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Letterboxing


Faderaven

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I don't know if I would say that. Maybe not here in the US, but I'm fairly certain there are more letterboxes in the UK then geocaches. Hell, Dartmoor National Park alone has several THOUSAND letterboxes! Of course, letterboxing does have almost 150yr head start on geocaching, LOL.

 

Illegitimus non carborundum!

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I've found one letterbox and planted one letterbox. There are so few in my area that don't require a day-trip, and we seem to have trouble finding the time..... I got into letterboxing before geocaching cause I was too cheap to buy a GPS. Finally, having run out of patience and finding only a few caches without GPS, I broke down and bought an etrex. I will continue to hunt both boxes and caches. We're planning an overnight trip thru the Blue Ridge Parkway soon, plan to hit some of both!

 

Down-side of letterboxing (for some): My boyfriend, TigerShark, is ONLY interested in the trinkets in geocaches. Doesn't read/sign the logbooks, look at letterbox stamp, etc, etc. And I have the wrestle the etrex away from him - he likes the gadgets. Can't fault him, though. At least he takes me on the hunt.......

 

I think anything that gets you out of the house (and preferably on a lovely trail) is worth doing.

 

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I sincerely feel that the facts are completely irrelevant in this case.

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We were out looking for Rockbridge this afternoon and as we noted in our logs, we also accidentally stumbled across a letterbox hidden about 100 feet away from the cache. It definitely doesn't seem to be as popular as geocaching - there's about 2 dozen caches in the area vs. 3 letterboxes. But on the other hand all the letterboxes were placed in the last month or so, so maybe it's just starting to get popular here.

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My guess is, it's not just the hunt and find, it is definately the trinkets. Maybe it is something from our all of our childhoods. I have stumbled upon some letterboxes, but the interest just isn't there. Maybe after I find all the caches in my area, but new ones are being hidden weekly, boy geocaching is really taking off. We just love it! icon_biggrin.gif

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My guess is, it's not just the hunt and find, it is definately the trinkets. Maybe it is something from our all of our childhoods. I have stumbled upon some letterboxes, but the interest just isn't there. Maybe after I find all the caches in my area, but new ones are being hidden weekly, boy geocaching is really taking off. We just love it! icon_biggrin.gif

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I've only briefly looked into letterboxing and it doesn't seem as though you would use your GPS as much as you would GeoCaching. Am I wrong (like I so often am)? I like the idea of entering the coordinates into the GPS and following them can you do the same when letterboxing or are there not coords to be had?

 

migo_sig_logo.jpg

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For me it's the letterboxing.org site. It's not nearly as exciting and well organized as the geocaching.com site. For one thing there are no public logs on the site. Another thing, the discussion group is part of yahoo groups - it's not as well organized as the Groundspeak Forums.

 

According to the letterboxing site there are very few letterboxes in Canada and only 4 in Ontario. If I were to place a letterbox via the letterboxing site I wouldn't expect many finders. In order to attract more people I'd prefer to place a letterbox/geocache combo using the geocaching.com site (which I haven't done yet but I'd like to, as soon as I can think up a good rubberstamp idea and find a nice spot for the box)

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quote:
Originally posted by J.A.R.S.:

..... to attract more people I'd prefer to place a letterbox/geocache combo using the geocaching.com site (which I haven't done yet but I'd like to, as soon as I can think up a good rubberstamp idea and find a nice spot for the box)


 

I've been considering the same thing, seems like a good way to get more visitors to the stash when the letterboxing community is sparse in your area. My only worry about this is that cachers will take the stamp, confusing it for a trade item. I'm working on how to chain a stamp down to its container.

God knows people don't bother to read instructions on things (yes I'm guilty of this sometimes, too) so maybe a grommet thru the stamp on an edge and small hardware chain holding it down would get the point across?

Any thoughts on this, anyone?

 

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I sincerely feel that the facts are completely irrelevant in this case.

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I have found 4 letterboxes (and 15 geocaches). There are no letterboxes nearby (the closest ones are over 100 miles away) which is why I've only found 4. I have to plan an all day excursion to search for them.

 

I agree that the letterboxes were harder, or at least more time consuming--walking all over, following the trails & figuring out the clues. But I really enjoyed them, even the one that had me walk three-quarters of the way around the lake (about 2.5 miles), following the trail & the clues, just to end up almost where I started (which was where the letterbox was). icon_smile.gif

 

I hope to place a few letterboxes in my area after I have had alittle more experience.

