The Membership Relations Committee is happy to showcase some ArkGeo Geocachers through the "Geocacher Profile". The committee thought James Crabill aka Hot~rod should be the next catcher to be in the spotlight.

What is your geocaching name? hot~rod

How did you choose your handle? Old CB handle.

How long have you been geocaching? Since 2004.

How did you find your first Geocache, and which one was it? It was in Mississippi, with a friend

Who usually goes with you when you go caching? No one.

How long will you work on puzzle caches before you give up? 5 minutes.

What town/areas have you most enjoyed caching in? Old time Clarksville, dead and gone.

Do you do paperless caching? Of course.

What kind of geocaching rig do you use? Samsung smart phones, Garmin Oregon 650T, and some previous others.

Why would you recommend anyone else to take up geocaching? Get them into the outdoors, although few folks take to the woods anymore. That will be the death of geocaching. No instant gratificiation.

Where are you originally from? Yell County Arkansas.

In what states you have geocached? Mostly Arkansas and a few neighboring states. Only a few elsewhere.

What was your first event ever attended? Cemetery Cache Lovers Payback, 2006.

How many caches have you found? 5759

Which type of cache container do you prefer over the rest? Ammo can

What was the most famous cache that you have found? Mingo

Do you use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries? Rechargeable.

Do you enjoy hiding or finding more as your part of the hobby? Finding first. No joy in hiding something for a handful of folks to find.

Do you have a personal goal in mind when you make a hide? Neat location or just a gap in the map.

What is your favorite type of cache hide? Traditional

Out of all your hides, what are your personal favorites that you take pride in? All the ones I placed on Mt. Magazine State Park land. Bear Gap Cache, Mossback Ridge Cache.

What do you think the proper hide to find ratio should be to keep the sport fresh? 100 to 1.

How did you end up getting into this wacky hobby? Went caching with a fellow classmate on a training trip to Jackson Mississippi.

What's your favorite geocache? The Tool Man Cache (?) by Jerry Turner. Long since gone….

If money was no object, where would you like to go geocaching? Germany, New Zealand

Do you like geocaching by yourself or in a group? Just lonesome me. Or only one other person when I can find someone to go.

How many First to Finds do you have? A few hundred.

Are you a First to Find person who is always set on go and if so, how many miles out do you have your settings on to get notifications? 40 miles.

Do you have any other hobbies besides geocaching? Yes. Hunting, Trail Running, Road and Mountain Biking.

The Membership Relations Committee is happy to showcase some ArkGeo Geocachers through the "Geocacher Profile". The committee thought Chris Knox aka Captain Cooder should be the next cacher to be in the spotlight.

01. What is your geocaching name?
Captain Cooder

02. How did you choose your handle?
It was a silly nickname given to me by my brothers when I was a teenager.

03. How long have you been geocaching?
Since February 2003

04. How did you find your first Geocache, and which one was it?
My first geocache was "Lake Harrison Trail Cache" GCBC60. I DNF'd it the first two times I looked for it. I e-mailed the owner for help and he gave me hints. When I found it, I was embarrassed because it was so obvious and rather large.

05. Who usually goes with you when you go caching?
I usually go alone, but hot-rod and I have cached together a lot.

06. How long will you work on puzzle caches before you give up?
I have never given up on a puzzle cache... at least one that is local. I have failed to solve some puzzle caches in distant areas, and I have some solved that I may never hunt. Captain Atom’s “Sudoku” haunts me because the icon remains on my radar. I solved the puzzle, but DNF’d the ammo can. Arrgh.

07. What town/areas have you most enjoyed caching in?
I especially enjoy anything involving a hike in the woods, night caches and watercaches. I will seek them out. Cardinal's Lake Wilson Series was my all time favorite, and I have especially fond memories of hunting AR-Hick's caches in Conway County; they were clever, well-hidden and humorous, and I hunted a lot of them at night in the wee hours of the morning.

