When we first started Geocaching in order for us to know the details of each cache we were about to look for I would take a piece of paper and write down the Geocache code so we know which one to plug into the GPS, the hint (if given,) the cache size, the difficulty if 3 star or more, any info in the description that I believe may help find the cache and if one or more of the last few logs were DNF's I add that too, just so I know that it may not be there.

After our first 100 finds or so, I got tired of spending 20+ minutes writing all of that stuff down. That's when we started printing out the full cache page. It's much quicker and easier, but it takes alot of paper and printer ink, especially if you have a long day of caching planned.

There are a few programs out there that help with this. The most popular is called the "Geocaching Swiss Army Knife" (GSAK) but in my experience it's incredibly confusing and difficult to use. As a matter of fact, I uninstalled it on the same down I installed it because it just gave me a headache trying to figure it out.

SO, I'm on a mission to make cache hunt preparation quicker, easier and far less complicated! I'm going to have a piece of software developed that is simple to use... does exactly what needs to be done, nothing more and nothing less!

But I need your help! I need to know how you prepare for your hunts. I know those using iPhones are all set (I'm jealous and may end up leaving verizon just so I can get an iPhone.)

But if you aren't a spoiled iPohone user please let me know how you prepare. Do you write down cache info? Do you print the cache pages out like we do? Do you use software?

I'll be using the info I get from you in order to have this software developed and you'll have the opportunity to use it once it's finished.

Thanks and Happy Caching!

img credit: Oberazzi

It's human nature to want to hide any type of deficiencies in your life. And it's no different with hobbies. Especially hobbies that are as addicting as Geocaching! But, is a Did Not Find (DNF) really a deficiency? NO, it's not!

Show me a Geocacher with a perfect track record... one who has found every single cache he or she has hunted for and I'll show you a Geocacher who doesn't log their DNF's because it's simply not possible (unless you do VERY little geocaching.)

Caches get muggled. Caches get moved. Caches get destroyed. And I could go on and on with very realistic possibilities. Possibilities that are a reality for many caches every single day.

So why not just log your DNF's? Anyone who thinks you're any less of a cacher just because you have some DNF's obviously doesn't understand our hobby, so who cares about what they think of it. And anyone who really understands the hobby isn't going to think twice about DNF's.

When people don't log DNF's it causes a problem. A problem that I've encountered several times with several of my own caches. Caches go missing and since so many people are afraid to log the DNF, it takes months for the cache owner to realize the cache is gone. This is especially problematic with 3+ star caches.

So please, log your DNF's and help make this awesome hobby even more awesome

Happy Caching!

It's winter time in the U.S. and many other Countries on this side of the World. That means less geocaching for some, but for others it just means that they have slightly more of a challenge now.

My goal for this post is to provide some tips for cache owners and hunters during the Winter months . But I also want to provide some motivation and remind you that Geocaching is not only fun; it's mentally and physically healthy! So don't let the cold weather keep you indoors. Get out there and have some fun finding caches, while improving your health at the same time.

Winter Geocaching Tips and Reminders

1. Safety - Obviously the first reminder is the most boring, but most important too. Be SAFE! People have been tragically killed in accidents while caching and during the Winter months there are more hazards than ever! Never go geocaching alone! It doesn't matter who you are or how fit you are. Anyone can slip, bust their head open, lose consciousness and freeze to death. I know that sounds bad, even morbid, but it's a reality, so please keep it in mind.

2. Cache Maintenance - Probably the biggest issue with cache containers in the winter months, especially in areas with heavy snow, is wet logs. The most important thing is to use sturdy containers that are air-tight. But it's also a good idea to keep moisture packs in your caches. Above all keep up your responsibility of checking on and maintaining your cache(s) more frequently during the winter. If you don't maintain any caches, you can always help out your fellow cachers by bringing alog some small zip lock bags for those caches you find that need protection from the elements.

