MNTA

Governments can change things at anytime. Project-GC has and continues to update the boundaries as they change with some obvious lag. Heck California almost got to vote on splitting into 3 states this year does this mean state boundaries should not be used either? The theory I read is that challenges would have to adapt to the latest boundaries, and any previous finds are grandfathered in.

We have a couple of caches in our area that are fixed yet you have to find the TB with either the key or the code to unlock it. One is simply a locker key and the cache is in a bowling ally locker. Very popular. Cache me if you can! https://coord.info/GCMJ1V Another has three TBs each with a different code & color. Red/Blue/Yellow As you find the TBs you can go try out the codes to unlock the cache. The Devil's Monty https://coord.info/GC77TF4 Another one requires you to find the TB code at an event.

More ammunition for you. Counties/equivalent are more interesting in my opinion when your states are large. Projerct-GC has under your profile 171/544 counties in austrailia. I also ran your profile on my challenge to find a Top10 Favorite cache in 50 different counties. You qualify! [Team Canary](https://www.geocaching.com/profile/?u=Team%20Canary) has used [Project-GC](https://project-gc.com/Challenges/GC7R26B/35398 "Project-GC Challenge Checker") to see if they qualified for this challenge and they did. Adelaide (C)(4) (#1♥271): [GC2H363](https://coord.info/GC2H363) Vision of Light (2014-04-19) Albany (C)(5) (#4♥51): [GC576](https://coord.info/GC576) Albany Quarantine (2018-06-21) Alice Springs (T)(7) (#1♥95): [GC46N4E](https://coord.info/GC46N4E) Overwatch #1 (Cache # 2,000,000) (2017-04-14) Augusta-Margaret River (S)(5) (#4♥24): [GC6ACQV](https://coord.info/GC6ACQV) Next Cache Antarctica (2018-06-21) Ballarat (C)(2) (Archived #5♥70): [GC3720](https://coord.info/GC3720) On The Run (2014-08-03) Balranald (A)(1) (#2♥5): [GC4NGMN](https://coord.info/GC4NGMN) GiGi (2017-04-22)

The web site now accepts any format and does the conversion for you. I just tried 48°01'07.7"N 122°47'24.0"W no problem it lists it as N 48° 01.128 W 122° 47.400

10. Source of Criteria Challenge cache criteria may be based upon these geographic areas: countries, states/provinces, counties (or their local equivalent). Sounds like the reviewer may be incorrect here.

I create a waypoint on a nearby cache when I place my cache using the current location to mark it.

You are missing my point. Yes you can solve this one aspect of the game. But why? It will just create headaches elsewhere. Rebuilding a system from scratch is easier said than done. The whole game/sport/hobby is built around turn of the century technology. I for one am glad they keep improving things and making it easier to use. Maybe every new cache needs a QR code printed on the log to verify it truly was found or require a picture of the log for every submission. After all most folks have smartphone after all. My point is if you put a system in place to catch loggers you also need a system to protect the loggers from the abusive CO that may not like you for some reason. Hey it's Joe (no offense meant to anyone name Joe) again let me delete his log. So if you start policing one aspect of the game you increase the need elsewhere. If you accept that some cheating does take place ask yourself who does it hurt? GS is improving a lot of the aspects of the game I suspect over time you'll see better maintenance, fewer throw downs, and higher overall experience. Let's stay positive and constructive to bring in the next generation of cachers.

Hypothetically, then you could have the opposite problem. A disgruntled CO who does not like souvenirs so he/she goes and deletes logs just to mess with someone. Personally I spent hours going for my dumb souvenir. Honestly, Goundspeak has the right idea here. They know folks can and will cheat but they really don't care as the headaches of enforcement would be so huge. The reality is someones cheating does not take away from my enjoyment. The only way I can think of helping to curb cheating is if everyone takes a picture of the log when they log a cache and submit it. Do I do this myself, no. Give the co a small window to maintain the logs so if aa throw down does occur only the first group is penalized.

I'll second this post. You definitely don't need to find them all.

First welcome. There is no such thing as too late to start! My suggestion is just be patient. If too many folks are around take a seat, stand around make a fake phone call, check your email.... you get the point. Tying shoes helps if you have to check under something. Sometimes thong just go for it you'd be surprised people don't care too much.

Lot of folks paint those green/brown/black and place them in stumps in our local community parks just off walking trails. Cover with a little natural camo. They seem to hold up in our wet environment pretty well.

From what I can tell GS can't do anything without receiving criticism. Which is why they tend to do what they want to do and have their own evaluation for success/failure.

I'm not a big event person, but saw this that might give you some ideas. https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC7P0Y0_vancouver-wa-cache-machine-ii-dinner This is for the dinner event after a full day of optional caching. Which they do mention.

Hah I found today a bat with a bison tube stuck in it's mouth. Had to laugh at the timeliness. No I did not give it a favorite point but it did give me a smile.

