Wet Pancake Touring Club

I agree with Mudfrog for the most part. We do have the ability to ignore caches we don't like. But, we need to be provided with the information on which to make that decision. Using the Centrepoint Tower cache as an example, it did have the Access/Parking Fee attribute set. But, no mention of the complexity involved in figuring out what that cost would be. (Check the logs on the cache, the finders explained how they only had to pay $6.) And, with something like the Tower, some might assume that is it publicly owned. (It does not appear to be, according the Wikepedia.) For me, the amount I will pay for access depends on who I am paying, and what other benefits I get for the cost. I've paid an $80 access fee for one cache, because it was going to the National Park Service. My standards for access for commercial ventures are quite different, and generally approach $0. If we do allow caches that require paying a fee to a commercial organization, how much information would need to be provided so I can make the decision on whether or not to go after the cache? And, would it become part of the reviewers job to verify it? If the cost changes, or the ownership changes, is this grounds for a NM? And, I'm sure that others will have even more requiremens/questions. I just see lots of negative feedback from cachers regarding placement of caches in commercial locations that require an access fee. I think that most people are OK with non-commercial fees. I am, because the national, state and local parks near me have geocaching guidelines, and my money is going to a group that directly or indirectly supports geocaching.

I did a multi that had an ammo can and log book at both locations. The cache was called 'Kids and Parents', or something like that. The first stage had kid friendly swag, while the swag at the second, and final stage, was targeted more for parents. Think cheap tools, and the like. Kids could sign the first logbook, while parents would sign the second, using they geocaching name.

1) I had read about geocaching way back when it started. I have always loved maps and compass, and I knew about GPS. Years later, my wife worked food service as a kitchen manager. One day, she brought home a catalog from a local food service company, and told me I have 100,000+ points that I could spend on anything I wanted. They had a Garmin eTrex, the original eTrex for 98,000 points, so I ordered it. Loaded the coords for a local cache, and went and found it. Then, it sat for over a year, before I found another cache. 2) I did it for a number of reasons. First and foremost in my mind, it was a cool use of the technology. A bit of adventure, getting out and about. Something I could do with the kids, then the grandkids. 3) I haven't gone geocaching in a couple of years. Basically, all the remaining local caches are (IMO) lame. I don't have as much time to do this, and I do other GPS based activities. I will get back into it when I retire. (I'm right on the brink of starting to count down the months, instead of the years. Got 33 months left.) Other have mentioned that Geocaching is a hobby, not a game. To me, it is a bit of both. Games need to have rules, so I make up my own rules. Challenges actually. I did a Jasmer challenge. I want to find a cache in each degree (0-359) using my home as a base. I want to find cache in each 5 mile band away from my house out to 350 miles. I will do GeoTours. These are the games/challenges I set for myself. You talk about the Gamification of the Outdoors. I'm assuming that this is about games played in real world locations, and how technology is allowing a more diverse set of location based games. Pre-GPS, this would include things like Orienteering and Letterboxing. With GPS, we got Geocaching. With Smartphones, our options expanded to include 'games' such as Pokemon GO, Ingress, Pikmin Bloom, and others. If you change the title to Gamification of Location, you could include some console based games, games that required multiple people to be in the same location (indoors or outdoors) in order to do certain things. (Anyone remember the cables required to link handheld consoles together, before wireless.)

I did the WA State Park GeoTour, and met a few. On to the next cache location, and there they were again. While driving to a cache, I spotted a couple holding what appeared to be GPS units, looking near a guard rail. I stopped and asked if they were geocachers. Turns out they were just trying geocaching out. I did GC12 and GC17 a couple of days before the final Block Party, and met at least a dozen cachers with the same goals. And, at a cache near home, I saw someone searching at the base of a tree where I knew there was a cache. So, I stopped to say hello. Turns out, it was Moun10Bike.

See this forum post" GeoTrails and GeoTours now have their own Forum section.

There is geo-art/power trail near me that was all mystery caches. They appeared to be a history lesson about a local university. Each cache had two questions, each answer was associated with a set of coordinates. I diligently started figuring them out. When I got to the third one, I realized that the right answer was always the first answer. The second set of coordinates were the same on every cache description, and they put you in the middle of the field in the football stadium. Technically, they qualify as mystery, but not much mystery.

IMO, there are two main reasons to use magnetic north to find a cache: The CO wants the finder to learn how to use a compass and/or convert bearings between magnetic and true north. The CO is going for a higher difficulty cache. In the first case, the declination should be included in the cache description. The latter would require the finder research the declination.

I did one 'night' cache in woods that were too dense. There were limited, obvious sight lines, on the only trail. Easy to figure out where the next point was. I did this one during the middle of the day. Give me some interesting challenges. One of my favorites had several waypoints that took a bit to figure out how to get to. (The cache description included a park map.) One was up a very steep climb, another across a small bay (0.1 km across). The woods were not dense, the markers were well spaced, it took a fairly powerful flashlight to find the next one. And, it turned out the cache was a short, 1/4 kilometer hike back to the parking lot.

