mikej2

I like taking pics of these things, and we live fairly close to a local marina on Lake Michigan so it makes for a nice backdrop. Yep, good idea, post pics to make amends. Maybe I'll take a pic with them in the hands of the fisherman/sailor statue, haven't done a pic of him yet.

I just realized I still have two TB's at home that I haven't dropped off, thought I did, but didn't, somehow forgot and got all sidetracked with family and work stuff, no excuse but that's what happened. So here I am publically chastising myself (and probably misspelling chastising and other words) and offering a generic "sorry" to the TB owners out there. So, come Thursday or Friday I will be dropping them off either into an appropriate cache to further their intended goals or will just drop them into a roadside active cache that gets plenty of activity to get them moving again. I suppose I should also update my GPSr to ensure the cache sites I have loaded haven't moved or have other location issues. It seems like July was just a week ago, sheesh. Okay, I'll slink off to a corner now and hang my head in shame

I'm still functionally new at this stuff, but my take on it is: 1. If it is in a National Park (with permission), within a state park (with permission), within a county park (with permission), on the grounds of a museum site (with permission), or any other similar type of place where a fee might be required to visit or park then it is probably okay to have a cache there (with permission), but the fee requirement should be noted in the cache description. 2. A cache is probably not allowed to be placed inside DisneyLand, or Great America, or other similar destination attraction unless it is outside the fee-required area and may or may not require permission. 2a. I'm not sure if a cache would be allowed on the grounds of the Chief Crazy Horse monument near Mt. Rushmore. Please correct me if I"m wrong (I'll try to remember I posted to this thread so I can come back and check on replies).

There was a find report this year about a cache in NW Milwaukee where someone started toward the cacher in an angry manner. I went there a little before they did by a week or four and the area is okay but some would consider it a fringe area based on local police reports. For the one at the start of this thread I'd consider it in somewhat of a fringe area, 'tosa (Wauwatosa for the non-locals) is near there and isn't usually considered too bad. If you read the police reports or watch the news you'll see a fair amount of activity reported. It's not as bad as, say, 27th & Center, but not as nice as Main street in Menomonee Falls either. I do a little real estate on a part time basis, I'd show a house around the cache site but only during certain hours and days, but I probably wouldn't look for a cache around there. Just my opinion and I'm fairly new to Geocaching so I can't and won't say what the cache owner should do. Maybe I'll drive by there on Sunday and have a quick look around.

On second thought .... http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidland...gun_crime.shtml http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/policing_...blic_safety.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Nottingham+crimes Found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5006852.stm = = = = = Back on topic: If the question is: Do I see a time or place where I would carry while geocaching, then the answer would most likely be yes. But most times no.

Hi, I'm not a Premium member yet so I can't use those tools, eventually yes but for now not. So, how can I get the cache info and most recent logs and hints into my laptop? I know how to download the .loc files one search page at a time and input those into my GPSr, but I'm new to laptops. I installed the GSAK software onto the laptop but haven't taken the time to learn it yet (just installed it yesterday). So please educate me. I'll check back in a couple of times this weekend. I'm also trying to figure out how to use the wireless WiFi function of the laptop (not WarDriving, yet ), so eventually once I get it all figured out I hope to be able to log onto geocaching.com from the car or motorcycle and check on caches whereever I happen to be and log finds and such. Thanks for any help, directions, or links to existing discussions. Mike.

Why? I can find many reports of bad situations in your area, doesn't mean I wouldn't want to visit there. "Everyone" as a generalization is rarely correct in the assumptions that follow. I carry a small pocket knife as a tool. A nearby rock can easily become a defensive weapon, as can a butter knife in a kitchen, or a fork in a deli, or a walking staff in New Delhi. YMMV.

I've emailed Garmin about this in the past, and now I've just put in a Navteq report on the subject. There is a street in the town I live in that shows up on some older Garmin map software that I have, but is missing from the newer software that Garmin offers. I saw in another thread where they have the newest City Nav map viewer updated, so I went there and found the street in question is still missing. There's a couple of other streets I've come across since getting my GPSr that I've noticed are also missing from the electronic maps. I can understand when new streets and roads take a while to get incorporated into the software, lots of square miles in the world with lots of new road construction, but I can't fully understand how existing roads disappear from the programs. Looks like I won't be upgrading my mapping software just yet. Might have to in order to get some new roadways that are showing up, but will have to keep my old stuff for the old and still existing roads that have gone missing on the new software. Oh well, maybe I can place a geocache on one of these missing streets and watch people post find reports where they thought they were going to have to go offroading but instead drove right up to the cache location. Could be a whole new category of cacheing, Twilight Zone caches. Oh well, just a rant of sorts. I'll go find my paper maps now so I can find my way home.... A question: do any of you know of any local roads that have gone missing on updated map software?