08. Do you do paperless caching?
Of course. I fully recall the days of paper caching and the first primitive paperless systems. We've still got a way to go with digital transfer of information, but it's come a long way.

09. What kind of geocaching rig do you use?
I have pretty much always used DeLorme GPSrs. I visited their HQ in Maine in 1999 and I was very impressed. They have the best tech support of any company I know. They were first to introduce a geocaching-specific GPSr and the only company that manufactures a personal locator beacon (PLB) with SMS capability, the InReach. I currently have dual DeLorme PN-60Ws and two Magellan GCs in reserve. I use my iPhone now for getting close to GZ, then the real GPSrs for the fine tuning. Amazingly, out of a dozen or so GPSrs that I have owned, none of them have been a Garmin. Garmin now owns DeLorme.

10. Why would you recommend anyone else to take up geocaching?
It's cerebral and fun. If you are into geography, maps, exploration, treasure hunting, puzzle solving, it is quite fun. The "secret society" aspect with code names is also a blast.

11. Where are you originally from?
Born and raised in “L.A.” That's Lower Arkansas—Union County, El Dorado.

12. In what states have you geocached?
I've cached in 19 states, mostly in the central area, as well as Mexico and the Cayman Islands. I visited 9 more states before geocaching was possible, as well as Canada and Honduras.

13. What was your first event ever attended?
GC1N6QR "A Half-Century Celebration." It was hosted by bluesybreeze and was edieo's 50th birthday. I felt right at home, and Edie and I became quick friends.

14. How many caches have you found?
4,660. I was coasting on my way to 5K before my divorce 5 years ago, then hit a severe slump. I got busy with other time-consuming activities and remarried, and my geocaching activity has picked up but is slow. Since my divorce, I’ve only averaged about 13 caches per month. Not shabby, but before I was cruising at about 100 per month.

15. Which type of cache container do you prefer over the rest?
The most memorable ones are the small or micros that are incredibly clever or humorous. I would vote to ban nanos.

16. What was the most famous cache that you have found?
Probably Mingo. Next would be Kittiewake, off the coast of Grand Cayman, my only SCUBA cache.

17. Do you use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries?
Both. I use rechargeables when they are recharged, but always keep regular alkaline available. Lithium lasts longer, but is prohibitively expensive.

18. Do you enjoy hiding or finding more as your part of the hobby?
They are both equally enjoyable to me.

19. Do you have a personal goal in mind when you make a hide?
Unless it's just a routine cache to pad your numbers, the caches I'm most proud of are the ones that make you smile or laugh at something creative or an inside joke, or as a reward for solving a puzzle. I never want anyone to leave GZ frustrated or angry with a DNF.

20. What is your favorite type of cache hide?
The most memorable ones are the clever mechanical ones where you have to operate some mysterious contraption or put clues together to solve a puzzle to crack it. As everyone probably knows, I have an obsession with projection caches. I also love getting all suited up for a nice hike in the woods on a fall day and climbing a hill, visiting a waterfall, etc... especially with hot-rod; any outdoor adventure, woods or water.

21. Out of all your hides, what are your personal favorites that you take pride in?
The one that amuses me the most is GC2TNEP "Ho-hum Hydrant." It's a cruel pleasure, but has more favorite points than any of my others. I suffered more than anyone who has hunted the cache in hiding it, so I feel justified. I like GC2GK83 "Russellville Geocacher's Bemusement" because it's a clever container combined with a clever puzzle that I stole from Nicodemus3 and improved upon, and GC3M359 "Transmission Intercepted" because of the original puzzle. My "It's All About the Numbers" series that Kevin Cackler helped guide me with has a cool punchline. My Starlight 365 nightcache series is archived now, but that was unique. A couple from Springfield, MO came down the day the cache was published, just to hunt the series. Talk about an ego boost.

22. What do you think the proper hide to find ratio should be to keep the sport fresh?
I’m not concerned about the ratio, really. Currently, mine is about 17:1. I think what is more important is that one should not be allowed to hide a cache until one has about 100 finds under his belt. I don’t think at this point there should be a cap on how many caches one can hide, but now that I have 275 hides, it’s quite a chore keeping up on maintenance.

