Over the last seven years I’ve seen and heard about the same thing over and over again: junk in caches.

When the majority of cachers hide caches they fill them with fairly nice swag. Usually items that are new and cost around a buck or two. It doesn’t however take most caches long to degenerate into a box full of trash.

One of my typical caches started out with items such as; a package of new AA batteries, a geo coin, water proof matches, a new Hot Wheels car, a small puzzle for kids, an emergency blanket, new ink pens, Coleman lantern globes, etc… The average cost of one of these caches is about 20.00 or so. Give it 30 days in the wild and the contents traded in are worth about nothing.

The rules of geocaching are fairly simple. Find the cache, sign the log book, if you take something from the cache replace it with an item of equal or greater value. Seems simple, doesn’t it? Obviously not. Does it seem fair to take a pack of AA batteries and leave a rock you found along the way, or a used golf ball? I’ve actually seen a log were the finder said he was caching with his 5 year old girl... she saw a toy she wanted, but the only thing she had to trade was a pretty leaf she found while on the way. Now on the surface that’s sweet. However it certainly didn’t help the cache to recycle.

There are cache owners who feel that it is their responsibility to replace all that junk with new items to keep the cache up to standard. Well good for them. Personally I’m not your Wal-Mart. I placed the cache for the community and as far as I’m concerned it’s up to them to maintain that cache the way it was originally placed.

Now these are my opinions and your mileage may vary. However that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

By El Diablo

Jerry Carter, aka El Diablo, the renowned geocacher made famous as Publisher of Today's Cacher Magazine and creator of the game's most coveted hiking staffs, continues his contributions to our great game here at The Online Geocacher by serving as a contributing writer and adviser.

Comments(1):

1. Welcome to Wal-Mart?

   As a hider of a ton of caches I agree 100% which is why now I hide mostly micro's. How is a micro not an equal hide to an ammo can full of junk.....the can is simply harder to hide and easier to find .

   Monday, March 22, 2010 Henry