The Puzzler
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Posts posted by The Puzzler
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Good idea. The trouble is fitting a micro log inside them without crumpling it beyond recognition.
I generated a custom log page for these test-strip micro containers as an added value to help sell them on ebay as a fund raiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
The custom log page is slightly smaller than a half sheet of paper, and if folded into thirds and then rolled up, fits perfectly.
I would be happy to share the log sheet with anyone interested if I can find a place to post the MSWord file that generated it. . . then again, maybe I should say I'm happy to share it with anyone that makes a verifiable (and tax deductible) charitable donation to JDRF, which can be done via my JDRF "Walk to Cure Diabetes" fund raising page?
By the way, I'm happy to send these micro containers and logsheets to anyone that wants them. Just drop a donation onto the above linked fund raising page and send me a note with your request and mailing address . . . how about a minimum donation of $2 per container, plus $2 shipping for up to five containers (logsheets included free - that's my donation)?
The Puzzler
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I want to share an inspiration I had, thanks to my son's recent diagnosis as having type-1 diabetes . . . those little test-strip containers make outstanding micro-cache canisters!
The canisters are slightly smaller than film canisters and have a water-tight, attached lid. They are also lined with a dust-free, solid desiccant material that dries out any moisture that gets inside, so paper log pages stay dry, or get dried out if they are rained on while being logged.
Leave it to a geocacher to discover a small water-tight container and get all excited.
I tested these canisters by closing a dripping wet piece of paper into one. Over the period of a day and a half the paper was dried completely. So, I soaked the paper again. And again, the paper dried completely. I’m sure there is a limit to the amount of water the desiccant can absorb, but clearly it is enough to keep all but the most abused geocache dry for a very long time through many rainy days/months of logging. And heck, even if you are not concerned about moisture, the size and the attached lid still make these one of the best micro-cache containers I've ever seen (I'm not a real fan of "ultra-micros).
I am interested in trying to market these little gems with 100% of the procedes going to support diabetes research. I just posted a set of three of these with some custom log pages on ebay. Please let me know what you think and if you have any other ideas on how to promote diabetes support with geocaching. I really appreciate the GC.com travel bug support of diabetes. I think it is exceptionally cool.
My son tests enough to generate another empty canister about every two or three days, so we probably have about 150 of these saved up right now. I expect there are other diabetic geocachers out there that could contribute to this cause as well.
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I suspect this would be considered a hazardous substance, and though it would probably help keep the cache dry, I strongly encourage you not to put it in a cache. You never know when some kid (or moron) will come along and do this*.
Silica Gel is quite harmless. The reason the packets say "do not eat" may be because they are commonly used to keep food dry, and in that context, might be confused with food. Silica gel is extremely safe. It is just not edible, as most other things are also not edible. Just because a bouncy ball says "do not swallow" on the package doesn't mean that it is a toxic or is otherwise made of hazardous material, and that including one in a cache is a bad idea.
Silica gel is a great idea for keeping logbooks dry in moist climates! I highly encourage it.
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. . . it almost seems like cheating to get help. Like asking a friend to help you get through the crossword puzzle - sure you can do it but then it was a team effort.
Solving puzzles is great fun as a team.
Solving many of the steps in a multi-step puzzle is fun, even if you can't figure out all of the steps yourself.
Lastly, after struggling for a while on a puzzle, it is fun to find out which strange direction you brain needed to go that you could figure out. It becomes a wonderful learning experience and can provide a new way of thinking about things.
Think of all the new and twisted ways of seeing that world that one will miss out on if one doesn't explore areas of thinking that cannot be approached without help.
There are simply times when a little hint or help past an obstacle can open up a whole new world. Don't knock exploring twisted new ideas until you've pushed yourself in some of those directions.
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So, what exactly is a DNF?
If my car broke down 5 miles before getting to the start of the hunt, is it a DNF?
If I start up the trail, but find myself on the wrong side a the river and don't have time to get to the other side, is it a DNF?
If I get to the cache site and there is a family picnicking on top of the cache so I can't hunt it, is that a DNF?
What if the cache is hidden in a fairly exposed area and I am just nervous about being seen and decide to give up before looking thoroughly enough to find it? Is that a DNF?
If I have 5 minutes to stop and and search for a cache near my home with the expectation that I will spend 5 minutes today, five minutes next Wednesday, and then hunt it for real on the weekend if it is not yet found, is the first visit a DNF?
