Vicious Cycle

I recently picked up a TB that was missing the keychain originally attached to it. I checked the pictures from the TB logs and was able to find the same keychain on eBay, so I bought it and sent it back out into the wild. I wonder if this was a similar situation. I assumed someone just stole the keychain. It never occurred to me that someone might not know any better. But if someone refuses to educate themselves on trackables and still insists on taking them from caches, I think they're just as culpable as the thief who steals the keychain.

I reached out to Groundspeak this monring on this issue and they are still working on it. They don't have a timeline yet, but they hope to have it resolved soon. On a side note, I'm in I.T. and while I'm not a programmer, I do know that trying to retroactively make changes to code that's already in production can be very tricky. I'm sure they're testing out code to make sure they don't cause more problems when they push out the fix.

I just read another thread that mentioned someone stepping on an underground wasp nest. So...I'll be throwing some RAID in the truck.

I have tried to find the answer to my question on my own, but my detective skills are a bit rusty. So, I thought some of the people who are smarter than me might be willing to help me out. Do EarthCaches have the same saturation rules that physical caches do? I'm considering placing an EarthCache near a traditional type Geocache. Do reviewers who publish EarthCaches consider the distance from physical caches and/or stages of multi-caches?

It's a "Clue" game concept (yes...one that's been done ad nauseam). It's basically a 3-stage multi-cache where the finder whittles down the possible suspects, murder weapons, and possible rooms where the crime took place until they're left with the solution (and coordinates to the final). So, in reality, it's a multi-cache that has a fictional story along with it. (I guess I just resolved my own debate about what cache type to use.)

There is a "Bug reports and feature discussions" here on the forums. The issue has been reported. Since July 4th was the first day anyone could have qualified for the souvenir, Goundspeak employees were most likely not in the office (Independence Day in the U.S.). At the time I'm writing this reply, it's 7:48am in Seattle. They're probably not at work, so no one has had an opportunity to address the issue yet.

Has GeocachingHQ ever explored the possibility of combining cache types? For example...I am working on a cache with multiple stages (Multi-Cache) that requires the finder to solve a puzzle (Mystery Cache), and I'm struggling trying to decide which cache type to make it when I attempt to get it published. I consider most of the people on here pretty smart. So, I'm interested in what you have to say. Please share your thoughts regarding the feasibility of allowing cache owners to publish a cache using a combination of cache types. For example, the cache type listed above would be a Mystery/Multi-Cache. Do you think a concept like this would work or not, and why? Just a thought exercise. I'm not trying to change the world.

Reported under: Bug reports and feature discussions/Website

Today is July 4th, the second day of the Streak Star challenge. I logged a Geocache both yesterday and today. I expected to see the easy souvenir for the Streak Star challenge, but after logging my find today, I received the A.P.E. Cache Souvenir. I am located in the United States and I used the mobile app to log my find today and the pop-up notification that appears for new souvenirs showed the A.P.E. Cache souvenir. I checked my profile and it was in there as well. I came home and checked my profile on the website, and the A.P.E. Cache souvenir shows there also. I logged into the forums and it appears there are several other people who experienced the same thing. I have visited neither of the A.P.E. Caches (yet), so I have not earned this souvenir. Please let me know if I need to do anything to correct the issue. Thanks.

Ditto! Got the A.P.E. Cache souvenir after finding my second cache during the Streak Star challenge.

Yeah...when I say "kidnapped" I don't mean it in a malicious manner. I just mean, have you ever held on to a TB longer than you anticipated.

