HeadHardHat's Award Winning Geocaching Blog is a geocache treasure trove of geocaching information. Years of searchable geocaching insights await you here. HeadHardHat's GeoSnippits Geocaching Videos series can be seen on You Tube. You can also find him on his new GeoSnippits Reboot Podcast series and the Geocaching Podcast. Geocaching the outdoor treasure-hunting game which the participants use a GPS receiver to hide and seek containers called "geocaches" or "caches" anywhere in the world
Put Your Geocaching Search Here
Thursday, February 26, 2009
And As A Trimble Outdoors User Council Member...
For you my ever growing band of faithful followers (and you know who you are) this is the beginning of hopefully a very long and communicative relationship with the owners, developers and support people of a cutting edge company. It has always been my intent to do honest, straight shooting reviews and tutorials about any product I can get my hands on. Being on the council to Trimble Outdoors or any other company will not sway that - EVER. What this WILL do is allow you, my readers, to voice what is on your mind about a given product so I can send those thoughts directly to the right people. Straight feedback where it counts and you know that you can't beat an opportunity like that with a stick. What else?
With Trimble Outdoors I get access to all the "goodies" where I can take my time and do reviews and tutorials the way they should be, no fluff, some laughs and presented as they are being used while they are being used out in the wild. Again you have the ability to bring up situations and conditions that you would want to have tested. I'll show you what happens, good, bad and indifferent. The point is you now have a say but it is up to you to email me your thoughts and ideas. headhardhat@gmail.com
The other very exciting opportunities will be to work on products in development. Get a birds eye view of what is coming out in future releases. Now I can't promise you everything but what I can do is let you know all that I am allowed to tell. You now have a front row seat with Trimble Outdoors products so be sure to keep tuned to my blog on a regular basis and send those comments, ideas and suggestions in. GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?
Remember, this is one of hopefully many other companies that we can be a part of. These are very exciting times! -HHH
Here is the link to our new Trimble Outdoors Request Page for all your comments, suggestions and ideas. http://hhhtrimble.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
About @%&*$%&$# 'n Time
Took me almost a year and countless attempts for this bad boy. It was out of action for a bit but recently opened back up. I DNFd yesterday but was determined to find it. The fact that it was 60 feet from the coords may have had something to do with it. Phew another DNF off my list. YES!!!
Much to my surprise the geocoin that I took from the geocache to move along turned out to be unactivated. A prize as it were. I thanked the op big time.
It Is The Place To Be
Monday, February 23, 2009
Curses, Foiled Again
Cool area for a hide. Used to be a house or store maybe?
A Geocaching Documentary For Three FTFs in One Day
Here is the video and if for some reason the plug in does not work correctly the actual URL will take you to the correct place.
We hope you enjoy this interesting and fun filled geocaching adventure featuring HeadHardHat the host to the GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos Series.
Here is the link if the plug in is not working as expected.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcUJNiYmTuw
You can find all of our GeoSnippits Geocaching Tutorial Videos at:
http://www.geosnippits.com
The Potty Talk Series Continues
This was number one of number two FTFs in the Creedmore, NC area. But I digress...
This morning brought a laugh and for a Monday that is saying something. I had read last night of three possible FTFs (First To Finds) on my route to work. The first which was closest to my house would have been the target to go for if it weren't for the two other FTF possibilities up by where I work. So I decided to go for the two near work and somebody else can snatch the close to home. Anywho about halfway to work I get a phone call from a fellow geocacher asking if I went for the FTF near my home. I thought it quite humorous that they wanted to know if it was worth going for the early morning find based on my actions. I'm not THAT obsessed am I? Oh who asked you ;)
As I approached Creedmore, NC I had everything ready for me to pounce on the first of two. Sure enough I made the quick park and grab with little effort yet still noted the unusual geocaching container. That TML sure is one sick evil dude! He assures us that the "container" is not a retread but I still want to wash my hands after putting it back. Icky.
