winwin56

I like that us "old folks" have something to call our own! I'm 41. Most people (young or old) seem to think the idea of geocaching is dang cool. Plus, young people have enough activities of their own. I think if we start putting geocaches in bars and sports stadiums, the young people would pick up on it soon enough. I like the wisdom that this sport has to offer. The non-tangible benefits (I think) often are something the 20-somethings, in large part really are not interested in. But I think the intrigue for GC is something that brings us more "mature" folks into a nostalgic world of yesteryear. Playing hide and seek, caring about the environment, making someone ELSE happy (besides yourself), or accomplishing something just for the sake of accomplishment is what draws me to this obsession. Now NOT ALL 20-somethings....I don't want a barrage of "hate posts" to follow this!! In fact, if you're a 20-something and reading this....I'm probably NOT referring to you! LOL Just my 2 cents!

As for those lamp post micros...Be Careful! Quite often, you may be disturbing a bee/wasp nest when you are moving the skirt and peering for your magnetic key holder! They really like to nest under those babies because the only ones who ever mess with the skirts are geocachers! Speaking from experience! As for other nanos/micros. I like to look for something that is slightly "out of place" or a possible place to put a micro/nano cache. Bolts are quite common. Be willing to "wiggle" them if you are at ground zero and are around something with bolts or screws. Look for crevaces (sp?)....Things that can easily be painted to match the original surroundings.

Interesting point. How do I check the mode for entering data? Perhaps this is the issue and an easy fix. Thanks for any help you can give me. If I'm not in the right mode, should my entered waypoints be WAY off where I am intending, or will this just create a stability issue. When I enter manually, the GPS seems to get me to the right place as far as accuracy goes, but not as "efficiently" as when the coordinates have been dumped in via the geocaching website or GSAK program. I'm tellin' ya, it's the weirdest thing. I have to walk slower as if the sample rate for manually entered coordinates is slower. There are sometimes when I just have to ignore the compass and simply pay attention to the distance. If that is getting smaller, I know I'm going in the right direction.

Call me crazy then, but it is the case!

If there are no obvious parking opportunities, I have a solution that hasn't let me down yet. I purchased a Geocaching window decal (the kind that you can put on and take off easily) and put it in my car window when off looking for a cache. It has worked as an explanation for parking where there seems to be no parking spaces without a hitch. Of course, I never park anywhere illegally!! But sometimes, we are in the middle of nowhere and would like to ditch the car close to ground zero. The sticker has worked so far! Knock on wood! I also saw something neat on the Geocaching University site, and that is a Geocaching Parking "Permit". It is similar to those that hang from your rear view mirror for employee or student parking lots that require a permit. I think I might pick one of these up instead of my stickers since they look more "official".

As for swag we don't like, fill in the blanks with the following: "If I never found another ___________________ in a cache, I'd be happy" 1.) Golf Ball 2.) Mc Donalds Toy 3.) Band Aid 4.) Broken toy 5.) Poker Chip 6.) Wooden Nickel I like the posts that mention leaving items that you'd like to find or that are useful (mosquito or poison ivy towels), gardening gloves, etc. or simply items YOU would like to find as a cacher. I know I typically pack an extra set of batteries when I go out caching, but I can't imagine being in a situation where I forgot and was down to one bar of battery life while out hunting. A set of batteries would be much appreciated. I understand the concern about them corroding in a cache, but I think they'd get snatched up before that could even happen, especially on more active caches. Investing in a few trackables is always a nice find both for the cacher and the trackable owner. I also like to leave my "gently used" books, CD's or DVD's that I don't use anymore, but that someone else can enjoy. Encourage kids to trade items that are in good condition. I can't tell you how many broken toys end up in caches that no one wants for obvious reasons.

Hello Forum, I have noticed something that does not make any technological sense, but here goes. I have a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx that has the Geocaching feature. I notice that when I enter the coordinates into my GPS by linking up to my PC and load them through the geocaching website, the compass and navigation, in general, is much more stable and reliable than when I enter coordinates manually. I notice this when I'm doing a multi, where I have to enter coordinates along the way. The screen even LOOKS different from the downloaded coordinates. The compass when I enter them manually is bigger on the screen, less stable and a pain in the tookis if you ask me. I have had NO problems with my GPS when they are loaded from the website, yet I see no reason why this would be. Any thoughts? Thanks Team WinWin56

I got an inexpensive palm on eBay ($20) and use GSAK program with my bookmarked caches and pocket queries. I love it as compared to lugging around pieces of paper while caching. I found that there are video tutorials on going paperless on YouTube. I tried the "Plucker" program and had difficulty using it, but GSAK has been problem free for me. Good Luck to you! Once you go paperless, you'll wonder how you ever cached any other way!

Depending on the size of the cache container, I've noticed that people tend to pick up the stuff we leave behind. Here are some of the things we use as trade items: 1.) Books that you've read and would like to share with others 2.) CD's/DVD's that you just don't listen to or watch anymore (make sure they are not scratched!) 3.) CD-ROM games that our kids have outgrown and can pass on to another 4.) Cute pairs of socks from the $ store. 5.) A Travel Pack of bio-degradable toilet paper....boy, would I like to find that from time to time! There ya go!

If I'm understanding your question correctly, you have a TB that you want to place in a cache that you have already found. Well, if that's the case, go to the log again and if you have activated your TB, it will show up under the area where you can type comments about finding the cache. (You might choose the "Note" option instead of logging a "found it"). Just leave a simple note that you are dropping off the TB and click on the TB from the screen below it. I think that should do it! Good Luck

I think my thoughts on this can be summed up by coining a statement made by Chris Rock: "Just because you can do it, doesn't mean it SHOULD be done. Realistically, you can drive with your feet if you want to, but that doesn't make it a good idea." I left out the cuss words, but I think this applies to caching quite well. I don't mind a challenge, but wouldn't like a cache that is designed NOT to be found. There ARE a lot of creative and imaginative caches that keep me interested in the sport. I would think that the evil ones would just get folks discouraged. Plus, gas is too darn $$$ to go to do a cache and end up with a DNF just because someone wanted to be nasty.

