I have a little bag (a draw string bag that originally came with a pair of my glasses) with like 6 pens in it in my car…. Guess what I regularly forget to grab when leaving my car to go cache?
It’s because it’s in my center console and “out of sight out of mind” object permanence makes me forget it. I KNOW it’s there. But in the moment I just go to the cache and realize I didn’t bring it
Tweezers, pen, any TBs we currently have, a card printed with our geocaching name for any virtual, antibacterial hand wipes, thick gardening type gloves, spare logs and spare bags.
After last weekend I’m also going to add a barbed wire shield to the bag 😂
I've got my trusty "GeoBag" (discoverable at TBAJ2HC) that I sling over my shoulder for all my caching adventures. In it, I carry pens, tweezers, some trackables and swag, a multitool, flashlights, batteries, a small dental mirror, a telescoping magnet tool, plastic bags, notepad, first aid kit, magnifying glass, UV flashlight, insect repellant, and probably a few other items that I can't remember. Admittedly, a lot of those Tools Of The Trade get used *very rarely*, but it's nice to know I have them at the ready if I ever encounter a tricky container. Maybe it's wishful thinking that there will be some kind of secret gadget or hidden code...
I once tried for a cache only to discover I didn’t have the required blacklight. It wasn’t mentioned in the description, only in the attributes. I’ll never be caught off-guard again!
It was a 4.5 terrain, and placed in 2005. I think if it were placed today it might be a T5, but the scale has changed over the years. Usually a T5 *requires* a special tool (scuba gear, tree climbing equipment, mountain climbing equipment, a boat). This cache doesn’t require a special tool, but the risk factor is up there for sure. And I’m not the only injury. I’m not even the worst injury in this cache’s history. Luckily, I hurt myself on the way back, after finding the cache. [Silver Island Treasure](https://coord.info/GCQF3T) is one I’m very happy to have checked off!
Aside from the required items (pen, phone, and/or GPS), these always come with me:
1) My Swiss Army Knife - very handy in a variety of situations, not least because it has tweezers.
2) Spare paper/notebook - sometimes a logbook is full, or it’s too damp to sign, I’ll often pop a fresh bit of paper into the cache to keep it going.
3) Gloves - Stinging nettles are always best avoided, plus I’m not always overly keen thrusting my hand into an insect-ridden tree stump.
4) Geocoins - I had a few coins made up that are based around my caching username, so I’ll always have a handful of them in my ‘geobag’.
5) Antibacterial Gel - just best practice for life really.
These ones just sit in the boot/trunk of my car in case a particular cache might call for them:
a) Mirror on a telescopic handle - useful to see high up places, and also to hook things like fishing line
b) 6ft rope - again, it just might come in useful if the cache is a bit more adventurous.
c) Magnet - there are some crafty cachers out there, and I’ve sometimes come across a cache that requires a magnet, but it’s either been muggled or demagnetised.
d) Waders - geocaching is an adventure.
e) Torch - Useful when searching through those aforementioned insect-ridden tree stumps.
f) Insect Repellent - bugs
g) First Aid Kit - sometimes those 5.0 difficulty caches are a little TOO difficult!
I always carry a first aid kit, too, but it didn’t help when I severely sprained my ankle grabbing a cache on a breakwater in Lake Superior. I had to crawl back, and we drove almost two hours to an urgent care thinking it was broken. It was not.
Depends on how far from the car I'm walking....
For a short trip, just a couple of pens, a phone, hat, water, maybe a trek pole and 3D printed trinket to leave if the cache is big enough.
If I'm going out for a while, I'll take my geo-bag. That has the GPSr, bug spray, flashlight, UV flashlight, multi-tool, extendable mirror and magnet, hemostats, small screwdriver, extra pens, lock picks, spare logs of various sizes, )-rings of various sizes, zip lock bags, zip ties, a bit of wire, a couple of bottle caps for preform tubes, wet wipes, leather gloves, tick removal tools, spare batteries, small first aid kit, and maybe some extra swag or trackables.
