Spunkmeyer

I totally do not understand the anger in this thread. This guy isn't a thief or a terrorist. He's a muggle who doesn't understand the game at all. The hiding spot was removed legally and, as such, the cache was removed with it. His idea to "get it back into the game" using eBay was creative and in a positive spirit. Sure he could have logged in to the geocaching website and tried to "figure it out", but not wanting to invest that time (don't blame him, really), he decided to post in on eBay. There are insertion costs and shipping costs and he threw in an SD card that he had lying around - so alright he decided to ask a few bucks for it. Come on folks, this is an altoids tin with a magnet and a couple pieces of stapled paper in a baggie. This isn't some elaborately carved faux-acorn or ingeniously camo'd piece. While I've seen some nice log books, I can't image the worst pack-rat caring about the fate of the log sheets. I'm sure they would have gotten wet and thrown away sooner or later anyway. Would it have been cool if the guy had invested the time to login to gc.com and track down the owner - perhaps leaving it for him somewhere if not sending on his dime? Sure that would have been cool. But to turn him into a devil for not doing that is ridiculous. I can see why he turned a bit adversarial as he got attacked by several cachers. This is not a high value item. And it was not "stolen". Purposefully stealing a cache or geocoins is something totally different.

I'll agree that caching during a layover is a bit of a challenge. San Diego is the only airport I've been to where you can WALK to several caches - both on and off the airport property! Having said that, with 4 hours at DFW, you could definitely head up to Bass Pro (cab or fellow cacher). With all due respect to webscouter, DFW is unique in that you are dropped off / picked up / checked in / baggage claimed AND TSA security checked AT THE GATE (okay, small groups of 5-10 or so gates share those assets). While it can be a challenge to change planes at DFW (and get between gates/terminals), it is by far the fastest curb-to-gate (arriving or departing) of any airport I've ever been to. It is a very unique design.

Have seen "peanut brittle spring snakes" as well as caches attached to fake snakes, spiders, rats either inside or outside of the cache. It is somehow terrifying to hear a "laughing battery powered noisemaker" go off in the middle of a forest upon opening a cache. Good luck finding even the most obvious off switch under those circumstances. All good fun - so far.... There was a recent cache I searched for that was listed as a "unique container, probably not up to some people's standards". All I found in the area was a large black plastic rodent bait/glue trap in some bushes in a commercial area. It's only been found once and I have no confirmation on whether or not that was the cache container, but if it was, it crosses the line in my book. Like poking around beneath the electrical panels of traffic lights, we shouldn't place caches in situations that would ordinarily be considered "unsafe". There is a "common sense" element in my book that separates these from a 5/5 "adventure cache" that articulates the risk of an underwater cache, a technical climb, or venturing into a radioactive site. With those types of caches, any type of risk is spelled out and special equipment requirements are stated.

I finally got it to work by using an external BT GPS and unchecking "Manage GPS automatically" (in Windows Mobile settings) - although I still got "bad GPS signal" messages in the player even though I had a green indicator with two (of four) bars... This will be fun once some more carts get built. Right now, 13 in the US and 4 locationless "demos". I'm kinda psyched to be one of the first 124 to log completing the demo. Hehe... it's a start!

I usually rely on my trusty eXplorist for most caching, but was hoping to use my Windows Mobile phone for explaining Geocaching to friends on the spur of the moment or when I otherwise might not have the eXplorist handy. Granted, the GPS in the phone is not really engineered for the slow, precise movement of someone walking around looking for a geocache. I've searched the forums for Geocaching software that will work with my GPS enabled Windows Mobile phone Sprint Mogul / HTC 6800. Playing around with the internal GPS (just unlocked in firmware) as well as a Bluetooth GPS. I've been trying two pieces of software (suggested on the forums here) and was looking for others' feedback and experience (and to see if there are others pieces of software that I should look at) - GeoScout - Pretty straightforward software although I tend to get errors while importing GPX and downloading from the Internet. Generally I can get it to work though. Is a bit hard to get the heading correct on the compass rose even if I walk from a good distance away. It ends up being a bit of trial and error and just getting the distance down to zero. The measuring in yards is only a little awkward - I can multiply by 3 quickly enough (haha... feet is just more intuitive for me after a couple years of caching). I'd probably pay $10-20 for this, but the $40 asking price is a little steep - at least for me and for what I plan on using the software for. Smache - Wow... Lots of tabs and buttons that I'm still figuring out. Unfortunately the compass rose / directional indicator jumps around quite a bit. Free, but there appear to be a few bugs that the owner hasn't had time to release any fixes/updates since the initial release a year ago. Any comments or suggestions on how to use these two titles better or others that I should check out, please let me know. The software resources page on gc.com seems to be missing a lot of great software that is out there (GPXSonar, Cachemate, etc.). How can we work with cg.com to get it updated, add a FAQ and/or sticky to this forum

Oh, and the QVGA screen resolution does not appear to be well supported - you need to scroll slightly on most of the screens I saw in the tutorial. Aren't most WM phones 240x320 or 240x240? Seems like there would be a nice market of users that already have this hardware.

