Hi! The kids and I were excited to find our first signature item today - Thanks, Beckett! - but I was wondering what the "etiquette" was when it comes to finding one. Do we take it and leave something? Do we leave our own signature item (which we haven't quite decided on) in place of it?

Hi! The kids and I were excited to find our first signature item today - Thanks, Beckett! - but I was wondering what the "etiquette" was when it comes to finding one. Do we take it and leave something? Do we leave our own signature item (which we haven't quite decided on) in place of it?

I can't and do not speak for everyone, but I've always viewed signature items like TBs in that you don't need to leave one to take one . . . but unlike TBs they are put in caches for other cachers to collect. I personally drop signature items in a variety of caches (I'm particularly partial to ammo cans and other well-built, hidden or maintained caches . . . Lock N' Locks are also nice . . . and I avoid dropping them in flimsy-looking or dirty caches whenever possible) . . . and don't take anything . . . but then again I also frequently do the usual TNLN and I often drop items in caches without taking anything -- in fact I cannot remember the last time I was lured into pulling something out of a cache . . . well other than Quilting Mom and Mike's FTF prize way, way back last Fall.

I've always treated sig items like another cache item, so I will not take one unless I leave something, whether it's my sig item or not. The rule of thumb of leaving something of greater value than you take still applies IMO, but it's often harder to put a value on sig items. So, just use your best judgment.

I would like to remind cachers that when they make a sig item, it makes it much better for others to identify it as a sig item if they make sure their geocaching user name is on it, or in a ziploc with a card or tag.

I too have resorted to only leaving my sig in better quality caches, but unfortunately doing so aids in the further degradation of some of the lesser quality ones, which eventually end up with a couple wet bandaids and an old air freshener in it. :( I'm not in it for the trinkets, but I like to see a nice clean, well stocked cache even if I don't take anything.

We left a Portland Pirates hocky puck in place of the signature item, but I'm really thinking that I should get our signature items ordered and ready to go since it looks like the kids are crazy about doing this (all the time).

We did notice that some of the items in the caches weren't of, um, "value" and wondered why anyone would put something like that in there. Is there a reason why metal bottlecaps are in them? Am I missing something there? LOL

I was worried the kid's crafts wouldn't be a good item to put in, but the were of greater value (monetary-wise) than the little items my kids took. And of course cuter! LOL ;) But we have Subway Free Sandwich coupons for caches down our way. I'm hoping they'll go over well!

I think homemade is the way to go!!!! Cache Maine has little pins with beeds and a tag and I LOVE IT also I have one of her Mini Envelopes with TINY pictures. Brad's Picture Marbles ROCK. I did a quick calling card with a pin on them. You can have your kids do small pics and Laminate them with self sticking laminate. Thousands of things to do, JUST HAVE FUN WITH IT !!!!!!!!!
I can't wait to get one!!
Opalsns

.......
We did notice that some of the items in the caches weren't of, um, "value" and wondered why anyone would put something like that in there. Is there a reason why metal bottlecaps are in them? Am I missing something there? LOL

I was worried the kid's crafts wouldn't be a good item to put in, but the were of greater value (monetary-wise) than the little items my kids took. And of course cuter! LOL ;) But we have Subway Free Sandwich coupons for caches down our way. I'm hoping they'll go over well!

Check out some of the signature items collected on BrDad's (http://bytethebullet.com/geocaching/signature_items.htm) Homepage and our homepage (http://www.uninets.net/~maggie/signature.htm). You will see a great diversity of items and maybe give you some ideas.

Check out some of the signature items collected on BrDad's (http://bytethebullet.com/geocaching/signature_items.htm) Homepage and our homepage (http://www.uninets.net/%7Emaggie/signature.htm). You will see a great diversity of items and maybe give you some ideas.

Hey, you've got one of my signature items! There are only 15 of them out there... so far.

