CAM 2016 FAQ
The following is a list of frequently asked questions about CAM. Most of these questions have been accumulated from previous FAQs posted to the forum with a couple new ones added this year. Be sure to subscribe to this thread to receive the most current information about CAM 2016 as we approach the kickoff day!
What is CAM?
CAM (Cache Across Maryland) is an annual event hosted by the Maryland Geocaching Society. 10 members are chosen by the MGS CAM Committee to place a total of 10 CAM caches in various locations all over Maryland. Your mission is to find all 10 of those caches and have a wonderful time travelling around this fine State. If you find all 10 and gather the special code from each one, the location of the annual CAM celebratory picnic will be revealed, and you’re invited to attend.
When is CAM?
It varies from year to year, but the hunt typically begins on a Saturday in mid-to-late-March, and the picnic is typically the 1st or 2nd Saturday in May. This year’s CAM begins on Saturday, March 26th, and the picnic will be on Saturday, May 14th.
Where is the picnic?
You need to find all the caches and get the information from each one. The week before the picnic, we will publish a special decoder which will reveal the location of the picnic when paired with the information you discovered (and wrote down, right?) in each CAM cache. The picnic is held in a different location each year, and finding out where is part of the fun!
Who can participate?
Any geocacher can participate, regardless of experience. You must have a valid account on geocaching.com, and your geocaching.com username will appear on your Certificate of Completion. If you’re not a member of the MGS that’s OK, but you’re encouraged to join.
Do I need to find all the CAM Caches to attend the picnic?
Yes! The picnic is a special event for those that find all of the caches, and you need to visit each cache to get the information needed to find the picnic.
Boy, there is a lot of driving needed to get all the caches! Can I join a group and carpool?
Of course! Just seek out other participants and form a group. You can even post in the forums and ask. There is typically a forum thread dedicated to carpooling as well.
What can I expect the caches to be like? How hard are they?
The CAM caches are usually rated no higher than 2.5 Difficulty and 2.5 Terrain. Size is at least a regular. They tend to be Traditionals, but you might occasionally run into a Multi-Cache or an on-site Puzzle cache.
What happens to the CAM caches after CAM each year?
The CAM caches are often transferred to the hider of the cache or otherwise adopted out and maintained like any other cache. In some cases the hides are archived, for instance if hide permission is granted by the land manager specifically for CAM and only up until the date of the picnic.
Where is the cache information for each of the caches?
On the morning of opening day, the cache pages get published in the forums as .pdf files for viewing, and are also included in a special .gpx file you can load on your GPSr. They are NOT published on geocaching.com until after the picnic. The CAM caches will be published here on the MGS forums at 8.00am on March 26th. A word of warning: You MUST adhere to any restrictions on access times for the land the cache is placed on. Violating legal land access times will not be tolerated, is illegal, and puts future CAMs in jeopardy. The MGS won’t bail you out of the Stoney Lonesome either. We try to put accurate hours on the cache listings, but it is your responsibility to comply with local laws.
If the CAM caches aren’t published on geocaching.com until after the CAM Picnic, what do I do about logging them in the meantime?
At the start of CAM, a topic will be opened here on the forums for each cache. You may log your experience in that topic and when the caches are published on geocaching.com after the picnic, you can cut and paste your logs. Of course, you can just keep your own notes somewhere until they are available for logging on geocaching.com.
I care what order my caches get logged on geocaching.com and I log using the real found date. If the CAM caches aren’t available for logging on geocaching.com until after the picnic, how can I keep them in order along with all my other finds during CAM?
The simple answer is that you can’t unless you wait till after CAM to log everything you found during CAM on geocaching.com. If you only worry about find milestone order, then you can use the milestone features on geocaching.com to keep milestones accurate in your account. You are strongly encouraged to backdate your logs on geocaching.com with the actual date during CAM that you found them.
I’ve got this really cool Travel Bug or other Trackable. Can I put it in a CAM Cache?
Please don’t. Since the caches aren’t published on geocaching.com during CAM, it isn’t possible to log them into or out of the cache, and that’s not fair to the owner of the trackable. So, please don’t place any in a CAM cache during CAM. If you find one, please take it with you and put it in a cache that’s listed on geocaching.com.
