SniperChicken

I am always scrupulous in picking a hiding spot for a cache that will not be accidentally stumbled upon. Sometimes the best hidden cache still comes up missing;either by being carried off by an animal or lifted away by floodwaters in low lying areas or just plain ole stolen by someone who doesn't care that the container platantly states "GEOCACHE" or "Please do not move or take from this location". Nobody likes having a cache to come up missing but what methods do folks use to tie them down or to secure them to lower the likelihood that they become missing?? Ive considered using some type of screw auger to screw into the ground with a cable locking it to a handle on a ammo can but am not sure how kosher that would be. What do other cachers recommend?

hmmm, maybe the sport of geocaching would be so much more noncompetitive if there never was a term such as "first to find". however the competiveness seems to be effective as keeping some cachers actively caching. Yen/Yang

Any image that you upload to a cache page will show up in your gallery. You can even upload a photo into your own cache page through a log entry.

My wife and i both share the same passion for the sport. It definitely makes life so much easier when we both look forward and enjoy caching together .

Actually archived caches CAN be adopted if:you contact the original cache owner and recquest him to Unarchive the cache(actually he will have to ask the Reviewer to do this).Once those steps are done he can allow you to adopt that cache with it's original GC listing page/logs. This is a great idea especially if it is a cache that has been around since the "early days" of geocaching. Sometimes the cache owner is no longer involved in geocaching and can't be contacted though.

Here is a link to "Adventures In Geocaching" by The Zen Bassmasters. http://geoadventures.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_archive.html It's an old blog but it is about 4 overweight cachers and their experiences. At times it is flippin' hilarious! Sadly these guys got out of geocaching and i haven't heard from them since.

Here are a few of the logs on my caches that just made my day when i read them : "Great caches like this bring an element of adventure to this game that you just can't get with park 'n grabs. Thanks for all the work y'all put into developing this amazing cache." "This is a most excellent cache. It’s caches like this one that make the game worthwhile and is one of the most rewarding I’ve done. The clue cache was the best I’ve seen. Wonderfully done. Thanks!" "I want to start by saying that in my first year of caching, i have not done a cache that i enjoyed any more than this one, ... the thought that went into setting this up was tops.. for anyone that considers themselves a cacher and doesnt only go for the park and grabs and numbers, i think this is one you should definately put on your list when your in the area..I know you will enjoy it!!...Lacey and SC...you outdid yourselves on this one...thanks " " These trails have always been my favorite place in Oxford. I’ve spent a heap of time on these trails but haven’t been on them in awhile. This is an excellent cache, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the outdoors. " "I found this at night during the rain which made it a super fun and challenging find. This was an awsome location. I hade no idea it was even there. Thanks" "This was one of the best hides I've come across in a while. The architecture of the tunnel is amazing--if you can get to it." "This was the last one of a small run around oxford. I definately saved the best for last!!! This was one of the most awesome cache locations I have been to yet. I went at night and in the rain so the tunnel had about 5 inches of water flowing through it. As I was wading through the tunnel enjoying the awesome surrounding I looked to the other end of the tunnel I was startled by 3 sets of eye balls glowing and staring right at me. After getting a little closer it turned out to be 3 fox. They stayed and never ran so obviously I was in there watering hole. But Sniperchicken Amazing location, thanks for bringing me here. " "Wow... I love spots like this. I bet that 99% of the people who walk the trail don't even know this exists. As soon as I stepped more than a foot off the trail, nobody could see me. The cache took a few minutes to locate, but if you pay attention to the description, there aren't really too many places to look. I considered walking through to the other side and climbing up from there, but decided to stick with the path that I already knew." And of course the logs for GC1KFAD 3 Degrees:BLACKOUT are some of my favorites! "Without question, this is the best thought-out, challenging, well designed, and physically demanding cache I’ve ever done. I was astounded at the complexity and creativity. My only fear was that one of the clues might not make sense, or that the complex links between stops might not be right. How wrong I was – every stage was intact, every clue decipherable with a little work (or a lot of work in some cases), and no mistakes were made in the design. It’s incredible that someone would go through this much work for the sheer joy of doing it. Hats off to Sniper and Lacey for the best cache I’ve ever completed." "This cache has been a blast so far yet it has also been a huge physical and mental challenge. there have been many fears to overcome (i.e. spiders, the dark, dying) but we have overcome and we will continue to overcome. All I have to say about the person who placed this cache is, your sick but AWESOME!...Success!!! We finally found the final cache. This cache was challenging in so many different ways. The sad part is it's over and all other caches are gonna seem kinda lame. Well I guess we can always try to set up our own monster cache." "This hide is most certainly extraordinarily great. I mean, wow what a fantastic hide. It is also friggin' huge. Immense doesn't even begin to describe the ground you have to cover in completing this challenge. Also it deviates far from normal hides. Both in the puzzles and in the physical challenges. "Last, I don't think I am giving anything away when I say that this cache obviously took a LOT of work, creativity, searching, multiple trips to multiple locations, brass bearings, and a true love (or hate) for their fellow geocachers. I will not curse the authors of this cache in this log (they got enough of that over the last two days); on the contrary, I will smile and give them a warm hand-shake as I have just experienced a cache that pushed me about as hard as I have ever been pushed for one cache. Others will disagree; some will have an easier time at it than I/we did. .... prepare for hikes, climbs, problem solving, mud, water, critters, holes, extreme temperatures, facing your fears, and views of the city of Oxford like you have NEVER had (or EVER would if not for this cache). This was an amazing group that, in the truest sense of the word, came together for Teamwork. None of us would have wanted to do this alone or with any less than any three of us, I would imagine. I feel we ALL contributed a vital piece of the over-all puzzle in making this a Find and I am really glad I was there to offer my assistance as I believe it was appreciated and helped get us to where we were going a little faster, just as I feel that way about every other single person there. We all had times to shine and that's what made this cache perfect! Again, thanks for all the hard work and thought that went into this cache. TEAM BLACKOUT ***man am i sore!***" "I've never been happy to see a dense privet thicket on a cache hunt, but that changed when we got to the ammo can here. Wow. I hurt in ways I don't like much, but that was a heck of a cache!" "The souvenir Scott and Lacey left at the final cache is now one of my most prized possessions – It’s hanging in my room like a Boone and Crockett rack that scored a 200. You’ll have to complete the cache to see what this is. Thanks again for a great time!" These are the type of logs that make the efforts of the cache owner worthwhile and make them beam with pride.It feels good!

