teambaconpancakes

Yup, I found it, thanks. Strange that you can only upload photos while editing an already-posted log, rather than just upload them with the log -- but it's all good now.

I just found another trackable today, and I wanted to upload a photo when I logged it -- but there doesn't seem to be any way to on the logging page. Am I missing something or is there currently no way to attach photos to trackable logs? *Sad face* (Which would really suck, because my own trackable that I put into action a few weeks ago asks for people to upload photos when they move it. . .) *DOUBLE SAD FACE*

Sorry about the double thread. The matter has been completely resolved in the other topic, so thanks all~ (This one can be closed, if necessary.)

That should be OK, especially since both the TB and the cache are owned by you. I'd guesstimate that the coin was picked up as late as a week ago, if I read between the lines (cachers not mentioning that "there are no TBs" could be a sign it was there for a little while). This may be a case of someone taking a Trackable, and forgetting it in a backpack or something. And now we wait. HUZZUH, within 24 hours of unmarking is as "missing", the TB was logged by someone! *Dances* (Strangely enough, the person who logged the trackable never logged their actual cache find, but what ever floats your boat, I guess. Maybe they just a have a lot of past caches to go through and log?) Anyway, all is good now. Next time it disappears I'll know to just be patient. Thanks, all~

Okay, cool. Thanks for the replies. I've removed the "missing" status from the trackable in question and returned it to it's former location in the original cache; however, I've placed a note on the cache page alerting anyone who TB-hunting that it's no longer in the cache.

I need some clarification on something. When you mark your own trackable as "missing", does it just get removed from displaying as in the inventory of the cache, or does it completely disappear? Like I explained in my other thread, my trackable disappeared from my own cache (I am the owner of both the cache and TB) and has never been logged. I went ahead and marked it as "missing" just so it would stop displaying on the cache page and other cachers would stop hunting for the cache thinking there was a TB in it. My hope is that eventually the person who took it will log it and it will magically appear in the geocaching world again. However, in this thread some people are saying that once you mark a TB as missing, it completely disappears -- so the person who took is won't be able to log it even if they wanted to eventually. Is this true? What's the best way to make sure your cache no longer lists any TB in it's inventory (so as not to frustrate other people when they come looking for it and it's not there) but still keep the TB accessible to the person to actually has it but hasn't logged it yet? Thanks!

(Bump)

I think you're making it too complicated. The form wouldn't need to be submitted in order to validate the tracking number -- fields can be validated in real time as you type in them, so if you enter a wrong tracking number it could instantly have a little line of text appear beside the box saying "invalid number" and then you would just correct your typo and carry on. It would be no different than, say, the section of your account settings page here on Geocaching.com where you can change your username: if you start typing in a username that's already taken, it tells you instantly. The logging page would only be submitted after the tracking numbers were entered correctly; the transaction wouldn't have the chance to not be completed in that case because it deals with all the field validation beforehand. I can't think of an alternative method of doing something like this that could possibly be less effort or more foolproof for someone logging a find/trackable.

I need some clarification on something. When you mark your own trackable as "missing", does it just get removed from displaying as in the inventory of the cache, or does it completely disappear? Like I explained in the opening post of this topic, my trackable disappeared from my own cache (I am the owner of both the cache and TB) and has never been logged. I went ahead and marked it as "missing" just so it would stop displaying on the cache page and other cachers would stop hunting for the cache thinking there was a TB in it. My hope is that eventually the person who took it will log it and it will magically appear in the geocaching world again. However, in this thread some people are saying that once you mark a TB as missing, it completely disappears -- so the person who took is won't be able to log it even if they wanted to eventually. Is this true? What's the best way to make sure your cache no longer lists any TB in it's inventory (so as not to frustrate other people when they come looking for it and it's not there) but still keep the TB accessible to the person to actually has it but hasn't logged it yet?

I doubt it actually requires another screen. I can't imagine why a whole refresh of the page would be required to query the database (even if it's in a completely different database than the cache information); I don't have a lot of programming background, but I believe something like this could be easily done all from one page. Yeah, it could be like the set up for dropping off a trackable. If a cache contains trackable items, they could all be listed on the logging page in dropdowns, and as soon as you changed a dropdown for one of them to "taken" or whatever, it would give you a blank form field where you would enter in the tracking number.

