My guess would be that you don't have the maintenance issues that come with distant traditional boxes.

"I have always relied on the kindness of strangers."

Seriously, most of my plants I don't ever expect to visit again. If someone wants to adopt one, great. If they go missing, so be it. Meanwhile, I take every precaution to ensure that the box never needs maintenance.

The plus side of all this is that areas that you visit get a variety of planting styles. If everyone only planted near their homes, each town would only have boxes planted in the style of the boxers that lived there. That makes life boring IMHO. I plant in the midst of other boxers' home turfs.

Let's take a quickie poll: If you think boxers should only plant in places where they can visit the box regularly to maintain it, press [disagree]. If you think boxers should plant wherever they are regardless of whether they'll ever be back, press [agree].

I think that most of ones boxes should be close to home, but I'm up for being able to hide boxes elsewhere. However, I'll be hiding all of my boxes close to home.

I love to plant on the road! I call it seeding.

Almost always travel with a plant-able box...most of the time related to where I am going.

I may or may not plant....depends on what I find once there...I WILL not force a hide anymore...learned that one already I have! :)

You can not plant what you do not have with you.......:)

However, I'll be hiding all of my boxes close to home.

That's too bad.

However, I'll be hiding all of my boxes close to home.

That's too bad.

I've never been to Missouri anyway so I wouldn't have the opportunity to plant near you anyway.

Why knows, I may plant on a vacation sometime.

I've never been to Missouri anyway so I wouldn't have the opportunity to plant near you anyway.

It actually wasn't a comment about me not benefiting from you choosing not to plant elsewhere, it was a comment about you not benefiting from choosing not to. There are many joys that can be had from planting away from home, just like when you find away from home. You can find a spot that you might not otherwise have found and you can bring joy to those in the area in which you plant. Take along all of your stamps that you have carved and can't find a place for in your own area and plant them while you are traveling. I can guarantee that if the area has few letterboxers, they will be overjoyed with the plant. Another joy for you is that every time you get a find report, you get reminded of your trip. Another benefit for you is that if you are traveling and go out to find a letterbox that happens to be missing, you can plant on that trail so the walk feels more successful. Plus, if someone else goes looking for that missing box, they will have your box to find if they can't find the other.

Just some random thoughts from someone who needs to plant more. I have made it a personal goal to plant when I travel more. For this reason, I have carved some stamps that I plan to not plant near home. They will sit in my trunk until I go somewhere so if I find a spot I'd like to plant in, I have boxes ready to go.

Just some random thoughts from someone who needs to plant more.

Some good thoughts. Thanks.

I don't usually get far from home anyway, but I will keep these things in mind when I do. The ones that I have carved so far have designated locations for my local area. The hardest part for me is making the log books. I want to make excellent ones, like my first one. So far my others have been okay but not excellent. I'll just have to plant knowing that they can't all be blue diamonds.

I need to make some pouches for some. I'm sure that it will be easy once I make my first one. My first LTC envelope had wrinkled tape. I've gotten better since then. I expect the same from the pouches I make.

I prefer not to leave any boxes that I can't get out to maintain, or that someone else I know can't maintain or at least pull for me if needed.

Any excuse to get away from the relatives!

Can i get a HALLELUIAH!!!

deniserows
says that's right

I prefer not to leave any boxes that I can't get out to maintain, or that someone else I know can't maintain or at least pull for me if needed.

I'm sure your opinion might be different if you were in an area that depended on plants from "outsiders."

I started in 2004. There wasn't anything to find near me that was closer than an hour. I found that one. Then I saw there was another one about an hour and a half away... found that, too. Then a couple months later, 4 popped up within 2 hours of me and I was elated! Then ... ... ... nothing. Not a thing. I wasn't comfortable planting yet, but I tried. They disappeared before they were found. Then I lost interest. Then I was injured (severely) and I didn't do much of anything. When my injuries started getting better, I looked into letterboxing again and actually found 4 boxes near me, within an hour and I was excited! And then I saw there were 2 more just over an hour away! Having these few near me gave me the inspiration, motivation, and excitement to plant 3 more. And 2 of them disappeared, but at least someone found one of them before it did. Then I just lost motivation again... till another popped up on my searches almost a year later. Then another, then some more! As more and more popped up for me to find, I also found motivation to plant more, and that's about when another boxer in my area started up. You see, until 2009, almost 5 years after I started, the plants in my area were either travelers or people that planted one box and then dropped off the face of the earth. I really have to admit that if people didn't plant in my area while they vacationed, I wouldn't be here today.

