Yes, I just recently started it myself, although I
don't yet have a GPS unit, and I'm not sure I will.
I've kind of ignored it for awhile, but I couldn't
stand it anymore and went and found a cache that
didn't call for GPS. In the cache was $1.05 (ugh! I
was hoping for something cool!) and I left behind an
AFLAC duck (hubby's an AFLAC agent).

Frankly, it seems a little stark. The log I found
wasn't much to look at and enjoy. I doubt I'll ever
go out of my way to find a cache, but I'll probably
check around to see if there are any where I'm going,
particularly while I'm boxing.

Lucy

--- Alan Marx wrote:

> I am wondering how many of us are cross addicted to
> geocaching? I have
> recently started that too. It is fun, but I still
> think the puzzle and hunt
> aspect of letterboxing is more satisfying for me. I
> will probably look for
> geocaches, but only while on a letterbox hunt.
>
> Any one else try this yet?
> somecomic
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>


__________________________________________________
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This was the feeling I got too. None of the personal warmth I have found
from letterboxes. BUT....... I can't fight the urge to find treasure! I
got an inexpensive GPS, < 150.00. I will see if there are Geos around
whenever I box, but I don't ever see the excitement I get from boxing.

By the way, 1.50 is more than I found. I got a rock and a plastic parachute
guy!

Somecomic

_____



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

We tried geocaching a few times, but found it kind of boring. I have no idea
why, I would think the "hunt" would be just as fun, but I guess it must be
because once we found the geocaches they were just collections of trinkets,
seemed like people were just putting in small items they didn't want.

Liz


On Wed, Jan 19, 2005 at 05:35:01PM -0500, Alan Marx wrote:
>
> I am wondering how many of us are cross addicted to geocaching? I have
> recently started that too. It is fun, but I still think the puzzle and hunt
> aspect of letterboxing is more satisfying for me. I will probably look for
> geocaches, but only while on a letterbox hunt.
>
> Any one else try this yet?
> somecomic
>
>

That buck was gone fast, but I'll bet I could still be
playing with the parachute guy!!!

Just out of curiosity, what kind of GPS did you find?
Have you had a chance to use it?

Lucy


--- Alan Marx wrote:

> This was the feeling I got too. None of the
> personal warmth I have found
> from letterboxes. BUT....... I can't fight the
> urge to find treasure! I
> got an inexpensive GPS, < 150.00. I will see if
> there are Geos around
> whenever I box, but I don't ever see the excitement
> I get from boxing.
>
> By the way, 1.50 is more than I found. I got a rock
> and a plastic parachute
> guy!
>
> Somecomic
>
> _____
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>


__________________________________________________
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Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

I tried looking for a few geocaches after borrowing a GPS,
but was unsuccessful, since even with coordinates you have
to tramp over a large area looking for the cache and I hated
doing that to the environment. I have found a few accidentally
while looking for a letterbox and some have been pretty nice.
In one cache I got a pair of glasses with magnifying lenses
that I now wear while carving stamps!

Silver Eagle

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Alan Marx"
wrote:
> I am wondering how many of us are cross addicted to geocaching? I
have
> recently started that too. It is fun, but I still think the puzzle
and hunt
> aspect of letterboxing is more satisfying for me. I will probably
look for
> geocaches, but only while on a letterbox hunt.
>
> Any one else try this yet?
> somecomic
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

That's what I was wondering-how much of what would be
found in geocaches would be junk? I thought the money
we found was kind of a no-brainer thing, but I wanted
to leave something that was kind of cool - not
necessarily expensive, but fun. When someone opens
the cache we found, they're gonna see it is chuck full
of duck. The AFLAC duck is made of stress ball
material and I have folks ask me if I can get them all
the time, so I figured it would be a fun, yet
inexpensive, something to leave behind. But then, I'm
the one who loves to give and receive weird gifts -
once gave my father in law a sculpted bust of a
gorilla. My mother-in-law proudly displays it in the
study and tells folks it is HIS great-great
grandfather.

Do you think the geocaching folks sit around on their
lists and talk about the merits of the trinkets and
what should and shouldn't be left in a cache??? I'll
bet they do!

