Firespinner

I was caching with a friend yesterday and this topic came up. We thought it would be a good idea to find the trashiest, most littered parts of town and place a trash-cache there.....with the additional logging requirement that you must post a picture of yourself cleaning up at least a small trash-bag's worth of litter to count it as a find. Once I start hiding my own caches, I'm totally going to do this! The other day while caching we hauled out 4 bags of trash and recyclables!

Sometimes I have a travel bug that is big so it only fits in larger caches (which seem to be rare these days) so to move it, I mist re-visit a large cache that I've already found in the past. Since I found it before, I use the note function instead of 'found it' for a second time. Then I log "bug drop" to indicate my purpose for revisiting the cache. This also happens if I don't have time for caching but I need to get a particular bug to move fast, I'll just revisit a nearby cache that I already know the location of, just to quickly get the bug to move.

I have encountered a situation that is new for me. I picked up a travel bug in Illinios on the way home from the Ozarks. I brought it to Ohio and tried to log it, however, it says its in a different cache from where I found it. Now, normally I woudl jsut wait a week because it is likely that someone moved it from one cache to another and hadn't been online to log the activity yet. But, looking at the logs for both the TB and the cache it was 'supposed' to be in, I am assuming the following: The bug was placed in the cache last August (2008). Sometime between then and April, the bug disappeared from that cache. There is a note on that cache from someone who visited in April and indicated that the TB was not in the cache anymore. Then the cache was destroyed in May or early June (remants were found). The cache was replaced and is active again, however it still shows the bug in it. I actually found the bug in a different cache over 200 miles away from where it supposedly was. The cache owners and the people logging in that time frame are not similar. So, can i 'grab it' from the cache without logging a find on that cache? I don't want to log a find on a cache that I haven't actually found but I'm not sure if I can grab the bug without showing the cache as a find. Once I have it, I will 'virtually dip it" into the cache I actually found it in so the mileage is correct before I move it. Is there any other better way to get the bug to show as being in my possesion and fixing the mileage? Can I grab it from a cache without logging the cache as a find? I'm sure the bug owner will be delighted that it has reappeared and was not destroyed in the other cache, but the mystery will remain of how it got >200 miles away in such an odd circumstance.

My GPS doesn't show streets. It has only major interstates. I didn't buy the additional road-map upgrade of that area. I'll have to check out that website too. looks like entertaining reading.

I'm a Wiccan Priestess

Here's a good one.... We were on our way back (just a couple days ago) to Ohio from the Ozarks. We had been camping for 8 days and were exhausted, sweaty, dirty and wanted to get home. But of course, I wanted to stop for some geocaching along the way. My husband reluctantly agreed and we got off the highway. We went to a cemetery in the middle of nowhere. Literally, there were wheat fields to all sides of the cemetery. So I found the micro geocache. It was next to a headstone of a cacher who had passed. A touching tribute, I thought. So I tied a flower lei around the flower hook also next to the stone and headed back to my husband who was in the truck not looking pleased. He tried to start the truck and it just cranks and cranks with no catching. After checking on things, it became pretty obvious that the fuel pump went out. SOOO...why is this a great story? I'm sure many vehicles break down in the boonies while caching.....it gets better.....keep reading. So we call a tow company. No one is familiar with the area and so this tow company was the closest. (60 miles away). So he askes what street the cemetery is on. I have no clue. I tell him I can give him long/lat of my location and he says that won't help. He asks how we got there (ie what turns we made off the highway) and I can't really help there either since we had been doing the geocache bee dance for another cache prior to landing in the cemetery. So I tell him what exit we got off and which way we turned off the exit and promised to call him back with the nearest intersection name. So I set off in the blazing sun to hike to the next intersection. I get there and the street signs had numbers but no names. I call him back and tell him the numbers. No help. He says he'll call me when he gets off the exit and we'll figure it out from there. About an hour later he calls and asks if we passed a section where the road was closed. I told him no, but I did see a small detour sign. He turns around. Then he asks me if we went over railroad tracks. I said no, but that I had heard a train off to my left about 10 minutes ago. I tell him what I'm wearing and he told me what color truck he has. I stood in the road in front of the cemetery until we finally find each other. So truck loaded and we're in the tow rig heading back to the highway. He asks me what the heck we were doing out in the middle of nowhere....I told him we were geocaching and he asked what it was ....so I explain. Then he stops for gas and I, being curious, look at my gps. There is a geocache across the intersection next to the highway. I jokingly told my husband just to get his reaction. The tow truck driver gets back in and hears the joke. NExt thing I know, he says "heck, you've had a bad day....go for it" and he pulled in to the Cracker Barrel so I coudl get the geocache before we headed with my truck to the garage! heeheeheee. He was the coolest truck driver EVER!!!! so lets hear some more great geocache stories!