What if I am searching for a cache at a favorite park and am loving the search but have to call it off to get the kids home to bed? Even if I expect to hunt it again next weekend should I log a DNF?
For me personally, whenever I have gotten to the cache site and cannot find a cache for whatever reason, I will log it as a DNF . . . unless I don't perceive my search to be over (i.e., I plan on returning to hunt more thoroughly in the near future). But hey, others will surely disagree with my idea of a DNF and that is jolly fine.
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Let's Go Geocaching
Geocaching, a High-tech Treasure Hunt
Geocaching: High-tech Treasure Hunting for the Prolatariat
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I probably shouldn't reply since this topic is definitly beating a dead horse. But, alas, replying is better than doing dishes right now.
So, I think knives are great swag to find, especially for my kids (I already have a perfectly good swiss army knife and don't need another). But, as a concession to the geocaching community as a whole and the widely accepted and discussed reasons for not putting knives in caches, I will not place one in a cache. But, darn it would be cool to trade them. Oh well.
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My sister in law was kidnapped, assaulted and nearly murdered by a serial rapist and killer. I love geocaching, but not enough to go to these areas.
And what does and encouter with a serial rapist have to do with "pickle parks"? I'm sorry, but I just don't see the connection.
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. . . You can't solicit sex and you can't have sex in public places. . .
I appreciate you taking action and calling the cops to make a public park a more pleasant place. I think that is very cool. That is taking your citizenship seriously, and I applaud that.
BUT, I'm sorry. I can't let this all go.
Since when it is illegal to solicit in public places. Are you going to tell me that you never approached someone you were interested when you were in a public place? Most of us have met and gotten to know others we were interested in, in public.
As for the the act of "sex", yeah, maybe it's illegal in some public places. I hope it's not illegal in wilderness areas. I'm pretty sure it's not illegal, in public campgrounds as long as you are discrete about it. I don't ever recall park rangers unzipping my wife's and my sleeping bag to check and make sure we weren't doing it.
And, just to top it off, I'd be willing to bet that a significant number of geocachers have found it fun to at least fantasize if not follow through on "doing it" in range of different almost public places, illegal or not. Cemeteries after dark anyone? Does this make those of us that have done this perverts and criminals? If so, lock me up!
I'd be curious how many geocachers have actually gotten amorous with each other withing 100 m of a geocache. More than a few, I'd bet. I'm sure there are a number of beautiful and inspiring places where geocaches have been stashed and where the chances of encountering someone else is small enough to make the risk worth taking.
I think it is important to temper too moralistic a high road here where hypocrisy is bound to bite us in the . . .
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What ever happened to doing it in the car? What, they don't want to mess up the upholstery? What happened to "if the van's a rocking', don't come a knockin'?"
No, I think the underlying cause here is society not accepting gays. A lot of people will pay lip service to the acceptance of gays, but still find it disgusting and unacceptable. Of course, some people are so prudish as they refuse their significant other public displays of attention.
I feel bad that Lep got assaulted, but I don't see what happened as much different that what the ladies have to deal with many times more often. The statistics for sexual assualt are absolutely staggering. While statistics can be what you make them, one study suggested that 1 in 4 ladies would be the victim of a sexual assault some time in her life. Some consider that study flawed and gave a much more conservative figure of 1 in 10. Fine, we'll take that. Just starting counting the ladies you encounter in a typical day and count; 1, 2, 3... You can figure that every time you get to 10 one of those ladies has had an encounter not unlike Lep's--only most of the time they can't muster the same force to say "no."
So, I don't consider Lep's encounter a "pickle park" issue. It could happen anywhere where there is a bit of privacy and the other person just doesn't want to accept "no" as an answer.
Yes, we've been in cruising areas a few times. Yes, I've been nervous about the guys hanging out, but not because of fear of being approached, but the inherent desire to not be discovered and reveal the hide. I was no different than any group of people hanging around.
But, I have to wonder, if society was more accepting, if gays could be open with their sexuality (not talking about the "flamers" but the more conservative folks) do you think this would be a problem? If you make anything taboo, you instantly create an underground market. If you were "King of the United States" and made churches illegal, folks would still congregate and worship in hiding.
Think about it.
