Premium Members have the option of putting a watch on specific letterboxes. When a letterbox is on your watch list, Atlas Quest will notify you through AQ mail whenever the status or clues for the letterbox have been updated. So if a letterbox has been pulled for maintenance and the status changed to “unavailable” or when the owner replaces the box and changes the status to “active,” you'll get a notification to let you know about the update.

As for updated clues, the watch only works properly when the clue is hosted on Atlas Quest. We'll try to give you clue updates for remotely-hosted clues, but we can only tell that something on the page has changed. Maybe the last found date was changed, but it‘ll still count as a clue change because Atlas Quest doesn‘t know any better!

You can run a search to include just your watched boxes from the Advanced Search page.



A box you have a watch on will have a small icon of an eye by it, like this one. (Except smaller!)

Besides watching the Postals message board closely for new announcements, the Advanced Search page for trackers will get you everywhere. A postal trackers is Atlas Quest's way of keeping track of postals (among other options) sent among a group of people. Narrow down your search so only open and limited postal trackers that are still available show up. Currently available postal trackers. The above mentioned search results page will display the status of trackers. Those marked as open are available for anyone to sign themselves up, and those listed as limited means that spots are open, but you must contact the owner of the tracker to be included. Closed trackers are still active but are no longer accepting new participants, and retired trackers are already over.

There is a Widgetyou can add on your home page for Newest Non-Traditional Trackers and one for Newest Non-Traditional Letterboxes. Many watch these Widgets closely as Postals, especially Micros, tend to fill up very quickly. If you are new, be sure to contact paper trail for the availability of a Newbie Micro.

There are many different kinds of transfer methods, and everyone has their own personal preference. It is a good idea for a new carver to try a few different methods to see which ones work best for them.

Pencil and Paper Methods

• Graphite Pencil Transfer (a.k.a. The Tracing Method): Place tracing paper on top of an image. Then, using a pencil, trace the image you want to carve. Once completed, turn the image upside down and place on top of the carving medium. Rub the image onto the material to complete the transfer. For more information, see the graphite pencil transfer tutorial.
• Vellum Transfer Method: This is very similar to the tracing paper method, but the paper is thicker, the pencil transfers well, and the paper won't tear as easily. Vellum is sold in the scrapbooking section of craft stores. There are several different vellum paper patterns but just chose a plain semi-transparent sheet. Place the vellum over the image and trace with a pencil. Place the pencil side of the image onto the rubber and burnish (rub). A dry embossing stylus (a paper crafting tool) works well but so does the cap of a Sharpie or any other slightly rounded hard object.
• Carbon Transfer Paper Method: Can be found at many craft or office supply stores. Use as you would in a receipt book/check book. Place the paper carbon powdered side down on the stamp material, lay your drawing over the carbon paper, and trace the image with moderate pressure.

Laser Printer / Copier Methods

• Heat Transfer: This technique involves using an iron to transfer the image. Nosox has produced a video tutorial to get you started.
• Acetone Transfer: Using an image printed on a toner copier or printer, secure the image face down onto your carving medium. Dampen a cotton ball, paper towel, or cloth or paper towel with acetone and rub the back of the paper, pressing hard to make a better impression. This will release toner onto the carving medium. Remove the paper while the acetone is still wet to keep the toner from re-adhering to the paper.
• Xylene Transfer: This method is very similar to transferring using acetone. For help, see the tutorial by Mark B.
• Wintergreen Oil Transfer: https://youtu.be/UtMP1hAMjwg

Ink Jet Printer Methods

• Clear Cellophane/Transparency Method: Using an inkjet printer, print onto a plastic sheet, then press the plastic against the rubber to transfer the ink to the material. If using inkjet transparencies, be sure to use the "wrong" smooth side rather than the bumpy side. Before you print, alter the image so what you're printing is gray rather than black. If it tries to print black, it'll put too much ink onto the plastic sheet and it'll form globs. By trying to print gray, it still applies black ink but less of it, which is what you need. You may need to change a setting on your printer setup to print using "black ink only", otherwise it may try to create gray by mixing colored inks. After printing, set the plastic sheet aside for a few minutes to dry. Then stamp it with your blank stamp material; the image will transfer. If it doesn't work right, clean everything up and try again until you get it right. Once you have the image on the rubber, it will smear if you touch it before it dries.
• Quick Paper Transfer Method: Print to regular paper using your inkjet printer. When printing is complete immediately place image onto carving material. You may need to rub the back of the image with a blunt object as in the pencil and paper methods.

