Another Adaptation of the HHH's Evil Ant Hill Geocache

Received an email from Huntindaddy78 who did a really evil adaptation to my Evil Ant Hill geocache. I was wondering when someone was going to do something like this. Check out what he wrote:

Dear HHH,
I recently created a variation on your anthill cache. So far it has eluded the best of cachers in the area!..lol So far (even though it is still rather young) it has proved rather difficult for a lot of people. No one has been able to find this cache w/o PAF.
The only variance is the container & the camo. The cache is placed on a small beach in a local park. So of course the camo is sand. The container is a magnetic key holder. I thank you for the tip for this evil cache. I’ve attached an image of the cache & the cache page if you ever wish to look for it in the future. Good luck! & Happy caching!
Sincerely,
Huntindaddy78

Below is a test shot showing how well this geocache blends into it's environment. Now imagine it placed just right to make it such a challenge.. W00t!

There is a geocache right in front of you.

What a really great and evil geocache to be sure. I love planting the seed and watching all the different variances and clever changes geocachers bring to the game, sport and obsession of geocaching.



GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?
http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------
Twitter me at
@headhardhat

Please don't forget to visit our GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos Website at
http://www.geosnippits.com

UPDATE: Making Evil Nano Geocaches For Fall Fling Silent Auction

Well guys and gals the Evil Nano Geocaches are done and did they turn out nice!

I went with a green theme and a brown theme which falls in more of a wooded terrain.
The photos of the finished product are just below.
(This will give you an idea of the size of the nano geocaches)

(Is that a piece of bark I see or just some debris from that stump there. Couldn't be an evil nano geocache... nah.)










(Might be tree mold, a rock, anything but an Evil Nano Geocache.)











Here is a link showing then as they were being made.
http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/2010/10/making-two-evil-nano-geocaches-for-fall_18.html

I had a real blast making these geocaches and good luck to the winners at the Silent Auction.

-HHH

GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?

http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/

-------------------------------------------------------

Twitter me at

@headhardhat

Please don't forget to visit our GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos Website at

http://www.geosnippits.com

Making Two EVIL Nano Geocaches for the Fall Fling 2010 Silent Auction

The NCGO or North Carolina Geocachers Organization conducts many different geocaching events every year. The biggie event in which they pull out all the stops is the Fall Fling. This year it is Fall Fling V and will be held Saturday November 6th. We are heading to the west end of the state and the beautiful Lake Norman State Park.

You can see my GeoSnippits video of last years Fall Fling 2009 here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqW5y8onn5I

As usual there are event days that Friday and a Sunday but the main festivities is going to be Saturday. One of the activities that I look forward to is the Silent Auction where all sorts of geocaching items are donated and the proceeds go to funding events like the Fall Fling. My donations this year will be including two of my Evil Nano Geocaches. I have been sending photos of them as they are being made. Below are some of what I have published.

( Just out of the molds.)

( First layers of flat and textured paints.)












Will do an update after they have been finished and completely dried. They are so much fun to make and can be made to look like anything.

Here is my GeoSnippits video showing step by step how to make them.



If the viewer above does not work as expected you can see the link to the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isyT6_8ogFo

I hope you have as much making these evil geocaches as hiding them.

Have Fun!

GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?
http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------
Twitter me at @headhardhat

Please don't forget to visit our GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos Website at
http://www.geosnippits.com

GeoSnippits - Make Your Own Evil Nano Geocache

One of the really cool features about geocaching is the ability for geocachers to invent geocaches. The possibilities are almost endless and limited only to our imagination. One thing for sure is if someone creates a geocache and the design is solid others will modify it to their liking. That is the way it should be and keeps the game, sport, obsession fresh and fun.

This particular geocache is one of those adaptations. It originated from my How To Make An Evil Ant Hill Geocache video of which I made last year. Recently I received an email from Seth Jones who sent in some photos where he made a geocache based off the Ant Hill geocache and instead of using bondo he used a plastic resin. Check out the post I made about it here.

I was immediately intrigued and had to make some geocache versions for myself. This video shows how I made them and the end results. I completely expect our viewers to come up with their adaptations as well.

If the viewer above does not display, please use this link to view the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isyT6_8ogFo

As usual your comments, show suggestions, etc. are welcome. Please be sure to send in photos of your geocache ideas. They may get posted in one of our upcoming GeoSnippits videos.

GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?
http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------
Twitter me at
@headhardhat

Please don't forget to visit our GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos Website at
http://www.geosnippits.com

Working With Geocaching Camouflage Ideas

While I am waiting to get on the road to start filming Treasure Cache TV (there has been an unexpected delay) I have been passing the time working on different ways to camouflage a geocache.

