kunarion

FWIW, if someone approached me with an idea for the coolest cache hide in the world, asking if I'd move or archive mine to make room for it, and if it's truly amazing, I'm sure I'd go along with the idea.

You could make it a "Travel Bug", post the coordinates, and invite comments. Or you could just post the coords someplace, or email the GZ to some local cachers or list it on another cache website. If you know some veteran cachers in your area, they might have a suggestion of where you could place it. And you could offer the whole container to cachers (say, in a fund-raiser at a caching event), where it might be placed somewhere on the planet that you'd never have been able to do yourself. But unless it is allowed to be listed, it doesn't count as a "Find" on geocaching.com. If I were doing something like this, I'd scour the area for another spot that meets the guidelines. Maybe I'll eventually find an even better place for the clever container, have an improved design ready to go, and let people have fun trying to find it. Sometimes, it's worth the wait.

Yes. I'd also like to see more folks leave notes about anything that they took or left (Swag). But that's a whole other llama.

I once used GSAK, and somehow had a bunch of archived caches in the list all the time (I was probably doing something stupid, but still...) But the archved ones did not show up on the GPS, when I searched for "nearby" caches. So it is a good assumption that the errant cache is left over from a Pocket Query from before October 20th.

Yes. And test them. If a pen's broken, it's likely to still not work when you arrive at the cache. If you're going through life with a broken pen, you've got more than a Geocaching issue.

It was archived on October 20th. The cache descriptions stay on geocaching.com. You can even get the archived ones when you do Pocket Queries (check the options). In order to get rid of the obsolete cache info, I've sometimes had to erase old "GPX" files from my GPS, before sending a new PQ. It was also an issue when I used "GSAK" (PC software for managing a database of caches). You might have a similar issue.

In addition to the other advice (start with containers larger than Micros, pick easy star-rated caches, be sure your GPS is set up right) you can look at the “terrain” view on the map, to see where the cache icon is in relation to walls, fences, and other landmarks. Read a couple of recent logs, so you know others are currently finding it. And look for cache descriptions that specify it's easy to find. If you Did Not Find it, leave a DNF log on the cache page. The entire container may have gone missing since the last time it was found (it helps the next cacher to know it's at least not super easy to find). But if it's still there, your DNF may cause the Cache Owner to offer a hint. Don't dig in the dirt. You do that with "Benchmarking", which is a different game.

Looks like they haven't found a cache since November, but recently logged onto the web site. Maybe the cacher placed the TB into a previously found cache, and failed to log it. But it's likely that they just haven't gotten around to dropping it, and have held the TB for a little too long. I hope it turns up!

Maybe the OP has one of those craft veggies or fruits. They look real, and have a kind of coating already (may just need a little spray of clear seal). But cut a hole for a bison tube, and the whole thing starts falling apart -- it's real cheesy foam. In that case, sealing the exposed area with epoxy might work pretty well, and it also secures the micro container.

You can probably find a thicker sealer (or layer it), which might be fine as long as it doesn't have solvents that dissolve styrofoam. Some people make objects in styrofoam, then cover them with fiberglas tape and resin. It's expensive to use a lot of that, but it makes an extremely durable shape out of a foam construction.

I like it if it's hidden in just the perfect spot, due to camouflage, or hidden “in plain sight”, pretty much a puzzle. Something that the CO put a lot of thought and work in to doing right. If I DNF, I’ll be back. If it’s just a pill bottle wrapped in tattered, sticky, soaking-wet duct tape, with a moldy log, no room left to sign, somewhere in the branches of an evergreen, I’m not so excited about it. And if I’d have to climb over all the other people in the park to search for it, I’ll pass.

Just mention the all terrific cache places with the awesome views.

I went to an Event Cache recently, and needed at least "Visit" available, so I'd have a simple record of where the car was. Otherwise, the people who "discovered" the TB that day would have to mention where they saw it, or there's no way to know. However, if I leave my settings as they are now, I do have the options to either "Write Note" or "Discover". So I could make a log note "Car TB is at [Geocache or Event] today", without doing a Visit in the cache log. So it's a non-terrible way to remove "Grab" from the drop-down menu, if I'm not bothering with TB miles. Even if I have "Grab" available, it's not the end of the world If someone accidentally "Grabs" the TB.

