Posts Tagged ‘advice’

Muggle Avoidance Tips

We all know that muggles (non-geocachers) are just part of the game. Unfortunately, muggles can cause geocachers some serious problems either by harassing a cacher OR by stealing a geocache. Here are some tips to help you avoid muggles altogether.

(Next week will be an article about what to do when you are actually confronted with a muggle!)

1. Think Before You Cache

Most geocaches hidden in high traffic areas will warn cachers to watch out for muggles. My ‘5 is Prime’ geocache is hidden in a more urban area of my home town. There are a lot of people walking dogs, playing ball in the park, and just hanging out at any hour of the day. To make matters worse, the cache has to be RIGHT THERE to be well-hidden from casual glances.

I recommend before everybody leaps out of the car with their GPS, walking sticks, and backpacks, to just look around and see if anybody is observing you. If there are too many people around, come back later.

2. Wear Camouflage

I’ve read many accounts of an orange vest, hard hat, and a clip board making a geocacher “invisible” to muggles. I’ve never tried it personally but I could see how it might work. My favorite type of camouflage is actually just holding the GPS at my side as much as possible. If anybody is looking at me, I just bring it to my ear and pretend it’s a phone.

Of course, the problem with the whole GPS-as-phone type of camouflage is that a GPS is a LOT bigger than a cell phone!

My hands-down favorite camouflage? A camera! Yep, I’ve been known to sneak up to ground zero with the GPS but then whip out the camera and start snapping photos and poking around. Everyone just assumes I’m either a wacky artist or a wacky tourist and ignores me.

3. Ignore Them

Most people will ignore you back! It seems to be ingrained in American society that watching somebody is rude. So if you can easily retrieve the cache, sign the log and replace it, ignoring bystanders will usually work. However, if they ARE watching you, come back later!

4. Be So Outrageous Nobody Would Dare Do What You’re Doing

Case in point: going after the ‘Summer Lovin” cache in Lake Mary. It was a busy Saturday, there were muggles in boats, muggles fishing, muggles walking their dogs! There I was with a tiara and a camera crew.

As soon as I started wading into the water, people might have been watching me, but they were also thinking to themselves “No WAY would I do that!” (Trust me, I could practically SEE the little thought bubbles appearing above their heads!)

5. Create A Diversion

Hand-in-hand with Tip #4, comes Create A Diversion. That’s where one member of your geocaching party is being outrageous (not obnoxious, just outrageous!) over THERE while you retrieve the cache HERE.

Readers Weigh In:

• What tips do you have to avoid the attention of muggles?

And, don’t forget, next week’s article will be about what to do when you simply HAVE to talk to a muggle!

Seems like I am the designated “introducer” in my circle of friends. It doesn’t really mean that I’m necessarily the expert at anything, just that I’m the go-to person when somebody want to try something new. For example, my friend Greg was visiting me from Mesa this past weekend. Greg had never been kayaking (something I love) so I invited him to try it out. (It helps that since ESP Boss bought a new kayak, I can borrow his anytime I want!)

So whenever somebody wants to try kayaking, or tent camping, or geocaching, or metal detecting, I’m their go-to Princess. (Figures, since it’s in the name, right!?)

Greg was an absolute good sport about it all. From helping me load the kayaks the night before, to watching as I assembled the paddles, to letting me help him adjust his life vest. When we were unloading the kayaks from the back of my truck, he told me he was both nervous and excited. I thought that his honesty in the face of being a beginner was fantastic!

Ah, being a beginner! When was the last time you tried something new? How did it go?

Here are my tips for anytime you are sharing your “expertise” with somebody who is just trying out something you’ve done for a while:

1. Remember what it was like to be new at it.

The first time I went kayaking, I had NO idea how to paddle without slamming my elbows into the seat. Or how to keep myself mostly dry. Or how to launch. Or get out. Or even which way was “up” on the paddle!

Remember all YOUR frustrations as a beginner. Then gently share your knowledge.

2. Gently share your knowledge.

If you’re anything like me, you want to KNOW but sometimes ASKING can be embarrassing. Especially when the person you’re out with seems to have loads more experience!

