Pen scavenging

[DannyCaffeine]

Everyone has had the experiance of "WooHoo! I found it!" "Oh... wait, where is my pen?" Or on the way to the cache your all "GPS, check. Boots, check. Pokey stick, check. Pen, .... darnit"

 

So how to you find a writing untensil in a pinch?

 

One time I ended up getting a golf pencil at a Washington state lottery kiosk in a nearby store whilst on the way to a cache where I did not have my pen.

[+kmartcachier]

Only twice have I found myself in an area that it was easier to track down a pen than walk back to the truck (there are always a few there). Once I was in a downtown area and "borrowed" a pen from a nearby hotel. The other time I was able to find one a block away at the public library.

[+Zork V]

I have a pencil on my Keyring, always drive to the cache so have my keys with me, sorted!

[+chasclifton]

Everyone has had the experiance of "WooHoo! I found it!" "Oh... wait, where is my pen?" Or on the way to the cache your all "GPS, check. Boots, check. Pokey stick, check. Pen, .... darnit"

 

So how to you find a writing untensil in a pinch?

 

One time I ended up getting a golf pencil at a Washington state lottery kiosk in a nearby store whilst on the way to a cache where I did not have my pen.

 

The first cacher to find one of mine this past spring used a muddy stick to sign the log.

[+worstcaster]

I was doing a series of caches last week and relieved I forgot my pen. I borrowed one from the first cache and returned it to the cache and my trip out.

[+RikW]

This has happened a few times for me and Ive now learned my lesson and always carry a pen whilst caching.

 

My first ever find was a nano, so obv no pen. took the cache to the pub over the road, borrowed a pen, signed log and replaced

 

Second find on the same day was a 35mm micro. no pen and no local place to borrow so my friend Martin (in a moment of genius) picked up a small stick, burned the end with a lighter and created a make-shift pencil!

 

Thirdly, only last week my girlfriend were out in a park away from home. I decided to use my phone to see if there were any local caches. On the way to GZ we realised we didnt have a pen but at that PRECISE moment we found a discarded pen on the floor! result!

[+twins&dad]

This has happened to me a few times. I always have my phone so I take a picture of the log/cache container and email the owner with a discription of the hide area with the picture. Sometimes I will post the picture if it does not give to much away. Don't like to do it this way but I have a habit of cacheing without the GPS so not always prepared to sign.

[+bittsen]

Happened to me once. I was FTF on a cache and had to walk a quarter mile through 32 degree ice/frost/water to get to the cache. I wasn't about to do the trek a second time so I managed to sign the log with a muddy stick.

[+Davincivirus]

Everyone has had the experiance of "WooHoo! I found it!" "Oh... wait, where is my pen?" Or on the way to the cache your all "GPS, check. Boots, check. Pokey stick, check. Pen, .... darnit"

 

So how to you find a writing untensil in a pinch?

 

One time I ended up getting a golf pencil at a Washington state lottery kiosk in a nearby store whilst on the way to a cache where I did not have my pen.

 

I happened to grab two sources I bought a pack of 100 golf pencils at a golf store sale for $1 per pack so I bought two.

 

I also stash a bag of pens from giveaways, college swag, and hotels in my car in the glove compartment.

 

Lastly I have a keyring that has a pen attached to it so I hope to not forget a pen with me or I have bigger issues if I locked up my car.

[+DonB]

I carry 5 or 6 pens in my caching bag and usually have at least 2 in each car's glove compartment.

[+kwvers!]

I hid a cache full of pens so that our fellow cachers would be sure to have a pen...GCZG5M

[n1ntndo]

I have a pencil on my Keyring, always drive to the cache so have my keys with me, sorted!

i wanted to say tht ive never thought of tht and tht is a great idea. ive seen mini sharpies on keychains but where would you geta pencil on one.what does your look like.

[+hesslv]

I have a handy dandy pen that is on a retractable key-chain attached to my belt-loop!

 

I'm always like, "Shoot! I need a pen!"

And then I look down...and bam! There's my pen!

Haha

[+Kabuthunk]

I have a pencil on my Keyring, always drive to the cache so have my keys with me, sorted!

I go with the same type of theory. Normally in my geocaching bag, I have a Fisher space pen... but just in case I run into other cachers and not have that bag at the time, I have one of those tiny bison canisters attached to my keys that have several micro and nano signature chainmail balls, as well as a tiny custom-made pencil using 2mm lead from a mechanical pencil/lead holder (my favourite type of mechanical pencil... nuts to those 0.5mm ones!) coated with JB Weld.

 

This way, I always have a writing utensil AND some signature items to drop.

Edited August 10, 2010 by Kabuthunk

[xterra70]

almost ever time i forget my pen i just walk around watching the ground, and find some type of writing instrument with in minutes. i have found highlighters, sharpies, and pens out in the middle of the woods before.

[+JoJoJeJe]

ive used a lighter on a stick to get some 'charcoal' to write with...

[DannyCaffeine]

almost ever time i forget my pen i just walk around watching the ground, and find some type of writing instrument with in minutes. i have found highlighters, sharpies, and pens out in the middle of the woods before.

I have a tendancy to find lighters in the woods. I suppose its a good thing I take them before some little kid or crazy person does lol

[+ngrrfan]

When I'm out caching solo, I have at least 2 pens in my pack plus a couple of spares in the van.

 

When my partner and I are out, one of us has a pen or two. We've never been without a pen.

[+happydog67]

Not long ago I logged my first "first to find" It was very exciting! We had to hike up a trail about 2.5 miles to get to it, so imagine my annoyance when I realized I had forgotten my pen! It was getting dark, and would be to late to hike down and back up again- I had to prove I had been there! It was my first FTF after all! My solution? Put on a coating of the lipstick in my back pocket, and give the log book a big smooch!

[chuckr30]

GPS units need to have a little recessed hole for a pen or pencil, like the Palm Pilot had a hole for the stylus.

[+dfx]

i'm actually gaining in pens from geocaching. found one on the ground close to GZ today, and it's a good one too!

[+Wadcutter]

GPS units need to have a little recessed hole for a pen or pencil, like the Palm Pilot had a hole for the stylus.

I always have a pen clipped to the lanyard on the GPS. I found a shorty pen that's only 4" long. Works great and always have it with me.

[+Chokecherry]

With smaller ones that i don't need my entire bag of goodies to get I've started shoving a pen down my shirt for safe keeping. Resulted in the loss of my favorite pen but over all has been pretty successful.

[+DE_Cryptoman]

My first few months of geocaching found me penless on several occasions and I was close enough to The Duchess (my cachemobile) that I could hike out, get the pen, and hike back in. Now, I have a super-thin Fisher Space Pen (is there any other kind?) in my wallet, another on a breakaway lanyard around my neck and I have a Victorinox SwissCard Lite also in my wallet. That pretty well ensures that I have a pen!

[+Bucephala]

There are fold-up pens that you can get at the dollar store (here anyway) that have a clip on them. I clip them onto my lanyard so it's always with my GPS. Sometimes I use them as trade items so other cachers can pick them up.