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Signing logbooks


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There has only been a couple of instances where I have hiked to a cache (non-micro) only to find no writing stick to sign the log. I normally do take one with me but what about the times there is no pen or pencil available. Other than claiming the find on-line, is there a problem not physically signing a log book?

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To claim a find on geocaching.com, one must sign a physical logbook. (Earthcaches and Virtuals are, of course, a little different).

 

When this happens to me, I grab a stick, put the tip in some mud, and make the best "NS" and date I can.

 

Some cachers (myself included) will delete logs that occur online but have no supporting log in the logbook when I do maintenance. Best bet? Try to sign it. Worst case? Ask the owner if it's still cool to log it.

Edited by NeverSummer
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Be up-front about not signing the logbook. Best to let someone know rather than having them wonder why you didn't.

 

Yeah I know, benefit of doubt, the cache owner needs to lighten up - blah blah blah. You still can have your find deleted. Geocaching is a community sport meaning that we communicate.

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I used a crow feather and some muddy water to sign a log once, it didn't turn out too well but the co let me keep my log.

 

When I hide a cache, I always include at least a pencil, even with small micros like bison tubes. However the pencils always seem to disapear within a few months <_< .

 

Whenever I forget a pen and I can't improvise, I take a picture of my GPS and the log book, just incase the owner wonders where my signature is (without posting it on the cache page).

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Only once did I not sign a log. It was winter and I went to the cache, which was marked winter friendly. I found the cache under a large rock frozen in ice. The cache was a lock-lock and the top was facing down so I couldn't open it. I could have broken the cache open and signed the log at the expense of the container, but that would be silly. I took a picture of me at the cache and one of my GPS and sent them to the CO who let me keep the log. If he had deleted the log I would have understood and eventually gone back and signed it.

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Other than claiming the find on-line, is there a problem not physically signing a log book?

What do mean by "Other than claiming the find on-line"? Are you asking whether there is is a problem not physically signing the log if you don't claim a find online?

 

The truth is that most geocache owners do not compare the online logs to the physical cache log. Most will take your word that you found the cache or at most will ask for some proof (such as describing to them in detail what you found in a private email).

 

There are only a few who misread the guidelines and believe that as cache owners they must delete logs of cachers who did not sign physical logs. The guidelines are, in fact written in such a manner as to allow cacher owners to do this; though I believe that is not the intent.

 

If you are unable to sign the log then be prepared that your log could be deleted should get a cache owner who insists on misreading the guidelines this way. However, be confident that most cache owners will allow your log - though they may ask for additional "proof" that you found the cache.

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I usually don't carry a pen when I cache. Most caches around here have them so it's not something I think to bring.

 

The few times I found no pen in the cache I signed using a stick dipped in mud, ashes from the lit end of a cigar, a soft stone and a rolled up leaf wrapped around a sharp stone.

 

There is always a way to sign if you use your imagination. I've even heard of people pricking their finger and using blood. Not something I would advise but there is always a way.

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There are only a few who misread the guidelines and believe that as cache owners they must delete logs of cachers who did not sign physical logs. The guidelines are, in fact written in such a manner as to allow cacher owners to do this; though I believe that is not the intent.

 

The guidelines say:

 

Physical geocaches can be logged online as "Found" once the physical log has been signed. An exception is Challenge Caches ....

 

For physical caches all logging requirements beyond finding the geocache and signing the log are considered additional logging requirements (ALRs) and must be optional.

 

To me the implication is clear that signing the physical log may be considered a non optional requirement, prerequisite to logging online. I see nothing that suggests COs must delete online logs of cachers who did not sign the physical log, but I can't see what intent can be inferred other than that they may do so.

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This has happened to me on occasion... My solution is similar to the "mud" scenario, but a bit better,IMHO.

 

I usually have my pocket knife, and a lighter. I'll scratch my initials/handle, then sharpen the tip of the stick like a pencil, then light it , and blow it out, using the coal to write over the carvings, and then smear away the excess, (similar to etching) works like a charm, coal stays a bit, the carving holds it, then I will also post it in the online log.

