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Frustrating First Day


kleman6

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I went Geocaching today for the first time ever. I bought a Garmin Etrek Legend and went to 6 different spots and didn't find one. Chalk it up to being new or just bad luck, who knows. When is a good time to stop watching the GPS unit and just look for the cache? It seems like i could be right on top of the cache and just not find the things! How quickly would you say it takes you to find the cache (on average) when within 50 feet or so? It seems like i was looking forever, but i have nothing to base it on. What are some typical spots where cache's are hidden? Under benches? In trees? Buried? I understand it's a fairly open ended question but im just looking for any tips i can find to help me out. It was frustrating but a hell of a lot of fun!

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First you have to know your gps. Look for some easy caches D/T of 1.5 small to regular cache size. Some micros can be very frustrating (don't forget to lift the lampost skirt). When I get to the general area, 30-50 feet I start looking around for the most likely spot. If that fails I recheck my location and make sure my numbers are close to those that are listed (my ground zero) then look in a 20' circle from there. Works most of the time. The big thing is to strat easy, read the manual, know your gps and spend some time nosing around in the forums. You're getting there learning is half the fun?.

Edited by bogleman
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I went Geocaching today for the first time ever. I bought a Garmin Etrek Legend and went to 6 different spots and didn't find one. Chalk it up to being new or just bad luck, who knows. When is a good time to stop watching the GPS unit and just look for the cache? It seems like i could be right on top of the cache and just not find the things! How quickly would you say it takes you to find the cache (on average) when within 50 feet or so? It seems like i was looking forever, but i have nothing to base it on. What are some typical spots where cache's are hidden? Under benches? In trees? Buried? I understand it's a fairly open ended question but im just looking for any tips i can find to help me out. It was frustrating but a hell of a lot of fun!

 

Well, a cache can't be buried; it's against the guidelines. When you think you're in the right area, just stop and think, "if I were a cache, where would I be?" Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it's not. But hang in there! Go out and try some more caches the next chance you get! :P

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First the easy answer. Never buried, that is against the rules. After that, I never expect the GPS to lead me right to the spot, sometimes it happens but its rare.

 

I look for things that look unnatural, like piles of sticks or rocks that don't look like they just fell there. Then I try to think like a geocacher. If I was here looking for a spot where would I put it. But there are no hard and fast rules, after a while you start to develop your geocaching sense.

 

General 10m, approx 30ft is accuracy you can expect so I start looking around before that generally.

 

The game is hard at the beginning but after a few finds you'll start to get to think like the rest of us.

 

JDandDD

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First the easy answer. Never buried, that is against the rules. After that, I never expect the GPS to lead me right to the spot, sometimes it happens but its rare.

 

I look for things that look unnatural, like piles of sticks or rocks that don't look like they just fell there. Then I try to think like a geocacher. If I was here looking for a spot where would I put it. But there are no hard and fast rules, after a while you start to develop your geocaching sense.

 

General 10m, approx 30ft is accuracy you can expect so I start looking around before that generally.

 

The game is hard at the beginning but after a few finds you'll start to get to think like the rest of us.

 

JDandDD

 

Thanks for the advice, i know once i get the hang of it i'm going to aboslutely love it. Just seems like everyone says takes a while before you actually "get it". I just wanted to find at least ONE on my first outing.

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Just to help you feel better....I have over 100 finds. Might seem like a lot, but its really not. :(

 

I have looked for some caches 3-6 times, with no luck. Bring a friend, bring a child, approach from a different angle. Most that I have found are easier in daytime....But ya gotta hunt when ya have time..:(

 

Don't be afraid to crawl on your knees, and reach where ya don't really think ya should. Bring a flashlight.

 

I have e-mailed the people hiding the cache for hints when I have been seriously stumped.

 

Hunt for LARGER easier hides for confidence builders. AMMO Boxes can work in that department.

 

And just for the record, I have spent over 10 hours (yeah, I know - embarassing) looking for one hide...over the course of 2 years. It is rated as a difficult hide, but jeesh...I even have talked with the person that hid it, and I have a few extra hints....duh..??

 

Good luck..:o

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Welcome to a wonderful sport/game. I learned myself the hard way too.

