You may think you have found a geocache...

1k · October 17, 2013

History of letterboxing in says it started in 1854.

http://www.atlasquest.com/about/history/

October 25, 2013

Im new at this(just got it today ) and there are a number of caches near me, now i know what to look out for. Thanks!

October 27, 2013

My family and I are new to caching too.

I had no idea "letterboxing" was a thing. I'm grateful for this thread!

I think I found another new hobby. I love the stamp idea! Much better than a cheap plastic toy. Like my wife described it last night, it's like geocaching for adults.

With all this bickering back and forth I'm reminded what I great man once said;

"Look to the cookie, Elaine"

Let's all just get along and have fun!

38.2k · October 29, 2013

Just a reminder that this thread is not meant to debate the merits of geocaching vs. letterboxing. It is only here to make sure that geocachers are aware of our "sister sport", treat letterboxes with respect and above all, do not remove letterbox stamps.

I'd hate to have to lock this, but will if people continue to use it to disparage one game or the other.

October 31, 2013

New to geocaching.....had no idea about letterboxes. Thanks for the info!

November 8, 2013

Mods: maybe this would be a good thing to post on the FAQ page on geocaching.com, not just the forums? I've already found 26 caches in my first two weeks of geocaching, and this is the first I've ever heard of letterboxing. It might be good to let newbs like me know what's up before we venture out and unwittingly destroy letterboxes.

Also, thanks for pinning this. It was the first thread I read in the forums...ever!

Edited November 8, 2013 by ema_nymton

January 3, 2014

Did some researching last night, talked with a friend about geocaching and created my account tonight. As a "newbie" figured I should educate myself. Glad I did as I had never heard of letterboxes. Thank you for the thread so I can now go forth with the knowledge and have fun!

p.s. ~ reading all of the bashing back and forth has put a sour taste in my mouth and I haven't even started searching for my first find yet.

February 4, 2014

We find your geocaches all the time and most of us (that I know) try hard not to poach your territory and we re-hide your caches well and are respectful of your own hobby.

We find your letter boxes also, and most of us do respect your game. I truly believe if it is geocachers taking the stamps, it is out of ignorance,

Not sure what can be done to completely stop new cachers from mistaking a stamp for a trade item. I know for myself I will try to inform new cachers about letterboxes. Perhaps those putting out letterboxes could try to identifiy their stamps as part of a letterbox.

There will always be some who don't care about others, but we can try to work to inform those who do care. Maybe things like this will be less likely to happen.

Every Letterbox we have ever found had the stamp in a plastic bag clearly marked with instructions stating this was a letterbox stamp that was to stay with the cache and not to be taken. Perhaps your stamps were not marked?

13.7k · February 4, 2014

p.s. ~ reading all of the bashing back and forth has put a sour taste in my mouth and I haven't even started searching for my first find yet.

Really?

I'm on quite a few sites and this one has the most moderated forums yet.

There's no requirement to view the forums to cache...

7.5k · February 5, 2014

We find your geocaches all the time and most of us (that I know) try hard not to poach your territory and we re-hide your caches well and are respectful of your own hobby.

We find your letter boxes also, and most of us do respect your game. I truly believe if it is geocachers taking the stamps, it is out of ignorance,

Not sure what can be done to completely stop new cachers from mistaking a stamp for a trade item. I know for myself I will try to inform new cachers about letterboxes. Perhaps those putting out letterboxes could try to identifiy their stamps as part of a letterbox.

There will always be some who don't care about others, but we can try to work to inform those who do care. Maybe things like this will be less likely to happen.

Every Letterbox we have ever found had the stamp in a plastic bag clearly marked with instructions stating this was a letterbox stamp that was to stay with the cache and not to be taken. Perhaps your stamps were not marked?

I've had some very good luck with clearly labelling the box and stamp. Since 2002 I've planted 22 letterbox hybrids. I always write on the back of the stamp and leave a note in the box.

Well, almost always - once I got lazy and didn't leave my "leave stamp in the box" note in my letterbox hybrid:

And I didn't write on the back of my stamp, like I normally do. Here's what I normally do:

The note-less stamp got traded out by a geocacher. Good thing though, he mentioned the trade in the log. I contacted him and got it back. I now never plant a letterbox without the eye catching business card and the note on the back of the stamp.

