skydiver

I get the whole site, zips, coords, descriptions, hints, and all, on my Kyocera 6035 running Blazer through Verizon. Have used it from cache sites on several occasions to re-read descriptions and decrypt hints. It's another option, for those of us that can't go anywhere without being wired in. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

No, wait, I take that back. That's a good idea. 'This TB's goal is to go to Siberia ... and stay there.' --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

No, wait, I take that back. That's a good idea. 'This TB's goal is to go to Siberia ... and stay there.' --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

It also helps to attach an info card to the bug to explain what it is, and how to log it. I won't go into details here because this topic has been discussed greatly in other threads. ( There were some great ideas in this one.) From what I've heard so far, those bugs with cards attached seem to go missing less often. Some people even go so far as to put the bug and card in their own ziplock baggie, which seems to work really well. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

It also helps to attach an info card to the bug to explain what it is, and how to log it. I won't go into details here because this topic has been discussed greatly in other threads. ( There were some great ideas in this one.) From what I've heard so far, those bugs with cards attached seem to go missing less often. Some people even go so far as to put the bug and card in their own ziplock baggie, which seems to work really well. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

Last night I received several emails regarding a cache on my watch list. It seems that someone added a note to the cache page, and then edited that note several times, and I was sent an email for every edit. Seems like I probably should just receive email when someone adds a note or found/not found log. I think getting another email when they correct the spelling in one word on that note might be overkill. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

Last night I received several emails regarding a cache on my watch list. It seems that someone added a note to the cache page, and then edited that note several times, and I was sent an email for every edit. Seems like I probably should just receive email when someone adds a note or found/not found log. I think getting another email when they correct the spelling in one word on that note might be overkill. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

quote:Originally posted by Alan2: I respect your maintenance schedule but I don't understand why you need to check your cache every 3-5 visitors. Unless you are picking up from the logs on the web page that there's a problem, what's to maintain? Also, if no one's been there for awhile, why check? If it's been stolen you'll know about it pretty soon from the logs. I guess what I'm saying is if the logs appear upbeat, happy and no problems indicated, why go there to check? What am I missing? Excellent question! Obviously if the visitors are mentioning some problem, then I would want to go check the cache ASAP. However, let me give a short list of actual problems I've found with my own caches that weren't mentioned in the logs. A. The cache was not hidden nearly as well as I had originally hidden it, leaving it subject to possible discovery by non cachers. B. A 'geocacher' had stuffed the cache with advertising brochures which I obviously removed. C. A Travel Bug had appeard in the cache that hadn't been logged by anyone. I had to figure out who dropped it, and get it properly logged. D. Several visitors had written travel bug tracking numbers in the physical log which I needed to scratch out so that they couldn't be abused by people who didn't actually find the bug. I'm sure the next time I visit my caches, I'll discover something new that needs to be 'fixed'. So my answer is, you never know what you're going to find, but just because nobody's logged a problem online, doesn't mean there isn't a problem. Now, I may certainly find with time that my schedule is too aggresive and can easily be scaled back. But I'd rather be too aggressive than too casual. And I will always stand by my belief that if you plant a cache without the intention of checking up on it with some sort of regularlarity, then you're doing nothing more than glorified littering. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

quote:Originally posted by Alan2: I respect your maintenance schedule but I don't understand why you need to check your cache every 3-5 visitors. Unless you are picking up from the logs on the web page that there's a problem, what's to maintain? Also, if no one's been there for awhile, why check? If it's been stolen you'll know about it pretty soon from the logs. I guess what I'm saying is if the logs appear upbeat, happy and no problems indicated, why go there to check? What am I missing? Excellent question! Obviously if the visitors are mentioning some problem, then I would want to go check the cache ASAP. However, let me give a short list of actual problems I've found with my own caches that weren't mentioned in the logs. A. The cache was not hidden nearly as well as I had originally hidden it, leaving it subject to possible discovery by non cachers. B. A 'geocacher' had stuffed the cache with advertising brochures which I obviously removed. C. A Travel Bug had appeard in the cache that hadn't been logged by anyone. I had to figure out who dropped it, and get it properly logged. D. Several visitors had written travel bug tracking numbers in the physical log which I needed to scratch out so that they couldn't be abused by people who didn't actually find the bug. I'm sure the next time I visit my caches, I'll discover something new that needs to be 'fixed'. So my answer is, you never know what you're going to find, but just because nobody's logged a problem online, doesn't mean there isn't a problem. Now, I may certainly find with time that my schedule is too aggresive and can easily be scaled back. But I'd rather be too aggressive than too casual. And I will always stand by my belief that if you plant a cache without the intention of checking up on it with some sort of regularlarity, then you're doing nothing more than glorified littering. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

