Garmin's new Opencaching.com site

Garmin, who makes the best GPSr's in the world, recently launched their free opencaching cache listing site.  It was all the buzz around the geocaching community for a week or so.  Rumors abound about how this site was competition for Ground Speak's geocaching site and this was a way for Garmin to get back at GS for some anti-commercial decisions that prevented or delayed some new Garmin ideas from being allowed in GC listings.  Whatever the case may be, I'm not here to partake in that speculation, though there is no doubt that the OC site has lit a fire under GS to implement some long awaited updates to the GC site (updates began rolling out on GC within days of the OC launch).

What the OC site has done that will cause some issues within the geocaching community is they have eliminated the cache placement review process.  Anyone can list a cache on the OC site.  The instant you are done filling out the new cache form online, the cache is published for public viewing.  There is no one who reviews the cache listing and ensures that it complies with the well-established cache placement guidelines.  This means that anyone can publish anything and anywhere.  There is no saturation check.  There is no property limitation check.  There is no limitations on what you can write on the cache listing.  I'm sure there are a few people who've had run ins with a GS reviewer that are saying, "great".  But there is a huge problem with this "open caching" concept that the geocaching community has worked hard to establish over the last 10 years... there are a lot of places you can't place a cache and many more places that you shouldn't place a cache.

For a long time, key players, regional and local caching organizations, and the Ground Speak Lackey's have worked hard to show land owners and land managers how responsible the cache placement process is.  There are many park and refuge lands where caches are not allowed for environmental impact reasons.  There are also many parks were they now allow caches, with a permit, due to the diligent work of the aforementioned key players.  We've guaranteed these land mangers for years that we would ensure that caches placed on their lands would comply with the established placement guidelines.  The OC listing site does none of this.  It is entirely up to the individual cache hider to "review" his own cache.  The OC site is even devoid of any significant placement guidelines.

My fear, and the fear of many long time geocachers, is that people using the OC site to hide caches will have no checks in place and could start placing caches in prohibited areas and using prohibited methods.  When the land managers start finding out about these OC placements, they are going to revert back to banning all caching on their lands.  That means we can lose good GC placements due to poor OC placements.

Another danger is the saturation principle.  GC requires a tenth-mile spacing between cache containers (with a couple specific exceptions).  Someone placing caches via OC won't know the proximity to existing GC caches and they can place OC caches closer together than a tenth-mile.  This creates problems on the ground when cachers are finding the wrong cache because of close proximity placement.

All that said, there are a couple good things about the OC site.  One is that anyone with a GC username can quickly and easily import all their GC find logs and all their existing GC listed caches into the OC site using standard gpx files from a Pocket Query.  This is a Premium Member GC feature, so basic members will not be able to do it.  However, I encourage everyone with a GC account to go ahead and make a free OC account and import their finds at a minimum.  There is also benefit to importing your hides, so I also recommend that with a few specific points to make.

First - The OC site is free and public with no "premium" feature.  So, if you own any premium member only caches on GC, do NOT import them into OC or the whole world will be able to see them.

Second - The OC site is predominantly a text blog style interface.  There are no provisions for images or links in the listings.  I use a lot of graphics in my cache listings, especially in my puzzles.  So there is no way to recreate a lot of these caches on the OC site.  Thus, when I import my caches, I'm deleting the cache listing text and HTML and simply putting in a text direction to visit the GC # for that cache to get the cache info.  This way, anyone who looks up one of my caches on OC will just see a text statement directing them to visit the cache at the GC site.  For the puzzles, I'm also including text stating that it is a puzzle and the cache is not at the published coordinates shown on the page.  The user MUST go to GC to solve the puzzle and find the cache.

Why?  By placing all these cache listings on the OC site, or "cross listing" them, I've made a placeholder on the cache map.  So, if someone comes along and starts using the OC site, they can take one look at the map and see where all my placements are.  Hopefully, they will NOT place a new cache right on top of any of my existing caches when they can see them out there.