Sure there are tons of geocaches out there where the geocache is hidden inside an object like a tree stump, pvc pipe or other clever technique. My challenge was to hide a geocache in plain site or at least close to plain site and still hide it enough for muggles to miss it. If I was able to create a hide that was more difficult for a geocacher to find as well then all the better.

One of the techniques I have been working on is the use of camouflage netting for larger geocaches. The issue that comes to mind for a larger geocache is how good can a camouflaged geocache really be to fool the average geocacher? We are giving the coords to where this larger hide is and unless the cover is flawless it will get found. I guess the best we can hope for is that the geocache stays out of site of the muggles and is a bit of a thrill for the geocacher. So how can we hide it good enough to present a challenge?

Above you see a basic example of camouflage netting utilizing pine needles and leaves for cover. Below this mask of brown is a medium bright green ammo box laying on a 4'x8' netting which has been folded over top and covered with the nearby terrain. The nice thing about the netting is that the leaves and needles easily trap in the netting itself and stays there even with heavy wind. From a distance of 10 feet this is almost impossible spot so the geocacher would have to basically kick the geocache to find it.

If you read my blog post: HeadHardHat's Resin Clup O' Dirt Nano Geocache you will see how the use of resin can create creative camouflage covers for small geocaches like nanos. This can no doubt create even more challenging hides to infuriate the masses. To prove it if you look at the first photo of this post and see if you can find the nano geocache hide. Draw a circle around where you think it is and send it in to me via email ( headhardhat@gmail.com). The first five people to correctly do so will win a GeoSnippits path tag... It's right there... Really.

Good Luck!

-HHH

GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?
http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------
Twitter me at
@headhardhat

Please don't forget to visit our GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos Website at
http://www.geosnippits.com

HeadHardHat's Resin Clump O' Dirt Nano Geocache

I want to thank Seth Jones who sent in a photograph a few weeks ago of a modified version of my bondo Evil Ant Hill geocache. You can see it here: ClickMe where you will note that instead of bondo, a resin was used to create the geocache.

Over the weekend I wanted to see if I could make a geocache that was thinner than my ant hill geocache and use something really small like a nano. Below are the steps I took to make it.

As usual I fully expect my readers to come up with a zillion versions of this and add their own twists. I say go for it but before you do check out my version. FYI - You can get resin at many craft stores near you.

I started out by taking some Styrofoam and scraping out an area that would have a very rocky or dirt clod look to it. About two and a half to three inches in diameter.

When it comes to using resin there are many different ways of making a mold including plastics, Styrofoam and plaster of paris. Try different ways and see what works best for you.

Next, make a small portion of the resin and fill just enough of the very bottom to create a base for the nano to sit upon and yet not fill up the entire mold.

Let the resin harden over night or until it is not tacky to the touch.

Set the nano on the hardened resin base and then fill to just under the lid of the nano with more resin.

Let harden again over night.

Carefully remove the hardened resin from the Styrofoam and pick as much of the mold away from the resin as you would like.

Personally I wasn't sure if I liked how it was looking at this point but the longer I played with it the more it really started looking like a rock, bark, a stone, etc.

Use your favorite combination of base spray paints and stone textured paints to colorize this geocache. I used a green and brown base with grey stone to give it a mold or bark look to it.

Note the bottom of this geocache and the nano cap is sticking out for easy access.

After playing with several different camouflage combinations of paint colors and the nice texture of the Styrofoam for the top section I was amazed how quickly I could closely duplicate a look of tree bark, moss, mold, even old asphalt.

This is a great addition to my Evil Ant Hill collection of geocaches and I hope it inspires you to make all sorts of variations for your geocaching enjoyment.

Have fun!

-HHH

GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?

http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------
Twitter me at
@headhardhat

Please don't forget to visit our GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos Website at
http://www.geosnippits.com

A Very Nice Modification of My Evil Ant Hill Geocache

I received an email from fellow geocacher Seth Jones who sent me some photos of a modified Evil Ant Hill Geocache. Check out what he wrote:

I got a smallish box, lined it with a plastic bag, and then made a small pile of dirt (you need it to be fairly pure dirt, for easier removal later. No rocks, grass, twigs, etc)

-- Then I made a large batch of plaster of paris, and poured it over the dirt, making a plaster cast of the dirt hill. After it set, I peeled it out of the plastic, and washed the dirt out of the bottom. I then filled the cavity where the dirt was with a 2-part resin from the craft store. Before the resin set, I implanted a small plastic container with a screw-top lid. You've probably seen it: it's a touch bigger than a bottle-cap.

After it set overnight, I cracked it out of the plaster, and chipped out the crevices. (soaking it in water really helped here). I then hit it with some textured brown spray paint. I placed it at the base of a tree just at the edge of some woods. There are some vines climbing the tree that provide a small buffer of deadspace around the trunk. I have the container there, amongst the leaves.

