NatureGuy360

Why yes, yes I have.

I have nothing to test at this time but I thought I would still drop by and say Hello.

Metal. (Lots of micros and most nanos are magentic.) The "metal" trick works very well in most cases especially in urban environments. However I have searched for micros in the middle of the woods that contained no metal whatsoever. For those Geocaches it's important to let your own intuition guide you. Just ask yourself if you were hiding a micro here where would you hide it? More often than not that is the correct location. Also remember that when it comes to finding a tough micro you are not alone. I have been to several micros that took me multiple attempts and a lot of headaches before I finally found it. True it may seem like everyone else just "rolls up and notices them right away" but in reality that is not always the case. They may have spent hours before they finally found it. It all boils down to determination and always checking under every rock and at the bottom of every lamp post. Sure it may take a time or two but just remember that the micro is there and you will find it.

How about Sleep Out Let's Party?

Although I have never written Geocaching down as a hobby on any applications I have been asked by my friends, family, and coworkers what my hobbies are. I always love their priceless reaction when I tell them it's Geocaching. "Geo-what-ing? What's that?"

On the contrary I think Geocaching is actually disrupting my single life.

Looks good.

As a member of law enforcement I have found that my most valuable weapon is actually... my mind. Being smart about the situation is the key. However for those times when you are forced to use practical protection against an aggressor pepper spray works wonders.

What happens here is Geocachers will often fall victim to the domino effect. Geocachers can only return a Geocache to the spot that they found it in. So if one Geocacher returns it to the wrong spot then the next Geocacher who comes along will find it and return it to the same wrong spot. Over time this chain reaction can cause a Geocache to end up way off course. The leading culprit? Human imperfection. Although sometimes it's just simply lazy people.

I lost my first two Travel Bugs before they could ever make it out of the state. As I have learned the hard way attaching a Travel Bug to a cool toy almost guarantees the bug's demise. Oh well back to the drawing board again for a new Travel Bug idea. Farewell "Cleared for departure" and "Cleared for takeoff."

The best (and only) FTF prize that I have gotten is my own self gratitude on a job well done. Yes, I know it's all about the journey not the destination.

I was geocaching on a trail in a heavily wooded area at a local park. Convinced that no one else was around for hundreds of yards I began concentrating deeply on the hunt. I had my eyes focused close to the ground when out of seemingly no where a team of bicyclist came zooming by me! I think I was more startled to see them than they were of me just wondering around in the woods.

I have completed one cache that required you to search for it in the dark. It was set up so that your coordinates would take you to a given location and then once you got there you had to shine a flashlight all around you until you spotted a tiny orange reflector on a tree. After that you could look directly on the gournd below the reflector and you would find the hidden geocache. That was a true challenge! After discovering the cache, my friends and I got the "bright" idea to see what it was like to walk around at night with our flashlights turned off. It was a little spooky walking around with just a hint of moon light to guide us but we had a blast!

Thanks Clan Riffster I am definitely going to check those out!

I have heard of it... Does that count? I've never actually been there myself but I hear that it's a really nice part of the state to visit.

Persistence. Yes, it sounds overly simplistic but it is one of the true keys to finding that elusive cache. I can remember hunting for a cache that I could not find no matter how hard I searched for it. However I kept returning to that cache time and time again and then one day I looked under the right spot and there it was! And two as others have already mentioned it's all about experience. Once you find a few caches you will have the confidence and knowledge to find even the most challenging of caches.

I have had the same problem on occasion. The only difference is that I have about a dozen thin horizontal lines that appear across my screen. Most of the time the GPS receiver works just fine but every once in a while the horizontal lines will appear on the screen. Even if I power the unit off and then back on again it doesn't solve the problem. However since it doesn't happen too often I have come to live with it. By the way I have a Garmin Extrex Legend.

What would I do if I lost my GPS? I would have to find a new hobby! Do people still collect stamps these days?

I chose my signature because I wanted something that was unique and something that explained Geocaching in a nutshell. Plus I think there is some truth behind it.

Thanks 9Key I'll check them out. Jonathan

Hey there, I am going on a weekend vacation next month to Tampa Florida. I was wondering if there were any "don't miss" geocaches in that area? Perhaps a geocache that might take me to an interesting part of the city or teach me something about the area would be preferred. Sorry no "Wal-Mart parking lot micros" are allowed for this forum topic. Thanks! Jonathan

There have been Geocaches that I have found that were done so well that I just had to invite some fellow Geocachers (who are also good friends of mine) to come and try it out for themselves. The second time though they logged the find and I just logged it as a note of my return.

My one (and only) vehicle to get me there is my 2005 Saturn ION Coupe - not to be confused with the sedan version. It can take me to any destination in the world! ...So long as its paved of course. After that it's up to my feet to take me the rest of the way there.

It's funny that this topic came up because just a month or so ago I took a spontaneous notion to weigh my backpack. It weighed in at 10 pounds. Although granted this was with all my gear inside including a couple of Gatorade and water bottles. Recently though I've upgraded to a better and more efficient backpack so I'll have to see how it weighs in as well.

I originally came up with my screen name when I was a teenager and the Internet was just getting started. I wanted something that was friendly and very conversational. So I took my first name and added a "Hey" in front of it which forms "Hey Jonathan." Since many Internet websites require a number in your screen name I chose my favorite number which is "101." The end result? heyjonathan101.