JoesBar

To Florida biker, spotting the cache in a tree and signing the log are separate things. Many caches can be seen, but retrieving the container is part of the game. Don't take short cuts. Sign the log, or it's no find.

Yes, you need to sign, and date the log. That's the minimum. You can add additional info to the logbook, such as if you took or left a travel bug or geocoin. Or add info about your hike or the weather. But your geoname and date are required. Lots of cache owners will check the lookbook/sheet with the online logs. If your name is not in the book, your online log gets deleted. Sometimes you will find a cache the also involves finding the log. That sounds odd, but it's part of the game. The only caches I've found where it may be difficult to verify signed names with online logs are nano caches. But you've not found any of those yet. BTW, the other post is right, you logged your two actual cache finds twice. You, or the cache owner, should delete one of the logs. It's a fun game. There's lots to learn. Don't try to take shortcuts this early in your caching career.

I looked at the cache page. GC26N0C. It appears that you just have to look up the answers to the questions. If your answers don't jive with the geochecker, then you may have an incorrect answer. That being said, It's generally bad form to ask for help on a puzzle cache here in these forums. The Cache Owner, CO, created this puzzle to be solved. If everyone posted help on puzzle caches online, they would all be easily solved. Often, you will find another cacher who wants to solve the same puzzle. Working together is great. You can go to a local event and ask around for help on puzzles. But even there, if it's a harder puzzle, those that solved it may not be so ready to give clues. They put the time into solving the puzzle so why should they assist. Another route that may, or may not, work, is to ask the CO. Sometimes they will toss out extra clues. Other times they want folks to solve the puzzle for themselves. It's not personal. It's just a puzzle.

Reading the thread, I thought posts #4 and 5 may have answered the question. Is the auto dip feature included in a smart phone app? Is it the default setting? If so, then many people don't even realize they are dragging TBs around and auto logging them into every cache they find. Any one with a smart phone that can confirm or refute this? The other question, as to why people keep TBs for so long, may never be answered. Even with the wealth of information on this site about how to properly log a TB, people either don't know or don't care to learn.

List the parking coords where they are. List the difficulty / terrain as it is. Stop worrying about what a few others thing. If you like the hide, hide it! If I was in OK, I'd seek it out! Sure, you will not get a lot of persons finding that cache. So what? If you want everyone and their brother to find your cache, put out a skirt lifter in the local Walmart. But you sound like the adventurous type. So hide that cache and those that find it will salute you.

"Well we told her we didn't get the memo so until the Frog tells us otherwise we'll hide what we like." You hit the nail on the head! Bravo! The other person is not up for a challenge. So be it. The hide you described would be very attractive to me. Others will seek this hide to fill out their Fizzy Challenge. (hope I got that right) Don't let some fuddy duddy spoil your creativity. HIDE THAT CACHE!

AWESOME!!!! Magic is real.

It usually takes just a few days. However, the reviewers have lives too. There may be times when it will take longer.

I agree with the OP that folks should have some finds before hiding a cache. That gives them some idea of what works and what doesn't. BUT, I don't believe there should be a rule. As someone else stated, "you can't teach smarts." I've seen MANY hides that say in the write-up, "passed this spot and thought it needed a cache." I learned the hard way that one should scout a location before placing a cache. It may look nice when you drive by that one time, but it may turn out to be 'the party spot' for the local teens. It may be where the homeless guy lives, it may be the nearby homeowner has two dogs that just weren't outside when you place the cache. New caches keep the hobby fresh. But some effort on the part of the cache hider would save everyone a lot of grief.

After reading this thread, it seems the answer to your question is, no one knows. Apparently, those are not usual and customary abrevations for 'finds.' You can go to those caches and read the log books to see if that person really did find the cache. If so, accept their posted log. If they did not sign the log book, you can delete their finds. Or you can leave it alone. It's up to you.

