What are good items to leave in a geocache? [closed]

Question

I started geocaching roughly a month ago and it's really fun activity to get into.

I had a few questions (though one was answered already here > What should be carried in a standard Geocaching bag?) but my main question is typically for the UK due to people nature here, though all ideas are welcome.

So far we've a small geocaching kit consisting of pens, extra paper and lunch bag style plastic bags to help protect damp logbooks (of which thus far we have found many). Sometimes we pick up a few small items that we add in - so far we haven't taken any items out of a cache - these were mostly small toys, coins, etc. This is commonly what we find in caches as well.

Most caches we find currently are small (excluding micro) with the odd regular. And per item we would look to pay £3 or less, as we can find 6-7 caches per day out, but price does not necessarily constitute value to an outdoorsman. I would reserve pricier items for harder caches (4-5) but we are currently only finding 1-3 rated caches.

I am loathe to leave things like matches or fire starters or other useful outdoor tools such as that due to idiots who might abuse them. Though once or twice I've seen a compass in the caches and think these are a good idea. Caches should be, I believe, useful outdoors items, but to avoid caches being filled with toys and money, and wanting to overall improve the quality of my local caches:

What are considered good items to leave in a geocache? What items should be avoided?

Answer 1

All under £3:

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What about a Spork

everyone should have a spork....

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Vango eye light £3 bargain

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Vango mug

Answer 2

• button compass
• pencil sharpener
• magnifying glass

(updates when I think of some more)

Answer 3

I bought a 1 lb bag of random foreign coins on eBay for $5. A cheap, neat little thing to find in a cache.

Answer 4

If you want to drop some really useful outdoor items, consider that all plastic straps, strap side release latches and strap adjusters, as well as safety-pins, needles and threads, and other repair items.

Some caches may bless you for it if his/hers rucksack is damaged while hiking, and they have not repair kit.

Such things are cheap to buy in bulk, but if you need them they are very precious :)

Answer 5

Books

Check charity shops, you can often get books for £1, or sometimes 4 for £1. Or any books you have read, and don't want to keep. You can pick relevant books, ie anything about the outdoors, or children's books for a family friendly cache, or something specific to the local area or theme of the cache.

You do have to be selective as to what books will actually fit in a cache. But there some reasonably large caches that will fit a standard paperback. It is worth putting the book in a ziplock bag, in case the cache gets wet inside.

You can register the books on BookCrossing, which allows people to log them, and you can track them if they are released again. I have left a number of BookCrossing books in caches - most are never logged again. But a few are moved on to other caches, or left in the wild elsewhere, sometimes travelling great distances, and being read by many different people.

Answer 6

A cheap ($17) camera! Would document geocachers, perhaps with instructions to take your pic! Keychain Camera

Small laser pointer. Batteries last a long time, light shines long distance, and it's lightweight - great to help emergency crews find you.

Answer 7

I used to leave lanyards, hair ties or scrunchies, sewing kits, excess usb leads (short ones) pencils and sharpener, batteries with date left on it, even a clean, ironed hanky and a small microfibe hand towel. (Back when they were fancy and new!) These days I am restarting and leaving similar items as am back to finding the easier or larger caches.

Answer 8

Being in the military, I particularly like the idea of Challenge Coins (if you have the funding to put into it) as a geocaching reward. Places like this (http://www.challengecoins4less.com/) let you make your own, or you could consider buying a pre-made coin. They're small and pretty fun to have. I would definitely save them for a tougher find though, as they can cost 2-3 USD a piece.

Answer 9

Some other ideas:

• plasters/band-aid (if you don't worry about them getting "expired")
• cat-eye reflectors (even upcycled ones), to be mounted on bagpacks
• small, one-usage raincoats

Answer 10

I agree with the idea for using Challenge Coins for geocaching. We do this with our website, our sailing community does geocaching games all the time.

Answer 11

I would highly recommend that you use challenge coins as they are customizable and can feature unique and amazing images. Embleholics makes some pretty amazing challenge coins and they have great customer service.