DragonflyTotem

I've been taking all these good ideas and have been hunting ebay and Amazon for them. I did find something interesting that I think that I'll add to my bag and since it hasn't been mentioned thought that I'd share. It's on Amazon and is described as a "telescoping aluminum backscratcher, a fork for people whose elbows don't bend, or a sand rake for miniature Zen gardens." It telescopes from 6-5/8" to 20-3/8" long, the 5-tine rake is 1-3/16" wide, and it has a pocket clip and sells for $2.95. Looks like a pretty good "look under there" kind of tool.

I'm getting lots of good ideas from this and have started my shopping list. One other question -- there's been a few references to this stuff as being in your bags....what kind of bag? Even better, it would be great to see a pic of the bag or whatever you use. I'm guessing that there might be a need to have a trade-off between great utility and looking like you might be the Unibomber so it seems that you've got to also pick a bag that doesn't look too weird/out of place but yet can still easily carry some of this stuff around.

Wow, interesting idea. Still being new to all of this -- do you run into many caches that are retrievable using velcro?

Well, since I'm typically out in the back-country when I'm caching I most often have a full technical daypack going on. My Urban Cacheing-bag, though, currently appears to contain... <drum roll, please> Several spare AA batteries, a flashlight, snacks (Cliff bars!), trade-swag, some pens and pencils, a small spiral notebook, a little spare change, my Gerber pocket multi-tool, an unpaid parking ticket, Band-Aids of various sizes, some quart-sized Zip Lock bags, two kitchen-size trash-bags (tall), the USB thumb-drive I thought I'd lost, a Post-It Note with coordinates (???) aaaaand... Some various bits of flora/fauna. That seems to be about it. What is a Gerber pocket multi-tool? And what do you use the unpaid parking ticket for?

I've seen a few references to some things sold on ebay as Tools of the Trade -- mostly has been magnetic tools for retrieving. That lead me to a site that had a really neat grabber kind of thing, which they of course were sold out of. But that all has me wanting to ask -- what exactly are the things that are recommended as minimum need to have things, beyond something like a GPS, compass, and such?

I like that idea...especially since one question that I asked was what happens IF it is archived, and although it is no longer "officially" there, it is still actually there (well at least until it falls to the ground and then whatever happens). But that would kind of preclude me from putting a new cache there in the same location as the risk of his being found by muggles would also expose any new cache there to the same (especially if I simply put a new nano there like what was originally there). I guess that unless I use your idea...that I'd need to go find another spot in the park to do a different kind of cache (lots of possibilities in that I think). One thing for sure, I'm likely to know lots about the archive process and such by the time all of this is done!

Yes, I'd be happy to do whatever to fix the cache -- it's in a really nice park that many don't know about, making it a great quiet place to bring your family. A cache there brings lots of folks who probably have no clue the park is there. When I got into geocaching a few weeks ago this park was the first place that I thought of for placing my own cache, but then realized this one was there. I've even walked the park and find that I can get .11 miles away from it to another location, but then decided that putting the second cache there probably wasn't the right thing to do even though it met the distance guidelines. But it is a really nice park, and I think that having the negatives about the container and such probably turns folks off who might otherwise come. Added: I had already sent an email to the CO, actually had sent one to him about another of his as well. Haven't heard back yet. We have a lot of military in the area and for all I know he's been deployed or such, but will see if I hear back from him. Anyway, that's what was running through my mind. I can't see a reason for fixing it when your purposes would actually be better served by giving the CO a chance, then recommending it be archived and being prepared to place one of your own. Or better yet placing one at the .11 mark so that an active cache will already be in place at the park. I guess that's my long way of agreeing with Skippermark and BlueDeuce. The main thing on my mind has to do with where the cache is and that because it is missing a piece it won't easily remain in place and has been logged as having been found laying on the ground. If it doesn't remain in place, then it will drop at the feet of a kid playing on the thing that this is attached to...and then some kid could potentially pick it up (these kids would be age 2-5 or so) and do what small kids do with things that might look like something interesting to put in their mouths, and then choke on the loose magnet, etc. That's why I'm torn about it as I agree (see below for why) especially about waiting for it to be archived, etc. as probably the better end result. About the agreeing with all about the CO -- I've sent two emails and although both were bounced back, I did get email receipts from his email. Strange. So I then sent another email to him early this morning explaining that I was a fellow cacher, that I'd tried to reach him about his cache and that I'd be willing to help out if he'd like that. No reply (yet) and no email bounce-back either. And see that he hasn't logged in. Seems to further suggest that he's just no longer interested in caching. But who knows for sure. So I'm right now in a wait mode after logging the Needs Archive entry, and have emailed with the reviewer who has asked me to let him/her know if I hear from the CO.

