thewingfamily

I love to find the homemade items. Doesn't really matter what it is, just as long as it is different and/or unique. I have made some to add to caches and they seem to go over pretty well (I am not generally the crafty type, lol.) For the kids, I gave them each their own geocaching swag bags. They also each made the own personal swag. We went and got a variety of items so that they would each be able to trade up. We found that this has worked pretty well so far. Both boys have also used caches to "donate" toys that were still in great shape, but they no longer wanted. My older son was really into Pokemon for a while and it seemed that every cache we came to had these cards in it, so he was happy. While reading this thread, I think that the cacher who said that there needs to be a variety and that the caches need to keep in mind who is probably going to find it got it right. Honestly, I really don't care what is in the cache, I am in it for the smiley but finding something different and cool does make me happy lol. It also keeps my kids going on to the next one! I have been looking on Pinterest and I have found so many unique handmade items that are really interesting, but are able to be made in bunches and aren't over the top expensive. Also, shopping after a holiday (Easter, Christmas, Halloween) can get you some great swag ideas without breaking the bank.

I was recently doing some owner maintenance and turned around just in time to be muggled by 2 black labs and a german shepard. Figuring that the owners were not too far behind, I headed out to the trail, dogs in tow. When I got to the trail, two girls came around the corner. I was bent down scratching the dogs. I said, "I think I found your dogs," one of the girls responded, "please tell me that the dogs didn't find a body...they didn't find a body right?" I was a bit confused until I realized that I was wearing my official looking "coroner" shirt. I think that I am going to get some crime scene tape so that I can mark a perimeter and I won't get muggled

We were doing a multi part night cache. We walked about a mile into the woods and found the two parts that we needed. It ended up that we had to walk the same way that we came in. We get about 1/4 of a mile and we see flashing lights. Not just a few. Red...blue...all of them. We get a hundred feet further and a cop comes out of nowhere and is shining a light directly in our eyes. He asks us what we are going, we tell him honestly. He says, "Oh yeah, I found that one last year...you are on the right track." We asked what was going on and it ends up that a bunch of kids had lit a bonfire that had gotten out of control. Drinking was involved and they had scattered. They were working on finding the kids and putting the fire out. He radioed ahead that we were coming out. It ended up that the final part of the cache was hidden about 10 feet from the back of the cruiser. Yeah, it was an interesting night

I just found this site. After reading up on it a little bit, I realized that my terrain 1.5 rating may be easy for non-mobility disabled individuals, but very hard for those that are. I went back and rated all of my 1.5 rated caches and included the handicaching.com rating system with a link from the cache listing. I hope that it helps I think that this is a great attribute and I will continue to use it.

About 30 feet off of a small path and me and my geo-toddler, 2.5 at the time and potty training, we (meaning I) was searching around and the geo-toddler was looking at the tree that the cache was near and being rather loud ...All of a sudden, a guy is walking up to us asking if we are ok. My son (without missing a beat,) pulls down his pants and pees on the tree and says "I am peeing." I have *never* been so embarrassed in my life. The guy just smiled and said "keep up the good work watering the tree" and walked away. Soooo, sooooooo, sooooooo mortified.

Sorry about that, wrong search keywords. TY for the info though.

I have started to branch out into some of the harder difficulty caches. The problem is, most of them are a good distance away from my house so a special trip is needed. So when the listing says "special tool may be required." What are some of the things that you have in your bag that might be used as a special tool? I have tweezers (of course,) a long flexible tool that has grabbers on the end, one of the magnetic "mechanic's helper," and a strong magnet. Is there anything else that anyone would suggest? TIA, K

This was on a bike path, that we saw about 5 people pass us the whole 4 hours that we were out there looking for caches.

Funniest part of the picture (and the reason why I took it) the family dog's name is Keeper. Guess the d@# dog can park there!

Thank-you so much! Exactly what I was looking for, better than what I wanted actually! You guys and gals are awesome K

I have placed several caches (10) in a city forest. Seven of them are part of a puzzle series so they do not show up if I look at the map on the website for the area. I would like to make a map for myself to see where they are in the overall view of the forest. I have tried google maps, but it automatically puts the caches on the street rather than in the middle of the woods (even if I change the settings to walking/biking.) Does anyone know of a way? I would also like to be able to find the distances between the caches themselves without having to go and run each one separately through the distance calculator in relation to each other. Anyone have any suggestions? TY.

