Geocaching is an enjoyable pastime played with a GPS and combines a cacher's skill with the fun of a treasure hunt. Geocache owners invest quite a bit of time, ingenuity, and sometimes money into placing cache containers for players to find. That being said, there are a few courtesies that players and cache owners should adhere to when playing the game.
Tips For Geocache Owners
It should go without saying that cache containers should never be hidden in a dangerous location so as to intentionally pose serious risk of injury or loss of life to a cacher, but there always seems to be someone that ignores the obvious. See Geocaching Safety for more safety tips.
Never hide caches on private property without permission of the land owner, and never hide them near locations that might cause a cacher to have an unwanted encounter with law enforcement such as near a school, daycare, playground, military checkpoint, or other similar location.
Caches should never be buried, but always carefully hidden above ground. Hiding them in trees, crevices, under rocks or leaves is acceptable. In addition, always use a waterproof container to help protect the contents of the cache. There's nothing pleasant in opening a cache to find the contents soaked, molded, or ruined. The cache owner then has to make a maintenance trip to replace the container and contents.
Make sure co-ordinates are as accurate as possible by taking several readings with a GPS and averaging them. Upon posting the co-ordinates, be sure to proofread them for errors. Bad co-ordinates result in wasted time looking in the wrong location, thereby causing cachers to log a “Did Not Find.” If a geocache receives too many “DNF” reports, the cache could be disabled by a reviewer until the problem is corrected.
Tips For Geocachers
Always practice discretion when caching in public locations. Try not to let non-geocachers, also known as “Muggles”, see the location of a hidden cache. This is the number one reason that caches go missing, or in geocaching terminology, “get muggled.”
The second most common reason for a missing cache is another cacher moving it to a "better location" or a "better hiding place." Never move the cache container from its original location. If the cache is out in the open, it may just need to be recovered with leaves or branches. If in doubt, contact the cache owner, but don't move it.
When encountering other cachers at a geocache location, introducing yourself is encouraged, but don't give away the location of the cache, if known, unless asked for help in finding it. It's tantamount to telling someone the ending of a book that they haven't read yet.
Don't take an item from a cache without having something to trade for it, preferable of equal or greater value. If taking geocoins or travel bugs, don't keep them. Move them to another cache so someone else can help keep them moving along. Make sure to log the finds and drops as soon as possible. This helps to keep the cache log history current.
Try to use good judgment at all times when caching. Remember that the game is designed to be fun. Always try to avoid any action that might detract from the game. If everyone follows these simple guidelines, the game benefits and so do its players.
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