team walkingsticks

Hello! I saw you found my cache "Sherman's End" so I checked out your stats and found you are from the area and had started this tread. I too am from West Michigan (Muskegon) and have been cacheing for close to two years. I have another neat spot called "Lost Lake Cache" that you could try and find if you are up near the Muskegon State Park anytime soon. I am also the choir director at Mona Shores High School in Norton Shores. I have three kids and two of the age that they enjoy coming along (especially my son). My wife tags along occasionally as well. I don't think this is that popular a site (Midwest section) so I don't know how many responeses you will get here, but good luck.

My stick is in my avatar pic and you can purchase your own here: Wood Carving Store I use it all the time. It's not exactly light but it is sooooo cool I just don't care. It's got a compass in the top as well! I've been on the trail many times and have heard people comment after they pass me by. I feel a bit like "Grizzly Adams" with this thing. It's great for digging around and searching. It really helped me the summer on a descent of Camels Hump in Vermont.

Wow! What a load of great advice. Thanks to Dukie and Dad, as well as eveyone else for taking the time to share all of this stuff! It is supposed to be a decent weekend and I ordered the REI half-dome (which is due to arrive Friday!) so I hope to get out and use it. I ended up choosing the REI for a number of reasons: It was the most recommend tent from the two forums. It also was the 2002 Backpackers Magazine's top choice. It offered a good number of the features I was looking for at a decent weight. I have read a lot of good things about REI's guarentee, even people who after several years sent things back were treated well. I stayed within my budget and also joined the REI co-op which will give me about 8%-10% back of all my purchases at the end of the year. And, most importantly, a fellow geocacher I met on this thread (who also works for REI) helped me out! That was a bonus and kind of like fate. I trust my fellow cachers.

Hey TroutGuy78, Fellow geocaher, old buddy, old pal....so you work for REI huh? I've heard they have special 20% off coupons every so often...Do you have any idea how I could get my hands on one? Here is the reason. I went to purchase the tent last night but I stopped short when I discovered I was going to have to pay tax (REI has a store in Michigan....but it is hours from where I live, therefore by law tax must be paid!) and REI also charges shipping! I have been using Campor alot to check out tent prices. They have FREE shipping with any order over $100. I assumed REI would have a similar set up but they don't! The tent is not on sale either. It's going for $159. With the footprint $25, tax and shipping I am close to $200. I was hoping by joining the Co-Op (which I did) I might get an instant coupon in my email for 20% off or something. That didn't happen. The gurantee is awesome though and I am still sold on the tent. If I can't get a discount coupon of some sort I may wait it out until it goes on sale. Do they put this tent onsale?

After 5 dates and collecting data on two forums, the results are as follows: REI Half Dome 8 votes Eureka 2XTA 4 votes Kelty Vortex 2 (V2) 4 votes Sierra Designs Meteor Light 2 votes MSR Zoid 2 2 votes Mountain Hardware PCT2 2 votes Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 2 votes The following all have one vote so far: Sierra Designs Comet Sierra Lightning MSR Zoid 1.5 LL Bean Light Stuff LL Bean Microlite LL Bean #2 Dome Golite Hex 3 Henry Shires Tarptents (Cloudburst) Coleman Exponent 1 Black Diamond Megamid REI Quarter Dome Eureka Timberline A Frame Eureka Aspen 2 (Galyans) Kelty Crestone 2 Slumberjack Solo Bivy The Poncho (Alpha) tent Also suggested: A tarp & groundcloth or a bivy (no brand named) All your suggestions and ideas are really helpful. Thank you! I just joined on to REI's email and they sent me a coupon for 10% off my first order. I am leaning this way now, but am still going to look a bit at some of the other tents suggested in the past few days. Feel free to continue to post your comments. I'll keep checking back.

I just read all 15 of these pages trying to find out if the first winner has been announced. Did we ever find out who it was or if the person is an actual geocacher? The second contest ended today so I figured by now the first winner might have been made known...

