geoPirat

Hans, you are right! But you should sleep at these late hours, instead of reading the US-Forums like me this night.

Thanks for all those answers so far. Until now, I like Mopars idea (take photo of GPS) best - what a cute simple idea!

Hi from Germany! When I am on a caching tour with many caches a day, I have problems to remember which photo I took belongs to which cache. I am using a casio exilim that names the photos like CIMG4510, CIMG4511 etc. But I do not know how to get this number until I upload the photos on the PC. And of course, my palm with cachemate is my companion, together with a 60CS. Coming home after finding 100 or more caches, things get difficult when I want to upload the photos to the corresponding logs. Is there a solution to my problem? A software solution that works with the time code of the pictures and puts them together with the track log or anything like that? Or just an idea of how to find out that photo name CUMGxxxx just after I took the photo, so I could type in in the log info of cachemate? Thanks in advance and Happy trails from geoPirat

Hi CR! Thanks for the question(s). GeoCaching has made me leave my house and visit areas I would not have visited if not for the cache. In case this gets misunderstood: GeoCaching has made me leave my house and visit areas I would not have visited if not for the cache. Usually I enjoy the trips - with friends or without. The cache has a kind of magnetic power to me. Just a (lame) example: In Germany we have the waterwork series. Many cachers in our area place caches at waterworks they come along during caching. These caches usually are 'lame' Drive by's and link the 'better' caches around. So today I made a tour of 20 of these caches - together with my daughter, the dogs and a friend. We had deep snow, sunshine, and fun fun fun. Only because these 'lame' caches existed, I went out to this area (Rhön). And it was worth it. Even if you might be of a different opinion. I enjoy lamp post caches as well. And even the guard rail micros. They are points on my tour when getting to know the city or the area. So you asked me to tell . . . . . . why a cache with no intrinsic entertainment value; no view or object to draw the hunter's attention to, no "hunt" along the way, no puzzle, no thought needed, no clever hide technique, no history, no story, no nothing--why should it be placed when someone knows better? Very simple answer: Because I enjoy these caches. Because they are fun to me. Because these caches do make me leave my house and visit areas I would not have visited if not for the cache. That is enough reason for me. Happy trails.

@CoyoteRed: So, 'pointless, thoughtless' caches are - of course - not the same for you than for me. I had the opportunity to cache in Germany, Italy, France, Austria and the Tennessee. That gives me - in your stated opinion - a strong right to have a say . . . I had and have the ability to enjoy most of the caches I hunt - which naturally has nothing to do with the (kind of) caches you enjoy or stopped enjoying to hunt. Maybe you might want to consider (strongly), that your point of view of ('pointless, thoughtless') cache-quality is very subjective. And probably different from mine. And maybe from those of many others. That is life. It is normal. Please keep rules and guidelines for this Sport to a minimum, or the FUN of the game will fade away. Please keep your influence towards placed caches at a minimum level - because I enjoy a large variety of cache-quality (also the 'pointless, thoughtless'). Every cache is an offer, an invitation of the owner to hunt this cache. It is my right - and not yours - to decide if I want to hunt it or not. If you use 'your quality influence', quite some or many caches will not be placed at all or be archived. I would dislike that. Keep hunting !

I own a 76CS and a 60CS and have found around 1000 caches with the use of the two units. The car holder for the 76CS works far (!) better than the one for the 60CS. The (slightly) bigger 76CS easily slips out and into the holder with one hand; for the 60CS you always need both hands and it means fumbling. So most times I use the 76CS as the unit to leave the car for the last meters to the cache (compass-mode). In the woods, reception of the 60CS is slightly (!) better than the 76CS, so when it is heavy weather and I am deep in the woods, I used the 60CS as my first choice. A few days ago, I had to decide which unit to sell, as a Quest made it's way in my car. The 60CS will have to leave, because the ease of use of the 76CS in the car is what makes the race for me.

Maybe one of the reasons for Europe's Sat.NavSystem Galileo, a commercial System with guaranteed (worldwide) availabilty. http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/energy_trans...eo/index_en.htm The US governement officially 'advised' Europe to turn the project down. Should the Galileo System start to work, the US could jam the signals if necessary in an emergency as mentioned by Mr. Rumsfeld. In this article (in german language) http://www.chip.de/artikel/c_artikel_10550...d1=20957&tid2=0 you can read about the backgrounds and that the Europeans plan to use the US Frquences to avoid jamming. Is that a kind o0f GPS - Star Wars?

Greetings from Germany! A few words - maybe OT: During geoWoddstock II in July 2004 I had the opportunity to cache in and around Nashville for 11 days, finding hundreds of caches. Although it has been my first time caching in the U.S., I was (and am) amazed of the great variety (! ! !) of cache types in this area. Thank you for that. Coming from Europe, I found out that the Nashville cacher community has spread out a very fine selection of caches so I had the CHOICE which ones I wanted to go for. New ideas, tricky concepts (Brad, you know what I am talking of - as a member of the 1K club ;-)) and excellent cache maintainance - that is what Nashville stands for. So, as an alien, Nashville is a city RICH of many many types of caches - most of them I liked. And the very supportive community there made the caches even more enjoyable, grading them up for me even more. I admit, I am a Nashville fan. Happy trails!