Actually, we have our signature items picked out...sort of. LOL My son is designing simple, small Lego spaceships, robots, etc. on Lego Digital Designer. We can send his designs to Lego who'll make them into kits with instructions and our own "label" then send them back. They aren't cheap really, but the kids thought they would be unique and fun. (I'm trying to get the kids to do lots of the caching stuff. The crafts they make from kits to exchange as well.)

If they seem too expensive, you can consider using them for milestone caches, or caches that you loved. For the others, something of a smaller scale - just a couple specially packaged lego blocks, or something of that sort. You'll be surprised as time goes on how many sig items you can use up in a weekend! Of course with the growth of micros, you won't be placing one in every cache, anyway.

Actually, we have our signature items picked out...sort of. LOL My son is designing simple, small Lego spaceships, robots, etc. on Lego Digital Designer. We can send his designs to Lego who'll make them into kits with instructions and our own "label" then send them back. They aren't cheap really, but the kids thought they would be unique and fun. (I'm trying to get the kids to do lots of the caching stuff. The crafts they make from kits to exchange as well.)

Sounds like a very cool Signature Item that will be highly desirable among SI collectors.

As BrDad mentioned if this hobby takes off you might want to save the fancier SIs for special milestones or caches that you particularly liked and make a simpler SI for the "everyday" caches since the cost can add up . . . as for me, I use scrap wood from my renovation projects and just buy some dowels, spray paint and an occasional sheet of sandpaper or some small metal hooks -- mostly an investment of time for me rather than an investment of money.

. . .
We did notice that some of the items in the caches weren't of, um, "value" and wondered why anyone would put something like that in there. Is there a reason why metal bottlecaps are in them? Am I missing something there? LOL
. . .

YOU FOUND A METAL BOTTLECAP!!! I've been looking all over for one of those . . . along with a piece of broken glass, non-descript rock and an old air freshener! ;):D

On a serious note . . . ah, the great question . . . why would anyone feel compelled to drop in some of these questionable items??? Who knows? I don't know if people just feel compelled to put something, anything in the cache if and when they take anything (because I honestly don't think most folks consider dropping in a rock they found along the trail as an equal trade for a $1 bill . . . and if they do consider that a good trade I have several pieces of junk . . . I mean valuables . . . hanging around my house that I would love to sell to them at a very, very special deal ;):D)

All I can say is that I try to maintain my caches and when I spy junk I pull it out . . . and for my part I try to leave things in caches (regardless of whether I trade or not) that I think others might like . . . or at least would not view as junk. Items in clean baggies or self-enclosed wrapping are always nice . . . I mean finding a new set of corn cob holders is great . . . but finding those same corn cob holders rusting away at the bottom of a cache and not knowing if those were once used by someone is not so great.

In general I like to see tradeables that are either in their original wrapping or in a quality Ziplock-type plastic bag . . . if an item is used it should be clean and in good condition. To me even clean items that are just placed in a cache can get dirty pretty quickly . . . which is why the books, stuffed animals and even pencils with eraser tops that I sometimes place in caches are typically in plastic bags.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel one of the best ways to keep geocaches from being geo-junk is by trying to do the right thing and set an example . . . if folks see clean caches with items that are packaged and there is no junk they will come to believe that this is the way a cache should be . . . but if they see caches that are dirty, full of junk and have mildewing stuffed animals then they will come to believe that this is the way a typical cache should be.

Oh, man! We missed a signature item this morning! Grrr! Now we'll have to walk the 1 mile to it in the mud to get it! LOL I just looked at the links posted and saw that the one we were questioning WAS a sig item! We could've gotten 3 out of one cache this morning! (We have 4 altogher now.)

I'm trying to keep the Lego kits under $2, but you're right the costs can add up. We've done 6 caches in 3 days. 5 were ammos and could hold a sig item. We would've spent $10 in kids just this week! (And my son wants to do 100 caches this year! LOL)

Or we could just leave a sig item when we find one...or chose something else. Jake really wanted to do this though. We don't have much money - besides the GPS - into this hobby. Argh! LOL

Oh! Good point! I didn't put any of our cute crafts in baggies, but I think I will after this. They're wooden and painted and some have foam pieces and pompoms and wiggly eyes. They'll "survive" better in baggies to protect them. I didn't really think about that...and not having been to any caches until the last 3 days I wasn't even sure what others put in them.