(BTW, truckers use the term "pickle park" for rest stops, any rest stop, so that should tell you is not just a problem for remote parks.)
For the first time that I can remember, I agree with everything CR said, and don't think I couldn't say it better myself. So I'm just quoting his whole statement and saying: YES! I think you hit the nail on the head CR. Thanks!
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PDA vs. Laptop: Thank goodness it is not an either or choice. I use both. I always have my PDA with me because it has all my cache information in it. When I am going someplace where dynamic mapping on the computer is beneficial such as unfamiliar cities or areas where I am following a maze of poorly marked logging roads, I bring my computer, plug in my GPS and watch myself drive along the maps (using Quakemap software).
So, my PDA is the backbone of my portable computing and my laptop is a nice accessory that is useful while driving . . . sometimes.
Have fun.
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A topic too dear to my heart to not comment on, even though I think the previous comments do a very good job of covering a wide range of very reasonable opinions.
I started caching with only maps and a compass, and frankly, doing so was a lot of fun. But, there are places where you can't get good enough maps and compass bearings are not possible in the deep woods. Even if you do know which direction is which, you often don't know where you are with enough accuracy to find a cache.
At times, I borrowed a garmin geko 201 from a friend. Just basic features, no maps and no built in compass. I still carried a regular magnetic compass and the combination worked great. I would have purchased a 201 if a well-to-do friend of mine didn't give me a geko 301 as a gift recently.
For traveling in the backcountry, I value the small size of the geko more than the convenience of mapping that can be found in larger units.
Now that I have it, I find the built in electronic compass and altimeter very convenient to have, but they are certainly not necessary. Having the built in compass does speed up finding the cache by not having to take the time to cross reference the gps and line up the compass.
Living in BC Canada, and now Oregon, I would get WAAS on any GPS I was buying, but I would not upgrade just to get it. In my caching, WAAS has been unavailable most of the time, and in the few places where I have been able to get WAAS, my signal is already much better than normal. So, WAAS can improve my accuracy on the 15% of caches that I am already getting the best accuracy on, not a big deal. It's the caches with weak signals (and thus never any WAAS) that I need the most help with. Probably an external amplifying antenna would be significantly more beneficial than WAAS unless most of your caching is in open areas where your signal is reliably very good.
I would not get a GPS without a data cable connector because I do like being able to download waypoints from my computer, upload tracks to my mapping software, and being able to drive along poorly or unmarked back roads/logging roads with dynamic mapping on my computer so that I know where I am on a map. I suppose a mapping GPS might reduce my need to drag along my computer in the car, but then, I'm not so certain that the built in GPS topo maps are as good as the ones I run on my computer anyway.
In the end, I suggest you stick with what you have if it is working for you, and upgrade when you please, realizing that the upgrade will not enable you to find more caches, but might give you some more bells and whistles to have fun playing with, and might speed up your cache hunts a bit, if that is important to you.
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This GPS camera idea is pretty nifty sounding, but the same type of photo-mapping is done with any regular digital camera and a GPS using QuakeMap. It is very cool and very easy. QuakeMap is only $9 to register. It is a very decent topo map/satellite image software, and most relevant to this topic, it plots photos on maps based on the time-stamp that all digital images have on them and the time stamp on a track that you download from your GPS. No need for a special camera or GPS. Just use the ones you already have.
That being said, the camera mentioned above probably puts a location stamp on the image files along with time stamps, and that would be handy, if not necessary.
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Those of you that have cached paperless without a PDA and paperless with a PDA, how many increased benefits are there really to having a PDA?
A cheep PDA will pay for itself by the savings on printer ink cartidges in pretty short order. Save trees and money.
Also, the time involved in printing and sorting paper is huge compared to a fast pocket query download via GSAK into Cachemate.
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Oh, I know, camo carpet! Swirling palms and palmettos with vague rectangular boxy background images.
My nephew just returned from marine basic training a few weeks ago. He showed me all his desert and forest "cammie" gear and told me about how the latest and most effective cammie is the new digital stuff he showed me, that much of the armed forces don't have yet, but will be getting soon.
Along these lines, cammie as a verb readily becomes cammied, without the need of an apostrophy. Nice and clean.
But then, I still think camo'd sounds and looks better. Cammie has kind of a sissy sound to it, even if it is comming out of the mouth of a well armed marine.
