SSO JOAT
-
Posts
430 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by SSO JOAT
-
-
The OP never made that clear.
I saw his need to drill a hole as a need to drill a hole into an existing spot somewhere in the wilderness, not a lame rock of his own.
It was crystal clear to most of us that they are talking about portable sized rocks. There wasn't even a suggestion in the thread about going "into the wilderness" until your flame.
And his rocks didn't sound "lame" at all. In fact, I really like the concept and will try building one myself. Of course I'll use one of my own rocks from the land that I bought and paid for. Heaven forbid that I used a PUBLIC rock from a park or so-called wilderness area that is supported by my tax dollars.
-
I would say that this is not allowed.
If the rules state that if you used a shovel to dig a hole then it will not get published. I'd think that drilling a hole is just like that.
A PM has been sent to the reviewer of your state to be on the lookout for this violation.
LMAO!!! When I saw the title of this thread I just KNEW that it would have a post like this one in it. What a putz. Next they'll say, "if the rules (they are actually GUIDELINES) state that you can't use a shovel, then obviously you can't PAINT that ammo can". I suppose that the log that I cut up from MY OWN PROPERTY and took out to the site where I placed my cache is illegal because I used a Chainsaw, Drill, and Chisels to shape a cavity in it for the cache container to fit into? Does it matter if I DRILL into a log or a rock in building a cache? Did you know that they use a DRILL when manufacturing aluminum bison tubes? We better ban those too. No DRILLING into stuff folks, cause that's that same as using a shovel!
[/soapbox]
-
To see an example of an unpublished cache, go to the following Jeep TB and click on the name of the "cache" that it is in. This is an unpublished cache. Also, click on the "View Map" link for the TB and you'll see the marker for the unpublished location of that cache (#20). So now you know what you can and can't see.
-
Here's an idear... a series of 10 reflector points along the night cache trail. Each point has a cluster of dots that corresponds to a number in the minutes portion of the coords for the final cache. The end of the trail gets you within a couple hundred feet of the final cache. You had to write down the number of dots at each point along the way. Once you plug them in you'll have the final cache location. Ta-da! Published as a puzzle with instructions on the cache page as to how to solve the final coords (nothing tricky). You get the degrees portions as a gimme, then just start counting the dots at each tree along the way and plug that number (1-9) into the coords with any zeros being given in the listing. Now you must use your GPS to get both the starting and ending points of the night trail.
-
We were dealing with this issue in my local area a few months ago. The unpublished cache was used by the TB/coin thief to drop his stolen property into so it doesn't appear on his member inventory list. He owned the unpublished cache and naturally never published it since it was simply a fake hiding spot and there was no real cache ever placed.
Long story short, he finally got his account banned. Unfortunately, when they ban someone, it just blocks access to that account and he will never to able to edit, publish, or archive the cache. To move any of his hoard of TBs, he would have to grab them with one of his new basic accounts or his "secret" PM account. But doing so would reveal his new account and get it banned (which occured with his first couple attempts to reenter the game, leaving a string of banned accounts as each new one was uncovered and reported). Apparently, he got tired of the efforts as he was blocked at every turn and quit. No one has heard a peep out of him in nearly 2 months.
I know he received hundreds of requests for him to release his hostages, but he still has them (or tossed them in the trash, who knows). Nothing more one can do but ask. Or maybe host an event cache at his house (we know where he lives and works) and have a large group of folks ask him in person (nicely, of course).
-
Yup - build it, and I'll come chase it!
Oh man, I have fished the Kenai peninsula during the salmon run, now y'all got me plotting and planning how to afford a cache run up that way! Sounds great!
Zipcode search 99669 and get started on solving all the puzzle caches well ahead of time so you've got plenty of caches to hunt down in between the fishing stops. I've got several caches placed around one of the great bank fishing boardwalk parks that would tie you up for at least a couple hours. In fact, I can think of few Kenai River fishing spots that don't have a cache or two nearby.
