My geek spark is lit

[MaryofCrestline]

Hello

 

I am in Crestline, CA (San Berdoo mountains) and was stunned to see other geocachers up here (or at least plenty of people creating caches for us mountain folk). I have my coordinates plugged in and will see about trying out using my Garmin Quest (1st one) on finding a local cache.

 

Still, here are a few things I am curious about so that I can be a courteous cacher...

 

If the cache I look at doesnt say what is in the cache, and I do end up finding a log book to sign my name in, should I let the person on here know that I signed it or will using the "left a note" in the log your visit prompt suffice?

 

I do like taking pictures. Is there a way to submit pictures I take near or around the cache to either the owner or to submit to the board (picturs of the actual cache item(s) aside)? Is their any other photographing faux pas that i should know about?

 

Any and all help would be appreciated.

 

-Mary

[+admo1972]

If the cache I look at doesnt say what is in the cache, and I do end up finding a log book to sign my name in, should I let the person on here know that I signed it or will using the "left a note" in the log your visit prompt suffice?

 

If I understand your question, I offer the following: Every geocache should contain a logbook. It is understood and often isn't listed in the description. After you find the geocache, you come back to geocaching.com, and log your find as "found it", not "left a note". If the owner is "watching" his cache, he will get an email that you found it. Later, if you wish to add more info on the log, then you use the "write note" option.

 

I hope this answers your question, although I may have misunderstood and wasted your time...

[+Kryten]

Welcome. When you find a cache you should use the "Found It" category, this will cause your score to increase by 1. You could use the "write note" instead but your score will not increase (not the we care about the numbers you understand ). When you submit your log the owner of the cache will automatically receive a copy in an e-mail

 

Once you have entered a log, you can upload photographs and there are a couple of things to be aware of.

 

If you take a photograph of a travel bug, make sure the tracking number is not visible or some people will use the number to do bad things. If the cache has a surprise container or a clever hiding place then publishing a spoiler photograph is also not popular.

[+michigansnorkelers]

Adding images is an easy matter, and is commonly done.

 

Some caches will have MANY pictures; others none.

 

Once you enter your log, you will see an option to add an image. Quite simple and intuitive, with room for plenty of comments.

[+briansnat]

When you log your find online it will automatically send a notification to the cache owner. You can upload any photos you like to that log and the owner and any other geocacher can see it.

[+Haffy]

Just one thing to remember about uploading photos though and that is to not include a photo where it will give the location of the cache away. That is called a spoiler and the owner might delete it. Other than that I love to see photos of the area of my caches and other areas too.

[+tozainamboku]

When you find a cache you should use the "Found It" category, this will cause your score to increase by 1. You could use the "write note" instead but your score will not increase (not the we care about the numbers you understand ).

I don't think score is the proper word to use.

 

When you find a cache you should sign the log book in the cache. Every cache should have a log book or sometimes it just a strip of paper. If there are trade items in the cache you are welcome to take something but leave something in trade. Travel Bugs are special items (usually with a tag attached) that want to go from cache to cache. If you can help a travel bug on its goal or mission you don't have to leave a trade item, just take the bug and move it to another cache.

When you get back from your geocaching, log your find on the website. Go to the cache page and select log your visit from the menu in the upper right. You should log 'Found It' if you found the cache. Other choices are 'Didn't Find It', 'Write Note', 'Needs Maintenance' and 'Needs Archive'. Some people don't even bother to log online, but its good because it lets the cache owner know someone found their cache or if there is a problem (using the 'Didn't Find It', 'Write Note', or 'Needs Maintenance').

 

There are two groups of Inland Empire cachers and they are both having events in June

iecachers.org Meet & Greet on June 5

IE Cachers Cache Bash on June 10

So come down the hill and meet some other cachers to get your questions answered. There is also the Big Bear Cache Bash on August 18 which will be a big event with cachers from all over So. California escaping the summer heat by going up to the mountains

[MaryofCrestline]

Just one thing to remember about uploading photos though and that is to not include a photo where it will give the location of the cache away. That is called a spoiler and the owner might delete it. Other than that I love to see photos of the area of my caches and other areas too.

 

Thanks everyone. I read the FAQ and am still in the dark about these Travel Bugs. Are there specific instructions on the bug about where the owner of the cache wants it to travel or would prefer it to go to?

 

As for the log book, should I take a post it note just in case the owner of the cache did not include a log book?

[+team5150]

You can take a seperate piece of paper if you want, but one of the requirements of a regular cache is that it does contain a logbook. Sometimes the logbooks are full or wet, if so be sure and leave a note for the owner in your online log.

As for travel bugs, quite often they will have a tag attached to them with specific instructions as to what their mission is.

[+PlantAKiss]

I just wanted to add I use a Garmin Quest. It works just fine for geocaching. I love my Quest.

