cerberus1

That'd be one big birdhouse... I think the biggest I ever saw in a birdhouse was a 4 x 4 lock n lock. For plastics, we like the Plano Guide boxes, but we tested the "stowaway" models too and they held up just as well. But there isn't much better than a 30 or 50cal original military surplus ammo can.

I haven't seen a "Helpful" or a "great story" clicked since it started, other-than the occasional gag after a TFTC log and either are clicked. I wouldn't be surprised if this was in "stats" somewhere, but it wouldn't mean much here...

Came in the mail today. Very cool ! Thanks!

Yep, remembered that Isonzo Karst said Fundy Tides Earthcache (GC15114) was eastern-most.

I thought I was gonna start to get back into the swing today. Got tired of the same loop trails nearby, and this is a souvenir day... Out solo (not supposed to be - shhh...) on familiar rail trail. A mile in, a half hour later, and I can't find the first cache. The other 2.3rds said a few times that I can't find anything smaller than a 30cal... Looked further up the trail online and folks are either finding lids and calling 'em a find, or they're not there. Guess I'm done. Got a nice walk though, and the mile markers are intact, so I have evidence for the doc this time. I am gonna cache this year.

Helpful info from both. We haven't looked for caches with Trackables for some time. They're rarely accurate... So many errors that we often found Trackables not in the cache's inventory, and Trackables missing from one 's that said there was one. I'm kinda uncomfortable with Trackables showing on any that don't already advertise themselves as a "TB Hotel". I stay clear of them because of hoarders targeting them, and look for caches further away with not so easy access to drop one off. BTW, records show you still have another's from 7/2003, TB6A27...

Same here. I tried my best to stick with email anyway. Lately it says my inbox is "disabled", and I haven't seen that yellow dot in a while...

Cool ! The other 2/3rds would be thrilled to have one if available. Thanks !

The container itself should be weather-resistant. We prefer real military ammo cans. This reminds me of years ago when we first started, with many "old timers" using cookie tins and wrapping them in black, plastic garbage bags. Every fold of plastic a home to earwigs and slugs, and held in moisture to where we carried putty knives to break the rust free.

When you ask for permission (a requirement...) we like to ask the property owner what they prefer. One only allowed bison tubes... Our favorite containers are 50cal metal ammo cans in game lands. They aren't "clear". - They seem to hold up best with our seasonal changes, and woods. When we first put out caches, a park that wasn't completely sold on the hobby requested a "see-through" container. - We used Tupperware and tops weren't "clear". They were fine with 'em. We weren't, and were a maintenance nightmare... Later we got permission to replace those moldy science projects with 30cal ammo cans, and the park found it didn't matter. Since, some large park systems who worry a lot have asked that all containers be "clear", and lock n locks fit.

We used to get them from a long-time member who claimed to be the FTF king. He'd call the other 2/3rds every time he couldn't find a new cache. Of course never mentioned that he called for a hint, nor say thanks to her after finding it... Finally one time the other 2/3rds gave the phone to me, and I said, "Gee (name wh...), I bet someone will be along to help you shortly..." - And he never did it again... I recently had a couple year member ask about Trackables in email. Gave them all the info, didn't hear back... - And we see questions asked in these forums all the time, and unless you hover over their name to see if they returned, you'd never know. Sometimes I'm tempted to go back a year later and say, "You're welcome...". I feel we just need to realize the world is full of instant gratification gimme pigs. consider the source n forgetaboutit...

You simply log a Write Note on your cache, leaving a message that you're dropping a Trackable, then scroll your Trackable inventory.at the bottom. Find the Trackable you want to place in the cache you own, and click on the Drop option to the right. Done.

Bison Tube? No real way to know who did it unless admitted in a log. Replace it or keep the "sweet container" there until you think about location and another hide type, I guess. It doesn't happen often but remember we're dealing with people we don't know. Anyone can play... Many years ago a friend had their ammo cans replaced by plastic coffee cans. Hunting one day and get a call, a fellow cacher/hunter spotted her from his tree stand. I caught up to her in the parking lot and crying, she handed that one to me. A long-time, "respected" premium member of the caching community. She quit the hobby that day... When we first started, a premium member only went after ammo cans. We got sucked into it because we either DNF them after they got swiped, or someone else DNF them after we found it. Accused by many, an ugly time for us... I caught him, and he not only was a PM but a college intern working for our game lands. Not all PMs are honest n caring...

I headed to a nearby state for a FTF after a snowstorm, knowing the CO was always around to meet the FTF. Got a notification that the cache was FTF, by a young man that most knew rode a bicycle. I accessed the container and the cash/gift card maze puzzle to get to the log just as the CO arrived. No name there but mine. Maybe he thought "calling" FTF gave him a head start. Guessing there was an embarrassed young man after my log and pics...

