Driver Carries Cache

Good Grief! Who leaves a rock in a cache? Definitely not "trading even or trading up". Mike

Kudos that as a newbie (me too!) you're taking the time and effort to put together a really cool, fun cache. There's been some discussion about that around here lately. Best of luck hiding your first, I can't wait to hide my first! Mike

I read a story in my local paper about the Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite offering a "geocaching package" for guests (they supply everything including lunch, packs and GPSr). http://www.tenayalodge.com/accommodations_packages.aspx It sounded cool. Then I saw the piece on Bay Area Backroads (here in the SF Bay Area) where a local group took the host out looking for a cache. Bought my GPSr less than a month later! I'm almost done studying the manual and reading the "Idiot's Guide To Geocaching" then I'm off to find cache! Mike

That's a good one.... When I was rock climbing my friends told me the one thing you always wanted to avoid was winding up as an entry in "Accidents In North American Mountaineering" (known by most climbers as the "Mountain Death Book" ). The book is published yearly and the stories are reported by park rangers and rescue teams to illustrate "what not to do" if you'd like to return alive and un-injured. It's a lot like reading the Darwin Awards... natural selection at it's best! You can find it at just about any outdoors supply store that carries books. Mike

The most dangerous animal in any outdoor space. Humans ~ Mike

There's no such thing as an "elite circle"... it's a product of pop culture and the mainstream media. (do you know the secret handshake... hint hint ) Mike

Wine! (One of the perks of a weekend winery job) Lucky for me, most of what we make is sparking wine (champagne-style wine) so a couple glasses of bubbly always do the trick. Mike

Count me among the positive! My 60CSx was my first GPSr as well (I've had it less than a couple months). I love it! Admittedly, I have mostly been testing it out with road navigation while I finish reading "The Idiot's Guide To Geocaching". I'm looking forward to using it "in the field".

Testing

testing....

I'd been waiting for the "nazi analogy"! Anyone like to join in the "punting of the deceased equine"? I'll take the first shot.... THWACK! Driver Carries Cache (madmike)

This is a key point. No one is saying "No one should ever be allowd a pocket cache", but by definiton they are not allowed on Geocaching.com It is now upon those who are huge proponents of pocket caching to start their own entity (thereby making up whatever new guidelines they wish and playing whatever new variant of the game they can think of). I am sorry to inform anyone thinking along these lines that "whatsinmypocket.com" is already taken (though .net, .org etc. are in fact available! ) as is "snotrag.com" (but might be available for the right price!) But seriously, the issue here is not about the activity of pocket caching. It's about logging those finds on GC.com Driver Carries Cache (madmike)

I've been starting to eyeball phones with PDA/Internet capabilities for this exact purpose. Any tips or pitfalls you'd like to add? Did you research other units? Driver Carries Cache (madmike)

OK, so I'm a newy newbie here. I'm yet to hide anyhing (or find anything for that matter) I'm still studying up on my GPSr manual and reading the "Idiot's Guide to Geocaching" (take that how you will). From what I've learned in my reading it seems like the site should decide what size container you place. There are some sites in which only a micro will do. But if the site can support a larger container, I'd think that one should give serious thought to stepping up in size. In terms of a site already taken, I'd contact the current cacher and see if they're interested in teaming up. Volunteer to help maintain a larger cache to replace the micro. It can't hurt! Driver Carries Cache (madmike)

I don't think anyone would argue with that. It's a great idea... bring it to Texas and let the attendees at GeoWoodstock check it out... maybe let folks add some notes or cool trinkets for the guys to find when the cache arrives back at it's coordinates... in Iraq. No need for anyone to log it here. Doesn't that tarnish it's "unique" and "special" qualities? Driver Carries Cache (madmike)

Couldn't these great caches be shown at the event without having everyone log a find on the cache (since it doesn't meet the guidelines)? Exactly! Hey, it would definitely be cool to check out devious hides placed by fellow cachers! Isn't there a post further down the forums that's doing exactly that (Pictures - Cool Cache Containers (ccc's)). Haven't a huge number of folks logged on and marveled at these splendid pieces of work? Do we then deserve to log them for reading the post? If I wanted to meet fellow cachers in a campground, I'd give you the coordinates of the ice chest and invite you to come over and find a cold one! (no logging necessary). Driver Carries Cache (madmike) (edited to add link)

It gives you a leg up on the competition, the catch is you need a professional geochacher to verify your findless status. As a neophite you can't be expected to know all the ways of gaining finds without more than minimal effort on your part. For all you know you have already found all the caches in your area and were First To Find a few times to boot. I tell you avoiding finds is hard work! I'll share my secret! So far I've only turned on the GPS while laying on the couch in front of the TV! My position never seems to change (now that I've upraded to new firmware). Before that my position fluctuated, sometimes it showed me in the dining room, and sometimes in the kitchen! BTW... no caches within 10 feet of my couch!

