+lifechooser Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 Picture the scene - you're downloading some suitable targets to your GPS, when a new cache is published, just 3 miles away. The D/T is 4/4, the description is vague, but it mentions that "specialist equipment" may be required. Without any previous logs to guide you, what do you pack? For me, I've got wellies, gloves, a magnetic telescopic stick, a torch and I've just bought a grabber designed to help disabled people pick thinks up. What else? Quote
+KBfamily Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 Picture the scene - you're downloading some suitable targets to your GPS, when a new cache is published, just 3 miles away. The D/T is 4/4, the description is vague, but it mentions that "specialist equipment" may be required. Without any previous logs to guide you, what do you pack? For me, I've got wellies, gloves, a magnetic telescopic stick, a torch and I've just bought a grabber designed to help disabled people pick thinks up. What else? Tweezers of course....I also found a cache that I needed a mirror to see.... Quote
AZcachemeister Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 Tough call... Knowing the CO's MO (usual hide style) would be a big help. I think I'd take a good look at the location using Google Earth to see if it's near a cliff or in a wooded area (think tree climbing)in case climbing equipment might be needed. Otherwise, being first onsite might only mean you are the first to return home for the needed equipment and come back. Quote
+FolsomNatural Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 First Aid kit! And a flare gun to call for help when you get in over your head. Quote
+TheLoneGrangers Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 to me if its a 4 for T, you shouldn't need any specialized equipment (ie. climbing gear, scuba, water craft, 4wd) Those should all be 5's. Now if its a 4 and you need equipment, then I would take tweezers and a flashlight, maybe a mirror.....If you need gear I mentioned above to get this cache and its a 4 then its incorrectly rated. Quote
+NYPaddleCacher Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 to me if its a 4 for T, you shouldn't need any specialized equipment (ie. climbing gear, scuba, water craft, 4wd) Those should all be 5's. Now if its a 4 and you need equipment, then I would take tweezers and a flashlight, maybe a mirror.....If you need gear I mentioned above to get this cache and its a 4 then its incorrectly rated. An all purpose tool such as a leatherman or swiss army knife which contains screw drivers could be potentially useful. I've seen more than one cache that required a special tool to open the container. The fact that the cache is rated a 4 for difficulty would justify it taking several hours and a possible return visit to "find" the cache. Using a 4 star for terrain because the equipment/tool is less specialized than scuba, climbing equipment, or a watercraft seems to me to be a misuse of the rating. I also wouldn't consider the use of a 4WD vehicle as a justification for a 5 star rating. Although there may be an access road to the cache which requires 4WD, it must might mean a long walk for someone that doesn't have a vehicle with 4WD. Quote
+briansnat Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 (edited) Rather than bring a bunch of stuff that I probably won't need, I'd visit the cache site, figure out what is required and return with it at a later date. Edited May 10, 2011 by briansnat Quote
+StarBrand Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 String/rope maybe. Duct Tape. Briansnat probably has the best suggestion though. Quote
7rxc Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 Talking about TOTT here, I think... But it might be read as taking other gear/supplies as well, but less than the high tech sporting goods dictated by a T5. For T4, I might be consider being prepared to stay out overnight (not a survival situation, but considered possibility) IF it was a long,hard hike. D4 might call for more technical tools, or other supplies i.e. pocket calculator. Both 4/4 together ranks one way and either by itself another. One has to take all the information available on the page and a little bit (or more) research and make a plan then execute it. That is SOP with most people with some sort of training solving problems and tasking. Gather information, Formulate a Plan, Do the logistics, and then execute it (or the first stage). Being FTF is minor part of Geocaching to most of us... Lady Luck or Darwin can have the rest! Doug 7rxc Quote
+fizzymagic Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 Picture the scene - you're downloading some suitable targets to your GPS, when a new cache is published, just 3 miles away. The D/T is 4/4, the description is vague, but it mentions that "specialist equipment" may be required. Without any previous logs to guide you, what do you pack? These days, it is probably a Chirp cache. Quote
