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New to geocaching - find the hobby bittersweet


swollibman

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Hi everyone, I joined a few weeks ago and I'm really enjoying the website so far. I have even placed my first cache and a few people have found it.

 

However, I feel I might have been viewing the hobby through rose-tinted glasses when I signed up. I have only found 35 caches but out of those I have found empty plastic wrappers, mouldy food, used band-aids, offensive messages directed at players, pornography and solicitations for prostitution. While I understand the real objective and fun of the hobby is finding the cache and not finding the treasure, finding these things really puts a damper on my enthusiasm. Is this just a reality of the sport or have I had bad luck?

 

I have been trying to clean them up, by removing anything I would consider trash from the containers. One Sunday out geocaching in the woods I found all the caches in this particular area were full of mouldy food. It was evident that this food had been in the cache for a very long time and many people had logged it without removing it. Should I have just left it? Is it my place to remove trash from caches? The forest in question has a rodent and vermin pest control operation in place in order to help restore the population of native birds. Obviously having rotting food is not helping with this and attracts vermin. I was angry to say the least when I found this in caches.

 

I suppose this is what happens when you make the location available to any idiot with an iPhone.

 

Anyway, I am going mountain climbing this weekend and as it is a place relatively untouched by the masses I am hoping to find some good caches.

 

On the positive side of things, I have found some great caches in some cool places I didn't even know existed and that makes it all worth it in the end, doesn't it? I have been putting some old coins from the early 20th Century in the caches and I hope finding these coins has brought pleasure to some people.

 

Regards

Leon

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I've been caching since Feb and have 245 finds, 1 hide. I have only found 2 caches with food items and yes I removed it. Food items attract critters and bugs... YUCK!!! I also remove trash & broken swag, pieces of toys, etc... I haven't found any of the gross or offensive items you have BUT I would remove them as well. Make sure you have some rubber gloves and baby wipes for touching that yuck stuff!!! I would also, if possible wipe out the cache with wipies after you remove that crap... Your mountain climbing cache trip should be free of all of that and much more pleasant!!! HAVE FUN!!! OH and when I log my find I make the CO aware of the clean-up I performed!!!

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Wow... It sounds like you've found some real "winners". I've found more than a thousand caches, and a few have had inappropriate contents. I just traded for whatever it was (pretty easy when it isn't worth much), and then disposed of it.

 

Don't worry about removing trash. In general, you should trade up or trade even, but if something is worth nothing (or even less than nothing), then you're doing other geocachers a favor by just removing it.

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It might just be the area that you cached in. I've been caching for over 11 years, and have found none of those things. I would like to think that you'll find some better conditions in the mountains.

 

I'm glad that despite issues, you're enjoying yourself. I've found so many interesting spots because of geocaching, and my life has been much richer for it. Not to mention the wonderful people who come into your life through this sport.

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Maybe you have just had bad luck; or there is a bad apple or two in your area causing issues.

 

I can't think of any caches I've found with inappropriate content, though there may have been a few and I forgot about them.

 

Certainly I have found a fair number of containers where the contents were wet/mouldy - due to containers which leaked and lack of maintenance. And things like cachers leaving a "business card" in a cache can quickly turn into unpleasant trash when wet. And of course I prefer to find a nice try container and log, but if I enjoyed the journey and location a wet and yucky cache doesn't bother me too much. And I will remove obvious trash.

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One thing I noticed when I first started caching was that the caches that we visited tended to be the older ones. And the longer a cache is out in the field the more

it "degrades" - with poorer quality swaps and the effects of the weather. After all the locals find a cache, the only visitors it gets are newbies and visitors from further afield.

 

Once you have found a number of caches in your area, you will notice new ones popping up and they are in much better condition. If you only went to look for caches in the first week after they were published (or even go for FTF) then you would find dry log books and swag as the owner left it.

