rogheff

Welcome BSATroop57 from BSA Troop 507!!!!! Geocaching, when you reduce it to it's nuts and bolts, is simply orienteering with electronics. Get a map with longitude/latitude coords and plot the location of the cache on the map, then orienteer your way to the hiding spot. You should be able to get to within 100' of the container (or less depending on your map). That being said, I'm sure there's a Scouter in your Council who caches and could assist you in a hunt. Word of caution, if you choose the orienteering approach, choose a cache that is fairly large and very simple!

I thought I'd chime in as a response to this. I'm not trying bash you, but there's is a LOT you can do to get more accurate coordinates when hiding caches. Not hiding caches in locations where your current equipment has limited satellite reception comes to mind. You're limiting me to sunny hilltops (and then I will get 16' of accuracy). The very last cache I placed was on a sunny hilltop with no trees within 100'. I had 176' of accuracy that day. I had a heck of a time getting accurate coords. I use the mapping/imaging programs to get me even closer. It's kinda hard to find hidey holes on sunny hilltops by the way.

Another idea since Boy Scouts use the Boundry Waters area extensively, I wonder if it's a private cache placed by a Boy Scout Council.

I like to bowl, I hate watching others bowl. I like to golf, I hate watching others golf. I like to geocache but I too, can't imagine why I'd watch others geocache. Even when I've popped into mini events set up to find one of my more difficult caches, it's irritating to watch others hunt - you just want to be hunting as well.

That would be a really interesting way to launch a travel bug or traveling cache!

I thought I'd chime in here. I'm that person who's caches always seem to be way off. When I hide a cache in the woods, it's a real "treat" trying to get satelite reception let alone accuracy. I spend a long time wandering around just trying to get reception. I usually cache with a 25' accuracy on my GPSr. On a bad day, I may get 48'. Sorry, not much I can do about that except try everything I can to get the coords as accurate as possible. I'm still at the mercy of the GPSr. I've met cachers on teh trails while looking for my caches. Once a good friend of mine was hunting for one of mine with his GPSr hanging from a branch at his GZ. I envied the fact that he got reception under the tree canopy. The container itself was 64' away from his GZ. It was about 16' away from my GZ on THAT day.

I have a Garmin Extrex Legend (blue) that has served me faithfully with no issues for years. I recently acquired an old Garmin 12 that I started to use and it works fine. All you really need is something that'll get you to the cache. I imput all the names and coords by hand. The other features (mapping and such) are nice, but add to the cost.

If you found it, then log it. But just because it's archived on www.geocaching.com doesn't mean it's not listed on another website or is now a private cache. I'd recommend sending an email to the cache owner.

I once found a very old ceramic doll at a cache site. The cache was placed in a very old treehouse near the ruins of an old farmstead. I found this old ceramic doll while scouring the site for the cache. I'm sure it has some value.

I have a private multi cache on Boy Scout property that has such a cache. It's on the C.O.P.E. course. Several stages of this cache require a seeker to use the buddy system. One stage in particular is designed around the part of the low C.O.P.E. course where a team of people have to remove a tire from around a telephone pole that extends maybe 20' into the air. They have to work together to remove the tire. Naturally, I placed the cache container near the top of that pole.

I had to move a new cache numerous times bcause of a puzzle cache in a park. I couldn't solve the puzzle , so saw this as an opportunity to zero in on the coords. I eventually found it after moving my cache maybe 4 times and hunting every conceivable spot fot the puzzle.

My favorite caches are the "evil" caches. I like to hunt for caches that blend into their environment so well that when I found it, I get the "WOW" factor. I've placed a bunch of evil caches and would caution others - the evil caches are the types that are stolen most often.

I leave a wooden nickle as a signature item. I hope that they end up in someone's personal coin collection and not stay in the bottom of a soggy cache. I have FTF wooden nickels that I place in my new caches.

Why would you want to place another cacher in danger? My son and I were attacked by an angry swarm of bees while hunting for a geocache a couple of years ago. I got 67 stings. That was not a pleasant day. Archive your cache!

I'm not sure anyone makes metal spikes anymore...everyone has gone to plastic. You and I don't shop at the same stores LOL. Try the thrift stores. You'll find dozens of metal spiked golf shoes.

One of the Dads in my Boy Scout Troop has a Kelty backpack dining fly that is quite lightweight. The fly is held up by two wooden poles about 7' in height. The poles are actually 2 wooden hiking staffs with a removable connector at about the 5' level. During their time as hiking staffs, they have a beautifully carved wooden topper that extends up about 6" from the connector. The additional 2' piece that screws on during their time as dining fly poles, is carried in a backpack. One person can use both poles as trekking poles, but more often, two Scouts use them as hiking staffs. As for collapsable poles, those poles use brass 2 piece flagpole connectors. The diameter is quite large as are the staffs. I use pool cue connectors in my multi-piece staffs. I use a shilellagh instead of a hiking staff on most hikes. At night, the shilellagh serves as a stand to support by backpack. When not in use, it simply folds up into my pack.

A hand-carved hiking stick can take me a while to carve. Fine details can take days or even a week to create. That being said, several months is unreasonable unless you were told that up front because he was backed up on work or something. I'd guess there's other issues going on. I followed a link to El Diablo's website through his profile page and did find a phone number listed. Did you try that?

I know of a small Minnesota cave but it's up on the Iron Range. It's at a place near Nashwauk called "The Big Rock". I placed a cache nearby when it goes live you can get the coords. I left my GPSr with the coords up north and it's being mailed back. If that cave will do, I'll gladly archive my for you if it's too close.

That being said, you could try using the spikes manufactored for golf shoes.

I've used a wide variety of tips on my canes, shilellaghs and walking sticks. I have used metal tipsin the past. They're great for digging into the ground, but are terrible on rocks or concrete. Honestly, the very best tip that I have found is a medical grade cane tip. These are more flexible and rugged than the tips you can get at the hardware store. I get mine from a Pharmacist friend. I've taken my personal geoshilellagh on all terrains from asphalt to boulders, climbing up steep gravel and soil slopes to steadying myself on ice. It has this heavy grade tip.

I once used "The Force" to become FTF on a cache that was over a mile away from it's posted coords.

The answer to your question is YES, you can hide a cache that's too hard to find. Cachers who don't read the cache description or ratings will go try to find every cache in a given area, then log nasty notes about your cache. Hide the caches however you want to hide them. Give descriptions how you like to give them. Give hints how YOU like to give them. Be very accurate in your cache rating. If people complain about not being able to find a 4 or 5 star difficulty cache, then too bad. They're supposed to be difficult to find. If you want to place a cache that's an easy walk up, then place a 1 star difficulty cache. Place them your way.

Oh, I see where this is heading. Let me head off any potential silliness and say that in my opinion, I think you should list that second cache on a seperate website, then nobody will be offended.

That's right, the only place you can find the coords for the second is in the first.

Bingo. A few years ago, I denied a dozen or so geocaches all hidden within a few hundred feet of each other, and none of them had the required park permit. The group that hid them must have never returned to pick up their geotrash. You know what this means....there's a dozen or so free geocache containers hidden a few hundred feet away from each other - go find them.