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Do you log your DNF’s? Why you should!

It’s human nature to want to hide any type of deficiencies in your life. And it’s no different with hobbies. Especially hobbies that are as addicting as Geocaching! But, is a Did Not Find (DNF) really a deficiency? NO, it’s not!

Show me a Geocacher with a perfect track record… one who has found every single cache he or she has hunted for and I’ll show you a Geocacher who doesn’t log their DNF’s because it’s simply not possible (unless you do VERY little geocaching.)

Caches get muggled. Caches get moved. Caches get destroyed. And I could go on and on with very realistic possibilities. Possibilities that are a reality for many caches every single day.

So why not just log your DNF’s? Anyone who thinks you’re any less of a cacher just because you have some DNF’s obviously doesn’t understand our hobby, so who cares about what they think of it. And anyone who really understands the hobby isn’t going to think twice about DNF’s.

When people don’t log DNF’s it causes a problem. A problem that I’ve encountered several times with several of my own caches. Caches go missing and since so many people are afraid to log the DNF, it takes months for the cache owner to realize the cache is gone. This is especially problematic with 3+ star caches.

So please, log your DNF’s and help make this awesome hobby even more awesome

Happy Caching!

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Submitting caches in advance for an event

Here’s a recent question that has been asked of me at different times by different geocachers.

Ken,
Just a question regarding our upcoming event. For last years event,
you allowed us to submit caches “pre-approval” before the event and then
published them a few days after the event. We are already scoping out
places for this year’s event and were hoping to do the same thing. A few
of the containers we make for a specific spot. How much extra work
is it for you to pre-approve these caches and then sit on them? Do you have a separate database of caches that have been approved
but are not yet published? As always, thanks for your time.

So that more geocachers can understand how I like to handle these situations, here’s my answer. In general it’s fine to submit caches for pre-approval that you don’t want published until a specific date. I’ll look them over and let you know if they appear to comply with all the guidelines, including the 528ft. proximity guideline. Rather than me setting some type of timer on them for publication on a specific date (a feature which is not available to me but which would be nice to have), I’ll disable them and wait for you to re-enable them when you’re ready for publication. That way they will to reappear in my review queue.

It’s fine to submit caches several weeks in advance. Even a couple of months is OK if you’re planning to submit a large number of them. However, it wouldn’t be fair to other geocachers to let you submit geocaches more than a few months in advance, because that would be abusing the privilege of “reserving” geocaching locations.

Why do people cheat on virtuals?

Just a heads up — if you own a virtual cache and you care whether anyone is placing bogus finds on it, you may want to check for a find by a geocacher named The-Sledge. He/she posted a find on my American Gothic virtual cache today and dated it Dec. 31, 2007 — so it wouldn’t appear at the top of the list, I guess. I deleted it. I see he posted many other finds in many states, supposedly on that same day. I don’t understand why anyone would go to these lengths.

New guidelines take effect today

As some of you may have heard, there are modifications in the works for Geocaching. I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of some of the changes to take effect starting today. These changes are being implemented in order to take geocaching back to its roots.

Cache Size: Cache containers must now be of the one quart size or larger. No “nanos”, matchstick containers, or film canisters will be published.

Cache Content: All caches must contain a logbook (not log sheet) and items for trade. Fast food toys will be added to the list of items disallowed inside caches.

Permissions: As all land is owned by someone, all cache owners must obtain permission from the landowner in writing and fax or email this to me. This will be kept on file for the duration of the caches existence. *fax number to be added to my profile*

New Saturation Guidelines: The .1 mile rule still applies to caches placed within public parks. There is a new guideline for “linear” trails (sometimes referred to as “power” trails). This guideline states that caches must be placed no closer than 3-4 miles apart and must be in a location that will “wow” your fellow cachers.

Logging Guidelines: 1. Physical logbook: your physical log must contain more than just a signature. 2. Online Log: Acronyms are no longer an acceptable way to log online. You must write a minimum of three sentences detailing your experience. Logs containing “TFTC”, “TFTH”, “SL”, etc will be deleted.

As more information becomes available to me I will make it available to you via this site and my profile. Let’s continue to make Iowa the best state to geocache in.

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