AZcachemeister Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 String/rope maybe. Duct Tape. Briansnat probably has the best suggestion though. Didn't I say that? Quote
+Sharks-N-Beans Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 String/rope maybe. Duct Tape. Briansnat probably has the best suggestion though. Didn't I say that? Around here, I would think a tree climb. If the CO is an experienced climber, there is no need to list a 5T if it was hidden w/o gear. But we can't seem to be able to grab 4+ (and some 3.5 trees w/o climbing gear which we don't have). Quote
+Coldgears Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 Lol, a 4 star cache, in the suburbs. Lol, i'll E-mail the CO ask him why it's 4 stars, then get an E-mail back saying it's because it's on a dinosaur. Quote
+Sharks-N-Beans Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 Lol, a 4 star cache, in the suburbs. Lol, i'll E-mail the CO ask him why it's 4 stars, then get an E-mail back saying it's because it's on a dinosaur. LOL but didn't sign the log? Quote
Pup Patrol Posted May 10, 2011 Posted May 10, 2011 Picture the scene - you're downloading some suitable targets to your GPS, when a new cache is published, just 3 miles away. The D/T is 4/4, the description is vague, but it mentions that "specialist equipment" may be required. Without any previous logs to guide you, what do you pack? For me, I've got wellies, gloves, a magnetic telescopic stick, a torch and I've just bought a grabber designed to help disabled people pick thinks up. What else? gosh, I looked and looked, but couldn't see a cache of 4/4 rating. Can you give us the GC code? Thanks. Quote
+Harry Dolphin Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 String/rope maybe. Duct Tape. Briansnat probably has the best suggestion though. Didn't I say that? No. You didn't say that Briansnat had the best suggestion. Reminds me of the time I contemlated dragging a step ladder into the park to get the waypoint up the tree. Fortunately someone volunteered to get it for us. Quote
GOF and Bacall Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 1 left handed smoke shifter 1 right handed monkey wrench 2 feet cellophane tape 1 13oz. jar petroleum jelly 1 pair latex free surgical gloves 2 tablespoons instant coffee 1 5ft cat 5 cable 1 emergency defibrillator 1 pound crushed ice 6 4 penny nails 4 6 penny nails 1 red sock 1 52" shoe lace 1 74" shoe lace 1 50' roll friction tape 1 10oz. can squelch 1 18° angle Quote
knowschad Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 String/rope maybe. Duct Tape. If you get stopped by the police, whatever you do, do NOT let them search your car! Quote
knowschad Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 1 left handed smoke shifter 1 right handed monkey wrench 2 feet cellophane tape 1 13oz. jar petroleum jelly 1 pair latex free surgical gloves 2 tablespoons instant coffee 1 5ft cat 5 cable 1 emergency defibrillator 1 pound crushed ice 6 4 penny nails 4 6 penny nails 1 red sock 1 52" shoe lace 1 74" shoe lace 1 50' roll friction tape 1 10oz. can squelch 1 18° angle and a partridge in a pear tree. Quote
GOF and Bacall Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 String/rope maybe. Duct Tape. If you get stopped by the police, whatever you do, do NOT let them search your car! I have string, rope, and duct tape in my truck. Along with several different hand saws. A few different power saws. And even some plastic sheeting. Quote
GOF and Bacall Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 1 left handed smoke shifter 1 right handed monkey wrench 2 feet cellophane tape 1 13oz. jar petroleum jelly 1 pair latex free surgical gloves 2 tablespoons instant coffee 1 5ft cat 5 cable 1 emergency defibrillator 1 pound crushed ice 6 4 penny nails 4 6 penny nails 1 red sock 1 52" shoe lace 1 74" shoe lace 1 50' roll friction tape 1 10oz. can squelch 1 18° angle and a partridge in a pear tree. Sure. Hey, you never know. Quote
+t4e Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 if that's all the cache description offers and no attributes i would not bother Quote
+Sharks-N-Beans Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 if that's all the cache description offers and no attributes i would not bother Some of my favorite finds had crappy descriptions. Quote
+t4e Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 (edited) if that's all the cache description offers and no attributes i would not bother Some of my favorite finds had crappy descriptions. i really enjoy a challenge but you need to know when to draw the line would you go for this one? we would love to but while i can appreciate the rating its quite unsettling not to have at least minimum details like visibility and depth, and a hint with high rating caches giving people some kind of "heads up" will not diminish its difficulty unfortunately there's many new divers out there that overestimate their capabilities but that is just my opinion Edited May 11, 2011 by t4e Quote
