Jump to content

How Long Till You Give Up?


Recommended Posts

I was just wondering how long you hunt for a cache before calling it quits and giving it up for another day?

I haven't run into that situation yet but I have felt like I wanted to give up and then we found it.

 

The times I end up calling it quits is when the bugs are just to bad or the people I'm with are tired of it for the day and are not having fun anymore.

 

I have also just run out of time to keep looking because I had to be someplace else later that same day, but then I just go back when I have the chance.

Link to comment

I worked a multi with 12 micros - 20 miles of riding the shoe leather express, 6 DNF logs and about 8-9 total hours. A single micro I know should be there there - 1 hour. Regular cache - numbers were off - 45 minutes.

 

If I don't want it that bad - common PUBLIC micro less than 5 minutes and I'm gone. Regular to small 20 minutes max.

Link to comment

I've been working on Seeking Delta for a long time and am about to give up now!

 

I worked on this cache for a month. Now I need to go find it :)

 

As for physical caches, I give up on micros when I'm in full view of GP, or get tired of looking for a needle in a haystack. Their has only been two caches that required more than two trips for me. One was a matchholder 7 feet up in a very dense bush, and the other was buried on the ground.

Link to comment

Being a newbee (23), I have been pretty lucky in that I have not had to search more then 15 - 20 minutes or so. However I have had one that I returned to a forth time with a clue from the owner before finding. It was in January and didn't spend a lot of time searching each time. With good weather I would not want to give up very easily.

Link to comment

I don't put a stopwatch to it, but I've noticed that after about 30 minutes I figure I've looked everywhere I can think of.

 

There have been caches that I've spent an hour on, several times, before finally finding them.

Same here. But there are easily a dozen caches I have stumbled upon (literally and figuratively) while walking back to the trail or to the next cache after giving up around 30 mins. While in search mode, I didn't see the cache. But in walk away mode, I was at the right angle to see the cache.
Link to comment

I find about the time Ive 'covered' the same ground about three times, I start thinking its done for the day. Then I poke around some more. That persistance pays off, but not always. Sometimes that threshold is pretty low, say 20min. Other days, Im too stubborn to leave, and the cell starts ringing... gtg.

Link to comment

It varies...if Ben starts crying, I've gashed my foot open (again), the rain changes to hail, it's pitch black and my flashlight dies...then I might leave in a couple of minutes...if it's a nice day and a nice location, then I might look for 40-60 minutes before moving on.

 

Jamie

Link to comment

When I stop having fun, I stop looking. I used to stick it out for a long time before giving up. Now, I give up much quicker, sometimes after only a few minutes.

 

It depends how many caches I have on my agenda for the day. If I am making good progress, I will take additional time on a toughie. If I am having a run of caches that are taking extra time to find then I will tap out fairly quickly (20 mins or so)

Link to comment

I have relatively few finds right now and I haven't vetured towards micros as of yet. However, I did tell myself that I would look for at least 20 min and if I didn't find it I would use the hint. I have always found it after having to use the hint but if I still couldn't find it after say another 30 minutes I would probably get away from it and try again another time.

Link to comment

I stick with it untill it "pi e " (insert your own S's) me off, then it's not fun anymore. However, you must consider how much you hiked to get there. Is it worth taking a break, and trying again? Just today I made my fourth visit to a micro cache.

Edited by bottlecap
Link to comment

It definately depends on the cache. I've been known to be a bit stubborn, and I know I've kept others looking for far too long. I need to stop before it stops being fun...but I just can't seem to tear myself away. There is a cache that has gotten under my skin (Muggle Beach). If you read the logs, it sounds like a quick grab, but I've gone there 3 times and I can't seem to locate it. I've thought about emailing the owner for a hint, but I want to find it without one, since everyone else seems to be able to! Last time I was there I spent about an hour- my signal kept jumping back and forth. There is a small stream, and no matter which side I am on, the GPSr tells me I need to be on the other side!

Link to comment

This is a sensible suggestion!! I would add that if there is leaf cover, and the clues say it was not found in a while, and the log entries imply that it was easy to find (and you have not) then maybe the cache was muggled (taken destroyed, etc.).

 

 

In the San Francisco area we go by "Joanie's Rule", which allots 15 minutes per level of difficulty.

Edited by Ellteejak
Link to comment

My log from a recent cache Hazards All Around Us

 

Starting in or around September of last year and after three or four tries I finally found the first part. I found the second part twenty minutes later with no problem. The third part took at least five or six tries (there are always muggles here). I finally found it but I swear that wasn't there before. I swear it! I found the location for the fourth part ten minutes later but couldn't get to it because of muggles so I went back today and finally five or six months later I finished this one. I don't know why it gave me so much trouble except I swear that wasn't there before. Anyway took the travel bug and left a dory not quite an even trade I know but it was all I had.

Thank for the great if aggravating cache.

 

All of these location were in public places so I didn't spend much time each trip out.

Link to comment

For me it depends on the level of effort it took to get there. I remember one cache I did, I wasn't paperless yet, but forgetting the cache page made me that way unintentionally. It was a 2 hour hike in and I didn't feel like giving up without an attempt. I put down the GPS and walked out the distance of the EPE and started working my way back in. Fortunately I found it in quick order, but I had decided I'd stay there for the length it took to go through a 35' EPE radius.

 

Another 2 hour hike netted about 1 1/2 hours worth of effort on a really bad signal before I gave up with a DNF. I wasn't willing to hike out in the dark.

 

Sometimes you win and sometimes you DNF, but it's all good fun.

Link to comment

I stop looking when I stop having fun, but often that depends on how far I hiked to get there. I do generally return, again and again if I think it is still there but if I feel it is not there after one attempt I am gone in about 30 minutes to an hour.

Link to comment

I'll usually stop when I'm not having fun anymore. Some caches it might be a few minutes, sometimes an hour or more.

Ditto! When it's not fun anymore it's time to stop looking and move on. I spent 3+ hours looking for Wildlife. It wasn't exactly fun after the first 90 minutes, but we were determined to find it, and not have to return another day. Other times, I've bailed after five minutes.
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...