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A hearty ARRRG! to my fellow cachers, Travel bugs, love them. I absolutely love this idea - it is one of the aspects of caching that drew me to the game. When we first started I was more eager, I think, to get bugs out into the world than actually looking for caches. But, being a good little rule follower, we waited - learning the tricks of the trade, scoping out the possibilities, and earning our time in the trenches. Finally we felt it was time to put out our first bug, a pirate coin - with a mission to wander the world hitting all the pirate hot spots. It was picked up from its starter cache, but not moved along - after a few months I contacted the cacher, and, after two or three e-mails, she finally got back to me. She said how sorry she was, and that she would move it along the next time she was out. She still has it. Our second bug was in honor of a dear pet who had recently passed away. After a good run of a few weeks in our area he was taken to Hawaii and then to Washington state - where he was picked up (I'm pretty sure by a new cacher, if my detective work is worth its salt) but not moved along. I e-mailed the cacher - no response. Do I try again? At what point does it become obsessive? Our third bug is in honor of a TV program that I have loved since I was a kid. After a good run of several weeks in our area it was picked up, and so far not moved along...although, after contacting the cacher, he has promised to place it back into play as soon as he can (I'm giving it until the end of March - it was picked up in November, if I recall - before I give up on it). What do I do? I'm kind of burnt out on losing bugs. Is it better to cut my losses and just enjoy the hunting, or should I get back on that horse and not let the sticky-fingered cachers get me down? Is there a help group for lost bugs? If not, perhaps one should be organized - we can't be the only ones that have loved and lost. Thanks. Daddy Pirate (of weepirates3)

TL;NGR (Too Long;Not Gonna Read) – Has anyone else noticed a recent trend of more caches being archived than new caches being published? Or is it a local thing? A fairly recent trend seems to be occurring in my area (Northern California, SF Bay Area in general) and it’s really beginning to get to me. It’s something I’m hoping to turn into something positive, but it will take some effort and right now it’s just something I need to talk about and see if it is just me! Maybe it's just part of the natural flow of things - survivial of the fittest (caches) and it's time for a purge? I have notifications set up for newly published caches and archived caches in my local area. It’s pretty cache “rich”, there are a lot of caches by many CO’s, and lots of variety, and we don’t have to go too far to find enough caches to meet whatever souvenir or promo HQ comes up with. Typically, (based on my 5 years of geocaching experience) the newly published caches outnumber the archives by a good margin; 10-12 new caches a week vs maybe 1 archived is a good estimate (discounting events, and within my home radius of 25 miles). The past several months have seen a reversal – I’ll get more archive notifications than new caches. In September for example, 24 caches have been archived by CO’s, and 3 by Reviewers “cleaning up” and the explanation is that the CO has not responded to DNF’s or requests to check on the status. Of those archived by the CO’s, some don’t give a reason, but of those that do, it’s due to the area not being a good place anymore – homeless camps, trash dumps, construction – whatever, there seem to be many areas no longer conducive to hosting a geocache. And the new cache notifications? There have been 7 new caches, and 4 events published so far this month. So, is it just this area? Are others seeing this? I recently archived one of my hides due to homeless activity too close to the previously good hiding spot, and changed another to a different style hide to hopefully make it less attractive to vandals – but it’s not the experience I wanted for that final on the mystery series. And my reaction, other than being frustrated and feeling the need to archive hides, is to find better places to hide caches. But better places and better caches take time and effort, which I am willing to do – as long as people still enjoy finding what I hide! My newest cache has only one find to date (published Aug. 30), and it’s a puzzle, so I know it’s not one that will be found by casual cachers. Still, 1 find in nearly a month is unusual for this area.

For one, rock-climbing courses are generally more accessible than tree-climbing courses. But also, that's not the point. It is in no way a waste of time and money. My goal for the OP is for them to: Get comfortable with ropes, harnesses, belay devices, etc. in a safe, indoor setting before going outside. If they can find anything advertised as "tree-climbing lessons"; great—but I doubt it. Rock climbing lessons are similar enough that they will accomplish this same goal. Take a fall themselves or watch someone take a fall and realize that maybe climbing (anything) is really, really, dangerous. It is not a skill that can just be picked up for the sake of finding some caches; no, it needs to be learned separately. Actually talk to people (face-to-face!) about their goals and reasons, instead of asking random faceless strangers on the internet. Even if climbing gym staff aren't experts on tree climbing, they will be able to say smart things (and possibly even talk OP out of this.)

