Caches Placed Prior to An Event -- Trickle or Flood?

[OldRiverRunner]

Prior to many events, there are often many new caches placed for the pleasure of cachers attending the event. I have noticed that there have been two distinct approaches to this, which I call the "Trickle" and "Flood" approaches.

In the "Trickle" approach, caches are released a few at a time, over many days or even weeks prior to the event. In the end, there are a lot of relatively new caches released by the day of the event.

In the "Flood" approach, a large caches are released all together the day before (or even the night before) the event. Presumably, this has to be pre-arranged with the reviewer.

My questions for forum participants:

• As a cacher planning to attend the event, which approach do you prefer? And why?

• If you are the one hosting the event, which approach do you prefer? And why?

[Gaddiel]

I think I prefer the Trickle method. As a hider, it seems that you would be more likely to draw more people to an area more than one time by using this method.

Speaking as a finder that doesn't normally find a lot of caches at once, this method would also give me more of a fighting chance for an FTF.

I can see where other cachers might prefer the other method, though. If you roll into a town for a day's caching, I suppose it would be attractive to have more caches available all at one time...

Wayne

[oenavigator]

I also think the trickle would be best. As a finder I have to plan out any geocaches we are going to hunt in an area ahead of time. It would be kind of a bummer to have a bunch show up that we may miss while visiting the area.

[paris1time]

As a hider I prefer the trickle, mainly because I usually only work on a cache or two at a time. I guess I could work on one or two at a time and already have them all out then activate them all at once (flood), but when I have them out there I just can't wait to let cachers a chance to get looking for them.

[idratherbehiking]

It normally does not make much of a difference to me. But there have been a few occasions that the trickle method has caused me to have to make multiple trips to the same area. Either way I am eventually going to find them all anyway.

[cachemates]

As a cacher planning on attending an event I like to know before I do a PQ that all the caches have been placed. I usually do that the night before.
So, I guess I am a Trickle guy, But I will take it either way.

I have placed a few caches that I asked CW to hold until they could all go active at once. Not often do I have that many ready at once.

[TnT]

I think I'd prefer the flood method. That would give your attendees an equal opportunity for a FTF. If you announce on the event page that their will be some released the night before, that should give everyone a heads up for their PQs.

Either method is preferable to any kind of temporary caches.

[bluesybreeze]

As an event goer and finder it really doesn't matter to me. I have less than a year in and low enough numbers that I can find plenty of caches where ever I go. As a hider (still a noob on that, too) I would prefer a trickle approach. That would keep people interested in the area before the event and hopefully afterward too. It would also keep new caches in the area for a FTF adrenline rush and stave off stagnation.

[cfd29]

I guess I would go for the trickle, we have gone to events, usually the night before which means I did a PQ right before we left, get to the event the next day only to find out a bunch of new caches were released and we didn't have them. Sometimes I don't have time to do another one the morning of the event or can get one in time .

Either way, new caches are always welcomed..

[legoguys]

I concur with most of the other posts and would prefer the "trickle" method which is exactly what we did prior to our recent event. The "trickle" method allowed some people to go ahead and attempt a few finds in the weeks prior to the event and to become familiar with the "lay of the land" so they would know where to go when they returned for the event.

I also wasn't sure about the reviewer (Chuck Walla) holding caches for a "flood". I personally wasn't comfortable asking him/her to do that.

Have others asked the Chuck to hold caches? Or perhaps Chuck would even like to address his/her position on this as a reviewer.