JM Chicago

The hardest lesson my sister-in-law had to drive home to my brother when they got married was the call home. Her family was very communicative (the joke was before cell phones they used to call home when they reached the market even after clearing the trip before leaving the house) and my family ...well not so much... It was not uncommon for my brother and sisters to wave as we headed out the door with an I'll be back later. We lived on the outskirts of the city and life was different and much less crowded. My sis-in-law was from deeper in the city and its congestion that lent to a more 'I need to know, what, where, when' environment. So allot depends on the style of family communication you foster, the social/city environment you live in and the level of safety the kid has mastered and USES. The poster board next to the door only works if its used (yeah by Mom and Dad too) and the helmet fits the same rules (yup M&D ya got yers on?) Since 14 means jr high or high school thus greater commute and peer group expansion you gotta have faith your training is working or ya gotta go into retraining but if you haven't gotten the foundation in yet the structure is not going to be stable. Good Luck you've had 7yrs so have faith and just keep reinforcing the structure and the building will last. Jeff The Chicagoan

Light Pole Cache also know as a Light Pole Micro Jeff The Chicagoan

Well if the geocachers can disregard a basic rule of the wilderness areas why can I ignore the rule about stomping around with my Hummer and building fires and not returning the site to its natural appearance. These rules are simple in concept and strict in enforcement. There are hundreds of square miles (and even a few round ones) which it is perfectly legitamite to place a cache why does ANYBODY feel they have the right to disregard the rules...of a wilderness area, of goecaching site like this and then to bitch and moan about it...golly, people get yer heads on straight. There are some areas that it is inappropriate, illegal and irresponsible to place caches. I ride a mountain bike but I Do NOT ride in wilderness areas cause that's the rules. Jeff The Chicagoan

Anything in plain site can draw curious muggles but the more mundane it looks the less likely to be bothered. As far as locks, well the combo lock is one option, but in weather a lock can freeze (mechanically not temperature) and will require regular service/lube if harsh conditions are experianced. One option I ran across was a cache called "batteries not included" which you needed a 9v battery to access. That powered a relay lock that released the door. Great concept except in the backcountry a cacher without a battery or a determined muggle can easily break such a lock by damaging the case. For a backcountry use a outdoor switchbox with a sheilded hasp might be best. mounted low on the post with a piece of conduit running down from the box into the ground (doesn't have to go anywhere just into the dirt) might be enuf to keep people out but allow cachers to find and access the lock for use. But again if the combo itsn't in hand there are enuf cads in the game that would just destroy the box so they can get a smiley. Jeff The Chicagoan

As a relative newbie that has hit 100+ finds there have been days where DNF's outnumbered hits. I have a tremendous advantage in that I am hunting in fertile urban fields. The Chicago landscape leans to the denigrated micros, nanos and LampPostCaches but they are much easier to find with decent co-ords. Even with the interference of the structures thruout the city my GPSr can usually put me with from 12ft to 30ft accuracy and I will admit to always taking the hint. Since I do not depend on having all this info gathered on site I have to write them down in my traveling papers so I have the time to check location, size, difficulty ratings and read a few logs to see what I'm getting myself into. I have a much better results when I've read up and very good results if I've gone to the USGS topo maps for a good look before hitting the road. I have always believed good use of your reference mateial makes the job easier. At times there are caches that will not be found first time out, be it foot traffic (dern muggles), lighting conditions (night search, clouds and the like) or just plain cache blindness but as I see more caches I find my cache eyesight gets better, my minds eye and understanding of cache size to hiding potential improves and a more relaxed approach all these things make it easier and more ...or at least less frustrating. Jeff The Chicagoan

OK OK OK this may not be as easy to understand as it sounds in my head BUT try this These measurements are measured in degrees minutes seconds in the method which used a system many learned in grammar school. But in todays age the machines need a system that works in direct numerical order rather than the 60seconds=1minute that machines have more difficulty manipulating. To this end you have to convert seconds into decimal portions of a minute. So if 60seconds = 1 minute then 30seconds = .5minutes and so on. So if you have say 16seconds in a co-ordinate the minutes would be 16/60 or .266 Thus if the coordinate was 52 44 16.000 in a system used by our GPSr's it would be 52 44.266. Or in your example (using the north first, west last of the geocache world) would be: N47 27.050 W052 47.522 Now you will also notice the north degrees number is 2digits since neither north nor south go past 90degrees. Yet the west is 3digits since it (and east) go to 180degrees...think about a globe and you'll understand. So what we're discussing is just translating from one language (or number system) to another. It is a simple numerical computation, just a little bit further up the ladder from counting on yer fingers but a pocket calculator will do just dandy. If you feel more comfy letting a computer program do it fine but understand what it's doing...it ain't rocket science and you should grasp the concept if you are playing with navigation or your just as lost as ever. Jeff The Chicagoan