23. How did you end up getting into this wacky hobby?
I invented it, independently, of course! Ha! I got a Lowrance Eagle GPSr for my 25^th birthday in 1996, four years before Geocaching was possible. At that time, navigating to within 200 yards was great. When Selective Activation (SA) was turned off in May, 2000, I thought it was dubious. I went home and pulled out a topo quad map and determined exact coords to the middle of a bridge over a creek in the woods. I plugged in the coords and let my GPSr guide me to the spot to test the new accuracy. I ended up 8 feet from my target. You should have seen the joy on my face; I was absolutely giddy! I thought, “What if I hid a secret code at certain locations in the woods? One could navigate to the location, retrieve the code and I could verify it. Or maybe the information at one location could lead to another location, like going from flag to flag in orienteering. We’ll call it “GPS Orienteering.” However, I had no friends with GPS receivers, and the internet was non-existent at the time. I didn’t hear of “Geocaching” for another three years. Shucks, I could have been an Ulmer or an Irish.

24. What's your favorite geocache?
I have to say, the very last one I found, Night Hiker’s “Head’s Up” GC30NTJ, is one I would love to show someone to introduce them to the game. The single best day I ever had caching was chasing Cardinal’s Lake Wilson Series in NWA. It was a perfect day, I put miles on my boots and took in some great autumn scenery. It took a lot of thinking and calculations and was just the perfect level of difficulty. I felt like a boss for smashing the previous time record for finding all the caches, especially intuiting one cache deep in the woods where a major landmark that was needed to find the cache was missing.

25. If money was no object, where would you like to go geocaching?
I would seek out every SCUBA cache and become a diving bum. A close second would be the Pacific Northwest, for the scenery and history.

26. Do you like geocaching by yourself or in a group?
Groups/teams are always more fun in general. But I have had many memorable solo caching adventures.

27. How many First to Finds do you have?
401. I just went over the 400 mark with Hot-Rod this week.

28. Are you a First to Find person who is always set on go and if so, how many miles out do you have your settings on to get notifications?
Yes, no doubt I am a Hound. FTFs were as elusive as unicorns early on, but when I mastered the new technology, I had a slight edge over those who hadn’t quite figured it out, and I was exceedingly good at getting there first. I have also found several before they were published. Hot-Rod is a hound as well, and we both have many hides. We had to be careful not to give each other secret inside information on our hides, to allow others to have a chance. My first FTF was found around 1 am, and from then on, I was hooked. I have found many, many, many FTFs in the wee morning hours traipsing around in the dark, enough to be called “crazy.” Nowadays I usually wait for a more reasonable hour to hunt. My radius is 50 miles, but I won’t take off at any time for a cache more than about 20 miles away.

29. Do you have any other hobbies besides geocaching?
I love most outdoor activities: camping, hiking/backpacking, ATV riding, hunting, fishing, cycling, photography. Fitness activities have become a way of life more than a hobby. I’m always up for a party, and I dig live music. I love craft beer and seek out microbreweries wherever I travel.

The Membership Relations Committee is happy to showcase some ArkGeo Geocachers through the "Geocacher Profile". The committee thought Bruce Ripka aka Abiectio should be the next cacher to be in the spotlight.

What is your geocaching name? Abiectio

How did you choose your handle? I wanted a unique name and was using the name Abiectio is some creative writing so I went with it.

How long have you been geocaching? I have been caching since August 2006, so eleven years.

How did you find your first Geocache, and which one was it? I had purchased a cheap GPSr on Ebay and went out early on a Sunday morning. I managed to find three that day with Pet Land GCB8F4 being the first. I was hooked!

Who usually goes with you when you go caching? I have often cached alone, but my most common caching partner is Wrath557 from Memphis.