-
Yup - build it, and I'll come chase it!
You'd better! As you probably know, I mentioned this idea on the GAK forums a short while back with some positive feedback there as well. We just need a little more snow and I'm going to start setting. I've got a few plastic coffee cans that are getting "snow camo" paint jobs just for the hills. Some of this might be a case where it is a winter only cache and gets disabled for the summer time unless I replace the snow camo containers with woodland camo at the end of the season. We'll see how it goes.
I'm a member of the Cabin Hoppers and am well aware of the trail marking system. Two of the other cachers that are working on these ideas with me are on the board of directors for the club. And they do have published maps of the trails. You can download an image of the map from the club website. The really nice thing about the map is that is shows the land ownership, which is divided between private, native corporations, university, state and federal lands. The refuge is off limits and we can't put anything physical on any of the private or native lands. Basically the club uses large diamond shaped and color-coded reflectors at infrequent intervals to designate the main trails, but they have no marking of the lessor trails and some of the alternate routes. I've got a bunch of Fire Tacks heading my way that have no resemblance to the official trail markers. Plus, I'm not planning on keeping the cache trail aligned with the main groomed trails all the time or it would be a pretty boring hunt.
I've been thinking of ways one can "encode" waypoint adjustments into these reflectors, which would certainly push the cache type from multi to puzzle. My Slikok Cipher Project multi-cache was a great success and I think I can work similar elements into a longer snowmachine run. So there may in fact be a physical object or two along the way that would be specific waypoints with a container or object that one must manipulate. The possibilities are endless and the terrain is vast...
-
I remember you had a local problem.
That "problem" appears to have been solved... at least for the time being. We'll see if it resurfaces in the spring, but for this winter stuff he's not even on my mind. Caching on!
-
Rite in the Rain version of the "Space Pen", but any of the original "Space Pens" will do. Waterproof ink (they will actually write underwater - tested it myself) and the pressurized cartridge means they write in any position and on any kind of paper. Nothing else works nearly as well on the Rite in the Rain paper either.
-
Thanks for the replies. My first attempt at this will be close by and a fairly short trail that can be tackled by foot via hiking, snowshoe, skiis, etc. It is winter after all, so I'm working on adding to our winter access cache count and being dark 18 hours out of the day makes a night cache a no brainer for something fun to do in the snow.
The last post brings up a point about another cache idea I've been thinking about. We have a large state recreation area that is primarily accessed by snowmachine or dog sled in the winter. The whole region has but 1 cache in it, so I've been mulling over ways to put in some winter access caches that would make for nice hunts via snowmachine (there's very little summer access to the area). A couple traditionals at some great viewpoints and other points of interest are easy to work out, but I've been wanting to run some multis along the main access trails. The trick is coming up with means of making stages that will fit with snowmachines, yet be set in such a way that the thousands of muggle snowmachiners won't be finding them. The night cache idea seems to fill this bill rather well as one could use the headlight on the snowmachine to follow a reflector trail. Naturally there must be some twists and turns that require GPS use instead of simply running down a main groomed trail but those concepts are still in development.
So, most of these trails are at least 10 miles long before you get to the "play" areas. I didn't think that running a reflector or "traditional" multi trail for that length was such a good idea, but perhaps there isn't a problem with making a run of such distance? Placing out a "power trail" of traditionals or laying out 3 or 4 different multis along a 10 mile section of trail is another idea that's been tossed around (there are 4 of us working over these ideas). Another reason why the night cache idea is sounding better is that I haven't deteremined just how much interest there is in this area for caching. I might find out that there are very few geocachers who ride the area and none of these caches will get many visits, so I don't really want to invest a considerable amount of time and energy into an awesome 10 mile multi cache only to have no one show up. But this is why a couple easy traditionals will be placed out there first. Just to test interest... but now I'm just rambling on.