Got my package late yesterday -- and I had a surprise as well! I found a Dark Knight v2 in the package! Thanks!!! One question -- none of the six coins that I got had information on how to get the activation codes?

I think these are non-trackable. At least the one that I got was. Could be right - was just assuming because it had a number but that's probably just the sequence number then.

Is that what this is! I got one in with some coins that I received yesterday, had no clue what it is but it looks exactly like this one. Interestingly I went to oakcoins.com to get the activation code and their system won't recognize mine as having a valid tracking number. Anyone else tried to activate theirs???

Sounds like the right spot for a cache. If you don't hear back from the owner, you can always adopt the cache informally, taking care of its maintenance yourself and putting a "watch" on it so you'll see if other cachers have problems in the future. If the owner is MIA, I'd probably only do that if there's some decent history to go along with the cache itself. There's obviously no merit in keeping the container. Alternately, if you place an SBA log on it, you can replace it when it's archived and maintain it the "normal" way. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this so far. The OP indicated that the cache is in sad shape because the container is broken, and that a replacement container just like it was available. If the current container is damaged wouldn't it be likely that a replacement container of the same type would suffer the same fate? I don't think so. My first post mentioned that it was missing half the container and then I called that "broken" as a substitute for giving away information about the cache (since it's still active). I believe that this probably happened when someone failed to properly screw the top onto the nano container or something like that. Alternately, it could just be that the original one didn't have the rubber o-ring that is on the improved model which I have and so it got damp and the magnet was less effective as it got wet, etc. In short, I'd think that a replacement would be okay but would also assume that these things aren't meant to be forever and that you probably need to change them out after a year or so.

Thanks much for the info and explanation!

It depends upon what kind of deployment (ship or shore unit). But I agree with you and I'm continuing with my efforts to try to reach him and if that is at all possible will try to find a way to do so.

Well, I think things have possibly run their course. I got a returned undeliverable email from my attempt to contact him earlier today. I think then that it is probably time to go ahead and do as suggested by posting a Needs Archived log entry. I assume that the reviewers have their own process for what happens after no response, or perhaps his email is only temporarily down. As I'm new this brings up a new related question -- what do you do to/with the cache itself when a cache has been archived? It's not my cache but I'm a bit nervous about the thought of this being just left there...I can provide info privately as I assume we're not supposed to post cache location info in the forum (?) but leaving it there means that there is a good probability that some very young kids might get their hands on things like little magnets and other choke hazards as this cache will most likely be laying out in the open shortly (again, based on the logs). So what if anything do we do in situations like this? If the cache needs to stay, then I probably have no choice but to repair the container so that it won't be picked up by a kid?

I'm just getting started in all of this and over the past week or so have picked up several trackable coins. My plan was to most likely keep them as a collectable and was wondering about the activation end of things. If I plan on keeping these and breaking them out to use as event discoverables, should I go ahead and activate them? It seems that is a "safe" thing to do now rather than wait in case anything happens to them. Is that what others do as well? Or is there some reason that I should be waiting on activating them that I'm not yet understanding? Thanks!

Well that's probably a real "duh" on my part. I thought that I'd loaded all the caches from my area but this is just probably me not realizing that I'd missed these two. Sometimes the simple answers are the ones on spot (much better than my theory that an alien race had set up shop on one of the GPS satellites and was doing after hours programming to ensure that those two sites wouldn't show up just as I needed them....). Will check them again. Thanks!

Since I've already tried to make contact it sounds like there isn't much more that I can do in that regard. And it also sounds like the general consensus is that in this situation it would probably be best to repair the cache by swapping containers (mine is exactly what he had and I think that will at least keep the cache from dropping to the ground and being muggled). I'll start watching the cache and then if I haven't heard anything in a few more weeks will turn it in as a needs archive. I assume that I make a log entry to explain repairing the cache. Should I do anything to suggest that I'm trying to maintain the cache until hearing from the CO? I don't want to do anything to step on the CO's toes but am thinking about how if anyone has a problem could there be any need for them to be able to contact someone? I do live close by so it is easy for me to whatever is best.

Sounds like the right spot for a cache. If you don't hear back from the owner, you can always adopt the cache informally, taking care of its maintenance yourself and putting a "watch" on it so you'll see if other cachers have problems in the future. If the owner is MIA, I'd probably only do that if there's some decent history to go along with the cache itself. There's obviously no merit in keeping the container. Alternately, if you place an SBA log on it, you can replace it when it's archived and maintain it the "normal" way. What's an SBA log? Thanks!

