[Pez~ania~Taz]

I am a bit overwhelmed, I stumbled onto geocaching about a few months ago, at first found a few here and there, but never really logged them,was tired, notes on paper were lost etc, but eventually I started keeping a list, excel, and figured that would be fine.

Now I have probably 100 finds, but have a list of 75 un-logged finds. Guess my question is this: Does it really matter if I log them the day of me finding them, I have learned about field notes, and use it, but still, I like being creative with a lot of things, so does it really matter when the caches are logged?

Also was wondering...I use crayon to sign the logbooks, and notice almost every signature is in ink or pencil, is crayon acceptable, or am I floating down the wrong side of the geocaching etiquette river with out a paddle and heading towards a niagra falls situation?

OK, and one last question...re GPS'r, I have an Oregon 450, is this considered to be a decent GPS, as mostly i use android, an am learning the GPS'r thing, have used NUVI for years, still in awe that folks have been hidding things since 2002, well, guess that is it for now, Thank-you

[Pup Patrol]

Pez~ania~Taz, on 15 April 2012 - 04:09 PM, said:

I am a bit overwhelmed, I stumbled onto geocaching about a few months ago, at first found a few here and there, but never really logged them,was tired, notes on paper were lost etc, but eventually I started keeping a list, excel, and figured that would be fine.

Now I have probably 100 finds, but have a list of 75 un-logged finds. Guess my question is this: Does it really matter if I log them the day of me finding them, I have learned about field notes, and use it, but still, I like being creative with a lot of things, so does it really matter when the caches are logged?

Also was wondering...I use crayon to sign the logbooks, and notice almost every signature is in ink or pencil, is crayon acceptable, or am I floating down the wrong side of the geocaching etiquette river with out a paddle and heading towards a niagra falls situation?

OK, and one last question...re GPS'r, I have an Oregon 450, is this considered to be a decent GPS, as mostly i use android, an am learning the GPS'r thing, have used NUVI for years, still in awe that folks have been hidding things since 2002, well, guess that is it for now, Thank-you

You can log your finds whenever you want/have the time. You have the ability to change the date of your find to the actual date in the drop-down menu. The cache owner will still get notification of your creative "found it" log.

Lots of people are behind in logging their finds.

Logging "dnf" would be something that I think would be more appropriate to immediate logging. Logging a "dnf" or a "Needs Maintenance" helps other cachers know what the situation might be. Logging those types long after the fact serves no purpose.

Signing the logbook with a crayon shouldn't be a problem. Makes the logbook more colourful, no?





B.

[Pez~ania~Taz]

You can log your finds whenever you want/have the time. You have the ability to change the date of your find to the actual date in the drop-down menu. The cache owner will still get notification of your creative "found it" log.

Lots of people are behind in logging their finds.

Logging "dnf" would be something that I think would be more appropriate to immediate logging. Logging a "dnf" or a "Needs Maintenance" helps other cachers know what the situation might be. Logging those types long after the fact serves no purpose.

Signing the logbook with a crayon shouldn't be a problem. Makes the logbook more colourful, no?





B.
[/quote]

Thank-you Puppatrol,

Have a question tho...what if you just do not find it...th geocache, I should log it ASAP?...even if I do not set eyes on it?

Glad to hear my crayon will be acceptable, Taz loves crayons!

[niraD]

Pez~ania~Taz, on 15 April 2012 - 04:46 PM, said:

Have a question tho...what if you just do not find it...th geocache, I should log it ASAP?...even if I do not set eyes on it?

FWIW, if I reach ground zero and search for the cache, then I log either a Find or a DNF (Did Not Find). Almost all of my DNF logs are from times when I did not see the cache, so you could say I did not set eyes on it. The other DNF logs were times when I set eyes on the cache, but didn't recognize it for what it was, or (rarely) when I set eyes on it, recognized it for what it was, but for some reason I couldn't retrieve/open the cache.

Pez~ania~Taz, on 15 April 2012 - 04:46 PM, said:

Glad to hear my crayon will be acceptable, Taz loves crayons!

As a practical matter, some caches (especially micro size caches) have very small logs. You may have difficulty writing small enough to sign them if you use a crayon.

[Pup Patrol]

Pez~ania~Taz, on 15 April 2012 - 04:46 PM, said:

Thank-you Puppatrol,

Have a question tho...what if you just do not find it...th geocache, I should log it ASAP?...even if I do not set eyes on it?

Glad to hear my crayon will be acceptable, Taz loves crayons!

Well, if you put some time and effort into searching for the cache, and didn't see/find it, that's a "DNF" (Did Not Find).

The cache could be well-camoed, or missing, or just an "evil" hide.

DNF isn't a mark against you. It's an honest reflection of your cache hunt experience. Later, if you go back to look for the cache again, and are successful, you can post a new "found it" log.

