Relying On Other's Cache Logs

[The Lukewarm Clark Howards]

Just curious about how reliant some of you are on other cacher's logs in order to find the cache. To us it is fairly important because ususally the GPSr will get us in the ballpark and then we rely on any hints given. If there are no hints or the hint(s) provided aren't adequete enough then sometimes it is essential for us to go back to what others have said.

 

What about you?

[+SG-MIN]

I cache almost exclusivly only using the waypoints loaded in my GPSr so most of the time I don't even know the difficulty or size. If I have trouble, I will often call a fellow cacher friend of mine to check the hints and other logs.

 

You are not alone!!

[+Puppyman]

If there are no clues given by the owner, I read some of the logs to see if I can spot a clue or some kind of a hint.

Sometimes its helpful! The one cache I did ( won't memtion the name of the cache ) the waypoint was off by 60 feet or so.

One log stated to look down into the furnaces because it was so cool to do so. Thats how I spotted the cache.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

Just curious about how reliant some of you are on other cacher's logs in order to find the cache. To us it is fairly important because ususally the GPSr will get us in the ballpark and then we rely on any hints given. If there are no hints or the hint(s) provided aren't adequete enough then sometimes it is essential for us to go back to what others have said.

 

What about you?

If I can't find it with the hint, I'll read the latest cache logs (the last 5 are conveniently on my Palm). If I still can't find it, I post a DNF.

[+Bear Paughs]

I usually don't read the logs unless we're not able to find it after 10 minutes or so. Then I'll start looking for hidden clues in previous logs. I really wish I'd read the logs for this cache before attempting it. I crawled at least 100 feet through a drainage pipe running under a park today, only to DNF. When I went to log the DNF I saw that the coordinates had been changed in November but only posted as a note, never updated on the cache page. It was not a pleasant experience, and the DNF (especially because the wrong coords were in my GPSr) made it worse.

[+laughingcat]

Just curious about how reliant some of you are on other cacher's logs in order to find the cache. To us it is fairly important because ususally the GPSr will get us in the ballpark and then we rely on any hints given. If there are no hints or the hint(s) provided aren't adequete enough then sometimes it is essential for us to go back to what others have said.

 

What about you?

 

I read them. Sometimes I find I don't want to go do it<G>. Other times it makes me want to get that one all the more. Often it's my dd calling for help and there may be some tidbit in a log that is just what we need.

[+H2OBob]

Hopefully, the logs won't help much, or at least they shouldn't. I don't rely on them though. I print out the first two pages of the cache page (on one sheet). That usually contains the hint and the first few logs. If I search for a while, and can't find the cache, then I decode the hint. If that doesn't help, then I read the logs. I really resist looking at the hint, because it spoils the fun a little bit.

[+crystalndave]

I read them, I have seen a discription of a marriage proposal in one. Didn't help me find the cache but it was still cool. Seems like when I am really lost most of the logs say, nice place TFTH and offer NO HINT. Haa.. I do pay special attention to the poison plant/heavy bug logs. We have ours on the PDA so we usually only have 5 with us, we look at the hints at various points in our outings. It does help to read them before if they are about parking and trailheads... no way to tell though..

[+Davispak]

I read the logs, not for clues, but to expand my enjoyment of the game and to tell me if the cache is one I wanna go after. Sometimes I cache with the Pak and need to look for ones that would be enjoyed by kids and are in kid friendly areas(parks, nature trails, etc..) Sometimes I cache alone and want something a little more challenging. So i pick and chose my caches carefully to get the best out of it.

[+SGT red jeep]

1 - Use the Coords to get to the location and search the likely spots for a few minutes.

 

2 - Use the hint - search some more

 

3 - Read the last five logs (that's the setting I use for my PDA) - search some more

 

4 - Go on-line and scour all the logs for a tidbit of information - search some more

 

5 - Contact a previous finder for a little clue - search some more

 

6 - Contact the owner for a bigger clue - search some more

 

7 - Have the owner hold my hand as he leads me to the cache - search some more

 

I admit there are still some (OK, alot of) DNFs out there I never made it back but there was only one that made it to 6.5. I left the area before the snow melted and it became a 7 - all the time the owner assured me the cache was still there. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...28-951996b6ed97 GCJMAR

If I had a front-end loader, the entire hillside would have been in the river.

[+readmore]

I thought it was kind of funny when I saw this subject line... I just got back from a cache where the posted coordinates were up to possibly 50 feet off. Luckily I had read up on the cache details this time before heading out. Whether I read the details or not just depends on if I get the desire to cache while I'm already out on the road or if I am at home and able to do it. Looking up the details is the preferred method and leads to far less DNFs. On the other hand, if I don't find it when just doing it "cold" I'll come back later after researching it a little.

[+Teach2Learn]

1 - Use the Coords to get to the location and search the likely spots for a few minutes.

 

2 - Use the hint - search some more

 

3 - Read the last five logs (that's the setting I use for my PDA) - search some more

 

4 - Go on-line and scour all the logs for a tidbit of information - search some more

 

5 - Contact a previous finder for a little clue - search some more

 

6 - Contact the owner for a bigger clue - search some more

 

7 - Have the owner hold my hand as he leads me to the cache - search some more

 

Yep, that's the way we do it, smileys for caches, and the fun for free.

