[Travel Bugs]

Can anyone instruct me on how to transfer ownership of a TB to another person? Any help would be appreciated.

[German Cachers Cheating?]

............ It is up to the individuals in their area to ostracize them. If they put out caches, put them on your ignore list. It they host an event, don't go. Put these offenders out of your caching life. Go on with your caching as though they don't exist. You will be much happier for it. Don't cache for the numbers but because it is after all "fun".

 

Great idea. Figure out who you think is cheating and then do all the above and maybe tell all your friends so they can all do the same to these cheaters. And if you are wrong, it doesn't matter. As you say it is all in fun and you will be much happier for it.

 

My approach is to have fun and ignore all that and I also am much happier for it.

As others have posted, the cheaters are very open about their cheating. It is not a question of right or wrong. They openly admit what they are doing. By doing nothing you are validating their actions. You may feel it is okay to, as the saying goes, dance with the devil. Personally I will chose who I want to have fun with.

[German Cachers Cheating?]

It isn't only German cachers. We have some who go out to power trails with a group. Then they split up and all do a small section of the trail. They sign the logs with a made up group name but each individual claims the find under their own caching name. We have one cacher who claimed over 1200 finds in one day. I guess they need to feel superior to others even if they have to lie about their accomplishments. I don't know why they even bother to leave their homes. Since bogus numbers are their objective, they should just search around the world for caches with inactive CO's and log finds. They are logging finds on caches they have never been to so what's the difference? I tried to put out a new cache challenge where all one needed to do was to physically sign the log. It was rejected because it had an agenda. Groundspeak is not going to police these dishonest few, and I don't blame them. It is up to the individuals in their area to ostracize them. If they put out caches, put them on your ignore list. It they host an event, don't go. Put these offenders out of your caching life. Go on with your caching as though they don't exist. You will be much happier for it. Don't cache for the numbers but because it is after all "fun".

[COINTEST: Coining and Caching]

The day started out like any other. We got out of bed and were having our morning coffee. I in one room, and the wife in another. After being married for so many years I knew better than to try to talk to her in the morning before she had finished her second cup. Definitely not a morning person.

 

After an hour or so I looked outside to see what kind of day we were going to be dealing with. It was the middle of January but there was very little snow on the ground. This had to be the most mild winter I could ever remember. The temps had dropped into the low twenties so it was quite cold and it had sprinkled a little so ice was prevalent. The skies were clear so the sun would be making its appearance soon. All in all, a perfect day to go caching.

 

Me: “What would you like to do today?”

 

Wife: “Don’t bother me. I just got up.”

 

I could have pointed out she had been up for some time, but I let it go. I went into the computer room and fired it up. While the wife prepared to meet the world, I planed out our caching day. I printed a map of the area we would be going to, so the wife could see which caches we would be going after. After breakfast, the wife finished getting ready and in a few hours, we were on our way.

 

The first cache we attempted was Robert Waldow. It was listed as a four and a half terrain. When I looked at the Google Maps it seemed to be on a large billboard. I had come with a long tool only to find it wasn't nearly long enough. The cache was a film canister stuck to the pole by a magnet in its bottom. According to the cache page Robert Waldow had grown to over eight feet tall when he passed away at twenty-two years of age. The theory was that he had placed the cache. Let me tell you, as high as the cache was on the metal pole holding up the billboard, Waldow would not have been able to reach it if he had kept growing and lived to be eighty.

 

Wife: “You’ll never reach it with the pole you brought. We might as well give up.”

 

Me: “Not so fast.”

 

I remembered I had a length of rope in our cache bag filled with various tools. So, there I was playing Buck Barry while the wife rolled her eyes. Around fifty or so years ago I had seen Buck Barry in person doing his rope tricks, so I was somewhat of an expert on the technique needed to be successful. To watch Buck all you need to do is make a loop in the rope and toss it at your target and voila, the loop, as though it had radar, always found its destination. How did he make it look so easy? Every throw I made was either too short or too far to the left. Once, I had my foot on the end of the rope. Another throw, my left hand did not let go in time. It was very frustrating. Try as I may, I had to admit the cache was in no danger of falling to the ground. The wife was getting very impatient with my futile efforts so she sat in the car to keep warm. After about fifty or sixty tosses, unexpectedly, by some miracle the rope found its way around the film canister. When it fell on the pavement it was time to celebrate.

