texasgrillchef

For a minute forget about the rules that geocaching has for us geocachers. I don't know if the OP is a really is employed by the Mall as a Security gaurd or not. Frankly I could care less if he is or if he isn't. HOWEVER... lets keep this in mind about Mall Security... They are employed to keep things in order around the mall & on mall property. They are in effect the "LEGAL" voice in security form of the owners of the Mall. Unless instructed otherwise, they can if they desire REMOVE any cache found on their property and do with as they please. They (the mall security) are NOT required to notify the cache owner, or geocaching.com. Some malls one that I know of in particular here in the Dallas, Texas area has specifically told their mall security that Geocaches are allowed on the property, That if they find one they are to leave it alone. Other malls & their security gaurds have no idea about geocaching, caches & sometimes remove them. So my adivce is this. If you place a cache as the mall that the OP is referring to in question, without their approval, then DON'T be surprised if it goes missing. We as geocachers should always get permission to put a cache on property that does not belong to us. If we do, place a cache without permission, then you should expect your cache to eventually possibly get removed with or even without geocaching.com or you being informed. It may last for years, but you never know. TGC

After being bitten by a numerous number of harmless spiders. Harmless as in they won't kill me, or cause me to need medical care from a doctor. (The sting being litterly a pain & causing a welt requiring basic first aid). I have come to start using a pair of Leather/Silicon washable form fitting gloves I found at Home Depot for $10. These gloves have a silicon coating over the leather on the palms and finger sides. Leather on the backside. Form fitting in that they are tight & still allow you to use a pen to write and even opperate my GPS (although not my iPhone). Now not intentionally trying to "Test" these gloves they WERE put to the test at least 3 times in the last week of my caching throughout South East Texas. On occasion #1. I stuck my hand into some weeds and disturbed a wasps/nest. Three wasps tried to sting me. I felt nothing and was not stung. The gloves protected me from the Wasp/hornet stings. On occasion #2. I was bitten in the glove by a rather large yellow & black spider. They are the ones that spin a rather pretty web. I actually saw the spider try to bite. Again the gloves protected my hand. His fangs were not able to get through the silicon coating and leather glove. On occasion #3. I again stuck my hand in some tall grass, here I disturbed a couple of bumble bees. One tried to sting me. Again the Silicon/Leather glove protected my hand from the sting. I really like these gloves as they not only offer protection from small critters, but from the scrapes and cuts one gets from "Sticky" plants such as cactus & other similar type plants. The silicon coating while DOESN"T make the gloves water proof, DOES give you some protection as well as a better grip on things. It also protects from limited moisture. The gloves are also washable in a washing machine with your "jeans". They do wash up quite nicely. They only cost me $10 and one of the BEST investments I have made in my life. I bought several pair. One pair I keep in my Truck at all times. They are even good for changing a flat too! So check out your local Home Depot or Lowes as well. TGC P.S. They have done a great job in protecting me from PI as well.

I use PVC pipe, with a valve attached, or some other clever work. I don't have any problem with "leaks" and it holds up much better to "Weathering" than most all other containers. Even Amo cans (Which can rust). As far as mistaking it for a bomb.... Not with mine... I have several geocaching stickers stuck on it to clearly define that this is in fact a Geocache & not a bomb. In our neck of the woods, it is now a city ordinance that requires that ALL geocaches placed on PUBLIC property MUST have a label on the OUTSIDE of the container that clearly defines it as a geocache. TGC

Those guidelines do not now nor have they ever applied to swag. kind of impossible to "Enforce" swag rules, Even the ones we do have. You have no idea who places the swag in the container. Therefore no way to enforce any kind of swag rules at all. Even the ones we do have. The only kind of enforcement we have on swag is if it's illegal then we can call the cops and they will confiscate it. Depending on what it is, they probably won't even investigate it either. ie... once someones "rocks" in a baggy next to the cache. Obviously some geocacher is quite disapointed missing their drugs. Obviously I think it fell out of their pocket. I simply called the cops, they picked up the drugs, made a report and left. No finger prints were taken. Nothing. I think a while back I read a forum from a geocacher in England who found a cache of coke near a geocache they were looking for. Apparently some drug dealer was using a spot near their to store several kilos of coke. She said the cops came out and got it, she got her geocache. I can just imagine the suprise of the drug dealer when he got back and found no coke! TGC

