Lou_U

It sounds like you live local to the AT so I would recommend finding a local outfitter that caters to AT hikers. Nothing against REI but the staff in the local outfitters are not only knowledgeable about the gear that they are selling but are passionate about backpacking and outdoor sports. The national stores have a product line that is mainly determined by their headquarters. The local outfitters will have gear specifically selected for your local terrain. I live on the PA/WV border and we also have the rocky terrain that is found in central and eastern PA. When I bought my last pair of boots my outfitter spent over an hour with me selecting my boots and fine tuning them to perfectly match my feet. Because of differences between my two feet slight modifications had to be made to each boot before they sent me on my way.

Depends on the river! For example, there are a bunch of islands along the Wisconsin River downstream from Sauk City -- can't think of a better place. The river is easy going, noone owns the islands, and lots of folks paddle by in the summer and fall. Some rivers have hydraulics that make swimming and boating a dicey proposition -- that has got to be mentioned in the cache description, in addition to the 5 star terrain rating. Anything around a dam spillway should get you nervous. It's over a mile south of a hydroelectric plant but near the confluence where it enters a navigable river pool. Because of it's location at times there is a little current but it's far enough downstream from the dam that the levels don't fluctuate so quickly. I will be sure to add some cautions.

I along with my children, we are hunting out a location for our first cache placement. One location we are looking at is a small island (200 yards long at most) in the middle of a river near our home. The only access would be by boat or to swim a channel which is about 50 yards wide. Is there any appeal to this type of cache?

That is just downright wrong man talk about really ruining the whole Geocaching experience. SS Relax a bit, I made no indication that I would actually do this. I was simply suggesting a solution (within the guidelines) to what I perceived as the OP's problem. It turns out that the original problem statment was mis-worded and I am confused on what the actual problem is right now. I geocache for two reasons, I like to be in the wilderness, and I like to have my kids along with me. I try to pick caches that require some walking, take me and my family to some type of natural wonder or historical place, and have a hidden cache for my kids to find. I became a premium member because geocaching.com is a valuable tool for me to find these places and I don't mind paying my share. My kids have an interest in placing their own cache so you will probably see a few from me in the future but they will be legit.

Great points, this is exactly correct. Suffer from chafing one time on a multi day hike and you will be convinced to leave your cotton at home, poly undergarments are essential. Poly sock liners along with correct boot selection serve the same purpose for your feet to avoid blistering. Try washing a cotton shirt in a stream. If you hang it off the back of your pack it may be dry in two days, do the same with a poly shirt and it's dry within two hours. If you are looking to purchase clothing specific for backpacking and hiking stick with poly, fleece, and wool.

As an FTF seeker do you have any competition in your area? Have you ever come up on a new cache only to find that it was already found a few minutes earlier or the FTF was still there logging the first find? I am new to geocaching and havent found any incentive to seek out FTF's but who knows what will happen in the furure. My kids want to place some caches in the near future so I need to start thinking about what to place inside as an FTF prize. Any Suggestions?

There has been quite a bit of thoughtful input into this thread. Let us know when you place the cache and if the suspected FTF hawk found it or if you were able to come up with a clever way to let someone else get the FTF.

When I was actually upset with the cacher after their snarky posts on new cachers listing pages, I considered listing the cache, but not placing it until after their DNF. This would be unfair to any other cachers who looked for it, though. I don't mind being a pain, but I don't want to be deceitful. If you place it with incorrect coordinates it would be placed but would not be found by the going to the coordinates to grab an easy FTF. Keep it within 100 yards which takes us back to this post. I don't get the whole FTF races. Some people live for them. I look at it like they are verifying the coords for the rest of us, so give them some credit. Since one of the purposes of FTF is to verify coordinates my solution looks to be valid even though it’s bit devious.

I am not really sure what the draw is to being FTF or would drive someone to be "FTF Hawk" or "FTF Hog" but since there have been a couple different threads on this subject I started to think about how I would would combat this situation. If I would place a cache and I knew one of these people were out there waiting to pounce (assuming for a moment that I actually cared) 1. I would place the cache with totally incorrect coordinates. 2. Wait for the Did Not Find responses to come in. 3. Send a personal message to the first person after the FTF Hog(s) stating that the coordinates were incorrect and give them the correct coordinates. 4. Wait for the Found It response to come in then update the coordinates on the site. 5. Pray for forgiveness. Maybe I need to anyway just for making the suggestion.

It's the kids (age 6 and 10) job to find caches. If after some time they don't find anything I give them hints but when possible I break the hint up in smaller hints and just give them part of a hint. For some of the smaller hints I print the decrypted hint and have them manually decode them.

I see your occupation is US Army. Thank you for your service to our great country. By now you have enough feedback to determine that geocaching is a great activity to do with your children. I am just chiming in to tell you that I believe in your cause and I also want to let you know how truly thankful my family and I are that you and many like you have chosen to join the fight to help protect us against our enemies.

