SwanFire

ETA: Never mind! I figured out I needed to Add Another Log to get the option to retrieve it. I'm not the OP, but I just did the same thing...moved our first travel bug that sat in a cache for 6 months. But now there doesn't seem to be a way to add it to the new cache's inventory. Anybody know what I should do? My options are Lock, Recalculate Distance, or Mark as Missing. I can't even delete the listing and repost. I can do some screen caps if that would help.

Yes, Dame Deco, it would be good to have clarification by someone in charge. If the intent was to ban all ALRs for all types of caches, that section of the rules needs some tweaking.

Interesting. I was just reading the rules for hiding a cache, which included a section on logging caches. If you scroll down to Logging Requirements, it sure sounds like the ALR rule only applies to physical caches. Non-physical caches are listed separately with no mention of banning ALRs, so my takeaway was that ALRs were ok for non-physical caches. Room for doubt as written, anyway. https://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx Sorry this caused bad feelings for the owner and the cachers.

Hand-printed wooden nickels are pretty cool. You can get a whole bag of them (they come in various sizes) in a craft store, then paint or draw as you like. One thing to consider is numbering a design or series. I had a bunch of old suitcase zippers, which I thought were cool due to most of them having "adventure" sounding themed logos. When I offered one of these signature items to a cacher, she frowned and asked "what is this for?" I replied "It's serialized". She then said "Ooooh! Gimme!" The zippers sound very cool! And what a great idea about the "serialized" numbers. I bet "It's a limited edition" would work, too. I do really like the pathtags, but I could never justify spending that kind of money on them ($110 for a pack of 50). Heck, I'm even waffling about spending that kind of money on a GPSr. Around here, lots of folks have these "Going Caching" trading cards that are related to a Mega-Event held every year (I don't really know much about it). I looked up the trading cards...it looks like they are printed by the event organizers and for sale in their event shop. Neat idea. I've seen something similar called Artist's Trading Cards which are basically blank cardstock or watercolor paper for artists to design using mixed media, watercolors, etc. They usually are given in a handcrafted item exchange. That appeals to me, but I'm not sure how practical it would be to hand out a paper item in the field (if I received one I'd be afraid of damaging it while caching). I love handcrafted items, so I definitely would have grabbed your painted sand dollar! I know there are people who, for whatever reason, just hate handmade things...it would hurt if I decided to make something like that and people weren't interested. And like you said, pathtags are made for collecting (easy to display, numbered so you can log them, durable). Thanks.

I love the pen idea! Or a little flashlight...we are always forgetting that even in daylight many cache hidey holes are dark.

I'm very confused...I thought this was the forum where I started the topic? Where did you move it from? Or are you saying I started it in the wrong forum and you've moved it? Sorry about that!

My husband and I have been caching for about 5 months now, and last weekend we actually met another cacher for the first time at a cache. We happen to live in the same area even though we met at a cache in another state! Anyway, he gave us a "wooden nickel" and a path tag with his family's cache name on them. We were very happy to get these items and felt bad that we didn't have anything to trade. Is this a common thing? Do a lot of cachers carry personalized swag to trade such as wooden nickels or similar? Are they usually manufactured items, or would handcrafted items be acceptable? What do you trade? I think it would be fun to have our own item to trade or hand out or even leave in a cache. Thanks for any advice....

That's wonderful! Glad you had this experience.

I'm lucky I can remember my pen and GPS! I drop those two things enough...I can't imagine adding a clipboard to the mix. However, it greatly appeals to my childhood fantasy of being a private detective doing surveillance, so I just might give it a try.

I usually cache with my husband and sometimes our daughter joins us. I've tried caching alone, but just about every cache in my suburban area "needs stealth"...and I'm just not comfortable poking around on my own. When we're all together as a family, we just talk amongst ourselves as if we're looking for something (which we are!)

I'm guessing the OP doesn't realize there's a problem with c:geo. No one's told him yet. @cswanson2: Just to inform you, Geocaching.com doesn't exactly approve of the c:geo app, due to the way it gets data off the website. Something about scraping the data off GS's servers, instead of asking for it nicely through the API. Not the OP, but I had no idea about this problem with c:geo. Thanks so much for taking time to explain, Kacher82. Cryptic comments are no good to those of us who are newbies.

Thanks...that's the sort of thing I'm trying to do now. On another tangent, I found it very difficult to write a log for a clever cache we found recently because I didn't want to give it away. Writing the story of what steps we took when searching and how we actually stumbled across the cache would've told future cachers exactly where and what it was.

I'm using a smartphone (MyTouch) with the c:geo app, too, until we can afford a GPS unit. It's gotten us right on top of most caches, but there are a couple of places where the compass spins and changes direction constantly...one is near a large building, the other has several large trees which I guess could be affecting it. Both caches were DNF for me until we were able to find the one near the large building by pure dumb luck. You know what helped? Looking up examples of other geocaches. When you know the kinds of things you're looking for, it gets a little easier. I hesitate to use more detailed examples as I'm a newbie, too, and I don't want to step on anyone's toes. Google geocache examples and you will understand what you should be looking for. Evergreens, metal sign poles, unusual logs and rocks...search them all!

When I post "TFTC!" that's exactly what I mean...Thanks for the cache! I don't mean the cache sucks or is too mundane, or that I'm unable to think in anything other than an acronym, or that I'm too busy to be bothered. I can't help that your brain translates it and assigns another meaning. As a newbie I saw it in other logs, read the acronym in the site list of definitions, and thought it was accepted practice. I don't always have a story to tell. However, now that I know that some people don't like it, I'll attempt to do better. Thanks for the honest feedback.

My husband and I cache together under the same name...we are new to geocaching and take our cues from logs that we read. Sometimes we've just written "TFTC," especially if the cache was a simple LPC. I had no idea that some COs found that rude. Personally, as a blogger, writer, and craft seller, I prefer ANY feedback to NO feedback. TFTBlogpost or TFTStory or TFTCraft would let me know that someone cared enough to leave a quick note. My effort was seen, noted, and appreciated. Please don't get me wrong...I appreciate the LPC as a quick find for a newbie, especially in the busy urban/suburban environment. But what else can one leave in the log? "The way you hid that pill bottle under the lamp post skirt was so clever"? What exactly would you COs prefer to see in the logs left for your caches? I am honestly asking because I hate the thought that my simple "TFTC" is making some people angry. I'd rather not log my finds if that's the case.