 

Wife: "Stop acting like such a fool."

 

Me: "I told you I could do it. Roy Rogers has nothing on me."

 

Wife: "Okay smarty-pants, now put it back."

 

She always has a way to dampen my spirits. I hadn't thought of how to put it back. Out came the long tool. I found if I pushed gently and slowly, I could inch it back out of reach. I also found that if I tried to go more quickly the canister would fall back to the ground. After several tries I succeeded in placing it out of reach. Not as high as I found it, but adequate. Once the cache was back in place, we loaded back up and drove to our next conquest. While we drove I recounted my latest success. It may have been bragging but one needs to take advantage when one can. I was unaware Fate does not like excessive bragging and knows what to do about it. We had a TB in our possession for some time but the container was too small. It seems most caches are micros. The next one was supposed to be larger.

 

The next cache was called Rocky. It was placed in a cemetery. When we arrived at the GZ there was a wall made of broken concrete. The freezing temps after the rain and snow during the night added to the difficulty of finding the container. Any stones that may have been moveable were now frozen solid. I tried a few likely ones but they would not budge. Then I spotted one that had to be right. Of course it would not move either. Well, not to be deterred, I felt that maybe I just needed to be more forceful. So, using all my limited strength, I proceeded to strain the rock upwards. This was where Fate got even.

 

Have you ever been in the process of doing something when it struck you that it may not be the smartest thing to do? It is like using a drill to put a hole into a small piece of wood while holding the wood in the palm of your hand. Just before the bit breaks through the wood, your brain awakens just a tad too late to alert you there could be a problem. That is what happened to me at this cache. Not the drill part, that was another time, but the brain reacting a might too slowly. It makes me wonder if my brain just enjoys seeing me blunder and deliberately pulls these tricks one me. It does no good to point out it is at fault for the accident. My brain, like the wife, ignores anything I have to say.

 

So there I was straining with all my might trying to dislodge the stone. Too late, just as the rock broke free my brain warned me. “This will not end well”, it said. I almost got all of my digits out of harms way before the stone broke free. When I say almost, I mean one thumb was left behind to be a casualty. Have you ever smashed your thumb between two rocks? If you have, you will be able to relate to the pain I was feeling. Also, you need to take into account it was a very cold day. That magnifies the pain by tenfold.

 

Dropping the rock and grabbing my bloody thumb, I ran in circles grimacing until the throbbing started to subside. Then I fell to the ground squirming around like a fish out of water. I looked down to see the blood oozing from my thumb. The pain was just starting to be bearable. Then I was interrupted by a voice far off in the distance.

 

Wife: “Did you find it?”

 

Is it just me? Did that sound right to you? It wasn’t, “What happened? Are you alright? Here, let me help.” On the contrary, she showed no sympathy or concern for my well being whatsoever. I was so perturbed I almost forgot my extreme pain. To rub salt into my wound, she further ignored me and went to the crevice I had exposed and grabbed the cache.

 

The wife is not good at the sight of blood but after she signed the logbook she did get me a bandage. For some reason she keeps an ample supply in the car. I patched up the injury well enough to where I could function again without bleeding all over myself.

 

Me: “I can’t believe you got the cache before helping me.”

 

Wife: “I can’t believe you would do something so stupid. What were you thinking? Honestly, sometimes I think I‘m caching with a two year old.”

 

When she put it like that I didn’t have much of an argument. We were able to place the TB in the cache. My accident had shorten our caching day. I was in too much pain to continue and asked the wife to drive. As the she drove home I glared at her when she said…

 

Wife: “Wasn’t that fun?”

 

Did mom reach a caching milestone like 1000 finds?

[What's the big deal about FTF?]

The wife and I have some FTFs but we would rather see a newbie get it than us. When we first started caching FTFs seemed important so we went for them. After we got a few we saw the error in our thinking. Most cachers in our area are to the south so any posting to the north is easier to get a FTF. We do not agree that finding a new cache where the cords are way off is unpleasant. The challenge of finding a new cache that has bad cords adds to the excitement. We have found a cache where the cords were off by 275 feet. One was off by a third of a mile and one was fifty miles off. We did not drive to the fifty mile cache but posted what we thought was wrong with the cords. It turned out we were correct. I guess bad cords are kind of like working on a puzzle. Some times we can figure them out, other times we just scratch our heads and give up.