Someone else posted a link to a cache called, "little blue pill." and the write up is a take off on the Viagra ad. And I think it's funny. Which reminded me, I watch the national news every night. Many of the ads during the news are for males with ED. (I used the abbrevation to fool kids.) I guess I could get offended and tell my kids not to watch the national news because I may have to explain why two adults are sitting in two bathtubs. Or I could get offended and have to explain why children in Africa are starving, or why politicans are having affiars, or why another soldier was killed or maimed in a war. This game of geocaching is a hobby I use to have fun. Life is a matter of perspective.

In your original post you asked, "is it me?" Yes. It's you. And that's OK. You have a right to be offended by anything you want to be offended by. You also need to understand that others have a right to be less sensitve than you. You also asked, "is is OK to title a cache with a sexist/racist title.?" Well, defining those terms would be difficult. Of course, I can come up with titles that would be very offensive. And my answer would be NO, it's not OK to have a title like that. I simply cannot post examples here. Since you did not post links to the cache titles you question, others have tried to add examples. "So easy even a girl can find it." I have four daughters. I am their father. I would have turned it around and said something like, "Wow, this was so easy even I could find it." "beaver or bush." If your kids are little, you simply say, "A beaver is an animal. And a bush is, well, a bush. Maybe the container is looks like a bush shaped like a beaver." By the time they are teens, they will think differently when they read the title and they will probably not ask anything. Reading the logs for that cache, I think it is something like the former. And I think the hider enjoys the double entendre. Now try this, add the phrase, "if you know what I mean," after a sentence. You suddenly have a sexual connotation. "Would you like some more potatoes? If you know what I mean." "Do you know the way to the bingo hall? If you know what I mean." So, lighten up. You'll live longer. If you know what I mean.

Maybe you should contact this guy: A real cacher

The main drawbacks to using your car GPSr are two, the battery life is shorter and is only rechargeable. So you cannot swap batteries if you are out in the field on a hike and the battery dies. Also, car GPS are not water resistant. So if you happen to be away from the car and it starts to rain, you may ruin the unit.

I checked out the cache in question. And I think there were some options. First, what you did in this situation was fine. The cache owner now knows there is a situation that needs his/her attention. I see that this cache is near a golf course in an upscale neighborhood. So little Johnnie and Jane are smoking dope and crack. Interesting. You could have placed the items into the box and taken it with you. At the first dumpster or trash can along your route, you could have dumped the stuff. Too bad for little John and Jane. You could have taken the items and gone to the local police. After explaining geocaching, and maybe getting a ticket for trespassing on the golf course, they would deal with the situation. (I think an officer should be thankful that you are being a good citizen, but every officer is different, and there is a small chance you would talk with the 'hard nose.') Your log for the cache would not change. There is no fault that the local youth chose this spot to hide their stuff from mom and dad. It was convenient. The cache has been there for five years. Obviously, it's a good hiding spot. Finally, leave well enough alone. There is no reason to return and take the stuff. You may still go to the local police and report the situation.

I believe the reviewer would not allow your cache. The 161 m guideline is prevent cache saturation. The fact that your cache is 'different' doesn't matter. It's the distance between the physical containers that counts. You may find exceptions to the guideline if there is a river, cliff, or some other obstacle between the two caches. Notice I wrote, "may." Another exception would be the "listed coords" to a mystery cache, not the physcial container. Try to find a location that's a bit farther from the exisiting cache, or just look for another location in your town.

I was at GS9 and found that cache. There was some discrepancy with that one. Many folks had that cache just up the road from the fairgrounds. Near a small bridge over a creek. In fact, it was at the fence line between the parking area and the fairgrounds. About 300 yrds difference. I was with another cacher and we simply followed some folks to the first location without either of us looking at our gpsr. When we got to GZ, about 10 folks were looking, without finding. Both of us then looked at our gprs and ours were pointing to the other location. Which was where the the cache turned out to be. So, you must have had the cache page with the wrong location. How or why that happened is a mystery to me.

