Welcome

[Eliska]

Hi,

I just wanted to say hello. Just moved down to Bracknell and can't wait to start geocashing around here

[Mrs Blorenge]

Hello Eliska - Welcome

[ragnost]

Just wanted to say Hi just signed up and intending to buy a GPS unit asap I'm up in the Newcastle upon Tyne area
Malcolm

[Bear and Ragged]

Just wanted to say Hi just signed up and intending to buy a GPS unit asap I'm up in the Newcastle upon Tyne area
Malcolm

Welcome!

[jjim30]

Hi all, jjim here i,m a newbie have not got a gps yet but will soon looking forward to some gentle exercise:lol:

[Bill D (wwh)]

Hi jjim and welcome to geocaching!

Aw, you're not going to go for the mountain-top ones then?

[jjim30]

Ive seen the day but now its rapidly approaching night, easy terrain for me
with a handy pub!:cheers:

[Bill D (wwh)]

Ive seen the day but now its rapidly approaching night, easy terrain for me
with a handy pub!:cheers:

Likewise! :cheers:

[DruidsDream]

Thank you, we're new to GAGB, we look forward to all that is available.

[DrDick&Vick]

Thank you, we're new to GAGB, we look forward to all that is available.

And a good choice to become members of the GAGB.
A lot of useful information available.

[Family_Moose]

I suppose it is about time that we said hello.

New to Geocaching but have had a GPS for some time...just never used it for this.

We love the hunt, and Noodle Moose loves the 'treasure chests' (she is only 3!!!)

[gazooks]

:socool: Welcome to the forum :socool:

[Mrs Blorenge]

Welcome Mooses

[Bill D (wwh)]

Welcome to caching, Family_Moose!

I see you've already got some finds under your belt, including one I've done myself, Cardiff Parks 3: Victoria Park, so you've probably met my namesake, Billy the Seal, lol...!

[Family_Moose]

Oh yes indeed.

Mother in Law is from Cardiff, so we decided to do a few caches each visit.
Mummy Moose used to practically live her childhood in Victoria Park.

[Bill D (wwh)]

Oh yes indeed.

Mother in Law is from Cardiff, so we decided to do a few caches each visit.
Mummy Moose used to practically live her childhood in Victoria Park.

Ah, right! My niece and her family live two minutes walk from there, and I've often taken Max, their Staffy, round the park. In fact, when I did that one I realised where the cache was going to be from twenty feet away, but Max got there first and quite literally sniffed it out!

[celestria]

Hello

I/we are very new to geocaching, was only introduced to it at the weekend by friends from an online dog rescue forum.

Was amazed to learn how many caches there are very close to us, one less than 300ft from the front doorstep! Penny dropped on that tricky little one earlier today and I ran over to sign and have now logged it as my second find.

With two dogs to walk and three kids to entertain on those walks, I can see geocaching being a bit of a lifesaver. Hoping the kids will have loads of fun helping to find them whilst we get to take the dogs out and about on new more interesting walks.

The two we've found so far have been of the smaller variety but any hints or tips on stash to swap/leave in the bigger boxes as and when we find them would be much appreciated because my lot think Maccy D's trash is treasure :wacko:

[Mrs Blorenge]

Welcome Celestria

Some things that are commonly used for swaps in caches -
Keyrings, small bouncy balls, foreign coins, hair bands etc, toy cars, badges, coloured pencils/erasers...

More adult items - small nail brush, packet of elastic bands, plastic battery cases, small packets of WetWipe tissues... I think most adult cachers probably don't bother with swaps very much.

Someone has given us a box of interesting shells (foreign ones), each one is 2" - 3" in size, so they'll end up in caches somewhere.

Remember that cache owners appreciate it if you "trade up, or even".

The Geocaching Guidelines say
"People of all ages hide and seek caches, so think carefully before placing an item into a cache. Explosives, ammunition, knives, drugs and alcohol should not be placed in a cache. Respect the local laws.
Food items are always a bad idea. Animals have better noses than humans, and in some cases caches have been chewed through and destroyed because of food items in a cache. Please do not put food in a cache."


I hope you all have fun as you get into this new hobby. :socool:

[Bill D (wwh)]

Welcome to caching, celestria!

I think Mrs B's covered things very well regarding trade items.

If you've got a local Poundland or Pound Shop or something similar you might find that a good place to get items. And if you're lucky enough to have a Hawkin's Bazaar nearby that'd be a great source for trade items for children.

Happy caching!

[The Family Bu]

Just joined the forums - have been caching since Feb 2009 and are addicted. Thought I'd pop in to say hello and I look forward to posting in the future. Hugs Mumma Bu

[nobbynobbs]

hi, hope that you keep coming. :cheers:

[Jester]

I am so new to geocaching that I haven't done any yet....

I've just got a Garmin Oregon 300 GPS and am hoping to get started soon. Trouble is, it all looks so difficult...

I downloaded some local geocaches, but when I view them I just don't know where to start.

Any advice as to where to go to learn more about how all this works (and how my GPS works I guess?!), would be much appreciated.

I only have the basic maps pre-loaded to the GPS so I understand I need to get hold of some better ones? Ideally I'd like maps that cover my part of the country (Norfolk), but the only ones I can find are the Garmin Discoverer ones and they seem to be just National parks etc.

My apologies for asking what must be very basic questions, but I am a complete novice to all this so any help would really be appreciated.

[Bear and Ragged]

I am so new to geocaching that I haven't done any yet....

I've just got a Garmin Oregon 300 GPS and am hoping to get started soon. Trouble is, it all looks so difficult...

I downloaded some local geocaches, but when I view them I just don't know where to start.

Any advice as to where to go to learn more about how all this works (and how my GPS works I guess?!), would be much appreciated.