3. Watch your tracks - If you're caching in the snow or mud think about your tracks. Lots of tracks are like a big arrow and muggles like following big arrows

4. Use Pencils - In freezing weather, pens will not work in many cases. Be sure to carry a few pencils along with you.

5. Don't damage frozen containers - If you go geocaching in freezing weather you are almost guaranteed to come across multiple caches that are frozen shut. Don't ruin the cache by hitting it against hard object in an attempt to open it. You couuld break the seal and ruin the fun for everyone. Take along some cheap, throw away hand warmers. Often times holding one or two hand warmers against the lid will melt away the ice enough to open it. Also your car heater will do wonders.

That's all I have for now. Don't let the cold keep you inside all winter. Geocaching is fun year round. It's up to you whether or not you go out and collect on those fun times or not

Happy Caching!

img credit: Ronan_C

One thing I'm sure many Geocachers wonder is how some people add images, links and flashy design elements to their Geocache listings.

The answer is HTML (HyperText Markup Language) which is basically the code that your Internet browser, like Internet Explorer, reads in order to display a web page. When you create a new Geocache listing and submit it, the server turns it all into html behind the scenes. Since the broswer can't read your mind, if you don't use html in your listing it just displays your listing as plain text.

So, now that the explination is out of the way, I'll show you how to create links and display images in geocache listings.

Creating a link in a geocache listing

1. When composing your listing, you'll see "The descriptions below are in HTML" option under "Details". You must tick that box in order for this to work (Very Important!) Please see below:

2. Copy and paste the following line of code into your listing:

<a href="http://www.url.com/">Link Text</a>

3. Replace the URL within the code with the URL that you want the link to point to.

4. Replace the Link Text with whatever you want your link text to be.

So here are two examples for you. If you wanted the words "this is an example" to be linked to http://www.examplesite.com/this-is-an-example-page.php the code would look like this:

<a href="http://www.examplesite.com/this-is-an-example-page.php">this is an example</a>

That would display like this: this is an example

Or if you wanted the URL to display the actual URL the code would look like this:

<a href="http://www.examplesite.com/this-is-an-example-page.php">http://www.examplesite.com/this-is-an-example-page.php</a>

That would display like this: http://www.examplesite.com/this-is-an-example-page.php

That's all there is to it. Now you can use that code to create links within sentences or anywhere else you want.

Adding images to Geocache listings

Adding images is very similar to adding links. A line of code, just like a link.

1. Copy and paste the following line of code into your listing where you want your image to display:

<img src="http://www.website.com/images/testpicture.jpg">

2. You will need a URL for the image, so the image will need to be upload to a website.
You can do that by uploading your image to a popular image sharing site like Flickr.com or something similar.
These sites give you a URL to your image.

3. Replace the image URL in the code with the image URL of your image.

That's it. Your image will then display on the Geocache listing!

Fixing the spacing issue when using HTMl in a listing

When you use HTML in your listing, you will notice that all of the text is all bunched up. To fix this you'll just need to use a few HTML tags. Put this at the beginning of each paragraph:

<p>

And put this at the end of every paragraph

</p>

That will create a white space between each paragraph. Additionally, you can use the following to start a new line:

<br />

That's it. With the tips in this article you should now be able to easily add links and images to your Geocaching listings.

by: Dave Oswalt

I prefer to do things the hard way, to grunt, sweat with labored breathing and collapse in exhaustion. If not, things are too easy, too simple.

For the world at large, geocaching is a simple game of treasure hunt. Find hidden Tupperware containers with a hand held GPS. Easy enough.

A recent caching trip took my son (the Kuhn_Man) and I to the backwoods of Spring Mill State Park. We parked at the Nature Center and walked a crushed stone trail around the lake. Our goal, the “Bike Trail” cache, a hike of 2/3 of a mile.

Spring Mill has undone a recent renaissance with improved trail corridors and this trail was level with easy walking. On trail, we found the north coordinate. The west coordinate line scaled a steep slope off trail. Without hesitation, we climbed, hanging onto roots and trees and boulders in our ascent.

Breathing hard in the humid air, we twisted our way through a tangled weave of thorns and briars that gnawed at our bare legs and bloodied our ungloved hands. The slope eased as we emerged onto a new trail, just as a mountain biker rode by. Heavy with fatigue, we focused on GZ and the Kuhn_Man found the cache, hidden in the crevice of a pile of limestone boulders.

