coralteach

I have had people take a picture of a log when they didn't have a pen, and that is fine. If it is a distinctive cache container, I would do as you did, and log it with a needs maintenance. One thing I do is carry extra logs/baggies, because I have found caches without logs. (And yes, I know they were the cache because I contacted the CO,etc..) and I have replaced the log and added swag. That's just good caching etiquette, and I would hope someone would do it for me, if I couldn't maintain my caches…which I can, and do.

I ran a pocket query a long time ago and it worked...I don't remember how. I ran one and it got sent to me, but I don't know how to unzip it...the program geocaching.com recommended for a mac was $30. I have no idea what to do to unzip the gpx files that were sent to me. Please help...I'm not very techy.. Thanks.

For those of us that are not that "techie", I'm not sure what strand or whatever to follow. I do know I like the old maps with the smilies and want them back. My Beta maps didn't show me anything new, but then I wasn't focused on them....I was looking for my smilies. PLEASE PUT THEM BACK! This is the 2nd weekend in a row that this has happened. Why, why? On a positive note, love the new statistics page, since I wasn't able to access quite a few...I have a Mac. So, that's cool. Maybe you could add a world and US map to that feature? Thanks for all you hard work, and please bring back the smilies!

I know this is off topic, but if you have a dog and go geocaching with her/him, you're probably tired of your dog getting ticks. Or you getting ticks for that matter. A friend recommended cedar oil. I bought some red cedar oil (I don't think it matters what kind), put it in a spray bottle with olive oil and water, shook it up, and sprayed my dog. Haven't seen a tick since. I have refined it a bit, so now I mix it with distilled spirits (AKA vodka), water and the cedar oil. Magic. My dog isn't getting any ticks! Yay! I haven't used it on myself, just because I don't like oily feeling stuff, but I'm sure it would work. Just thought it might be helpful and I apologize if I put it in the wrong place. Have fun with tick free caching!

Even if a cache has gone unclaimed for a few days I assume someone is going to find it five minutes before I get there. Five minutes, 2 weeks - the result is the same. The only complaint I see here is that you had the expectation to be first and you feel you were tricked. Maybe you should rethink your approach so the inevitable angst that goes along with the FTF game doesn't impact your enjoyment. If you are going to get upset over someone's behavior. I'm not sure what you expect the rest of us to do about it. I say ignore the angst and in the long run you'll have more fun and satisfaction than any FTF could give you.

I find the curt TFTC almost as annoying. If people go to the trouble to make a cache, people should go through the trouble to write....

I had a dog dig up a cache once...I was talking to my friend about caching, and her neighbor said, "Oh, yeah, my dog dug up one of those." When I asked him where it was, I realized it was mine. And no, before you get all excited, it's not buried, just under a rock in some sand. My dog, on the other hand, hasn't found a cache yet, but will sit patiently by while I wander around looking for one.

I am going to Ireland in March and hope to do some caching. I'll be starting in Dublin, then to Giant's Causeway, then making my way south towards Co. Clare and Kerry. Any recommendations on caches or sights to see? I will be traveling with 3 muggles, but two of them have cached with me before, so would probably be up for doing a little caching. Any help, suggestions on where to go, etc...would be great. We will be in Doolin and Galway as well. I've been to Ireland twice before....love it! Any must do caches? Thanks

My Garmin came with horrible instructions. I waited until I had found quite a few before I hid one...some cachers I met said 100, and they were right. Anyway, I used my "where to" feature. It pulled up coordinates and they were the coordinates where I was. I could then write those down, move away, come back from a different direction and check the coordinates again. I did this about 10 times, and still do for each cache. It gets easier as you get used to it. You want to be known for hiding good caches with good coords. I would say to practice using the feature, find some more caches, and be creative. Make your first hide something you'll be proud of, not just any old thing just to have a hide. Good luck.

I think you'll find that the multi-log was due to a glitch in the system as quite a few logs entered from Iphones today seem to have multiple entries. That aside, I use a smartphone with the Trimble application, but that just enters a fixed message into the fieldnotes, which I then convert to a proper log on my return home. If I need to enter a real-time log from on-site, then I'll enter that via the website directly. I rarely log from my iphone, preferring my garmin for accuracy and just because...anyway, when I do log from my iphone, I do log a message, some longer, some shorter. i will say, some caches can make me wax eloquent, as they say, and some I have to struggle to find something to say....LPC anyone? Although, sometimes fun, and sometimes people really don't know they are not a 3/evil hide. You have to take the good with the bad in this hobby/sport. Still love it, always will.

I completely agree....although when you've put in a lot of work on a cache, a tftc is pretty lame. I like to hear people's stories/adventures, where they're from, etc...when they log caches. That's part of what makes logging a cache fun. (I still have a ton of yours to find Dark Zen, and I'll be descriptive!). One of these days I'll make it up to your neck of the woods.

How did you come to that conclusion? Edit to add a more on topic response: If you have some local Forums, I would suggest posting something there as well. At least in our area, many locals don't even log in here. Sorry to hear about your difficulties, and completely understand your frustration I'm from your area, and I don't even know what a "bot" is. I thought that when someone just puts TFTC and nothing else they just had bad manners. I don't know if I've been "botted" or not. So, if I don't know, how would Groundspeak?

