sdarken

Two very good suggestions. Unfortunately, the people that make this type of decision may never read this thread. I found something similar to my first suggestion in the feedback forum: warn about or clear "needs maintenance" attribute when enabling a cache

When a cache is re-enabled (that has a N.M flag), I think it would be helpful if the website asked the user whether the N.M flag should be cleared. Does the "Needs Maintenance" email to a C.O contain instructions on what to do? If not, that might be another simple improvement. Posting an Owner Maintenance log is a pretty obscure way to clear anything. It's not surprising that lots of people don't understand it.

I agree with some of your comments about the profile. The concept of a public and private profile, and the different ways you can use to get to each type of profile, confused me for a long time. I don't agree with your "connecting with other players" comments. Interacting with other players generally happens first via reading other people's logs and later by meeting people at events or email them. If I want to contact another person I click on their name in a log or on one of their owned caches. It's not difficult. Sure there's a a "Find another player" option but it's rare that I need that. Generally I need to contact someone about a specific cache . Despite my negative comments, thanks for the post. I always find it interesting to get another fresh perspective rather reading the same old topics.

Ammo cans may not be perfect but they are still the best option for a low maintenance cache in non-urban locations. In urban/suburban locations I'd use plastic containers (with a clear side). No container is perfect but there are better and worse containers for every location.

To the OP :- Even though I dont really participate in the FTF game in my area I think your idea sounds like fun and I'd be interested to watch from the sidelines if you did it in my area. My only suggestion is that you give some thought to the placement of those caches so that they take people to a decent location even when the game is over. Even though you're thinking a lot about the first day that they are placed, it's probably more important to think about the next 100 people that will be finding your caches. Put them places that you'd like to be taken to if someone else had placed them.

Last time I checked, these were the oldest unfound caches: Hidden: 23 Jun 01 4.5lb Walleye by Jamie Matear (GCDFB) Ontario, Canada Hidden: 10 Jul 01 Conch Shell Horn by Jeffrey Courrier (GC105E) Venezuela Hidden: 28 Jul 01 Nikolay-Kam by Nikolay-Kam (GC14C3) Russia Hidden: 12 Aug 01 Mount Temple by MCpl. Paul Franklin, MCpl. J. Pawsey (GC1607) Alberta, Canada

No. That's not the "worst" that might happen. Not by a long shot... A local cacher in my area was detained for almost an hour and threatened with being added to a "Homeland Security Watch List" by a LEO because they were caching on a public road, MILES from an airport (but an area of concern due to flight paths?) The key word is "likely". I've been reading these forums for years and have only heard of one or two incidents ever where things have gone badly. After-all, if you're obeying the law and you're polite when questioned by the police there's absolutely no reason why the situation should escalate. That doesn't mean it couldn't happen but it's extremely unlikely.

I've said a couple of times that one of the most useful things I ever learned from these forums is that if you're stopped by the police, be honest. Tell them what you are doing and you shouldn't have any problems as long as you're not knowingly breaking some kind of law (eg: being in a park after hours for example). If you start to lie to a police officer, you'll most likely just make them suspicious. Private security firms and the like are more difficult as I don't always want to tell them there's a cache in their patrol area (for fear of having the cache removed) though, since geocaches are supposed to be placed with permission, it should be perfectly OK to be honest with them also.

I'd post something on the forums Geocachers of the Bay Area site that you mentioned if you want some assistance. (The General Geocaching area of the forums gets the most activity). I'd be pretty surprised if there are too many police departments in the San Francisco Bay Area didn't know about Geocaching. I'm sure there are contacts between LEO and geocachers daily. Here's a printable tri-fold flyer that explains the basics. Print a few of these off and give them to the PD. That should be a good start: http://bdweb307549.bluedomino.com/resources/brochure1.pdf If you do decide to speak to the PD, emphasize that it's a family game designed to get people exploring their areas and that the containers never contain anything dangerous and are supposed to be hidden with permission of the landowners.

There's absolutely no reason to call the local police to tell them you'll be out geocaching with your kids. The recent thread in these forums about an unfortunate run-in with the police was a complete anomaly. There are millions of geocachers out there. Many of them (including myself) geocache with kids without any problems. If you ever find yourself in a location where you don't feel comfortable (with or without kids) then leave. If you're approached by LEO, don't lie, tell them the truth about what you're doing. At worst they are likely to roll their eyes and leave. On the other hand, you might find them curious about the game. (It often seems to appeal to them). LEO's are looking for people doing illegal things. There's nothing illegal about being out with your kids or geocaching and as long as you're not breaking any rules (like being in a park after hours or ignoring trespassing signs) you have no reason to lie.

