Are You A FTF Nut?

[+SidAndBob]

I have noticed on thing about some of our area FTF hounds. It seems that once they know they won't be FTF, the put the cache on the back burner.

The thing that really makes me laugh is the FTF hound logs where they miss the FTF and imply that they didn't really want the FTF this time for whatever reason.

[+Kiwi Nomad]

I love ftfs and would have more if it were possible but I am not the only one who goes for them in my area. Having said that twice I have had a ftf left for me. The first was a multi and that stage I didn't have a gps. The last one was two days ago where I had got a stf behind the main ftfer in our area. As it was the second one had a problem with it, the answers gave you the coordinates for the start not the final. So when I found it (our first night cache) I felt like I had achieved something and was more than happy to add it on to my ftf list. All of two long.

 

Including the above two I have had two more chances one I got the other I just couldn't find. Yes there have been other caches come up near me I just have to balance my want of getting a ftf or even just finding a cache with the knowledge that the rest of my family gets bored of caching if we do it too often.

 

I feel sorry for people who have placed caches and don't have someone get excited over it and rush out and find it. Unless of course it is at the top of a mountain or a 5/5. When someone else gets a ftf instead of me I know how they are feeling to get a ftf so good on them for putting the effort in and getting out there and finding it. Their logs are normaly realy interesting to read. Once it is found I am not in any rush to find it I get to at some stage. I only have one cache out there and would be dissapointed if everyone found it in the first week/month and then no one else found it as I like reading the logs on line.

 

I also enjoy finding different geocoins and getting the different icons on my page. At the moment I have found mainly traditional but would like my finds to be better spread out over the different types, multis, puzzels, letterboxes. It was a big deal to me when I found the first of each type and am still looking forward to finding my first earthcache.

[+team lagonda]

dont put much stock in your regular park n grab FTF....thats merly whoever gets the info first,,lives close bye,,etc..a realy hard cache out in the middle of nowhere carries some wieght though....the real fun though would be to place a real head scratchin micro / puzzle /multi / cache .. make the ftf crowd realy work for it..maybe leave a note in the multi cache that the final clue will be posted in the local paper a few weeks later and by doing so will give everyone a shot at it....lol....

Edited June 29, 2007 by team lagonda

[+genegene]

well I would go after one if it came up near me and I was able to go after it. like last night

[+MtnGoat50]

I guess I'm probably a FTF Nut. I've been known to head out at 10 PM on Christmas eve for a FTF, (and get home about 2 AM Christmas morning).

 

I can't explain why any more than I can explain why I enjoy geocaching to someone who doesn't think it sounds like fun. Different people enjoy different things...

[+Kiwi Nomad]

dont put much stock in your regular park n grab FTF....thats merly whoever gets the info first,,lives close bye,,etc..a realy hard cache out in the middle of nowhere carries some wieght though....the real fun though would be to place a real head scratchin micro / puzzle /multi / cache .. make the ftf crowd realy work for it..maybe leave a note in the multi cache that the final clue will be posted in the local paper a few weeks later and by doing so will give everyone a shot at it....lol....

 

I agree of my two one was a puzzle and the other was a night time multi with incorrect cords so I am proud of my two and look forward to my next one. As long as it is not a drive by in a boring place. Hey we are lucky down here no lpc, haven't had any so far where I have gone wish I hadn't come here!

 

[+Chuy!]

I asure you that any FTF on my caches will not get gift cards, trackables or money they will get something that I make or something that means something to me. I am working on putting out 10 ammo boxes with some being multi micros to find. If people don't want to find them becuase of lack of "prizes" that is okay with me.

 

FTF prizes are neither necessary nor to be expected. Some people don't put them in their caches simply because they don't want to encourage an FTF race. Nevertheless, an FTF item personally created by the cache owner would be a great reward! I've been leaving unactivated geocoins in my own caches as FTF prizes.

 

My area has lots of FTF competition. I don't know of anyone, myself included, that cares if there is an FTF prize or not. Some of us FTF hounds, myself included, have many times even ignored the prize and left it for the STF. As has been mentioned above, the FTF race is a spinoff and those that participate in it greatly enjoy the race and the comraderie it creates.

[+lacazg]

I live in an area with a lot of highly active cachers that will jump on a new cache before I even know about it. I think its fun just finding it and I feel no need to race.

[Phatfish16]

I have to admit I DO like being the first to find a cache. There's an added thrill to the hunt for me, which is probably originated within my own mind. I get flustered if I trekked out there and can't find it within the first few minutes. I also get a bit of a thrill on the ride to the site or area. It also adds a bit of adrenalin to the find that isn't present when I find a cache that has been found by 10s to hundreds of others. I am also a bit of a stat person. I don't brag about it, but I like to play with my own numbers to see my percentages and what not. (I'm a financial management analyst, so I'm numbers oriented and analytical by nature.) Plus, my stats aren't anything to brag about either, so I don't even have the option of bragging

 

One other thing I wanted to mention, was that about a year and a half ago, possibly even 2 years ago, I read a thread by someone (possibly a charter member) who mentioned that in order to take the step from newbie to cacher, one needed to have a certain amount of hides, a certain amount of finds, PLUS a certain percentage of those finds had to be FTFs. (I don't recall the exact number of that person's requirements, nor his/her name) I know this is ridiculous and there's really no competition with this sport/activity/obsession other than with yourself, but it might add a slight bit of competition to it. (I DO get rather down on myself if I have to log a DNF)

[+Thrak]

Check my logs for this cache

 

It was published on a Sunday and I didn't go for it until Wednesday. I was still FTF - and it appears that, due to my normal FTF obsession, the hiders expected me to be FTF!

[+Tsmola]

I used to be more into trying to get FTFs. I had one morning where I got 3 in a row in the middle of a snowstorm. Don't really do that anymore, I've lost track of how many I have exactly. Nowadays I just go find em when I've got the time. Nowadays the ones I get usually happen when by chance I'm fist to a cache that may have been sitting for some time or on the rare occasion when a bunch of new caches pop up right as I'm getting ready to head out caching for the day.

[+surferbumb]

nop

[mtbikernate]

I'll go for a FTF if it happens to fit my schedule. I'm not going to go out late for it or get up extra early for it, but if I know it was published recently, I'll check in the morning...if it's still not been found, then I'll go for it. On one, I got STF, and shortly afterwards got a FTF. There haven't really been any new ones published close by me since, so I haven't gone for anymore.

 

I have a couple caches of my own in the works, so it'll be interesting to see if I generate any FTF frenzy when they get published.

 

It's all in good fun, though. You don't care about being FTF? Then play the game how you like. If you wanna be FTF? Go for it. I'm sure cache hiders enjoy a little FTF frenzy for their caches.

[+sduck]

Normal. Nut.

 

I love ftf's but don't go crazy about them. I've got something like 89 of them so far. I've been labeled a ftf nut here, but there are several others like me, and there's really a small area that I'll bother with the effort, so I'm not really much of a nut. Or am I?