Check the post of the cache carefully. Does it say micro? regular cache? Read carefully the Terrain and Difficulty. I suggest you check out the thread here at the forums on cache containers....some of these people have alot of time on their hands and are great at the art of hiding anything. Once you get to the place, leave the GPS and use your senses. I have also found that rechecking the gps coordinates with the cache coordinates helps alot when Im close but not close enough. I also flip through the GPS's "pages" to help me get a bead on where to look. Then I put the unit away and look high and low. Good luck, dont give up, and please be sure to share your future cache hunting notes.

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I am very new to Geocaching too. I started a couple weeks ago and have found every one I hunted for, about 16 I guess, except one.

 

I have found that with my gps, garmin GPS lll, I can get pretty close but not right on top of it. I walk it in slowly and then just put it in my pocket. Then I stand in one place and ask myself, "Where would I hid it?" Then I look for something that does not look right, bark along a tree trunk or just something that draws the eye.

 

Sometimes my GPS has me fifteen or twenty feet away and it is not always my GPS that is off. I think it also is the GPS that the person hiding the cache that might be different and also if the person hiding the cashe lets the GPS settle down before marking it.

 

I don't expect the gps to find it for me but use it to get me in the area and then the fun begins.

 

Take time to learn your unit too. It will come to you and it is a ball. I don't know how much I will do in the summer as I have lots of summer interests but it sure is the thing in the winter on nice days.

 

Good luck

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What is the difficulty level of those 6. Have they been found recently? What size caches are they, small, micro, regular? These can all effect your luck as a beginner. Try to look for regular size 1:1, 1.5:1.5 rated caches to begin. The more you find, the more your eyes will "learn" how to "see". Then you can start looking for the more difficult ones, and be amazed at how cachers will hide/ camoflage the containers. There are a couple park employees in my area who have used several hundred feet of 2mm cable to suspend a cache over a river where you had to follow the cable to the end to unhook it to lower the cache, then wade out to reach it.

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What are some typical spots where cache's are hidden? Under benches? In trees? Buried?

 

In rock crevices, in hollow trees, knotholes and tree stumps, alongside down trees, under benches, on guardrails, under piles of sticks or rocks, under lamp post skirts, etc... But not buried.

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I am new to this as well, but am 2 from 100 finds.

 

One thing I must do when I bring my children is not be a parent. There were so many times when I would say "nah, it won't be there, etc." Now I have learned to keep quiet, and let them think differently than I. They find them quite often because they have an open mind, and haven't learned to think inside a box yet.

 

Start out with some 1/1s, which is easy terrain, easy to find (well, sort of)

 

With a 1 terrain, think as if you're in a wheelchair, because you should be able to access it if you're wheel chair bound. (Well, you're supposed to be able)

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I have more than 1100 finds, and I can truthfully say that I am getting more DNF's now then ever. I think that over time the geocaching community has become more sophisticated in their hiding techniques. What would have been considered a 3 in difficulty when i first started caching would now be considered a 1.5.

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Cache often are buried; they are buried under a pile of rocks, under a pile of sticks and leaves, or even partially covered with loose soil or sand. The guidelines state

If a shovel, trowel or other “pointy” object is used to dig, whether in order to hide or to find the cache, then it is not appropriate.

I.E. caches aren't buried like a pirate would bury his treasure chest. You will not need to dig with a shovel or trowel, but you may need to move somethings with your hands to reveal the cache.

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If you looked for six and didn't find any, I'm thinking there may be something else wrong. Is there anyone you know that could check what your doing? Make sure your GPS is set right , (map datum set to WSG84).

 

I've had days when the GPS had me looking in an area 60 or 70 feet off. If I cannot find the cache, I will usually recheck the GPS, walk a little ways off and come back. especially when there is a lot of trees, and foliage.

 

I'm still new at this myself, (this is my first post to the forum). But do not be afraid to check the hints if you need them. And don't give up. You may have just picked six real tough ones for your start. :(

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Don't give in to despair :) we couldn't find our first try either. It took three of us over 6 combined hours of searching and no luck at all. The first person I brought to the dark side was detained by US Border Patrol for setting off some alarms near Mexico. We've all got a funny story to tell and someday this will be yours. Double check your coords (some really good advice posted above) and when you reach that Ground Zero start looking around for where you would want to hide it. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it's a "flounder" but that's why we're doing it for fun and frustration! Another good bet would be to find someone in your area and go caching with them. Most people would be happy to introduce you to some of their favorite caches and you'll learn a lot quickly. Good luck and happy caching - F&tH

