PatrickInChicago

I detest these sorts of logs, too. It seems disrespectful. I wouldn't say that any given person does not have the right to play/log as they choose, but as a general trend it really bugs me as well. I really think it's education, though. When folks create these sorts of stupid logs, are you sending them back a polite note asking for more feedback? Some will be negative or take offense, most will just ignore the request, but there will be some that simply don't understand. As for the "logging from the field" excuse, that's just sad. I cache mostly with my iPhone, too. I mark it as found and write enough to remind me of which cache it was, and save it as a field note. The only exception is an FTF, which I will log immediately with a "more later" note, so that others know it's been found. THEN I go back and edit the log later.

Thanks for bringing this up. The reason we put the percentage behind a click is performance related. We need to do some thinking about how this can be accomplished without impacting site performance, because doing those calculations for [potentially] many thousands of caches at a time is a real resource hog. Why not add a field for it, and update the field during the "add favorite" event?

Ampresearch, your cryptex is absolutely AMAZING!! STUNNING!! If I ever get up the gumption to make another one, you've given me some new ideas for sure! You're quite the artist. BTW, Thanks again to Soxter & Bellini. If you're ever in the Chicago area, plan about 2 hours for GC2CV0T "DeCACHElon!!" - the 10 stage multi/puzzle where my cryptex is. Largely because of your plans and inspiration this cache won the Chicago Geocacher Podcast "Cache of the Show" and the GONIL (Geocachers of Northeastern Illinois) "Cache of the Month". As much fun as I had putting it together, I can't tell you how much more fun it is for me reading the logs of people that enjoyed finding it. Thanks again!

Thanks for the props, S&B. I also made a case for it by taking 3" PVC and cutting it in half length-wise. I duct-taped one side to reinforce the "hinge", and wrapped a vinyl fake-leather around it with Gorilla Glue to cover it. I found in-pipe flush fitting floor drain grating (also PVC) and cut each of them in half. I painted them the same gold color and glued them in as end caps. I then lined it with red felt. The cryptex fits in very nicely! I ran out of steam at that point, and rather than finding and affixing a nice latch I just wrapped a rubberband around it to keep my hard leather case closed. I wish I'd have taken a pic of it to post, but I didn't think of it before dropping the cryptex and case into the final tonight. It looks pretty sweet though! If I have time maybe I'll drop by and snap a pic with my phone. The cache is now placed... GC2CV0T "DeCACHElon!!". It isn't published, as I'm appealing a proximity issue, but it's a ten-stage multi. I have two people ready to play test it, so we'll see how that goes. I am hopeful about the appeal, because only the final has a proximity issue, and it is located inside a public library that partnered with me in making the hide. It's also heavily themed, as you can see from the cryptex, based on the literary "Steampunk" genre, and references material in the background story that can be found there. I've never heard of an appeal succeeding, but I think I've got a good argument. At any rate, here's a tip for anyone as daft as I... I got a little out of order when building my cryptex and did the painting and such too early. Wait as long as you can. Just trust me, it isn't worth the problems you'll have to deal with. Also, the smart person will take a couple of thin pieces of wood, cut into appropriate sized circles with one larger than the outer ring, and one smaller than the outer ring but larger than the split ring. They will then do the math and figure out 1/2 of the difference between the thickness of the outer and split/inner rings and rip the smaller circle of wood to that thickness before afixing it to the center of the larger circle, thus creating a fixture with which to cement the two rings together. That when you insert the split ring into the outer ring you have a uniform depth guage. Not only will your rings be the same from one to another, but the ring will be the same depth all the way around. This inconsistency in mine creates occasional minor binding, no matter how well lubricated or how careful I tried to be. My final suggestion is to use rub-off letters or symbols or write them. I printed decals... 81 decals. It was far, far more work than I expected. It looks nice, but I wouldn't recommend doing it again. ;-) Anyway, when the cache goes live (either at the current location or relocated) I'll let you know. Thanks again for your great design!!

Since you seem to be in the Chicagoland area, let me give you a tip. Muther and Sun have about 750 caches downstate that run along the county lines, from north of Champaign to west of Peoria. We just made a 100 cache run, and it was a blast! There are probably at least 8 - 10 100 cache trips in Illinois. You can make it an annual thing!

Actually, you are incorrect. The defacement in question has long been ruled to be legal. The key word in the legislation that you quote is "fraudulently". The modifications in question aren't being done with the intent to defraud, but as a decoration no longer intended to be used as currency.

