Border Caz

On the subject of TBs: 1. I found a cache containing a dog tag with nothing attached so I noted the number and looked it up when I got home. It was Celebration TB and wanted to celebrate an event, have something relevant attached and it's photo taken, and then put in another cache.The next finder should change the attachment to something appropriate for their celebration, take a photo and move it on. I found it again a few months later in another cache about 30 miles away with a christmas ornament, so I took it and replaced with a Valentine Bear before moving on. 2. Some months later I found another dog tag with nothing attached - thinking it may be something similar I took it - but when I looked it up, it should have had a 6 inch spanner attached. So I bought one and attached it before moving on. I e-mailed the owner to let them know and they didn't even say thank you. Hey, those spanners aren't cheap you know. 3. I found a teddy that had lost it's dog tag, so I took a photo and let the owner know. Couldn't discover it as I had no way of knowing the number.

Those are really nice, Sarah, I'd love to find one. I love signature items, and collect them whenever I see them. Most are the cards, sometimes laminated, which cachers leave, and I keep them pasted in a notebook. Apart from them I only have a few - my favourite is one of Mrs Blorenge's Oranges - I'd read about them on here and was so chuffed when I found one! I've left about a hundred or so laminated cards in caches I really liked, but have often thought I'd like to make something better.

I found a hoselock attachment - for attaching a hose to a tap - in a cache one weekend - very grateful I was too, it was just what I needed for the hose to fill the water tank in my campervan, and I'd only been complaining the evening before that I didn't have one. But what were the chances of anyone else actually wanting one when they found the cache? I've read a lot on these forums about condoms in caches - but didn't actually find one until my 701st cache the other week. We extracted it and disposed of it.

If I read "micro" I know I'm looking for a film can size or smaller, so could be a nano. If I see "other" then I don't have a clue what it is. Some of the "other"s that I've found have definitely not been nanos! What may be an easy find for one cacher may be difficult for another, some I've put out and thought "this is a useless hide, they'll see it in seconds" have had logs saying "took us ages to find this one" and similar. I've even had trouble re-finding some that I thought were easy when I've gone for maintenance - although that's often because successive cachers have replaced them in a slightly different position and they've ended up quite a way from where I hid them initially. All adds to the fun of the game.

I agree with Hazel - delete it and tell them why. I assume they haven't claimed finds on all the nearby trads as they were there as well?

I must be odd. If I put TFTC then I'm saying Thanks For The Cache. If I don't like a cache or didn't enjoy the experience then I don't put TFTC.

One near here last week where the FTF met the CO placing the cache, well over 24 hours after it was published. Glad I didn't rush out when I saw it.

I always log a DNF for a cache I've looked for and not found, 57 so far, and 29 of them I still haven't found - although most of those are in areas I've not been back to, to try again. I don't always log repeated failures - a local nano on a railing is my Nemesis, I've tried 7 times and my son has been a couple of times as well, but I've only logged 5 DNFs for it, feel a bit of a plonker as it is being found regularly by other cachers. As a cache owner I know I'd rather read a DNF than think no-one is visiting my caches! After 2 DNFs I'll go and check them as none are difficult hides, then post a note to say they're still there or I've replaced them if necessary. Then the next cachers know it's worth looking for despite the DNFs..

Me too.

Pick up curry and chips on the way home after a hard days caching. Can't be bothered to cook, and need to replace the fat I've lost.

Also we have B Road Bedlam. Did one the other day. Decent sized box that required a short walk 'cos I couldn't get any closer than 20 feet in my car.