Money grab? Really? If Groundspeak doesn't make enough to meet expenses, you won't have your *free* outdoor activity. A money grab from Groundspeak? Do you have any idea how many people and high end computers must be used to keep geocaching going around the world? I am a premium member because I appreciate the fact that this is a cheap hobby and $30 helps to support it and the people who make it possible. I also don't make my caches premium only. I'd pay double for all the benefits and for the fun. I mean $30 a year? That's 3 movies...or 10 cups of coffee. I'd say a bargain for the fun I have.

We tried. We even invited them along with us and they got "w"itchy. Oh well Hubby will always come first (until we have kids) I went to Geowoodstock this year and stayed with a friend. I even told him he didn't have to go and I would rent my own car. Anyway, it was obvious he didn't want to be there, so we left early, I didn't get to do the triad because that was out of the question to ask (too far), and we didn't make it to Groundspeak HQ because we had to be on time for dinner with his friend (who asked us to stop on the way to get cigs, so obviously wasn't that much in a hurry). It put a dent in our friendship. I will not be asking him to go geocaching again, and if I do go try the triad, it will be on my own, and I will stay at a hotel. Most of my friends regard me with bemusement. Some want to try it, and most are happy I'm doing it, but so far, no real converts. I found 10 today by the way. I went with my dog and we had a great time.

I don't remember ever seeing this 2qwerqE post back in 2004, but I guess not surprisingly, I stumbled into this book a number of years ago at a bookstore. I bought it (in hardcover), and loved it, and still have it. I'm not sure if you still follow the forums 2qwerqE, but thanks for the suggestion! I love maps too, and I've read that book but had forgotten the title. Coincidental. Anyway, I buy maps for my class to do out of my own pocket because I think they're so cool, and the maps are poster sized and awesome. I always do one first as an example. I think you can safely say that a lot of geocachers love maps.

I don't remember ever seeing this 2qwerqE post back in 2004, but I guess not surprisingly, I stumbled into this book a number of years ago at a bookstore. I bought it (in hardcover), and loved it, and still have it. I'm not sure if you still follow the forums 2qwerqE, but thanks for the suggestion! I love maps too, and I've read that book but had forgotten the title. Coincidental. Anyway, I buy maps for my class to do out of my own pocket because I think they're so cool, and the maps are poster sized and awesome. I always do one first as an example. I think you can safely say that a lot of geocachers love maps.

One of mine has been held hostage by a well-known cache owner, who, on his page, put something like, "You shouldn't keep a TB longer than 2 weeks". He's had my coin since the beginning of June. I think some TB hotels are good, but they can be iffy. I like to release my coins from a cache I have down the street. I rarely check it, but I have put coins in there, and they're gone so I'm assuming they're moving on.

I saw some cool puzzle page caches in San Diego, but they seemed to be inside jokes, because I didn't have the first idea of how to start...I'll have to work on those. Anyway, one was just a blue rectangle. The blue was like the color of deep water or something.

I was at the South Lake Tahoe Event and saw the same two guys at GW8. I've also met you at an event and when we both went for a FTF but lost out to Da-Ewoks, and finally, in one forum you mentioned Eagle River, and I go there every year, and we both work for the same school district. Strange no? I haven't gotten any of your caches yet, but you have found a couple of mine. It's only a matter of time until I get to the SC area though...we have a funny little caching world. I also am doing a 365 day challenge cache and couldn't remember the GC #. Wrote to a guy who had a similar cache challenge. He told me the # and was also at the Lake Tahoe event. Then, when I went to get the GC #, it was by a cacher in Minnesota, where I was visiting at the time, and a) I had already found two of his caches to count for the challenge, and the final cache is less than 3 miles from my friend's house in MN. And I'm in California!

I would wonder at the motivation of whomever placed it....it would seem dangerous if a muggle came across it. They might think it was something like TNT or something. I don't know what you can do about it though.

I don't go for that many FTF's if they're not convenient, but it is fun to go for them at times. I agree with you, that it is only courteous to log asap, but as someone who went to find one before work (but didn't find it), I wouldn't have had a chance to log it until after work...I would never do that on purpose though, nor would I rip out a log page. FTF is FTF, and I try and give the benefit of the doubt. However, I only have 3 so I'm no authority.

Glad you made it home to go caching, and thanks for your service. (I'm assuming you're in the military).

Wow! I just saw your drawings. I'm not too mechanical but I sure would love to find it. Wish the cache was in California!

I did that once. FTF named the cache. The resultant name was "Fermi's Paradox" A far better name than I could have come up with. If I'm at a loss for a name sometimes I'll go to my iTunes library, put it on shuffle and pick the first song name that comes up. I like puns, or what I would name the location, or a hint if it's a 3 star (Molly Malone for a shell cache. Lyrics mention different types of shells. I didn't want to be too obvious and say she sells seashells by the seashore).

I'd check your coords. I've found the maps to be pretty accurate. It was good of you to double check and not post them...that would have been some frantic and frustrated FTF seekers.