How long will you work on puzzle caches before you give up? Depends on the cache. Some puzzles, if they don't hook me immediately I will give up after a few minutes. Others, like Huebert, Deuteronomy, and Louis GC2NT0H, I will work on for years. I've been working on that one, off and on, since 2014.

What town/areas have you most enjoyed caching in? Anyplace I have not been before.

Do you do paperless caching? Yes, sort of. I have the cache descriptions downloaded to my GPSr but for bigger trips I create a paper caching route that includes earthcache and virtual logging requirements.

What kind of geocaching rig do you use? Currently I am using a Garmin 62ST.

Why would you recommend anyone else to take up geocaching? So you can meet awesome people and explore the world.

Where are you originally from? I started caching while living in West Memphis AR, but I grew up in Mountain Home, AR and was born in Pottstown, PA.

In what states have you geocached? I have been fortunate enough to cache in 30 states. I am mainly missing the Northeast, Southwest and a couple of the midwest states.

What was your first event ever attended? It was A Christmas Cache...uh, Bash! GCZ18W.

How many caches have you found? 5362

Which type of cache container do you prefer over the rest? Ammo can. There is something special about wonderful sound when opening or closing an ammo can.

What was the most famous cache that you have found? I suppose the most famous cache I have found would be Original Stash Tribute Plaque GCGV0P as it has the most favorite points.

Do you use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries? Rechargeable.

Do you enjoy hiding or finding more as your part of the hobby? While I have loved both aspects of the hobby, currently I enjoy finding more than hiding.

Do you have a personal goal in mind when you make a hide? I want to take the finder someplace interesting or unique and, if it is a puzzle cache, I want the puzzle to be engaging and challenging.

What is your favorite type of cache hide? A mystery cache that ends with an ammo can in the woods.

Out of all your hides, what are your personal favorites that you take pride in? I have several hides of which I am very proud, but to keep the list manageable I'll list three. Flip Dizzy GC18M8X and the series that followed, The Mystery of the Lost Treasure of Beale GC23CMN, and The horse eats no cucumber-salad GC2DV8E.

What do you think the proper hide to find ratio should be to keep the sport fresh? I don't think there is a proper ratio. A cacher should only hide as many caches as they can properly maintain. If that is 10% great. If that is 0% that is great too.

How did you end up getting into this wacky hobby? I overheard Nvisible and itcomagic talking about caching and decided to give it a try.

What's your favorite geocache? This is always a tough question as there are so many caches that I loved finding, but if I can only pick one I suppose it would be The Key to the Cryptonomicon GCXBFC.

If money was no object, where would you like to go geocaching? Brazil, so I could hunt the last remaining APE cache. Mission 4: Southern Bowl GCC67.

Do you like geocaching by yourself or in a group? Both.

How many First to Finds do you have? Not sure. When I last looked several years ago it was more than 50.

Are you a First to Find person who is always set on go and if so, how many miles out do you have your settings on to get notifications? While I am no longer someone who hustles for First to Find I do have my notifications set out to 50 miles for both Conway and West Memphis and mystery caches in Rome GA for 30 miles.

Do you have any other hobbies besides geocaching? Yes. Tabletop gaming and Ingress.

The Membership Relations Committee is happy to showcase some ArkGeo Geocachers through the "Geocacher Profile". The committee thought Brandon Labat aka Night_Hiker should be the next cacher to be in the spotlight.

What is your geocaching name?
Night_Hiker

How did you choose your handle?
Me and my friends have primarily cached at night. So I've hiked through the middle of the woods more times than I can count. So the name was just fitting. The account was originally our groups, which one friend had named "apart" but once I began to hide caches I wanted something more specific to myself. There's something and secretive about going so late. I'm a bit older now, 27 so I don't get as many chances haha.

How long have you been geocaching?
Let's see It was either late 2009 or early 2010.

How did you find your first Geocache, and which one was it?
Well me and my buddies were hanging out late one night and one friend had read about the game so we gave it a try. The cache was Greenbrier Softball Complex by BSA534. Let me tell you that realization that there were these hidden containers all around us was mind blowing. We were immediately hooked. My friends back then have all moved on from the sport but I've always maintained my love.

