MountainMudbug

A small pair of pliers can work wonders on getting burrs out of dog hair, but you have to be very careful and have a somewhat cooperative dog I imagine pliers would work removing burrs from clothing as well.

Hard to say why it happens..... I suspect that sometimes when a group of cachers are searching, one group member makes the find before the others, grabs the cache and carries it to a convenient location where all can sort thru it and sign in. Then, either: 1) the finder can't remember exactly where he/she found it, so they stick it in a likely hiding spot 2) somebody else in the group (not the actual finder) rehides it, and since they didn't pick it up they unintentionally put it back somewhere else nearby. There is also the scenario where somebody finds that cache and rehides it in what they think is a better hiding spot than the one the owner picked. Another scenario is that a newbie or otherwise confused cacher will move the cache to where the coordinates on their GPS indicate it "should" be hidden. I've had a couple logs mention that "we shifted the cache to match the coordinates." Gee, thanks

One of our caches used to get moved around by 10-15 feet quite a bit. Then one time somebody moved it a bunch and we couldn't find it at all, but people were still logging finds on it! We searched the area a couple times, and I looked up in a really hard-to-get-to spot and said, "There's no way it is up there, that'd be stupid, I'm not scrambling up there!" Another local cacher who'd previously found it kindly stopped by and searched a few days later, and he found that sure enough it had indeed been stashed in that (IMO) awful, tricky spot! We went back and grabbed it and moved it to a much easier location maybe 100 ft away to cause less confusion and injury. I didn't post a DNF or a find on it, though it was tempting..... how embarrasing on our own cache! Guess I give up too quick Some caches are hard to keep up with

You might want to check out this thread if you haven't yet, a cacher suggests using Tyvek envelope paper for a water resistant logsheet.

We also almost always write what we took/left in both the logbook and the online log, to let the owner and other cachers know something of what is in the cache. Sometimes when I see where people didn't write what they traded or didnt' scribble "TNLNSL" in the logbook, I wonder: were they just in a hurry or it isn't their 'style' to record their trades, or if they made a lame trade and didn't want to leave any evidence of guilt

I appreciate it when occasionally a finder on one of my caches shoots me a quick email and lets me know the state of the cache, or writes about it in their online logs. Especially when there is a problem with a cache, ie: logbook full/almost full, cache damp inside, camo or label coming off, status of the trade items inside. If it really does need attention, I'd say definitely hit the 'needs maintenance' button. It isn't your duty to do anything, but I know most owners would appreciate you adding in a couple decent trade items if you can spare them, even if you don't take anything. Sometimes cachers will replace a busted ziplock bag or add an extra, new logbook to the cache if they find one is full, or drop in a new pen or pencil. If there is something truly nasty (wet, dirty, slimey, food-stuffs ) most owners probably wouldn't mind it being removed (would likely appreciate it), but you just have to use your best judgement on a case-by-case basis, I guess. When I'm out hunting, I try to do unto caches as I would have done unto mine. Regarding the state of trades: Only the very first couple/three cachers to find a cache really get to see what the hider intended in the most original sense of the hide, trade-wise, unless those finders are of the TNLN persuasion, in which case the contents will change very little. Often it isn't the owner's choice or fault as to what the cache contains when you get there, it just happens over time. Several times I have gone out on spontaneous maintenance checks of my own caches and have been rather embarrased at the state of the "trades" inside. I intend that my caches (those large enough for trades) would give finders a little selection of goodies to sort thru if they choose. I want to present more than a sparse selection, like 3 cheap plastic toys (unwrapped and used), 47cents in loose change, a handfull of business cards, and 2 motel shampoo packets. I try to keep my caches stocked with small variety of 'interesting' (or at least new/sealed) things as best I can, but honestly the quality will often degrade fairly rapidly. It doesn't always happen, I have checked and discovered some interesting things and neat handmade signature items, so there are definitely some people making an effort! I've just had to loosen up and hope that the finders will appreciate the location or the smiley count or something. Maybe they'll find a travel bug in there and be happy about that. I can't stress out over the trades anymore, sometimes folks do Ok and sometimes it's less than Ok. Whatcha gonna do...... edit: eye kan spell guud, trewlie eye kan!

Thanks for the info, BD, good to know. Guess I'll have to do a little emailing now if I want to find out about those disappearing notes

With so many Jeep threads going, I didn't want to start another and I guess this is as good a place as any to ask: (sorry for steering a bit OT here ) The cacher who received their GJTB in the mail and activated it, can they delete notes from that GJTB's page? I wouldn't think that would be possible, but decided I'd ask because I am watching one GJTB page that I swear had several 'notes' posted on it (comments regarding mailing the Jeeps overseas) and when I looked again today, those notes were gone. It is of course possible that the 'note' posters changed their minds and deleted them (I don't think so but naturally I could be wrong). Guess the only way to tell about that would be to email the cachers who posted the notes and ask them about it, eh? Just wondering if anybody knows..... can't wait to find one in a cache myself

Oh this is so cool! I noticed this thread kept expanding but never checked it out, finally had to click and see what all the posts were about..... can't believe I haven't been following this all along!

I thought "banned" meant gone, as in forever? Seems like "suspended" would be temporary.....

