Nightcaching

[+supertbone]

Have many of you guys go geocaching at night? I did my first ones at night because that was when I only had time. I enjoy a nightcap sometimes of a getting a couple before bedtime. I try to avoid the ones in bad neighborhoods or the ones that would entail a risky hike. Geocaching at night is a fun twist to the sport we all know and love. I am thinking about getting a headlamp help me with the night caching as my hands are full between the PDA and the GPSr.

[+RebelJedi]

There is a cache near me that you can only do at night. It's called "Hoot Owl". You have to follow some reflectors on the trees in order to get to the cache. It was actually the first cache I did but could not log it because I had not signed up yet. I was out there helping a friend who had looked a couple of times before. Ever since then, I have been hooked.

[+Frodo13]

Our first night cache was just a few days ago. We left the house at 11:30PM to grab one jsut down the road from our house. We were motivated to get this one because the hider was a FTF on our most recent hide. He found it at 9:30 PM. He even waited to log it until the next day so a few whould to get up early before work in hopes of getting a FTF. It was less than a mile from the road but it felt like the middle of the forest, and we forgot the bread crumbs. WIll try a few others but will read and scout the maps before heading out.

 

Cheers

Edited March 6, 2006 by Frodo13

[+TeamGuisinger]

Caching at night definately adds a little more difficulty, but I think it adds fun too. Headlamps are a must, Wal Mart has quite a few different models cheap. And an actual night cache is one of my favorites. It's a different world at night.

[+kayakclimber]

I like caching at night more than any other time. Definitely makes it even more fun. Plus there aren't as many muggles out... But those who are out are more suspicous. I had a lady pretty much attack me with her dog. Came up behind me and a couple others before I even noticed her. It took some explaining as to why we were digging in the dirt in a park at 10:00 at night.

[TinyMoon & The Pumpkin King]

 

I'm not sure what percentage of our cache finds are "night finds", but it's up there. We've even gone out on 5 star caches "only accessible by boat" as a night cache find. Gives it that extra twist of excitement, I guess. Oh, and getting chased by coy-dogs thru' a National Park after midnight makes that "First to Find" all that more extra special! I know of at least 1 other caching team here in CNY that's been chased by coy-dogs during a night-cache, that's Ranger 21 and his wife, Queen's Reply. For light sources TinyMoon and I both wear headlamps and carry Ray-o-vac 4 D cell flashlights (can't wait to try out my new 10 million candlepower night blaster I recently picked up!)

 

 

[+bob&emily]

I have done a few at night. Didn't always find them. I have a hard enough time finding some in the daylight. If people see you creeping around parks or in the woods they think your up to no good and the police will be called...

[Trail bandit_blood hound]

Like all summer long me and my dad plus my brothers do about more caches at night rather than in the day time in the summer

~Adam~

[+What rock?]

We've done one night cache. We were trying for a FTF and had located the cache on Google earth and thought it would be a quick & easy. It was off a path beside a lake. It was creepy and made worse by spooking sleeping geese. That gets your heart rate up It felt like something from Blair Witch Project.

We were 2TF. Oh well.

[+Dgwphotos]

That's one of the reasons I don't night cache except for caches intended for night caching. The other reason is that I try to avoid using the backlight on my GPS to conserve batts. Also, it just adds another layer of difficulty.

[+Colorado Cacher]

GCTR9R

[+Eagleblazer]

GCQ3PG "Night Crawler" multicache by S.A.M. & LegendPilot. It was awsome. If your ever in Md. at night this is a must do.

[beegirl13]

I like caching at night more than any other time. Definitely makes it even more fun. Plus there aren't as many muggles out... But those who are out are more suspicous. I had a lady pretty much attack me with her dog. Came up behind me and a couple others before I even noticed her. It took some explaining as to why we were digging in the dirt in a park at 10:00 at night.

 

Why were you digging in the dirt? No such thing as a buried cache, you know...

[+switchdoc]

Night cachinghas always been one of my favorite things to do in the summertime. The air is cool, there aren't that many muggles about, and you get to play with flashlights!

[+Trezurs*-R-*Fun]

The competition for FTF's in our area is so intense that the only way to get one is to night cache. Of course doing a 5 difficulty with headlamp/maglight makes the find even more memorable. Great time of day to be out caching too. Get to experience things you wouldn't experience during the day..