See also

What printer/toner combinations work with which transfer methods?
Transferring an Image to a Carving Block Tutorial

Hitchhiker hostels (sometimes called hitchhiker hotels or variations on the theme) are letterboxes with a stamp and logbook of their own, yet you can also expect to find a hitchhiker. If you don't have a hitchhiker to drop off, you can still visit the box.

General guidelines (these may vary between HHHs):

• Most hostels require that you leave at least one hitchhiker in the box.
• Stamp your sig stamp, write your trail name, date visited, and any comments into the the HHH's logbook.
• Swap any hitchhikers you wish. Stamp your personal stamp into any hitchhikers you are leaving and taking. Usually you are asked to leave an hitchhiker for every hitchhiker you take but these "rules" may be differ some boxes allow you to take as many as you want as long as you leave one. Read the HHH instructions.
• Stamp hitchhiker images into the HHH's logbook for any hitchhikers you are leaving.
• Stamp the HHH's image into the logbook of any hitchhikers you are leaving.
• If you wish, take images of any hitchhikers that are currently in the hostel; however, don't stamp in with your sig-stamp if you aren’t taking it.
• Do not stamp any hitchhiker images into other hitchhikers.
• Move the hitchhiker(s) that you pick up in a timely fashion
• If contact information is available, let the owner know where you found their hitchhiker.
• If the hitchhiker is listed on AQ, log your find. Logging a find not only lets the owner watch its travels but those who have found it can also join in the fun of tracking its adventures.

Exceptions:

• Some hitchhikers specifically state that a finder can pick it up even if it is the last hitchhiker in the box.
• Read the hitchhiker logbook for information regarding hostels/hotels, some owners prefer that their hitchhiker not visit HHHs for fear that they will get stuck in the hostel.
• If you take the last hitchhiker based on the instructions of the hitchhiker owner, you might want to send a courtesy note to the hostel owner to let them know that you removed the last hitchhiker and why.

First and foremost, protect yourself from the sun -- even in winter. The ozone layer ain't what it used to be, and melanoma is no fun. Wear a big floppy hat *and* some SPF 30 sunscreen. And remember that the sunscreen really needs to be reapplied about once an hour, even if the label says it lasts longer. You'll also need a pair of sunglasses with UV protection. If you're coming by car, you'll want one of those sunscreens you put in the windshield when you park; otherwise, it can easily surpass 150°F inside the car while sitting there. No, that's not an exaggeration.

Be sure to carry plenty of water. You'll know you need it; it's so humid here that you'll be sweating profusely after only a little bit of exertion. Plan accordingly; you might want to carry a towel to pat yourself with, especially just before stamping in.

Poison ivy is ubiquitous in Florida. Learn what it looks like.

I'd say watch out for rattlesnakes, but you already know that. They're not really a problem because they'll warn you when you get too close. They are not aggressive at all; if you get bit, it's probably your fault.

A bigger problem is probably the cottonmouth moccasin, otherwise known as a water moccasin. They are deadly poisonous and they've been known to be somewhat aggressive, especially in the water. They don't always get out of your way when they see you coming on land. They are always found in or near water, so if you're not near water you can relax.

We also have coral snakes, although they're not very common. Some people strain their brains trying to remember this rule or that rule for distinguishing a coral snake from a king snake. I'll make it easy for you: If it has red, yellow, and black stripes, just leave it alone.

In fact, try to leave all snakes alone. They're actually pretty nice to have around, keeping the rat and mouse populations under control. Most of the snakes you'll find in Florida are non-venomous and quite pretty.

