Oooops I forgot my pen

[+snowfreak37]

So I'm about half way to a 5 Star Terrain with my muggle buddy and I get the sinking feeling that I forgot something. Oh yeah I forgot the biggy a pen. On the way we met some other folks on boats and I kindly asked if they had a pen/pencil I could have. Curious what they thought about that request? I had brought some camo tape so I could cover the cache at the request of the c/o. So that alone would at least be my "mark" that I was there. It was just a nagging feeling in my gut that I just had to sign the log with something. I found a lure with a treble hook. I could pick myself and leave a little dna log right? Nah too painfull and maybe a little gross for the next cacher. A bird feather "quill" so to speak didn't do the trick dipped in multiple excrement on the island. I finally found an old pull tab on the shore and to my surprise it wrote almost as well as a pencil. It wrote so well I kept it in my camera case for a backup. Glad I did because later in the day there was another full size cache that was missing a writing utensil.

 

Edited June 2, 2012 by snowfreak37

[+tango501]

good ingenuity

 

no mark no smiley

 

I forgot a pen once as well, took a pic of container (away from GZ so no spoilers) and sent that

to CO first asking for permission to log the smiley. Permission given and CO actually uploaded my

image and story

kind of embarrassing but it did the job

 

I now always keep a few pens with me

[knowschad]

Great idea with the aluminum pull tab! Silver wire was actually used as "lead" in pencils at one time (still is, but rarely).

[+The A-Team]

Only once have I been caught without a pen, and I was able to use the stick-and-dirt method. I now have one of these on my keychain, so I'll never be without one. And it writes really well on wet logs!

[+Chief301]

Only once have I been caught without a pen, and I was able to use the stick-and-dirt method. I now have one of these on my keychain, so I'll never be without one. And it writes really well on wet logs!

 

Thanks a lot, there's another pen I'm just going to have to have When my wife rolls her eyes at me I'll tell her it's all your fault

[ll JK ll]

I fourth the ingenuity, well done. That would suck to have hiked a long distance and not have the ability to leave your mark!

 

That's a cool gadget A-Team, I might pick one up myself.

 

I always keep sharpies on me but I don't like using them to sign logs because they bleed through. Now I keep a handful of pens in my bag so I'm well prepared and have spares to leave in needy caches

[+The A-Team]

When my wife rolls her eyes at me I'll tell her it's all your fault

Gee, thanks.

[ll JK ll]

I just checked the cache page snowfreak, it looks like it was a cool trip! If I were you and hadn't found the drink tab I would've strongly considered the DNA option!!

[+The Jester]

I bought a Fisher Space Pen Stowaway that's small enough to fit in my wallet. Not only do I always have a pen now, it writes on just about anything even soaked logs.

[+Viajero Perdido]

I sign with chlorophyll.

 

Grab a leaf from a willing tree (you don't mind do you?), pull out the car key, and sign my initials with a dot-dot-dot poking motion through the leaf. (Dragging would tear the leaf.)

[+snowfreak37]

I just checked the cache page snowfreak, it looks like it was a cool trip! If I were you and hadn't found the drink tab I would've strongly considered the DNA option!!

It was an excellent trip. Ironically me forgetting the pen added to the adventure.

[+snowfreak37]

I sign with chlorophyll.

 

Grab a leaf from a willing tree (you don't mind do you?), pull out the car key, and sign my initials with a dot-dot-dot poking motion through the leaf. (Dragging would tear the leaf.)

Should I ever forget my pen and can't find a pull tab I will have to try that method.

[+badger10]

Only once have I been caught without a pen, and I was able to use the stick-and-dirt method. I now have one of these on my keychain, so I'll never be without one. And it writes really well on wet logs!

Thanks for the info. I just ordered two of those. Now all I have to worry about is forgetting my car keys!!!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I sign with chlorophyll.

 

Grab a leaf from a willing tree (you don't mind do you?), pull out the car key, and sign my initials with a dot-dot-dot poking motion through the leaf. (Dragging would tear the leaf.)