quote:Originally posted by Renegade Knight: First ofall I'm going to knock a rule. "one should not place caches if one can not maintain it" On the surface this is a good idea. On the other hand, it's bunk because there are a lot of good areas deserving of a cache that are not close to a geocacher who can maintain it regularly. Further the further out in the bush the cache is the less maintainence it actually needs. I totally agree that the more remote a cache is, the less maintenance it requires. But that doesn't excuse the placer the responsibility of maintaining it. If a cache only gets a couple visitors a year, then it may only require maintenance once every year or two. And, if there are no geocachers close enough to the location to maintain a cache there regularly ... then it must be pretty remote and not get a lot of visitors (see above paragraph). So, I still say .. if you can't maintain the cache, don't place it. But by "maintain", I don't mean visit it every week or month. I define maintenance as checking on the cache every 3 - 5 visitors, and being available to confirm the caches existence in a reasonably timely manner (based on how often it gets visitors), if it gets a couple no finds in a row. The 3-5 visitor rule means that I'm checking up on one of my caches once or twice a week, while another will be more like once or twice a year at the rate it's going. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

quote:Originally posted by Renegade Knight: First ofall I'm going to knock a rule. "one should not place caches if one can not maintain it" On the surface this is a good idea. On the other hand, it's bunk because there are a lot of good areas deserving of a cache that are not close to a geocacher who can maintain it regularly. Further the further out in the bush the cache is the less maintainence it actually needs. I totally agree that the more remote a cache is, the less maintenance it requires. But that doesn't excuse the placer the responsibility of maintaining it. If a cache only gets a couple visitors a year, then it may only require maintenance once every year or two. And, if there are no geocachers close enough to the location to maintain a cache there regularly ... then it must be pretty remote and not get a lot of visitors (see above paragraph). So, I still say .. if you can't maintain the cache, don't place it. But by "maintain", I don't mean visit it every week or month. I define maintenance as checking on the cache every 3 - 5 visitors, and being available to confirm the caches existence in a reasonably timely manner (based on how often it gets visitors), if it gets a couple no finds in a row. The 3-5 visitor rule means that I'm checking up on one of my caches once or twice a week, while another will be more like once or twice a year at the rate it's going. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

quote:Originally posted by makaio: Unfortunately I won't be in the area, but it sounds like a cool cache idea. What's more, as the cache finder gets to decide what to take from a cache, seems like a prime opportunity to pick up some cool camping gear - Ha ha. That's specifically why I listed 'My Supplies' seperate from 'Stuff to Trade' in the cache contents. However, if a single, attractive, twenty-something female geocacher wants to trade out Me for something, then I might bend the cache rules just a bit. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

quote:Originally posted by makaio: Unfortunately I won't be in the area, but it sounds like a cool cache idea. What's more, as the cache finder gets to decide what to take from a cache, seems like a prime opportunity to pick up some cool camping gear - Ha ha. That's specifically why I listed 'My Supplies' seperate from 'Stuff to Trade' in the cache contents. However, if a single, attractive, twenty-something female geocacher wants to trade out Me for something, then I might bend the cache rules just a bit. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

On the off chance that anyone in this forum is up for a road trip in a week and a half, you might want to come find The Human Geocache. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

On the off chance that anyone in this forum is up for a road trip in a week and a half, you might want to come find The Human Geocache. --------------------------------------- Friends don't let friends NOT geocache. ---------------------------------------

Haven't been able to click on the "Geocaching Gear" link since last night ... in case you didn't already know. --- Two paths diverged in a wood, and my... my GPSr pointed dead center between them. ---

and don't remember what the answer was either. Would also like the option to not have to look at caches I've found, placed, or have been archived. --- Two paths diverged in a wood, and my... my GPSr pointed dead center between them. ---

quote:Originally posted by cachew nut: It might make it a bit easier, but as soon as you clicked the link to see the profile, you would first be brought to the login screen since a login is required to view a profile. Not if when you log in, you select "remember who I am", or whatever that option is called. --- Two paths diverged in a wood, and my... my GPSr pointed dead center between them. ---