I've released TBs with very specific goals in the past. Some cachers make an earnest attempt to read the TB goals and help the bug reach its goal, while others ...well...let's just say "not so much." From a Travel Bug owner's perspective it can be a little frustrating, but it has not stopped me from releasing TBs. I'm aware I'm assuming the risk of losing the TB when I release it into the wild. But I have a couple of questions for the general Geocaching community: Do you prefer to find TB with specific goals or the ones that just want to get miles or travel from cache to cache? Does it seem to you that TBs with a general goal of simply getting as many miles as possible tend to travel further and last longer than TBs with more specific goals (e.g., visit each of the state capitals)? Do you ever specifically search for Geocaches with TBs in them? Does a cache with TBs in its inventory make a cache more attractive to you? Have you ever kidnapped a TB? (...held on to a TB much longer than you intended)

There is a TB hotel not far from my home and it's strategically placed at a travel station/truck stop off the interstate not far from the US/Canada border, so it gets a lot of traffic from Geocachers either going into or coming out of Canada. It's a large container, that's locked (code in the description), a PM only cache, and it's well maintained. It has close to 100 FPs and many, many notes where previous finders have come back to drop off and/or pick up TBs. I've stopped by there and grabbed TBs out of it before going on long road trips so I can move them along. So I have a pretty positive opinion of TB Hotels. That being said, I've visited others that were not well-placed, nor had any TBs in them. So the quality of a TB hotel greatly depends on the hider, the container, the location, and the level of maintenance it gets.

39 DNFs logged this year so far. I better pick up the pace. I'm falling behind.

I stumbled upon this article on the Geocaching blog recently on this topic... https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2022/10/wheelchair-accessibility-while-geocaching-an-interview-with-reviewer-poltrona-polaris/

Big oversight on my part. Need to fix that one. Thanks to reading what you guys are carrying, I'm going to add a few things to the backpack. 1. Water container (maybe a Nalgene bottle or something similar) Thanks, @cerberus1 2. Bug spray (just found a cache near a lot of standing water and got kamikazed by a mosquito squadron). Thanks, @kunarion 3. Sunscreen (I'm a bald man and while hats help, they don't cover the back of my neck). Thanks, @Mudfrog 4. Rain jacket 5. Bigger backpack Sorry, @thebruce0 but I won't be adding a ladder to my Geocaching EDC kit any time soon. LOL *Something I forgot to list that I carry in my pocket organizer: UV Flashlight

First of all...thank you for the very warm welcome. You are correct to assume my online moniker is derived from another hobby of mine, namely cycling.

I've been lurking around here in the Waymarking area for a little while trying to learn about this facet of geo-location games. I've been Geocaching for over 16 years, so I've heard of and been exposed to WM, but never participated. I barely ever found any benchmarks when they were still part of Geocaching.com, but now that they've been moved here into Waymarking, I've developed a hightened interest in learning more. That's all. I'm not looking for help or asking any questions (yet). I wouldn't even know what to ask at this point. I'll keep poking around on the website and reading the forums and I'm sure I'll be out and about logging some WM locations before long. I just wanted to say hi and let you know there's another convert from GC here joining you.

You're way ahead of many of the people who I see claiming finds on the logs I read. Many of them don't bring a pen and just log the cache onlline.

I'm a cheapskate, but I still gladly pay for premium membership (PM). Just taking a look at the comparison chart that @Keystone linked to, I forgot that a lot of the features I take for granted only come with PM. For instance...I make extensive use of lists, favorite points, instant notifications and a lot of other features. Plus...I had no idea until recently that if I didn't have a PM, I couldn't see high difficulty/terrain caches or Mystery and Earth caches. Let's put it this way...there's no way I could Geocache the way I do without having a premium membership.