For a cache that we "found" a few years ago, I posted a "write note" log for it, because it was frozen in its hiding place. I could see it, but I couldn't retrieve it to sign the log. Later, when we went back to it and it wasn't frozen in place any more, we signed the log and logged a "found it" online.

LOL...you have a cool mileage tracker there. I like the photos of Taz's caching experiences.




B.

This post has been edited by Pup Patrol: 15 April 2012 - 05:31 PM

[froggymama3]

If you take a trackable, you should log it ASAP, so that others no that it is gone and you dont forget about it. Nothing worse than lost trackables, in my opionion.

[fuzziebear3]

I like logging all of my finds as soon as I can (usually the evening of the day I found it).

Since you are behind, it might take you a while to catch up. But you can log your new finds as you find them, and log your old finds when you have time, just back dating them to the date you found them.

This way, you can log your finds from now on, and even your DNF's, and even any trackables, in a timely manner.
And slowly that gap will go away as you log those old ones too.

When you have even more finds, you will appreciate that you are not still so far behind. And the site can help you with things like counting and milestones too.

[popokiiti]

I prefer to log my finds/DNFs on the same day while the memory is still fresh, and also make note of any caches that require maintenance. We all play the game in a way that suits us. What is right for me may not be so good for you. It is best for me to not procrastinate....I am still finding caches from a while ago that I forgot to log....my bad!

[BlueRajah]

Pez~ania~Taz, on 15 April 2012 - 04:09 PM, said:

Now I have probably 100 finds, but have a list of 75 un-logged finds. Guess my question is this: Does it really matter if I log them the day of me finding them, I have learned about field notes, and use it, but still, I like being creative with a lot of things, so does it really matter when the caches are logged?

There is one community nearby where no one logs a find. I had an online log stating that the log was full (on a nano), however only 5-6 had logged it online. Sure enough, when i checked it, it was full.

Logging is the reward and the thanks to the cache owner that people find them. I get a number of logs and I am really happy to read through them.

Logging on time is more important if there is a problem with the cache. As a cache owner I read the logs to get an idea of the condition, if the cache is there, or if there is some other problem that I need to address. If someone waits three months I might have fixed it, then get the message and go out again to fix it from your late log. Also there are times when a logger found it months ago, but logs it today as a find. Then if I see 1 or 2 dnf's and a find I think it is ok. Yet it has gone missing.

It is always a good practice to stay on top of it, but not required. If I am logging late, I try and state that in my log.

This post has been edited by BlueRajah: 17 April 2012 - 02:48 PM

[stldenise]

Logging the find is as much for the owner as yourself. New caches pop up all the time and marking old ones as "found" will visually separate them on the map for you. I've got a couple caches out there and I've set them up to ping me on email when they are found. That way I can keep up with them. People will note that the box got wet or needs tending to so I can go out and fix it. And I just get a warm fuzzy feeling whenever someones says they like the cache or it was easy for their kids (I made them kid friendly).

[Skoorb]

If you're using an Android device, then it's simple to log your finds right on the spot with the app, or when you get back to your car. I use an iPhone and always take a picture and log within minutes of signing the log. I don't like the idea of waiting until I forget or have them building up until it gets out of hand.

For newer people like me (i've been a member since 2002, but only recently got back into it) logs can be helpful when you think you need a small clue. I'm not too proud to look for hints if I need them. SOmetimes just a picture of the cach itself away from it's hiding spot is helpful.

Yeah! My first forum post here! :-)

[Sol seaker]

There aren't any rules as to when you log your find, but I prefer to do it right away.
That way I remember the cache
1. which one I did
2. any maintenance notes the owner needs to know
3. any special fun remarks I can make about my journey to find it (or not find it)
4. If I didn't find it, then the owner knows right away, in case it's missing.


If I can't find a cache today, and don't log it for a few months then the owner won't have that log that can help him determine he needs to check on the cache or not.

If I find a cache today, and log it three months later (or two weeks) then the last 4 people may not have found it, and then the owner may see my log and determine the cache is really still there, when it's not.

You can carefully track the dates to keep mix-ups like that from happening, or you can just log them right away and make it easy on yourself.

Logging a cache is also a thank you to the cache owner. they invest money and time in keeping their cache up and running. It's good to appreciate it.

Crayons are great!!
If it's a really big log book you can even draw pictures.

(for nano's you will need a pen to be legible though)

[tdheot]

Pup Patrol, on 15 April 2012 - 05:27 PM, said:

The cache could be well-camoed, or missing, or just an "evil" hide.

Newbie to Geocaching here, but eventually I want to start placing caches. (Long time from now, probably). How do I know, when placing it, whether it's "evil" or not? I don't want to be evil

[Sol seaker]

tdheot, on 27 April 2012 - 11:29 AM, said:

Pup Patrol, on 15 April 2012 - 05:27 PM, said:

The cache could be well-camoed, or missing, or just an "evil" hide.