I just did the same thing with my son. He created his own username and we went back and logged all of his finds. We just put a note that he signed the log under my name. There hasn't been any issues yet. I also cache with my neighbor often, sometimes just the two of us and sometimes with my son. When we are out together we have a group name that we sign the log as. Then, when we log on the site, we just put out with CCC and DDD signed the log as XXX. No issues. Actually saves space in the logbook K

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and input. I am going to do what I like and people can take it or leave it. I have thought of (placed or in-progres) some puzzle, multi's, micros, evils, tradionals, and some creative hides. Hopefully, since there are not a lot of hides in my area I will be able to keep people getting out there into the woods, which to me, is the whole point of geocaching! I have a box that has the parts of my "in progress" caches that are in varying stages of completeness. I have a notebook and many word docs that have outline for plans for multi's. I am having fun with this and I hope that people will enjoy it also! K

I often go caching with my neighbor and my son. My son does not go out when we place caches because he wants to be able to find it. He helps put the cache together, he helps me to figure out what we want to write for the description, but he does not know where it is. I have put him as one of the owners of the caches that he helped with and after several people have found it, he can go out and look for it. Since he does not know where it is, I do not see a problem with it. I would not have him be FTF, since he does have "pre-knowledge" of the cache. JMHO, K

I have a general question for everyone Do you have a favorite hide type? When you are coming up with your own hides, are you automatically drawn to one type over another? After finding about fifty caches, I started to know which ones that I liked, not necessarily to find, but the ones that I really appreciated. I love the puzzle caches that make you think, not the ones that are so hard that you have to find someone with a PhD in the subject to figure it out, but tough enough that you have to do more than just run a pocket query. I also love the micros and the ones that are in unusual containers or *gasp* the evil ones Of the caches that I have placed or am planning on placing in the near future, 2 of them are traditional, 7 are puzzles, 9 are evil of some kind. So, my ultimate question is, do you think that people start to associate you with a hide type? Should I stick with what I enjoy or vary the type of caches that I have so that there is "something for everyone" so I don't have my caches automatically ignored? Not that I care what people think, it is more that I do not want my caches to be stereotyped or profiled just by my username... K

There is a 5 difficulty in my area that I have been back to 10 times with various people to try to find. Darned thing is nearly impossible But I keep going back...Why? Because it is there and I *WILL* find it! (Shakes fist in air) As much as that cache irritates me, I keep going back for the challenge. I almost in some ways don't want to find it, though I know that there will be another one that stumps me in the future to take it's place. K

UPDATE!!! My caches were approved!!! Many thanks to MadMin! I have three that weren't but I had an airhead moment, just a quick fix and those three should be up and running soon. I can't believe that I did what I did, I had prepared for it, found the info, but was so excited about placing the cache that I just completely forgot about it. DOH! Hopefully MadMin won't hold it against me. But, on the other hand, I did send in all of the info that she asks for *before* she asked for it So hopefully it will even out lol. But...on a sad note, there weren't any new ones except for mine! I plan on putting a couple more out this weekend. Since there haven't been new caches in my area for a bit, I am hoping that the new influx will bring people back in the woods and therefore they will leave me some to find . I have 7 new and creative hides that I have been working on and hope to be able to get them out and placed this weekend. I scouted some places this week that I hope will work. On a side note: Just got a tentative approval (just need to send in the coordinates) for a series of caches that I have been planning on private property for the last several months. I am so happy! Add this to the fact that I got approval for another one that I have been waiting on too! As long as the weather holds out, there should be more for cachers to find next week! I love my new (obsession) ehem...hobby K

I agree with that! I love to take pictures and I have been so many places locally. I think that it is the best of both worlds. I especially like finding new places while geocaching and then doing the waymarks for the area K

I used to want to live it Reality, but was told that it didn't exist....

S'ok..... I live in the State of Confusion, anyway...... I have a summer house there, but I seem to be visiting there more and more lately.

Yeaaaaa! MadMin had some fun! She deserves it! I do have to say that she is a great reviewer, I am not just saying that, she really is. No worries, I have read some of those and though "REALLY PEOPLE? Like the reviewers just sit by the computer and wait for *your* caches to pop up on the screen." I hope that they go out and enjoy themselves and have lives that do not revolve around approving caches. What fun would that be if all they did was wait for caches to approve??? Live is too short. I just found out about Waymarking, so I have a little bit of relief... Checks Pocket Query.... K

I completely understand this. The post was done as a joke, not to be taken seriously. I *know* that there would be a longer wait. I appreciate that the reviewer has other things to do. Again, this was meant to be in jest, hence the overuse of emoticons. I am waiting for new caches, not the ones that I placed. K

I must be missing something...... You placed 15 caches over the long weekend, and you obsessively looked at your Pocket Queries. What's the connection? Are you waiting for your placements to be published? Are you waiting for other (new) caches to be published -- the FTF remark makes me think that. But..... then we come back to the reviewer -- are you waiting for your placements to be published (...again)? I'm confused...... I am waiting for new caches. The ones that I placed are just an added bonus lol. I haven't had the pleasure of being FTF yet and I thought with the long weekend there would be plenty of chances I have a couple of pocket queries set up for new caches in the area, that is why I keep checking them. Sorry to confuse you.

I placed several (ok, 15) caches over the long weekend, mainly since I had the time I cleared my schedule for this week...obsessively looked at the pocket queries...waited for new caches....NOTHING But, I must say our area's reviewer is awesome! I know she isn't doing this to me on purpose..right???? She wouldn't do that...would she??? This is a case of me having FTFitis lol. Are there support groups for that? I just want to do it once I am not even looking for my own caches, I was looking for new ones lol. Oh well. I know that *many* people placed caches this weekend, I can't wait for the new ones to come out! (Checks pocket query) LOL!