she_wolf

This thread is hilarious.... I am new too - I didn't know that I went out so unprepared. I did the day hiking thing before geocaching, but was thinking that i looked too obvious or suspicious going geocaching with the backpack.... I am trying to imagine the size of your backpacks you bring with all that stuff.... Every time I think I know what I am doing... someone just adds more...

Greetings All! I would have to say that I have experienced and seen both sides. I think the most intense (nicely put) discussion, and I see this repeatedly since it is a common question, is if someone new asks about what they should buy. Rather than offering experiences, such as this worked for me and I use mine for this purpuse, or this was easy to use (and why), folks debate one ANOTHER about their preferences, and completely forget about hte newbie that asked the question. Hey I had no idea what they were all talking about when I posed the question. The ONLY good advice I caught was to go to REI because of their great return policy (which came in handy after my first weekend out & I decided to upgrade) That being said I have also made more than my share of boo-boos, and someone has ALWAYS stepped up with helpful or encouraging advice. Even going so far as to email me an extra hint since I inadvertantly went looking for a micro (not knowing the differences) and like all of us was totally obsessed. Ultimately it was found, lesson learned, no micros ... for now .... & try to steer clear of the smalls, unless the logs sound encouraging. So Addicted and Loving it!

OK thanks for the info! Heaven forbid if they blew mine up before anyone found it. I'm probably pretty fortunate considering the last few I have found have all been dry. I probably just need to spend a creative afternoon at Home Depot.

Question though .... Since I don't have it any longer I don't have the tracking# - and it is required to grab it. Any other suggestions? I did email the owner and am hoping that they get back to me, they can give me the tracking number and I can then correct it. The way it sits now, the next person that finds it can't log it, correct?

ok I have a similar issue - Garmin Etrex Vista I downloaded caches along a route. Well I am back from the road trip and now have quite a few caches still left on there & I want to nuke them. Other than going through one by one (which will take me a LONG time) Suggestions on how to "select" all and nuke them all? Thanks! See now I know enough to be dangerous SORRY FIGURED IT OUT.... Keep pushing buttons - and there is always a way... :-D

Couple of logging issues. First of all, why did it allow me to log the same State Park a second time? That being said, the second time was actually an error, since I went to a different park. I deleted the incorrect entry (which by the way I had dropped off a bug at the time). Well when I deleted the entry, the bug didn't reappear in my inventory, and the Bug's Page still shows that I have it. So how do I update the Bug Page to show that I dropped it off at the new location. So now what do I do? I have emailed the owner, to see if they can help me.

Ok I would still consider myself a newbie. But would like to place a cache here soon. I have found a couple lately that I think are pretty cool (and easy I think). They are a PVC tube that has the cache that is a PVC pipe inside. What is that called, and what are the parameters on that, since it is out in the open. Or do you just get permission same as you would do with any other public placement. The last one was actually clamped to an existing pipe. What is that called, the fake post, and the inside cache - trying to learn this lingo. Thanks for the info...

testing

test

thanks!

I tried to follow the directions, and have tried it twice. I went to Google Earth. Got the directions using zip code to zip code - all is well. Save As: *.klm, not the default went back to Geo.com and said browse/ upload *klm route appears clicked on preview nothing shows - no map, just blank white. What am i doing wrong?

Personally, I wouldn't have posted a 'needs maintenance' log on the 'flooded' one. It's not exactly like the cache owner can 'maintenance' flooding. Do what, attempt to drain the area by drinking the water? Some areas are just wetter than others. One of mine tends to get flooded for about 1-week of the year, right in the middle of spring thaw. If it's a good container, it'll hold up. Heck, my favourite cache is DESIGNED to be in an extremely flooded area. Slurping through ankle-deep water the entire way... I found it awesome. It all depends on what you're looking for. If you don't want to get wet/etc, stick to caches that are further from bodies of water. The flooded one that you listed indicated that you had to walk OVER a dam. With a description like that, there's a decent chance you'll be getting your feet wet. If you don't, good... but I wouldn't go to that one 100% expecting it to be dry. But yeah... I wouldn't have posted a 'needs maintenance' log. Perhaps just post something like "someone may want to check if the cache is dry" or "add into the cache description the area may be very wet". If the cache is still in perfect condition in there... maintenance is unneeded, no? Thanks for the clarification on the "needs maintenance" - I waivered on that... The hunt was great, the find of course made it a success ~ the cache was a bit soggy, but prior logs indicated this had happened before, so figured iF I logged it as such future cachers would know & the owner could check up. By reading your note above I think I "guessed" right.... she_wolf - proud finder of #10 last night & one geocoin (double digits is fantastic, but the geocoin is the AWESOMEST!!)