The player takes about 5 minutes on the "GPS Device Detection in Progress" screen. Then, I am presented with my loaded carts (just the tutorial right now). I select the tutorial, see my "satellite indicator" mostly green but often flickering to red. I get "my spacesuit on" and begin the 50 foot walk. I eventually get another screen, presumably with the 3 objects in my inventory before the screen blanks and the program totally locks up. I've tried this a number of times and get the same result. Using the integrated GPS which works fine for GoogleMaps and iGuidance. As another user already described, it is annoying that even though I told the player to install on my memory card, it installed in main memory.

GPXSonar works great for me.

For some reason, I can never get my .gpx files to load properly and directly in GoogleEarth I really like and use "GoogleEarthTweaker" to convert Geocaching .gpx files to GoogleEarth .kml files and retail the icon for cache type. You can drag in a .gpx of "your finds" and Tweaker will clearly label those with a check mark. I always use this because it provides the exact location of the cache rather than the off-set from the server-fed .kml. Just do a Google search for Google Earth Tweaker. Easy as pie and looks great.

Nothing says that puzzles (mystery caches) can't be at the listed coordinates. In fact... Interesting... Those are indeed from the "official" guidelines. I had gotten my understanding from the Cache types page that comes up when you click on the cache type icon at the top of a listing. That page says - Mystery or puzzle caches The “catch-all” of cache types, this form of cache can involve complicated puzzles you will first need to solve to determine the coordinates. The only commonality of this cache type is that the coordinates listed are not of the actual cache location but a general reference point, such as a nearby parking location. I thought Additional Logging Requirements were discouraged or no longer allowed. I can't find anything that says that, but vaguely remember someone saying that somewhere. Meh... make no mistake, the distinction doesn't make me passionate one way or another, I just find the discrepancy interesting.

Cool... Sent a message to the local reviewer and he's already fixed it!

Here is the one I came accross this past weekend - "It's Thataway" GC667F. The others I've come accross are like this - either puzzles that *are* at the coords listed - or traditionals that *are not* at the listed coords. The owners typically note in the description that the cache type is wrong, but that doesn't fix the problem. If the local reviewer can change it, that is an easy enough fix - I just don't think owners know that.

In the last month, I've come accross a few caches that werte listed incorrectly. Of course one could say that I should carefully read the detailed description and cache logs before heading out. But, I think we should be able to depend on cache owners to have selected the correct category. I use pocket queries and cache electronically, so while I may have specifically prepared for some of the caches in an area, for others I am only pulling up the cache description as as I park and am getting out to find the cache. It is frustrating to go to what you think is a traditional cache and find out it is a puzzle cache many miles away. I've left notes for a couple of cache owners (previous logs for those caches do the same), but haven't gotten a response or seen the cache type change. I noticed that "cache type" is greyed out in the cache owner editing screen. Is it possible to have a cache type changed or do you have to archive and relist as a new cache?

The used syringes I came across in SEVERAL locations while caching in urban Vancouver were about the most concerning risks I've come across. What do I usually look out for at home? Bears (minimal risk really), Wasps and Mountain Lions in Colorado. Knock wood - have never been bitten by a tick! Copperheads and Poison Ivy in Texas.

Fall webworms have been all over Dallas for the last couple months, wrapping branches in a similar web so that they can chow down on the leaves unmolested by birds or other predators. I've seen huge sections of wooded areas virtually covered in such webbing. Spiders, especially the monstrous Black and Yellow Garden Spiders (aka zipper or writer spiders) have been quite plentiful this year. While I'm sure there are lots of spiders in the area of Lake Tewakoni, I'm surprised to hear that this web was caused by cooperating spiders rather than webworm.

IMHO - The key here is in trying to understand what the owner intended - and that can almost always be easily inferred. If I find a cache in a condition - not intended by the owner - where signing the log is not possible, I have no problem logging it as a find and informing the owner of the circumstances. This includes wet or missing logs, damaged containers, missing containers with "cache remains" still present or containers that cannot be freed from their location. An example that comes to mind is an ammo box that was wedged between beams on top of a railroad trestle. The beams had swelled in the rain and the box wouldn't budge when I found it. I won't log a find if I can't thoroughly search the area or if I otherwise can't retrieve the cache as intended by the owner. Examples include areas currently underwater due to rains or blocked off due to construction as well as caches for which I don't have the tools or creativity to reach. This seems more cut and dried than people are making it. I'm at peace with how I cache and haven't had any problems with cache owners.

I recently came across a cache whose lid had broken and had filled with water. It was hot out and it was disgusting. Making it worse was the tube of highly perfumed (not scented, but perfumed) lotion inside that had leaked. I've found some caches in gross conditions, but this putrid rotting old lady smell took the cake! FYI - Owner is a well respected cacher and took care of it as soon as I let him know.

I used my Windows Mobile PDA Phone (and BT GPSr "bug") for the first few caches, but as others have pointed out the SW written for these things are based on street navigation. I could read the coords of my current location, but without the compass/directional arrow/"distance to goal" of a traditional GPSr, it was a tedius challenge to get to the cache location. Not to mention all of the paper with cache coords and manually entering them at each location. The great part was that I had great street directions to each cache! But once, I was out of the car, it was a pain in the butt. I used it long enough to realize that I wanted to cache more and bought an eXplorist 500.

