6NoisyHikers

It costs money to operate a business, and a business should be able to make a profit above its expenses. I'm not particularly concerned what they do with the money. Groundspeak is a business, not a charity. I suppose if I found out they were using profits to burn down rainforest, I would reconsider my membership, but it's likely they are just out buying fancy hamster food. I pay for a premium membership for two reasons: 1. I LOVE POCKET QUERIES. They are incredibly handy, especially PQs along a route. 2. I'm willing to put my money into things I value. I'm using a service; it's a service that works well for me and I feel I am getting a lot out of it. BTW - I have yet to find a PMO cache, so I can't tell you whether or not they are better. Never thought about it. THIS is more than worth $30. So is THIS. And especially THIS.

Most puzzle caches have me stumped (or posted or ravined or rocked, as the case may be). I understand that the cache designer has gone to a lot of effort to create a puzzle, so I don't think it is right to give away answers - either on the forums OR on the phone. However, it would be nice to share some lessons about puzzles, maybe a list of things to look for or common types of codes; never attached to specific caches, of course, but things one might come across when attempting puzzles. The short of it is this: A forum discussion that leads to a publicized answer to a specific puzzle or mystery cache feels like an inappropriate action to me. It's not something I would want to participate in, just like I would not PAF to find a cache. BUT - I would like to see some discussion about basic puzzle knowledge (if there be any), just so I might have a half a chance at just getting started!

Ok, I was getting that too! I was at work (shh!) - we use FireFox. I also use FireFox at home and... checking... it doesn't seem to be happening here (although they may have sorted it out already - I'm not going back to work to find out!) Edit to add: Five minutes later the "Yes" window did pop up.

I think... In order for someone to place a cache with the intent to lure people into an isolated place to rob them, that person would have to know exactly when the cache would be published so they could be lying in wait for the FTF rush, and then be willing to camp out at the spot all hours of the day and night (mostly in the rain up here) hoping that a cacher without a dog or a big hiking stick would come along. I've always believed that ne'er-do-wells take the easiest route to commit their crimes. If you want to rob someone, wait in the shadows of a parking lot... (oh, wait... those darned LPCs! )

Comment link at the bottom of the article suggested this cache: GC3867A - Good Eats of the HD #7 If the shop owner doesn't know what it was, does that mean that proper permission was not given? Should Brindsy be held responsible for the cost of the bomb squad call-out? Also, should T&J+AJT be allowed to log a smiley on a blown up cache?

When I first started I was known (nowhere) as "notwriting", which recalls a lifelong hobby that has now been usurped by geocaching. I found my first cache with my daughter and realized that I didn't want to disclude my family from the account name so 6NoisyHikers was created. And, man oh man, we are noisy hikers. Okay, not all of us are noisy - only two of us in particular, #1 and #6. When those two are on the team, there is no such thing as stealth.

You may have to do several PQs in series if the trip is farther than 500 miles. We did a trip around BC that needed to be queried in four or five different sections to cover the complete distance. Also, you may want to play round a bit with your search radius. Depending on how much time you have to wander - or if you just hope to catch something at a rest stop - you can adjust the search radius so the results are narrowed down to caches that are not too far off your route. And speaking of time available, you can also select caches that are (so they say) easier to find - less than "2" difficulty. I had three days to drive from Los Angeles back home to BC and there was no way I wasn't going to pick up a few caches on the way. Being able to filter out the difficult ones was very helpful. One last thing: make sure you create these queries a few days before your trip just in case you screw up on the data you enter. You are only allowed five PQs per day so you want to be able to resubmit if something goes wrong (I always waste at least one every time)

One more, then to bed... Have a holly, jolly Cachemas It’s the best time of the year There’s no ticks or mosquito sticks To bite you on your ear Have a happy, snappy Cachemas Just be sure to bundle well Don your boots and grab your touque And caching will be swell Oh ho, through snow you’ll go Searching for the stash Just watch out for thin ice When reaching for the cache! Have a beepy, boopy Cachemas And just when your drawing near Oh by golly, hope your smiley's jolly At Cachemas this year!

Away In A Forest Away in a forest, No muggles in sight We found an old ammo can Closed up so tight Twas nestled so snugly Beneath a great tree Surrounded by geo-sticks As camo, you see We pried the lid open My partner and I Some swag and a logbook Inside we did spy With pen we did label Our long caching name To show all who seek here We’re friends of the game So let your finds cheer you Let DNFs slide For caching is joyous There’s no room for pride And make your days busy And keep friends around And pray there be always A cache to be found

There are keychain-sized bendy rubber stick men with openings in their faces to put pictures that might tolerate some travel. Other than that, I can't think of anything that is "re-drawable" that is small. I bought my son a paintable character keychain from Michaels, but that is a one-draw deal.

I would be interested in knowing how many of those non-responsive COs were trend cachers - people who found out about Geocaching, ran out and bought all the stuff, then gave it up after six weeks when something new and shiny caught their eye.

We bring a few sheets of paper towel in case a container is damp, a handful of various-sized ziplocks (you can get extra small ones in the craft aisle of the dollar store), and two plastic shopping bags for CITO. Oh, and a small container of hand-santizer...

I've pulled the "architecture student" act a few times. If you have a sketchbook, pencil and camera - even a small measuring tape - you can pretend you are studying the details. And it give you a good excuse to get up close and personal with struts and bolts...