 

A cacher in our area had a novel idea. He would log all his finds as FTF. Found this Friday, Fourth to Find, Fifteenth to Find, or whatever he wished. Caching is a game with few rules so let others play the way they want and just enjoy the way you do it. Don't let anyone take the fun out of caching for you.

[100 finds in 1 day?]

I don't understand how people can claim finds for caches they have never seen. I have looked at some of the logs for the ET Highway. At first I thought they were just ridiculous. Then I spoke to someone who had recently finished the ET power trail. Apparently many cachers get together and each one will do one section of the trail. All are armed with stickers that represent each cacher in the group. If you have a big enough group you only have to do a fraction of the caches but still take credit for finding all of the caches on the trail. So, when you see people posting such big numbers, remember they not only never saw all the caches, they may not have ever even been within fifty miles of the cache they claim to have found. What it amounts to is, some will do anything to add to their numbers even if it means logging finds on caches they haven't done. I don't know why they don't just stay home and log finds on caches all over the world. That way they could become the number one cacher in the world without ever having to leave the comfort of home.

 

I don't get that either, but you are painting all of the power trail cachers with a broad brush. There are many people who have done the ET trail without using those cheesy methods and some of them have racked up 1,000+ in 24 hours legitimately.

There are 1440 minutes in a 24 hour period. To do 1000 caches in a 24 hour period means doing one cache every 1.44 minutes. I guess I'm a doubting Thomas. I do not believe it is possible. But then, I don't believe in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy.

[100 finds in 1 day?]

So, when you see people posting such big numbers, remember they not only never saw all the caches, they may not have ever even been within fifty miles of the cache they claim to have found.

 

This statement is unfair to those that *do* visit and "sign" the log on every cache. While there are many that do power trails do so with a group of caches and some will employ some "creative" practices in an attempt to achieve high numbers, it's unfair to assume that *all* those that do power trails will employ those practices. I read the logs of one cacher that did the trail solo and still managed to rack up 800 or so finds.

I'm sorry, I should have said when any cacher claims to have done 1000 caches in a single day, he did not do all the caches by himself. To get to the point of this thread, it is possible to do 100 power trail caches in a day. We have done it once but we won't do it again. It was very boring with the wife driving and me jumping out of the car every 500 feet. In Petoskey Michigan there are two power trails, one with 100 caches and one with 200. We did the 100 plus one of the 200. Never again will we waste our time running after pointless numbers.

[100 finds in 1 day?]

I don't understand how people can claim finds for caches they have never seen. I have looked at some of the logs for the ET Highway. At first I thought they were just ridiculous. Then I spoke to someone who had recently finished the ET power trail. Apparently many cachers get together and each one will do one section of the trail. All are armed with stickers that represent each cacher in the group. If you have a big enough group you only have to do a fraction of the caches but still take credit for finding all of the caches on the trail. So, when you see people posting such big numbers, remember they not only never saw all the caches, they may not have ever even been within fifty miles of the cache they claim to have found. What it amounts to is, some will do anything to add to their numbers even if it means logging finds on caches they haven't done. I don't know why they don't just stay home and log finds on caches all over the world. That way they could become the number one cacher in the world without ever having to leave the comfort of home.

Well, you have an ally in me but you're beating a dead horse with this issue. It's been raised many times but tends to fall on deaf ears, as in "none so deaf as though that will not hear". Anyway, "concern yourself with your caches and don't worry about others", not my quote but one you can expect to see.

You are right. We cache as though those with the bogus numbers don't exist. It's like those that bilk people out of their money and then brag about how much money they have. Some day all will be made right even if they don't think so.

[100 finds in 1 day?]

I don't understand how people can claim finds for caches they have never seen. I have looked at some of the logs for the ET Highway. At first I thought they were just ridiculous. Then I spoke to someone who had recently finished the ET power trail. Apparently many cachers get together and each one will do one section of the trail. All are armed with stickers that represent each cacher in the group. If you have a big enough group you only have to do a fraction of the caches but still take credit for finding all of the caches on the trail. So, when you see people posting such big numbers, remember they not only never saw all the caches, they may not have ever even been within fifty miles of the cache they claim to have found. What it amounts to is, some will do anything to add to their numbers even if it means logging finds on caches they haven't done. I don't know why they don't just stay home and log finds on caches all over the world. That way they could become the number one cacher in the world without ever having to leave the comfort of home.