Lucy




--- Liz Neely wrote:

> We tried geocaching a few times, but found it kind
> of boring. I have no idea
> why, I would think the "hunt" would be just as fun,
> but I guess it must be
> because once we found the geocaches they were just
> collections of trinkets,
> seemed like people were just putting in small items
> they didn't want.
>
> Liz
>




__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses.
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Hmmm...don't guess you would trade my dollar and a
nickel for those glasses, would you??? LOL

Lucy

--- Silver Eagle wrote:

>
> I tried looking for a few geocaches after borrowing
> a GPS,
> but was unsuccessful, since even with coordinates
> you have
> to tramp over a large area looking for the cache and
> I hated
> doing that to the environment. I have found a few
> accidentally
> while looking for a letterbox and some have been
> pretty nice.
> In one cache I got a pair of glasses with magnifying
> lenses
> that I now wear while carving stamps!
>
> Silver Eagle
>
> --- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Alan Marx"
>
> wrote:
> > I am wondering how many of us are cross addicted
> to geocaching? I
> have
> > recently started that too. It is fun, but I still
> think the puzzle
> and hunt
> > aspect of letterboxing is more satisfying for me.
> I will probably
> look for
> > geocaches, but only while on a letterbox hunt.
> >
> > Any one else try this yet?
> > somecomic
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
>
>


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

I got a Garmin GPS 72. Used it for two Geocaches today, and yes, I know it
was 20 degrees out, but I am impulsive!

Pretty easy to use, fun to play with, but as seems to be the consensus, no
warm fuzzies!


_____

From: Barefoot Lucy [mailto:barefootlucy@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 6:41 PM
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [LbNA] Geocache cross addiction


That buck was gone fast, but I'll bet I could still be
playing with the parachute guy!!!

Just out of curiosity, what kind of GPS did you find?
Have you had a chance to use it?

Lucy


--- Alan Marx wrote:

> This was the feeling I got too. None of the
> personal warmth I have found
> from letterboxes. BUT....... I can't fight the
> urge to find treasure! I
> got an inexpensive GPS, < 150.00. I will see if
> there are Geos around
> whenever I box, but I don't ever see the excitement
> I get from boxing.
>
> By the way, 1.50 is more than I found. I got a rock
> and a plastic parachute
> guy!
>
> Somecomic
>
> _____
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com


_____

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Right after I stumbled across my first letterbox I was telling a guy in my caving club about it. He told me about geo-caching. Since then we have each tried out the others hobby together. He enjoyed letterboxing but thought it was too much work, printing the clues, creating a stamp, etc. and felt that it just wasn't his thing. I went geocaching with him and must admit to being unimpressed. To each his own we said. We'll always have caves in common.

Alan Marx wrote:I am wondering how many of us are cross addicted to geocaching? I have
recently started that too. It is fun, but I still think the puzzle and hunt
aspect of letterboxing is more satisfying for me. I will probably look for
geocaches, but only while on a letterbox hunt.

Any one else try this yet?
somecomic



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

We started with letterboxing, but my husband got a GPS for the
search & rescue team he is on so we started doing Geocache as a way
for him to learn how to use the GPS.

And although we like the hunt of the stamps and the log books of the
letterboxing, we have done all that are within an hour and less
than a 2 mile hike (since we have a 3 year old with us).
Therefore, at this pouint, Letterboxing takes preparation and a
good bit of driving time (with a 3 year old).

The fact that there are over 100 geocaches within about 30 minutes
of our house is a BIG draw since our primary goal was to get
outdoors and get our sons endurance up.

Since there is such a concentration of geocaches, we have found
lots of parks and other places where I hope to start placing boxes
next spring.

I think Letterboxing will always be first- as we still jump to do
new ones and are planning two camping trips next summer around
letterboxing- but geocaching does have its draw.

