kunarion

If you're new, don't know where to look and there are no hints, take a break from that cache. Find some other "tree" caches first. There are many fun, clever cache styles, and you need to discover them yourself. Then come back to that tree and you'll be amazed that you couldn't find it the first time.

Looks like their entire supply of "f___ u" is sold out, too. But that's OK, there's plenty more of it online.

I'm impressed that the OP even saw that evil little thing.

Well, it does, you know. I'm in negative numbers.

Because you thought it would be a park-and-grab, and it’s not. That’s useful in the log -- others may also mistakenly think it’s a fast find. If the OP thought it was a well-hidden cache, and didn’t know what or where to look, they wouldn’t have gone searching in the rain. Many people won’t let others know they “Did Not Find” a cache. They make up all kinds of justifications to not make a useful log. So the log has less info, the next guy comes along in the rain, hoping for a park-and-grab, and the cycle goes on.

You'll need to get to a screen that shows GPS coordinates. Here's some info I found that I think applies to your TomTom: "Click on the satellite reception icon near the lower right if the map display. You can then view the lat/lon from the button at the upper right showing the number of connected satellites." My car GPS tries to route on streets as much as possible. It will be routing me on roads around a park even when I'm right beside the cache. "Pedestrian Mode", whatever, doesn't matter (so I have a handheld to use for caching). The point is, it may be a little tricky to use a car GPSr for Geocaching, compared to the handhelds used for hiking. Once you get your cache coordinates, you can double-check them on an online map (Google, Bing Maps, Yahoo, etc.). Those maps are not always accurate, but you'll be able to see if it's close.

It might be confusing to the person who first logged a “FTF”, when you later did the same. You must be as precise as possible in your online logs, to avoid confusion. But there’s no rule about “First to Find”. Maybe your email cleared things up? I’ve signed a couple of clean logs, once the COs placed new containers after a long hiatus. It was obvious by the online logs that others had found the previous container, but I appreciatively noted the clean log. My intent was to inform any prospective cachers that all is well, the cache is back in business. Maybe to welcome it back. I obviously wasn't the first to sign the cache log and log it online. But anyone can claim "FTF" any number of ways, "FTF this year", "FTF since noon"... whatever they like.

Geocaching is compatible with many outdoor activities. Think of the things you & your mom like to do for outdoor recreation (or anytime you’re outside). As you pass any nearby cache location, mention it, and ask if she’ll help you locate it sometime. Let her drive the GPS, for now. But some friends and relatives (even mothers), just won't be interested. Do you have other close relatives who might be? Learning how to operate a GPSr is a useful skill. One way to learn that is by Geocaching. Also, there are several types of caches. If you ask her for help on a tough-looking math puzzle cache, she might see the educational value in the hobby. Or if your mom likes word puzzles, she might enjoy solving one of those caches.

You don't have to trade anything for a Traveler, but it's OK if you do. And yes, you can revisit caches. If you log it again online, do a "Note" instead of a "Found It".

Mine’s a dogwood staff (photos below). I didn’t make it. But I have nearly lost it in the forest a couple of times. Don’t think I’m ever going to be able to break it -- this is one serious branch. Weighs a ton (give or take). Doesn't have much of an anti-shock feature. I also have a sweetgum staff, about half as heavy. Both staffs have been very useful for finding ammo cans under leaves. I probably won’t carve them, but have been eyeing an Appalachian Trail hiking staff medallion.

I will be making Tracks this weekend. What's the most Geocaching-friendly way to make a trail to send to that site? Do you save each trail individually? This will be in a park, where trail loops are connected. If I don't send a complete trail, does that mess things up? I've never tried to send a track, nor have I read any of the trail-saving instructions on OpenStreetMaps (never even saved a track on my Garmin Oregon), so I may only try a couple of short segments, in case the format, or whatever, is entirely wrong. By the way, none of my GPS Tracks have ever looked like I was following a trail. They look like I was being chased around by wolverines. Just sayin'.

I'll second that. A slip of paper isn't geocachic. If it's gotta be a paper coupon, put it in a small ziplock bag. I always need one of those (and it ensures that the coupon stays dry).

I try to leave a positive log, constructive criticism, on the bad caches. Sometimes that's a real challenge. Lately, I just do a Pocket Query, and checkmark "Filter Out The Cr*ppy Ones". But I've often done 2 or 3 paragraphs when logging Micros, even on the ones I DNF (which is most of those Micros).

If it's under snow, it's likely much more difficult than it will be after the thaw. For now, you'll have to read the cache page carefully, to see if it looks easy to find in these conditions. Be sure recent logs mention finding the cache. See if the description or hint will narrow it down. You'd usually want to start out by finding bigger containers, but may find Micros more easily than ammo cans now. Micros tend to be in urban areas, and sometimes in spots sheltered from snow. So you might give a 1 or 2-star Micro a try, if it's been found since the snow fell. Whenever you do a search and can't find a cache, be sure to "Log your visit" on the cache page. You "Didn't find it", so do a "DNF" log (or if the snow was was just too cold and deep for a decent search, at least do a "Note"). The next cachers will REALLY appreciate knowing, before they make their trip to search, if other people are having a tough time in this snow. I hope this helps!

I can imagine.