-
So, the firetacks are on their way and I've got my plans sketched out for a night cache trail. And just to make sure we are all on the same terminology, by night cache I mean you go to the published coords at night and use a flashlight to locate a trail that is marked with reflective tacks. You go from reflective marker to marker until you get to the end of the trail and find the cache container.
So, I have naturally been reviewing the cache listings of other night caches to see how other have written them up. First thing I notice is that some are listed as Multis and others as Puzzles. In my mind, a night cache trail is a Multi cache because you are starting at the published waypoint and going from point to point until you reach the cache. At each point, you get the info needed for the next point (using your flashlight to locate the next reflector). I realize that the Puzzle is a "catch all" category, but it just seems Multi is a better fit. Thoughts?
Now, the next question is about the markers that are placed along the trail. In a true Multi cache, I would record a waypoint at each spot and make a hidden waypoint in the cache listing for every one of them. I've had a couple folks tell me that when they put out a night cache trail they only enter the start position (published) and then the final cache location (hidden final). They don't enter waypoints for each marker along the way. But it seems to me that most, if not all, of these reflectors you put out should be marked and entered into the cache listing as hidden waypoints. Thoughts on this?
-
Never use the navigation feature myself until after I find the cache. Then I hit goto and found it to log the entry into the GPSr calendar. The "compass" or "highway" navigation screens are silly if you ask me. Look at the map and plan your own route to the cache.
For those claiming that the navigation screen is just as accurate as the map, you are technically incorrect. The map shows you where you are and where the cache is. You make your own visual line between the two spots. The compass screen is dependent on a compass heading. If you are walking around slowly, that compass heading will be inaccurate at best. The GPS based compass is just the reciprocal of the direction you just came from and is very inaccurate at less than about 5mph. The GPS calculates direction based on the track log points you are leaving behind.
For those with electronic compass that takes over at slow speeds, if you don't properly calibrate the compass every time you turn the GPSr on, then it will be inaccurate. If you tilt the unit at all while calibrating it, the compass will be inaccurate. If you tilt the unit at all while reading the display, the compass is inaccurate. Quite frankly, the electronic compass is only good for telling you cardinal directions, like North or Northeast.
Each should use the GPSr however they feel most comfortable, but my opinion is that the map is best and leave the navigation mode turned off completely. Try it, you might like the freedom of thinking for yourself and not relying on some electronic gizmo to do all the work for you.
-
Here are 2 more in your area still waiting for a FTF to be claimed.
GC1F1T8 Doolittle's Revenge!
GC15CMZ Bushwhackers' Sekret Kash
I've been working on these 2 puzzles since the day they were published. I've consumed a legal pad and probably 50 sheets of printer paper trying to decode these. Lost track of the number of hours invested. So, if it were just a matter of "going and getting the FTF" I would have them already. Note that another puzzle in our area hasn't been found yet either. I solved it last week and posted a note the day I solved it. I won't have a chance to go search for the cache until next week. If it is still unfound at that time, then I guess I'll be FTF. But, I'm not an FTF chaser, so it really doesn't matter to me.
I have 1 FTF to my name. It was another puzzle that I solved pretty quickly. Still didn't go hunting for it until the next day. It has yet to be logged by anyone else. The puzzle was so simple that I would give it a wild guess that perhaps others stopped working on it after my FTF log. I can see no other obvious reason why it hasn't been logged with a second find yet. I've been in touch with other cache owner's of some local puzzles and according to the audit logs, there are only 2 folks besides me with current and repeated views of the listings (including the Doolittle & Bushwacker mentioned above). By my own logic, having an FTF for a puzzle makes sense as it shows the cacher was able to actually do something first.
The 2 easy puzzles I put out, both of which really only require basic math to solve, have only been logged once or twice. The audit logs for them simply died after the FTF was logged. So, one of them I dumped the PMO status (along with most of my traditional caches) to see if there were basic members around that might chase them. Still nothing. Apparently even an easy puzzle is only going to be chased by a small minority of cachers. For this, I'm having second thoughts about putting out a bunch of puzzle caches, even though I've designed 3 more at this point.
