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Furrhan

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Everything posted by Furrhan

  1. Not sure if I posted here already or not but there was one I was looking for called "[NAME] Rock". (I blanked out the name because it's not important.) The hint (at the time) was this: "Hint is in the name.It is in visible and not hidden under anything and is near a small snowgum" Seems all right until you consider the fact that this was in the middle of scree/a boulder field with trees dotted through it and surrounding each edge. They've since updated the hint and added a picture showing the cache container itself as well as GZ so I guess they got sick of people complaining about it or asking them for more info.
  2. Unfortunately I got my case in the way of this shot a little. This isn't zoomed in at all though. The crow literally landed that close to me before eating a leaf, drinking from a puddle and bidding me farewell. It was quite a special moment!
  3. Furrhan

    Map FIlters

    So, I was looking at the map today. So far as I can see, this doesn't exist yet, but from the map page itself, if you could put an option to filter by cache size along with the cache type filters, I think that'd be very useful! I know you can do a search from the home page and filter out sizes and then press the "map these results" button but it'd be nice to have the option to do that directly from the map. Please and thank you!
  4. I would say the legality depends on the location of the drain. I know there are some drain locations in my city that the city has specifically forbidden access to because they're just too dangerous. There's also an old, disused one that dates from convict times and doesn't actually run any more that does have a cache right outside the entrance. Personally I'd say putting a cache just outside the drain is fine so long as you're sure the council hasn't prohibited access. I'd avoid putting them into the drain themselves though. For one thing, by their nature they can flood at any time with no warning and wash the cache (and any unfortunate cachers!) away. For another thing they can have all kinds of waste that can cause all kinds of disease, not to mention all kinds of debris that can cause injury. So it's just too dangerous to make cachers go into the drains themselves.
  5. I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet, but I think it's good to know that you don't HAVE to leave anything! It's good geocaching to leave something of equal or greater value than what you took, but if you're like me and don't take anything anyway then you don't have to leave anything unless you really want to. But if you do want to leave something, I've found quite a few little rubber bouncy balls. They're always great fun for kids to throw around and they're easily cleaned and don't degrade if the cache gets damaged. Dice are also popular, as are the cheap "pirate treasure" plastic coins you can get buy from those discount stores. Treasure is always fun for the kids. For the grownups or for more serious swag, you could always leave a cheap keyring flashlight (please don't leave the batteries in case they degrade and leak!), a cheap compass to clip onto a backpack or something, carbine/carabine clips, maybe a plastic magnifying glass for map reading. Little things like that. ^^
  6. 1.) If you can't find an obvious owner then chances are the land is either owned by whichever county/local council area it's located in or it's owned by the state. I'm not exactly sure how it works in the US which is where you seem to be located. Most likely though this means that you should be able to place the cache there but you can always call the county offices or sheriff's department or whatever to double check. The land ownership rule is more applicable to private property, national parks/state monuments/reserves, things like that. But double checking never hurts! Your local reviewer might even know who to ask if you send them a PM! 2.) This guideline means you can't drill or cut into any trees or bushes to place a cache, nor can you disturb animal nests or place caches in such a way that they're likely to ensnare or entrap animals. Putting the cache behind a fallen branch or log or in the crook of a tree will be absolutely fine as long as you double check to make sure no one is living there! Regarding the poison oak, I'd definitely mention that in the cache description so that people can come prepared! Ideally I'd try to avoid putting it in the middle of a bunch of it just out of courtesy to the people trying to find the cache though, but we all know that sometimes weeds like that grow around caches so in the end it's all part of the game. 3.) The container seems okay to me! Just remember to wrap the log in a ziploc bag to protect it in case of leakage! 4.) Theming is fine and you can definitely mention that your cache is a tribute to whichever pop culture reference takes your fancy! Just make sure not to extol the virtues of your chosen reference and make sure you're not encouraging, even indirectly, people to spend money, and you should be fine! Again, PM your reviewer with any doubts and chances are they'll be more than willing to help edit your listing so it's appropriate! Good luck with it, have fun, and remember to stay safe!
  7. I started geocaching in 2016. A friend had mentioned it on another forum I frequent and I thought it looked like a fun way to get some fitness up and a good excuse to get me out of the house for a while. I really love the thrill of the hunt and the sense of pride and satisfaction you get when making a find. I also love seeing places and areas I wouldn't normally go, and finding new things. It's actually kinda fun being a tourist in your own town and seeing things with new eyes!
