EggsTheBest

Don't forget that there are mystery caches where the final coordinates are already provided. Challenge caches or hides with a lock (where the puzzle is to solve the lock combination), you don't need a checker for them. So an idea of making a checker obligatory will probably never be implemented. However, every time I solve a mystery cache with a checker, I feel more confident leaving the house because I know I won't be looking at the wrong place. And I feel less motivated to go look for a cache when I'm not 100% sure I got the right solution.

HI, Geocoin is a type of trackable. People usually collect them or let them travel the world. Just another fun thing in geocaching world. Trackables are objects (coins, tags, etc.) with a unique number, engraved or attached on the object in some way. If you buy/receive a trackable, you register it with the unique number and activation code on the website, and it goes to your inventory & is listed as your owned trackables (your profile>Trackables>right column). Then you can either keep this trackable with yourself (take it to events to show off :D) or release it to travel. If you choose to release, you simply put it in one of found geocaches (you'll have an option to drop off trackable when writing a log) or simply give it to somebody else (good option if you know a cacher who is about to travel to a different state/country). If you find a geocoin in a cache, you can enter the code on the website and "discover" it - you'll see its description, goals, stats - and it will be listed under your discovered trackables in your profile. You're not supposed to take it and keep for a long periods of time, trackables should move from cache to cache. The difference between geocoin and travel bug is mostly just appearance. Geocoins are more often used for building collections than releasing them to travel around the world. Hope that answers your question.

I couldn't agree more. I have retrieved higher terrain caches while hunting together with one or more cachers. Sometimes my taller companion would climb a tree, retrieve a cache, drop it to me, I sign it and throw the container back to the person in a tree to put it back. Sometimes I (always the smallest person in group) would get into a narrow tunnel to retrieve the cache, while other cachers are guiding and/or providing the light. In cases when there is a big group of cachers, where one climbs a tree, and 9 other cachers just stand on the ground and do nothing, that is not really assisting. But as a CO, there would be no way of checking who actually put effort into retrieving the cache, and who was just a part of a group.

In a few weeks I'm going to a little trip to visit my friends in Belgium and Germany. Thought I can go to The Netherlands too since it's quite close and I wouldn't mind to add another country to my statistics. Germany seems like geocacher's heaven so even though I'm going to visit small not so interesting towns, there are more caches than I could imagine. In June I'm going to Italy as well and hope to grab some caches on my way, including Vatican City. My goal for this summer is to reach 50 souvenirs (have 45 so far) so these trips would be a good start before the special souvenirs that are usually released in the summer.

I see it got a little out of topic. I haven't contacted the CO yet. Wanted to hear what the community thinks first, because I knew this topic might be controversial. No. No tree climbing attribute either. No, it's just a normal tree. A few comments say that 'short people are being discriminated' or 'only one us was able to grab it'. After reading them I understand that a lot of logs were from people who cache in pairs/groups (which is quite common here). However, before going to find a cache I only check the latest few logs, just in case the last few logs were DNF's or so. Also, not sure if this is important, but after half a year of publishing the cache, CO changed the type of container (and wrote a note about it) and maybe he didn't think about adding more attributes or changing the D/T. Basically at that point all the old wolfs had already found the cache and didn't see any problem with it. Exactly, I'm not sure either. I think I'll just refer the CO to this topic so that he can read and decide.

Yes, it's attached to the tree. I tried using different branches - seemed impossible to open the bird house, because you need to unhook the doors, open them and then somehow take out the container. I believe really tall people can reach it without a ladder but for the rest it's close to impossible.

Today I was trying to find a multicache with D2 T2 rating. I knew it's going to be about a mile long walk to reach all the waypoints, so that seemed easy to do. However, when I reached the GZ, I found out that the cache is hidden in a fake bird house, about 10 feet (about 3m) high on a tree. Being a 5'3'' (160cm) tall there was no chance for me to reach it. There were no branches I could climb, using a stick was useless because you need to use hands to open the doors and take out the container. I felt a little bummed out because I wouldn't have gone on my way to a cache I'm not physically able to grab. So my question is - should the terrain be higher than 2 for a cache like that? The description didn't indicate any information whether it's hard to reach. According to the official rating system, T2 cache is suitable for small children, is it right in this case?