So in almost 12 years of planting letterboxes I can say I've never lost a stamp to a geocacher. It's also quite rare in my area - Ontario Canada (285 letterboxes (not posted on GC) within 60 km of where I live), for a letterboxer to lose a stamp to a geocacher. We even have a few stories of geocachers contacting and helping out letterboxers who have inadvertently planted letterboxes within a few feet of a geocache.

This discussion comes up a lot in the letterboxing forums. Many people say they write on the box and stamp, but what they write is -- 'This is a letterbox not a geocache'. That says nothing about the integral part of letterboxing - the stamp i.e. it's not a trade item and it stays in the box for the next finder to use.

BTW the deer stamp letterbox hybrid lasted 8 years until I removed it and archived it - 188 cachers and 15 letterboxers logged a find.

Edited February 5, 2014 by L0ne.R

March 28, 2014

We infer from what we have read above that there is no regulation regarding how close a letterbox can be to a geocache - or vice versa! We signed a log in a letterbox a couple of days ago and were only lucky to learn that it was not the cache we were seeking because it was within a couple of metres of the cache which, I hasten to add, we went back to find. Is there no way to legislate a distance within which a cache cannot be placed from a letter box - or vice versa? (I'm not sure I've placed this question in the right spot but one can only try!)

denjoa

7.5k · March 28, 2014

We infer from what we have read above that there is no regulation regarding how close a letterbox can be to a geocache - or vice versa! We signed a log in a letterbox a couple of days ago and were only lucky to learn that it was not the cache we were seeking because it was within a couple of metres of the cache which, I hasten to add, we went back to find. Is there no way to legislate a distance within which a cache cannot be placed from a letter box - or vice versa? (I'm not sure I've placed this question in the right spot but one can only try!)

denjoa

I remember back more than a decade ago, Jeremy Irish offered the Letterboxing North America group his GC database for letterbox listings. This was back when LBNA listed letterboxes on their yahoo group site and didn't have a database yet. If they had taken up the offer, perhaps we wouldn't have the problem of letterboxes and geocaches being too close to each other. But as long as there are multiple databases this will be an ongoing issue.

The problem I see for geocachers is, how will they know if there's a letterbox nearby or if someone later plants a letterbox nearby? On the letterbox sites often the owner posts a general location - sometimes the center of a city and one must read the clue/directions - sometimes they can be quite cryptic. It's a little easier on letterboxers, they can go to the geocaching website and do a search for caches near an address or lat/long coords. However, it's still not great since they don't know where the multi, and unknown cache-type finals are. Most letterboxers who don't geocache are not going to be checking the GC site (and vice versa). They could also contact a reviewer for help. But it doesn't prevent anyone from planting a cache near their letterbox later.

The best solution to the problem is at the source, in the box container. Short, eye-catching notes that explain not to take the stamp.

4.1k · March 28, 2014

We infer from what we have read above that there is no regulation regarding how close a letterbox can be to a geocache - or vice versa!

\

The problem I see for geocachers is, how will they know if there's a letterbox nearby or if someone later plants a letterbox nearby? . . . . Most letterboxers who don't geocache are not going to be checking the GC site (and vice versa). They could also contact a reviewer for help. But it doesn't prevent anyone from planting a cache near their letterbox later.

The best solution to the problem is at the source, in the box container. Short, eye-catching notes that explain not to take the stamp.

For that matter, there is no regulation of how close a letterbox can be to other letterboxes.

I have had one letterbox placed within inches one of my previously existing caches, and another hanging directly overhead. I had a letterbox hybrid at the latter location and the problem only came to light when I finally got around to cross listing it. All of our containers, though, are labeled and I edited the cache listing to warn people about the letterboxes.

So far there has not been a significant issue with either. I eventually moved the LBH slightly when I needed to replace the container. Letterboxers in my area are wary of cachers (and problems with stamps being removed), so some label their boxes with a caution that "this is not a geocache." I have been labeling all of my caches for quite some time.

3.8k · March 28, 2014

We infer from what we have read above that there is no regulation regarding how close a letterbox can be to a geocache - or vice versa!

Right, and wrong. On geocaching.com there are letterboxes, called letter box hybrids. As with any physical container it has to be 161M away.

But you factor in other websites, there is no crossover regulation. I could have 2 letter boxes and 3 geocaches, all from different listing sites, within 10 feet of each other.