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As for a "geocaching" appearing, I would say that if the sports continues/gain in popularity over the next five years, it will appear in a dictionary - though maybe not OED - who knows!
Look up geocaching on dictionary.com and see . . .
1 entry found for geocaching.
Main Entry: geocaching
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a type of scavenger hunt for waterproof containers bearing treasure using the containers' exact geographic coordinates and Global Positioning System devices
Example: Geocaching can be a lot of work, especially in a remote urban area.
Etymology: geo- + cache
Usage: geocache n, v
Source: Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.5)
Copyright © 2003, 2004 Lexico Publishing Group, LLC
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Fill it full of McToys!!
Then ask that people just take and not trade unless they want to, and then only for another McToy. If you don't already have a couple bushels of McToy, you can buy them by the bushel at garage sales. Think of the look on a kids face when he/she realized that a trade was not expected, and there was a whole treasure box of toys, not just a little can of them.
What a great opportunity to redistribute McToy wealth.
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I'm just too darn lazy to try and keep track of any of these numbers. I remember going over 100 finds at some point, but I don't think I ever figured out which cache put me over 100 or when exactly the 100th find was found. I own somewhere around 5 caches, but then the caches that I help my kids hide are really more mine than there's at this point . . . I think of them as mine, but they aren't listed that way. I have no idea within a factor of 5 how many DNFs I have or travel bugs I've found.
So, my number of finds reminds me how much I need to get a life sometimes, but other than that, I don't pay much attention.
By the way, I'm not certain of my age either if that puts any perspective on this.
But, I do know how many women I've slept with, how many kids I have and how old they are. I also keep a large number of seemingly meaningless statistics in my head about all kinds of cultural views or perspectives on the world. Like, the number of Americans that identify themselves as Christians has dropped from 83% in 1995 to 75% in 2000. Apparently Wiccans are growing at the fastest rate. But then, doubling the size of a small group is much easier than doubling the size of a group that is already more than 1/2 of the population.
Some stats of fun for me. Geocaching stats of my own are not.
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I gotta give the geocaching forum crowd kudos for nailing this one pretty well on the head.
This was clearly an inexperienced (or at least poor) writer trying to sound witty with lots of unclear words and language usage. I'll even go an arogant step further and suggest that any information source that publishes material that is this poorly written is hurting for quality content and probably not worth reading.
Thanks to the topic (obviously not the content) of this thread I thought, hey, "I haven't looked at a "Backpacker" magazine in years, maybe it would be interesting to check out. Nope. Still the same old rag that is probably somewhat useful to someone that hasn't done much backpacking, but wants to get a feel or some basics. But primarily, it is (its web page anyway) an overly gear obsessed periodical with irresponsibly product oriented views and solutions to a sport that benifits more from simplicity than all the latest gear fads.
I used to like "Outdoor Magazine" years ago, may I should check it out and see if it is worth reading instead.
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Hopefully there is not a 'loophole' for other things that are supposed to be for paying members only. Otherwise, why am I paying $30.00 per year? Please don't take this the wrong way. Just making an observation.
I believe this is the first and only loophole I have become aware of and haven't closed. If you know of another, let me know and I'll close it.
I pay to be a premium member because I want to support the sport and because I enjoy some of the premium member advantages. I couldn't care less if Jeremy wants to leave loopholes open. That's his prerogative, just as paying for the service is my prerogative.
Thanks for a good and well maintained system Groundspeak.
Actually, I think having a few loopholes is kinda fun.
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All round VERY NICE upgrade to the site. Love the added features without adding clutter. I miss the extra space for all the fun background images around the edge of the geocaching information, but like the wider format.
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So as soon as somebody comes up with a winning selling point I'd like to hear it also.
It sounds to me like you don't need a good sales point, as this land owner is already fed up with the public's treatment of his land. He needs to have his needs and wishes met, not some great feature that will inspire him to change his mind.
You will probably not get anywhere, but, what you need is a good salesman, not a good sales feature.
1) It is his/her land. They own it. Any public access is a gift that they are giving to the public. How do you inspire someone that has been generous in the past to give more to a group (i.e., the public) that has already screwed them over and made their life more difficult than it was when they kept the gift just for themselves.
2) Then, there is the liability issue that keeps me from being able to talk my parents into letting me put a cache on some of their land.
