HarmonicaHead

How about you place a large first-aid kit equipped with a tourniquet, splint, bandages, and antiseptic disinfectant. Might need it if it's a 5/5. For me, most valuable trade item was a pack of batteries.

I really do hope it's a joke, and I'm starting to think that, too. Looking at the cache page for a second time, some of the details about asking mom for permission to geocache when you're 50 years old seems very odd. The D&D references and some of the other comments are very random. Also the fact that the owner hasn't had any recorded activity since January when the cache was placed seems somewhat suspicious. If it's not a joke, I certainly hope "Mom" gave permission to be stored in an ammo can.

I was looking for some caches recently in an upscale rural neighborhood outside Pittsburgh during the G-20 summit. I was trying to get OUT of the city because of the G-20, and ironically the G-20 found me. The area is essentially a mix of opulent mansions and lush, beautiful woodlands. I accidentally entered a nature trail that was closed down by the authorities because Michelle Obama and Theresa Heinz Kerry were hosting an event for the G-20 wives in a mansion above the woods. The police were waiting for me at my car in the roadside parking lot. Needless to say, I must have looked very suspicious to them dressed in my olive-drab pants, paramilitary boots, and with my GPS in hand. I tried to explain the game of geocaching to them, and I only got blank stares and more questions. They proceeded to inform me that I had entered a "Restricted Presidential Area" and that they had to report anything suspicious to Federal agents up the command chain. As they searched my car for "evidence," I continued to explain that I was just a guy on a recreational treasure-hunting game who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After several minutes of taking notes, obtaining my phone number, asking about the game of geocaching, and searching my car for any contraband, they finally decided to let me go. I guess they determined my GPS unit was not a threat to the first lady or the G-20 wives. They kicked me out with just a mild warning and asked for the GPS coordinates for the cache. I can just imagine a Federal Agent in a suit and tie searching through the woods for the mystery cache to make sure it's all clear -- "Yes, sir. We found the device. It's just a tupperware container with junky toys and a soggy notepad inside. The area is secure." Come to think of it, I can't remember if I gave them the correct coordinates or not. All joking aside, this situation could have been much worse. I was lucky that the cops were pretty cool and were just following their procedure. They could have kept me longer if they really wanted to. It just goes to show that sometimes honesty is the best policy when it comes to geocaching and the police.

That squirrel was not defenseless! It had sharp fangs, razor-sharp claws, and was foaming at the mouth. I swear, officer!

Okay, my wild animal story is a joke in comparison to meeting a bear, lynx, coyote, or what have you. But I think it's still worth sharing. At a recent cache I encountered a crazed, rabid squirrel, which made several unsuccessful attempts at "attacking" me, if you can even call it that. There was something definitely wrong with this squirrel because it CHARGED directly at me at least 4 times while I tried to look through the cache and sign the log. I actually had to dodge it to avoid getting bitten or scratched. I'm not sure how adept a squirrel is at attacking, but I wasn't taking any chances if it had rabies. I couldn't even scare it away. I stomped and clapped my hands, and the little guy actually started GRUNTING and advancing closer to me. Never seen anything like it before.

I considered that it might be a "shock cache" just because it seemed like such an eccentric thing to do as a tribute to someone. I also thought maybe this was someone who made the whole story up, put fake cremation ashes in a container, and thought it would be funny to see the reactions come in. I honestly can't tell if it's fake or not, but it seemed pretty real to me. The backstory is that the mother wanted to be buried in an old cemetery nearby, which he couldn't afford. Therefore, he did the "next best thing" and laid her to rest (in an ammo box geocache) within an adjacent wooded park just a few feet away from the gates. To each his own, I guess. Seems to me, it would have made more sense to spread the ashes somewhere within the cemetery.

A couple weeks ago I found a cache that had the human remains of the owner's mother inside. The cremated ashes were in a tupperware container that read, "Please leave ashes in cache. Mom is not a trade item." I'm still pretty new to geocaching, but I'm wondering is this is a common form of tribute? Has anyone else come across this? The cache description seemed to have a heartfelt and sincere dedication to "mom," but it would be nice to give some kind of clear warning, at least for the sake of people are bringing small children. Some of the log entries were negative. Quite a few people were creeped out or upset by the surprise. Many others were supportive. For me, it wasn't creepy at all, but I thought it seemed like bad taste. I'm wondering if it's even legal to do this with human remains?

I'm a newbie, too, and I just bought the next Garmin up in quality from the eTrex H. It is called the eTrex VentureHC http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?...indingMethod=rr. I think it's a great little GPS for someone who doesn't want something too complicated but still wants something with decent quality and a couple nice features included. From the internet reviews I read comparing the the eTrex H and the eTrex VentureHC, it seems like the VentureHC is well worth the extra 40 bucks you'll spend. For one thing it comes standard with a USB cable included and is supposedly much more reliable and easy to use for downloading caches. Also, it has a rocker pad for a more navigable interface, a sunlight-readable screen (actually comes in very handy), and it's in color instead of black and white. I'm very happy with it so far. I'm no expert, but I'd say go for a Garmin VentureHC.

I've been geocaching for a few weeks, have about a dozen finds, and now I want to place my first cache. Specifically, I would like some insight on WHERE you actually need to get permission to place a cache, and WHAT is the best way to EXPLAIN it to a land owner or land manager without confusing the heck out of them. I can envision myself trying to explain geocaching to someone and either completely confusing them or having them ask me why they would want random strangers snooping around their property for a hidden container. Being an outdoorsy person, I have some great ideas for spots I'd like to use in public parks and wooded areas that are special to me. Do you really need to speak with someone and get permission to place a cahce if it's on public land? This is what I'm not sure about. I wouldn't even know who to ask. As pertains to private property, I would generally try to stay away from placing caches there, but if I did, what advice can anyone give me on explaining geocaching to the landowner and convincing them that it is safe and nondisruptive? Thanks for your help!