Yes, I'd be happy to do whatever to fix the cache -- it's in a really nice park that many don't know about, making it a great quiet place to bring your family. A cache there brings lots of folks who probably have no clue the park is there. When I got into geocaching a few weeks ago this park was the first place that I thought of for placing my own cache, but then realized this one was there. I've even walked the park and find that I can get .11 miles away from it to another location, but then decided that putting the second cache there probably wasn't the right thing to do even though it met the distance guidelines. But it is a really nice park, and I think that having the negatives about the container and such probably turns folks off who might otherwise come. Added: I had already sent an email to the CO, actually had sent one to him about another of his as well. Haven't heard back yet. We have a lot of military in the area and for all I know he's been deployed or such, but will see if I hear back from him. Anyway, that's what was running through my mind.

I have a new Garmin Oregon 550T and have been using it for about a week now. I went to two sites this morning and when using the Geocaching mode was unable to find either of those sites in a search results. I knew they were there, and I had my iPhone handy and used that instead. But even though I was literally at GZ for both of those caches, Garmin didn't find them. I could find lots of other nearby caches, including ones I've previously found. Even rebooted just in case that was an issue. I've not been to either caches before and hadn't previously found them, their not mine....so I'm clueless why Garmin didn't pick them up. Any guesses as to why Garmin didn't pick these two caches up? Thanks!

I found a cache today, pretty much where I'd expected it to be and saw that as prior log entries indicated the cache is in sad shape and is missing half of the container, log has been damp because of that and it has been found laying out in the open. I logged my find and then also left a "needs maintenance" log entry. My question though -- since it looks like folks have been leaving log entries to say the same thing for about four months now -- is what can/should someone other than the CO do to fix/repair things? I just happened to have with me a replacement container for what the cache had been in (traveling prepared in case I found an interesting location for a cache!), and considered replacing the broken/part missing container with a new one of mine. It's a nice cache location but it looks like there has been no response about the maintenance issues (I have no clue if the CO is in town or not, etc.) and as the logs indicate this cache has been found more than once laying out in the open because of the broken/part missing issue. I've also sent an email to the CO offering to swap out the container with a new one of mine. Is that doing the right thing? Meaning, sit and wait to see if he fixes it or answers my email rather than swapping out the container for him? And if so, is there a point at which it is likely okay to go ahead and do it (assuming that I don't hear from the guy)? I sure hated driving away knowing that I had the same cache he'd used sitting in my hand that I could have swapped out.

Accepted kindly and thanks for that.

That wasn't the point of my post -- to argue. I think that I've gotten my answer in that it is a rule and apparently has been one since some long ago time. And I got my answer in that a reviewer will apparently answer you and discuss it (and I appreciated that very much!). I'll move along then and won't be following the thread any more. Thanks much for all that left useful answers and comments! You have stated how YOU interpret that guideline and most everyone else has tried to explain how Groundspeak applies it. You speak from how you understand the words you read. We speak from practical experience having seen how the guideline is applied time and time again. The only reason for you to continue is to argue for the sake of argument. If it helps you to get a handle on it feel free to think of it as a rule. One thing though, when you come in here to bitch about someone who manages to get a cache published 515 feet from one of yours someone will probably point out that it is in fact just a guideline. Yes, but how we each interpret the guidelines is kind of important if the bigger "we" hope to see things done in a consistent manner that supports all that this community is supposedly about. I've previously served as a leader in a community consisting of more than 70 million volunteers (yes, not a typo) but that community seemed to have fairly well defined and understood rules and processes and there are things here that leave me definitely feeling a little bit lost. As I said I'm NOT here to argue -- I simply was trying to understand something that was unclear to me. I will think of it as a rule and so won't bother to even think about asking for an exception or whatever and can guarantee that I won't ever "come in here to bitch about someone" who has placed a cache near or not near one of mine. Promise. I had other questions that as a newbie to this community I had thought about asking but had seen some of the responses in other threads to what seemed to me to be innocent questions and I had hoped that there were other "issues" ongoing behind the thread that prompted the kind of responses received...but at this point I think that I've already learned the single most important lesson of this community.

Since I can't yet figure out how to unsubscribe.... All of what you say makes sense and I personally am okay with it. I simply asked a question so that I could understand the process that is used and to understand if the language taken as it seems to imply means that you can ask for a waiver or not. I'm not here to fight. Honest. Thanks for the comment!

I don't have your answer but just wanted to say that I think that what you'd like to do is really neat and it's nice to think that your own cache might have the ability to live beyond any of us.