Disappointed/Discouraged

[wvnewbie]

I know in the grand scheme of things not finding a cache isn't a big deal - but I had a DNF on a fairly new cache last night - and was/still am bummed about it. I searched and searched for a small container in the woods to no avail. It wasn't a long drive from home - but far enough - and I spent an hour or so searching. I know I am new - but I do have a fair number of finds now - so not sure if it was just so well hidden I couldn't see it - but whatever the reason - it was a pretty lousy feeling failing to find it.

 

My question: Am I the only one that feels this way when a DNF happens - is this a common thing?

[+wandererrob]

My question: Am I the only one that feels this way when a DNF happens - is this a common thing?

 

Nah. When you're really new, DNFs sting a bit sometimes. The first one is always the worst.

 

Try looking for easier caches first (those rated 1.5/1.5 roughly). As you find more and your develop your geosenses, start looking for harder ones. Don't worry, you'll get better at it.

 

EDIT: ok with 20 finds, maybe you could step it up a bit more than 1.5/1.5

Edited June 5, 2007 by wandererrob

[+Kbdank71]

I log DNF's all the time. I used to get bummed out about it, now I just think No big deal, I'll get it next time.

[+Kryten]

The pain of a DNF is simply the opposite feeling to that of a successful find, you can't have one without the other.

[+briansnat]

My question: Am I the only one that feels this way when a DNF happens - is this a common thing?

 

Last count I had over 135 DNFs. If I felt that way I probably would have given this sport up a long time ago.

 

In fact some of the most fun I've had geocaching resulted in a DNF. It's not the container at the end, it's the adventure of getting there.

 

This used to be my sig line. I think it sums up my attitude:

 

The rainbow is more beautiful than the pot at the end of it,

because the rainbow is now.

The pot comes later and never turns out

to be quite what you expect.

-Hugh Prather

[+Knight2000]

What gets to me is the DNFs that you put on your watchlist and future finders keep finding it. It just makes me want to go back and figure it out.

 

What i like about caching is when i find an ingenious hide. Its amazing how much thought some people put into their caches. I love it.

 

Watch the logs and then rethink the cache and you will probably find it quickly and wonder how you missed it.

[BRTango]

Back in November I spent about 8 hours caching one park. The caches I was after weren't that difficult (don't remember what they were, but they weren't very difficult). I ended up DNFing 8 caches that day. Spent almost 45 minutes looking for each cache.

 

Although I was disappointed, I enjoyed the woods... I enjoyed the fresh air... I had lunch at a great tavern... and on the way home I stopped off and grabbed 1.5/1.5 cache at a rest stop to swap out some TBs.

 

All in all... it was a great day!! You just have to recognize the positive

[+bilbad]

What gets to me is the DNFs that you put on your watchlist and future finders keep finding it. It just makes me want to go back and figure it out.

 

What i like about caching is when i find an ingenious hide. Its amazing how much thought some people put into their caches. I love it.

 

Watch the logs and then rethink the cache and you will probably find it quickly and wonder how you missed it.

 

Exactly how I feel..I still have only one DNF but it has been recently found several times. One person actually DNFed it then a week later found it.. I will find it when I am back to that area and it will be glorious to win the challenge.

[+Theseus]

I'll add that when you go back and eventually find a previous DNF cache it is that much sweeter. There have been a handful of caches that I have DNF'd multiple times before finding. Let me tell you, those finds were exquisite.

[+TrailGators]

I'll add that when you go back and eventually find a previous DNF cache it is that much sweeter. There have been a handful of caches that I have DNF'd multiple times before finding. Let me tell you, those finds were exquisite.

I'm always so darn curious where the thing was. Most of the time the coords were way off...

[BRTango]

What gets to me is the DNFs that you put on your watchlist and future finders keep finding it. It just makes me want to go back and figure it out.

 

What i like about caching is when i find an ingenious hide. Its amazing how much thought some people put into their caches. I love it.

 

Watch the logs and then rethink the cache and you will probably find it quickly and wonder how you missed it.

 

Exactly how I feel..I still have only one DNF but it has been recently found several times. One person actually DNFed it then a week later found it.. I will find it when I am back to that area and it will be glorious to win the challenge.

 

I had a DNF in NH that I tried on 8 different occasions to find, spent at least 30 minutes each. It was a fairly simple one and I kept it on my watch list. I would see logs like "Found it in 5 minutes"... or my favorite "My 5 year old walked right up and grabbed it"

 

As soon as I'd see that... I head straight there telling myself "I will not be outdone by a five year old". But... sure enough... I was outdone by a five year old. Never did find that one. Moved away about a year ago... still wish I had found it!!

[+Knight2000]

Just do what any sane cacher would do.