Is there any sort of reward for finishing?
Each person with a geocaching.com handle will receive a certificate for completing CAM. In addition, those geocachers who are able to attend the CAM picnic will receive a CAM geocoin trackable at geocaching.com.
If I cannot make the picnic, will I be able to get a certificate and a coin?
Any geocacher who does not attend the CAM picnic will still receive a certificate which can be picked up at a future event, but the geocacher will not earn a geocoin.
Can I have someone else pick up my coin?
Sorry, you must be present to receive your coin.
Can I have someone buy a coin for me at the picnic?
Yes, once all coins have been handed out at the picnic, the remaining coins will be sold by the MGS officers. You can have someone buy a coin for you.
Each member of my family has their own geocaching.com handle, including our newborn. Will they each get a geocoin for completing CAM?
Every member of your family who has a geocaching.com handle and found all 10 CAM caches will receive a CAM coin. Though we do not require it, we encourage families which earn several geocoins to make a donation to the MGS. Selling the remaining CAM geocoins is a way for the MGS to raise money to cover the cost of presenting CAM and other events through the year. Many MGS members with families give a donation at the CAM picnic to cover some of the cost of the geocoins their families earn. If you wish to give a donation, there will be a donation jar located near the sign-in table.
How will you know I’ve found all the caches and I’m finished?
Details on how to tell us you’ve finished can vary from year to year, but it generally involves sending an e-mail to a special CAM Completion e-mail address. (Check out this year’s CAM Information post in the forums for details.) It is VERY IMPORTANT to let us know you’ve finished so we can make the picnic as enjoyable as possible for everyone, and so we can have your Certificate of Completion ready for you.
Is there anything else to do during CAM but find the caches?
There are often some other contests going on, such as the Best Photo contest, vote for your Favorite Hide, etc., and there are a ton of competitions and awards at the picnic. Suggestions are always welcome!
What if I can’t find one of the caches, it's missing, or damaged?
You can contact any of the MGS Officers at any time to report any issue with a CAM hide during CAM. We’ll coordinate repair or replacement of a hide as quickly as possible so you can make another attempt, but you must find all of them to complete CAM. After the picnic, please contact the cache owner.
I’m really hungry after all that caching. What’s to eat at the picnic?
The picnic is a grand pot luck and barbeque. A few weeks before the picnic a forum topic will be started where you can tell us what you’re planning to bring.
Who pays for all this?
You do, through your generous donation of time, goods, or money to the MGS. You can offer monetary support in various ways, including the purchase of MGS and CAM merchandise from the MGS Store, direct donations, purchase of an MGS Maryland License Plate, donations of items for MGS Silent Auctions, and participating in other fundraising activities throughout the year. Everything goes back to the community in accordance with our by-laws.
I usually get a hotel on the Friday before the start of CAM in (Ocean City, Elkton, St Mary’s County, Grantsville). Can you let me know if I shouldn’t get a hotel room in one of those locations because there is not a CAM cache near there?
Part of the excitement of CAM is the secrecy of where the CAM locations are, so we will not make a statement, “Don’t get a hotel in Southern Maryland, because we didn’t put any caches there this year.” The last piece of the CAM Teaser Map will be released 7 days before the start of CAM. Hopefully this will give you a fair sense of where you might need to travel and help you adjust your travel plans.
I’m new to geocaching and i don’t understand how to load .gpx files onto my GPSr. Is there any way i can get help with this?
Yes, this year we are hosting four kickoff events to help introduce new cachers to CAM and to assist with loading cache files onto their devices. The events will take place on Saturday, March 26th from 7.30–8.30am at the following locations:
CAM 2016 Kickoff Event – North (Abingdon)
CAM 2016 Kickoff Event – South (Bowie)
CAM 2016 Kickoff Event – East (Salisbury)
CAM 2016 Kickoff Event – West (Hagerstown)
How can i stay up-to-date with CAM announcements?
If you haven’t already, you should subscribe to the 2016 CAM Information Page on the forums. Scroll to the top of the
CAM Info Page and click the ‘Subscribe topic’ link (see below). If you need help, contact one of the MGS officers.
There will also be a photo gallery set up on the MGS website for you to upload photos.
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