Reintroduction to caching

After the passing of my beloved dog Frodo a couple of weeks ago I decided to brush the cobwebs off my basic looking mountain bike that I had been given a while back and decided to take it for a ride and do a few geocaches as a carrot to the donkey to ensure i didnt give up to quick.  First thing i noticed was I lost my pen. after trying to sign in with a dirty stick I managed to find a waxy crayon in the puncture repair kit and decided this was my pen for the day.

It was nice to get back into the countryside and felt weird as this was where me and Frodo had come many times, but in recent years we had gone from unlimited miles per walk, to 10, then 6, down to 3 then less than a mile.

I was disappointed to the fact there were not any traditional size caches just tiny boring micros.

I had been for a while playing Ingress another location game but after being caught up in a widespread ban for allegedly breaking TOS which to this date I still dont have a clue but it be something to do with travelling to fast between locations or something stupid to which i have lodged a appeal as reaching level 14 without cheating and playing within the rules feels like an insult.  The other option would be to start all over again and work my way back up and with what i know these days it would take long, but still why should I after the way they have treated me in this mass world wide ban sweep that took place last week.  Ive heard that those that appeal have a very low chance of having their accounts reinstated so who knows I should hopefully be one of those.

But on a huge positive I thought about my raspberry pi geocaching device. It was made with a pi model b. now thinking about it I could remake it as a wrist band device with a pi zero and a long lead to a battery pack in my bike bag and have a new gps system. maybe i will work on this idea next.

Out near high worth

A well stocked cache

Out for a 3-4 mile walk with frodo today, a few drivebys to start with before going onto the walk in near by village of Hampton. The paths started out muddy but over the course became nice to walk.  As with all roobydoo caches they were good size, well stocked and well maintained and a pleasure to do his caches. 

We ended the afternoon with a newish side tracked at shrivenham. A cleverly hidden cache, but soon found I was on private rail track ground after a worker turned up.

Him: what you doing?

Me : having a rest from driving and stretching my legs? Why what you doing?

Him: I work for rail track and I believe you're acting suspicious.

Me: what watching for trains, is it cos I don't have an anorak on?

Him: no its just you don't look like a trains potter and this track to the gate is private rail track land.

Me: I'm sorry but never saw any signs, but heyho I will watch them from my car instead.

Which I did and after a few minutes he went and I got the cache. Looks like I'm afraid to say this one is on private land, but certainly a cleverly hidden cache.

A cure for cache saturation ???

Something I've been thinking of for a while, sooner or later many places will be so full of caches that no new ones will be allowed, but many of them crappy micros thrown down in crap locations just for the sake of it.

Now after talking to a few cachers today of which a couple have already reviewed their caches archiving a few which they felt were crap and no benefit I thought I would say what came of it.

Everyone I spoke to agreed that if you find a place a regular cache could fit within 500 ft of a micro that the bigger container takes prescient and is allowed with the owner of the micro given time to get the old cache back or allow the new cache owner to collect the old one.

This would also work in the event of a regular cache being upstaged by an extra large cache.

After all how we supposed to get new people interested when most of the caches out there are micro film pots often with mouldy paper within? If I had found one as my first I don't think I would be caching now, however my first cache was pooky Luke's a regular size ammo box with lots of swag inside.

Lets get the quality back up, nice location and a good size cache, banish the crappy micro.

So what do you reckon ?

Piratemania

Arrrrrrrrrr last weekend it was piratemania  so me and frodo went for one night and day. Not really up to it after the recent deaths of friends and colleagues I however went but found it emotionally difficult. Whilst there were many new caches and some good quick drive by caches we didn't participate in to much of the shanaghans after queuing for and hour and half for a jerk chicken meal that really did dampen things and then the storm so me and frodo went back to the tent.

The following morning we got penned in as race for life was on and all roads leaving the campsite had been closed for it. But then we were in no rush as we had to dry the tent porch that was under an niche of water which had come in under the canvas during the night, but sleeping compartment was well dry.  At least we now know the high gear tent which was about twenty quid can survive a night of tropical storms.

Geocaching is getting crap

Yes I know negative but let's look at the facts. I rarely cache these days, have two caches within 500ft of my house which I haven't even bothered looking for, why?

Well simple, it's unfun to look for crappy micros hidden in any place that can fit into an already cache flooded area. They are not well thought out, often co ords well over 20m out and often with soggy logbooks. When I started a few years ago caches were large and if not large had enough room for swappable swag for the kids. These days anyone starting will be put off very quickly with the poor quality caches.

