Langy
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Posts posted by Langy
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Thats a great example of drama in my book. Often the story needs to be told that accompanies the photograph.
Thank you. Always eventful when the whole family goes out. lol
I'm just hoping this weekend when I go out on my own for a big hill walk that I can find something else to meet you theme. Either way whatever the weather I'm in for some good scenery.
So pleased I moved to Cumbria!
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When I see the topic of Drama I was unsure if I could include the image, so I will explain.
We had just visited Wonderful Wildlife (GL8XKTPQ) where on the way we had to take shelter from a Thunder Storm after we had left Aira Beck. We were all rather wet on the descent, some more than others but for me the whole walk for the scenery was excellent. The image below is just as my wife shouted out in relief that she could see civilisation again just over the brow of the hill. So you the drama from the cache could come from various places, teh weather, how hard the walk was mainnly for my wife but the kids after they got wet or for me the dramatic view as shown in the image that was seen on the descent.
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As someone already mentioned, if you are just logging caches you really don't find (as to why the log is not signed) then you are only cheating yourself. Who cares what someone else has for a number of finds.
I've had a couple of instances where I was unable to sign the log as below.
- Log was actually missing. I was on a route walk setup by a single cacher so if they had any concerns then they could see the other caches I had already found on the walk. Also someone else had posted the log was missing so I was backing them up.
- Totally soaked log where it was impossible to sign. Logged it on the site and also created a maintenance log to inform the CO.
- Finally just this weekend forgot to take a pen on a walk as I was trying to organise the family. Got to the cache and their pen did not work. I took photo's of the cache and fortunately my son put in some crayons in the cache so I used one of those.
- Also been to some caches where the log was almost beyond full but mamanged to squeeze a small entry on the paper. Comments from cachers way before me had posted a full log. So some of this shoudl also come down to the CO.
I myself may check a log that I replaced (this is if I ever set my own cache) if it is in good condition.
Langy
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Hello
I think as some have said this is a topic that often comes up and some people have some very hard views on the subject.
In my opinion there are a lot of caches out there and yes some are not exactly well thought out as a wet soggy log is often found. Having said that there have also been some 35mm canisters where the log was kept in good condition and was in a very nice location.
As to the numbers game, why not? If some people want to do this hobby based on numbers then why should they not be provided with that chance?
What people will find is that the tools are there on the site for them to view lots of caches and decide which caches they want to go for. Therefore if they are looking for a large sized cached where it takes a couple of hours to walk to in a stunning part of the countryside then they have that option.
We should not really moan about what we may class as a poor cache as it may be a jewel for someone else.
Initially when I started properly earlier this year I wanted to try and achieve 100+ finds before I moved away from Suffolk up to Cumbria. I achieved that and in doing so got taken to a lot of really nice places. There were magnetic micros on the back of signs, magnetic dog walking labels with a log hidden behind, 35mm pots and of course lunch boxes. Often the larger lunch boxes are damp where someone has not bought a thick solid tub. They also become britle and end up with holes in them.
Now that I have moved to Cumbria I still want to get my numbers up but not to the extent of trying to find 10 caches in a day. Yes it would be nice as often the fun is in finding them.
For me what I really like is to walk up some of the peaks in the Lake District and have a cache to find at the summit. Last week it took me over 2 hours to climb Grasmoor, up in the clouds, barely got to see many views from the top whilst on the summit but I had a cache to find. When I walked away across to Whiteless Edge / Pike the views were amazing. Only 1 cache for a very hard 5 hour walk that day.
In summary we need to make sure that we provide lots of caches of varying qualities and locations. Some people can not travel or walk very far so having that chance of enjoying this hobby is what we should provide. If people want to work as a group login and play the numbers game, let them. At the end of the day you know your number and how you got to that number. I'm proud of my small 118 (compared to some) as of today and I know that a small number of those caches some people would love to have had the oppertunity to find and see what I have seen.
Langy
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I have to ask why would you want to disable all of the e-mails?
Most email systems all have quite a large storage space so there should not be an issue there.
Unless you are simply getting hundreads of e-mails every day from the site then I can not see why you would want to stop them.
If you are currently getting emails you are interested in then surely you would not want to miss any by stopping them.
I personally would still get the emails and if possible from time to time if you were able to get web access just go to your mail account sort them by name and delete the ones you do not need.
With a wireless web cam at home I can get up to 200 emails in a day from the motion sensor, especially when the sun shines and there is a lot of broken cloud about.
These all come through to my phone and I have to manage then when I get to a PC.
Paul
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I would just let him get on with it, contact the site and after he has spent a few days logging all these I'm sure they would all get wiped out and if they want to take severe action I would expect they may even disable his account.
I know numbers can be important but who are you cheating?