 

However, I now have a pen attached to my GPS'r Lanyard, so I am quite sure it will be a while till I need yet another twig!

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There has only been a couple of instances where I have hiked to a cache (non-micro) only to find no writing stick to sign the log. I normally do take one with me but what about the times there is no pen or pencil available. Other than claiming the find on-line, is there a problem not physically signing a log book?

Nope. If you don't intend to log them online there's no real reason to sign the logbook.

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I will log a find and say (forgot pen). I'll go back to the cache at a later date and sign it.

 

I always carry a pen. I don't want to promote any product but I have an INKA pen that attaches to your keyring. This pen is awesome, writes upside down, in water, etc. Can't leave home without it!

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I will log a find and say (forgot pen). I'll go back to the cache at a later date and sign it.

 

I always carry a pen. I don't want to promote any product but I have an INKA pen that attaches to your keyring. This pen is awesome, writes upside down, in water, etc. Can't leave home without it!

 

+1 for the Inka pen. I love mine!

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I carry a few pens, a pencil and a bunch of those small pencils with no eraser attached. If the cache don't have one, it gets one.

 

If I find myself without a pencil, I take a piece of broken glass, cant it like a mirror and reflect the light, increase the heat like a magnifying glass and lazer my initials and date into the cache log or onto the cache itself (joking).

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The truth is that most geocache owners do not compare the online logs to the physical cache log. Most will take your word that you found the cache or at most will ask for some proof (such as describing to them in detail what you found in a private email).

True enough. However, I have found caches where I have looked at the most recent online logs using my Nuvi, and noticed that somebody had logged it recently that did not sign the log book. It isn't my cache, so I can't delete the online log even if I wanted to, but it will raise questions in my mind about that cacher. (of course, cachers also sometimes accidentally log the wrong cache online, so I would even take this situation with a grain of salt)
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There are only a few who misread the guidelines and believe that as cache owners they must delete logs of cachers who did not sign physical logs. The guidelines are, in fact written in such a manner as to allow cacher owners to do this; though I believe that is not the intent.

 

The guidelines say:

 

Physical geocaches can be logged online as "Found" once the physical log has been signed. An exception is Challenge Caches ....

 

For physical caches all logging requirements beyond finding the geocache and signing the log are considered additional logging requirements (ALRs) and must be optional.

 

To me the implication is clear that signing the physical log may be considered a non optional requirement, prerequisite to logging online. I see nothing that suggests COs must delete online logs of cachers who did not sign the physical log, but I can't see what intent can be inferred other than that they may do so.

 

I'm having a distinct feeling of deja vu right now.

 

 

(actually, this thread should have been posted on Monday, since this is June)

Edited by knowschad
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Don't worry so much about that stuff. I mean - are you spending more time being critical about the logs than you are enjoying the game?

 

And one can argue - what about the signatures on the log that never get logged online?

 

It's a huge uphill battle trying to get everyone to dot their i's, cross their T's, and say Thank you!!

Edited by Lieblweb
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Be up-front about not signing the logbook. Best to let someone know rather than having them wonder why you didn't.

 

Yeah I know, benefit of doubt, the cache owner needs to lighten up - blah blah blah. You still can have your find deleted. Geocaching is a community sport meaning that we communicate.

 

In a perfect world you would be correct. However, in several of the recent threads on this subject several people have responded that when the cacher tells them up front that they didn't sign the log that they would delete it while not being as harsh if they just didn't mention it in the log.

 

I'd be happy to quote a few of those if needed.

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There are only a few who misread the guidelines and believe that as cache owners they must delete logs of cachers who did not sign physical logs. The guidelines are, in fact written in such a manner as to allow cacher owners to do this; though I believe that is not the intent.

 

The guidelines say:

 

Physical geocaches can be logged online as "Found" once the physical log has been signed. An exception is Challenge Caches ....

 

For physical caches all logging requirements beyond finding the geocache and signing the log are considered additional logging requirements (ALRs) and must be optional.

 

To me the implication is clear that signing the physical log may be considered a non optional requirement, prerequisite to logging online. I see nothing that suggests COs must delete online logs of cachers who did not sign the physical log, but I can't see what intent can be inferred other than that they may do so.