When you’re “instructing” somebody in something new, try forming your instructions as suggestions. Like: I found it works better if I put one foot into the kayak and then sit down right away. That way, the newbie gets the advantage of your “been there, done that, feel in” experience without feeling like they’re being lectured.

The caveat to that, of course, is for any must-know safety tips. In that case, lecture away!

3. Don’t take it for granted that it is “easy”.

Nothing is more frustrating to me, as a beginner in Fill-In-The-Blank, than having my friend assume some level of knowledge. With many of my friends who I introduced to kayaking, they didn’t know how to snap the paddles together. Yes, it is just a compression button and the two halves of a paddle snap together, but don’t assume they know how. Just kindly demonstrate how it’s done and move on.

4. Don’t hover.

Sure, the first time I taught somebody how to use my metal detector I was absolutely panicked at letting an expensive piece of equipment out of my sight. And then I got over it.

How?

By realizing that it’s much better to damage a piece of equipment through USE rather than just letting it collect dust until I was obsolete. And frankly, your friend probably won’t hurt your equipment at all. Isn’t it better to be able to share your excitement with somebody than always going out alone?

5. Assume that they want to take care of your gear.

Sure it can be never wracking letting somebody borrow or use your gear. As on only child “share” wasn’t really part of my vocabulary growing up! But, make the assumption that your friend will take good care of your stuff. After all, they care for YOU so it’ll naturally extend to your gear.

6. Reassure them it’s okay they use your stuff.

Hand-in-hand with #5, be sure to tell your buddy that you’re glad to have them along and excited to show them what you’ve been up to.

In the case of the kayaks, I always make sure to tell my friend that the kayaks are pretty much indestructible. With my metal detector, I just show them the bits that they need to be gentle with.

7. Don’t wait to “introduce” somebody to what you like to do.

I had barely started geocaching before I started dragging my friends along. I figured I knew more than them (how to use a GPS) so I could teach them what I knew.

Same with kayaking: I had done my research and gone out once. ESP Boss saw how much fun I was having so decided to try it too. (At the time, we only owned one ‘yak so he had to buy his own.) I gladly shared the little I knew and we learned together on the rest.

8. Enjoy yourself!

Your friend is more likely to relax and enjoy herself if you’re doing the same. When I’m “introducing” somebody to kayaking, I always go to Watson Lake. Why? Because the boat launch doesn’t stress me out, the lake is gorgeous any time of year, and I know it well enough to show off my favorite rock formations and islands.

9. Let them do as much as possible.

Sometimes I’m so busy trying to show off my knowledge, I forget to let my friend participate! I had to remind myself to let Nicole hold the GPS (and not lead the way to where I knew the cache was!) Or let somebody take the lead on a hike or kayak.

There’s a fine like between giving them knowledge and not letting them learn anything on their own. Sometimes, falling in the lake IS the best way to teach somebody how NOT to get out of a kayak!

10. Ask if they’re having a good time.

It’s usually pretty obvious, but asking if your friend likes it is okay too. I try to keep an eye on facial expressions and body language as well.

When I was in college, I liked to ride the bus across town to go ice skating on Friday afternoons. Since I liked it, I had a stream of friends that I took along. Some liked it, some didn’t. But when I took my friend Elise, I made the mistake of not paying attention to HER. I was busy skating around and I didn’t realize that she was taking fall after fall. After about thirty minutes she begged me to go home. If I had been paying more attention, I would have realized that she wasn’t having a good time and cut the trip short.

11. Don’t expect everybody to love it.

Just like with Elise, I have plenty of friends that never want to go Fill-In-The-Blank with me again. It just wasn’t their cup of tea. But for every person who said “Thanks. I’d always wanted to try it and now I have. Bye!” there is somebody else who’s asked me: How do I register to find geocaches? Where should I buy a kayak? Or Can we go again?

Remember, your goal is to INTRODUCE somebody to what interests you. It’s up to them after that!

After Camping Checklist

An Internet search will turn up a million and one checklists about what to take with you when you GO camping. What I’ve found, however, is that people have little problem bringing everything they need with them, but where they fall apart is knowing what to do with it all when they get home!