Guessing that was quite a few years ago... We used to have fun when they'd enter the forums asking why their counts were off. Wanted to blame everyone but themselves, to find they were logging their own caches "Found" every time they did maintenance. Those people now have an option to hide their find count, and now the "cheaters" are protected from view...

It used to be we contacted people and tried to "correct" logs up to when we picked up a Trackable. I'll Grab it, mentioning where, but correcting everyone else's stuff isn't happening anymore. Drop it in the next sorta safe cache n done.

Thanks for that, it's odd that even long-time members still call each a "code", when one is a Reference Number, the other the Tracking Code. We say think of spies and "secret codes" for the Tracking Code, and you know where to find the Trackable using it's Reference Number. It took some time for it to be corrected, but the Help Center is pretty accurate about the difference now too.

With my luck, the "app" would pick all low D/T caches that I wouldn't do even when the other 2/3rds was a FTF hound...

That's odd, on the other side of the state, and the other 2/3rds was a FTF monster. She'd meet other people after midnight in pajamas. For some time, higher D/T caches had a lack of FTF, but after this old fart started rope climbing and wading to caches, others asked about gear and that ended too. Are these new, "no finds" hiders? The other 2/3rds stopped "Beta Testing" no finds 'COs' after her last was 400' off... The only reason we became premium members was Notifications of new caches out, and we won a geocoin when Groundspeak had a survey on "Why did you become a Premium Member". I used to refresh the "newest" link under "Search your Home Location" on our profile too. "Newest" was one of the biggest things removed I actually missed. Maybe HQ couldn't remove it from basic members... Notifications and scanning gave us 350 FTFs, and we stopped counting after that. Simple.

Similar to Lee737, I imagine Groundspeak is pretty busy at just keeping the hobby flowing smoothly. Most folks in the area know who the "old timers" are... and five bucks get you a cuppa coffee today. Younger, phone cachers think of us as Luddites. While the other 2/3rds used a phone in 2005 (Blackberry) with the Trimble app. We know a few "recognized" cachers that are terrible human beings, but have great caches and/or events. - Caches get Favorite Points, them...not so much... There's a reason there are "Charter" members; they took a gamble on Groundspeak and were "honored/thanked" for it. I'd like to leave it at that, thanks...

Usually don't add to long-gone forum stuff, but recently I won a complete EDC package. Along with the handgun, there was a sturdy little Spyderco Para 3, and a Streamlight Protac 1L-1AA Flashlight. Just a bit shorter than my Surefire E2D, but the Protac takes either one CR123A or one AA (alkaline or lithium). Dual fuel... 350 lumens with CR123A, and 150 with either AA battery. After my Surefire died one night at Jenny Jump state park, NJ (the other 2/3rds "borrowed" 123s...), having to find my way back using footprints in the snow by moonlight, thought the idea of having another small flashlight out there using two battery types a smart idea, and should share. Cache safe...

Sure you can, but that "laminated copy" may be the reason they're long gone... Crumpled, moldy pieces of laminated carp gets pitched every day in caches that accumulate paper stuff. Most laminated "stuff" we found wasn't even water resistant. A poker chip, wooden nickel, or cheapy dog tag would serve you better...

Pretty-much everything you need to know about Trackables. Not true. It's up to the Trackable Owner if they'll accept virtual logs. It's under 2.1 Trackable Etiquette... It's okay if they say so. I Discover dozens of Trackables yearly, where I find it's code online, and tell the TO where I saw it. Most don't even read my logs, or they'd realize I logged it to help them... Most came from the TO's own Trackable page (showing the code), or even a Trackable they take a pic of in another's cache (as a Visit). Can't be too upset when they did it... If I don't Retrieve it to move on, I Discover every Trackable found in a cache. Wrong cache listed, improper logging... Discover logs help. Sometimes TOs just find out where their long-lost Trackable is by my Discover log.

Did you Discover the Trackable to see what others said? That's a log, if you're nervous "what to do". - I leave Discover logs to tell people their Trackables still in play... Most Trackables are simply meant to "move along, cache to cache", and folks are happy if they continue to do that. If they have a mission, they usually keep track, and if they have any other plans upon completion, they'll leave a note to the current/future holder. Otherwise, move it along to another cache if you'd like.

We find issues mostly with no-finds hiders using phones... We say something like, "Some odd reason the GPS had me 80 feet away..." so, it could be either error, but most likely them. For example, a Boy Scout Pack cache I still haven't been able to get to yet is over 90' away, on the other side of a creek from posted coordinates. Been that way a couple years now, and when I'm able to stop by, I'll leave my "Some odd reason..." log and it's first NM/OA... The last no finds hider saying she used her phone in her description had the cache 400 feet away from posted coordinates. The other 2/3rds, a FTF maniac at the time, took her time, thought it out and found it. That was her last Beta Test find and quit that day.