Well, the first and most reliable source for help should be from the cache owner.Have you e-mailed the cache owner for a hint or told them that you are stuck and need help? The majority of cache owners are more than willing to help someone solve/find their cache,but they need to be "asked " first. If the cache owner is tight lipped and offers no help (sadly it happens) ...see if one of the previous finders would be willing to help you out.

Unless you change the location and/or the hide technique why would someone "want" to find it again?? a "found it" log can be made more than once by a cache hider and it will still add another cache find to their tally. It is up to the cache owner if this is acceptable or not. I have heard of a "morphing" cache that changes container/camo/ or hide technique/location (still within a few feet of the coords of course) every month or so and each time the cache owner lets folks go find it again and relog it as found again. Ideas like that make the sport that much more interesting in my opinion. So change that cache as often as you like,it's your cache : ) After the first FTF though i would drop any further "Congrats to the new FTF" stuff, that's kinda cheesy i would say.

"If getting at the log is part of the challenge then indeed signing the log would be a prerequisite to logging a find. I have found logs that where unsignable because they were so wet that they would disintegrate the moment I put pen or pencil to them. In those instances I will sign a piece of paper and add it to the container. I do recall two instances where the logs were unsignable and the containers could not fit an extra piece of paper. In both cases I photographed the container in my hand and logged a find. I figure the sport is geoCACHING, not geoLOGGING and I found the cache, so I logged the find." This i agree with completely. In my opinion the main idea of geocaching is taking a set of coords,figuring out how to get there, and finding the cache hidden there. The whole idea of deleting online finds at a whim is disenheartening and unethical in my opinion...however if if it is obvious that the one who logged the find has NO CLUE as to where the cache is or didn't even attempt it then that is a different story! As for not being able to physically sign the logbook because of: 1.The log was full 2.The log was too wet 3.The whole contents of the cache were mildewed or trashed. 4.Maybe my pen really did quit working...or i left it at the vehicle ...and the cache hider deletes a online "found it" log...well maybe if the cache hider spent more time maintaining his cache instead of spending time "online" and pondering whether or not a find was valid....

After going through a ton of alkalines (we go on a lot of all day cache trips) i decided to switch to rechargeable nimh batteries for the gps unit,flashlights..etc. It has saved us a LOT of money in the long run.We have a 12 volt DC quick charger that keeps a spare set of AAs in full charge as we geocache.We also keep several pairs of rechargeables on hand. The main drawback to using any non lithium rechargeable battery is that they lose their charge over time.Some lose the charge even quicker than others. We just pop in an automatic charger,when it says they are fully we put them into the device and start charging a back up set of batteries. They do tend to lose their voltage drastically towards the end of the charge. As far as draining them completely before charging them ...my thoughts are that it isn't worth the extra effort to gain an extra few minutes of use. I'll just pop in my extra set of batteries and get back to geocaching!

I sometimes leave unactivated personal geocoins into caches that i really enjoyed or to attract other cachers to give that cache a try. Sometimes i leave it specifically for the cache owner,if so i make sure to say so in the online cache log.Hopefully no one will take that coin that i left for a cache owner. Unless whoever left it in the cache left a "mission" for that unactivated coin it is definitely appropriate for a cacher to take it . Some coin owners get aggravated if you don't activate the coin and place it into a cache.They don't want it to just sit dorment in a collection somewhere .