Here are the tacts that I would try:
First: Find out what the land owner would want or need to be willing and able to open up his/her land to a select and controlled few people. Don't offer anything until you know what they are looking for, and then do your darnedest to meet their wishes. It may well be impossible to meet their needs. If so, be gracious and try again next year.
Then, if they have not closed the door completely on you, and need more reassurance try these tacts:
A) Estimate the likely frequency of geocaching visitors so the owners can see how much use there will be.
B] Make sure that the only permission that anyone has is to hunt the geocache at the geocacher's own risk, while clearly displaying a geocaching logo of some sort so that non-geocachers can be prosecuted for trespassing and geocachers can be recognized. This strict stipulation would be clearly outlined on the caching page so that there would be no ambiguity.
C) Coyote Red's "Geocaching Code of Ethics" might be a good tool to share with the land owner to give him/her a feel for the essence of geocaching. Or at least the good side of the essence.
D) Maybe try and include the owner in the geocache. What would the owner like the cachers to get out of the experience, if anything. Maybe the owner has a sadistic side and would enjoy making cachers write a short essay on the history of this hill (or some such thing) before they are allowed to log the cache.
In the end. Just visit the owner every six months to a year and ask them what they would need to make it worth their while. Remind them what access would be worth to you and your select few fellow geocachers. Eventually, you will probably get an answer about what they need and you can go from their if it is a meetable need. If their requirements are unattainable, apologize for not being able to meet them, let the owner know how close you might be able to come, and go back the next year and ask again.
Good luck!
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Terrain rating:
* Handicapped accessible. (Terrain is likely to be paved, is relatively flat, and less than a 1/2 mile hike is required.)
** Suitable for small children. (Terrain is generally along marked trails, there are no steep elevation changes or heavy overgrowth. Less than a 2 mile hike required.)
*** Not suitable for small children. (The average adult or older child should be OK depending on physical condition. Terrain is likely off-trail. May have one or more of the following: some overgrowth, some steep elevation changes, or more than a 2 mile hike.)
**** Experienced outdoor enthusiasts only. (Terrain is probably off-trail. Will have one or more of the following: very heavy overgrowth, very steep elevation (requiring use of hands), or more than a 10 mile hike. May require an overnight stay.)
***** Requires specialized equipment and knowledge or experience, (boat, 4WD, rock climbing, SCUBA, etc) or is otherwise extremely difficult.
This is way better than that clayjar rating program that is linked to in the geocaching hide-a-cache web page.
Are these rating guidelines posted somewhere that I should be embarrassed not to have seen them instead of the rating program I have been referring to?
Any chance we can get this list posted more prominently than the "flawed" rating program?
Thanks!
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That IS the definition from Clayjar's site. The full definition for a 1 is:
* Handicapped accessible. (Terrain is likely to be paved, is relatively flat, and less than a 1/2 mile hike is required.).
Brian,
I believe the confusion here is that we are coming at this from two different directions.
You are saying that a ?/1 is, by definition, handicapped accessible.
I agree that a ?/1 is obviously handicapped accessible, by definition.
The problem being that, according to clayjar's criterion, a ?/2 or even higher may also be handicapped accessible, since a wheelchair is perfectly capable of rolling or being pushed along "Well marked/defined hardpack, Well packed dirt. You could ride a standard bicycle or push a stroller on this trail without too much effort."
In fact, to quote you "If you can easily push a shopping cart on the trail without lifting it, its a 1. I think that's a good guide. "
But, having pushed plenty of strollers, I would suggest that a stroller and shopping cart are pretty similar and according to clayjar if the trail is hardpack but smooth enough for a "standard bicycle or stroller", it is no longer a ?/1, but more of a ?/2.
So, should I just throw out clayjar's version of what makes a ?/2 a ?/2, downgrade all my ?/2 caches that are, in my opinion handicapped accessible to a ?/1, and then rewrite my own definition of what a ?/2 or ?/3 might be?
Diabetic micro containers
in General geocaching topics
Posted
Heck, better than a donation, if anyone has or wants to sign up for a JDRF walk in your area and raise funds for it, I'll send you all the cool little micro caches and log pages you want at my expense (within reason of course).
I feel like a McDonald's executive doing that co-promotion stuff with movie theme toys to promote the movie and get kids into McDonald's all that the same time.
If I had thought of it before I started my family team, I'd have done it, but Maybe someone could start of Geocacher's Walk Team?