If you're an adult, alligators are a non-issue. Seriously, they are no problem at all, you can go swimming with them without concern. If you happen to see one, ask him to smile for a picture. If you have very small children with you, you need to be a bit more careful -- not so much of the alligator, but rather that your child doesn't think it's cute and walk right up to the toothy end. Finally, if you have a dog along, then you do need to be careful. They love dogs, they think they're just deee-licious. And the dog only too often is happy to oblige by running right up to the alligator and barking his fool head off.

Do not feed or harm alligators. Seriously, if a ranger or warden catches you doing either one, you'll be slapped with a surprisingly hefty fine at the very least and may actually see some jail time. They're very serious about keeping alligators untouched by humans in this state.

If you're in the wilderness in Florida in the warmer months, you're going to run into the Golden Silk spider, which many people simply call a Banana Spider because she's black and yellow and about the size of a banana! They are quite large, about the size of the palm of your hand. They are totally harmless, though. The big problem is their webs, which are incredibly sticky and strung between each and every pair of trees in the woods! If you look closely, you will see the male. He's a whole lot smaller and hanging around on the same web like a pest. Sometimes there are five of them on the same web with one female.

Please don't harass our spiders. We love our spiders; they're the reason we have so little trouble with mosquitoes, horseflies, and love bugs. If you are trying to get through the woods and there's a spider web in your way, simply pick up a stick and wave it in a circular motion in front of you. It'll wrap up the web along with the spider. Once you've cleared the way, simply toss the stick, with the spider aboard, to one side. She'll have a new web up by tomorrow morning.

The one poisonous spider we have is the Black Widow, well-known for having a red hourglass on her belly. If you can see the red hourglass, you're too close! Fortunately, they are not aggressive and will leave you alone if you leave them alone.

For the warmer months you'll need insect repellant, primarily for the ticks. Nasty lyme disease-carrying little buggers they are. One excellent way to minimize your exposure to ticks is to avoid touching the brush. If you walk the trails without touching anything, you'll have far fewer ticks to deal with than if you make a habit of pushing branches out of your way. When the branch moves, the tick drops off to see what he can land on.

The one good thing about ticks is that they generally walk around on you for hours before actually biting. After a hard day of letterboxing in the woods, it's not a bad idea to perform a "tick check" -- take off all your clothes and look carefully all over your body. Don't forget to look in your hair.

You're welcome to kill all the ticks you can. We hate 'em as much as you do!

We have our share of bees, wasps and hornets. Individually they're no problem, but you need to keep an eye out to avoid bumping into their nests. The worst one is the yellowjacket, because you won't see their nest -- they live in a hole in the ground that you can't see even after you know where it is. Usually the first sign that you're too close is that you've been stung a couple of times, and you'll probably get stung a couple more times before you get outta there.

Things you don't have to worry about: Climbing (the state is flat), mud (we have lots of sand, very little mud), rocks (again, sand, not many rocks).

There are two types of embossing:

1. Heat embossing; which gives your image a raised, glossy look
2. Dry embossing; which uses a stencil to give your paper a raised look

HEAT EMBOSSING
Embossing powder is actually ground up plastic that you are melting onto the paper. Clear ink can be used with colored embossing powder, or colored ink with clear embossing powder. Each version has a slightly different look.

The best ink to use is PIGMENT ink. This ink stays 'wet' longer, and the embossing powder will stick to the stamped image. VersaMark makes a clear pigment ink pad and also a pen. Avoid using DYE-or solvent- BASED ink or markers; they simply dry too fast for the powder to stick to the card surface.

After stamping the image, pour the embossing powder on and then tap off all excess powder. You should be able to tap the paper fairly hard without losing the powder sticking to the image. Brush off any stray particles of powder with a small paintbrush or q-tip. Another option is to buy a bag of chalk (sold near embossing supplies) to rub on the paper BEFORE you stamp. This will reduce the static and oils from fingers on the card that attracts the embossing powder.

Next, heat this powder with a craft heat gun. Hair dryers do not get hot enough to melt the powder and blow the powder off the card. And do not use your stove or other appliances.