Who hasn’t just left a suitcase full of unworn clothes, dirty clothes, and toiletries languishing in the corner for a few days (or longer) after a trip? NOT a good idea for your camping gear, since there’s been considerable expense over the years to gather all your equipment. Unpacking later, rather than sooner, can ruin many different items.

When I got back from my camping trip with Nicole last weekend, I was hot, tired, and dirty. But I knew I shouldn’t leave the gear just sitting there (especially in the back of my truck!) So after a quick lunch, I got right to the business of unpacking all my gear.

Unpacking Checklist

Do you RV? The very first thing you need to do is dump your holding tanks of grey and black water. If you can, dump the tanks at the campground, since many provide RV dumps. If you camp a lot, and if it’s feasible at your house, consider having a sewer connection near where you park your RV.

The EatStayPlay.com “Royal” Family (okay, so it was all ESP Boss!) had a level concrete pad poured where we park the RV. Right there we have a sewer dump, fresh water connection, and power.

Return any leftover foods to the refrigerator or pantry, as necessary, and discard any foods that may have spoiled. Do this sooner rather than later. Some items on the put-away checklist can be done the next day, but food needs to be unpacked and returned to the refrigerator or pantry right away.

Rinse the ice chest and allow to dry. Sprinkle some baking soda in the ice chest to keep it odor-free and fresh until the next time you use it. This is a great time to make sure the valve to let out water is still working and that there are no cracks or bows in the chest. If anything is damaged, replace the ice chest.

Gather up and dispose of any remaining trash.

As you unpack, take inventory of your gear. Did you leave anything behind? Identify any items that are damaged, broken, or consumed (like matches). Be sure to count your tent stakes to make sure you’ll have enough for the next trip. Then, make a list of what needs repair or replacement. Pay special attention to items in your first aid kit.

When we get home from a camping trip, we also make sure to restock on any paper products we’ve used: toilet paper, paper plates, paper towels, plastic silverware, and make sure that the replacements get back into the trailer or camping box.

Separate all clothes and bedding items that may need laundering. Don’t wait to start doing the laundry; wash whatever you can, as soon as you can, to remove outdoor smells that can come from campfires, or from lakes, streams, and beaches, or from dirt, mud, and sand, etc.

Set up your tent to air it out, especially if it got wet while camping, and give it a good sweeping before stowing it. Be sure to air out any other camping gear, which may have gotten wet on the trip, to avoid possible mold and mildew. If your RV has slide-outs or anything tent-like (awnings, tent trailer sides, fold out beds, etc.) be sure to open all of these when you get home and make sure they are dry.

(If you are in an area that gets morning dew, make sure that all the gear is stowed before the dew falls, or you’ll have to wait for everything to dry out again!)

Clean all kitchen utensils, cookware, dishes, glasses, and silverware – if you can, run everything through the dishwasher. Return kitchen items to where they belong, and store all camping specific cooking items together.

Open your camping stove and wipe off any grease or food particles. You also might need to wash any cooking surfaces.

Make sure that any camping stoves and lanterns are turned off and that all fuel containers are properly stored.

Empty any water containers and allow to dry. You’ll want to keep a close eye on it however, so as soon as the inside is dry, you put the lid on tightly. There is nothing worse that filling up your potable water container and having a big dead spider looking up at you from the bottom! Or peering inside to see dust, cat hairs, dead bugs, LIVE bugs… You get the picture!

Take good care of your camping gear since it was an investment and you will want to use it for many years to come.

Readers Weigh In:

• Do you have other items on YOUR unpacking checklist?

Geocaching Supplies Checklist

Two weeks ago, I posted about my geocaching tool kit; these are tools that I take with me to actually FIND and RETRIEVE the cache. I got so many comments on that post about what people have in their kits, I though I’d better do a follow-up article!