We signed the log and rummaged through the swag, taking nothing and leaving nothing. The Kuhn_Man secured the lid and replaced the ammo can. The popular bike trail is part of the new renaissance. Had we parked at the trail-head, near the campground, a nice leisurely walk would have brought us to GZ.

But that’s not our style. Not wasting a moment, we jumped back into the thick undergrowth. Our new target, the Wheezy Wanda cache, an easy 2/3 mile hike.

by: Larry Sullivan (localbiz)

Once you have gotten some cache finds under your belt, it might be time to hide some geocaches. I would not recommend hiding any caches until you have found a good variation of caches, so that you understand the game pretty well and understand the time and responsibility requirements.

Hiding caches is not as easy as you might think. There are a number of factors to take into account. Remember you are placing geocaches for others to find, so you want to make sure everything is good to go before publishing the new cache. Before I go any further, you need to make sure you read and understand Groundspeak’s rules on hiding caches.

So what do you need to take into account when hiding a cache?

Location: “location is everything” they say. As I drive around, I am always looking for new places to hide a cache. When evaluating a location, I ask myself:

• Where would/could geocachers park?
• Is this a high muggle area?
• Are there too many houses/businesses around?
• Where are the nearest caches in the area?
• How much bushwhacking or stealth would be required?
• What unique features or reasons do I have to put a cache hear?

Permission: Getting permission is very important. If the cache location is on private property, then it is critical to make sure the owner knows what geocaching involves, where the cache is located, and if there are any special instructions. There are tons of stories out there about geocachers getting into trouble because the property owner knew nothing about geocaching.

Cache type: There are a variety of sizes of caches. Pick a cache that will fit well into your environment-one you can hide and hopefully find. The possibilities are almost endless. Be creative, it does not always have to be an ammo can.

Coordinates: You need to make sure the coordinates are fairly accurate. It has been amazing to see how many caches there are out there with coordinates that are drastically off. It is very frustrating to the geocacher who has to figure out where the cache is vs. where it should be. Take multiple readings, approach from different angles, use multiple gps devices are all options.

Swag/prizes: Should you provide first to find prizes? It is really up to you but I usually will provide a prize for caches that take some effort or the geocacher needs to work to find it.

Maintenance: Remember if you hide a cache, you are responsible for it. Sounds basic but it is amazing how many cache owners seem to go MIA after they hide a cache. Periodically check on your cache, respond in a timely manner when a geocacher has a question or thinks the cache needs some help. If you can’t maintain the cache or have decided to stop geocaching, allow a fellow geocacher to take it over or archive the listing.

I hope these points are helpful. Overall hiding caches is just as fun as finding them, so I encourage everyone to try it out and help the hobby of geocaching grow.

img credit: nio_nl

by: Larry Sullivan (localbiz)

How did you get involved in geocaching? Did a friend introduce you to it - taking you out and showing you the ropes? Or did you read about it online/offline and decided to try it? For me it was the later.

After reading about geocaching, I thought it sounded cool and decided to try it out. Well my first time going out was-memorable. I went to the geocaching.com website, found the closest cache online, put it in my GSPr and off I went. About an hour later, I returned with a DNF. Why? I was looking for an ammo box (because all caches were ammo boxes, or so I thought.) Back home, I decided to read the description and found out that it was a micro container.

Since that initial adventure, I have had more luck finding geocaches in my area but also have had a number of DNFs. Despite the early frustrations, I really liked geocaching and began to go out as much as I could. Soon I discovered that there was a local club of geocachers. Hooking up with this group has opened a whole new aspect of geocaching to me.

How do you get better at geocaching? Two ways: Experience, the more you do it, the better you get and who you know.

Going geocaching or discussing geocaching with experienced cachers is invaluable. One of the first things they provided me, when I joined the group, is the “PAF,” or phone a friend.

PAF is simply a list of phone numbers of local geocachers that are willing to lend a hand to any cacher out on the trial. At first I was a bit leery of calling up a stranger and asking for help geocaching, but now it is an indispensable asset.

Last month, I went looking for a cache that had not been found in months. I did not find it on my first visit. After reading all the logs and speaking with a cacher who found it, I discovered there were some issues with the coordinates. That cacher told me to go back out but call her when I got there. So I did just that. She pointed me in the correct direction and finally indicated where the cache should be.