Just a simple suggestion. When I get an email from a geocacher contacting me through geocaching.com, it would be nice to have a link in the email to the users 'Profile' page. --- Two paths diverged in a wood, and my... my GPSr pointed dead center between them. ---

A fellow geocacher and I bought a set of 8 travel bugs together (four for him, four for me), because it was cheeper that way. They were bought under his account, butI've used two of my four with no problems. Short answer: It's the activation code that ties it to your account. --- Two paths diverged in a wood, and my... my GPSr pointed dead center between them. ---

quote:Originally posted by Ken & Robin: How about this shot: http://www.wi-geocaching.com/cgi-bin/slide/album.pl?photo=00000001/CacheBash_02/BriansDesMoines067.jpg Hey! My signature resembles that shot. --- Two paths diverged in a wood, and my... my GPSr pointed dead center between them. ---

quote:Originally posted by El Diablo: I have placed caches while on vacation without looking for other caches in the area. The first one I did research on and know there were no others even close to it. The second one was placed at the last minute so to speak and I have no idea if another is close. Both caches have people that can look after them for me. Can't say I'm a big fan of this method. Local cachers are going to have more familiarity with an area to know the best spots to plant a cache. Visitors should be hunting caches as a means of being introduced to these secret areas by the local cachers, not hiding caches in order to introduce the locals to ho-hum areas they already know about. Plus, if I'm going to babysit a cache, then darn-it, it's gonna be one I planted or a good one planted by another local who is unable to continue to look after it, not one tossed out the window by a vacationer passing through with no interest in hunting the caches already here. --- Two paths diverged in a wood, and my... my GPSr pointed dead center between them. ---

quote:Originally posted by El Diablo: I have placed caches while on vacation without looking for other caches in the area. The first one I did research on and know there were no others even close to it. The second one was placed at the last minute so to speak and I have no idea if another is close. Both caches have people that can look after them for me. Can't say I'm a big fan of this method. Local cachers are going to have more familiarity with an area to know the best spots to plant a cache. Visitors should be hunting caches as a means of being introduced to these secret areas by the local cachers, not hiding caches in order to introduce the locals to ho-hum areas they already know about. Plus, if I'm going to babysit a cache, then darn-it, it's gonna be one I planted or a good one planted by another local who is unable to continue to look after it, not one tossed out the window by a vacationer passing through with no interest in hunting the caches already here. --- Two paths diverged in a wood, and my... my GPSr pointed dead center between them. ---

quote:Originally posted by boreal jeff: Has anyone developed a code of conduct for Geocaching. Something a person would read when first registering, or each time they hid a cache. 2. Be prepared or able to maintain your cache at least once a month. Check on the cache periodically. Periodically checking up on your caches to do maintenance is very important, but I don't think you can put a set time on it. I've got one cache that I've needed to go check on almost weekly since I placed it due to the large numer of visitors. But I'm planing a series of three next weekend that .. I'll be very surprised if they get more than a few visitors a year, even when this sport REALLY goes gangbusters. Nobody's gonna find these that's not a hardcore geocacher. I might go check up on them next year, or if not the year after, but probably not sooner. My rule of thumb is, check the cache after the first three visitors, then every five visitors after that. --- Two paths diverged in a wood, and my... my GPSr pointed dead center between them. ---

quote:Originally posted by boreal jeff: Has anyone developed a code of conduct for Geocaching. Something a person would read when first registering, or each time they hid a cache. 2. Be prepared or able to maintain your cache at least once a month. Check on the cache periodically. Periodically checking up on your caches to do maintenance is very important, but I don't think you can put a set time on it. I've got one cache that I've needed to go check on almost weekly since I placed it due to the large numer of visitors. But I'm planing a series of three next weekend that .. I'll be very surprised if they get more than a few visitors a year, even when this sport REALLY goes gangbusters. Nobody's gonna find these that's not a hardcore geocacher. I might go check up on them next year, or if not the year after, but probably not sooner. My rule of thumb is, check the cache after the first three visitors, then every five visitors after that. --- Two paths diverged in a wood, and my... my GPSr pointed dead center between them. ---