Who usually goes with you when you go caching?
Over the years I have taken an assortment of friends. only one has actually maintained an account, Midnight Stalker. Probably 15 to 20 people have tagged along haha.

How long will you work on puzzle caches before you give up?
I usually do not spend a lot of time on these if its a night trip. They are just difficult in the dark and can slow the momentum of the trip but if its just me during day light I'll give it much more time.

What town/areas have you most enjoyed caching in?
I've really enjoyed Heber Springs, Morrilton, and my local areas surrounding Clinton. Also the national forest up around the Buffalo River and Jasper.

Do you do paperless caching?
I'm very old school when it comes to caching. I usually pull up the map on the website and I'll plot a course listing caches on notebook paper. I'll upload these into my gps as I go. It's just fun to do and I like having the paper to keep me from getting confused.

What kind of geocaching rig do you use?
I used a Garmin Etrex 10. I like to keep it pretty simple and this thing is just great.

Why would you recommend anyone else to take up geocaching?
Usually when I am attempting to recruit some muggles I'll point out the secretiveness of the game and compare it to a year round scavenger hunt. "Hiking with a purpose or destination" usually gets stated haha.

Where are you originally from?
I moved from Louisiana when I was 2 and lived in Scotland, AR until the school closed in 2006. I've lived in Clinton, AR ever since 2008.

In what states have you geocached?
Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma

What was your first event ever attended?
I believe it was an event held here in Clinton by Ar Hick. He wanted to highlight the area and the caches, a lot being mine, so I was very appreciative.

How many caches have you found?
922

Which type of cache container do you prefer over the rest?
I really like a good ole fashion ammo can or peanut butter jar. They are timeless classics.

What was the most famous cache that you have found?
Can't say I've found a really famous one but going down the list King Cotton in Lake Providence, Louisiana has 75 likes so I guess that one haha.

Do you use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries?
Disposable but I've been wanting to go rechargeable for a while now.

Do you enjoy hiding or finding more as your part of the hobby?
I really enjoy hiding them. A lot of cacher are really appreciative of my creative hides and provide great logs for me to read.

Do you have a personal goal in mind when you make a hide?
I usually hope to "wow" the cachers and provide a find that they haven't seen before. Although I do sprinkle in some common hides, I try to keep a high percentage unique and creative.

What is your favorite type of cache hide?
I really love finding larger ones and custom ones. If I find a birdhouse geocache or something I'm super happy. I basically create caches I would love to find.

Out of all your hides, what are your personal favorites that you take pride in?
Two caches specifically stick out "Heads Up" 89 favorites and "Urban Cammo" 67. It's a miracle I've kept them going this long, as I've had to rebuild them many times. They get the most attention and I'm glad bc they took the longest to make.

What do you think the proper hide to find ratio should be to keep the sport fresh?
I don't really have a preference. I know I could not maintain hundreds of hides, but if someones up for the challenge I salute them! I do prefer that a cacher play a while before hiding a cache tho. The experience helps.

How did you end up getting into this wacky hobby?
I explained earlier but once again a buddy read about it and suggested we played. I've been a consistent junky ever since.

What's your favorite geocache?
I've actually never found my favorite geocache. Sugarloaf Chimney in Heber Springs, AR has stumped me and my crew many trips. I love the area, you can see all of Heber and just a lot of fond memories come from that location and hunting. I'll go back and claim it one day, hmm I may plan a trip soon now haha!

If money was no object, where would you like to go geocaching? Oh man so many choices. I'd love to get a cache on every continent. I really want to go to Yosemite tho, so that location specifically would be the one.

Do you like geocaching by yourself or in a group?
With a group. I've rarely went alone it's still fun but the social aspect and searching with your friends is what it's all about.