Pup Patrol Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 if that's all the cache description offers and no attributes i would not bother Some of my favorite finds had crappy descriptions. i really enjoy a challenge but you need to know when to draw the line would you go for this one? we would love to but while i can appreciate the rating its quite unsettling not to have at least minimum details like visibility and depth, and a hint with high rating caches giving people some kind of "heads up" will not diminish its difficulty unfortunately there's many new divers out there that underestimate their capabilities but that is just my opinion Yup, it's on our radar. Not sure if it needs scuba equipment, or just a boat and a hook. But we figure "what the heck, can't hurt to check it out". Quote
Pup Patrol Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 1 left handed smoke shifter 1 right handed monkey wrench 2 feet cellophane tape 1 13oz. jar petroleum jelly 1 pair latex free surgical gloves 2 tablespoons instant coffee 1 5ft cat 5 cable 1 emergency defibrillator 1 pound crushed ice 6 4 penny nails 4 6 penny nails 1 red sock 1 52" shoe lace 1 74" shoe lace 1 50' roll friction tape 1 10oz. can squelch 1 18° angle What, no left-handed spanner????? Quote
+Sharks-N-Beans Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 if that's all the cache description offers and no attributes i would not bother Some of my favorite finds had crappy descriptions. i really enjoy a challenge but you need to know when to draw the line would you go for this one? we would love to but while i can appreciate the rating its quite unsettling not to have at least minimum details like visibility and depth, and a hint with high rating caches giving people some kind of "heads up" will not diminish its difficulty unfortunately there's many new divers out there that underestimate their capabilities but that is just my opinion Not alot of diving caches around here, but if I liken it to the tree hides, we have shown-up just to see if we could spot the container knowing the skill level around here way surpasses ours. It's fun to see just how crazy some of these guys are. In doing so, we have come across a few that we actually could tackle. Agreed there's a little more commitment to diving as you have to make the plunge to see what's in store. And I could see someone exceeding their limits and getting in trouble. Quote
+t4e Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 Yup, it's on our radar. Not sure if it needs scuba equipment, or just a boat and a hook. But we figure "what the heck, can't hurt to check it out". from the location you definitely need scuba equipment...wanna go? Quote
Pup Patrol Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 Yup, it's on our radar. Not sure if it needs scuba equipment, or just a boat and a hook. But we figure "what the heck, can't hurt to check it out". from the location you definitely need scuba equipment...wanna go? Ha, now that I look more closely at the cache page, there is the "scuba" attribute. Guess that knocks it off our radar. Just like so many other caches, it's not possible for us to hunt for it. Oh, well, there's lots of other caches out there that we are able to hunt. There's nothing that says we should be able to hunt for every cache published. Quote
+WRASTRO Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 1 left handed smoke shifter 1 right handed monkey wrench 2 feet cellophane tape 1 13oz. jar petroleum jelly 1 pair latex free surgical gloves 2 tablespoons instant coffee 1 5ft cat 5 cable 1 emergency defibrillator 1 pound crushed ice 6 4 penny nails 4 6 penny nails 1 red sock 1 52" shoe lace 1 74" shoe lace 1 50' roll friction tape 1 10oz. can squelch 1 18° angle That's it? You barely take anything more than what my wife has in her purse most of the time. I at least take my GPS. Didn't notice that on your list. Quote
GOF and Bacall Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 1 left handed smoke shifter 1 right handed monkey wrench 2 feet cellophane tape 1 13oz. jar petroleum jelly 1 pair latex free surgical gloves 2 tablespoons instant coffee 1 5ft cat 5 cable 1 emergency defibrillator 1 pound crushed ice 6 4 penny nails 4 6 penny nails 1 red sock 1 52" shoe lace 1 74" shoe lace 1 50' roll friction tape 1 10oz. can squelch 1 18° angle That's it? You barely take anything more than what my wife has in her purse most of the time. I at least take my GPS. Didn't notice that on your list. I didn't consider the GPS as "Specialist equipment". Kinda figured it was normal everyday gear for geocaching. I do understand what your saying about the wife's purse. That's how I bring all that stuff. I just invite my wife to come along for the hunt. Quote