There are a couple of tricks to using the heat tool. Hold the tool about an inch or so away, and move it back and forth or in circles, just a little. If you wave it around too much, you're not getting the heat to the powder effectively. As you see the powder melt and get shiny, move to another section of the stamped image. It is possible to burn your paper, or the powder, so watch what's going on. When you see the shine, move on. If your embossed image turns out flat rather than raised, it means you had the heat on it too long. Once the powder has melted, it's done, and any further heat doesn't accomplish anything.

You may find it helpful to have something (wooden skewer, a chopstick, tweezers, etc) to hold the paper down so it doesn't blow away while you're embossing and you don't burn your fingers. Also, keep the heat tool away from your jar of embossing powder or you'll wind up with a solid mass of melted embossing powder.

TIP: I stamp and put embossing powder on 10 LTCs and then lay them on a non-stick cookie cooling rack. Then I use the heat tool to emboss them. No more burned fingers! -Rocklun

Certain kinds of embossing powders do not raise up as much. The glittery ones are a good example of that. Also Tim Holtz has some new distress powders that do not raise up or change colors. It's really cool, but if you're just starting out, start with just regular embossing powders at first.

If you have trouble with the glittery embossing powder, double check that it really is glitter embossing powder and not just glitter. Plain ol' glitter won't work in an embossing situation because there is nothing melting with it to keep it stuck to the image. You can emboss plain ol' glitter, if you use Heat & Stick embossing powder. In that case, you just emboss your image with the powder, heat it up and then pour the glitter on and tap to remove the excess.

Couple of tips when using the Heat & Stick embossing powder:

• After embossing the image, RESIST the urge to touch it to see if it is sticky. It is, and it won't be after you've put your fingers all over it.
• After applying the glitter, and tapping off the excess, you can give the image another quick shot with your heat tool. This will embed the glitter a little more and assures that the application is permanent.
• Just accept the fact that when you work with glitter, it will be everywhere, including places you are sure were not exposed to the initial glitter application.

Here's a neat trick for getting a multiple-colored embossed image, without investing in a bunch of pigment ink pads: Glycerin. (If you buy special "embossing inkpads", you'll find the ink is glycerin-based, so that's the secret of it all.) This works best on images with large flat surfaces, not as well with line drawings. Dampen your finger and apply a very thin coat of glycerin to the surface of the stamp. VERY thin. Next, color your image with markers. You can do single color or multiple colors. Any nice juicy markers, such as your regular Marvys will do. You have to be careful that puddles of glycerin don't form in tight corners, or the image won't look very crisp. Anyway, after inking it all up, huff as usual, stamp, sprinkle on clear embossing powder, and heat it up. It gives you the versatility of pigment inks without buying them in multiple colors. Of course you can also buy the Marvy Matchable embossing markers, which are really nice too, but pretty expensive. A bottle of glycerin at the drug store is cheap and lasts a long time.

And here's another embossing trick that may or may not work for you. Some inkjet inks will emboss IF you work fast and use the "best" print quality. I have found that HP black ink works best - colored ink does not seem to work at all. Again, work fast or you'll get spotty embossing. Works best with small line graphics or lettering.

Ink from EraserMate pens also is embossable.

DRY EMBOSSING
For dry embossing, you use brass stencils, a light table (or other backlight source) and a burnishing tool. Put the stencil on the light table. Taping the stencil to the light table helps keep it in place. Place the paper on top of the stencil. Then use the tool to "rub" the paper down into the grooves of the stencil. When you are finished, you have a raised image. The stencils can be found in hobby and scrapbooking stores.

A couple of tips when dry embossing:

• If you rub your paper, lightly, with wax paper, the burnisher tool moves more easily over the paper.
• Make sure you reverse the stencil and papers correctly, or you will end up with a backwards image.
• If you are using a stencil image with an open space, you only need to rub the burnishing tool around the edges of the opening. No need to burnish the area in the middle.
• You may want to experiment with using the depressed side of the paper, or a combination of the depressed and raised imprints for a different effect.
• Other backlight sources would be to put a lamp under a glass table, or tape your paper/stencil to a window on a sunny day.