There's been a lot of talk lately about Power Trails, with very heated opinions on both sides of the coin. Seems to me the crux of the con argument is the uninspiredness (I'm aware that's not a real word) of a film can or hide-a-key every 528'. That kind of got me thinking. We have some pretty good rail trails around my town. I'm thinking a power trail of sorts geared toward newbies, kind of a way for them to "get their numbers up" and address one of my little annoyances, caches with the wrong size rating. Start out with the micros: Cache 1 is a blinky, cache 2 a bison tube, then film cannister, etc. Move on up the food chain, culminating in a five gallon bucket. If done right, I could wind up with a 20-30 cache "Power Trail". Now if I can just get the time off work and get the wife to let me out of painting the house this spring, I'll be all over it.

Hi all, I'm trying to locate someone in the NYC area who might want to speak at an event we run called Hobby. It's a monthly event where we invite 4 speakers to talk about their hobbies for 5 minutes each, and answer some questions from a group of very interested semi-strangers. We've got an event coming up very soon, (Tuesday, November 16th, from 7pm-8pm), and we'd be thrilled if someone in the NYC area wanted to share with us? Here's our HOBBY page: http://www.getHarvest.com/hobby and here's out HOBBY channel, with video of previous lectures: http://vimeo.com/channels/hobby What do you think? Anyone game? Feel free to contact me directly at karen [at] getHarvest [dot] com - We'd love to have one of you geo-caching mavens share with us about what you do! Best Wishes, Karen — Karen Community Manager, Harvest — Harvest / 212.226.4160 / 187 Lafayette St, 6th Fl, New York City http://www.getHarvest.com http://twitter.com/harvest

To start off, I was in Maine yesterday and met a customer right at the Delorme building exit off of I-95. I went in and bought a spiral bound atlas. Looked at the software for the pn-60, NEAT!!! My question is... Can you use your laptop as the screen for a pn-60. Bascially, if I have a mount for my laptop in the truck, can the gps talk back to the laptop and display the information? Since the 60 has a small screen I thought thismight be kind of cool. I know thay offer the small gps units to plug into the laptop, but I thought this might just save some $$$. Don't know why I didn't ask when I as at Delorme. Thanks Hud

Dear geocaching team! We are passionate geocachers and have laid out numerous geocaches. Also we love playing Adventurelabs and are big fans of it. Unfortunately, our newly created adventure lab has just been blocked because we don't meet the guidelines have and about these very guidelines, we would like to talk to you. Of course a game also needs rules, but the fun of the game must not be reduced by this. Adventure-Lab's would offer a very good opportunity to work indoors when it's cold and raining play. In winter, the cold and the snow limit our activities considerably and adventure Labs are no exception for us. Even in winter, finding Lab's is a hassle, though this game would have a lot of potential for interiors if it weren't for the guidelines. Straight in bad weather or in cold snowy seasons it is always a problem for our hobby live out Even if you want to entertain children in a playful way, you are through the guidelines hands tied. We live in Austria and in Austria you pay an entrance fee almost everywhere if you want to experience something indoors. Thus, with us such possibilities are extremely limited, to play indoors. With us you pay entrance fees almost everywhere and they fit guidelines are no longer related to the circumstances in Austria. So for us it is very Difficult to create a creative, fun and adventurous indoor LAB or to be able to play. As soon as you pursue a hobby with passion, it is always associated with costs. be it one Equipment (GPS device), parking fees or the journey. There are always costs. Every player can ultimately decide for himself whether to enter a museum or a zoo wants to afford. For us, this game loses a lot with the policy that a lab can't cost anything Potential. Because special places are always associated with entrance fees. We personally find it boring playing an adventure lab in a mall. You can neither learn anything, discover something else exciting and go geocaching with children in an inlet center anything but funny, educational or exciting. You tout endless possibilities, this may be the case in the US. We are in Austria unfortunately very limited in terms of free indoor activities. If the guidelines were relaxed, weather problems would be solved for us. This would make the fun of the game clear expand and sights, museums, adventure playgrounds, animal parks, fairgrounds, to be experienced. The fun would be expanded by a multiple and a lot more exciting. It would be one not only for us adults, but also for the children Motivation to pay a visit to a museum. Since we almost exclusively go there, where there is a geocache or a lab. We look forward to feedback from you. We would be all the more pleased if our Lab: "The House of Nature" (Salzburg, Austria) would be unlocked again. But still it would be better if the space to play would be expanded. Best regards BA_huntress (Melanie) Chitto (Daniela)

