gingersquee

What's that? "Needs Maintenance"... Ah, I have two to mark as NM for full logs. Can't see how to do that though. Start off as if posting a find. But then you'll see a drop down menu with options like "post note," "needs maintenance," etc. Click accordingly. Only via the website though. No option to log NM or NA on the app. So you'd need to log in on a computer browser to add a NM log.

No no, just for clarity, I don't want to say people shouldn't post what they want (if you were indeed referring to me as the OP dprovan). Just expressing my enjoyment of the logs that are more individual to the cache at hand. I like relevant, interesting logs. That's all I'm trying to say! thebruce0, thanks for the reply. I live very near to a huge powertrail. Perhaps that is skewing things for me slightly. The trouble is that there are lot of individual caches very near to the powertrail and many of those get "sucked in" to the trail. For me that is a shame because they are, very often, sizeable caches (like ammo boxes), in beautiful locations (the powertrail itself is lovely, but mostly small tubes etc). For those it seems like a bit of a shame when they get caught as part of the powertrail and are subjected to the old C&P. I get it - I'm new to the hobby, etc etc, maybe I am overthinking this. I just like reading peoples' logs, that's all :-)

Thanks everyone for so many interesting replies and discussion, and apologies for the delay in returning to the post - starting a new job tomorrow so it's all been a little mad! Also thanks to those who have welcomed me to caching :-) Like many have said I don't think it has to be an essay - most of mine certainly aren't! - but I think that for most geocaches there is usually something unique you can say about them. If there's an interesting sight/view/sculpture etc, a photo can also help. I've noticed some people do a cut & paste around a powertrail but still add a brief comment about each individual cache, which I also think is nice. And yes, cerberus, I realise 2 months isn't a long time compared to many, many cachers out there, but as L0ne.R and Briansnat said above, I can see how interesting logs help to generate that sense of community in the game. I'm sorry if writing an individual log - even a short one - on a cache is not worth it for you, but what I was trying to say is that anyone who does write an individual log creates added enjoyment for me (as well, hopefully, as themselves). Reading previous logs is an area of the game that I find really interesting - whether I'm reading them in advance while planning a day's caching, during the cache hunt or looking back on having found a cache - and I was interested to read others' views on this aspect.

Cut and paste logs. I've been doing this properly for just over 2 months now. Absolutely loving finding caches, having to hunt around GZs and exploring new areas I'd never previously known existed. I also take great care to leave messages that are specific to each cache that I find as I, perhaps naively, imagine that it might be of interest to the CO or other cachers. There is what I believe is called a "powertrail" near where I live. Lots of very small caches, punctuated by the odd small or medium cache (many of which are placed by others in and around the area of the powertrail). I am working my way around the powertrail bit by bit - having a chronic illness, doing the whole thing in one go is not really feasible for me. But one of the things I really enjoy is reading the cache logs subsequent to my find. I've enjoyed reading them prior to my finds as well, but I do like to look back at my cache finds and see how other people got on. Sadly, with such a significant powertrail near to me, so many of the logs I read are cut & paste, with nothing specific to each cache whatsoever. I wonder if this is a GPS receiver vs smartphone issue. As I can log my finds immediately via smartphone app, and I always take care to write something unique for each find - and take a pic if I can (not usually of the cache, but of the nice view, or similar). So if that's the case I'd be glad if someone could just confirm that for me - ie, people go out with 100s of caches on their GPS receiver and no way to log them until they get home. But even if that's the case, just a few words about each individual cache would be of great interest to those of us who like to look back on previous caches. That is all! Love this new hobby. /endrant

You can log a visit to caches via the official Geocaching app - I have done it many times! Not sure what else you would use to log a TB as travelling?

From another thread I posted this.... As I'm pretty new to geocaching I'm still learning the etiquette, but it wouldn't occur to me to log a "found it!" unless I actually had my hands on the cache and signed the log. I wouldn't post a DNF if I didn't have time to look properly, or if I didn't get to GZ. If there's an obstruction I'd write a note - e.g. recently I went to find a very urban cache, pretty sure I know whereabouts it is, but couldn't access as a homeless chap had taken up residence. I have posted DNFs where I have looked pretty carefully for a reasonable length of time and still haven't been able to spot the cache. Or, where it's so overgrown (with nettles, brambles etc) that even with decent clothing you still wouldn't find it. If I don't give it a good attempt, I might write a note (if there's something worthwhile saying) or I'll just leave it and try again another day. To add, the one thing I have balked at is diving through rubbish to find a cache. If it's in a place that's regularly overflowing with rubbish, I don't think it's a great place for a cache personally. My understanding of GC is that caches are ideally placed in spots that are interesting for their own sake. I'm not particularly interested in fly-tipped rubbish, myself. But I'd only post a DNF in those circs if I'd had a good look, all the same. I'd also flag up that the area is vile!

Can I just say this has been a really enlightening thread! As I'm pretty new to geocaching I'm still learning the etiquette, but it wouldn't occur to me to log a "found it!" unless I actually had my hands on the cache and signed the log. I wouldn't post a DNF if I didn't have time to look properly, or if I didn't get to GZ. If there's an obstruction I'd write a note - e.g. recently I went to find a very urban cache, pretty sure I know whereabouts it is, but couldn't access as a homeless chap had taken up residence. I have posted DNFs where I have looked pretty carefully for a reasonable length of time and still haven't been able to spot the cache. Or, where it's so overgrown (with nettles, brambles etc) that even with decent clothing you still wouldn't find it.

Hi Laithriel, I'm new too :-)