JL_HSTRE

So if I follow the rules in this instance everyone will hate me for it? Awkward... What if I NA them but then promptly submit them to Waymarking? Really though the point of the Virtual is to see something neat so as long as the purpose of the cache is still there it accomplishes it's point. I'd rather people spend focus on abandoned physical caches than virtual ones.

I've come across some Virtual caches that have some requirement other than just take a photo of yourself at the location; you must instead/additionally email some info to the CO which would be found at GZ. But for some of these caches the CO has been inactive for years. Assuming the cache itself with the information remains intact, does the cache sort of hang in limbo forever? People can still visit it (which is the primary intent), but you can't technically complete the cache anymore. Just curious.

My first name is Josh. I've been using "Joshism" as a screenname on various things for years. Joshism refers to my beliefs (political/philosophical/religious) as well as my sayings/nicknames I use in day-to-day speech.

Micros I have found: 35mm film canisters, magnetic key containers, fake electrical panel covers, cigar cases, altoid mint tins, bison tubes, nanos (little magnetic screw containers, fake sprinkler heads, fake water spigots. Also, look for benches and lamp posts.

Most caches descriptions and usernames are written in normal upper/lower mixing of letters. I have seen a few cachers that have usernames in all caps, their logs are in all caps, names of all their caches are in all caps, and the entire description for each of their caches is in all caps. I know the internet is infamous FOR PEOPLE WHO FEEL THE NEED TO ALWAYS IM AND EMAIL IN ALL CAPS and I'm sure at least some of these cachers are those kind of people. But is there a good reason for doing everything in CAPSLOCK? Are some GPS units in the present or past much easier to read if everything is in caps? Just curious...

I just got a Motorola Droid and downloaded the GeoBeagle app. I've figured out how to navigate to the cache using the app, but when it brings up the radar/compass it gives me the distance to the cache in meters and kilometers! How do I change this so it displays feet and miles instead?

If you found it, it's a find. If the tree it's on has fallen, the rock wall it was on had a rockslide, etc etc then it's also a needs maintenance.

If it requires a boat/kayak/canoe then it's 5 star terrain, per cache guidelines. No idea if that is something the reviewers check.

I was aware geocaching existed for awhile when for reasons I don't remember one of my friends asked me about it. We decieded to give it a try and have enjoyed. We've since had a couple friends join us on caching expeditions, a few other people we know have tried caching on their own, and several more follow our adventures with interest but haven't gotten around to trying it themselves. Me and my friends were already periodically camping, kayaking, and hitting the trails at the local parks so geocaching is a pretty natural extension: it gives us extra motivation and direction for where to go. Caching with friends, especially for non-parking lot caches, can be a fun social activity. Plus I've seen some nice places I wasn't aware of thanks to caching and have put several more caches on the To Find list in places I wasn't aware of before seeing a listing there. And of course I'm interested in puzzle solving recreation with measureable goals (football fan and play monthly with friends and also a longtime gamer). So really I enjoy pretty much all aspects of the hobby.

I think most cachers will search about 3 seperate times before logging a DNF, unless they have some reason to suspect the cache is missing or the coordinates wrong. Personally, I log most of my DNFs on the first time. If I have taken the time to make a reasonable search of the area and not found it I will take the time to also log a DNF. When I go to a cache but do not log a DNF it is because I made a very brief search, no search at all (ex: muggle activity preventing it), or plan to return in a day or two to try it again. In some circumstances I may write a Note, especially for muggle activity to serve as a warning to future cachers that certain times may be bad to look for the cache. Pretty much all my logs are several sentances long, whether it be a Found or DNF. With DNFs, I include my opinion of whether I think the cache is gone or whether I think it was just a tough cache that stumped me.

I'm not sure I know anyone who owns a 20 ft tall ladder. 4 difficulty 5 terrain

Some multi-caches REALLY earn the 5/5. There is one locally that has 6 stages spread throughout a state park. You visit each stage to find information necessary to answer some questions to find the next stage. 2 of the 6 stages require a kayak/canoe/boat to access. If you did all the stages in one day it would probably take an entire day to get them all.

As far as being a newbie or not being a newbie in the inexperienced sense: there was a recent debate in another thread on these forums how many caches you need to visit before you are qualified to post a cache of your own. The general conclusion was there was no real number that could reasonable qualify due to issues like power trails and variance in caches. Really newbie-ness is probably best quantified by how sharp your geosense is and how easily you can find caches. I don't imagine someone who has been caching for years and has hundreds of finds is likely to be a newbie. If you know some people who have several thousand finds they make you feel like a novice by comparison, but really there's no need to worry. Learn from your finds for future searches, have fun, and don't worry if other people out there can find a cache faster. P.S. I don't know how geocaching treats the concept of a "noob" but where I come from in gaming there are two different things: "newb" as in newbie and "noob" as in "n00b". A newb/newbie is someone who is new at what they are doing and just inexperienced. A noob/n00b is someone who has been doing the thing for awhile and thinks they are knowlegeable/skilled, but are in fact not competant at what they are doing. And're you're definitely not a n00b in that sense: a n00b wouldn't never be self-aware enough to ask.