Number two of this morning's FTFs was only another mile or so away and I made quick work of it and signed the clean sheetz.
Doing geocaching really perks me up in the morning and gets the juices flowing. See now all I can do is think about TML's geocache... Gotta go wash my hands again... yuck.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
You Ask For It and We Deliver - GeoSnippits Tutorial Videos
One of the first was an email from a very fine grandfather known as obxnomad a.k.a. Bob.
He mentioned how his grandson and he loved watching GeoSnippits and reading my blog. He also mentioned how it would be great if I made a tutorial on how to put together and place a geocache. It took me about half a second to think of how I would do it and what a great suggestion that it was. Needless to say thanks to Bob our latest and greatest GeoSnippits is now live on youtube.
Here it is:
I liked the idea so much that I have decided to do an entire series based on the viewpoint of putting out each size of geocache for the first time. In this video we concentrate on 35mm containers. We show how to cammi them up and some great suggestions on where to hide them in the wild. The next video will be on the small size but instead of concentrating more on the making of the geocache (which we will go over) but instead we will focus on finding good places to hide that size geocache. As we progress up through the sizes you will gain more and more information until you are a well informed geocacher.
You can look forward to the future episodes in the weeks to come. Keep checking on our GeoSnippits website at http://www.geosnippits.com, this blog or on youtube.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Meet Anson and He's a Geocacher - Hi Anson!
A Geocache By Any Other Name...
Early Morning FTF on the Way To Work
Imagine if you will a 300+ pound fat guy climbing up an eight foot tall 80 degree angled berm, with evergreens, at night. What could happen?
Granted the large semi nearby made for good cover so security didn't have to come a looking and that is always a good thing.
Overall I had a great time scurrying in the dark and chilly temps whilst climbing on all fours up the rather steep and dirt covered hill. The exhilaration is really something in situations like this. While I am going through it in my head I am calm yet excited to make the find. My hands shake a bit and I'm not sure if it is because of the cold or the thrill of the hunt. Either way I am smiling ear to ear in early morning dark and would be hard pressed to want to be anywhere else at that moment. After a quick search I was able to add another FTF to my ever increasing collection.
Signed the log and headed off to work. Good Times.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
How Does The Timing Of The Published Geocaches Work?
It was getting towards the end of the work day for me and about 3:45pm. I get out of work at 4:00pm and was getting everything in order for tomorrow. Just before I actually left for home I took a final look at one of my Pocket Queries that tells me if any geocaches near my route have not been found yet and in fact are still FTFs (first to finds). There was one at the southern portion of the loop that goes around Raleigh, NC and I wanted to see if it was potentially still a candidate. It was indeed still there but what caught my eye was a geocache closer to where I work near Oxford. When did this pop up? I checked and sure enough no one had made a claim on it yet. I don't remember getting an alert on this one, but oh well, lets give it a shot.
At quitting time I went into my car and drove over to cache site and low and behold there it was and I signed the clean sheetz. Now with me was a cache sheet to another geocache out of my normal driving range that also was an FTF. If I hurry I might be able to get this one too before the sun went down. So I started driving towards it and getting ready for the 45 minute ride to get there. At about 4:20 or so my BlackBerry goes off and I have new emails. I read them and see three newly published geocaches near where I live. Hot-diggity, forget this one I'm going for the FTF frenzy. What I found odd was the last of the eight or so that published included the one that I had just found. That's odd. For some reason I knew through my pocket query and google maps of a geocache before it was announced via email. Now in the back of my head I guess that makes sense but I just never noticed it before. The drive continues.
At about 5:10 or so I get down to Garner and start looking for my three FTFs to come. I drive up to #1 and quickly make the grab. Much to my horror someone had beaten me to the FTF! Well shoot. I halfway smiled when I realized it was Ian the geocacher I had just met a couple of days ago and goes by IKranak. Okay that is only one, wonder if he...? yup, as I opened geocache number two, there was Ian's signature. Heavy sigh, maybe got bored and didn't know about number 3..... Well shoot. There again was Mr. IKranak's happy signature on the almost clean sheetz. Phttttzzzzzz. Hey I had the thrill of the hunt and three more smilies to my list.