We have a Magellan Explorist GC, designed specifically for Geocaching and nothing else. It works well for us, gets us down to ground zero 90% of the time (though it doesn't seem to like big city buildings), and is easy for everyone in the family to use - even our 8 year old. And we bought it for $150. Takes 2 AA batteries and doesn't eat them like after dinner mints. But, it's just for geocaching so if your hubby is an outdoorsman who also likes to hunt/fish/hike, you would be better off with a different model with more bells and whistles. Sorry I can't recommend anything specific in that class. If he is into it more than you are and he knows that, perhaps some hand-made coupons good for "one cache on the way home from shopping" or "an afternoon of hiking", etc would be a nice stocking stuffer Edited because I forgot how old my youngest child is

+1 Gobble Gobble Gobble! Three "gobbles" for our awesome reviewers and moderators!

Emergency rain ponchos and hand sanitizing wipes are good. We have a bunch of those dehydrated camp towels too.

In these instances, an owner could resolve the situation from home by entering an owner maintenance note that states "log will be okay, it is RIR paper" or "Please log a DNF if you did not find it. Cache will be checked after 5 DNFs (or whatever number you see fit)." That would be a fair way to clear a NM and would leave a "paper" trail if anyone decided to call an owner on how they are handling NMs.

Here's my "least-amount-of-effort" idea: With 3 and then 4 separate caches listing NM*: Automated email that says "Dear User, this email is a friendly reminder that the following 3 (or 4) caches require your attention - GC###, etc. Once you have resolved these issues THIS is how to clear the NM log. Please remember that if you accrue 5 caches needing maintenance, you will not be able to list new cache placements on Geocaching.com until these maintenance issues have been resolved. Thanks!" With 5 NMs: "Dear User, this email is to inform you that your cache listing privileges have been suspended until you resolve the maintenance requirements for the following 5 caches - GC###, etc. Once you have resolved these issues THIS is how to clear the NM log. Your ability to list caches on Geocaching.com will be reinstated once these maintenance issues have been resolved. Thank you for your attention." And there could be some contact info if a user had any questions. *This avoids the multiple NMs a cache might get from several users reporting the same issue. Of course it doesn't solve the problem of liars, cheats and socks, but it seems (to a non-programmer) to be a fairly simple system to set up that should put a stop to the worst offenders. If the delay to physically take care of a NM is a reasonable/seasonable issue, the cache should be disabled until the owner can get to it. That could clear that cache from the NM pile as, technically, seekers would not be searching for it in vain and doing environmental damage in the process. That doesn't stop caches from being abandoned to become geo-litter just so an owner can place new ones, but again you can't stop those who are determined to cheat the system. Again (don't count me twice!), I support this idea - feasible or not.

A thought: Isn't our ability to log NM and NA already a type of "cache policing"? I can think of a few high-number hiders in my area who should be officially encouraged to take care of their hides. A few good reasons that have nothing to do with the right to play the game the way you want are: 1. A missing cache means the area around GZ will get more trampling and pillaging than necessary, which can be tough on the environment. 2. A broken or trashed cache with an unsignable log book is just garbage in the woods. There is enough out there already, we don't need to add to it. I think if we want to avoid that "black eye" we all talk about, one of the best ways is to be slightly stricter about how users treat the environment where we play our game. I think lack of owner maintenance is enough of an issue to warrant some changes. (There are other issues, but this is the topic here.) I believe that responsible cache owners will be able to handle a new rule that involves consequences for multiple NM logs. Irresponsible cache owners will not, which should solve the bulk of that problem. I'd like to add that I also agree that just because a problem is difficult to solve, that doesn't mean a solution shouldn't be attempted!

Tupperware Ninja

We had a similar issue with our first hide. We were all excited, placed the container and then found out that we were too near to a mystery cache that had its published coordinates as being a few kilometres away. Fortunately our reviewer told us which cache we were conflicting with. We solved the puzzle, found the cache and moved our cache an appropriate distance away. If your reviewer could tell you the GC code of the caches you are having proximity issues with, you might be able to hook up with a PM in your area and find them together. PS... We ended up moving our cache to a much nicer spot so it turned out to be for the best anyway

I want that "Focus" t-shirt with the stickcacher about to walk off a cliff because he's watching his GPS screen. Also (and sorry I don't have brand names, etc) I think it would be nice to get: Some kind of multi-drawer storage system like the kind you keep hardware in (you can get them at Home Depot) so you can sort your swag. An "over-the-back-of-the-seat" car organizer with pockets for the same purpose. Rechargable batteries - do they make car chargers? An extendable rod with a magnetic tip. Good stocking stuffers would be a roll of log stickers, new gloves, dollar store emergency rain ponchos, hand santizer, CITO bags and latex gloves. It would be cool to create an annual scrapbook of your geocaching adventures (although that might be a really HUGE undertaking for some eager cachers).

When walking in the woods, always send your tallest child out first to clear the path of spiderwebs. As for branches, I always hold them out of the way and so does my daughter. The hubby and the boys, however, tend towards the "push and slap" method.

We really enjoy finding travellers as well, it's fun to see where they've been and we feel good when we can add a bunch of mileage to them. When NoisyHiker #6 is with us, he appreciates an action figure or two, so long as they are in good shape. Of course, some days just finding the cache itself is our greatest success, as often they are placed with spurious precision. Am I first? Where's my donut?

Oh boy, oh boy, oh IBTL boy...