El Diablo

If your caches are mainly hit by tourist I would stock it with swag that tourist normally pick up while visiting Alaska. One day I hope to get there. I'll probably want hand warmers. El Diablo

You would be better off to get a handheld. They are easier to use and most importantly they are more rugged than the Nuvi. If you cache long enough you will drop the unit sooner or later. El Diablo

LOl! Been there, done that, and bought a T-Shirt. Welcome to the caching world. El Diablo

Welcome to our little group! If you think 95 in Virginia is hot, wait until you get to Florida. El Diablo

Go here...Pocket Queries This will allow you to download 500 PQ's at once since you're a Premium Member. You will need to find a program to help you load them. You can find that here...Resourses El Diablo

I think it's great because it encourages people to try a hide. If it doesn't work out, big deal. Besides, it's not like you have to find the cache--that's what the ignore button is for... I found one such cache, hid my own, went back to log the find/hide and enjoyed it very much. I'm all for encouraging people to hide new caches - seed caches work for that - it's the required part that I don't like. And I do agree, if there's a change to what reviewers will allow to be published, then it needs to be in the guidelines. There shouldn't be these "unwritten" guidelines out there. Caching is a ever evolving game that requires the guidelines to be constantly updated. There isn't always time to publish a new guideline before you have to react to the present situation that may not be currently covered. The Reviewers and Moderators have their own forums where I'm sure they consult with each other on such issues before making a ruling. El Diablo

Click your "find button" the click "Enter" then click "menu" Then click "Delete" then "all symbols" El Diablo

Go to "Your Account" on the main GC.com page. You'll find it on the right hand side of the page. El Diablo

Someone has to create them. I've just started and so far I have 1 logged visit and I've posted 3 waymarks. It reminds me of when I started caching 7 years ago. There were very few caches hidden in the area so a couple of us placed them for each other to find. It grew from there. Hopefully Waymarking will do the same. El Diablo

If they are logging the cache prior to it being published, my guess is they are being given the coordinates in advance. I wouldn't sweat it though. Just go find the cache and enjoy your experience. El Diablo

There is no place to explain all puzzle caches. Each one stands alone pretty much. El Diablo

I have a 500 Street Pilot and there are no way of entering coordinates. So no it can't be used. El Diablo

Just go here where you would normally submit a cache Cache submission and when you choose the type of cache in the drop down menu you'll see event cache. El Diablo

Look at GCK12J. It's an example of something that doesn't tell you exactly what you're looking for. Without giving it away, it's part of the WWII memorial I wouldn't have noticed without the cache. Or look at GC8348. It tells you that it's a statue of a general, but it doesn't tell you which general. (If you know much about military history, you can figure it out.) Logging the cache is like getting a good feeling from answering a quiz (OK, an easy quiz in this case). Waymarking that same statue is more like checking something off a to-do list. I have no real attachment to the smilies. I've gotten the same number of smilies and waymark visits (~60ish) over the past 16 months. I'm just trying to explain why they scratch slightly different itches. Of the caches or virtuals/waymarks that you mentioned, isn't the common goal the same? The goal of getting you to a special spot, to see a special site? Does it matter if you have to answer a question, or just take a picture? Isn't any cache or virtual like checking off a to do list? Please understand that I'm not debating you, I'm just trying to understand. El Diablo

I'm not familar with your unit. Also what you ask is a bit much to try and explain in a post. Basically the info you compile to GASK is then transferred to your GPS. Going paperless with your pda is another animal altogether. Just hang tight and I'm sure some answers are coming. Brian??? El Diablo

Great point! El Diablo

Not a problem if it's well hidden in the woods were it's unlikely that a muggle would find it. Anyplace else probably wouldn't be a good idea. El Diablo