Newbie to Geocaching here, but eventually I want to start placing caches. (Long time from now, probably). How do I know, when placing it, whether it's "evil" or not? I don't want to be evil

Some people like evil caches. But if you place one you've got to be prepared for unhappy cachers. Yeah, best to start with standard caches.

Evil hides are those that are difficult to find because the cache owner has intentionally made them really, really hard to find.

For instance, a fake rock cache, in a large field of rocks, or in a rock wall, behind another rock.

Many evil hides you can look right at them and not know you're seeing them. You can touch them and not know they are a cache.

Things that are made to blend in really well.

Let's see, one of the best I found was a metal plate on the leg of a guardrail. The plate was well done,the same color as the metal it was attached to. It was held on by magnets. The only way to know it was the cache was to notice that the bolts on the other side did not go all the way through. That was a high quality evil cache.

The low quality evil caches are "needle in a haystack" sort of hides.

I love the high quality ones. I hate the low quality ones. I'll walk away from needle in haystack hides. I'll keep coming back and searching for a high quality evil hide.

You can avoid looking for any evil hide for a while by checking the difficulty rating. The evil hides will generally be 3 difficulty and above, although not all caches that are in that difficulty range are evil. It depends on the placement. It can be a standard hide that is just well hidden.

[tdheot]

Sol seaker, on 27 April 2012 - 12:07 PM, said:

tdheot, on 27 April 2012 - 11:29 AM, said:

Pup Patrol, on 15 April 2012 - 05:27 PM, said:

The cache could be well-camoed, or missing, or just an "evil" hide.

Newbie to Geocaching here, but eventually I want to start placing caches. (Long time from now, probably). How do I know, when placing it, whether it's "evil" or not? I don't want to be evil

Some people like evil caches. But if you place one you've got to be prepared for unhappy cachers. Yeah, best to start with standard caches.

Evil hides are those that are difficult to find because the cache owner has intentionally made them really, really hard to find.

For instance, a fake rock cache, in a large field of rocks, or in a rock wall, behind another rock.

Many evil hides you can look right at them and not know you're seeing them. You can touch them and not know they are a cache.

Things that are made to blend in really well.

Let's see, one of the best I found was a metal plate on the leg of a guardrail. The plate was well done,the same color as the metal it was attached to. It was held on by magnets. The only way to know it was the cache was to notice that the bolts on the other side did not go all the way through. That was a high quality evil cache.

The low quality evil caches are "needle in a haystack" sort of hides.

I love the high quality ones. I hate the low quality ones. I'll walk away from needle in haystack hides. I'll keep coming back and searching for a high quality evil hide.

You can avoid looking for any evil hide for a while by checking the difficulty rating. The evil hides will generally be 3 difficulty and above, although not all caches that are in that difficulty range are evil. It depends on the placement. It can be a standard hide that is just well hidden.

Thanks! Very informative

[Planet]

Don't worry about when, unless you are moving trackables.
Don't worry about the crayon. I have signed logs with burnt sticks and sticks dipped in mud, when I forgot a pen. I would use berries, crushed leaves, whatever it takes so I don't have to hike back to the car. You would think after 10 years that I would learn to carry a writing utensil all the time!

This post has been edited by Planet: 27 April 2012 - 01:26 PM

[niraD]

tdheot, on 27 April 2012 - 11:29 AM, said:

How do I know, when placing it, whether it's "evil" or not? I don't want to be evil

Around here, people make the distinction between "good evil" hides and "bad evil" hides.

A needle-in-a-haystack hide is a classic "bad evil" hide.

In contrast, with a "good evil" hide, there is often no haystack. In 5 or 10 minutes, you can search "everywhere the cache could possibly be". Then you're left trying to figure out where and how the owner managed to hide a cache there anyway.

[tdheot]

niraD, on 27 April 2012 - 01:30 PM, said:

tdheot, on 27 April 2012 - 11:29 AM, said:

How do I know, when placing it, whether it's "evil" or not? I don't want to be evil

Around here, people make the distinction between "good evil" hides and "bad evil" hides.

A needle-in-a-haystack hide is a classic "bad evil" hide.

In contrast, with a "good evil" hide, there is often no haystack. In 5 or 10 minutes, you can search "everywhere the cache could possibly be". Then you're left trying to figure out where and how the owner managed to hide a cache there anyway.

So "bad evil" = monotonous searching, and "good evil" = cleverly placed?

[niraD]

tdheot, on 27 April 2012 - 01:34 PM, said:

So "bad evil" = monotonous searching, and "good evil" = cleverly placed?

More or less, although I suppose for each individual it comes down to "bad evil" = difficult and not fun, and "good evil" = difficult and fun. For example, some seekers might see dozens (or even hundreds) of rocks, and consider it a needle-in-a-haystack hide. Other seekers might notice the one rock that is somehow different from all the rest, and consider it a clever in-plain-sight hide. Is such a cache a "good evil" hide or a "bad evil" hide? It depends who you ask.