hikerT

When you deleted your logs did the souvenirs disappear too?

Many caches are missing here, but the attributes/child waypoints are there.

I have a new Oregon 600. It's loaded fine since I got it (I had problems loading the 450 so I delete all manual files before doing a new load-- I use the Garmin export macro in GSAK). The past week I've had problems with my load as either no geocaches or only 20 or so random caches display on the GPS map/geocache list. i export children as POI's and attribute symbols.. they ALL show up. Only geocache boxes do not. I've checked the file in the Garmin folder and it's complete. I've also tried to copy/paste a PQ and the same thing happens. Has anyone else had problems with geocaches not showing up on their Oregon 6xx? I'm not talking about the caches that are outside the zoom range that will show up if you change your zoom settings. I've checked that as well. It's very frustrating as it's hit or miss, it will show the caches once out of 15 or so loads.

If you have a 10km range for geocaches, then change it to 3km, your caches will not show up at the 10km range.

I just upgraded from the 450 to the 600. I figured after adjusting all the settings the way I wanted them that the load would be the easiest part. I did my first load from a GSAK filter, which I've done many times to the 400. I'm seeing some geocache boxes on my map, others are only the attributes symbols, mainly micro and DNF symbols. Some power trails are only shown by a long line of micro attribute symbols. I can hover over these and route to the cache, but I want all the geocache boxes to appear. I've deleted and reloaded a few times. The GPX size is always the same, but the missing boxes are random each time. Any ideas?

I am logged in, but every time I click on my account page, this error message pops up. I also click on my avatar at the top right, and the same thing happens. Once or twice it will bring me to my public profile page, but not always. I cannot access my private bookmark lists at this time. I have the same error on my ipad, I use google chrome for both. I tried safari on my ipad and it's also happening on there. I can move around the website, but cannot access my account page. Any ideas? Anyone else having this problem?

Those who brag about their 482 day caching streak, but have many days filled in with challenge caches they actually found 6 months ago in another country. How can you continue to have a cache finding streak if you didn't even leave the house?!?

I'm having that issue right now. Haven't been able to load my PQ's or publish logs to gc.com via gsak since last night. I also got 2 script errors every time I opened a new log page.

I think the rating should only change if it's a puzzle, and the rating changed early on based on how easy/difficult cachers found it to be. If you have to change the T rating of a cache, I'd prefer an edit in the listing as to the change which will not affect previous finders. On the other hand, I use GSAK, so any odd/difficult combo caches I have found get locked in GSAK. Then if a rating gets changed and a CO disputes my proof for a challenge cache I can show them what the rating was when I found it.

Oh boy... well, I estimate that I drive about 70,000km per year. That's just under 50,000km for work, the rest is for caching. I was into the car dealership for new brakes in March, at which time I was informed that I had driven 96,000km since the previous March, which was the previous brake job. That translates to a conservative estimate of $3600 for gas in one year. In the past 6 months I've spent about $700 on hotels, who knows how much on food, maybe $100 on cache containers, and about $500 on clothes and shoes/boots. I won't even mention how much I've spent on maintenance/repairs on my car. That's over $5000 per year, and this is my 6th year of caching. I think the last 3 years have been pretty average at this pace, so that's at least $15,000... I'm going to go vomit now.

I couldn't find anything my first time out either. My daughter and I went in shorts and sandals to a mosquito infested woodlot and looked for a cache for about an hour before giving up. We then went to search for another cache off a rail trail and also came up empty. I seriously considered the notion that this geocaching thing was just a big hoax (back in 2006 this was a very "underground" game)and that there were really no boxes hidden in the woods. Well, we tried again the next day anyway, and finally found our first cache. What a rush! Once you get the first few finds under your belt it will get easier as you see how caches are hidden, types of containers and camo used, and how far you sometimes have to search from where the coords take you to where you actually find the cache.

I have an iPhone and an Oregon 450. I still say a dedicated outdoor GPS is the best way to go, UNLESS you are a very occasional cacher. If your iPhone is starting to take a beating, you would be amazed at how much a GPS'r can take. I've dropped mine more times than I can count and it continues to work perfectly. If I dropped my iPhone once I think I'd be needing to purchase a new one. As for logging immediately, it's not neccesary. I simply plug my GPS into my computer at the end of the day and type out my logs. That gives me time to think about the caches I found and write some nice logs rather than short, hasty ones in the field.

I have a 450 and it's great. I think the only difference in going up to the 550 is the camera and the price. I just use my iPhone for pictures, not that I take a lot. I think it just depends how much extra you want to spend on a camera (compared to the 450).

