Mushroom finder

Ya'know, I've found a lot of items in caches that I didn't see any redeeming quality in, but that doesn't mean there was anything wrong with them being there. Spent bullet casings are completely harmless and there is nothing wrong with them being in a cache. They are inert and cannot be made "live" again without reloading equipment and supplies. Unless the person who left them also left a keg of powder, some primers, bullets, a press and dies, I wouldn't be concerned about them at all. They may not be something that everyone would like to trade for, but I know if I found a handful of once fired .410 AA hulls in a cache, or some spent .22 Hornet brass, I'd happily trade whatever trinkets I brought along for them.

I've solved a handful of puzzles that I have yet to go find. What I do is record the answers and final coords in the personal note section of the cache page. When I'm ready to go after one I've solved, all I have to do is go to the page and my answer is there. I haven't done enough to need an extra map feature, but you can always use the "add placemark" feature on google earth to overlay them all onto the map.

Still using dialup? OT: I gotta say... it's really not about the dialup. It's about having to scroll through endless quotes to get to single comments, for example. It's much nicer to read if just the relevant bits of discussion are quoted with a response. Nothing to do with bandwidth. (no I'm not dialup ) It happens in every forum - people just quote and reply. quote and reply. quote and reply. One forum page ends up >10x longer than it needs to be, with little comments interspersed. Pet peeve, really, more than any serious complaint /OT +1 Yet you did exactly that yourself in the very post you wrote ti biatch about it. :laughing: Yeah, I quoted just to grind yer nerves :lol:

I see nothing wrong with fishing stuff. Some people get all bent out of shape over it, but really, as long as it's packaged and/or has the hooks protected, there is nothing wrong with it at all. I have found a few jigs and lures in caches and have even placed new, packaged lures into one of my own caches. Once I found a nicely packaged hand tied fly that was left as a signature item by someone named Fly Guy.

Wasn't the original stash buried with just the lid exposed?

I usually like to leave pocket knives, firecrackers and herbal extasy. Sometimes if I'm feeling generous, I'll leave some condems and a warm beer.

Admittedly, I went after the caches blindly. Funny thing about unplanned caching runs when you're already out in the field, rarely do you have a chance to review the page before you set out. I knew full well that the caches I had saved might have since been relocated, might be missing, or might be disabled or even archived, that's a gamble I was willing to take. Going blindly often adds to the challenge and enjoyment. BUT, I don't think it is an unreasonable expectation when you find a cache that it should be readily apparent what type of cache it is. When I find a container with a log sheet full of signatures, noting about that says to me "hey, I'm just a stage of a multi". I'll go back to find them another day, but it will be interesting to see how many of the signatures at the first stages actually appear at the finals. After looking back through my finds, I guess I've actually only come across this scenario one other time, and the CO of that one happens to be the CO of one of these as well. If I remember correctly, there were far more signatures at stage 1 than there were at stage 2 and the final. Seems to me that CO's who do this actually shoot themselves in the foot because they make it easier for people to do exactly what they were trying to prevent ~ log a find without visiting all the stages.

I tend to agree that some won't bother to take it back and will just leave it at the final location. However, if one has to pass back by the spot to get back to their car (ie; not on a loop trail and no other caches beyond yours that they may be planning to do) then your chances of people returning it increase some. The thing I would be more concerned with is how long will it take someone to complete the cache from the time they take the jug until they put it back. I can foresee someone showing up to look for the jug while it is in another cacher's possession, not finding it because it's not there, and posting a DNF or NM. That will cause you unnecessary maint. runs as well as tick off people looking for it. Might be worth stashing more than one jug.

You would guess incorrectly, I've already posted my DNF's in fact. My point is, because I found containers with log books, I thought I had found traditionals rather than multis. Now I'll have to make a trip back to complete caches that I thought I had completed when I signed the logs.