(Oops! I should've reread my last post....NOT $10 in KIDS....$10 in KITS. LOL)

. . .
(Oops! I should've reread my last post....NOT $10 in KIDS....$10 in KITS. LOL)

I was wondering what the going price on kids was these days . . . you know with the whole cost of living price increases . . . and now I know. ;):D

LOL MY kids were interupting me as I was typing that. They wanted wanted Freez-Pops. LOL

hmm, The lest time I tired to sell my kid it was going to cost me too much.... But then she was a teen. :) From my experience the older they are the more they cost and more costly they are to get rid off..... :D:D I am just wondering if I will ever get anything back on the investment.

$ 10 kids Wooo Hooo, Where can I get one???LOL!!!!!
I agree with FireFighterJake, I try to put cool things of good quality but not too much cost in my caches. It erks me when someone will clean out the cache and leave a nickle or penny or those dime store dinasoars. I clean the junk out too. Then I refill.
I would much rather have a handmade signiture item from a child or adult or at least something that would make the next cacher say, "COOL"! This whole geocaching game was designed as a TREASURE HUNT !!!!
COME TO CANAAN...7 caches within 2 miles of each other...still waiting for my ladder Jake!!!LOL!!!!
Opalsns

$ 10 kids Wooo Hooo, Where can I get one???LOL!!!!!
I agree with the Fireman, I try to put cool things of good quality but not too much cost in my caches. It erks me when someone will clean out the cache and leave a nickle or penny or those dime store dinasoars. I clean the junk out too. Then I refill.
I would much rather have a handmade signiture item from a child or adult or at least something that would make the next cacher say, "COOL"! This whole geocaching game was designed as a TREASURE HUNT !!!!
COME TO CANAAN...7 caches within 2 miles of each other...still waiting for my ladder Jake!!!LOL!!!!
Opalsns

HehHeh . . . I almost made it up your way this weekend Opalsns . . . going geocaching with Hiram and Medawislalalalalalala and we had some options . . . a trip to Vinalhaven and the mid-coast, a trip to Massachusetts to grab a map or two that we all need or a trip to Canaan and points north where you folks, Vicbiker and others have put out a slug of caches . . . in the end the trip to the sunny south won out . . . but there should be plenty of time between now and when the snow is deep enough to sled again. :D

P.S. We prefer the term firefighter . . . fireman is a dated term that actually was used for some time to refer to the person on a coal-powered locomotive that shoveled coal into the boiler . . . plus we have women as well as men on board . . . plus firefighter sounds a lot cooler and tougher sounding than fireman. ;):D

Ooops, Your right ,sorry,Firefighter. I think I like the term Hero as well!!! You guys and gals ROCK !!!!!!!
Opalsns

Ooops, Your right ,sorry,Firefighter. I think I like the term Hero as well!!! You guys and gals ROCK !!!!!!!
Opalsns

Hero doesn't work for me . . . it's just a career . . . or a hobby. Besides I've never done anything heroic.

The real heroes in this world are the ones who you never hear about . . . the folks who work day in and day out without any of the limelight or praise . . . electric line workers who come out day or night to get the power switched back on in the heat of summer after a thunderstorm or in middle of a snowstorm in January . . . teachers who have huge college bills, but work at a job that may not pay a lot but a job that gives that person the potential chance to change a person's life forever . . . carpenters who can craft true works of beauty that will last a lifetime of memories . . . the true heroes of the world are all around us . . . most folks just don't realize that they are heroes . . .

Thanks for the thought though.

That's cool....
I'm an artist and my husband is a finish carpenter extrodonaire . We are not heros..
But Thank You for the thought. I guess I would say my opinion of a hero is any person that would put his or her life on the line for another person or animal.
JMHO
Opalsns

That's cool....
I'm an artist and my husband is a finish carpenter extrodonaire . We are not heros..
But Thank You for the thought. I guess I would say my opinion of a hero is any person that would put his or her life on the line for another person or animal.
JMHO
Opalsns


Hmmmm, but wouldn't you do just that under the right circumstances.