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I've found some pretty crappy stuff in caches, but in 12+ years at this game other than empty plastic wrappers, I can't say I've found anything similar to the other stuff you listed. Maybe it's where the caches were? Or maybe it does indicate a trend that has something to do with the influx of smart phonies?

Edited by briansnat
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Is it my place to remove trash from caches? The forest in question has a rodent and vermin pest control operation in place in order to help restore the population of native birds. Obviously having rotting food is not helping with this and attracts vermin. I was angry to say the least when I found this in caches.

I usually specify that there was food in the container, or that there are “very creative entries in the log book” and post a photo in my "Found It" log. Depending on how bad the cache situation is, you do not have to clean up after people. Just make appropriate logs.

 

The first trashed cache I ever found, I threw out some of the more hazardous items, logged "Needs Maintenance", washed my hand hands of the whole cache (and washed my hands) and walked away without logging a Find. Your mileage may vary. :anicute:

 

If the cache is at a wonderful spot and you feel that it must remain there, it's fine to tidy-up the contents. But usually, when you see trash and offensive logs, the cache has been compromised -- it's being stumbled upon by neighbor kids who use it as a communal toy box. Many members of Geocaching.com are in no way friends of the earth, and have no qualms about “trading down”, leaving the wrappers from nice things they take, or will leave trash or inappropriate things without thinking. And a bunch of “Geocachers” are completely insane and use “Geocaching” as another way to cry for help (not understanding that an anonymous game is not an effective outlet). But non-Geocachers who somehow find a Geocache, tend to deliberately mess it up as with everything else many people do at a nice park when nobody's looking. That issue is beyond “Geocaching”, of course.

Edited by kunarion
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I suppose this is what happens when you make the location available to any idiot with an iPhone.

 

I know many respectable cachers who cache with an iPhone.

 

In the examples you have in mind I'd rather say that often the issues are due to people (children, teenagers etc) finding the cache who are not

caching. Caches which are hidden near playgrounds, meeting points where the local teenagers meet when they want to be away from their parents,

places where drug dealers are around etc it often happens that caches are found by chance and then the finders make fun of the strange objects they find.

In my experience, insulting messages are most often the result of such situations - the idea is to provocate all finders of the cache.

 

Cezanne

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Worst stuff I've found (which really isn't all that bad considering what COULD have been in these caches):

- tampon (still in the wrapper, of course...not used)

- surgical glove (probably unused, but no way to tell)

- snack size Snickers (last finder had been two months earlier, so the candy had been in there AT LEAST that long)

- some mint candies that had completely dissolved into blue goo in the cache

 

Other than that, worst I've seen is just the usual sopping wet logs or years-old crappy toys.

 

To the OP...you DEFINITELY should make notes of all this stuff in the logs. Make sure folks know about it and put in 'Needs Maintenance' logs on the worst offenders. I'm sure many of the COs would appreciate knowing this stuff since their names are on those caches. The ones who don't do anything about it should get a reality check and have their unmaintained caches archived. I don't have much tolerance for COs who don't keep up with their caches when there are NM logs - sometimes more than one - on a cache.

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At one time you could figure out who did that by reading the logbook or online logs, but now its not possible. Candy, mints and gum are the worst items as they dissolve and stick to everything inside, as well as cause it to get attacked by animals. I've found a few gnawed by critters and its always because of gum, mints or scented items. I don't think anyone would eat something out of a cache anyhow even if it was any good. I'd hate to say it, but making it members only often puts a stop to it, as most (but not all) premium members are more serious than the smartphone app users. Some don't bother to rehide it, or close the lid properly. I noticed one profile in which one fourth of all of the persons finds were found muggled by the next visitor.

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I have found some great caches in some cool places I didn't even know existed and that makes it all worth it in the end, doesn't it?
This is why I go caching, and also to enjoy some fun with like minded friends.

