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Since I started caching a week ago, I have yet to come across a log that has a pencil to accompany it. The four caches I've found, they all contain ballpoint pens which, in the dead of winter in Wisconsin, is an ungodly bad idea if you expect people to sign your log.

 

I've made an early habit of bringing two sharpened pencils with me on my future caches, so I can at least jot something in the log rather than trying to scribble a circle over and over in hopes the ink will flow.

 

What's the general rule of thumb for this sort of occurrence? Is it considered over-the-top to leave a pencil in the cache for future hunters, or are cachers expected to bring their own writing utensils in case the cache doesn't supply the goods? I guess I'm still flabbergasted that a cacher in Wisconsin wouldn't think that a pen would be a bad idea.

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I'm a fellow Wisconsinite and know full well the frustrations of trying to use frozen ink pens. Heck, when I pull up to the drive thru window at the bank the one they give you is quite often useless!! I have never really cached in winter time (I'm a hibernator), but even when I cache in summer time I always make sure to have several pens and pencils in my caching bag. That way I'm always prepared, and if I run across a non-working pen in a cache, I always take it and discard it and leave a working pen AND a pencil for the next hunter that comes along.

 

There's nothing more frustrating than walking a half a mile or more to a cache, only to discover that the pen doesn't work, and you've got at least three good ones WAAAAYYY back at the car. Cache owners who are thinking on their feet will provide at least one of each, provided that the container is big enough to hold a writing utensil. Heck, I even ran across one that had a sharpener in it that was marked so as not to be mistaken for swag. I thought that was REALLY thinking ahead!!

Edited by crockett3663
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I don't understand the fascination with using pens, either, to be honest. I'm in Sweden and we get pretty cold in the winters, too. We almost all use pencils, usually involuntarily donated from the local IKEA store :), and a pencil sharpener is a standard part of our caching bag!

 

Are people just that paranoid that someone is going to erase their log or something?

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One should always bring basic necessities when out caching. I always bring an ultra fine point sharpie, as it writes exceptionally well on Tyvek. I have never relied what was inside the cache. Just bring a pen along with the swag you are going to place. And as always bring plenty of water, many people forget that its easy to get dehydrated in the Winter

Edited by buttaskotch
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Since I started caching a week ago, I have yet to come across a log that has a pencil to accompany it. The four caches I've found, they all contain ballpoint pens which, in the dead of winter in Wisconsin, is an ungodly bad idea if you expect people to sign your log.

 

I've made an early habit of bringing two sharpened pencils with me on my future caches, so I can at least jot something in the log rather than trying to scribble a circle over and over in hopes the ink will flow.

 

What's the general rule of thumb for this sort of occurrence? Is it considered over-the-top to leave a pencil in the cache for future hunters, or are cachers expected to bring their own writing utensils in case the cache doesn't supply the goods? I guess I'm still flabbergasted that a cacher in Wisconsin wouldn't think that a pen would be a bad idea.

 

I've always got several pens on my person and a dozen more in the bag I carry if the cache is in the woods. If not, then it's probably closer to my truck and can easily reach in the truck for a pen.

 

10 times out of 10, I use my own pen to sign the log anyway and have never used a pencil to sign - even if there is one in the cache. Pencil tends to fade after a while.

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Here in the Anchorage, if it's too cold for the Sportsman's Whse pen (from my shirt pocket) to write, I use a pencil. I carry a fine tip sharpie as well, which is good on tyvek or damp logs - which aren't pretty at subzero temps in any case. Pencils are great at any temp and the cache owner should leave a pencil as well as a pen in the cache with the logbook in our area. I prefer the simple #2 pencil or a carpenters pencil - easy to sharpen with the always-carried pocket knife; with my handwriting a fine point isn't as important as having any smudge at all! I usually only cache when it's warm enough for the dogs to be along for a good walk (which means no caching when it's colder than -15F).

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Gah, crud, I never thought to think pencil would fade or wash out if the log gets wet. >_< I'll bring some sharpies next time.

There are other problems with pencils as well:

  • pencil points are prone to breaking off, and not every geocacher wants to spend five minutes sharpening a dirty stubby broken pencil with a penknife.
  • pencils often get very dirty and grubby, and, their grimy dirty surfaces may be a host for large populations of pathogenic microbes and parasite eggs.
  • pencils, when in the sharpened state, are dangerous weapons, and many people have been killed by angry crazed killers wielding sharp pencils.
  • pencils, when in the sharpened state, are very sharp and dangerous, and it is very easy for a cache finder to stab themselves in the hand with such a dangerous device when rummaging around in the geocache container.
  • pencils contain lead, and everyone knows that lead is a very toxic and dangerous heavy metal. It is a well-known fact that if you are stabbed with a pencil, whether by accident or on purpose (as when stabbed by a murderous pencil-wielding killer), you will die of lead poisoning within 24 hours or less. The wealthy and powerful and sinister international pencil cartel tried to discredit this stark truth back in the 1970s by claiming that the lead rod in the center of pens was not really made of the element lead at all, but rather, consisted of graphite, a soft form of carbon which happens to be largely non-toxic, but, as the US federal Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) pointed out in a landmark case against the pencil cartel in 1978, if pencils really contained graphite in the center rather than lead, then they would be called "graphite pencils" rather than "lead pencils".
  • the writing left by lead pencils is often very hard to see and to read.
  • the writing left by lead pencils is very fragile, that is, it can be easily erased or blurred by repeated wetting and drying of the log, or by molds growing on wet logs.
  • pencils are well-known in many circles to be a part of a larger pinko communist plot.
  • it is well-known that Hitler and the top officers of the Nazi party had a fondness for writing with pencils.