I've have seen in "the literature" a few times the idea of the tent weighing no more than 3 lbs. per person. I will be hauling the tent by myself. In regard to the meteor light (which overall I do like) it weighs in at over 7 lbs. That's more than double what I have been reading is recommended. Does anyone have a feeling for a maximum weight load for a tent? I will be doing only one or two night adventures. But, I am also a nearly "over the hill" guy who's fairly out of shape at this point. I'm kind of a work horse though and I would describe myself as having a stocky, yet sturdy build. I know I'll need to carry a stove, food, sleeping bag (I've got the Mountain Hardware lightweight 20 degree bag), and other clothing and incidentals so this is how I arrived at the 5 lb. max. tent weight figure. The 3 lb. tents are not quite enough for me, and getting above 5 seems like it might just be too heavy.

Congrats on your first year! I just finished my first year as well and celebrated it by going back to the first cache I had ever done. It had been reported in bad shape so I went to visit it and I brought it back to life as well. I agree with what the elf said as well. I had the same experience the first time I heard about geocaching. I don't get out as much as I would like to either. If I had my way, I'd do a cache a day...(Sounds like a country song!) Keep caching. It's good times!

That, my friend, is a beautiful thing.... It makes me want to skip right over the three season tents and go for a four season! By the time I actually lay down the green for a tent, there will be snow on the ground anyway Is that a homemade job or what? It does appear to be missing my "no-see-um" mesh for star gazing!!!! Great picture though. It says....peace.......to me. TotemLake, I posted the same time as you did and just now saw your post. Thanks for the info. on REI. That's good to know.

I've been looking more closely at the REI half dome. Is REI an exclusive type of thing? I can't seem to find their tents at Campor or any place else. I have also heard REI has 20% off coupons occasionally. How/where can you get those? And, what does "REI" stand for anyway?! Also, thanks for the info. on the 2003 Meteor Light. I had seen that price and was wondering if the tent was the same, or at least, nearly the same.

OK. It's official. I am obsessed. I think I must have inherited this quality from my dad...my wife thinks I am crazy sitting up at night staring at these statistics.... This was a wide spread sheet but I couldn't get it to fit here so I just stacked all the stat.s up. Hope this interests someone else! I did this a few days ago based on some of the tents I was interested in. I now have some new tents to explore. Thanks for the comments. Tent Name REI Clipper Eureka 2XTA REI Half Dome 2 REI Quater Dome Sierra D. Meteor Light Sierra Designs Lightning Trail Weight 5 lbs 2 oz 6 lbs 0 oz 5lbs 2 oz 3 lbs 11oz 6lbs 12 oz 3 lbs 15 oz Packed Weight 5 lbs 13 oz 6 lbs 10 oz 5lbs 9oz 4lbs 4 oz 7lbs 6 oz 4 lbs 9 oz Floor Space 30.5 sq ft 36.5 sq ft 34.5 sq ft 28 sq ft 40 sq ft 32 sq ft Floor dim. 7ft 4in x 4ft 9in 7ft 5in x 4ft 11in 7ft 8in x 4ft 6in 7ft 1in x 4 ft 4 in 8ft 2in x 5ft 7ft .5in x 4 ft 5in Vestibule 6.5 sq ft 6.7 + 6.7 sq ft 9.6 + 9.6 sq ft 7 + 7 sq ft 14 sq ft 6 sq ft Doors 1 2 2 2 2 1 Interior Peak 43 in 43 in 42 in 40 in 43 in 43 in Packed Size 7 x 20 in 6.5 x 15 in 7 x 23 in 7 x 20 in 6.5 x 24 in 5 x 21 in No. of poles 3 2 2 2 3 2 Pole Type alum DAC featherlite 7000 series alum alum DAC featherlite alum DAC featherlite easton 7075 T9 alum. easton graflite carbon Price $119 $124 $159 $229 $229 $249

The jury is still out but the results so far are as follows: The top three choices are: REI Half Dome 4 votes Eureka 2XTA 3 votes Kelty Vortex 2 (V2) 3 votes The following all have one vote so far: Sierra Designs Meteor Light Sierra Designs Comet MSR Zoid 1.5 MSR Zoid 2 LL Bean Light Stuff LL Bean Microlite Golite Hex 3 Henry Shires Tarptents (Cloudburst) Coleman Exponent 1 Black Diamond Megamid Mountain Hardware PCT2 These results are based on the forums posts above combined with the posts on the backpacker.com forum All the above opinions are really appreciated. I have been checking out all the tents that are recommended above. If anyone else could chime in, please do.

