+Ramblin_Man Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I recently found a letter box cache while looking for a geo-cache. On my stats I have a couple of letter box finds that I found a couple years ago. My questions is how do ( if they do) letter box caches get added to your geo stats? Quote Link to comment
Mr.Yuck Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I recently found a letter box cache while looking for a geo-cache. On my stats I have a couple of letter box finds that I found a couple years ago. My questions is how do ( if they do) letter box caches get added to your geo stats? Welcome to the club, I think I've stumbled on more than 10 Letterboxes while Geocaching. If it was listed on Letterboxing North America, and/or Atlas Quest, you do not get them added to your stats. Totally different game, and totally different websites. Quote Link to comment
Pup Patrol Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I recently found a letter box cache while looking for a geo-cache. On my stats I have a couple of letter box finds that I found a couple years ago. My questions is how do ( if they do) letter box caches get added to your geo stats? What are published here through Groundspeak are called "Letterbox Hybrids". They are not the same as "true" letterboxes. http://www.geocaching.com/about/cache_types.aspx Letterboxes aren't included in your Groundspeak stats because they are completely different organizations / listing services. Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 I recently found a letter box cache while looking for a geo-cache. On my stats I have a couple of letter box finds that I found a couple years ago. My questions is how do ( if they do) letter box caches get added to your geo stats? Welcome to the club, I think I've stumbled on more than 10 Letterboxes while Geocaching. If it was listed on Letterboxing North America, and/or Atlas Quest, you do not get them added to your stats. Totally different game, and totally different websites. Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 Thanks for the reply. I guess you can always play two games at once...so to speak Quote Link to comment
+Coldgears Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I recently found a letter box cache while looking for a geo-cache. On my stats I have a couple of letter box finds that I found a couple years ago. My questions is how do ( if they do) letter box caches get added to your geo stats? Welcome to the club, I think I've stumbled on more than 10 Letterboxes while Geocaching. If it was listed on Letterboxing North America, and/or Atlas Quest, you do not get them added to your stats. Totally different game, and totally different websites. Nah, they both require you to find a container, one using clues, one with GPS coords. I've found one letterbox while geocaching. And DNFed the cache... For 30 minutes. I came back with the group during the event, and someone else found it and I got to sign the log. I always thought they should lower the requirement for distance to 100 feet instead of 500 or so. But I found the letterbox 100 feet away over a creek. Why? Because it looked like a nice geopile... It was, just not for the container I was looking for. So I chucked the letterbox into the creek. I didn't really chuck it. Quote Link to comment
+Coldgears Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Thanks for the reply. I guess you can always play two games at once...so to speak Yep, if you like geocaching you will almost certainly like letterboxing. Extremely similar hobbies, and many people do both. The only issue is that letterboxing stats are not as braggable, so many geocachers leave them to the way-side. It's a shame. Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 Thanks for the reply. I guess you can always play two games at once...so to speak Yep, if you like geocaching you will almost certainly like letterboxing. Extremely similar hobbies, and many people do both. The only issue is that letterboxing stats are not as braggable, so many geocachers leave them to the way-side. It's a shame. Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 Yes, I recently been on the letter boxing site, it is not as sophisticated as the geocaching website or appears as easy to navigate, but I will check it when I do venture out... two birds are better than one. Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 I recently found a letter box cache while looking for a geo-cache. On my stats I have a couple of letter box finds that I found a couple years ago. My questions is how do ( if they do) letter box caches get added to your geo stats? What are published here through Groundspeak are called "Letterbox Hybrids". They are not the same as "true" letterboxes. http://www.geocaching.com/about/cache_types.aspx Letterboxes aren't included in your Groundspeak stats because they are completely different organizations / listing services. Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 That explains why my stats show 2 (old) letter boxing caches...they were hybrids. TFTI Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 I recently found a letter box cache while looking for a geo-cache. On my stats I have a couple of letter box finds that I found a couple years ago. My questions is how do ( if they do) letter box caches get added to your geo stats? What are published here through Groundspeak are called "Letterbox Hybrids". They are not the same as "true" letterboxes. http://www.geocaching.com/about/cache_types.aspx Letterboxes aren't included in your Groundspeak stats because they are completely different organizations / listing services. Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 I guess in this case if it looks like a cache and walks like a cache..it isn't ... it is a letter box... unless it is a hybrid Thanks Quote Link to comment
