First Tricky Cache Hunt

[Fiona Eliza & Florence]

Last night I set off with the dog to find a local cache. It is a metal army cigarette tube (micro) on a stoney beach with some small plantlife (cabbage like) around and no other real features. The description says that the hiders gps was accurate to within 9ft when it was placed and the cryptic says 'yes it's there...have a rummage'. Well, I rummaged and I didn't find it before it got dark.

I guess i have 3 issues;

1, if his gps is only accurate to 9ft and mine is similar, surely there is a possibility of a pretty huge area to be covered in searching.

2, any clues as to how to search on stoney ground without using a metal detector.

3, does 'rummage' have some other meaning that is significant?

Any help would be gratefully received coz it's doing my head in today.

[+briansnat]

Sounds like a tough cache to find. As you said, it could be in a fairly large area. I'd concentrate my search around the plants or under any larger rock that would fit something small underneath. Hopefully it wasn't place in a manner that requires you to turn over all the rocks in the area. That would be irresponsible.

 

Generally I give caches like these a 30 minute search and if I can't find it, it goes on my ignore list.

[Fiona Eliza & Florence]

Exactly! I understood that they were not supposed to be burried. To me, it was burried as it wasn't on top of the stones or in any of the 'cabbages'. When I started shifting the stones around I was thinking this was pretty close to digging.

[+Team Neos]

Most cachers don't particularly care for "needle in a haystack" types caches--so most cache owners don't hide that kind of cache.

 

Your first challenging cache can certainly be frustrating. Ours was one we actually tried the first day we went out geocaching. It took us a couple of trips to figure out where it had to be and another trip out to the cache with the proper tool to extract it from the container.

 

Some hints for this one of yours:

 

Read the cache page again. Read all of the logs to see if something someone has said makes sense now that you have been there. What is the name of the cache? What does it specifically say about the hide? There might be clues in there that went past you before you saw the spot.

 

For some strange reason, you may walk right up to it the next time you go to look for it. It will be exactly somewhere you are sure you looked the last time.

 

Turn on the gps at least 15 minutes before you start your hunt. A gps that has been allowed to acquire satellite locks works better than one just turned on.

 

Try in the daylight. Micros often are easier to spot in good light.

Try in darkness. If it is metal, a flashlight may find it before your eye sees it.

 

Have lots of time to look for it. Rushing makes it more difficult to find a cache.

 

Think about the container you are looking for. Did they really call that a micro? If they are talking about the flip case that holds about ten cigs, I would call that a small---so pehaps there is something to the container size or shape that you aren't thinking of that will help you decide what places in the landscape are large enough to hide that container?

 

Set you gps down, still turned on, while you begin to look around. After five or ten minutes (if you haven't found the cache already) go back to read the gps again. If it still indicates you are close, then great--if it suggests somewhere 30 feet over, move to there to look--leaving the gps where it is (If that is safe to do--if not, move it with you and set it down again).

 

Looking under rocks isn't digging a hole. Lots of caches will be under rocks, sticks, leaves, etc. Get yourself a pair of gloves.

 

If it turns out that you are really going to have to turn over every rock, decide if you really want to find that cache that much. You can just walk away if you prefer.

[Fiona Eliza & Florence]

Thanks for your help. I am going this evening with a mates metal detector just because I am bloody minded and need to sign it off. Than I think I have learnt my lesson and will read more details before setting off and thus avoiding my dissapointment.

This post can die now but I don't know how to do it!

[+Jhwk]

Thanks for your help. I am going this evening with a mates metal detector just because I am bloody minded and need to sign it off. Than I think I have learnt my lesson and will read more details before setting off and thus avoiding my dissapointment.

This post can die now but I don't know how to do it!

Down at the bottom of your page, on this topic, it should have a pull down menu that says moderator options (that's you 'cus its yer topic). Pull it down and click on close thread and Go. bam. done.

 

BTW, I guess it's too obvious to say look for the obvious hiding spot? When I get to one of those types of caches, I try to put myself in the hiders shoes. Where would I put a cache? Sometimes it works. For me it's mostly brute force and ignorance.

Edited July 24, 2006 by Jhwk

[+niraD]

BTW, I guess it's too obvious to say look for the obvious hiding spot? When I get to one of those types of caches, I try to put myself in the hiders shoes. Where would I put a cache? Sometimes it works.

It worked for me for one of my recent finds. Or maybe I just needed to take a break, and come back to it with a fresh perspective.

[Fiona Eliza & Florence]

Found it!!

Went with 4 children and their enthusiasm and, more importantly, a metal detector! Still took over 1/2 hr to find. This is the first and last 2+ difficulty cache I will be hunting for a while.

Thanks to all for advise.

Over and out!

 

F,E & F.

[+Team Neos]

Congratulations! (I knew you could do it)

 

They get easier as you develop your geo-sense.

[+Kacky]

just because I am bloody minded

I Brits.