Worse, nobody made a log when they took the TBs. I place a Travel Bug to watch it travel, not to "mark it missing". There's such an urgency imposed by others to mark it missing, but it did not disappear. Somebody took it and they need to log that they did so. Until then, it's the log that must be marked "missing". Agreed. The problem isn't so much the owner not marking them "missing" -- the problem comes from no one bothering to actually log a trackable when they pick it up. I don't understand why so few people log trackables that they take (and I'm referring to those who are actually intent on moving the tag eventually to another cache, not the people who just steal TBs for their own collection -- which hey, BTW, is a douche move.) If logging a trackable is just too much of a bother, has anyone thought about a much needed change in the way trackables are logged? Maybe if logging a trackable was more of a one-click action built into logging a cache find, we wouldn't have so many missing TBs.

The biggest frustration of the whole geocaching game for me is searching for so many caches that list a trackable being available in their inventory -- only to arrive and not find any trackable there. It's ridiculous how often the TB is missing from the cache it's listed as being in; out of dozens I've looked for so far since I began geocaching, I've only managed to find one. I'm aware that many people, for whatever strange reason, don't bother to log trackables when they pick them up -- not only new cachers who don't know how trackables work, but even many experienced cachers. I don't understand why, because logging a trackable takes just as little time as logging a cache find so I'm not sure why people can't be bothered to take the two seconds to log the TB as well. *Frustrated* What I'm suggesting would be a new simpler way to log trackables. When you go to log a find for a cache, why can't there be a checkbox or something that automatically appears on the same page if a trackable is listed in the inventory, that says something like "I took the TB from this cache", and if you check the box then it submits the logged trackable right along with the logged cache find? (I realize some people like to write comments about the TB with their log or take pictures -- those could still be incorporated by just having those form fields only show up on the logging page if the "I took the TB from this cache" box is checked.) Or, you know, SOMETHING. If logging a trackable is so confusing and so time consuming that people can't be bothered to do it, then why not make it easier to do so right on the cache logging page? The same sort of thing is already implemented on the website for dropping off a TB when you go to log a cache -- so why can't it be done for picking up a trackable?

I would love to be able to view my DNF's on the map along with all of my finds. When I first started geocaching I remember being surprised that the little blue faces didn't show up on the map, so I had to make a list of any caches I didn't find so I didn't forget them. Having on the map would be so much better. (Not sure why this hasn't been done already.)

I would really like to be able to access my bookmark/saved lists from both my phone and the website. Are the "saved lists" on the app and the "bookmark lists" on the website not the exact same idea? Yet for whatever reason when you save something to a list on the app, you can't access it on the website (and vice versa) which sort of defeats the purpose of them a bit. . . I'd love to be able to make lists of different caches I'd like to find and save them on the website, and then while I'm out actually geocaching around town be able to access that same list and see which caches I've saved. Having the lists automatically sync between app and website would be fantastic.

I've always wondered why the search parameters for the mobile app map and the website map differ so much. On the iPhone app, you have the ability to do map searches for caches by difficulty/terrain, type, size, name, etc -- yet on the website you can only do a map search for cache type. Even on the "Hide & Seek a Cache" page where you can enter in more advanced search filters, it only displays the results in a list, and as soon as you click on "map this area" all it does is zoom into a section of the map where only *some* of your results are mixed in with every other cache that you're not even looking for. I'd really love to be able to search the website geocaching map like I do on my iPhone app; with the ability to filter by type, size, name, D/T, etc. Not only would it be convenient for cachers when they're planning out geocaching outings on their computers at home, it would also make the user experience across both the web and mobile platforms way more consistent.