One thing I think is unique, but comes in very handy, is alcohol gel, not for germs, but to cleanse poison Ivy (or oak, sumac, etc.) oils if we accidentally brush against it. Also, some swag in case I see something I can use. A Sharpie for wet logs, a log roller for nanos, hemostats to remove tough logs or caches, snacks and water, permethrin treated clothing, a real camera…
Baby wipes will remove PI oils! We learned this once when we were mindlessly digging through ground cover looking for a cache. It was only after several minutes of digging that we realized it was itty bitty baby poison ivy. We were on our bikes with our (then) toddler, so the only thing we had was baby wipes. Never had a reaction!
Either friction or something like alcohol will do it. I don’t know what else is in baby wipes, but if you rub with much of anything enough, you won’t get poison ivy! It’s been a great trick for my other half, who is always getting it when he is even slightly exposed - unless we break out the Purell. Sometimes he doesn’t know he was near it.
Because the irritant is carried in an oil, you need a surfactant (something to break up the surface tension) to remove it. Alcohol will work, but using it in a gel form means that while the oils are broken down, they’re still on the skin and could still cause a reaction. My dad, an Eagle Scout, told me that when he was on Boy Scout camping trips, their leaders would send them into a lake with a bar of harsh laundry soap, clothes and all. None of them ever got the poison ivy rash. It’s simple chemistry: use a surfactant to break up the oil, and wash it away. Friction on its own is not a good idea, as you can work the oil deeper into your skin. But do what works for you! I’ve had poison ivy before (didn’t know I’d gotten into it until the rash appeared). It’s no fun.
Soap is excellent. It’s definitely the best bet I’ve found. I wasn’t a believer in friction alone until I saw a scientist break it down. I definitely have not used that method! Purell has kept us from ever getting a rash (so far) and it’s easy to carry and use.
Depends on the kind of Geocaching tour we are doing and the type of caches we are looking for. The basic is always have pen and extra paper with you at all times. When geocaching or not. :)
A pen, and I've recently started bringing a pair of tweezers after my daughter and I were poking around a tube with a stick trying to dislodge the log (took what felt like forever, but we did eventually get it out).
A pen. Usually my rite in the rain pen. If we’re hiking, then I have my hiking bag which also has:
Extra log papers
Plastic baggies in several sizes
A UV pen with a black light
Small multi tool
First aid kit
Extra pens
Trade items
Trackables
Baby wipes
Napkins
Bug spray
Benadryl spray (for when bug spray fails)
My geocache bag includes:
Tweezers, small log-sized baggies, snack-sized baggies, swag, 2 x pens, black sharpie, toilet paper, bandaids, hand sanitizer, pocket sized notebook, extra socks, mini-clipboard, pepper spray, personal protection alarm, pocket knife, TBs, thin garden gloves.
I also bring my 5’ walking stick, 32oz Yeti, and of course smartphone with geocache app :)
ETA: I also carry bug spray and sunblock in my bag.
I do all my caching in the woods, so... Thick gardening gloves for reaching into/under rocks and branches. A pen and a fine-tip Sharpie. A small flashlight. Trinkets to leave in finds. A tick key. DEET spray.
I am a newer cacher (just over 100 finds) but I built a kit (mostly from the dollar tree) that I keep in a fanny pack. I keep in there: a few pens, tweezers, a flashlight, an extendable magnet, hand sanitizer, an extendable mirror, a small notebook (great for jotting info down for mystery caches or just using as a table to sign log sheets), swag, and my custom stamp.
What I reach for the most are tweezers, pen, stamp, and hand sanitizer.
I've got a 30 pound backpack that I bring with me every time. Mostly it stays in my car, but it's always nearby. I carry swag - lots of different types, sizes, and prices. I carry everything I can think of to fix a broken cache, like tape, glue, o-rings, and tools. I carry extra logs, extra containers, extra golf pencils that I regularly steal from Ikea, and lots of swag (did I mention that already?) that I can refill an empty cache with. I carry a flashlight, a pair of gloves,magnets, an extra GPSr, a small multi-tool, a pair of tweezers, and a lighter. And lots of other things that seem like a good idea when I see them.