 

When I have to ask others, I try to rationalize that it's meaningful bonding with the rest of the caching community.

[+OHMIKY]

I read 'em if I have trouble finding the cache. I typically print out the first two pages of the pdf - so I usually have 5 or so. I don't count on them to be accurate - what one person reports as a mislocated waypoint may be the result of bad weather, foliage or poor eyesight.

[+bwmick]

it's official, I am backwords. I read the logs while searching before I go to the hint as the logs usually offer much more subtle clues than the hint does. Fer instance, one cache I found recently had devoured 1/2 an hour or so of my life so I read some of the logs. on specifically said that their three year old found it right away. I am about 6 feet tall or so, after reading the log I got on my hands and knees to get to 3 year old height and voila within minutes looked up to spot the cache. without the change of perspective it would have been a dnf, the clue was no use and a past log that really gave no clue as to location was a great resource on how to hunt.

 

bwmick

Edited July 30, 2006 by bwmick

[+Teach2Learn]

it's official, I am backwords. I read the logs while searching before I go to the hint as the logs usually offer much more subtle clues than the hint does. bwmick

 

You're not backwards/backwords.

 

I often read a few logs for perspective, decrypt the hint, and then read additional logs for those extra tips when struggling.

[+Jhwk]

1 - Use the Coords to get to the location and search the likely spots for a few minutes.

 

2 - Use the hint - search some more

 

3 - Read the last five logs (that's the setting I use for my PDA) - search some more

 

4 - Go on-line and scour all the logs for a tidbit of information - search some more

 

5 - Contact a previous finder for a little clue - search some more

 

6 - Contact the owner for a bigger clue - search some more

 

 

YES!

[+Davispak]

1 - Use the Coords to get to the location and search the likely spots for a few minutes. (Step over cache location)

 

2 - Use the hint - search some more (step on cache location)

 

3 - Read the last five logs (that's the setting I use for my PDA) - search some more( sit on cache to think about where cache could be)

 

4 - Go on-line and scour all the logs for a tidbit of information - search some more (Kick covering all around cache)

 

5 - Contact a previous finder for a little clue - search some more ( use DDT/chainsaw/machete to remove all vegetation in area, still cant find)

 

6 - Contact the owner for a bigger clue - search some more (Start brush fire to clear area, burn 600 acres of land, go to prison for 5 years)

 

7 - Have the owner hold my hand as he leads me to the cache - search some more ( get smiley )

 

Edited July 31, 2006 by Davispak

[+Renegade Knight]

I enjoy reading the cache page including the logs before I look for the cache. The logs seldom provide a spoiler for the hunt so I dont look to them for cache clues. Instead they provide some of the backdrop for the cache.

 

If it's an urban micro I read the hint before I step out of the car.

[+BomberJjr]

Usually read the hints before hand. If its a DNF I'll go back and look at previous logs for any suttle hints.

[+Clothahump]

I always read the logs, and have the last 5 available on the Palm.

 

Sometimes there are clues, but most times, they are just fun and add to the experience.

[+SCOTUS]

For me it depends on the cache. I load caches into my palm and usally have the last 5 logs or so. If I have trouble finding the cache, I will look at the hint and the logs to see what informaiton I can glean from them. When all else fails, I phone a friend and have them skim logs further back, but usually the top 5 give me the information I need.

 

Also, It's fun to read the logs!

[+Mule Ears]

I enjoy reading logs. Some contain valuable info on access to the cache (where to park, where not to park, Muggle problems, current condition of the cache, etc.), and some are just entertaining. But you can't really rely on prior logs for hints. Some cachers, including that wily Mule Ears, will occasionally sprinkle their logs with disinformation. This goes double for difficult puzzle caches.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Usually read the hints before hand. If its a DNF I'll go back and look at previous logs for any suttle hints.

 

This is the way I cache. I have the cache page, and the hint, but not previous logs. If I DNF, I DNF. Then I come home, and read the logs, and decide if I'm going back. Too many subtle hints in the logs for me. I want to do it on my own.

[+niraD]

I usually don't read the logs until I'm logging a find or a DNF myself. Sometimes I end up searching for a cache that I wouldn't have bothered with if I had read the logs (e.g., GCPFVM), but some logs include spoilers that I'd rather not see. By the time I read the logs, either I've found the cache myself, or I'm looking for more hints than those the owner provided.

[+KS&k]

We each have our duties: I load the GPSr & Palm w/ their info, and I drive the geo-van. My wife uses the GPSr and navigates. My daughter reads the description and last 5 logs on the way to the cache. Once we get out of the van, we all search.

 

Reading the last 5 logs helps us decide if we want to go after the cache or wait til another day. It also helps to know if the cache hasn't been found recently, or if there is a special situation surrounding the cache which the owner didn't include in the description. I always scan all the old logs when I'm posting our entry - it's neat to see the cache's history!

 

KS&k