Category Archives: Educational

DNF versus Needs Maintenance

Posted on by
Reply

(Originally published August 13, 2013) So what do you do when you are out in the field and cannot find a cache ?? Well, if you are out on your own or with others who have not found the cache, you should be logging the attempt as a DNF (Did not Find). The DNF is a tool that is used by the cache owner (CO) to help them to maintain their caches. Several DNFs in a row are a strong indicator that there is something amiss with a cache. Of course, the other possibility is that the cache is very well hidden and is just not being found. In either case, it is the cache owner’s responsibility to check on it and verify it is in place or fix it if it is not. So how does a Needs Maintenance Log fit into the picture ?? The requirement for a … Continue reading →

Geocaching 101 Class in Winchester, September 23, 2023

Posted on by
Reply

Want to learn more about geocaching? Join NoVAGO at the Handley Regional Library in Winchester on Saturday, September 23, 2023. There will be a “Geocaching 101” presentation at 11am hosted by NoVAGO’s president, Gina Thompson. The presentation will also be an official geocaching event (GCACYZZ) so be sure to sign the log book! There will be a scavenger hunt inside the library to get you in the mood. Local geocachers will be on hand from 10am-4:30pm to answer questions. All geocachers are invited to attend the event, whether this is your first “find” or you have thousands under your belt. We look forward to meeting you! Visit the Handley Regional Library website for more info. To go to directly to the event page, CLICK HERE. … Continue reading →

Geocaching ABCs – A Guide for Beginners

Posted on by
Reply

A – Attributes – know what to expect before you look for a cache. Full list of attributes on geocaching.com. B – Bison Tube – the ubiquitous little pill holder used in many micro hides. The log should be rolled up and placed in the cap, not in the bottom. C – Cache-in-Trash-Out (CITO) – this follows the geocacher’s creed of leaving a place cleaner than when you found it. Join an official CITO event for group clean ups. You can find this special kind of event on your geocaching map or by checking out the local listings on NoVAGO.org D – DNF – this means ‘Did Not Find.’ It is appropriate to log a DNF after you’ve made a good effort to find a cache. It might feel like a defeat, but it can be helpful to other geocachers and the owner to know that it might be missing. … Continue reading →

Aside

Help With Mystery Caches

1

Sunday, January 29th is #NationalPuzzleDay Help With Mystery Caches Do you typically avoid those blue circles with question marks on the map? You may be missing a lot of fun solving the puzzles so here are a few tips that may assist you. If you can identify the type of puzzle, then “GeocachingToolbox.com. All geocaching tools a geocacher needs in one box.” can be a big help. For example, “what3words” is common in mysteries. This tool enables users to enter the 3 words that define the co-ordinates – and it even shows the location on a map. GC8MVT7 uses this technique, but can you find the 3 words? The Toolbox can also be used if you are asked to project a waypoint given the distance and angle (but be careful to use the correct units of measure!). It’s always a good idea when looking at a Mystery page to check … Continue reading →


Geocaching.com Drops Benchmarking

Posted on by
Reply

Geocaching.com Drops Benchmarking Geocaching HQ made an announcement on October 17, 2022 that they will be dropping Benchmarking from the website. As part of their page updates, all logs will be removed. Owners who wish to save this information should do so as soon as possible. In addition, all challenge caches that require benchmark finds will be archived. Benchmark finds will stay in user statistics, so that others can know that you logged some before they were gone. The official announcement was hidden in the release notes within the forums. You can read it it here. Geocaching HQ is recommending that users who wish to continue logging benchmarks do so by moving to their sister site, Waymarking.com So, why the change? The code is old and will be too burdensome to update to make it work with the rest of the site. Honestly, it has been on borrowed time for … Continue reading →

Aside

Getting Permissions to Place Caches: Be a Good Neighbor

Reply

Getting Permissions to Place Caches Be a Good Neighbor #NationalGoodNeighborDay (September 28) Did you know that one of the missions of the Northern Virginia Geocaching Organization is to promote local land use policies when placing their geocaches? Our local reviewers, YetAnotherReviewer and CardinalReviewer, help maintain a geocaching wiki page where you can find many of Virginia’s localities and their policies. Remember to always seek out permission when placing your caches. You can find that link here: https://wiki.groundspeak.com/display/GEO/Virginia


Adventure Labs Now Have Themes

Posted on by
Reply

Spooky or Science… Education or Exercise… Adventure Labs® Now Have Themes Geocaching HQ has updated Adventure Lab® to give creators/owners the ability to select “themes” for their labs. There are 31 themes and owners can select up to three. Owners of Adventure Labs® should have received an e-mail letting them know how they can add these to their labs. Those who are just creating their labs, will be required to select at least one theme when they are first setting up their lab. These themes are meant to help adventurers find something to meet their mood. Want to avoid bad weather? Check for an ‘Indoor’ adventure. Want something that’s sure to be kid friendly? Check for one marked, ‘For kids.’ What do you think? Will these new themes influence which labs you chose to work on? … Continue reading →

Upgrade available for cachetur.no

Posted on by
4

Introducing cache-turminator.no Cachetur.no is a powerful trip-routing tool that has taken off in the caching world. However once all those caches are loaded up the challenge can be having enough time to stop and find them. Problem solved: announcing cache-turminator.no! With cache-turminator, load up all the caches on your route as usual, and then hop in the car. Cache-turminator will *automatically* log caches for you as you drive by! Using a comprehensive data catalog of cache details gleaned from a platoon of log-reading web robots, an advanced log-writing algorithm will piece together and post clever no-signature found-it logs at a pace mere humans only dream of. Example logs: “got the bison in the tree, forgot a pen, tftc”; “log too wet to write on”; “saw it but couldn’t reach it”. The cache-turminator database also includes pictures of the cache containers so you have the option to post “photo” logs. How … Continue reading →

Local Geocachers Attend Class About Cachetur.no

Posted on by
Reply

March 10, 2018 – Over 24 geocachers descended upon the Thomas Jefferson Library to attend a class titled Let’s take a cachetur.  Cachetur.no is the hottest new geocaching application around that lets you plan private trips, group trips and public trips that are open for all.  Current NoVAGO President Platoaddict was the mastermind behind this class came prepared with slides and some cool cachetur.co swag for the attendees.  While developing this class the developers of cachetur.no reached out to NoVAGO and offered to help in anyway they could.  Attendees seemed very pleased with the information from the class. “I’m sure I would not have tackled this resource without your instruction.” said LMNLanchot “Now it’s time to play around and see if I can work it alone.” Zgrav had this to say about the class “Thanks to the CO for a solid presentation with a lot of hands-on assistance and very useful … Continue reading →

First Class of 2018 Kicks Off NoVAGO’s New Direction of Hosting Educational Events

Posted on by
Reply

On Saturday February 3, 2018 thirty geocachers piled into a classroom for Awesnap’s Planning a Geocaching Road Trip Class. Our new President, platoaddict , want’s 2018 to be the year NoVAGO host’s more educational events.  On the horizon there are plans to host classes on a variety of subjects including GSAK, puzzle solving, cachetur.no, earthcaching 101, and a basic cache page creation class. The Geocaching Road Trip class was held in Prince William County at the Chinn Library.  Awesnap’s presentation covered the basics of distance caching, selecting target geocaches, routing, project.gc, and a quick introduction to cachetur.no. JPWAVE wrote in his log “I learned quite a bit more than I expected!! Yeah, I may do things in my own fashion but it’s really nice to see other options and new webtools which may be more efficient. EXCELLENT class!! Really looking forward to using these tips on our next road trip!” Ezio10 … Continue reading →