 

An excerpt from GC13BP2 "Hiders of Finds" (A tribute to all the hiders of this cachers first 1000 finds)

 

Later I came across a certain micro cache in the woods. After I made five trips to find the cache, each an hour or more long and still not finding it I did what any sane person would do. I took a day off from work to do nothing but crawl around on my hands and knees in the woods looking for a cache. As whistlen said “There is a fine line between mental illness and a hobby!” I guess I must have it bad, because after 10 hours of searching in 90 degree heat on my day off I still could not find it. Sigh… The cache is named “NyukNyukNyuk” by Geojamie13. Yep, this one drove me over the edge. And in the end after a total of 20 hours searching and still coming up empty I needed her help to find it.

[+C&C+COMPANY]

It's took me 4 times before I got my first cache.

[+Mudfrog]

I know in the grand scheme of things not finding a cache isn't a big deal - but I had a DNF on a fairly new cache last night - and was/still am bummed about it. I searched and searched for a small container in the woods to no avail. It wasn't a long drive from home - but far enough - and I spent an hour or so searching. I know I am new - but I do have a fair number of finds now - so not sure if it was just so well hidden I couldn't see it - but whatever the reason - it was a pretty lousy feeling failing to find it.

 

My question: Am I the only one that feels this way when a DNF happens - is this a common thing?

 

Some of our fun with geocaching comes with getting FTFs so we have been known to get in the Jeep at 2 in the morning to try for them. About two months ago we did this very thing, cache got published late at night and we drove about 30 miles one way to see if we could grab it. It was a micro out in the woods and we ended up looking for about an hour before finally giving up. To say that we were frustrated at the time is an understatement. We came out the next day with friends and looked for about 45 minutes before one of them finally stumbled upon it.

 

Anyways, like you, it was disappointing not to find it that first trip but we did finally manage to get it. Looking back, it wasn't so bad afterall! Don't give up,, sometimes this comes with the territory (sure don't want them all to be easy) and we've found that these are some of the best memories too!!!

[+Snoogans]

Some of my favorite hunts were DNFs. Some of my least favorite hunts were DNF's.......

 

 

It all depends on the location. I have one cache that folks actually enjoy getting DNFs on because the terrain is so UNIQUE that they're just happy to BE there..... Check out all the DNFs: A Claustrophobic's Nightmare/Just Say No to Crack.

[+Walts Hunting]

Just do what any sane cacher would do.

 

An excerpt from GC13BP2 "Hiders of Finds" (A tribute to all the hiders of this cachers first 1000 finds)

 

Later I came across a certain micro cache in the woods. After I made five trips to find the cache, each an hour or more long and still not finding it I did what any sane person would do. I took a day off from work to do nothing but crawl around on my hands and knees in the woods looking for a cache. As whistlen said “There is a fine line between mental illness and a hobby!” I guess I must have it bad, because after 10 hours of searching in 90 degree heat on my day off I still could not find it. Sigh… The cache is named “NyukNyukNyuk” by Geojamie13. Yep, this one drove me over the edge. And in the end after a total of 20 hours searching and still coming up empty I needed her help to find it.

 

A micro in the woods gets a little different response from me. Five minutes and then the Ignore List.

[crtrue]

Some of my favorite hunts were DNFs. Some of my least favorite hunts were DNF's.......

 

 

It all depends on the location. I have one cache that folks actually enjoy getting DNFs on because the terrain is so UNIQUE that they're just happy to BE there..... Check out all the DNFs: A Claustrophobic's Nightmare/Just Say No to Crack.

 

I agree completely. I think the best caches don't even need to be found, as the location alone makes the trip worth it. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop looking ... I'm a bit too stubborn to start just showing up at waypoints and relaxing...

[+TeamHarrison]

I get angry about DNFs. I mean come on, the hider has clearly violated a million "rules", policies, or just plain has no manners! The coords are clearly bad and/or it is a completely inappropriate hide!

 

...and then I realize that Geocaching teaches me more about my own personality flaws than anything else.

 

I'm learning that sometimes the coords are right on, the hide is appropriate (or even downright clever), and that not all caches are meant to be found on the first hunt/within 15 minutes/possibly ever... ...by me.

 

So... ...DNFs are making me a better person.

[+imajeep]

My question: Am I the only one that feels this way when a DNF happens - is this a common thing?

 

 

I'm a fellow newbie, and I hate DNFs. A real blow to my ego. I really hate it when the last five logs say 'easy find' or 'quick grab', and I can't find it! I've decided that it's part of learning the game. I've been told that as I find more caches, I will get better at finding them, and that does seem to be the case. So, I guess I'm learning.

 

My first three finds took multiple trips and some real searching on each one. The reason, I think, is that I went after micros, which are often more difficult to find than ammo boxes in the woods. But I had a DNF on one of those the other day!

