+lewisw Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 I,ve been reading some about letterboxing.anybody here do that?can you combine a letter box with a geocache for a multi cache ? Quote Link to comment
Dinoprophet Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 I suppose, but you'd be better off combining it for a letterbox hybrid. Quote Link to comment
+lewisw Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 i see theres a lot to learn. Quote Link to comment
+tozainamboku Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 A letterbox hybrid allows you to list a box as both a letterbox and a geocache. It basically lets geocachers know that the stamp in the box is for the letterboxers to use and is not a trade item. In order to be listed on geocaching.com, the box must also have a log for geocachers to sign and the the option of using accurate GPS coordinates as an integral part of the cache hunt. There is no requirement for letterbox hybrids to use letterbox type directions for finding the cache. A multicache is a good way to include letterbox type directions into your cache hunt. The most common type is the offset multicache. Here the GPS coordinates get you to the starting point for the cache. There should be something specific to find at that location which may be an existing sign or other permanent landmark. You can then give letterbox instructions, preferably using what you found at the first waypoint, to get the person to the final cache. Another option is to do an unknown/puzzle cache. One of my favorite finds required me to find 10 letterboxes. The geocacher placed part of the coordinates for the final cache in each letterbox. After finding the letterboxes, I was able to use my GPS to find the location of the final cache. Of course, the geocacher who set this up had a difficult time maintaining the cache as the letterboxes would go missing from time to time. Quote Link to comment
Trailhead Tessie Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 (edited) I,ve been reading some about letterboxing.anybody here do that?can you combine a letter box with a geocache for a multi cache ? I enjoy both letterboxing and geocaching, and I've listed a couple of my letterboxes as hybrids on geocaching.com. The main difference between the two is NOT the use of a gps receiver, because a few letterbox clues are actually listed as coordinates. The main difference is that a letterbox absolutely MUST have a rubber stamp, normally hand-carved. It might not have a log, but it will always have a stamp. Also, people do not trade trinkets (never leave them in a letterbox!). The English sport was started in 1854 by an outdoor guide and the rubber stamps evolved as a means to prove you had managed to navigate difficult terrain and find the secret mailbox (the English call their mailboxes "letterboxes"). The stamps are supposed to be hand-carved so they are unique to that box, although some people hide boxes with crappy store-bought stamps. So if you do a hybrid, it's better to have a hand-carved stamp. You might find a letterboxer that is willing to carve a stamp for you. The "boxer" also has his/her own personal rubber stamp, called a signature stamp, and they stamp the letterbox logbook with that. I use my signature stamp as my photo for this forum. Serious boxers eventually get sucked into carving their own rubber stamps. I really wish caches all had stamps. They evolved in letterboxing for a good reason. The stamps are way more interesting that some Burger King toys, and it's a lot more fun to flip through your logbook when its full of unique, hand-carved stamp images. I don't think we need to make the caches letterboxes per se, but just throw in a cache stamp and keep everything else the same. Letterboxes often come in "series", which is sort of like multicaches except that each box in the series counts as a find. The stamps in a series are normally related. For example, there are series of the Simpson, and each stamp is a carving from that TV show. You could do a multicache with a different but related stamp in each one. If you want to get into carving rubber stamps, there are some tutorials at www.atlasquest.com. Good luck! Edited January 28, 2008 by Trailhead Tessie Quote Link to comment
Trailhead Tessie Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 One of my favorite finds required me to find 10 letterboxes. The geocacher placed part of the coordinates for the final cache in each letterbox. After finding the letterboxes, I was able to use my GPS to find the location of the final cache. Brilliant! Quote Link to comment
+Jennifer146 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 The main difference between the two is NOT the use of a gps receiver, because a few letterbox clues are actually listed as coordinates. The main difference is that a letterbox absolutely MUST have a rubber stamp, normally hand-carved. It might not have a log, but it will always have a stamp. Also, people do not trade trinkets (never leave them in a letterbox!). The English sport was started in 1854 by an outdoor guide and the rubber stamps evolved as a means to prove you had managed to navigate difficult terrain and find the secret mailbox (the English call their mailboxes "letterboxes"). The stamps are supposed to be hand-carved so they are unique to that box, although some people hide boxes with crappy store-bought stamps. So if you do a hybrid, it's better to have a hand-carved stamp. You might find a letterboxer that is willing to carve a stamp for you. The "boxer" also has his/her own personal rubber stamp, called a signature stamp, and they stamp the letterbox logbook with that. I use my signature stamp as my photo for this forum. Serious boxers eventually get sucked into carving their own rubber stamps. That sounds wonderful. Thanks for the information. I really enjoy geocaching, and I love art, so letterboxing sounds right up my alley. There's a few letterboxes in my area listed on letterboxing.org and a few hybrids mentioned here. I'm going to carve my stamp today, and try some of these out. It looks like I may just be hooked in yet another hobby. Quote Link to comment
J.A.R.S. Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 To find examples of letterbox hybrids go to advanced search options (from the Hide & Seek A Cache page). Choose 'Letterbox Hybrid' from the 'All Geocaches' drop menu and then type in your postal code. If that doesn't get you many hits try by State/County. You'll find a variety of hiding methods for letterboxes (multi, off-set, traditional, puzzle) The letterbox must have a stamp in the box, whether you want to include trinkets is up to you. I personally ask that the box remain trinket-free because I worry that someone may trade-out the stamp thinking it is one of the trinkets. If you want to carve your own stamp out of an eraser, have a look at this tutorial. It's full of step-by-step photos. This tutorial is also really nice: http://sunnisan.com/jacqui/tute-carving.html Most letterboxers appreciate finding a hand-carved stamp in the box. It's so exciting to collect pieces of personal art. Quote Link to comment
+lewisw Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 (edited) JARS.sounds like fun.i looked on thier site but didnt see anything in my area and nothing listed in order like on here. Edited January 29, 2008 by lewisw Quote Link to comment
+team lagonda Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 from what i know,pretty much the same game realy.. Quote Link to comment
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