Then I get an email from another fellow geocacher asking when did I sign the logs? I texted back to him explaining what happened and when. I wonder if he thought the quick finds were something new as well. I read Ian's logs and he just happened to be filling his automobile with gas around the time the geocaches went live on geocaching.com but did not post via email yet. He was using Geocache Navigator like I was using my pocket query. Either way we gained a few minutes advanced notice (manually of course) before the official publishing.
Have you ever seen this behavior before with Geocaching.com? Wonder since the new format/update if the timing is a bit off for some reason..
Your Thoughts?
That Would Be Number 500
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
HooHaa TB Race - Just A Nut Lands in Scotland
It Was a Cold and Dreary FTF Evening
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Well I Didn't Want Another FTF Anyway
Next To Last of LunchTime Geocaches
Anywho, this is next to last of the geocaches within lunch time reach. Heavy sigh. Here's hoping for more placements soon.
Java and a Nightime FTF
I saw this one pop on the radar just before midnight last night. Came really close to just going out and getting it but I decided to take the chance and wait until after I dropped off my daughter at the school bus stop before heading out into the darkness to find this beastie.
This nighttime find had me freezing my fingers looking under all sorts of rocks. Luckily the area was pretty muggle free with only a few cars driving by.
After about ten minutes of scouting via flashlight in hand I soon was signing the clean log sheetz.
Tried out a new coffee brand this morning and a FTF ta boot - I'm lov'n it!
News Flash!!!! Thought that I had lost my good flashlight on this little adventure. I was so into getting the log signed and on my way to work that I did not notice the lack of my illumination tools.
It sat there all day and I gave it about one chance in ten that it would still be there by the time I made it there.
Bingo, sitting right out into the open and in perfect condition.. Bad Flashlight, Bad.
Monday, February 16, 2009
My Wife Has Been Talking Again
I was geocaching out in the Cary, North Carolina area on this cold and windy day. While driving to my next find I happened to see this interestingly worded sign.
First thoughts into my slightly twisted mind was "Instant Gratification Zone?", followed by, "My wife must be talking again".
I know that the people of Cary can be almost considered friendly but sheeze.
Oh Yeah Baby Ammo Box And More.
Had a nice day off today. Was a bit cold in the mid 40s but times of wind made it brisk. I started out with attempting two FTFs that did not turn out the way I wanted. Hey, it happens. I headed out to Cary, NC and was hitting my first geocache when my phone rang. It was my wife who just came out of the gym and wanted to go out for some sushi. Well I never turn down sushi and besides it was just down the street from where I was and it gave me enough time for a couple more finds before she would get here.
The first was a quick 35mm hide near the restaurant parking lot and a fine park and grab. The next was a bit more challenging as shown above. It was a good 250 feet of bushwack through some serious brier patch. The growth was thick, fresh and yet somehow I managed to work my way through with a minimum of scratches. Did I ever mention the importance of wearing a good hat when in a brier patch situation? If I haven't.... wear a hat, your scalp will thank you.
The end result was a fine medium sized ammo box and before I knew it, it was time for sushi.
Lunch came and went and I really did not mind the lapse in Geocaching. My wife and I can talk for hours about a whole lot of nothing and that is great for us. We always had that ability to just jabber and since my daughter was in school it was just us. Next thing you know 90 minutes have blown by. Good Times.
The rest of the day went fairly well but the weather was deteriorating fast with the wind picking up and the temps slowly dropping. I managed to find thirteen for the day with only 3 DNFs. I think I found every color of the rainbow when it came to bison tubes and a goodly share of skirt hides and smalls. When it came to ammo boxes I found several and that is always good.
Below is a nice slide show video of some of the hides and finds for the day.