After about 2 minutes of digging around, I found the cache- buried! I was stoked! Some work had been done in the area that buried the cache and the posted coordinates were off. I signed the log and put the cache back so others could find it (without digging.) I would never have been able to find that cache without her help. Since then there have been a number of caches that I called for help on- all resulted in smiley faces.

PAF, is something I recommend to all new cachers. Find a local geocaching group or connect with other geocachers in your area via geocaching.com. Having someone you can call to help out is great and makes geocaching alot more fun.

photo credit: didbygraham

Author: WitzAbout, Colorado Springs

This past Saturday, we were invited to go ghost hunting as part of a group of Geocachers. A Geocaching friend, ‘QZ’, from outside Denver was making the less than 2 hour drive down to Colorado Springs for the weekend, and decided she wanted to check out the haunted tunnels she read about on Gold Camp Road in our area.

Gold Camp Road is a small road that used to be a narrow gauge railroad that ran between Colorado Springs and the gold mining area around Cripple Creek. It is the shortest path leading around the front-side of Pikes Peak, our 14,115 foot mountain Peak that dominates our area. But the road is no longer drivable all the way. It is currently closed to vehicles just a little way along from Colorado Springs. Now people drive the long way around the back of Pikes Peak to get to the gambling town of Cripple Creek.

Online, we read that the old railroad tunnels are haunted. You can drive through the first 2, but the road is closed before the 3rd tunnel. The 3rd tunnel is supposed to be the most haunted, with stories of a bus load of children killed in that tunnel. I had read a while back that the road is closed because of a fire in that 3rd tunnel, which has made it unsafe to enter. But reading more online, we found out there never was a bus-load of children. But it does make it sound extra creepy!

We had spent the day working on the first part of setting up a Halloween maze, which would be a part of a major Geocaching event next month. At first, my girlfriend ‘KB’, was not too keen on going on a ghost hunt. It sounded just a little too creepy for her. I had suggested the possibility of doing some other activity that would be a little tamer. But as we worked with the other cachers building the maze, KB was gently convinced that we should go along. The plan was to meet up for dinner, and then head up the road at 10 pm – after it was completely dark.

We met up at a steak-house and had a good time chatting for quite a while. After the bills were paid, we headed out to the parking lot. We made room for the cachers who are hosting the Halloween event in our 4x4, as they only had their mini-van with them, and didn’t want to chance it on the harder part of the road. It turns out they probably could have made it with the mini-van, but it was more fun to have them along with us. It also meant that we were more obligated to go as far as they were willing to go.

Some of the group were handing out glow-sticks and light-up toys as we finalized the vehicles. That added to the festive nature of the adventure. It was a short drive on a busy highway with traffic lights, then up through a residential street to access the beginning of Gold Camp road heading into the mountains. There had been some severe rains earlier in the evening, so we thought we might be the only people on the mountain. But it turns out there were a number of other Muggle groups on the road that night.

We caravanned up the road – QZ with a passenger, was in the lead vehicle. We were in the middle followed by Big-Z behind us. The first part of the road is paved, and in pretty decent condition, other than some serious looking rocks that had fallen earlier in the day, probably from the heavy rain. As we drove up, the light rain lessened to a gentle mist. The road twists around a number of times, including a hairpin through a narrow cut. I was hoping no more rocks decided to break loose as we drove by. Just past the tight hairpin, there was a Geocache listed on the GPS. We stopped and chatted on the radios, but decided that it was too challenging to get this in the dark.

Passing a trailhead parking lot, Gold Camp Road gets narrower and turns into a dirt road with a few ruts. This is where we started to see some other cars and trucks. Seeing other people driving the road, made it seem a little less spooky. We came up to the first tunnel. We had to wait for another car to move out of the tunnel ahead before we drove in. After they left, we eased our way in. QZ stopped about ¾ of the way through. We stopped behind, and I could see Big-Z stop behind us, about halfway through.