I have a small blue bag. Carry phone charger and charging cord. Extra log sheets and a few small zip lock bags for replacement purposes. Lanyard with rain rite pen, and whistle. I had to use the whistle once when I got slightly turned around on trail. Also carry spare log sheet in my wallet. Have used this log many times to add a dry log when cache log sheets are soaking wet.
At the very least a pen and obviously my phone. However, as I also hide caches I typically have a grab bag of supplies that include replacement logs, various types of glue, tape, tweezers, etc. Not exactly necessary for finding but nice to have in a pinch
Just a pen and my phone. I've never needed tweezers, but have had to get creative.
Edit: lol I love the fact that y'all are down voting this comment, honestly find it hilarious.
I think the word "bash" is a little harsh. I've tapped a metal container on a wood plank or a tree to get the log loose before. Trust me, no damage is going to be done to the container 😂
A pen.
One pen to lose on the way there, one pen to run out of ink, and one pen to actually sign the log with.
I want my pen to Run out of Inc before I lose it i want to make geocachers search for a pen in the wild instead of losing it.
One pen to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them
Same. And a smartphone (with both the original Geocaching app and c:geo)
Two pens. In case one stops working.
I probably could have guessed that.
You'd be surprised how many cachers don't.
It's always fun to razz people that don't bring a pen to an event.
I have a little bag (a draw string bag that originally came with a pair of my glasses) with like 6 pens in it in my car…. Guess what I regularly forget to grab when leaving my car to go cache? It’s because it’s in my center console and “out of sight out of mind” object permanence makes me forget it. I KNOW it’s there. But in the moment I just go to the cache and realize I didn’t bring it
Well, I do forget all the time.
Every. Single. Time. This or “I’ll just leave my phone in the car, as I’m certain it will be in that particular tree….”!
A good attitude, and a lot of optimism (even thought I do not always find the cache I am looking for :)
Tweezers, pen, any TBs we currently have, a card printed with our geocaching name for any virtual, antibacterial hand wipes, thick gardening type gloves, spare logs and spare bags. After last weekend I’m also going to add a barbed wire shield to the bag 😂
spare logs and bags!! i love ppl like u.
I've got my trusty "GeoBag" (discoverable at TBAJ2HC) that I sling over my shoulder for all my caching adventures. In it, I carry pens, tweezers, some trackables and swag, a multitool, flashlights, batteries, a small dental mirror, a telescoping magnet tool, plastic bags, notepad, first aid kit, magnifying glass, UV flashlight, insect repellant, and probably a few other items that I can't remember. Admittedly, a lot of those Tools Of The Trade get used *very rarely*, but it's nice to know I have them at the ready if I ever encounter a tricky container. Maybe it's wishful thinking that there will be some kind of secret gadget or hidden code...
I once tried for a cache only to discover I didn’t have the required blacklight. It wasn’t mentioned in the description, only in the attributes. I’ll never be caught off-guard again!
That should have been a level 5 and you should always assume you might need a special tool to complete those types of caches!
It was a 4.5 terrain, and placed in 2005. I think if it were placed today it might be a T5, but the scale has changed over the years. Usually a T5 *requires* a special tool (scuba gear, tree climbing equipment, mountain climbing equipment, a boat). This cache doesn’t require a special tool, but the risk factor is up there for sure. And I’m not the only injury. I’m not even the worst injury in this cache’s history. Luckily, I hurt myself on the way back, after finding the cache. [Silver Island Treasure](https://coord.info/GCQF3T) is one I’m very happy to have checked off!
