I’ve ran into and have heard about some 5 star difficulty caches that are not close to the posted coords or after figuring out a puzzle not being at the ciphered coords.

It seems that it might be suggested that a 5 star difficulty cache is when the coords are 100 feet or more from the cache. Is this how a 5 star difficulty cache is designed?

Either by design, or by accident, if the coords are 100ft off it certainly bumps the difficulty ratings up. Throw in a terrain rating of 5 and it's going to be some tough hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by LZ33:
I’ve ran into and have heard about some 5 star difficulty caches that are not close to the posted coords or after figuring out a puzzle not being at the ciphered coords.

It seems that it might be suggested that a 5 star difficulty cache is when the coords are 100 feet or more from the cache. Is this how a 5 star difficulty cache is designed?

Nah - you ain't getting away with this 'generalized' statement/observation/question.
We want specifics ............

If the hider use a Magellan, that would raise it a star or two.

quote:

Either by design, or by accident, if the coords are 100ft off it certainly bumps the difficulty ratings up.

I think it is fair for every cacher to understand the coords are correct with respect to a decent EPE (in my opinion, less that 20 ft.) If that is not the case, perhaps it should be noted on the cache page.

quote:

Nah - you ain't getting away with this 'generalized' statement/observation/question.
We want specifics ............

quote:

I think it is fair for every cacher to understand the coords are correct with respect to a decent EPE (in my opinion, less that 20 ft.) If that is not the case, perhaps it should be noted on the cache page.

Recently I did a cache in Indiana. Coords were close to if not 100 + feet off from the ammo can. Thus, the cache hadn’t been found in almost a year.

While visiting I listened to some cachers that were talking about creating a 5 star difficulty cache. A cacher suggested “don’t mention in the description and give wrong coords so the hunter would have to “widen” their search for the cache, thus making it a 5 star cache“.

My question, should this be proper caching etiquette as a high rated difficult cache?

quote:

Originally posted by LZ33:
While visiting I listened to some cachers that were talking about creating a 5 star difficulty cache. A cacher suggested “don’t mention in the description and give wrong coords so the hunter would have to “widen” their search for the cache, thus making it a 5 star cache“.

My question, should this be proper caching etiquette as a high rated difficult cache?

This issue has been discussed before. IMHO posting coords that are intentionally off the mark is NOT "proper caching etiquette". That's just a quick and dirty way to make an average hide a difficult find, or a difficult hide a nearly impossible find. What's the point? I would not search for the cache if I knew the coords were intentionally inaccurate.

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My question, should this be proper caching etiquette as a high rated difficult cache?

In my opinion, NOPE - not proper etiquette. Improper coords are a misrepresentation and defeat the purpose of having coordinates. If no other information is provided, such as in a true offset cache (I.E. now, concentrate your search at 100 feet @ 70 degrees - OR if a HUGE hint is provided that allows the hunter to spot the location from the coords) then it only creates a situation where the landscape becomes compromised. That is my MAIN objection. Other than that, I just feel that is a very non-creative and inappropriate way to create a 5 star cache.

proper etiquette?? No just being a pain in the geo-rear. 10 - 15 feet, OK I can deal with that... but 100 feet, that's just intentional misrepresentation and sometimes downright dangerous.

If you have to put your cache 100 feet away from the posted coords to make this a more difficult cache, then it isn't the right place, container, puzzle or whatever. It just shows that you aren't as clever as you think.

A serious breach of Geo-etiquette ( is that a word)! Using a GPS to find properly plotted coordinates is really the "name of the game",and it is a ga...,well hobby,anyway.The more you think about it,deliberate, inaccurate coordinates is kind 'a dumb. PPP

This message has been edited. Last edited by: poppoppig,

100 feet off on purpose....GET A Rope!!! Hang the B#$@%$d...

100' - I thought that was within normal specs?

Just kidding.
(Although my latest cache somewhere By The Falls was 280' off, and still found by BoxerLady).

quote:

Originally posted by phat.bak:
100' - I thought that was within normal specs?

When I first posted my Celestial Seasoning cache, I had a typo that put the coords about 2000 miles off. Nasty George still found it, and wanted me to leave the error in.

I think a cache only qualifies for the 5 star rating if it requires "special equipment." I take that to be climbing gear, boats, helecopters, library trips, tents, etc. I know of a couple of caches that was most likely plotted by projecting the coords and there still well within 100'.
I can see the need for cache coords to be slightly off to add to the challenge depending on the situation, but not just to get a 5 star rating.

5 Star Terrain
Requires specialized equipment and knowledge or experience, (boat, 4WD, rock climbing, SCUBA, etc) or is otherwise extremely difficult.

5 Star Difficulty
Extreme. A serious mental or physical challenge. Requires specialized knowledge, skills, or equipment to find cache.

So in both cases if specialized equipment is required it is 5 stars but it you can have a 5 star Difficulty or Terrain that don't require special equipment.

Of course this thread is about 5 star difficulty, I am far more impressed if the coords are as good as the hider could get and it is still hard to find. I am especially impressed when that is done with a regular sized geocache.

If coords are deliberately made inaccurate just to give it a 5 star rating in the mind of the owner....it doesn't need to carry a 5 star rating...it needs to be archived.....unfortunately I have run into some 2 and 3 star caches where the owner apparently believes that inaccurate coords justify its rating.

All I can say is if I find your(owner of mis-coorded) cache and it's coords are that far off and you (dear cache hider) did it on purpose, I will take it and move to where only your (dear cache hider) geo-proctologist can find it.

Kaaaaaaa- PEEEEESH!

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All I can say is if I find your(owner of mis-coorded) cache and it's coords are that far off and you (dear cache hider) did it on purpose, I will take it and move to where only your (dear cache hider) geo-proctologist can find it.

Kaaaaaaa- PEEEEESH!

............as only Slay could state it