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If forum participants want to talk about challenge caches, the General Geocaching Topics forum is the place for that. This is the Creating Adventures forum.

Greetings from the WISA Woodsat HQ! After the announcement of WISA Woodsat satellite trackable (TB9GB8G) mid August, we have over 6200 people on the watch list! That also means that I have received a fair amount of messages regarding the satellite itself, the procedure of logging it, launch schedule and many others. Unfortunately I am not able to answer them one by one, so, let's talk satellites in this discussion thread. The most common question is, how you can log the satellite trackable. I have added the instructions to the trackable page https://coord.info/TB9GB8G. The thing to note is that you can only do that AFTER the satellite has been launched. The trackable code is only visibile in the photos taken by the satellite itself with its selfie-camera. You can follow WISA Woodsat project progress on https://wisawoodsat.space. We have blogs and videos showing how the satellite materials are made, how they are machined, and tested. You can also find WISA Woodsat on Instagram and Twitter with the handles @wisawoodsat and #wisawoodsat. Anything else you would like to know about the satellite?

When I've introduced people to geocaching, I have never had them create a geocaching.com account or install an app (any app). As kunarion pointed out, that's a lot of finicky technical work, and it's more productive to introduce them to the "finding tupperware in the woods" part of geocaching. When I've taught one-hour classes on geocaching (usually, but not exclusively, to kids at church), I've spent the first half of the class explaining geocaching with as many hands-on examples as possible. Then I've taken everyone outside to a nearby spot where I've hidden a bunch of varied containers, and I've had them raise their hands when they've spotted a hidden container. In the class, I start by explaining that geocaching is like a modern scavenger hunt or game of hide the thimble, using GPS coordinates to show roughly where the container is hidden. (I specifically avoid the term "treasure hunt" because that gives people the wrong idea about what geocaching is.) To demystify GPS, I have three colored strings/ropes hanging from the ceiling. I explain that the GPS device (whether built into a phone or a separate handheld device) measures the precise distance from it to a GPS satellite. I grab one string and show that with one satellite, it defines a circle. Then I grab a second string and show that two satellites define two points, the places where the two circles intersect. I grab the third string and show that three satellites define a single point... except that there's another point "up there" so you have to assume I'm on the ground and not "up there". All this takes just a few minutes. The bulk of the explanation part is explaining and showing them different containers (sizes, types, camouflage), different trade items ("Trade up, trade even, or don't trade."), and different trackables (and that they are NOT trade items). I also explain difficulty and terrain ratings, and I briefly explain that most caches are traditional (a container at the GPS coordinates), but that some are more complicated (multi-caches, puzzles, etc.). By then, it's time to go outside to look for hidden containers. I generally try to have at least one hidden container per kid. If you don't have enough real cache containers, then any recycled jars/bottles covered in camo tape will do. Before the class, I hide them in an area where there are plenty of bushes, trees, and other landscaping features. Vary the hiding spots, and make a few of them really hard. I have the kids stay behind a line and raise their hands when they've spotted a hidden container. I try to call on everyone once before I call on anyone a second time. It's important to have a count of the number of containers hidden, and the number of containers spotted so far. As we get to the end, I let the kids know how many containers are left to find. If we run out of time, then I reveal the ones they missed. The other style of class that I've helped with has met at a trailhead parking lot in a county park. After a brief "chalk talk" explaining the basics (pretty much the same way I described above, without the colored strings/ropes to explain GPS), the new geocachers break up into small groups, with one experienced geocacher assigned to each group as a coach. Each group receives a preprogrammed GPS with real caches hidden along the trail. We used a popular trail that had become naturally saturated with a variety of caches placed by different owners (what we called a "power trail" before the advent of modern numbers trails like the ET Highway trail). Over the course of 2-3 hours, the new geocachers could find an assortment of different caches and be back at the trailhead in time for lunch. The experienced coach in each group was there mainly to answer questions, and to make sure there wasn't any confusion about trackables or replacing the cache as found or things like that.

When I travel, it would be great if I could get the GPS to talk to my android tablet. I got an adapter cord so I could hook the two together, but if I try to send way points to the GPS I get "your browser is not compatible" and I've tried all three browsers on my tablet. Should I give up this dream, or is there a way to do it?

i know that there are furries all over the world. i am also aware that a few of us geo cache. so i thought this could be a place we could meet and talk on line. so who else is out there * waves*

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.)

