dragondrop

Thanks for the details and clarification - I'll call it a regular. Also - sorry for the multi post confusion. dragondrop www.dragondrop.org

I'm making a cache this evening out of a 3600ml lock n lock. Can I class this as large? The drop down says "large (5 gallon)" - is this a new thing? I can't remember it saying this last time I set a cache. I've seen caches classed as 'large' before that are not that 5 gallon. I think the container is larger than average and if I found it myself, I'd say it was large. Questions questions - Hmm, thought I... lets crowd source some input! Anyone out there say its a big no-no, if so, what about all the other sub 5 gallon? Thanks everyone who reads and comments. dragondrop.

I'm making a cache this evening out of a 3600ml lock n lock. Can I class this as large? The drop down says "large (5 gallon)" - is this a new thing? I can't remember it saying this last time I set a cache. I've seen caches classed as 'large' before that are not that 5 gallon. I think the container is larger than average and if I found it myself, I'd say it was large. Questions questions - Hmm, thought I... lets crowd source some input! Anyone out there say its a big no-no, if so, what about all the other sub 5 gallon? Thanks everyone who reads and comments. dragondrop.

Hallo, I've just done some caches overseas and I'd like to update my FindStatGen3.gsk profile page with them. It seems that I can't get PQ results to recognise GC's further than (radius) of 500 miles. Is there a way to do this? I guess it's a similar problem to where people have over 500 finds (yet still manage to display their results using FindStatGen3.gsk) I am hoping it's something simple - I had a look around the rest of the forum but couldn't find the answer.. All the best, Matt

Yea - I take the kids with me quite often. Got x3 geokids - 9yrs, 7yrs and 2yrs. The two year old sits in a baby back pack on my back. Did a d4 t4.5 with all three of them and my wife last weekend. Loved it. You've got to plan ahead even more when you have kids but it's such a fantastic activity for the family. You asked if there was a way one could conduct a poll - there are free polls that are really easy to set up in minutes - try : http://www.polldaddy.com/ post it back to this forum thread to get some votes!

I've got some ammo boxes arriving soon and I've just ordered a geocache stencil (made out of mylar - link) Has anyone used these before? Does anyone know what type of spray paint I should use? I'm worries that standard car spray may not take, as it's designed to go on a primer base and the ammo boxes already have a green top coat 'paint job' on them. I need the paint to 'take' and be hard wearing. White, red or yellow paint .. I don't mind so much but if anyone has any tips for a brand / compound / type of spray paint I'd appreciate the input. thanks. Matt

I'm loving these SIGG lunchboxes* / ration tins - the'll be tough (made by sigg), have a lock down lid with a rubber seal (like an ammo case) and come in Maxi (228 x 145 x 77 mm) and Mini (170 x 117 x 60 mm) sizes. They come in 5 colours (including a light green and light brown). If it wern't for the price, I'd say they were superb looking cache continers. The snag is the price though - I've seen them in the UK for around £23 and (google shop search) $26. Still though - great design (in my humble opinion) - I'm very tempted to get one! (Not sure I'd use it out as a geocache. May use it to t take my geolunch out with me though.) Has anyone got one or seen any of these out in the field? *good close up *full range / colours

Thanks for all the input folks - pretty much firms up what I'd already thought - leave it there but give warning on the description (now added). It's not an area known for violence or crime particularly - it's 'safe'. It's a bit of an 'un checked' area though - kids love these kind of areas where ever they are in the world - I'd guess it's just some young punks enjoying the freedom of an area away from the watchful eye of mum/cctv/police etc.. The 'Council' refers to the organisation who 'run' the town - decision of land usage, roads, schools etc - the 'Local Authority'. They do not have policing power or anything like that - there is a bit of animosity for car users sometimes (the usual - parking related) nothing major though... Quite a random / surreal comment.

I placed a cache near my house. There's been an incident whereby a geocacher came across some parasites (for want of a better word) who reportedly displayed threatening to the geocache hunter. Nothing 'too bad' ie nothing physical occurred but still all threatening behaviour like this is bad. It's put me in a but of a quandary of what to do - I've gone with option c./ from the below.. I'd be interested to know what others would do face with this responsibility. a./ take down the cache b./ report this incident to the authorities* c./ put a warning on the listing d./ other I've gone with c./ * RE: b./ I don't think this would help anything - nothing illegal has happened / I'm not the person who it happened to. The cache is here : http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...4a-7907d42a9039

There seem to be these three Rules and an inexhaustible set of guidelines.