This is humorous in a way when I read posts about people wanting protection while out in the woods. For me, personally, I feel much safer when out in a wilderness area than when in an inner city urban area, and if I were to carry, not that I don't, not that I do, not saying, I'd be more inclined to carry in a city area than in a wilderness area. I read and listen to news reports and there are far more shootings and muggings and animal/dog attacks within a city than there are reported in remote areas. Oh well, back to the grindstone and to check out the window to make sure my vehicle hasn't been stolen from the parking lot with all the security cameras scanning about here in the city.

Was out today on the way home from work (half-days on Fridays are nice at times). Stopped at one cache location (Tank In The Country) thinking it would be an appropriate place to drop off a TB, and since the log for the cache showed another TB there I figured I'd do a swap. Well the swap I made was for a TB that wasn't logged into that cache and has apparently been floating in limbo for over a year or two, and the TB that was supposed to be there wasn't but it has the same theme (baseball) associated with it. I'm thinking that someone might have mixed up the TB's and logged the wrong one or something. I posted a note on the page for the TB I found and now have in my posession. Then I posted a note on the page for the TB that was supposed to be there but wasn't. Then I posted my find with a note on the cache page about the snafu. Hopefully it will all get sorted out soon enough. I'm new at this stuff so hopefully I took the right steps. I'll check back in to see what sorts of comments I get on how I handled it and how I possibly should have handled it. Mike. ps, it is kind of interesting in that the TB I did pick up is a Seattle Mariner baseball player and I grew up near Seattle but am now living here in Wisconsin. Small world, sort of, in a strange sort of way how paths cross at times.

http://www.9news.com/imageenlarge.aspx?storyid=74368 I wonder if they signed the log book? If this was a cache yet to be published I wonder if the placer even tried to get permission, with the security cameras around banks I'd say he'll be getting a door knock real soon.

I'm still kind of new at this stuff so I'll answer based on my experiences: 1. The blatant disregard presented by the first post is rude and wrong, people should at least try to keep the "game" going. 2. One cache I've found was somewhat protected, but close to a path where it would be impossible to be totally stealthy, but there is a slight rise to hide behind while one is logging in and looking at the contents of the cache (sort of hide behind). While there I saw several people walk or bicycle past, I could clearly see their heads, and if they had looked over to see me peeking back I'm certain a few of them would have been spooked. I did my thing and put everything back to how it was, looked both ways, then popped back onto the trail as another cyclist came into view. If he wasn't a cacher I assume he thought I'd just gone over the rise to take a leak. Oh well. 3. Another cache I've been to is close to another trail, fairly heavily travelled, impossible to be stealthy, so I just quietly went about my business and went off-trail when the coast was somewhat clear, turned my back to the trail as I logged in and closed the container, then put it back into it's spot once the coast was somewhat clear. I'm sure another cacher came by as one guy passed by about three times trying to look non-chalant but the bulge in his pocket gave away his GPSr or a cell phone or camera. 4. If I've got a camera with me I'll try to look like I'm taking a picture of something if someone wanders past since photographers take photos of all sorts of stuff. "I was just taking a picture of a small beetle on a log and then I was trying to find my car keys that fell out of my pocket when I had to replace the camera battery", would be a likely line to use if someone looked like they thought I was acting suspicious. 5. If the cache location is in plain sight from anyone wandering past or driving past I'll just do my best to act casual and not be obvious when opening a container, just do my thing and move along. But ducking into the brush looks suspicious so having a camera or playing the leaker seems to work to disuade any concerns people or muggles might have as to what I'm up to. Just part of the game I guess. Not sure if this reply is what the asker was looking for or not. I'll be dropping off two TB's tomorrow someplace, will have to see how it goes, hopefully muggle and suspicion free.

