dakardrix

Just settle for some coffee and .......! Bruce, doesn't seem like our Photoshopped image works for marketing.. feel so ignored...

Tx Bruce, certainly a day for hard-core cachers only! I think only a few people might understand what it means to plant 22 caches in one day, and we are not talking about drive-by's. Hope more than 10 people pitch up for the Fest hunt part... but even if only 10 enjoy it, they'll be there for the future, so plan some caching for the Easter weekend if you are around. Not all will be published immediately, depending on the amount of cache entries we receive, but the majority will be. So currently there are 17+22=39 planted. Still more to come! And if you hate micros, just ignore them - and don't post logs like "There should be a bigger cache at this place!" !!! This event and 'series' are there to have fun chasing numbers, yet few are 'arb', and to inject some life into the dwindling new caches in our area of South East Pretoria - so it makes it accessible for the Jo'burgers as well. I hope Bruce posts the picture of him retrieving Star Crater climbing with motorcycle helmet! Strange but true...

I have 14 pre-prepared magnetic micros with log sheets and pencils ready for Saturday. I can make more if you want... So is it all systems go for another outride to plant them all? Yip, I'm building the tree one and maybe another one tonight. Will take the trailer and ladder as well. The under water one I'll manufacture next week and the fake tarmac I'm reconsidering. The teddy looks good though. But the fish looks false...

... 17 planted... this is hard work.... and my job really interferes with my real life!

...Excel...

Hehe... ja, you need a thick skin on that forum. But as usual, most of the people from there that I meet in real life are very different from their forum personality. Like me for example on here I am quite normal... but in real life i am a serial killer.... geocaching is an excellent pastime and helps me find them great places to hide all the bodies. Thanks to all the geocachers out there for showing me the great places.... LoL. Stop littering!

Hehe... ja, you need a thick skin on that forum. But as usual, most of the people from there that I meet in real life are very different from their forum personality.

I know, but it is a forum with over 5,000 members and yet there is a bond between bikers that this guy is testing. If he was just stirring it would be fine, but I checked his other posts and yes, he does seem to invite flames... Oh well, moving on...

I was SO cross when I read this... still fuming! http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=44068.0

Absolutely! But you can't bring your Skunk cache... BTW, I have been working on the caches today and realised we are too optimistic to prepare caches for sale as well, I'd rather plant the few non-micros I have. So, I think we'll keep it simple - you either bring your prepared cache (remember, only ONE per team, not per person!) or make a R50 donation (as mentioned this will be used towards the caches we replace afterwards) If we can't decide between the best cache containers, we'll put it to the vote at the braai...

dakardrix predicts 1 April 2010...

?? I see one can't edit old posts (like the very first one)? The intention was to keep updating the first post with the info as we discuss in order not to have everyone wade through the posts and/or miss something. Oh well, think I'll just repost the growing summary every week or so to keep it close to the end of the thread...

Hi Happy Hunters!! Good questions. We will have 2 or 3 laptops to load straight onto your devices - just remember to bring data cables, ours might not fit (we will have the standard mini-USB that works on Nuvi/Colorado/Oregon and so on) Will still see if we put in LOC/GPX format, possibly yes and on a few memory sticks. GreenJaM, who has done this before at NOLY event, recommends we stick to using Mapsource and load as Waypoints, apparently it has the least compatibility issues - names will be short like 'Micro33-Box' The descriptions/hints will be basic and fit on the paper, so we don't plan HTML descriptions - rather keep it simple. Also plan to print map (as part of paper pack) with cache waypoints to give overview for route planning. These are the plans for now.

Now, if our informal marketing works and I have neighbours and biking friends and therefore lots of newbies pitch up, they might be put off by the cache swop requirement for the morning hunt. Showstopper, barrier to entry, all that jazz... So, if you don't want to prepare a cache or don't know how, we will also be selling a few prepared caches on the side for R50 each (I think that's reasonable?) and when we run out we will take R50 donations. This is not to make a profit, just to cover some costs - it will all go back into the caches. If that is still an issue, just talk to me and we will 'sponsor' you. These are tough times and if you only have R50 in your pocket I'd rather you spend it on the petrol driving around caching, than not take part at all! We want people to have fun and enjoy the sport of geocaching, whatever it takes!

Shhh Bruce, I'm trying to convince everyone it's just road-side micro's! Note to self - keep an eye on my long ladder when people register in the morning... BTW, and seriously now (sounds like a Star Crater description!), just to clarify, as I picked up some confusion from people: On the 27th of March, we will be ready for teams from 7am - 10am. You can arrive later, just warn me before, as we will be clearing the registration and start to get ready for the return of teams as well as the braai (which will be ready after 2pm) Entry requirements: The braai is open to everyone, just pitch (as per postings before and cache listing) and you can log the event as 'Attended' To take part in the micro hunt in the morning: You bring a new pre-prepared cache, bigger than a micro, preferably a standard size, fairly waterproof and with log sheet/book, stash note, pen/pencil and normal toys/tradeables as per geocaching rules. You give that to us and we will go and plant it later and reference who donated it. In exchange, we will give you the list of caches available (load on your GPS if possible and a paper copy, so even the most basic GPS/cell phone that can take co-ordinates can participate) and set you off with instructions. You then have until 2pm to return - please don't race unsafely, we will be flexible in allocating points for the amount of caches and time of return - exact time will only play a role if teams have similar points/finds. The few small prizes don't warrant putting your lifes and others' at stake on the road, it's about fun!!