 

Windrose

 

"The way of the Wind is a strange, wild way."

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I have found 4 letterboxes (and 15 geocaches). There are no letterboxes nearby (the closest ones are over 100 miles away) which is why I've only found 4. I have to plan an all day excursion to search for them.

 

I agree that the letterboxes were harder, or at least more time consuming--walking all over, following the trails & figuring out the clues. But I really enjoyed them, even the one that had me walk three-quarters of the way around the lake (about 2.5 miles), following the trail & the clues, just to end up almost where I started (which was where the letterbox was). icon_smile.gif

 

I hope to place a few letterboxes in my area after I have had alittle more experience.

 

Windrose

 

"The way of the Wind is a strange, wild way."

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I have found 4 letterboxes (and 15 geocaches). There are no letterboxes nearby (the closest ones are over 100 miles away) which is why I've only found 4. I have to plan an all day excursion to search for them.

 

I agree that the letterboxes were harder, or at least more time consuming--walking all over, following the trails & figuring out the clues. But I really enjoyed them, even the one that had me walk three-quarters of the way around the lake (about 2.5 miles), following the trail & the clues, just to end up almost where I started (which was where the letterbox was). icon_smile.gif

 

I hope to place a few letterboxes in my area after I have had alittle more experience.

 

Windrose

 

"The way of the Wind is a strange, wild way."

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Our only letterbox/geocache hybrid in the area had its stamp taken shortly after it was placed. the cacher apparently had no idea what it was, the log says "Took eraser." lol

 

A couple months ago I contacted the owner and asked if I could carve a new stamp for them. That's a pretty fun thing to do--you just have to learn to think backwards!

 

I'd love to do more in the area. Maybe someday . . gotta mark those erasers better, though!

 

Bret

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again." Mt. 13:44

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quote:
Originally posted by MountainMudbug:

My only worry about this is that cachers will take the stamp, confusing it for a trade item. I'm working on how to chain a stamp down to its container.

...

so maybe a grommet thru the stamp on an edge and small hardware chain holding it down would get the point across?

Any thoughts on this, anyone?


 

You may be able to just tie the stamp to the logbook with a string. This may make people think enough to 'get it'.

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Could you explain to me what's in a geocache/letterbox hybrid? I love letterboxing, but there are none in my area. We have TONS of geocaches, though. I'd like to get some of the cachers to "cross over." I couldn't find any rules about what to put in them or anything on the geocaching web site or frequently asked questions.

 

Lonnie

 

quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Lemmings:

The owner of our local letterbox/geocache hybrid http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=4474 has actually attached the stamp to the lid of the cache - this way, when the logbook gets filled with the rapturous accolades of your adoring public, you can replace it without messing around re-attaching the stamp.


 

Dog Scout Mom

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Could you explain to me what's in a geocache/letterbox hybrid? I love letterboxing, but there are none in my area. We have TONS of geocaches, though. I'd like to get some of the cachers to "cross over." I couldn't find any rules about what to put in them or anything on the geocaching web site or frequently asked questions.

 

Lonnie

 

quote:
Originally posted by The Intrepid Lemmings:

The owner of our local letterbox/geocache hybrid http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=4474 has actually attached the stamp to the lid of the cache - this way, when the logbook gets filled with the rapturous accolades of your adoring public, you can replace it without messing around re-attaching the stamp.


 

Dog Scout Mom

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Could you explain to me what's in a geocache/letterbox hybrid? I love letterboxing, but there are none in my area. We have TONS of geocaches, though. I'd like to get some of the cachers to "cross over." I couldn't find any rules about what to put in them or anything on the geocaching web site or frequently asked questions. You can reply to my email lonnie@dogscouts.com. thanks.

 

Lonnie

 

 

quote:
Originally posted by Web-ling:

There are only a few letterboxes in Texas. I've found two letterbox/geocache hybrids, one in Ohio, the other in Colorado. I also found one non-hybrid letterbox, also in Ohio.

 

I placed http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=31564.

 

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/25021_1200.gif


 

Dog Scout Mom

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quote:
Could you explain to me what's in a geocache/letterbox hybrid?

 

It's a geocache that also has a letterbox stamp and book inside. In most cases The cache/letterbox will be posted here and on the letterbox website.

 

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues" - Abraham Lincoln

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