Learning curve.

[+Y2KOTA]

Share something you've learned about hunting out caches. It could be some thing as simple or some old time secret that you learned a long time ago!

 

I know I could use some pointers in finding caches. Some other newbies could most likely use them too

 

Thanks!

[+Isonzo Karst]

Don't start bushwhacking until you've gone significantly beyond the point where the cache starts falling back behind you. There may well be trail, just not right at 90 degrees to your line of travel.

 

Hard way in, easy way out isn't really a logging requirement....

[+admo1972]

Don't start bushwhacking until you've gone significantly beyond the point where the cache starts falling back behind you. There may well be trail, just not right at 90 degrees to your line of travel.

 

Hard way in, easy way out isn't really a logging requirement....

 

LOL! Tell me about it. This weekend I bushwacked through prickers and jsut overgrown bushes to get to a cache (that was a DNF anyway). Once I gave up, there was a clear and easy way to get back to the clearing and park where I had come from. So while I don't really add another tip, I second this one.

[+StarBrand]

Think vertical. I sometimes get stuck with the idea that the cache should be on the ground when it is in fact is at eye level in the tree.

 

Look at the most likely spot from several angles. Sometimes a little different perspective or play of light will reveal the hide.

 

Most important rule. As soon as the fun meters drops to zero - time to leave whether you have found it or not.

[+PeterNoG]

When you do get to "ground zero", put the GPSr away and just think "Where would I hide a cache?".

[+monahmat]

Think vertical. I sometimes get stuck with the idea that the cache should be on the ground when it is in fact is at eye level in the tree.

 

Great point that I often forget. I just started not to long ago as well and have 19 finds at the moment. All I would say is that experience is key. My first weekend out I had 2 DNF's and 3 finds. Those three finds took me forever. Then after just a dozen finds I got the idea of common hiding places and signs to look for and they are coming a lot faster now, I've even gone out and found two of my earlier DNFs. Every find your 'eye' gets a little bit better.

[+sbell111]

If the hunt ever gets 'unfun', stop what you are doing and do something else.

[+Haffy]

If you are unfamiliar with the area and sometimes even if you think you are familiar make sure to mark your car or at least a point that you know will get you back to your starting point. Only once have I gotten lost in the woods and wouldn't you know it I forgot to mark my car. 2 hours later and a couple of miles off course I finally came out to a road thank goodness. Now if I am in an unknown area I make sure to mark my car.

[BrklynDox]

Keep remembering that it is about the exploration, the fun and the quest, not about how many find numbers line up by your profile!

[+mr_candyman]

Look for anything out of place. Eventually you'll be quick at that and be able to tell instantly what's garbage and what might be a piece of bag encasing a cache. Brnches/logs out of place, ect. are also included in this.

 

I'd also say to ALWAYS keep 2 flashlights with you; a BRIGHT flashlight that kind of just makes a pretty small point with you. If you start giving up, even in daytime, pull this one out and start lighting up the trees, etc. This could reveal fishing line you'd never normally see, or even sometimes just make the cache itself light up. The other flashlight should be a good night time one. For this I'm actually really fond of the 5 LED ones that have a center light and 4 outer lights and you can either light the center, the outer, or all at once. For most stuff at night I'd just use the outer ones, as soon as you light the middle one it focuses your attention to the middle and you might miss something.

 

Oh, also best to keep with you a bunch of rechargeable batteries for your flashlights and GPSR. Then you always have batteries just in case, and you aren't polluting so much with the alkalines.

[CacheNCarryMA]

If you don't find the cache within 10~15 minutes, back away from ground zero to the point on the trail (if there is one) closest to the cache. Stand there for a few moments and observe. Often there will be a "game trail" worn through the underbrush. You may also be able to see a hiding spot that looks obvious -- like a hollow tree, a log, a pile of rocks.

[+DrivingMeCrazy]

Take along a friend! Four eyes (or six or eight) are always better than two!

[+sbell111]

Keep remembering that it is about the exploration, the fun and the quest, not about how many find numbers line up by your profile!

