CAM 2023 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 2023 as we approach the kickoff day!


What is CAM?
CAM (Cache Across Maryland) is an annual event hosted by the Maryland Geocaching Society. MGS members are chosen by the MGS to place caches in various locations all over Maryland. Your mission is to find a minimum of 10 caches and have a wonderful time travelling around this fine state. If you find at least 10 geocaches and gather the special code from each one, you’ll earn a unique certificate of achievement AND a free, limited-edition CAM 2023 geocoin.

When is CAM?
It varies from year to year, but the hunt typically begins on a Saturday in mid-to-late-March. This year’s CAM begins on Saturday, March 25th, and the picnic will be on Saturday, June 3rd.

Where is the picnic?
The picnic will be published 2 weeks before the date. However, you still need to record the attributes hidden within each CAM cache. There will be files handed out at the kickoff events and on the forums for you to print if you choose not to attend a kickoff event.

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. (It’s FREE!)

Do I need to find at least 10 CAM Caches to attend the picnic?
Starting in 2021, any geocacher is welcome to attend the CAM picnic. There will still be something special for the geocachers that have found all 10 CAM caches, over the age 10. You will have to complete the CAM 2023 and come to the picnic to find out!

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. Feel free to post in the CAM forums to team-up and find fellow carpoolers.

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. This year there will be various cache types, including Traditionals, on-site Puzzle caches, and mysteries.

What happens to the CAM caches after CAM each year?
The CAM caches are transferred to the hider of the cache or otherwise adopted out and maintained like any other cache. In rare 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?
Starting in 2021, on the morning of opening day, the cache pages will get published on geocaching.com.

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. MGS won’t bail you out of the pokey either. We try to put accurate hours on the cache listings, but it is your responsibility to comply with local laws and posted park hours.

Is there any sort of reward for finishing?
Each person over the age of 10, 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 that is 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 free 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 over the age of 10 who has a geocaching.com handle and found at least 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 or submission of a form. 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. Stay tuned to this thread for more details on posting your CAM completion.

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 several 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 at least 10 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. The 2022 CAM Picnic Food and Volunteer List can be found HERE.

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, 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, etc). 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.”

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?
Starting in 2021, the caches will be published on geocaching.com. However, we are hosting kickoff events to help introduce new geocachers to CAM and to assist with loading cache files onto their devices. The events will take place on Saturday, March 25th from 7.30–8.30am at several locations around the State of Maryland.

How can I stay up-to-date with CAM announcements?
If you haven’t already, you should subscribe to the 2022 CAM Information Page on the forums. Scroll to the top of the CAM Info Page and click the ‘Subscribe topic’ link. If you need help, contact one of the MGS officers.

The big reveal is tomorrow, Saturday, March 25! The Cache Across Maryland geocaches will publish at about 8:30am. PLEASE READ the rest of this post. A few things to know:

* As usual, some locations have very specific hours of operation and may not be accessible until later next week. Read the cache listings carefully!

* We’ll be busy chatting with folks at the kick-off events Saturday morning so you won’t see any social media posts from us until we get home and in front of a computer. (A list of those events is here: https://www.mdgps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=10368).

* After we get home and organized from those lovely kick-off events, we’ll load the new caches into an official list and share a GPX file.

* Details change! Invariably, tweaks will need to be made to these geocaches after the masses descend upon them. We’ll make announcements about significant changes, but it is *your* responsibility to regularly update your GPX file and to do your research before attempting each geocache.

* Remember that everyone does CAM in their own way and there is no correct method. Some folks like to speedrun CAM, and some folks leave it to the last day before the picnic. You’re all special, beautiful people.

* Next time you see an MGS officer please thank them. For reasons that are about to become clear, this CAM was a ton of work. And if you see Larry, give him a big hug. He loves hugs.

Go have some wonderful adventures, and thank you for being a part of the Maryland Geocaching Society!

Hello everyone!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can already tell this new format is not going to be well received.

_________________
Ken

I wasn't able to attend a kickoff event. I'm patiently (maybe) awaiting the caches to be posted. When can we expect that?

They are live now.

As mentioned in the post above... when the officers get home from the kickoff events. The geocaches themselves have already published, but we'll post handy lists and all that shortly.



Nah. If there's one thing I know about geocachers, it's that they're a fun-loving, adventurous bunch.

20 years of Cache Across Maryland!

To celebrate we've got a CAM geocache in every county! (with 27 total geocaches, we even have a few extras!)

Only five of the geocaches are mandatory: Garrett, St. Mary’s, Cecil, Worcester, and Anne Arundel. You may then do *any* other five CAM geocaches to qualify for the geocoin at the picnic. So again, five mandatory geocaches plus any other five equals ten total CAM geocaches. Folks who do ALL 27 get a special edition pathtag!

* Geocaching.com list (with bonuses): https://coord.info/BMC2CDN
* Geocaching.com list (with just the 27 CAM geocaches): https://coord.info/BMC2CNF
* GPX file of just the 27 CAM caches: https://bit.ly/3LPpXAO
* GPX file of just the bonus caches: https://bit.ly/3lHjk9g

Please note that the Earthcache in St. Mary's will require special coordination to reach-- there's a ferry (unless you have a boat of your own). For that Earthcache, after you send us your answers we will message you with the codeword within 24 hours.

*You must post a photo with your log to prove you were there.*

Any logs who do not provide sufficient answers and/or don't post a photo will be deleted, and will not receive the code word.

For those who've joined us for CAM in the past, this year there are code words in each cache, not an "attribute" picture. Again, we'll release the decoder closer to the actual date of the picnic.

Also, if you're unsure which CAM caches are one of the mandatory five, the header image on each of the mandatory five cache pages will say so.

Glad to see the gpx files and the list of all 56 hides. BUT is there a list somewhere of just the 10 CAM 23 hides with GC numbers and names and perhaps a list of just the bonuses.
and the GC for the 5 manditory. the manditory list is most likely if only one list can be posted, My thanks in advance.

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gardenNclay

Yeah, I can do that!

Here's a list of just the CAM 2023 geocaches, without any of the bonus caches: https://coord.info/BMC2CNF

Which is the required cache for St Mary's? Is it the earth cache - the page does not reflect it as "required."

Thanks

Well, there's only the one CAM cache in St. Mary's county... but, yes, you're correct. That one didn't get the correct header for some reason. We'll get that fixed, thank you!

Thank you! There have been rare occasions when CAM caches are delayed in posting - just making sure.

A great place to look for information about taking the water taxi to the CAM cache in St. Mary's County/St. Clement's Island: https://www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/watertaxitours/

(Short version, call ahead!)

Normally CAM has 10 cache's to find around Maryland. When I go to the Geocaching website and search for 2023 CAM caches I am getting 56 and only some of those are saying they are bonuses.

Is there alot more then 10 to find this year???

Hello there. You really should read the chain of posts above where everything is explained. There are five mandatory caches, and then you can find any other five CAM caches to qualify. There are 27 in total. (And a bunch of bonus caches.)

Is there a list of the 5 Primary cache's?? ( And I don't mean a list of the county's)

When I pull up the list of 27 they do not say what country they are in and I really don't want to have to click thru all 27. This use to be so much easier when there was only 10 and factoring in the price of gas now.

If you pull the list up and click on the mail icon you can see the counties then.

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Stacy
Always caching, always searching....