~ Dizzy
excited and proud to be member #677

I really have to admit that if people didn't plant in my area while they vacationed, I wouldn't be here today.

My area was seeded here on the East Coast in NC by people from the West Coast! The earliest boxes in my county were planted by Amanda from Seattle. The first box in my town was planted by Abear of Idaho. That was pretty much all the boxes there were.

I can remember hoping that Amanda would come back in town and replace one of her missing Bible Belt Series boxes just so I'd have another one to find!

Of course, things are VERY different today.

Of course, things are VERY different today.

Boy, howdy! You don't have to tell me twice! =)

-- Ryan

I'm sure your opinion might be different if you were in an area that depended on plants from "outsiders."

I couldn't agree more.

Feel free one and all to orphan some boxes in my area, I'll take care of them!

I planted 3 this summer when we went cross-country for a family reunion (they haven't been found yet....will people go boxing in NE please???). Also plant when we go on vacation to the beach. I figure if I'm going somewhere on vacation to find letterboxes, I can at least return the favor and plant some for others, including the ones who planted the ones I found.... Plus, if it's where I'll return to vacation in the future, I can enjoy maintaining my boxes while out boxing.
I'm also always appreciative of those who help me maintain my box, wherever it's planted!
-Morris Five

Feel free one and all to orphan some boxes in my area, I'll take care of them!

Oddly enough, I very rarely get offers to adopt any of my boxes. Doesn't bother me much, but I am a bit surprised. I'd think that more boxers would be up for adopting boxes in their area. That's something even newbies can do, before they've built up enough confidence to plant their own boxes.

Wow! Those results aren't even close!

I very rarely get offers to adopt any of my boxes. Doesn't bother me much, but I am a bit surprised

Hmmm. I would think you would need to solicit help with boxes from the local boxers if you felt the need.

OPH

I find this thread very interesting, from a geocacher's perspective. There are thousands of caches near me, many are not well maintained and it's irritating. I feel like some of them are just abandoned trash. There are just too many (and of poor quality) for anyone to want to adopt.
I've come across letterbox pouches, full of ants and soggy, and it grosses me out. I have no interest in maintaining other people's boxes, but I agree, it is because I live in a pretty active area.

I can see where if there are only a few letterboxes in an area, it would be good to have outside planters. We do have quite a few in my area. I AM thinking of planting one when I go to the Philippines, but I am going to try and find it a "guardian".

".....from a geocacher's perspective." " I have no interest in maintaining other people's boxes"

Hmmm.... That sounds like a geocacher perspective.

"I've come across letterbox pouches, full of ants and soggy, and it grosses me out"

That could happen in your front yard...that is a bad hide or re hide in a poorly sealed container.

I always try to do what ever I can to help a box in the woods. I contact owner if needs more TLC.

It is LB version of trail magic so to speak.

But....THIS is a Letterboxer perspective. IMHO :) T

I always try to do what ever I can to help a box in the woods. I contact owner if needs more TLC.

Absolutely. It's kind of a "do unto others" situation. Besides, I want the boxes to be in good shape for whoever comes after me--it's kind of a downer to find a box in poor repair and if I can salvage it, then I do.

".....from a geocacher's perspective." " I have no interest in maintaining other people's boxes"

Hmmm.... That sounds like a geocacher perspective.

Yes, definitely.
I think the GA folks are always out at Stone Mtn caring for 'boxes (whether it is theirs or not). As I recall full park maintenance of boxes would get done before LbSE events. And then there was Brewhiker posting on FB how he would go out on his lunch breaks from work, put in a couple of miles and check on some boxes.

I also do full park maintenance on about 3 local parks annually.

And I take extra baggies and logbooks with me as I letterbox.