Here's a multi-cache similar to what you are doing. In this case, it is designed to be done with a compass. Bearings and azimuths are magnetic, and distance is listed in chains. As an aid, each waypoint is described. In some cases, you cannot follow a straight line, as that would go through a building. https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCN4W6 I actually solved this one using Google Earth. (Both the starting and ending points are less than 3/4 kilometer from my office.) I walked the route anyhow.

WVTim had a Gadget Cache, I think it was called something like the "Well Prepared Driver". It had two bolts sticking out of it, and was designed to use 12v from a car battery with jumper cables. It used an electric antenna motor to raise/lower the log container. Reverse the cables to lower the container. He had it at a Library (I think), at the end of a parking place. Looked like a small house, and the container came up through the chimney.

Something like this might be used to get around the vacation cache restriction. If I wanted to place a cache at a favorite vacation spot, I could pay someone to remotely setup and maintain the cache. With a contract, I would have a documented maintenance plan. Not saying that this would pass a review, but it would be a point in its favor. Also, this could happen with GeoTours. A Tourist Bureau could hire local geocachers to maintain a set of caches as part of a GeoTour. Although, I know that there are geocachers that would and have done this for free.

Note, found on another post, HQ has a bot that might auto archive unpublished caches with no activity after 10 months.

The cache was disabled. My bad implying that the CO logged a WN.

Primarily, optimism. The cache was a fair distance from home (500km), and the cache was part of a GeoTour I was trying to complete. The situation in the area was fluid, and the CO's note was a week old.

For me, another consideration on DNF versus WN when there is an obstruction is what is mentioned in prior logs. I went after a cache once, it was in an area closed due to fire fighting training. The CO had noted that in a prior log. When I got to the parking area, there was no mention of any trail closures. The closure was about a kilometer down the trail, The cache was only 80 meters further down the trail. I chose a WN, rather than a DNF primarily because I was confirming an already noted condition. If it was not already noted in the logs, I would have done DNF.

A Garmin Chirp with an extra large battery pack?

Exactly, public property versus public access. At my land grant university, we are older than the state we are in. The property is owned by the regents, not the state. However, we have a Federal Depository library on campus, so we have to allow public access. As an aside, my university does offer a class in geocaching.

It sounds like it is OK to place caches near electrical equipment in your location, with permission. One thing about universities, don't assume any electrical equipment you see on campus is owned by the university. I've worked at a couple universities, and the local power company has their own transformers and switching equipment located on campus.

My sister-in-law goes geocaching all the time, and hasn't logged a cache online in the last 15 years. So, assuming TPTB do implement this, then the next logical step is for CO's to ask for an alternative method of verification, such as a QR code. And that will open yet another can of worms. QR codes will get passed around, and all we have done is making legitimate logging more difficult. Short of equipping every geocache with a DNA scanner, I don't see anyway to prevent someone from false logging.

Dang, South Carolina. Well, at least I'm in the same country, just on the other coast. I love night caches, and these look to be fun.

While I don't think it applies in this particular case, I have seen D/T's that don't match my experience finding the cache. I have found a 5/5 cache. You can drive right up to it, if you have a modified 4x4 (special equipment). This is how the CO intended the cache to be found. The cache description even talks about what modifications you will need. Or, you can simply park a short distance away, and walk to it up a moderately steep hill. (Not nearly as challenging as some of the locations that barefootjeff gets off to.) Took me about 45 minutes round trip. And, the cache was an ammo can in a hollow tree trunk. Not even covered with leaves. Maybe a 2/2.5.

I gave my first two GPSr units to my kids, when they left home. I currently use a Garmin Montana, and an Oregon. I will be keeping both in use, as I use them for different purposes. One has GLONASS, the other does not. They seem to work differently in forests; once I had a 50 meter discrepancy between the two. (The Russians found that cache.) One has a large screen, easy to read in any situation. The other has a smaller screen. One has a charging cradle that I have hardwired into my vehicle, and allows me to view it while driving. The other requires plugging in a cable, and usually lays on the seat. One has a camera, the other doesn't. Both are way more rugged than my phone. Similar to TeamRabitRun, I have run across families while geocaching. If they show interest, I will loan the kids one, or both, and let them go looking. I also have a bluetooth GPS receiver that I used to play a very popular AR game on my iPod Touch. I haven't decided what to do with that one.

There are some caches located at historical locations. In a lot of cases, these are virtual caches, but here is a physical cache that is one of my favorites. It is a log only cache, no trading swag. https://coord.info/GCHQJM It is a gazebo marking a historical location on the Oregon Trail. The log book is a letter sized yellow pad. You can see the cache in some of the photos. Inside the box on the center post is the log sheet/visitor log. Another variant on the hidden in plain sight theme. What is really amazing is the amount of traffic that this location gets. At least one visitor a day, based on my inspection of the log. If you view this on the map, you will note that this location is just to the left of the middle of nowhere.

There is always that risk with any real-life object. Here's a few others. A plastic thermometer, where the unit would slide up off of a mount, revealing a cavity for a log book. A reflector attached to a rubber cord, inserted into a hole in a post. A fake sewer cleanout next to a public restroom in a park. Just unscrew the top. The removable metal fence post cap. Maybe something less consequential is a fake book in a little free library.

This could be expanded to "geocaching while being of a race different from the predominant race, especially where there is suspicion/enmity/hostility between the races". But that doesn't make for a catchy title.