Our we the worst geocachers ever?

[+sonatellas]

Hi we started caching about two weeks ago after being introduced to the hobby by my sister. When I went out with her we seemed to find the cache quite easily. We have been out and tried to find six different caches and found none. We are in no doubt that we have been at the correct locations it is just the clues are so vague and the GPS seems to take us almost to the point then seems to want to send us in all directions. One cache today said by the railway bridge 10 paces between the sappling and the pipe. Well we were in the woods surrounded by sapplings, there were two bits of bridge and two bits of pipe. The GPS would say 6 feet then when we walked the six feet in the correct direction it would point somewhere else. We have found this a problem on all the boxes so far. We have spent nearly an hour today looking through leaves etc and nothing. We have foudn nothing yet. I used to do letterboxing on the moors the old way and found hundreds yet I can't find any of these. What am I doing wrong? Why are the clues not clearer. Can anyone help? from the Sonatellas

[Neos2]

This post will get you better answers over in the "getting started" forum--perhaps a moderator will move it for you?

 

In the meanwhile...

 

You probably aren't doing a thing wrong--this is a bit trickier than you might think at first--but it gets easier quickly.

 

You are doing some things right:

It sounds like your GPS is taking you to the correct general area, so you likely have it set correctly.

You are moving around and looking various places andconsidering the cache page information (Some folks think the gps will take them straight to the cache).

 

You don't say what unit you are using--folks will give you specific hints for making the best use of your particular model.

 

If you give us the gc number (gcxxxx) of a couple of the caches you looked for, we can give you some specific ideas to think about--but in general:

 

Think both high and low

Be sure to know the size, and look for a hiding place for that size container

Lots of caches in cities are magnetic, many are behind or under something so they don't just stick out.

Lots of caches in wooded areas are camouflaged, many are in holes in tree trunks or tucked in nooks and crannies where rocks and tree roots come together.

 

Some folks would say not to look for micros until you have your geocaching mojo going, but we broke into the game on micros, so it can be done if that is what is around you. I will admit that we had to look two to four times from most of the first caches we found. After about 20 it got easier, after about 50 we felt like we might be getting the hang of it.

 

Welcome to geocaching!

Edited December 17, 2006 by Neos2

[+TrailGators]

The best advice I ever got is that when you get close to the cache (<15 feet) put your GPS in your pocket and look for places that you would hide the cache. Of course you need to carefully read the cache description, but if you still can't find it then read the hints and the past logs for addtional help.

[+budd-rdc]

Nope, you aren't the worst geocachers ever, since there is no such thing as the best geocacher ever either.

 

The problem you are experiencing is not uncommon, since the caches can be hidden in clever ways that you don't expect. You'll also have to get used to how your GPSr behaves in different environment, as it can point to many locations near tree cover, walls, buildings, etc. The people who hid the cache may not have taken that into account, so the coordinates might be significantly off. Previous finders might have moved the cache to a different location. The cache might be missing.

 

I agree with you that not enough cache owners use explicit hints to help people like yourself, which can be frustrating.

 

I'd go ahead and e-mail the owner and verify if you were close or not. You can also post a DNF. You can read through past logs for clues left by previous visitors. Don't despair. It does require some experience to get used to this game.

[+briansnat]

You're expecting your GPS to put you right on the cache. That is a major novice mistake. When you figure that the cache owner's GPS had a margin of error of 15-30 feet and your unit has a similar margin of error, the cache could be 30, 40, 50 or more feet away from where your GPS says it is.

 

If your GPS is reading 6 feet you shouldn't be looking at it anymore, you should be searching. Actually I put my unit away when my GPS shows about 40 feet. I won't look it again until I've searched for a while and come up empty.

[+Sioneva]

Nope, you aren't the worst geocachers ever, since there is no such thing as the best geocacher ever either.

 

<snip>

 

Nonsense! *I* am the best geocacher ever!

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Trust me on this - you are not even in the league of possible "worst geocachers ever"!

 

Hang in there, it get easier!

 

Lots of good advice in the previous posts, perhaps the best being the reminders that your GPS will only get you close!

 

Logic, attention to detail and determination usually win the day.

 

Enjoy the 'new-ness' of these hides! Once you have found 500 or so they all start looking familiar, and by 2k you'll be finding the cache exactly where you thought it would be and wishing some hider would surprise you with something you haven't seen!

 

Attend events and make geoPals to discuss and share the joys and trevails of the game with.

 

Ed

[+olbluesguy]

With a little practice you will get the hang of how your unit talks to you.

Mark a waypoint on your unit somewhere in your neighborhood,or your property.

It could be a bush,or a fire plug or something like that.

then go off some distance and walk toward that waypoint,and watch what you unit is telling you.

Try comming at it from different areas in the neighborhood you will soon see just how close to the ZONE you will be.

[+Mudfrog]

First, i would stick to the easier difficulty ratings for your first few caches. Get the hang of things and how your GPSr behaves. Your GPSr may be setup wrong (wrong datum or format) so be sure and double check those settings.

 

A couple of things that help me:

 

Micros are usually going to present more of challenge since they are small and can be hidden in so many places and in so many ways. There are all kinds camouflaging techniques and sometimes you may be looking right at the cache and not even know it. Make note of the cache size that you are looking for and try to look in the spots that this particular size might fit.