I'm thinking of requiring some information that would be difficult to find without visiting the physical library. For example, the main library in my city has a painting on the wall there that has been there since the building opened 11 years ago and is by a local artist from a semi-famous local art movement (The Highwaymen). I don't think this information is mentioned on the library's website. Thanks everyone for the answers. I'm definitely going to further explore this multicache idea further. Especially appropriate for me as a lifelong reader, library patron, and former employee of the local library system.

1) Is there a recommended maximum total distance for all the stages of a multi-cache? 2) For a mystery cache or multi-cache/mystery combo, is it acceptable to require the cacher to go inside a public library or a government building to retrieve specific information to solve the cache?

Not unusual: A plastic container about the size of a 35mm film canister. Unusual: it was in a coconut! Also found a multicache where stage 1 was some coordinates on the back of a large piece of bark then stage 2/final was a 35mm film canister in a hole drilled in a chunk of wood. As for entire containers that were unusual: a Halloween themed "monster" cache that was an actual modified Monster energy drink can! Sadly, one day it will probably be collected by someone who thinks it is litter...

Thanks for the responses everyone. Based on the feedback here I've logged a Needs Archived. If it gets archived, I'll stop by the park and send the container to the nearest garbage can.

Went looking for a local cache today: Not Bad But Rotten (GCJQW7). We found it, but: the container is a badly rusted Altoids tin the log & baggie need replacement the description and hint are outdated due to changes to the park (read: lots of tree removal) since the cache was placed in 2004 the CO appears to have been inactive for years What is the proper procedure for a cache like this? I'm not sure if "Needs Archived" is appropriate since the cache is physically still there but if it needs maintenance and the CO is history it might be good to remove it so an active cacher can place something in the park...

My friend has an iPhone 3G with AT&T. I have a borrowed Garmin GPS72. We've found the iPhone is nearly always as accurate as the GPS. Of course, in a more rural area or with a newer GPS you may get better results with the GPS.

The influx of smartphone cachers seems significant. I've see the topic come up a fair amount, particular with concern about the accuracy of some of their hides. But it definitely makes geocaching more accessible. I don't know that I would buy a GPS just for this, but starting was easy with my friend & fellow cacher having an iPhone. It's certainly encouraged me to upgrade to an smartphone myself.

I started using Waymarking a week ago and have two gripes so far: 1) The same Waymark may be listed multiple times because it falls into different categories. I think same building/bridge/etc should only be listed once, but make it possible to list it in multiple categories. 2) It's less obvious what Waymarks you've visited already. Where are my big red checkmarks? Where are my smiley faces on the map? Where are my totals for how many I've visited broken down by category? I have already submitted by first Waymark (and had it approved): an Army Corps of Engineers benchmark I came across. I'll probably try to add a few more around town.

I found 100 caches in 3 1/2 months before I came across one of the skirts. Except the first one I found was inside a broken skirt. So it wasn't for another couple weeks before someone made me aware that the skirt caches existed - I didn't realize the ones that weren't broken could lift up! I have since found 4 of them, 2 of which were previous DNFs. There are also the occasional fake sprinkler head but be VERY careful you've really found a cache and not a real sprinkler that happens to be at/near Ground Zero!

Why are Benchmarks still part of Geocaching rather than part of Waymarking? Seems like they have more in common with Waymarks (something you visit and photograph but no log to sign). Just curious...

My experience with "newbie" caches: a local cache was placed at the beginning of this month (April). The CO has 3 finds, all of nearby caches. The cache is a pill bottle (based on the hint), micro-sized, placed in a sea grap hedge. It has a 1/2 2 star difficulty. Based on a similiarly described nearby cache by other cacher (one of the 3 found by the CO - presumably their inspiration), it should be at least a 3. So far this month there have been 3 logged DNFs: myself (doesn't mean much) and cachers with 1200 and 3000+ finds. And goodness knows how many failed searchs have not been logged. It's near the end of the month and still hasn't been found. I've been caching since the beginning of the year. I hit 100 caches in 4 months and have not yet placed a cache of my own (though I am formulating some ideas). My friend I frequently cache with has 60+ finds and will be placing his first cache this month. I think some kind of threshold before you can place a cache is a good idea. 100 finds seems fine to me, but I think 50 would be easier. I would also put a minimum time requirement for the account: a couple months with your account in addition to # of finds. Just to make the person think about what they are doing rather than find a couple caches and overzealously placing something, especially if their interest later wanes or they realize they don't have the time for proper cache maintenance. You need to know what you're doing. If there is a hard limit, I could also see giving reviewers the right to waive the limt if the cache was seconded by an experienced cacher (ex: child who has cached with their parents getting an account and hiding a cache, newbie who has been introduced by an experienced cacher thus has some to tell them if the cache is a bad idea). Even if there's not a hard limit, perhaps the questionaire when submitting a cache should be more detailed so the reviewers can more easily spot issues or the reviewers just prod COs for more details on vaguely described caches to avoid issues? What newbie finds 100 caches in one weekend? That sounds like an excellent idea! Passing a cache hiding rules quiz before hiding your first cache would probably be a better idea than a Finds requirement.

1) Where do I find the small ziplock baggies to put logs in? I don't recall ever seeing normal Ziplocks that small so I'm guessing I need to get them from some place like a fishing or crafts store? 2) What's the best way to attach a bison tube to a tree? Fishing line? Thanks!