Therefore heroes aren't just firefighters or police officers. We are paid/volunteer to help resolve incidents that are abberant and require immediate/rapid resolution to reduce morbidity and mortality. For the most part, most of the heroics are done well before we arrive. Either mom and dad have evacuated children from a house fire or a passerby has placed his/her jacket on a victim in a bad car accident to keep them warm, then called 911. Or someone in a restaurant recognizes a victim choking and administers the Hiemlich Maneuver. FFJ is right, we get lots of the credit for the heroics but the heroes are the ones who are there when the incident happens THEN the spe******t are called in to apply our training and specialized equipment. The end result of any incident is directly proportional to how the incident was handled initially. If someone driving down the road saw a house on fire and decided the next person could call the fire department and the next person was 10-15 minutes behind the first, you can speculate how the incident has changed just in the first persons decision..and the second guy would still be a hero for calling in the fire and getting the spe******t on the way to deal with it...

Having specialized equipment to deal with fire incidents or car accidents only makes us spe******t like every other profession has their spe******t.

I'd like to think that us firefighters are heroes but I'd be more honored to be thought of as professional and good at my job.

These are hard thoughts to articulate because I know I am not a hero but a damn good firefighter and paramedic.

I was wondering if you were a real firefighter Jake! YK some people have nicknames or on-line names that aren't actually what they are. Too bad you aren't down by Windham so I could bring a homeschool group to your station! (Colds and virus' included! ;) )

Ok! you win.
I won't think of you folks as heros anymore. Just folks doing their jobs.
BTW ..
I have 3 of your sig items, wooden nickel, wooden nickel magnet, and Rhino!!!
Thanx
Opalsns

We will be caching in the Sebago - Portland area next week and will be leaving Annie's signature hand-knit GPSr holders in caches large enough to hold them.

Anniebananie

Reeeeeally, Anniebananie?? That sounds like a cool sig item! Any plans for placing one, oh, say, at Sebago Lake State Park or Quaker Ridge? Hmmm....LOL

We leave our sig item - the Maine Geocacher Permit - in just about every cache that will hold it. It's free for the taking.

I think that sig items are like any other cache item: it's available for anyone, but like other cache items, etiquette dictates that you trade an equal item (value/desirability, etc).

I was wondering if you were a real firefighter Jake! YK some people have nicknames or on-line names that aren't actually what they are. Too bad you aren't down by Windham so I could bring a homeschool group to your station! (Colds and virus' included! ;) )

Nah . . . I'm not a real firefighter . . . I only play one on TV :D(actually that's kind of true . . . occasionally you might see me on the southern TV stations if they pick up the feed from their sister stations here in Bangor).

For that matter, I'm not even real . . . I'm a figment of imagination from Hiram's mind. ;):D

Hmmmm, but wouldn't you do just that under the right circumstances.

Therefore heroes aren't just firefighters or police officers. We are paid/volunteer to help resolve incidents that are abberant and require immediate/rapid resolution to reduce morbidity and mortality. For the most part, most of the heroics are done well before we arrive. Either mom and dad have evacuated children from a house fire or a passerby has placed his/her jacket on a victim in a bad car accident to keep them warm, then called 911. Or someone in a restaurant recognizes a victim choking and administers the Hiemlich Maneuver. FFJ is right, we get lots of the credit for the heroics but the heroes are the ones who are there when the incident happens THEN the spe******t are called in to apply our training and specialized equipment. The end result of any incident is directly proportional to how the incident was handled initially. If someone driving down the road saw a house on fire and decided the next person could call the fire department and the next person was 10-15 minutes behind the first, you can speculate how the incident has changed just in the first persons decision..and the second guy would still be a hero for calling in the fire and getting the spe******t on the way to deal with it...

Having specialized equipment to deal with fire incidents or car accidents only makes us spe******t like every other profession has their spe******t.