 

I just started using Pocket Queries (a premium member feature) which allows me to gather information on a large number of caches at one time. The program GSAK will download the cache files directly into my Quest so I don't have to manually enter all the coordinates. You might want to check into that. Its awsome to see all the little "treasure chests" sprinkled over the GPS map.

 

If you pick up a Travel Bug, you can use the number on it to look it up at geocaching.com. If there is no instruction card attached to the TB itself, you can read about the mission on the web page for that particular TB.

[MaryofCrestline]

I just wanted to add I use a Garmin Quest. It works just fine for geocaching. I love my Quest.

 

I just started using Pocket Queries (a premium member feature) which allows me to gather information on a large number of caches at one time. The program GSAK will download the cache files directly into my Quest so I don't have to manually enter all the coordinates. You might want to check into that. Its awsome to see all the little "treasure chests" sprinkled over the GPS map.

 

If you pick up a Travel Bug, you can use the number on it to look it up at geocaching.com. If there is no instruction card attached to the TB itself, you can read about the mission on the web page for that particular TB.

 

Yeah. Now the TravelBug stuff finally makes sense. IT gets to make a constant road trip. How neat!

 

As for my Garmin Quest, I only wish I could find an appropriate hand carrying case for it like one with a wrist strap. So how does GSAK work. I do have MapSource and it works with .loc files. Is that the same thing?

 

Mary

[+Ambrosia]

When you find a cache you should use the "Found It" category, this will cause your score to increase by 1. You could use the "write note" instead but your score will not increase (not the we care about the numbers you understand ).

I don't think score is the proper word to use.

 

I was just thinking the same thing. In 5 years of caching, I've never once thought of it as a "score", nor do I think that I've ever heard it referred to as such.

[Neos2]

Welcome. When you find a cache you should use the "Found It" category, this will cause your score to increase by 1. You could use the "write note" instead but your score will not increase (not the we care about the numbers you understand ). ...

There are reasons to opt to use the found it choice, even if you really don't particularly care about how many you find...Some of the features of the site you may use in the future can identify which caches you have already found, so you can focus more easily on the ones you haven't found yet and conserve time and energy.

 

Photos are great, but as others have suggested already, they shouldn't show the tracking numbers of TBs or give away too much information about the cache location. I love it when people add photos to their logs.

[+hotshoe]

Just one thing to remember about uploading photos though and that is to not include a photo where it will give the location of the cache away. That is called a spoiler and the owner might delete it. Other than that I love to see photos of the area of my caches and other areas too.

 

Thanks everyone. I read the FAQ and am still in the dark about these Travel Bugs. Are there specific instructions on the bug about where the owner of the cache wants it to travel or would prefer it to go to?

 

As for the log book, should I take a post it note just in case the owner of the cache did not include a log book?

 

Be aware that if you do not see a log inside, you may not have found the cache itself but some other random (decoy) container near the coords. You will be safe in assuming you found the cache if the container is labled "geocache" or if there are travel bugs and trade items inside, even if the log is missing.

 

Please, carry at least a small strip of paper inside a small ziplock bag, in case you find log unusable/missing/etc. If you put your paper into the cache as an addition/replacement for the log, be sure to say in your online "Found" log that you did so. Before you go, you can print out log strips or log sheets from one of the templates available online and put them in plastic bags. You will be doing a big favor for the cache owner if you do so. I always have one or two tiny notebooks in my pack to help out when necessary, and have replaced the logs for someone's cache three times in as many years. Not a big problem

 

I am sure there are lots of info on this forum and elsewhere about what you need to be carrying on your person in case of emergencies (the hiker's "10 essentials"). Mark a waypoint where you parked your car.

[MaryofCrestline]

 

Be aware that if you do not see a log inside, you may not have found the cache itself but some other random (decoy) container near the coords. You will be safe in assuming you found the cache if the container is labled "geocache" or if there are travel bugs and trade items inside, even if the log is missing.

 

Please, carry at least a small strip of paper inside a small ziplock bag, in case you find log unusable/missing/etc. If you put your paper into the cache as an addition/replacement for the log, be sure to say in your online "Found" log that you did so. Before you go, you can print out log strips or log sheets from one of the templates available online and put them in plastic bags. You will be doing a big favor for the cache owner if you do so. I always have one or two tiny notebooks in my pack to help out when necessary, and have replaced the logs for someone's cache three times in as many years. Not a big problem

 

I am sure there are lots of info on this forum and elsewhere about what you need to be carrying on your person in case of emergencies (the hiker's "10 essentials"). Mark a waypoint where you parked your car.

 

Oooh...those are also some great tips too. The waypoint for my car was the one thing that I thought about as I began to drive around town. I figured sooner or later I would have that "Dude, Where's My Car?" moment and forget where I parked if the cache ends up being far from the car.

 

Mary