Speaking with my internet developers hat on - too un necessarily complicated. Would take a lot of time and resource to set up. The (link to local guidelines) solution could be done in a matter of hours..

.. I'm not suggesting that.. I am suggesting that there should be a link from the existing global guidelines to (if know / acknowledged) local specific guidelines - a simple list would do eg : click here for additional local guidelines>> leading to a list, with 'Europe' or broken down a little to eg | Britain | France | Germany (etc.) That way, if there are guidelines out there, n00bs like me, and cachers like the chap who hid in the drystone would be educated accordingly.

As an update - I'd followed the advice from you kindly folk on this thread and added a note / log "I log "needs archived" - last night the cache was archived as it is "in breach of the GAGB guidelines" At the time of my original posting I wasn't aware of this GAGB guildeline. I retract my sweeping statement regarding the placement of geocaches under dry stone walls globally (I simply don't have the knowledge to proffer a qualified opinion on the subject - I had made the assumption that there were not that many 'proper' dry stone walls outside UK/Europe etc so for 'all' I was thinking GB/Europe.. anyway.. ) - but am glad there is a rule in place concerning the placement of UK geocaches in dry stone walls. My concern now is that I wasn't aware of said rule. As a relative n00b to the sport / world of geocaching (heard about it from a friend, researched it 'all' on http://www.geocaching.com/) I read the guidelines here : http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx. I wasn't aware of the http://www.gagb.org.uk/guidelines/guidelines.php guidelines. Surely, if there a colloquial guidelines to the sport, shouldn't there be at least a link signposting these guidelines from the main site? How is anyone supposed to know about these rules unless they stumble across them? Are there any other 'official' guidelines that we should be aware of?

In Rural Britain and parts of Europe (also rest of world - not as common though I believe) there are walls made of dry stones - eg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sheep_creep_2.JPG These are an important part of not only our history, but also our agriculture, as they still act as real working boundaries keeping (for instance) sheep off roads etc. They are as much a part of rural England, Scotland Wales and Ireland as grass and sheep. I just found a Geocache actually <i>in</i> a dry stone wall. I had to physically removed a wall rock to get to it. The GPS wasnt that accurate so I had to do a bit of hunting for it as well. I carefully tried not to disturb the wall. Other may not know to be as careful. I disagree totally with geocaches in dry stone walls and think there should be a recognised rule that discourages people from leaving geocaches in dry stone walls. As well as the fact it's very dangerous and kids have been killed messing around with dry stone walls, there's a huge conservation impact: Even if every person moves a small stone in the wall inadvertently whilst looking for the GC, this multiplied, over the years is going to have a VERY DESTRUCTIVE effect on the wall. This activity totally goes against the Leave No Trace thing that geocachers are already getting a hard time over. I think as a responsible community we should add "do not hide your geocache in a dry stone wall" to the do's and don'ts and we should communicate to all owners that if they have a geocache in a dry stone wall they should reconsider it's re-location for the above reasons. I think there should be a recognised 'never put a geocache IN Dry Stone Walls' rule so that people will at least know not to go scrabbling about in them looking for geocaches.

g1 yeah, head torch is handiest... was crawling thru a cave on all fours with a mini torch in my mouth, slobbering... really could have done with a head torch there!. got a small head torch one now, forgot the brand name... "black diamond" something? I thought black diamond were Wharfedale speakers! (very nice but not as useful for caving with) Mine is a petzl. I've had three of four head torches now from other brands - petzl's are the ones that have a 'built to last' reputation (more expenzive but so far... worth it)

Thanks for that - I'm thinking it could be automated back end. (I'd prefer the one click solution (it's be a killer app, value add, yada yada))

I've just been having a conversation on this thread : http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...p;#entry3640930 To cut a long story short, it's boiled down to a 'killer app' I think should happen! (track your own movements the same way you would a TB) That's value add proposition in my book.. If that were rolled out, the next question would be... Where's my wallet?