 

I'm having a distinct feeling of deja vu right now.

Yep, I have that whole post Ctrl-Ced, and just waiting for someone to make an argument so I can Ctrl-V.

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There are only a few who misread the guidelines and believe that as cache owners they must delete logs of cachers who did not sign physical logs. The guidelines are, in fact written in such a manner as to allow cacher owners to do this; though I believe that is not the intent.

 

The guidelines say:

 

Physical geocaches can be logged online as "Found" once the physical log has been signed. An exception is Challenge Caches ....

 

For physical caches all logging requirements beyond finding the geocache and signing the log are considered additional logging requirements (ALRs) and must be optional.

 

To me the implication is clear that signing the physical log may be considered a non optional requirement, prerequisite to logging online. I see nothing that suggests COs must delete online logs of cachers who did not sign the physical log, but I can't see what intent can be inferred other than that they may do so.

 

I'm having a distinct feeling of deja vu right now.

Not really. I said that I believe that this isn't the intent of the guidelines. I could post a bunch of stuff that Groundspeak lackeys and volunteers who were involved in the framing of this guideline said when this was added. Remember that it was meant to end the practice of deleting online logs that failed to meet additional logging requirements.

 

My interpretation is that if a cache owner thinks an online log is bogus, he/she can delete if the physical log is not signed. I find it silly to think that everytime some forgets a pencil, the log is bogus. However, there may be some instances where someone is sitting at home logging bogus logs stating, "I found the cache, but forget my pen." It is up to a cache owner to decide if such a log looks bogus. I believe that the intent is then to allow the finder to offer some reasonable alternative proof that they actually found the cache. Really, I only use the "p-word" for cache owners who believe that no online log should be allowed unless the physical log is signed.

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My interpretation is that if a cache owner thinks an online log is bogus, he/she can delete if the physical log is not signed. I find it silly to think that everytime some forgets a pencil, the log is bogus.

 

Why not? A bogus log is bogus when it's bogus. It doesn't matter if the CO deletes it or not. Yeah it doesn't say anywhere that a CO must delete all bogus logs, but a bogus log that's not deleted by the CO doesn't become any less bogus.

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There are only a few who misread the guidelines and believe that as cache owners they must delete logs of cachers who did not sign physical logs. The guidelines are, in fact written in such a manner as to allow cacher owners to do this; though I believe that is not the intent.

 

The guidelines say:

 

Physical geocaches can be logged online as "Found" once the physical log has been signed. An exception is Challenge Caches ....

 

For physical caches all logging requirements beyond finding the geocache and signing the log are considered additional logging requirements (ALRs) and must be optional.

 

To me the implication is clear that signing the physical log may be considered a non optional requirement, prerequisite to logging online. I see nothing that suggests COs must delete online logs of cachers who did not sign the physical log, but I can't see what intent can be inferred other than that they may do so.

 

I'm having a distinct feeling of deja vu right now.

Not really. I said that I believe that this isn't the intent of the guidelines. I could post a bunch of stuff that Groundspeak lackeys and volunteers who were involved in the framing of this guideline said when this was added. Remember that it was meant to end the practice of deleting online logs that failed to meet additional logging requirements.

 

My interpretation is that if a cache owner thinks an online log is bogus, he/she can delete if the physical log is not signed. I find it silly to think that everytime some forgets a pencil, the log is bogus. However, there may be some instances where someone is sitting at home logging bogus logs stating, "I found the cache, but forget my pen." It is up to a cache owner to decide if such a log looks bogus. I believe that the intent is then to allow the finder to offer some reasonable alternative proof that they actually found the cache. Really, I only use the "p-word" for cache owners who believe that no online log should be allowed unless the physical log is signed.

 

Well, you also said, "There are only a few who misread the guidelines". But I was just joking about the entire thread sounding so familiar, not just your response to it.

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If I find myself without a pencil, I take a piece of broken glass, cant it like a mirror and reflect the light, increase the heat like a magnifying glass and lazer my initials and date into the cache log or onto the cache itself (joking).