I have 3 different "levels" of gear that I bring with me. To borrow a concept from the prepping community (and for the purposes of this forum post), I've given each of these "levels" an acronym. Just FYI...I didn't set out to develop these three different levels of gear. I am one of those people who love bags, backpacks, and gear (tools, gadgets, useful items, etc.). The three levels of gear I use slowly evolved organically into what I have today. Low Probability of Geocaching (L-POG) The L-POG level would just be what I carry in my pockets. These items were not picked with Geocaching in mind, but they do make caching on the spur of the moment possible. Every morning as I'm getting dressed, I put the following items in my pockets: Streamlight Macrostream flashlight Benchmade Bugout pocketknife Leatherman Juice S2 multi-tool Pokka pen, Rite-in-the-Rain version Victorinox Cadet pocketknife Galaxy Note 10+ Android smart phone (sandwiched between the phone and its case, I place 2 Band-Aids and a folded $50 bill) RFID-blocking wallet Reading glasses Carabiner key chain with: -Keys -Streamlight Pocket Mate flashlight -Emergency whistle These items are always on me (as long as I'm dressed), regardless if I'm Geocaching or not. So, if I am in the wife's car and I find myself spontaneously Geocaching, I at least have the Geocaching mobile app on the smartphone, an ink pen to log my finds, and my glasses so I can read the cache page and log book. Medium Probability of Geocaching (M-POG) The M-POG level is what I always have in my truck. It is a small bag that fits nicely in the console or glove box of my truck. Unlike the L-POG gear, the gear chosen for M-POG is specifically for Geocaching and will offer me some additional capabilities while Geocaching. This is for those times when I need to grab a cache on my way home from work or when I'm out running errands and there are caches nearby. It can also do in a pinch if I go out for a full day of Geocaching and I forget to bring the H-POG gear (more on that in a moment). Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer Uni Power Tank 0.7mm pen Slim Telescoping Magnetic Grabber/Retriever Fine-point tweezers Log roller Streamlight Microstream Flashlight Rite in the Rain replacement log sheets Misc Pathtags for SWAG Alcohol wipes Assorted Band-Aids Neosporin High Probability of Geocaching (H-POG) This is the backpack that I take when I know I'm going Geocaching. If I know I'll be in a vehicle other than my own, I'll take the M-POG bag out of my truck and throw it into my H-POG backpack so I have all of my Geocaching TOTTs at my disposal. Condor Outdoor Compact Geocaching Pack Garmin GPSmap 64s (3) Uni Power Tank 0.7mm pens (red, black, and blue) Telescoping mirror Wire hanger (folded) Telescoping hook pole (6ft) Large telescoping magnetic pick-up tool Yellow reflective safety vest Mechanix gloves Full-sized Leatherman First-aid kit Signature stamp ROT-13 decoder Geocoin (personal collection) Trackable nametag (worn at events) Small clipboard (6"x9") CITO trash bags (left over from my last CITO event) Homemade Letterboxing stamp Ink pad Letterboxing stamp book Travel bugs SWAG (Pathtags and stickers) By no means do I have everything I need. For instance, I should probably add a poncho or some type of rain gear. I recently moved from northern Nevada where it rained very little and that wasn't a big concern. But now that I live in Montana, I see a lot more rain. I'd like to know what you bring with you when you go Geocaching. You may have some ideas that I could incorporate into my Geocaching gear system. Thanks!

Looking forward to new virtuals. I know in my neck of the woods (Montana) we are geographically the 4th largest state, but we rank 44th in population, leaving us at an average of 7.6 people per square mile. While we will probably not see a large number of new virtual rewards, I'm sure the big cities (big for Monatana) will see a few new ones pop up. This makes me happy.

What-What-WHAAAATTTT??? You can NEVER have too many promotions and souvenirs going on at one time. Personally, I love a good challenge (while I do love challenge-caches, that's not what I mean in this instance). Yes...it takes a lot of planning, an increased level of effort, and in some cases a little bit of luck. Sure not everybody can do it, but that makes it special for those who do earn the souvenir. I'm going to go for it while trying to get the hard level Out and About souvenir also. We'll see how it goes.

If you log your finds on or after the 25th and you adjust the dates on the finds to reflect the window of dates required for the souvenir, you'll earn the souvenir on your profile. I conducted an experiment to answer this very question on another souvenir (the Full Sail 2023 souvenir) by adjusting the date on a find in order to see if the souvenir would show up on my profile. It did, and since I did not earn the souvenir, I have hidden it from view. But when I log in and look at my souvenirs, it still shows up (albeit with a faded icon image indicating that it is "hidden".)

I believe in letting people play the game they would like...as long as it doesn't have a negative effect on other Geocachers. I would not consider this a multi and would contact both the cache owner and the local reviewer to correct the situation. Claiming this find as a multi would skew the stats of the finder, because this definitely does not follow the rules regarding multi-cache hides. Just my opinion. You may feel differently.