I think you're right Ambrosia. If GC gave a smiley for a waymark, people would flock to it like flies to....(Insert your favorite fly gathering here.). Now if people would just go out and enjoy and stop worrying about status in the game, they would have a lot more fun. El Diablo

no, it isn't what they're doing. they are reserving first find as a special thing and giving it on the cheap to some patsy who doesn't know enough to be embarrassed. if just ONE person comes to their senses and restores integrity to a first find, i will have done my job. I don't know why anyone would be embarrassed that someone hid a cache in their honor. I also don't understand why being the FTF enchances the experience of caching as a whole. I never ceased to be amazed when I read someone proudly proclaiming the FTF on a LPC, or a P&G. Now if they were the first to solve a hard puzzle cache, or did a 5/5 cache I could understand the pride. I think you and a lot of others are missing the point. This cache wasn't about reserving a FTF per se for a cacher. It was about honoring that person for past accomplishments. They weren't trying to hand that cacher a freebie. I would doubt that more than 5% of cachers care about being FTF. Caching isn't about being the FTF, if you think so you've missed the entire point. If just ONE person who believes being FTF is the point of this comes to their senses, and understands it's not, then I will have done my job. El Diablo

I'm hardly an expert on the subject, but here are my impressions. When I've done a virtual, it's generally of the form of, "go to these coordinates and answer these questions." Usually, the cache page doesn't tell you exactly what you're looking for. When I do a waymark, the waymark page tells me exactly what I'm looking for. A recent example: I visited the Mall in Washington, DC. For logging visits to memorials, I would generally need to post a picture of myself at the memorial, a picture of myself with my GPS at the memorial, or just a description of my visit. The name of the waymark would be something like "WWII Memorial". One particular virtual required me to find a part of the WWII memorial I would not have visited otherwise and answer a question about it. So Waymarking isn't very much about "the hunt", in my experience. It is missing the experience of "go to a neat place someone else has identified but where you're not sure exactly what you'll find until you get there." It doesn't have a "puzzle" aspect to it. Maybe there are individual categories that have that characteristic, but I haven't run into them. That said, I like Waymarking. It's interesting to know that there's a ginormous foam fire hydrant nearby and go visit it. And I don't mind too much the ban on creating new virtuals...there are quite a number in the system that will keep me busy for a while. Given the nature of them, they will be around for far longer than physical caches. And I can see where they "crowd out" traditional caches. On the other hand, I think Groundspeak is missing something by not allowing new virtuals. There are certain places that aren't appropriate for physical caches, but where it would be good to have some type of cache. As I said above, I think earthcaches are a good step in that direction. Maybe "history caches" would be another step? I wouldn't want someone hiding a nano at Versailles, but something that had people answer something historical in order to log it would be kinda neat. So let me get this right, even though a Waymark carried you to the same place as a virtual would have, but you didn't have to answer a question it's not the same? My recollection of virtual caches are that you were required to take a pic or to answer a question to verify that you had indeed been there, and not just googled the image. I've also never seen a virtual cache that didn't tell you what it was you were looking for. That would be listed as a Mystery cache I believe. There is a old virtual down the road from me that is both listed as a virtual and a waymark. Both require the same logging criteria. So once agin I have to ask what is the difference? El Diablo

Virtuals were abused. No doubt about it. I also saw the virtuals being used by land managers as an easy out. Were there ways to fix them? Yes but they involved too much work on volunteers part. It is unfortunate they went away and, no, Waymarking is not an alternative. " Please educate me here. I've heard time and time again that Waymarking is not an alternative to virtuals. Why not? Seems exactly the same to me except you don't get a smiley on your main account. So someone please take me to school on this so that I might understand. Thanks! El Diablo

Don't worry about it. If you hang out in these fourms long enough you will find people that love to go against the grain. They really have nothing to offer besides angst. It's just a fact. You are tempted to debate, but it's like throwing gasoline on a fire you want to put out. El Diablo

It should have been almost instant. Write contact@Groundspeak.com with your problem and it should be right shortly. El Diablo

Good point! El Diablo

Turn by turn is useful in getting you into the general area, not to the parking area. I normally look at the map when I get close and then try to find the most logical way in. El Diablo