CluelessnLuV

maybe the wife of that camel?

To all the mourners of their trackables - GREAT NEWS! There is still a chance for your trackable to show up just like this one did TB29WE7 Mario . The cacher grabbed it in June of 2009 and just dropped it off (April 2012) in another cache in Georgia, USA. We thought it's pretty cool story and was worth sharing

If you're at the point of giving up on your trackable, you could mark it "Missing" and suggest to other owners to do the same. Then he'd have to look through his collection, if it indeed exists, to retrieve the codes. Not a very productive solution, I admit, but maybe fun nonetheless. +1 Seems like an interesting idea, once you can get many of the other Trackable Owners of the trackables he holds riled up and do the same

Giving it a bump to see if we can get more support

Think of it as driving nails in with a baseball bat - you can do it but it's really awkward and you might slam your fingers a few times. THere are many threads here comparing the car/handheld gps. We have Garmin 265 WT, and we ue it in conjunction to the handheld. We did find a couple caches just by using car unit but caches were in obvius locations so precision did not matter. So problem no. 1 - precision. Handheld GPS gives you distance in ft to the GZ no matter how close you are. On the car GPS (at least on our Garmin) we couldn't find to get closer than "arriving at destination" which could be 50 ft off. 2. Once you're "At destination" - car gps will not show anymore the direction to the hide, or the distance. And chances are you will not find well hidden cache with a first sweep through. 3. Did you put the cache info into your car GPS in the first place? If you didn't put this stuff in, you will not have it in there. TO do that - hook up you GPS to your computer via provided (in most cases) usb cord. Once your GPS shows that it's linked to the computer, on the cache page click on SEND TO MY GPS just below the coordinates of the cache. In the little window that pops up choose GARMIN. THis may prompt you to download plug-in first. TO do that follow the instructions that will be provided. (Note - it is usually a one-time thing so you will not have to do this every time you hook up the gps to your computer) Once you downloaded the needed plug-in try the SEND TO MY GPS button on the cache page again. Once the little window pops up and tells you it found your GPS unit, click WRITE. Now the coordinates and GC code for the cache are in your GPS. To find it in your car GPS, go to WHERE TO..., then to FAVORITES, ALL FAVORITES, and it's in there among the other stuff you saved. On the map it'll show as a treasure chest. 4. Durability. Handheld units in most cases are built to withstand many military-set standarts for shock, water and dust - resistance, etc. Car units are made for use in... cars. Have Fun!

As for your phone - you will not always be able to find a cache right at the posted coordinates. GPS has usually in the best case scenario +/- 9 ft (3 meters) accuracy - and that is on a good day with no clouds and other iterference and over a long period of time. And that's just for the person who hid it. Add your phone having at least +/- 3m accuracy and you're already further from the hide . When cacher placed their cache - their GPS or smartphone accuracy could've been even further off. Just noticed a new cache near us that just had it's coordinates fixed by over 60 ft (18 meters or so). We usually check at least a 10-15 meter radius around the suggested coordinates area if we can't find it any closer. Also, read previous logs for the cache you're trying to find, note any "needs maintenance" posts, comments about it's location or the dates of most recent finds (Not everyone logs their DNFs - "Did Not Find" so the cache might've been muggled and the CO - "Cache Owner" doesn't know of all the failed attempts at finding the cache) Oh, and BTW - Welcome to Our Addiction! Once you find a few nice caches at the really cool spots, you'll know what we mean!

I will be back in the area soon so i can try and take a better picture and coordinates reading. As for missile silos nearby.... there is a Russian Federation Embassy property that starts only couple hundred feet from there

Whew, thanks for the editing

New Geocaching backpack essential for us on long out-of-the-way trips: Has a charging ability for the phones and can keep GPS running even if batteries are low via USB cord, and flashlight is handy.

Hi all. Really new to this Benchmarking stuff, so need help right off the bat. While in DC (Embassy Row), found this benchmark or (seems to have a problem posting the link from skydrive) look at the Picture Here. Geodesic reference Point 4930 The location is approximately: N 38° 55.356 W 077° 04.427 (on google maps you can even see the marker HERE) Any ideas as to what it really is? Checked Waymarking already for this location and also came up with nothing. Thanks CluelessnLuv

Thanks to Lackey Annie for taking care of this issue so promptly and sending us a new, much nicer coin!

On the geocache page (of the cache you are heading out to find) below the Attributes is Geocache Inventory. There it will say if there are any trackables in the cache. However, read up the previous logs of the past cachers. Sometimes, unfortunately, it does happen that the trackable is not in the geocache, even though cache page says that it is. This could be due to the trackable not having been logged-in properly. You can click on The Name of the trackable on the cache page to see more info about this trackable (Like it's Mission, Goal, origin, miles travelled, picture of it, etc). There are lots of trackables around so i'm sure you will find some. When you do find it, please take time to read any stuff that accompanys it. You might find the Mission Statement of the Travel Bug right along with it. This and what you've read earlier on the trackables page on-line, could help you determine whether you want to just "Discover" it (means if you're not able to help it on it's mission you leave it in the container, but do write down it's trackable number, and then on the Trackables page log it as "discovered"), or "Retrieve It" (means if you think you can help the trackable reach it's goal in any way, you grab it, log it's trackable number on trackable's page as "retrieved from GC....." or "grabbed it from somewhere else" type of log, and then drop it off in the other cache) Also if you switch to "Original Map" from the New Maps BETA view, and click on the cache on the map - if it has any trackables it will show a tab on that little bubble that opens up with quick cache info, that tells you if there are any trackables that are supposed to be in the cache. Hopefully they (lackeys ) will employ that feature on the new Beta maps. And it helps to remember that the Trackable Owners do like when you post pictures of their trackables' travels online, so don't be shy with your camera. Hope this helps.