3.2k · March 28, 2014

........Or how about the rude geocacher that has to figure out that "netless" is an old abandoned basketball hoop (sans net). And it's not at a court or even a prepared surface. Just a bit of a clearing with nothing else around it except trees now. ......

Read the whole thing and now I know where to look for a letterbox sometime. Thought you were in French Creek until I got to that line.

2.7k · March 28, 2014

........Or how about the rude geocacher that has to figure out that "netless" is an old abandoned basketball hoop (sans net). And it's not at a court or even a prepared surface. Just a bit of a clearing with nothing else around it except trees now. ......

Read the whole thing and now I know where to look for a letterbox sometime. Thought you were in French Creek until I got to that line.

I wrote that nearly two years ago. Long before this educational topic got pinned. The only way to truly appreciate Letterboxing is to walk many many miles in their shoes. And Nolde is an excellent testing ground. The closest experience I had before that was orienteering style (no GPS) Geocaching taught by you. But I found Letterboxing to be an even tougher challenge (no high quality map to rely on).

I still have not found the "netless" Letterbox (lots of trees on the trails and ground near the contemplated GZ back then). I have to go back and take a look for this again. It is Spring. In any case, you might accidentally stumble on yet another nearby letterbox that I did successfully track down there. And a third Letterbox I also never found was supposed to be close by. A very busy Letterbox planting location indeed. Proof that Letterboxing does not have a saturation guideline. Good luck trying to read the minds of Node Letterbox planters. That is exactly how it always felt to me. Just like mind reading. Tough but fun. And I never found a micro Letterbox. Even better.

June 1, 2014

Actually, our first geocache, Under Cover (GC3AHVT) was placed within 40 feet of a letterbox, however I had no idea that was there. It is frustrating having a letterbox nearby your cache because

1.Geocachers find the letterbox instead of the actual cache.

2.If the geocache is missing, people find the letterbox instead, so you have no idea the real cache is missing.

But there is one good thing, if somebody looking for the letterbox finds the geocache, they go to geocaching.com and sign up (that actually happened to one of our geocache finders).

The letterbox is not logged on geocaching.com, so the people looking for the letterbox do not know about geocaching (probably).

7.3k · June 2, 2014

Sounds to me like this "Letterboxing" is just a geocache rip-off anyways.

I really don't like all of the new "types" of geocaching either.

People make it complicated for no reason at all.

Keep your "letterbox" garbage away from the cache sites and there shouldn't be an issue.

:laughing:

Uh, you might want to educate yourself on letterboxing. It's not hard to do...Google is your friend.

It's the other way around...this new-fangled geocaching craze is a rip-off of letterboxing.

All of 11 years ago when this geocaching silliness started, the letterboxers had the same message: keep your garbage away from the letterbox locations.

B.

June 11, 2014

I was notified yesterday by two cachers that they had found my cache as well as a letterbox at the location. I could not find a letterbox symbol on the geocaching.com map. One of the cachers that found it said that Atlasquest may have the listing. This was how I discovered that there is another game afoot. Reading the logs here was helpful so I know nothing can be done about the overlapping games. I placed a note on the description for my cache notifying future cachers to look for the geocaching sticker to determine the correct cache. My cache is pretty much in plain sight so it is sad that the letterboxer couldn't have picked another location. <_<

4.1k · June 11, 2014

I was notified yesterday by two cachers that they had found my cache as well as a letterbox at the location. I could not find a letterbox symbol on the geocaching.com map. One of the cachers that found it said that Atlasquest may have the listing. This was how I discovered that there is another game afoot. Reading the logs here was helpful so I know nothing can be done about the overlapping games. I placed a note on the description for my cache notifying future cachers to look for the geocaching sticker to determine the correct cache. My cache is pretty much in plain sight so it is sad that the letterboxer couldn't have picked another location.

I have had a couple of letterboxes that have been put right next to my caches.I have also seen some caches that have been placed near to existing letterboxes, and letterbox owners have complained that stamps were taken from their container after cachers mistook the boxes..

Because of this, communication is important - I got in touch with both letterbox owners. If you have not done so already, you might consider registering at Atlas and contacting the letterbox owner through that site. If I am not mistaken, it is the Slenderman letterbox as listed there.. Both of the letterbox owners that I have spoken with were very friendly.. It the letterbox owner is not aware of your cache, it is possible that she might want to move the container - or at least make sure it is labeled - so that no one mistakes the stamp for a trade item.