+TheLoneGrangers Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 to me if its a 4 for T, you shouldn't need any specialized equipment (ie. climbing gear, scuba, water craft, 4wd) Those should all be 5's. Now if its a 4 and you need equipment, then I would take tweezers and a flashlight, maybe a mirror.....If you need gear I mentioned above to get this cache and its a 4 then its incorrectly rated. An all purpose tool such as a leatherman or swiss army knife which contains screw drivers could be potentially useful. I've seen more than one cache that required a special tool to open the container. The fact that the cache is rated a 4 for difficulty would justify it taking several hours and a possible return visit to "find" the cache. Using a 4 star for terrain because the equipment/tool is less specialized than scuba, climbing equipment, or a watercraft seems to me to be a misuse of the rating. I also wouldn't consider the use of a 4WD vehicle as a justification for a 5 star rating. Although there may be an access road to the cache which requires 4WD, it must might mean a long walk for someone that doesn't have a vehicle with 4WD. Dont beat me up to much Im still rather new lol Quote
knowschad Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 String/rope maybe. Duct Tape. If you get stopped by the police, whatever you do, do NOT let them search your car! I have string, rope, and duct tape in my truck. Along with several different hand saws. A few different power saws. And even some plastic sheeting. Yeah, and your forum signature of 'Give Life, Give Blood' doesn't exactly help, either, does it? Quote
knowschad Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 1 left handed smoke shifter 1 right handed monkey wrench 2 feet cellophane tape 1 13oz. jar petroleum jelly 1 pair latex free surgical gloves 2 tablespoons instant coffee 1 5ft cat 5 cable 1 emergency defibrillator 1 pound crushed ice 6 4 penny nails 4 6 penny nails 1 red sock 1 52" shoe lace 1 74" shoe lace 1 50' roll friction tape 1 10oz. can squelch 1 18° angle What, no left-handed spanner????? It is a very incomplete list, actually. Notice the lack of a metric screwdriver, too. Quote
knowschad Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 Yup, it's on our radar. Not sure if it needs scuba equipment, or just a boat and a hook. But we figure "what the heck, can't hurt to check it out". from the location you definitely need scuba equipment...wanna go? Looks like around 8 - 12 feet in the area of the cache in McPhee Bay, off of McDonald's Beach: Quote
+KristenSh Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 FWIW, I'm noticing the use of maps in this thread ... most of the caches we attempt, we've usually checked out on Google maps first (and we aren't even doing hard ones yet). In our area, the crossover between urban lamppost caches and deep-woods ammo tins can be that mere 500ft minimum distance (though technically you still have to take the trail to the woods ones, because you'd be an idiot to park on those roads!). We're lucky to have a good variety in our city, with lots of greenspace. I've even seen a few listed as accessible only by boat. So a good zoomed-in map, and perhaps a comparison with local trail maps for altitude, etc, would give us some clues ... there can be caves, tree hides, etc. I do agree that some warning should be in the description, though, just to keep folks safe ... there's one I want to try that even marks a waypoint for a sneaky cave that you could fall in without spotting it first. Details like that save lives! Quote
+dfx Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 (edited) Looks like around 8 - 12 feet in the area of the cache in McPhee Bay, off of McDonald's Beach: Yeah I've found the same chart, 10-15 ft would've been my guess, which isn't a big deal even for an inexperienced diver. But depth is only one part of the equation when scouting for a potential scuba diving spot. Boat traffic seems to be significant (at least according to the aerial image) which can be quite dangerous, especially in shallow water, and I was unable to find any information on visibility, general water/ground/soil/weed/silt conditions or anything else really, as it doesn't seem to be a popular diving spot. Of course ultimately, every cacher (and every diver) is responsible for their own safety, but simply dropping a cache in the water without even saying what kind of container it is or how big, and then just saying "go scuba dive there" (as this is what the attribute says) seems a bit silly. Edited May 11, 2011 by dfx Quote
+dgwebster Posted May 11, 2011 Posted May 11, 2011 1 left handed smoke shifter 1 right handed monkey wrench 2 feet cellophane tape 1 13oz. jar petroleum jelly 1 pair latex free surgical gloves 2 tablespoons instant coffee 1 5ft cat 5 cable 1 emergency defibrillator 1 pound crushed ice 6 4 penny nails 4 6 penny nails 1 red sock 1 52" shoe lace 1 74" shoe lace 1 50' roll friction tape 1 10oz. can squelch 1 18° angle Ive only got 2x 25ft cat 5 patch cables. Ah well, cant do that cache Quote
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