... unless you want it to be about the numbers. There's nothing wrong with that either. If that's what trips your trigger, pick a high number and go for it. Edited April 30, 2007 by sbell111

[+sbell111]

When at ground zero, remember to take off your polarized sunglasses. They make telling the subtle color difference between nature and a well camoed container more difficult.

[CacheNCarryMA]

Read all of the logs on the cache page before you leave the house. Check an ortho before you leave the house, as well -- Google Earth or Live Map -- and note any landmarks nearby.

[+tozainamboku]

When at ground zero, remember to take off your polarized sunglasses. They make telling the subtle color difference between nature and a well camoed container more difficult.

You only need to take off your sunglasses once But it's a good idea to put then in your pocket or keep them around your neck with a strap. I've lost more glasses while geocaching than I care to count.

[+Night Stalker]

I thought I was the only one that did that. there is more than one pair of my sunglasses pointing the way to a cache.

 

[+TrailGators]

When you do get to "ground zero", put the GPSr away and just think "Where would I hide a cache?".

Great advice!

[crawil]

1. If your GPSr seems to be bouncing around, turn it off and back on. Sometimes rebooting seems to help.
   
2. Sometimes walking away from the suspected GZ in a different direction and following the arrow from a different compass point will help you triangulate the proper GZ.
   
3. Don't tick off your wife while out caching. She's usually the one that finds the difficult ones anyways.
   
4. Have FUN!!!
   

[+Aiden's Cachers]

If you have a small child and you don't already own one, I suggest getting a jogging stroller. We tried pushing a regular stroller and believe me it was terrible.

[+cache_test_dummies]

Double check to make sure you have your GPSr, your camera, your cell phone, your glasses, your car keys, small children, pets, and any TB's you've picked up from the cache securely in your possession or stowed before leaving the cache site.

[+michigansnorkelers]

#1

Mark your car... Yes, you can get lost in a small suburban woods!

 

#2

Mark where you leave the trail, or set a track from there...(see #1)

 

#3

Hide a key on your vehicle because you'll lock yourself out of your car sooner or later, most likely in the middle of nowhere!

 

#4

Take a cell phone with you. You might need to call for help (broke my ankle during my first month geocaching!)

 

#5

Carry a flashlight, even if you don't plan on being out after dark (see #1,#2,#3,#4)

 

#6

Take extra batteries (see #1,#2,#3,#4,#5)

 

#7

Always carry a pen or pencil. Nothing like bushwacking a mile to a cache and not being able to log it!

[+Jedi Cacher]

1. Don't tick off your wife while out caching.
   

 

LOL! This is so true. When you come to a fork in the trail always let her choose the path. Instead of listening to my wife on a recent caching excursion, I choose the wrong path and it took us an hour out of our way. I thought that our little caching adventure was going to end in a divorce!

[crawil]

If you have a small child and you don't already own one...

I had visions of a rent-a-kid type service to allow cachers without small children to grab micros at the neighborhood park in the daytime!

[4wheelin_fool]

Ive found that it is important to put "GPS accuracy" as a data field on the GPS screen.

 

For example: If the GPS says that the cache is 2 feet away, but the accuracy is 50 feet - it may be quite a distance. If I have an accuracy of 9 feet and the GPS says I am 12 feet away from it - I usually am much closer to the cache.

[+hairball45]

1. Don't tick off your wife while out caching. She's usually the one that finds the difficult ones anyways.
   
2. Have FUN!!!
   

 

No, DO keep ticks off your wife, she'll complain bitterly. And yes she does spot the hard ones.

[+cache_test_dummies]

Ive found that it is important to put "GPS accuracy" as a data field on the GPS screen.

Good one!

 

I was out with another geocacher one day a couple of years ago and he suggested this to me. Accuracy has remained on my primary screen ever since.

[+StarBrand]

Do over-estimate how long it will take to do a round trip across .25 miles of hill and thick forest to find a cache. It will save your marriage. Saying you will be back in 20 minutes - not good.

[+sbell111]

If you have a small child and you don't already own one...

I had visions of a rent-a-kid type service to allow cachers without small children to grab micros at the neighborhood park in the daytime!