There is one just north of Chicago... I'll describe the cammo in lieu of giving you the number, because there isn't a spoiler pic, and I don't want to give it away since it isn't *my* cache. But you'll know it immediately if you've found it, and if you haven't, well, it's a TB resort. The cache owner found the discarded container during a CITO event, and took it home and cleaned it up. It's basically a 10" (I think) diameter utility post. The bottom piece would go into the ground to provide cable access (it now sits on two stakes), and the top piece is orange and white with the appropriate utility markings. The owner glued a large plastic canister or tub into the top piece, screw-on-lid pointed down, so it stays very dry and protected. It's big enough for me to stick my arm in well past my elbow. The cache is on the edge of a forest preserve, but it's not more than 30' from a very busy road. In the summer you can't see it for all of the growth, but in the winter it stands out clear as day as you drive by. I pass it every day on my way home. Now that I know that it's there I look for it, and I get a smile thinking about the thousands upon thousands of people that see it every day and just think it's a regular utility post.

There are lots and lots of caches in that general area. Log onto the gonil forums as suggested, and you'll probably find lots of folks to take you out. Lyons being in the Chicago area, there are thousands upon thousands. Anywhere from GC23 Beverly (3rd oldest active cache) to power trails of easy hides. Pick your poison, I'm sure someone will be happy to oblige.

I have 3 kids between 4 and 10, and precious little time. I go out at lunch a few times per week, though in that limited amount of time I rarely get more than 2 or 3, even PNGs. Occasionally I'll grab some on the way to work or home from work, or on the way home from a friend's house or whatnot, even at midnight. On rare occasions I'll run out in the evening for an FTF, and sometimes I'll even get up early and go caching for 2 or 3 hours on a Saturday morning before the kids start getting up. Once in a while I can convince them to go out with me for an hour or two, but more than that and they start getting bored and whiny. Usually when I start looking at my iphone or gpsr they roll their eyes and protest. My wife humors me occasionally, but is really completely uninterested. I'm very fortunate in that there are over 8000 caches within 50 miles of my home. Many, many of those are urban micros, of course, but I have little enough time for caching that I am perfectly happy to grab those on my way somewhere. I don't often get to go after the nice forest preserve hides, especially the ones that require a long or strenuous hike, because I just haven't the time. The circle of nearby caches is spreading thinner and thinner, but in my case driving to those further out means a 5 or 10 mile drive, not 50. I'm only in the mid-300's still, though I'm trying to hit 500 by my first anniversary, and with so many caches in my area I can still usually manage to squeeze in a little caching during the odd spare moment.

I thought about my contact info, but I've decided that since this small sled hill and park is surrounded by a neighborhood, it's probably a local teen that didn't want to get caught with the bag. Still, I'm glad that it only had my first name and work cell. I also wondered what I'd say if they called. High on my list was messing with the person... "dude! You are so busted! I saw the gpses, and I called the cops, and now they have the bag and they're dusting it for fingerprints! Oh, man, I'd hate to be you when your parents open the door and it's a cop looking for you!"

I stopped for a cache this morning in a park with a mostly-wooded hill, and found a backpack lying in the woods maybe 20' from the cache. At first I thought that it was a homeless person camping out (that's been happening more and more lately), but the backpack was new and nice. Then I thought maybe another geocacher or someone had set it down, so I walked around and looked for evidence of someone else nearby. Nobody. So I unzipped the main compartment and saw the laptop and some books and other electronics and stuff. I pulled out a piece of paper and left a note, saying essentially that if someone had left something valuable, call me and describe it, with my first name and cell number, and pinned it to a piece of buckthorn via the thorns. Then I picked up the backpack and took it with me, expecting to find some sort of identifying info and call the owner. I realized on the way home that I should have left it and called the police... DUH! Anyway, it wasn't just (potentially) a stolen backpack (still undetermined). There were four vehicle GPS units inside, and the two that I looked at each had different addresses set to Home. As the Deputy that came to retrieve the bag and get the report said, the owner (apparently a college student, according to the papers inside the bag) is either a victim or a suspect. Aside from the obvious dumb move of removing it from the scene and touching everything, an interesting and unexpected experience! So has anyone else ever run across a cime scene, evidence of a crime, a crime in progress, stolen property, etc? What are your best stories?

These are GREAT suggestions! Allow me to add one more... in many areas when you arrive there are one or more predominant features. That could mean a bench or sign, a large fallen tree, whatever. But when you get there and look around figure out where your eyes are first attracted to. Then start your searches with that/those predominant features, because often the cache will be there somewhere.