I have an Oregon 450 and love it. It's my 5th GPS so I know a bit about the topic. I have had no issues with accuracy/compass issues at any speed. I think the Dakota is just too small, screen-wise and capacity-wise. I upgraded from the 400 last year and this model has better visibility than the other. (I couldn't see the screen well on the 400 to the point that I took off the screen protector... resulting in scratching the screen to the point I couldn't see at all.) Battery life is decent, on a sunny day you don't need any backlight on and that saves battery life too. I find rechargeable batteries last a bit longer than disposables. As well, since the new Montana has come out (that is excellent too BTW) the price has come down nicely on the 450.

I once saw a cache listing that was listed as traditional, but the description said "it's not at posted... you have to earn your smiley, not have them all handed to you". The cache was somewhere along an 80 ft guardrail, and the posted coords were across the road. I posted a NM with explanation, got a rude email from the CO, emailed the reviewer about the issue, a reviewer note was posted and the cache disabled... all within 48 hrs. Eventually the CO did fix the coords.

Don't rely on the GPS too much. Once you get close, put it away and look for spots that could hide a cache, depending on size. I find urban caches harder to find due to the small size and satellite interruption from tall buildings. Go to parks or the forest and look for regular sized containers. They will usually be in a stump or under an unnatural pile of sticks or rocks (UPS or UPR). Get to know what camo/covering looks like, then slowly increase your difficulty as you have more finds and less DNF's. I have over 12,000 finds and still DNF 1/1's.

If only more people felt that way. Seems that sentiment is less popular among the more veteran cachers... there are a huge variety of caches out there today, and people jumping into the hobby now are more used to the selection and the variety - whether within reach or not. But it seems like people who reminisce about the old days tend to be the ones more likely to complain about caching different than they loved back then, whether in caching style, location, density, or actual hide methods. There is an ignore button, and filtering options... imo, as long as the majority of users aren't ignoring a majority of caches, I think it's (generally) a good thing - find a balance, provide a system that affords the most enjoyment for the most people, within the parameters of the game Groundspeak wants to define via this website. And for existing users, just go out and hide the type of caches you like to find. *shrug* I'm a veteran cacher, and although I still fondly remember the caches that were around when I was starting out, I do enjoy the variety of caches that I can choose to look for. Personally, I find that going after the same types of caches time after time can get pretty boring, however nice the scenery. Some days I want to find a long string of caches on a power trail, or 10 caches along a 5km stretch of the Bruce. Sometimes all I have the time or energy for is a few LPC's. Sometimes I plan several caching trips to target caches for a challenge I'm working on, and other times I might want to find a variety of icons in one day. Although I do not feel the need to find every cache out there, I tend to like most, and will go after as many of those as I can. Actually the main problem I had with the evolution of the game was accepting the use of smartphones/iPads/auto GPS as an 'alternative' to a handheld GPS'r.

If you head north towards the QEW, a great place to hike is on the Bruce Trail. A good starting point might be Balls Falls Conservation Area. There are several caches in the park (including Ball's Falls GCA090) and many more along the Bruce in either direction.

Um, nope. I went to sign up for the event on the morning of the 4th and noticed it was disabled. At that time there were no other events of the same name. Later that same day, I checked the event listings again after this one was archived and saw the other one there.

I agree. I don't know why this is such a big deal. Delete the text and make an announcement at the event. OR, take your ball and go home, which is the option I see the CO has chosen. And that's disappointing because no children will benefit from this now, and I don't blame Groundspeak or the reviewer.

I was a fan of Merrell for many years, but they seem to have a real lack of selection in womens hiking boots this year.. very disappointing. I looked long and hard before I found Salomon gore-tex hiking boots, and I love them. I've worn them several times, for several hours in the rain, mud and puddles and my feet always stay dry. I am very curious about the gore-tex socks, though. Are they thin enough to wear over a pair of socks without your footwear becoming too tight? Could you wear them without another pair underneath? On extra wet days my feet feel damp even though they stay dry, maybe that would eliminate the wet 'feeling'.

Choose only regular sized caches, and I guarantee you won't see another nano. That was easy.

You're not alone... I once was at a cache and heard what I thought was a bear growling (there are no bears in my area, ever) but 'fight or flight' took over and we didn't try to make sense of it, we got out of there. Long story short, the rail trail ended about 50ft away, and backed onto a small zoo. What we heard was a LION!!

I started a streak 2 years ago and let it drop on day 78. It became a chore, and I hated feeling that I HAD to find a cache. I started again 60 some-odd days ago (I'm not counting, just marking the days off on the calendar until I get to the circled one at 100) and so far don't feel like it's a chore. Don't know if I'll continue after that or not. Whenever this run ends, that will be the end of streaking for me.

I think you missed pages 1 and 2.