 

I have found empty plastic wrappers, mouldy food, used band-aids, offensive messages directed at players, pornography and solicitations for prostitution.
I've found a few unpleasant things in the caches I've opened over the past 11 years, but those are easily outweighed by the positives from actually going out caching.

 

Don't let the bastards get you down, and feel free to remove things that are obviously trash from the caches.

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At one time you could figure out who did that by reading the logbook or online logs, but now its not possible. Candy, mints and gum are the worst items as they dissolve and stick to everything inside, as well as cause it to get attacked by animals. I've found a few gnawed by critters and its always because of gum, mints or scented items. I don't think anyone would eat something out of a cache anyhow even if it was any good. I'd hate to say it, but making it members only often puts a stop to it, as most (but not all) premium members are more serious than the smartphone app users. Some don't bother to rehide it, or close the lid properly. I noticed one profile in which one fourth of all of the persons finds were found muggled by the next visitor.

 

Yeah...I just don't understand why anyone would put something like that into a cache. I hate to think of anyone's kids grabbing a mint or gum out of a cache and think it's safe to put in their mouth. I don't think it's appropriate to put ANYTHING in a cache that is intended to be put in the mouth - not just food or candy, but even a bottle (empty, full, unopened...) or a whistle or fake vampire teeth or toy flute or anything like that. It's been sitting in a container exposed to the elements for who knows how long, handled by god only knows how many other people. Whenever I find stuff like that, I take it out and throw it away. I don't like to play judge and jury of geocache swag, but that kind of thing just doesn't belong in a cache. I wouldn't let my kid take a toy whistle from some random guy on the street, and I sure as heck wouldn't hand out that sort of thing to kids that don't know me. How is leaving it in a cache any different?

Edited by J Grouchy
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Where exactly are you caching? I've never come across a lot of the items you are mentioning.

 

Moldy containers are just going to happen. People choose bad containers that aren't air tight to start with, then even when the containers are good, they often aren't closed properly by other cachers. Improperly closed containers is probably one of the top maintenance issues out there. I've come across food in containers too, mainly bubble gum, and I think people really believe that as long as its in the container that wildlife won't find it, although thats obviously not true, so I typically remove such items.

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Hi everyone, I joined a few weeks ago and I'm really enjoying the website so far. I have even placed my first cache and a few people have found it.

 

However, I feel I might have been viewing the hobby through rose-tinted glasses when I signed up. I have only found 35 caches but out of those I have found empty plastic wrappers, mouldy food, used band-aids, offensive messages directed at players, pornography and solicitations for prostitution. While I understand the real objective and fun of the hobby is finding the cache and not finding the treasure, finding these things really puts a damper on my enthusiasm. Is this just a reality of the sport or have I had bad luck?

 

I have been trying to clean them up, by removing anything I would consider trash from the containers. One Sunday out geocaching in the woods I found all the caches in this particular area were full of mouldy food. It was evident that this food had been in the cache for a very long time and many people had logged it without removing it. Should I have just left it? Is it my place to remove trash from caches? The forest in question has a rodent and vermin pest control operation in place in order to help restore the population of native birds. Obviously having rotting food is not helping with this and attracts vermin. I was angry to say the least when I found this in caches.

 

I suppose this is what happens when you make the location available to any idiot with an iPhone.

 

Anyway, I am going mountain climbing this weekend and as it is a place relatively untouched by the masses I am hoping to find some good caches.

 

On the positive side of things, I have found some great caches in some cool places I didn't even know existed and that makes it all worth it in the end, doesn't it? I have been putting some old coins from the early 20th Century in the caches and I hope finding these coins has brought pleasure to some people.

 

Regards

Leon

these problems go along with urban caches but urban caching is all the some caches are expose to in some areas. Try some caches that may take a bit of a hike to got to.

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We don't have anything like this in my area. My advice is to look for caches that are further out.

And, I would add that you can help by doing what you said you did: remove the offending swag, replace it with some better stuff (trade up, trade even), and note as much in your online logs. If the cache is in rough enough shape, you're not out of order to post a needs maintenance log.