This water fountains, with the intent of providing water to the population - now or in the past - is definitely something deserving its own category. They are usually interesting, many are historic, pure heritage, and still, no place to place them in Waymarking. From time to time there is some talk about creating a category but so far, nothing came up. Fountains - as far as I can remember - only accept decorative fountains.

A lot depends on who it was that took it. For example, you'd talk very differently to a church custodian who didn't realize it was supposed to be there, than you would to a bored preacher's kid who got into some mischief.

I met pmaupin at the Mega GIFF in 2021, after I saw his signature on another event earlier that day and we had a good talk. I also know that some cachers I've met personally some time ago (in about 100km distance) do some Waymarking - but caching is more on their focus.

Ethical discussion on collecting countries. I realized a few days ago that it's still possible to visit Russia: Go to Gdansk, take bus to Kaliningrad. Well, it's not that simple. Depending on your home country you need an invitation, insurance and visa, or you need to actually talk to the Russian ambassador to get this visa. In some countries it's not possible anymore at all. But it would theoretically be possible here. How you actually get rouble for your stay is a completely different matter as creditcards might not work. But it's possible. On that note, there are buses from Austria to Ukraine. Just saying. Discuss

how many ticks have you gotten this year? I haven't gotten one since I was a child, but I'm thinking it will be the end of that trend soon.

i have a problem and not sure how to fix it . i have a old lap top on vista and runs an old version of chrome and my gps does communicate ok with it. but my windows7 based pc used to comunicate to the gps then chrome and firefox and others change things to make the it safer to use the web .i belive since then i plug the gps in and the computer does not even know its there, i have down loaded the plugin from garmin still no go its getting to a point i belive its the windows7 based pc and chrome that have caused the connection problem , but how do i sort it please help in easy to understand computer garble. cheers steve

I eagerly anticipated attending an event hosted by a sort of infamous new geocacher who placed hides on private property, had hide coordinates hundreds of feet off, etc. In fact, several of those of us who attended were really interested to meet this person and talk to them about proper hide techniques. The event owner never showed up. Bummer! And hasn't hidden a cache since. And I think all their caches are archived at this point. I still attended the event with several others and we all logged it as attended. The event owner didn't though lol.

Who do I contact and talk to if I have a problem with a reviewer? I am trying to hide and publish my first geocache but the volunteer reviewing my geocache asserts that it is in Indian Reservation Land despite the fact I have a vast amount of evidence to prove it is not. Please help.

Hi all, I was asked to do a "Nerd Nite" talk- a ~30min talk on a nerdy topic, usually to an audience of 20-30 somethings, at a bar over beers on a Friday night- about geocaching. This isn't for two months, so I have time to prepare! But I was wondering, has anyone given such a talk before for the general public about geocaching, and if so are there any resources for writing one? Obviously, the first part I know has to be a general explanation about how geocaching works, and I have a mess of pictures from my adventures in exotic destinations where I found geocaches (like Tibet and Argentina), so was thinking one or two anecdotes from there. I was also thinking of highlighting one or two local caches that I think are cool, but don't want to pick ones that are too easy to find if you just want to vandalize them... luckily here in Amsterdam we have one or two "by boat" geocaches under bridges, so one of those might be cool to show. But hey, these are just some ideas I'm tossing around, and I'm happy to hear any others folks might have. Thanks all!

Watch it. I love learning. I dislike having to prove it. Weird is pretending you can "place" or "find" these geology quizzes, as if they were something tangible. Weird is that it's mixed in with a game about containers. Weird is that you need landowner permission to "place" nothing at their land. I'm EC-free for well over 10 years now. That hasn't changed. Oh, since they nuked Brass Cap Cache (searching for tangibles), I'm done with virtuals too. I offer the same ridicule for them as the special-case virtuals about geology. EDIT to avoid dragging this out. Nothing weird about events; we talk about finding caches, and don't pretend to "place" or "find" events. I love events.