That's no good for a car TB. Once I put it in my Collection, it's not available in the drop-down box on a cache log, so I cannot choose to have the TB "Visit" a cache when I do a "Found It" log. So I put it in my Inventory, which fixes that, but adds the "grab from owner" option. It's no big deal, and that's the most flexible setting for a TB that you never drop, but bring with you cache-to-cache. When I set it up so it can "Visit" a cache (that's what I want), it adds the option for someone else to "Grab" it (that's not automatically what I also want). ... or did I miss an obvious thing? I changed it back to have my car TB "Not In Inventory", it's "In My Collection", and still set to "Not Collectable". Myself or finders can only "Write Note", or "Discover". I cannot have the bug "Visit" a cache, from the options I see.

It would be cool if I could directly select the exact options I want available. So "Discover & Visit" would be a selection. Then I don't have to wonder what combinations -- of "collectable", "inventory", etc. -- I have to set up. But for what we've got now, you have it set up fine for a car TB. "Grab from current holder" is slightly disturbing (for a car TB ), but these same settings are perfect for a TB hiking stick (which may be left in the woods deliberately or accidentally).

And in the automotive web sites, people are posting "Why Cars?"

Sure you did. You even said so in your very first sentence. This thread is nothing but a wanabe elitist attempting to troll. I took it as an honest question with an opportunity to give an honest answer. I didn't, but still answered as if it were an honest question. I really don't care if it's more challenging to use a compass and charts. As far as people losing such abilities, I wouldn't do any manual compass & map work like orienteering at all, if it weren't for Geocaching. Even with a GPSr, it's often plenty challenging just getting to GZ, and then finding a cleverly hidden container. I have never left a cache wishing it had been harder. But people do use maps to find Geocaches. Lots of people starting out don't have a GPS. You may use whatever system you feel most comfortable using.

That's the main reason I enjoy Geocaching. There's sometimes an interesting hunt for a cleverly concealed container, and I find places I'd otherwise never have known about. And if you'd like to hone map-reading skills, there are tons of caches which include orienteering challenges.

One of my TBs had a mission to arrive at that same event. It never quite made it there (and also I haven't heard a peep out of it in a while). Events may be an issue with people taking more Travelers home than they can handle. But I'd bet if you looked at Travel bugs in general, certainly at least 500 out of every 7000 TBs are logged incorrectly, some of those lost. But it's also likely that many of the wrong-logged TBs (including yours) are sitting in caches, waiting to be rediscovered. And maybe when they're found, the log will be done right.

I've found a few of those at caches. They hold up pretty well, but the tabs don't last forever. This kind of plastic gets brittle outdoors, the lid warps (and leaks), and a really too-huge Travel Bug stuffed animal gets crammed into it. The tabs don't lock very tightly (as if they could pop open if the container shifts), which may or may not be good in some hiding spots. But if you just keep an eye on it (as you should with any cache), you can swap it out when it gets bad. How big is the $4 bowl? That seems rather expensive.

Go here to do tests: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=178546 Actually, if it ever works, your signature will magically appear in your above replies. So keep an eye on them. In addition to The Blorenges steps to fix Sig lines, try signing out of every Groundspeak/Geocaching place. Geocaching.com, the forums, Waymarking, anything that might be logged in. Then try to sign in again. I changed mine just now, and can't get it to not work. If you get yours working PLEASE post anything extra that you did (or even if it just fixed itself for no reason). It might help the next person who has this issue.

Many caches are maintained as a community effort, even with semi-active Cache Owners (who don't maintain their caches for various reasons). If a log book's full, you can drop a new little notebook in, leave a NM log, and you're perpetuated the cache a little longer. It's not often worth doing that.

From their reaction, I guess they found a 35mm film canister. I'm kidding. Thanks for the info.

Canned sodas definitely do leak. I had a 6-pack of souvenir Cokes for 10 years, stored indoors. One of the cans completely leaked out somehow (don't even see a hole). One exploded. The whole top blew off. I was home at the time. Knowing the others in the 6-pack could blow at any time was tons of fun , as I decided what to do with them. No need to reply with stats on how many coca-cola travel bugs are out there just fine. I'm just relaying an experience.

food cans are sealed airtight by defintion, otherwise the food would spoil quite fast. that makes it impossible for any animal to smell the inside of the can. they could, however, smell the residue (on the outside of the can) of other foody items that the can got in contact with. Thanks for the clarification.