It's very easy. Once you've selected the book you'd like to use, make a thin solution of glue and water. Apply the solution in between and arround the pages you'd like to be the walls of the "box". Don't forget to separate the glued pages from the dry ones with something like a plastic bag while the glue dries.

Once the glue is dry, mark the perimeter of your future "box" with a pencil. All that has to be done now is for the section of the pages that you marked to be cut out.

This video shows the process of making a secret compartment book.

Attribute	Description
	The postals in these trackers have a movie attached! Stamp into the box, then watch the movie!
	The postals in these trackers have music attached. Stamp into the box while listing to the CD included with it!
	Surely you know where this is going, right? There's a book to read with these postals. These trackers will probably move a lot slower than most if participants actually choose to read the included book.
	These trackers include an altered book with the postal.
	The postal in these trackers can be anything under the sun—whatever floats your boat, and who knows what others might do.
	These trackers have a theme that everyone is expected to follow.
	It's okay to reuse an old postal for these singles or rings.

Gatherings are all about social interaction with folks of like mind, which means exchanges, activities and—of course—letterboxing. Here are tips to get you through a very busy, very chaotic, but very exciting day!

1. Come early: Coming right when the event starts ensures a few things. First, you'll get to meet your hosts and check out the stamps before the mad rush of other attendees arrives. Anything that needs to be handed out at a gathering (like clues and other tidbits) might be limited, so showing up first ensures you'll get it. Also, by midday, the area will be swarmed with people and food and boxes and ink. By coming early, you'll be able to sit down and stamp into the event book and start exchanges without having to wait your turn.
2. Stamp into the event book first: Every gathering has an event book to stamp in with your personal stamp and an event stamp to impress into your own logbook. Do both of these the moment you arrive because it may be a challenge as more and more people arrive.
3. Wear a name tag: Most events provide you with name tags to stamp your signature stamp and write your trail name onto, but if not, bring something of your own to identify yourself with. Most folks will know you from your stamp, so be sure that's on your tag, too!
4. Check around for traveling event stamps: Traveling events stamps move from event to event all over the country so that everyone has a chance to get the stamp and log in. Most larger events usually have several traveling events stamps floating around. You can usually find a table with these on it, so ask your host where it is, then head over and stamp in before everyone else starts to swarm the tables.
5. Check around for hidden boxes: Yes, even at a gathering where it's obvious we're all boxing and people tend to be less secretive about their stuff, boxers will still hide things that you won't even know about until after the event! Check under tables, in the corners of the pavilion, in the bushes nearby, in the food containers, and in anyplace else that's not someone's private bag or stuff. You might be surprised at what you find!
6. Exchange with other letterboxers: One of the other fun things about letterboxing is exchanging stamps with other people. These count as X in your PFX-count. There will be tons of folks whom you only know by their signature stamp or trail name on the message boards and websites. Just walk up and introduce yourself. Within minutes, you'll be sitting at a table with other people stamping into each others' logbooks and talking about the trail!
7. Ask about personal travelers: Some folks carry around a personal traveler (or two or more), which is just a letterbox that follows that person. Not everyone has them, so the best thing to do is just ask! Another great idea is to check Atlas Quest and do a search of the personal traveler letterboxes and bring those with you to the event. Then instead of the semi-embarrassing, "Um, so what do I do to get your box?" question, you'll know what it is you need to know to get it. (And people seem to really like the fact that you took the time to research it!)
8. Go letterboxing: One of the things that the Highlander and I always end up doing wrong is never leaving the pavilion to actually do some letterboxing. Remember, you're in an area that you haven't boxed before. Try to go for the local area boxes that you might never see again as well as the boxes that are out for the gathering. Also, gatherings make for a great time to buddy up and letterbox with someone and continue your talk. In fact, at really big events, you might find yourself waiting in line to get a box! So, don't wait until too late. Stay and chat a while, but go box, too!
9. Take some pictures of people: Remember, you're meeting folks that you won't remember later, so bring a camera to be sure you'll know who they are later. Also, it helps the event coordinators if they can get pictures from others to post in the wrap up and photo albums online. Most of them are so busy, they never get to leave the pavilion, so it's a nice way to help them remember a great time, too!
10. Be back in time for pictures, raffles, and other planned events: At some point in the event will be the group photo and some other fun stuff you may want to be involved in. Be sure not to miss at least the picture so you'll have that to look back on with your stamps and exchanges.
11. Join someone for dinner: After the event is over, many locals love to join out-of-towners for dinner—plus they know where to eat and you don't! Check and see if anyone is up for a meal and more time to hang out and talk. In fact, this is something you can check before you even come to the event—just ask the people you do know if they want to get together and invite others to join you. It's often less chaotic and gets you more quality time to chat than the hustle and bustle surrounding an event.
12. Box again the following day: Usually, an event starts on a Saturday, so plan out your Sunday for boxing, too. If you arrive in town the day before, you can box then as well, but if you're from the area, let the out of town folks have a chance at being the first finders on boxes.
13. Share your photos from the event: Once you get home, share your photos through the Photos section of Yahoo Groups or the Photo Album here on Atlas Quest. Other letterboxers—both attendees of the event and those who can only wish they were there!—will be interested to see your photos.