Uh? ARen't those just long bannan like water balloons? Whats wrong with banana shaped water balloons? TGC

I don't log it. I have a cache called the "Baddy Baddy Tall Boy" (GC21K02). I specifically designed THAT cache and placed it so that NO ONE could reach it from just standing on the ground and reaching up. I probably should increase the difficulty level, but no one has asked me to yet. If someone did, or a reviewer asked me too I wouldn't have a problem with rasing the terrain or difficulty. Lets just say where this is located, you need to find something to STAND on. If you got here you probably have the PERFECT "Tool" to stand on to get the cache. There are many many other CO's who do this as well. Design the cache so that you have to USE some form or tool, or device to get the cache. Remember. That the CO had to PLACE the cache in the first place. So if the CO can get it placed, it means there IS a way to get to it. So IMHO, if you can't get to the log to sign it, then you can't officially call it found! TGC

I'll agree she's a healthy villain. Oh man.. the "ITCH" I have for her! LOL! TGC

I can't speak for others. So I will speak for my caches that I have placed. I placed one cache out in the middle of nowhere, near a lake, a very nice enjoyable hike for the entire family. Great views. Great teaching lessons for kids of all ages (young & old) about nature and what nature has to offer. This cache while not ammo sized was very big. It was in an out of the way spot. Where a person would HAVE to be looking for this cache to find it. The hike TO the cache isn't even on a trail. You have to make your own. There are several directions that you can get to the cache. It is also in an area that like I said. Unless you know a cache is here, you probably wouldn't be here in the first place. However... even being where it is. After just a short time, everything disapeared. I had great swag in there too. Everything was worth $5 or more. IN as little as 3 months. It all disapeared. To be replaced by JUNK! Stuff that isn't even worth a 25 cents. In the 3 months, there were about 15 logged finds. No DNF's logged. One person logged that they didn't have anything of value to trade so didn't take anything. One can only draw one conclusion from this. Either someone went out there and muggled the cache & didn't log it as a find, or those that found it and logged it as a find, took but did not trade with something of equal value, or both. I have serveral caches that this has happend too though. Although I didn't put as nice of SWAG in the rest as I did this one, and most of the rest are in EASIER places to get too. So now what I do is this.... Occasionaly I will go clean out the caches that have swag in them. Clean out the junk. Leaving anything decent. I will then restock it with neat stuff that is NEW. However the cost of the neat stuff is all 50 cents or less & I never put in more than about $5 worth of stuff total. I will also dump off any cool APROPRIATE swag I don't want that I get at confrences &/or seminars etc.. that I go too. Such as pens, Balls, lights you name it. All the freebie SWAG that companies give out at these things to get your business. Check out OrientalTrading.com they have some good stuff that seem to be popular in my area for a decent cost. Little flashlights that are only 50 cents each seem to be really popular in my caches. They seem to always be disapearing. Miniture deck of cards, Smiley face pens, Smiley face pencils, Smiley face erasers. Wire puzzles. Keychains. Bouncy balls. I think that the what your seeing is ANOTHER reason why so many Micros and smaller caches are coming up. No need to worry about SWAG in those as their is no room for Swag in a micro. TGC

1. Yes. On average they're probably more active than the average cacher. 2. Yes. We can review our own caches, but many times we'll ask another reviewer to do it. 3. I'm not going to take the time to actually calculate it but I would guess the average is somewhere between 800 and 1,500. 4. My guess would be several dozen. Thanks for taking the time to answer. I assume by the way you answered that you are a reviewer. As far as the answers to Q#3 & Q#4 goes. An estimate was just fine. I should have said I would be happy with an estimate & not exact correct figure. Thank you TGC

