The Perfect Cache Hunt

[+cachefamily]

I was wondering what other cachers considered the perfect cache hunt. This is for one cache, not a days event. Think of it this way, you can only do one cache today. Mine would include the following:

 

adequate parking (for 1 car is fine)

an obvious or pretty obvious place to start the hike

a hike of a mile or two (each way)

terrain not to exceed 3

a reasonable time to find it at gc (less than 30 min)

anything during the hike worth taking a picture of

 

-Steve

[Aushiker]

Hi

 

Much the same except I would like a good day's hike in, somewhere to camp for the night (wild) and a good walk out the next day.

 

Andrew

[+briansnat]

Something that will take the good part of an afternoon. Terrain of 3-4 stars, excellent view near the cache and a hike of about 4-6 miles. Probably would be a multi too. This cache would be ideal if I hadn't already found it.

Edited February 3, 2006 by briansnat

[+Jamie Z]

I like caches with a good hike, too... but the thing that really, really makes it a good cache is when I get to the spot (whether it's after a long hike or not) and I exclaim "Wow!"

 

I've found a handful (out of several hundred) which took me to a waterfall I didn't know about, or some ruins way back in the woods. It doesn't even need to be about the scenery. Once I found a cache that after a nice hike along a lakeshore, I found out that I had to cross a wide stream to get to the next waypoint in the multi. That was an exciting challenge.

 

Despite the several posts above mine which make it sound like geocachers like long hikes, the vast majority of finds are on easy caches. Place a good one, and few will come. Throw a keyholder on a guardrail and scores will log a find. Now you tell me what kind of cache hunts people like.

 

Jamie

[+Mudfrog]

A challenging multicache that takes us on a good scenic hike on a beautiful day. Throw in some variety in the stages (different containers, hiding techniques, etc,,,) and you have a cache date that can't be beat!

[Aushiker]

Despite the several posts above mine which make it sound like geocachers like long hikes, the vast majority of finds are on easy caches. Place a good one, and few will come. Throw a keyholder on a guardrail and scores will log a find. Now you tell me what kind of cache hunts people like.

G'day Jamie

 

I agree, but I would distinguish between caches I like and ones I "just do.". I don't have the time, and they are few and far between in my neck of the woods, to do the ones I like, so I do a lot more of the ones "I just do." My day to day caching is ticking off the close ones, my really enjoyable caching is the overnight or longer bushwalks.

 

I did an overnight bushwalk recently where I bagged three caches. Thankfully a few more have gone out in the same area, so now I am organising a group bushwalk which will combine geocaching with a weekend of off-track bushwalking and camping. Now that is my kind of weekend

 

Regards

Andrew

[+briansnat]

Despite the several posts above mine which make it sound like geocachers like long hikes, the vast majority of finds are on easy caches. Place a good one, and few will come. Throw a keyholder on a guardrail and scores will log a find. Now you tell me what kind of cache hunts people like.

 

There is some truth to this. See all the finds on the cache I linked to above.

 

However I find (in my area at least) its more a matter of density than anything. Place a lone cache, even if its a short hike to a scenic spot, few people will bother with it. Sprinkle a cluster of 4-5 caches along the way and the world will beat a path the area.

 

Also its a matter of time. Anyone can spare 5 minutes to bag a guardrail cache, but being able to devote a half a day for a cache hunt is tough for a lot of people. I know I'm guilty of passing by really good caches for lack of time. At the top of my to do list for a long time was a multi that involved a strenuous 10 mile hike. Unfortunatley it was archived yesderday. It 10 had finders in the 2 years it was out. I'm sure a lot of people were in my boat and just couldn't budget the 6-8 hours it took to find it.

Edited February 3, 2006 by briansnat

[+JDandDD]

I like caches with a good hike, too... but the thing that really, really makes it a good cache is when I get to the spot (whether it's after a long hike or not) and I exclaim "Wow!"

That's pretty much what its like for us, and it doesn't have to be a spectacular sight. We have come across cache containers that showed tremendous craftmanship and gone wow!, or a really clever hiding techinque. The things that show us something different or teach us something of the history are the great caches and a good hike really adds to that.

 

JDandDD

Edited February 3, 2006 by JDandDD

[+GPSOkie]

To me, the perfect cache involves an interesting location, cool swag, and good friends to accompany me on the hunt. I am amazed at the number of locations I have discovered geocaching in a town that I have resided for 13 years. I enjoyed a very nice cache last weekend that was in a park that I never even knew existed. There was nothing difficult about the cache, but I had a good friend with me, it was some place that I did not know existed, and the cache contained some neat trade items. Then again, I am easy to please

[+Allen_L]

This is my log for what I consider to be close to a perfect cache hunt. One cache in two days, including an overnight camping and an all day hike.