When Is A Cacher Not A Newbie Anymore?

1.4k · March 18, 2006

100 found. Totally arbitrary...but that's the measure I picked, I'm completely comfortable with it, and I'm sticking to it. I hate gray areas.

I'm a real cacher now! I knew that golden micro was good for something!

The moment they feel that they no longer are.

That would have put me at around 50 found.

I say your no longer a newbie after 100 finds, 10 hides, and 1,000 forum posts. It is all about the numbers you know.

While I guess forum posts should count for something as it is contributing, I think it should only have minor weight. I have much more time to do forums than caches, so I'll probably reach 1000 forum posts (I'm almost 1/4 way there) well before I reach 100 finds (almost 1/3 of the way there now) or possibly even 50 finds. Don't know if I'll ever get to 10 hides, just starting to think about my first 1 or 2.

Edited March 18, 2006 by hairymon

March 18, 2006

Your a newbie when its convienent to be a newbie, and a professional when its ok to be. Example:

Person with 200ish finds

Cop:"do you really think its a good idea to be sneeking around at night, at a cemetery, so close to the property line?"

Cacher: "Oh, i'm so sorry, i didnt realize i was near private property, Im really new at this"

-Cop Leaves, you get a warning-

5 minutes later

Cacher:"YES FTF @ 11:58, #200, YESYESYES, i'm really good at this whole thing"

Oh my gosh! I laughed so hard on this one!! LOVED IT! :mad:

I'll have to remember this when officer friendly caches me...I mean catches me someday!!!

March 18, 2006

You saw the question. Now let's hear some opinions.

In the immortal words of Donald Rumsfeld, there are things we know we know, and things we know we don't know, etc.....

Among the things I may not know is whether or not I'm truly a newbie. I've toyed with, navigated by, and been generally fascinated by GPS for years now. I'm also an old Boy Scout with a fair bit of orienteering under my web belt. I can read topo maps, road maps, and nautical charts. I've been on long hikes to remote woods and found my way through city streets. I'm smart enough, capable enough, and athletic enough. At my age, I've dropped, misplaced, and outright lost enough things that I'm pretty good at finding them now.

I'm drawn to geocahing because it ties up a lot of this knowledge and experience into a single activity. Does how many caches I've found really matter? Can experience be measured in numbers? Or, is newbie status (or lack thereof) more a function of understanding and experience with the entire spectrum of life and the outdoors and its relationship with the sport? I have to go with the latter.

No doubt I have a lot to learn. My interest in this sport has just begun, and I have yet to search for my first cache. I am technically, chronologically, and numerically a newbie. But I have to believe the question implies much more than that.

March 20, 2006

My opinion would be when other cachers in your area have heard of you from the logs and your hides....and possibly from running into you on the trails.

I got a reply on a post on the forums from a local reviewer because he recognized my name, but have yet to run into other cachers on the trail in my home town. I have been approached by muggles near urban chaches to "find out if that's what I was doing", bumped into a cache owner in the middle of a 10-hide multi, then saw him again waiting for me at the end just cause he was excited someone was doing his cache. But never, ever bumped into another cacher in my home town... with 200 local finds and 4 local hides.

March 20, 2006

Well, I will consider myself a newbe...started caching in Feb and have had only 2 dnfs and found 25, But...

Once I find a micro or mini of a western colorado cacher then I will not consider myself a new be...

He has a habit of high altitude caches snow now 5 to 25 feet of snow.. Ususing public business with permission to hide on their property but not during business hours....

When I find one of the most deceptive cache hidders from our area cache, then I will say I am not a newbee no mo...

Dave from Team_Talisman

March 21, 2006

You are no longer a newbie when you realize that lampost hides are no longer clever.

When you despise bush hides.

You have more altoids tins that one could ever possibly hide in ones lifetime.

When you realize that you hate altoids tins.

Your GPS points you to a wall of ivy and you say "crap".

Have I mentioned about hating bush hides!

You are on a first name basis with the dollar store cashier.

You buy a chainsaw to cut down every bush with a 20 mile radius of your house.

You stalk the owner of that last bush hide.

Anybody else want to help me out????

When you are sitting here giggling like a fool (but agreeing with every word) while you browse thru the forums :rolleyes:

March 22, 2006

Does anyone really care?

To me it's a state of mind.