[+kayakclimber]

Why were you digging in the dirt? No such thing as a buried cache, you know...

 

Around the base of a tree. The cache was more covered with leaves than buried.

[+Dgwphotos]

The competition for FTF's in our area is so intense that the only way to get one is to night cache. Of course doing a 5 difficulty with headlamp/maglight makes the find even more memorable. Great time of day to be out caching too. Get to experience things you wouldn't experience during the day..

 

That's also true around where I live. I don't really try to get FTF's so it's not a big deal with me. I do have one night cache. Unfortuantly, it is disabled right now. I have also done another night cache.

[+Dgwphotos]

Mine is GCRDZ3.

[+Colorado Cacher]

The competition for FTF's in our area is so intense that the only way to get one is to night cache. Of course doing a 5 difficulty with headlamp/maglight makes the find even more memorable. Great time of day to be out caching too. Get to experience things you wouldn't experience during the day..

 

This disease has now just begun here.

[+SunshineGang]

we did a night only cache about a month ago while on vacation. The path was marked by tiny reflectors so it would be impossible to do it during the day.

 

Most caches in our area though are in parks with posted hours. So we have to be careful about where when night cache.

[+Rick618]

We just did a night time cache, in an old cemetary. Well, that was where you started, the cache and trail were off grounds, but still! The girlfriend would not let me get 3 steps ahead without a Wait for me, Don't leave me. There were 1/2 a dozen bright eyes and then at the end was a nice arrow pointing into a clump of trees. The cache container was inside a bloody head Halloween mask filled with spray foam. She didn't want to get any closer to the final stage than holding the flashlight. The fun part is back tracking when you have put the gpsr in your pocket, so there isn't any bread crumbs. I just back trailed from one bright eye to the next. The old soldiers nearby decided to stay resting in peace and not stir up the woods for us. I had fun.

[rocketmann]

I've never actually had a chance to do a night cache. I need to get out and do that sometime...

[+MtnGoat50]

This was a timely thread for me. I was out last night on a new cache trying for an FTF. I checked my email at about 9:00 PM and saw that a new cache had posted very close to my house. I noticed that the email was about 45 minutes old and it was 4/4, 5 stage multi with about a 3 mile hike but I decided to try it anyway. Grabbed a couple of flashlights and headed out. There was already a car at the parking spot and as I walked to Wpt 1 I could see a flashlight off in the woods. Just as I'd replaced the first waypoint another cacher appeared out of the darkness. I waited will he found #1 and we continued to the second waypoint together. We caught up with the first cacher at this point. We finished the cache as a team and agreed to share the FTF. It was great fun, I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

 

Another time I went out to try for a micro in a city park. A neighbor, in a house by the park, came out and asked "What are you doing...can I help you". I told him I was geocaching and sure come on over and help me look, but all he did was go back inside. I assumed he was calling the police. Oh well. Some other cachers showed up and we looked for about an hour with no luck and left before the cops arrived.

 

My first night adventure was on Christmas eve. I got home from dinner at the inlaws and checked my email. A new cache had just posted. It was a puzzle cache, I madly solved the puzzle in about an hour, and woke my wife up to tell her I was going caching. She saw the wild look in my eye and knew there was no chance of talking me out of it, so she got up, helped me grab a few things and off we went. Left the house at 10:00PM got home about 2:00AM Christmas morning, after a great adventure, with some great memories and a very special FTF prize.

 

In my area, if you want to get First To Finds, some night caching is going to be part of the game. Chose your caches carefully, with regards to your abilities and I think you'll have alot of fun.

[+WhiteWizard]

Am in Singapore and we have a Night Cache with reflector tacks. Think everyone except my crew has done it during the day. I thought it was fabulous, except the five foot spider web I stepped into holding my three year old. It kind of snaps when you pull it off. And then there was the shining tack on a tree that ended up being the eyes of a spider that must have made one of those five foot webs.

 

Actually we have done a number at night with the kids and have had a lot of success. In this area night caching can be needed to be FTF.

[+Strider - King of Gondor]

Night caching is fun, i exspecially like it when prepared.....I've done several just because i got a late start and refuse to turn back because the sun is disappearing....breadcrumbs are a savior, exspecially when my small mag-light runs dry.....

