"Old school" caching: Cure for burnout?

[+DanOCan]

I think burnout starts with more and more days of not being in the mood for certain kinds of caches. It is definitely not a black and white transition. At some point, you will not be in the mood to ever do certain kinds of caches. I really think that it is too much of a good thing problem. Excessive amounts of anything will eventually burn you out.

 

I can see that. My experience was similar to another poster's: I went out at lunch to find some nearby caches. I got about 100m away from the cache site and realized it was a micro in a church parking lot. I thought about it and said "I don't need the hassle of yet another parking lot cache" and carried on with my walk.

 

I know Crappy Cache Syndrome isn't just a micro thing, but I think if it had been a regular container it likely would have been a quick and easy find so I would have done it "just for the smiley". Given that it was a micro I was thinking of the 10-15 minute search while trying to avoid drawing attention to myself standing in a parking lot I had no business being in.

 

I think the first sign of burnout is when you find yourself doing a cache "just for the smiley".

[+BAMBOOZLE]

And then possibly after some down time, you may be interested in it again.

It will take an infinite amount of time for me to get excited about a lamp post cache again....

 

Ah, but were you excited the first time you found one. My wife and I remember our first...........we had looked and looked and almost by accident sorta kicked one and it moved so we looked....we had a good laugh.....it was at a rest stop in ARK. just out of Memphis. I've read many logs by folks finding my ( yes I put out a couple) lamp post caches for the first time and how much they enjoyed it. I'll say it again, every town needs a few ( I think thats the name of one in Lincoln ). I still don't mind grabbing a couple a day...........I just don't care a lot about a whole bunch in one day.

Funny, immediately I remembered my first lampost ( it was so different) but not my first ammo can..........go figure.

[+TrailGators]

And then possibly after some down time, you may be interested in it again.

It will take an infinite amount of time for me to get excited about a lamp post cache again....

Ah, but were you excited the first time you found one.

Actually I do remember the first one. I also remember my first guard rail cache. The first ones were fun because they were unique. The problem is now I have found 544 micros. The vast majority of those were lamp post or guard rail caches. So the thrill is long gone. Edited November 23, 2006 by TrailGators

[+BAMBOOZLE]

And then possibly after some down time, you may be interested in it again.

It will take an infinite amount of time for me to get excited about a lamp post cache again....

Ah, but were you excited the first time you found one.

Actually I do remember the first one. I also remember my first guard rail cache. The first ones were fun because they were unique. The problem is now I have found 544 micros. The vast majority of those were lamp post or guard rail caches. So the thrill is gone.

 

I hear you...the earth moving experience of " the first time " is gone by the 20 th time. Still, they need to be there for the new people. The question we have is how to achieve decent density withour excessive replication. I've left home with welding machine, cordless drill, and other tools to hide caches as well as pre-fab them at a machine shop where I work. At times I get lazy ( which begets replication) but with close to 200 hides originalty gets harder however I'm determined to come up with a few new wrinkles. I think if we all do this we can put out some interesting caches....we are primarily talking about micros although a few regulars have come from " the shop". Those whose home base has many public natural areas should concentrate on regulars as well.

[+TrailGators]

The question we have is how to achieve decent density withour excessive replication.

Exactly, but I'm not sure how this could be achieved. Excessive replication is the burnout issue in a nutshell. Each cache occupies 20 acres of land (1056' diameter circle). To me it seems like the land in many parts of the country is quickly getting chewed up by excessive replication. If there was more variety there would be less chance of burnout. Edited November 23, 2006 by TrailGators

[+drat19]

Here's help for cache burnout: 2 of my caching stops on Thanksgiving Day yesterday, along the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota:

 

1. A micro placed at this location, that I failed to find. Still, a worthwhile location that wouldn't have supported a full-size container:

 

2. A virtual placed at this location...proof positive that there's a place in this game for virts.

[+TrailGators]

Here's help for cache burnout: 2 of my caching stops on Thanksgiving Day yesterday, along the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota:

 

1. A micro placed at this location, that I failed to find. Still, a worthwhile location that wouldn't have supported a full-size container:

 

2. A virtual placed at this location...proof positive that there's a place in this game for virts.

I would never get burned out doing caches like those! Thanks for sharing those great photos!

[+tozainamboku]

If there was more variety there would be less chance of burnout.

 

There's the rub. When geocaching was new in your area, there were few caches and therefore less chance of finding same-old-same-old. And you when you were a new geocacher nearly every cache was a new experience. So you enjoyed geocachng. There are really only so many ways to hide caches and very few people are really creative enough to come up with some camouflage or hiding technique that isn't one you've already seen. Urban cachers have found that certain techniques work better than others in keeping the cache safe from muggles. So you see a lot of guardrail and lamp post hides. This is also true to a lesser extent in wilderness hides, but still you will find that in most areas there are only a few ways to hide an ammo can in the woods. In your case, you get some enjoyment if the cache brings you to a new location, particularly one that is scenic. Fortunate there are still many interesting places where a cache can be hidden. But in some area that means traveling further (and perhaps hiking further) to get there.