Do they just hand it over, or do you have to "search" for it. Maybe they're just desperate and trying to meet people! i.e. "Is that a chache in your pocket?" "Well why don't you just come over here and find out!" Just what goes on at these events? Driver Carries Cache (madmike)

I've been a member for almost a month now and haven't found a stinking thing! Am I in the running? (of course I haven't tried to find a single thing). Does that matter? Driver Carries Cache (madmike)

Congrats on your purchase! I too just purchased a 60 CSx. Yes, you can manually enter the coordinates (in Manual, p. 11 - Creating a Waypoint Using Coordinates) You can also download waypoints from the website and upload them to your GPSr. There are posts farther down in this forum that will give a much better description of how this works than I could. The 60CSx is an intricate device and there are a myriad of features built in. Sorry to say, but the manual is going to be one of the best resources at hand. I read mine cover to cover. There is also a wealth of info here in the forum that's already been posted. Just read through them. Best of luck! Driver Carries Cache (madmike)

I disagree. While GC.com does decide whether a cache should be listed on it's site, it is not the ruling body of the game. We are. Therefore, if individuals act outside what is believed by players to be acceptable, it is perfectly correct for the issue to be discussed and appropriate frowning to occur. That's a good point... I know that the hobby exists outside of this site. Geocaching itself doesn't need an organization in order to exist, but by choosing to be members of this community, by posting new caches here and logging found caches here aren't we implicitly agreeing to play by the established guidelines? Driver Carries Cache (madmike)

Hi Everyone! I am a newbie... and let me stun you with my stats: I have "0" official finds! I'm not padding that, it's actually true! I'm still reading "The Idiots Guide To Geocaching" and my manual for my new GPSr. I find it interesting that this discussion is nearly identical to a discussion I read again and again in a forum for a completely different hobby. -- "Them newbies don't do it like we did back in the old days" -- "It used to be that folks participated for the fun and camraderie" -- "These folks are just in it to win (numbers)" BTW... last time I checked, my friends in the other hobby hadn't solved the problem either! They also came to the conclusion that how someone else plays should not have an effect on my enjoyment of whatever the pastime is. I wouldn't walk across the street to find a cache under a lighpost in a WalMart parking lot. I might stop for a roadside micro if there's a view that I normally fly by on my way to work without ever looking. To me, the whole point of this is to get out of my car, go someplace I've never gone and enjoy the outdoors. To walk up that fire road, or turn off the highway in a place I've never been. To learn something, or see something wonderful... Do I care if someone wants to drive all over town and snag micros with the engine running so they can run to the next one... not particularly. Not unless they choose to then just toss it back on the ground, deface the container, move the location, or to ruin it for everyone else in any of the many varied ways which they could. The only way that such activity could degrade my experience is if the quality of caches hid starts to decrease. I know there has been some discussion about this. I obviously haven't hidden a cache yet, but as I read have thought about what and where I would hide. It would definitely be traditional and located in a beautiful, inspiring or significant place. Logging caches at a convention... boooorrring! As for the cheating part, it is up to Groundspeak or Geocaching.com to set the standards and we as participants (members) agree (with our membership) to play by those standards. There will always be cheaters... that's the nature of the beast. There will always be folks obsessed by compiling stats... look at all the more-money-than-sense idiots paying mountaineers to haul them up the 7 summits, just so they can brag about it at some country club soiree. The sad truth is that folks like that don't get anything out of an acomplishment but what they were looking for... a number. But hey, I don't have time to worry about that... soon I'll be hitting the trail to find cool Geo-swag and enjoy the outdoors! Hope to see you SF Bay Area cachers on the trails! ---- Kudos to the forum users for being mostly civil (comapred to other forums). Thanks for listening, Driver Carries Cache (madmike)

Just bought a brand new 60CSx through Amazon. $394.77 plus a $30 discount for signing up for an Amazon Visa (which I recieved and chopped into little bits) and free 2nd day shipping for Amazon Prime members! A great deal! And I love the new GPSr! madmiike (Driver Carries Cache)

When I joined up and punched in my coordinates and found a cache about 100ft from my location! When I'm standing at my kitchen sink I can see its location out my kitchen window! I'm just finishing reading the manual that came with my brand new GPSr then I will make my first official find by taking a quick walk around the block So when you snag the cache... wave! madmike (Driver Carries Cache)

Howdy All, I'm a newbie from Vallejo, Ca. (San Francisco Bay Area). Been lurking for a couple of weeks trying to learn more. My first GPSr just arrived in the mail last Friday, still trying to learn what all it can do (lots and lots it seems!). Have also been reading "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching". Once I became a member and searched for caches near my home location, I found one only 120 feet away ! I can actually see the cache site from my kitchen window. I have yet to claim it as my first, but it will be! I think I'm gonna love this! Sign me off as: DriverCarriesCache (Michael Jobes)