How many First to Finds do you have?
I'm not really sure on this one but I would bet like 7. I really wish the website tracked these. Maybe it does I haven't found the feature if so!

Are you a First to Find person who is always set on go and if so, how many miles out do you have your settings on to get notifications?
No, I am not. During spurts where I'm really into the game I may go find a local one. If I see one while plotting a course I'll steer the trip that way but I don't get too caught up on them.

Do you have any other hobbies besides geocaching?
Yes, I do a lot of stuff. Obviously if you know my caches, woodworking. Also basketball, hiking, fishing, kayaking, photography, video games, mountain biking and recently metal detecting. I tend to spread myself too thin so I'll be into one hobby for a while before switching to something else.

The Membership Relations Committee is happy to showcase some ArkGeo Geocachers through the "Geocacher Profile". The committee thought Mark Schneider aka MarkSAR should be the next cacher to be in the spotlight.

What is your geocaching name?
MarkSAR

How did you choose your handle?
It stands for Mark S from Arkansas

How long have you been geocaching?
Since May 2008

How did you find your first Geocache, and which one was it?
Friends were talking about geocaching. I went out and started looking for one with the help with a Garmin Nuvi. The cache was GCHRFR - scattered straw.

Who usually goes with you when you go caching?
My wife, LatonkaGal

How long will you work on puzzle caches before you give up?
Months?

What town/areas have you most enjoyed caching in?
Searcy AR.

Do you do paperless caching?
Yes

What kind of geocaching rig do you use?
Just my phone and some spare battery packs

Why would you recommend anyone else to take up geocaching?
Yes. It is fun discovering a world all around you that you didn't know was there. I have found many wonderful areas I would not have ever know was there otherwise.

Where are you originally from?
Jonesboro AR

In what states have you geocached?
Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Mississippi, Iowa, California, Kentucky, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas, Louisiana, Texas, Wisconsin, Nebraska,North Dakota and Oklahoma

What was your first event ever attended?
RCHM Meet and Greet

How many caches have you found?
2,549

Which type of cache container do you prefer over the rest?
Ammo Cans. They get stolen a lot any more, but they make the best cache containers

What was the most famous cache that you have found?
Gorilla Stash

Do you use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries?
Since I use my phone, rechargeable

Do you enjoy hiding or finding more as your part of the hobby?
Both. Finding a cool cache makes you want to share it with other cachers.

Do you have a personal goal in mind when you make a hide?
Usually I either want to bring a cacher to a interesting place or make a cacher happy or have a sense of accomplishment.

What is your favorite type of cache hide?
Either a cool place, or a fun puzzle.

Out of all your hides, what are your personal favorites that you take pride in?
Touche Woodwalker, which is now retired. After solving/finding several caches by WoodWalker9, I wanted to hide a cache that would be a challenge. I was happy when WoodWalker9 tried for the FTF on it. It took him an hour to find it, and he put his hand on the cache container when he started, and still it took an hour for him to find it.

What do you think the proper hide to find ratio should be to keep the sport fresh?
Not sure about a ratio, but I do believe a cacher needs to find several caches over a fairly large area before they start hiding. This helps you determine what is a good cache.

How did you end up getting into this wacky hobby?
I am a bit of a technology nut. I bough a GPS and was wondering what else I could do with it, and came across geocaching.

What's your favorite geocache?
The old Searcy Event caches. I have had the most fun at any event, and got to meet several Arkansas cachers. I have been to mega events, but the Search events were more geared into meeting and learning from other cachers.

If money was no object, where would you like to go geocaching?
I would like to find the most northern and southern caches. Head to the north pole and the south pole. These caches are remote and few people will ever see them.

Do you like geocaching by yourself or in a group?
Group caching.

How many First to Finds do you have?
I am not really sure.

Are you a First to Find person who is always set on go and if so, how many miles out do you have your settings on to get notifications?
I used to be, but after so many first to finds, they lost their excitement.

Do you have any other hobbies besides geocaching?
With all going in my live now, I don't have much time for other hobbies.