undertree

Yes, not enough cachers letting cache owners know about issues with a cache. How many caches do we see that have full logs and other issues? When we go to log online all we see are "Nice cache", "TFTC SL", and "Traded up TFTC". I try to report on the condition of the cache and any problems I see like logs getting full, or really close. I also try to carry multiple items to fix caches. I carry logs, golf pencils, and some containers. I have replaced whole containers on occasion. If we all care just a bit then the game is much more enjoyable for the next person. I have left a few negative logs but that is because I hope that people would behave better than they do. So to the OP. I guess that your angst over people wanting you to take care of your caches is inappropriate. My suggestion is to go and maintain the cache and thank the cacher that alerted you to the problem. But it might just be me.

I have two ammo cans hidden at homes. One is at my house and it is right off the sidewalk on the property line. It is far enough away from the homes so that people are not right in front of the house. It is a 50 cal ammo can hidden in an old irrigation pipe with a head gate. The other one is a plastic ammo can larger than the 50 cal. It is hidden at an abandoned home that has a field fence around it. I just placed the ammo can behind one railroad tie fence post. I placed two reflector poles to mark the driveway and one round reflector on the fence post that the cache is behind. It makes a super quick large cache for families to get. The road in front of the home is 50 mph and has no sidewalk. Muggles are non-existent except for the folks ripping by at 60+. There are several home caches we have done. You can make nice larger caches at a home and have more lee way with the hide. If you can make a unique hide that is enjoyable people will visit them just fine. Be prepared for the "Don't like caching in someones yard" logs. I get lots of logs about how people enjoyed the hide. Some meet my dog or my kids on occasion. One person had to fend off the goat, but some of those experiences make for funny memories.

Many people collect the signature items. When I first started I was wondering the same things. Can I take these? I am a person that likes the personal things left by people. My signature card has an old token laminated into it. On the card it states "feel free to trade this item, its good luck". When I get to a cache and there are several cards then I do take a few with me. Especially if they are taking up too much space or they are wet and soggy.

Post them on ebay and see how it goes. If you have really good photos that show the tool then you might be successful. You are talking to the few geocachers that have a sickness. Very few of them will purchase anything they can make for themselves. I myself am like that. I do see plenty of items selling on ebay that I make for myself. It gives me a certain satisfaction to make stuff myself. So don't let this discourage you much. There are roughly 2 million geocaching accounts and you have now received 5 responses. That is 0.00025% of geocaching accounts.

Mine is a bit different. Tootles the Taxi Tootles is a taxi and wants to travel with other travel bugs. Yours is a cool idea also. I would put it on a caribener so that it would be able to be attached with out actually altering another bug. I would also make some tags for it to describe the mission and how it all works.

Yes it depends. I was doing a multi and the first stage was off the highway but there was large trucks and one person directing the construction trucks. She was standing at GZ. We asked her if we could park and she was fine with that. I explained what we were doing and she was pretty surprised when I pulled a hide a key from a fence post. She was super nice and seemed interested in it. I give her one of my signature items and was on my way. Yes you have to size up the situation and make a call. Just because there are people around I don't give up right away.

I thought about fabricating a lamp post skirt that would match with the one on the post but would make it taller. Then I would hide an ammo can or a large lock-n-lock in there. But I don't mind them, my daughter doesn't mind them either. I nick named her the lamp post kid because she knows that hide so well that I have a hard time keeping her in the car when I pull up to a lamp post. One thing about geocaching is that I can go on a numbers run, or I can go on a long drive and hike for 1 or 2 caches. My relationship with hobbies is such that they need to be very dynamic because I can change interests on a dime. When I am in the mood they are fine. When I am not then I don't look for them.

I have taped many hunts. In fact one of my signature items is a DVD that shows us hunting caches. While editing I tried to edit out many of the EUREKA moments. I also saved a book mark list of the caches that are on the DVD so that people can review the list of caches that are on the DVD. So the DVD can only be seen by people who retrieve the DVD from a cache. It never really bothers me that people post videos on youtube. If you want to watch it on youtube try to stay away from videos that reveal the GC number then it is not so much a spoiler.

Technically that is an illegal hide. No manner of explaining will make it a legal hide. Now I have seen my fair share of hides that were hidden in this manner. There are several pvc pipes that are buried with a screw cap at the surface. There are people who will play by the rules and there are those that will submit the cache and never mention the fact that they used a shovel to place it.

The part that gets me is if you weren't having fun why wouldn't you just walk away? Well there is a line that gets crossed. I have on occasion thought this cache sucks but there it is. I guess I deserve a smile for this crap can effort. Oh, I also have to refer to my signature line and understand that some days are not meant for caching.

What is the local event? A flash mob at your tent could be an event. You might upset the local cachers if they find out they are in for a sales pitch to donate to the starving pygmies in New Guinea. I would say that almost anything is possible. It just depends on your approach and willingness to bend to the rules, and not the other way around.

I use mine like a phone. Just sayin.