I personally hate DNFs - for a number of reasons - so I understand your frustration. It is amazing what a difference a little experience makes. Let me make a couple of suggestions: - The previous comments are right about picking easy caches. That will help. - They are also right about Google Earth. That will tell you approximately where the cache is, and whether it is in the woods or grass or near a parking lot. Then you can be prepared for the terrain before you go. - Consider finding an experienced cacher in your local area. An easy way to do that is to look up your local Geocaching club and get in contact with them. If you don't have a club nearby, look at the cache owners for the caches in your area. Look them up on the geocaching.com website, and send them an email through the site asking if anyone is interested in taking a beginner around and showing them the ropes. You'll pick up on some of the tricks in no time. - Examine the equipment that you are using, and adjust your expectations. If you are using an iPhone or an older GPSr you may not be getting a great signal. When the cache is under a canopy of leaves that makes a big difference, as the coords that you have will jump all over the place. Going with someone else that can show you how to handle that will help, but using Google Earth or even Google Maps with the aerials turned on will lead you to caches in the open until you get the hang of it. - Take some kids. If you don't have any, take along some nieces and nephews, or a friend with kids, especially ones around grade-school age. Once they get the idea of what they're looking for they're like little geocache hunting dogs. The hardest part will be getting them to leave the cache alone until you can get there and see the placement. Hope this helps. Don't give up... just think about the physical and mental health benefits of getting outdoors and solving puzzles until your skills improve. Then you'll be well and truly addicted.

I think that different types of caches suit different needs for different people. I don't understand people that whine about too many of one type, or that they hate other types. If you don't like them, don't find them; it's pretty simple. Personally, I love the ones that I have to trek out along a deer path for, or that take me to cool places. There are plenty of them around, but I don't do those as often. I usually cache at lunch, and often have work clothes on, and/or limited time. My lunchtime caches tend to be fairly close to the trail, and no more than a 15 or 20 minute walk from my car. Generally speaking, I also do not take my three young kids trekking through the woods. Some people do, but my 3 little girls start to whine and complain the first time they hit a nasty spider web, their mom is almost paranoid about poison ivy, and the little one doesn't do well with a long trek. PNGs are GREAT for my kids, and they love those. Anything that is easy to get to, low terrain rating, little to no bushwhacking, and not too far of a march is great for a family outing, and we do the most of that those types. I also grab those at lunch or while driving about. I have a very hard time imagining an occasion in the next 5 years where I will be able to get out to a cache of any type that involves a multi-mile hike, no matter how cool the scenery. It just isn't going to happen anytime soon.

I think the majority are people who don't know what they are and pick them up, teenagers or otherwise. Also, animals, construction and maintenance equipment, groundskeepers, etc account for a number of missing caches. There are an awful lot of "drunken idiots" in the world, though, who genuinely enjoy making other people unhappy, or who are just so wrapped up in their own selfishness that they don't care what impact that has on others. My perpetual example of this sort of idiocy is the person who throws the McD bag full of trash out of the window. There is no possible excuse. Nobody can honestly say they didn't know it was wrong. Unless the bag of trash spontaneously caught on fire, the only possible reason is idiots behaving badly because they feel like it. Because they can, as someone else said. The same thing is true for people who knowingly take or vandalize geocaches. I detest people like this, whether caching or littering or other behavior. I can't even say it strongly enough. If I were an old-worlder, I'd spit every time I referenced these people.

Actually, the sport only started in 2000, and the vast majority of the "Old Timers" have been since 2003 or so. So you and I are not too late to the game. :-) As far as accounts, kids, etc., we have two accounts. I have a PM account, and I have a regular one for my kids. That sort of includes my wife, but not really. She isn't so into the sport as we are. I had intended for her to take the kids when they are on day outings to parks and such, but even without that the extra account is great to separate their finds from my own. I tend to do a lot of caching on my lunch break (there are tens of thousands of caches in NE Illinois), but sometimes return with the kids to caches that are more to their level or that I think will be fun for them. It isn't a problem for me to take my kids to find a PM cache, but I certainly wouldn't feel the need to create a PM account for them to be able to log those.

I've been Geocaching for 2.5 weeks. I'm loving it, challenged by it, and finding that it helps me get out and get active and outdoorsy, which as a back-room IT guy is important. But as a rookie, I have to say that it's both the CO's and cacher's responsibility. Just because an experienced cacher can go into many GZs and take a look around and see a geotrail or the most obvious hiding spots and go straight to them, doesn't mean that new cachers will have any clue about where to start. I've learned over the last two weeks to start with the most prominent feature close to GZ, and some places that are more likely than others, but I wasn't born with that experience. At the same time, I can see how there is an art to finding and maintaining a suitable cache location. But the "scorched earth" folks just piss me off - in the same way that it boils my blood when I see someone throw their McDonalds garbage out of their car window as they drive down the street. Some people are idiots, pure and simple, and should be caned a-la Singaporean law for just being stupid and uncaring about the people and world around them. I have strong Libertarian leanings, but I think that deliberate littering and wanton destruction of property and lands should be considered criminal vandalism.