How to assure safe searching for cache hidden in my own backyard?

Question

You shouldn't place a cache on someone's property without permission, that's for sure. But when the property belongs to me, I can hide cache on my own backyard.

However, what should I do to assure safe searching for geocachers? Strange people walking at the night through the door and sniffing around the fence are looking quite suspicious and they can alarm local police or neighbors. I don't want, however, to inform anyone around about that cache - I want to keep it secret only for 'chosen'.

Is there something I can do, for example some 'camouflage' giving excuse to strangers to visit my backyard?

Answer 1

I don't want, however, to inform anyone around about that cache - I want to keep it secret only for 'chosen'.

Although you don't want to, I'd strongly suggest rethinking this - does it really matter if a few neighbours know, and it stops an embarrassing incident or two when the police are called out? When I placed a cache in a (public) residential area overlooked by a lot of houses, I was asked to make sure I'd let the neighbours know for this reason.

This doubles in importance when it involves entering a garden, since if by chance geocachers stray into a neighbours garden, you want to make sure that if they're confronted and talk about Geocaching, your neighbours know not to worry and can politely ask them to move on.

Regardless though, you need to make sure that geocachers know as much as possible that it's the right garden they're entering, and not someone else's - the last thing you want is them stumbling into a neighbouring garden. Personally I'd get around this by a (coded) sign on the door, and corresponding clue - "XYFH5" written on the door for instance, and then "Come through XYFH5" as the clue. (Sure, it doesn't have to be that simple, you could make it part of a puzzle - but the important thing is that it has to be as unambiguous as possible!)

Answer 2

I like the question although I am not a geocacher at all.

If I want to allow strangers to enter my garden I have to give some kind of permission I guess. I understand that you don't want to make a sign "open access for geocacher". That could confuse others and for the geocachers it's a simple objective.

So you have to hide the way you allow entering your garden. If you have the possibility you could create a public footpath through your garden. But that's not really an option for most properties.

I could think of having a kind of public garden or miniature railroad you want to share with people so they can enter your backyard. But if you don't have to offer something it looks a bit weird just to have a sign "Hey everybody out there, just enter my backyard if you want to!!!". Maybe you'd create a hippie commune :D