And I take extra baggies and logbooks with me as I letterbox.

My kit always contains bags, logbooks, planter's pouches, a sharpie, and sometimes extra painted LnLs. If everyone treated every box that they found as their own, maintenance wouldn't be a problem. I bring a ton of freezer bags with me because virtually every sandwich bag that I've found has at least one hole in it (and if it doesn't when I find it, it will soon).

[._.]

I very rarely get offers to adopt any of my boxes...

While I would be more than happy to adopt any of your boxes, I meant more along the lines that because there are so few people in some of the areas around that there isn't the critical mass of letterboxes for new letterboxers to really get into it if they so choose. That's part of the reason I try to plant letterboxes when I travel, particularly in areas where it isn't established. My hope is that they give potential boxers something to find... and if the box slowly decays and dies, so be it.

I'd love to know the numbers of those who start, find the a couple boxes within a reasonable distance of their homes than give up the hobby for lack of boxes. It seems reasonable to *me* that you'd just go and start planting to make up for that lack, but I liked carving before letterboxing.

But as I said Kirbert, you feel free to strand some boxes north of Toronto - I'll watch over them for ya ;)

It is LB version of trail magic so to speak.

I rather like that description. =) Or should we just call it "box magic"?

-- Ryan

Hmmm. I would think you would need to solicit help with boxes from the local boxers if you felt the need.

Okay. Hey, everybody! If you find one of my boxes anywhere outside the Tallahassee, Florida area, you're welcome to adopt it! Just drop me an AQ mail, and I'll transfer ownership pronto! Thanks!

But as I said Kirbert, you feel free to strand some boxes north of Toronto - I'll watch over them for ya ;)

Ya wanna plant some for me? Anyplace an airplane or automobile image would be appropriate...

I've come across letterbox pouches, full of ants and soggy, and it grosses me out.

From what I've heard on these forums, pouches in wet climates don't hold up very well. Around here, in Utah where it is fairly dry, they seem to hold up well enough. I haven't had a problem with one yet.

Coming from geocaching as well, it took me about half a dozen pouches before I remembered to seal the outside bag. (I may have sealed them before that, but I know I didn't get all of them.) Geocaches have inside bags so I always sealed them well. I have yet to make my first pouch, but the process looks simple. I'm going to need some for some of the places I plan on planting.

".....from a geocacher's perspective." " I have no interest in maintaining other people's boxes"

Hmmm.... That sounds like a geocacher perspective.

Yes and no. Some geocachers want to maintain other's geocaches, some are willing to do so, but most aren't interested. I adopted two geocaches, one when the owners were moving to another state in the Southeastern U.S., and another that had been clearly abandoned (back when they could be adopted when the owner obviously hadn't logged on in quite a while).

The first one I have maintained in the same type of container. It has gone missing three times but I've found a place where it had been safe for a few years, and geocachers have to read the hint that I left (on the page) to be able to find it. It is hidden very well.

The second one was near a place where I traveled to about once a month. When I wasn't going there as frequently I put it up for adoption and a geocacher who lives nearby maintains it now.

There was a series of caches (not a multi-cache) placed by a single cacher that I went to find. Three of the caches had no bag for the log or it had been torn. I put the log in a plastic bag so that it would remain dry. I actually favorited the whole series because of the consistent and fun theme that it had used. (Favoring can help visitors to the area decide if they want to visit a cache. It's the same idea but vastly different implementation as the Blue Diamonds.) I even hid a new cache at the end of the series with a similar name, for those who wanted to have one more on that remote location. The placer of the original series visited my cache and liked the idea.

I did run out of spare bags on this trip. I'm going to have to stock up again.

I joined the LBNA yahoo site in 2001. The Wes Garrison letterboxing site (now defunct - I believe it was the precursor to the LBNA database) in 2003 and Atlas Quest in 2004. Member #137.

Most of the pouches here in Florida were nasty. ;) Definitely not suitable here, IMHO. I would never offer to maintain one. If I really loved the stamp, I would offer to replace with a LnL, though.

I do help with geocaches of people I know, and in better hides, but not the abandoned ones. I barely have time for my own.