To Retrieve The Cache

• Walking stick. This is a must for Arizona where all manner of creatures (usually that bite, sting, are poisonous or all three!) like to live around caches. So a walking stick is perfect for jamming into a likely crevasse or flipping over rocks.
• Gloves. My garden gloves do double duty in my caching kit. This is nice when I’ve got my fingernails painted a la filming for The Outdoor Princess Productions. Or when locating the cache requires me to move plants with thorns.
• Small mirror. I finally got tired of sticking my head under cattle guards looking for micros! Now, I just angle the mirror under so I can see BEFORE I stick my head into anything!
• Needle nose pliers. For when you can SEE the cache, but you can’t get your fingers in there! Pliers are tough and portable!
• Forceps. Yep, I carry BOTH. Sometimes the pliers are too big to extract the log sheet from a nano. And the forceps can be too delicate for leveraging a good-sized cache container out of the hiding spot.
• Flashlight. Sometimes shining a light into a likely spot will show the cache reflecting back at you. And sometimes it shows the eyes of whatever critter is living in the hole!
• Magnet on a string. Sometimes, you can fish a cache out with that! Just make sure the magnet is tied on tight! (Thanks to GC Addicted)

You might also want to consider:

• A metal coat hanger with a hook bent into the end.
• A fishing hook on a string. (Not sure I recommend this because of how easy it is to get caught on the barb, but it was suggested several time!)

Safety Gear

• Hat
• Sunscreen
• Bug Spray
• Sun Glasses
• Safety glasses were suggested by james.bednar. He pointed out that trees (branches, thorns, and leaves) can REALLY damage and eye when you run into it. I never would have thought of this since I’m ALWAYS wearing glasses.
• Extra batteries for the GPS
• Quality road atlas (make sure it is a GOOD one that shows back roads, not just the main highways!)
• First aid kit
• Poison oak/ivy spray (suggested by Garrett.) Neither is much of a problem in Arizona so I’d never even THOUGHT about it!
• Hand sanitizer
• Plenty of water and snacks
• Hiking boots or good shoes

Kim Scornavacco posted such a good comment that I think it needs to be repeated in its entirety:

I always carry a bandana with me. I can cover my head to ward off the heat, I dunk it in cold water and tie it around my neck to keep cool, I wrap it around my mouth and nose in cold weather, I have used it as a band-aid, used it to clean off mud and in an emergency, you can use it as a sling.

Here are some other items that I typically carry in my car:

• Emergency poncho
• Emergency space blanket
• Whistle
• Matches
• LOTS of paper towel
• Cell phone charger

Several people commented on also bringing extra log sheets and plastic baggies to caches. I LOVE the idea of people doing impromptu cache maintenance and just helping out the owner. I have several caches that are hours away from my house so it isn’t really feasible for me to trot over there after work to replace a log book!

Other items suggested were:

• GPS
• Swag
• Pen AND a pencil
• Duct tape (always handy)

One of the biggest issues I’ve always had with a list like this is that if I carried EVERYTHING my pack would be so heavy I could hardly walk! I recommend that you take notes (mental or otherwise) about what YOU decide YOU can’t live without.

On my “Can’t Go Caching Without It” list?

My camera and tripod!

Readers Weigh In:

• I’ve been thinking about making up a printable .pdf checklist of supplies. Do you think that would help ne w cachers get started on the right foot?

Ah camping! One thing I discovered is that each family has their own way of getting ready for camping; their own must-take lists, their own way of packing, cooking, and traveling. Since this weekend I’ll be going camping with my friend Nicole, I wanted to share some tips with you about how to plan for a trip when you’re NOT going camping with your family.

We’ll be heading out Friday morning and will be back on Sunday. Look for an article next week telling all about the trip!

1. Decide on dispersed camping or in a campground.

Nicole & I decided to go to a campground since she hasn’t camped much in Arizona. I just feel that two women probably shouldn’t camp out in the boonies by themselves. We’ll be heading to White Horse Lake Campground near Williams, AZ.

2. How to pay for things.

Camping fees, food, propane, gas: decide before you head out how you want to handle the expenses of the trip. A lot of public campgrounds ONLY take cash so make sure that somebody is in charge of bringing it!

3. The menu.

I don’t know about you, but I have my favorite camping foods: eggs & bacon, white donuts, Ritz crackers with strawberry cream cheese, ham sandwiches, shrimp on the barbeque. Most people have foods that just work for camping. And when you’re traveling with somebody who doesn’t know your favorite foods, be sure to talk about it. Nothing is worse than getting to the campsite when each person thinks the OTHER person brought dinner!

