Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Geocaching is a relatively new hobby in which members use global positioning systems to find caches hidden by other members. This guide will show you how to hide a stash.

Steps

1. 1
2. 2 Before you start organizing your own cache, start looking for strangers. Find caches of various types, sizes, and difficulty. This will allow you to gain experience and make a good stash. Someone may advise you to find a number of caches, but if they are all the same and located in the same area, you will gain little experience. Searching for 10 completely different caches will give you more than 100 similar ones. Get some experience first.
3. 3 Find a good hiding place. High-quality hiding places are arranged near interesting natural, historical and cultural sites; or at least in picturesque places that are pleasant to walk along. Try to arrange the cache in a location that will please the participants, even if they cannot find the cache.
4. 4 Make sure that this place is suitable for stash. If it is a private property, get the owner's permission. If you are not sure, contact the park administration or forestry.
5. 5 Find a good container. Geocaching containers must be durable and airtight. Some geocaches use ammo boxes as containers. The size of the container depends on the terrain (see tips). Tightness is important as water can destroy the cache.
6. 6 Disguise the container. This is optional, but can protect the container from bystanders. You can paint the container in the colors of the surrounding nature, or wrap it with masking tape. Some people glue the container with bark, hide it under stones or tree stumps.
7. 7 Label the container. Nowadays, abandoned suspicious objects can provoke anxiety. Marking the container as a geocaching stash will help avoid reporting it as a suspicious item.
8. 8 Fill the cache. Leave a letter in case the cache is discovered by a stranger. Place a notepad, pencil, and a few party favors in the cache.
9. 9 Hide the container. The cache will last longer if you choose a little-visited place where locals, bystanders, owners and security guards will not find it. It is also desirable that they do not see the participants.
10. 10 Determine the coordinates by the GPS receiver. Make sure that the coordinates were determined with maximum accuracy, do not be lazy to wait 5-10 minutes before entering a point into memory. Refer to your GPS device manual for details on how to memorize a point.
11. 11 List your stash. For other members to find the cache, it must be listed. One of the most popular geocaching sites in the world is www.geocaching.com. For Russia, http://www.geocaching.su is better suited.
12. 12 Maintain your stash. Be prepared to replace a missing or damaged container or an overflowing notebook on occasion. If you have lost interest in your cache, delete it, transfer it to the archive or convert it to the category of virtual ones.

Tips

• Set up a cache in places where the participants will not be seen by passers-by. This will reduce the likelihood of denunciation or ruining the cache.
• If you are using a military grade ammo box, remove all markings from it.
• The cache should look as natural as possible. If you just throw it with branches, stones or bark, a casual passer-by will certainly take an interest.
• Choose a container of the correct size. A large container is perfect for a dense forest. For city-caching or high-traffic places, it is better to take small containers, in order to avoid being found and ruined by casual passers-by.
• Put things you think are good for the cache. It is not necessary to put something very expensive there, it will be great if you hide all sorts of useful little things. You can even put money (not a trifle). But throw the trash into the trash, no need to arrange a hiding place from it.
• Read the rules of the site you will be playing on. Read carefully and make sure your stash meets the requirements.
• Try not to harm nature. For example, do not hide a cache on steep earthen slopes where participants will increase soil erosion by searching.
• Before proceeding with the arrangement of the cache, take a look around, did anyone notice you? It is unknown what people might think of a wandering stranger with gps in hand.

Warnings

• If your cache triggers an alarm, you may be held accountable.
• Check the possibility of arranging a cache in the selected location. Ask other geocaches for advice.
• If in doubt, contact the administration or the owner of the place where you want to equip the cache.
• Don't hide caches near bridges, tunnels, military installations, airports, railway and bus stations, schools, and wherever you and your cache might be mistaken for a terrorist threat.
• Do not set up a hiding place in private property without obtaining permission.

What do you need

• GPS.
• Strong, sealed container.
• Notepad and pencil.
• Personal time for arranging and maintaining the cache.
• A good place.
• (preferred) Parent or guardian permission.