Yes, there is a way: Post a note on a local forum and invite the local geocachers to a location you designate. You can talk to each other very well without an event listing. These are often the more meaningful conversations than those with geocachers just dropping by to pick up a point. Happy Hunting Hans

In other words, maybe like the now defunct "Off-Topic" forum - I've always enjoyed those sections of forums I've participated in - I don't have a specific question, just want to discuss an aspect of geocaching, or rant about something (like throwdowns) now and then that I know has been discussed, endlessly, but a fresh example just happened and I want to talk about it with like-minded folks! The "irk" thread was where I'd post that kind of thing. Ah, well - I'll miss that thread!

While we're at it, we can also talk about useless DNF posts too. Why do group cachers have to log individual DNFs? Statistically , It OK to log individual finds but one DNF per group is enough. The GC bots don't recognize groups

I've helped with Intro to Geocaching classes sponsored by a county parks department. The instructor presented a quick "chalk talk" at the parking lot, ending it with a challenge to spot a camouflaged geocache right there where the "chalk talk" had been given. (It was a "hidden in plain sight" camouflage cache.) Then we broke up into small groups with an experienced geocacher assigned to each group. Each group was also given a preprogrammed GPS receiver with 8-10 caches on a nearby trail. The caches were rather varied, but close to each other. The new geocachers could find several different types of hide and be back at the trailhead by lunchtime. But yeah, with beginners, each group needs an experienced geocacher just to catch the things they forgot from the "chalk talk".

I disabled a cache some time ago and got a reviewer note. As instructed, I posted a write note, then fixed the issue and wrote Owner Maintenance and Enable logs on 29 June. My dashboard still says that some of my hides need attention, None are disabled and I can't see which ones are the problem. When I click the "Review your hides" link I get a comment about the reviewer note, but that is all over now. Two points: 1, Could a reviewer please have a look at my hides to check what is wrong 2. Could a Lackey please talk to the programmers and ask then to display better information about which hides are causing problems and why. Something like <<cache name>> is still disabled or <<cache name>> has an outstanding Owner Attention log would be really helpful Thanks Tony.

Even more timely, the last podcast I released, before this news, has a segment where I talk about the hint affecting the D rating of a cache and I touched on how the official app seems to place more importance and significance on the hint over the description. It wasn't laced with opinions on that matter specifically, but helps validate that there's a clear implication and reputation that the devs really don't place much value in the description for mobile app users. I don't think any other mobile app gives that same implication... imo it's quite unfortunate If there is a good reason (ymmv, but an actual conscious decision) for this strategy, I for one would be interested to know. Who knows, there could be factors at work unknown to our side of the fence here.

So there are threads about crazy caches you have been to or stuff you found in them....but what about caches you have hid? Which is your favorite? What kind of swag do you put in them? What size is your favorite to hide? What general area are most of you caches in (woods, public, outta the way places, etc..)? Camo Job? Basically just talk about YOUR geocache containers. Even brag a little if you want. We all wanna learn some other cache hiding/creating techniques.

Let's talk about Letterbox Hybrids and where to hide them, like in barefootjeff's post.

왜 무조건 영어로 대화 하나요!! 한국어로도 대화해요! 무조건 한국어로 대화하는 창입니다 꺄하하하 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 포럼에 나밖에 안노는건 아니겠쬬? ㅠ_ㅠ 완전 슬픔! 날씨 좋은날에는 모두 함께 지오캐싱을 하러 갑시다!