Lets see, you send your reviewer an email. About a day later you get an email in return. Seems like the 24 hour waiting period is all ready there. At least with a review they can figure out your playing battleships and approve a cache just to screw you over. With an automated system there is no checks. And why do you think someone would be deterred just because it takes them a few days to triangulate? Yes, don't hold your breath, it ain't going to happen. Jim Yes that is fine. What about the requests that I have sent more than once that were never answered? I finally figured that I was not going to get an answer on those. Win some Lose some I suppose.

It is usually a giveaway when they have the lid or the log in their hand.

On occasion I have sent reviewers emails about proposed locations and have had it ignored completely. I have also sent the email about a new spot and received almost instant replies. Asking a reviewer is a very good way to go. I have to ask about most of my new caches because there are several puzzles that I can not solve near my house. I also wish there was an automated system that would give you an idea if your spot is acceptable. One way to cut down on the abuse of those who would take the time to triangulate a puzzle is to only allow one request per day or per 12 hour period. But I ain't holdin my breath.

E 2105.7mi from your home coordinates Nubble Trouble GC17EHF

If the cache is a hard to get to cache then it may get a FTF prize. On my very first FTF I made some very cool items for the first finders. They were all farm animals with tags that had been identified with the cache name and the waypoint. I had one of the cows make it 900 miles east and someone emailed me wondering about the cow and if it was trackable. My other issue is you may live in an area that has FTF races and often times you will be rewarding the exact same 1 or 2 people with each of your prizes. That may or may not be a problem for you. There is a person here that starts each and every cache with a travel bug or geocoin that needs to move. I got a FTF on his last hide that was sunken in a marsh. He hid the TB in a tree and put directions to it in the cache. If the people are racing for a FTF then they are likely to enjoy the first spot on the log.

Exactly!!

People that race for FTF are playing their part of the game. I don't think it is necessary to target certain players because they have honed a certain part of the game. In order to get a FTF and log it within 1 hour is pretty impressive. You have to be ready to hunt a cache at any time. Some have a bag ready to go along with a GPS hooked to the computer at the ready. Its your cache so you get to make it the way that you want to. You can make the ALR anything you like. Just like folks can choose to not hunt any cache they feel is not in their style.

I would say go for it. Make them because you enjoy it and if you make some money then bonus. I am making some caches myself and I am donating them for a geocaching auction at an event. Who knows, if they are popular I may get some folks asking me to make them some. Many urban caches are in blah places. I have hidden a couple of caches that the containers are entertaining in themselves. I hardly ever get a compliment on the location but I get plenty on the containers. I am sure that there are a few folks out there that would like to purchase some of your containers. Have a great day.

The FTF Hogs are more than welcome to compete in that aspect of the game. Some people like travel bugs and coins, those people will visit the same caches over and over just to log all the trackables coming through their area. FTF is fun for me too. I have only been a part of 2 FTF. Both of them would be considered difficult caches. Those are more satisfying to me than a 1/1 that others are racing for. I have found that I can not really compete with folks going for sheer numbers of FTF. I have the equipment to get other caches that require some special equipment such as a boat, waders, and snowshoes. To those that race for every FTF please continue with your fun aspect of the game.

You should change the log at least once a year. If you find any log that is not signed on the physical log then feel free to post a wall of shame on the cache page. I have seen SEVERAL caches in trees that have logs like. "I seen it but was not able to reach it. TFTC" I am sure that you will have to deal with those that "don't get it". They are after a smilee, and each one should come with little to no effort.

I admit that I sometimes make more than one visit to some caches without a log. If it is a 1 difficulty then I am more prone to log a DNF. If it is much higher than that then a few things factor into me logging a DNF. If it is a 2 or higher did I give it enough searching? When I arrived were there too many muggles to attempt a reasonable search? Was I in the mood to hunt that type of hide in the first place? Just cause I visited the area before with the intent to hunt a cache does not mean that I was prepared to find it. OK, so you didn't get you jollies from my DNF last week, but don't you feel good when I visit and find your "difficult" cache? Maybe its just me.

You are so polite. But in between those lines I just read that the "stupid idiot, who did this, must not have attended school past 3rd grade" (after which the gum problem usually appears). You are probably right. That idiot most probably did not ... even make it past 2nd grade with a functional brain. Jan WHOA Angry much. I try not to let it get to me. I don't get to control everything about my caches. It might not be too much fun if I did. I just wish that people could remember how the cache looked when they found it. Then recreate that look before they left.

I also don't like it when my caches are not hidden correctly. I have a bubble gum cache that is hidden on a park bench. To get the full effect it has to be under the seat. Well it is held by a magnet that sticks to a screw (the bench is vinyl and held together with screws). Well a few finders into the logs I see a "found it but not where expected" so I go check it out and find it inside the backrest of the bench. I would like to think that the person who put it there either was afraid that the magnet would not hold onto the screw and was "doing the right thing" in their mind. But the other part of me says that someone was too lazy to place it back on the screw. I have another cache that is two pieces. That cache is just asking for trouble. The two pieces form an illusion that is very cool when it is hidden properly. Otherwise it gives it away. I a have to check on it and adjust the hide frequently. Its a part of the game that I wish wasn't.