I agree with the bolded part. As long as the land owner doesn't care then I never have seen why saturation matters! The recent relaxation (abandonment?) of power trail restrictions tells me that it's not as important as it was once thought to be. Well I just thought of another reason WHY the rules may have also relaxed in this area as well. GPSr's are quite abit more accurate then they were 10 years ago when geocaching started. Some of the better GPSr's now regularly get accuracies of LESS than 10'. 10 years ago. There weren't very many consumer level GPSr's that had that kind of accuracy on a regular basis. GPSr's will continue to get more accurate even in the next 10 years as well. I saw somewhere about new more accurate GPS satalites being launched with newer better GPS technology. When consumer level GPSr's become available to take advantage of the new satalites we will have even better accuracy in more locations. The more accurate our GPSr's get, the more we can shrink the 528 rule. Of course reviewers and hiders should be subjective as well. There are always areas that could easily handle less distance from each other than other areas. Example I gave in previous post in this thread. (Parking lots) Ie... how many LPC's do we need in the same parking lot at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, or any other very large parking lot that covers a huge area. TGC

Keep in mind that SOME GPSr's are more apt to give errors in areas where there is high EMF issues. I have one cache placement that is in a safe location but is close enough to a high power transformer and high power lines that the EMF interference causes big issues with GPS accuracy with MOST GPSr's on the market. Depending on the day. Accuracy is between 10 & 50'. The iPhone reports GPS accuracy. Many GPSr's are able to show accuracy as well. If your in an area where obtaining accurant coordinates is difficult because of EMF, then use very good hints, or supply several hints. Also NOTATE in your cache page description & info, that this cache is in an area with EMF interference as well. This will let geocachers know that they might have issues with accuracy in that area. In case someone hasn't mentioned. SOME GPSr's also have an "Averaging" feature. I have the Garmin Rhino 530HCX. It has averaging capabiliteis in it it as well. When I place a cache I put my unit in Averaging mode at GZ and let it sit there unti it has obtained 1000 readings. (Around 10 min). In really difficult areas. I will make 2 or 3 trips out and average another 1000 readings. So that I get about 3000 to 4000 readings on 3 to 4 days. TGC

I am only asking this question in this thread, since after reading the entire thread (to this point) there has been significant discussion about reviewers etc... So my question is this. (These questions are asked only out of curiosity and NOT meant to imply any form of dissatifaction, complaint, or dishonesty on groundspeaks part, or on the part of any reviewer) 1. Are the reviewers active geocachers as well? ie do they go out and find caches on a regular basis? 2. Do the reviewers ever place/hide caches themselvs? If they do. WHO reviews the caches THEY hide? 3. What is the average number of finds for the reviewers? (ie... The sum of all the finds of all the reviewers divided by the number of reviewers) 4. What is the average number of "hides" for the reviewers? (Same formula as #3 but using the number of hides instead) TGC

I think that depends on the area that your in. Why do I say that? I have seen many "Natural" areas where having several hides even within 100 yards from each other would still be plenty of room for thsoe hides. Because of the natural surroundings. Moutains, Rivers, Lakes, Ponds, etc. On the other hand. There are areas that really having the .1 mile limit really is to little. Example. A huge huge parking lot for a NFL/MLB/NBA can easily have 2 or 3 or even 4 caches in the SAME parking lot because the parking lot is so BIG that you could easily get 2, 3 or 4 caches in it and still maintain the .1 mile requirment. However, you have to have a "Guideline" somewhere. You can't just do away with all the limits all together. Not until we tripple or even quadruple the amount of reviewers we have that actually KNOW the area that they are reviewing. Thus for now the .1 mile limit is a good one. Also if you want to have a POWER TRAIL... of which I LOVE... 1/10 mile settings are almost PERFECT for POWER TRAILS. Keep in mind that one could easily have a MULTI-Cache be a POWER TRAIL as well. Multi's DON'T have any distance limits when it comes to the waypoints. So in a Multi-Power Trail. One could have a "Waypoint" every couple of hundred feet. Have a hundred of so waypoints. The only disadvantage to this multi is that you would only get ONE smiley. As far as the OP & his issue is concerned. I currently don't have an opinion YET on the use of Natural Boundries. Unless the reviewer really knows the area very well, It can be quite hard to determine if their is enough distance/natural boundry reason to allow the cache or not. Such as the River issue that the OP was talking about. Someone might have quick easy access to a inflatable, or have "Waders" who knows. Maybe he even has access to a "Jet pack" (Now that they have gone on sale & are available for $80,000 each.) Of course now I would consider that cache a "5" on the Terrain on getting there. For now... I think we should jsut leave well enough alone. I see no reason to change things. TGC