I'd like to think that us firefighters are heroes but I'd be more honored to be thought of as professional and good at my job.

These are hard thoughts to articulate because I know I am not a hero but a damn good firefighter and paramedic.

Well stated.

Hey Steve . . . you're my hero. ;):D:D:D

We leave our sig item - the Maine Geocacher Permit - in just about every cache that will hold it. It's free for the taking.

I think that sig items are like any other cache item: it's available for anyone, but like other cache items, etiquette dictates that you trade an equal item (value/desirability, etc).


This also helps to keep the cache from getting depleated of anything worthwhile. There are alot of cachers that just find as many caches as they can and don't take or trade, and there are those who take EVERYTHING and leave ....well, crap! I'm with the good old Treasure Hunters. I like the treasures and the trade.
Also if you come across a cache that needs maintenence, it's good to post a note to the owner.Some folks can't get to their cache on a regular basis to check it.;)
Opalsns

Hmmmm, but wouldn't you do just that under the right circumstances.

Therefore heroes aren't just firefighters or police officers. We are paid/volunteer to help resolve incidents that are abberant and require immediate/rapid resolution to reduce morbidity and mortality. For the most part, most of the heroics are done well before we arrive. Either mom and dad have evacuated children from a house fire or a passerby has placed his/her jacket on a victim in a bad car accident to keep them warm, then called 911. Or someone in a restaurant recognizes a victim choking and administers the Hiemlich Maneuver. FFJ is right, we get lots of the credit for the heroics but the heroes are the ones who are there when the incident happens THEN the spe******t are called in to apply our training and specialized equipment. The end result of any incident is directly proportional to how the incident was handled initially. If someone driving down the road saw a house on fire and decided the next person could call the fire department and the next person was 10-15 minutes behind the first, you can speculate how the incident has changed just in the first persons decision..and the second guy would still be a hero for calling in the fire and getting the spe******t on the way to deal with it...

Having specialized equipment to deal with fire incidents or car accidents only makes us spe******t like every other profession has their spe******t.

I'd like to think that us firefighters are heroes but I'd be more honored to be thought of as professional and good at my job.

These are hard thoughts to articulate because I know I am not a hero but a damn good firefighter and paramedic.

You Are MARVELOUS, Darling!!!!!
And don't you forget it!!!!:):(:confused::mad::p;):D:o:rolleyes::cool:a nd:eek:!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Opalsns

When we leave a sig item it's free for the taking although we do trade if we take one. We carry a bag of swag, not necessarily for trading but for "cache enhancement" (I guess we're way past the age of needing a matchbox car or more play-doh). We also carry around spare zip lock bags, cheap mechanical pencils, and blank log books.

We (Preb) also carry insect repellant, Epi pen, water, tissues, spare batteries, bandaids, GPSr, PDA, Camera, leatherman... Poor Preb will tip over if I add more stuff to that back pack...:D

Sometimes I leave two identical signature items as well, so that two different cachers get the opportunity to grab one.

When we leave a sig item it's free for the taking although we do trade if we take one. We carry a bag of swag, not necessarily for trading but for "cache enhancement" (I guess we're way past the age of needing a matchbox car or more play-doh). We also carry around spare zip lock bags, cheap mechanical pencils, and blank log books.

We (Preb) also carry insect repellant, Epi pen, water, tissues, spare batteries, bandaids, GPSr, PDA, Camera, leatherman...

We're the same way - usually carrying a lot of junk (well, RULOST2? does - I'm busy navigating to the cache!) Although the caches seem to have gotten generally smaller in the last couple of years, a great many have lots of room for swag and we carry a big bag. What goes into a cache usually depends on what we take out.

. . . Although the caches seem to have gotten generally smaller in the last couple of years, a great many have lots of room for swag and we carry a big bag. . . .

