Water Logged Boxes

A huge number of boxes out on the Moor are waterlogged - far too many to list on here - and I would say that less than 1/2% are actually mentioned in the updates.

I appreciate we have had lousey weather these past few months but a lot of the problems isn't the case of boxers failing to put the lids back on - but when hiding the boxes and cracking the containers with the rocks.

So owners - please get out there and check your boxes out

Been up to Sharp Tor and found three totally waterlogged boxes. One had no stamp either. On the plus side their was a really well made box and stamp on the top.

Owners need to look after their boxes but I think there are quite a few that do not live near Dartmoor, Maybe we need a fostering system to keep the boxes happy ?????????????? What do you think??

Quite a good idea. I tend to clear up any smashed boxes I find. I suppose it would be OK if we replaced water logged boxes as well. Perhaps with a note in explaining our actions.

We found quite a lot of waterlogged boxes on our last search. This time round we are bringing a pack of freezer bags with us. That way we can attempt to make the box waterproof again without too much cost involved. We are also planning to carry a few mini notebooks to replace wet and soggy ones. We don't yet have a box of our own so we figure we might as well help to look after other peoples.
The most disappointing thing we found however was how many boxes simply hadn't been closed properly or hidden away again. If these things had been done the damage wouldn't have been so extreme.
I hate to think of all those stamps and messages just blotting away.

We always take a supply of boxes and notebooks out and repair any we find leaving 'repaired by"mods on the moor" stamp on the book.
If there are any contact details we inform them, unfortunatley the majority do not leave any contact details

We found an empty ice cream tub (5litre i think) on Yar tor this year with nothing in it so I took it with us, the next box we found we badly damaged so we swapped the external box with the empty one.

we have replaced a few books but we have stopped doing it as it is another thing for us to carry and how many do you take you cant replace them all

that always a problem just how much can you carry ????? not like nik with his 23 different colour stamps !!!
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they are not the typical inkpads - but double ended pens which saves a lot of space

Hi,
I have wanted to try letterboxing for years - ever since my Dad, who retired to Devon, told me about these mysterious boxes that people hid on the moor.
At last I have had a chance - and loved it. So although we live a long way from Dartmoor - we'll be back!
But I'd like some advice please. Apart from the really well maintained and well hidden boxes we found, we also came across the following. Not sure if we did the right thing. Please be nice to us if we got it wrong in our ignorance - but we would like to know so we can get it right next time.
1) Double-skin (i.e. box inside a box) box. Well hidden. It had been sited by a child. No contact details. No catalogue number. Visitors book completely full. We signed a card and left it in the box and noted the exact grid reference.
2) Single-skin box, not damaged but very soggy inside. Well hidden. Catalogue number in box (but it was not in the current catalogue, we later found). Visitors book did have contact details but too disintegrated to be able to read them. We noted the cat. number and grid reference and re-hid it.
3) Single-skin. Sited by a child. No contact details. Poorly hidden - clearly visible from path. Shop stamp. Full visitors book and chock full of damp bits of paper as well. We wanted to do something about it - it was unsightly both from the point of view of location and contents, but not being sure we tucked it slightly further out of sight but otherwise left it as it was.
4) Single-skin. No visitors book, contact details or stamp. Poorly hidden. Lots of damp bits of paper inside. We wondered if someone had left their sandwich box behind - and it had been mistaken for a letterbox! But to be fair, for all we knew, the box may have been moved from its original site and the stamp and book nicked. We thought seriously about taking this one away and binning it. But again, being new to this, we thought we'd better not.
We'll probably not be able to go back for a year. But would appreciate advice.
Finally thanks for all the brilliant boxes and lovely stamps we also found.
Cheers,
Blinch

how far from Dartmoor?

About 300 miles.
Have done it for a weekend - but it's a killer . So realistically I have to wait until I get a few days off.
Hoping now to go again next Spring - we've caught the bug. Too many other committments before then.

Blinch

300 miles - thats just a walk in the park... must mean you are in Northumbria or summat like that

I agree - it could be further - but I wish it was nearer.

Anyway - what do I do next time I do manage to get there and find a tupperware full of soggy bits of paper?? (see above)

leave it! I know it doesn't seem right - just dry it out as best you can and leave it in a better condition than you found it - thats what I try to do
And also try to hide it in a better way in the same site

Also I have the problem with getting there from London which is 250+ miles

If it's just a box with soggy paper in it, no stamp and no means of identifying it and contacting the owner, take it off the moor, it has become litter.

Two slightly different views then - that's interesting. However you both seem to agree that it should be made less of an eyesore. Boo - do you think it's the presence or absence of a stamp that makes the difference to whether you would remove it or not?

Blinch

Yes, I think so, if you can take a copy of the stamp there's always the chance you may be able to find out who the owner of the box is.