue of maintenance of a webcam cache when the camera would die, or become unavailable for long periods of time. These types of caches eventually were discontinued and replaced by waymarks (see below). Many webcam caches still exist and can be logged.
Locationless caches, sometimes referred to as reverse caches, were another type of cache that did not utilize a physical container. They were in fact the complete and total opposite of finding a regular cache.
Instead of finding a container, you were given a task to find a specific object and then log it’s coordinates. For example, a reverse cache might say that you need to find a round building. When you would find a round building, you would then obtain coordinates to the round building and then log a “find” on the site by including the coordinates to this round building.
Each time a new location would be logged, that location could never be used as a log again. So if person “A” found round building #1 in Borington, NB then no other person would ever be able to log building #1 in Borington, NB.
Although a neat idea, these were not really caches. Locationless caches were retired and moved to waymarks (see below). All existing locationless caches were archived on the official site, and subsequently locked so that no new finds could be logged on any of them, thus depriving new cachers that icon 🙁
Taken from the official geocaching.com website:
In 2001, twelve geocaches were placed in conjunction with 20th Century Fox to support the movie Planet of the Apes. Each cache represented a fictional story in which scientists revealed an Alternative Primate Evolution. These caches were made using specially marked ammo containers. Each cache had an original prop from the movie. Only a few Project A.P.E. caches exist today.
There is currently only one Project Ape Cache active in the world. It is located in Brazil.
Traveling geocaches are geocache containers that do not stay in one location. Much like a travel bug, they travel from location to location receiving finds from various people who “find” the traveling cache.
The cache was hidden by the owner who then instructed finders to take the cache with them and re-hide it. Sometimes the cache would have a mission and other times it would be simply to travel.
Sound familiar?
Traveling geocaches were retired when travel bugs and trackable items became a staple in geocaching. Instead of having the caches themselves move, why not have something else that could be tracked from cache to cache. Thus came the birth of travel bugs and trackable coins.
There are still a few moving caches left out there so if you have the chance to log a find on one, do it!
—
How about you? How many of you have logged any of the above types of caches? We certainly don’t see a lot of them around here but there are a few.
I was about to pose the question about all the other icons one could have obtained in their caching career but I see there is a poll about them now.
Still would make a good article though 😉
Found about 29 Locationless Caches but later deleted them
as I didn’t think they qualified as a cache to me.
The same for several Virutal Caches that I answered the questions
without really going to the real location.
That is the same reasoning I use for not claiming a smiley for events I have hosted 🙄
Well at an event that you host, you are present on site
My question would be: what is the difference between logging an “attended” log on an event you host, and logging a “found it” log on a cache you have hidden?
Alright, I’ll bite,
Logging an attended log at your own event:
As Pa mentioned earlier, the word attended means that you were there. In the event that I decide to host an event but at the last minute something comes up, and I can’t be there, Even if the event happens and others attend, I wouldn’t and shouldn’t log an attended log as I wasn’t there. Low and behold, if my other commitment ends earlier than it was suppose to and I can still catch the last few minutes of the event, Heck I was there or in simpler terms,
I A-T-T-E-N-D-E-D !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Logging your own Geocache:
How can you log a find on something that was never lost? If I placed it, I sure as heck should know where I put it. So I guess I can’t find it. At best, I could show other Geocachers where I hid it or perhaps in the event that I archive the cache go pick it up but I don’t recall there being choices like Belladan Showed or Picked up a Geocache. Sometimes I lose my car keys but Geocaching.com doesn’t let me, nor have I ever tried to log a found when they eventually turn up.
Just the way I see it.