Maybe an idea is if a larger cache can be fitted within 524ft of a current cache then the reviewers should archive the existing one and allow the new one instead, but what about the crappy micro? Well two options (well fits into one) the old cache owner should collect and remove it and if they don't then the cache owner of the newer bigger cache should remove it and place it in their new cache with a note for the attention of cache owner x

Maybe in a few weeks I will feel different, but know I'm getting fed up with it.

Rosie's cache

After updating all caches I've found I decided to see where the four tb s were for the above cache.

Way land smithy, ridgeway at chain hill, hendred and chilton. 

So I decided to get the west ones first as if I ran out of time I could get the other two on the way to work.

At way land like with all of them it came back to me where the cache was. Ask me to describe it before going and I can never remember but as I pass a cache I can say there's a cache there.  

So with first one down I moved on to chain hill and after a walk found the cache, slightly further away to where I originally found it, call it the cachers dance as the cache slightly moves and moves over time.

Now getting dark and with two, yes two tb s I had already worked out the location but thought sod it lets attempt them all. Over to hendred and another quick find, all going well till the last one which had already gone.

Looking at what I had and where I had already plotted the cache to be I was only 100 ft out and still missing vital co ords so off to lambourn and armed with the clue I could see two likely spots, first no didn't look right next I was basically on top of it in the dark and there was the stump. A rummage around and it was in hand. :) so pleased as I didn't really want to go home empty handed.

However as I drove home I thought, what if one or even all of the tbs ended up in 5/5 caches? Surely then as you have been to four 5/5 caches that this one should be class the same? As many others around the country are for this reason? Let me know your thoughts

Thank you Lorraine for another great cache.

Two many dnfs

WeWe went out to Hagbourne today after missing a tb we needed for a local cache. Thought I had solved the two puzzles which one was an excellent puzzle in its self. Nope first pointed us into a cricket pitch and second the clue was hanging around but we couldn't find anything after a finger tip search. The only one we found had spiders in the lid which was good but just before we got there we found an ideal spot for an extreme cache.

Drive by caching

Today the weather looked good and a ton of driveby caches had been released. We looked at doing some then a small walk but as we arrived at the first one the skies went black and down came the rain.

The first one was on the edge of Harwell aera and as I approached the cache could see a forgotten old building in these woods. This followed by a couple more were ftf s for us, in notmal terms it neant first to find, no one else had found them yet so there wasnt any disturbance to point where the cache is.

The next was simple, however the one after it which according to the gps was in a gateway area wasnt there. ok i might have failed to spot it but the area was littered with adult magazines, bottles of yellow liquid (urine) and the smell of public toilets so left it. the next was quick and easy and the one after before rejoining the a34 was another ftf for me and frodo.

Next to the old esso site which is now a hotel and business behind it. ive always thought it be a good place for a cache and now one here with a secluded spit to stop muggles seeing you.

Next just as easy, but then things changed couldn't find next got ftf on the next and left the next as some kids were by it as a football match was on at the school.

As we got near Wantage we decided to get the last driveby of the day being in a layby on the way to great shefford. As I approached it I could see the container looking at me.

So the dnf s today will have to wait for another day.

Swindon way

Out near Swindon today clearing off Hannington and high worth. On the way out we managed to do a bus stop drive by series but as frodo was getting impatient for a walk we went and did the few mile walk first.

This was a lovely walk a great forest on one part with many hidey holes. Half way round frodo found the leg of a baby deer and decided not to let go of it stopping well ahead of me each time to have a munch on it.

On the way back into high worth I had another look at well hidden micro of which kept taking me to the middle of the path whilst google maps to something else. As me a frodo was about to give up we noticed something not in a container and picked it up, it was the new log roll with only one signature within. So we placed it somewhere safe and will let the cache owner know.

Next cache was a find but the rest where dnf s, must have been the fact we didn't have the lucky deers leg. Not settling on an end of day with a dnf we went to letchlade and picked the last one off to end the day with a find and now back in the top 80 of uk cachers.

Basingstoke

Down Basingstoke way today to pick off the rest of a loop I started a couple of years ago and some more. So off to woot ton st Lawrence where there was a nice church to park by and on with caching.

We had already done well with some drive bys on the way over and a little way in we bumped into a cacher called misty&mike or at least I think that was his caching name.

As we worked around we did keep going off route to pick the odd one or two up and noticed that its been the first time since last summer that we have been out caching in t shirt as it was a rather tropical 15c and now home my face is letting me know its had a bit of sun.