I read that the same way.

[+Aiden's Cachers]

If you have a small child and you don't already own one...

I had visions of a rent-a-kid type service to allow cachers without small children to grab micros at the neighborhood park in the daytime!

I read that the same way.

 

I am sure I could rent out Aiden for a small fee.

[+PlantAKiss]

There have been a couple of occasions when I couldn't find the cache. So I stood still in one place and turned my head to scan around. Found it! So you don't always have to be bending and poking.

 

I take gloves for poking in creepy spots.

 

And I always carry my camera for taking woodland shots, cache shots and to pretend I'm a photographer on a "shoot" to fool muggles.

 

Add a leashed dog if you want to increase the difficulty level.

[Luckless]

Sometimes I have to remind myself to slow down. I used to only do one cache each time I went out caching so I'd have plenty of time for exploring. With the price of gas and the fear that some caches may be archived before I get a chance to do them, as happened when a local cacher archived all his caches (about 25), I'll now do several instead of just one. Sometimes I get so caught up in finding the cache I forget to slow down and enjoy what's around me. To me it's this chance to explore an area I hadn't been to(or even one I had been to) that drew me to geocaching. So I'll slow myself down and look to see if there are any frog eggs at the edge of the pond, any woodpeckers nesting in holes in the trees, any chipmunks staring out at me from the tree stumps, any fish in the stream, any little waterfalls, any neat looking mushrooms, etc.

[+Y2KOTA]

Thanks for all the tips!! I'll add some that I've learned since I started this post...

 

1, take along a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

2, leave a change of shoes in the car. I now keep a pair old pair of sneakers and socks in the back just in case of finding a deep puddle or mud.

3, With your change of shoes, a old towel or 2.

4, Can of bug repellent.

 

I'll add more as I learn. Please post your tip!

Edited May 6, 2007 by Y2KOTA

[+andGuest]

Use a hiking stick for its intended purpose as well as holding back briars, branches and such . Also use it to poke where you want to look for a cache to avoid getting bitten by something. Just yesterday I saw a snake slither back into a stone wall near ground zero. The cache was behind the rock the snake was on top of.

[+Driver Carries Cache]

Trust the coordinates!

 

Now I know that some will say that this isn't always the best policy, but more times than not it seems when I'm out caching, if we're having trouble finding something trusting the coordinates puts us right on. Yesterday we tried to "out-think" ourselves twice when we were standing nearly on top of a cache, we'd read the clues, take into account the title and say "well then it should be over there". Both times we ended up back within a few feet of zero.

 

Driver Carries Cache

[MelN2LilMen]

If you do have kids, rented or otherwise, make sure you impress on them most strongly that there is a good possibility that you will find nothing any time you go out.

 

I second the hiking stick tip, too.

[+trainlove]

The think vertical suggestion is always good. I initially look in that direction as I approach a cache coord.

 

Always stay on the trail, even if it starts to head away from the cache. It could be part of a big circle but be much better than bushwhacking and risking lyme disease.

 

Within all the gobbledegook in my profile, or off my web page, is a link to technical hints mostly for Magellan users.

 

Very important when at a cache right next to a trail. Take the container to a secluded spot, like behind a large pine tree, to open it and write your log. This will help prevent the premature muggling of an improperly planted cache. But be sure to remember how it was hidden and put it back exactly the same.

 

Just plain turn your GPS off on the trail to the cache and enjoy the scenery along your hike. I set mine to yards and for me my pace is about 20% less than a yard so if the going is straight I just count paces then paces/10 then paces/10 again. Or even just time it out, about 100 paces takes about a minute so if the cache is 800 yards away I'll turn the GPS on at about 8 minutes down the trail. But I'll only turn it on to take another bearing.

[+Super_Nate]

If you are brand-new to the game. Start with easy rated caches, and work your way to the harder ones. If you start with the harder ones, then you are going to get discouraged quicker and you may even risk giving up on a sport that you would have otherwise enjoyed for years to come.

[+Demzon]

And I always carry my camera for taking woodland shots, cache shots and to pretend I'm a photographer on a "shoot" to fool muggles.