http://www.sciplus.com/stores.cfm a variety of sizes, magnets, tape, self adhesive papers and stickers you can color or print yourself... They got 3 stores in the midwest and just have a couple of dollars in yer pocket or ya buy way too much... Jeff The Chicagoan

http://www.sciplus.com] a variety of sizes, magnets, tape, self adhesive papers and stickers you can color or print yourself... They got 3 stores in the midwest and just have a couple of dollars in yer pocket or ya buy way too much... Jeff The Chicagoan

If the container is flexible ya need a flexible glue not a hard glue like epoxy/JB weld/ super glue. Surface prep can do wonders...ruff it up, check for solvent cleaning the glued face, that kinda thang. If all else fails go find a magnet with a hole in it and attach with a screw or bolt...seal the thru hole with a bit of silicone sealant or caulk before assembly. Look here for mags with holes (http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/11/category/117) Jeff The Chicagoan

The urban caches I see have space issues as well as wetness probs. When I run across a wet log I will replace the wet in a fresh baggie and if the old will fit leave it in the container. This is noted in my online log. However at this time I have 2 logs that were replaced in containers that had no space for the old log in a isolation bag. I make note of this as well and allow time for the owner to let me know how they want to handle the old log. I hate to see a year or more of log be lost to posterior...er posterity. I have 2 caches out there and would in most cases like to get the old back but if an owner has other ideas tha's cool. Jeff The Chicagoan

The urban caches I see have space issues as well as wetness probs. When I run across a wet log I will replace the wet in a fresh baggie and if the old will fit leave it in the container. This is noted in my online log. However at this time I have 2 logs that were replaced in containers that had no space for the old log in a isolation bag. I make note of this as well and allow time for the owner to let me know how they want to handle the old log. I hate to see a year or more of log be lost to posterior...er posterity. I have 2 caches out there and would in most cases like to get the old back but if an owner has other ideas tha's cool. Jeff The Chicagoan

In the city of Chicago the bike makes cacheing easier, more enjoyable and takes care of the parking dilemna. Since this is a BIG city, some 10miles wide at spots and over 25 long the access is so much easier by bike, and now that our busses have 'decent' bike racks the city opens like a bloom. And the 'green necklace' of forest preserves really offers some great riding/cacheing tours. This past few weeks has seen several solo and co-op rides that logged many caches of the 80+ logged hits I have. My stable is multifaceted for my use. My Fisher Paragon hasn't been out for way too long as most my rides are errand/shopping/casual done on my MadWagon City Bike a nice alum frame 9sp rear only derailuer upright position that is very comfy on the streets where seeing is surviving. And if I'm doing distance in the city the ancient steel framed Schwinn Prelude drop bar that I retrofitted with STI brake shifters and 16 gears allows even this decrepit old fart to hit resonable cruising speeds and durn near 'twitchy' control on the city torture tracks. I use a mix of waist packs, trunk bags and panniers and all have rear racks. Yep bike porn but it was all on topic...sorta... Jeff The Chicagoan

Industrialweight bags come in several thicknesses. Shipping supply houses and tooling supply/storage supply stores also can be the best outlets for thicker and more durable bags and containers. U-line is one such outlet but there are many others both brick and mortar, snail mail cataloge and web based. Jeff The Chicagoan

Industrialweight bags come in several thicknesses. Shipping supply houses and tooling supply/storage supply stores also can be the best outlets for thicker and more durable bags and containers. U-line is one such outlet but there are many others both brick and mortar, snail mail cataloge and web based. Jeff The Chicagoan

I find most of the containers and supplies I use at American Science and Suplus (http://www.sciplus.com/stores.cfm) which has 3 stores in the IL, WI area. They have a great number of containers and camo tape and craft supplies, tapes and magnets, velcro and adhesives to get as creative as you desire. Jeff The Chicagoan