Ummm? Some do... Just cause some don't isn't a reason not too. Thats like saying... Oh Most people break the speed limit sometimes. So why bother havening a speed limit at all? TGC

When you list all of your TravelBugs/Geocoins in the list window. It of course tells you who currently has your TB/GC or what geocache it is located at. It also gives a list of the mileage that your bug has traveled as well as the current distance from your home coordinates. I would love to see 2 more collums of information given. 1. How many caches your TB/GC has been too. 2. How many Geocachers have "Touched" your TB/GC. By touched I mean they retrieved it & left it, or grabbed it, or discovered it. Would anyone else like this functionality? Or is it information you could care less about? TGC

Yes, exactly. Problem is... You CAN'T do a search based on information that is in the description. You CAN use an attribute as a filter for searches & PQ's though. Great idea! We should do that as well. That way we can use that as a FILTER to find caches that are only available during certain hours, or available 24/7. Having hours listed in the cache description DOES NOT allow for it to be used as a FILTER in searches and PQ's. Exactly... and because of that I want to know if I have to pay for parking, or if I have to pay for entry, or for both. Yes I CAN read the description, but I still CAN'T use that information as a FILTER in searches & PQ's. This is important information, because maybe I have a pass for free parking, but not for entry, or vice versa? State Parks, National Parks have a "Pass" you can purchase that provides for so called free entry (for a limited time like a year) so then maybe I not concerned about entry fees My point being is yes the information SHOULD be in the cache description. Yet information in the cache description can't be used as a search filter & for ME thats the main reason for having the additional attribute. TGC

As noted in my previous post. How would you decide that? Are you basing this decesion on wheel chairs that were designed in the 1950's? Or one a chair from the 21st century? Keep in mind that custom wheelchairs are fairly common. You have wheelchairs designed for racing, playing soccor, playing basketball, going off road, for climbing stairs, even wheel chairs that have liftable seats. Like I said in my previous post. My mom's wheel chair seat can boost her up an additional 18". That much lift allows her to reach quite a few things in normal size kitchen cabinets. etc... Most people I come across in wheelchairs anymore now have pretty fancy ones. Ones that have come into the 21st century and are NOT the typical Wheelchair that was designed in the 1950's. I am sure that their are alot of caches that someone in a more 21st century chair could get that you could NOT get in a chair from the 1950's. However even those people in a more up to date chair can't get alot of other caches either. So knowing if your cache can be reached with someone with a disability isn't that easy to determine. Even IF you DO base your decesion on wheel chairs from the 1950's their will still be some people in some wheel chairs that still won't be able to get your cache either. Consider a cache just laying on the ground. Caches like that are tuff for almost anyone in a wheel chair to get as well. They still might require a "Grabbing tool" of some sort. Just giving food for thought here... TGC P.S. Personally on my cache hides have NOT used the wheelchair attribute on any of them. I know that some can be done in a wheelchair, some can not. I go along the lines of better safe than sorry. Therefore I don't use the attribute and don't mark any of my cache hides as a 1.