Yeah, The Nut is right. I also posted this in the backpacker.com forum. I have found most tents with these features are coming in at around 5-7 lbs. Their have been a few exceptions but they are usually over the $200 mark. The REI half dome is close at 5 lbs. 9 oz. packed weight. It is currently going for about $159. I have learned the REI Quarter Dome is at $229 but packs at 4lbs. 4oz.s. But, it has a very small floor area...only 28 square feet is tight for two people. The REI Clipper is at 5lbs. 13 oz.s and is on sale right now for only $119 at REI. Again, floor area is tight at 30.5 sq. ft. The Sierra Meteor Light has the most floor space at 40 sq. ft. but is at $249. It is also heavier at 7lbs. 6oz. packed. The Eureka Apex 2XTA is over 6lbs. packed as well. All the above tents have almost all the other features I am looking for. I guess it comes down to do I want to carry a bit more weight to have more space and am I willing to pay more than $200.... Thanks for the responses so far. I do not see a clear winner yet so keep your opinions coming. It really does help!

I am planning some weekend geocache excursions that will require me to sleep overnight in a tent. I've been researching them online and would like some advice from geocachers that are happy with what they've used. This is my first experience backpacking and buying a quality tent. There is sure a lot out there! The challenge is that I want certain features. After much (online only) research I have compiled my wish list. 1) 5 lbs. max trail weight 2) 3 season 3) 2 entries/doors 4) 1 "decent sized" vestibule (minimum), 2 would be even better. 5) tub floor 6) waterproof tent with sealed/taped seams 7) aluminum pole(s) 8) 2 person (The second person is currently a 9 year old boy but he's growing fast! ) 9) good ventilation, no condensation 10) view of the stars with quality mesh 11) quality zippers (YKK??) 12) under $200, better yet...under $150!!! Additional bonuses: 1) ligher color or more natural color tent 2) rain fly has a window 3) freestanding **The tent will be used mainly for one to two night excursions. It needs to be able to be carried by one adult in a backpack. (The second person is a younger kid.) I am currently considering the following tents: -REI half dome -Sierra Meteor Light -(It's a bit heavy...) -Eureka Apex 2XTA-My local gear shop doesn't speak to highly of Eureka.... Any opinions out there? I was also wondering when the best time to get tents on sale is...seems like I am seeing them on sale now but is it better to wait a bit longer, say Nov/Dec.??

I always take the Trusty Mr. D.W. along with me (see avatar pic). It's pretty heavy duty. Plus, the ole' elf face carving might just scare the attacker away. I kind of look like a Gandolf or something. I just may have strange powers....who knows? If I get attacked, I'll wack 'em real good with this sucker, hopefully stun him, and then run like *@%*!!!

LOL!!! I meant to say, I wish "I" could have enjoyed the wine part.... Not "you". By the sounds of your story, I know you did!!!!!! Sorry.

Great Story!!!! I had a similar "almost" encounter like this last summer. I am from Michigan and was heading out to Vermont to do some caching and Mt. climbing. I posted on the forums asking anyone if they knew of any good caches around Burlington. "Flask" responded with a great list. So, I am out in the middle of nowhere in Vermont finding one of her recommended caches and when I get back to my car, her vehicle was parked right next to mine! She saw my Michigan plate, geocache window sticker, and Burlington hotel napkins on the dash and assumed it was me. She left me a note on my window saying hello. Unfortunately, we never did meet face to face. What are the odds of being deep in the middle of the woods and parking next to a fellow cacher that helped you out on the online forums a month earlier?! Too cool. I wish you could have enjoyed the wine part though! Now that sounds fun!

I would rather see activity at my own cache hides versus none at all. Even if it was a repeat visit. I would take it as a compliment if someone came back to check it out again, for whatever reason. I do agree with just posting a note the second time. Please.....come check out my cache hides again! I like getting the email notice that you've been there.