Oh how profound

March 22, 2006

Maybe when I can answer questions, instead of asking them.

March 22, 2006

... when you finally start remembering to mark your trailhead when you begin.

I sure have not remember that one yet!!

March 22, 2006

Actually, does it matter?

I am a newbie and feel every trip out is an adventure. I have a lot of interests and this is only one of them and I am finding it a great way to get out is the open spaces.

One of the best things I am getting from it is seeing new trails I have missed in the past.

I hunted for a cache Sunday but did not find it but I did find a Porcupine dened up under a stump and we had a small chat. I left him as I found him.

I found a marsh that is marked a Loon nesting area, of which there are few in Michigan. In doing so I found two marshes I can kayak and take some pictures in the spring.

I have found small parks in my area that I did not know exsisted.

I have found something to do when I have been normally suffering from Cabin fever. Now I can get out of the cabin.

I can get out in nature and relax.

I prefer doing things alone and can not imagine going on organized hunts. I refuse to compete in anything as it takes the fun away for me. Who cares who is best? I don't. I am not in it to be best. I am in it to relax.

Another of my hobbies is Metal Detecting. Sat while Caching I found an old Ghost Town that I never new exsisted. Now I have another potential detecting site.

No there is no shame in being a newbie, I have been one all my life and am proud of the fact that I enjoy so many hobbies.

When it gets hot and the trees get their leaves and the bugs get hungry, I will be diving or metal detecting or kayaking but come fall, I will be caching.

It is a wonderful new hobbie I am enjoying.

March 22, 2006

. . .

When you despise bush hides.

. . .

Anybody else want to help me out????

What is a "bush hide"?

March 22, 2006

When you:

-have met at least 5 cachers on the trail.

-have at least 3 caching buddies.

-have the phone numbers of at least 2 cachers you can call if you need help while looking for a cache.

-attend at least one event.

-don't worry about the trade any more.

-enjoy the thrill of at least one FTF.

-maintain at least 1 cache.

-have a geocaching bag ready to go at all times.

-realize it is better to give negative feedback or advice about a cache directly to the owner.

-wonder if you need to buy stock in a battery company.

-most importantly, enjoy the adventure.

A great lady (Katydid) once said, "It's all about the people." Once you fully understand this you're there.

MS

Edited March 22, 2006 by Katydid & Miles Stone

March 23, 2006

Thursday at 12:05. :tired:

March 23, 2006

You are on a first name basis with the dollar store cashier.

Mine's named Linda.

JDandDD

March 23, 2006

every time it take me a hour to find something that should have taken 15 minutes i feel like a newbie.

April 3, 2006

Well...that would be me...went to the dollar store yesterday and spent more than $10.00 on stuff that I don't need ( candy, tea, etc) just for the containers! I have a stash of containers in my car, at work and in my home...but i keep buying more...and my friend at work give me all their altoids and other such containers!

Hmmm...is this an obsession? ( I only have 400+ finds, 18 hides, maybe 3 forum posts ...I guess i need to get some posts under my belt...so i can be considered a "real" Geocacher?

April 6, 2006

Whenever you're outside walking, you can't help but think:

That would be a good spot for a cache.

Oh, that would be another good spot for a cache.

That person looks suspicious. I wonder if they're geocaching.

April 6, 2006

You saw the question. Now let's hear some opinions.

NEVER... After your first,which is new to you, comes your 2nd,which again is new to you and so on.

So with each cache that you visit you are a NEWBIE to that. After a number of caches you gain experience, and then become ELITE, but you are still a NEWBIE to your next cache because they are all different.

April 7, 2006

You stop being a newbie 6 months after your last DNF of a 1/1................I'll always be a noob :-(

April 7, 2006

The day you can match Mondo cache for cache.

3k · April 7, 2006

When everything in your cupboards and fridge look like suspicious cache containers <_<

April 7, 2006

I am a noobe , found my first cache that I was looking for today. I got interested in this sport because I kept finding these boxes, containers, tubes, film canisters with cords in them, etc. and looked into what it was all about. I spend alot of time in the woods with my dogs and bow and am very observant. Looked like a lot of fun so I bought an eTrex legend yesterday and here I am. ( I gave my old Magellen to my son in law last year) and have been using a compass. Looking foward to meeting some of you and earning my what? Wings? Stripes? What do we get when we are no longer a noobe?? <_< See you on a trail. Cladius.

