Tassie_Boy

If it Doesn't affect you then don't use it. Do you tick all the other attributes that apply for your caches anyway? I mean ALL? If you don't know then skip over that one just like you probably skip over the one that declares whether or not there's a loo nearby. And Yes many people use a Phone to Geocache. They are small enough to fit in a pocket, are something that many have anyway, pick up the same information that Handheld units (isn't that a stupid term) do AND compared to many dedicated GPS units I've used, Phones are often more user friendly. Get Over It, It's part of the way the game is played. If you're such a purist then put down the GPS and whip out the maps, I can't stand it when people complain they need an easier way to load GCs onto their GPS. Keep A map with you at all times and just write them on by Hand!! !!

As a CO about the only option you have is to write it out in letters in the description BUT if GS were looking for ideas for new attributes then this could be one. Obviously differences between companies may complicate things as the OP says but would give a pretty good idea.

If it took you to the munzee site then it is a munzee, only masquerading as a geocache. Probably breaks all sorts of munzee guidelines with unauthorized use of someone else's trademark.

Never thought I'd get a chance to add to this discussion as the local Geocachers here are generally very good, the tourists on the other hand (as usual) are a whole different story apparently. The cache in question is a part of a community power trail and is probably the only power trail in the state. I found it about a fortnight ago and DNF'd, went back to the page last night to see if anyone had found it since and someone had... sort of.. Found it, The Bloke Before Me, 11/10/2014 the caches gettin' smaller... tftc DNF, Me, 26/12/2014 Spotted "the rock" but unable to spot "the cache" Found it, LyingCheatingBastardCacher, 5/1/2015 I searched for 15 minutes for this cache without success. Given the accurate description, and the previous dnf, I replaced the cache on my trek back down the trail with a dreaded micro plastic tube the same as most of the other caches on the trail. And naturally the next log is a Found it. The concept of this powertrail is great, it's not saturated by a single cacher so hide styles vary along the track, I even got my first letterbox that day as a PT cache in amongst the traditionals. By extension it's probably not a completely bad thing the community assists to maintain the caches but for god's sake if you replace the container DON"T CLAIM THE BLOODY FIND! It's not as though you've hidden it then flashed yourself with the Men In Black Forgetty Stick.

You mean I could use my phone to type words and other people can see that and type back to me? We could call it....texting. apples and oranges. A chat feature allows multiple concurrent users to participate in a discussion. Texting is just between to people. Of course would also allow cachers to be contactable without the need to exchange phone numbers or using the dicky email system that GS currently, didn't we recently have a heap of hooplah over users without a registered email address and ate therefore not at all contactable?

Right. There's a quality-caching game within the larger game that keeps Groundspeak happy. It just takes some filtering to find it. I'm surprised Groundspeak feels they have influence over the game - the more I see how people are changing it over time the less I think they keep up with us. In the past couple years Challenges have skyrocketed and aside some guidelines from reviewers, we have no icon or anything, though they are largely placed where the coordinates say they are and are usually some readily identifiable container, they remain Unknown types (as if to say, we have no idea what to do with this thing.) These international participation caches are a very cool concept, too. I can't see them existing in large numbers as the inter-cache logistics are quite demanding upon those who try to move things along, but as a rewarding part of the greater game they are a good thing. As to the continued stance on Virtuals, it's really a shame because many public lands managers would love Virtuals - particularly as physical caches aren't going to be allowed, and not everything can be stated in Geological terms no matter how people stretch Earthcaches. I hope HQ finds their footing with enabling the game this year, rather than finding more ways to limit and control it. I could be completely wrong as i have never really looked into the game at all but isn't Waymarking supposed to fill the gap left by virtuals?

When you are geocaching you are given the coordinates of the cache, of the whole surface of the earth those coordinates put you within a few feet of the exact point where that cache is hidden. Part of the challenge of finding the cache is working out the best route to the cache. You say that the cache is on public land. .. you say that the canals in florida are on public land but not whether the cache is next to a canal, i can only assume that it is. Are you sure that the way you took was the ONLY way to access the cache? I think what I'm taking exception to in this topic is the idea that CO's 'should' or 'need' to provide way points showing parking or the start of walking tracks or even the best way to access the cache. That sort of thing is up to the cacher and their research before going to find the cache.

There's that and there's also the fact it wouldn't have fixed coordinates. A geocache must be able to be found worth a gps and that's not possible with a standard cache that's always on the move. Good luck getting permission for it and there's a whole heap of other guidelines that would be difficult to work around.

Haven't tried that but normally if i'm caching without data available then i'll save to an offline list in the app and work with that, you get all the information you need. Another thought... is it possible for you to just get a local sim card in france? may save carrying something else around with you and only 1 battery to charge at end of day.

If you want to experience the paid app without paying first then have a play around with the website. The website shows all (bar pmo if applicable) caches, giving you a chance to see what multi, puzzle etc are all about. After that the paid app is basically a mini version of the full website.

Grab the official app, download your caches over wifi and turn mobile data off. No need for new equipment or for stupidly expensive overseas data plans.