We got to watch two farmers, as one had finished ploughing and sowing another then went in with another tractor to spread some grey stuff over the field. We only dnf d one as it was where the farmers were so didn't want to draw attention and could see Hannington transmission mast and Basingstoke from various vantage points.

In all we walked about 8 miles in 3 hours and was even planning another route but decided not to and now glad we didn't. Then it was off home with a few driveby caches to do. The car certainly enjoyed itself an average 44mpg on way out 42mpg on most of way back which settled to 38mpg as I cleared the engine out on the way home (keeping to speed limits of course).

I really should start logging this weeks caches but at moment cannot be bothered to dig out my laptop which I can upload all in one hit with. It's not just me I have to log but frodo s as well as he had given me great company this week on my week off from work.

Oh we saw some alpacas too here are some pics.

Baydon series and drive bys

Saturday me and frodo decided to go for a walk, a caching walk. We decided to visit the new 10 caches at Baydon and off we set.

The walk out was cold 4c with a heavy wind which wasn't noticeable till we made the return walk. We bumped into some other cachers near the end who carried on to do the aldbourne ones which we did as a drive by before doing a multi and two more traditionals one a snail the other hidden in a bus shelter and last found by a cacher called suspicious package, great name.

We managed to get rid of all trackables in a nice size cache which was nice as I hate hanging onto trackables for to long.

Vets then ftf s

Frodo needed to go for injections today for his back leg, being an old dog means we are restricted to 6 miles max whilst out, however a few years ago 30 miles would be a good day. With no problems getting there frodo dragged me into the vets had his injection and soon dragged me back out.

Got home and put the kettle on and started to wait for my postman with lots of bits n bobs for me. Kettle boiled and phone bleeps, cache gone live, 2, 3, 4, 5 where are they 1.6 miles away so straight out the front door we went and luckily postie was outside with my mail.

We parked outside the first cache, phone data let me down but the name gave me a clue and soon found it, never knew of this old pump here so learnt something new. We parked up and walked the rest, now I had phone data and was able to find the caches with my iPhone. The caches were easy to find and nice sizes which makes a nice change, maybe this year people will go back to putting quality out and not quantity.

After a few muddy paths we had them all and a quick email to cache owner to thank them. We stopped at the dip where frodo often paddles but he had a drink and didn't want to go in. Back at the car I had to try and dry him as he was rather muddy but excited for another walk so early on in the morning.

So there we have it a nice start to the new year with 5 ftf s big smiles here.

geocaching pi

Not really been up for much outdoorness recently, might be the time of the year or I can't be bothered to drive for an hour to get to a trail.

However I have started a new project called raspberry pi. It's a £20 quid computer that you need to then buy a lead to you tv (99p) a case (a couple of quid) power pack (couple of quid again) wifi or Ethernet and USB keyboard and mouse (about 7 quid) and a USB powered hub (three quid). Oh an an sd card of minimium 4gb and preferable class 10.

So for under fifty quid it's up and running, I currently have two. One is plugged in with ssh and vnc so I can play and learn from anywhere. The other I interchange the sd cards, one card has xbmc on it and since changing the class 4 card to a class 10 doesn't seem to buffer or drag no more I know have a better way of watching films than with my apple tv.

Ok I've had to start learning Linux and unix and have been lucky to find many of the books on amazon second hand costing a grand total of £2.81 including postage for many books costing ten times what I'm paying for brand new. Yes I've had one dirty book with part of a page ripped out, but 99% of the books have been received like brand new.

My current project is to make a cloud at home to use from anywhere. I did succeed with my first file server and ended up connecting my tb harddrive back to the router and have since started adding all my DVD s to it as my music (200gb) is already loaded on there after going through a spate of buying secondhand CDs for less than a quid including postage and using iTunes to get a better quality with their service and cloud thingy and certainly cheaper than buying the old albums from iTunes.

So what have I planned? Well I'm looking eventually to run one of these devices from the car with mobile data, touchscreen, live maps and live cache status of caches, ambitious? Yes but an interesting project it will be.

placing new caches

In the past week I have placed another cache in the all about the numbers series. Problem is trying to find the ideal locations. I looked at the river at steventon where it runs under the road by the cherry tree pub. The problem here is not getting under the tunnel it's the fact you have to trespass a foot to get to it so I had to abandon the idea. Just before I abandoned the idea I thought of using a kyak, however the water wasn't deep enough and too much reeds in water too .