Back on topic, I really, really, don't care about FTF or those who engage in the FTF race. Let them do it and have fun with the competition. All I'm doing is adding some additional twists to my caches in the form of a lottery to keep the race and the interest alive beyond the FTF. In my view, FTF on any urban traditional cache is nothing more than the luck of the draw anyway. You happen to be free to run out at the moment the cache is published and find it. Since many folks can't run out and do that, I'm adding another "luck of the draw" so that anyone who logs the find within the first days or even weeks all have an equal chance at some booty. The FTF log is always going to be there and will be claimed by whoever signs first. It's a really simple concept, so there is no need for everyone to get all wrapped up in thinking that I'm "changing the FTF". This is a whole separate contest that expands the race to include more people. And, if I'm understanding the root of this game correctly, more people out there hunting and having fun is the central theme. I think these ideas enhance that. Time will tell.
Finally, I see the posted concerns and have edited the name of my cache listing "rules" as follows:
SSO JOAT's CACHE BONUS PRIZES
All new caches placed in the Central Kenai Peninsula Area will be linked to one or more of the following "winner" configurations:
1- A First To Find (FTF) prize included in the cache for the first cacher who finds it.
2- A First To Log (FTL) prize for the first person who logs a valid find in the online cache log. Find will be verified against the physical cache logbook, then the FTL will receive instructions via email to the location of the FTL prize, which will typically be hidden separately from the cache but in the same general area and up to 500' away from the cache.
3- A Lottery Drawing prize for a randomly selected cacher from the first group of cachers who log both the physical cache and the online log. The number of players included in this drawing will be predetermined (may or may not be published on the cache listing) and once that number of finds is logged, the Cache Owner will conduct the random drawing and notify the winner of where to locate the prize, which will typically be hidden separately from the cache but in the same general area and up to 500' away from the cache. The prize may not be physically placed until the actual time of the drawing to protect it from being muggled while waiting for the correct number of players to find the target cache.
4- A predetermined random find number prize for the cacher who finds the cache at a certain point in the log order. The specific number will not be posted so as to prevent cachers from waiting and logging the cache at the correct position. This log may be based on either the physical logbook order or the online log order at the Cache Owner's discretion. Once a cacher logs at this predetermined spot in the log, they will be notified and given directions on where to find the prize, again located somewhere close to the cache. The cache listing will usually indicate that this prize is available, but will not disclose what point in the log order the prize position is located.
5- There may be no special prize associated with the cache at all. Your ability to locate the final cache may be the only reward, in which case it doesn't matter if you were first, fifth, or last as each find holds the exact same value. And that value is equal to what you put into your efforts and the ethical nature by which you choose to play this game.
I hope you enjoy my cache placements. Happy Caching!!!
-
Not sure why folks are "overthinking" such simple concepts. But I guess you'd have to be an Alaskan to understand how important door prizes are to nearly every social function up here.
There was no mention of changing what a FTF prize is. I thought my follow up made that pretty clear, even though it's pretty clear in the OP. FTF is FTF is FTF, but we just are not going to be providing anything other than your sig on the first line of the log for being the one who was lucky enough to get there first. The all-so-typical dollar bill FTF in the cache is history. A byline in the listing honoring the FTF will be replaced by an announcement of who won the other prize and by what method.
