Katie-did

When you look at your class schedule for the following week and decide which lectures aren't "that important" and you can go caching instead. When you were wishing there was some kind of career in finding lost tupperware. . .

Someone said, "Hey, have you heard of this thing called geohunting or something? It's like a treasure hunt I guess." I went on my first "geohunt" with my sister and her fiance, and then I was hooked but had to wait a few months for Santa to drop off my GPSr.

At the end of the day, the only person's ethics you can truly challenge, judge, or change are your own. Play with integrity and hope that your integrity will become "contagious." Do not judge others too harshly or belittle their enjoyment of the game, you will scare them away from all of the positives that geocaching has to offer.

I have seen a lot of the large plastic pretzel or animal cracker barrels up here that seem to last quite well in winter. They are quite large, however, so only appropriate for big hiding spots. Also, it is best if these are wrapped or painted in some kind of camoflouge, even if painted all black/green. Otherwise the bright colors of the swag make them too easy to spot.

1999 Saturn sports car-- darn cute but not great for caching. In my area, there aren't a whole bunch of way off road caches, so I drive to parks/areas where I can get close, and then I walk in. It works great for me. Even if I could afford a car specifically for geocaching, I am a student and don't have tons of time to dedicate to caching, unfortunately.

I don't carry a firearm, or a knife at this point (although I would like some kind of a pocket knife, more to deal with terrain than anything). For those who don't want to carry a firearm, like myself, I highly recommend always bringing a geo-pal and telling someone else that you are going out. Plus, bring a cell phone if possible or if you are in a wilderness area and cell phone service is not an option, some places you can rent satellite phones to reach park rangers/wilderness rescuers etc.

Katie-did-- from Lakeville, but because of university I have done most of my caching in the Fargo/Moorhead area

I'm really new to geocaching, although after 2 finds with a pretty experienced cacher, I am totally hooked. I lurk because I learn, and the further into this game/sport/hobby I get the more I will post. Until then, I am waiting for Santa to drop a GPS unit down my chimney!