Just report him and keep the post here going as to the outcome.
Paul
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OK on the initial question I would guess that the 0.1 mile may also be down to help people when placing caches as a lot of the older GPS's may only display in miles or kilometres and 0.1 miles seems a reasonable distance away from another cache unless it is part of a series etc.
As the conversation has diversed again to quality of caches and different people have different opinions on quantity etc I'll add my bit.
What's wrong with having lots of caches? Yes some of them may be of poor quality as to location but as someone pointed out not everyone can walk 5 miles along a muddy field, cross a stream up and over a few hills just to get to one cache that has a stunning view. Some people need to have a cache on the side of a road, along a cycle path in a town. If we have lots of caches in all sorts of different areas then it gives people choice. Everyone has a choice if they want to go and find that cache that they know will be a micro on the back of a road sign next to a major A road that runs right through the town. Persoanlly I'm not keen on the town caches as I like to be somewhere a little more quiet. However some can't travel so at least they have a cache they can go and find.
As to quality of the actual cache then that's another story which every CO can do something about. I like the magnetic micro's they work well, can be hidden in very open spaces without being found and keep the log dry. The other canisters like a film canister seem to keep dry too but I have found the old 35mm film canisters do tend to leak and the CO should do something more in keeping the contents dry if they use them. The larger storage boxes with the lockable flaps seem to work well to, especially when hidden in camo bags etc to hide them.
I noticed 9 new caches had just appeared right near where I work and usually walk in my lunch breaks, so decided to give these a go. The caches I did yesterday had a coupld of poor boxes, these where like a small lunch box clear plastic bottom and a bright blue lid. They were very brittle and the second one I found had already split, they were only registered on the site at the end of May so IU can't see these lasting too long. Also there were some bright white containers. Both the lunchboxes and white containers were all hidden at the base of trees or in plants around the housing estates. My worry here is that come winter when the greenery dies off they are going to become very visible and are sure to get muggled. Now today I've done 5 more caches in the area by the same CO and they have all been far better. Well hidden and containers that should hopefully last and keep the log dry.
Yes quality may not have been the best for the local work caches, but I was pleased to be able to go on a local find during my lunch break. We all have our own criteria as to what is a good cache, when we can cache and where we can cache. So having a large choice is a big benefit to all.
I meant to add this....
The only way that we are going to help members find the preffered caches is to have better facilities on the site. Why can we not have a rating system on the quality of location and teh actual cache. People can then filter these as they see fit. We already have Terrain and Difficulty why not add to it?
Paul
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We took a huge amount of care when we released our first TB earlier this year, watching caches, looking to see how frequently they were visited, etc etc. We finally let it go into a cache on a walk that had been done every weekend for the past three weeks, and indeed was done by two others the same weekend we placed it. We also put a TB that we had previously picked up into a different cache on the same walk, then came home smugly ready to watch them move......No one else did that walk for nearly 5 weeks and they just sat there, so it just goes to show that it's the luck of the draw!
I do understand your daughter's impatience!
Also to add to this even if it was a popular cache it doesn't mean that someone would pick it up.
With not knowing where and when you are likely to even be abkle to drop it off to another cache may put a few people off in the fear of holding on to it for so long.
Having a TB seems to be a bit of a lottery as to how often it will move, where it will move to and worse if it will get lost or not.
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Now to open the can of worms. What about finding your caches once adopted by someone else? Oh that grey area just got a little wider in my mind. Forget I asked and the lid can go back on.
Well why not? If you do not own the cache then surely you can find it, who knows the new CO may have moved it slightly or something else.
It has to be down to how you see it yourself, if you were out with a friend to help them set a cache would you then log it as a find? Or even FTF?
I think most people wouldn't do that but some are just hungry for numbers.
There are many types of animals (use that term loosley) out there that do geocaching as a hobby and all have their own ways of working as well as their own requirements as to what they want to get out of the hobby.
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I see, thanks for the clarification.
BTW what is the protocol if you find a cache with bad co-ordinates. Do you mail the owner or do what I normally do and grumble a bit while secretely congratulating myself for finding it anyway?
I'm fairly new myself, but the latest series I've been doing almost all the co-ordinates have been out and I'm not the only person to mention it.
Whilst logging a Found I tend to put if they are out, especially if by much.
But the CO may be intentionally doing that to put someone in the right area but not on top of it.
If you find they are way out then it will not harm letting the CO know.
Just remember by only going by your GPS though it could actually just be you out. At certain times of the day you may only connect to certain sattelites which may not be entirely accurate as to your position. I beleiev when I read in to this at some point before it is worth while taking a GPS position on different days and different times to get a eman average of the actual position due to the daily differences.