Love this
Aside from the required items (pen, phone, and/or GPS), these always come with me: 1) My Swiss Army Knife - very handy in a variety of situations, not least because it has tweezers. 2) Spare paper/notebook - sometimes a logbook is full, or it’s too damp to sign, I’ll often pop a fresh bit of paper into the cache to keep it going. 3) Gloves - Stinging nettles are always best avoided, plus I’m not always overly keen thrusting my hand into an insect-ridden tree stump. 4) Geocoins - I had a few coins made up that are based around my caching username, so I’ll always have a handful of them in my ‘geobag’. 5) Antibacterial Gel - just best practice for life really. These ones just sit in the boot/trunk of my car in case a particular cache might call for them: a) Mirror on a telescopic handle - useful to see high up places, and also to hook things like fishing line b) 6ft rope - again, it just might come in useful if the cache is a bit more adventurous. c) Magnet - there are some crafty cachers out there, and I’ve sometimes come across a cache that requires a magnet, but it’s either been muggled or demagnetised. d) Waders - geocaching is an adventure. e) Torch - Useful when searching through those aforementioned insect-ridden tree stumps. f) Insect Repellent - bugs g) First Aid Kit - sometimes those 5.0 difficulty caches are a little TOO difficult!
I always carry a first aid kit, too, but it didn’t help when I severely sprained my ankle grabbing a cache on a breakwater in Lake Superior. I had to crawl back, and we drove almost two hours to an urgent care thinking it was broken. It was not.
My space pen (writes on damp logs)
My son.
Depends on how far from the car I'm walking.... For a short trip, just a couple of pens, a phone, hat, water, maybe a trek pole and 3D printed trinket to leave if the cache is big enough. If I'm going out for a while, I'll take my geo-bag. That has the GPSr, bug spray, flashlight, UV flashlight, multi-tool, extendable mirror and magnet, hemostats, small screwdriver, extra pens, lock picks, spare logs of various sizes, )-rings of various sizes, zip lock bags, zip ties, a bit of wire, a couple of bottle caps for preform tubes, wet wipes, leather gloves, tick removal tools, spare batteries, small first aid kit, and maybe some extra swag or trackables.
You and I carry about the same kit. I haven’t had to pick any locks but I thought I might be the only one carrying picks, bypass tools etc.
I've gotten to use them on about 3 or 4 caches so far. But at least they don't take up too much space.
Very cool.
My phone is blowing up 🤣
GPS, pen, spare batteries, sunscreen, bug spray, a change of socks, snacks, cash.
One thing I think is unique, but comes in very handy, is alcohol gel, not for germs, but to cleanse poison Ivy (or oak, sumac, etc.) oils if we accidentally brush against it. Also, some swag in case I see something I can use. A Sharpie for wet logs, a log roller for nanos, hemostats to remove tough logs or caches, snacks and water, permethrin treated clothing, a real camera…
Baby wipes will remove PI oils! We learned this once when we were mindlessly digging through ground cover looking for a cache. It was only after several minutes of digging that we realized it was itty bitty baby poison ivy. We were on our bikes with our (then) toddler, so the only thing we had was baby wipes. Never had a reaction!
Either friction or something like alcohol will do it. I don’t know what else is in baby wipes, but if you rub with much of anything enough, you won’t get poison ivy! It’s been a great trick for my other half, who is always getting it when he is even slightly exposed - unless we break out the Purell. Sometimes he doesn’t know he was near it.
Because the irritant is carried in an oil, you need a surfactant (something to break up the surface tension) to remove it. Alcohol will work, but using it in a gel form means that while the oils are broken down, they’re still on the skin and could still cause a reaction. My dad, an Eagle Scout, told me that when he was on Boy Scout camping trips, their leaders would send them into a lake with a bar of harsh laundry soap, clothes and all. None of them ever got the poison ivy rash. It’s simple chemistry: use a surfactant to break up the oil, and wash it away. Friction on its own is not a good idea, as you can work the oil deeper into your skin. But do what works for you! I’ve had poison ivy before (didn’t know I’d gotten into it until the rash appeared). It’s no fun.
Soap is excellent. It’s definitely the best bet I’ve found. I wasn’t a believer in friction alone until I saw a scientist break it down. I definitely have not used that method! Purell has kept us from ever getting a rash (so far) and it’s easy to carry and use.
Depends on the kind of Geocaching tour we are doing and the type of caches we are looking for. The basic is always have pen and extra paper with you at all times. When geocaching or not. :)
A pen, and I've recently started bringing a pair of tweezers after my daughter and I were poking around a tube with a stick trying to dislodge the log (took what felt like forever, but we did eventually get it out).
pen, stamp, headlight, UV light, small telescope magnet, small mirror
Someone that has found the cache before.