 

.

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Gah, crud, I never thought to think pencil would fade or wash out if the log gets wet. >_< I'll bring some sharpies next time.

There are other problems with pencils as well:

  • pencil points are prone to breaking off, and not every geocacher wants to spend five minutes sharpening a dirty stubby broken pencil with a penknife.
  • pencils often get very dirty and grubby, and, their grimy dirty surfaces may be a host for large populations of pathogenic microbes and parasite eggs.
  • pencils, when in the sharpened state, are dangerous weapons, and many people have been killed by angry crazed killers wielding sharp pencils.
  • pencils, when in the sharpened state, are very sharp and dangerous, and it is very easy for a cache finder to stab themselves in the hand with such a dangerous device when rummaging around in the geocache container.
  • pencils contain lead, and everyone knows that lead is a very toxic and dangerous heavy metal. It is a well-known fact that if you are stabbed with a pencil, whether by accident or on purpose (as when stabbed by a murderous pencil-wielding killer), you will die of lead poisoning within 24 hours or less. The wealthy and powerful and sinister international pencil cartel tried to discredit this stark truth back in the 1970s by claiming that the lead rod in the center of pens was not really made of the element lead at all, but rather, consisted of graphite, a soft form of carbon which happens to be largely non-toxic, but, as the US federal Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) pointed out in a landmark case against the pencil cartel in 1978, if pencils really contained graphite in the center rather than lead, then they would be called "graphite pencils" rather than "lead pencils".
  • the writing left by lead pencils is often very hard to see and to read.
  • the writing left by lead pencils is very fragile, that is, it can be easily erased or blurred by repeated wetting and drying of the log, or by molds growing on wet logs.
  • pencils are well-known in many circles to be a part of a larger pinko communist plot.
  • it is well-known that Hitler and the top officers of the Nazi party had a fondness for writing with pencils.

.

 

Geeze! I never thought of those things! Good point, Vinny.

 

To the Powers That Be: Please use Vinny's list to evaluate if perhaps pencils should be banned in the same way that knifes have been banned from caches. I'm serious (and I'm sure Vinnie is, as well!!)

 

it is well-known that Hitler and the top officers of the Nazi party had a fondness for writing with pencils

Dang!!! Does that mean the end of this thread? You just HAD to go and say it, didn't you?

Edited by knowschad
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I place a gel pen and a mechanical pencil (no sharpening required) in each ammo can hide and a regular pencil in each smaller container. The pens and pencils are pretty inexpensive when bought in bulk. I also carry my own assortment of pens, pencils, and Sharpies in my caching bag because I never know what to expect in the next cache.

Edited by Ladybug Kids
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I always carry a pen with me (a fine-point Sharpie). Pencils break/get dull, pens freeze, both often go missing. Never count of there being a writing implement in the cache and you will always be prepared.
I'm the same way. I've been burned too many times. Having your our reliable pen is the way to go! :D

 

Same here. My choice is a Gel pen that I keep in my pocket, never had a problem writing even on frozen, damp paper. A fine point Sharpie would be a good choice, too.

 

Often the pens in the cache won't work even in the middle of summer or the pencil is broken or whittled down to next to nothing.

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...What's the general rule of thumb for this sort of occurrence? Is it considered over-the-top to leave a pencil in the cache for future hunters, or are cachers expected to bring their own writing utensils in case the cache doesn't supply the goods?..

Both are fine.

 

Here is what I've learned.

 

Gel Pens write on damp paper. The ink runs.

Regular Pens don't write on damp paper. The ink runs. Don't work when cold.

Space Pens/Power Tanks write on damp paper. The ink doesn't run. They write when cold.

Sharpies, don't run, can write on damp paper...kinda. Never tested cold.

Pencils write on dry paper. Rip damp paper especially when sharp. Don't run. Write when cold.

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Gah, crud, I never thought to think pencil would fade or wash out if the log gets wet. >_< I'll bring some sharpies next time.

