denali7

swf seeking utilikilt-wearing cacher to explore the universe. must bring own gps. dog-lover a plus. -denali

based on a recent experience, i'd say there is no limit to what is acceptable. although i don't personally agree with this, there seems to be no shade of difference between phrases such as, "must be in excellent physical condition to attempt this one" and "requires highly specialized skills and gear." people would certainly go for your cache, but it would be really nice to let them know that a boat would be needed. only my opinion, but i love, for example, the fact that there are intrepid hiders and seekers who do underwater caches, i'm just glad that they advertise the fact that this highly specialized skill is needed to access this cache. i don't want to waste my time working on a "physically demanding" cache, only to arrive at the cache site to find that some highly specialized skill and gear is needed to actually reach the box. again, only my opinion, but just list what's required "fair and square" and the right people will go for your cache. i don't go after caches that require scuba gear, but i do want to know if it's a scuba cache up front, not after i've spent 4 hours getting to the cache site. have fun!! -denali

i have recently revised my essentials, reflecting a local cache experience: water wool gloves compass extra batteries mre's first aid kit waders french foreign legion helicopter pontoon bridge monkey 200' climbing rope backhoe chainsaw bucket truck napalm paul bunyan mcguyver james bond change of clothes hot coffee blackberry brandy

no particular order: fly fishing, canoeing, kayaking, surf fishing, target shooting, hiking, camping, snowmobiling, golden retriever rescue, reading, history, travel, internet research. i've probably forgotten a few, but i just know that it all started many years ago with an interest in alaska and the rest is a hazy blur. in between i help out my daughter's scout troop and softball team. she's about your age--12 this coming summer. -denali

the topo maps are terrific on my vista color, i love them. i don't know about without color, but from the research i did before buying i read somewhere that if you're over 30 (i am, that's all i'm saying) you'll really appreciate how the color screen makes sense out of the contour lines. i load the city select and topo usa for whatever area i'm headed. i turn off the topo while traveling the roads, and turn off the roads when i'm off-road and want all the topo features to jump out. even if i didn't have the color unit, i would want these maps. the topo has been spot on for the mountains of PA where i play in the winter. good luck!! -denali

ummm, am i the only one who found that list a tad disturbing??

i don't worry about the cold, i have the right clothes. i do worry a bit about if i can find the "woodsy" caches under the snow or get the lids open in below 20-degree temps, but my biggest concern right now is leaving tracks, although i could probably let the dog run all over and track up the entire area. i too would hate to leave a big arrow to a cache site, so i'll concentrate on looking for good cache hiding spots to plant a few in the spring. now seems like a great time to research for those multi's that use info on signs and such, as the usual tourists aren't around, plus there's good sitting around the fire time to be had with putting together the clues! p.s. love the picture, bjorn!! p.p.s. also love gonzo's dog picture--that blonde butt is exactly like what i see when nugget and i are out caching!!

reveritt, that is the funniest thing i read all day, maybe ever. thanks!!

i currently own two toys that would be applicable to your needs. i have an old town pack model canoe, which has been my main flyfishing flagship for quite a few years now. it is made of royalex, which is the plastic compound used in many kayaks. old town claims you can wrack it on a bridge abutment and it'll still pop back into shape. it is very lightweight, only 33 lbs. for its 12-foot length, and durable. it is extremely quick, light, and manuverable, especially when used with a kayak paddle as old town suggests. i never hesitate to take it when i know there will be some trail-carrying from parking spot to water or portaging. i'm pretty new to caching and haven't used it for caches yet, but as it is perfect for fishing, i know it would be a great caching craft, as you kind of never know what you'll be in for when you go to a cache site. i bought mine on a yahoo auction for about $500. my other waterbuddy is an ocean kayak "big yak." it is the new big brother of their very popular "yak" series. i bought this brand new last year, and if you look around they can be found for under $400 new (i paid about $370 at a local dealer/outfitter). i bought it for surfing the waves on the outer banks and exploring the sound, but have found it to be an excellent all-around boat. it is an extremely stable sit-on-top, easy to get on and off, tough as nails and very manuverable. it is an excellent all-around kayak, with plenty of storage space for rods, gear, etc. as with most sit-on-tops, it doesn't have the speed and "glide" of a sit-inside kayak, but it was a trade i was willing to make for stability and versatility. (my daughter likes to put it in the pool and rock in it to see what it takes to roll it over, and it's pretty amazing!) if you ever want to take it to the beach or on slightly "sporty" river water you can do that, but if you want to explore flatwater bays or lakes you can do that comfortably and keep all your gear dry too. it's heavier than the canoe, about 50 lbs for its length of about 10 feet, but ocean kayak "yak sticks" make portaging a snap. yak sticks are a set of wheels that sit on sticks that slip into the kayak's scupper holes. (you just toss them into the kayak when you get to the water.) i would take either one of these boats to any cache expedition, although i would probably favor the canoe if i was taking a friend (as light as it is, the pack still holds hundreds of pounds of payload) or thought i might have to do some trail hiking to get to the water. you really can't go wrong with either one, though. happy hunting!! -denali eta: http://www.oceankayak.com/bigyak.html

