[The List Of How NOT to Hide a Geocache]

my latest pet pieve:

people who list many caches with the same name close together, like near my house there is "Sammy the dog" and "Sammy the dog 2" within a block of one another.

So we are out caching and he says, "What cache have you got next?"

My GPS says, Sam so I say, "sammy the dog". But thats in the next block he says. No, thats' the other sammy cache. So what's this one? he says, Sammy the dog I say, and it goes on from there.

 

Can we be a bit more creative than that please? Save the confusion!!

[good ideas for geocache containers?]

I have to go cheap, as I don't have much money.

I pay close attention to the containers I find to see what works well. Here in the Pacific Northwest seals are tested to their limits.

Virtually EVERY film container I find has a wet log.

People are right about ammo boxes being the best, but not always the best for the situation.

The best cheap containers I've found are nalgene water bottles (cheap? you say, look right now for these in thift stores as everyone is changing their bottles for the chemical free ones. Especially thrift stores near rich neighborhoods). These are totally water tight and stay that way. I've seen some clever hiding places for these including inside logs. Make sure you get the wide mouth ones and put a log in it that can be easily gotten out. (much easier to get stuff out of than bisons!!)

My other favorite is a cashew container from Costco. It is totally water-tight and the one I found has been there for years. The container is expensive, about 10- but comes full with a couple pounds of FREE cashews!! I ran it through the dishwasher and then will air mine out for days or longer before putting into the field. It seals so well the minimal smell stays in, but I'm airing it out first to be sure.

 

whats your preferred geocache container? i'm starting to put together some containers and i was wondering where other people find cheap (or even free!) cache containers. i like the idea of recycling what would otherwise be garbage.

[Puzzle Cache Final Location]

As a new cacher I'm most interested in finding puzzles I CAN SOLVE!! I tend to avoid the puzzle caches because they are often so hard. Often I haven't a clue what the puzzle even IS. I don't really want to spend months trying to figure out one puzzle.

I'm in this for the fun of treasure hunting. I like the hunt and I like going through a box of "stuff" even if it's just junk. These are the fun things for me. If I was into the puzzles I would go to a puzzle website. I'm into the hunt and find. So if you're making a puzzle cache, make it one I can solve.

And I DO like the ones that teach me about the area, such as get the clues from signs in the area about the history, etc.

I don't mind where the final is as much, as long as it's not behind a dumpster or in a parking lot. Beautiful places are always prefered, but not always available.

I don't like micros because I like a treasure hunt. If it's just a log it's not half as fun.

SS

 

My question comes to this...

 

Is the thrill in the puzzle, the location or maybe just getting another ? caches to your stats.

 

We always try to get finders to remember our caches. (The good kind of memorable though! )

[Yosemite? National Parks?]

I know in WA state you can hide them in state parks, but only with written permission. There are some parks that are "cache friendly" and some that are not.

I don't know about National Parks here.

I know one that someone has been trying for quite a while to get permission after getting a letter from the State park saying to remove it. No permission yet.

While another park is, a local reviewer said, "cache friendly" because of a cache friendly ranger there.

I asked how to find out and the reviewer said try the local websites, but they might not have it on there because they usually can't figure out what department has authority over "hiding tupperware in bushes".

We are a strange lot aren't we?? LOL

SS

[These caches Need help]

OK, I think I've got this figured out now.

I'm going to be sure to carry dry log sheets when I cache. I already carry baggies for those that need new baggies.

I wrote the reviewer, and he/she told me to log that that missing cache needs archiving. I said I'd take over it, and they said there's nothing to take over since it's missing. they said the person who placed it owns it so I shouldn't just replace the container. I need to note it needs archiving and then if that doesn't rattle the cage of the owner, then it will disapear and anyone else can place a new cache there and (hopefully) maintain it.

I have some waterproof paper I'm going to carry with me for all these wet logs.

The containers belong to the owners so I can't do anything about them.

I'll do what I can and not worry about the rest.

 

I do want to say, I had a GREAT experience with one owner recently checking on their cache when I suspected it missing. They were RIGHT on it and found it gone (a different one).

there are a lot of cache owners out there that deserve cudo's (good mention) for all their hard work in making sure the rest of us have fun.

I'm going to place my first cache soon. it's good for me to see the responsibility and importance of good cache maintance.

And it's good for the rest of us to remember, "it's just a game".

SS

[Penny for your thoughts...]