Should I ever forget my pen and can't find a pull tab I will have to try that method.

 

Out of curiosity, why did you bring camo tape for a cache that had not yet been found?

[MisterEFQ]

I sign with boogers when I don't have a pen. They can DNA test it if they don't believe me.

[+Lady Loki]

For those of us in the US, here's the telepen at ThinkGeek. Or there's this one, even smaller. Or this one, which is similar to the first but somehow more expensive. And a classic. (I'm not employed by ThinkGeek, I just love their stuff.)

[vagabond]

I sign with chlorophyll.

 

Grab a leaf from a willing tree (you don't mind do you?), pull out the car key, and sign my initials with a dot-dot-dot poking motion through the leaf. (Dragging would tear the leaf.)

Been there done that

[+snowfreak37]

I sign with chlorophyll.

 

Grab a leaf from a willing tree (you don't mind do you?), pull out the car key, and sign my initials with a dot-dot-dot poking motion through the leaf. (Dragging would tear the leaf.)

Should I ever forget my pen and can't find a pull tab I will have to try that method.

 

Out of curiosity, why did you bring camo tape for a cache that had not yet been found?

The c/o had placed their cache and didn't put camo tape on it. After placing it they were concerned the seagulls may try to make a meal out of it. On the cache page they requested if possible someone to bring along some tape and camo the cache container, so I did.

[+Don_J]

Am I seeing this correctly? You took up 14 spots and 25% of the space on the log sheet, because you forgot your pen? I honestly am not sure how I would feel about that if I were the cache owner.

[+Dan2099]

Am I seeing this correctly? You took up 14 spots and 25% of the space on the log sheet, because you forgot your pen? I honestly am not sure how I would feel about that if I were the cache owner.

 

Yes he should be drug out and lynched! I mean paper is soooo hard to come by in this day and age.

 

I had a similar problem I was in a rush for my first FTF and it was about a mile and a half hike and when I got there oops no pen...I took a pic of the opened cache and sent it too the co as proof of the find....(week later went back and signed it)

[+snowfreak37]

Am I seeing this correctly? You took up 14 spots and 25% of the space on the log sheet, because you forgot your pen? I honestly am not sure how I would feel about that if I were the cache owner.

It does look like it from the picture. Actually that's the backside of the last sheet of the paper log. The faint lines that you see are the ink bleeding through from the front. The last log book page is still very signable on the front, assuming it gets that many visitors, which I hope it does.

[+snowfreak37]

I sign with boogers when I don't have a pen. They can DNA test it if they don't believe me.

You mean I'm not the only one with green boogers?

[+Don_J]

Am I seeing this correctly? You took up 14 spots and 25% of the space on the log sheet, because you forgot your pen? I honestly am not sure how I would feel about that if I were the cache owner.

It does look like it from the picture. Actually that's the backside of the last sheet of the paper log. The faint lines that you see are the ink bleeding through from the front. The last log book page is still very signable on the front, assuming it gets that many visitors, which I hope it does.

 

Well, I hope I didn't sound too harsh, all things considered. If I hid a T5 micro with two little sheets of note paper, I guess I'd have to expect be changing it sooner rather than later. Personally, if I were to take cachers on such an adventure, I'd do my best to give them a big enough cache to include something big enough to write about it on. Is the area such that it was not possible?

 

I once turned a two mile round trip hike into four miles because it was a FTF and I had forgot my pen.

[+popokiiti]

Just checked my caching bag - I have 5 working pens, plus a mini pen with 4 inks. My caching jacket has at least one pen in it. We've both manged to get to a cache without a pen between us - my fault apparently - so I've more than covered my bases now!

[+Indy.Sparkles]

I am often times in need of a pen if I am solo caching. I have used rocks, dirt, my fake nail (with black polish on it)... you name it. I usually stick a pen in my ponytail as I leave the house... but what if my hair is down?! I have to admit I am guilty of posting photos with the log as proof! (no spoilers, I swear!)

