Understandblue

I've never had trouble uploading photos to logs using the geocaching app on my phone - sometimes I'll add a photo of just the log, cache contents, crazy animals on the way to the cache or an especially pretty location. I share my more revealing photos of containers or anything that might be a spoiler just in an album on FB with no cache info. I do enjoy looking at people's photos, and when you look at them in the phone app it does warn you that they may contain spoilers, so I never look at them until after a find, but they are fun, especially the happy kid finds I think it adds a lot of life to the logs.

The Groundspeak app is the best $10 you'll ever spend. I have it for Iphone and for the Galaxy S2. The Iphone is better under cover but they're both very good.

There is a lot of beer in this thread and it's making me thirsty. I'm new and I'd say I agree that some of the terms are confusing so I think that's a good suggestion - however, I did poke around and read about trackables, and from a brand new person's perspective, it wasn't difficult at all to find the info here on what they are and what to do with them. The intro videos are short and very nicely done. The more video the better. I think the community is more important than a test. Welcome the new people and answer their questions in a friendly way and they will help you spread the message and the enthusiasm for this... er, sport ? What is it? It seems like more than a game to me because it has those great elements of hiking, muggles, rattlesnakes, the dead rat I found the other day under a lamp skirt...

Oooh note to self! Ditch antlers till next summer!

BWAHAHAHAHAH!!! I almost snorted my espresso!!

I didn't even think about better GPS with the 5, so I'll be watching this. I do love it on the 4S but if it's better, that would be great. Improved battery life with GPS use would be huge even if that was the only change. @atlas cached - I have a 4S and a Samsung Galaxy S and there is NO comparison. The battery on the Android lasts about 2 hours, the interface is horrid. I think you'd hate it after an Iphone. I do and can't wait until the contract runs out so I can pitch it.

I can't speak to a GPS because I've been using the paid app on the Iphone 4S. It's extremely accurate - when it says you're a foot away, you're a foot away - and doesn't have too much trouble under tree cover. I can't speak for the Blackberry's GPS capabilities, but I can tell you I'm doing just fine with Iphone and am happy I didn't have to buy another gadget for my ever growing gadget landfill Best $10 I ever spent for the paid app. A lot more entertainment than a movie ticket

I wonder where one can rent a 7 month old.....

Funny that I saw this today. I was out cache stalking this morning (dove season started this month) and saw many shotgun shells. Mind you, this was in a public park where no one should be dove hunting, but clearly they were. Guess I better switch out my camo backpack. :-/ Since I don't live in bear country I've never heard of a bear bell - thanks for the tip.

If you are logged in correctly to Twitter, log out of the Geocacheing app and back in and it *should* reauthenticate. If not, turn Twitter sharing off and then back on and see if it oauths again for you.

It's the best evidence we currently have to show that a finder found the cache. Personally, my logbooks are souvenirs. I keep everyone of them (I have 4 shoeboxes full over 10+ years of hiding) and I read through them. It's too bad when COs treat logbooks as afterthoughts, something they would rather not have to deal with. It sends the message that they don't care about the finders experience at the cache. Electronic logs are great, but there's something about sitting at the cache and putting pen to paper to write about the moment. When you plant your own cache, I recommend a good size logbook to encourage people to write something. I find that about 40% of people will actually write their thoughts if provided with a nice logbook with plenty of room. The dollar store moleskin knock-offs make an excellent logbook: Oh boy - I wish I could find some of yours! I absolutely would sit down and write if I were presented with a nice journal like this. For me, signing the log is the "real" moment of fun of finding and accomplishment. I'd hate to see it go away. And I love seeing who has been there before me - little kids, cachers I keep coming behind by a day or two (I've been following in the steps of SwensonianInstitute a lot lately), and people who draw or stamp things. I especially like ones that go back several years. There's just something very fun about all that.

Yes, this.

Personally, I won't log a "Found It" if I don't find the cache and sign the log. Hopefully, the walk to your cache would be rewarding all by itself. If not, then that's just a risk I take. While I'm quite strict about what I count as finds, I'm more relaxed about what I allow others to log as finds on our caches. If they forgot a pencil, for example, I'll allow a photograph of the log book as substitute proof of their find. But I won't allow someone to log a find for one of our caches if they couldn't find that cache or it was missing. No matter how they rationalize it, they didn't find the cache. Thank you. I only have one of these - I am still new and forgot my pen - takes three weeks to form a habit, right? - but I did photog the log and will go back. I never would EVER log a find that I didn't put my paws on - I guess I don't understand the fun in that - 100% of the fun for me is actually finding it, Nancy Drew style.

Oh don't give up on them! It's fun to help move them along - don't be discouraged. I do take pics of everything, just because it's quicker than trying to log on my phone while I'm hiding from muggles I've only retrieved one but I'm excited to move it to another state - I'd love to find more.

Thanks for this list!

Aaah sorry - I misunderstood the question. I took a picture of the last TB I grabbed to move - maybe someone took a photo they'd share.. I would love to see the expression of the finders - that thing would definitely suprise me

Isn't the code TB18WN3? Scary head

There is a thread for that too who else caches/hikes barefoot Unreal, especially since I saw a guy take off barefoot into the trails when I was on the hunt on Friday. Rattlesnakes are the LEAST of your worries here. I was so shocked to see it.

Welcome! It's fun, isn't it? Even if you have to drive through someone's yard

HA! I love the vest idea!! I've tried the cell phone thing too, but I really need some practice at nonchalance

Love that quote

Yes. On a cache page, at the top of the list of logs, there's a link called "View Logbook". If you click this, then click the "Your Friends' Logs" tab, it will show the logs of your friends. Edit: Whoops, missed a word. Thank you for this tip!!

Thank you for this tip - this is exactly what I wanted in addition to the main app!

I'm new too and I agree with eusty - after you get four or five under your belt you will get a spidey sense. Most of my finds have been in park settings and I'm starting to be able to see little paths other cachers have made to my target even if it's just bent grass on the way to the GZ. One thing that has helped me a lot is sticking with the caches of one person for a while. I kind of have a feel for the kind of containers he uses, the sort of hides that are his "style" and it's helped me build up my confidence and know what to look for. The urban ones are harder for me too - worrying about muggles while being a new cacher isn't as much fun as staring at a tree by yourself and thinking - it HAS to be here. You'll go around in circles a lot and that's okay too

I'm so, so sorry. I hope things look up for you soon. All my hobbies, including this one, give me such a break from "real life" that I hope soon that returns for you.