I'm also choosing to be actively involved with watching my region on the OC site.  Any new caches that do show up on there, I can take a look and see if they might cause land manager issues.  If they are on prohibited land (which we have a lot of in my area), I can contact the hider and explain the prohibition issues in a diplomatic way.  Hopefully, the person would be reasonable and remove the cache before the land manager becomes involved.  If not, there is a link on every OC cache listing to report the cache to Garmin as "inappropriate" and we can see if they will stand behind good principles and archive any bad listings.   That would just leave it up to a responsible local cacher to go out and remove the geolitter.  I sincerely hope that it never comes to that, but we've had problems with a cacher or two in our area before, so I can certainly see it happening.

So, check out the OC site, import your finds, consider importing your hides, and let's see if we, as a community, can keep OC from becoming a problem for the whole sport.  

Approaching the Puzzle Cache

Everything on a well-written Puzzle Cache listing is important and relevant to the puzzle.  Lots of things can be manipulated by the Cache Owner while writing up the listing, so at least take a look at each of these elements:

• Cache Name - This is nearly always a hint, so look for odd spelling, capitalization, or use of strange words and Google or look them up in a thesarus and/or dictionary
• Placed By - It always links to the CO's profile, but the text can be anything
• Date Placed - This can be any date the CO wants... as long as it is in the past
• Published Coordinates - These are usually fake, but they may have plenty to do with the real coordinates.  The solution to the puzzle may be simply adding or subtracting some number(s) from the published coords.  Or, the published coords might be for a real location that has some real hints about the puzzle.  Also, the final coords are nealy always going to be within 2 miles of the published location.  So you can draw a 2-mile circle on the map and the solution will reside somewhere in there.  More often than not, the solution will be much closer to the published coords.
• Related Web Page Link - The text doesn't tell you where this link leads, so check it out
• Background Image - Can be set by the CO to any image file on the internet
• Bookmark Lists - The CO or other cachers can put this puzzle on a shared bookmark list and there may be comments about the puzzle in that bookmark's descriptor field next to the cache's listing
• Trackables - Any past or current trackables may have log entries related to this puzzle
• Short & Long Descriptions - Naturally, this is where the bulk of the CO's text about the puzzle is going to be.  They may put nearly anything in here from text to images to links.  Very, very thoroughly read through EVERYTHING in the cache description before you even begin to work on solving the puzzle.
• Hint Text - This is the ROT-13 Ceasar Shift encoded hint built into every cache page.  Many puzzles have a cache hunting hint to help with the final cache hunt as well as a hint or two about solving the puzzle.  Note that the text put into this field can actually be encoded before it is ROT-13 shifted by the cache listing.  So you might have a code within a code written in here.
• Additional Waypoints - Take a very close look at any Child Waypoints!  They may be more than they seem.
• Image Gallery - Look very closely for any extra images that might be hidden down there in the image gallery.  This area is a little bit removed from the description stuff, so it is often missed.  Sometimes images are placed in the gallery and then the description uses them within the listing as full size images.  Other times the images in the gallery may not be shown elsewhere in the description, so take a close look at them.  Note that the CO has NO control over how the GC.com site names the images in the gallery.  There will be a jumbled bunch of numbers and letters in the image file name (they are always a .jpg file type, also) and that naming is done by the host.  The CO does have the ability to enter the image title and description information.
• Owner Logs - Always look down at the previous logs.  While we hope that finders do NOT put any hints in their logs about the puzzle, sometimes the Owner will intentionally add hints by means of a Note or Owner Maintenance log.  So take a look.
• HTML Source - Finally, take a look at the HTML source code and locate the "UserSuppliedContent" section (about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down the listing).  Hidden comments can be placed in remarks lines and you may find other comments or information embedded within the descrpition areas and image links.  There are a number of things the CO can hide in the HTML source that will not be visible on the listing page.

Not until you've looked at each and every element of the Cache Listing can you really start to actually solve the Puzzle at hand.  Make carefull note of any oddities you find along the way and look for related terms that may clue you into a particular style of puzzle.  As they say, the devil is in the details!