So, instead of a buck, now the cache might have 5 or 10 bucks in a ziploc bag stuffed behind the loose bark of dead tree 300' from the cache. I rolled a couple dice and have determined that whoever is the 8th to log gets that prize. Or I wait until a dozen have logged, then I roll the dice to determine which one "wins" the prize. It's not a FTF prize, it's a totally different prize. There is no mention of how this prize is awarded on the cache listing, so there is no way to cheat it. If it is a FTL prize, then obviosly there can't be any mention of it on the cache listing. Whoever I determine is the winner I contact to let them know they nailed it. If they happen to have been a traveler and moved on, I'll mail the prize to them. Heck I'll paypal it to you. Not a big deal. It's just money. The stuff grows in cotton fields. Sarah just handed me 3,269 of those little notes just for living here. That's almost a whole extra paycheck! Might as well give a bunch of it away in our urban & suburban caches to folks who might need it more.
For the concerns that this is playing into our 1 bad cacher's hand, this couldn't be further from the truth. As his only goal in life is to claim "the prize" for FTF, when there are no more FTF prizes and any prize that I decide to put in a cache will be randomly given to someone OTHER than the FTF, then the singular purpose of his game is lost. Now, all the local folks with day jobs and kids in school who have to plan well ahead to go caching all have just as much chance of getting recognition for winning a "prize". Now they get to boast about winning the lotto for cache X when they were FTL or found it 4th or were selected from the first dozen, etc. His game is over. He gets no recognition and the rest of us are having great fun awarding things and winning things. He lost control of the game. We win.
-
Glad we have the same definition of FTF. It is the FTF concept that is causing problems locally. Therefore, the invention of the "other" to find categories was deemed necessary to decrease the perceived value of the FTF.
-
That isn't geocaching.
You've got that right. It would be great if we didn't have to resort to this stuff just because of that one bad apple causing all the problems. It would be really cool to just go hide a neat traditional, but no. We have to hide everything behind puzzles to keep them safe and come up with these "silly prizes" to negate the whole FTF concept.
-
Do you think this will help resolve your local issues?
- Elle
Maybe it will help, maybe not. Doesn't really matter. This is what myself and the couple other active hiders have come up with over the last few days. I won't be the only one using this method for drawing interest in a cache. So, with most of the new cache placements (as the key placers are all involved) using this method, the whole FTF concept just kinda goes right out the window as the gold may go to any one of the first dozen or so finders.
You can't wait to log your find as that might be the prize, and while the FTF race may still be there, just because someone was already FTF doesn't mean the race is finished as maybe the prize will actually be going to the 5th person to find, or maybe there will be a drawing between the first 12 people to find it. You may not know the exact details of the prize until after it is awarded.
I don't see where it will be any more work than normal cache maintenance. While placing the cache, a zip bag with a prize is placed separately and just far enough away as to not be accidentally found during the cache hunt. Whoever wins the contest is notified by email of the coords for the prize with a detailed description of where it is hidden (so they don't need to search for it). Then we just ask them to post a follow up note on the cache page after they've picked up the prize so everyone knows who got it, etc. It adds like 5 minutes to my duties as a cache owner. For those caches being placed in remote locations, the prize may actually be placed next to an existing cache back in town so the cacher doesn't have to return to a remote site to get it.
Oh, and as for the TB issues raised in my post the other day, that is being dealt with via some other methods by a couple other cache hiders. I am assisting in that effort a bit, but can't post details as to alert the root of the problems should he happen to be sock puppeting these forums. Rest assured, TB's traveling this area will have much more secure options in the future.
-
Discussions with other cache hiders over the past week have prompted me to establish the following new set of "rules" for my cache hides. No, it's not something that would be forced upon anyone else who is hiding, but for those who would hunt my cache placements, it is no longer about the FTF as the "prize" may, and most likely will, be awarded to someone other than the FTF through random lottery methods. I'm sharing this concept here just in case someone might like the idea and wish to steal it or any part of it for their own use. The following is now posted to my profile and is also being posted to our local area forums:
THE CENTRAL KENAI PENINSULA CACHE STASHERS' NEW GAME RULES
All new caches placed in the Central Kenai Area will be tagged under one or more of the following "winner" configurations:
1- A First To Find (FTF) prize included in the cache for the first cacher who finds it.