Yeah, my gnat hat sometimes makes things too dark to see in the woods, so I just push it up onto my forehead and wear it like a giant, hideous hairnet. I have to do that because for some reason the flies and bees always try to go in my ears, so I have to leave the net covering them up. I always knew I was sugary-sweet (ok, maybe just they smell a scented hair product or something)

Ahhhh, ok that makes sense, thank you

All I can add is that there really is a big difference in reading the written word "cojones" and seeing an actual picture of "cojones'. (I've seen the pic before and thought it was, uh, tacky. Perhaps not having any cojones myself predisposes me to be disgusted by them ) Anyway, a picture is worth a thousand words, eh?

What is "OBMB"? Oh Boy, My Bad? I've seen it several times but have no clue..... or is it an 'in-joke'?

After picking countless gnats from our eyes while hiking, I finally invested a couple dollars in some cheap "gnat hats" (think I got them at WalMart or Target, check your local sporting goods store). Here is a link to some similar ones online. Ours don't have the 'hat' part attached, they are just the nets. They do look pretty stooopid in use, but eyeball comfort is way more important than making a fashion statement, and they really do keep the wee beasties out. PS: if you do get one, don't make the mistake my hubby always makes while wearing his...... remember to lift your net up BEFORE you spit Can't tell you how many times I've had a good laugh watching the loogie slid down the inside of his netting, ick!

According to my research, Jeep is sponsoring the contest, so it is their choice how and where it plays out. Presumably GC could have said, "no thanks Jeep, people will complain too much and it will be a pain in the rear, so let's just not bother with it this year." Then that would suck for everyone, everywhere. It is a wonder they do it at all.

A lot of people have been having trouble receiving GC.com emails (especially some of us on AOL) so it may not be that they are ignoring you, but just haven't received the emails. Lately, I've been receiving emails up to 1 week after they were actually sent. Maybe they are out of town for end of the summer trips, too.

The NPS says: "The Tetons received their name from French-Canadian trappers who accompanied the earliest British expeditions into this territory. As they approached the range from the west, they beheld three towering mountains upon which they bestowed the name of "Trois Tetons" ("Three Breasts"). This romantic designation was readily adopted by the lonely trapping fraternity to whom the sharp snowy peaks (now known as the Grand, Middle and South Tetons) became a beacon to guide them through the hostile wilderness. To the Indians the Tetons were variously known as "The Three Brothers," "The Hoaryheaded Fathers," and "Tee Win-at," meaning "The Pinnacles." The earliest Americans in the region, being more practical than romantic, could find no better name for the silvery spires than "The Pilot Knobs," while an official Hudson's Bay Company map indicates with equal homeliness, "The Three Paps." The name "Three Tetons" survived, however, and was officially recognized by cartographers. The name first appeared publicly in the Bonneville Map of 1837." Sounds like the white man just has a thing for naming stuff after boobies.....

Looks like Beavis and Butthead have not only learned how to read, but have now mastered the powers of research as well * huh-huh, huh-huh, she said 'mastered' *

Uh, I've seen a couple in slightly similar shape but that is irrelevant to the conversation (and also enough to make you never want to see one again, of any shape)

There is no apostrophe in Pikes Peak (if you're referring to the 14,115' mountain in Colorado) That's the best you can do in response to my suggestion?

Hey, I vote we rename Pike's Peak. Make it Pike's Pr**k. It'd be hilarious to hear a guy say, "Yeah, I'm climbing up on Pike's Pr**k this weekend" That's not offensive, so don't raise my warn meter

Try checking out Atlas Quest, many of the same boxes are listed there that are listed on www.letterboxing.org. Regarding trying to combine both hides together, it has been my observation that many letterboxers frown upon geocaching as the techno-geek-redheaded-stepchild of letterboxing Therefore, if you do determine who hid the lb you found, they may be less than willing to 'share' a location with your cache. Of course, not all letterboxers feel that way about caching (I sure don't!) so you'll just have to give it a shot and see. Just be sure if you do contact them to be polite and tactful, (ie: make very sure it doesn't sound like "your box is lame and needs a new container and the hiding spot is bad too, so let's do it my way!" - not that I think you would do that, but sometimes it is necessary to walk on eggshells when discussing GC with an LBer ) Good luck! Maybe you've found another new hobby, too?

I totally agree that packaging methods can make all the difference. Those who are shipping coins out really need to take precautions. A few extra cents is worth it to make sure it arrives safely. I haven't mailed any coins, but I do mail a lot of stuff for ebay and my website. Whatever gets shipped, wrap it in a little bubble wrap (even though the envelopes are already padded), and stick a couple pieces of crumpled newspaper in there too. If they can't feel exactly what is inside the package (especially coinage), the scum (whoever they may be) will be much less likely to risk opening it up to find out. And tape the heck out of the envelope on the ends, that will significantly eliminate the 'machine ripped the package' excuse. And as Jake said above, those self-seal things can come loose easily, so tape the heck out of that too. I've shipped over a thousand packages and only twice have buyers claimed they did not arrive. And one of those had a Delivery Conf. that showed it was delivered, so go figure on that.

Geez, that really will make them harder to find! Hope they can adjust it so the GJTBs are the dominant icons in a multi-bug situation..... or maybe they did that on purpose to make it more challenging?