(Sorry, I posted this in the wrong forum, so I'm re-posting it here.) Newbie here. I just had my first cache with a trackable in it published two days ago. Since then, several people have found it, and today one of the cachers alerted me to the fact that the trackable is no longer in the cache -- yet no one has logged it as retrieved yet so it's still showing as available inventory. :c What are the guidelines for cache owners who want to know where their trackable is? I'm *hoping* someone just doesn't know how to log it (though I'd be surprised if that's true -- the TB has a tag around it with step-by-step directions on how to log it) rather than it just got swiped in the first two days of being out. How long should I wait before I start inquiring to the first cachers on the scene to see if they picked it up? (I love the concept of trackables, but in my short time geocaching so far, they have been the most frustrating part of the whole game. No one ever seems to log them when they find them. Out of dozens of caches I've found listing a TB in the inventory, only ONE trackable has ever actually been in the container still. It drives me nuts!)

I just had my first cache with a trackable in it published two days ago. Since then, several people have found it, and today one of the cachers alerted me to the fact that the trackable is no longer in the cache -- yet no one has logged it as retrieved yet so it's still showing as available inventory. :c What are the guidelines for cache owners who want to know where their trackable is? I'm *hoping* someone just doesn't know how to log it (though I'd be surprised if that's true -- the TB has a tag around it with step-by-step directions on how to log it) rather than it just got swiped in the first two days of being out. How long should I wait before I start inquiring to the first cachers on the scene to see if they picked it up? (I love the concept of trackables, but in my short time geocaching so far, they have been the most frustrating part of the whole game. No one ever seems to log them when they find them. Out of dozens of caches I've found listing a TB in the inventory, only ONE trackable has ever actually been in the container still. It drives me nuts!)

My husband and I have been working on hiding our first series of geocaches, and after a couple weeks of hiding (and re-hiding) and gathering waypoints (over. . .and over. . .) they've finally been published~ It's a set of three geek-themed traditional caches, re-tracing the first date we went on, and contains two little FTF prizes and a trackable. I can't wait for people to start hunting for them! *Very excited* Question: do you automatically get notified any time someone logs a find or a note on any of your listings/trackables? Or do I need to keep checking back?

I just started geocaching a couple of months ago, but I've come to really enjoy the little trinkets you find in most caches, whether its kids stuff or just junk from the dollar store. My husband and I carry a bunch of different sized trading items in our backpack when ever we go geocaching, and while I don't always find something to take from caches we find, when ever I do find something cute or interesting (or something that reminds me of when I was a kid) I swap it out. I have a little bag of "trophies" ranging from little toy animals, bouncy balls, jewelry, kinder surprise toys, etc. Nothing special. They don't have to be useful IMO, they just have to catch my interest!

This is what I actually ended up doing, haha. Figured it was more likely to entice more cachers this way, and also has the benefit that if they can't find one they can still go hunting for the other ones. It's win-win for everyone~

What do people find is the best type of glue to use when camouflaging caches, such as gluing bark, pinecones, or branches to a container? I live in Alberta, so we have very cold (and long) winters, so apart from rain the glue would also need to hold up under cold and constantly wet conditions. I've bought some 5 minute Epoxi, as well as some waterproof carpenters (wood) glue, because I read that some people use these. Thought I'd see what everyone thinks is the best for the job. Thanks!

Awesome, I get it now. Thanks, everyone! (And thanks, Chief301, for the iPhone app rec -- I just downloaded it for myself!)

Thanks for the clarification, all!

I know that after you hide a cache it has to get reviewed by a volunteer before it gets published on the site, but I'm unclear about what exactly the reviewer does. I read that reviewers don't actually go out and physically find the cache itself. . . so what exactly do they review? The description you write for it? What else are they checking for when they review? o_O

We're planning on hiding our first cache this weekend, and after reading about how to average a waypoint I still have some questions. We don't own or have any access to a GPS device other than our iPhones with the Geocaching app on them. Will this work for collecting waypoint coordinates? (I'm assuming I just get the coordinates of my position off that first main page of the app?) Also, what does "EPE" mean? On the forum stickie about averaging waypoints, it talks about EPE and lists some example waypoints with EPE's included in feet. What are these, are they necessary, and how do I find out what my EPE is on my iPhone? Thank you!