[Az-Geocaching] Re: Special Equipment

[Scott Sparks]

Ken wrote:

>I don't believe that a bicycle is special equipment.  Bicycles are pretty 
>>common and most people know how to ride them.  It's not like scuba diving 
>>equipment or rock climbing equipment, which require training and knowledge 
>>to use.
>
then Scott wrote:

>  
>
>
>I disagree.  If a cache requires the use of a piece of equipment, then it 
>is special equipment.  You are correct in that most people know how to ride 
>a bike, but I don't currently own one.  If I wanted to do this cache I 
>would have to either go out and buy, borrow or rent a bike.  In my book, 
>that makes it special equipment, no different than if I had to buy, borrow 
>or rent scuba or climbing equipment.
>
>
>
>Scott
>

and then Ken wrote:

>Unless the mountain biking trail is very difficult (like the Slickrock Trail near Moab), then there is no way that it should rank a "5".  The "5" rating should be reserved for only extremely difficult caches only, one that the majority of geocachers would not be able to get (even if they rented or borrowed the equipment needed).  Some caches may be in remote lands and you need a 4WD to drive to it, (hiking is possible, but the hike may be long), but most of us do not consider a 4WD vehicle to be special equipment, either. It's easier to ride a bike 17 miles on a smooth, flat trail than it is to hike a half-mile up a very steep, rocky, and brushy mountain without any trail (like my Granite Mountain cache in northeastern Scottsdale, a true "4").  Therefore, why should the biking cache, with less difficult terrain, be rated higher than the mountain cache? The "5" rating should be assigned very infrequently.  The rating of "4" that I calculated still is pretty high, only one step !
>lower. Ken
>
I tend to agree with Scott on this one.  A _required_ bicycle is 
'special equipment'.  Especially in this case because, if I'm not 
mistaken, this park does not allow hiking; you _MUST_ ride a bicycle. 
 Since some people don't own bicycles this makes it 'special equipment 
required.'  Also, since you can't just drive by this cache, spot it on 
your GPS and 'go for it' (unless you happen to have a bicycle with you) 
then the required bicycle is 'special equipment' that you wouldn't 
ordinairly have in your car.  The argument that a 4WD is 'special 
equipment' does not hold water.  If there is a road to a cache that can 
be accessed by a 4WD, that's great for those who own a 4WD.  But I can 
still attempt the same cache by using my own two feet and legs. (My 
'standard equipment'.)  A 4WD isn't a must, it just makes things easier. 
 If you adhere to the logic that a 4WD is 'special equipment' then you 
could also say any automobile is 'special equipment' for an urban micro 
cache and we all know the family sedan is not 'special equipment'.  You 
have the option of walking, roller skating, bicycling, or being pulled 
in a little red wagon to this theoretical urban micro cache.  Notice I 
included bicycling.  In this case, a bicycle is not 'special equipment' 
because it is not _required_.  It is merely optional.  If I choose to 
wear SCUBA gear to every cache I find, that doesn't make it 'special 
equipment.'  If a cache is hidden at the bottom of Apache Lake, then 
SCUBA gear would be 'special equipment."   My point is, for the 
particular cache in question, the bicycle trail that the cache is hidden 
on DOES NOT ALLOW foot traffic so, a bicycle is mandatory and hence, 
'SPECIAL EQUIPMENT."

%^)

-- Sprocket