2- A First To Log (FTL) prize for the first person who logs a valid find in the online cache log. Find will be verified against the physical cache logbook, then the FTL will receive instructions via email to the location of the FTL prize, which will typically be hidden separately from the cache but in the same general area and up to 500' away from the cache.
3- A Lottery Drawing prize for a randomly selected cacher from the first group of cachers who log both the physical cache and the online log. The number of players included in this drawing will be predetermined (may or may not be published on the cache listing) and once that number of finds is logged, the Cache Owner will conduct the random drawing and notify the winner of where to locate the prize, which will typically be hidden separately from the cache but in the same general area and up to 500' away from the cache. The prize may not be physically placed until the actual time of the drawing to protect it from being muggled while waiting for the correct number of players to find the target cache.
4- A predetermined random find number prize for the cacher who finds the cache at a certain point in the log order. The specific number will not be posted so as to prevent cachers from waiting and logging the cache at the correct position. This log may be based on either the physical logbook order or the online log order at the Cache Owner's discretion. Once a cacher logs at this predetermined spot in the log, they will be notified and given directions on where to find the prize, again located somewhere close to the cache. The cache listing will usually indicate that this prize is available, but will not disclose what point in the log order the prize position is located.
5- There may be no special prize associated with the cache at all. Your ability to locate the final cache may be the only reward, in which case it doesn't matter if you were first, fifth, or last as each find holds the exact same value. And that value is equal to what you put into your efforts and the ethical nature by which you choose to play this game.
I hope you enjoy my cache placements. Happy Caching!!!
Note: Even though I've titled this as "rules", no one has any obligation to hide caches this way, but I certainly encourage others to consider playing along with these concepts and even adding your own unique twists. It's time to shake things up and buck the establishment!
-
Thanks for the responses (and emails). And just to clarify one bit, I do enjoy the game and will not be driven from it. I believe the root of the issue is that folks like this guy bring the question to mind of, "why am I doing this?", when no such thought ever occurred before. When I finally went from curious "muggle" who's read about geocaching for a couple years, to signing up and finding that first cache... well, let's just say it opened up a whole new world of outdoor activities that I've now pulled 3 of my closest friends into. Last month the 3 of us spent an entire day on a 200-mile caching road trip and it was the best time we have ever had together in all the years I can remember. So, to go from something that was so much pure fun to what was essentially being gut-kicked by this one person was just a big let down. No worries about getting over it and moving on, but it's the reality that there are folks like this that just gets to me. And there is really no recourse to deal with such folks, so I have to adjust my activities to avoid him and thereby he "wins" that battle.
At any rate, as far as giving the guy "what he's looking for", I'm doing everything I can to be sure that doesn't happen. The couple cachers who told me of the missing piece were asked not to reveal anything about that in their logs. One has finished and logged his find without mention of that event. Still waiting for the other. The missing piece was replaced immediately and without fanfare, so the few hours it was gone have had no real impact.
About puzzles: I've put out 2 simple ones and am currently working on 3 more of moderate to high difficulty. It is unfortunate that one must resort to puzzles to keep folks like this away as it also tends to place an undue challenge on our everyday cachers. I'd love it if I could just put together a cool hide with some nifty twist and place it in some unique spot knowing that when a cacher finds it, they are going to treat it with some level of respect.
Anyhow, with every challenge comes creativity. In some ways, this is but another challenge that will be overcome. I am actively working with a couple of our more experienced local cache hiders and together we are brainstorming ideas about how to deal with the situation and still be placing some good caches. For the near term, expect most placements to be puzzles.
-
This was a fun game. Good times both solo and with family & friends out hunting caches. Even better times constructing and placing a bunch of my own. Made a few new friends in the caching community along the way. But then I was told of a problem cacher in the area. I was given a warning list of all the unethical things he does including trashing caches and stealing TBs. No, I'm not going to name him, as his ID is irrelevant to the point I want to make.