 

As duly noted by several others ....usually muggle free , but when muggles arrive, They are not easily persuaded that I'm just lurking around in the woods to .... A call to the local police force usually follows

[ItalianBostonian]

My 1st cache was at night around 3am. I found it! It was pretty fun.

[+mudsneaker]

The competition for FTF's in our area is so intense that the only way to get one is to night cache. Of course doing a 5 difficulty with headlamp/maglight makes the find even more memorable. Great time of day to be out caching too. Get to experience things you wouldn't experience during the day..

 

No kidding about high rating at night. The terrain was wicked when we recently got a FTF at Delta View. Seriously messed up to do at night. But what a Blast!

 

The owner of the cache sent me this E-mail:

 

Re: Delta View

For FTF - The usual applause

For AT NIGHT!!!! - A standing ovation, a bow at the waist, and a

straight jacket.

pugetview

 

Edited April 21, 2006 by mudsneaker

[explorerboy]

You know what you should do? Make a cache and say that it is best done at night and then wait near it and scare somebody when they come around.

[+rontved]

I did this one as my first real night cache. GCTK2T

 

Very fun experience. The total trip vas about 12 Km, and it took 5 hours to complete.

The cache is in a military area. Access is allowed when the military isn't using the area.

 

One important thing is to remember extra batteries for everything. Usualy the flashlight and GPSr will go dead if you decided that the batteries should last to the end of the trip

[+Geo-Cad]

You know what you should do? Make a cache and say that it is best done at night and then wait near it and scare somebody when they come around.

 

That's a very good way to be either A) Shot or Have the snot beat out of ya...

[+Ladybug Kids]

During the winter months up here in Alaska, night caching is often the only option before or after work. I've also night cached in Arizona and New York and had a good time. Sometimes, caches are easier to find in the dark when lit up by an especially bright light.

 

However, after doing a night cache with Scobey and Northwes last March, I am more selective about where I go. The cache was Anchorage Exorcism, and all went well until we saw this:

[+marknhelen]

The best cache we have ever done was at night. It was great fun and a load of us went. It is at http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...0a-2d51c73a2a03

 

thoroughly recommended.

 

Just don't foget, spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries spare batteries

Edited May 23, 2006 by marknhelen

[+Fireguy15]

There is one down in Southern MD that not only requires Night Caching but the use of NVG (night vision goggles). I personally haven't tried it yet (no NVG's) but hope in the future to get to it. It is temporarily disabled as a critter has been chewing the wiring for the cache marker. The cache I speak of.

[+vortexecho]

Have many of you guys go geocaching at night? I did my first ones at night because that was when I only had time. I enjoy a nightcap sometimes of a getting a couple before bedtime. I try to avoid the ones in bad neighborhoods or the ones that would entail a risky hike. Geocaching at night is a fun twist to the sport we all know and love. I am thinking about getting a headlamp help me with the night caching as my hands are full between the PDA and the GPSr.

not without night vision googles or a surefire flashlight and of course extra batteries ,sounds fun but i'll wait till i get good in the daytime

[+art begotti]

unfortunately, there's only one night-cache-esque cache in my area. but looking at other logs, most people seem to do it at day. but i've been meaning to go out and do it some night anyway. i think the concept of night caching sounds really cool. i've always enjoyed walking in the dark. for reasons which i fully cannot comprehend.

 

there's another cache a little farther out from me (GCM23Q) that's in a supposedly haunted cemetary. it's half-encouraged to do the cache at night... and half-advised against it... i've had friends that have gone there (unfortunately, the muggle type), and they say it's one of the scariest places ever at night.

 

in all honesty... the latest i've ever done a cache? 9pm. and during the summer, so it wasn't even dark out yet.

[TinyMoon & The Pumpkin King]

During the winter months, at least here in Upstate New York, night caching is your only option during the week. After all, sunset is around 5pm, and most folks get out of work around 5pm...so you see the pickle we are in. Unless we wait until the weekend, nightcaching is the only answer.

[+Team Noltex]

I have a new night cache, Control the Night, that uses an infrared remote, or any TV remote control, to activate a receiver with a blinking LED. The receiver marks the location for coordinates to the next receiver. The final has a receiver that activates a laser, which points out the location of the final, an ammo can. I'm just hoping that I can keep up with the batteries.

