BuckeyeBeth

Caching with an experienced cacher is definitely the #1 way to build up your senses, if you have the connections. In addition to that and the other suggestions already given, another thing that has helped me a lot is to do some research online. Check out YouTube, FlickR, geocaching stores, and the threads here on Groundspeak (I especially recommend the "Cool cache containers" thread). Soak up everything about geocaching you can find online, it will teach you a lot about how caches have been hidden and the most popular tricks of the trade. It can help you to recognize clues that you see out in the field. Good luck!

Caching with an experienced cacher is definitely the #1 way to build up your senses, if you have the connections. In addition to that and the other suggestions already given, another thing that has helped me a lot is to do some research online. Check out YouTube, FlickR, geocaching stores, and the threads here on Groundspeak (I especially recommend the "Cool cache containers" thread). Soak up everything about geocaching you can find online, it will teach you a lot about how caches have been hidden and the most popular tricks of the trade. It can help you to recognize clues that you see out in the field. Good luck!

In our neck of the woods, the accepted response to meeting a cacher near GZ falls into two situations: Situation #1, anytime the cache has already been found: Spot the dead giveaway GPSr, yell "Found it yet?", proceed to hunt together and joyously trade geocacher names and stories. Note: concern about muggles falls in direct proportion to the number of fellow geocachers. Situation #2, on an FTF hunt: Spot the dead giveaway GPSr and bolt like a bat outta heck towards your best guess for where the cache is. Trade the pleasantries later.

Fantastic - thanks, everyone, for the helpful info! I think it will be fun to find one of those travelers, I'm just hyper-aware of how much I don't know and wanted to do my best to avoid breaking any etiquette rules. I'm having a lot of fun, thanks for helping me out! --Beth

Hi all, I'm a new geocaching addict. (3 finds in 3 days, woo hoo!) I've been reading up tons of information, but I have one question I haven't seen explained yet. When I find a geocoin or a travel bug (which I'm looking forward to), should I trade for it in the cache like I do for regular items? Do I need to trade a similar coin or bug, or what's an equivalent? Or are those considered exceptions to the trade rule? Thanks for the help on a major newbie question - --Beth