 

LOL Totally awesome.

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My interpretation is that if a cache owner thinks an online log is bogus, he/she can delete if the physical log is not signed. I find it silly to think that everytime some forgets a pencil, the log is bogus.

 

Why not? A bogus log is bogus when it's bogus. It doesn't matter if the CO deletes it or not. Yeah it doesn't say anywhere that a CO must delete all bogus logs, but a bogus log that's not deleted by the CO doesn't become any less bogus.

 

A FOUND log on a cache that has been FOUND does not become bogus just because the finder could not sign the log.

 

Yes, the owner has the right to delete such a log but that doesn't automatically make it bogus.

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My interpretation is that if a cache owner thinks an online log is bogus, he/she can delete if the physical log is not signed. I find it silly to think that everytime some forgets a pencil, the log is bogus.

 

Why not? A bogus log is bogus when it's bogus. It doesn't matter if the CO deletes it or not. Yeah it doesn't say anywhere that a CO must delete all bogus logs, but a bogus log that's not deleted by the CO doesn't become any less bogus.

Correction. The maintenance guidelines say

As the owner of your geocache listing, your responsibility includes quality control of all posts to the cache page. Delete any logs that appear to be bogus, counterfeit, off-topic or otherwise inappropriate.

You can argue whether "delete any logs that appear to be bogus" means the same "delete all bogus logs", but here the intent should be clear - a cache owner should be maintaining the quality of logs on the cache page. The key is here is that owners are only to delete logs if they appear to be bogus, counterfeit, off-topic, or otherwise inappropriate. I accept that some cache owners may think that an admission of not signing the log may make a log appear to be bogus. I think it is silly, but I accept it. What I don't accept is the argument that an online is automatically bogus if the physical log is unsigned. If this was the case, then admiting you didn't sign the log would clearly mean the online log is bogus and cache owners who don't delete it are shirking the maintenance guidelines; Groundspeak would be archiving these caches just as they do with virtual caches that allow clearly couch potato logs.

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This has happened to me on occasion... My solution is similar to the "mud" scenario, but a bit better,IMHO.

 

I usually have my pocket knife, and a lighter. I'll scratch my initials/handle, then sharpen the tip of the stick like a pencil, then light it , and blow it out, using the coal to write over the carvings, and then smear away the excess, (similar to etching) works like a charm, coal stays a bit, the carving holds it, then I will also post it in the online log.

 

However, I now have a pen attached to my GPS'r Lanyard, so I am quite sure it will be a while till I need yet another twig!

 

Lighting sticks on fire at the majority of where my caches are hidden is a really, really, really bad idea.

Edited by Don_J
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I used a crow feather and some muddy water to sign a log once, it didn't turn out too well but the co let me keep my log.

 

When I hide a cache, I always include at least a pencil, even with small micros like bison tubes. However the pencils always seem to disappear within a few months <_< .

 

Whenever I forget a pen and I can't improvise, I take a picture of my GPS and the log book, just in case the owner wonders where my signature is (without posting it on the cache page).

 

I've done all of the above too - sign with dirt, take a photo of the cache if it's inaccessible (mostly winter when a cache can get encased in ice). I also always put a pencil in our cache hides. In small caches I'll cut a pencil in half with a box cutter then sharpen both ends. When one nib gets dull or breaks there's the second nib. I tend to do maintenance visits at least a couple of times a year and bring extra pencils with me in case one has gone missing.

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I usually don't carry a pen when I cache. Most caches around here have them so it's not something I think to bring.

OK, just for that, I'm not voting for you for Geocacher of the Year 2011 :ph34r:

 

I would agree! For someone who's been logging 800+ caches, I would think you'd carry a pen or pencil.. and for those who sign in blood.. that's just wrong. Part of the game is to sign the log in order to claim a find.. so how would you sign a log.. bring a pen or pencil people! Not that hard.. If someone were to sign my log on one of my caches, I'd make that person buy a new logbook.. I don't want blood stains in my caches.. not my thing..

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Just for the record, I don't delete logs where the logger specifically states they didn't sign.