I find it fairly easy using the Groundspeak paid app. I cruise the map around where I'm going, having a look at cache pages. Anything that catches my eye I add to an offline list making them all available in one place and if I happen to be in an area without any reception I still have access to all the cache details. Often I do the map cruising on the computer and transfer the GC code to the App. It would be nice however if the "Send to Phone" button on the cache pages actually worked and sent that cache to the phone app.

How do you log a DNF on a puzzle from the intro app? I thought it only showed traditionals.

What would you guess the percent of cacher in your area are on geocaching.com vs. your national website? There are other websites here as well, but no one uses them. Can't speak for CJ and the Russian website (which I hear is quite popular due to allowing submissions in the local language) but I do know that geocaching.com.au claim to have 20% of Australian caches listed exclusively on their site, looking at their map (they list both their own caches AND GC caches) it appears that in certain parts of my state the proportion of GCA caches is pushing 50%.

I do not think it is an issue related to the app. The cacher either has not found the cache or means something like he walked 6.25 km (maybe from cache to cache?). Could be the App, it's not unusual for the android version to have a hissy fit as you go between screens and accuracy plummets to ridiculous numbers like 11 or 25 km before recomposing it self again. It could have been logged while it was still finding itself.

If you are going to paint it then don't worry about sanding it, just hit it with a decent primer that's suitable for plastic first. I used some on a cache I'm working on at the moment and it came up pretty smichko. I lot easier too and a spray can's worth was only around $7.

Because with Scouts (not so much cubs) if they are going for a badge it Is up to the scout to find out about rules, guidelines etc as a part of getting the badge. Sadly, here in Australia and I suspect America would be worse, the onus has been taken off the scout and many leaders simply walk them through the badgework with a minimum of effort on both sides rather than actually challenging the scout. *** Just had a look at the website that lists all of the American badges and it appears to me that it is simply about churning out badges. There is a lot that are extremely specific and many that seem to overlap with others. This sort of attitude is always going to cause issues and to be honest, short of an award scheme overhaul your best hope is that the badge is removed from the scheme. ***

Really does need rethinking/rewriting. The scout is personally responsible for the first three months... WHO is responsible for the second three months??? And, they only need to monitor the logs for the first month. IF they set a cache, I think they should be responsible for it for the three months minimum required by Groundspeak, the cache should then be Archived and removed, THEN share with your counselor and get your Merit Badge (If you've done things correctly! ). As a MB counselor, I wish I had the option of requiring the boy to show me physical evidence that the cache has been removed along with a printed screenshot of the archive post. Alas, BSA stipulates that we as merit badge counselors cannot add to or subtract from the requirements. As a geocacher though, I can highly encourage the boys to opt for option 8d and help organize a CITO event. IMO, that option is much more beneficial to everyone involved and still helps said boy earn the badge. I guess I needed to go back and read the cache placement guidelines again as I thought the "long term" issue was meant as years, not months. Wow, BSA took that rather literally... So what are the requirements for the badge? It sounds to me like it should be a 3 month process to get the badge, go through the process of putting it out, recieve logs, then bring back in. Any scout who doesn't follow through on the whole process is breaking their promise by breaking the scout law and as such should not be eligible to receive the badge.

The problem isn't with how different the cache is from a real No Trespassing sign, but rather how much one has to investigate the next No Trespassing sign in order to determine that it isn't a geocache. No matter how well the page on this cache is, we cannot determine whether the next cache just isn't a No Trespassing sign or is a No Trespassing sign that just isn't as well described. They can investigate the next sign all they want but they STILL won't find a box behind it hiding a log book.

You can hardly blame the CO for the cacher not getting all the information they need before going out. The description is there for a reason and if cacher needs to go back a second time because they didn't get information provided easily by CO then that's their bad luck.

I think we need to think about what Trespassing means. There is no exception for shopping because shopping is a legitimate reason to be on the property and therefore you are not trespassing. A No Trespassing sign put up on the boundaries of a farm means that if you enter the property to wood hook, do burn-outs in paddocks, run your own goats in his poppy crop then you are going to be shot. If however you are entering to go straight to the Big House or an a agronomist going to look at a crop etc, etc, etc then you are there for a legitimate reason and are fine. Same applies to the carparks we are seeing, if you are there to shop or some other activity approved by centre management then you are fine. If however you try to run a retail business out of the back of your car, or use the carpark as a race track or pub, or suspiciously mope around parked customer's cars while looking for a geocache then you should expect a visit from the boys in blue.

Why in god's name do people who feel so uncomfortable with caches for whatever reason still feel the need to jump in and go get it?? It makes no sense!

There's a setting in settings to set your home address (it's early, leave me alone...) after you do that it will bring up local caches when ou press "search for nearby caches" on the front page, should centre right over your house.

To be completely honest your best bet is just to relax, take a deep breath, and go geocaching. By all means cover up and put on some Rid or Bushmans as you would anyway, but don't panic about them. I've been heading bush for 30 odd years now and have never had a Tick on me, infact I think I know only 1 person who has had one. Normally I'm more worries about leeches than ticks on myself.

On the app (assuming you are using the GS app) there is another square green box directly to the right of the "found it" button, they are practically joined together. This second box has a lighter coloured arrow in the bottom right hand corner, if you press on it it brings down a menu with all the other logging options. It isn't well signposted and it took me about a month after the last update to work it out but it can be done.