Since it sounds like you are very new to backpacking I would suggest starting with the route from Harpers Ferry to Bears Den (Snickers Gap). At 20 miles it’s about ½ of the distance of the MD section. It will give you a good feel for what it’s like to be out on the trail. You could do something like this. Park one car at Bears Den Trail Center. This is the end point of this hike. http://www.bearsdencenter.org/the Drive your other shuttle car to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park where the Park offers extended parking for AT Hikers. They will tell you how to register at the gate. If someone is dropping you off better yet. From the Park there is a Shuttle Bus that will take you down into Harpers Ferry. From there you climb up an old stone staircase to Jefferson Rock which overlooks the Shenandoah River. Somewhere there is a side trail that will take you to the ATC Headquarter Building which is about 0.2 miles off of the AT. When you return to the trail continue southbound across the US340 Bridge. And the AT passes under the bridge on the opposite side of the river. Next is a rigorous climb out of the River Valley to the top of the Ridge taking your time and have plenty of water with you. When you get to the top you will find fire rings scattered around. This is a great place to camp the first night. There’s something about camping while overlooking Harpers Ferry that I really enjoy. The next day if you start at about 8:30AM you should make it to the David Lesser Memorial Shelter by about noon. You can have lunch here and refill your water bottle. This is your first real chance at getting good water and by this point you will likely need it. From here it’s about another 3 miles to the Blackburn Trail Center where you can set up camp and get additional water. There’s a hostel there which is first come first serve, On your way there you will pass the tent camping are. Either one is fine. This leaves the Sunday Hike out to Bears Den Trail Center which is about 8 miles from this point. Normally this would be about four hours for me but there are a few cool overlooks and neat rocky climb, you may want to plan a little more time for this section. Make sure you all have walking sticks I guarantee it will keep you from falling somewhere along this ridge. If you have a friend that backpacks run your equipment list past them to make sure you are not missing anything essential. Back to the Water: I carry a 70 oz camelback bladder in my backpack and I also carry 2 32 oz Nalgine Bottles. Well this is one example of how you could plan your trip. The hiking days may look a little short but it’s probably best to go this route for your first trip since you aren’t sure of everyone’s level yet. And even the most physically fit person could be done in by bad footwear.

This is a matter of personal preference. I prefer short trips where I can plan each section and see everything there is to see. Through hikers are driven by a need to accomplish a different goal and that is to claim that they through hiked the trail which brings a certain level of respect within the backpacking community. It is a respectable feat but I, like you don’t have the time and resources consider a through hike. The AT Conservancy in Harpers Ferry keeps records of all through hikers and anyone that has hiked it or plans to hike it in sections. Which ever way you decide your accomplishments can be preserved by the Conservancy. Just a word of advice when you start your planning: Know the rate at which you hike. It makes it easy to plan your trip when you go through the data book. I factor in a 30 minute mile pace which gives me enough time to see the overlooks. Also don’t rely on shelters being available, make sure you have a tent with you. About Water: This is a ridge top trail so water is usually a short hike some distance down the side of the mountain. Make sure your filter is in good working order and you take plenty of bottles when you. We usually drop the packs and a couple of us will head to the watering holes with all of the bottles which we need to fill leaving someone back to watch the gear. I hope to see you out there sometime.

Personally, I like the "Search with Google Maps" option on this same page. For me it's the quickest way to get a visual perspective on your surrounds.

Great Picture…I am jealous. How close did you get?

For us the whole idea of Geocaching is to get the kids off of their PSPs. I hope they don't discover that it could be used as a Geocaching Tool.

I am an outdoor person who can't get enough of the wilderness. If it wasn't for the kids I would not Geocache but as you mention the prospect of finding treasure is a real motivator for the kids and I like to have them along. Regardless of whether we care to find the hidden stashes or not the treasure for me is finding new places that I never knew existed. Here's our most recent find: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...28-bdf22d7c99de Don't get me wrong, when I am out with the kids I put every effort into finding the caches. Nothing beats the joy it brings them.

I am an outdoor person who can't get enough of the wilderness. If it wasn't for the kids I would not Geocache but as you mention the prospect of finding treasure is a real motivator for the kids and I like to have them along. Regardless of whether we care to find the hidden stashes or not the treasure for me is finding new places that I never knew existed. Here's our most recent find: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...28-bdf22d7c99de Don't get me wrong, when I am out with the kids I put every effort into finding the caches. Nothing beats the joy it brings them.

