ohgrl

I started my caching in Michigan and know those signature cards well...and honestly don't think they take up much space. I also know alot of cachers in Michigan who use them and I have never known one to use it as a trade item, unless they are taking another card...only as an added bonus to those who collect them. My signature cards from Michigan are actually among my prized geocaching collection since I can't get them here in Delaware. It is regional too I think...I have not seen any in Delaware or the Eastern Shore of Maryland at all...with the odd exception of the Michigan cachers who have visited..and of course I got those cards too And yes I replaced them with something cool so I could continue my Michigan Signature Card collection.

No! By all means, never move a cache that you have found. Once you find a cache, you sign the logbook inside of it and then if you choose you can trade items (trade even or up means that if you take something you put something of equal or higher value back into it for the next person). Afterwards you replace the cache exactly as you found it and then you can choose to log back into geocaching.com and log your find on the computer for all to see.

yup to merge you have to do what briansnat says. A couple years ago I changed my name from what I had signed up under to ohgrl and went through the official process. I didn't have to relog anything, but it does take some time so just have patience once you email Groundspeak.

yup to merge you have to do what briansnat says. A couple years ago I changed my name from what I had signed up under to ohgrl and went through the official process. I didn't have to relog anything, but it does take some time so just have patience once you email Groundspeak.

If you cache alone as well as with the team, or want to keep 2 sets of records (one for you and one for the team), I would set up a second account. I had cached for 3 years as ohgrl and wanted to keep those records separate when I joined up with another cacher. Since now I never cache alone we set up a team name...but I still have my individual achievements.

Personally I don't like this type of hide...but there are those that do consider this unique. We have a local one that is similar where the phone is actually inside the doorway of a business that seems well received by the geocaching community...I only went for it because someone told me RIGHT where it was. You will find many cachers like those kind and many cachers like to put those on the "ignore"

I have placed items such as: used PDA (when I upgraded), cable modem for a computer (when I upgraded), gift certificates, old video games that I got bored with (you know the ones...you can't beat them and they mock you daily so you have to get rid of them), a fold up shovel, among other high end items. But honestly my best received items were the toys for the kids (new in packaged and not from McDonald's). I currently have a 5 gallon drum filled with all kinds of goodies that I just need a spot for...

I have always been uncomfortable with front yard caches due to the "risks" that can be involved. I have done a couple in MI before moving to DE and they were well done...but I did them in broad daylight with company and the CO knew we were coming. I now live in the country and have a backyard cache (on 11 acres placed by another cacher who lives here) and it seems to be well received even though it is only about .1 from the buildings. And the description states how far they should have to venture onto the property to find the cache. HOWEVER...there are really no close neighbors. And oddly...to date I have never seen one of the many cachers that have shown up. Point is...I can see it from both sides of the fence...if it is in a residential neighborhood it is wise to either a) make if VERY clear where it is or let ALL your neighbors know. If it is out in the middle of no where, you know the place...even Domino's doesnt deliver...then it should be ok as long as everyone on the property is aware.

Let me know as soon as you get it published ok? email me I will let you know. Should be within the next week or so, as soon as I can get life to quit interfering with caching

I am actually in the process of planning a museum cache too. I emailed the proper people for permission for one in their parking lot and they emailed back asking if I could put it inside instead (so they can watch as people find it) so I am planning a multi-cache for this one with one outside and one inside with clues on where to find the larger cache (inside one). There is no fee for this museum and the Director of Operations runs a couple of the ones in town and we will probably be doing a Museum Series...

I am definitely one of the wordier cachers in my area, even my DNFs are descriptive. I figure if I recount my adventure it may help someone...even if it means my DNF tells you what it is NOT. On the flip side...there have been days where I hit one too many micros 2 miles into the woods or in a parking lot and I get stingy with the words. I am a hider and a finder and I love to read the logs on my caches and see what I did wrong or what I did right, it helps me in planning my next hide.

...micro in the woods listed as an unknown size!! While I don't care too much for micros in the woods, I care even less for the ones I can't filter out...

I haven't put one out yet but some ideas: 1) Rest areas near highways 2) Park and rides (nearly always on a highway and readily available) 3) A tourist attraction (ie park, historic area/museum, etc)

I am actually liking this idea and thinking of putting one in Delaware, maybe two...Northern (near PA, MD and NJ) and one south near the beaches...I will scout it out this Sunday

I am a Michigander at heart, born and raised but transplanted to DelaWHERE. My favorite cache spots were actually in Baldwin (furthest north I cached), and of course Al Sabo in Kalamazoo. I sure do miss the Michigan scenery, but now I live in a state where I can drive 2 hours in nearly every direction and get a cache in another state...and yet I have yet to cache in PA, NJ, VA...I need to get going!