[+Kevel]

One DNF I got real angry. I looked all over this mountain top and I could not find it. I looked under, over in and out for an Ammo Can I mean come on, how hard is it to find something that big. I was mad at the person who hid it, I was mad at the last finder, I was mad at myself. Then as I was returning to my car I noticed where I was and what a fantastic evening it was and how pretty the woods were, and I realized that without the cache I would be sitting in traffic right now so I calmed down and enjoyed the trip. I returned a few weeks later and found it pretty quick.

 

One DNF was in a pull off on the side of an ugly road with no real reason to exist. I was angry at the hider for bringing me there. I looked for a minute and left never to return. I am still angry about that Cache.

 

Peace

[+outdoorsaddix]

DNFs are always suck especially when you get home and look at the clue again and know exactly where to look but hey there is always next time so dont forget to try again!

[+dew cache]

<<A micro in the woods gets a little different response from me. Five minutes and then the Ignore List.>>

 

I agree I HATE micros in the woods just too many places it could be hid high and low and too easy to over look in all the grass and leaves ect. I will look for about 15-20 minutes for a micro in the woods and move on. I bet most of my DNF were micros in the woods so they are to the point they don't bother me any more. I have looked at going some place that may have several caches in them and I look at the caches and if there are more DNFs on them than finds I will look for some other place to go. I go caching to get me out into the outdoors and that makes my doctor happy that is why I don't have very many P&G so I don't care if I get a DNF or not. I had a lot more DNFs when I started then I changed my name and lost many of them.

[+StarBrand]

The journey and the adventure are all part of the fun. Sure it is disappointing but your story will make fine reading in the DNF log. I have about 1 DNF for every 7 or so finds. It happens.

[+ke6n]

I haven't had a FTF in quite a while and one popped up for me very close the other evening. I figured "what the heck?" My wife was already sleeping so it wouldn't be a hassle trying to justify my leaving at 11:30 PM so I went for it. I spent a half hour with my flashlight looking around finding all sorts of crawly creepies and decided that I'd spent enough time. I'd come back the next day and find it.

 

Of course, the next morning, another geocacher found it at just about sun up. haha. I went by to find it and it took me about a minute to find it. It was like the difference between night and day. (Hey, it WAS the difference between night and day.)

 

No harm, no foul. I had fun both times I went out. I also go back to find just about every DNF I log at some time or another. That's what makes it fun and a challenge!

[+The Commissar!]

As a relative newbie when I plan the HIDE for a new cache, I figure in how hard or easy I want it to be. I state that and rate it as such, but It is much harder to evaluate the AVERAGE DIFFICULTY when you know where the cache is hidden. So what I think is a 1.5 may be harder than that. It's an opinion.

 

Experience will advance your knowledge of potential hide types and "open your eyes" to things you never saw before. And reduce your DNF rate.

 

But I find that having a nemesis cache keeps it fun. DNF's do not make a person better/or worse than another. And Geocaching is not a competition IMHO, it's just a fun pastime. If a DNF pushes you to a new level of caching experience you benefit!

 

So enjoy them and learn from them and laugh at yourself when you finally find that nemesis and hold on because the next one is just around the corner...no really...It's right there, don't you see it?!

[+Juicepig]

Just wait until you get 5 or 6 DNFs in a row. Your next stop will be the noose shop.

[Clan Riffster]

I seem to average about 10% DNF's. I can't recall ever getting upset over one, in fact, some of my fondest caching memories involve DNF's. There's one urban micro I've spent 15 hours looking for...so far. For me, it's all about my fun meter. As long as my fun meter keeps bouncing around, I'll keep looking. When it hits "0", I leave, no hard feelings. The amount of time it takes me to reach "0" depends largely upon the cache.

[+ke6n]

There's one urban micro I've spent 15 hours looking for...so far.

Dude!

 

I think you ought to get an award for most persistance!

[+Shakedown.dave]

To me, a DNF has become just a greater challenge. I enjoy finding them more the second time, because I feel that I have finally won. I wouldn't have felt the same way, if I had walked up, found it, and walked back. Good hides make the game.

[+mamid]

Most of my DNFs are because the kids don't let me look enough to find stuff and not the cache owner's fault. DS is a blurr. DD is hot on his heels. And Baby is very demanding. When she gets like that, I couldn't find the broad side of a barn.

[+Renegade Knight]

...My question: Am I the only one that feels this way when a DNF happens - is this a common thing?

 

Nope. I dislike DNF's and like Finds.

Hunting for some kinds of caches skews the odds and makes a DNF more likely. Small caches in the woods being one of them. Especially when they are described as "Under the log".

