I prepare labels that contain the following information:

Box name, a plea for accidental finders to respect the box and its
contents, and my name and contact information.

The containers I am using are store-brand Gladware-style boxes, and I
tape the note on the inside of the lid facing OUT (so it can be read
without opening the box). The note has bold lettering and is pretty
obvious to anyone that might think the box is trash.

Then again, some people are just plain mean and might decide to spoil
the game.

Good luck!

Ruthann
aka Mirkwood
Mirkwood's Letterboxing Site
http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/letterboxing/

Jeremy,

I put the following message on the outside of each letterbox:


THE BEEHIVE LETTERBOX
MT. DESERT ISLAND, ME

Enjoy the contents, and replace where found, hidden from view.
To Learn More About Letterboxing, Visit the Letterboxing Web Site
at www.letterboxing.org. If Contents are Damaged Or Missing,
Please Call Tom Cooch at 802-728-9660.


Tom

>
> As I am currently putting together a replacement box I have come to a
> standstill as to how to deter losing it again. As I am a scientist and
> not an English Ph.D. I have come up with a little writers block...
>
> Just a simple poll to ask what people are writing in the front cover of
> the notebook or better yet on the outside of the container to persuade
> people to respect the contents and location of the letterboxes.
>
> I have always written something on the inside of the log book, however,
> now that I am thinking about it... Perhaps it would be a better idea to
> write something also on the outside of the box itself. As a lone
> tupperware container stained with dirt and rocks may be mistaken as trash,
> and disposed of without even opening it up.
>
> I guess I will start to include that handy "letterboxing info sheet" in
> the interior of the box, but I was wondering if anyone has a well written
> plea or message they include in the log book or on the exterior of the
> box, that may be a little more effective.
>
> Jeremy
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Jeremy Disch |Department of Chemistry www.tufts.edu/~jdisch
> jdisch@tufts.edu |Tufts University www.tufts.edu/
> P-323 ext. 75745 |Rybak-Akimova Research Lab welcome.to/rybaklab
> |GCMS/MALDI Instrument TA
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
> To unsubscribe: mailto:letterbox-usa-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> List info, archives, etc: http://www.letterboxing.org/list.html
>
>
The Orient Express
Braintree, VT
P17F91

"The game is afoot!"

I think the law of large numbers says your box goes missing,
even if 99% of passerbys are "nice folk" and leave it alone,
if it is in an exposed or heavily trafficked area.

Non-human forces will also move boxes. I found one about 10m
from its "intended" hiding place, and its "intended" hiding place
had a very low chance of accidental discovery yet was easily
accessable to small mammals and running water after a storm.
(And there was no doubt about the "indended" hiding place as
it was a unique distinct feature mentioned directly in the clue.
I did put it back in its "intended" place, but it brings up an
interesting question about what to do in less clear circumstances;
generally I will leave it where I found it, even if I think its
in the wrong place if there is even a 1% a chance I misinterpreted
the clue -- another topic for discussion someday :-))

In any case -- lately, I've gotten in the habit of putting them
under rocks well off-trail in sparsely visited areas, and I try
to avoid slopes where storm runoff will get them. I find a round
rock half buried, pull it out of the ground, place the box in
the resultant cavity, and find a flatter rock that will fit snugly
over the hole and look as natural as possible. I've sometimes
spent quite a bit of time looking for the right rocks. I sometimes
find a good hiding place that meets these criteria, and work
backwards. Of course this won't stop some sorts of burrowing mammals,
oh well. I hope this works and I hope this helps ...

Cheers,
--
randy "the mapsurfer" (P27F102)
Hogeita hirugarren kutxak kolonia zaharean da.

Jeremy:
I put the same thing on the lid that Tom does. The real trick is to
fine a nice, clear, waterproof tape. Please let us know if you come up
with something.
Erik
The Viking of VT

Some kind of "Letterbox" identification written on the outside of the box in permanent marker might help.

~THe Ram~

On Wed, 20 Sep 2000 10:45:28 -0400 (EDT) Jeremy Disch wrote:
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>and to sell your products and services. Try Bigstep.com now.
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>
>As I am currently putting together a replacement box I have come to a
>standstill as to how to deter losing it again. As I am a scientist and
>not an English Ph.D. I have come up with a little writers block...
>
>Just a simple poll to ask what people are writing in the front cover of
>the notebook or better yet on the outside of the container to persuade
>people to respect the contents and location of the letterboxes.
>
>I have always written something on the inside of the log book, however,
>now that I am thinking about it... Perhaps it would be a better idea to
>write something also on the outside of the box itself. As a lone
>tupperware container stained with dirt and rocks may be mistaken as trash,
>and disposed of without even opening it up.
>
>I guess I will start to include that handy "letterboxing info sheet" in
>the interior of the box, but I was wondering if anyone has a well written
>plea or message they include in the log book or on the exterior of the
>box, that may be a little more effective.
>
>Jeremy
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Jeremy Disch |Department of Chemistry www.tufts.edu/~jdisch
>jdisch@tufts.edu |Tufts University www.tufts.edu/
>P-323 ext. 75745 |Rybak-Akimova Research Lab welcome.to/rybaklab
> |GCMS/MALDI Instrument TA
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
>To unsubscribe: mailto:letterbox-usa-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>List info, archives, etc: http://www.letterboxing.org/list.html
>
>
>


_______________________________________________
Get your free e-mail at http://www.ourhouse.net

Cant figure you folks out. If your losing boxes, is it letterboxers doing
it? I dont think so, and if folks are just finding them then your not hiding
them very well. If you are going to just have them where anyone can find
them why bother with clues....put a flag on them instead... The Rambler

Garth & Kathy

I spray painted the plastic container a sort of "camo". depending on
where you put it it could help hide it from unwanted eyes-bayboxer

On Wed, 20 Sep 2000 10:45:28 -0400 (EDT) Jeremy Disch
writes:
> -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor
>
> As I am currently putting together a replacement box I have come to
> a
> standstill as to how to deter losing it again. As I am a scientist
> and
> not an English Ph.D. I have come up with a little writers block...
>
> Just a simple poll to ask what people are writing in the front cover
> of
> the notebook or better yet on the outside of the container to
> persuade
> people to respect the contents and location of the letterboxes.
>
> I have always written something on the inside of the log book,
> however,
> now that I am thinking about it... Perhaps it would be a better idea
> to
> write something also on the outside of the box itself. As a lone
> tupperware container stained with dirt and rocks may be mistaken as
> trash,
> and disposed of without even opening it up.
>
> I guess I will start to include that handy "letterboxing info sheet"
> in
> the interior of the box, but I was wondering if anyone has a well
> written
> plea or message they include in the log book or on the exterior of
> the
> box, that may be a little more effective.
>
> Jeremy
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Jeremy Disch |Department of Chemistry
> www.tufts.edu/~jdisch
> jdisch@tufts.edu |Tufts University www.tufts.edu/
> P-323 ext. 75745 |Rybak-Akimova Research Lab welcome.to/rybaklab
> |GCMS/MALDI Instrument TA
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
> To unsubscribe: mailto:letterbox-usa-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> List info, archives, etc: http://www.letterboxing.org/list.html
>
>

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