SlapShot44

Mattatuck Trail ...

On a Land Trust in Bethlehem, CT.

A refurbished .50 cal ammo can that I gave a new camo paint job. This will be released in the very near future.

That's fine for people who are equipped and want to do so, but it's not obligatory. Nowhere did I say or allude to it being obligatory ... it was just something that I saw/experienced that I offered up as a possible approach to entering a place holding log while in the field and later on filling in the log with more detail when time and a computer are available. Yes, it's a possible approach. That being said, there are many very good reasons why some geocachers may not wish to do this, and other good reasons why some geocachers cannot do this easily or at all. We should be very cautious to avoid promoting the unreasonable expectation that a FTF will be logged within some arbitrary, short time frame. There is nothing wrong with playing this common side game. It appears that most geocachers who participate in the FTF game manage to enjoy this small bit of competition without resorting to poor behaviour, and without expecting others to change their logging practices to accommodate it. Nobody, faced with negative comments and poor treatment at the hands of other geocachers, should feel that they are the ones who need to change or accommodate unreasonable demands. Nutlady is not in the wrong in any way. She did nothing to invite such negativity. It is problematic to keep suggesting that she should write hasty, low quality logs in the field just because a handful of other geocachers lack the self control to moderate their own reactions to a wholly predictable outcome in the FTF game. Wow ... are you reading what I am writing or are just reading into what I am writing so you can pontificate. Again, my comment was just suggesting "a possible approach" ... she or whoever can take it as a suggestion, not a requirement or a demand, or they can leave it. I was just trying to help ... offer a possible solution.

That's fine for people who are equipped and want to do so, but it's not obligatory. Nowhere did I say or allude to it being obligatory ... it was just something that I saw/experienced that I offered up as a possible approach to entering a place holding log while in the field and later on filling in the log with more detail when time and a computer are available.

No, I said it would lessen a good hiking experience rather then enhance it. I would have been better off just enjoying the hike and view at the end, rather then finish it off with a wet/soggy/broken mess of a cache. While this attitude is indeed unfortunate, it's not something that can be fixed by anybody else. Even when cache owners are extremely diligent about cache maintenance, there is always some risk that a given geocacher will be the first person to find a cache after it has been damaged or vandalized. Of course I'm not complaining about a recently wet/broken container. Where did I give you that idea? It's not about cache where the owner hasn't been notified yet of a problem, or it's less then a month or two since the report, (hopefully the CO has responded with a note). It's the cache with repeated logs that say: the lid is broken, water is getting in. Then 4 months later people leave messages that the log is pulp and unsignable. The contents wet and deteriorated, maybe moldy. The one with no response from the long-gone CO. Or worse, the shirker - an active cache owner who continues to hide caches. His idea of maintenance is to let the reviewer archive the cache eventually if anyone will log an NM and finally an NA. So again, it's not the accidental short-term messy cache, it's the one ignored by the CO. And to make it more in-line with the OP's original post, that goes for PT caches too. http://support.Groun...g=kb.page&id=57 6.3. Maintenance expectations To make sure your geocache is in good health, monitor the logs and visit the cache site periodically. Unmaintained caches may be archived. Here is a list of your responsibilities as a cache owner: Choose an appropriate container that is watertight. Replace broken or missing containers. Clean out your cache if contents become wet. Replace full or wet logbooks. Temporarily disable your cache if it's not accessible due to weather or seasonal changes. Mark trackables as missing if they are listed in the inventory but no longer are in the cache. Delete inappropriate logs. Update coordinates if cache location has changed. After you maintain your cache, make sure to remove the "Needs Maintenance" icon. If you no longer want to maintain your cache, retrieve the container and archive your listing. Yes, we all know that maintenance is part of the game. Quoting bits of the website at people who regularly post NM and NA logs isn't useful and doesn't elucidate any kind of point. Sometimes, as finders, we're going to be the ones who have to report maintenance. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we're going to find geocaches that just aren't what we wanted. If finding a cache in a state of needing maintenance is going to derail an otherwise good experience, that's a matter of poor attitude more than anything else. Note the poor maintenance in an appropriate log and move on. I would love it if every cache was a nice dry ammo can with an interesting logbook and no junk / swag in it. Most caches aren't. Yet somehow, life goes on and I enjoy other caches too. Geocaches are containers outside in the elements. Sometimes they get damaged. It is not realistic to expect caches to be in a state of perfect repair at all times, nor is it realistic to expect all other geocachers to share such an extreme expectation. It is not reasonable to expect other geocachers to assign FPs on the criteria that is important to you, and it's absurd to expect the website to be redesigned to somehow filter on qualities that are ephemeral and unsustainable. Simply and eloquently stated narcissa ... +1 Some can't see the forest for the trees.

There is a local cacher who, when he finds a cache he simply logs ... More to come ... in the field and then later on, edits that log, presumably when he gets home to a computer, and then enters the real detail of his experience for the find. He was FTF on 2 of my caches and no one seemed to throw a hissy fit on his approach to logging the finds and the FTFs.

Wow ... I just started this hobby last August and have had no problem finding caches that are challenging (requiring repelling gear) to magnetic key holders stuck to guard rails like the one at my local gas station. I have found caches in areas that will take your breath away and also found some in littered "park and ride" parking areas. Each and every cache I found or DNF was because I CHOSE to hunt for that cache ... I had the CHOICE and there are thousands of them. You make this hobby what you want it to be. Also the "it's all about me" is not surprising because they are evident in every hobby. Those that are so concerned about the "power trail" caches ... about 2 months ago someone published over 20+ caches on a paved bike/walking trail. Each cache had a unique name, but all ended with "HCA" ... Handicapped Accessible. This power trial was developed specifically for those in wheelchairs so that they could participate in this hobby ... shame on that guy for doing such a thing. How dare he litter my geocache world with such mundane and easy caches. Oh, how dare people place all those other caches along other greenway walking trails which aren't so challenging that one would need survival gear before setting out but rather they could be used to introduce young children and grandchildren to this wonderful outdoor hobby without risk or minimal risk of injury to young hikers/geocachers. Why must the glass always be half empty ?

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