Meet-Ups With Fellow Geocaching Seekers
As I approached the geocache ground zero in a gas station parking lot I noticed another car just sort of sitting there. Well I have a game plan today and wanted to head out to another hunting ground so I took a chance to see if I could actually find this cache without raising too much attention.
As I exited my vehicle I was greeted by a big smile and a question that I immediately knew that I was in the company of friends.
"Is your Geocache Navigator working?", he said with a grin.
"Now how would he know that I had...", thought I and then he told me.
"I saw some of your videos", he said.
I introduced myself and he told me his Geocaching handle was Ikraynak.
I looked down at my BlackBerry and it seemed to be working just fine. I stated that since mine is working to give it a shot and find this cache. We looked at the description and had a pretty good clue the area to search. My first choice came up empty but Ian hit it on his first try. As we were signing the log we talked more about our sudden dependence on Geocache Navigator and how it has made geocaching so much easier.
It was great to talk with Ikraynak and to meet up with his very nice four legged caching buddy. It just goes to show you never know who you are going to meet up with and I am so glad that I do. Being able to put a handshake and a face with a name makes geocaching so much more fun.
Oh and a "Curse You" (clenched fist to the air) to Cachuman for beating us to the FTF. What you sleeping on your monitor lately? ;)
Placement of Geocache Near Owner's Home - I Don't Think So
Had one today that popped up less than a mile from my house. Took off like a shot to go find it and after a little bit of stumbling I realized that the geocaching find was on private property. Double checked the description and sure enough it stated that it was and also to mind the plants. Well the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I thought if it was in plain sight and could be done quickly I would give it a whack. Walking on their lawn
That was it for me, I was too close to the house and didn't want to go behind the bushes and the house to look. So with a quick shrug I am calling this one. Shame I would have loved another FTF but not this time.
Once again shows that a good geocaching placement is important and you need to think of the finders when you place it..
Your Thoughts?
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Geocache Placement, Just Because You Can...
Friday, February 13, 2009
Day For Finding Past DNFs
After Four DNFs - Found! Devin Lake #2
A sigh was heard by me as I once again started looking for the needle in a haystack like so many times before.
Time slipped by and just when I thought all hope was lost I saw something out of place. It was secluded in the rocks but something did not look like it should. The expression on my face had to resemble a retriever pup who after running full bore slams on the breaks. Looks at the object and cocks his head to the side going "Unhhhhh?"
There it was, my prize after almost a year of searching. So I signed the log and put everything back for the next hider. No sense crying over spilt sweet tea. There are other geocaches to find ya know....
Happy Camper Finding Lake Devin #1
Lake Devin is near Oxford, North Carolina and it had in it's local trails two geocaches that have been taunting me since I started geocaching a year ago. Lake Devin #2 was a geocache that I had tried several times but with no success.
This afternoon was a continuation of a glorious sunshine filled day with the highs in the mid-sixties and a feel about it that just screamed the beginnings of Spring. I was staring at a three day weekend and my boss was kind enough to release me of my daily grind so I decided to give Lake Devin another crack.
Lake Devin #1 was placed about half a mile into a park like set of rustic nature trails. I do so love walking such trails especially when you have a large lake in the background and yet surrounded by trees. Very scenic.
I found ground zero right away and the hiding spot was quite obvious. Within a few minutes I had signed the very nice log, traded travel bugs and was on my way for number two well pleased that this was finally off my list.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
It Is The Size That Counts
Blustery Skirt Hide During Lunch
I couldn't stand it anymore. Henderson is a bit Northeast of where I work in Oxford, NC. For the past six to eight months the absolute worst traffic was caused as they worked on I-85 between these two towns. Needless to say we did not travel to Henderson much because we wanted to be back from lunch sometime before it was time to go home for the day.
