Geocaching Maine Newsletter
September 2008
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Volume II Issue 9
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I. Planning a Hide?: Must-Have Cache Characteristics
----Side Bar: Maine has 0.5% of the world’s hides
II. Upcoming Events
III. Maine Geocaching News/Media Coverage
IV. Hot Topics of the Past Month
V. Photo of the Month
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I. Planning a Hide?: Must-Have Cache Characteristics
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What makes a great cache?
--In 2006, brdad posted an article called, “Anatomy of a Great Cache Hide” highlighting considerations to perfect some of the characteristics of your caches. The discussion is on-going. Every cacher ranks the characteristics differently, but each characteristic is worth consideration when hiding a cache.
--Firefighterjake encourages you to go hide caches, “Bringing folks to a new place that they might never have seen or teaching them about some history or geology is part of the appeal to me, and reading the logs (especially the entertaining ones) can be pretty addictive.”
--A friendly neighborhood cacher felt the attributes toward the end of the article should definitely be thought-out early on. Before placing a cache, explore geocaching.com’s Hide n Seek link to learn what’s required of a hide; there are guidelines to become familiar with. The second step would be to explore your GPS and learn how to get accurate coordinates for your hide. Some of us have learned this the hard way, so we’d love to help you out with this, and events are great venues for getting help and learning new tricks of the game.
--Last but definitely not least! Remember, hides require commitment. Commitment to maintain the cache, making it enjoyable for others to find. Commitment allowing, and sometimes finding, another cacher to adopt a cache should you ever be unable to continue maintenance. Commitment to having the cache retrieved should the location become unsuitable, such as a new landowner not wishing it’s presence, so that the geocache does not become geotrash. The commitment is not hard, and often brings great joy, like giving a gift. And to that end, brdad adds, “Go for the quality, not quantity.”
----Side Bar: Maine has 0.5% of the world’s hides: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/index...ge=maine_stats
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II. Upcoming Events
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09/06/08 Last Cache Bashe of the Summer 2008: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...9-0a0dd3f58bcd
09/06/08 Apres The Last Cache Bashe of the Summer Event 2008: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...4-c94ed7a2de80
09/13/08 Tread Lightly 2008: I Call Shot Gun!: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...spx?wp=GC1EQ8Q
Discussion: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3341
09/27/08 First Annual Get Useless in Eustis Event: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...4-8b1a9c7b819e
Discussion: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3052
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III. Maine Geocaching News/Media Coverage
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1. “Trailblazing from the left side of the brain: Geocaching gadgets for geeks”
Posted: 08/03/08 Trail Hound http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs//?blog=183
“Of the several outdoor navigation games, geocaching has got to be the geekiest.”
Discussion: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3352
2. The Calais Advertiser had a recent article (print only) regarding a bomb squad decommission of a geocache. Join the discussion at: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ad.php?p=45323
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IV. Hot Topics of the Past Month
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CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS:
Need help for workshop: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3374
ON THE TRAIL:
Ammo can stash notes: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=1618
Another cache idea: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ad.php?p=45269
Caching and gas prices: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3345
Cemetery Caches: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3353
Eustis Cache Challenge: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...?t=3320&page=3
Good Camping: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...?t=2186&page=3
Mt. Kineo (mystery): http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3379
New way to park n grab: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3337
Seattle-type puzzle: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3333
TECHNOLOGY:
Bearing and projection: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3363
Cache stats into GSAK?: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3334
City Navigator & Topo: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3354
Garmin eTrex?: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3348
Map Source to Garmin: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3338
Map Source unlock: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3380
Photo storage?: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3360
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V. Photo of the Month
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“Last Cache Bashe 2007” Maine Geocachers By Team2Hunt http://www.geocachingmaine.org/galle.../9999/way/desc
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~~~Next Month’s Feature: Geocaching Events: past, present, and future~~~
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**Attention readers: In a poll, it was determined that hot topics and feature stories are the most important sections of the newsletter; if you don’t agree, please send Medawisla a PM. She’s having a hard time keeping the newsletter to 2 pages as requested in another poll, and she’d love suggestions for how to do that or know what readers are willing to sacrifice (maybe the media section?), so please send her a PM.**
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