I don't get it, why is it that some people put a log sheet in every stage of a multi cache? If the whole point of having stages is to provide additional clues or coords to the next stage or the final, why is a log sheet at each stage necessary? Technically a person could find stage 1 only and claim a find since they signed a log book. I've run into this a few times now, and although it baffled me, it never really bothered me until today. I often load caches into my GPSr that I don't plan to look for right away. Today I happened to be near a park that has 4 caches so I stopped to look on a whim. These caches have been in my GPSr for over a year and of course I haven't looked at the cache pages since I downloaded them so the only info I had was cache name and coords. I have an older Etrex Venture HC, and it doesn't have the ability to save any more info than that. Occasionally I will delete part of the cache name and replace it with the size so I have something to reference in the field. I had done just that with the first one I searched for. It was marked as a regular size but I found a micro instead. This didn't surprise me too much since people change their container size occasionally. As I was signing the log sheet I noticed a soggy scrap of paper wadded up in the bottom of the container. I dug it out and it had coordinates on it(different paper, font and font size than log sheet). I went to those coords but found nothing so I figured it was another finder's idea of a sick joke. Went to the next cache (different hider), found bison tube with log sheet, signed it and moved on. Once I got home I went to log my finds and found that both of them were actually multis. I don't get what the point is of having logs at every stage, in both of these cases all it did was confuse me into thinking I had found traditional caches rather than stages of multis.

People who take the gallon size zip lock that the log book was in and then leave the lid ajar so the log gets damp and falls apart. Why would someone want to take the zip lock? Oh right, they needed something to hold all the swag they took in exchange for a sticker. Also irritates me when someone logs that they had to take multiple items so they would have room to stuff their huge travel bug into the cache. Really? If youre gonna move bugs with stuffed animals attached to them, have the courtesy to find a cache that does have room rather than making room for it.

We have a few of those front yard caches in my town but I don't ever plan on looking for them. Just don't see what enjoyment I could possibly get out of rummaging through the bushes in someone's yard. I also can't imagine why in the world anyone would want to place a cache in their own yard. I live in a neighborhood where neighbors used to look out for one another. Once upon a time, strangers rifling around in a neighbor's front yard would have resulted in the cops showing up. Unfortunately, parts of my neighborhood are now riddled with drug activity so strangers coming and going at all hours every day no longer draws any real attention. Can't even tell you how many neighbors have had things stolen from their property and vehicles, the culprits were witnessed on the property, but no one raised an eyebrow because it wasn't out of the ordinary for strangers to be hanging around. Now don't misinterpret me, I'm not saying that someone placing a cache in their front yard is going to cause a rash of crime. What I am saying is that once their neighbors are accustomed to it and the activity it brings, they'll be lees likely to notice or call the cops when real crime or suspicious activity occurs.

When a cache is several years old I know I'm not going to find that one toy truck that was initially put in. You might be surprised. Earlier this year I found a cache placed in 2006, with 67 finds before me, that still had some (possibly most) of it's starting swag items. I don't trade swag much, (haven't seen much beyond kid stuff) but when I do I note it in the log. And I'm thinking of buying some stuff in bulk specifically to drop off in a whole bunch of caches. (Though it may be a couple months before I buy the items.) I'm not surprised at all actually, but I'll bet it wasn't a P&G either. My first cache was placed in 2008 and it still has some of it's original swag. Good swag too, not the stuff that's only still there because it's too crappy for anyone to take. Of course, it does require some effort to get to and I think that makes a difference because the type of person who takes more than their share (or all) of the swag typically won't put in very much effort. I believe that the quality and quantity of swag degenerates at a rate that is directly proportional to the popularity and the level of accessibility to your cache. I placed a new cache just over a month ago that is a 1.5/1.5 that only requires a very short walk. It was chocked full of decent swag when I hid it, but I stopped by last week and it was down to just 2 items- a sticker and a fake golf ball Stopped by today and restocked it. I don't really mind having to restock this soon because in the 1 month it has been out, it has already become the 4th most favorited cache in the KC area. I'm sure it will need to be restocked again in a month or two, but as long as people seem to be enjoying the hide, I don't mind keeping it full.

Another thing that might work is water activated led lights. I've seen some that look like ice cubes and you put them in your drink. As soon as they get wet they light up. A bunch of these would make a cool night cache in the rain but would probably be findable during the day unless you were real sneaky about how you placed them.

If you are talking about a cache where finders would not be allowed to claim a find unless they did it in the rain, then no, that would be an ALR and no allowed. Now if you are talking about coming up with a way hide a cache that is only findable when it's raining then that should be OK and would be challenging. Maybe figure a way to harness rain water running through a culvert or a downspout bring a container that's normally out of sight into view. Or perhaps a small paddle wheel or turbine generator in a drain pipe that powers a chirp. No rain water running through the pipe, no signal from the chirp.