Just making sure I was using the right number - and thank goodness I used the magnifying glass, I thought it was a "B" and it was really a "6" Thanks!

I am heading up north in about a week, so will drop it up there.... Now I have a question on the tracking#. I had a number on the back or the coin that is not the same as the "reference" number that is listed on the coins web page. If I do a search on my number, nothing comes up, but if I enter the "reference" number from the coins web page, the correct page comes up. I found it by doing a "name" search.

Quick clarification... So if you take a bug OR coin that is OK ~ you don't have to replace one in that same cache. So as long as you pass them on you are ok? As long as I have someone's ear, how do you put a bug or coin into play, just curious....

Thanks for the Info. I'll log it right now & we're going out tonight and will drop it off someplace and log that...

Yipee! Found (and nabbed) my first geocoin. Now what do I do? I was going to log it, but wanted to make sure I follow the correct "protocol". Do you get to write a note, same as you do with the other caches? The slip attached asked/ suggested something about a pic. I am so psyched, as it was only my 7th cache - and no I didn't even realize it was a cache with a trackable item As long as we are on the subject.... just in case/ when I find my first bug - what do I do then? Do you just take a bug if you have a bug to replace it with, and otherwise do you have to not grab it? What is the protocol on bugs? Thanks!

Maplewood, Minnesota (North East side of St Paul )

This is an awesome topic, and here are my two cents, ok with inflation, make it a quarter. The caches are also relative. I found one ammo box (my first by the way), under a pile of rocks, so sort of easy to spot. The hardest part was figuring out how to work my GPS. My second one was deceptively easy as well, 5min & was about 2"x3" and buried in a little dirt mound. Here is my but... they were actually both listed as "small". So after finding the first, I was actually looking for something the size of the ammo box. As I said #2 was pure luck. I was hooked after #1, but #2 solidified my addiction. Now after 6, I feel like a PRO (just kidding), but what I have learned it to go for the "regular" sized ones. See now that I have the hang (kind of) of my GPS AND how to manuever and download my coordinates ~ I am smart enough to go for the little larger ones to learn and explore with. Now if I could only figure out how to locate a cache without following my GPS along the "as the crow flies" route .... I think I am supplying the MN state insect, the mosquito, with enuf blood to feed them all season ~ of course who notices during the hunt ~ it's the next day when I show up at work looking like I have the chicken pox....

Maps are proprietary to the manufacturer. If you have a Garmin, you need Garmin maps. If you want full coverage, and not just parks, you'll need Topo U.S. 2008. OK another Newbie question.... I actually have the Topo US 2008. Now what do I do with it? It is on my computer, that much I got. How can it help me? How do I use it? I know silly to buy at the time, but having bought the GPS I was on a roll....

I really like the idea of paperless. In the description it mentions Palms & Pocket PCs, can I download hints, maps & coordinates? I have a Garmin Vista HCX I love the Geocaching along a route, I better double my travel time when I go out of town for a weekend, I can see that I will take a different route each time. Any tips on other features that would be helpful to a newbie?

I would have put newbie in the title, but everyone does that. That being said I have a few questions... I downloaded the details for a cache, but then realized that it was a micro - so I would like to delete JUST that one from my list. How do I do that? Remember, I can manage to find my list of caches. I thought I saw the option of delete ALL, but I only want to delete that one. Also when hunting this past weekend, I inadvertently clicked on FOUND, and I hadn't found that one yet. Is there a way to "UN-FOUND" that cache? Thanks! up to 3caches and so far NO DNFs - YIPEE!! would have searched for more, but with my luck the tornado sirens went off, so had to hustle back to my car (I hope that isn't an omen )