 

Good call. I've had quite a few times where I wandered around doing nothing, wandered off as I was out for a stroll, or had a seat to take in the scenery in the short time I've been doing this myself.

[+briansnat]

-Two critical data fields on your navigation screen are EPE and distance to destination. If you unit has user definable data fields make sure these are on you navigation screen.

 

-A mapping unit isn't necessary, but it sure makes the sport a lot easier. When buying a unit strongly consider one with mapping and get the mapping software.

 

-No need to tear apart the area while you are searching. If you move a rock or anything, return it to its original position. When you leave the area it should look no different than it did when you arrived (except for less litter).

 

-If you have reception probems at ground zero move away to where you can get reception, shoot a bearing, estimate distance, select a likely spot and go there.

 

-Be prepared. Dress appriopriately for the worst conditions you can expect. If its a long hike or the terrain is difficult, hiking boots are a good idea. If you are doing long hikes or backcountry caches you should be prepared to spend the night just in case. You never know if you will get lost (yes people do even with a GPS), or blow out a knee or ankle.

 

-Carry a flashlight. It's good for looking in dark places and also comes in handy if you stay out later than you planned.

 

-Re-hide the cache in a manner consistent with its difficulty rating. If you find it in the open and its rated 3 stars for difficulty, it's likely that the owner didn't want it that way. However if its only rated 1 star for difficulty, perhaps he did want it to be obvious. Don't try to "help" other cachers by making it more obvious, or hide it "better than you found it" without a good reason.

 

-Don't assume that just because you can't find it, that its missing. If I had a buck for every time someone swore one of my caches was missing and I went there and found it, I could take the wife out to a very nice dinner.

[+Y2KOTA]

Lots of good tips here!! Thanks

 

Here's two that came to mind yesterday, I'm mark these down as Lesson learned.

 

1, DON'T go messing around with branches and bushes after a rain Unless you got rain gear on

 

2, map out your route, Had one yesterday turn into at least a1.5 mile hike that would have been a 100 yards if looked at a decent map

[+Driver Carries Cache]

 

-Be prepared. Dress appriopriately for the worst conditions you can expect. If its a long hike or the terrain is difficult, hiking boots are a good idea. If you are doing long hikes or backcountry caches you should be prepared to spend the night just in case. You never know if you will get lost (yes people do even with a GPS), or blow out a knee or ankle.

 

-Carry a flashlight. It's good for looking in dark places and also comes in handy if you stay out later than you planned.

 

 

This advice should never be underestimated. You never expect to be stranded in the woods overnight, but it happens. Anything you need to survive should be on your person. If you set down your pack to take a picture and fall down a canyon, all your gear could be permanently out of reach.

 

No one can "expect" the unexpected (that is of course why it's unexpected) but while planning for the worst may sound extreme, it could save your life. The news is littered with stories of folks who made a wrong turn, like the family lost in the mountains in Oregon a few months back, or the story a few years ago about the hiker who scrambled into a canyon and had a boulder shift pinning his arm and trapping him (he ended up using a pocket knife to amputate his own arm).

 

If you want to see examples of poor preparedness, and its consequences, find a copy of Accidents In North American Mountaineering (link will take you to Amazon.com).

 

Your best defense is to be prepared for the worst, be aware of what you might need to do to survive and to have the equipment handy which will give you the best shot at survival.

Edited May 10, 2007 by Driver Carries Cache

[+Ipswich Dad]

Just today, a microcache was in a busy area, so while I was walking toward the cache, I pretended my GPS was a cell phone and I was dialing a number, or looking something up. Then, when I was 10 feet to the left of the cache, I put my GPS up to my ear like I was talking to someone while I grabbed the cache. Doesn't work in all situations, but cellphones are so common that hardly anyone notices. Talk out-loud and have a one-sided conversation if you really need to add to the illusion.

Edited May 10, 2007 by Ipswich Dad

[+msrubble]

There have been some good tips.

 

I'll add two suggestions.

