Increasing the challenge of geocaching

[+rallyfan555]

I just started caching a couple of months ago. The area that I live in is, unfortunately, devoid of any truely large parks or other public areas. Most of the caches I've visited have involved parking the car, walking between .1 and .3 mi. to the cache and looking for the box. Now I've seen areas of the local parks that I certainly wouldn't have seen otherwise and in that regard, I really enjoy the sport. The thing is, following the arrow on my gpsr to the cache site just isn't all that challenging. The tools are just too good. I understand that in other parts of the country, caches are much more difficult to get to, but that just doesn't seem to be the case in my area.

 

To raise the challenge level a notch, I'm thinking about setting my GPSr up so the only practical information is gives is a bearing to the cache. From there I'd use sighting or hand-bearing compass to find the cache by checking the bearing from two different locations and triangulating my way to the cache site.

 

Has anyone else tried this technique or found a better way to increase the difficulty level of caching?

[Dinoprophet]

Go for it. There are some here who would scoff at using the GPS to get the bearing. I've found a handful of easy caches without my GPS, but I dont' have the skills (or the nice maps) to do it regularly.

[+Snoogans]

WHAT? Still using a GPSr and you want it to be hard? Talk to Webling.... I think I heard that Webling has found hundreds if not thousands with just a topomap and a sighting compass.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Has anyone else tried this technique or found a better way to increase the difficulty level of caching?

Get some crutches. Tie your shoelace to your belt, holding your foot up off the ground. Take a hike.

 

There, it's harder now, isn't it?

 

Enjoy.

[+nytrostarss]

Has anyone else tried this technique or found a better way to increase the difficulty level of caching?

Get some crutches. Tie your shoelace to your belt, holding your foot up off the ground. Take a hike.

 

There, it's harder now, isn't it?

 

Enjoy.

[+welch]

If you want to up your difficulty, leave the car at home and walk or ride a bike to the caches

 

You might also try to pick out the caches that are considered more difficult in your area (usually have higher ratings, longer walks, tougher terrain).

[Neos2]

I looked at the cache pages of a few of the caches in your area and at the first six or so pages of caches--thinking that perhaps you were exaggerating a bit, but nope, the caches in your area are pretty mild mannered. That doesn't mean some of them aren't very clever, however. As you find some of the most challenging ones, I'll bet you'll come up with some ideas for great hides to put out to challenge others.

 

As for making it more challenging for yourself... You could do as Soogans suggested and try it without the GPS--or at least put it away as soon as you get to the general area. You could go to the cache without reading the cache page (I don't recommend that, however, as the page often has important info you don't want to skip!). You could try them only at night. ...or you could take a drive to an area that has more challenging caches. Plan a day trip. Save the tame ones near home for times when you can't leave town.

[+StarBrand]

Park a mile away - go uphill to the cache - in the rain - at night - during the winter - with only 10 minutes of battery life in the GPSr.

 

Geocaching can be as difficult as you want it to be.....

 

Me - I like finding the things.

[Tahosa and Sons]

Many of my hides have the use of bearings, resections, and just some tough terrain thrown in for some extra spice. Bearings with distance can be real easy due to the project a waypoint feature on many GPS's.

So a new one I'm putting out this spring has a way to get around that neat feature of waypoint projections.

Look at some of the caches I've hidden any ideas you like EMail me and I'll give what assistance I can.

[+TrailGators]

Try caching without a GPS or a compass. I've found a few caches by simply by using Google Maps. Just enter the cache coords into Google Maps; zoom in using the satellite option; study the satellite image of the cache area and then head out. It is actually a lot of fun!

[+wiseye]

Wearing a blind fold usualy will help!!!

[+The Jester]

Load data with unit set to NAD27 - depending on area the challenge can be 400+ feet!

[+Bill & Tammy]

Park a mile away - go uphill to the cache - in the rain - at night - during the winter - with only 10 minutes of battery life in the GPSr.

 

Geocaching can be as difficult as you want it to be.....

 

Me - I like finding the things.

 

Been there, done that. ..add throwing myself through shoulder high dead brush.

[+nikcap]

...

 

To raise the challenge level a notch, I'm thinking about setting my GPSr up so the only practical information is gives is a bearing to the cache. From there I'd use sighting or hand-bearing compass to find the cache by checking the bearing from two different locations and triangulating my way to the cache site.

 

Has anyone else tried this technique or found a better way to increase the difficulty level of caching?

 

 

Yes, it can be a lot of fun!

 

Also trying to grab a urban micro or cache and dash by just topo and/or Google maps can be a lot of fun too.

Look for a bunch of 1/1's and try it.

 

However, I find that finding the cache with the GPS is tough enough sometimes.

[+Blue Power Ranger]

Your profile says you've only found two caches (both 1/1). Is that true or have you just not logged most of your finds?

 

I would suggest that the more challenging hides are out there. Keep looking and you will fink many difficult caches already in place.

Edited January 30, 2007 by Blue Power Ranger

[+duhgee]

I like the idea of triangulating a location with only bearings and landmarks. That sounds like a creative alternative - probably done before, but not near me. Good luck. I've seen several that guide you with instructions (ie. walk 50 feet till you come upon a stump in the middle of the trail...) but triangulating would be more of a challenge. And for those that enjoy the finds a little more than the hunt, you could include the actual waypoint as an additional location.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Google Earth shows my home coords to be about 500' up the street, I once used it to post coords to an event I held - and attendees had to call for directions because the coords were a half-mile off, yep, finding things by Google would indeed make it a lot harder!

