The Lost Geocahce!

 

Loving the sport of Geocaching like I do, I really get disappointed when I make it to the location where a geocache used to be, only to discover that it is gone.  I hate to look back over a few logs to see that it has been gone for a while too.

I remember reading the rules of the hide for the first time and seeing that this is a long term commitment between me and my geocache!  I try to think ahead, and make plans for a "surrogate" parent for my "away" geocache.  If I am not going to be there to take care of them, I try to find someone that can.  I don't ever want to get to the point that I have several entries over a period of time that tell me that something is wrong with my geocache, or that it is missing.  That would be an embarrassment to me and to the sport! 

If you take the time to make the hide, take the time to maintain it!  If it happens to be one that is away from home, find someone that will take care of it for you!  I am giving a blanket offer to anyone that hides one near me in the Missouri Bootheel, if you can't maintain it, let me know and I will adopt your hide! 

The fun is also finding the location, but I still like to sign that log sheet, and so do my kids.  Please don't spoil the fun by not taking care of what you started.  Hiding a good geocache is as fun as making the find, I mean I love to get the notes like I did the other day from a Wal-Mart Shopper.  Hew was at the lovely "Black Friday" event with his wife, and he found my Wally pole.  I was proud to know that it gave him something to do while he waited on his wife to fight the masses!

A well maintained Geocache can keep people entertained for a log time, and make lots of smiles.  Even if you had one out there a while you could always go back and make it a little more difficult by using a new container, or one that is more interesting to find. 

Please remember to keep your commitment to the goecaching community by keeping proper maintenance on your geocache!  God Bless and Happy Hunting!

 

Geocaching an experience like no other!: THE HOLIDAY RUSH RELIEVER!!

Geocaching an experience like no other!: THE HOLIDAY RUSH RELIEVER!!: The holidays are upon us once again! A time to be thankful for what we have and a time to share gifts with loved ones. The rush of the C...

THE HOLIDAY RUSH RELIEVER!!

 

The holidays are upon us once again!  A time to be thankful for what we have and a time to share gifts with loved ones.  The rush of the Christmas hunt is on and so is the pressure!  Bill Mounting up, trying to figure out the perfect gifts for our loved ones!  Waiting in line, hiding the gifts, and then the wrapping that follows!  NO PRESSURE HERE!! 

Sometimes the stress of the holiday season can become very overbearing, and create way too much stress!  Just remember one GREAT stress reliever....GEOCACHING!  When the pressures of the holidays become too much, take a small break and go find that geocache!  What better gift to give to yourself than that perfect find!  Geocaching is one way to reduce the stress of the Holiday seasons, and it doesn't cost too much!  Keep in mind if you have a geocacher friend or family member, if you want to give the perfect gift, how about a membership to Geocaching.com, a new GPS, a new war bag for stocking the trades, or a vacation to a state that they have not been able to hunt yet!

Nothing says I am thinking about you like a Premium membership to Geocaching.com, or a brand new hand held GPS!  I have taken a small break from my daily post to get caught up on a few things, but I am back at it and have plenty of new things to offer in the future!  Just keep in mind the author would love to have a new hand-held GPS for Christmas too!

Back to work!  The holiday season has become a huge merchandising market, designed to lure in the almighty dollar.  We have successfully marketed Christmas, and took away from the true meaning of it.  While the stress level is blowing our minds this season we should take a break, and go out and look for the winter cache to keep our desires warm. With anything it is all too easy to loose interest on Geocaching.  It is by far on of the most fun things that you can do for yourself!  If you have lost interest, GET BACK OUT THERE!!!  If you haven't started hunting yet....WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!?!?  Tis the season for giving, so give yourself a DAY to PLAY!

See you next time and GOD BLESS!!

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ME TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!

Geocaching an experience like no other!: Leaving your mark on a Geocache

Geocaching an experience like no other!: Leaving your mark on a Geocache: Finding that micro container with the log only is exciting! There is no doubt any day that you can geocache is a good day! My kids all lov...