There are other problems with pencils as well:

  • pencil points are prone to breaking off, and not every geocacher wants to spend five minutes sharpening a dirty stubby broken pencil with a penknife.
  • pencils often get very dirty and grubby, and, their grimy dirty surfaces may be a host for large populations of pathogenic microbes and parasite eggs.
  • pencils, when in the sharpened state, are dangerous weapons, and many people have been killed by angry crazed killers wielding sharp pencils.
  • pencils, when in the sharpened state, are very sharp and dangerous, and it is very easy for a cache finder to stab themselves in the hand with such a dangerous device when rummaging around in the geocache container.
  • pencils contain lead, and everyone knows that lead is a very toxic and dangerous heavy metal. It is a well-known fact that if you are stabbed with a pencil, whether by accident or on purpose (as when stabbed by a murderous pencil-wielding killer), you will die of lead poisoning within 24 hours or less. The wealthy and powerful and sinister international pencil cartel tried to discredit this stark truth back in the 1970s by claiming that the lead rod in the center of pens was not really made of the element lead at all, but rather, consisted of graphite, a soft form of carbon which happens to be largely non-toxic, but, as the US federal Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) pointed out in a landmark case against the pencil cartel in 1978, if pencils really contained graphite in the center rather than lead, then they would be called "graphite pencils" rather than "lead pencils".
  • the writing left by lead pencils is often very hard to see and to read.
  • the writing left by lead pencils is very fragile, that is, it can be easily erased or blurred by repeated wetting and drying of the log, or by molds growing on wet logs.
  • pencils are well-known in many circles to be a part of a larger pinko communist plot.
  • it is well-known that Hitler and the top officers of the Nazi party had a fondness for writing with pencils.

.

 

Geeze! I never thought of those things! Good point, Vinny.

 

To the Powers That Be: Please use Vinny's list to evaluate if perhaps pencils should be banned in the same way that knifes have been banned from caches. I'm serious (and I'm sure Vinnie is, as well!!)

 

it is well-known that Hitler and the top officers of the Nazi party had a fondness for writing with pencils

Dang!!! Does that mean the end of this thread? You just HAD to go and say it, didn't you?

I just want to chime in here, as I am largely a lurker who rarely sends posts to the forum, but I just found this thread and want to say a word or two. I must say that I am very impressed with the amazingly high quality and the wonderful, sincere and sane tenor of Vinny's post, above. I am very appreciative that he wrote it.

 

Vinny strikes me as very sane, very clearheaded, very bright, and one of the few beings alive with the raw courage to stand up and tell the truth about the evil but wealthy and powerful international lead pencil cartel and also about the evils wrought by the First International Discount Church of Sioneva Worship. In fact, I am realizing that I am very impressed with all of Vinny's posts that I have seen on this forum. His posts always strike me as the best in any forum thread. He is quite amazing. I wish sincerely that some of the other forum posters, particularly Sioneva and flask, could and would demonstrate even one tenth of the sincerity, powerful vision, deep spiritual insights and amazingly wonderful literary skills that Vinny demonstrates daily in his wonderful posts.

 

Vinny, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your wonderful posts, and I am sorry to see that Sioneva and flask, small-minded psychopathic misfits that they are, see fit to pick on you mercilessly. You, sir, are a victim and a martyr, a veritable saint!

 

Vinny, in closing, I hope that I have the honor of meeting you someday!

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I always carry at least a pen in my pocket when caching. It generally stays warm enough in my pocket that I don't have any problems using it when needed. I don't even try the writing instruments provided in the caches.

 

I try to include pencils when placing a cache. I have included a pencil sharpener a time or two, when I have a spare one.

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Gah, crud, I never thought to think pencil would fade or wash out if the log gets wet. >_< I'll bring some sharpies next time.

I've seen more than a few logs where sharpies have bled through multiple pages, sometimes obscuring existing logs.

 

I may have to run that experiment. When I did it it was just one piece of paper. I have had problems with Sharpies fading in the sun (on the oil change stickers) between changes. Havent' tried the other pens on that experiemnt yet. I should.

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here in houston with the humidity a log's prolly more likely to get wet and washout than freeze. here pencils just frusterate me because they're usually wet, mealy, and coming apart from rot. I bring a zebra pen w/ me.

Maybe an archival ink pen with a fine tip would help, like a Micron?

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I don't understand the fascination with using pens, either, to be honest. I'm in Sweden and we get pretty cold in the winters, too. We almost all use pencils, usually involuntarily donated from the local IKEA store :), and a pencil sharpener is a standard part of our caching bag!

 

Are people just that paranoid that someone is going to erase their log or something?

 

I called into my local Ikea just after Christmas and grabbed a good supply of pencils, they're just the job, and, err... free! (I did buy some furniture too)

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Pens stop working when it gets cold? I've never noticed that.

 

Oh, that's right, it never gets cold here. :bad:

 

(As a former Minnesotan now in San Diego, I thought I'd rub it in a little...)

 

Yes indeed true but you have there just what we need to get a frozen pen working - fire. Just carry a lighter and a few seconds on the tip does wonders.

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Gah, crud, I never thought to think pencil would fade or wash out if the log gets wet. >_< I'll bring some sharpies next time.

I've seen more than a few logs where sharpies have bled through multiple pages, sometimes obscuring existing logs.

 

I may have to run that experiment. When I did it it was just one piece of paper. I have had problems with Sharpies fading in the sun (on the oil change stickers) between changes. Havent' tried the other pens on that experiemnt yet. I should.

 

Yep, I've had to remove a couple of blank log pages that were stained through with the use of sharpie. Maybe if you write lightly and quick to avoid saturating through to the next page... but I just carry my own pen.

 

I've also seen bison tube logs turned completely purple/blue due to either felt pen or sharpie marker ink and a little water.

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