First, Welcome to geocaching! Congrats on your first two finds! Secondly, I think that is great swag. I thought the same as you at first and misunderstood that the swag couldn't have an 'agenda', charity or otherwise. I was wrong. "Officially" what can't have an agenda is the theme of the cache. IE...you could not hide a cache and call it "donate to homeless pets" and ask everyone to put in dog toys as swag....or a cache that has a title of "Republicans rock" and then post political opinions on teh cache page. Some cachers feel the same (no agenda) rules should apply to swag and some don't, but either way...there is no rule about swag. Most people only get bent out of shape if propaganda (worthless paper advertising) is left of a religious or political nature. This still only usually applies to the worthless paper stuff. Many people leave cross pendants, political buttons and the like...since they might be a fun thing for others to find. The propaganda usually only gets thrown away or wet and ruins the cache. I think your swag is a great idea and would be appreciated by many who find it! Happy caching!

It sounds like a lot of people have some 'beef' with the OP and its confusing. I wasn't going to post and was just going to ignore the petty jabs, but its getting old. The email thing...they didnt' send them every week, they didn't send 10 to each person, they admitted it was a mistake.....move on. But the "just north" and "copy cat" comments make no sense to me. First of all, I live in ohio and the MWGB isn't JUST north of this....its ALOT north of it. I can easily get my husband to agree to a 1/2 hour drive for a geocache festival, but a 5 or 6 hr drive, its just not gonna happen. So I, for one, am glad that there is another event closer by to go to. Now maybe its because I'm new when it comes to events, but I also don't see the 'copy cat' claim. Its a geocaching festival. One is alien themed. One looks old west themed. The websites look vastly different. Now, maybe MWGB had an alien theme last year and I just didn't know. I go to many Pagan festivals each year. Many of them have the same workshops and events being held at the festival....not because they're copycatting but because the nature of a Pagan festival means there will be magickal workshops, a huge bonfire and some rituals. The nature of geocaching means that any geocaching festival would have geocaching workshops, vendors of a geocaching nature, GPS workshops, some entertainment and probably some local geocaching going on. It's not copycatting....its the nature of any geocaching camping festival. There are no toes being stepped on. Now if both were being held on the same weekend, then there would be direct competition and thus, some shoddy ethics, but these events aren't even in the same town, the same month or anywhere close to each other. I am glad that there are more choices since I could not go to the MWGB. Its not a question of who's festival is better. It's not a territory to pee around and mark. Multiple events enhance the game as a whole so lets all smile and have fun. If you want to go to one and not the other, so be it. If you want to go to both, have at it. But don't get into a petty bashing of "my event is better than your event". There is enough time and distance between the two that it doesn't need to be a peeing contest.

I'm in Clark County. There is a geocaching camping festival coming up in May. I'm really excited about it. Here's the link http://www.gcinohiogeofest.org/

From what I understand, some geocachers are being held responsible for the expenses when this happens. It is quite costly for the bomb squad and police (in this case both Urbana AND Enon) to respond.... It's also costly to have them just sitting around. Mostly "holding geocachers responsble" is political scapegoating. Politicians forget the reason they authrized the squad wasn't to hold the citizens they are protecting resposnible ever time the machine they created is wound up and turned loose. It's to respond to the real bombs placed that actually need a squad. They created the false alarm by the very fact of trying to be pro-active about a bomb and save lives. It's a small price to pay, but as they try to criminalize all the things that could create a false alarm just to avoid them they will only succede in taking away freedomes we all like. Like traveling with luggage. owning flashlights, exotic foods, and even whoopie cusions. I totally agree. I wasn't saying I agree with holding them responsible. If it came across that way, I'm glad I got the chance to correct it here. I should also correct that I've heard that they are trying to hold the "geocache HIDERS" responsible, not the person spotted finding the cache. I realize now that my first statement was worded wrong. I was impressed that with the finders help and cooperation, the police were educated on this and did NOT blow the cache up. I've heard of stories were they blow it up anyway even after being told what it is. heck....lets look on the bright side.....Urbana is a small town in which things very rarely happen, this was good practice for the cops. :-)

