Making a Good Cache Recommendation

[+Team GeoBlast]

We get a lot of requests for cache recommendations and sometimes it is a challenge to match the person with the cache. I was wondering what others ask before suggesting a cache. Here's a few questions we try to ask.

 

1. Terrain and difficulty limits

2. Favorite cache types

3. Least favorite cache types

4. Max hiking/walking/driving distance from origin

5. Time available to cache

[+CurmudgeonlyGal]

We get a lot of requests for cache recommendations and sometimes it is a challenge to match the person with the cache. I was wondering what others ask before suggesting a cache. Here's a few questions we try to ask.

 

1. Terrain and difficulty limits

2. Favorite cache types

3. Least favorite cache types

4. Max hiking/walking/driving distance from origin

5. Time available to cache

 

6. WHEN are you going to be 'here'?

 

 

michelle

[+Team GeoBlast]

We get a lot of requests for cache recommendations and sometimes it is a challenge to match the person with the cache. I was wondering what others ask before suggesting a cache. Here's a few questions we try to ask.

 

1. Terrain and difficulty limits

2. Favorite cache types

3. Least favorite cache types

4. Max hiking/walking/driving distance from origin

5. Time available to cache

 

6. WHEN are you going to be 'here'?

 

michelle

 

Thanks for putting that thing away.

 

Is this because of seasonal access?

[+StarBrand]

Might not apply to the OP very well but....

 

7. What route will you be taking to get here? Leave here?

[+CurmudgeonlyGal]

It's back. You must just hate that.

 

If you must know, I am trying to find something 'better'.

 

The 'when' may not necessarily help suggestions based on seasonal access, but for some, certainly... however, there are caches that are better to do at certain times of the year. You CAN do them year-round, but when you're trying to suggest particularly GREAT caches to do when you're in the area, you may opt to bypass one based on some other not-so-great factor in favor of something else that is good for the time of year someone is visiting.

 

We also have a lot of 'gate' closures which can be seasonal or ... not.

 

Then there's 'fire season'.

 

And 'hunting season'.

 

And 'National Forest gate closure season'

 

and ....

 

Dude... WHEN are you going to be here?!

 

 

michelle

[+CurmudgeonlyGal]

8. What will you be driving?

[+sbell111]

Describe your all-time favorite cache.

 

(Am I the only one who thinks that every one of these could have (and has) been it's own thread. )

Edited July 24, 2007 by sbell111

[+Harry Dolphin]

Ask for a recommendation, I'll tell you which ones I enjoyed the best. You can take it from there.

[+Team GeoBlast]

It's back. You must just hate that.

 

I'll fuss up, I missed it when it was gone.

 

The 'when' may not necessarily help suggestions based on seasonal access, but for some, certainly... however, there are caches that are better to do at certain times of the year. You CAN do them year-round, but when you're trying to suggest particularly GREAT caches to do when you're in the area, you may opt to bypass one based on some other not-so-great factor in favor of something else that is good for the time of year someone is visiting.

 

We also have a lot of 'gate' closures which can be seasonal or ... not.

 

Then there's 'fire season'.

 

And 'hunting season'.

 

And 'National Forest gate closure season'

 

and ....

 

Dude... WHEN are you going to be here?!

 

michelle

 

Kinda interesting that except for what phase the moon is in, none of this applies to Hawaii. No seasons here that effect cache access.

Edited July 25, 2007 by Team GeoBlast

[+Team GeoBlast]

Describe your all-time favorite cache.

 

(Am I the only one who thinks that every one of these could have (and has) been it's own thread. )

 

Scouts honor... I performed a search before posting it.

[+sbell111]

Describe your all-time favorite cache.

 

(Am I the only one who thinks that every one of these could have (and has) been it's own thread. )

Scouts honor... I performed a search before posting it.

That's not what I meant. I meant that most of the responses could have been their own thread.

 

1. What terrain caches do you go after?
   
2. What difficulty caches do you go after?
   
3. What are you favorite cache types?w
   
4. What are your least favorite cache types?
   
5. How far will you hike for a cache?
   
6. How far will you drive for a cache?
   
7. How much time do you spend geocaching?
   
8. What's your cache mobile?
   
9. Describe your favorite cache
   
10. Do you cache at night?
    

[+Team GeoBlast]

Describe your all-time favorite cache.

 

(Am I the only one who thinks that every one of these could have (and has) been it's own thread. )

Scouts honor... I performed a search before posting it.

That's not what I meant. I meant that most of the responses could have been their own thread.

1. What terrain caches do you go after?
   
2. What difficulty caches do you go after?
   
3. What are you favorite cache types?w
   
4. What are your least favorite cache types?
   
5. How far will you hike for a cache?
   
6. How far will you drive for a cache?
   
7. How much time do you spend geocaching?
   
8. What's your cache mobile?
   
9. Describe your favorite cache
   
10. Do you cache at night?
    

 

Oh that's a good one #10.

 

The essay questions scare me a little though. A few more....

 

Pick the one that describes your ideal setting for a cache: Underwater, Seashore or Waters Edge, Urban Park, Open Space Park, Mountains, Urban/City, Waterfall, Ridge Hike, Valley Hike, Cave,

 

How important are numbers to you?

or

How many caches do you want to find?

[+Renegade Knight]

...match the person with the cache. ...

 

To match the person with the cache you have to know two things. The person, and the caches. The caches you have already found and know their flavour. The person asking is normally some stranger blowing through on a vacation who you don't know at all. That's the hard part of the equation.

 

Then the question becomes, which caches do YOU want them to see as they blow through.

[+CurmudgeonlyGal]

 

How important are numbers to you?

or

How many caches do you want to find?

 

 

I ALMOST asked someone that when they were driving through a few weeks back. Do you want to find A LOT of caches, or do you want to find GOOD caches?

 

As you might imagine, I do believe the two are mutually exclusive in _my_ area. My faves, and 'always recommended' caches are not those that are going to rack you up a bunch of 'points' in any given day. With any luck you might be able to do two in a day if you're Just That Good (have 4wd, all gates are open and aren't afraid to tear up the roads a bit.)

 

Also, is there a 'puzzle' related cache question? That's another important one. Most of the new caches here are turning up as puzzles.

 

#XX Do you want to take the time to solve puzzles beforehand?

[+Goonies Oosterhout]

We get a lot of requests for cache recommendations and sometimes it is a challenge to match the person with the cache. I was wondering what others ask before suggesting a cache. Here's a few questions we try to ask.

 

1. Terrain and difficulty limits

2. Favorite cache types

3. Least favorite cache types

4. Max hiking/walking/driving distance from origin

5. Time available to cache

I.m.o. there's only one question to ask: why don't you find that out for yourself? I don't want to be too cynical but you (the requesting person) are probably capable enough to read cache pages and logs. Why do you need another geocacher's opinion on that? A little faith in your own judgment would be in place...

[+Team GeoBlast]

We get a lot of requests for cache recommendations and sometimes it is a challenge to match the person with the cache. I was wondering what others ask before suggesting a cache. Here's a few questions we try to ask.

 

1. Terrain and difficulty limits

2. Favorite cache types

3. Least favorite cache types

4. Max hiking/walking/driving distance from origin

5. Time available to cache

I.m.o. there's only one question to ask: why don't you find that out for yourself? I don't want to be too cynical but you (the requesting person) are probably capable enough to read cache pages and logs. Why do you need another geocacher's opinion on that? A little faith in your own judgment would be in place...

 

Goonie, I think other cachers opinions are the best source of information about caches. I also love when they ask me for recommendations because I live in an area where there are some amazing caches. I've also met people from all over the world that way.