Other Things to Remember at a Gathering
Just as with letterboxing as a whole, certain conventions and rules have developed when it comes to letterboxing events. Here are the most common you'll want to keep in mind:

• Don't bring hitchhikers: This is something that's been the subject of heated debate, but many people do not want their hitchhikers to attend events. Hitchhikers are meant to be found in a box, not passed around from person to person. Additionally, most hitchhikers do not have large logbooks and cannot support the stamps of dozens or even hundreds of people. If the hitchhiker is your own, then feel free to share. Or, if you want to get the hitchhiker moving, place it in a box. But, do not leave hitchhikers on the table for people to stamp in freely.
• Don't be lax about discretion: Just because a lot of letterboxers are around doesn't mean that there are not a lot of non-letterboxers. The same rules about being sneaky and rehiding properly apply, especially here. Nothing is more disappointing than having someone take the time to carve and send a box to a gathering, then having it stolen because someone carelessly left it out in the open while chatting with friends.
• Watch out for cooties: For once, this is a good thing! Cooties are like hitchhikers that follow people instead of letterboxes. Normally, a friend or someone near you will slip a cootie into your bag or pockets while you're not looking. Once you find it, do not place this into a regular letterbox. Stamp into it, then try to pass it off onto someone else as soon as you can. After all, you really only get to see other boxers at these events, so you don't have much time to infect them!
• Be considerate of others while letterboxing: Everyone wants to stamp into the traveling event boxes and the other hidden boxes in there area, so make sure to be fair about holding the boxes. While you're exchanging with others, don't "hang on" to a box you've found, or grab multiple boxes to stamp into. Take one at a time (tedious as it may sound) and return it before doing anything else (eating, exchanging, taking a bathroom break, etc.).
• Bring food: Unless otherwise stated, all gatherings are potluck. Bring something to contribute so you won't feel guilty eating. And don't feel like food is the only thing you can bring. If you're coming from far off, perishable stuff is not a good plan, but water, snacks, and even ice and supplies (plates, cups, napkins, utensils) would all be greatly appreciated! Check with your host to see what they already have and what they might need.
• Give to your favorite local charity: Think about letterboxing events like public broadcasting (without the quarterly beg-a-thon). Your support helps us continue this great tradition of letterboxing and social events! Reserving the pavilion, getting extra food and supplies, mailing out letterboxes and the like does take time and money that usually comes out of only a few people's pockets at your event. So, it's never a bad idea to donate a little something, no matter how small and no matter what gathering you attend. No one will ever ask you to make a donation at a gathering and no one will ever think less of you if you don't give a dollar. However, every little bit helps!

Finally, gatherings are lots of fun, but can be overwhelming. Stay hydrated, take a buddy and a water bottle with you, eat right, and don't be surprised if you end up stamping into your own logbook a few times in the shuffle! Have fun and we'll see you at a gathering soon!