[Death of Geocaching?]

The popularity of geocaching seems to be growing all over the world. I just had a visit from my cousin. He is from France. After I showed him how many caches were hidden near his home he wanted to know more. We did a couple of caches here so he could see what it was like. The more people are introduced, the more cachers there will be. If some areas become closed or too costly so be it. As for tiny containers, if you don't like them put them on your ignore list. There are caches we won't do. If tree climbing is involved we ignore them. The great thing about caching is there is something for everyone. Do some ignore the rules? Yes. But rest assured someone will turn them in. With all the new caches published everyday, some will get published that shouldn't. Overall the reviewers do a great job. I know I wouldn't want the responsibility. I think caching will be around long after I'm gone.

[Too many missing coins!]

It seems like there has been a high number of cachers lately who find geocoins or travel bugs and fail to log them. A lot of coins and bugs I have been tracking appear to have gone missing. Anyone else notice this? Any suggestions on how to better educate new cachers about how to deal properly with these items?

I think your complaint goes to a simple problem that has many faults. Clearly too many coins/bugs are not being logged out of caches. Why?

 

1. The grabber did not log it out (muggle, ignorant noob, coin thief.... take your pick).

2. Despite continued notes Cache owner does not mark the trackables no longer in residence as MISSING (can't be bothered, ignorance) from their cache.

3. Despite notes from the field the Coin Owner does not mark the thing as MISSING (ignorance, denial, can't be bothered).

4. In spite of constantly finding caches with no trackables cachers DON'T include information about the missing trackables in their logs.

 

So while ignorance plays a large part, lack of communication or failure to inform is equally to blame (not much you can do about denial or failure to be bothered).

So as a cacher in the field who is frustrated by the number of absent trackables listed in caches I hope you're doing your part in notifying both cache owners and coin/bug owners to the fact when you notice it. [That means smartphone users have to write longer logs than your average txt msg ]

Caching and TB's are two different things. Some people only want to cache and don't bother with TB's. They feel no responsibility for someones TB's. And why should they? They did not place it and have no intention of moving it. So, to say they need to post a note saying a TB wasn't in a cache is telling them they need to have the same feelings toward TB's as yourself. It's like telling someone they need to vote. If they don't want to be bothered, they won't, no matter how you feel about it. You can't make someone have the same passion you have.

 

The wife and I have moved 265 TB's and enjoy it. We have talked with other cachers that don't touch them. They have their reasons and that's fine with us. Don't get upset when others don't act the way you would like. Just enjoy doing things your way.

[Searching in the snow]

The wife and I went caching a couple of days ago in the snow. We love winter caching in Michigan. It adds a new challenge to caching. We found three out of four in a park. That is very good especially since some were under the snow. The more you cache the more you will know what to look for. If the cache is on the ground look for bumps in the snow. It could be logs or rocks. Look for down trees as they will make the snow higher than what is around them. Always have a stout walking stick to prod the ground. Check hints, sometimes they tell you it is in a stump. Finding a cache under feet of snow is very rewarding. At least we have a great time. You won't find them all but with experience you will enjoy the challenge.

[The obscure hiding guidelines strike again!]

Whenever a new Challenge cache gets published in our area I look to see if I have already qualified. If not I put them on the ignore list. The wife and I enjoy caching not wasting time on the computer making lists. We have close to 400 favorite points in the bank. I have assigned a few to some well done multis in the area. Admit it, most caches although fun to do are not memorable. I don't mind your idea for a challenge cache because the ignore list is endless. Everyone has their own idea of what makes a great cache. Our idea will differ from the next. I see no reason to get upset if a cache is posted we don't want to participate in. If a cache makes you that irritated put it on your ignore list and you won't have to see it again. There are lots of caches published we can enjoy. We have never been forced to do any cache.

