firestronaut

The paid app is much much better. You can download caches to app, so you don't have to be connected to the internet constantly. You can make logs, upload pictures, enter co-ordinates and much more. I know it seems like a lot of money to fork over for an app, and I was reluctant at first, but after my first 3 or 4 finds, I bit the bullet, bought the app and never looked back. I couldn't imagine trying to use that piece of junk free app again!

My most interesting find to date was a small one hidden inside a natural gap in a tree and covered with twigs. Slugs and other insects had taken residence there too, but it's definitely one of my favourites so far

I think light maintenance is fine - cleaning a dirty cache, replacing a full/wet log, but anything beyond that is CO's job.

If I found a cache with no log, I'd mark it as a find and alert the owner of the missing log IMO, it's geocaching, not geologging.

I've had two or three finds where I've been caught short of a pencil. I usually take a non-spoiler pic and log it as a find. Not had a problem yet.

I haven't been caching long and already ruined two pairs of shoes, and a pair of trousers through brambles and other cloth-ripping items I also have a decent sized bruise from falling into a tree branch I've recently bought some decent clothes and shoes from the local charity shop so the rest of my clothes don't get ruined

Maybe email and ask him a question about the cache that would otherwise be unknown unless it was found?

I find them interesting. When the time comes to replace the log on my cache, I'll take the place cards home as a keepsake (I have a little shoe box for interesting and unusual items I find in caches)

I've only hidden one cache, and if my hint doesn't give away its location, PAF wont. I placed a nice easy one so I can learn how to properly maintain it. Saying that, if someone did PAF on that cache, I wouldn't really mind. It's there to be found, right? People play the game differently. I'm limited in my hunts for caches due to health issues and a toddler in tow, if I was already out and about, I would call a friend who's found that cache before

Sure. Hooray for the newsletter! Thanks! Most people seem to be mentioning the iPhone 3GS. Does this rule apply for all smartphones? Because I have one of the most up-to-date phones, with software updates once a week I'm struggling to understand why I paid £7 for the official app and being told not to use it for part of the game.

The last newsletter says not to place caches with smartphones. Yeah, I saw that I checked my co-ords on several maps, and they seem to be spot on. I'm going to double check with my brother who has a dedicated GPS later today I was just kidding. Someone started a thread about that, but it veered off course anyways. That sounds like a good Iphone averaging app, although I just read up on it, I don't roll with Iphone. fair enough I've checked them with my brother's GPS anyway, and they're spot on. I'm planning on getting a dedicated GPS myself in the future, but money is tight so for now, the iPhone will have to suffice. I can't find this thread, could you link me?

Sounds like a fab idea! You could do one on a free site - I use moonfruit which is excellent and very easy to use, edit and publish, much easier than some others.

The last newsletter says not to place caches with smartphones. Yeah, I saw that I checked my co-ords on several maps, and they seem to be spot on. I'm going to double check with my brother who has a dedicated GPS later today

I like your attitude, good sir.

I log every DNF, just in case there's a problem with it. It can build up an accurate picture. If a 2 star has 10 DNF's, there's most likely a problem with it. If a 5 star has 10 DNF's, it could just be well hidden. Each situation is different. It helps my case if I've visited the cache a few times and logged 4/5 DNF's, when I email and ask for a hint I dunno, I haven't been geocaching for long, but everytime I come up with a DNF, it kinda feels like a fail. Maybe some people don't want to acknowledge their failure to find the cache?

I placed my first cache today, after just 16 finds. A small number, I know. But I put a lot of thought into it, asked questions and researched. There isn't a cache in 0.5 miles within any other, and what I think is a good, but easy hiding spot. I didn't just place it in the first hiding spot I thought was good, I searched the whole place until I found the one I liked best. I think it depends on how much thought and effort goes into it, not the number of caches found.

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I'll download that app Thanks!

If I have a TB in my possession that is psychically with me when I geocache, and can't find a suitable cache for it, I have it visit every cache I went to. Saying that, I don't visit very many in a single day (my little one gets tired easily). It just seems to me, that if the TB has been there, it should be marked as being there. Maybe thats just me.

I placed a cache, and approached it a few times to make sure the co-ords were correct. The numbers were out a few times, just slightly. How do you average out the co-ords?

I generally hold onto TBs until I can find a suitable container to put it in, and dip it into others.

Sounds like an amazing idea!

Hey there, they're separate things, but both really worth it

I carry the little definition of geocaching from the website home page in my GC bag! I copied, pasted and printed and have about 8 slips of paper that explain what geocaching is. Not been asked yet, (because I'm so stealthy ) but I'm sure the day will come!

But, there can be a good reason for that. An example I have is a cache I hid along a stretch of river in July of last year. When I hid the final, the shrubs and foliage in that spot were lush and green and hid the cache well. I was stunned when I stopped by later in the fall/winter. I thought that someone had come along and pulled all the trees and vegetation out of the ground. There was nothing there any longer to shield the cache. It was barren. I was by there a few days ago and noticed that the shrubs are starting to return, so this spot will be lush and green in the summer but completely open in the fall/winter/spring months. That was a good lesson for me. I'll probably never hide a cache in the woods during the summer. I'll wait until the vegetation has died off and then hide it. I'm thinking of one in particular I had trouble with, where I ended up being hurt. 60/70 feet from any kind of footpath, in the middle of a forest with brambles at waist height, holly bushes, slopes and mini-marshes hidden by wild garlic. I couldn't see the ground with all the ivy, and had no idea if it was safe to put my foot down. Plus, CO admitted co-ords were off. And to top it off, it was listed as easy and kid friendly, and my 3 year old ended up COVERED in scratches on her feet, legs, arms and face, scared to death because she kept falling over <_< <_< If it was placed in winter, none of those things would have been an issue, and I would agree with the listing, but come spring/summer, it's almost impossible. I think caches in woods should stray too far from footpaths anyway, especially if listed as child friendly, because the terrain is so different in the seasons.

I think signing a log is a must. There's been one occasion when I couldn't sign, so I took a picture as evidence I was there. I don't see the point in false finds, this isn't a race and the only prize is finding a cache. When I eventually lay my caches, I'll be checking logs against online logs when I swap a full log.