I actually own a cheapo, but accurate GPS that I used to find a
couple LB/Cache hybrids in the Allentown area. The experience was
not nearly as mentally stimulating or fulfilling as finding a well
crafted letterbox. I liken it to eating a couple potato chips or
driving a car with automatic transmission (just put it in gear and
aim). By contrast, letterboxing is like a rich chocolate cake with
nuanced flavors and like driving a car with a standard transmission
(you need to be thinking about what you're doing). Much more
intellectually satisfying.

My son likes exchangiong the junque. Someday anthropologists will
stumble across some fully laden geocaches and wonder "what the heck
is going on here?" ;-)

The perception amongst geocachers is that letterboxers are snobs,
however the cachers that I have met are really cool people (just like
letterboxers). Different Strokes.

LB

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, Hikers_n_ Hounds
wrote:
> Right after I stumbled across my first letterbox I was telling a
guy in my caving club about it. He told me about geo-caching. Since
then we have each tried out the others hobby together. He enjoyed
letterboxing but thought it was too much work, printing the clues,
creating a stamp, etc. and felt that it just wasn't his thing. I went
geocaching with him and must admit to being unimpressed. To each his
own we said. We'll always have caves in common.
>
> Alan Marx wrote:I am wondering how many of us are
cross addicted to geocaching? I have
> recently started that too. It is fun, but I still think the puzzle
and hunt
> aspect of letterboxing is more satisfying for me. I will probably
look for
> geocaches, but only while on a letterbox hunt.
>
> Any one else try this yet?
> somecomic
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> To visit your group on the web, go to:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/letterbox-usa/
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> letterbox-usa-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I am curious--

I have found geocaching to be generally (not always, but generally) less
respectful of the environment than letterboxing. Letterboxes are usually
placed a short distance off the trail with attention given to surrounding
flora. The geocaches I have sought often have no clear trail leading to the
area and require one to tramp around a good bit before honing in on the
exact spot. In fact, this has caused a lot of conflict within the local
parks and has given both letterboxers and responsible geocachers a bad
reputation. Anyone else finding this?

Of course, there are irresponsible letterboxers too--

Mama Stork
aka Pam in Cinci

I have only found three caches so far, but all of them had good placement.
One was right next to a letterbox, one was right off trail, as a matter of
fact it was in a GREAT box hiding place, and the the third was in an open
park. I think If I found a cache clue that was not in a good place, I would
leave it alone.

somecomic

_____

From: pkleingers [mailto:pam@kleingers.net]
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 8:39 AM
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [LbNA] Re: Geocache cross addiction


I am curious--

I have found geocaching to be generally (not always, but generally) less
respectful of the environment than letterboxing. Letterboxes are usually
placed a short distance off the trail with attention given to surrounding
flora. The geocaches I have sought often have no clear trail leading to the
area and require one to tramp around a good bit before honing in on the
exact spot. In fact, this has caused a lot of conflict within the local
parks and has given both letterboxers and responsible geocachers a bad
reputation. Anyone else finding this?

Of course, there are irresponsible letterboxers too--

Mama Stork
aka Pam in Cinci



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I Geocached for about a year until I found out about Letterboxing.
I find the carving of the stamp .placement,and making up the clues for
letterboxing are more rewarding .

I have also placed two "Hybrid " Geocaches.
That is a Geocache / Letterbox combination listed at the
Geocaching .com site.

John
aka franzsolo...

Joyce,

Thank you for a great idea!

We are also a letterboxing family that also lb's to get Bunny Boy (21
months) outside & active & fun for parents as well. I did not think
about when we finished the boxes in our area. There are several
Geocahes in our area as well. I think we will try it when lb's
are "done".

Mumma & Bunny Boy :)

I've also found that geocaching is a good way to find
interesting placed that might be good for a letterbox.
There seem to be many more geocaches (and cachers) in our
area. Sometimes I just use the geocache site to find the
trails then don't bother to look for the box as I don't
like that most that I've found mostly contain happy meal
toys.

I placed one hybrid geocache/letterbox and have found it
fun to see the different log entries. I used a spiral
bound index card as the journal with instructions for
geocachers to use the lined side and letterboxers to use
the blank side and that has generally worked out pretty
well.

Choi

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Alan Marx"
wrote:
> I am wondering how many of us are cross addicted to geocaching?

