Knobhiker

From Merriam Webster Dictionary: "a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than is needed." According to this definition, how can a cacher be greedy? Desire is the central attribute. Selfishly desiring to have astronomical find numbers more than needed can be greedy. Desiring to excessively flood an area with your caches (in other words, hogging a prime caching area) can be greedy. Selfishly taking all the best trades and not leaving trades in equal value is greedy. Each of these greedy acts dampen the fun of geocaching. Less fun means less popular. Greed soils (like "soiled his pants") geocaching. The generous (i.e. "non-greedy") cachers who share outdoor adventure through caching keep me going in this hobby. Greedy cachers are the dog piles in the field of our fun. Guess you've just got to take the bad with the good.

There might be a difference to in the type of cache. Urban and micros are different than ammo-can-in-the-woods caches. The former can be driven up to and replaced by the owner. Boxes in the deep woods may take a day set aside to deal with. Recently I replaced a cache in a state forest. DNF's had been posted, but I looked for it anyway, long and hard. I replaced the cache with a same size container, posted a DNF, but emailed the owner for permission to replace it for him. He wrote back in much appreciation and agreed the cache was gone and approved my replacement for him. If I DNF'ed, I DNF'ed. That's what I log. I have replaced a cache but asked permission being ready to return to the site and remove the new cache if not granted that permission. It's the adventure, not the smiley I'm after.

My favorite sig item is a large gold tone coin from IndyMajicMan. I was caching an area that hadn't seen action for nearly a year. As I dug into the ammo box of "Go For The Gold", there it was. A beautifully designed sig. coin. A 10,000+ find cacher told me many would kill for one of those sig. coins. All I had to do was visit that lonely cache in the woods of Clark State Forest!

I like the TB idea! It's that kind of inguinuity that keeps geocaching fun. Collecting is such an individual hobby. My wife collect minitures; my daughter collects unicorns. I collect debt. You may not get many into collecting gift cards, but you'ld be adding fun for the few who would pick up on the hobby.

I've learned a lot from this 'Longevity Clinic'. When someone said a piece of wood with a hole drilled through it might be the best TB, it got me thinking. So I took a flat piece of wood and wood burned a character on one side (dancing Jack - kinda looks like dancing Snoopy with short ears) and all the info. on the back. The geocoin is imbedded in the wood and visable from both sides. Think this will last? We'll see, I just put him out yesterday.

So... what is a "hint" supposed to be anyway? I don't think it is an outright gimme. You all are right that it's not parking descriptions or to bring a lunch, fishing pole, etc. But can't hints be a little creative? I give hints that, well.. hint. "Fork over a hint" when it's in the fork of a tree, and "You'll 'ced-ar' the hiding spot from a distance' when the hide is under a cedar tree, are a couple of my hints. But my favorite that you all probably would kill me over is the one for a micro tied to a branch and placed up and into a woodpecker hole: "up, down, and inside". But I did hint in the description that I got to place this one verses my dog. His are all at ground level. So kill me if I'm creative with the hint. But it's a game isn't it?

Thanks for the reply! Some items just naturally seem to be a trademark left for the collecting. Like Deermark's nameplate on a stone, or my "limited edition" Knobhiker & Jack carpenters' pencils with woodburnt name and characters are ment for the taking. One cacher leaves and Old Forester whiskey card. I started finding these and wondered, "What a cheep trade!", then I realized later it was a trademark. I've collected one no longer thinking it cheep, but collectable. It's the business type cards that puzzle me. Some have neat info about the cacher or team. Sure they would never know I took one to collect, but I would only want to do so if they expected others to take their cards. So... if it's an object, collect it; If it's a card leave it?

Finding a trademark item in a cache is like seeing an old friend again. I've always left them, thinking they were like calling cards. But now I wonder if they are left as collectables. Recently I met another geocacher at a find and he gave me a fantastic personalized coin. Of the things inscribed on it is, "Cav Scout was here". Are trademark items to be taken and collected by others, or are they to be left as a "calling card"?

I started to use large pill bottles labeled "CITO" for my litter bag and rubber glove containers. At each cache I would leave one of these, but I ran out of pill bottles. Then it hit me. Put the bags in the glove, and write "CITO" on the glove! This eliminates one more possible waste item - the pill bottle. So if you find a geocache with a "CITO" rubber glove stuffed with a Wal-Mart bag, Knobhiker was there, or another conscientious cacher!