2.3k · April 7, 2006

The moment they feel that they no longer are.

Best answer of them all, it’s really up to each individual person. As soon as I found out about this sport I went nuts with it I went out and bought a GPSr and everything that I needed before ever even going caching. I have been caching for less than a month and have 33 finds and 3 hides (one pending) I know I am still a newbie but it won’t be for to much longer..... <_<

2.3k · April 7, 2006

changed my mind.....

Edited April 7, 2006 by JsamFam

2.7k · April 8, 2006

I'm a n00b and will always BE a n00b. Unless I change my username of course.

Jokes aside, there is always something new to learn - a new way of hiding, a new way to seek, places to go... I'm perfectly happy being a perpetual n00b. If I ever get to be a professional or an expert, I think the fun of the activity will be gone. So I take my time and enjoy even the failures (DNF).

April 9, 2006

You saw the question. Now let's hear some opinions.

well, I think 50 finds, and 2 hides. but hey, that's just a noobs opinion

April 9, 2006

When you no longer ask if you are a NewBie.

April 9, 2006

Since I work with computers, I am familiar with Eric Raymond's answer to "When is someone considered a hacker?" (The real definition, not the confused news media creating hype definition). So I would say you are a geocacher and not a newbie when someone else refers to you as a geocacher. Numbers don't tell the whole story. I made my first four FTFs on the same day after geocaching for less than a month. I was still a newbie, but I was in the right place at the right time and I got lucky. I just recently reached 100 geocaches and I haven't placed one yet (but I am trying to adopt one that can no longer be maintained by the owner). On the other hand, I have learned to mark the car before I leave and I can spot the "unnatural pile of rocks" pretty quickly.

Edited April 9, 2006 by Don Coyote

April 9, 2006

When they can arrive at a location, look at the type/size of container, and walk right to the plastic sleeve around the telephone pole guy wire and find the cache.

Too funny. I DNF'd one of these, went back a month later and the lightbulb came on as I was walking up to it. Alas, I am no longer a nOOb. :laughing:

3.2k · April 11, 2006

When every time you type the "c" word for paper currency, you type cache instead of cache - oops - cache - oops - cache - oops - cash.

I did this at work. The person who regularly types the checks was sick so I filled in and had to correct 3 checks where I typed cache instead of cash. <_<

(Fortunately I caught them before I hit print.)

3.2k · April 11, 2006

412 finds - 12 hides -- still a n00b.

And yes, I still forget to waymark my truck. <_<

April 11, 2006

When they get their first FTF?

oookay! My daughter's very first find was a FTF -- and we didn't even know what FTF meant. It was only about our third trip out at that.

April 11, 2006

When you find a cache in the middle of a bunch of "muggles" and DON'T holler out......"Look here! Look here what I done went and found!! Whoooppeeeeee!"

Well, that rules my mom out. <_<

Anyways, I believe it's when you feel like you are. Or, even better, when other people say you're not a newbie anymore.

April 18, 2006

You may not be a nOOb if...

1. You sleep with your GPSr under the pillow

2. You have secretly named your GPSr

3. Every outlet in the house has battery rechargers plugged into it

4. You can recognize the boot prints of local cachers, possibly even their car tire brands

5. Have uncontrollable urge to scream "why can't you just give me the coordinates, Luddite!!" everytime someone tries to explain directions to you

6. Insist that people only refer to you by your alias i.e. Swamp-Rat, Geo-Gigolo, Viper1, etc. instead of your real name

BRB, have to go dig around in a ditch somewhere for something.

Edited April 18, 2006 by Rho DeKay

1.7k · April 18, 2006

2. You have secretly named your GPSr

Speaking of naming your GPS receiver...

April 18, 2006

2. You have secretly named your GPSr
Speaking of naming your GPS receiver...

OOohhh, I couldn't repeat some of the things I've called my GPSr. This is a family friendly forum

April 19, 2006

I will no longer be a newbie after I die. Until then I hope to still learn something on every trip.

7.3k · April 19, 2006

When you know better to suggest that "the coords are off by xxx amount" - because, hey, if you found it, they got you there, and if you didn't, you don't know.

April 20, 2006

When they can arrive at a location, look at the type/size of container, and walk right to the plastic sleeve around the telephone pole guy wire and find the cache.