Congratulations from Germany - very well done! As a visitor of GeoWoodstock II this year (and hitting 204 caches in 19 hours) I know how that experience feels. Rest, relax and do the 'dadgum' logging What a blast - but be aware, Team Germany (Huskie and geoPirat) will try to challenge your record next year in Jacksonville around GeoWoodstock III . . . Hope to meet you there, Meet you in da woods !

From Germany to Italy 490 miles - the Cliffhanger Cache in the Dolomites in Sept. 2004. I enjoyed the hike and the view, though.

@federation: Thank you for posting this information now. I'll make the trip from Europe to Florida and I appreciate the ability to long term planning.

We have a new cache in Germany - Shower in the woods http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...fb-359b24e1b9a7. GCKA1T. To log this cache, you have to find the cache and post a photo of you showering at the cold water shower (built in the woods near Frankfurt in 1849). The shower is an official place with cabins to change your clothes. And we have a thread about this new cache in the German forums (for german speaking people: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=77915). I like the idea - it's fun for those who want to do it. Happy trails! (edited for better link & typo)

Congrats to NEFGA - Europe will be present at GW3 . You'll give us the chance to meet great cachers and visit new places.

Congrats to the brave makers of the new record for 24 hrs caching (plus congrats to Driver and Navigator!) - and the group of local geocachers who made 2nd Geo-Woodstock a fantastic (Dream-Land like) experience for me! BTW, come and cache in Nasville yourself, you will get the feeling for numbers in the place where you can happily say: It is all about the numbers that count. I met the nicest and friendliest cachers there and made new friends; it was an honour to meet yall! Thank you for giving me such a coooool time in Nasville. I will return.

The Event Cache "The Magic Eye" (Das magische Auge) at Aalen near Ulm in Germany - the Night-Multi-Cache took my grpup about 6 hours to solve. To get to Aalen from my home town were about 330 km (one way) = 3 hrs of driving.

Payment made today. Thank you for this programm; it is worth more .

The FTF is a special thing . . . - seldom, only one FTF per Cache - a special feeling to open the virgin cache - challegning, because you have to find the cache without the "help" of reading former logs - competetive, as in most sports. I would not get out of bed in the night for a FTF, but I am always willing to get off work a few minutes earlier to be the FTF. And - with or without FTF - of course I am addicted to this hobby - and enjoying it. More rules - no thanks

Hi Lil Otter from Germany! I read this topic with interest, because here in Europe / Germany the geocaching sport is at a point where you in the states have been years ago. Buxley's stats say, we have about 5.700 Caches in Germany (about 17.600 in Europe) compared to the 81.400 caches in the USA. That means, caches are pretty rare here . The typical cache rate on a day is 1 hour per cache (incl. driving), in some urban area (Hamburg etc.) it is better. Because you have to invest so much time in one cache, I am disappointed if it is "just a cache" with nothing interesting to see. So I try to prepare by reading the cache pages. I have not yet discovered the "find the "nice / interesting" caches method on my PC . My point: Even with "few" caches in an "old fashioned" style in Europe does not really make a cachers life much easier. Investing time in the preparation is always a good investment. Filtering instruments like you mentioned would be nice. But please no more rule and limits, life at GC.COM has enough rules - and who could enforce / control them? But an important thing I wanted to mention: By reading this thread I was linked to your homepage - and for me your caching history is very inspiring. What a great time to drive through your country for months - just traveling and caching! Wow - I am envious ! Thanks for this thread, your thoughts are definitely worth discussing.

Hi, I am caching in Germany (where the car is steered from the LEFT side). My usual Pajero Inventory is: 4 AA Batts 3 Flashlights JVC Subnotebook with wireless Internet Access (ever forgot to print out the hint photo? ) gps car holder compass Road Maps 1:200000 for Germany Bag of trade items backpack with new fully equipped cache box Army shovel Plastic bags (small & large) geoCache stickers for logbook geoCache calling cards as sig items of course Pencils small binocl. sun glasses gloves cell phone rope for measuring swiss army knife and sometimes another backback with climbing gear. In spite of that mass of stuff, sometimes there is missing something That does not leave too much space for the two big dogs, 2 children and wife, eh? Some times they complain (not the dogs, the rear part is always completely empty for them) . . . Keep hunting.

My favorite was Das Geisterdorf (Maginot 3) - Ghostvillage - in France at the border to Germany (Part of the Maginot defense line). Link: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...2c-8be34e051e95 . Was great fun, I travelled about 500 km to this cache and it was worth it . Thanks to the verves who placed it.

Germany / Hessia / Fritzlar near Kassel (center of Germany) N51.07 E9.16 - there are 84 caches around my home in a 20 mls area. In Hamburg (Germany) N53.32 E9.58 there are 235 caches in the 20 mls radius. In Berlin (Germany) N52.31 E13.23 there are 161 caches in the 20 mls radius. In Frankfurt (Germany) N50.06 E8.40 there are 129 caches in the 20 mls radius. So, Germany still can improve