There is a guy in our area who couldn't manage them when he had 20, and he still kept publishing new ones... I think he finally gave up after 44. At this point all you see is bunch of DNF or Needs Maintenace logs until someone askes for them to be archived. We've also seen folks that couldn't take care of the 3 (one just got archived for that very reason). At the same time we did come across a CO who has 303 caches to-date and seems to be taking care of them just fine. If they (caches)are in decent shape, sturdy waterproof containers with lots of log-in space, well hidden from muggles and are not in questionable areas, you should be able to handle a lot of them without much toil. It's the poorly hidden bad quality and visible ones that'll have you running around all the time like a chicken with your head cut off. Also keep in mind all the emails you get each time someone finds your cache. Once you get tons of those in your in-box, it's hard to recognize "needs Maintenance" one. Try and see what comes out. But please do not abandon them even if you feel "swamped" - there are usually many cacheres out there willing to "adopt" a few caches form you if you do not seem to be able to take care of them anymore. Worse comes to worse - archive them yourself, instead of just taking up a good spot for a more active CO. Good Luck!

Well, seems like the topic stalled, so did the the whole website help topic that would help to recognize trackables that are MIA. Is there anyone besides us who goes out to the caches they've already found just to get a look at/discover a different Geocoin?

Could use that shovel for the very same reason (edit: only different application )you'd bring Toilet Paper? (It's an essential while backpacking so why not while geocaching?)

Even if it's a religious pamphlet? But gong back to the post : we live in a society. It's full of people with different interests, hobbies, quirks, moods, mental and physical states... etc. You can not expect them all to fit your own standards. Neither should you expect them to always do only what you like. And neither should they expect that from you in return. That being said, why can't you folks accept, that since someone did find it interesting/important enough to stick it in the cache, there isn't anyone else who'd like finding and reading that stuff? I'm sure there is more than one person who'd consider those things as (if not more) interesting as someone would find the rubber ball, or a Kids Meal toy or kaleidoscope or some other un-serious stuff like that that peopsle think deserves to be put in the cache and looked at by many other cachers who would come through there. If you think folks will like to look at for many years to come or even trade for your kaleidoscope - Great. Just also be prepared to simply accept that there are those to whom that kaleidoscope is less important than the rubber balls, and there are even those, to whome the pamphlets they'd find are more important. We always looked at Geocaching as one of the ways to discover something nes - whether it's a new town, new park, new kind of container, new ideas... new doesn't necesserily mean it's not old. It's just new to us. So it's just interesting to see what some people put in caches - can tell you a whole lot about the caches in the area, and something about the area itself. If done with a right state of mind - most (if not all) of the stuff you can find while geocaching could help broaden your horizons. Just be a little more tolerant of others and their interests. If, however, you (whoever might read this and this applies to) can't accept that peope might have different likes'dislikes than you and have hard time dealing with it (as in take upon yourself to trash the stuff from the geocache just casue you don;t like what otheres put there) Move somewhere where there are no people you'd have to deal with and don't do things that are done by a Community (- bunch of different people united by a common goal (assuming it's using multibillion dollar satellite equipment to find tupperware in the woods)). Maybe even create a (YourName)caching.com and leave it have 1 member - you. That way you can find only the caches you like that you placed, and that have the right kind of stuff in them that you stuck in there for your liking. Dunno about you but that kind of activity sounds a bit dull to me.

Well... the week is coming to an end soon. Hurry out there! AMong the VA State parks, that have caches for sure are : Mason Neck and Leesylvania State parks

To the "Humorous Guy" : what do you think about urban cashes, all over little cities. As i understand from some of the writing above, VDOT manages their roadways too. Most of them are not quite Park-and-Grab caches (ever try finding easy, fast and close-by parking in let's say Old-Town Alexandria?) Does this mean Urban caching in Virginia is in jeapardy? (Example - Every bench nano cache on a sidewalk near a road) Just asking to weigh-in, since you do represent a form of law-enforcement, albeit not Virginia one...

Easy for you all to say "settle down" You evidently are not caching in Virginia... Just gonna be sad to see some really nice creative caches disappear. And they do not seem to be in the "danger spots". However, i am curious how they justify calling a side-walk a "Private Property"? All the people setting their trash at least once a week out on the curb, "owned by VDOT" should be cited? (You could Read it as a Weekly Cito Event )And what is the guideline for the Right-of-Way distance? Seems like this could turn into a legal battle of terminology, wits and many precedent cases...

Flash on a camero-phone has come in handy on numerous occasions( i just put it on video mode, turn flash on and it;s like a mini - flashlight)

It was merged but pporly since id does not depict the original idea. Gonna stick it into comments. Look at the link at the post above and keep voting! Edit: added new location for the votes: VOTE HERE - Might get something done after all

+1 It's like claiming that the cache that cachers placed in memory of the little child they lost and ask that folks try and keep it kid-freindly (put toys in it and it is already filled with toys) has an agenda! Get a grip folks! If you gonna go around saying things like that - more than half of Geocoins would have to be banned due to having an agenda, while all they're really doing is expressing their owners' interests...

Per suggestion from above, posted a new Web Site Suggestion on site Feedback from Forums main page. Vote Here With some adjustments and additions picked up here from other posters that i happened to agree with. Vote Away! Edit: Adding the topic name - Implementing a "Needs Maintenance" type log for Trackables

What about Needs Maintenance log for Trackables on Trackables page? And when the NM is posted, the trackable will show up Red instead of blue in the cache inventory? NM can be removed by the trackable owner or also can be removed by another person by logging it in using it's trackable number. Would it be that hard? Seems like it wouldn't be a bad solution.

Confirmed - REI has TBs, Geocoins, all kinds of caching stuff