Ah yes, let us all pause for a moment and mourn the demise of the ammo can which seems to becoming an endangered species as the cheaper, smaller micros gain an evolutionary foothold as they prosper. ;):D

Ah yes, let us all pause for a moment and mourn the demise of the ammo can which seems to becoming an endangered species as the cheaper, smaller micros gain an evolutionary foothold as they prosper. ;):D

I agree with FIREFIGHTERJAKE,:rolleyes:,
Way too many micros out there for my liking.It's not so bad when they are ,park and grabs or lame micros, but putting a micro in the woods or forest or hiking area that are more hidden, stops someone from putting a TRADITIONAL, treasure hunt, cache in that area. It's a waste.
Worldwide TREASURE HUNT!:):(:confused::mad::p;):D:o:rolleyes::cool: and :eek:
Opalsns

Ah yes, let us all pause for a moment and mourn the demise of the ammo can which seems to becoming an endangered species as the cheaper, smaller micros gain an evolutionary foothold as they prosper. ;):D

A good reason to start carrying smaller TB's! LOL! We've found 1 micro in Spain - a film can - but we did have 1 TB small enough to fit. :D

I agree with FIREFIGHTERJAKE,:rolleyes:,
Way too many micros out there for my liking.It's not so bad when they are ,park and grabs or lame micros, but putting a micro in the woods or forest or hiking area that are more hidden, stops someone from putting a TRADITIONAL, treasure hunt, cache in that area. It's a waste.
Worldwide TREASURE HUNT!:):(:confused::mad::p;):D:o:rolleyes::cool: and :eek:
Opalsns I couldn't disagree more, nothing I like more then a challenging in the woods micro. I was able to do some great ones in York County this past weekend. And that in a nutshell is what makes this sport so great. There is something for everyone, even Hiram who likes caches hidden in or near establishments that serve his favorite beer. FFJ is partial to beach caches where lots of monkeys hangout, not exactly sure why, but he gets great pleasure from taken their pictures. Where would Laughing Terry be today if it wasn't for those cleverly hidden micros?:D:D

I couldn't disagree more, nothing I like more then a challenging in the woods micro. I was able to do some great ones in York County this past weekend. And that in a nutshell is what makes this sport so great. There is something for everyone, even Hiram who likes caches hidden in or near establishments that serve his favorite beer. FFJ is partial to beach caches where lots of monkeys hangout, not exactly sure why, but he gets great pleasure from taken their pictures. Where would Laughing Terry be today if it wasn't for those cleverly hidden micros?:D:D
Yeah but you can't fit a beer in a micro. And monkeys curl up nicely in an ammo box!!!!:D:D
Opalsns

I don't post often but I should point out that GC.COM allows 25 (not including .5 levels) levels of a combination of terrain and difficulty which gives a geocacher many options of placing and finding caches, not to mention types such as puzzle, earthcaches, cam and event caches. If you don't like a particular type of cache, simply don't do it. Others may find that type to be a particularly nice challenge. That's the great thing about geocaching...there is something for everyone at every level.

I was glad for the 1/1 caches last summer when I was clomping around in an orthotic boot. Changed my opinion of caching.

Ah yes, let us all pause for a moment and mourn the demise of the ammo can which seems to becoming an endangered species as the cheaper, smaller micros gain an evolutionary foothold as they prosper. ;):D

Kinda like how we did 24 caches last weekend and only came across 2 that were big enough for your TBs... :(

CANAAN .... NO MICROS !!!!! ALL TBs FIT !!!!!!
Did you find any beer caches or monkeys in a cache????

I don't post often but I should point out that GC.COM allows 25 (not including .5 levels) levels of a combination of terrain and difficulty which gives a geocacher many options of placing and finding caches, not to mention types such as puzzle, earthcaches, cam and event caches. If you don't like a particular type of cache, simply don't do it. Others may find that type to be a particularly nice challenge. That's the great thing about geocaching...there is something for everyone at every level.

Micros:mad:
Treasure caches:)

Simply Not Doing It .... Priceless !!!!!!!!

In my limited experience with geocaching so far, there have been three micros that have been so cleverly camouflaged it could be considered art. A lot of thought and prep went into these bad boys. I walked away pretty amazed with the creativity. Dare I say these three are also my favorites.