You alread are a veteran. And 'thank you!' for your service. As to signing logbooks, just use your geocaching name and add the date. If it's a micro or small logbook, that will be all that fits. If the logbook is larger and you wish to write, feel free to add anything you think other finders will read or the cache owner may enjoy. It's nice when you add if you've dropped off, or picked up trackables. I've left my personal manifesto in several caches in my area.

The above answers are your best bet. But, let's say you don't understand pocket queries. You can try... Get the zip code of where you will be staying. Enter that into the search page at GC. (Geocaching.com) You will get a list of nearby caches. As you look at that list you will see the size of the cache. You will also see which caches have been given 'favorite points' by other finders. The more favorite points, the better that cache should be. The toughest one is the 'busy caches.' You will see when the cache was placed and when it was last visited. A newer cache will get more visitors than one that has be out for a few years. But, when you place a trackable into a cache, that icon will appear and may draw someone that likes to help move these. Enjoy your vacation.

I will be in the Clearwater area the week of June 18 to June 25. I am also attending Geowoodstock. Send me a message if this would work out.

You stated the TB is listed as being in your inventory. I'm taking that as a given. Go to the cache page where you left the TB. Go to "log your visit." from the pull down menu that says, "Select type of log," choose 'write note." When your write a note, maybe, "dropping a TB," scroll down to the bottom of the page. You should see a "trackables" option. and this TB should be listed. Go to the pull down menu that says, "no action." click there and an option should come up that says, "dropped off." pick that one. now when you click on "submit log entry" the Tb should show up on the cache page.

Thanks for the input. Sometimes it's just annoying to see how this game is played. I'm going to leave things be.

I've had a chance to examine the new, beta, maps. I don't think there is an improvement over the old maps. I think GC should leave the maps as they were.

As many of you are doing, I'm trying to complete my calendar for finds. (at least one find for every day.) I needed a find on March 11. In my part of the country, there was a snow storm. But, I needed a find. so I ventured out to try to get one. After driving through 10 inches of snow and two dnfs, I found a cache. But, I could not retrieve it. I'll spare the details, but I simply could not get the cache and sign the log. So I only posted a note. That's the way I play the game. A couple months later I see a new a cache posted. One of the logs, claiming a find, stated how the finder saw the cache but could not reach it as it was too high. they stated they had proof of photos. I know folks play the game differently. But I'd like opinions as to find or no find. Can I claim a find for a cache that I could see but not retrieve, and should those other folks claim a find for a cache they could see but not retrieve?

Gitchee-Gummee stated it pretty well. I'm going to try to expand. The numbers you see are the coordinates of the cache. I'm speaking of straight forward caches, not multi-caches, or mystery caches. If you are beginning, look for straight caches. These are identified by a single container. Look at the star rating too. Just below the title and above the coordinates, you will see a 'difficulty' and 'terrain' rating. a single star is the easiest. five stars are the toughest. Also, look at the size of the container. It's marked to the right of the 'difficulty' 'terrain.' A tiny square means a "micro" size container, film can or smaller. These can be tough. Try larger sizes at first. So, what are the coordinates? Look at a globe. See the lines that run vertical and horizontal? The vertical ones are longitude lines and the horizontal ones are latitude. They are reference lines to determine where on the planet anything is located. They are marked in degrees. N: North of the equator. the equator is 0 degrees. W: is west of the 'prime meridian,' also 0 degrees. That line runs through Greenwich, England. (It's a long story.) Think of it as a north/south equator. Anyway, any point on the planet can be marked by degrees and small parts of degrees. In geocaching we use degrees, minutes, and decimal minutes. It's like measuring you kids, feet, inches, fractions of inches. A GPS receiver will tell you within about 10ft of the exact spot. If you have a great signal. But it's close enough to start looking. around. There is info on this site about various makes and models of receivers. On the geocaching home page, look on the left. There is a line marked, "gps reviews." I don't use my cell phone to cache, so I cannot offer anything there.