magicalhelmet

I wish there were souvenirs for every city and town! Yeah, I know that would be impossible, but it would be a lot of fun.

I'm only frustrated when I don't find the cache. I don't mind putting in a little extra effort, but I hate when it's all for nothing. ^^;

I strongly dislike being barefoot anywhere. The ground is full of icky disgusting things. The more separation between that and my skin, the better. Besides, it's quite painful to step on sharp pointy things, of which the out of doors has no shortage of. ^^

I have A LOT of old business cards around the house, but I don't think anyone would want to see them in a cache. XD

If the objective of geocaching were to find the cache and take it home with you, I could see how people not hiding their own caches could be a problem. I don't think signing a log book somehow interferes with other cachers' ability to enjoy the activity.

I can understand that. There have been times when the rules of some new activity caused it to lose some appeal for me. But then you either learn to live with those rules or you find another activity.

Q1: Do you read the hint and if so when? I read the hint before getting to the GZ. I still need all the help I can get. But, sometimes I think the hint just ends up pointing me in the wrong direction. Q2: Do you read the description and if so when? Yes, I read the description before I get there too. Usually descriptions aren't very helpful, though. They might just talk about the site and why it's meaningful to the owner, which may be interesting, but it doesn't really get you to the cache any faster. Q3: Do you read the past logs and if so when? I read the last logs before getting there because I want to know if the cache has been found recently. But, I don't usually read all of them unless I have been unsuccessful.

So true. We aren't using survey grade GPS units. A handheld unit should get you to within 30' feet of the cache...not inches or millimeters. It's almost like they think that if you don't rehide the cache at the exact inch of where they found it, the next seekers will be bumbling around the woods, mystified that the cache isn't right at 0 feet. If you find a cache exposed and you don't know where it was originally hidden, as long as it's not a custom camo (and that doesn't mean camo tape or camo paint), look around and rehide it somewhere within a 20' circle of where you found it. Odds are it'll be close enough to the posted coordinates. One other thing, if you're going to do that, you should definitely email the CO to let them know where exactly you relocated it. The idea is to hide it from the next cacher, not from the owner.

Well, I would try and see if I could find and interview different cachers with different approaches to geocaching. Some people are in this because they like the outdoors and nature; others may be technophiles who enjoy using their GPS for something other than driving. I'm sure there are many different viewpoints, but it will be important to tie them all together with a common thread. I'm not sure what that thread might be, but hopefully you'll discover it in the process of producing the film. Above all, try to keep things simple. If you only have ten minutes, don't overwhelm the audience with too much at once. Geocaching has a lot of different aspects. As someone who is still new to this hobby, I can tell you it was a lot for me to digest. I'm still trying to work some things out. ^^

How about The Maltese Cache or Geocachers Don't Wear Plaid? On a more serious side, I'm unclear on what the message behind your documentary is going to be. Is it about geocahers whose main goal is to get as many FTFs as possible, or is this going to be a comprehensive introduction to the hobby for people who aren't familiar with it? An FTF film would be aimed at people already engaged in geocaching, while the other way you are targeting muggles essentially. If you want to explain geocaching to the general public, I think the most important question to answer would not be what geocaching is, but why people do it. A lot of times when I tell people about geocaching, their first reaction is "what's the point?" It's easy to explain how geocaching works; it's harder to make someone understand the appeal. Of course, that is something that varies from person to person, but whatever the reason, that's what the audience will base their opinion around. Are geocachers going to be seen as losers with nothing better to do, or are they actually pursuing something worthwhile? We all know the answer to that, of course.

There are a lot of documentaries about geocaching. Why don't you turn it into a film noir flick with a mysterious woman trying to find her late husband's lost geocache with the help of a surly private eye and his GPS? There could be a murder and stolen diamonds thrown in there too. xD

At first, what I did was I'd create a reference sheet with the cache description, hints and a satellite image of the cache area. I'd print that out and take it with me. But now I'm relying on the PQs I upload to my GPS. Other than that, I try to plan which caches I want to try for. I look at the map and try to figure out how I will get to each location, where I will park and, if possible, how the cache is probably hidden. It's like studying for an exam. XD

The log should be made of wax paper and be all sticky so ants will crawl all over it. xP

A cache either deserves a fav or it doesn't. It shouldn't matter if the CO mentions it or not. Personally, I probably wouldn't include such a statement in my cache description, but I think if it's done just as a gentle reminder and not begging then it's alright.

I don't have many finds yet, but so far every cache I have found was in decent shape. By "decent" I mean I was able to sign the log. What bothers me more is not finding the cache at all, especially when I have gone far out of my way just to reach the location. But, I can say I hate when a location is more difficult to get to than I expected or I have to search through garbage or heavy brush.

Yes, the heat has been keeping me home a lot lately. But sometimes I go out anyway, and sweat a lot. I don't mind it too much as long as I actually do find something. But it's annoying to go through the trouble of braving the heat only to come up empty. I normally love warm weather, but part of me is wishing it were fall already, especially because I don't like having to deal with all the plant growth and insects.

Hi edscott, I absolutely agree with you. "Paved access" would fit best! ~sukmar The only problem I see with that is a paved path may be accessible by roller blades and the like, but not by cars. You might see that "paved access" attribute and think you could drive up to it when you can't. And if someone decides to exclude the "paved" attribute because there is no room for a car to pass, you might be lead to think that it can't be accessed by roller blades when really it can be.

You know, I thought a reverse cache machine was something totally different. It's a cache you already have in your possession, and you have to take it to specific coordinates in order to get it open. They have a GPS receiver that triggers the lock to open when you get to the right spot. I think that sounds a lot cooler than what's described in this thread. ^^;

I like to hold my GPS like I'm either texting or taking a picture. Both are rather odd behaviors that everyone seems to just accept as normal.

Terrific! But, what is with that store owner? Doesn't he want to sell twenty key holders? What kind of business person discourages people from buying stuff?

My last name means "helmet", and I'm really quite magical. I've used this name elsewhere on the internet for years, but it's a pain writing it out on tiny log sheets. >_<

So far the most extreme cache I have found was one where I had to stand on a table to reach a nano. XD

Ah, I remember it as if it were only weeks ago. That's probably because it was. I too found a magnetic key holder on a guard rail. I didn't even bother using a GPS to find it. I know more seasoned cachers will scoff at such hides, but it was pretty exciting at the time. To tell the truth, I'm already getting a bit tired of guard rail caches, but I'll take whatever I can get.

I heard about it on a show on PBS late one night. The show was about keeping your mind healthy, and one segment talked about geocaching and how it was a good way of keeping your mind active. It certainly is at that. I can't stop thinking about it all day.

Some people put "No Trespassing" signs on their property. Maybe what you need is a "Welcome Geocachers" sign, or maybe just the Geocaching logo. Only geocachers would understand what it meant. You could even mention the sign in the description.