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When I first tried geocaching, I couldn't find any of the three I looked for and as a result I gave up on geocaching. Awhile later, a friend's wife encouraged me to give it another try, and after I actually found one, I got hooked. What really helped me was the first Event cache I attended--I hooked up with a pair of experienced geocachers and got first-hand tutoring on what to look for. Recently I attended another geocache event and learned some more tips. Don't give up! :)

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A lot of good advice here... try

1. Use the compass screen versus the map screen. Tells you where to go and how far left to go.

2. Rather than trying to get to the 0 point on your GPSr (basically standing on top of the cache) stop about 50 feet from the expected location. Then stop looking at your GPS and start looking at your location. Look for the obvious clues to the cache location. Piles of sticks, rocks, dead hollow tree, or stump in plain view. Don't forget to look at the size of the cache you are looking for. Nothing like thinking you are hunting a regular sized cache, when it is actually a micro-cache.

3. Start out with the easiest dificulty caches (D/T). So go for the 1/1 to 2/2 caches first.

4. Have fun and enjoy the great Winter weather...

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Lots of good advice here! :mad:

Some things to check before you head into the woods are the settings on your GPSr. If your settings don't match those required by geocaching.com, you could be way off and not know it. Make sure your coord system format is Lat/Lon, Deg/Min.MMM, and your map datum is WGS84. My Magellan was not set to those formats from the factory, and being the dunderhead that I am, I didn't read the "Getting Started" tips on the GC website. Basically I had the same problem you are experiencing.

 

Once you got your GPSr formatted properly, punch in your area code and look at the resulting list. The info displayed here should help you determine which caches to hunt. From left to right, the info is;

Direction & distance from that zip code, cache icon, (green box = traditional, two yellow boxes = multi cache, question mark = puzzle cache), difficulty level/terrain level, (how hard is it to find/how hard is it to get to), container size, (micro/small/medium/large/unknown), placement date, cache name & who hid it, date of last find.

 

For your first caches, I'd suggest you stick to traditionals with a D/T rating no higher than 3/3. Click on the cache name to view the cache page, and read it carefully, or print it out. Sometimes the information on the cache page is critical to finding the cache. Enter the coordinates and go find it.

 

Because I've got a clunky old Magellan, I'll typically walk to within 50' or so and stop for a minute or so to let my GPSr catch up to where I'm at. Then I'll check distance and direction, and select a landmark that fits. Once I reach that landmark, the GPSr goes in my pocket and I start searching.

 

Good luck!

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I have one hidden like that . . . I'm somewhat ashamed to admit - - - but it is in the parking lot of the medical office I had to go to after I dislocated my kneecap :D when I appreciated caches you could get to easily.

 

My cache is attached to the skirt itself, up high, so it is a little "different twist." to that type of hide. It gets many more visits than the other 47 caches I have hidden, most of which involve a good hike.

 

Because I don't want to frustrate any cacher, newbie or not, I always include a detailed hint if I think someone will have trouble finding the cache.

 

I don't like getting DNF icon_sad.gif emails in my InBox.

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Once in a while a cache will becom accidently buried..

 

A few weeks back and my garmin gps said I was there... I scoured a 30 foot diameter for about 5 minutes then went back to actually co ordinate spot and stood there drinking a soda...

wondering if this would be a DNF....

 

Keep watching gps for changes since was in a oak brush area and it was changing cloud cover... Turned around and heard a clink under my shoe...

 

A 50cal can laying on its side with originally a small rock and one small limb was visiable, under 3 inches of natural blown down oak leaves was the cache....

 

Mother nature even has a touch in our game....

 

Dave from Team_Talisman

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An update, I finaly had a chance to get out today. I went to 5 different caches and found 4!! Man, and i thought this was fun when i couldnt even find them! A lot of you were right it just takes to time find out what works with your gps unit. The best way for myself is to put it on the map feature and just turn the entire unit so the arrow is facing directly forward and then seeing where the waypoint is located. Seems simple enough but it's something i didnt do my first time out! Thanks for the tips everyone!! you guys are great!

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;)

An update, I finaly had a chance to get out today. I went to 5 different caches and found 4!! Man, and i thought this was fun when i couldnt even find them! A lot of you were right it just takes to time find out what works with your gps unit. The best way for myself is to put it on the map feature and just turn the entire unit so the arrow is facing directly forward and then seeing where the waypoint is located. Seems simple enough but it's something i didnt do my first time out! Thanks for the tips everyone!! you guys are great!

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