+Coldgears Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I don't want to be a nag. But, generally people quote the post and reply in the same post. You can do it your way if you like to, but it is not normally done that way. Sorry. Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 (edited) Nah, they both require you to find a container, one using clues, one with GPS coords. The true Letterboxes, as opposed to the Geocache 'Hybrid' on Groundspeak, require you to use a stamp -preferably hand-made- to log your visit. If you decide to do Letterboxes, you will also need to carry an inkpad. Most letterboxes don't have one for the stamp, or it's so old the ink is dry! Edited October 25, 2011 by Bear and Ragged Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 (edited) I recently found a letter box cache while looking for a geo-cache. On my stats I have a couple of letter box finds that I found a couple years ago. My questions is how do ( if they do) letter box caches get added to your geo stats? Welcome to the club, I think I've stumbled on more than 10 Letterboxes while Geocaching. If it was listed on Letterboxing North America, and/or Atlas Quest, you do not get them added to your stats. Totally different game, and totally different websites. Nah, they both require you to find a container, one using clues, one with GPS coords. There's nothing that precludes the use of GPS coordinates instead of clues. The thing that's different is the contents of the box. In geocaching we exchange swag, "take something leave something", in the Letterboxing game we exchange stamp images, take the letterbox's stamp image leave your signature stamp image. The stamp images are collectible. They are usually unique - either a one-of-a-kind handcarved stamp or a custom-made stamp (but yes sometimes people put commercial stamps in boxes, but those are not encouraged). Edited October 25, 2011 by Lone R Quote Link to comment
+L0ne.R Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 (edited) Yes, I recently been on the letter boxing site, it is not as sophisticated as the geocaching website or appears as easy to navigate, but I will check it when I do venture out... two birds are better than one. Go to http://www.atlasquest.com not the LBNA site (http://www.letterboxing.org). Atlas Quest is much more like geocaching.com. Lots of bells and whistles. There are a fair amount of letterboxes in your area - try the Simple Search on AQ. You will need to set up a free account. You can log finds and leave comments and to see the status of boxes. If you become a premium member you can keep a record of "unlisted" boxes (letterboxes listed on geocaching only, letterboxes listed on LBNA only, word-of-mouth letterboxes). It also has some great forums including a geocaching forum. You're in Ontario, like me. Just about all of us in Ontario use AtlasQuest.com. There's a AQ Ontario forum.You can even download a GPX file of boxes in your area - however they are more like .loc files, you don't get the paperless function that you do with geocaching.com gpx files. I can tell you more about how to manipulate location data so you get a more accurate GPX file, if you want to know. Edited October 25, 2011 by Lone R Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Yes, I recently been on the letter boxing site, it is not as sophisticated as the geocaching website or appears as easy to navigate, but I will check it when I do venture out... two birds are better than one. Go to http://www.atlasquest.com not the LBNA site (http://www.letterboxing.org). Atlas Quest is much more like geocaching.com. Lots of bells and whistles. There are a fair amount of letterboxes in your area - try the Simple Search on AQ. You will need to set up a free account. You can log finds and leave comments and to see the status of boxes. If you become a premium member you can keep a record of "unlisted" boxes (letterboxes listed on geocaching only, letterboxes listed on LBNA only, word-of-mouth letterboxes). It also has some great forums including a geocaching forum. You're in Ontario, like me. Just about all of us in Ontario use AtlasQuest.com. There's a AQ Ontario forum.You can even download a GPX file of boxes in your area - however they are more like .loc files, you don't get the paperless function that you do with geocaching.com gpx files. I can tell you more about how to manipulate location data so you get a more accurate GPX file, if you want to know. Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Thanks for the info. I will certainly take a look at www.atlasquest.com Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Nah, they both require you to find a container, one using clues, one with GPS coords. The true Letterboxes, as opposed to the Geocache 'Hybrid' on Groundspeak, require you to use a stamp -preferably hand-made- to log your visit. If you decide to do Letterboxes, you will also need to carry an inkpad. Most letterboxes don't have one for the stamp, or it's so old the ink is dry! Quote Link to comment
+Ramblin_Man Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Thanks Quote Link to comment
+FloridaFour Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Smart phones have apps for letterboxing, so you can go paperless, or almost paperless. The free app for my droid is called "box radar" and there are others for other phones. The app gives you a fairly helpful (down to a mile or so) map, and all the clues. Quote Link to comment
AZcachemeister Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I don't want to be a nag. But, generally people quote the post and reply in the same post. You can do it your way if you like to, but it is not normally done that way. Sorry. They are just trying to increase their post count in a hurry! Quote Link to comment
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