4. Who’s bringing what equipment?

Who will be in charge of the tent? The stove? Sleeping bags and pads? In the case of Nicole and I, I’ll be bringing most of the gear since hers is in storage. But be sure that whoever is in charge of bringing the tent is trustworthy!

5. Don’t forget the little stuff!

Tent?                              Check!

Stove?                            Check!

Bowls?                           Um… What bowls?

ESP Boss left on Saturday for a scouting trip with our friend Bob. ESP Boss was in charge of bringing most of the food and gear since we have it all. Of course, The Queen Mother was in charge of packing the kitchen. She was a bit dismayed when she realized that she forgot to send bowls for Albóndiga soup AND the shrimp for dinner #2!

6. Tell people where you’ll be and when you’ll be back!

Nicole & I are taking my truck. So, when I see her on Thursday (we leave on Friday) I’ll give her a paper that has the make, model, and color of my truck, the license plate number. where we’ll be going, my cell number and the contact numbers for my folks. She’ll be able to leave that at home so her mother knows the plan.

If anything were to happen (truck breaks down, run over by a charging elk, abducted by aliens, you name it!) then two families will have our plans and can come looking for us!

Readers Weigh In:

• Have you ever been camping with a friend and left something really important at home?

PS: Nicole has a website of her own: Herman & Lily’s

Must-Have Geocaching Tool Kit

Most cachers have a geocaching “kit” that they take with them on the hunt. It was born of the “I really could have used a _________ on this find” reasoning that always seems to strike.

My “kit” not only includes my writing stick of choice (blue ball-point pen) and my trusty camera but also a few choice items that make retrieving caches much more user-friendly.

1. Walking stick. This is a must for Arizona where all manner of creatures (usually that bite, sting, are poisonous or all three!) like to live around caches. So a walking stick is perfect for jamming into a likely crevasse or flipping over rocks.
2. Gloves. My garden gloves do double duty in my caching kit. This is nice when I’ve got my fingernails painted a la filming for The Outdoor Princess Productions. Or when locating the cache requires me to move plants with thorns.
3. Small mirror. I finally got tired of sticking my head under cattle guards looking for micros! Now, I just angle the mirror under so I can see BEFORE I stick my head into anything!
4. Needle nose pliers. For when you can SEE the cache, but you can’t get your fingers in there! Pliers are tough and portable!
5. Forceps. Yep, I carry BOTH. Sometimes the pliers are too big to extract the log sheet from a nano. And the forceps can be too delicate for leveraging a good-sized cache container out of the hiding spot.
6. Flashlight. Sometimes shining a light into a likely spot will show the cache reflecting back at you. And sometimes it shows the eyes of whatever critter is living in the hole!

None of these tools are heavy or too large so it’s not a problem carting them on geocaching hikes. And you know when you leave an item at the car is when you REALLY want it at the cache!

Readers Weigh In:

• What must-have tools are in your caching kit?

5 Uses for Camp Containers

Plastic boxes with lids have a ton of uses in the home and they’re very useful in camp as well. Here are my top five uses for plastic containers. These tips are good if your car camping, tent camping or have an RV. They also work for day trips!

When buying your plastic box, keep in mind how it will be used. Does it need to fit in a certain cupboard in your RV? What about in the trunk? Between a pickup truck’s wheel wells? When I’m buying more plastic boxes, I also look to see how well they stack on top of each other. If you’re camping with kids, you may also want to figure in how easy or difficult it is to remove the lid.

To quote The Queen Mother, “Don’t worry that you look dorky when you’re standing in Wal-Mart with your tape measure, measuring Rubbermaid boxes. It’s worth looking dorky knowing that they’ll fit in your RV or truck!” Plastic storage containers are sized by volume (quarts, gallons, etc) but there can be inches difference in footprint size or height for the same volume container.

1. Corral like items: batteries, games, tea, etc. The picture shows our game box- a Rubbermaid shoebox that holds our cards games, Scrabble dictionary, and other small games. In the trailer, I also have a box for all my teas, one for batteries, clothes pins and string, and another for pre-packaged seasonings like meat marinade.

2. If you’re car or tent camping, a good sized plastic container works perfect to hold boxes of dry food mixes like ‘Quick Mix Baking Mix’ or packages powdered hot chocolate. It can stay outside or under the picnic table or trailer, and I don’t have to worry about rain or items blowing away. We still do this in the trailer because we can carry the entire box out to the camp kitchen at mealtimes.