One Premium Account for the Whole Family

This issue comes up frequently in geocaching:  How can a "Basic Member" (BM) log a "Premium Member Only" (PMO) cache that they found while accompanied by a "Premium Member" (PM)?  It is really very simple.  Just follow these steps...

1- The PM needs to log into geocaching.com, bring up the PMO cache listing, and write their own log.
2- After the PM has entered the log, they should select "Log your Visit" from the listing's menu as if they were going to write another log.
3- Click on the "Log Out" link at the top right corner of the webpage.  This will bring up the log in screen.
4- Enter the BM's log in information and click the log in button.  This will return you to the write log page.
5- The BM can now select the log type and enter a log just like they can do with any other cache.

Tip- If you set up your browser (FireFox is the best) to store your usernames and passwords, all you need to do is double-click on the username field of the login screen.  It will pop up a list of all the registered usernames you have on your computer and you only need to pick one from the list.  The password will be entered automatically and you just need to click the log in button.

The whole process of switching from the PM to the BM on the write log page takes 6 mouse clicks and about 15 seconds on a high-speed connection.  It is exceedingly painless and lets each member of the family enter their own logs on every cache that you've found together.

Since it is only a small fraction of the caches that are listed as PMO, you will only need to use this logging method on rare occasions.

Puzzle Caches - Defined

Puzzle caching is going to take a whole series of articles to cover.  To start off, I'll simply define what a Puzzle Cache is (also known as a Mystery or Unknown Cache).  There is still a cache container hidden out there somewhere, just like a traditional cache.  And just like the Multi-Cache, the coordinates published on the Puzzle Cache listing are not for that container (there are a couple exceptions that I'll discuss at a later date).  The Puzzle Cache listing quite often uses totally fake coordinates on the listing.  These coordinates may or may not have anything to do with the cache.

The cache owner has somehow hidden the real coordinates, usually on the cache listing itself.  There may be a common puzzle, such as a Sudoku grid, that you solve and has certain boxes highlighted or referenced somehow that give you the coordinates to the final cache.  The complexity of the puzzle is purely up to the imagination of the puzzle maker.  Be warned... there are many Puzzle Caches out there with poorly written listings that are so vague that it may be a pure shot in the dark as to figuring out how to "solve" the puzzle.  Fortunately, the majority of puzzles will have an apparent road to the solution and you need only do some research or math to figure out the solution.

In future articles, I will be breaking down the Puzzles in great detail and working through the processes you need to go through to solve most Puzzle Caches.  Baby steps.  First we have a few more basic Geocaching topics to address before we get into the nuts and bolts of puzzle solving.  Stay tuned.

Multi-Cache Basics

With a "Traditional" cache, the listing on geocaching.com has the exact coordinates for the cache.  You simply load the waypoint to your GPSr and go there.  Many in the caching community feel that it is the adventure getting to the cache location that is the most important part.  A cache type called "Multi-Cache" adds one or more intermediate stops along the way to the cache.  In essence, the cache creator is making you take a certain route to get to the "final cache", because the coordinates to that cache are hidden.  The listing will be the coordinates of the starting point or "first stage" of the adventure.

A Multi-Cache route can use any number of methods to guide you along the way.  Some have a physical container at each waypoint along a route.  When you reach the first container, it will have the coordinates to the next spot inside.  You type that into your GPSr and go to the next stage and perhaps another and another after that.  There are other ways that the route can be created so that there isn't a physical container at each location.  We might use an existing sign, structure, or landmark where you must answer questions about it.  This might be counting the number of boards across a foot bridge or finding dates or other numbers on signs, etc.  The cache listing will tell you what you need to look for, so having a copy of the full cache listing is very important for most Multi-Caches.

Another type of Multi-Cache is the Night Cache Trail.  The published coordinates, like any Multi-Cache, is for the beginning of the route.  With a Night Cache, you must do it after dark and with a flashlight in hand.  Small reflectors are placed on the route.  You shine your light around until you see a reflector and then go to that reflector.  Again, look for the next reflector with your light.  Repeat the process until you arrive at the final cache.

After working your way down the route and finally locating the final cache, it is logged in the book and online just like any traditional cache.  When you look at your "found it" statistics under your profile, you'll see that Multi-Caches are listed under their own category.