As I find myself in an awkward situation here I merely wish to clarify a few points before I close this chapter in my cache experiance. First my angst was about the cavalier way the finder that exposed the cache (and it is not an issue whether the cache was mine or any other) made light of their actions. The fact that they both in their log post and their flippant reply to me were not enjoying Light Post Caches/Micros yet were willing to act in a way that destroyed the enjoyment of cachers that might enjoy these admittedly mundane forms was the fuse that lit my indignation. I did not expect this site to be without need for regular visits from me to keep in operation. The ease of find and the series of hides (Chicago Parks a very numerous potential) made me concious of the need for refilling and replacement. Second the replies that have been posted here have in many cases stregthened my feelings of comraderie and community even amongst those who may not have agreed with my handling of this situation. Third those who have been, shall we say, less than understanding or helpful or enlightening on conditions, character or behavior....well the 'Bronx cheer' is the most eloquent epitaph for people of that ilk. Fourth there is the embarassing situation I find myself in...before the incident I had promised to restore a hide a cacher had placed before cercumstances required their moving. This hide (also in a Chicago Park tho not part of the series) had lasted for several months before water damage then disappearance beset the cache. I had offered to follow thru in placing a cahe in its honor near the original making the new placement so as to sidestep potential repeats of muggling if that indeed was the case. This promise means that I will actually have to place at leasty one more cache despite my rather firm statement to the contrary because the owner from the lost cache has taken care of those procedures needed to clear the way for the new cache...thus I am honorbound to follow thru. Oh well a lil' embarassment is good for the soul I guess. But I was very disappointed in the way the LPM was handled by the unnamed cacher's rude and thoughtless behavior and if this thread has at least made people think about treating the hunt, find and game in a more forthright and honorable manner I won't mind swallowing my pride for this situation. Due to the fact that I live deep in the city it is unlikely I'll be placing any caches out in the wilderness, away from the brainless, bumblers so even after the wounds of this affair have healed I believe my hiding days will not resurface. I hope the fun of the hunt will maintain my interest. Thank you for your interest. Good luck and good cacheing. JM Chicago

These are the posts that make me disappointed enuf to make the title my philosiphy _________________________________________________________________________________ ----- Original Message ---- I am sorely disappointed in yer approach to my cache Park295. As a relatively new member of the geocache community I feel very wronged by the lack of simple caution to protect a cache. The posting noted the exposed nature of the cache (in case it wasn't obvious while yer standing next to it) but in placing the cache it only took 4-5 cycles of the light to get a time for placing the cache without ANYONE seeing me. If this kind of delay is too much for you perhaps you need a more relaxing hobby. One would think that after 800+ finds you would have the techniques down but maybe we should look into how many oif your finds have lead to missing caches for the next loggers!!! I realize I sound angry but this is my second placement and for this park this was a very good 'secure' location...well for less than an hour it was... JM Chicago AND This was the reply to the above enraged post which I sent after reading the 2 logs at the bottom, both posted hours after my 2nd placed cache hit the web. Cache GC1W9ZF placed 7/23/09 ______________________________________________________________________________________ May I suggest, respectfully, that Derrek Rose will probably never tell Michael Jordan how to shoot a free throw? Which is not to suggest that you are Derrek Rose nor I Michael Jordan, but it follows. You yourself correctly pointed out that you are relatively new to the hobby, so I'll fill you in on a few things you're bound to pick up over the coming months/years. 1. Your cache hide is commonly known among the geocaching community as a Lamp Post Micro, or LPM - did you know your hide had its own acronym? It is a hiding style that has been done and redone in front of thousands of WalMarts from Boston to Portland and will be copied thousands more times. Seems clever now. Quickly loses it's luster after that tenth or eleventh dozen. 2. My approach to the cache differed from every other approach that every other cacher from here on out will take in exactly one way - mine was at night, going for a FTF. I can count the number of cachers I know (and I know several dozen) on one hand who will wait "through 4-5 light cycles" for zero cars at the corner of Austin and Foster to retrieve an LPM. 3. The only reason your cache got noticed was because we (Wheels, R Grande and I) had the misfortune of visitng this cache when someone was performing maintenance on that particular lamp post. Otherwise, I could crounch down there at the height of rush hour and no one will care. 4. Let me know how good you think the location is when we get more than 6 inches of snowfall. I would suggest you take your car for a spin around the block a few times before you tell me how I should drive on the expressway. Please don't suggest to me how I should spend my free time. Because really, at the end of the day, that was the part that insulted me. Have a nice day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THESES ARE THE LOGS upon which I based my indignation Quick find, and I believe I was the culprit from the muggling attempt. Guess I need to hone the stealth skills eh? thanks for getting my back ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Final Edited version of my original log: Found GZ, but the signal lights were out and the city showed up to fix them, so I had to abort before actually making the grab. (It would seem that _______ beat me to the punch and spotted me as I arrived, searched a bit, and then left to avoid getting the cache muggled. (How _____ got there before me is beyond comprehension. The cache couldn't have been posted for more than 30 minutes when I arrived!) I left for a little while and then I swung back around in about an hour to find the city worker disposing of the cache because he saw "Someone" find, sign and replace the cache. He actually thought he was witness to a some kind of covert drug exchange. I explained to the worker what geocaching is and talked him into letting the cache live on at its current location. I will guess that I must yield FTF (BUT HOW!!!!) but I would like to have the honorary title of FTSTC (First to Save The Cache). WOW, the cache has only been around for a few hours, found thrice, and already has quite the story! ____________________________________________________________________________________ I have congratulated the FTF and thanked the FTSTC but was driven to fire off the first item when I read the last 2 logs posted here and realized some GCers are more concerned with trying to get stats and FTF's than helping others continue to enjoy the game. When I recieved the reply (first item) I knew that even as I continue to enjoy cacheing there are rude, nasty people also playing and they have no compunction to be good stewards for this game. How unfortunate for the kind and graciuos people I have met in the short time I have been playing the Cache Game. JM Chicago