It appears that your container is already labeled (which is always a good thing to do). But if the letterbox is unlabeled, the owner of that box might want to do so. In my case, one of the other letterbox owners already had a label on his container stating that it was not a geocache (or other possibilities). We made sure that the other letterbox got labeled -- a good thing because it is only a few inches away from my cache..

As a courtesy, I also warned cachers that there is a letterbox nearby and ask them not to remove anything from that container.

I have visited both caches and the letterboxes just to make sure that there are no problems. So far, all of our containers seem to be doing fine.

It also does not appear that either your cache or the letterbox have run into any problems -- the logs on Atlas have not noted your cache so perhaps there is enough separation so that it is not causing undue confusion. In any event, there is no reason why the two cannot coexist.

Edited June 11, 2014 by geodarts

June 14, 2014

Thank you, Geodarts, for your clarification. I will do as you suggest. Thanks for your help.

August 10, 2014

Well, I found something....not sure what. It was NOT a letter box. I'm not even sure where I was. I know I was on a trail in the Redwoods just 10 miles north of Crescent City on Hwy 199. We were just taking a family stroll in the redwoods. I wasn't really looking for a geocache. But we found something in the hollow of one of the redwoods. A very well hidden brown glass jar. Inside was a damp piece of paper saying something about the universe. It said "you have found Pirate Treasure". It contained no log, no dates, no pencil. But it contained a baggy filled with colorful pebbles and pennies. I signed it, still not thinking it was a geocache. If it was, it's not been found before. I left a dollar inside, not having anything else on me worth leaving. Let my Grandson pick one tiny pebble from the "treasure" and replaced the Cache where we found it. No stamp inside. Not sure what I found or how to identify it's owner or log the find.

August 23, 2014

I had heard of the concept but I don't think I'd have been able to identify the difference between a geocache and a letterbox before reading this; thanks for the info.

I actually had some difficulty locating letterboxes near me on atlasquest.com, though it seems like it isn't very popular here (there are two listings for the whole of the greater Fredericton, NB area, the next closest being about 100km away), so I guess I probably won't have to worry about it much.

-LaserTuna

February 14, 2015

As a new cacher I'm glad to have stumbled upon this thread! Will be careful not to disrupt any letterboxes on my travels.

April 19, 2015

I'm not a too often Geocacher, so I have little knowledge in letterboxing. Having said that, I decided to look further into letterboxing. I went to letterbozing.org via Yahoo and got the error message "No data received". Is the site down and is ther eanother site I can go to re: letterboxing?

7.5k · April 19, 2015

I'm not a too often Geocacher, so I have little knowledge in letterboxing. Having said that, I decided to look further into letterboxing. I went to letterbozing.org via Yahoo and got the error message "No data received". Is the site down and is ther eanother site I can go to re: letterboxing?

The site is down. Don't know why? Try again tomorrow.

Also try atlasquest - it's a bigger, more active letterboxing site.

May 9, 2015

They are not necessarily letterboxers,I think they just use the stamp to save time.

May 17, 2015

Oh no. My son and I just started geocaching yesterday and I only just saw this post. I think I accidentally nabbed a stamp! I'll be sure to put it back out where I know that I found it!

May 18, 2015

I'm glad I saw this thread...as I'd never heard of letter boxes, etc, and probably WOULD HAVE thought I found a cache, etc.

I've never geocached either, as I just became interested the other day.

Is it possible that a random hiker, etc...might find a box of either type, and just have no clue that it means anything?

Edited May 18, 2015 by Teeger

13.7k · May 18, 2015

Possible...

The nice thing about "hikers" is that usually means away from a Town/City.

Most outdoors folks are aware of geocaching and/or letterboxing, though some confuse them with orienteering, (I guess) when they see a GPSr especially.

Edited May 18, 2015 by cerberus1

June 14, 2015

Thanks for posting this. I am new to geocaching and wouldn't have known the difference. I've never heard of letterboxing before.

July 5, 2015

We have a few Letterbox Hybrids that we have placed and we always write "Not a trade item" on the back of the stamps we put in the Hybrids.

You may think you have found a geocache...

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Join the conversation