+flipper113 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Went out today to try and find my first cache and came up empty handed. Not a good start! Quote Link to comment
+Miragee Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 What size cache were you looking for? For your first caches, you should look for caches that are at least Regular-size. Micros can be very hard to find, even for experienced cachers, and they are frequently cleverly-cammoed. Check out the "Cool Cache Containers" thread in the Geocaching Topics Forum to see what you are up against. What are the GC numbers of the caches you tried to find? Perhaps we can give you some ideas from reading the cache pages and the Past Logs. Quote Link to comment
+flipper113 Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 GC13VDF I can walk to this one from my house GC11DE Walked to the right area just couldn't find, looked at the cache page and got a better idea what I was looking for GCN7YE Thought I knew exactly where it was but no dice. Quote Link to comment
+WeightMan Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 GC13VDF I can walk to this one from my house GC11DE Walked to the right area just couldn't find, looked at the cache page and got a better idea what I was looking for GCN7YE Thought I knew exactly where it was but no dice. The first one is a difficult 3 micro. Not a good one to start with. You might want to save that one for later. I gather you had not read the cache page well on the second one. I read the hint and it should lead you right to it. Reading the hint is not cheating, especially if you are a beginner. The third one has a log that mentions "guarded" which is usually a hint that it is in a guard rail. The hider mentions that this is not a conventional container. That could mean something that looks like it belongs in the guardrail. Remember that when the unit says zero, that is not very accurate and you still may need to search some distance away. Your unit has errors in it as did the hider's. The two quite often cancel each other, but sometimes they don't. Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Don't give up!!! For your first few caches stick to larger containers with a difficulty of 1 or 2. Don't expect the GPSr to get you right to the cache location. Our handheld units have a general accuracy around 20 - 25 feet. Add that to the unkown error the hider you got and you may have search an area up to 40 or more feet across. Try to think like a hider, where would you hide something. Look for anything unusual or out of place. Look high and look low - think vertical as many caches are not on the ground. Look for places other cachers may have stood for a while. Look for unsual lines, shapes, colors. Feel where you cannot see. Look for unusual piles of sticks, rocks, sand, grass, etc. Try caching at different times of day - the changing light can help. Use a flashlight even in daytime. Have Fun!! Quote Link to comment
+flipper113 Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 I new the first one was very small but i figured it was very close Iwould try it. The second one, If I would have looked further into the cache page I most likely would have found it on the first try. The third one I walked up and down the gaurd rail but didn't see anything,maybe the cache could have been knocked off from the snow plows this past week. who knows. I'll keep trying though Quote Link to comment
+WeightMan Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I new the first one was very small but i figured it was very close Iwould try it. The second one, If I would have looked further into the cache page I most likely would have found it on the first try. The third one I walked up and down the gaurd rail but didn't see anything,maybe the cache could have been knocked off from the snow plows this past week. who knows. I'll keep trying though Guardrail caches are usually hidden on the side away from the road. Most are hidden at one end of the rail. The rest are usually hidden between the rail and one of the posts. Check the hollows in the end of the rail where the curved pieces start up. That is a normal hiding spot. Quote Link to comment
+J10fly Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Good luck and welcome to the fun! Quote Link to comment
+partimcmpr Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Went out today to try and find my first cache and came up empty handed. Not a good start! When you are looking, think about where something could be hidden. Don't just look for the cache. I am just starting out myself, and the ones I found the quickest were the ones where I thought 'that looks like a good hiding place.' Remember, caches are going to be where they will not likely be accidentally found. Keep in mind what another poster said - once in the area, don't expect your GPSr to put you right on the cache. You could be a few feet to a few yards off. I also recently read sometimes it helps to approach the area from several angles if possible. Warning - geocaching can be habit forming! Good luck and happy hunting! ParTimCmpr Quote Link to comment
+gof1 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 First three tries all bust? Man are you lucky! No, really. It can only get better from here! Try doing a bit of research. Google things like micro cache, or geocache, geocache container, anything else you can think of. Find Prime Suspects lexicon, some of the term could give you some insight into what evil things people like to do to hide a cache. Keep trying, you'll get the hang of it. And remember, even all the bigshots with the oh so impressive find counts bomb out on occasion. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Remember that when the unit says zero, that is not very accurate and you still may need to search some distance away. Your unit has errors in it as did the hider's. The two quite often cancel each other, but sometimes they don't. The is the most common novice mistake. In reality the cache could be 50 or more feet from where your GPS says it is, though 10-30 is most common. Quote Link to comment