I used to reconcile logs, but the feeling I got when deleting logs with no corresponding signature was not pleasant.

I quickly found that correlating the scribble on the physical log, with the online logs was an exercise in futility.

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I went looking for this answer because recently, one of my online logs was deleted. It bugged me quite a bit. There's a cache that I drive by all the time, but it's actually not very easy to get to via car. One day, on a very rare occasion, I happened to be walking by. Found the cache and didn't have a pen because I wasn't out for geocaching. Since I do online logs on my phone, I logged it, stating that I didn't have a pen.

 

A few weeks later, I get a notice that my log was deleted. I contact the owner asking why, and the answer is that it is imperative to sign the log. The owner went on to say that two cachers prior, and two cachers post, had logged the cache DNF - and one of them had found more than 1000 caches. The owner also stated that the log was not deleted until the cache was verified as missing.

 

So here's the fun part ... I SWEAR the cache was there! And I can see how it was really, really hard to find, maybe even for the owner if it had been shifted some over time. I'm not saying I am a spectacular finder, because actually, I kinda suck at it. But I did find this one and now I have been tagged as a bogus find.

 

Here are my learnings from reading this thread and my residual questions:

 

- If no pen, take a photo. That might do the trick.

- If no pen, try marking it a different way (I had tried but there was literally NOTHING around that would mark the paper)

 

** Why is it imperative to sign the log when you can log it online?

** Why would anyone ever claim to find a cache they didn't find (I know it happens, but why)? What is there to gain?

** If someone does claim to find a cache they didn't find, why does the owner care? The only drawback I can see is if the condition or whereabouts of the cache are in question, a bogus find could confuse things.

 

Thanks for your feedback. I am truly trying to understand - so if I seem in any way obstinant, that is not my intent.

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I went looking for this answer because recently, one of my online logs was deleted. It bugged me quite a bit. There's a cache that I drive by all the time, but it's actually not very easy to get to via car. One day, on a very rare occasion, I happened to be walking by. Found the cache and didn't have a pen because I wasn't out for geocaching. Since I do online logs on my phone, I logged it, stating that I didn't have a pen.

 

A few weeks later, I get a notice that my log was deleted. I contact the owner asking why, and the answer is that it is imperative to sign the log. The owner went on to say that two cachers prior, and two cachers post, had logged the cache DNF - and one of them had found more than 1000 caches. The owner also stated that the log was not deleted until the cache was verified as missing.

 

So here's the fun part ... I SWEAR the cache was there! And I can see how it was really, really hard to find, maybe even for the owner if it had been shifted some over time. I'm not saying I am a spectacular finder, because actually, I kinda suck at it. But I did find this one and now I have been tagged as a bogus find.

 

Here are my learnings from reading this thread and my residual questions:

 

- If no pen, take a photo. That might do the trick.

- If no pen, try marking it a different way (I had tried but there was literally NOTHING around that would mark the paper)

 

** Why is it imperative to sign the log when you can log it online?

** Why would anyone ever claim to find a cache they didn't find (I know it happens, but why)? What is there to gain?

** If someone does claim to find a cache they didn't find, why does the owner care? The only drawback I can see is if the condition or whereabouts of the cache are in question, a bogus find could confuse things.

 

Thanks for your feedback. I am truly trying to understand - so if I seem in any way obstinant, that is not my intent.

Did you try to describe the hide and/or container to the cache owner? I can understand, in this case, his hesitation to allow a find, given the circumstances.

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I usually don't carry a pen when I cache. Most caches around here have them so it's not something I think to bring.

OK, just for that, I'm not voting for you for Geocacher of the Year 2011 :ph34r:

 

I would agree! For someone who's been logging 800+ caches, I would think you'd carry a pen or pencil.. and for those who sign in blood.. that's just wrong. Part of the game is to sign the log in order to claim a find.. so how would you sign a log.. bring a pen or pencil people! Not that hard.. If someone were to sign my log on one of my caches, I'd make that person buy a new logbook.. I don't want blood stains in my caches.. not my thing..