Cool - I think the idea of getting a TB and logging it for each cache I've been to would work.. Interesting the point made about PM PQ download LOC's as well (sounds a bit fiddly for non technical heads) I think it would be a great incentive to becoming a PM if there were such a feature that I could only get as a PM.. Sure I could 'bodge' it but I'd pref an automated one click solution.. relates a little to this thread I've been playing devils advocate on: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=203078 I think if PM offered "track your own adventures and see where you've been and how far you've traveled between caches click here>>" I'd sign up! (And I probably speak the mind of a fair few of the 'new breed' (ie joined up in the latest rush, so it seems) of geocachers - there seems to of been a boom recently of interest and players. Borderline mainstream.. things like this may tip the revenue streams well in favour of GroudSpeak coffers!

(the legendary!) Moleskine do a "Soft cover" version - this may be what you're looking for..

You (American) folk should think yourselves very lucky! We're paying the equivalent of $7.46 a gallon We Brits are currently paying around £1.10 a Litre (and that's gone down over the past few months) £1.10 (1.10GBP) = $1.97 (1.97USD) (1Litre=3.785 US Gallon) £1.10 per litre = $7.46 per US Gallon.

I believe that with a bit of fiddling - perhaps though google maps API I could plot where I have been the same way as one can see where a TB has been. I think this would be a cool new feature to have on your account home page - Same as a TB map like "View Map>>" but instead "View where I've been. You could overlay all found geocaches and toggle a route overlay (in order of find). I guess it's possible - perhaps a bit gimicky but I'd like it. Is there anything out there that can do this without too much hassle already?

Better still (imho) an LED head torch. Keeps both hands free for gps / map / scruff of young ones neck, etc. Mine has a 'red' mode - (bright white light or a red (LED) light - designed for night orienteering and map reading (the red doesn't contract the pupils as much so your eyes don't have to get used to the dark again once you've looked at your map /route). White or red mode - get ahead, get a head torch!

So I'm hearing that the Pocket Queries are the big benefit to becoming a pm. The ability to go paperless. I have that ability for 'free' though.. A nokia N95 with (the free software) Trimble Geocache Navigator on it. it allows me to (from the field) "find nearest geocaches" it sends long lat, retrieves geocache positions and info (using 3g / gprs to transfer data - tiny packets though, negligable on standard "web n walk" type phone contract) It gives me a list of nearest caches to that location. I read their details then lock on, off I go. (before I set off I'll work out an area, quick glance on the google map to see if it's populated / if there are any particularly interesting looking caches and set off) Surely - this is doing the same thing (if not better as it's from the field) as Pocket Queries? The trimble software seems in direct competition (functionality wise) with pocket queries yet it's free. I'm presuming it's licenced in some way and that Groundspeak are making some coin from it. It's a shame Groundspeak don't own geocache position (I read somewhere that that data was public domain) . B2B revenue would of been great from 'selling' long lat data of geocaches. Anyhoo - I'm still strongly considering going PM - mainly from the "careware" ethic though. I appreciate that there are some good coders, IA guys, etc. doing some good work. I'd say they need to get some commercial heads in there though.. It looks like they've missed a trick with the trimble thing..

that's a cracking photo!

Interesting. As a geocache newbie, I'm naturally looking at the next level. I'm weighing up the pro's (the conns are that it's simply going to cost me a bit of money) The pitch / reason detre from Groundspeak has been OK - nothing too pushy and I to echo a few earlier though I like the idea of supporting the company - long live geocache. More power to your elbow and all that. I'm going to play Devil's advocate here... A thought that I've got is that for something like flickr (where I'm a paid up member) you get hugely increased storage as well as more option on organizing your photos. I'm not hearing a massive "value add" from becoming a premium member - it's almost like there's something missing.. I dunno. With flickr it's a no brainer - the service is waaay better with a pro account you actually think "wow, that's cheap" .. on here I can't see the big advantage (not $30's worth anyway). For us 'members' teetering on the edge of Premiership, It could be the case the the rate is too high or we need a new 'killer app' in the mix to make it worthwhile. I'd be interested in seeing conversion rates (ie members v premium) An observation - One of the other pulls to signing up (either platform) has got to be the kudos thing of "Premium Member" (or "pro" in the case of flickr). It's an ego thing. It makes you look like you know what you're doing more (even if this is not always the case!)