Sometimes, geocachers, for various reasons, are no longer able to maintain some of their caches. But they often can’t bring themselves to archive them. On the geocaching.com website, a very simple procedure is available to allow the transfer of a cache from one geocacher to another.
This adoption process must first be initiated by the current owner of the cache, and then the future owner must accept the adoption. At the end of the process, the new owner will have full control over the cache’s web page. Although the new owner can modify the page as they wish, it is suggested to leave a reference to the original owner on the page or in its title.
A) The current owner of the cache must go to the web page dedicated to cache adoption: http://www.geocaching.com/adopt/
- Enter the cache number (GCxxxx) in the designated field, and click the “Lookup” button. The name of your cache should automatically appear;
- Enter the geocacher’s username (nickname) to whom you want to transfer your cache and click the “GO” button. If there is more than one geocacher with a similar name (Untel, Untel01, Untel & Co, …), the “Pick a User” button should appear along with a dropdown menu in the box where you entered the name. Using the small arrow to the right of the box, select the correct geocacher and then click the “Pick a User” button.
- The geocacher’s name will become underlined. To perform a final check, we suggest clicking on the geocacher’s name to view their profile and ensure you selected the right person. Then click your browser’s back arrow to return to the adoption page.
- Finally, you can add a comment for the future owner in the provided box and then click the “Send Adoption Request” button to send the official request.
B) An email will automatically be sent to the future owner (and a copy to you) by Groundspeak (geocaching.com). This email will include the current owner’s comments and a web link to complete the adoption process.
This procedure is also valid for transferring trackable items to another geocacher. Additionally, it can be used to cancel an adoption request that has already been sent but not yet completed.