 

How do you feel about dirt or chlorophyll or a tear in the page that indicates the finder was there? I have used a twig and dirt or twig and mushed leaf, mostly because of the forums and the COs who are adamant about signatures in the log?

 

How about a photo? I've used that method too. The photo mostly when the cache is frozen in or rusted shut and I can't get at the logbook. I always try to carry a pen/pencil, but about 20% of the time I go into my pocket for the pen and it's gone. I bought a whole box of fine tip sharpies in the winter to keep in the car and I'm down to my last one - have to get back to Staples for another box.

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I went looking for this answer because recently, one of my online logs was deleted. It bugged me quite a bit. There's a cache that I drive by all the time, but it's actually not very easy to get to via car. One day, on a very rare occasion, I happened to be walking by. Found the cache and didn't have a pen because I wasn't out for geocaching. Since I do online logs on my phone, I logged it, stating that I didn't have a pen.

 

A few weeks later, I get a notice that my log was deleted. I contact the owner asking why, and the answer is that it is imperative to sign the log. The owner went on to say that two cachers prior, and two cachers post, had logged the cache DNF - and one of them had found more than 1000 caches. The owner also stated that the log was not deleted until the cache was verified as missing.

 

So here's the fun part ... I SWEAR the cache was there! And I can see how it was really, really hard to find, maybe even for the owner if it had been shifted some over time. I'm not saying I am a spectacular finder, because actually, I kinda suck at it. But I did find this one and now I have been tagged as a bogus find.

 

Here are my learnings from reading this thread and my residual questions:

 

- If no pen, take a photo. That might do the trick.

- If no pen, try marking it a different way (I had tried but there was literally NOTHING around that would mark the paper)

 

** Why is it imperative to sign the log when you can log it online?

** Why would anyone ever claim to find a cache they didn't find (I know it happens, but why)? What is there to gain?

** If someone does claim to find a cache they didn't find, why does the owner care? The only drawback I can see is if the condition or whereabouts of the cache are in question, a bogus find could confuse things.

 

Thanks for your feedback. I am truly trying to understand - so if I seem in any way obstinant, that is not my intent.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your problem. My guess is that the CO saw the DNFs,saw your log and couldn't find the cache. Perhaps the cache is still there and it was moved, so the CO couldn't find it when he checked. Perhaps it went missing after you found it.

 

Good advice to take a photo or mark it otherwise. I've used things like my business card, a piece of leaf, a stick dipped in mud, the ash from a lit cigar and a piece of soft stone to log if I didn't have a pen. I thin once I even carved my initials in the page with my fingernail.

 

** Why is it imperative to sign the log when you can log it online?

 

It's not imperative. Some cache owners are forgiving. If it were my cache and you seemed earnest I'd leave your log. I think most other cache owners would do the same.

 

** Why would anyone ever claim to find a cache they didn't find (I know it happens, but why)? What is there to gain?

 

Perceived status in the community. People with a lot of finds are sometimes treated like celebrities at events. The community has held events to celebrate certain levels of finds and there are awards like geocoins, patches, etc.

 

Although that has recently changed a bit. 5 years ago someone with thousands of finds was indeed somewhat of a celebrity. At events people would hesitate to approach them, or speak in hushed whispers saying "There is ______"; sort of the way they act when a famous athlete or actor nearby. Strange, I know. Now people with thousands of finds are a dime a dozen and the big find count no longer has that cachet. But there are people who still think that almighty smiley will make them SOMEBODY in the community.

 

** If someone does claim to find a cache they didn't find, why does the owner care? The only drawback I can see is if the condition or whereabouts of the cache are in question, a bogus find could confuse things.
You are correct about that drawback. It happens more than you realize. That and some people just don't like seeing fakes, phonies and frauds succeeding with their charade.
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If I find myself without a pencil, I take a piece of broken glass, cant it like a mirror and reflect the light, increase the heat like a magnifying glass and lazer my initials and date into the cache log or onto the cache itself (joking).

 

LOL Totally awesome.