I like it when someone takes a very typical geocache container and turns it into something completely different, all while maintaining it's functionality and keeping the original container recognizable. Like the guy who fabricated a delivery van from an ammo can for instance. I also like it when people spoof an overused and mundane container or poke fun at a particular hide style. Like a 6' long ammo can, a giant match safe or a giant film canister. I have one out that spoofs an overused and irritating geocaching phrase and it has been well received. I've got a couple more spoofs planned for future hides. I'd really like to buy one of these to cut up and spoof an Altiods hide, but $250 is a bit much for a few laughs.

Hot glue isn't waterproof and has poor bonding strength. I've yet to find anything, other then very porous materials, that hot glue was really suitable for. Unfortunately, the smoother you sand the bottle necks, the weaker the bond is gonna be too. I'd suggest saving the hot glue for crafts and instead use a good polyurethane adhesive like 3M 5200.

I used to do most of my caching from my bike, that is until someone else decided they needed in more than me a couple of nights ago

If you are using an actual GPSr you can use the "project a waypoint" feature. Consult your owner's manual for instructions on how to do that with your particular unit. If you are using a car GPS or an iphone, use a compass. Simply turn the dial on the compass to 160 degrees and then rotate your body until the needle lines up with N. You are now facing 160 degrees. Pick out a landmark that is straight ahead of you and walk toward it until you've paced off 300'. What you will need to know is weather that 160 degrees is TRUE north or MAGNETIC north. If the cache page does not specify, you'd best be prepared to try both. Google the magnetic declination in your area and add or subtract that amount from the 160. Magnetic declination in the continental US varies from 0 degrees up to 20 degrees east or west, so you can see how far off the mark you could end up if you went 160 from Magnetic north and the CO meant true north or vise vesa.

While I much prefer finding a decent size swag cache over most micros, I will say that not all micros that I've found I would consider "lame". Some have been very well done in fact. However, if micros and nanos ever did become the "regular", I'd be all for renaming the game Geologging rather than Geocaching.

Recently, I got a new cache notification on my phone that was close by. Even though it had been published for a couple of hours before I received the notification (comcast email and sprint phones are a cruddy mix) I went for the FTF anyway. I almost never hit a cache on the day of publication and there are pretty much always numerous finds by the time I do go after one. I know what the typical swag in my area is like after numerous finds, but I've never really experienced a fresh cache (other than my own) so I was excited to see how other locals stocked theirs initially. I got there to find a sizable container (about the same volume as a .50 cal ammo can), that was completely empty except for a log book, and yeah, it was blank. As I signed the log, I couldn't help but wonder if the CO hid it empty or if someone else got there first and cleaned it out. Then I got to thinking about what the STF was going to think. Were they going to think that I cleaned out the cache? I never knew the answer, but to me the cache does illustrate the epitome of "trade even or trade up". As far as I know, the cache started off empty, but several recent logs mention that items were traded. No matter how crappy the swag in this cache might be at this point, it has definitely increased over time rather than decreased.

That is really cool. The only thing that's missing is sponsorship decals from Altoids, Fuji and Kodak

Every day, thousands of people in the US pass a test to acquire a drivers license, thus proving that they know how to safely operate a motor vehicle and have an adequate understanding of traffic laws and know what the signals and signage mean. Yet everyday I see dozens of drivers on the road who seemingly have no idea how to operate their vehicle. Many have no concept of the right of way rules, and don't know what the signals and signs mean. I see people park in no parking areas, in loading zones, in front of hydrants, block driveways and entrances, ignore posted speed limits, cut off other drivers, double park, etc. These drivers pose a nuisance and sometimes even a danger to everyone else on the road, yet they all passed the drivers test at some point in time. I'm just sayin....

I've seen many caches that fit that bill entirely, and they were placed by users who have been in the game for a long time and have find counts in the thousands. What Lil Devil says is true to an extent, but there will be people who find those crappy hides and decide they want to do better. What it all boils down to as far as quality hides go, is some people just get it and others don't, and no amount of prerequisite experience is going to change that.

Here's mine, one of only three true 5/5's in my entire state. Cannonball Run