Then back to Wantage, Wantage has about 300 caches in about 5 mile radius, which is great for caching but not for placing caches. On looking at several great locations to place a good cache idea I was stumped, why? A film pot cache that's why. Wherever I look and find the ideal spot for a huge cache it's scarpered by a film pot within 524ft.

Now don't get me wrong I'm guilty as the next for putting a film pot out for the sake of it. But when you trying to put a good size cache out, surely a bigger cache should win priority? I've even been out maintaining and removing caches I feel are just there for the sake of it or too small freeing up space for bigger and better caches.

Just this week I went to the army surplus store to get two big ammo cans for eight quid a can, some where Manky, but after a look at them all I got two good ones, might go back for more.

If people went out and did some of the oldest caches like Coombs hill or the queens oak and saw what size these caches were in the early days, what is in them and how big the logbooks are, then perhaps they would go out to their small caches and archive them and place some bigger caches or find locations which you would want to show someone. After all what would you like to see? An underground tunnel or a bush with disused needles?
Yes there is the chance of it being muggled, but a well placed cache with a lot of thought that's gone into it shouldn't get muggled.

So while I look at places for its all about the numbers 3 and 4 have a think about your own caches or a friends, maybe being honest to yourself and them and think you know what? Our caches are pretty crap along that stretch how about we archive them and place a bigger cache up that tree or in that hollow?

what's geocaching

This is what I was asked today. So how do I explain it?

Geocaching is basically a high tech treasure hunt where you get the co ords off geocaching.com put them onto your gps device and head off in search of the box aka cache.

Once you get down to a few feet you hunt around for the container, this can be small dog tag micro or up to a huge box. They can be devilish as in a cache hidden inside a hollow log to a magnetic sign with a logbook inside it.

As more and more phones come with gps you can download an app to your phone to start with before moving onto a proper gps.

out puztok caching

Out today with frodo, parked at a parking spit off Walton steer near to fiddlers island and did about ten caches including metal bijou s excellent cache at the old swimming baths and four puztox caches, the ones that the reviewers allowed. This brought us to some parts of Oxford that we didn't no existed including a little alley way. We got caught in the rain and the thunderstorm and also filled another d/t thank you simply Paul for the puzzles and placing them :)

puztox

Puztoxs are a collection of 10 different colour and different cipher coins each one has a phrase which you can use to set or decipher a puzzle. A phrase of outstanding or black or even d=3 will point puztox owners to the correct cipher.

Although groundspeak are being funny on these at moment, we are seeding the black one online, so feel free to copy and forward on the picture to as many people as possible. The plan with the black one is to put a cache out using the name and your postcode. If we can get 500+ caches put using "outstanding in the field" then your postcode eg ox1 1aa then hopefully the reviewers and groundspeak will give in.

http://twitter.com/_smstext/status/231411826540302336/photo/1

and so behold my caches were published

It took nearly a week and re editing my puzzles but now all published :) a ftf has been reported to me on one with three chasing another cache and no try on my super hard one yet which I'm about to make even harder lol. So anyone not quick enough will find its even harder, probably 20 minutes longer :)

Have fun and enjoy.

podcache show

Just a quick blog today, show 11 of the podcache show is out featuring many cachers including figures on his 10k cache and myself on my 5/5s and my exhausted review of the day at the very end.

maintenance and puztoks part du

Day two of puztokgate and the reviewers are not budging waiting for orders from groundspeak. Now don't get me wrong but I've come across a frog coin cypher that was published in Bristol surely then that should be archived for similarly the same thing.

Whilst most people have bought these puztoks at £10 for a set of ten, some have been given out to cachers to seed and dr solly has tons to seed whilst out around the country. It's also obvious the codes will come common knowledge as they become popular, but why is groundspeak being so anal?

Ten letters equalling ten numbers isn't exactly rocket science to work out. There is many online program's that can figure out the cipher and most cachers can work out the first 4 to 5 characters from the puzzle icon location as it has to be within two miles of the icon. So this leaves the last three nothings and last three westings and guess what? At least two of the numbers will probably be in there from the 51 or 001 of the co ords making it a 1 in 16 chance of getting the next number correct on first go. All I can say is keep submitting them for review they might then just take the hint.

Back on to maintenance today another couple missing in action and one moved from 8 ft up a tree to near the base by the tree surgeons so I archived it. One other needed a new and dry logbook and container leaving me with three more to check on.

I also placed a new cache called lots of top cheating which involves yes, cheating ask people for the co ords, follow cachers to the co ords, the only rule is that you must physically sign the cache.