 

From there, cache further out, and even work on placing in and maintaining caches that can be an alternative to the ugly ones you've been finding.

 

But, give it time. Once you cache long enough, you'll see that there are many awesome caches; great locations, big containers filled with nice swag, and many cachers who are fun, energetic, and a hoot to play this game with.

 

Sometimes it is hard to get over the nasty and bad stuff in this game...but then I remember that it is just a game, and I can choose how I play (within the guidelines and laws, of course!)

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We don't have anything like this in my area. My advice is to look for caches that are further out.

 

Maybe also because the reviewers in North America seem to be stricter on caches near playground or in other problematic areas than they are in some other parts of the country.

 

For an apparently muggled cacche like this one

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC1XTKB_thomsons-bush-southland

it is not that uncommon what the OP reports.

 

 

Cezanne

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We don't have anything like this in my area. My advice is to look for caches that are further out.

Yes, a lot of the problem caches are easily accessible, and the trashed caches typically have been found by all for a long time. There's a local park, rugged with secluded woods, that delinquents use as a place to hide and "party", and they trash the place. With zero respect for property of others, they include Geocaches in that. I marvel at the ability of non-cachers to find caches, but with nothing but lots of free time and lots of destruction, they manage. <_<

 

The trashing of natural spaces is not exclusively a Geocaching thing. But caches are perhaps a target, and tend to retain the trash.

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We don't have anything like this in my area. My advice is to look for caches that are further out.

 

Maybe also because the reviewers in North America seem to be stricter on caches near playground or in other problematic areas than they are in some other parts of the country.

 

For an apparently muggled cacche like this one

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC1XTKB_thomsons-bush-southland

it is not that uncommon what the OP reports.

 

 

Cezanne

 

We have caches everywhere, including playgrounds and our downtown core. The only thing the reviewers here are strict about are cache hidden on private property without permission and near schools. Perhaps the problem is more due to the number of cachers in the OP's area. Edited to add: looks like the OP's area is not any busier than my area. Maybe people there just don't give a darn. <_<

Edited by The_Incredibles_
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We have caches everywhere, including playgrounds and our downtown core.

 

That's interesting to hear. I was not aware of that - up to now I have thought that playgrounds are handled as schools. Actually, I feel that urban playgrounds are a more delicate location than schools, but that might differ from region to region.

 

Perhaps the problem is more due to the number of cachers in the OP's area.

 

I rather think that this cache and other caches he found are badly maintained and are at problematic locations where a cache owner needs to react quickly and check on his/her caches regularly and move a cache once its hideout got compromised and and the cache gets found by non-geocachers regularly. There ia a difference between a cache on a remote mountain summit that is found by chance by some hikers and a cache in an urban park found often by children and teenagers.

 

Cezanne

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We have caches everywhere, including playgrounds and our downtown core.

 

That's interesting to hear. I was not aware of that - up to now I have thought that playgrounds are handled as schools. Actually, I feel that urban playgrounds are a more delicate location than schools, but that might differ from region to region.

 

Apparently not. We have quite a few caches near playgrounds and they don't seem to get trashed. There was also a cache published that was ON the equipment. Didn't last long though.... :laughing:

 

However, if you try to get a cache published across the street from a school, it's likely to get rejected.

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That is not common in most areas. Wet logs sure. Leaves, rocks, twigs and cheap business cards used as sig items are common. But I almost never find food (and I always remove it when I do) and have never found porn or other nefarious things. Remove any stuff that seems like trash or inappropriate and help out. Some owners don't believe in maintenance others dropped out of the game long ago so sometimes trash does build up.

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My advice is to look for caches that are further out.

That's the solution I opted for, when I grew weary of finding caches with really crappy contents. With a few possible exceptions, I think the easier it is to get to ground zero, the faster the swag will degrade. This might be a good opportunity to study the habits of those who strictly hunt P&Gs. From my personal experience, it seems that those folks who are willing to seek out caches in more challenging terrain either don't trade at all, or practice the 'Trade Up/Trade Even' mantra.