 

One thing that helps me alot is to watch ahead as i approach a cache site. There are lots of times when i spot the likely hiding spot while still 50 feet or farther from the cache. Also, while approaching the cache site,,, i try to eyeball the spot that the arrow is pointing to, pick out that spot and walk as straight as i can to it. It's kind of like averaging and even if the arrow turns abruptly when you get close, you pretty much know where you really need to be heading.

 

Your caching sense will emerge after a few finds so don't get discouraged!

[+mgbmusic]

Hi we started caching about two weeks ago after being introduced to the hobby by my sister. When I went out with her we seemed to find the cache quite easily. We have been out and tried to find six different caches and found none. We are in no doubt that we have been at the correct locations it is just the clues are so vague and the GPS seems to take us almost to the point then seems to want to send us in all directions. One cache today said by the railway bridge 10 paces between the sappling and the pipe. Well we were in the woods surrounded by sapplings, there were two bits of bridge and two bits of pipe. The GPS would say 6 feet then when we walked the six feet in the correct direction it would point somewhere else. We have found this a problem on all the boxes so far. We have spent nearly an hour today looking through leaves etc and nothing. We have foudn nothing yet. I used to do letterboxing on the moors the old way and found hundreds yet I can't find any of these. What am I doing wrong? Why are the clues not clearer. Can anyone help? from the Sonatellas

 

Trust me, you're not the worst. On my first cache hunt, I crossed the same river twice and stil lended up on the wrong side! On my second, I had given up and was walking back to the car when I spotted it which demonstrates how far off I was.

 

ONe thing not mentioned in posts here is triangulation. If you've searched for a long time, walk aobut 50 feet away, break out the compass and take a bearing after standing still (best case, set your unit on the ground) for a few minutes. Walk 50 feet away from there and take another bearing. The intersecting lines will give you a good ballpark of where to look.

 

Watch for obvious places - UPS's (unusual piles of sticks) are a good giveaway. Holes in trees, and fallen trees are good to. You'll be amazed how many trees with holes you'll see one you get into this sport - even when not caching.

 

The best advice of all is this - You're the hider. Where would you put it? It's probably there.

 

This is a whopping 30 caches of experience talking here so...listen up...

 

--MGb

 

Edit: One last thing - You've come to the forums for help which means, by definition, you're not the worst. The worst would still be standing there scratching their head...

Edited December 18, 2006 by mgbmusic

[+traildad]

Is there any chance that the GPSr is set for the wrong datum. I have read about others having problems that turned out to be this. The experts can help you figure that out.

[+StarBrand]

I recently managed to find only 5 out 14 we tried over a 5 hour period.

 

....and I have been doing this for 5 years (almost).

 

Relax, have fun - stand back and look for an area you might hide something. Look for disturb areas where somebody might have been standing. Look for slightly un-natural piles of leaves, rocks, sticks, grass etc. As others have said - put the GPS away after you are sure you are within 20 feet or so. Look. Remember to think verticle - not all caches are on the ground.

[+ThePropers]

I'll just reiterate.

 

There should a screen on your GPS that tells you your accuracy. I find that typically this will be around 20 feet, give or take, but for now assume it's 20 feet. That means that if you are trying to find a certain spot, and your GPS is saying 0 feet away, that it could, in reality, be 20 feet in any direction.

 

This is why your GPS arrow is bouncing all over when you are 6 feet away....because everytime it recalculates your position, it has that 20 foot accuracy thing. One time it might think you're 6 feet South, the next time it might think you're 15 feet Noth, and the next time it might think you're 2 feet South-East.

 

Now say that the person who hid the cache also had a 20 foot accuracy when they were getting the coordinates you are trying to find. That means their coordinates could be up to 20 feet away.

 

So now, when you go to find it, the cache could be up to 40 feet away from your ground zero (given the hider's 20 foot accuracy and your 20 foot accuracy). That is of course assuming the original hider actually got decent coordinates also. I have found caches up to 100 feet away from ground zero (I won't mention the one that was 1/4 mile off, but that's a different story and unusual).

 

Anyways, as others have mentioned, I typically will quit looking at the GPS when I'm about 100 feet out and look ahead roughly 100 feet for any obvious hiding spots. I know once I am down in the 40, 30, or 20 foot range, the GPS starts becoming a bit more useless, but at 100 feet out, I can really narrow down the area.

 

Another nice trick is once you are near ground zero, just set the GPS down and go look for the cache. With the GPS standing still, it will keep recalculating the distance, so if you come back to it after a few minutes, it tends to give you a better reading than if you are carrying it around while circling the same small area.

 

Hope that helps, and good luck.

[+wimseyguy]

I'm surprised that the Leprauchans haven't nominated me for this title already! :)

Edited December 19, 2006 by wimseyguy

[KGunner]

When you get to the cache site, stop, look around, and see if anything is out of the ordinary. Go to the most logical places to hide a cache and check those.

[+Renegade Knight]

What a bunch of great posts on the topic.

 

The only thing I can add is that my first cache skunked me and we had to go back. My skunk ratio seems to be rising even though I keep learning more and more tricks to finding caches. Those rascally cache owners keep getting better at hiding them. The other option is that I'm just stupid and I'd rather not go there and just blame the owners.

 

Take everones advice, know you are not alone, that even with 1000 or more finds peole get skunked on caches. This activity is a challenge

[+GClouse]

It actually took me about a month before I found the first cache. I was using a really old GPSr that would get me within about 50 feet. From there it was like an Easter Egg hunt. As you do more, It gets easier because you learn to notice the kind of places that make good hiding spots. It took me forever to find my first light-pole cache, now ther are rediculously easy.