How to get your Caching distance
Some time ago, I noticed that some cachers were dropping and retrieving a coin or TB into every cache visited, in order to have their total caching distance calculated. I thought this was a really great idea however it would be very difficult for us to go back and do that for the more than 8000 caches that we had found. The process would require two steps for each cache (dropping and then retrieving) and we would have to write the tracking number for each retrieval.
When GC.com made a change allowing TB’s and coins to be dipped in a cache without leaving your possession, we thought perhaps it might be feasible to dip a trackable in all cache finds. There would be no need to retrieve the trackable since it only visited the cache and there would be no need to enter the tracking number.
So we started to dip a 10 Year Coin that we won in Fredericton. So far we have logged it into all our caches found from December 2003 to July 2007 and we have done over 2400 logs and have over 91000 kms travelled.
If we have found your caches, you will have received (or will be receiving) an email for every cache of yours that we log. Some of you may have received a hundred or more emails. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
People have asked me how we are able to log so many dips. I admit that it is a long and maybe boring process, but I have managed to cut dwon on the time and am able to do a large number of logs with an average time of about 30 seconds per log.
At this rate, I shoould be finished in about 5 years LOL.
In any event here is my procedure. It may be a bit simplistic but I hope it covers everything.
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Do the following in order. I may be repeating some stuff that you already know.
1 Click Your Pofile on left side of any geocaching page,
You are now on your profile page with which has a list of the logs that you have done in the last 30 days. This includes Finds, DNF, Notes, Dropping and Dipping TB’s etc.
2 Click Stat Bar on right side.
You should now be on a page entitled Profile for User. Instead of steps 1 and 2 you could get here by clicking on your name on any cache you logged
3 The Profile for User page has a number of choices across the top. Click Geocaches.
4 Click All Cache Finds
5 You are now on page 1 of your list of finds. The list is in chronological order starting with the most recent and there are 20 per page.
6 You can get to the last page, i.e the one with your first finds by clicking the >> which is in front of the word Next at top of page.
You are now ready to go
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We have over 8400 caches found so I tried to get a logging procedure that would save time.
I also wanted a method that would allow me to easily locate any mistakes that I might make. For example if I log a TB dip as a find instead of a note, my find count goes up.
So here is what I do
I make sure I only have one TB listed in my hands, so that I dont get confused when dipping them and it also simplifies the procedure.
I date the log around the time that I found the cache, I pick a date that I did not log any finds and I do a large number on that date. For example for caches from February to March 2008, I may log them all on March 31 2008, if I did not find caches on that date.
I use a date without finds so I can easily check for mistakes later, as all logs for that date should be NOTES and not FINDS
I start by the earliest cache found and work my way up the list in order. This keeps the mileage as accurate as possible.
Once I have done all the logging to the date that I picked, I then pick a new date.
Here is my logging procedure.
For the first cache log, I input the logging date that I choose. I click WRITE NOTE. I write a short text explaining that I am dipping so the cache owner knows what is going on and wont contact me to find out.. I then highlight the text and copy it.
As I only have one TB or coin in my possession, I go to bottom of page and click all visited. This changes the action for that TB to Visited. I then submit.
This brings up a page indicating that you wrote a note and shows the date.
You now have to get back to your list of caches to do the next one. I find the best way to do that is to go to the top left hand corner of your browser (if using IE) and click the little down arrow. The list appears including Hide and Seek a Geocache, which you click to bring you back to your list.
When you do the next ones, you simply paste the information. Always make sure that the date doesnt change.
If a cache owner deletes your log, it does not affect the mileage. It removes the log from their cache page but not from the trackable’s page.
I’ve been doing the same thing and fortunately i started doing it when i only really had 100 found caches so i didn’t have to do much back logging.
I just click on the calculate distance icon from the site I use. Unfortunately, it calculates them from cache to cache in the order you logged them . As such it’s not all that accurate seeing how I didn’t log them in order…
Well Tetagoucher. one of the advantages with your method is that it takes a lot less time to write up the description.
In any event, I am still at it and have done about 2900 logs and 110,000 kms. I am at December 3 2007 and I only have to log the coin into 5500 more caches
I don’t mind the emails. It’s an impressive amount of work… Stick with it! I think you found the most efficient way… Thanks for sharing. All you need now is a Tattoo TB and you can start all over… 😉
Thanks for the info, Pa… I finished mine and have it all caught up. I have only 900 caches so it was not nearly as much work as you have to do. I have 7709 km in 900 caches over 5 months. I find it adds and interesting twist to geocahing and I wonder why the folks at Ground speak havn’t built a page for that on their web site… Anyhow… thanks for the help…… Ken…..