So my question here as a new cacher, then if 5 people in a car nearby is not OK, then how about two at the cache site? my friend and I often cache together, it's much more fun that way. most of them we actually do solve together. Most we could not find by ourselves but in the joint effort find together (I can list many examples). But some of them it is either him or I that clearly find it. With the other person right next to the other looking for it too, can they not log it then? I was led to believe by those who showed me the game, that if two are present it's OK to log it. Is this not right? Then since I just saw it being found, and know where it is, can I never log it then?

so then if this is indeed ok, then where do you draw the line? Three people not ok? Two people more than 20 ft away if they are not looking for it?

And where does the "this is just a game who really cares that much" come into play?

SS

[These caches Need help]

This is always a tough subject. It's gone?

 

The way I found out this one was gone was I e-mailed someone who had found it in the near past and asked them if it was where I thought it should be. Happened the woman I e-mailed had gone back to find it to show the unique container to her friend and confirmed it was indeed gone. This was an easy one because it's in an open area: a fake rock. It would be easy to find if you knew what it looked like.

 

So my next question, is how do I contact the reviewer for this area to let them know about this cache being gone when the owner seems to have abandoned it?

People do quit caching and lose interest after a while. If they have no interest they should pass it on. This person has not logged on since I think Oct 08 someone told me. I suspect they have changed their e-mail address, or they just aren't interested.

How do I contact the reviewer? I'm new to this game.

[These caches Need help]

Yes I'm having this problem and don't know what to do about it.

Some cache owners have responded well. I have put new logs in many caches, but there's only so much i can do on site. One ammo box needed a new seal. I don't carry those. Another: GCQ31K

is one where the object is a fake rock, or I should say, WAS a fake rock. It has been confirmed stolen. It needs to be replaced or disabled. Do I put out the expense of a fake rock into a cache that is not being maintained? No. If they want to turn the cache over to someone who will maintain it, that's another story. But I'm just not up to pouring good money into something that is not taken care of. (It's too exposed of a site anyway. I would put another type of cache there myself.)

I've written to the cache owner. People keep listing they try to find it and then get mad when they come home and read the logs to find it is confirmed Gone.

What do I do?

[bears ancounter while hiking]

My favorite bear story is about some hikers who ran into a few bears on the way back to their car. They were stymied on how to get back with the bears blocking their path. They were just standing there trying to figure out what to do, while waiting for the bears to leave, which they weren't doing.

Soon, luckily for them, a couple of rangers came down the path. When they found out what was going on, one of the rangers walked ahead down the path and gave the magic bear removal word:

"Shoo bears, shooo!!"

and the bears walked away.

Now while I am NOT suggesting you try this yourself (remember these rangers are trained in what to do in case of bear attack, which I recommend everyone find out about), but it just made me feel much better about running into bears.

This is a true story.

PS, these were NOT grizzlies!!!! Black bears are pretty benign. Grizzlies are another story altogether

[Backpack as checked airline luggage?]

If you're a backpacker, then you may go by the adage: always be prepared.

Expecting the airlines to always have a plastic bag available for you does not seem very prepared. If they don't have one, have a new employee who doesn't know where they are, you are late and can't wait for the new employee to find one, etc. what do you do?

Just get a nice big duffle bag from your local surplus store and call it a day.

I know some people who travel with their backpacks around the world all the time and they recently came to me to get their dufflebags repaired that had thousands of miles and many years use on them. They swear by them.

If the airlines could damage a duffle bag as badly as theirs were, I would Not want to put an expensive backpack in a baggie.

Use something that will protect it. It's worth the price of saving your pack, or having to repair it at a strange location before your trip.

[Hanging a Hammock]

Hello, I use tent hammocks a lot that have to be secure all night as I toss around. (as if you could do much tossing in a tent hammock!) The best thing by far to secure a hammock without knots are rafting straps also known as cam straps.

http://www.strapworks.com/Straps_Tie_Downs_s/19.htm this is a website that has a picture of what I am talking about. They are the first straps listed here: the metal cam straps that are shown in a rainbow of colors.

We used to use these for rafting because they were rated for thousands of pounds and could hold heavy items to the rafts while flipped at high speeds. There are a number of different ratings on cam buckles so pay attention to that when you buy them. Don't bother with the cheap plastic ones.

I admit these are not ideal for backpacking because of the weight of the metal, but I did not get it that that's what you were using them for.

If you're going backpacking with your hammock then the best knot is the easiest knot there is. What is the absolutely the strongest knot there is? A knot that uses 100% of the strength of the rope? It's called a "no knot". It is a rope that is wrapped around a tree (or something) that does not cross itself. Just wrapped around many times (at least five). Then tie it off with a bow if you want just to keep it from unraveling. Also called a knotless knot, www.pikezander.co.uk/predpics/knotlessknot.gif has a picture of one used in a fishhook.

Good luck.