Hi! I have a newspaper assignment on geocaching and need someone to talk with to add "local flavor" to the piece. Is there anyone in Green Valley, Arizona willing to help (either with or without real names)? I'm also an absolutely new member (just getting ready to order my 1st GPS unit) and want to get started. Would love to talk with locals about that too. Are you out there Green Valley? annette in gv

Would posting a Write Note to the cache page saying that you have tried other means to contact the CO and would like to talk with the CO about adopting the cache? Just spitballing here...

I feel like a total dummy... I know I need a pda...I looked above at the FAQ, only the wiki link worked and I felt overwhelmed by all the info. I use a garmin etrex legend, I think it's H? It's the blue one. I do not have the cords so I have to hand enter each cache, if that matters. I also use an apple macbook. And I do not have a smart phone. If I were to get a pda...what should I get? I'd be looking to get something used, or on the cheaper end (as much as possible...), and am willing to save up to get one if I have to (I am going to start saving up for a new gps with cords too! This one by one thing is too much). I know I'll have to become a PM for PQs, and then do I HAVE to have GSAK? or no? And then I'll need another type of software, too...am I right? So much to know... Thanks for any help!!

I'm sorry you feel this way. Geocaching events are not equivalent to "meetings" at all, at least in my neck of the woods! And the variety of events means you can choose what you want to do! We gather to have pizza, and socialize - very informal, and we have learned a lot about our fellow geocachers, met some very nice folks, and made many connections that have helped us along in our retirement hobby. We meet to clean up a park (CITO), have coffee in the morning, sip wine on a patio, play with gadget caches, work on puzzles, all are unique and different. We too, began geocaching when hubby retired (2017). We greatly enjoy attending events and getting out to meet others. Of course, we like meeting others on the road as well, but I wouldn't ever lump all events together as "meetings" akin to work meetings....I think you are missing a big piece of what geocaching is about! We've come to realize that we are people with a different kind of hobby that not everyone understands or "gets" - and to be able to meet with like minded folks and talk about experiences is one of the things we enjoy most about geocaching! Maybe try a local event, just once, just for this one souvenir. You may be surprised!

would like to discuss with local geocacher about geocaching & how to go about hiding them

If you don't need the vicar in the zone after the player talks to him, you could move the vicar to the next zone as the first command when you talk to him. If you still need him around in the current zone, you should be able to disable the command, at which point the player app is supposed to be smart enough to recognize there isn't an object in that zone anymore that has that command. If that's not the case--it really depends on how the player app handles things--disabling the command and then toggling the zone's enabled state should do the trick. So: - On Talk() - - Disable Talk command - - Set zone.Enabled = false - - Set zone.Enabled = true - - Do things for Talk

I've had a Garmin Forerunner for over three years now, nary a problem. All that time I've had a USB to serial connector plugged into a USB port, always ready to connect the Forerunner, first to a Garmin program, then to GSAK, and lately to Garmin's Connect website. Now, all of a sudden, I can't connect anymore. GSAK says "Garmin: Can't Init Com5." The Garmin program CRASHES with a blue screen that says "IRQL NOT LESS THAN" The connect website just says there's nothing there. If I unplug the USB connector, Vista promptly removes it from device manager, and re-installs it when I plug it back in. Manually remove and re-install the driver, to no avail. Garmin won't help me, says the problem is with the USB connector. The things only cost $16, but I really don't think a new one will help. Anyone else had this problem? Thanks, all! Mike

Please can you advise how to shut off the talk to command for each zone. I am doing a Church Wherigo and I want the vicar to pop up at each question point. As such he is in zone 1, has a talk to command, asks a question, gives commands to move on or retry if answer wrong or right. I am stuck at the next bit, as in how do I turn off the talk to, or attribute it to one zone only so I can do a further talk to at zone 2...

Agreed. Such as Hint: red. Real example. You only get the hint on the hard to find cache when you remove the cover and see the red cache. Doh!!!!. Annoying. Want people to talk about your cache with annoyance, and that reflects badly on the CO and their intelligence, or lack of, thinking that was a hint? Give a non-hint like that!