There are a lot of people who don't bother to even look at Multi-Caches because they involve extra work to find.  This is simply a lazy attitude to have and doesn't belong in the game of Geocaching.  Cache owners put a lot of work into building all these great, adventurous Multi-Caches.  While you only get one "found it" stat, you gain on the adventure by at least three-fold over a "park-n-grab" traditional.  So, please don't fear the Multi-Cache.  The good ones will tell you exactly what to expect before going out.  If there are 7 stages, a mile hike, and it's going to take you an hour to complete it, then the cache listing ought to let you know that up front.

So get out there and try a Multi-Cache.  You won't regret it!

Traditional Geocaching Basics

To get my new Blog off the ground, we'll need some elementary articles on the basics.  So, for any old cachers who start following in these early days, bear with me while I lay the groundwork for this resource.  Newbies, please read on...

The root of geocaching is simply this... someone hides a box somewhere and lists the exact geographical coordinates for the hiding place on the internet.  Someone else comes along and uses those coordinates to go to that spot and find the box.  When they find it, they sign a logbook contained inside and put the container back exactly where they found it.  Then they post on the internet that they found it.

There is no limit to the number of people who can search for and find any particular geocache.  Everyone does the same thing when they find it... sign the log and put the box or "cache" right back where they found it.  In order to make listing these caches a simpler process, the website GEOCACHING.COM was founded.  This is not the only site for listing geocaches, but it certainly is the most popular one.  A basic membership is free of charge.  You just register a unique user name and you can start looking through the listings of geocaches hidden in your area.

To search for a geocache, you need to be able to get to an exact location on planet Earth.  This is where the GPSr (Global Positioning System receiver) comes in.  Using the signals from the GPS satellite system, this receiver is able to tell you where you are on the planet.  The most accurate consumer models of GPSr are accurate to within about 15 feet.  Under perfect signal conditions, they can get you within just a couple feet of the intended spot.  Less expensive models and the built-in GPSr found in cell phones will still usually get you within about 20 feet of the right spot as long as you have a good view of the sky to receive the satellite signals.

The slight error factor coupled with many ways that the hider can camouflage the container is what makes this game so challenging.  The cache can range from a tiny container the size of your fingernail all the way up to a trunk-sized chest.  And the possibilities for making the container blend into the surroundings are endless.

After you've found the cache, you need to log back onto the geocaching website and enter a log for the cache.  The log can be as simple as, "found it" or you can ramble on with a short story about your adventure in getting to the cache or the time you spent in the cache area or whatever.  Most people love to read these longer logs, so they are encouraged.  The short "found it" logs are generally frowned upon and even considered rude by some people.  But, the content and length of any log is entirely up to the finder.  You can write pretty much anything you want.

So that's the basis of the game wrapped up in a nutshell.  Of course, there is so much more to the game, which is why I felt the need to start the Blog.  But it is important to understand the root of the game before moving forward.

Geocache Alaska!

Visit the Geocache Alaska! website and be sure to stop by the Education page!

My new Blog...

Here we go! I'm starting a new Blog specific to Geocaching. My goal for this Blog is to support my desire to Educate the Geocaching community. Geocaching is such a diverse game that it can be overwhelming to new folks. Some stick with Traditional caching just because they don't understand all the spin-offs. Puzzle caches are one of my favorites, yet the vast majority don't even want to look at them. So, I'm going to put a series of articles on here specific to dealing with Puzzle caches.

I recently gave a long distance educational presentation on puzzle solving for the Geocache Alaska! organization. During an hour-long presentation that was broadcast over the web via WebEx, I was only able to touch on a few brief topics related to puzzle solving. This medium will give me the ability to expand that presentation indefinitely, plus I'll link this blog back into the handout material for my next puzzle solving presentation.

Another area that I enjoy is cache placement and building the cache containers. I've been asked numerous times how I get my camo paint finishes to look so good. Well, I'll cover many of the tips and tricks I use for that as we go along. Hopefully this Blog will become a valuable resource over time as I add more articles.