Be sure to bring any boxes of food in at night- either into the RV or in the car. Squirrels are great at getting into things or, even worse, attracting a bear! Just because you don’t think there are any animals near by that might bother your food is no reason to tempt fate.

3. Pack your clothes in a plastic box instead of a duffel bag or suitcase. The plastic containers can stack in a corner of the RV or tent for more room. When we used to tent camp, we’d actually put all the clothes boxes outside at night. Of course, before you do this, you want to make sure that they are waterproof!

4. My favorite is an empty container by the front door of the tent or RV to hold shoes. That way, if your shoes are muddy or wet, or even just dusty, you’re not bringing that mess inside. Line the bottom with several layers of newspaper to keep the mud or wetness off the plastic. Snap the lid on to keep out rain and bugs, of course. I like to sit on the trailer step to put my shoes back on.

5. Create a separate ‘Grab-It-And-Go-Box’ for day trips, either from home or from the campsite. Ours has extra batteries, water bottles, dry jackets, a flashlight, large garbage bags, and snacks. The idea is to pre-pack anything that you might need in case of an emergency or sudden weather change. With a ‘Grab-It-And-Go-Box’ you know that if you forget sweatshirts and it gets cold, you’re covered. Just be sure to replace any supplies you used when you get home.

A variation on the ‘Grab-It-And-Go-Box’ is to have a box for specific purposes. We have one that has all our digital camera stuff (batteries, lens cleaning, memory cards, a pen and notebook, etc) so we can get out the door faster, knowing our gear is ready to go.

The need for tight-fitting lids:

ESP Boss was out hunting one fall when he was caught in a torrential rain storm. (The type where you can’t get the RV out and have to come back for it when the road dries out.) His containers were flipped over from the wind and bobbed around in the standing water but his stuff stayed dry- thanks to the tight fitting lids!

Readers Weigh In:

• What do you use to corral your gear when you’re camping?
• Do you have a favorite size or type of plastic container?

What Are Collectable Geocoins?

When I first started geocaching, I had no idea that there are actually TWO types of geocoins: trackable and collectable. It wasn’t until I doing research for the EatStayPlay.com Geocoin that I discovered the difference!

Back in April, I wrote an article all about what trackable geocoins are and how they work. But, since then, I’ve realized that many people might not actually know the difference between a trackable geocoin and one that you collect.

The difference (in a nutshell): A collectable geocoin typically does NOT have a tracking number on geocaching.com. While a collectable geocoin might move from cache to cache, its movements are not able to be tracked on geocaching.com.

Some collectable geocoins DO have an ID number. That ID number is like when an artist makes prints of a painting and says: Print #127 of #230. While knowing that a collectable coin is part of a limited edition is really neat, I think that the ID number would cause confusion with people thinking that the coin is trackable!

Designs (and materials) vary from coin to coin. A standard geocoin is a minted, metal coin that can range in size from a dime to the size of a silver dollar. While most people think ah, “coin=round” that’s not necessarily the case. A “coin” can be in any shape and even be three-dimensional with raised portions.

4 Tips For Your Collection

1. Collect non-trackable coins.

There are a bunch of non-trackable coins available for personal collections. They range from minted coins, to wooden nickels, to plastic tokens, to signature items. (Not sure what a signature item is? Keep checking back, I’ll do an article about that soon!)

2. You should only collect unactivated trackable coins!

If the coin is already activated, then the owner is expecting it to move from cache to cache. Trust me, coin owners get really frustrated when their TRACKABLE geocoin ends up in somebody’s shoebox collection under the bed never to be seen again!

(I just found an article where the author said that any time she finds ANY geocoin in a cache, it goes into her personal collection. Not cool!)

3. Collecting activated trackable coins.

I know I just said to only collect unactivated trackable coins. But, the exception to that is if YOU are the owner of the coin. ESP Boss has two coins from our original EatStayPlay.com Geocoin minting that he has kept. They are activated and he is the owner, but the coins remain in a frame on the office wall.

4. “Collect” the coin by discovering it.