Variety.. spice of life...

Just my two cents.

Just when I think I'd seen all the types of micros there are then I find some new clever way to hide them. This past weekend caching in Canada was proof of that. Many micros with wonderful views. Some very clever ones too.

I'll agree with those past two comments, but with a little imagination a person can hide an ammo box cleverly, too.

I think if we wish to continue this topic, it should be done so in a new thread, funny how signature items turn into cache size opinions!

Got to jump in here. I LOVE signature items. I'm not "crafty" so I buy mine but finding a sig makes my day. I'm not fond of micros but there have been some memorable ones. And at the end of a hard day a few are good "for the numbers". Most of my caches are ammos or Lock and Lock, I try to check them and remove the garbage every year. And when I find a really run-down cache somewhere, I clean it up a bit and leave a few good things for the next person. But the best thing to bring home with you is the memories! :)

Kinda like how we did 24 caches last weekend and only came across 2 that were big enough for your TBs... :(

Yup . . . I was some glad to finally find that second ammo can . . . otherwise I would have carried those TBs right back to Central Maine.

Personally I have nothing against micros . . . I prefer regular caches though . . . in fact I love LT's delightfully evil micros and I have seen some great micros in great spots . . . and on the flip side I have seen way too many parking lots.

My original post was simply to point out the fact that there seems to be more and more micros being hidden (a trend that has been going on for awhile of course) and ammo cans aren't being used as much . . . honestly, I wasn't trying to stir up the old "I-hate-micros" vs. the "I-love-micros" debate . . .

While I personally find it more of a challenge to hide a larger container than a micro in the woods, I think micros definitely have their place -- especially in urban areas -- and in the right area they are very appropriate. However, it seems like some folks just hide micros since they're cheaper and easier . . . very little investment in a container, swag, etc.

As Parmacheenee mentioned the truly great thing about this hobby however is that there is something for everyone . . . for the micro lovers, macro lovers and the macaroni and cheese lovers. ;):D

CANAAN .... NO MICROS !!!!! ALL TBs FIT !!!!!!
Did you find any beer caches or monkeys in a cache????

Boy . . . you really are trying to get us to come up your way aren't you? ;):D Don't worry . . . I'll make it up that way . . . maybe with Hiram and Medawisla in tow.

There aren't any monkeys up that way though are there? ;):D

In my limited experience with geocaching so far, there have been three micros that have been so cleverly camouflaged it could be considered art. A lot of thought and prep went into these bad boys. I walked away pretty amazed with the creativity. Dare I say these three are also my favorites.

Variety.. spice of life...

Just my two cents.

Agreed . . . cleverly hidden micros work very well in some situations.

I'll agree with those past two comments, but with a little imagination a person can hide an ammo box cleverly, too.

I think if we wish to continue this topic, it should be done so in a new thread, funny how signature items turn into cache size opinions!

. . . and you are a master at hiding those ammo boxes Brdad . . . many of my ammo can hides were heavily influenced by your hiding techniques.

Boy . . . you really are trying to get us to come up your way aren't you? ;):D Don't worry . . . I'll make it up that way . . . maybe with Hiram and Medawisla in tow.

There aren't any monkeys up that way though are there? ;):D

No monkeys.............yet, but let me know when your coming and I'll stick a beer in for Hiram!!!!:D

In my limited experience with geocaching so far, there have been three micros that have been so cleverly camouflaged it could be considered art. A lot of thought and prep went into these bad boys. I walked away pretty amazed with the creativity. Dare I say these three are also my favorites. Jamie I logged those same three micros right behind you and you are right they were pretty creative. Let me just say that for a new cacher you did well to find them, they were well hidden. If you make it up my way you'll find I have a couple of well hidden micros. Happy caching.

I have finally come up with my Signature item for 2008 =)

It's a secret for now becuase I'm not completely finished with it but I'll just say it will help me to reach my 100 by 2009 goal =)


Maybe you'll see a hint of it in the coming days - muahahaha

I'm more interested in how having a signature item can help you find more caches than what the signature item is going to be!