[FTF Reward]

There is really no need to leave anything for a FTF prize. We once were third to find on a cache and the CO had not posted that he had placed a $20 gift certificate to a nearby restaurant. The first two finders had not bothered to look in the cache but only signed the log book. I guess they were in a hurry to get to the next cache. The wife and I had a very nice dinner. Other that patting yourself on the back it doesn't matter if you were first or the 100th finder.

[EarthCache Guidelines Updates]

Since I'm one of the average Joe cachers, I don't know how to post a picture.

 

Regardless of whether the photo is optional, it can be a fun part of recording your experience -- and is often required for virtuals. If you have a camera, posting a picture is simply a matter of uploading the photo by clicking the "upload image" link in the right hand corner after you submit a log. There are many people here, in the tech forum, or elsewhere on the forums who can help you should you ever run into a problem with the site.

I do know many are very helpful to those like me that are not computer savvy. The problem is me. I spent over an hour on the phone to Garmin trying to figure out how to delete geocaches from my new Nuvi. Thank goodness for their patience. Being older, I don't seem to catch on as easily as I used to. My cell phone does not have photo capabilities. With the camera, I would have to hook it up to the computer, then save pictures. I have to search to find where the pictures went, then try to put them into the log. With all that work I just ignore Earth Caches and Virtuals that require pictures. I'm not angry pictures are required, I just get too frustrated. Thanks to all who try to help but I am a lost cause.

[EarthCache Guidelines Updates]

That said, you are more than welcome to ask cachers to provide a photograph, but the request must be optional and that you can't delete a log if a person does not provide a photograph.

 

What a ridiculous change. I'm giving very serious consideration to archive my Fossil Hunt earthcache as without the photo I have no idea whether they've bothered (or managed) to actually find a fossil. They could just say "I found a 30mm amonite" rather than persevere to find an actual specimen and take a photo of it with their GPS.

 

I can't believe that *any* cachers don't have something able to take a photo with (whether camera or phone). What is the logic behind this change?

I see you already archived your Earth Cache. That's too bad because it looked like those who did it really enjoyed your cache. I found a fossilize vertebra in my gravel driveway many years ago. I still have it. My wish is that you wouldn't let the dishonest cachers ruin the fun you have made available to so many honest ones. There are always those that have a different agenda than ours. I think the key is to ignore them and continue to have fun with this activity in spite of them.

[EarthCache Guidelines Updates]

I have only done one Earth Cache. It was fun to do because I had to let the owner know what was on a sign and how long a bridge was. It was easy to do and I had a good time. I would have done more but when I looked at others they required pictures. Since I'm one of the average Joe cachers, I don't know how to post a picture. I have put all other Earth Caches on my ignore list. Now that I no longer have to post a picture or get on the internet to search for answers, I can do these again. I will try a few to see if Cache owners delete logs because no picture is posted. If they do I won't turn them in to Groundspeak. I have been ignoring them for years and can continue to do so. I think some owners are very stubborn and will fight this change in the rules. Unfortunately this will lead to some contention between owners and seekers. That is what happens when some try to make caching a competition instead of just a fun activity. I may even place an Earth Cache now.

[Can I Count It?]

Nowhere is there a rule that says you have to sign the log. It is up to cache owner to decide if this is a good excuse for not signing the log. I know many cache owners who prefer that you don't compromise a cache to muggles and who would accept muggle activity as a good excuse. On the other hand, there are cache owners who intentionally place caches where muggles are as challenge to cache finder to figure out how to use stealth to retrieve and sign the log. You need to find out which kind of cache owner this is.

 

It might surprise some to know that I personally would not log a find if I had to leave because of muggles even if the cache owner said it was okay. If the smiley is that important, I'll wait till the muggles leave, come back later, or figure out how to be stealthy and sign the log.

 

I think it clearly states in the rules you must sign the log. Here is what it says under Additional logging requirements.

 

"As of April 4, 2009, Additional Logging Requirements can no longer be grounds for deleting a cache find. Geocaches can be logged online as Found once the physical log has been signed."

 

So according to Groundspeak, yes you must sign the log. As others have said, let your conscience be your guide.

[Just me or a learning curve?]