I guess it would depend a bit upon how large the magazine was and how it was printed and stuff. I'll begin the bidding at $24 per year...$2 bucks an issue. I might even go higher if it looked like a "Backpacker Magazine" type of thing. If it was smaller and on that softer kind of paper stuff, maybe $15-$16.99 per year...?! Anyone else have an opinion on this one? Good question...

Perhaps this has already been discussed, but is there any thought to making this ezine an actual magazine? It would replace the ole' Readers Digest real quick at my house I'll tell ya! I think that would be sweet! I'll buy it...

I stated this in an earlier post in this thread. This is what I had to pay in a Michigan State Park. I'm still stewing about it. I am planning to let a little time go by with this new cache, and then I would like to meet with the park ranger to discuss the possibility of extending the deadline. I would like to point out how if it weren't for geocaching, I would never have even been in this park, paid the $25 for a seasonal parking sticker, etc. I also plan to share some of the logs that have been written about how beautiful the trails are, how they never knew this place existed, etc. I would also like to point out that geocaching brings others into the park who may not normally explore it. And, these people pay a parking fee. The park may actually lose money by forcing us to pay such a large fee for such and for such a short time period. Less caches=less geocachers=less $ in parking fees. I would also like to remind them of the CITO. I understand the need to be mindful of nature, and I have no problem with the permit idea, checking the cache once a month, using a transparent container, that kind of thing. But the steep fees and short time frames just rub me the wrong way. I hope I can somehow make a difference. Does anyone think it would be inappropriate to do this? I'm just a little guy in this organization....

I have used Cheaper than Dirt and Ebay both. The last time I purchased from "Cheaper" they weren't in very good condition. One of the tops had to be forced closed and later I had to go out and replace it as cachers were having difficulty with it. Watch out with ebay too. You will see cans going for $1 but the shipping can be pretty high. Make sure to look at shipping before bidding. Although, it seems most people report great success with Cheaper. Maybe I just got an oddball or something. It happens. I was also wondering about plastic ammo cans. Do they exist? And if so, are they as reliable? If they do exist, does anyone know where they can be purchased? I find the steel boxes can be a bit heavy when lugging them long distances in the woods in my pack.

Yeah, Geocaching got me back out into the great outdoors. As a kid, my dad often took me hunting and fishing. No disrespect toward all the hunters out there, but for me I became bored just sitting in one spot (that's the way my dad hunted--in a blind) and I didn't really enjoy the whole killing and gutting part. It just wasn't for me. But the solitude, peace and beauty of the woods/nature did get stuck somewhere in my soul. I kind of forgot about it, until geocaching had me back out into the woods. And this time I was moving and seeing wildlife without killing it....I don't care if you do....I'm not all anti-hunting in any way...please.....don't flame me..... From there, the challenge of the find increased my interest, be it woods or urban. Although I prefer to get out into the woods most, I enjoy the challenge of finding any kind of cache. I cache most often alone or with my son. And I am thankful to have a reason to introduce him the the outdoors. He loves the challenging climbs out in the woods...that's cool. Then I did my first hide. It was so much fun and so much more difficult that I imagined. Picking the spot, naming it, what to put inside, FTF certificates made.... Making a sig. card, buying a laminator. Heading to my first new state to cache. Buying hiking equipment. Subscribing to Backpacker Magazine. Dreaming about caching and hiking. I cache now because I have to...it's become an obsession. An addiction. Caching has given me a hobby that I can call my own. It fits who I am. I talk about it all the time with my high school students. They love to hear about the tales of the trail. I've even taken them out with me. Many have since adopted their own name and gone out on their own. I cache ultimately because it's FUN!!!

Careful SixTen As the unoffical geocache newbie no-more head hancho this evening, I deem you still a newbie as you have less finds then I and your find to post ratio is out of wack.

I didn't know about El Diablo at the time of my purchase and I have seen his sticks and I would agree that they are very cool. Definitely check his out first. I got mine on ebay at: http://stores.ebay.com/ORIGINAL-WOODCARVING-STORE I don't get how to do that thing where you just go here!!! I have been very happy with this stick. He put a compass in the top of it as well and carved one that fit my son too.