The Growler

Think we'll have time for the Boogies one so that looks like a good call. Thanks

With the absence of other contributions, I did 'Parish Ramble' today and really enjoyed it. It is about 6/7 miles off the M1 near Lutterworth. Circular walk, 30 caches around some lovely Leicestershire villages on easy terrain. It took us 3 1/2 hours at a leisurely pace. Thank you I will check it out.

"fat lazy lump"? Try a power trail!

I am trying to organise a day caching after spending a night in Nottingham next month and heading back down "sarf" at a leisurely pace the next day. Anyone have any recommendations for a nice series either close to (or at least not too far away from) the A1 or M1 while heading South? Thanks in anticipation

Well there are quite a few caches around here that people have "found" while with others who have scaled/swum/rowed etc. as they are not physically up to the job. I suppose that they shouldn't really log them. It's an interesting question.

All UK geocaches completely legal and placed within the rules? OK, now watch 95% of icons disappear from the map. It's not an opinion but rather an observation. That's all.

I've already figured out a way of making OS maps work with the basic Leaflet API. Unfortunately it may take me a few weeks to figure out how to integrate this with the new Geocaching Maps website. I'll see what I can do... You are a diamond geezer

Well I have not only lost OS maps but also Hybrid, satellite etc. Not sure about this upgrade.

One argument I have often seen against power trails is "it reduces the quality of caches and encourages others to put out poor quality caches". What a load of sclobolk!!! By far the worst caches I have done are "This is where we walk our dog" and that's it. Why would I want to go to that thorny bush to find that micro, dodging the dog poo? There is no preamble or reason to bring the cacher there. These are certainly not the fault of "power trails". Do em, don't do em, but don't blame the ills of the caching world on them. Yes they are often boring from a caching point of view, but the point is the walk. Say a series takes me to an area of outstanding natural beauty like Constable Country or the South Downs and I am getting a large number of caches over a 10 mile walk, so what? The cache might be boring but I am in area I want to be in and may not have visited before. Also I am grateful of the motivation to actually do the walk and hence try and shed some of those winter pounds! I like nanos, I like puzzles (some at least), I like cunning hides on their own, I like urbans and I like some C&Ds. I also like a nice walk in the country. When I see a series, I view it as an opportunity to go for a walk. Judging from the logs from certain naysayers I could mention, so do others! PS I have done very few multis I have enjoyed but then they are only really useful as a town tour IMHO

Never forget that a forum is, well, just that. A forum.

more spam - apologies

spam

If the man flu abates then will be there to enjoy some birthday cake and see you all off. I think a "before and after picture might be fun" as the penny has only dropped on it being the winter solstice. Presumably there will be some druids there tomorrow....

If anyone was wondering what a "Tiptree" preserve is then take comfort in the knowledge that no lesser figure than James Bond was a fan and that it is by Royal Appointment. Moreover, although you have to sell a kidney to afford it, "Little Scarlet" strawberry jam on a scone is heaven on Earth.

Hi there I'm going to be visiting some friends over the holidays who live in the Staines area. I hope to do some caches while I'm there and maybe get some converts to boot. I'm looking for recommendations on a nice trail. I like cache series with the hides and preferably the caches themselves, to be varied. I like the hiding places to be chosen for their interest and appropriateness rather than their spacing. I prefer the caches to require some searching and with a frequency of about 3 to a mile. It's not about the numbers for me, I just like a nice walk, preferably near water. Does anyone have any suggestions? Many thanks.

What I'd really like to know is what is the breakfast that's promised? I may make an appearance as I have some puzzle caches to do in that area but not taking on the walk just yet.