 

1. Sometimes a compact mirror or a mechanic's mirror will help you find a cache.

 

2. As part of being prepared, try to make sure you'll be comfortable. Insect repellant in summer. For winter caching, I think toe warmers are a great invention. It's a lot easier to think clearly when your feet don't feel like blocks of ice.

[+seabee89]

When you do get to "ground zero", put the GPSr away and just think "Where would I hide a cache?".

 

I'm new, but this is exactly what I try to do. I also like to look up as well as down. The main thing is to enjoy it and enjoy being outdoors.

[+briansnat]

No one can "expect" the unexpected (that is of course why it's unexpected) but while planning for the worst may sound extreme, it could save your life. The news is littered with stories of folks who made a wrong turn, like the family lost in the mountains in Oregon a few months back, or the story a few years ago about the hiker who scrambled into a canyon and had a boulder shift pinning his arm and trapping him (he ended up using a pocket knife to amputate his own arm).

 

These things can happen pretty much anywhere. In NJ it's hard to hike more than an hour or two (usually a lot less) in any direction without hitting a road. Yet a few years ago an experienced hiker died of hypothermia while out cross country skiing. Fell in a stream, didn't have dry clothing and that was it.

 

And last fall a mother was hiking with her 6 year old daugther a few miles from where I live. They got lost, night came and the temps dipped. The mother saved her daughter's life by wrapping herself around her, but she was hospitalized for hypothermia after they were rescued. They were no more than a mile from a road.

 

Like that guy who had his arm pinned by a boulder, I had my ankle pinned by a shifting boulder a while ago. Took me a few minutes to get lose but if that boulder were any heavier, I could still be there (or my skeleton).

 

And it doesn't have to be winter either. Hypothermia can occur with temps in the 60's. So bottom line, don't think it can't happen to you and be prepared. Even if its summer throw some dry clothing, a poncho and a sweater in your pack. A whistle is a good idea too.

Edited May 11, 2007 by briansnat

[Clan Riffster]

To add to an already great idea:

Your observations as you near ground zero can be crucial to the success of your hunt. I like to pause about 50' from ground zero to let my GPSr catch up with my location. I'll look in the direction the arrow's pointing, estimate the visual distance, and mentally mark a likely starting point for my search. Then I'll follow my arrow as the distance drops, re-evaluating my probable starting point. When I'm at 20', I start my hunt, looking for places where I would hide a cache. By this time, my GPSr is in my pocket.

 

Edit to add: 95% of my searching is with just my eyes.

Edited May 11, 2007 by Clan Riffster

[+Y2KOTA]

Here's a almost hard lesson learned,

 

Remove your bluetooth from your ear before a branch does!!

 

Nearly lost mine this AM in some water!!!

[+requiscat]

I'm a new cacher, but an avid hiker. Don't rely on a cell phone to save your butt if you need help. I'm sure cachers are smarter than that, but if I had a nickel for every time I've heard, "I got lost/injured/ran into a bear, I had my cell phone so I didn't think to tell anyone where I was going," I'd... Well, I'd have a couple bucks at least. There are a lot of places where you're just not going to get a signal. I like to make a list of the cache's we plan on visiting that day with an estimated time of return and leave it with someone who will notice if we don't come back. Geocaching is kind of cool that way -- the authorities have a really good idea where to look. And like someone else mentioned, carrying a whistle is a really great idea.

 

Someone said it before, but I'll add it again anyway, Never, EVER forget bug spray. A great trip can turn miserable pretty quick without it.

[ISUDogCachers]

Double check to make sure you have your GPSr, your camera, your cell phone, your glasses, your car keys, small children, pets, and any TB's you've picked up from the cache securely in your possession or stowed before leaving the cache site.

 

Let me add to that to make sure you do NOT have anything you're not intending to take along with you when you leave.

 

I asked son #1 to hold a TB while I dug the log out of a recent find. When packing everything back in, I forgot about that and we walked half way back to the car with the TB. It was not one that we could help move along and was not my intention to take - in addition, I hadn't recorded that in the log. So, we walked back. Bonus though, we would never have seen the deer if we hadn't had to turn around.