There is a trend among the experienced cachers to only sign the log books in my caches. I thought my well stocked caches would offer something for anyone. Compliments are given on the quality of the items, but nothing taken. I also am learning that most caches have a lot of trash in them. So I leave better items - often 2 for 1, and take out the trash or those items ruined by time. Experience says it's all about the hunt! (but I still will trade up and leave 2 for 1 when appropriate)

Fully collapsed. the Sherlock Travleler is 22" - it unscrews into two pieces and goes into the provided carrying bag. Fully extended it goes to 58".

A good hiking pole is never a dead weight packed at your side when geocaching. I just bought a new one that I am thrilled with. It's the Tracks "Sherlock Travel" hiking pole. What drew me to it was the camera mount on the top. You screw off a walnut knob and screw in the camera. It makes a great monopod to shoot those long distance and telephoto shots. What blows me away is the functionality of this pole. It adjusts over a great length and has very good grip surfaces. The top knob is perfect when going down steep slopes. I put the palm of my hand on top and it provide secure and comfortable support. Best of all, and what lead me to post after reading about gun toters, is this stick is a frightening weapon. The spike that can be exposed to use in rough terrain is a 2" hardened steel 1/4" diameter spike. It is sharpened to a very pointed end. When I use it to stab trash, it leave a hole bigger than a .22 bullet would leave. The length of this thing and the hard knob would make a good club. And the thing is light enough you could stab and swing a blow very quickly. Some have suggested hiking poles to lone cachers. A confident looking woman with a potentially dangerous weapon may diswade attackers who want passive targets. And it could be used in a fight to good end. So if a gun is not an option, or if you don't think you would actually shoot someone (if you pull it out, you better intend to use it with deadly force), then a good hiking pole like the Tracks Sherlock Travel would defend you well. And if you never used it on a person, I know you would use it to hike and poke around with it to find those caches.

This topic of CITO has been real good for me. I've been hiking a lot more this year, but never had a bag to carry out litter. The CITO idea has made me carry a trash bag and provide them for others as well. I stuff gloves and a bag or two into a pill bottle marking them "CITO - gloves and bags". No one thinks its an exchange item and now they have a CITO bag in addition to a cache item. I'm including Wal-Mart bags because I like the size and that it has handles. I loop the handles of the bag in my belt when I go hiking or geocaching. It's just the right size for me and the usual amount of trash I pick up. Seems that others are talking about kitchen basket sized trash bags that they place in CITO containers. That seems too large. Sure, if you are doing an event and the activity is all about cleaning up, the big bags are good. But a hands free - looped in my belt - trash bag seems just right for me. I'ld like to solicit comments and/or promote this idea of Wal-Mart type bags for CITO containers. Whacha think?

Thank you for this information. I hate these memorials. As a home health care professional, I saw many of them throughout southern Indiana. The gaudy lengths people extend the boundries of civil behavior on public land astounds me. I have seen 6' high crosses, memorials with pictures-basket balls-wreaths-and more, even brass plaques. Memorials are for the grave yard. Would these people like to be in a hospital bed with memorials tacked on the wall in memory of all those who died on that bed? "Oh, excuse me while I place this wreath for my loved one who died last week in this bed." These memorials are placed in dangerous places on the highways - obviously, people have died on these spots. They should not distact drivers or be visited. And most discusting are the memorials for drunk drivers that took their own lives. I take these down and leave a note, "Their foolish act could have killed my family. Please grieve at the grave." How about a geocache of removed roadside memorials ?

I figured out how to use the search mode and found two great articles on containers. Now I have a problem. My first two hides were in tackle boxes. Seemed like a good idea. But from the above answers not mentioning them, and the article recommending against them, I have desided to switch them out for ammo can. The locations will accommodate the larger cans, and I believe that I can edit my geocache descriptions after I change them out. Is this bad form to change the container? What you think? Change them or leave them?

