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Written by hiddenrock
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Sunday, 20 January 2008 02:19 |
A few remarks from hiddenrock about cache maintenance
One of the responsibilities of owning a cache is cache maintenance. Cache maintenance can include replacing the entire cache if it has gone missing, replacing the cache container if the old one is not holding up, clearing out accumulated junk, adding new trade items, adding a new log book, etc.
Nobody likes to go out looking for a cache only to find that it is missing or is in bad shape (full of water, soggy log, very low on trade items, container chewed by animal). It spoils the enjoyment of finding the cache, even if it is in a great location.
I don’t think I have met a cache owner who actually enjoys maintaining his or her caches. There may be some proactive cachers that regularly check up on their own caches, but I think most cache owners wait until an online log entry for their cache indicates that maintenance is required.
Why don’t we like to maintain our caches? For me, cache maintenance is an investment in time that I would prefer to be using to hunt for caches or to hide new ones. I find that I am less motivated to maintain the caches that I have placed further away from home. Also, the burden is greater as I increase the number of active caches that I own. Sometimes it feels like cache maintenance is a never-ending task – you fix one cache and the next day another one needs attention. A couple of times I have had to plan a cache maintenance weekend just to catch up with maintenance.
When a cache turns out to need maintenance, an alternative to servicing the cache is to archive it. I am not keen on archiving my caches, but sometimes this might be the best solution. For example, you may feel that a cache that has gone missing a number of times is not worth the time and money to replace again. When deciding whether to maintain a cache or archive it, I find it helpful to re-evaluate the cache – Is it in a good location? Is it hidden well? Would I enjoy finding it? How many more people are going to come out and find this cache if I spend the time to fix it?
How can we decrease the burden of cache maintenance? Is there such a thing as a maintenance-free cache? Cache maintenance is something to think about when placing a new cache. Putting log books in bags, even if the container is supposed to be watertight. Choosing a hiding spot that is less likely to be discovered by muggles. Choosing a cache container that will last a long time and that seals well.
As cache hunters we can also help with cache maintenance in a number of ways - making sure that we leave the cache in a better state than we found it, making sure that it is hidden well, sealed well, and that we haven’t drawn muggle attention to the cache. You can also go one step further and fix other people’s caches if you find one that needs attention. I know some cachers that take a sophisticated cache maintenance kit with them, including spare zip-lock bags, log books, velcro, magnets, etc. But even if you are not equipped to fix a cache it is important to remember to say something in your online log so that the owner or the next visitor to the cache can do something about it.
When cache maintenance is required on one of my caches there is a series of steps that I go through. First I verify that maintenance is actually required – sometimes a “did not find” log doesn’t mean that the cache is missing. If it seems that I need to check on a cache I de-activate the cache online and usually post a note to indicate why I have de-activated the cache, when I expect it to be active again, etc. After fixing the cache I post another note so that anybody that is watching the cache will get an e-mail notification.
When it comes to maintaining caches I can’t say that I do the best job of fixing my caches in good time, but putting this article together has made me put some thought into the subject and maybe it will encourage others to think about it too.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 10:56 |