Edited by Clan Riffster
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It might just be the area that you cached in. I've been caching for over 11 years, and have found none of those things. I would like to think that you'll find some better conditions in the mountains.

 

I'm glad that despite issues, you're enjoying yourself. I've found so many interesting spots because of geocaching, and my life has been much richer for it. Not to mention the wonderful people who come into your life through this sport.

 

I'll agree with Ambrosia! Over nine years geocaching. Over 4000 finds. My cache finds are mostly North Jersey, New York, Maine and NEPA. North Jersey can get very urban! And I have a few hundred finds in New York County (That's Manhattan Island). I don't think I've ever found anything like the OP describes! Curious. Is it something endemic to the OP's area? Cache maggots?

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We don't have anything like this in my area. My advice is to look for caches that are further out.

 

Maybe also because the reviewers in North America seem to be stricter on caches near playground or in other problematic areas than they are in some other parts of the country.

 

For an apparently muggled cacche like this one

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC1XTKB_thomsons-bush-southland

it is not that uncommon what the OP reports.

 

 

Cezanne

I hate playground caches. I would not mind seeing a guideline not permitting caches within 100 feet of a playground. As it is now I just put them on my ignore list along with a log re my feelings toward these idiotic hides-an Before any replies "just don't go to them" well sometimes I do not know before I leave that they are in a playground

 

We have caches everywhere, including playgrounds and our downtown core. The only thing the reviewers here are strict about are cache hidden on private property without permission and near schools. Perhaps the problem is more due to the number of cachers in the OP's area. Edited to add: looks like the OP's area is not any busier than my area. Maybe people there just don't give a darn. <_<

I would like to see a guideline the would not permit geocaches within 100 feet of a playground. Being an older white male in the U.S.A. creates lots of unwanted attention when near a playground. When I come across a cache like this I just drive off, then it goes on my ignore list and a post a public log that I have done so and why. Now some one who does not read this entire post may say Just don't drive to the cache but in most of these cases there is no way to know the cache is in a playground. When I first got started I would make several trips back to these caches (Cachi ?) but this is expensive. I have even seen caches placed on the playground equipment. IMO people who place these caches are not thinking things through.

Edited by JohnnyVegas
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I am offended at the comments about smartphone cachers. This is not the case all the time, everywhere. I myself am a cacher that only uses a smartphone... whether I have a premium or basic membership, I take the game just as seriously, and maybe more so than some premium members in my area. It is a shame that people are willing to label all people that cache with a phone as the problem to why they find crappy containers in crappy locations OR crappy swag. Why must one stereotype like that? I have found my share of what I consider to be crappy containers in crappy locations, as well as wet or soggy logs that can't be signed. Because lets face it, the problem is that they are not using a "real" GPSr to cache with and it has nothing to do with the person themselves. I don't go around calling all cache owners neglectful and bad owners who's cache should be archived, just because I found one with an unsign-able log. Are there a few bad apples out there that fall into that category, yes, there always will be, but that does not mean everyone is like that.

 

I will agree with the fact that the easier it is to get to GZ, the higher the chance of a container with crappy contents. I am getting sick of the pill bottles under a light pole skirt, but not much I can do about those ones, I will still find them when I need a quick find, but I am starting to lean towards looking for the caches that are in more remote areas and are of regular size and bigger. This should help to weed out the ones I don't like as much. Every chance I get, I try to trade up or even, or I don't trade at all.

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I am offended at the comments about smartphone cachers.

 

While I can't speak for others who mentioned smartphones, I think this mainly relates to the fact that the smartphone apps have opened up Geocaching to more people. Or if you will, this has lowered the bar for entry. So you get a greater number of people who try the game out without fully understanding it. There is another recent thread on that topic.