I'm going to figure this out and sign them all this way! :laughing:

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Probably half of my finds are wet log books. I am delighted when I find a dry cache. When we first started out, I thought if it was wet we would just forgo the signing as it was gross and by the time I got the log out to sign it, I would spend another 30 minutes trying to get it back in. As I got more caches under my belt I realized that chances were I would be signing a wet log book or adding a dry page that would only be with the next rain. So, not only do we have to bring a writing implement but something that will write on wet paper.

 

I am very frustrated that at many of the locations I have gone to in the last couple of weeks has been logged as a find by a group of people who have a very high number of finds and no I have not seen their signatures on the logs. However, since most logs are a wet smash up of paper I don't feel like I have enough proof to submit my concerns to the COs.

 

So, we sign the wet logs or add our own paper and use lots of hand sanitizer.

 

Edited to be more precise in my use of language.

Edited by AmphibianTrackers
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As a cacher, I've run into problems with wet logs in which no signature was even remotely possible. In those cases, I log it and include a "needs maintenence" icon. In my log, I let the owner know that I'll be willing to go back to sign the log physically if and when the log is replaced.

 

Like others, if there is no pen in a cache, (and for some reason I don't have one with me),I'll try my best to sign it somehow with mud. (Once during the winter I even used lipstick to leave a thumbprint.lol) I'll let the others know in my log that they need to bring a pen so they aren't suprised when they get there. Sometimes the next cacher to find it will be kind enough to leave a pen behind.

 

As an owner, I don't quibble over whether it's been logged or not...as long as there is a very good reason. If the log is wet or there isn't a pen, let me know and you're good to go.

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Probably half of my finds are wet log books. I am delighted when I find a dry cache. When we first started out, I thought if it was wet we would just forgo the signing as it was gross and by the time I got the log out to sign it, I would spend another 30 minutes trying to get it back in. As I got more caches under my belt I realized that chances were I would be signing a wet log book or adding a dry page that would only be with the next rain. So, not only do we have to bring a writing implement but something that will write on wet paper.

 

I am very frustrated that at many of the locations I have gone to in the last couple of weeks has been logged as a find by a group of people who have a very high number of finds and no I have not seen their signatures on the logs. However, since most logs are a wet smash up of paper I don't feel like I have enough proof to submit my concerns to the COs.

 

So, we sign the wet logs or add our own paper and use lots of hand sanitizer.

 

Edited to be more precise in my use of language.

 

I'm always delighted to find dry logs too. When I first started caching damp and wet logs bummed me out and I sometimesmes logged a NM. Now I don't. I log a found and mention the log condition. In fact, I try to mention the container, contents and log condition in all my logs, especially when the log is dry I make sure to say that as a kudos to the COs choice of container.

 

I always try to sign the log, even damp ones. Especially in FL, we can take a damp or wet log and leave it in the blistering hot sun for 10 minutes and the log will be bone dry and able to be signed easily. Yeah, it will get wet or damp again but the next cachers hopefully will dry it out. Or replace. I rarely replace logs though, I just dry em.

 

It is sometimes hard to keep logs dry in FL, as you know, since we get downpours all summer and tropical storms. We have to try and make our caches hurricane proof. I've even seen ammo game wet inside, so it can be a challenge.

 

The longer I cache, the more I don't sweat the small stuff like a damp log. I mean, the cache took me to the destination. And the journey and destination are the real prize to me

 

I sometimes look to see who signed the log last, and I like to read over the names. I never really audit the logs though and you really shouldn't be concerning yourself over policing another COs cache and logs. Maybe a group went out and they used a team name instead. Maybe they don't sign logs, maybe they signed another page. Sometimes a log is too wet to sign one day, and dry the next!

 

It doesn't matter. How others play the game doesn't affect your game. Especially when it is not your cache. It's up to the CO how strict they want to be and if they want to audit their logs.

 

Film canisters are the worst for wet logs down here by the way. If I see any mention of a film cam now, I will not hunt the cache. I find a lot of pill containers (not surprising given our demographic) and they are pretty water tight.

 

Oh and I carry hand sanitizer too. Moldy caches gross me out. But I still sign! Lol

Edited by SeekerOfTheWay
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