Leaving your mark on a Geocache

Finding that micro container with the log only is exciting!  There is no doubt any day that you can geocache is a good day!  My kids all love the ammo can geocache and the trades that they can make. Sometimes the trades get better from my kids than they had in them. 

I have learned to love finding the unexpected trinkets!  Below for my muggle readers is a list of the hidden treasures for us to find!

Geocoin: 

Geocoins work similarly to Groundspeak Travel Bugs in that they are trackable and can travel the world, picking up stories from geocache to geocache. Geocoins are often created as signature items by geocachers and can also be used as collectibles.

Hitchhiker

 

A hitchhiker is an item that is placed in a cache, and has instructions to travel to other caches. Sometimes they have logbooks attached so you can log their travels. A Travel bug is an example of a hitchhiker.  It can be anything that you want to send and others are willing to pick up, to take somewhere you have chosen. 

Pathtag (www.pathtags.com)

A Pathtag is a single-sided custom metal tag about the size and weight of a U.S. Quarter or a one Euro coin. The precise dimension of Pathtags are 23mm in diameter and 2.0mm thick. Pathtags are made from a solid iron base and are plated in a protective colored plating of either silver, gold, copper, or black nickel.

Pathtags are not typically traveling items such as Geocoins or Travel Bugs. They are generally used as personal "signature items" for Geocaching or other trade item. If found, simply log it and the tag's profile will display for you to view. Unless the profile says otherwise, you are welcome to add it into your permanent collection.

There are Pathtags accessories, like the Pathtag Sherpa Geocoin, which turn the Pathtag into a traveling item. In these cases, they are intended to stay with the coin or travel bug to which they are affixed and should be moved along like another traveler.    I have also noticed that people are selling pathtags on EBay! 

 

Travel Bug:

A Groundspeak Travel Bug is a trackable tag that you attach to an item. This allows you to track your item on Geocaching.com. The item becomes a hitchhiker that is carried from cache to cache (or person to person) in the real world and you can follow its progress online. 

All of the above are just fun things to stumble on, and make the sport more interesting and fun.  Remember to Geocache often and have tons of fun....oh yes, don't forget the family and the pictures!

Geocaching an experience like no other!: The Talent in Creating the Perfect Geocache!

Geocaching an experience like no other!: The Talent in Creating the Perfect Geocache!: I have vested a lot of time in talking about the good geocache containers and the great cammo hides that we occasionally run into. Today I ...

The Talent in Creating the Perfect Geocache!

I have vested a lot of time in talking about the good geocache containers and the great cammo hides that we occasionally run into.  Today I am going to show you a few that caught my attention.  There is nothing like being able to walk away a champion in the find over some of these babies!  As you can tell some of these will have you scratching you head for a while! 

 The designers of these should be proud!  They are what the sport is about!  I have built a lab to design and create the creative cache!  No matter what I look at I am always thinking of how I can use something to make a good geocache!  I Buy Mini Altoids and can't even really stand them, because the little cans are cool!

As I do more studying I see lots of possibilities for my future creations!  I smile at the talent that goes into the containers!  WOW it takes a lot do planning, but when you are able to walk away with one of these finds you walk away happy and proud! 

With all the gloating that has been said, when you do find one of these very creative Geocache, you should put effort into the log book and on the Geocaching.com web site, thanking the owner for the hunt you had.  It does sort of bum you out to get a simple TFTC (thanks for the Cache for my muggle readers) on the log!  Take your time, there is no race to fill it out, make the person want to hide more!

We all like to feel accomplished in the things that we do, and we are Geocachers,  we enjoy the work of others!  Let's make each other feel good and give praise where it is due, after all if it was all easy it would not be near as fun now wood it? 

Remember to go geocaching often, takes lots of pictures, make good log entries, hide lots, and make memories for others!  For Heavens sakes take a muggle geocaching, a muggled mine is a terrible thing, and we can all cure Muggle Mind! 

Happy Hunting!  Next issue we will cover, Path tags, geocoins, travel bugs and ammo cans!