Unless it's something dangerous, I'd expect it's allowed. AirTags simply use the tracking ability of the phone, and phones are allowed for Geocaching. But I'd prefer an option to shut off "tag trackers". There are many things that Apple either requires or won't allow, that I don't like. And now I've switched back to Android. By default Droid doesn't automatically talk to the tags. The TO's previous "Tile" tracking device traveled from the US to Europe, looks like without issue. For over a year. Until somecacher justified destroying it or hoarding it or "forgetting" it. Whatever. The usual.

Great - I have a 'library cache', too that I'm proud of. Still, be careful in your cache writeup. It's easy to slip over the line. You can talk about what's there in the park and the trails they offer, the history, the beauty, the overlooks, but not the giftshop or how they're trying to fight Climate Change. You can say that there's an admission charge to the park if you don't have a membership, but you can't encourage people to GET a membership. You can tell cachers about how as of this year they'll have to pay for parking, but not how pissed off you are about it! You can mention the park's regular events, but not the one who's purpose is to push back against an encroaching housing development! Slippery slope stuff. And, to keep this on topic, as others have said that's not a 'partnership' cache.

But it's much too young compared to town hall of the "Queen of the Hanseatic League", so that modern town hall matches it quite well Just for classification: 50% of our team was born and raised in Lübeck, known as the Queen of the Hanseatic League. Both of us are Lübecker Kaufleute (Lübecks Merchantpeople), so we live in, with and from parts of the Hanseatic League. Churches played a great role at the Hanseatic League as well as the town halls. The most powerfull parts of the Hanseatic League were the merchants, not the kings, dukes. They decided what happend in those cities. Only the clergy had some powers over the merchantmens. Lets talk about that for a while: The City Council (which was 100% made of merchants, no Kings, no Queens, no Noblesse) had their own church which inhabited the city treasure. So if you want the Hanseatic League, you can't decline the churches. City Walls and city gates: The Hanseatic League had it's peak times in the closing mediaval times, where the times where rougher and peace was the exception, so one city had to defend them and their goods, as the City of the Hanseatic League were rich. So city walls and gates were essential for the wealth and so for the groth of the Hanseatic League. Without walls and gates, there wouldn't have been any Hanseatic League.

Avast! Got me event on the calendar and the port authorities notified to expect a band of hardies to drop anchor on the 19th of September. Anything going elsewhere?

Everyone, Say what you need to say! Its 2:00!!

Are there historical markers or signs that discuss and explain Hanseatic heritage? This looks like just a very cool mural to me, which can go into the Murals Category. Please explain how someone from Texas traveling in Europe would know something they saw along their journey could be waymarked in a possible future Hanseatic Heritage category Let's talk it over

So as not to disappoint my fan base, I've edited the topic title. It seemed easier than urging people to only talk on topic about the Geocache of the Week.

Perhaps someone thought there was a lot of value in the tags and that alone, regardless of what you say you were intending to do with them, was enough of a flag for the agent. That's unfortunate. Personally I might keep calling back to talk to someone about them, and hope to speak to a higher up who sympathizes and can find a way to let go of what is effectively other people's property... *shrug*

There's no difference between the two. A cache type is a cache type as far as the data framework goes. We may talk about other types of cache experiences like puzzle caches or challenge caches or (in some places) an adventure lab considered as one (and this has been discussed before), and even Benchmarks may have been referenced as a cache type by some (showing up in the find count of 'cache types', eg). Doesn't change the fact that something either is or is not a "real" cache type. If it's not, then it has special code if there are places where its usage mimics that of actual cache types (Traditional, Multi, Virtual, Event, Earthcache, etc), like the counts of finds in our stats under "cache types". A Geotour is a category of cache types, not a cache type itself. An Adventure is similar to a Geotour in that it's a wrapper for a set of Adventure Locations. And that's harping back to the initial setup of Adventure Labs, individual 'finds' that added +1 smiley in a separate data source that was wrapped into a user's public stats. So there's already a pseudo-parallel between Geotour and Adventure. But that's a far cry from making Adventures a new actual cache type. Right, however, the structure of an actual cache type is not similar to the structure of an Adventure. And the Adventure experience is its own app, its own functionality, its own framework, and its own code. And that's why I said: it would require a complete overhaul of the Adventure system and importing all the data into the existing geocache system patchworked to make Adventures a new cache type, in some way, which I would think would look absolutely nothing like Adventures do currently... they are simply fundamentally different experiences with functionalities that are miles apart.