  8. The worst I've had was a nasty bruise on my hip when I slipped on some melting snow and landed on a rock. Other than that I've had the usual scrapes and bumps you get while hiking. I always try to be very careful though. Usually when I'm out caching I'm on my own so if I have any doubt about my ability to get to and from a cache safely then I simply won't attempt it. To me, staying safe and alive is much more important than getting another smiley face on my profile. I also almost always have a first aid kit with me and if I'm hiking then I always also have my hiking pole, some sturdy boots and some gloves. That pole has saved me from injury on several occasions as it's helped me avoid overbalancing, and the boots lace up to support my ankles which aids with stability. The gloves, I think, are self-explanatory.
  9. Well I figure since the official app is designed by the people that make the official site it's likely to have more support and compatibility. Also I've not had to put any money into the app beyond my initial Premium Member purchase so I've not had any problems with it. I guess you're right in that there can be an element of personal preference in which app you use though
  10. So I have a Magellan eXplorist 310 GPS that I've been trying to use but I'm not hugely happy with it since I can't seem to make it track very accurately. It varies between 5 and 18m which isn't very helpful. Are Garmin GPS units any more accurate or is there some way to make my unit more accurate? Also I'd like to be able to bung in a set of coordinates and have it take me there but I can't work out how to do that so I'm stuck "following the needle" for now. I see a lot of cachers talking about Garmin rather than Magellan units so should I just swap over or should I stick with what I have? Any advice is much appreciated!
  11. Barest necessities? My tablet PC (I use the app on that instead of my phone because my phone sucks ), my phone, a pen, a flashlight and hand sanitiser and/or sanitising wet wipes. Good for getting dirt and muck off your paws. ^^ Depending on where I'm going I'll modify that kit though. My full kit contains a pad, forceps/tweezers, a mirror on an extendable stick with a light, disposable gloves, sturdy rubber gloves, an extendable hiking pole, a small first-aid kit and my GPS. If I'm hiking I'll also pack water, snacks and a jacket. I'm also thinking of investing in an PLB (Personal Locator Beacon - like an EPIRB but for hikers) for when I'm hiking in remote areas and places with little to no mobile reception.
  12. Oh, the community is definitely still active! And the age of a cache doesn't necessarily indicate how good it'll be or what condition it'll be in. I've found some old ones that were virtually unusable and some pristine new ones but I've also found just as many broken, wet, trashed new ones and pristine old ones. It's always worth having a look at the logs to see what sort of condition the cache will be in and what to expect along the way before you set out.
  13. 1.) I'm not entirely sure what you're asking here, sorry. As has been said though, results can vary depending on the app and the phone. Make sure you're using the official geocaching app and make sure you have the GPS switched on so that your phone is locating you based on satellites and not phone towers. That'll make your searching much more accurate. 2 & 4.) This depends on the situation and location. Sometimes you can sit and wait for the muggles to go, other times you have to be a bit stealthy and just grab the cache when no one is looking. Sometimes you just have to give up and come back another time. The important thing though is to relax, make your motions deliberate and don't actually try to be stealthy. Trying too hard is a sure way to draw attention. 3.) No, you don't need wifi. All you need is a GPS-enabled device and the coordinates for the cache. And a pen to sign the log. GPS and wi-fi are two very different systems and it's GPS and not wi-fi that'll get you to the site of the cache.
  14. 1.) Yes! In fact, the rule is that if you take SWAG (Stuff We All Get - treasures in the cache) from a cache then you replace it with something of equal or greater value. That keeps finding the caches fun for everyone! 2.) Well that's personal preference. Do you want all the bells and whistles you can get with a more modern GPS or are you happy with what you have? It's entirely up to you! 3.) Regarding placing caches and trackables, just make sure you're familiar with the rules and you do it right. The rules are all easily found on the Help Centre. Good luck and have fun!
  15. It would depend on the location so use your common sense. For public land you don't need permission. For privately owned land you do. For any heritage-listed sites, you definitely need permission. You'd also need permission from the traditional owners to put a cache in any Aboriginal sacred sites. I think though, as long as the place you intend to put a cache isn't in a sacred site or archaeologically significant site then the traditional owners wouldn't have too much of a problem with you placing a cache, especially if you give acknowledgement to them in the cache description.