[+The VanDucks]

I'm kind of obsessive about carrying multiple writing utensils when out caching, so I don't understand why it's so hard to remember to bring a pen or pencil along! But then again, I'm a woman with a large purse, not a guy with only pockets!

 

As a cache owner, I don't mind if someone can't sign the log for some reason and tells me so in their log - I'm NOT obsessive enough to go our and check the online logs against the paper copy in the cache!

 

What did annoy me was the cacher who found our newest cache, a very simple bison in a park,clearly decribed on the cache page as a micro, who had the gall to complain that there "wasn't a pen inside" so he couldn't sign the log!

[+OZ2CPU]

I did actually signed one with blood once, but it was not on purpose,

I fell in thornes just in front of the cache,

found it and signed it, realized my fingers was almost red, darn, left alot of DNA :-)

that is gross I know sorry about it.

I hate so much to loose my pen, I really try not to, I even carry backups,

funny it still happens I sit with a log book, and nothing with me to write with,

lucky me so many caches contain a pen of some sort,

ballpens are sometimes a nightmare to get started, specially when wet or at winter time.

[+OZ2CPU]

>What did annoy me was the cacher who found our newest cache,

>a very simple bison in a park,clearly decribed on the cache page as a micro,

>who had the gall to complain that there "wasn't a pen inside" so he couldn't sign the log!

 

this happen here too :-)

offcourse some are noobs, and dont know some caches are too small for a pen,

and it is with intention they are made this small.

If he did not sign the log, DELETE his log..

a geocacher must offcourse bring a pen, and a gps, and wear clothes, and shoes, and his brain..

[+Straight-Cache-Homey]

Fairly recently my girlfriend and I's pen died out on a cache run. We went back to the car to look around and found an old, unsharpened light-blue colored pencil. It was fun signing the micro log with that. Ugh.

[+3doxies]

Been caught once or twice sans writing utensil, and used instead the blade of my pocketknife to make a distinct pattern of cuts/punctures on the log. Can do so in the same (or even less) space than a pen sig, and (before anyone blows a gasket) they are done in a pattern and manner so as to not compromise the structural integrity of the logsheet. Then describe the mark in the log (or in an email to the CO), and all is well. YMMV, and YOMD.

[+dprovan]

I'm kind of obsessive about carrying multiple writing utensils when out caching, so I don't understand why it's so hard to remember to bring a pen or pencil along! But then again, I'm a woman with a large purse, not a guy with only pockets!

I keep a few pens in my pockets at all times since I started geocaching. The funny thing is how convenient I've found them in non-geocaching situations, now that I have them. Same thing with tweezers: now an essential in my pocket contents.

[+Trucker Lee]

Found myself without writing stick yesterday (6/3). Broke the spine of a leaf and left initials in pale green.

[+W7WT]

I sign with chlorophyll.

 

Grab a leaf from a willing tree (you don't mind do you?), pull out the car key, and sign my initials with a dot-dot-dot poking motion through the leaf. (Dragging would tear the leaf.)

Should I ever forget my pen and can't find a pull tab I will have to try that method.

 

Out of curiosity, why did you bring camo tape for a cache that had not yet been found?

Your little picture looks just like me!! W7WT

[+jellis]

Not trying to hijack since this is closely related.

Cachers logging in a found when the couldn't get the log out. Funny thing is no one else had the problem even me when I went to check it. Well I replaced it and asked them to go back and sign it.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I have signed in blood and with a charred stick...99.99% I have my sharpie.

[+Chief301]

I will just about always have my Fisher Bullet Space Pen in my pocket whether I'm caching or not...if I'm spending a day caching I will have that and at least a couple of others, but if I happen to go for one or two caches on the spur of the moment I know at least I have that one.

 

I also always have my Swiss Army knife on me so I have the tweezers covered as well, and normally a small Streamlight flashlight also.

[+LightHouseSeekers]

Ordered a Tele-Pen & Inka from Think Geek.

Will see how well I like them.

[+Ranger Roo]

Signed a log with mascara once....don't ask why I was out caching with mascara but no pen!