[+Metaphor]

DNF usually stands for "Damned Nice Fun" but then again, you'll hit the occasional PITA -- "Placer Is The Anti-Christ" which are not nearly so DNF. Log them all.

 

Both beat what's on TV.

[+niffir]

It's took me 4 times before I got my first cache.

 

Took me 3. First time I had the coordinates entered wrong, so it kept pointing me toward a golf course. Second time I took it literally when it told me I was at the cache location, so I kept looking right in that same area and came up empty handed. Third time I brought my husband (then boyfriend) along and we found it pretty easily.

 

I prefer to believe all the caches I DNF are missing and do check on them from time to time to see if anyone found them after me. A few are found again, but enough are never found again that I don't lose all self respect

[+Miragee]

DNF usually stands for "Damned Nice Fun" but then again, you'll hit the occasional PITA -- "Placer Is The Anti-Christ" which are not nearly so DNF. Log them all.

 

Both beat what's on TV.

One time, on one trail, I got six DNF's . . . The caches did not have hints, and I didn't know what a DeCon container was, nor how they could be hidden.

 

After that, I determined when I placed caches of my own, they would be either easy-to-find, or would have an explicit hint. Personally, I don't think it is fun to tease and taunt Geocachers with evil hides.

 

Yesterday, I was about to decide the "Placer is the Anti-Christ" for this cache, which had inaccurate coordinates and which is also a bison tube attached to a rock in a rock garden. If I had been by myself, that would have been DNF #234 . . .

[+simplyred]

Some times there's a valid reason I don't find them, so I don't get too worked up over them. But some of my best caches are DNF's. I have 2 DNF's that I didn't get the cache, but I did get to why the cache was placed. I enjoy where they bring me, when they bring me somewhere interesting.

One thing though, if you found them all, all the time, it wouldn't be so satisfying. The challenge is part of the appeal.

[+CTYankee9]

DNF usually stands for "Damned Nice Fun" but then again, you'll hit the occasional PITA -- "Placer Is The Anti-Christ" which are not nearly so DNF. Log them all.

 

Both beat what's on TV.

One time, on one trail, I got six DNF's . . . The caches did not have hints, and I didn't know what a DeCon container was, nor how they could be hidden.

 

After that, I determined when I placed caches of my own, they would be either easy-to-find, or would have an explicit hint. Personally, I don't think it is fun to tease and taunt Geocachers with evil hides.

 

Yesterday, I was about to decide the "Placer is the Anti-Christ" for this cache, which had inaccurate coordinates and which is also a bison tube attached to a rock in a rock garden. If I had been by myself, that would have been DNF #234 . . .

 

Well then, good thing you weren't by yourself And the mantra of "just 5 more minutes won't hurt nothing" usually helps with the DNFs!

 

But really they are all good, FTFs, Regular Fs and the DNFs; if you gets you out to somewhere new then it has accomplished it's mission. Even if that somewhere new is really 50' over there !

[+Team LaLonde]

I searched and searched for a small container in the woods to no avail. . .and I spent an hour or so searching. My question: Am I the only one that feels this way when a DNF happens - is this a common thing?

 

We've been at this for well over a year and we had a similar situation just this past weekend! Don't feel bad. There are MANY places to hide a film canister in a fifty foot circle in the woods. Incidentally, just before giving up we found the pesky thing - in the same spot we already checked about five times!

[Elaur]

I'm at about 50% dnf at this point. I was telling a friend and he was teasing me. I told him i'm always bringing my kids and sometimes its really hot and sometimes i had my mother in law along!! I suck at finding them, but it's fun!

[+mamid]

I'm at about 50% dnf at this point. I was telling a friend and he was teasing me. I told him i'm always bringing my kids and sometimes its really hot and sometimes i had my mother in law along!! I suck at finding them, but it's fun!

don't worry... I cache with kids too and blame them for my dnf. DS just about got hit today when he hopped out of the car to join my searcher (I was driver, had another to search for me). Thank god the road was a quiet road! That almost ended that search.

[+TacRat]

My first day out caching, I looked for 6 caches. I only found 1. But that didn't turn me off, I kept looking for them and eventually learned how some cachers make their hides. At first, you feel kind of bummed, but after awhile, eh, you get used to it.

 

Cache on!!!

[+Team Perks]

Hey, I had 27 DNF's in one day recently. It happens.

[Skippermark]

My question: Am I the only one that feels this way when a DNF happens - is this a common thing?

 

Our DNFs seem to be the easier types, like a 1/1. Don't ask me why because I have no idea. If we're going for numbers, we'll allot a certain amount of time for a find, and if we don't find it, we'll move on. If time isn't an issue, our DNF rate goes down.

 

As far as getting upset, I keep searching until I stop having fun and then I move on. Our average seems to be about 1 DNF for every 15 finds.