 

I find it interesting when somebody complains about MicroSpew and then says that they are not driven by numbers and prefer to find fewer but more interesting caches. Not only are there more lame urban micros but there are more caches in interesting places or with interesting hikes. The only legitimate complaint you have is "how to find these". I would suggest finding these the way you found places to hike or visit before geocaching. Look at trail guides or tourist books that point out interesting places to go. Then see if the there is a cache nearby. In order to find the few unique hides that might still be left for you that are not necessarily in interesting places, you will have to talk with other local cachers to see if they recommend any. Or you can check on the few hiders in your area that are known for being creative and seeing if they have hidden any new caches.

 

An approach I use when I go "urban", is to expect spew. If the cache is in any area where I feel uncomfortable searching, I have no problem aborting my search and posting a DNF with the reason I felt uncomfortable. If I go out expecting to be disappointed, I am not disappointed. If there was some really cool hide, it will stand out.

[+TrailGators]

If there was more variety there would be less chance of burnout.

 

There's the rub. When geocaching was new in your area, there were few caches and therefore less chance of finding same-old-same-old. And you when you were a new geocacher nearly every cache was a new experience. So you enjoyed geocachng. There are really only so many ways to hide caches and very few people are really creative enough to come up with some camouflage or hiding technique that isn't one you've already seen. Urban cachers have found that certain techniques work better than others in keeping the cache safe from muggles. So you see a lot of guardrail and lamp post hides. This is also true to a lesser extent in wilderness hides, but still you will find that in most areas there are only a few ways to hide an ammo can in the woods. In your case, you get some enjoyment if the cache brings you to a new location, particularly one that is scenic. Fortunate there are still many interesting places where a cache can be hidden. But in some area that means traveling further (and perhaps hiking further) to get there.

 

I find it interesting when somebody complains about MicroSpew™ and then says that they are not driven by numbers and prefer to find fewer but more interesting caches. Not only are there more lame urban micros but there are more caches in interesting places or with interesting hikes. The only legitimate complaint you have is "how to find these". I would suggest finding these the way you found places to hike or visit before geocaching. Look at trail guides or tourist books that point out interesting places to go. Then see if the there is a cache nearby. In order to find the few unique hides that might still be left for you that are not necessarily in interesting places, you will have to talk with other local cachers to see if they recommend any. Or you can check on the few hiders in your area that are known for being creative and seeing if they have hidden any new caches.

 

An approach I use when I go "urban", is to expect spew. If the cache is in any area where I feel uncomfortable searching, I have no problem aborting my search and posting a DNF with the reason I felt uncomfortable. If I go out expecting to be disappointed, I am not disappointed. If there was some really cool hide, it will stand out.

 

My thoughts....

[+BooBooBee]

 

My thoughts....

 

Oh my god! Monkey e-mail! Now THERE's a cure for e-mail burnout! (My other burnout issue...talk about TOO MUCH of a good thing!)

[Oldendorf]

Personally, I prefer to find treasure at the end of my hunt, but then again, a 30 min luch is not long enough to hike a mountain. I don't really enjoy micro's and avoid them when by myself unless I'm looking for a quick trip. What I do enjoy however is spending time with my father who doesn't mind micro's at all. What keeps them fun for me is the people I'm spending time with finding them. When I find myself lacking enthusiasm for the cache, I switch to finding benchmarks. These usually require some work and renew my thrill of the hunt. Of course I only hunt these a few at a time since they are not renewed like caches.

[+Let's Take a Hike]

The caches that keep me going are the ones that are easy to find once you get to some interesting place. I’ve found micros in places I have no desire to visit. What is this hiding the cache in the base of a lamppost stuff? It seems that the game is different in urban settings. It has to do with avoiding muggles and clever hiding of small things. I’d rather do a virtual than search for a thimble in a lamppost.

So I use filters to avaoid micros and I read descriptions to see whether I'll enjoy the place. It's still fun.

[+TetrAmigos]

Funny you folks mention this thread topic.. just yesterday I was out caching around and was surprised to find a user who had placed a cache in a notable spot! Thousand Oaks is not without its remarkable hiking and picturesque landscape, yet there's more pavement caches than ever before.

 

Make no mistake, I actually like my share of pavement cahces -- sometimes I want to snag one or two before I head home from work and these types of caches are much easier on my attire (don't have to explain to the wife why my dress shoes have mud on them..)

 

But yesterday the cache placer took me to the top of a local bluff, and by luck I happened to be there as the sun was setting. I was so pleased with the placement of this cache, that when I got back to my car I decided to get out and take a picture of my good mood. The kicker is that it only took 5 extra minutes out of the cache-placer's day to find a notable location vs. a lightpost in a Costco parking lot. THAT is what I like about geocaching.

 

(and for those who are curious, here's the photo of me with my caching gear in front of my caching machine):