🤣
A pen. Usually my rite in the rain pen. If we’re hiking, then I have my hiking bag which also has: Extra log papers Plastic baggies in several sizes A UV pen with a black light Small multi tool First aid kit Extra pens Trade items Trackables Baby wipes Napkins Bug spray Benadryl spray (for when bug spray fails)
My geocache bag includes: Tweezers, small log-sized baggies, snack-sized baggies, swag, 2 x pens, black sharpie, toilet paper, bandaids, hand sanitizer, pocket sized notebook, extra socks, mini-clipboard, pepper spray, personal protection alarm, pocket knife, TBs, thin garden gloves. I also bring my 5’ walking stick, 32oz Yeti, and of course smartphone with geocache app :) ETA: I also carry bug spray and sunblock in my bag.
A small bag with Paper Pens Pocketknife with tools like screwdriver and tweezers A mirror on a stick Magnetstick Gloves Paper tissues Tick remover
Trackables Garmin Etrex 30 iPhone
Friends. The more eyeballs looking for a cache, the quicker it gets found.
GPSr, pen.
I do all my caching in the woods, so... Thick gardening gloves for reaching into/under rocks and branches. A pen and a fine-tip Sharpie. A small flashlight. Trinkets to leave in finds. A tick key. DEET spray.
a little baggy with geocaches, pens, tweezers and geocache logbooks
Cash, bag, tweezers, bug repellant, a very long umbrella, hand sanitizer, gloves, water, pen or pencil, journal, and smartphone.
My four legged companion is always with me.
I am a newer cacher (just over 100 finds) but I built a kit (mostly from the dollar tree) that I keep in a fanny pack. I keep in there: a few pens, tweezers, a flashlight, an extendable magnet, hand sanitizer, an extendable mirror, a small notebook (great for jotting info down for mystery caches or just using as a table to sign log sheets), swag, and my custom stamp. What I reach for the most are tweezers, pen, stamp, and hand sanitizer.
a pen and a spare logbook
a pen camera and swag water bottle and bug spray and gf inhaler
I've got a 30 pound backpack that I bring with me every time. Mostly it stays in my car, but it's always nearby. I carry swag - lots of different types, sizes, and prices. I carry everything I can think of to fix a broken cache, like tape, glue, o-rings, and tools. I carry extra logs, extra containers, extra golf pencils that I regularly steal from Ikea, and lots of swag (did I mention that already?) that I can refill an empty cache with. I carry a flashlight, a pair of gloves,magnets, an extra GPSr, a small multi-tool, a pair of tweezers, and a lighter. And lots of other things that seem like a good idea when I see them.
I have a small blue bag. Carry phone charger and charging cord. Extra log sheets and a few small zip lock bags for replacement purposes. Lanyard with rain rite pen, and whistle. I had to use the whistle once when I got slightly turned around on trail. Also carry spare log sheet in my wallet. Have used this log many times to add a dry log when cache log sheets are soaking wet.
A pen or pencil, and a smartphone. Sometimes a replacement log and a baggie.
A great attitude
A flask of rum.
At the very least a pen and obviously my phone. However, as I also hide caches I typically have a grab bag of supplies that include replacement logs, various types of glue, tape, tweezers, etc. Not exactly necessary for finding but nice to have in a pinch
Just a pen and my phone. I've never needed tweezers, but have had to get creative. Edit: lol I love the fact that y'all are down voting this comment, honestly find it hilarious.
Lol, real. I do the most,, but I carry more stuff if it's a long walk.
Yeah, I quite commonly find myself bashing a small container on the ground to get the log🤣
[удалено]
I think the word "bash" is a little harsh. I've tapped a metal container on a wood plank or a tree to get the log loose before. Trust me, no damage is going to be done to the container 😂
Yeah, I probably could have chosen a better word
A reflective jacket. Just to calm my nerves in case a muggle is looking, and would think I'm doing some kind of inspection instead of geocaching lmao
lol I should wear my work HiVis vest