  16. Just to add to what CAVinoGal said, a log doesn't have to be anything special. Any paper with space to write a signature and date on can be used. I probably wouldn't add a NM for a full log unless others had already mentioned in their logs on the site that it was full and it hadn't been replaced. Also, while it's not essential or required that you replace a full or a damp log, some cache owners won't accept your find as valid unless you've signed SOMETHING and put it in there. So it never hurts to be prepared with a pen and paper just in case. One other thing to note: if you find a container at Ground Zero with no log book in it, just make sure that you have actually found the cache! They can be well disguised and it's easy to mistake junk for caches sometimes if you're not careful. Also, just to clarify, logging a DNF simply means you didn't find the cache. They have no impact on your membership here or anything like that and you don't unlock any special memberships or rewards other than a sticker for your profile by having a higher number of finds. Nor do DNFs reduce the number of finds stated on your profile. They simply do not add to it. So they're nothing to be afraid of. They can also be useful for alerting cache owners that something is wrong with the cache as well as for alerting other cachers that the cache may be missing. So don't be afraid to log them at all! Finally, a find is still a find no matter the status of the cache, provided the cache was active at the time it was found. You can't log a find on a cache that's already archived but if you've logged the find before the cache is archived then that find is permanently on your record. I hope this helps and do feel free to ask if you have any more questions!
  17. Hmm. I have two memorable ones. The first was a warm summer's day in Salamanca Place, Hobart, Tasmania. Australia. Without giving anything away, when I found the cache I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sheer audacity of the hide.I gave that cache my very first favourite point and it really made my day. ^^ The second memorable one was an ammo can puzzlecache in the Waterworks Reserve, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. I was solving this puzzle as the sun was setting with a mob of kangaroos further down the hill eating and watching me. I like to think they were cheering me on! Sadly I didn't have a camera with me so I couldn't get a picture of them. It was a fun cache though!
  18. Ah! Congratulations to you both! My best wishes for a long and happy life together! And my condolences for the loss of your late wife.
  19. My best/most important piece of advice? I'm actually surprised no one has mentioned this yet but here goes: STAY SAFE! Use your common sense when caching. Use protective/safety gear (e.g. gloves, garters, harnesses/ropes, tweezers, poles) when they're called for. Never stick your fingers or hands anywhere you can't see. Getting home safely and in one piece is far more important than finding any cache or signing any log. If an area doesn't feel safe to go into or if something doesn't seem right when you're caching then get out of there. Caching is generally quite safe but like any outdoor activity there's always some associated risk. If you're going to get a cache in a remote area always carry the supplies you might need and always let someone know where you're going and when to expect you back. If you're getting a cache in a dark alley, maybe take a friend with you and get the cache during the day rather than at night. Most caches will have a good description of what to expect in the area and what safety gear will be needed so make sure you read the description carefully and go prepared. As I said, you are more important than any cache. Caches can be revisited and they can always be replaced. You can't be replaced so always take care of yourself!
  20. I think you're less likely to be allowed to hide one in a significant Indigenous site than you are in a national park. Indigenous sites can be archaeologically sensitive and one of the cardinal rules of geocaching is that we don't damage anything. Also you need to be respectful of culture and don't hide caches in known sacred sites or middens or places with rock art. Err on the side of caution, I think. If you have to ask "canI/should I?" then the answer is probably no in this case.
  21. I like to have a good root around. It really depends on the specific cache though, as well as on how good the hints are. For instance, one cache was tiny and located in a boulder field and the hint appeared to mean that it was near a rock. Very unhelpful. I gave up on that one pretty quick since there wasn't a lot of point in searching with my inaccurate GPS device and the falling light. In contrast, I've searched for one for a good half an hour or so because I knew I was in the right spot, the hint was clear and good and I was having fun. That one I gave up on because I decided to come back with fresh eyes after collecting the other caches I had bookmarked for the day if I had time since I didn't want to lose the light. So it really depends on the cache and the circumstances. And time constraints.
  22. I'd be wary of putting caches on hydrants, alarms, hoses, extinguishers and suchlike. I don't know about where you are but over here (Australia) you can get stiff fines for tampering with safety equipment. Plus you don't want to do anything that could obstruct their access or use in an actual emergency. niraD's idea about burned out trees could definitely work though! As to Heart, well it could be a heart-shaped cache or a cache decorated with hearts or anything like that. ^^
  23. Personally I enjoy the thrill of the hunt and the rewarding feeling when you have the "Ahah!" moment when you find the cache. ^^ Also getting to see new areas that I wouldn't otherwise have gone.
  24. @niraD: Yes, it's your right and no that's not the same. One is hardly going to tear down an entire fence to hide a geocache. @Mn-treker: Yep, that's a good example. I doubt that boring a hole in the mailbox post was what the land owner had in mind when they gave permission.
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