Too funny. I DNF'd one of these, went back a month later and the lightbulb came on as I was walking up to it. Alas, I am no longer a nOOb.

hummmm....never thought of that....this new information may clear a couple of my dnf's

April 20, 2006

You are no longer a newbie when you realize that lampost hides are no longer clever.

When you despise bush hides.

You have more altoids tins that one could ever possibly hide in ones lifetime.

When you realize that you hate altoids tins.

Your GPS points you to a wall of ivy and you say "crap".

Have I mentioned about hating bush hides!

You are on a first name basis with the dollar store cashier.

You buy a chainsaw to cut down every bush with a 20 mile radius of your house.

You stalk the owner of that last bush hide.

Anybody else want to help me out????

i'm a newbie period. but man oh man do i know the above. i am soo sick of 35mm film canisters. ive even seen one hidden amoung poision oak. what the heck. guess the joke was on me, i got gloves and signed it.

April 20, 2006

You are no longer a newbie when you realize that lampost hides are no longer clever.

When you despise bush hides.

You have more altoids tins that one could ever possibly hide in ones lifetime.

When you realize that you hate altoids tins.

Your GPS points you to a wall of ivy and you say "crap".

Have I mentioned about hating bush hides!

You are on a first name basis with the dollar store cashier.

You buy a chainsaw to cut down every bush with a 20 mile radius of your house.

You stalk the owner of that last bush hide.

Anybody else want to help me out????

i'm a newbie period. but man oh man do i know the above. i am soo sick of 35mm film canisters. ive even seen one hidden amoung poision oak. what the heck. guess the joke was on me, i got gloves and signed it.

Cheer up, with the proliferation of the digital camera, 35mm film will soon be as common as a black vinyl record.

April 20, 2006

When you are no longer compelled to find every cache out there and you can put a cache that you don't feel comfortable looking for on the ignore list.

April 23, 2006

I am new to cache finding but have a bit of experience with land nav from the military. My rank of newbie was confirmed today on my 2nd cache. After not being locate I was triangulating with compass and gps. After 10 minutes of "confirming" I was right on top of it, my 9 year old daughter called out "I found something". Needless to say she was 30+ feet away where I had been standing taking bearings.

April 23, 2006

You may not be a nOOb if...

1. You sleep with your GPSr under the pillow

2. You have secretly named your GPSr

3. Every outlet in the house has battery rechargers plugged into it

4. You can recognize the boot prints of local cachers, possibly even their car tire brands

5. Have uncontrollable urge to scream "why can't you just give me the coordinates, Luddite!!" everytime someone tries to explain directions to you

6. Insist that people only refer to you by your alias i.e. Swamp-Rat, Geo-Gigolo, Viper1, etc. instead of your real name

BRB, have to go dig around in a ditch somewhere for something.

7. Your hand (or whatever) has been licked or slobbered on by 5 or more different trail dogs, within a

24 hour interval.

April 24, 2006

I think one of the requirements for no longer being a newbie is if you can read the additional hints without using the decryption key.

April 24, 2006

7. Your hand (or whatever) has been licked or slobbered on by 5 or more different trail dogs, within a

24 hour interval.

How about if your hand has been licked or slobbered upon by some combination of 5 or more: squirrels, raccoons, sub-species of spiders, snakes, or something unknown but kinda creepy, within the aforementioned 24hr interval?

I'd have to think that counts too.

April 24, 2006

... when you finally start remembering to mark your trailhead when you begin.

Son of a...I always forget to do this because I'm so psyched to get going.

Hmm I always just set a waypoint before leaving the car if it's gonna be very far...........

April 25, 2006

So, what happens when you graduate ? What are you if you're not a newbie anymore and most importantly....... what do we get ?? :mad:

Edited April 25, 2006 by NetDrummer

April 25, 2006

What aspect of the game? I can live comfortably in the woods for weeks, but can't find a city micro to save my backside. So I think I will be a noob forever for urban micros, but quicker about rural. As far as the forums, I have over 21,000 posts on one message board, so I would not count post counts here in determining anyone's noob status.

1k · April 27, 2006

The day you can match Mondo cache for cache.

How bout beating him on a 5 star FTF then meeting him to collect the prize (GCVFBZ) :huh: ?

Edited April 27, 2006 by scavok

When Is A Cacher Not A Newbie Anymore?

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