Note to self: add this to eventual cache tool and equipment list:

I might have to reconsider getting one for my cycling as it's much smaller and lighter than my GPSMAP76CX. Got the pdf downloaded, will read up on how hard it is to input cache locations.

That's so sad!! Poor spiders. They like geocaching too. . No doubt. I was just down in southernmost Texas and took some relatives on a short geocache hunt with their kids. Pulled a cache bucket out of the brush and it had a huge-ish spider on the side of it. Banged the bucket on the ground to temporarily relocate the cache guarding spider, opened it up, did the swap and log book signing, closed it up and put it back in the brush. I can only assume the cache guarding spider found it's way back to it's guard station on the side of the bucket in the brush. The bulk of the contents of the cache were soaps and samples of beauty products and some small sewing kits, wasn't sure about all of that but I'm sure some finders liked it.

Take out Flora and Fauna, which are basically plants and animals. Unless they are fully encased or embedded in plastic like a keychain fob or paperweight. Throw in keyfobs and paperweights, as long as whatever is encased or embedded in the plastic or lexan won't make some kid cry upon seeing it. For my wife remove any rubber snakes, for me remove any realistic looking spiders unless the spider is embedded in a paperweight.

Does anyone know if or when the City Nav viewer will be updated? There are a couple of streets I watch which were on an older version but somehow got lost in later versions of the product. I'm waiting to see if the steets show up on the new software before I upgrade, otherwise I may get the Topo software for offroad use and stumble along with my older street software until the missing streets reappear. Thanks for any previews or links or info, or just thanks regardless.

I'm not up on military ops, but have read of reports about OpSec and PerSec, or something like that, Operation Security and Personal Security. Have him contact you once he gets there or once he has cleared thru his group of what is and is not allowed. It would be bad if he had his base ID'd in his GPSr and the bad guys got ahold of it. There are ways to deal with this, various tactics and such, but here is not the place to discuss it, something to think about though. With that said.... I'm thinking something durable, relatively compact, and field functional with good battery life in it. The GPSMAP60CX might work, or one of the newer smaller units, and a handfull of rechargable batteries along with a quick-charger of some sort.

Probably obvious to some in this thread due to their occupation, but for others keep in mind that some areas have laws about suction cup mounts on windshields. I'm looking at the dashboard mounts and handlebar and bicycle frame mount Ram units. Just posting a type-by comment.

Just a heads-up, apparently GPS units are now becoming more of a theft target in vehicles according to a recent local news story (I only caught the headliner and missed the story to had to go to their web page to find it: http://www.myfoxmilwaukee.com/myfox/pages/...mp;pageId=1.1.1 Also, a local news weatherman is involved in geocaching: http://www.myfoxmilwaukee.com/myfox/pages/....1.1&sflg=1

Oops. I'll send the time machine on it's way, should be there by Christmas 1999 or so. Thanks for the input.

I was rummaging around the site looking at various caches down there this week and found a "mad boss" TB that I'm thinking will be a target to bring back with me and drop off somewhere up here if he's still around when I get there and assuming I can find it. And I will post pics. Fun stuff.

Excellent, thanks. So I can think of the unlock codes as an end user license for a CAD workstation for additional users, sort of. Thanks.

Thanks. Thinking I'll make a note on the cache log that the TB will be logged within a week when I note what I took. edit: now I just have to find some miniature cheesehead hats to take along.

I'm planning on taking a trip out of state and was thinking it would be fun to involve a travel bug or more into the trip. Going to see relatives and thought they might enjoy the experience as well. I've got some questions or am looking for some advice on what is preferrable to do. 1. I'm thinking of doing a local search to see what travel bugs are in my area and reading up on their specific pages to see if my trip will further the TB owner's goals for the TB, pick them up here and drop them off elsewhere, maybe bring some back as well. 2. I'm also thinking of finding a local TB, like one of the golf bugs around, and taking it along and snapping pics of it around the destination with local golf courses, then bringing it back with me to re-drop it here locally. 3. I'm currently in Wisconsin and am heading to southernmost Texas and am open to suggestions from people familiar with Harlingen and that region down there. Thanks for any thoughts on the subject, hope to get a better grasp of this TB thing. I have relocated one TB from an inland cache to a waterfront cache to get it somewhat back on it's journey, so I have at least some experience with TB travels. MikeJ2