I've spent the last several days pouring over old forum posts, reviewing old cache and TB logs around this person. He is responsible for stealing dozens, perhaps hundreds, of TBs (mostly coins) and placing them in an unpublished cache, which I'm told by others is his collection at his house. Once they go in, they never come out. And there are coins he's held for years. Very recently, he cleaned out a TB Hotel in another city he was visiting. All the logs before him show folks happily dropping TBs, then he shows up and logs that "he's taking a few TBs". Another cacher logged a visit later in the same day that the cache was practically empty when he arrived. There are still a dozen TB's shown in the cache inventory and this guy didn't log out anything. I'm told by some other locals that this is what the guy's been doing since the beginning. He'll only log out a TB if it can be pinned on him that he took it, and then he just drops it in his unpublished cache. All the local TB Hotels that were being operated were shut down by their owners last year. I'm told that every time someone logged a TB in, it would dissappear within hours, but never be logged out. Reading through the travel bug forums, I see this is not a rare situation at all.
So, I put out a pretty good multi-cache recently (and before I knew of these issues) and this guy starts emailing me within hours asking for help on completing some of the stages. Just before those messages started flooding in, another cacher who I've been talking to sends me a quick note that he completed this cache as FTF earlier in the day and he thought it was great, etc., and that he won't be able to log it online until late the next day as he was heading out on a fishing trip. Anyhow, the "bad apple" is apparently all confused and having problems with the cache (there are simple puzzles to be solved at each stage) and his GPSr. I didn't give him any shortcuts or provide additional clues, but when he sent me a decoded waypoint, I did confirm when things were correct. He didn't complete it the first day. The second day, in the evening, the messages start again and I give him a few pointers here and there about using his GPS with magnetic declination and etc. Confirmed his right answers when he got them and was generally being pretty helpful. Finally, he finds the cache, and I get the last message of the night... a scathing and nasty note about how he didn't get FTF and that I must have known that so-n-so got it yesterday, etc. It was pretty rude. But I shrugged it off as I was warned he was a hot-head. A couple days without hearing anything from him, so I finally send a very friendly note asking if he was going to log his find as I was truly interesting in his adventure and what he thought of the multi-cache. He replies that he would and within an hour he has posted what would appear to be a pretty typical and friendly log. But, I know what happened behind the scenes, so it leaves a sour taste.
Anyhow, the next morning after he completed that cache, I get a couple messages from some other cachers. They went and tried to do this cache and found that one of the game pieces had been ripped off it's securing tether and was missing. Now, sure it *might* have been muggled at some point after 9pm the night before in a remote park with no local traffic. Oh, and the experienced cacher who got the FTF, he said he spent nearly an hour just searching for that one piece and complemented me on how well it blended in, etc. When I talked to him after finding out it was missing, he says it was one in a billion if a muggle stumbled into that camo'd piece in the middle of the night, in the middle of the forest. This is when I start getting the whole story about our local "bad apple" and his history of theft and other cases where he trashed caches. BTW, he was permanently banned from these forums long ago. Looking through his old forum posts, it's very clear as to why, especially when he openly admits to these activities and is basically challenging anyone to stop him.
At any rate, that's my story. Not asking for help or anything, just venting my new found frustration with evil people. This is the kind of stuff that makes a fairly new cacher with little invested so far want to just walk away and find a different sport. And it's the reason why I'm rethinking the additional cache placements that had been bouncing around in my head. Now, I have to figure out how to bad cacher proof my hides, not just muggle proof them. I've decided I'm not going to participate in the travel bug side of this sport at this time. I'd bought a travel bug dog tag and also one of the vehicle stickers for my truck (with its own dog tag). I'm putting the dog tag on my dog's collar. He's going to be carrying that one from now on and I'll just log my dog's collar into and out of any caches we visit together. At least it will be miles that are safe from TB thieves.