It wasn't the nearest to my home but it came up as first try on a loop with a few benchmarks of interest (and no sign of them at their expected locations) SW 1.1mi from your home coordinates Illinois Monday, June 01, 2009 JM Chicago found Chicago Parks - Brands (Traditional Cache) My first cache. I found it quite easily...off the hook... However the benchmark in the same park was nowhere to be seen. JM Chicago From then on it has proven an interesting journey. Jeff The Chicagoan Politically Liberal Environmentally Green Financially urban sustainable Having too much fun to grow up

In my camera forums I am always saying how glad I am to be in Chicago where camera stores, service techs, and labs are still fairly easy to find. And this topic makes me glad to be in the USA what with the USGS as a resource to keep my map addiction well fed. But in the UK and other regions there are resource holders that may be able to help. Orienteering clubs are quite involved with high definition topo maps and may be able to point you in the right direction for GPS friendly software for a variety of mfg's and info on specific existing software. Jeff The Chicagoan

Altho it sounds like it would defy the guidelines a construction fastener usede to build trusses would be a neat way to do it. These straps are flat with multiple 'tangs' folded out of the flat that could be mounted to the bottom of the bench and being steel would then afford a magnet friendly surface to attach the cache...to bad it's ag'in the rules, but I wouldn't tell and it would be a value added to the bench as it would be a strengthener. Jeff The Chicagoan

Urban caches suffer from teenagers finding them while looking for a good place to hide their stash...or was that just my generation Jeff The Chicagoan

Well here is my evolution and how it would have left me in slightly better conditions (but only until recently since I have had just purchased a cell phone only a few months before my GPS). My involvement in Cacheing was an outgrowth of a sport called Orienteering. This sport gave me access to one of my deep interests, maps. The basis of Orienteering is working from maps using compass skills and large scale topographic maps so when I encountered a pastime that gave me MAPS just for participating in an excuse to wander around in the woods for a couple of hours it was like cream filling in a Twinkie. Also as part of my interest in maps I discovered map books called Gazateers which are bound collections of topograhic maps of a complete state. So a part of any trip I make includes the purchase of both a general road map and a Gazateer of each state I pass thru. So in the unfortunate circumstance you related of being lost in the backcountry with a dead car I could have figgered out exactly where I was at.... However as I mentioned up until quite recently I would have been still stuck since I would not have had a cell phone.... It was a good tale with a wonderful positive twist, thanks for posting and now ya got a reason to carry a map that has at least rudimentary lat/long markings in the future... Jeff The Chicagoan AKA JM Chicago

Because GeoCachers are human beings there are good and bad. Because nature evolved with varying degrees of resiliance there are natural areas thatcannot withstand the invasion while others SEEM to be able to take the abuse. But any area will be affected if only to a minor degree. As an urban cacher I see the good and the bad there as well. We all can only controll our own actions and assist others by our counsel and example. The CITO efforts we expend and the care we use are all that stand between the good and the bad. If any of us see the bad being done it is in our best interest to note, announce and mitigate these occurances to our best ability. For as has been noted it takes little more than one bad apple to rot the barrel... Jeff The Chicagoan AKA JM Chicago