Whew! I am glad. I never though they could possibly press charges against you. IF anything, the hider (if not gaining permission) could be charged with littering or inducing panic (maybe) but it would still be unfair. I think the news article was pretty obvious that you didn't speed away from cops. Anyone coming up with that has been letting their imaginations run away and watching too much Law and Order. lol. I'm glad you aren't going to be in trouble. :-)

From what I understand, some geocachers are being held responsible for the expenses when this happens. It is quite costly for the bomb squad and police (in this case both Urbana AND Enon) to respond. I know that the rules state you must have permission for a hide. I wonder if this cacher had gotten permission from Tim Hortons? I think if they did and the manager didn't tell the employees, the cacher shoudln't be responsible. If the cacher didn't get permission, they might be in trouble. Here's hoping it all turns out well. Permission doesn't seem to come into play at any level with this one. Just suspicions and suspcious activity. Actually, I think it does. The 'suspicious activity' was noted and reported by employees at Tim Hortons. If Tim Hortons had been asked for permission (I'm not sure they weren't ....I'm just musing here) the employees may have known what was going on and thus not called authorities. Obviously, asking permission doesn't prevent customers from seeing and reporting activities....but it would cut down on the likelyhood of employees mistaking the activity and reporting it.

I was about to post very similar thoughts. My original comment wasn't about LPC's. I don't think they're great but I also don't have some agenda against them. ( I have been known to grab one for a quick geo-fix on the way home from work.) My issue was with the ones disguised as electical panels, outlets and electrical pad mounted outside units. The real ones are too easily mistaken as caches. THis can be fatal at worst. Aside from fatal, if municipalities keep having their electrical equipment tampered with because people mistake them for geocaches, the city might just outlaw geocaching in their area. It would ruin a fun game for thousands just because someone insists on making a cache look like an electrical pad box. Also, I drove by the one in question in my area and the REAL electrical box near the fake electrical geocache still has the door hanging paritally open and wires poking out. If its still that way tomorrow, I'll probably report it to the ele. company.

From what I understand, some geocachers are being held responsible for the expenses when this happens. It is quite costly for the bomb squad and police (in this case both Urbana AND Enon) to respond. I know that the rules state you must have permission for a hide. I wonder if this cacher had gotten permission from Tim Hortons? I think if they did and the manager didn't tell the employees, the cacher shoudln't be responsible. If the cacher didn't get permission, they might be in trouble. Here's hoping it all turns out well.

Well, it happened near me this time. My husband works in Urbana about 20 minutes north of our place. We were watching the morning news and heard the soundbite "Bomb scare in Urbana!" Of course we were stunned....its such a small little po-dink town and nothing much ever happens there. On commerical, I started giggling and told him it was probably a geocache. I was right..... http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n/conten...s123008geo.html

LPCs aren't hidden inside the access panel with the wiring, they're under the skirts with the bolts. I don't think Sbell, or anyone else, is suggesting that it's okay to hide a cache where the high voltage IS. They're saying it's okay to hide a cache where the high voltage ISN'T, even though some folks are saying there's a slim chance there could be a short or some other problem that could make touching the pole or skirt cover deadly. As for a fake electrical box teaching someone that it's okay to open real electrical boxes, I call a BS on that too. Folks don't find caches in fake stumps and then go cutting down trees looking inside real stumps (and missing the cache under the pile of sticks by the next tree over). People don't find ammo cans that have been cammo'd with moss glued all over them, and then start pulling up every patch of moss they see at the next cache hunt. I've heard of caches being hidden with a fake snake on it, or near it, so is anyone here worried that this teaches cachers that the next snake they see is fake too and it's okay to just grab it? I think you may have missed the point about the dangers of fake ones causing people to open real ones........The danger isn't that because they opened a fake one, they think its ok to open a real one. The danger is that if fake ones are hidden and the cacher is expecting to need to open somthing that LOOKS like an electrical panel, they could very easily MISTAKENLY open a real one thinking its the fake. The one near me has obviously had the REAL electrical pad box tampered with because they thought it was a fake. The problem is when we create caches that look TOO much like dangerous equipment and those caches need manipulation to gain access too (screw drivers to remove covers, moving of 'fake' wires..etc). If the cacher is then in the wrong spot and THINKS they've found the cache, they very well may be unscrewing and gaining access to a REAL panel and moving REAL wires. By the time the dangerous mistake is realized, it may be too late. Also, something else that I've not seen brought up is that in most places, law enforcement ignores geocaching (unless suspicious activity is reported). There are guidelines on this website about getting permission, places that hides should not be...etc, land managers put out rules (ie, no caches allowed in certain nature preserves, parks etc) but in general there are no municipalities which have laws banning the activity of geocaching directly. If we set the precident of hiding things that look like electrical pad boxes and real ones are mistakenly tampered with, its only a matter of time before they start making laws against geocaching to protect their own expensive equipment.

