MikeB3542

Waymarking is just locationless (reverse) caching. I don't think that it has much in common with virtual caches, where you are looking for a specific place. I think the folks who really enjoyed the old locationless caches transitioned to Waymarking pretty easily. Some of those old-timers racked up some pretty significant numbers in the locationless cache category. For newer cachers, like myself, who got into this after all those types of caches were banned, it seems a little pointless. I have dabbled a bit anyway and can't say that I am hooked yet. I agree that geocaching will always be far more popular -- finding a cache is satisfying for a lot of different reasons: being outdoors, challenging terrain, finding hidden stuff, solving puzzles, and discovering really cool places. Waymarking really only hits that last one.

Check with your local geocaching association (I checked your profile, and I think the Upstate South Carolina Geocaching Association is it). Anywho, check through the forums -- there is usually a place where you can get questions answered. Most of the geocachers I have crossed paths with have been super-friendly, and are glad to assist. Night caching is a lot of fun. The few that are around here work as follows: you park your car, walk to the coordinates, and shine your flashlight around. If you have done everything right, you will see reflectors, reflective paint, fire tacks that will show you where to go (Back when I was a Boy Scout, we used to call these cats-eye trails). Read the cache page carefully, because there will be information describing what to do. These hides aren't to be confused with traipsing off into the woods at night looking for geocaches. I admit to more than my share of eine kleine nachtcache, but can tell you that it can be frustrating. In any event, I do not recommend doing any caching at night alone. Keep to the trails, turn the "trace" feature on your gps unit, and liberally mark where you parked the car and other waypoints. Peace and love

I have an etrex Legend, and had problems with the display about 6 mos after purchase -- vertical lines, faintness, etc. Usually a light tap would resolve the problem. That probably is a pretty poor way to deal with that sort of problem, but it worked. Seems pretty obvious that a connection was loose. Problem seems to have evened out over time. The thumb controller was also flaky around the same time. Similarly, that problem has also evened out. An observation -- I have had more problems when operating the unit with NiMh batteries than with alkaline batteries. The Legend was not expensive, so I have abused it and it keeps working, over 1000 finds in a year-and-a-half.

They work just like travel bugs -- if you find one, feel free to take it with. Just make sure that you will be able to move it along, and that the move satisfies the geocoins goals. Three really important rules: 1. After you log your visit, please log that you retrieved the geocoin, just like you would a travel bug 2. Don't keep it! Drop it off in another cache. 3. When you log your cache find, don't forget to log that you dropped off the geocoin. Expect to get "nasty-grams" from the owner if you blow off logging the find or hang on to it too long. Generally, folks are OK if you don't hang on to the coin for more than a couple of weeks. Recently, I have come across something similar called Pathtags -- I think that these are intended more as swag rather than a hitchhiker, and you can hang on to them. Some folks are REALLY nuts for geocoins. If they don't find them in caches, they will troll events looking to "discover" geocoins. Lots of times that is the only way to log some of the rarer and more valuable coins, since the owners don't want to part with them and risk having them lost into somebodies private "collection". Anyhow, the goal here is to have fun geocaching -- for some folks geocoins "take it the next level". Happy caching!

Just came across the thread -- I live in Tosa and can make a point of hitting the cache site if you are still looking. I suspect you got a new unit -- my daughter lost my unit in her bedroom, and I was getting dt's after a week! Fortunately we found in her nest of junk in the back of the closet. Best wishes!

I have been using a Garmin etrex Legend for about a year now. I think that it is a great unit for the price. Power users turn there noses up -- mediocre reception, odd controls, small memory, spartan mapping -- but you know what? Barring really heavy tree cover, this unit almost always gets me pointed in the right direction. After over 700 finds I really am not looking to replace it yet. The basic yellow etrex should be fine, but I find that the map on the Legend is useful. Just a thought -- if you have a gps capable cell phone, or a PDA that can take a gps antenna, these might be good alternatives. Haven't used Magellan products, but I can only assume that they have comparable products -- you may find that they suit you better. Don't forget, no matter how much money you spend on the unit, even the best will only get you to within ten or twenty feet of the cache (assuming the coordinates are accurate!). The rest is about using all of your senses and your creativity to make the find. Good luck!

Yes, there is something that can be done. Ignore them. Don't vote for the pictures. Don't waste your time chasing down "phantom" Jeeps. Don't "ooh" and "aah" when someone brings them out at an event to be "discovered". Personally, I have found going for the Diabetes TB's a whole lot more rewarding. I got one in the mail a couple of days after signing up, dropped it off, and it is already on the move. Found a second in a cache yesterday. Now this is more like it! Granted there are something like 6x as many Diabetes TB's as there are Green Jeep TB's. Still, the Diabetes TB program has only been going two weeks --a lot of folks haven't even gotten them in the mail yet -- and yet somehow they have begun to circulate. And every time they change hands, some one else has the opportunity to find out about the program and sign the petition, and maybe, just maybe, some good dets done. Not sure what Daimler Chrysler gets out of the Jeep project anymore -- far more die-cast green Jeeps will be purchased at Stuff Mart than the real thing -- and isn't the whole point of this exercise to help Chrysler to sell Jeeps? Too bad. The possibility that someone would hoard Jeeps just to reduce competition in the photo contest seems too pathetic. Now, to take my own medicine. This is my last post on this matter!

You mean to say these Jeeps actually exist? Seriously though, seems like they are awefully scarce (I am in SE Wisconsin, near Milwaukee). I sort of expected that one would occassionally pop up, and then it would be a matter of who gets there first. That would actually be kinda fun. My suspicion is that people aren't hanging on to them in order to keep, but rather they want to save them for a special cache or event they are working on. Days pays, weeks pass, months pass, (I pass, new deal) and that special cache falls through, or nobody "worthy" shows up at the event. And the Jeep collects dust. Like the real things, these Jeeps aren't icons carved out of soap. Get 'em out, get 'em dirty! The rest of us just wanna play!

I have noticed when my reception is ratty that the unit will report that I am walking in the opposite direction. It doesn't appear to make a difference if I am navigating or not. It also helps to have fresh ALKALINE batteries. I usually use NiMh batteries, but find that unit performance suffers as the batteries drain. I have made a habit of carrying a compass, especially if in unfamiliar terrain.