Unlike finding a trackable item in a cache, taking it and moving it along, you can mark the trackable item’s number as “discovered” on your geocaching.com profile. That means that you are saying that you’ve seen the item but are not responsible for moving it along. I know of several geocachers who have an online “collection” of geocoins that they have found. This is perfect if you don’t want the responsibily of moving a coin or if you only cache occasionally. By discovering the coin, you can show the coin on your profile without getting angry emails from the coin owner when you haven’t moved it in 4 months!

Readers Weigh In:

• What types of geocaching items do you collect? Coins? Signature items? Etc.
• Have you ever had somebody “collect” your trackable?
• Do you move trackable items or do you “discover” them? Which do you prefer?

Video: Wind Test for Camp Stoves

After the first video, that compared these stoves head-to-head, I had a viewer email me asking how the stoves preformed in the wind. Here is your answer!

For more information about camp stoves, or to purchase any of the stoves featured in the video, please visit EatStayPlay.com/Stove

Readers’ Opinions

• How does your stove preform in windy conditions?
• Have you had to alter your cooking (how or what) because of wind or weather?
  What advice would you give to a fellow camper if she were going to buy a new camp stove?

7 Tips For Night Caching

Did you realize that you can geocache 24-hours a day? Yep, unlike mountain biking which is TOTALLY limited to daylight, or hiking or kayaking which are NORMALLY limited to daylight, geocaching can be done in the middle of the night!

Here are 7 things to consider if you’re hunting a geocache after the sun goes down:

1. Make sure you’re allowed to go for it after dark!

Even though you CAN geocache after nightfall, there are some caches where you’re not allowed. Some parks don’t allow access after dark so be sure to read all posted signs. I don’t recommend snooping around in some urban areas after dark either unless you want to explain geocaching to Officer McFriendly. Most cemeteries prohibit caching after dark as well.

2. Read the cache description really well.

Darkness adds a whole other factor to geocaching so be sure to read the description carefully before you set out. You’ll want to know in advance about container size, if there are thorns, cactus, or poison ivy around, etc.

3. Bring the correct gear.

Like any cache, you’ll want to bring your gloves, writing utensil, GPS, and geosense. But, be sure you also bring a flashlight or headlamp and plenty of extra batteries! I recommend having BOTH a flashlight and a headlamp; the flashlight for peering under rocks and bushes, the headlamp because it keeps your hands free while you’re walking.

4. Tell somebody where you’ll be.

Let a trusted friend or family know that you’ll be geocaching at night and what time to expect you back. If your GPS fails and you get lost, if you twist an ankle, or just otherwise have a mishap, you’ll want to know that somebody is waiting for you to get home safely. Don’t forget! EatStayPlay.com has links to nearby caches accessible from our attraction pages!

5. Dress appropriately.

Even more than warm clothing, good shoes or boots, and bug spray, be sure to wear reflective clothing. Nothing is creepier than seeing a man-sized SOMETHING poking around in the dark. By wearing something reflective you’ll look more like you’re supposed to be there and less like some scary prowler.

6. Carry ID.

One of my fellow geocachers, hollora, sent me an email suggesting that I remind you to remember to carry your id. She says: “Make sure if you’re trekking you are carrying ID with you. Many women, particularly, never have a wallet in their pack. Vital information should be carried as you never know when cell phone service may not be available.” Good point, hallora! You should always carry ID but in night caching, it’s really important so if you’re stopped by Officer McFriendly or even a cautious person in the backcountry, you have an ID on you.

7. Write up a GREAT log post on geocaching.com when you get home.

Okay, this one is more of a suggestion than a requirement! Cache-Chaos, who found some of the geocaches I’d placed on a middle of the night run. This is what he wrote about one of my favorite caches: The Groaning Gate:

FTF #3 so far for the early morning! 4:05am. The gate groan takes on a whole new perspective in the dark, a little bit creepy!!! I recently saw a mama bear and her two cubs very near this cache, so of course that was on my mind while walking in the dark. Made quick work of it and was on my way T: $1 coin L:75cents SL.

Readers Weigh In:

• Do you ever geocache at night?
• What’s your favorite part of night caching?
• Have you ever encountered something, while caching at night, that freaked you out?