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When to log a FOUND IT?


JPreto

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Greetings everyone!!!

 

This is something that I have presented in the Brazilian Forum in January 1st 2014 but got no comments so far, as it is in Portuguese I will now put it in English so everyone can comment.

 

A geocache is usually composed by three parts:

 

X - lid

Y - container

Z - logbook

 

I just consider FOUND, 515 cases so far, if:

 

1) Find the box (X+Y) with logbook (Z). Most common situation.

 

2) Found the box (X+Y) without logbook (Z) but I am sure that it is the correct container, for instance by looking at logs from previous visits or the owner. If I have I place a new logbook. Only happened once so far.

 

3) Found the container (Y) with logbook (Z). Alert the CO that the cache has no lid and Needs Maintenance. Only happened once so far.

 

4) Find the logbook (Z) in the supposed spot but no box (X+Y). If I have a box I place a new one indicating that I placed it as a provisional box. This may be considered a Throwdown but I really think that the most important part of a cache is the logbook since some caches are really only a piece of white paper (we called it logbook) inside a ziplock. Only happened once so far and I didn´t have a box to replace.

 

There were cases I found only the cover (X) or the supposed container (Y) without cover and never logged a FOUND.

 

But this is me... I know it can be highly contested the fact that I log a FOUND in situation 4) but this is how I do it.

 

Any comments on how you play the game in these situations?

 

Thanks!!!!

Edited by JPreto
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I have logged finds on broken containers, but that is not always a good idea, only if you are certain that you found the actual cache. Many will only log finds if they sign the log. Also I have discovered pieces of garbage with signed paper slips inside, while the actual cache was hidden nearby more than a few times. If you are logging something that is not the cache, it may confuse others or trick people into looking for something which is not really there. Real cachers log DNFs. :P

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Also I have discovered pieces of garbage with signed paper slips inside, while the actual cache was hidden nearby more than a few times. If you are logging something that is not the cache, it may confuse others or trick people into looking for something which is not really there. Real cachers log DNFs. :P

 

Good point about being sure that it is the logbook, signed paper slip is not a logbook... in my only case it really was the cache´s logbook, see here!

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I log a found if I find part of a container eg. Lid, container or just a logbook.

 

And unless there was exceptional circumstance, I'd delete any of of those. If the logbook doesn't have your name in it, it gets deleted. If, for example, it's frozen in ice and they take a picture of it, I'll let it go because while the cache was found, it's your fault it couldn't be signed. But you find the lid- that's not the cache. Caches can be made from normal materials, the lid to a LnL is not necessarily from my cache. It could also be from a previous container that was destroyed, and replaced, so while you log the lid, the actual cache is sitting right where it belongs. And by your logic if you see a cache in a tree you can log it without actually getting it.

 

and in the guidelines the only requirement is that the log is signed...so unless the log is the lid, your SOL.

 

Edit to ad; If you admit you left a new "cache" it gets deleted without explanation. I will remove it, and make it a point to check the actual logbook for your signature if you re-log. You didn't find my cache, you "found" your own cache.

Edited by T.D.M.22
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and in the guidelines the only requirement is that the log is signed...so unless the log is the lid, your SOL.

So in cases like 2) "found box but no logbook" you would log a DNF?

 

Here is my example of a case like this. In this case is even funnier because the CO contacted me saying why didn´t I placed a new logbook and I replied because I didn´t have one at the moment. Around 3 weeks later, I passed again in this cache, placed a new logbook and alerted the owner maintenance was done.

Edited by JPreto
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I log a find if I've been in the general vicinity and maybe found a few other other caches nearby. :lol: :lol: :lol:

I will be sure to say I'm not describing the cache so I don't "spoil the experience" of others.

 

Actually, I think I would would log a find on all the OP's examples except maybe finding only the lid. That's just me. As others have pointed out, everyone draws their own lines.

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I am new to geocaching and only have 48 founds and 2 DNFS ,but on two of the founds the log book was either full or soaked so I added more paper after signing it ,and in the case of the wet one I added a sealable bag , both times I added a comment in the log to reflect this , but I counted them as found ,the two dnfs were logged as I didn't find the cache on one and didn't sign the logbook on the other due to muggles but I did find the cache ,but I logged it as a dnf because at the end of the day I would be cheating myself

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and in the guidelines the only requirement is that the log is signed...so unless the log is the lid, your SOL.

So in cases like 2) "found box but no logbook" you would log a DNF?

 

Here is my example of a case like this. In this case is even funnier because the CO contacted me saying why didn´t I placed a new logbook and I replied because I didn´t have one at the moment. Around 3 weeks later, I passed again in this cache, placed a new logbook and alerted the owner maintenance was done.

 

Depends on what the container was. Finding the lid, like what you quoted me, I would not log a DNF, because I did find it. But I wouldn't log it as found either. I'd log a NM, or NA if the CO hasn't been on the site in a long time, saying the cache was found destroyed.

 

If I find the container but no logbook-which I have never found, well it would depend on what the container is. The cache page mentions it's a camo painted ammo can, and I found a camo painted ammo can, it would be a safe bet that it's the cache. I'd log a find, take a picture, and leave a log if I knew the CO, and mention what I did in my log. See the exceptional circumstance I mentioned in my post.

 

I find a sandwich container that has no log-well like I said, geocachers are not the only people who use these. Someone could have thrown it out, or maybe even dropped it. There is nothing saying it is a cache, I don't know if it is the cache. Of course if I'm at home, I can probably make a call to the CO to ask.

 

See the post above this one. I really don't care if I find 500 this year, or 50, finding the cache isn't as important as having fun looking for it. I'm not so desperate for another number, that I have to justify logging a find in any other way.

 

And that, I believe is what makes a difference. If you have to justify that you deserve to log it as found to anyone other than yourself, you're caching for the wrong reasons.

Edited by T.D.M.22
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