Way to go Seth! A very EVIL geocache to be sure!

You can check out my original version by visiting here:

http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/2009/10/headhardhats-evil-ant-hill-geocache.html

GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?
http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------
Twitter me at
@headhardhat

Please don't forget to visit our GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos Website at
http://www.geosnippits.com

HHH's Lunchtime GotD - Found. One Cache-A-Maniacs Log Book

Something seemed very familiar about todays Lunchtime Geocache of the Day. I couldn't put my finger on it.. Wait, actually I could. I noticed the log book cover for the geocache was an Official Cache-A-Maniacs original. I thought this rather cool because I know that Darryl(Darrylw4) and Drei(Firefly03) live in my home state of Michigan. So either this little log book couldn't take the Michigan winters any more or someone down here was interviewed. Either way it was really interesting in how the people who do things like geocaching based podcasts really get their names spread around. Darryl is a great example of these individuals. If there is a hardest working person in geocaching Darryl has got to be it.

Not only does he run multiple geocaching based podcasts like the Cache-A-Maniacs, Geocaching Podcast and Cachers of the Round Table but he can be heard on the Podcacher Podcast and seen on IceNRye's Videozine among other things.

He has helped me a bunch of times for various events and is officially going to be a technical advisor for my TreasureCache TV show. Shhh, don't tell him yet but the adoption papers are in the works.

Anyways the geocaching community is a very diverse and expanding network of really cool people and I really love seeing the word spread about the ones that constantly help to make geocaching better - like Darryl.

If you want to learn more about Darryl, Drei and the Cache-A-Maniacs. Check out our GeoSnippits video where we did an interview with them last year...

http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/2009/08/geosnippits-interviewing-cache-maniacs.html

Well now it's time for a quick lunch before getting back to work..

-HHH

GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?

http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/

-------------------------------------------------------

Twitter me at @headhardhat

Please don't forget to visit our GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos Website at http://www.geosnippits.com

HHH's Lunchtime GotD: The Doh Factor

My geocaching senses were way off on this lunchtime geocache. It was a cool sunny day and I wanted this one bad. It was my fourth attempt and it was getting on my nerves.

I'm not going to give this one completely away but I will fill you in on some of the details. The hide is this, a very muggle filled area with a lot of pipes in a confined space. There are multiple possibilities for the hide to be. Because of what is in the pipes created for me a very uncomfortable situation but that also increased the intensity of the hunt itself. This was in no way an easy park and grab.

This time I went at this one aggressively, no kinda look here or soft touch there. This time I attacked the area like a full body search and I was not going to be polite. After 10 minutes of searching I still came up empty - Dang, not again.

Determined to find this I stepped back and looked at the area with an outside the box viewpoint. I knew the geocache was there. If it is not in the likely or unlikely places then go for the impossible spots. After a few minutes I noticed one teeny-tiny thing that looked out of place. Ah-ha, the geocache and the Doh! to the forehead was mine.

I don't know about you but I love the satisfaction of a geocache that I had to work for and eventually found. No matter how many times it takes.

If you email or direct message me I will send you a shot of the actual find.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

HeadHardHat's Evil Ant Hill Geocache

First and foremost I have to give credit to one of our GeoSnippits viewers TheWhiteCroe, who took me down this EVIL path by giving me the suggestion to see if a fake rock could be made out of bondo. I will be sending him an Official GeoSnippits pathtag for the suggestion.

It all came out of trying to prototype the geocache in the first place. I started out very similar to how it is described in the video. I simply made some bondo and poured it out on top of the 35mm container. I observed how quickly the bondo started to harden so I started piling it up on top of itself. Before I knew it I had that same shape you see out of the Close Encounters movie. It certainly didn't look like a rock. In fact it looked more like a dog turd but I wanted to see how the textured spray paint was going to look so I painted it anyways. After it dried I looked at it again and the light stone paint looked a lot more like sand than anything. Then it popped in my brain, "well that looks a whole lot like an ant hill..."

So after trying a couple of different stone colors I was really pleased with the results. The rest is now history and my EVIL Ant Hill made from bondo is out in the world. The video wasn't out more than a couple of minutes before the comments started pouring in. One suggestion was to use a nano instead of a 35mm container to make it even smaller. I just love how the main template of an idea comes out and people use their own ideas to make it better. All I can say is go for it.

I had a blast making this video and inventing the Ant Hill Geocache, now back to making that geocache look like a rock. Where did I put that bondo?

If the viewer above does not display click the link below to see the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZVEwrPks3g

HeadHardHat is known for making all sorts of interesting and creative geocaches.

Watch all his geocaching tutorial videos at www.geosnippits.com

GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?
http://headhardhat-geocache.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------
Please don't forget to visit our GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos Website at http://www.geosnippits.com