I agree with Dan, the log says “Attended” so it fits, you attended. A “found” log means you down loaded the coords, went out with your GPS, found the cache and signed the log. You don’t do any of those things on your own cache, you just walk up to where you placed it and pick it up and that is not geocaching, it is retrieving something you abandoned in the woods…lol
If someone wants to log their own cache feel free and others will talk about your geocaching ethics 😉
OMG I read the last comment and thought it was really well explained and figured for sure it was from forestfauna, but low and behold it was from Belladan
WTG Dan I agree completely
Thanks for the compliment PA. 🙂
Okay, so here is my argument. You host an event, and then attend the event. You can then log the event as “attended”. So, extending this logic, you place a cache, you can then go back and find your own cache, and log it as “found”. It seems the same to me.
Everyone gets up in arms if someone logs a “found it” on their own cache they placed. I’m not sure I see the distinction between the logging of your own event as “attended” and your own caches as a “found” .
I can see and follow that logic. Here’s my take.
The difference between an attended and a find is that when you hide a geocache, you didn’t “find” it. It was not something you ever didn’t know was there. To me, the logging of a find means you actually had to go out and find the container. You didn’t find anything if you were the one who hid it. I know there’s variations of this but that’s my take on that part.
For an event, you don’t “hide” anything, you list and host an event. If you never go to your own event, then you never “attended” it. But if you were there, you did attend and thusly should be able to log it accordingly. I don’t see it the same as a hide because the nature of the type of cache is different.
To me, there’s a difference because with attends, you are saying that there was an event that happened and you did go to it, regardless of whether you were the host or not.
I personally see them as different things but some folks do share your view on it as well.
The attended log gives you a smiley and for that reason I feel it was not intended for the host.
Even though it says Found on your profile, to me a smiley represents a LOG, not a find. If you look at anyone’s profile you can see which smileys are for which type of log, found logs for each cache type and attended logs for each event type. Your grand total of smileys displayed on your account is for all types of logs, not just finds.
I take no issues with what others do and/or how they want to do it. There are no right and/or wrongs with how one chooses to play their game. If you have never found a cache but your smileys say you have then that’s o.k. by me. My only complaint is with those who choose not to provide anything for our $30/yr. Would not simply adding a hosted log and/or maybe letting a player chose if a smiley was awarded be a good first start?
Just host an event with a different Geocaching name and then we can put this debate to rest 😉
There are many arguments on all sides. I personally wont log my own caches, but I also believe that when you go with someone placing a cache, you should not be able to log it. You didn’t use your GPS and visual skills to locate the cache. There is no winning of the game, it is the experiences, good times, and pleasure you get in hosting an event or placing a cache. We don’t have red smilies for hosting or placing so you have to deal with what you have. If you experienced the same thing the attending cachers experienced, give them a happy face. Really, what does a smiley go for on the open market? And how can I cash mine in for a 2 for 1 coupon at BurgerKing.
It’s interesting you’d mention the logging of a find when you are with an owner when they hide the cache. This is definitely a sort of “grey” area for me.
I have done both logging it and not logging it. I agree that you didn’t have to do anything to find the container so it’s not really the same as being out on your own to find it.
The other side of the argument I would say is that because you were with the owner, does that mean you never find that cache? I mean, since you went with them, you definitely have a huge advantage over someone else who’s never been there. So does that mean that you just go back the next day to the exact same spot, walk to the container (not really finding it either because you know where it is), sign the log, then log it online?
To me, in a way it seems a bit redundant to go back to the location to “find” it when you have already been there and know where it is.
But like the attended vs find log discussion, this is another good point of debate as to what the etiquette should be.
Back to the original topic.
Three days ago a Quebec cacher named “Le J” did 10 different types of caches in one day. In order to do that he started in Gatineau at 4:30 am and ended up in Victoriaville at 2 pm for a CITO and an event. I noticed that he found 2 types of unkonwns: puzzles and Challenges. Quite an accomplishment that I don’t think I would even try.
Local caches may recall seeing him at the latest ICE WALK where he all the caches on both islands, finishing at 8 pm. And I thought we were obsessed
Wow. That’s impressive
I hosted an 8 icon day in Irishtown Nature park a few years ago.
Do it again, Rev.