How far from Cachetopia?

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I wouldn't wan the coords to be spot on perfect. It wouldn't be much fun to walk right up to a cache using a GPS'r without ever having to hunt for it. However, I do agree they need to be accurate within 25 feet or so.

I think this is exactly the kind of newbie thinking that needs some correcting.

 

First of all - Our handhld units are only capable of somewhere around 15 to 25 foot accuracy under most conditions. Add that to the hiders unknown error and that is why you often find caches a bit off. So finding caches up to 40 and even 50 foot off should be considered normal - not lousy coordinates.

 

Second, all cachers should strive to privide the most accurate coordinates that we reasonably can. Wait for the EPE on your unit to get low, take multiple readings on several different days, do a reality check on the coordinates you come up with. Use more than 1 unit.

 

But the hider's coordinates can be improved immensely by using Google Earth to get a much more exact set of coordinates, assuming the landmarks can be identified from the sat photos.

 

In San Jose, California that's a reasonable assumption given the resolution and quality of the satellite photos. However, not far from San Jose, Costa Rica (I'm planning a trip there in February) the resolution is not as good and dozens of square miles are complete obscured by cloud cover. There are a handful of caches that are "in the cloud". I've also been in a few places in Africa where the resolution was so poor you couldn't identify a large building or any other landmark smaller that several acre lake.

 

Google satellite images are getting better but not too long ago there was a thread here which showed an image in the midwest of an entire subdivision of houses that doesn' exist.

 

Rather than rely on satellite maps I would rather see hiders use the tools they have, which includes other geocachers using the "add coordinate" feature in the logs.

[+niraD]

If your container is truly waterproof, no ziplock is needed.

I've seen multiple ziplocks used in regular and large caches just to organize the contents. The log and pens/pencils in one ziplock, trackables in another, small non-trackable trade items in another, larger trade items loose... that sort of thing. Edited November 30, 2010 by niraD

[+northernpenguin]

--Do a reality check of your coords using satellite images.

 

Please don't.

Or if you are going to do that, first georeference the satellite images and correct for orthorectification.

 

I've seen plenty of places that Google Maps, Bing Maps and Yahoo Maps are out by *hundreds* of metres. Enough that you simply cannot trust those satellite maps to be accurate. I've pulled plenty of accurate tracklogs from trail submissions into programs like Google Earth, to find that Google would have me map that trail on the other side of the river if I followed their satellite images instead of the GPS tracklogs.

Edited November 30, 2010 by northernpenguin

[+team.evanczik]

How about double checking that you've closed the container correctly? A lot of the containers that people love to hate (film canisters and pill bottles, especially), get wet because people don't close them all the way. I know I've almost been guilty of it a couple of times if you're trying to get out of the area in a hurry!

[+niraD]

How about double checking that you've closed the container correctly? A lot of the containers that people love to hate (film canisters and pill bottles, especially), get wet because people don't close them all the way. I know I've almost been guilty of it a couple of times if you're trying to get out of the area in a hurry!

Hmm... I haven't noticed any partially closed film canisters and pill bottles, but I have noticed partially closed decon containers.

 

But my suggestion would be for cache owners to use containers that are waterproof and foolproof. Containers that are hard to close properly don't belong in a geocaching utopia...

[+Ecylram]

How about double checking that you've closed the container correctly? A lot of the containers that people love to hate (film canisters and pill bottles, especially), get wet because people don't close them all the way. I know I've almost been guilty of it a couple of times if you're trying to get out of the area in a hurry!

Hmm... I haven't noticed any partially closed film canisters and pill bottles, but I have noticed partially closed decon containers.

I've noticed this many times. Some are the cacher's fault, of course, but many are due to the CO using a baggie that doesn't fit well in the container and gets caught when the lid closes and ruins the seal.

[+rickjill]

I have seen some microcaches(film cans) with enough paper for the log to last several years. Less paper leaves room for the plastic bag and would make the container easier to close and seal.

[+bflentje]

In my opinion (it really should be unnecessary be a post with those words) 25' is perfectly acceptable when there few possible hiding location *and* the cache is rated correctly.

I think we're in general agreement. I draw a (subtle) distinction between the following:

 

1) coordinates that represent my best guess, and although I know they may not be spot-on I'm fairly confident that they're within 25 feet

 

2) coordinates that are intentionally fudged by the CO to be 25 feet away from what (s)he thinks is correct

 

The former is good faith best efforts; the latter I can't support.

 

Hmm.. a best GUESS is a best EFFORT? Not sure I am in line with that either. We shouldn't be guessing.

[+sbell111]

In my opinion (it really should be unnecessary be a post with those words) 25' is perfectly acceptable when there few possible hiding location *and* the cache is rated correctly.

I think we're in general agreement. I draw a (subtle) distinction between the following:

 

1) coordinates that represent my best guess, and although I know they may not be spot-on I'm fairly confident that they're within 25 feet

 

2) coordinates that are intentionally fudged by the CO to be 25 feet away from what (s)he thinks is correct

 

The former is good faith best efforts; the latter I can't support.

 

Hmm.. a best GUESS is a best EFFORT? Not sure I am in line with that either. We shouldn't be guessing.

I'm pretty sure that you and the person that you quoted are in agreement, even though you tried your best to disagree and make him look irresponsible.

[+Castle Mischief]

You know what they say...

 

"The road to Cachetopia is bordered by guard rail micros."