So here I am just starting out with geocaching. But I have not been having much success. My first time out I went looking for three (2 easy rated) and only found one. Granted it appeared one was possibly tampered with and missing. But then today I logged 9 caches in my GPS to find out in Francestown, NH, and wound up finding only 1! And mind you some of these (I think MOST!) were supposedly rated on the easier side. I usually read the logs, note the hints, and yet I still walked away with nothing. It is a bit frustrating and discouraging, and I can't help but wonder if this is just the pangs of getting started or if I am just plain horrible at this. My score so far is 2 found and 11 searched for but no found. If this was baseball I would be a laughing stock right now! Did everyone else have por success getting started? What is even MORE frustrating is that the 9 I went looking for today I read the logs and discovered someone else was out there searching for the same ones, but apparently later in the day. They managed to find most of them where I did not. So I know the darn things were there. So disheartened I wonder "well then what am I doing wrong!?" I am using what is generall considered a pretty good GPS (a Garmin 60Cx....I have been using this for bushwhacking in the White Mountains and trust it with my life...well as long as I have charged batteries I do ), so I don't think that is it. I spend what I consider a good deal of time searching (I think I was averaging about 10-15 minutes today, but that was because I had only so much time to work with so I forced myself to look only so long.....but on one of the first 3 I ever went looking for I spent a good 20 minutes looking to no avail.)

 

So is it really a "learning thing" or am I really THAT bad at this?

 

Brian

 

No you are not bad at it. If cachers are honest, and some are not, they would tell of their multiple DNF's when they first started looking. After you find a few regulars under a pile of sticks or rocks you will develop an eye for seeing hiding spots. Don't forget to expand your search. That means the cords are not always accurate. The cache can be 30 feet from where the GPS is telling you. Go to any Meet 'n' Greets in your area and talk to the cachers that attend. Most will be very helpful. If they have done a cache you can not find they can tell you where to look. By the way if you log an attended for those meetings it counts as a find.

[There go all those Wally World Caches]

I have never been able to understand people's distain for LPC's. No one forces anyone to do them.

Because they suck... a lot.

(according to my highly biased caching aesthetics)

 

They are the poster child of lame caches. They don't get any more pathetic.

 

They are caches for those who prefer quantity over quality.

 

(from Websters)

Lame: [leym] adjective

 

1. pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness

3. weak; inadequate; unsatisfactory;

 

Because geocachers hail from such diversity, it is really difficult to quantify "Lameness" as related to caches. There really isn't any one characteristic that can guarantee that a cache is lame, (other than hiding a film canister in a lamp post at Wally World, which is ALWAYS Lame), however a cache's Lameness Quotient can still be measured, given sufficient consideration, as follows:

 

Location

The motto for Groundspeak is "The Language of Location". This, more than anything, should be your first clue in determining if your cache is a stinker. Ask yourself, "Why am I bringing people to this spot?" If the only answer you can come up with is yet another mindless smiley, perhaps it's time to rethink ground zero. A waterfall is good. 500 acres of sweltering, exhaust laden blacktop filled with soccer moms in SUV's is bad.

 

Container Selection

The purpose of a cache is to protect its contents. Whether those contents are a slip of paper covered with the initials of a bunch of geo-nerds, or the contents are high dollar, really kewl swag, is really immaterial. If the container won't protect what's inside, it is lame. Quality containers include ammo cans, Lock & Locks, decon kits, waterproof match containers and bison tubes. Inadequate containers include Gladware, black & gray film canisters, hide-a-keys, Altoid tins and duct tape covered baggies. These may work great indoors, but they simply will not repel moisture once subjected to the whims of Mother Nature.

 

Hide Style

If a hide style gets copied too often, it automatically becomes lame. Hide-a-keys on guard rails and film canisters under lamp posts require absolutely no imagination to hide or to find, and therefor earn pretty high LQ points. Any hide style that encourages vandalism or otherwise violate Groundspeak's guidelines, (graffiti coords/affixing electrical boxes to structures/buried caches/etc), are bad for the game, and should be avoided like the plague. Some of the best hides utilize subtle misdirection, getting folks to look everywhere but where their GPSr's tell them to look. I consider that a good thing, as it forces me to fire up the ol' grey matter. That is not the case with LPCs.

 

Results

If you see a high percentage of single sentence find logs on your cache page, that is a fairly reasonable indicator that your cache may be suffering from a lack of ingenuity. This trend becomes more pronounced if you see a lot of "TNLNSL" entries. At that point, your cache has reached a lameness critical mass, and should probably be put out of its misery.