great idea, geobc. with gift-giving like that, i sure wish you were my brother!! -denali

how cool was that for the little girl!!! reminds me of one summer i sneaked off to the beach early in the morning and planted "treasure" all over our usual spot. i returned to the house all agush about cops, treasure, backhoes, etc. you get the picture. well, my daughter, her friend, and my nephews dug up the beach and found treasure all day, and they talked about that for years. i remember that summer every time i take her out caching (and so does she!!) good times... -denali (p.s. "I hope that someone might contact the reporter..." message sent!)

best of luck, fly, that oughta be a great place to work! (like my secret daydream to work at cabela's!! -denali

eye likes fly46! ewe have good common cents!!

puzzler, you show yourself to be mature and classy. none of us would even be having this conversation if i could pass out a few dozen copies of the book about "all i really needed to know i learned in kindergarten!"

great new sig line, mopar. now who's beating it? the dead horse, i mean. p.s. guess you didn't listen to the other wise old indian talking about walking in another man's moccasins.

while the dog may not find the cache (unless he eats regularly "from ammo cans and tupperware" ), he's great help once i'm done. i love that i can turn off the gps, put all the papers and junk in my pockets, give him the word "truck" and follow him right back. that's what hunting breeds are for (in this case, golden retriever), and that's when i really enjoy the scenery!!

"I think mostly it's a perceived problem. The people really feel intimidated before they even get here. They may be intimidated by the technology involved in this game. They may be intimidated by using a computer and internet forums. They may be intimidated by being a total stranger walking into a what appears to be a huge auditorium filled with 1000 people who all appear to be pals. " uhhh, no.

there's no question that this board is one of the most polite out there--5 minutes on most others will prove that. i have felt comfortable almost all of the time i've been lurking, except for a few times very lately. i wouldn't say there's a big problem or a definite trend forming. the very fact that an "oldbie" would suggest this conversation proves that a concern exists to keep this board friendly, clean, and helpful. however, i find it irritating when a newbie has a question or, as more often the case, suggestion that is shot down in a nasty diatribe about "we've already thought of this...we've discussed this a million times...you haven't been here long enought to shine my shoes...blah...blah...blah..." i've seen people who aren't even all that "oldbie" jump on those bandwagons, proving that the littl'uns will always chase piggy. there are a lot of newbies around here lately, myself included, who all want to contribute to the sport and care about its future progression. it's not a sin or crime that we haven't been caching since the stone age, only a few short years ago, and haven't been privy to every conversation that's ever floated around here. there will certainly be times when a newbie has an innocent suggestion or question that sounds ridiculous or harmful to those who've put more thought into the sport. remember, given the newness of this sport, this will always be the case. however, there's no reason why this should result in such a slamming that they don't want to come back. the conversation turns to all sides becoming defensive, and becomes more an exercise an arguement, or worse yet, philosophy, than true debate on the merits, or lack thereof, of a specific idea. you can say, "well, fine" to that, but what about the rest of us who just read that? there's no reason why some conversations become more of a spitting contest than anything else. we're all adults, and we're not really impressed at someone's post count or # of finds, we're impressed by someone who says, "good question/suggestion, newbie. we talked about that once and decided it might not be a good idea because..." no doubt there are good reasons why something wouldn't/shouldn't work, but we don't know them yet. no one needs their intelligence or motives questioned, it's just that when you're new and excited about something you roll it around in your head quite a bit, enjoying the novelty of it all, and naturally come up with ideas, questions, etc. there are a few oldbies around here who've lost my respect lately, knowledgable players who choose to play this game, yes, some people definitely forget it's a game, as if it were a death match to win every conversation. no matter how brave everyone says they truly are, we all know d*** well that it's easy to be a tough guy behind a computer screen. i don't believe that anyone would be as rude, harsh, and critical in person as they are on this board at times, and anyone who protests this should look real hard at the reasons why they feel the need to protest. most of us belong to regional geocaching groups, but why on earth would we consider attending an event, just to spend time with people who act like they invented air and water? i think that we need to consider how our conversations on "the big board" play down to our "little boards." there's not as much anonymity here as some people seen to think. it's extremely short-sighted to act like a smug two year-old who owns the ball, the bat, and the only glove here, but then turn around and try and be the nice guy at the geocaching picnic next summer. there are many boards to exorcise one's need to be a tough guy, and many of us use them and know the difference, i'd just like to see some people be reminded that this isn't one of them.