[+coreynjoey]

I have a new night cache, Control the Night, that uses an infrared remote, or any TV remote control, to activate a receiver with a blinking LED. The receiver marks the location for coordinates to the next receiver. The final has a receiver that activates a laser, which points out the location of the final, an ammo can. I'm just hoping that I can keep up with the batteries.

 

We did this one the other night. It was very cool! Started a little too early, as it was still light out. So, it took us awhile to find the first waypoint, but once it got darker, the LED's showed up better. It's kinda creepy sneakin around at night, which just adds to the excitrement. I'm fairly new to geocaching, but it's ones like this that I look for. Very creative and unusual!

[midge08]

we tried for our first night cache last night. there were three of us walking down a ditchbaks at 9:30 pm. oboegirl and i were scared. so we followed snare08. i had my cell phone in my hand with 911 pre-dialed. all i had to do was push call. lol. i'm scared of the dark. then we got down to within 500 feet of the cache, and realized that it was in some trees, near someone's house. we didn't want to cops to get called on us. plus i was freaking out. we turned around and went back to my car.

[+microtaz]

My first night cache Wait Until Dark was soo much fun that now we are gonna go back to do it again so my daughter and her friend can sign with their own accounts

[+jetaplacid]

We couldn't sleep one night and decided to go back and look for the cache that had eluded us earlier that day... so at about 1:30 am we headed out! It was probably not the smartest to do at night because it was on a steep hill that looks more like an old river bed (lots of rocks and big boulders!) but we ended up finding it with only one small flashlight and no moonlight at all. We lost a lighter on the descent down to the car, but got home safely by 3:30 am! It was lots of fun!

[+CACHE KRAWLER]

Nope, I have no idea what you are talking about.

I can honestly say that I do about 75% of my Caching at night. Like a previous Cacher said. The warm air in the summer time at 2 or 3 in the morning is awesome. Yah, sometimes the cops question you, but it's so much more fun.

[+Jango & Boba Fett]

Haven't found any caches specifically designed to be done at night yet - some of the ideas here sound great though. Spent a few days around midsummer up in Scotland and did several caches in that strange twilight that you get up there from mid June to early July. Its not quite night and not quite day with eary blues and oranges all along the northern horizon. Did several around Aberdeen including Baron's Cairn

[+NatureGuy360]

I have completed one cache that required you to search for it in the dark. It was set up so that your coordinates would take you to a given location and then once you got there you had to shine a flashlight all around you until you spotted a tiny orange reflector on a tree. After that you could look directly on the gournd below the reflector and you would find the hidden geocache. That was a true challenge! After discovering the cache, my friends and I got the "bright" idea to see what it was like to walk around at night with our flashlights turned off. It was a little spooky walking around with just a hint of moon light to guide us but we had a blast!

Edited August 11, 2006 by heyjonathan101

[+emurock]

Nightcaching rocks I think nightcaching is great although I have only done one cache at night.

It was not a nightcache but I wanted to do at night so I get my sister and some of my friends. (we were camping)So we get on are bike's and go the cache (it was only 1/2 mile away) we get to the area and the hint is root the giant so we find this fallen tree. We begin looking and find it in like 5min so we sign the log.

That is the story of my first nightcache.

[+EraSeek]

The world's first night cache: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...1f-fd385a74d5f2

[+jchiar]

The world's first night cache: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...1f-fd385a74d5f2

Any nightcaches on the East Coast of the US?

[+Skillet68]

The Vulchers are watching in Chapin, SC

[+OverTheEdge]

I've only done night caching twice. During the first one, a muggle came along and asked if we were looking for squirrels or rats (didn't know that was the only two options). To this day, I wonder who he runs into at night(?)

 

The second time, we went after 6 caches. We called it quits after the forth one - after a cop started watching us... We did the ole "talking into the GPS" routine. We had already replaced the cache back to its hiding place, so we wondered off, talking into the GPS and pretending we didn't see the officer.

 

I'd like to do more in the future.

[Wumpus23]

Is it typical for one's first nightcache to be in a cemetary? It was neat and creepy and fun! All for a micro too!

I shouldn't complain. Honestly it is a nice cemetary, full of antebellum tombstones and whatnot.