 

That doesn't make smartphone cachers bad or inferior. While I prefer to use my GPSr, I know many experienced cachers who only use a smartphone - and many of these own a GPSr as well.

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That doesn't make smartphone cachers bad or inferior

Exactly. It's like saying someone is a bad driver because the drive a Kia. There are pros and cons to using both a dedicated handheld, and a smart phone. One must simply weigh the benefits. Smart phones have a weaker antenna than a modern handheld, making them inherently less accurate, but the difference is so slight, unless you are deep under cover, you'll likely never notice. Smart phones are also far less durable than a handheld, making them less ideal for rugged terrain caching.

 

But allowing caching anywhere, on the fly, with no prep time, is such a huge plus that the smart phone is here to stay.

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I suppose this is what happens when you make the location available to any idiot with an iPhone.

 

As the OP said... it's the "idiot with an iPhone" not necessarily a Geocacher with a smartphone. I've seen the aftermath of idiots with GPSr who commit the same offense.

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I am offended at the comments about smartphone cachers. This is not the case all the time, everywhere. I myself am a cacher that only uses a smartphone... whether I have a premium or basic membership, I take the game just as seriously, and maybe more so than some premium members in my area. It is a shame that people are willing to label all people that cache with a phone as the problem to why they find crappy containers in crappy locations OR crappy swag. Why must one stereotype like that? I have found my share of what I consider to be crappy containers in crappy locations, as well as wet or soggy logs that can't be signed. Because lets face it, the problem is that they are not using a "real" GPSr to cache with and it has nothing to do with the person themselves. I don't go around calling all cache owners neglectful and bad owners who's cache should be archived, just because I found one with an unsign-able log. Are there a few bad apples out there that fall into that category, yes, there always will be, but that does not mean everyone is like that.

 

Well, thanks for taking the game seriously. You are correct, there are many app users that do care. However it appears that enough don't, as to make the impression on others noticeable. There are also many non-cachers who get offended at the term "muggle" because they would never steal or vandalize a cache, and to be characterized like that is wrong. However it appears that enough muggles do that, as to make the impression on others noticeable.

 

I will agree with the fact that the easier it is to get to GZ, the higher the chance of a container with crappy contents. I am getting sick of the pill bottles under a light pole skirt, but not much I can do about those ones, I will still find them when I need a quick find, but I am starting to lean towards looking for the caches that are in more remote areas and are of regular size and bigger. This should help to weed out the ones I don't like as much. Every chance I get, I try to trade up or even, or I don't trade at all.

 

It does come down to ease. Easy to find caches tend to get filled up with crap easier, and stolen by miscreants. Not many will venture a few miles up a mountain to do that, or to leave crap, because it has earned their respect by having them work for it. Now that a free app has made it even easier by doing less work, a noticeable amount of users that use that free app don't respect the game as much, although many do.

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That doesn't make smartphone cachers bad or inferior

Exactly. It's like saying someone is a bad driver because the drive a Kia. There are pros and cons to using both a dedicated handheld, and a smart phone. One must simply weigh the benefits. Smart phones have a weaker antenna than a modern handheld, making them inherently less accurate, but the difference is so slight, unless you are deep under cover, you'll likely never notice. Smart phones are also far less durable than a handheld, making them less ideal for rugged terrain caching.

 

But allowing caching anywhere, on the fly, with no prep time, is such a huge plus that the smart phone is here to stay.

 

It's using the smartphone to hide caches that make it more of a problem. New smartphone cachers don't understand how to do it right. Lot's of on-the-fly placements with no prep. It would be interesting to hear from reviewers if the number of cache submissions have gone up a lot, along with the number of denials, and along with that, the number of abandoned unpublished caches.