There are folks who have taken the time to make video tutorials that answer your very question on YouTube. Just type in key word search for iPhone+geocaching and you'll find what you are looking for. Good Luck!

OK, I'm officially a "geek", but I found this for you for what it's worth. Enjoy! If the link doesn't work, just go to YouTube and do a search for paperless caching Mac OSX and you'll come up with even BIGGER GEEKS who made YouTube tutorials for us geocachers! What you can't find on the Internet!! HAve Fun!

First off you can't load the gpx file directly into your 60CSX. You need a program like EasyGPS or GSAK (not sure but I think Waypoint manager also reads .gpx files) that is used to load the .gpx file. From one of these programs you then load the waypoints into the Garmin. If your doing this, then the next question is how far away are the caches? Using display nearest the 60CSx will only display 50 caches or the ones within 100 miles. When the cache list is displayed, switch the display to display by name then all the caches will be displayed. Jim AMEN Jim....I found that out the hard way! Spent hours trying to figure out why the caches for a planned trip down South didn't show up in my Geocache menu. It wasn't until I single loaded a local cache (which worked fine) and saw the little caption that read: "Geocaches near your current location". You live and learn (but swear a lot along the way!). Wish I would have read this little forum before all that!

Also, If you DO decide to go paperless, and get a palm...you will have to go through all those kinds of Mac compatability issues as well. I can see it now, 'cause we've been there before.....countless hours looking for, downloading and figuring out caching software for the Mac....when you could be caching if you just dust off that PC! LOL.

As a fairly new cacher (April), and a Mac and PC user/owner....I'd say stick with the PC for your Geocaching addiction at this point. If you have yet to make the next step into the paperless caching realm (which IMHO is the only way to cache), I think you will continue to run into pitfalls with your MAC with unavailability of various lights, bells and whistles of the hobby/sport. My husband is the Mac Daddy (LOL), or the Mac guru, and he didn't want to touch any of the Geocaching downloads and stuff. Let me know if you need any other "humble" advice! Good Luck Team WinWin56

Got it! Thanks a million!

I have the eTrex Vista and would like to know how to clear out all entered waypoints and geocaches that are stored in the menus. Thanks a million for anyone who can help!

These are all excellent points! Thanks to everyone for their ideas and thoughts.

Good Point. I would tend to agree that the Coin and Bug Hotels are the exception to the trade even/up rule when talking about trackables.

Amazing! Very interesting comments. It is sad that this sport can get so nasty. I suppose that as a conscientious cacher, I would be turned off by these type of people that can become abusive verbally when people don't cache "their way". Are these the same people who get ticked off when their neighbors don't cut the grass the minute THEY think it's too long? Life is too short, and geocaching is too fun to get that openly aggrivated. You have to be somewhat conscientious also of WHERE your cache is placed and the type of people that are more likely to do the find as well. Just a thought Thanks Forum!

Makes perfect sense to me! Thanks SO much!

I guess I am ready to take the flack for starting this topic, but at least hear me out. As an owner of a few TB's (I'm a relatively new cacher), I love nothing more to see my trackables move from cache to cache and accumulate mileage in exotic places. I am also aware of a "trade even or trade up" philosophy that exists within the sport, however, I guess I am guilty of retrieving GC's w/o trading in a GC or TB in it's place. As a cache owner, I could really care less if the finders of my cache do the same, what is more important is that the trackables go about their missions quickly as a courtesy to the GC/TB owner and not to cache owners so much. I, without fail, log my finds quickly and do not hang on to coins for long periods of time. For example, I live in Michigan and was visiting in Georgia and retrived a TB from a GA cache w/o an "even/up" trade. However, that TB has logged over 700 miles and is now closer to completing it's mission. I travel quite a bit, and love nothing more than to grab a trackable and send it on it's way quickly to a new and sometimes far away location, but more often than not, I have not hoarded other trackables to trade in/up in their place. Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated Be Gentile Please

I'm confused - are you saying that you would pay good money to rescue activated travel bugs from dishonest Ebayers? Very noble, if that's the case. A waste of money, but very noble. Even more noble is letting the owner of the TB know you've located it and let them address the situation. If you are on a mission to liberate the unactivated TBs from Ebay, then you will have a great mission ahead of you. There are also a lot of TBs that need to 'freed' from the Groundspeak store. I WOULD resue a coin and put it back into circulation (as long as the price wasn't outrageous). I don't collect GC's and am very conscientious about getting them moving on with their missions. I cache with my kids, and we have placed a few travel bugs and love watching their journey. I just can't imagine spending the big bucks for a GC of our own only to have it muggled, and put up for randsom on ebay. It sends a good message to my kids about doing what's right...even if it costs you a few bucks. The other comment that other repsonses have mentioned are the tracking numbers. Some ebay ads have the tracking numbers "blacked out", so to check the status of that coin, other than the fact that the seller is claiming it's not activated is your only avenue of checking its true status. Good advice here overall! I am a conscientious ebayer (and geocacher) and will look closely at the item and the seller before buying coins! Thanks

Are you talking about activated coins or unactivated coins? The selling of unactivated coins has been going on since geocoins first started. A lot of people use ebay to buy new unactivated coins. If you are talking about activated coins, I'm not sure there is much of a market for them. I wouldn't want one. Are they selling activated coins on ebay? Most of the ads say that you can activate them, but I guess if that's the wording I need to really watch for, that is good to know. I will read the ads very carefully.