Zolgar

Here's how you start: find caches in your area on the web sight. As a beginner you'll probably want to pick 1 or 2 difficulty caches, your terrain rating is entirely up to you, just be aware of your physical limitations. you can add the caches you want to find as waypoints to your GPS, consult your users manual for how to do that. If you have a garmin unit, it's REALLY easy. Click the "send to Garmin" button. Getting started though this is an optional step. Makes life a little easier, but not mandatory. If you don't do the above step, this one IS mandatory (unless you have a photographic memory, I suppose), and it's useful even if you do the above. Either write down, or print out the following information: The coords of the cache. (the only thing you NEED) I personally like to record the coords, the name, code (Ex: GCHP5P), it's difficulty, terrain and size (so I know what I'm looking for), and the hint, if it's something useful. It's also good to check the google map of the cache area to find a good parking spot, and get an idea of exactly where it is. Drive there. If it's a major wilderness area: Waypoint your vehicle when you park. If you made a waypoint for the cache, tell your GPS to 'go there' and follow it's directions. If you didn't, take a moment to compare the coords you're at to those of the cache, and familiarize yourself with which direction you have to move to make which numbers change. Now.. walk to those coordinates, and .. well, look around. Sometimes it's an easy find (I've had cases where I found it while I was just walking up to it.), sometimes it'll take you a lot of searching. And sometimes you'll step on it. You've now found your first cache. Welcome to the addiction, go out and find 27,000 more!

They advocate the hides because either A: They enjoy the '1/1 micro' farms. B: They have quite a number hidden and are trying to convince them self they are doing no wrong. C: Because they're idiots. Or D: Because they like arguing. Of course they all know everything there is to know about everything, and you know nothing. That's the law of the internet. "I know everything, and if you don't agree with me, you know nothing." You, and Snow, and Johnny, and countless other have all said what they can. Some of the supporters (those who didn't fall in to any of the four spots I listed) have come to either agree with you, or know when tojust shut up because they're out gunned. I'm going to put my 2 cents on this discussion, because .. Well, I can. And it doesn't really quite jibe with anyone elses: 1: It's an ungodly uncreative place to hide a cache. 2: Yes it's private property. so technically you should get permission. But that doesn't mean too much to me, not on something like this. (because there's no way in hell you're getting permission) 3: It's possibly sorta dangerous yes. These things can get warked. But, feh, nothing in life is safe, and just as poking at things like this increases your chances of getting electrocuted by them, driving between caches increases your chance of getting in to a fatal car accident, and romping through the woods looking for a cache increases your chances of getting mauled by a bear. And every day you live, increases your chances of dying. The rules say don't place them without permission. If you care about the rules, you're set. Creativity says find someplace else to hide them. If creativity is a major concern, then don't place it. They're a potentially dangerous thing. If safety is a concern, well, I'd say the statistical odds are still more in favor of getting hit by a car while poking around it than getting shocked while poking around it. But, from the safety standpoint it's still an additional risk. I will say this though: If you decide to ignore all negative aspects of one of these caches, make sure to post in your entry that it is not INSIDE the device, and if the device looks damaged, to avoid the cache and contact the electrical company. It may give away something about your cache, but it could save a life, and also save the cachers who don't like these caches, the gas of driving to it.

Nikon 10x I forget the field, but obviously it's not going to be a lot with compact binoculars. I live in Arizona, I don't trek through forests. I trek through deserts. And this, is why I carry a black light: www.abmedia.com/astro/res/scorpion-glow.jpg

Wilderness hike: GPSr Swag bag Cell phone Multi-tool Pocket knife Leather gloves Flashlight Snacks (particularly Snickers Marathon protein bars, enough on them to keep a body going, and they help stave off 'bonking'.) Water Sometimes I have an energy drink in my bag. Basic first aid kit (acquired from Wal Mart for $10) Snake bite kit. Portable Black Light (well, during the summer at least) My partner in crime carries a few other extra things that can be useful to have.

Okay.. this has been bugging me since I first saw the title.. "Old Fashioned Way" is .. not accurate here. GeoCaching was created for GPSrs. It was taken from the idea of Letterboxing, and 'modernized'. so while it's possible to GeoCache without a GPSr, and there's nothing wrong with it, it's actually a 'new' variant on the game.

Roo and me haven't run across another cacher yet. But we're on oddball time tables and only head out a couple times a week at best. >.> I do kinda like the idea of a travel bug for people who encounter me to record

. . . What be this "snow"? Best way to go Geocaching while it's snowing? fly to Tucson.

My standard response is "Old enough to know better, but still too young to care." that not being an option, I submitted a truthful answer.

Inability to drive. And that frelling thing called a job. And the fact that I sleep during the day.