I can't believe i didn't list this one previously: Chimps8mybaby

Some unique ones i have noticed are : Hikeswith1sock Two Old Crows Screaming Squirrels

I sympathize with those of you who spend the time to find a great location to hide a cache,making and camoing the cache container,doing research to find info for the cache page, and creating a good looking and informative cache page...only to get a "copy and paste" type log! ARRRGGGHHH!! I have literally spent weeks putting together a cache and it feels like a gut punch when a cacher who finds it can't post a "suitable" online log. Oh well, different cachers play the game in different ways....as long as they are enjoying the sport of the hunt : )

I had a similiar incident with my garmin csx. We were a 2 hour hike from the car when the batteries went dead. I stuck in a replacement set that i always carry with me. Trying to get to the next cache resulting in mass confusion as the gps was jumping around ....sometimes showing us 300-400 feet away then coming back and zooming off in another direction.The gps was basically useless.I thought maybe it just needs rebooting...did that...still screwing up...maybe the memory is full...i deleted the full track log.BIG mistake! Now i have no reference track to go by.Luckily another member of the team had a working gps. Brainstorming i realized the problem didn't start until after i swapped batteries in the unit. I popped the cover off the batteries. The batteries i originally started out with were NI-MH ,the ones i swapped in were Alkaline. I changed the setting on my unit from battery type of NI-MH to Alkaline and everything started working as it is supposed to. Seems the unit goes crazy when you swap battery types without letting it know. Maybe this is the case with yours.

I wear many hats ! I work as an offset newspaper pressman. In the afternoon i am a real estate/commercial property manager assistant/handyman. In any available other times i fulfill my duties as a Board member of the Lafayette County Fire Dept. as well as being an active FD Asst. Chief. The rest of the time i am geocaching or planning/researching geocaching issues or working around the house/ doing "honey do's"

I just turned 37 (happy b-day to me) ,my wife and 5 year old daughter cache together as a family: ) and really enjoy it.The scope of the sport reaches all ages and the comradery of most everyone is top notch.

Unless there has been a change made during the last GC revamp the answer is that there is currently no way to change or alter the original screenname you chose to use. There are talks of a "Geocaching.com version2"...maybe then it will be possible to alter screennames. What everyone has done in the past is to just create a new account with the desired screenname.In order to keep your cache finds you will have to relog each one with the new screenname though : ( ,otherwise you start with zero finds and your "joined date" resets to the present date .

My thoughts: First of all if it was me seeking the cache and it was pretty clear that i couldn't locate and replace the cache without being inconspicous then it would just be appropiate to just walk away from that cache for now.The cache will be there for me to find later . Since the cache was found...by whoever and however means; it IS a legitimite find. One of the first things i think about when hiding a cache is placement. What access can be used to get to the cache. When someone is seeking this cache will they be spotted? If there is a lot of muggle activity expected and there is little or no cover available include a hint that will get the cacher in and out in a hurry and ensure they don't attract a lot of attention.Cache security is both the hiders and the hunters responsibity.Try to place the cache in a location where muggle activity will not be a factor if possible : )

Personally i would hold out a few more months for the Colorado to get some of the kinks out and then purchase that unit. If you wanted one right away i would say get the Garmin 60,it has built a great reputation.Keep in mind that this unit is a year or two old,so if you want the "newest and coolest" go for the Colorado .

Yeah, unless you register your software after a set number of days it delays the startup time. And the longer you use it the longer that span of time is. I remember because i had a version on our laptop that i never bother to register until i got tired of the "nag screen" they call it. It really is a great deal though. It also works in conjunction with other mapping/navigation programs to make geocaching so much more enjoyable and productive. A must for those who like to make extended cache runs.

The most reliable regular size is the tried and trusted ammo can ! Lock n locks are a great choice if you get the ones that have locks on all 4 sides.I have heard the cheaper ones that don't really" lock" aren't as weatherproof and if an animal tries to "play" with it it is more likely to pop open. It will be impossible to make me believe that a film can case can compare with a matchstick holder for reliability and weatherproofness. I have several matchstick holders that have been out in the elements for a year or two that have no baggie to protect the logsheets and the logs are still dry and in good shape.Show me a film can that can say the same! An old waterproof light can be transformed into a cache container. Bad ideas for containers: Metal coffee cans-they rust and the lids leak and eventually get so brittle they rot and fall to pieces. Altoids tins- unless they are sheltered they too rust. skoal cans-leaks easily glass jars...okay sometimes they seal okay but what if they break??!! the drilled out bolt- i have seen VERY few that are waterproof

You might try "coincodes.com" to see if your coin is listed there. If so they can give you the validation code. Once you have that you can activate it on the GC homepage "trackable items" link.

You do not HAVE to take a photo but it is cool to have a collection of BM photos isn't it!