My GPS is 15 years old and all be it slow to lock in, seems to be accurate out in the open. Phones may well be very different as their primary job is not to be a GPS but another addon to what once was just for making phone calls. Yes technology is getting better all the time and I dare say a lot of people will swear by whatever device they use.
A message to the CO will not harm anyone, they should be glad to recieve an update or question and give you a response.
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I wonder if they fail to find any of their own caches, they'll then log DNF's?
Jon
Yes we could have a whole new category for that one!
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I think I worded it wrong. What I mean is that when looking at Google earth, it gives me an idea of the terrain and a a rough idea of where that cache could be.Am I missing something? If the co-ordinates are accurate in google maps then surely they are right and there must be some other reason for not being able to find it in the field.
But when a cache has been placed it could help to check and compair co-ords befor listing.
Yes of course it could help the person when they go to list the cache.
There are lots of mapping tools out there now which are free to use and will pin point a location so that you can see how accurate it is.
Some people may intentionally put their co-ordinates out a little so that people have to look around for GZ which should be reflected in the difficulty.
There are some of us who like to be able to walk up to the correct location with the GPS and some that like the hunt when in the area so until you actually get to GZ you may never know how accurate it all is.
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Am I missing something? If the co-ordinates are accurate in google maps then surely they are right and there must be some other reason for not being able to find it in the field.
No I would say you are spot on. If google maps and streetmap both list the point to where the actual GZ is then there should be no issue.
Usually when I get a location out and I check it on the maps and it also shows as being out then I may post it in the log.
If your GPS is slightly out of which I beleieve there are several reasons why it could be then there should not be an issue.
I would often say something like my GPS was bouncing all over the place due to the tree cover. Certainly would not mention the co-ordinates are out in that case.
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If you adopt a cache and have previously logged it as found you will retain the found log.
I own 2 caches where I am also the FTF all because I've adopted the cache.
Also I will occasionally log finds and then delete them on my caches purely for testing purposes.
Can certainly see your point when you adopt a cache.
Not sure why you need to test the logging but you obviously have your reasons.
As the original poster mentioned though the CO had stated "Owner logging cache to increase numbers !"
So this is purely a numbers thing on his log.
At least you have pointed out another reason some of us may have not thought of.
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I know how you feel, I've just about completed a local series where all the co-ordinates are way out.
Yes if under tree cover then it can be hard, but one of these was right out in the open and I know it does not sound much but 0.02 miles away.
I've found that copy and paste the co-ordinates in to google maps and also copy and paste the british grid in to streetmap gives you two very accurate pictures of what the actual localtion should be.
Just soi annoying when you end up so far away and have to register a DNF or spend ages looking for something which is not where the co-ordiantes are.
Under tree cover etc is always going to be a problem for people on both sides.
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Amazing how people all have different ways.
If he really wanted to bump it up at least do it a bit more sneaky and create a new account.
Perhaps if I log 28,000 caches I won't visit then I might become the UK leader in finds?????
Obviously this is only cheating yourself, so just ignore it, just the same as someone looking up the answers to a puzzle in the back of a book.
You only cheat yourself.
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I'm surprised it even got authourised with the quote below.
It is opposite an old metal bench, where children sit and play on the small green.
Surely anything near young children is usually a big No No!
Perhaps they did a couple of caches with someone else first, decided to setup an account and register their own cache and have now gone inactive.
With three DNF's to start with why not raise a maintenance issue on this to start with as it sounds like to co-ordinates are totally out.
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The thought of holding on to someones TB for more than a few days isn't very nice when you know someone is watching it's movements.
I don't think anyone would mind a few days, as many people only go out caching at the weekend anyway so I would almost expect my TBs to be held for a week or two before being moved on. Personally I try to move anything within 2 weeks, if I'm likely to have it for longer I'll post a note on the TB page.
I know what you mean as if I had one I'd be happy for someone to keep hold of it for 2-3 weeks. I suppose it's just the way some of us are. Personally I'm wary of looking for caches in built up areas, the thought of hunting up and down the road in front of a house for a cache isn't very nice, but you have to do it to some extent in case you find it first time. For some people they are happy to wander out there as bold as anything and holding on to a TB for a month or two may just be second nature to them as they have a plan to drop it off 100 miles up the road when they are there in 6 weeks time.
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Is it really a case that you have to get everything so close??????
I suppose even though I've become hooked in some way, it's not driven by numbers or having to find everything as close as possible.
However it is nice to see your number go up, even for me being so competative this one I know I can't win so my fun is to get out there and actually find them. It doesn't have to be clear the map as close as possible, it just becomes harder to choose as you take out a lot of the closer ones as your choice is becoming limited based on the time and distance you have to travel.
Think I better get the number for the Caching Addicts for later reference. Does someone have the co-ordinates for them? I can log them as found then.