With the construction finished I had to venture out of the bubble of which I call my cube and go out into the sunshine. That would be that big shiny orb in the sky for the people up north in the frozen tundra. Like say New Jersey. Anywho the winds today were pushing 40 mph but that didn't slow me down for this quick skirt hide in Henderson, NC. I found two park and grabs which actually will leave me with only two other hides in the area that I have either not found or I have hidden myself. Those will be for another day.
I do have to note that on the way back I found a rather cool place to put a geocache hide. I drove by it by accident and literally turned around and drove back. I instantly fell in love with the cache area and set up the cache. It's called "Who Will Own The World?" (GC1MM6X) based off of an old calculator game I had known as a kid. Should be a real toughie. We shall see...
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Oh Look Another FTF - I Just Love Them
Monday, February 9, 2009
A Geocaching Record of First To Finds ( FTF's )
With my BlackBerry and Geocache Navigator in hand I quickly pull up the closest one and ZOOM at an Earth shattering safe and posted speed. Why do the police always show up when I want to be slightly reckless? But I digress...
FTF #1:
The first geocaches were out in a wooded area and at the end of a dead end road. I searched for about ten minutes and was able to find a type of geocache that I have only seen a couple of times. The more interesting tid bit was that there was No Log Book inside! Hey we are all human and I will be the first to say DOH! So I went into the trunk of my cachemobile and pulled out a spanking new log to fill said geocache. After signing it was placed back in it's very clever hiding spot.
FTF #2:
The second geocache was about .13 of mile down the same road I was on. What I mean is it looks like half way down the original road they put a guardrail up so you couldn't go any further but the rest of the road just continued on. Sure it was broken up over time but you could still see the yellow line going down the center. Found that odd and yet this is not the first forgotten road I have been on in this state. As I walked I could see dozens of large white tail deer everywhere. They were curious about me and most ran as I walked but the amount of deer was truly amazing. I have seen several deer in my back yard but nothing like this. Before I knew it I was at the geocache site and the find did not take as much effort as the first one. I saw all sorts of Cardinals, Robins and Thrushes chasing each other everywhere, quite fun to watch. After signing the log and putting this regular sized geocache in place it was on to number three.
FTF #3:
The sun was definitely going down by now and I had to hurry if I even had a chance at the last two caches. Fortunately for me this one was behind a small shopping center and ended being a quick find. My luck was still with me and if only I could make it to number four I would have my record. Okay maybe I was getting a bit greedy at this point but if you're going to be obsessed you might as well go all the way.
I'm not obsessed.... Right?
Lunch Time GeoCaching
Once I figured out the spot and had cache in hand I had not a single DOH but a Double DOH moment. The first moment was when I reached down to my pocket to pull out my writing utencil and realized I left it in the car which was about .15 of a mile away. DOH! Then I actually was desperate enough to think I could use a stick to at least mark HHH on the log sheet. Then I realized I had already taken my geocaching carrying pouch which of course had several pens. DOH - DOH !
Needless to say we are glad to see a new hider in the area and look forward to more geocache finds.
Signed log and took nothing but the 20 sided die was very tempting.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Miss GeoNess Breaks 200 Finds Which Puts Her In The Rankings
Regular Cache in a Brier Patch
All I can say is ouchie! Those thick brambles can really getcha. Back to those in a minute.
What a day we had today while out Geocaching. We started out fairly early which turned out to be about Eightish. Headed straight towards our first cache in the Southern Raleigh, NC area. Wouldn't you know it that just down the road was a North Carolina original and an addiction to me. Yup the Krispy Kreme donut store was within smelling distance and we had to stop by and get them fresh and oh so yummy.
After I came out of my sugar coated stupor we moved on to the rest of our planned Cache Raid and took on twenty seven geocaches. Unfortunately two of them were DNFs but thems the breaks. We had an absolute blast and yes even when we get scrapes from those nasty brier patches it some how does not hurt so much when you are staring at an ammo box.
All part of the fun and I couldn't think of a better person to go geocaching with than my daughter Miss GeoNess.