Wasn't Whittington Footbridge, was it, Tonibunny? I had a nasty experience there in May - my log: "A word of warning. I attempted this cache today from the Whittington end - this is NOT recommended if you have a dog with you. Lovely start to the walk, although I went up the other footpath behind Pen y Bryn Avenue as I thought it met up with the one from the cemetry - but it doesn't, had to do a limbo under some barbed wire. Used to play up here a lot as a kid, but last time I was here there were still trains running. Saw a fox very close to in the second field, beautiful creature, it watched my dogs for about 30 seconds (they hadn't seen it, dozy pair) and then shot through the hedge. The footpath isn't clearly marked here and the farmer hasn't left a space for it in the middle of the crop field where it is shown on the map, so you need to go down the left side. This is where the problems start - the stile to the next field isn't dog friendly, although left to their own devices mine found another way through somewhere further along. Having negotiated the bog, it proved impossible to get the dogs across the footbridge due to a stile at the other end and steep river banks, so I gave up and turned back. This was when I realised that whilst my attention was concentrated on the bog and the bridge, the cows that had been (I thought) safely ensconced in the next field had come to see us, and were not happy. They had calves with them (more teenagers than babies, nearly as big as their Mums), saw the dogs as a threat, and tried to charge them and corner them. I got back across the bog as quickly as I could and made for the stile, stood on top of it, waved my arms about and growled loudly. One had actually got Sage pinned up against the wall but luckily my waving and growling made them drop back long enough for me to drag the dogs under the bottom of the fence to the safety of the next field. So please be warned and don't take dogs this way, at least till the teenage calves have left home. I would actually be very wary of going this way at all, especially with geokids. I'll try again another day from the opposite direction." (I did and found it, 3 days later)

I currently use a Nuvi 205, when I started caching I had a 250 - but I lost it when out caching. They are pretty good at getting to the co-ords and easily match (sometimes are better than) the accuracy of units such as the basic Etrex and the Gecko which friends have. They can also support paperless caching, which the basic handhelds can't. I've currently got full details of 1900 odd caches on mine. There are two big disadvantages to using it for geocaching: 1) As it is designed for use in a vehicle, there's nothing to attach a wrist or neck strap to and it can't take being rained on. I get round this with a cheap small camera bag, and if it rains I put it in a plastic bag. But I do have to be careful not to let it slip through my fingers. 2) Battery only lasts about 4.5 hours so no good for a whole day's caching expedition.

It works both ways, some TB owners can be ignorant as well. I found a TB dog tag in a cache with nothing attached. I took it and looked it up to find it should have had a 6" drop forged spanner attached. I went and bought another spanner and attached it before moving it on to another cache. I e-mailed the TB owner to let them know and they couldn't even be bothered to e-mail me a simple thank you back.

Yes, some of my friends have the basic Etrex but it only does the job as well as my Nuvi. I'm not just starting out, I paid for the newer model and that was what I wanted! Have decided to go for a Legend HCX instead when I get the money back. Think it's worth the extra.

E-bay, the seller has agreed to refund if I send it back. All sorted hopefully, and when I get the money back I can try again!

Thanks for the help. I'm trying to get my money back.

1. go to MENU->SETUP->SYSTEM and check the SOFTWARE VERSION 2.14 2. go to MENU->SETUP->SYSTEM and check the MODE. Can you select WAAS? No, just Normal, Battery Save or Demo 3. what colour is your backlight? Green or Amber? Green

That's great, thanks Tarot. As I thought, it's the old model.

That's great, thanks Tarot. As I thought, it's the old model.

That's great, thanks Tarot. As I thought, it's the old model.

IMHO, the cache should be hidden so that it cannot be seen by a casual passer by, (to avoid muggle attacks)even if it is only a D1 - so I would have tried to cover up the red lid when replacing it. Sometimes the "camoflage" wil be distured by animals or birds, searching for food or generally rummaging around, and make the cache more visible than intended.

Yes I know that, but does the newer model have any other advantages, and how can I tell which model it is?

Help! I just bought a GPSr online, it was described as an Etrex H, but on the unit it just says Etrex. How can I tell which it is, the Garmin site doesn't have any info on the Etex as it's discontinued. What does the H do that the previous model didn't?

I've been caching since last July using a Nuvi and now have 424 finds (although about 20% of these I have been with other cachers and using their GPSs as well). Sometimes the Nuvi has been more accurate than others' Etrexes and things, and I like the way it navigates me to the cache, showing the map so I know where I am. As a premium member I can create pocket queries of hundreds of caches and load them on to the Nuvi so I have all the info on each cache at the touch of a few buttons As said, change to pedestrian, and also to off road if cache is away from the road. If you change the icon from a car to the triangular arrow, the co-ords are in the centre of the back of the arrow. I've just bought an Etrex for going off road - 'cos I get fed up with changing the Nuvi all the time, it's got nowhere to attach a strap for carrying and the battery only lasts about 4 hours which isn't long enough if doing a longish circular walk. With the two of them I reckon I'll have a good set up.