[+bigeddy]

... The thing is, following the arrow on my gpsr to the cache site just isn't all that challenging. The tools are just too good. I understand that in other parts of the country, caches are much more difficult to get to, but that just doesn't seem to be the case in my area.

 

To raise the challenge level a notch, I'm thinking about setting my GPSr up so the only practical information is gives is a bearing to the cache. From there I'd use sighting or hand-bearing compass to find the cache by checking the bearing from two different locations and triangulating my way to the cache site.

 

Has anyone else tried this technique or found a better way to increase the difficulty level of caching?

Difficulty and terrain are the two primary cache ratings. There are other variables such as weather which can mix things up. One of the easiest ways to make most caches a lot more challenging is to do them at night.

 

You play with the terrain you have. In the west we are fortunate to have varied landscape and large public lands. If your area is flat and mostly private land, use the excuse to travel. Research places with 3+ terrain caches and plan an all-day or overnight trip. I bet there are many such caches not too far away.

 

Difficulty, as opposed to terrain, is up to the cache owner and can involve things like camo, puzzles, navigation calculations, multi-stages, or extensive preparation. It sounds like the cache hiders in your local area like to keep it simple. Again, you may have seek out the closest 3+ difficulty caches and make a point of traveling to them.

 

One thing you might consider is to attempt the highest rated cache in each of the counties (or other jurisdictions) of your state. Guaranteed that will keep you busy planning trips and seeing new places. I did that last year for my state, Oregon, and it was challenging and fun. I walked away with a better appreciation for where I live.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

I just started caching a couple of months ago. The area that I live in is, unfortunately, devoid of any truely large parks or other public areas. Most of the caches I've visited have involved parking the car, walking between .1 and .3 mi. to the cache and looking for the box. Now I've seen areas of the local parks that I certainly wouldn't have seen otherwise and in that regard, I really enjoy the sport. The thing is, following the arrow on my gpsr to the cache site just isn't all that challenging. The tools are just too good. I understand that in other parts of the country, caches are much more difficult to get to, but that just doesn't seem to be the case in my area.

 

To raise the challenge level a notch, I'm thinking about setting my GPSr up so the only practical information is gives is a bearing to the cache. From there I'd use sighting or hand-bearing compass to find the cache by checking the bearing from two different locations and triangulating my way to the cache site.

 

Has anyone else tried this technique or found a better way to increase the difficulty level of caching?

Yes.... come to the Frederick, Maryland area and tackle some of our Psycho Urban Caches! Oh, and you may wish to bring along a helicopter, a Tyvek protective bunny suit with a PAPR respirator, a portable radiation monitor (just kidding on the suit, PAPR and monitor, we have loaners available here for each of those things), rock climbing gear, rappelling gear, spelunking gear, and an inflatable kayak. And lots of bandaids...

[+TrailGators]

Google Earth shows my home coords to be about 500' up the street, I once used it to post coords to an event I held - and attendees had to call for directions because the coords were a half-mile off, yep, finding things by Google would indeed make it a lot harder!

Half a mile?! I guess it depends where you live...

[+rallyfan555]

Thank you for all of the replies. Though I've only logged 2 finds, I have actually picked up several others in my area. I'm just not very good about logging them.

 

For me, the to most enjoyable things about caching, at least when I do it alone, are the scenery and navigating/hiking to the cache area itself. Going after them in the dark, blind folded, up hill both ways, in the middle of a hail storm, though adding to the difficulty, wouldn't really add to the fun.

 

Now that I think about it, I will try one in the dark sometime. Maybe I'll encounter an owl on my way to the cache.

 

Travelling some distance to find a tough cache is certainly something I look forward to doing. But those caching expeditions would be the exception rather than the rule.

 

It would be really interesting to see how people find caches using just a topographical map and a compass. Navigating with the level of precision of even a non-WAAS enabled GPSr would be pretty impressive to see. Even the most detailed topo maps I've seen of my area didn't seem fine enough for that. Perhaps there are better ones available that I'm not aware of. I'll have to look.

 

Thank you again for your replies. I'll stop with the rabble rousing now and go back to lurking.

[+edscott]

I just started caching a couple of months ago. The area that I live in is, unfortunately, devoid of any truely large parks or other public areas. Most of the caches I've visited have involved parking the car, walking between .1 and .3 mi. to the cache and looking for the box. Now I've seen areas of the local parks that I certainly wouldn't have seen otherwise and in that regard, I really enjoy the sport. The thing is, following the arrow on my gpsr to the cache site just isn't all that challenging. The tools are just too good. I understand that in other parts of the country, caches are much more difficult to get to, but that just doesn't seem to be the case in my area.

 

To raise the challenge level a notch, I'm thinking about setting my GPSr up so the only practical information is gives is a bearing to the cache. From there I'd use sighting or hand-bearing compass to find the cache by checking the bearing from two different locations and triangulating my way to the cache site.

 

Has anyone else tried this technique or found a better way to increase the difficulty level of caching?

 

Do ya' one better.. trash the GPS and then do some that require significent off trail navigation.