My big problem with using the Wheelchair accessible attribute and when to use it not to use it is really hard to do. Today, their are all types of new wheel chairs that can go over just about any terrain you want. My mother has an electric wheel chair that can easily climb curbs, go off road, go to beach (Although we have to change out the wheels, that takes only 30 seconds/wheel to do though). The seat of her wheel chair also raises her up by an additional 18" as well. This allows her to reach alot of things that most people can't reach when sitting down. Therefore... Should the wheeelchair attribute only be used for caches that can be reached by a wheel chair built in the 1950's? Or a wheelchair that has come of age in the 21st century? TGC

I love it as well... And yes.. I read my logs. But only when I get the "Email" notification that a DNF log or a found long has been logged. So yes... I love this idea as well. Makes it SO much easier. Especially when you have a high number of cache hides. I currently only have 51. But I know of others who have several hundred hides. Yikes! having to manually go through each cache page to view the logs would take forever. At least for me. So this idea is great! TGC

I agree. Why? Because while you CAN put that information in your cache page. It doesn't allow it be a FILTER for when you make PQ's & then load those results into GSAK, or any other program. Having a P$ attribute allows that to be a FILTER for searches, PQ's etc... Haveing the information ONLY in your cache page doesn't allow it be used as a filter in PQ's etc... TGC

Never meant to imply anything that would be against TOU/TOS policy. Just asking if their is any interest in having stats/charts/graphs made fromt he data of your own TravelBugs. Obviously programs such as GSAK & others are providing stats/charts/graphs about how you geocache, & how your "hides" are being found & by whom... etc.... Apparently the method that GSAK is using along with the MACROS created by geocachers isn't breaking the TOU/TOS policy. Since I figure that they are able to do that with the geocaches you find & those that you hide. Why coudln't it be done with TravelBugs/Geocoins as well? I personally would love to be able to have stats/charts/graphs generated. Doesn't matter to me HOW they are done. Providing of course that it doesn't break the TOU/TOS policy terms of Groundspeak/geocaching.com. It also doesn't matter to me if this is generated directly by the geocaching.com web site, or some other program. TGC

Wow.... Really? No one has any interest in Stats/Charts/Graphs on their TravelBugs? I kinda find that hard to believe seeing the number of profiles that make use of Stats/Charts/Graphs on caches found etc... Also from the lack of response. I take it that there aren't any Macros, or other programs that do this yet then? TGC

Heres another point that SOME tend to forget. Geocaching requires the use of at LEAST 2 GPSr's. Why do you say two? 1. The Cache Owner needs a GPSr to get the correct coordinates to create a geocache. His GPSr will have a margin of error. Depending on what she/he used. It could be around 20'. Maybe less if they have a better GPSr. Worse if they have an older or el cheapo. 2. The geocacher's GPSr that searching for the cache. If his is off by 20' and the CO's is off by 20'. You could end up with an error of as much as 40' in some cases. Even with an accuracy of 10' sometimes it can still be VERY difficult to find some caches. It could point to a 100 year old oak tree. This oak tree could have a 1000 holes in it's trunk. What I will be looking for with the new satalites and new GPSr's that will support the new satalites is having a GPSr that will work better when you have a canopy of Trees over your head! TGC

It would be a class c misdameaner.... Just a parking ticket..... Just a guess For which state are you refering too? Texas? Oklahoma? I could be wrong. But in Texas or Oklahoma if you place a cache on private property without permission. Legally speaking you could get a ticket for Trespassing. Either state Trespassing is a misdameaner. Unless it is on certain city, country, state, or federal property. In which case Trespassing can be "upped" to Felony Tespassing. Example Trespassing on Texas Prison Property without authorization IS in Texas a Felony offense. TGC

Wow... Now I have another reason to go to Australia. Did they provide a reason as to why those caches on the Mojave Desert Power trail were archived? Who knows maybe I will have to see about getting a powertrail set up in west texas. I see a few aresa where I might be able to get 500 caches going. Maybe more. Along a stretch of road about 60 miles long. TGC P.S. Just need to find a way to come up wiht 500 caches that would cost less than 50 cents a peice!