You can get 16 LTCs from a 12x12 sheet of paper. You start by cutting the 12x12 into four 5x7s, then cut those into quarters. You'll be left with a small square scrap of paper in the middle of the original sheet. Link to a video showing how.

Template for cutting LTCs from a 12" x 12" cardstock: http://www.create-with-joy.com/2012/05/woyww-tips-for-making-atcs.html

Letterboxing 101 Outline Answers & Teaching Tips

1. HIDDEN
Explain that I will teach them about a "treasure hunting game" called letterboxing. There are at least 60,000 of them hidden in the US and around the world! And there happen to be ____ of them in this park/location. Later, you'll get to find one! If there is time, explain a brief history about how it got started.

2. STAMP, LOGBOOK
Show a sample box, stamp & logbook. Explain the significance of hand-carved stamps and tell a story about a neat one that you have found. Show your logbook and how now you have a collection of memories from all the places you have been.
Give the agenda (learn about letterboxing here, make a stamp, then go in groups to find a letterbox.)

3. TRAILNAME - comment on what a weird name someone has in a sample logbook and then talk about trailnames and get them to start thinking of their own.

4. CLUES - I have a printout from both sites mounted as a poster that they can view later to see the difference between the two sites, as well as how many are in the area.

5. FOUND Explain how to check the last finds on both AQ and LBNA and why.

6. READ
Some clues require other supplies or that you solve a code or puzzle first.

7. Explain what supplies you are giving them today (i.e what they will use as a logbook). I give them 4x6 index cards and tell them they can put it in a photo album later.

8. TWO STEPS
Ask them what they think a pace means. When they get it wrong, demonstrate. Demonstrate clock directions and how to use a compass, if applicable.

Stop here and ask "Every game has rules, right? Well this one does, too."
RULES ("Code of Conduct")
STEALTH -- move away, pretend to take a photo, tie your shoe, have a snack, use phone
SAFETY -- poison ivy, snakes, spiders, using sticks, partner, cell phone
RESPECT-- for nature: leave the area better than you found it:
for people: take good care of the stamp, reseal and rehide well (not upside down!)

9. LEAVE THE TRAIL If everyone does, you have just made a new trail.

10. MUGGLES
Ask if there are any Harry Potter fans out there. What are the people called who don't know about Harry's secret world? Remember to keep this a secret!

11. Explain and demo the stamping in process. Most don't "get it" until you show them.
Stress that they should not take up an entire page in the logbook with their stamp!!
I enlarged an image from a logbook and showed them what it would look like - trailname, stamp, date, where from.
12. BABY WIPE (depends on audience)

13. HITCHHIKER (depends on audience)
I only explain this if necessary; mostly because I don't want them to find one and remove it.

14. BACK OF THE BOOK - explain bonus boxes and where you might find clues to them.

15. REHIDE well, just like you found it. Not upside down!! Make sure lid is on and baggies are not caught in it.

16. LOG (depends on audience)

TEACHING STAMP CARVING

Ask them to watch the entire process first. Once they get into their supplies, they don't listen to you anymore!
For my sample, I made a giant B (actually two of them in various stages of the process) so they would see it backward on the stamp.

Draw around your eraser/rubber on a paper (I use index cards or paper scraps) so that you have a rectangle no larger than your stamp.

Draw a SIMPLE design inside the box. Lines must be THICK and DARK. Emphasize this unless your carvers are older and will be using sharp tools. If you are using pencil tops to carve, show examples of a good drawing and a bad drawing. Budding artists will just have to hold themselves back!

Demonstrate how to hold paper on eraser and rub image to transfer. Emphasize that they need to hold the paper still while doing this! Otherwise, many smear it and want a new eraser. Note that the B is now backward.

If applicable, show them how to remove the eraser from a pencil. Have extras ready for when they rip the eraser off. Show them how to squish the end, but not all the way!

Show how to SCOOP away from you with the tool, not scratch toward you. If you are using cuticle trimmers, make it clear that they do NOT have to dig deep into the rubber; just use the bottom part of the V.

Show how to color it with a marker (if applicable) and stamp it. Note that the B is now forward again.

Then let them try it!
Be prepared to clean up all the carving mess afterward.