I only have the basic maps pre-loaded to the GPS so I understand I need to get hold of some better ones? Ideally I'd like maps that cover my part of the country (Norfolk), but the only ones I can find are the Garmin Discoverer ones and they seem to be just National parks etc.

My apologies for asking what must be very basic questions, but I am a complete novice to all this so any help would really be appreciated.

Welcome!
Start of by using a paper map, print off the streetmap one, that the cache page links to -that will show you the public paths.
(Also means you have a piece of paper, to make any notes on, with you!)

[Jester]

Thanks for the advice, but I bought the GPS to use for this!

I would really prefer to do that, rather than use a paper map.

[nobbynobbs]

pick the caches near to you that are basic, ie traditional and rated 1* 1*

they will be easier to find and easy terrain. plus go for a normal not micro container as again it will get you used to finding them.

then really it's only a matter of getting to the parking spot and turning on the gps and selecting the waypoint ie the cache and goto function. follow the arrow and watch the numbers go down until you get within 10m.
then walk much slower looking around you. just because your gps says it is at a certain spot doesn't mean that the placers gps did and they can differ by a few metres.
if all else fails read the clue.

i've no idea how much the maps are for that unit or whether they are any good. hopefully someone will post soon.

also watch out for an event cache near you soon. go to it and chat, you'll be able to get some hands on help there.

[Jester]

Thanks Nobby - that's more like it!

I was surprised at how many there are locally.
Will see how many (if any...) I can find and wait for some info to appear regards maps.

Cheers.

[Jester]

Today I found my first ever cache - and my second!!

I'm hooked!

[nobbynobbs]

congrats. there's no escape now without therapy or the threat of divorce

[arnoldnathan]

Hello everyone.....
Just wanted to introduce myself... Just found your forum and it seems really interesting.I am Arnold Nathan and i am doing MBA with finance.

[Baddesley Bodgers]

Ok folks, i have lurked in the shadows long enough that i feel i should introduce myself.

I am old dartmoor letterboxer living in North Warwickshire, though i am currently working in hengelo, holland until the end of July. The first letterbox found on the 14th July 1987.

I only started geocaching since march but i have known about it a while, and wandered the forums as a guest for a couple of years.
caching has already taken me to places near where i live that i never knew about.

Thats about it, and hello everyone.

[nobbynobbs]

glad to have you here

[Mrs Blorenge]

Welcome to you new folks

[welshcm]

Hi, I am new to geocaching. I have found 4 caches so far in my local area. Really enjoying my new hobby for 2010. Happy new year everyone!

[Bill D (wwh)]

Hi, I am new to geocaching. I have found 4 caches so far in my local area. Really enjoying my new hobby for 2010. Happy new year everyone!

Welcome to caching and to GAGB, and Happy New Year to you as well...! If you've got any questions just ask, and I'm sure someone will be able to help.

[Mrs Blorenge]

Hello - glad you're enjoying it so far

(I'm over in SE Wales)

[nobbynobbs]

you must be barking from the wonderful new forest :cheers:

[The_Street_Searchers]

Hi Everyone

Chris from Brighton here - I have been lurking for a while and finally decided to get an account.

Got around ~350 caches under my belt so a relitive newbie compared to a lot of you

[nobbynobbs]

We'll be gentle with you LOL 350 is a respectable number. be proud LOL

[DrDick&Vick]

Hi Everyone

Chris from Brighton here - I have been lurking for a while and finally decided to get an account.

Got around ~350 caches under my belt so a relitive newbie compared to a lot of you

Welcome the GAGB and to the forum. Being over in West Sussex it shouldn't take you long to increase your finds. Do a few of Flatcoat Walker's series or maybe the SWOF series by BHA Loyal and that find total will rocket. We intend to be back in the Horsham area in Oct/Nov so may bump into you at one of the Sussex Cachers meetings, if you attend any say hi to Della71, Flatcoat Walker (Jean), BHA Loyal (Rich) and Redirected Male (Mik) for me.

[Fianccetto]

That's ten times as many as us,and we've been caching a year now. Just getting our first hide ready.

[The_Street_Searchers]

Thanks Guys - I have done a couple of the FW series and am about 2/3rds of the way through SWOF which has really helped with the numbers....not that its all about the numbers!

Although it is at the moment as my little brother (He is 21) is catching up with my find count - I have taken to picking up 1 or 2 in my lunch break to keep my nose in front!

[YOMPY]

Hi, I’m a new premium Geocaching member and I don’t seem able to either register or log on to the Groundspeak Forums. I have tried my Geocaching user Name and Password but it just keeps telling to log in or register?? Looking forward to participating in the GRAB forums.
Help and Thanks

[Graculus]

Hi YOMPER!
Have a look at the forum knowledge base. I did notice that there is another user with the same name as you but one is in lower case and the other in uppercase. Don't know if that is causing the problem. If you still can't get in then send an email to contact@geocaching.com and ask them to have a look.

Chris (MrB)

[YOMPY]

Thanks I'll have a look.

Regards

[YOMPY]

Dear Chris (MrB), Thanks for the help they have changed my user name to YOMPY.
Regards

[Palujia]

Hi, just joined and am new to the game. Am mulling over which GPS to get as the Navigon Satnav I bought don't seem to like 6 figure co-ordinates !! Have not started to search yet - going on Hols next week to Telford Area (High Onn) and am printing off locations of caches in the area to look for with paper maps - Looks like a great forum and am slowly reading my way through all the threads
cheers - palujia

[DrDick&Vick]

As the new section is now active it would be nice if neww Forum Users/Supporters and GAGB Members posted a short introduction, in the main section instead of adding to this thread.