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That doesn't make smartphone cachers bad or inferior

Exactly. It's like saying someone is a bad driver because the drive a Kia. There are pros and cons to using both a dedicated handheld, and a smart phone. One must simply weigh the benefits. Smart phones have a weaker antenna than a modern handheld, making them inherently less accurate, but the difference is so slight, unless you are deep under cover, you'll likely never notice. Smart phones are also far less durable than a handheld, making them less ideal for rugged terrain caching.

 

But allowing caching anywhere, on the fly, with no prep time, is such a huge plus that the smart phone is here to stay.

 

But on the fly hides have always been a problem-I have friends that own smartphones as well as a real GPS, they tell the smart phones are not as accurate. I see this as a larger problem when caches are being placed

NOW I must include the bad drivers are in the Volvos, these driver think they are invincible because they are in Volos.

Edited by JohnnyVegas
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But on the fly hides have always been a problem...

No argument there. An inexperienced cacher, hiding a cache, can be problematic. Doing so with a less accurate device increases the odds that problems will occur. But smart phone users can still make good hides, given a bit of education and some experience. The FGA has an article that touches on using smart phones, which may be helpful.

Create an awesome cache!

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I guess having the Casio Commando 4G LTE phone puts me at a slight advantage over the average smartphone user... mine was made and designed with the outdoors in mind, better gps, rugged, takes a beating and then some, etc. I have, so far, placed only one cache of my own using my phone to get the corrds, but used an app specific for getting accurate coords. While the cache was active (disabled due to permission issues), no one had a problem finding it even with a GPSr. I have also adopted a cache, now I should on my next maintenance check, fire up the placing app and check the accuracy against the listed coords on the cache page. For placing a cache, I will allow the app to average min 100 times before I note them. I will do this 3 times to ensure I get the most accurate coords for the cache page.

 

I understand that not everyone thinks like me, nor does the extra steps I take. I also understand that as far as smartphones go, I have what could be considered the best option for using for geocaching. The main reason I actually got it was to survive my youngest child, now 3. Everything else just fell into place.

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But on the fly hides have always been a problem...

No argument there. An inexperienced cacher, hiding a cache, can be problematic. Doing so with a less accurate device increases the odds that problems will occur. But smart phone users can still make good hides, given a bit of education and some experience. The FGA has an article that touches on using smart phones, which may be helpful.

Create an awesome cache!

 

Read the article, but did not see anything about smartphones.

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But on the fly hides have always been a problem...

No argument there. An inexperienced cacher, hiding a cache, can be problematic. Doing so with a less accurate device increases the odds that problems will occur. But smart phone users can still make good hides, given a bit of education and some experience. The FGA has an article that touches on using smart phones, which may be helpful.

Create an awesome cache!

 

Read the article, but did not see anything about smartphones.

It was hidden:

 

Coordinate accuracy:

This hobby, at its most basic, is going to a set of GPS coordinates and locating

a container. If your coordinates are not as accurate as possible, those seeking

your cache might face frustration rather than fun. This is why Groundspeak

specifically requires the use of a GPS device when obtaining coordinates. Having

found many caches where the coordinates are 50+ feet off, it's apparent that

getting accurate coordinates is not as simple as it seems. We'll touch on a few

tips which you might find helpful. To start with, not all GPS units are created

equal.

 

Who remembers the original bright yellow eTrex? It had a patch antenna

which was less than stellar. They were great, for their time, but that time has

long since passed. The problem with any poor antenna is that it directly affects

reception. Since reception is critical in determining your precise location,

having a poor antenna can dramatically impact the accuracy of your device. These

patch antennas were reasonably effective in perfect conditions, with clear

skies. But once you added in other elements which can impact the accuracy of

even the best GPS, such as dense tree cover, the inaccuracies increase

geometrically. With the advent of cell phones being used in this hobby, it is

important to note that they use the very same patch antennas as were found in

the original eTrex.

 

Now, we're not suggesting you need a $15,000 Trimble to hide a geocache. That

would be silly. So long as you understand how your GPS works, you can get pretty

accurate coordinates, with these tips, using just about any GPS or smart phone.