Sounds like it would be an ideal time for a cache owner to educate some newbies about challenging caches and what is expected behavior when they are encountered. We all had to learn this kind of stuff.

If I was in that park and happened to see that same couple there I might be tempted to call the police to report potential prostitution activity in progress. After all, a man and a woman together in a park... mighty suspicious. I wonder how they would enjoy the experience of being questioned by police. But maybe it would be more productive to tell them that they were completely wrong and that the incident caused some distress.

How about Dgreno. His map tab of his stats is pretty impressive.

I put my geocaching philosophy on my profile page. I hope some of the new players in my area will read it and think a little before they place their first cache under a lamp skirt in a parking lot. To the OP - Has your philosophy changed over the years? You an I have been caching roughly the same amount of time. When I started I liked the idea of finding hidden things that most people were unaware of. Then, for a while, I played the numbers game. I got over those two aspects. I started to enjoy being part of a community and I developed an interest in hiking. Those aspects kept me involved in the game.

I am curious about which cache this is? Looking at your caches, you only have 1 mystery cache, which doesn't seem to be the puzzle box kind. The cache was listed as a traditional. If you have to complete a puzzle to sign the log I think the cache should probably have been listed an a puzzle/unknown rather than a traditional. That way people are likely to read the description. Expect a few less visitors for a puzzle cache but you'll probably avoid the aggravation.

Mdgeotrek - Rather than resurrect this ancient thread I think you should start a new topic along the lines of "Why wasn't my cache maintained by other people for 5 years?" That would very entertaining.

You're preaching to people that are already well aware of this. It's the people that dont hang out here that need this kind of reminder. I once found a bar of chocolate in a cache. It had been left very shortly before I arrived at the cache so I traded for it and ate it. It was delicious.

The person that leaves money as a trade item is being a whole lot less tacky than the person that considers it a gift and takes it without trading. (I'm assuming you're being serious about that.) You've been playing the game a long time so I wonder why you dont consider it a valid trade item just because, once taken, it's not going to be returned to another cache. How often do you think that an item (that's not a TB/GC) is taken from one cache and put in a different cache? When I started caching I would sometimes leave $20 in a cache that I had found as a milestone (eg: #500). I haven't done it for a while now. I recently found that you could buy assortments of foreign banknotes online reasonably cheaply (30 for about $10). I put them in individual ziplock bags to protect them and use them as trade items. It seems like a lot better idea than the plastic dollar-store stuff I was leaving before.

To the OP: You can already guess why there are so few large caches. They are much harder to hide than a small container. They can also be more expensive to stock though the dollar stores have large things for sale too which don't normally don't fit in a cache. 3-5 minutes walk wont dissuade too many geocachers. Just be prepared for the possibility that it will get discovered and don't put anything very valuable in it. Also make sure your cache is waterproof. Apart from an extra large ammo can, I'm not sure what other kind of cache will stay dry. 5 gallon buckets may not work. (I recall seeing discussions about special lids you can buy to make them waterproof.) Good luck with your idea.

I uploaded an image to a log a few minutes ago. If you can, do as Gitchee suggests and resize your photo before uploading. From the upload page: "If your original image is under 125k or 600 pixels wide, the largest image will not be resized."

Your anger is misdirected. The person that placed the cache decided whether to exclude non-paying members, not Groundspeak.

This topic comes up quite often. You can log a find on your own cache by why would you want to? It breaks an etiquette rule that most people follow but there's nothing that prevents you from doing it.

I find a cache while with family members about 1 in 75 caches. I like to cache with other geocachers but my trips are fairly spontaneous so it's too difficult to ask other people to come along. Plus the most prolific cachers (who I'd be inviting along) have generally already visited the caches by the time I get there.

You've been caching longer than me. You've attended more events than me. I've found more caches than you. I've hidden more caches than you. How is anything that I've said false?

My 2 cents worth.... If you already have an iPhone it would be fine to start geocaching with that and see if you like the game. Your only investment would be $10 for the app. If you get addicted to geocaching, invest in a handheld GPSr. It will be worth the additional investment to have something rugged. (The iPhone 4 is apparently more or accurate than an iPhone 3 but either would be ok to start).