I'm really new at this sport. I've found 7 and hide 3 geocaches. The guidelines tell what makes for good containers caches, but it seems that in the real world they come in all kinds. Yesterday I found a micro in a green gun powder tube. Had no idea what I was looking for - never saw a gun powder tube. But now I know! At the local army surplus store, the sales person told me a lot of geocachers like the waterproof wooden match containers. So I bought one of these little green waterproof containers. Great idea. I bet there are some really bad cache containers, like a Pringles can someone mensioned in a post. But what about your favorites? I really like hiding caches and cool, effective containers need to be part of it!

I'm new to geocaching, but not to the idea of leave it better than you found it. Over time, I've removed some "interesting" trash. Once on the local river, I tied a small water heater to the back of my kayak. Pleased with my effort, I pondered how the river owed me an exceptional experience. I thought of songbirds that I had not yet ever seen. Then I thought, "It's too late in the season for a new warbler sighting." So I thought that I would settle of a bird of prey. Within 10 minutes, a Bald Eagle rounded the turn in the river and flew right over me! WOW!!! But I wonder how gross a trash removal some of you would do. Last week I found my 3rd cache. At the parking lot I found lots of Saturday night trash to clean up. There lay a used condom. I wasn't going to touch that! Then I thought of the little kids fishing with their families. Who wants nasty condoms laying around where your kids play! So I took a Skoll (spelling?) can and carefully scrapped it off the pavement. Gross, yah, but I am glad I did it. How gross do you all go for CITO?

Those are the WORST!!!! I'm dealing with them now and never want to again. Anyone have any good tips on relieving this agony?? Folk remedy is to dab clear (or colored if you want to make a fashion statement) nail polish over each spot. I second the nail polish remedy. Beginning geocaching introduced me to chiggers. They love to be off trail. Mucking about and standing in one place gives them the chance they need to crawl up your pant leg. Treat at THE FIRST SIGN of a chigger bite. Otherwise they last for WEEKS! If you don't want to tuck your pant leg in, use rubberbands or bicyclers' pants clips. Forget the shorts! I never liked shorts for rugged outdoor activity. The Croc. Hunter was not using his head when he went every where in those khaki shorts.

At first I thought the "k" sounding of the "C" in CITO might be right. But going to the dictionary, words starting "ci-" are pronounced soft, "sea". Examples are citizen and citation. The "i" is pronounced as a short "i". Examples are as noted and the gasoline company Citgo. The "T" has only one sound. The "o" must be long sounded as in "logo", or "shinto". So by gramatical rules, CITO is pronounced "Sit-O". But common convention rules over gramatical rules! I would conclude THE way to pronounce CITO is "Sight-O", like, "The sight o' that trash makes me want to clean it up!".

At first I thought the "k" sounding of the "C" in CITO might be right. But going to the dictionary, words starting "ci-" are pronounced soft, "sea". Examples are citizen and citation. The "i" is pronounced as a short "i". Examples are as noted and the gasoline company Citgo. The "T" has only one sound. The "o" must be long sounded as in "logo", or "shinto". So by gramatical rules, CITO is pronounced "Sit-O". But common convention rules over gramatical rules! I would conclude THE way to pronounce CITO is "Sight-O", like, "The sight o' that trash makes me want to clean it up!".

Chiggers are very tiny bugs that are pinpoint small. They are attracted to body heat. Once they find a host, they dig under the skin. An inflammatory responce begins about 1-2 days later. It's like a mosquito bite that gets worse everyday. A dab of finger nail polish over the site works great, but catch it early or they will last for days - I've had a bite last a month! I clicked the tick icon, but the warning about chiggers will be edited in today. Thanks all!!! I think I'm hooked on a new hobby. This friendly community of geocachers pulls a person in!

I placed 2 hides on 7-31-07 and both were found yesterday! I was afraid that my coordianates or description might be poor, but no! Bill Z said the coordinates of hide #2 were "spot on". Hide #1 was in a hilly place. My accuracy was only 25-30'. Bill Z's was initially 100' off until he came back the opposite direction. After not finding Indy Diver's caches, I thought I would try the other end of geocaching - hiding caches. I'm more excited about mine found and complimented than if I found one myself. But you can bet I'm hooked and going out to find some local geocaches. One thing I'm worried about for Bill Z, I got chiggers mucking around in the woods. I wonder how Bill Z feels today!