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At least you know when it does get picked up it will be retrieved by a serious cacher not a fly-by-night who will never move it again. Trust me I know, I've lost several.
That has to be so annoying losing a TB, especially when you took the time to go out and actually buy it in the first place.
I've recently visited a cache where there was a TB inside and knew it was trying to travel across the UK, so no good sticking it in some cache in the middle of the countryside down a long footpath.
Also I will say in defence for some people who are fairly new, we do not know when we will find another suitable cache to drop the TB in. The thought of holding on to someones TB for more than a few days isn't very nice when you know someone is watching it's movements. I'm about to move 250 miles up the country and had thought about taking a TB with me to help along the way, but then you have to think about how long will it be? Do I really want to hold on to it for so long? Where will I get to drop it off?
I'm sure your TB will soon move again, as someone suggested if it doesn't move after a couple of months try contacting the CO and they should be happy to help it along. At least it isn't lost yet like so many other seem to go missing.
Paul
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I thought those five factors covered everything. What other than container, contents, location, hide and 'everything else' is there?
You're more than welcome to apply your 'Five Cs' when hiding caches and choosing which ones to visit.If we apply my 'Five Cs' of good cache hiding (Container, Contents, loCation, Cunning hide & Complete experience*)The rest of us may have other criteria that we use when caching
I think waht UKTim is trying to say is that you have your five factors that you use and some people may use them, some of them, none of them or a combination of them as well as something else. If you're a number cacher then almost all the five factors go out the window.
Now the person doing the 1 in 10 rule are they using any of your five factors or do they have a different schedule to work to when creating the new caches?
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Hello I know the rules specify 2 images and for something special a third may be allowed.
Ive attached a third, if someone things this is not suitable then please disregard the image.
Whilst trying to find GL85RNW8 which ended up as a DNF I stumbled across this baby owl on the floor. Just had enough time to take one picture and get away as quickly as possible.
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I agree there are cache deserts though there are 7,500 active caches within 50km of Bury St Edmunds - plenty for you to do yet
.For comparison, there are 12,000 active caches within 50km of Bracknell, of which we've found only 4,500
.Alan yes there may be over 7500 within 50 miles of Bury St Edmunds but in Suffolk it is a very rural area and can take you 20 minutes to get to one that is just 5 miles away. How are you supposed to do those in a one hour break? Even with Norwich only 35 miles away as the crow flies it would take over an hour to get there. North Norfolk is like travelling down the back of beyond as most roads go, spent a lot of time there in the past with the caravan.
Again different people have different ideas about what they can and can not do. For some travelling distance is a big issue, some are willing to travel the whole country.
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As for quality? Only one micro amongst my hides,
Are micros a sign of poor quality. The caches highlighted in this thread appear to be predominately micros sited alonga pleasant walk.
Are they good or poor quality caches?
I'd say good, our 6 year old daughter would probably disagree but is growing to understand that it is about much more than the size of the box.
I know some people start spitting feathers at the sound of a Micro, but I have found some really interesting locations for Nano caches on the back of road signs. The location was really nice and at the same time placing on the back of a road sign can mean less maintenance as these tend to be pretty water tight, easy to place and find but serve their purpose of getting someone to that area.
My kids like the idea of the big caches just so they can do the swaps but I don't do it for that, I like to see the whole area, taken somewhere new and have a little puzzle on the way of trying to find it.
Wondering about a GPSr
in United Kingdom and Ireland
Posted
I can only add in my experience here all be it very limited.
I have a basic etrex (http://www.geocaching.com/reviews/gps_garmin_etrex) which was bought second hand off eBay for around £50.
There is no map, probably not described as paperless but with a mix of the phone usage works well. Either way you will always have your phone with you so if you managed to work paperless with the phone you can still do it this way but have a dedicated GPS.
The battery life is fantastic, I usually run 2 x AA rechargable batteries on a hike for directions as you can plan routes for a 5 hour hike and still life left. Always take spares to be safe.
Very waterproof as I've been out in some downpurs in the Lakes and just leave it round my neck.
It is also quite accurate and quick too.
Just another option as some of the second hand units are quite cheap and very good.
My first I bought off eBay for £7 was a GPS38. It uses 4 x AA batteries not quite so quick or good battery life but is still very accurate, just doesn't work so well when more in cover.
However I have found at times that the older GPS38 has found caches in the open better than the eTrex. Like all things you get to know how they work.
I'm sure there are a host of others but take a search for what is around and then either ask questions on what you see is in your price range that takes your fancy or search for reviews.
You may find eBay turns up some bargains, just be careful as some are sold for parts, some are sold as repaired and often have a price tag far higher than someone selling privately.
Good Luck!