1) I agree...maintaine your cache, disable it, archive it or adopt it out 2) Some people pick up these items on vacation and may be a few days in logging them. Unfortunately this is a fact of life that not everyone has logging capabilities on the road. However, sometimes they are just missing...taken and not logged and that is frustrating. 3) Trackable items are NOT trade items and therefore do not follow the Trade up, trade even rule. These are meant to move from cache to cache and should not have to rely on waiting for someone who actually trades (you would be surprised at the number of cachers who do it for fun, not trades). And yes, they can take all the bugs as long as they are going to move them, regardless of what their trade was...sorry that is just how it goes. Don't let it dishearten you yet, a few bad apples and a few bad caches are not the norm. Get out there, get some great finds and you may soon find yourself part of the crowd that takes nothing but the experience. have fun! edit: apparently star types faster than me LOL but can read my mind since our replies are nearly identical

When I went through gc.com to have my name changed...I did not have to relog everything, it all came along with the new name...including the forums! It has not affected my logging history other than to change it on the individual webpages automatically...ie if you look for pugsley2869 having found GCXXXX on Jan 10, 2006 it will show ohgrl and not pugsley...

I tend to write wordy logs on my finds, I tell about the bugs, about taking the wrong trail (9 times out of 10!), about who accompanied me, what we saw, etc. But my DNF logs tend to be longer and at times funnier! I love reading long logs (or at least a few sentences) especially when I am on the trail PDA in hand looking for that "extra clue"

My question is this: Are you saying ALL micros are spew? Or just the unimaginative ones on power voltage boxes? If it is that all micros, that are easily accesible, are spew....then are you advocating that the handicap, temporarily unable to do long walks, workers on break, etc shouldn't have caches to go after? If we took out ALL urban micros what would the aforementioned folks have to go after? How do you propose getting the wheelchair up the mountain in order to get the Grade A (by your standard) ammo can? Sometimes, and I do use that loosely, the "lame urban micros" get those who could not otherwise enjoy the sport/hobby/addiction actually off the couch and enjoying themselves. Even the die hard cacher who suddenly breaks a leg becomes "grateful" (even if only temporarily) for them at one point or another...it feeds the addiction. As a cacher who received bad enough injuries in a car accident (on the way to a hiking cache) two years ago to STILL be off the trails rated above a 2 (and that is pushing it) I am grateful for most of the "spew." However, on that note, there are a few in my area that I have put on ignore (basically all from one hider) due to WHERE his hides are located (all in parking lots with a view of the back of a building, or a view of the trash dumpster). /off soapbox

For the most part I log my DNFs. When I am caching in a group larger than 2, I do not always log though. This is so that when five of us together cannot find we do not clog up the owners email or the last 5 logs. I use GSAK to find the DNFs and if there are too many I won't hunt it, I think that if more than two people are hunting together...only 1 or 2 should log the DNF. If I am hunting alone I ALWAYS log my DNF...have a) gotten great help that way, alerted a CO to a muggled cache they had just replaced within the week, c) had a great adventure on a DNF that just HAD to be told, and d) warned of just which rock to not move due to a wasps nest.

Hi there. I have used the Legend for over 2 years and it works great for me (b&w screen). It does NOT do street level turn by turn though - for that I use the Map It feature for areas I am not familiar with (it has streets on it) and print out the ones that have the caches I need (make sense?), then you just need either a navigator to read them to you or look and memorize your turns while pulled off to the side. The $85 sounds good to me, I think new they are around 200ish. Just make sure it has a cord or order one off ebay (I got a replacement there for 6.50, new they are 39) so you can download waypoints instead of hand input. Not sure about the PDA, I use a Zire 21 myself. But before I got it I did the cut and paste the pertinent info to Word or Notepad Good luck and good hunting

As a cacher who was suddenly unable to do anything but micros (including LPCs which I previously despised) I don't see why they are such a problem. Shouldn't the differently abled be able to cache too? Even if they can't hike in the woods or walk very far? I know there are plenty of cachers out there who, while recovering from a caching related...or other injury, have been thankful for the chance to cache..even if it meant a LPC. If not, then I guess I am the exception. I like caches...those I don't ever want to find I keep to myself and would never dream of telling someone their cache is lame or that in order to log my cache you have to NOT place a certain kind...especially if it excludes the gimpy cachers (no offense meant there, just couldn't find right term...and I am a gimpy cacher!)

I use Cachemate, I am not sure of the website for it but if you google it you will find it. There is a $6 charge however, but I love it!! It not only gives me the logs, information and coords, it has a spot to record your Took and Left...

Check with mi-geocaching.org They have a great relationship in most counties with the county park people, not to mention the state park organizations. They also have a thread going right now with a great form letter of someone who is requesting permission in Dowagiac. Someone in that forum would LOVE to help you!

They are not using geocaching to "cash in." We are actually assisting them as much as they assist us...they could easily say "No, you may not cache here." We work with the parks, just as they work with us. Some of these parks that "rent" them, actually loan them...for no fee. And yes, if I had just heard of the sport/hobby/addiction and did not have a GPS, I would definitely want to try before I buy and if I didn't know of anyone with a GPS then I wouldn't even be able to try it, now would I? So basically they article was not suggesting you go out and rent one of their pre-loaded GPSrs if you ALREADY have one...it was a mention for those who read the article and wanted to TRY before you BUY! Those parks are also the ones most likely to have "geocaching clinics" to help get the NEW person started And...just FYI...the word has been out...that is not the first article, nor will it be the last. Geocaching has been mention on TV (search the forums for Law & Order), in hiking magazines, local newpapers and newscasts (see the Michigan Geocaching, or any local geocaching forum...they all have links) going way back. [end rant] Disclaimer: This post is not meant to flame, insult or harass anyone...it was meant as education only, I apologize if it came across differently