QZ turned out her lights. Then I turned out my lights and engine. Then Big-Z turned out his. Someone whispered “There here!” al la 'Poltergeist' over the radios. We didn’t see anything unusual: no glowing phantoms, no noises that were not from our party, and no unexpected movements or shadows. But QZ decided after a minute that she had enough and we moved on. We parked just past the tunnel, as there was a geocache right nearby! It took quite a bit of searching in the dark, but we did find it! Nothing like darkness and misty rains to make a 1-1/2 cache into a 3 or 4 difficulty! While we were searching, another car stopped in the tunnel.

One of our group thought it would be fun to spook them. It sounded a little dangerous to walk into the tunnel in the dark with unknown drivers, but he came away with some teen-aged friends. Someone in our group decided to give a Myth-Busters inspired pronouncement on our investigations so far: “Tunnel 1, Busted!”

Then we moved onto the second tunnel. This one seemed a little shorter, but curved. We surmised that the curve would explain those that said that their cars were pulled to one side by ghosts! It was still a little spooky with our lights off., though exciting! We drove out of the second tunnel, parking just past and walked back in to see if there was anything haunted to see in the tunnel on foot. CV decided to startle a few people, but it was all taken in good fun.

As we came out, I noticed on my GPS, that there was a level-3-terrain cache somewhere above the tunnel. I decided to take a quick run at it. The ground was very steep and there were lots of marble-sized rocks making footing a little perilous. I was also exploring only with my mini-maglight, which added to the challenge. This point was the most haunted part of the trip for me. The GPS was jumping around like it was possessed. 30 feet this way, 60 feet that way then 90 feet back the other way. After going after a dozen phantom hiding spots all around the ridge, never getting better than 25 feet away, I decided to give up and rejoin the group before they got too worried about me.

We continued on the road until it came to another parking area. This is where Gold Camp Road becomes a hiking trail. It was late, and a promise of somewhere between 1-1/2 to 3 miles of hiking to get to the 3rd tunnel made the idea seem a bit questionable. But there was a promise of a couple of caches along the way that tipped us over the edge into making the trek.

We saw the teenagers from earlier just heading out on the trail ahead of us. We couldn't be shown up by a group of Muggles! As we worked our way up the trail, it got darker and foggier. When we got to the spot for the cache, the GPS units were pointing at some boulders. We started searching, and as I worked my way around back, another cacher came in from the other direction and spotted it! Nice! So we passed around the log, taking turns signing before returning the cache.

As we continued up, there was another cache on the radar. But as we approached, the GPS was pointing about 200 feet up a steep hill. As it was only rated a 2 terrain, we decided we must not be on the right trail approach. Our flashlights did not show any easy trails, so we reluctantly passed on it. We were also starting to question going all the way on to the 3rd tunnel. It felt like we had been hiking quite a while. The rain was getting thicker and there were even slushy snow flurries mixed in. Some of us were seriously considering turning back. That was the point that the teenagers came back down the trail. They told us they had made it to the 3rd tunnel. Some of them looked a little out-of-sorts, like they were not sure if they were excited or scared. But it encouraged us to go on!

After about another 10 minutes, we made it up to the tunnel. The view showed us why it was no longer drivable: you can see how they closed off the tunnel from 100 feet away. There was a 20-foot tall, metal post fence covering the tunnel opening, looking like a large jail cell. Behind it there was chain-link fence that no longer blocked off the tunnel. While we were there, a person decided to climb around the fence, and check out the tunnel first hand. We turned off the lights. We didn't see anything. The person in the tunnel made some fake blood-curdling screams.

We turned on our lights and took turns taking pictures in front of the tunnel. Later, when I checked the time stamp on the photos, it was only a couple of minutes past midnight. Which means we had our lights off at the witching hour, as the date clicked over to the 13th.

As a group, we announced: “Third tunnel, Busted!” Going back was downhill, and no caches or teenagers to distract us, we made it back to our vehicles pretty quickly. Overall, we didn't see anything directly ghostly, but we had a grand adventure! KB was glad she decided to go along. She said this was the most daring thing she had done in a long time. I was glad to share an interesting adventure I probably would never have done if it weren't for the cool people I've met because of geocaching.