You make it sound like making someone laugh has ulterior motives just to get favorite points. Which I completely disagree with. I speculate that it is just to make people laugh. It's hard to make a film canister funny and besides I bet the kids love it. And honestly we need more things that get kids both older and younger excited. For me the biggest let down was going after the #4 favorited cache in my region https://coord.info/GC12 with 1054 FPs (51% though) it was just a bucket full of water with a cracked lid and the destination was nothing special other than an empty calendar space. While GC17 a few miles away get the #6 spot with far fewer signers 400+ has 816 FPs (55%) and has on a good day an amazing view at the end of the hike. I don't think you will ever understand what motivates people to give FPs. Maybe the view was covered with clouds. They had a great group of friends that went to a special area that they enjoyed. Maybe it was poring down rain and really cold. Maybe they laughed at the container. Maybe they were just in a good mood. Or it's a plastic turkey with a bison tube sticking out of that your kid could not stop laughing about.

So true! Also agree on your Troll response. I too had the same experience, try to suggest anything to improve things and you'll get the same response. For a hobby that started as cutting edge techno savvy has turned into don't touch anything as I like it exactly as it is. Glad we have moved on from flip phones and GPS handheld devices. You'll see complaints for each and every change, promotion, even souviners you name it. Bottom line if you want to see this thing keep going they have to constantly fight to improve and update. I agree that up until recently everything was stuck in the 90s and just because it was not part of the original capabilities does not mean that it should be shunned. As capabilities increase new features can and should be developed. I for one like this idea so keep on suggesting things please! Now let me get back to printing out my web pages and loading the coordinates into my GPSr like the old days. Ignore the Trolls

100% agree You also have to remember not everyone even gives out favorites even when well deserved. So even favorite % is not a good metric.

Honestly there is no such thing as a perfect algorithm. You will always include/exclude the wrong people. Having found 13 of the new virtual rewards deemed worthy to place a cache, I'd give some A+ and some not so great. Instead of another algorithm that someone will complain about. I'd rather see a formal evaluation process more stringent than just going through a single reviewer. Really justify why a virtual really makes sense and why a traditional cache does not work. For instance park regulations, fear of terrorism etc. Earthcaches are already doing this. Possibly have a mechanism which local premium members can vote up/down or give input on proposed virtuals or even nominate sites.

So true! Everyone has the best intentions I am sure but agree one mans treasures is another mans trash. I hid a cache in a recycled spot. I found the original container and two throw down containers all decent quality. Got yelled at by one poster for stealing but seriously they were all abandoned. So putting them back into circulation after cleaning up. Don't get me started on PC obtaining permission, wanted to place it in a tree with a one step up to retrieve, nope and it was a perfect climbing tree. Land managers have a tough line to tow. Protect the environment at the same time as provide access to the public for recreation. When all activities involving the public affect the environment. It's a catch-22 hikers pack down the soil, cachers make new geotrails, mountain bikers cause tracks and all the above causes erosion. The best bet is to be good stewards and realize our presence has an effect and we can choose to clean up after ourselves the best we can. Stopping all activity is not the answer. I for one value our 1st world values and prefer it to Mexico, Northern Africa, or the middle east all of which I have visited and have no interest in staying.

So the 100s of abandoned caches in the woods or cities are not trash? This is a drop in the bucket. Have fun enjoy. Do your best and clean things up when you can.

Which is why certain caches deemed valuable to the community as a whole should be placed on a call it historical register that could be maintained by the community possibly adopted by the local geocaching community.

I suspect it is because in cyberspace there are no international boundaries. Though china does attempt significant control. In the US Amazon had a similar loophole unless they had a physical presence in the state they did not have to collect state sales taxes for items sold there. This was a huge advantage if you chose to wait a day or two for delivery. This loophole has been plugged. Even if there was a physical presence companies would simply move their services to jurisdictions friendly to them and bypass the rules and regulations. Seems that governments have tired of this game.

My recommendation is definitely buy more than one. Over a short time I sent out 6. Two were lost almost immediately. Two lasted between 1 and 2 years. Have two though that have survived almost 4 years. The cuter the thing you attach it to the higher likelihood that it will not last long though sometimes this is not the case. Of the 2 one was attached to a sea shell, the other a snoopy figurine both have spent a long time and currently are in Europe now that probably has something to do with it's longevity. Snoopy spent a cold winter stuck in a cache in Finland and another year in Sweden. We love taking a peek to see where they are at.

US does this all the time you just don't know about it. It is part of the global order. If you want to do business with my country follow my rules too even if not against your rules.

I have a pair of needle nose pliers in my car. Sometime caches get pushed in a little too far for my fat finger to reach. Though if you don't have one on you you can improvise with sticks sometimes. Best tool is a huge pack of extra pens. They seem to always go missing or get broken.