They would probably fit in your kitchen. lol...but then we couldn't cook. :-) I did consider the laundry room. $60 bucks and a 5 hr drive for 2 skids full of ammo cans is very tempting. :-)

I don't think that is true. I just ran across a website where the govt is auctioning off entire skids of ammo cans. I was tempted to buy 2 skids (they're sold in 2 skid lots) since they were going cheap but I was afraid I couldn't re-sell them (and I would be in a world of storage trouble if I couldn't unload them quick enough).

I've never heard of this but I think its a GREAT idea! :-)

Some of these comments have really hit home at an issue that has been bugging me. There is a cache in our area that I think is an electrical hazard. I have no problem with magent things on lightpoles. Doesn't really give me the 'found it' rush of a container cache in the woods, but I don't think its dangerous either. The danger comes when cache containers are disguised to look like electrical equipment. (not electronics...electrical equipment....light switches, outlets, breaker boxes...etc.) The cache page says that its hidden in plain sight and that you must sign the with a sharpie (which made me think instead of a paper log inside a container, you may be signing the object itself). I have been there several times and I've looked at a garbage can (no houses in area so the can didn't make sense), a mail box (again, no houses in area...mailbox made no sense) but neither was the cache. The mailbox even had a junkmail flyer in it. I then realized that the hint implied electricity. The street has no houses. One side is an empty field. THe other side is the exit of the backs of a gas station and two fast food restaraunts. The GPSr kept leading me to a grassy spot between the two exit driveways, at the base of a pole. I looked under the skirt thinking it was a standard LPC but nothing. The only other thing that looked possible was one of the two large green electrical boxs sitting on the ground next to the light pole. (approx 3ft long, 2 ft tall, 2 ft wide). One showed signs of having been pried open with something. I looked in but it really was covering electrical conduit and wires and a panel which was obviously legit. I shut the door back quickly and decided not to try for that cache again until I get more information. It led me to thinking though, how DANGEROUS caches are if they are disguised to look like electrical devices. Obviously, the cache itself wouldnt' be dangerous, but it does encourage cachers to poke around electrical equipment. Someone else HAD used force to pry the door open and it stands to reason it could have been a cacher who thought they were on the right trail. I've also seen pictures of cache containers (caching websites and ebay) which look like electrical outlets, light switches, conduit and circuit breaker boxes. It is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS to do this since REAL electrical outlets, light switches, and circuit breaker boxes could be mistakenly tampererd with by cachers and pose an electrical shock hazard. I love caching and I think its a great thing to do. I also know that if you go hiking up a mountain/ diving, crawling in and out of places...etc... to find a cache, you are taking your own risk and I have no problem with that. Everyone has their own risk-factor that they are willing to take. However, I have a serious problem with caches disguised to look like something that if you mistakenly get the real thing, the conseqences woudl be deadly. We shoudlnt' set a precident of this type which would encourage people to tamper with electrical equipment to see if it is a cache. ***hopping back off my soap box***

That's hilarious! Although, a word to the wise.... at a minimum you might want to check on your "cash" closely for a few weeks. If she tells anyone the story you'll either have A- the police out there looking for evidence, or B- her acquaintences out there looking to get rich

How does a cacher become "disgruntled"? I haven't yet figured out how to be 'gruntled'. I would think that you would have to get gruntled before you could become disgruntled. disgruntled = A piggy who has laryngitis.

When I go, I think I want a pinch of my cremated remains to be embedded in a geocoin or some type of traveler. That way I can travel from cache to cache. ................ and I will terrifyingly haunt anyone who steals me and doesn't move me on! LOL

Warm sunny weather so I can convince others to cache with me. I am a bit leary about going to some places by myself and my husband will only agree to go when the weather is nice.... so definately,.....warm sunny days. And also I want the state cork-board with the state pins, but they' haven't made my state yet so I'm still waiting. :-(

"Passing of" is what the OP used, and it is a perfectly proper way to phrase it. Maybe its said locally differently where you are, but here in Ohio using that phrase is very common and I suspect Ohio isn't the only place where the phrase is used that way. Let's not get picky over someones language. You might have gotten the wrong idea from the title, but that isn't such a serious problem considering how the post made it clear if anyone was confused. They're hurting enough over the loss of a friend and don't need a grammar lesson at this time of sadness.