Glad to know that. I bought a couple of packs, then saw the posts about it being not waterproof, got scared and got Adventure Paper. I'd prefer rite in the rain, because it accepts pencil (I'd like to have spare pencils inside my cache). It doesn't work with rollerball pens (my favorite kind of caching pen), but only an idiot doesn't bring a decent ball-point pen, right? I print many projects on Adventure paper (inkjet) and rite-in-rain (for laser printer). So I save any strips and clippings, strips as small as just under 1/4" wide. They all work as spare cache logs.

I rarely print pages anymore. Got a "paperless" GPS, and resuscitated my Palm PDA to view descriptions, even taking an occasional photo of a satellite map (or clue photos) right off the computer screen, and bringing those files along. I also have car GPS mapping, just in case. But the best way to do an efficient route, is to bring a teammate along who’s good at routing on-the-fly. Works like a charm.

Yes, the broken cache had better have a lot going for it, if I’m going to perpetuate it for the lost CO. But I also resist doing batch NAs. You know – going to a new area, and finding every steekin one is cracked and soaked. And the owners haven’t been there in years. If I log a just a “Needs Maintenance”, such caches get tend to get archived immediately, and I feel like a one-man wrecking ball. Everyone sees me ready to start my log, and they shout, “Here comes kunarion the Cache Killer!!” Sometimes I only do a “it was kinda full of mud and pigeons, so I cleaned it out” log note, and let the next cacher kill it. There are areas around here where the local cache club keeps stray caches active. Group fix. So at least some folks think it’s fine to patch things up.

But you can’t just do a PQ and go running off. Well, I can’t. I have to know in advance which caches probably don’t exist anymore, which ones will be impossible to access (due to flood waters, or whatever), which ones are actually multis or puzzles but are incorrectly listed, which have odd hours or location rules, or which have any of a number of serious issues. You can’t automatically block those caches, and even with the exact coordinates, you’re gonna be prevented from finding many of them. Before I go out on a cache run, I’ve inspected each cache page, maps, logs and all. The puzzle caches do slow things down, but mainly they hold up the entire run. I first complete the puzzles (say, over a few weeks), then the hard work begins: researching the group of caches for problems. Even park-n-grabs will get tedious if a lot of them are gone. If it’s a waste of time to work on a cache puzzle, it’s worse if you travel there & hunt and there’s no cache. Even the CO might not have that info (hence the research). I don't print out all the cache pages anymore. But I’d sure like to know how you find even Traditionals without first poring over them. Maybe I’ll start a thread about it. And I cannot imagine Geocaching while I’m on Maui. OK, maybe one or two.

M24, You should write to the reviewer directly, before activiating your cache (you'll find reviewer names in local cache listings). Then they can check your fake waypoint, and your real one, to be sure everything's OK. On your page, make a reviewer note with the actual coordinates (so the reviewer knows the coords). Let them know that's the actual location, which is a secret. Since you will have already emailed the reviewer, you'll get the thumbs-up before you ever have to go place the container, and before you activate the page. And ask about that "additional waypoints" thing -- I'm pretty sure you don't need that in this case. This is why my first cache was not a puzzle cache.

I honestly don't know. I was about to accept that possibility. Then again, another option would be to hang out with the cool crowd.

There are some caches that exclude everybody (re: the unsolvable cache threads).

My challenge for my first cache placement, was to be as muggle-proof as possible, and still allow those cripples. I have one in the works that’s even more wheelchair accessible. But I set up my 2nd cache deliberately to be lightly found. It excludes people who filter out Unknowns, or seek a park-and-grab, or don’t want to do a puzzle (a very easy one), or who can’t find a rather camouflaged hide. If I were wheelchair-bound, I still might challenge myself to do this cache. Nobody’s asked asked me for the coords, but I’m leaning towards just giving help as appropriate. I also set it up in a gorgeous spot, made a fun background story and a puzzle as original as I can cook up, packed it with stuff that I think people will enjoy pawing through, and the container is just the kind I like to find – a good solid ammo can. My intention is that it’s a memorable cache. There’s not much of an investment of time. It’s not even much of a hike. But the whole thing -- puzzle and all -- is my vision for this cache. So I’ve excluded a lot of those Efficient cachers. And muggles. But I doubt I’m excluding anyone who has enough persistence.

I used it on both of my caches, and it's very handy. I adjusted the ratings slightly. When you fill it out, you'll get a summary. One of mine had "wheelchair accessible" in the summary, and since the cache is down a rough gravel trail, I added another star to the suggested terrain rating. So fill it out, and you may want to make minor changes accordingly. Based on cache logs, you may decide to change it again sometime. If you get a lot of DNFs, add a star or two to the difficulty -- that sort of thing.

Yes. The kind I have is "Adventure Paper". It's inkjet printable, you can write on it with ink pens, and it feels like leather. I placed an "emergency log book" this weekend in a cache that had a soaked cache log. I have a print-out hanging in in a tree in my yard, to test how much the ink may fade or run. After two months, it's good as new. Someone mentioned that rite in the rain logs get wet eventually (but that they don't turn to mush like regular paper). That's why I'm also testing the more expensive Tyvek/Teslin stuff. I think anything in a very wet cache (such as the one in this thread could be) might be subject to mold -- waterproof paper or not. But it'll also have a small log sheet, so you can swap it out, no big deal.