A clear plastic "bubble" container (from the grocery story toy vending machines) with a couple scraps of paper torn from a larger sheet of notebook paper. This was simply thrown under a bench near a parking lot. No camo. No mention of geocaching on the log or container. I would have thought it was trash if the cache description hadn't described the container. Owner has since switched this one to a camo'ed film container. Interestingly, this is from as relatively new cacher who is hard-core into the game - 400 finds and 60 hides in their first 4 months of caching. Haven't been to any of their other caches, but hope they are in better locations and containers.

Ah... Been discussed before... If only a cache "quality" rating system could solve all of the world's bad geocaching ills. I don't think it would, but a finder rating system would be nice. Comment Fundamentally, I wish that people used "difficulty" a bit more carefully - I want to know if this "one and a half star" difficulty cache is a skirt lift or tree crook micro P&G. The rating just doesn't separate P&Gs very well from other caches. I still have to laugh that one of the hardest caches I've found is a 1.5 difficultly (GCVBBF is definitely not a 1.5 in my book). Some P&Gs are great for what they are. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a P&G. I just want to be able to pick them out. Suggestion I feel that many people can appropriately rate a cache as a finder based on the expectation and difficulty set by the owner - just a simple scale of 1 to 5 ("waste of time" to "well worth it" to "amazingly fun and clever"). I'm still surprised that this doesn't exist to keep the quality of caches up. Every time I find a cache made from a soggy cardboard SlimJim can thrown under a bush, I want to scream.

Good point - I wasn't totally clear in my earlier post. While it is true you won't get MRSA from the insect bite itself (mosquitoes, for example, aren't carriers for MRSA the way they are West Nile), a bite can indeed get infected by MRSA. A spider bite can be particularly susceptible to infection in general. Even with mosquito bites, many people, especially children do scratch at bites to the point of skin damage or bleeding. It is probably more important to point out clearly that many infected people do delay treatment thinking they are simply reacting to what they think is a "bug bite" rather than a serious infection. That is probably the most important thing for cachers to be aware of and pay attention to. Don't aways assume it's "just a bug bite" if you are reacting differently than you usually do to a bug bite.

Glad you said it....... and I'll leave it at that. Over the last 3 years, I've known two young, healthy people who've run into serious MRSA infections stemming from bug bites. MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a highly resistant bacteria that can ultimately be fatal if not treated. It is something to take seriously. Trust me, you'll know when it becomes a bug bite that "out of the ordinary"!

Generally - Don't make people feel the need to watch you. In other words, just don't act suspicious. The last thing you want is people thinking that you may be doing something "bad" or, in this day and age, dangerous. Be careful around playgrounds. If someone asks, tell them what you are doing. If you assess that the muggles aren't really a risk to the cache's well-being and you are in a "recreational environment", you can be fairly direct in your search especially if you have disarming caching companions. Having kids searching with you helps. Having your 70 year-old father with you crawling around under a pine tree is helpful as well. I was shocked to find what eager cachers my parents are. Ultimately, you want to focus on two things - 1. Do not give people a reason to fear your actions while caching. 2. Don't give away the cache location. Sometimes, you'll have to walk away if you can't do those two things.

Lack of a find shouldn't be a reason to archive - especially if the cache is indeed still there. In Texas, the summers are brutal - heat, skeeters, Poison Ivy, snakes, marshes, - so some caches can easily go for 6+ months without a find. There is a challenging series of caches in a heavily wooded area near downtown Dallas (GCM07J) that hadn't been found in almost two years. The terrain is intimidating and it is off the beaten path. They were so close to home and kept coming up in my proximity searches. They were taunting me. Finally, I decided, I had to try and find them. I had some dialog with the owner who gave me a hint out of concern that the first cache of the series might really be gone after all of this time. There was something very cool about finding the the caches in pristine condition and logging them after a two-year gap in activity. They are excellent hides in a beautiful area. The search is still one of my favorite caching adventures. The owner and a couple other folks made it out to the series after my find but before the summer came and made the hunt all but impossible for another 6 months.

I do recognize that some people are into collecting signature items. I'll admit that I'm not one of them, but I do respect them - especially when they are as cool as Snoogans. I do have a couple of peeves. 1. Stuffing sig items into a container that really isn't big enough for them. Hide-a-keys, AOL tins, 35mm cans. It is often challenging enough to get a log/ziploc into the container, much less a couple of sig items that were crammed in there. I'll admit to removing them if it risks damaging the log/container or doesn't allow the container to close properly. 2. Sig items that have fallen into the "trash category". I understand this is subjective assessment, but many caches just aren't watertight and stickers and other paper items (laminated or not) turn to trash very quickly under those circumstances. I don't typically trade, but do bring toys to "refill" caches that are in need of a refill. I'll also clean out any "cache trash" including waterlogged paper items, candy, loose fishing lures (another peeve - especially love it when they are loose in the cache and rusty!) or other inappropriate item (that could be a whole other thread!).