 

Again, these intemperate thoughts are merely a reflection of my personal preferences.

If playing games in a parking lot is your cup of tea, by all means, have at it.

You won't be alone.

 

We have been to over thirty Meet 'n' Greets and met many different cachers. Some hate LPCs and some love them. I personally do not care for them. Not only are they not challenging but they are subject to bee infestation and I am allergic to their sting. One of the more prominent cachers in this area told me over 90% on his finds were one and one's. I told him we had over 500 multi and puzzle finds. He answered he won't do multis. Now, that does not make me better than him, it just means we have different preferences. Some cachers are not physically able to do caches involving long hikes over rough terrain. LPCs are a way for them to participate in geocaching which they otherwise could not. So, I say cache and let cache.

[There go all those Wally World Caches]

I can hear all those LPC haters out there are having a party.

I have never been able to understand people's distain for LPC's. No one forces anyone to do them. In Michigan during the winter they are a welcome diversion. Sometimes they are buried under four feet of plowed snow. Try that you fair weather cachers.

[Calling all Puzzle cachers! (Beta test difficult puzzle)]

Would anyone like to beta test a puzzle cache for me? I got this a really fun idea for a puzzle. I feel like with no hints it is very, very difficult. With a hint it may be too easy. I love puzzles but I realize I am not the best at puzzles so I am afraid of making it too easy or too hard. After all I do want people to find it.

 

I was planning on setting the difficulty to 5 as special knowledge and "equipment" will likely be necessary. Since this is my first cache (I was waiting for a memorable one) I really want some feedback. Problem is I really don't want to broadcast it either.

 

So if there are any takers on this puzzle I would be glad to send you the preliminary info to see if you can solve it. If no one can in a short period of time I will send out a hint.

 

PM me or sign up here and I will PM you.

 

Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

If this works I have a series I will be creating that will each require a skill that I have interest in.

 

I'd be glad to try. There are some good puzzle solvers around here whose help I could enlist. Glad to see you are making sure it can be solved before you put it out. We don't need more useless caches no one ever finds. Anyone can do that but what's the point? I look forward to hearing from you.

[How do you get a FTF?]

Had a play with geocaching a couple of years ago and have just began geocaching again. We are premium subscribers and want to know how to get a first to find.

 

We had the Groundspeak email arrive and the second it did we opened it to see the new caches. We wanted to be a FTF but they’ve already been found! How can this be?

 

We don’t know how to filter the caches in our area to know which have not been found before either.

 

Is there something we need to do to subscribe to get caches as they are published?

 

Can we filter our area or the area we are in to show only those geocaches that have never been found?

 

We became premium members because we want to enjoy this and part of that, is in the race to be a FTF.

 

Thank you very much in advance.

 

The Rubberboots

Advisors to the Royal Rubberduck household

In order to get caches in your area with out showing ones you have already found try this. When you log on to geocaching click on your name on the top right of the page. Scroll down on the right side of the page will be search for nearest from your home coordinates. Next to that will be in parentheses (filter out finds). Click on that and your finds will be gone.

[Fess Up, are you a Keeper or a Giver?]

 

Hi, I would like to know how common it is for people to Keep Travel Bugs and Geo-coins that they find. I have come across sooooo many caches that say there are TB's / Geo-Coins in them, only to find they are not there. I have placed some that have traveled thousands of Miles and they still have not been 'replaced'. Personally I think that is not good Sportsmanship. If a TB has a goal/destination, I find it a thrill to be part of forwarding it on it's journey. If it doesn't have a specific goal, I will move it along where ever I think would be a good place for it to be picked up. Do you 'Keep' some favourite TBs you find? If so, doesn't that kind of spoil it for those who like honor the CO's wishes?

 

 

I think most cachers that take trackables move them along to a new location. There are some exceptions. Some may be new to the sport and don't understand what they have found. We found a bug called Red Hook that hadn't been logged in over a year. After some research I found the owner in Afganistan. The numbers on the bug had been rubbed off so I contacted the owner and he sent me the tracking number. He had quite a story about what had happened. It was fun to be able to get the bug back in circulation.