PandyBat

Hmmm....sounds like I should get one of these. Never know when it might come in handy. I just couldn't figure out what you would need one for when geocaching, but I guess you never know what could happen when out and about. Thanks for the input!

Why is this? Just curious as to what's going on or happened in CT. Locus swarms... Very funny! What's the real reason?

Why is this? Just curious as to what's going on or happened in CT.

Preach it, sista!

Awesome! What a cool story and journey! Can I turn myself into a TB? heeheehee

I've seen several people say they carry a Leatherman tool as an essential in their geocaching packs. I'll admit they are cool tools but what do you use them for while out geocaching?

How would this stop them from raiding or stealing caches? Look in some other threads. Besides, it seems that anyone that has a problem gets bashed and accused of wanting to change the game by those that think it is fine just the way it is. It's not fine. It might be fine in your area but other people in other areas are having problems with caches. But don't dare say anything about it lest you be redirected a thousand times to a thread where its already been discussed or flamed for expressing your opinion and concern for the game.

Do you think this quote pertains to EVERY thread topic? The game is ever changing, ever evolving.....as well as the mindset of those playing it. Where's the drawn line? WHY in heck does a line need to be drawn? Who should be the supreme and mighty, exalted one to draw it? YOU? SHEESH!!! I use that quote whenever people like YOU and the originator of this thread mistakenly THINK their own personal aesthetic should dictate how others experience this great sport/game. I respect the opinions of others. I would never have the audacity to try to enforce my own personal aesthetic on them to MAKE them experience the game as I DO. Sn gans Whoa....Calm down. I'm not trying to dictate how this game is played. I'm discussing and offering suggestions just like everyone else.

Hang in there, I respect you for bringing this topic up. Quality control and continuous quality improvement are important parts of the game now that it has reached the level that is has. Back when it was a bunch of people who all knew each other, quality took care of itself, when it got bigger, gentle reminders from experienced players and tips from same took care of things. Now its so big that we need to formalize the approach to quality. The Walmicros you complained about are one area, the 1/1 drive and dumps are another. All these need to be considered to be threats to the long term health of the game and of GC. If a city gets full of walmicros, local people will interpret the game as that. If a city is full of obtuse puzzle caches, that is how the game will be perceived locally. The image of the game as a family friendly game that you can do on a Saturday afternoon after work will be replaced by the inaccurate image, no matter how we market the game. Approvers and most importantly cachers, need to adopt the idea that quality is important and setting up a cache is worth spending some time on. If an area can only support micros, then the locals need to get good at these and the approvers need to be willing to challenge quality. One thing that has yet to be brought up in the quality discussion is the concept of talking to your approver BEFORE you place the cache. I am working on the Nebraska arm of an International cache exchange. Looking back, my original idea was pretty fragile and would have been failure prone. Getting some feedback from the approver on the concept, helped me improve the idea before setting it up. Perhaps this should be part of the quality process? That you are required to talk about the cache with your approver before placing it. I like your thinking, bigredmed! This is how I feel too. If the approvers don't care about quality, then who will and what will the game be like in 5 years if something isn't done about the quality and placement of caches?

Do you think this quote pertains to EVERY thread topic? The game is ever changing, ever evolving.....as well as the mindset of those playing it. Where's the drawn line?

I like this suggestion. That would be most helpful to sort the micros from the rest of the caches.

I agree with this statement. If you go back to the original idea behind geocaching and to how geocaching is promoted even to this day, it was to find "treasures" and enjoy interesting places and sites. The simple guidelines of find the cache, take something, leave something and sign the logbook are being whittled down to more like find the micro and sign the logbook. That's because it's becoming nothing more than people trashing every nook and cranny with film canisters and altoids tins just for the easy hides and to get their numbers up. I just don't like that this is becoming the norm for geocaching. Limiting the number of caches hidden per member per month would eliminate lame hides and give the hider time to actually prepare a good cache instead of throwing a film canister out somewhere that gives the finder no sense of the area or why they were brought to that cache in the first place. But it also limits the people that regularly hide good caches. So maybe a better solution would be to limit the number of micros that could be hidden per member per month? If someone wants to make a new account everytime they want to get around this rule, then let them. But I am banking that the ones that hide 100's of micros just for the numbers won't make new accounts because they want to keep their stats tied to just one account. Limiting would at least cut down on the lame micros a little bit. Also making a micro hider explain or describe to the approvers why this is a good spot for a micro would help. Making them include that description on the cache page might make them think before dropping a micro somewhere that has no dynamic interest attached to the area it's hidden in. Or maybe seperating the micros from the rest of the caches like the benchmarks are? Just suggestions..... When I first started geocaching, I was so excited and I wanted to go out and hide a cache right away. But someone adviced me that I should wait and find a few caches before hiding one to get the feel for what it takes to hide a cache. Well, I certainly don't see where that advice even holds water anymore since it's no big deal to TPTB where a cache is hidden as long as its not hidden on private property and no consideration is taken into account for the historical/scenic/adventure aspect of where the micro is hidden. I see the point in micros and some I like and most I hate. But when I do a search and 75% of the caches I have offered to me are micros hidden in the stupidest of places, I start to find them boring. As does my daughter. Most micros are not very family friendly. Just suggesting that a simple solution would be to go out and hide traditional caches and that it might encourage others to do the same is just plain bull. It's not going to matter to those hiding micros just for the numbers. If GC.com can ban other variations of caches from being hidden, why would limiting micros be so hard? I certainly don't want to see micros banned from this site like locationless and virtuals (bring them back, please), but there does need to be some policing in the placing of micros in order for them a part of this game and to keep this game fun, inventive and creative. I couldn't have said it better myself!

LOL!! Nevermind....I just read the disclaimer at the bottom of the page! DOH! Thanks guys!

Sorry...one more question.... When you say public domain, does that mean I can use any of these variants of the GX logo without having to get copyright permission?

Yes! Thank you! Thank you!

Someone should start a geocaching newsletter and have co-ords mailed to members each month. That's about as low cost, yet still profit-making that you could get. It pretty much sucks that a person can't enjoy geocaching without having a connection to the internet. But I don't believe there's any other solution. I kinda understand where you are going with this, crzycrzy. I've only been geocaching for a month and I can already see the problems that arise with no one addressing them or fixing them.

Is there a universal logo/symbol/icon for geocaching that is not the GC.com logo? Something that would say to everyone, I am a geocacher/I participate in geocaching, not just a member of GC.com.

I LOVE these types of poles. I would really like to have one like this but they are just a bit too pricey for my budget. I am trying to find one in the $25-30 range, which might be asking for too much...lol I'm sure these are well worth the $60 and I appreciate the offer. Wish I had one.

Cool...I have a Target here. I'll check with them tomorrow. Thanks for the tip!

Anyone have an extra trekking pole that they don't want or don't use? I'd like to have an metal adjustable one, not a wooden hiking stick. Please email me and let me know what kind it is and how much you would like for it. Thanks!

Well, I know how to do that. But I'm not sure how to pinpoint an exact location.

I'd find it more impressive if it was one account with 31 hides and 600 logs....lol Why all the different accounts?

How do I find out if a cache has already been hidden in or near a place that I would like to hide a cache? I'd hate to go out and set it all up only to find that there is another one close by and it's not going to be approved.

Ok..I'll try downloading the newest version and see what happens.

Yeah, what he said.