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Hi everyone, I joined a few weeks ago and I'm really enjoying the website so far. I have even placed my first cache and a few people have found it.

 

However, I feel I might have been viewing the hobby through rose-tinted glasses when I signed up. I have only found 35 caches but out of those I have found empty plastic wrappers, mouldy food, used band-aids, offensive messages directed at players, pornography and solicitations for prostitution. While I understand the real objective and fun of the hobby is finding the cache and not finding the treasure, finding these things really puts a damper on my enthusiasm. Is this just a reality of the sport or have I had bad luck?

 

I have been trying to clean them up, by removing anything I would consider trash from the containers. One Sunday out geocaching in the woods I found all the caches in this particular area were full of mouldy food. It was evident that this food had been in the cache for a very long time and many people had logged it without removing it. Should I have just left it? Is it my place to remove trash from caches? The forest in question has a rodent and vermin pest control operation in place in order to help restore the population of native birds. Obviously having rotting food is not helping with this and attracts vermin. I was angry to say the least when I found this in caches.

 

I suppose this is what happens when you make the location available to any idiot with an iPhone.

 

Anyway, I am going mountain climbing this weekend and as it is a place relatively untouched by the masses I am hoping to find some good caches.

 

On the positive side of things, I have found some great caches in some cool places I didn't even know existed and that makes it all worth it in the end, doesn't it? I have been putting some old coins from the early 20th Century in the caches and I hope finding these coins has brought pleasure to some people.

 

Regards

Leon

 

 

 

 

Leon,

sorry about your experience so far. I to have found a few nasty ones but I find they are mostly in certain areas. Maybe check out a new route. Last month I found 6 in a row with old candy in them. I cleaned them up and left. I for one am trying to cleanup some of the swag I find with new things. Keep at it,

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pretty much depends on where hide is located, and even that can change over time

 

I once found a cache at base of tree on a cliff overlooking Puget Sound when I

heard crashing noises from above and at my feet landed an expired bunny, looking

up saw an eagle-YIKES

 

unfortunately in my area some urban areas we have seen plenty of trash including

drug needles, I always look very closely before reaching...

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But on the fly hides have always been a problem...

No argument there. An inexperienced cacher, hiding a cache, can be problematic. Doing so with a less accurate device increases the odds that problems will occur. But smart phone users can still make good hides, given a bit of education and some experience. The FGA has an article that touches on using smart phones, which may be helpful.

Create an awesome cache!

 

Read the article, but did not see anything about smartphones.

It was hidden:

 

Coordinate accuracy:

This hobby, at its most basic, is going to a set of GPS coordinates and locating

a container. If your coordinates are not as accurate as possible, those seeking

your cache might face frustration rather than fun. This is why Groundspeak

specifically requires the use of a GPS device when obtaining coordinates. Having

found many caches where the coordinates are 50+ feet off, it's apparent that

getting accurate coordinates is not as simple as it seems. We'll touch on a few

tips which you might find helpful. To start with, not all GPS units are created

equal.

 

Who remembers the original bright yellow eTrex? It had a patch antenna

which was less than stellar. They were great, for their time, but that time has

long since passed. The problem with any poor antenna is that it directly affects

reception. Since reception is critical in determining your precise location,

having a poor antenna can dramatically impact the accuracy of your device. These

patch antennas were reasonably effective in perfect conditions, with clear

skies. But once you added in other elements which can impact the accuracy of

even the best GPS, such as dense tree cover, the inaccuracies increase

geometrically. With the advent of cell phones being used in this hobby, it is

important to note that they use the very same patch antennas as were found in

the original eTrex.

 

Now, we're not suggesting you need a $15,000 Trimble to hide a geocache. That

would be silly. So long as you understand how your GPS works, you can get pretty

accurate coordinates, with these tips, using just about any GPS or smart phone.

 

I've used a quad since 2003 and I ain't going back !

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