wigglesworth

If I had a sow's ear would I want to make it into a silk purse? Go caching and perhaps you will be rewarded with a purse in a cache!

I fel that if somebody has taken the time and trouble to devise and maintain a cache I should take the time and trouble to write a reasonable log. I always get enjoyment from reading a couple of sentences on our caches. It makes me think that it was worthwhile creating the cache hide.

Sometimes it is the cache setters desire to prove how clever they are; sometimes it is the cache finders to show how clever they are. Sometimes it is the caching community to show how jointly 'clever' they are. It is a game? or am I wrong!!

Why would you wish to ""make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!", I found a great purse in a regular cache - admittedly it was not made of silk but it was neat. Back to hunting tupperware and trading my newly acquired purse up for a leather wallet.

Why not take the time and trouble to sign the log. Leave a signature item too if you wish. The cache owner has taken a great deal of time and trouble to set up the cache - I reflect a little time and trouble by signing the log - even if it does take over 10 seconds.

Yes minister extract: Avoiding precedents does not mean nothing should ever be done. It only means that nothing should ever be done for the first time."

You could always make matching donation to charity of your subscription!! This would indicate what a generous and considerate person you are and how you wish to help people less fortunate than yourself.

If it is any compensation this is not a UK specific issue. They have had similar discussions in the US forums. The upshot was - no charity linked events!

Methinks the original OP doth protest too much - is this merely to draw attention to him / herself?

Of course we should continually strive to raise the bar - whatever that means. If this means I can find caches that I find enjoyable or interesting while having a walk in the country then I am allfor it. I accept that city caches are more difficult due to poor gps reception so we reuire to develop different aproaches to raise the bar. If someone discovers a etter way to place and maintaintain caches then let us share it. This does not make me raise my temper or have a tantrum..

Well done - I prefer to be certain that permission has been granted. Our caches on private land include a note in the description stating something like " thanks to ... who supported the placement of the log" Extracted from other Groundspeak forum - At the risk of sounding repetitive - The real issue is not one of permission. The issue is to understand whether it is appropriate to be looking on private property for a particular cache. Here's the distinction: I know that wherever you've hidden your cache, you have permission (it's in the rules). But if my GPSr tells me the cache is on private property, I'm going to be wondering if I've made some mistake and I'll be hesitant to actually venture on the property to search. If you've told me in the description that it is in fact on private property, I'll be much more comfortable in going there. That's all there really is to it. It will just help me to know I'm making the right decision in venturing there.

Seconded --- Hycam has it right "At the risk of sounding repetitive - The real issue is not one of permission. The issue is to understand whether it is appropriate to be looking on private property for a particular cache. Here's the distinction: I know that wherever you've hidden your cache, you have permission (it's in the rules). But if my GPSr tells me the cache is on private property, I'm going to be wondering if I've made some mistake and I'll be hesitant to actually venture on the property to search. If you've told me in the description that it is in fact on private property, I'll be much more comfortable in going there. That's all there really is to it. It will just help me to know I'm making the right decision in venturing there."

Rather than standing in one place to get coords it is sometmes necessary to take readings from a small area to take account of trees, rocks etc. The calculate the best coords. Remember that every body will be expecting these coords to be perfect when searching. How often wen searching have you got to within 3m and expected to find the cache exactly there!

A common trend here in the UK is to make them member only for a while so that members can have first chance at FTF. After a few weeks they are then opened to all geocachers.

Excellent idea to seek the friend. We did this with someone we had introsuced and a TB was back on the road 12 months after being taken frm a cache.

It seems that the OP has received a number of comments and opinions. Members feel that there is a 'right' to having some exclusive caches but non members feel aggrieved. Join the club if you wish to play the full game. If you do not wish to join the club there are still 10,000s of caches available to you.

This requires the use of a mobile phone - why bring in additional technology requirements? Let's enjoy a great walk along a route specifically selected by the cache setter to a piece of tupperware!! I agree with Groundspeak - for once lol!!

if the area is 'trashed' as a result of multiple cachers (newbie or not) attempting to find a cache there is a real problem. The problem though is that the cache is in the wrong place. When designing a cache the cache setter is responsihbel for assessing the area and the likely damage. The cache should be located where there is no danger of damage. If this cannot be avoided then the damage can be prevented by a well written cache description describing what steps the seeker should take. We cannot blame the seekers for a wrongly placed cache!!

So what are the rules that these people did not follow? Is it the rule of common sense which unfortunately is not very common.

Thanks for the input - will check out the forums

Why do you wish people to go along a specific route. Presumably it is because you consider it interesting or fun. If the cache meets the fun or interesting criteria than cachers will willingly walk the route. If it is a boring route excuses wil be made to complete a short cut. Keep the cache alive by making it enjoyable - that is the basis for us to go caching.

Sometimes we get the impression that cachers are 'desperate' to leave something. As a result sweets and money are sometimes left. Peter

The game for me is the walk in a pleasant place, which I probably would not be doing if it was not for caching. We have been caching for many years and in the early days caches were not hidden as cunningly nor did we have the aray of micros and nanos we have now. I recall that there was an unofficial guideline that the cache was visible (JUST). Sometimes you had to be viewing from the correct angle but there was always a tell tale sign!

We have a themed CD music cache in UK. The theme has been honoured by most cachers and the container is chocker block with a wide variety of CDs. One point is that a lage bundle of CDs is very heavy!!

This is a great way to finally reduce the growing number of caches supported by the community. If this continies I will very soon have completed all the London caches! Perhaps we need to develop a better understanding with TPTB yo limit the number of times security staff are alerted by 'strange goings on'. I wish I had an answer but debating approaches here may help to form a solution. Peter