No MUGGLERS at GZ

It has it's own language. 

You better BYOP or you wont be able to sign the log sheet.  Once you have the coordinates you should be able to find the cache at GROUND ZERO.    Watch for MUGGLERS, they are often harmless, but they are non-geocachers.  After logging a FOUND I will type in TFTH.  We have a few interesting bits of SWAG that I will show in another post. On a PnG, STEALTH is required if you are in a highly populated area.

Did you catch any of that???

Week # 18 - LIFE'S simple pleasures - Geocaching

 

 

Geocaching certainly has it's history and it's own language.  First of all, one question we get and we've read about... "Can you only do it here in this city?"  It is a WORLD wide game of hiding and seeking treasure.  It's everywhere.... and you just don't know it!!!

 

Please note in the above picture I have BYOP.  Bring your on pen\cil.... once you find a cache it is custom to sign the log sheet included in the container.  Sometime a pen/cil wont fit.

 

The containers are of varying sizes, here are a few that we have found....

This is an ammo box.  Yes that's right!  An actual ammunition metal box that has clips and clasps that seal it shut so that nothing can get in that isn't supposed to.  Often inside of these large caches you will find the 'log' in a plastic bag that keeps the paper moisture free.  In these larger caches too, you will find SWAG, which are toys and trinkets that you can take if you replace it with an equal value item.  A FUN treasure hunt to bring the small kids along to help find!

Other than being an OFFICIAL GEOCACHE green container, I'm not sure if this size cache has a specific name.  But in the description to GZ - ground zero where the cache is SUPPOSED to be hidden, the hider will identify the size you are looking for.  This is considered a small sandwich size plastic Tupperware container.  You can only put tiny SWAG inside like: coins, buttons/pin, badges etc... and room for a LOG IN notebook and pen.  The OFFICIAL GEOCACHE site must sell these.  Often, we have seen a typical plastic container with camouflage tape wrapped around it!

This is a magnetized BISON TUBE...A micro-sized cache container, made of durable metal to hold small objects. Named for the primary manufacturer, Bison Designs. This one was wrapped with a heavy duty magnet and black electricians' tape.  We found it stuck inside the metal cart coral at a grocery store. 

On either side of our find that day were two gentlemen MUGGLERS.... probably waiting for their wives who were shopping.  A MUGGLER is a non-geocacher or according to Harry Potter, a non magical person.  These two men busily  playing on their Iphones briefly looked up to see us searching the shopping cart coral... but went back to their business at hand!

And then there are these great hides!  Canisters similar to the bison tube, it can be a pill bottle or other container that has a screw on cap, that is designed with a hanger.  It is camouflaged or taped up with green duct tape and it dangles on a branch un-seen by the non-geocacher eye!  Well, sometimes by our eyes as well.

 

We have FOUND 75 caches in 3 states so far!  (just to give you an idea, some locally near us, have over 3,000 finds) When I log it in on the computer I will type a comment, but mostly it will be TFTH.... thanks for the hide! You can leave other hints if you want too!  One comment on a FIND... I noted that I was too short to reach the cache!

 

And I must admit, there are about 20 or so that we've attempted to find... and no luck!  We might have to revisit a few spots now that we understand possibly what we are looking for... or what we are directly looking at and not seeing! There are even more containers like: bottle caps, buckets and cans.

 

STEALTH is required at all times.... we want to avoid detection... but we have stumbled upon a few others who are newbies like us... and they are out there having fun looking at their surroundings differently... enjoying the outdoors, using critical thinking and rediscovering the cities they live in... and they always love to chat!

 

Here is an article that I mentioned yesterday....if you want to read more...

http://www.crystallakeparks.org/parks-facilities/Nature-Center/Geocaching.htm

Tomorrow, more about PnG!