I started with a Sony NAV-U Model:NV-U73T. It claim 4 hours battery life but Id say it’s a bit less now that the unit is about 6 months old and stays on charge nearly full time. I can get GPS coordinates through the Satellite Status menu inside the general menu. I have recently switched to a hand held due to battery life and ability to download coordinates.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is your source for everything. http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqL...k.BFA3/Home.htm This link within their site is good for planning your hike. You can get information about shuttles and parking. http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqL...e_the_Trail.htm The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is Headquartered in Harpers Ferry So if you can plan your first hike to depart from Harpers Ferry I Highly recommend stopping there first. Before you start planning your trip I recommend picking up this book. Appalachian Trail Data Book (2009): $5.95 It's available through the Conservancies On line Store https://www.atctrailstore.org/catalog/itemi...26&compid=1 or I purchased mine at Barnes and Noble. Heres's the description which I copied from the link above. “Thirty-first edition. A consolidation of the basic information from all 11 A.T. guidebooks into a lightweight table of distances between major Appalachian Trail shelters, road crossings, and features--divided according to the guidebook volumes and updated each fall to account for relocations, new or removed shelters, and other changes. Also keyed to maps.” Then for the two sections that you want to hike you should purchase the following Topo Maps. Maryland Map https://www.atctrailstore.org/catalog/itemi...37&compid=1 Retail Price: $8.50 Six-color map covering the A.T. from Pen Mar on the Pennsylvania line to Harpers Ferry, W.Va. Contour intervals of 100 feet; scale, 1:62,500. Revised 1998. and Northern Virginia Map - North https://www.atctrailstore.org/catalog/itemi...38&compid=1 Retail Price: $8.50 Six-color map covering the A.T. from Harpers Ferry, W.Va., to Va. 7. (Snickers Gap) Contour intervals of 10 meters; scale, 1:50,000. Revised 1998. These maps hold a wealth of information, fold up nicely, and are coated to protect them from the elements. You may be able to find something that you can print out on the Internet somewhere but I recommend purchasing the maps instead.

It sounds like you are planning to hike north so starting at Snickers Gap would be your best bet from Winchester. Bears Den is a nice place to set up a secure shuttle. To be honest though if you only have 3 to 4 days consider Harpers Ferry to Pen Mar. There is so much to see in this section that it would be ashamed to blow through it. For through hikers it is tradition to complete this (MD) section within one day. Backpacker magazine May 2007 edition has an article specifically covering this section of the AT. The articles title is Best dadgum Weekend Ever: Walk Across MD on the AT where they also recommend 3 to 4 days for this 41 mile section. If you have time I would suggest taking a second trip southbound from Harpers Ferry to Snickers Gap. Get a late start on a Friday and make the brutal climb out of Harpers Ferry to the top of the ridge and camp on the ridge overlooking Harpers Ferry. Spend Saturday and Sunday traveling south to Bears Den. Hint, There’s a small bar near snickers gap that caters to hikers. It’s a great place to get a cold one and a bite to eat after you get off the trail…Open Sundays. It’s on Pine Grove road which you cross just before RT 7. The AT sign board at the Snickers Gap trailhead has directions.

Backpacking is a passion of mine and the AT tops the list of my favorite places to hike so I had to post something in this thread. For me the availability to get information for planning a trip is a big plus. When you take the time and plan your trip there are no surprises on this trail. For me a typical hike is a three day weekend. After the hike when you are exhausted. Looking at the ridge line that you just hiked during your drive back to the start location to pick up your vehicle has a way of re-energizing you. I can't wait for my next trip!

I wear a pair of Montrail Torre GTX boots year round and adjust for the season by correct sock selection. If the snow is deep enough I might need to add a pair of snow shoes under them.

For footwear I highly recommend finding a certified Phil Oren boot fit specialist. Following the link below you can find out more about the Phil Orin fit system and find a local outfitter who has gained certification. These outfitters will not sell you a bad boot. Plan to spend a couple of hours getting the right fit, learning about socks, learning how to lace boots properly, and learning how to care for your investment. I say investment because most of these dealers command full retail but once you are properly fitted you will leave satisfied that it was money well spent. http://www.fitsystembyphiloren.com/index2.html Next for clothing, http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ has great prices and carries a lot of Big and Tall sizes. When choosing hiking/backpacking clothing cotton is the devil. I personally don't have a thread of cotton on me when I am backpacking. Make sure you follow this rule all the way down to you’re under garments. Also check the big box marts who often sell discounted wicking shirts which work nearly as well as the over priced name brand shirts sold in the high end sporting good stores. The nice thing about the wicking material is that it is light and dries fast. You can wash the clothing out along the trail and hang it from your pack while you are hiking or in camp at the end of the day and in a short period of time it s dry. This reduces the amount of clothes you need to carry. One other recommendation I have is to use stuff sacks to conserve space and organize your pack. I hope this helps! .

I have the Garmin Etrex Vista HCx. I placed the order on Walmart.com and used the "ship to store" option which saved me the price of shipping. The total cost was about $200 once tax was included (now I see they raised the online price to $210 +tax but there are other models discounted below $200). The good thing about this option is that you can take advantage of discounted online prices but still have a storefront to go to if there's any trouble. MSRP on my unit is $300 so the price was very reasonable. I picked up the memory card at Walmart for ~$15. I hope this helps!