Many ages ago when I FIRST heard about it: "that sounds fun. But, I don't have a GPS or the money for one. and besides, I live in Tucson. There's nothing interesting in Tucson." More recently when someone brought it up on a forum: "I'd kinda forgotten about that. *poke poke* Cool, but I bet there aren't any in Tucson, because Tucson sucks." A bit more poking, and I find this sight and I'm all "dadgum, there are some in Tucson. Okay, I'm stealing dad's GPS" *edit in* Okay I lied. When the person brought it up on the forums. (which by the way were over at www.toysoldiersunite.com) my thought was actually more like "That would be a fun way to spread the word of doctor Steel. but Tucson sucks, there can't be any here." .. the rest is accurate though

Both, although we'll see how things work with my new one. Was using my dad's Explorist 210, but just picked up a vista HCx... With the Explorist, I'd (sometimes) make a PoI for the cache I wanted, and will use that to get me close, from there I switch to the coords and get myself to GZ that way. Other times I just go straight off the coords and a "general idea" I find I don't really need the compas pointer, I just sometimes have to get myself oriented on which way moves which numbers. Or go "'ey Torrey, which way is north." (lucky bastard has a nearly perfect internal compass)

Well then get swimming! It's not lost, it's just in a very hard to find cache!

For me, it depends entirely on the micro. A 1/1 Micro? .. If I'm in the area, yeah I'll get the star. Not gonna go out of my way for it. a 5/5 mico? ... If I could, yeah I'd go for it. For me, it's about the hunt, not what's in it. I don't even care about the log book really. BwarRoo, on the other hand, is more focused on two things: The smiley and the swag. (collects the pins out of them), so he'll do a micro, but also prefers larger caches.

I'd considered that option, actually, but I want this cache to spread as far as humanly possible, so the disposible camera wouldn't work unfortunately.

When that happens, I pee on it to mark it as my territory. >.> ... All seriousness It's not happened yet, most likely if I had no possible way to sign it, I'd go ahead and take the find, note to the owner that t needed a new log (if it did) and return sometime to properly sign it, unless it was like several hundred miles away then I'd be "meh, not worth going back out for it." But to me it is more about finding the cache and leaving something nifty inside it. Rarely take much. Just sign the log because it's .. what you're supposed to do.

You know the cheap generic digital cameras? the sort you can get for just a few bucks (comparatively speaking). I was considering one of those as a travel bug, with the basic idea being to use it to take a picture of something nice visible from the cache, and load that picture on the the TB's log before sending it on it's way. Would people actually be likely to do this? How many people wouldn't have a problem replacing the battery when it died? How likely would people be to just yoink the camera? >.>

It may sound like a silly question, but I want to make sure: Are Muggles who may not be too interested in GeoCaching, but are interested in helping with the cleanup and general betterment of the area welcome at CITO events? Or does it just depend on the coordinator?

BwarRoo and myself are just getting started and getting our packs together. Most of what's listed we always carry. There's one thing not listed by anyone here that makes it's way in to my pack, that I strongly recommend for anyone doing night caching in desert areas. A portable black light. Why? Scorpions. http://www.abmedia.com/astro/res/scorpion-glow.jpg < Pretty, isn't he?

Well, ain't gotten lost yet. .... but BwarRoo (me buddy) lost the keys once.

I know that is a risk.. But it's in an easy area for me to get to. While the terrain is a bitch (the 'test' gave it a 4 on terrain) it's also close enough to a paved road that anyone who doesn't mind the climb can do it, regardless of their vehicle. And it happens to be like 10 minutes on foot (base that is) from my best friend and caching partners house.

So far most of mine has come from my room. Also Walgreens, and just ordered a bunch of pins, too. But I've just started and will begin getting more swag, indeed. Thrift Stores are an excelent place to check for things though, you can find cool weird nickynacks for cheap.

that was my plan. Likely express along the lines of "This is a multi-tiered cache (not telling how many ), information is required from each of the caches along the way to gain access to the final cache."

So, I'm in the process of planning a multicache. My idea is, at present. the coords listed will take you to the first of four spots. Each of the first three, will be just small ones, like say cigar tubes, with a slip of paper with a number and coordinates on them. The coords will of course lead to the next one in sequence. The numbers, will be the combination for a lock on the fourth and final cache. Entertaining, or am I insane. Or both?

Currently I'm more or less stealing my dad's Magellan.. I want to say Explorer 210. I'm not 100% sure on that off the top... If you ask me, all you need for Geocaching is a screen that tells you your current coords. I've not tested the PC connection of my dads yet, and I rather dislike the lack of expandable memory. But so far it seems like a good unit for it's comparatively cheaper price (in the range of $120+ currently), including it's got a good light feature that doesn't screw with your night vision. (soft red glow) Granted, this is the only GPS I have experience with, so I really can't give a lot of info on it.. I'm kinda looking at the Vista HCx right now, I just dunno that I can afford $240 on a toy.

the Zolgar entity is in Tucson. As is his antisocial friend, BwarRoo.