-
Common sense says, if you didn't get out of the truck and look, it can't be a DNF since you didn't attempt to find it. One must actually search before you can't find something. A drive by isn't searching.
I don't use the "go to" function myself, but simply pushing a button on your GPS doesn't even remotely imply that you didn't find a cache. If you drive by the area of a cache to get a feel for the terrain to decide if and/or when you'll come back to actually do the search, that can't be a DNF either. You never looked. It was only a scouting mission. Gathering intel. Whatever you want to call it, but it certainly isn't searching.
I might drive by the location of a cache a couple dozen times going back and forth to work. I know the cache is there. I glance the area over, pondering how I will go about searching for the cache when I get a chance, looking at muggle activity, etc. What would be the point in logging each of those as a DNF? Waste of time and effort. And it tells the cache owner and other cachers nothing. In fact, it would probably cause more problems by over reporting false DNF's, which might make other cachers not go look as they assume it's missing due to a bunch of DNF logs.
Here's an example of one of my recent DNF logs. Micro cache in a skateboard park, presumably on a half-pipe ramp. Drove by the area on half a dozen different occasions while on urban caching sprees. Each time the park was occupied with skaters, so I went on to other caches. Didn't log any of those "scouting" trips by the park. Finally found the park empty one morning, so I stopped and searched. Couldn't find it. Logged it DNF online since I actually searched. A few days later, saw the park empty again, stopped and searched some more. No go. Logged a second DNF since I actually searched that time also. Found 2 other DNF logs entered between my first and second one. That is valuable info and you can tell by the logs that the other 2 folks actually got out and searched also. A half dozen drive by DNF logs would have been meaningless and misleading information.
Unless you actually conducted a physical search for the cache, a write note log would be more appropriate if you have some relevant info to share about your partial trip or something about the area that prohibited the search.
-
The screen size of the 76CSx is only slightly larger than the Legend HCx.
If "slightly" means 160% larger. I have an eTrex Vista also. It's a nice pack stash and back up unit when using the GPS will be infrequent. It is no good for using while driving, snowmobiling, boating, or anywhere you are moving faster than about 30mph (screen refresh can't keep up). The 76 (or the 60) have a huge screen in comparison. It's more like comparing a 24" TV to a 32" TV in terms of how much bigger the full size units are.
-
Hope none try caching in Alaska. While I'm new, I've found that many of the caches up here contain matches, lighters, fishing lures & hooks, pocket knives, etc. Of course such things are considered non-hazardous everyday items in this part of the world, so I'm guessing it is a regional thing. It seems the caches within urban areas don't have such things, but instead have lots of little toys and such. But the wilderness caches, most of which are not very kid-friendly spots to get to in the first place, seem to lean more toward survival items or useful tools and such. For some very remote caches here, I see the cache listing states that the cache was started with knives, survival gear, MRE's, and the like. So a reviewer apparently published the cache knowing that these things were in there.
-
Garmin is the only way to go, however I personally dislike the eTrex series as they are just too small, not as accurate, and don't have all the bells and whistles. If you want big screen, then look at the GPSmap 76x series. You can get the B&W version well under $200, but by holding out for another payday, you'll be much happier with the color display. GPSmap 76CSx is currently selling at Amazon for about $274 (free shipping). The 60 series is just a tad smaller and runs about the same price range. Also a good unit.
http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-GPSMAP-76CSx-...0039&sr=8-2
cache puzzles
in General geocaching topics
Posted
Sure, but not in "public". I can help you solve a few of my own puzzles to give you a few ideas of what is involved. Shoot me an email if you're interested (my email address is listed on my profile). I'll help you work through the process on some of my "easy" ones. My puzzles are listed Premium Member Only, so I'll have to email you a copy of the cache listing so you can see it.
Also, you might post or email a list of the GC#'s of the puzzles you are looking at in Indiana and I might be able to give you some "tips" on where to start looking (but naturally I won't solve them for you).