Team OUTSID4EVR

Congrats! I have had the pleasure of going with you on a couple of your 2000 finds. Cache On!

Here's the way I like to think about this issue: Think about the item you are leaving in the cache. Now ask yourself this question..."Would I have taken the item I left in the cache instead of the one I actually took?" If you can answer "yes" honestly, then it's probably a fair trade. If you would not take the item you are leaving for someone else, then something is wrong. Yes, they are game pieces. I just think our game pieces should show some pride in our game. I have done 2 interviews with the media. In both cases, the caches had interesting items in them. That was 2 years ago. Now, I would be embarrassed if the media opened the typical cache.

I went after everything when I started. Now, I'll pass up the drive-by caches. I have no interest in another small suburban park. If the 1/1 or other easy cache is in a truly interesting location, I'll check it out.

Ecological impact from a geocache is no more than backcountry camping, or many other permitted activities. This may not be true if the cache is near the visitor center and generates a lot of finds. I think most of us see some inconsistencies in the park policy of allowing certain activities while banning others. It's all about numbers and clout. Climbers and other user-groups have more "pull" with the NPS than a handfull of geocachers. Therefore, the parks will not change their policy until enough noise is made. Maybe it's time to start shouting???

Logging a cache you had a hand in placing is not cool. Hopefully there will someday be a way to filter and remove caches from your "nearest caches" page, or give multiple accounts credit for the hide. Until then, I ignore them. As far as rankings go, why inflate your numbers? If it's a competition (is it??) then wouldn't you want to have an accurate number of finds? See post above...

Could you give all of us an example of a cache in Maryland that is extreme? Daniels may be the only cache that I would say qualifies, but the hider has rated it 5 stars. Once you get to the general area, you KNOW what you have to do. Could you provide a link?

My "Play it Safe" (Baltimore, MD) cache is very similar to "THE SAFE" located in southwest VA. I was sure to give credit to my inspiration. Imitation is the best form of flattery, but copying can get you into trouble..

I really like the idea of a feedback system. I know which locals hide quality caches, trade kindly, and log their finds online, etc... BUT when I travel, it's tough to see who places the best caches. As was mentioned above, many cachers are "numbers people". This would be a statistic that would benefit the whole geocaching community. Peer pressure would help to improve the community.

quote:Originally posted by wimseyguy:I will agree with everything in Brian's post but have to disagree with outside4evr. I found 2 wonderful caches this morning that were 1/1's or maybe 1.5's, I have hiked in the woods for 2 hours to get to a 3.5 full o f moldy crud. I guess it depends on what your motivation for geocaching is. If it is to find cool stuff to trade you will be disappointed more ofter than not. Spend more time at yard sales and flea markets If you want to get outside more and see cool, s c enic, and unusual places that you might not find on your own you will be constantly amazed. Believe me, my motivation is to see cool places. I was referring to the contents for cheesepuppet's benefit. I avoid 1/1 caches because they are not thoughtfully hidden, nor are they in cool areas. The contents are not of interest to me personally. The containers also tend to leak because they're gladware (that's another thread entirely). Yes, I have found moldy crud in more difficult caches, but generally the harder they are to find (difficult terrain, long hike, in the middle of nowhere, hard to locate), the better the cache contents are. The quality of the container usually follows the same rule.

On re-hiding caches...I always make sure caches I find are rehidden so non-geocachers will not see them, regardless of the rating that is given to them. Even with 1/1 caches, they should not be in plain sight IMHO (even though the ratings mention this). A little camo will keep the cache from being disturbed by muggles. Most geocachers would be able to notice the obvious covering.

Generally, the farther a cache is from a parking area, the better quality it will be. The contents do degrade over time, that's the First Law of Geocaching (Or maybe the second). Anyway, I have observed that the caches that the more committed cachers (not necessairily veterans) visit tend to be better quality. I avoid 1/1 caches and others that are very close to a parking lot. They're not worth the drive.

I pulled one of my cache log books that had been in the wild since April 2001. There were 60 separate entries in this 26 month period. I noticed that 13 entries (21.6%!) did not have cooresponding online entries. What is more amazing is that none of these paper log entries was by someone who stumbled upon the cache. I was wondering if other cache owners noticed this in their logbooks.

I have begun to write detailed re-hiding instructions on the inner cover of the physical logbook, so it would be possible to rehide the cache exactly as I intend each time. I also usually write something on the online cache description. This has reduced the problem. Let's educate the newbies, and remind the slob cachers.

I signed up for the wireless web (Verizon) a week ago. I bought the cable from the verizon store for $58. The software for the laptop was included. It was easy to install. The monthly charge in my area is $7.95 (over my regular plan). This beats the $80/month for Express Network. I tested the speed on toast.net and found that it varied (14K-56K), depending on what type of test was used. The compression software allows for higher rates than the advertised 14.4K. It works well for geocaching. The page loads relatively quickly. The best part about the plan is that it uses your included minutes, not a separate quota.

If you want a really nice hike with to caches on the route, check out Caledon Natural Area. It's not too far southeast of F'burg. The two caches are John Short 1754 Benchmark and Cedar Ridge Trail They are better than most caches in the DC area. The natural beauty of this area is well worth the trip!

Some more great caches to add to this thread: Night Vision Park Loitering Both caches are in Cheesequake State Park (NJ). There are other enjoyable caches there, including Melvins Multiple Madness. MARTY621 hides very well-planned caches. 2 thumbs up!?

BUMP C'mon there's gotta be somebody that backpacks and doesn't live in New Jersey reading these forums! I

The idea of finders rating caches has been kicked around many times (see below). The bottom line is that it would not be much more "accurate" than reading the logs carefully. Some hiders have expressed the idea that it might be taken offensively if a bad rating is given. I'm all for anything that will add another element of peer pressure to hide quality caches. People need to be able to say that a cache is lame. For some, it's hard to do in the written log. For previous discussion, look here , or here, or maybe here too.

If you found the reported coordinates of a cache to be in error (more than 100 feet or so), you could post the coords where the cache was. Most (90+%) of the listed coords are within a reasonable margin of error. There is no need to post alternate coords in that case. Ï

Mesu: In this situation, it appears that everyone, except you, believes that it IS NOT A FIND. I don't know why Capt. Morgan has not deleted it. If the cache was in his possession, you could not have found it. Can't sign the log, can't call it a find.

MAJELLIN and I are thinking about coming up from Baltimore to (possibly) spend the night at Cheesequake. HartClimbs, could we share your site?Ï

I placed a copy of a 132 space log sheet on my website. It is in MS Word format. Click here!

quote:Originally posted by sbell111:Take it from someone who has had to deal with the petty peeps, you may as well just make the changes you wanted to make and give him the information. Even though he's completely in the wrong, its at the point where you end up spending to much energy feeding the insanity. This will only positively reinforce his behavior. He probably has bullied other cachers, and he knows he can get what he wants if he is persistent. Captain Morgan: Delete the find, send a note with a link to this discussion, thank him for trying your cache, and move on. Let him follow through on his threats. Then let the geocachers in your area know about the bad seed. Not much energy required to do this.

From my cursory look at the cache description, I would agree that a 4.5 difficulty would be appropriate.

Double post... [This message was edited by OUTSID4EVR on May 10, 2003 at 04:47 AM.]