Mmm, eezy peezy sê jy... Bought Colorado 300. Installed Streetmaps that came with the buy, no problem. Then bought Garmap DEM and Topo codes. 4 nights later, fuming, I got it right. After a few months, the buggy Colorado shook itself to pieces on the bike (mini-USB port), so got replacement Colorado from Avnic. 3 nights later, after figuring out Garmap has to make changes on their database - which they did wrong at first, and the stupid Colorado at least had something on the screen. This one in particular hung up right in the middle of the veld, not even taking the batteries out would fix it sometimes! Fortunately it broke again after another few months. I was not ready to struggle again, so rather spent a few nights searching for guides. Tried a couple, found the best one, now I was in charge for a change. When Colorado #3 broke after the obligatory few months (as I told them it would), they offered me the Oregon 300. This time it took one evening only and I was sorted with a unit that worked! Until a friend climbed on my bike and fell Oregon #1 to pieces (well, totally ripping out the mini-USB) Avnic called it 'abuse' this time and offered a 'core swop', so friend paid for that. Another evening to sort out Oregon #2 (thus Garmin #5) - eezy peezy Then, in December I hit a bridge (off-road) and Oregon went a-flying in pieces. Took 30 minutes to find parts and batteries, full of marks and scratches, but all working when I put it together again. And so far so good - every firmware upgrade for the Oregon makes it better! While the Colorado gets ignored by Garmin... So ja, it's painful when I see how people new to the strange Garmin/Garmap world battle...

Hehe, fortunately we stopped enough. And Bruce entertained me no end! It felt like 500km, but I think we roughly did 150km, focusing on one corner of the overall plan. But not to worry, there will be more than enough easy finds! The way things are going, you will be able to continue caching for the full next day as well, if you like. The intention is to publish 99% of all the event caches (well, remember the event is the braai, the cache hunt is additional, but I'm sure you all know that by now) In essence, we try and cater for... i.e. keep everyone busy for the maximum time - I'll be shocked if any team gets more than half the caches on the day: 1. Road bikes that don't want to go on gravel/off-road; cars that have no desire to get dirty - i.e. your typical Ferrari cache mobile; 2. Road bikes and semi-off-road bikes that go where their owners want them to go and they are not scared of dust; RedGlobe cars that are not meant to go off-road, but their owners treat them like Avis cars and they can handle gravel - i.e. most of the cars we all drive; 3. Bakkies and cars (like the capable GreenJaM Subaru) with more height than a normal car and/or off-road capabilities - no 4x4's required, except if it rains a lot or people take interesting routes to waypoints!; Adventure bikes with slightly more experienced/trained riders and/or with height and maybe capable tyres - no enduro bikes needed. Hope that helps! Will try and mark the caches as such, i.e. Vehicle level 1, 2 or 3. The 2.5 ratings will be interesting - make sure you have the phone number of a buddy with a bakkie to come help if you beach your Golf!

What a hot day! But we had loads of fun - 8 planted and 41 spots so far. Names include 'Out of the Box', 'Pass', 'Overhang'... The question is, is Out of the Box a level 4 or level 5 terrain??? :]

Go ask Avnic for a 'core swop'.

Hey, we were there too in 1992 - August I think.. honeymooning, backpacking for 3 months... those were the days... when South Africans were frowned upon!

I love that I could create a problem for you guys to choose between caching, catching, and catching up! I have marked 30 spots already. Bruce and I are going out tomorrow on the bike to plant the first ones - not even at the marked spots, but beyond. I started organising my material gathered over the last 2 years - scary how many containers I have... so small... hehe ...we'll see by the end of tomorrow what has happened!

Cool, event is published! GC2381D http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...c0-f4586e76076f

I think what nobody is mentioning, is the compass function for the last mile or meters (or is it only me using it??) The Nuvi 200-types only have numbers to work with, whereas the Oregon (and Nuvi 500, CSx, etc.) have the compass. I don't know if you can add that option to the Nuvi as well, but I was present when BruceTP used his Nuvi in the beginning - you have to do the compass thing in your head: " .123 is more South, where is South again, oh that way, wait... where is .089 oh that's East. Let's see, let me cross the river here... over to that boulder... wait the numbers are going to the wrong side! Mmm, let me go back... Oh, it's West. Just leave that, the tree over there looks like the spot... What is Drix doing in the smaller tree? Oh, it's the cache..." Hehe, love you Bruce! LOL Bottom line, I used my Nokia for months and many caches, but I did use a compass option. If I didn't lose it, I probably would have used it today still! But I do love my Oregon, only drawback is poor visibility on the bike if the sun is not directly from the back or the front.

Congrats, that was a quick one!

How does one delete a post? I somehow managed a double posting and one does not seem to be able to make it disappear...