Whilst I don't agree with the "replace as not found" nature of the series, I am bemused by the notion that the CO won't be maintaining the series. "We ask cachers to please help us maintain this trail. We don’t mind cachers replacing logs or containers. We recommend bringing with some 35mm film canisters. Use this link to make some logs for them. We also recommend making extra logs. That way you can replace any caches or logs that might have been abducted or mutilated. This will help everyone out, and hopefully makes your cache run a 100% success." Whatever you might think about the series, there is no statement that the CO won't be maintaining it. This is a classic case of people putting 2 and 2 together and getting 39 (the last number is random and a weak link, just like the strength of the nay-sayers' argument). As I have said before, I do not agree with cache replacement and I will DNF as I find (or not, obviously) but I believe that the CO will maintain the series as well as any other series I have done has been maintained. The fact that the previous shorter series wasn't maintained at all has seemed to be missed by some. I for one will be hoping that it stays intact and that I can do it all in the summer on my bike. Why people are getting so uptight about a series that takes you along a fantastic river with lovely countryside is curious to me. Who cares if there are 3 caches at a GZ? Surely the point of the series is to get people walkling/biking and discovering another pleasant part of the country. Number whores will love it and FTF whores will also be exalted or disgruntled, but so what? There was a scarcity of caches before, there is a surfeit now. This is obviously not a "clever hide" series (hang on I haven't done it so am making some assumptions here) but so what? Do it, don't do it. Who cares? My personal opinion is that I would not have suggested cache replacement; 1. because I don't believe in it full stop and 2. because it leads to this kind of criticism from people who fail to read properly! Shame on you and apologise or keep mum.

The "Bassetts" series is always recommended but might be too far for you from Lowestoft as it's more southerly than there but only by about 10k. They are quite unique hides though so don't expect an easy ride.

Whilst I disagree with replacing caches you DNF (and always have done) and will just be logging a DNF, I don't see any harm in a series that takes you on a nice walk/bike ride. It's a different style of caching from puzzling, stealth caches, climbing trees or sneakily disguised custom caches. This one seems to be a good excuse for canoeists to visit the area too. If I can, I'll try that mode of transport in the summertime. (assuming the series survives that long)

Did I say it was in the same league as spray-painting a house? NO Did I say it was causing distress? NO Ah. I forget, you are also Psychic. You really are a pompous **** aren't you! lol How exactly is it disrespectful to the cache owner? How is it not? Perhaps I'll spray paint your house. Is that disrespectful? No, if there is a game where you do that, then it's fine. OK? Give me the coords for your house. Perhaps but there are rules/guidelines and they are not being followed. More to the point, IF SOMETHING MIGHT UPSET/IRRITATE/IRK/ANNOY people then why do it? What are you trying to do? Once again you have yet to defend the practice but have merely trolled on this thread. You have seemingly wanted to wind me up rather than discuss the issue in a mature manner. You have offered no justification for these actions (which I would have accepted if reasoned). Good bye troll In a similar vein I could ask why you started the thread with a bunch of vague assertions and apparent indignation at something so trivial. Vague assertions? Please show me the "vague assertion" from the initial post.

Amongst all the differing opinions and interpretation of etiquette (which I welcome) can someone please just explain WHY people are doing this? I am really struggling with the motivation for doing it in the first place. "When you find the cache, sign the logbook and return it to the cache. You can take an item from the cache if you like - just make sure to leave something of equal or greater value in its place. When you are finished, put the cache back exactly as you found it, even if you think you see a better spot for it. Finally, visit the cache page to log your find and share your experience with others." Have I missed something? It just baffles me......

Did I say it was in the same league as spray-painting a house? NO Did I say it was causing distress? NO Is it disrespectful to the cache owner? YES Is it a bizarre practice in the first place? DEFINITELY So why did you come to this thread? Trolling perhaps?

Sadly it isn't an isolated incident and there are others that have done the same in my locale. It's a strange practice and IMHO, unacceptable. If the log book is wet or missing then I would just say so in my online log.

What are people's opinions on stickers? I understand that if you have a group of accounts caching together then a sticker with "London cache mob" or similar etc. might speed things up a bit and actually take up less room than everyone signing the log. However, what really gets my goat is people putting stickers ON my cache containers as well as signing the log. Tonight I have had to remove yet another offensive sticker on a micro cache that the cacher signed. Why did he feel it necessary to deface my property? What is the point of doing so? I know he has visited via the logbook so why deface my cache? I might have need to reuse the cache and then the last thing I want is for loads of stickers all over it. I just fail to see the need to do this and I actually find it disrespectful to the CO. RANT OVER

I'd completely forgotten about them. Think I'll keep on being forgetful