Unfortunately we have had only bad experiences with geocachers, but
that may be just bad luck?

One of our 6 letterbox series was used by a geocacher for 5 way
points to reach his geocache. When we wrote him about his misuse of
our letterboxes, the letterboxes disappeared. There was one he
hadn't found-- a mystery clue box. Apparantly he couldn't figure out
the clues.
Another geocacher placed a geocache next to our letterbox in the
middle of the Greenhorn moutains. We moved that one, and wrote a
note advising that it is a big forest out there.
There have been at least two of our letterboxes that have had stamps
replaced with a toy.
Before we plant a letterbox we always scour the nearby likely spots
and look for any caches that might be stashed, and if any are found
then we find a different spot.
Maybe California geocachers are not as slick as those in other parts
of the country, but we have found that caching and letterboxing
don't mix well here.
Don

Gosh, my geocaching experiences have all been comedic (or tragic, depending
on your point of view). I guess I don't have the right mind set--I am too
busy looking at my gps to watch where I am walking, or the box, which seemed
to be right off the trail, is--only it is also up a nearly vertical, poison
ivy covered hill side.

One really neat thing tho, there is an avid cacher in my area who also
enjoys boxing and orienteering. He periodically organizes events that
appeal to all three groups and works hard to insure smart placement of
caches and boxes. I have to admire that!

Don't understand it, but I figure there are enough rocks for all of us.....


Mama Stork
aka Pam in Cinci

At 08:38 AM 1/20/2005, you wrote:
>I have found geocaching to be generally (not always, but generally) less
>respectful of the environment than letterboxing. Letterboxes are usually
>placed a short distance off the trail with attention given to surrounding
>flora. The geocaches I have sought often have no clear trail leading to the
>area and require one to tramp around a good bit before honing in on the
>exact spot. In fact, this has caused a lot of conflict within the local
>parks and has given both letterboxers and responsible geocachers a bad
>reputation. Anyone else finding this?

I think that the more likely explanation isn't the attitudes or practices
of geocachers vs. letterboxers, but that there are so many more geocachers
than letterboxers. I wouldn't be surprised if there are 10 geocachers to
every one letterboxer, and that would result in 10 times as many attempts
to find a geocache compared to a letterbox. In dense letterboxing country,
you'll find social trails leading to a letterbox just as you would to a
geocache. I would agree that geocaching commonly comes to the attention of
parks officials well before letterboxing does, and both activities suffer
as a result, but I think it's more a result of numbers than practices.

Doug


|-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-|
Silent Doug, P49 F712 X132 E16
silentdoug@letterboxing.info
http://www.letterboxing.info

> I am wondering how many of us are cross addicted to geocaching?

We've done a couple, and it was really fun, but it didn't "take." I
think the reason for us is that the thing is so regulated, so
actively managed. Maybe they have to do that since it's so BIG, but I
think it's more to do with them being commercial. The managers (can't
think of the name they use, maybe "facilitators?") have to approve
your clues and will edit them before allowing them on the website.
They will also delete your clues, even if you ask them not to. At
letterboxing.org, a crucial (and often overlooked) difference is that
you maintain the creative rights to your letterboxes.

Still, come April 1st, we hope to do some more boxcaching! ;)

Jay in CT

I'm planning another hybrid letterbox/geocache for spring
planting. I had good success with the first one. Since it
seems to be impossible to find a park or reservation in my
area that doesn't have at least one geocache so I'll put
in an area that only has one and make sure that it's not
too close. And if the editors reject the cache then that's
their loss. ;)

Choi

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Drew Family" wrote:

> Still, come April 1st, we hope to do some more boxcaching! ;)

Now that is the best of both worlds. An answer for the geoboxers.

phyto

Geez. It's like you're reading from a poster I have hanging in my
office.
Weird....

y-nought

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Phyto" wrote:
>
> --- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Drew Family"
wrote:
>
> > Still, come April 1st, we hope to do some more boxcaching! ;)
>
> Now that is the best of both worlds. An answer for the geoboxers.
>
> phyto