not exactly new, but a great item nonetheless are my l.l.bean hikers. they're a few years old, but i've simply punished them and they get more comfy each day. they're the cresta model, and they do everything bean claims: 100% waterproof, incredibly lightweight and flexible but still supportive, the vibram outsole makes you stick like spiderman, and the tread isn't so aggressive that you bring all the mud home with you. they run a bit small, so there are almost always some to be found at the bean outlet stores for a great price. before these, i've never found boots that were as comfy as decent running shoes. they are lightly insulated and can worn in pretty much any weather. i've only oiled them a couple times--i can't believe how much punishment they have endured and how well they've retained their "waterproof-ness." they aren't big and clunky at all, and as a bonus, still look pretty decent with jeans when you're not climbing like spiderman!

something with my name, too... thanks!!! eta: hey, i just noticed i'm not a tadpole anymore!! yaaaayyyy!!!!!!!!!!

i'm denali...'cause home is where the heart is!!

as with other outdoor pursuits, geocaching must appeal to kids, or it runs the risk of losing its playing field. programs within the nra, b.a.s.s., and local fish and game divisions, just to name a couple, work very hard to get adults to take the time to take kids hunting or fishing. we don't always want to put down our fishing rods to spend a long day untangling and de-hooking our kids, but those kids are the future license and gear buyers, and more importantly, public-lands decision-makers. in the outdoors is where they'll learn respect and value for the outdoors, whether it's in a kayak, duck blind, or oogling a cache with dear ol' dad/mom/whomever. at the very least, they'll be less likely to throw their soda cans out the car window than somone who grew up with no appreciation of the outdoors. i'm dating myself a bit here, but even if my daughter never holds public office or runs a big corporation, at least i know she won't ever make the indian cry!

"Iknow... I tried to suggest a notion of "cache angel" that basically takes it intentionally in the shorts on a trade... trading out the distressed crap from a neglected cache, leaving what was minimally servicable, and adding in trade for the junk (some were concerned about not trading out for it... so a trade was stipulated). At least that would *help* take care of the "ghetto" cache... but I got an a** reaming for using my subjective thoughts to help out the cache (as if I had something else to use as a basis). "How do you know someone won't someday want that balloon with a hole in it?" Sheesh. I don't. But let's *risk* it, shall we? a shortage of popped balloons in the sport is not going to hurt anyone." i know spiff's ears must have been burning when he posted here--his thread was the first thing that came to my mind, too. he ended up with new orifices when he suggested leaving caches in better shape than when found, but now, in a lightening-fast 180 of public opinion, he should get a royalty fee from everyone who's on the previously blacklisted "remove the snicker's wrapper" bandwagon. where were all of you people when he suggested exactly what many, if not most, of you have stated in this thread: clear out the trash, put a couple new things to give the cache-owner a little hand, leave the cache a little nicer than you found it? he was drawn and quartered for suggesting an anarchy and revolt of epic proportions, one that would subvert the foundations of the game ...hmmm...just as the OP was here. maybe there should be a little more decaf around here or sumptin'... eta: quote

about 800 in 40 mile radius...whod'a thunk it??!!

check ot cabela's. they have other brands like columbia and sorrell, in addition to their own. (sorrells are worth every penny, by the way) their own are great. i bought their avalanche model, which they bill as feeling like a hiking boot with pac boot warmth, for snowmobiling. i've worn a lot of different cold weather boots over the years, and these are perfect. waterproof, comfy, temp rated to some freaky thing like -40. i can walk the dog in them, and still wear them for 8 cold hours on the sled trails. as a bonus, they're clean-cut enough to throw back on for dinner and look fine with jeans--no clunk, clunk, clunk!! as far as cold weather and comfort, i've tried more stuff than i can name and no one beats cabela's for variety, price, service, and quality. don't be afraid to buy men's gear for yourself either, it's often made tougher, more highly insulated, or priced a bit less than women's models due to plainer colors! -denali p.s. buy at least one size up and wear thin socks--your feet will be cold in any boot if they are stuffed in with heavy socks. the lightest smartwool hikers or thin poly socks sold as "first layer" or "linings" are generally all you need with good boots. enjoy!!