-- WitzAbout, Colorado Springs

photo credit: John Morgan

One of the fun aspects of Geocaching is the thrill of the hunt and wondering what you'll find in the cache, if you do indeed find it. The little toys (often called "Swag") are always exciting for the kids, but obviously most adults don't find much joy in little Sponge Bobs or G.I. Joes

But there are things we can find in caches that can be neat and exciting to find for both children and adults; trackable items!

There are two types of Trackable Items
- Geocoins
- Travel Bugs (TB)

They both have the same basic "function" or goal.

A travel bug looks just like military dog tags (I.D. tags.) Geocachers can buy them for a few bucks and attach them to anything they want. You could attach a TB to a stuffed animal, small toy, key chain... anything that is relatively small.

The image above is of one of my travel bugs called "Your lucky day."

A Geocoin is basically a coin, usually about twice the size of a quarter, that Geocachers can also purchase for a few bucks, usually a little more than travel bugs, or have custom made. The coin(s) can be themed however you like. Maybe you want it to represent your company, family, organization, club... anything. It could even be dedicated to your favorite pet or maybe a loved one that has passed... the possibilities are really endless.

So what do you do with them?

All TB's and Geocoins have serial numbers engraved into them. These numbers are unique to that particular TB or coin. Once you receive your TB or coin you activate it at the official Geocaching website. Once it is activated it will have it's own page, where you name it, explain it's purpose and give it a mission. Once you have the page done you release it into the "wild" (put it in the nearest Geocache)

Everytime a fellow Geocacher finds it they input the serial number on the Geocaching website, which digitally "picks it up." Once they move it along by dropping it into another cache, they digitally "drop it."

When a TB or Geocoin is in a cache a small icon with the picture of it will appear next the cache listing on the site.

The neat thing about TB's and Geocoins is that you can give them a mission. For instance, we have a good friend in Germany who is also an avid Geocacher. So I created a TB and made it's mission to go to his city in Germany for him to pick it up and then send it back to me.

There are many fun ideas. Maybe you want it to visit various beaches around the world or gardens etc. You can even request that people take pictures of it along it's journey and post them to the item's page.

Each cacher can write a note about the item on the page as well and you keep track of where it is on that page, so you know where it is at all times.

Now won't that be neat to show people your TB or Geocoin that traveled the World and came back?

Travel Bugs and Geocoins are just another fun aspect of this awesome hobby we call "Geocaching!"

Every person on Earth who takes up the hobby/sport (whatever you want to call it) of Geocaching does it for fun. I guess some may do it just to get off of their butt, but I'm pretty sure every single person who does it gets at least a little joy out of it.

Geocaching was invented for entertainment! With that being said, as long as you're respectful (you put caches back where you found them, you leave something if you take something etc.) it should be about what YOU enjoy.

Almost every day that I decide to do some Geocaching I come across one or more cache page, log, note etc. from other cachers complaining about how easy a cache is, how hard a cache is, how common a certain type of container is etc.

For some people it IS about the numbers and other it isn't. For some people large containers are the best, for other micros are the best.

Some people, like myself, like to take their small children out for EASY caches without the stress of a tough hunt with small children. Other people enjoy a challenge and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that either. I enjoy a challenging hunt when I'm alone as well.

Some people, like myself, don't like caches hidden in thick wooded areas because it's almost impossible to get a signal and to us it just sucks the fun right out of it, BUT some people enjoy that and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!

My point is this: Geocaching is a hobby just like any other hobby. One person may like it for the neat swag they find. Another person may like it for the exercise they get. Another for the new places they find. Another for the sheer challenge. So why complain about those caches that YOU don't personally like? Geocaching wasn't invented for me or you it was invented for me AND you!

I'll admit, this rant was brought on by a particular cacher publicly complaining about a series of 4 caches that I placed in my neighborhood. They are all P&G nano's and obviously this person didn't like nanos and decided to let me and everyone else know in his log.

I just wanted to say "Sorry, I didn't realize Geocaching was created for YOU"

Obviously that did bug me a bit, but I've been wanting to write about this particular subject for a while anyway, so at least he brought out some good too

Sorry for the negativity! I'm usually one of the most positive guys you'll ever meet, but every now and then I feel the need to let off a little steam!

img credits: akeg