November 5, 2010 / Eric Schudiske /

Geocaching Caption Contest 16 – Win a Barely Coveted Prize

Try your caption writing skills in the sixteenth installment of our Geocaching Caption Contest. You could win a barely coveted prize. These geocaching Halloween costumes come from a post on the official Geocaching.com Facebook page.

What caption would you write? “Muggle-proof Geocoins.” You can do better!

Barely coveted prize Submit your caption by clicking on “Comments” below and explore the captions that other geocachers entered. Please include your geocaching username in all entries. You can also help sway the vote. “Like” the caption that you think should win. If you think your caption should win, convince friends and strangers to vote for it. Lackeys will then decide between the top captions to crown the winner of this Geocaching Caption Contest. The winner typically receives a barely coveted prize from Groundspeak Headquarters. But this contest you could actually win a coveted prize: Geocaching Trail Cards. Click image to see the last caption contest winner Click on the image to the right to discover the winning caption from the previous Geocaching Caption Contest. 25 Lackeys voted to award the winner of the fifteenth Geocaching Caption Contest a barely coveted prize. Explore the wit and wisdom of geocachers by checking out all the Geocaching Caption Contests.

November 3, 2010 / Eric Schudiske /

Lamp Post Cache Makeovers

Underneath lamp posts skirts simmers a geocaching controversy. Lamp post caches (LPCs) polarize opinions. A LPC is typically a small nondescript container placed under the metal skirt of a lamp post. Some geocachers believe that LPCs are unimaginative hides and all too easy finds.

Other geocachers see LPCs as part of the spectrum of geocaches that provides accessibility for all players. The ease of finding LPCs also offers geocachers the ability to string together dozens or hundreds of finds a day.

Geocachers like Julie Husting, IWillFindIt!!, see the base of lamp posts as a canvas for adding more creativity to geocaching. She believes that lifting the metal skirt on a lamp post should be more like lifting a curtain on stage. Julie creates scenes to surprise and entertain cachers looking for a quick LPC grab.

She adapted the idea from an LPC she discovered. Julie says, “I went to Fotomat GC17R5G by FishfulThinking which had a bunch of film canisters under it. I thought that was really fun. I got some cool tins at Disneyland. One had the little green men from Toy Story on it. I had a bunch of swag that had action figure toys so I put them on boards and put them in the Toys R Us parking lot and wrote a little story about them. That was my first one — The Search for the Little Green Men GC1D5FW. ”

Julie now has nearly twenty themed LPCs in the Southern California area. She says her craft has evolved: “I started with the Disney tins (Nemo, pirates, princesses, Mickey Mouse, Toy Story), then I moved on to holidays. Now it is whatever we find that we like. My boyfriend, Bob, does the majority of the work on them now. He has gotten much more elaborate with them than when we first started.”

Their motivation comes from reading the logs as more and more geoachers seek out caches by IWillFindIt!! Julie says, “Most people appreciate the effort that goes into them and they write really nice logs. One person even brought a girl scout troop to Find Nemo to teach them about caching.”

More geocachers will have a chance to discover LPCs like these. Julie says, “My cousin, Sue aka $$tracker, also has some themed LPCs in the Santa Barbara area. I will be sending one to be published in Texas pretty soon!”

What do you think? Do you know other geocachers who are reinventing LPCs?

November 2, 2010 / Eric Schudiske /

“Cavers Plunge (an extreme cache)” (GCRVXB) GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK November 8, 2010

caving — Decent into "Cavers Plunge (an extreme cache)"

There are just five words in the name of this geocache. It’s the fourth word you should pay attention to most. It’s the word “extreme.” The geocache is rated a terrain five, for a heart-pounding, jaw-dropping reason.

“Cavers Plunge (an extreme cache)” (GCRVXB) challenges experienced and prepared vertical cavers to geocache in the deep recesses of a nearly forgotten Kentucky cave.

Cache owner Moonsovrbend warns this cache is only for the most competent vertical cavers, accomplished at repelling and then ascending a free-hanging rope.

The cache was published in January of 2006. More then twenty extreme geocachers logged a smiley on the cache and enjoyed the thrill of underground exploration. One geocacher described the cache as “a beautiful experience.” This cache, and many of the most extreme caches, require extensive planning and organization. Cache owners, like Moonsovrbend, are often more than happy to assist in preparation for the cache.

caving 2 — At the bottom of "Cavers Plunge (an extreme geocache)"

Geocaches range from easy to extreme. The rating system for “difficulty” and “terrain” ranges from one star (most accessible) through five stars (most difficult). Be aware of the terrain and difficulty ratings before you attempt a geocache.

Continue your exploration with some of the most engaging geocaches from around the world. Explore all the Geocaches of the Week on our blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

November 2, 2010 / Eric Schudiske /

“Souvenirs” A Geocaching.com Lost & Found Video

Watch this Lost & Found video to learn more about Geocaching.com souvenirs — the new way to expand your geocaching experience. Capture the “eureka” moment as you discover and collect a rapidly expanding gallery of virtual art.

You can discover the postcard-like “souvenirs” by logging a cache within a specific zone, such as a particular state or province (coming soon) or by using a Geocaching Application on your mobile device and searching for a geocache within the souvenir zone.

Current souvenir zones include Groundspeak Headquarters and The Original Stash Plaque. There was even a special souvenir for those who logged a geocache on 10-10-10.

Some souvenirs will only be available for a specific time. For instance, those that you will discover when attending a Mega Event. Other souvenirs will reward geocaching achievements. The souvenirs are displayed on your Geocaching.com profile page.

More souvenirs will be released soon.

You can explore more videos on the adventure of geocaching. Check out the Geocaching.com Lost & Found video gallery. Explore a Geocaching.com DeLorme Challenge, meet a family who says geocaching helps their autistic son and experience a haunted cache in Texas.

November 1, 2010 / Eric Schudiske /

“Ile aux Nattes – Lighthouse” GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – November 1, 2010

View near "Ile aux Nattes - LIghthouse" GC22PJZ

The geocache “Ile aux Nattes – Lighthouse” (GC22PJZ) is hidden in Madagascar.

The main island is the fourth largest island in the world. But this micro cache is hidden on a micro island off the coast of the main island.

The island, Ile aux Nattes, has a footprint and a population that are so small there’s no scheduled ferry service.

The cache owner, Urban Campers, suggest you hire locals from the nearest island to row you across. They do mention that you could also swim the 300 meters between the islands.

Once you’re on dry land, the coordinates in your GPS device will direct you to a weathered lighthouse.

geocache of the week 11-1-2 — The micro is located somewhere around the building

According to the cache owners, the micro cache is located near an adjacent abandoned building. Although the difficulty one, terrain two geocache was placed in December of 2009, only one person has logged the cache.

Will you be the next to log, “Ile aux Nattes – Lighthouse”?