MikeB3542 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 If you are really getting skunked, check to see if there is a geocaching group in your area. They are usually happy to help folks just starting out. Keep trying. Stay away from micros until you have a few "regulars" under your belt (regular sized caches are generally anything the size of a small shoe box, and can be an ammo box, tupperware, BB box, a hunk of PVC pipe, etc.) BTW, even a big cache container can be tricky to find if lots of snow on the ground. Oh yeah, when in doubt, look up. No, really. Another good way to get your feet wet is to pick hides that are in parks or forest preserves where not a lot of people. You will give yourself a chance to really look around, and not have to be self-conscious about folks wondering what you are up to. (Bring a friend if there are public safety issues.) Quote Link to comment
+TrailGators Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 If you are really getting skunked, check to see if there is a geocaching group in your area. They are usually happy to help folks just starting out. Keep trying. Stay away from micros until you have a few "regulars" under your belt (regular sized caches are generally anything the size of a small shoe box, and can be an ammo box, tupperware, BB box, a hunk of PVC pipe, etc.) Another good way to get your feet wet is to pick hides that are in parks or forest preserves where not a lot of people. You will give yourself a chance to really look around, and not have to be self-conscious about folks wondering what you are up to. (Bring a friend if there are public safety issues.) Good advice. The only thing I can add is to put your GPS in your pocket when you get close and look in spots where you might hide a cache. Quote Link to comment
+Lorri-Ann & Kev Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I am new too, and it took me 4 attempts to find my first cache and that was for a regular size lol ! I know how you feel as it is very frustrating, but keep trying and you WILL find it , Good luck Quote Link to comment
+PlantAKiss Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 The harder you try, the more satisfying the find. Even though you might feel like an idiot when you look and can't find the cache, it is a sweet moment to savor when you DO find it. Well worth the effort you put into it. I remember my first regular-container find. I was in a woods at the bottom of a steep hill and when I found that container...I just wanted to yell "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! I FOUND IT!" (I didn't because I actually had some man watching me from the top of the hill... ). With every find comes more experience and a better feel for the hunt. Don't give up...you'll find 'em! Quote Link to comment
+BDstarcachers Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Flipper, This is the BEST advise.... The Geocaching community is the best people you would ever want to meet! They are kind and helpful. You have 2 online organizations in your area: www.NNJC.org (Northern New Jersey Cachers) www.SJGeocaching.org (Southern New Jersey Geocaching) Pick the one closest to where you live and go on the site and REGISTER. It is free, they won't spam you-you give minimal info about yourself. They just want to weed OUT spammers on the site. Go into the Forum and Post a topic/thread with the Subject "I Need some HELP please" and explain your situation. I will guarantee you will have some cachers e-mailing you from right in your area that will go with you and show you the ropes. It will give you confidence and also you will meet a new friend. Don't get discouraged! It's sometimes tough to start out, but it's well worth it!!! Quote Link to comment
+the Moore-ons Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Flipper: I know exactly how you feel. I took the family to a local park today, and was all excited about hunting for two caches in the area. I didn't find either one. Both were hidden in areas packed with people, so it was hard to look around. The second had a hint like "look for a small rock under a big one". My GPSr pointed me to a pile of rocks. It was surrounded by beautiful landscaping that wasn't meant for me to go walking around in. I tried my best to be discreet, but after hearing the 15th kid ask their mom "what that man was doing in the rocks over there", I gave up. In my short experience, I have found that the difficulty rating posted on the webpage is a rough estimate at best. I've been to "1"s that were visible from 15 feet away, and to others that I didn't find after 5 trips. Days like today make me want to give up. I won't, though. Even though my find percentage is something like 30%, it's enough to keep me going. Hang in there. Regards, John. Quote Link to comment
booksmart_streetdumb Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Went out today to try and find my first cache and came up empty handed. Not a good start! When you are looking, think about where something could be hidden. Don't just look for the cache. I am just starting out myself, and the ones I found the quickest were the ones where I thought 'that looks like a good hiding place.' Remember, caches are going to be where they will not likely be accidentally found... I'm thinking that that's some really good advice. The first time I went geocaching, my friend and I just heard about it. We didn't have a GPS, but we said, "well, there's a cache in those woods kinda near the water - let's try it!". We stumbled around for an hour, but noticed a spot that looked like a really good hiding place. Lo and behold, it was there! Since then, I've gotten a GPS and most times cannot find the cache. The few times I have, it was when I stood back and thought, "hmm, where would I hide a cache here?". I'm thinking I'm going to try this from now on, once my GPS says I'm close to the location. I'm not sure if my profile shows it, but I've found barely any caches, so I can use all the advice I can get! It seems like you're a bit better off, though. Sure, you haven't found one, but you can only improve from here! Better than finding a few, and then coming up empty all the time. Happy Caching! Quote Link to comment
+rambrush Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 You are on the right path though, Stand back and look over the area usually something obvious, I have a couple that I have never found but keep going back and trying to find em. Genrally start out trying to find the bigger ammo can style caches 1st then work your way up to the more difficult ones. Went out today to try and find my first cache and came up empty handed. Not a good start! When you are looking, think about where something could be hidden. Don't just look for the cache. I am just starting out myself, and the ones I found the quickest were the ones where I thought 'that looks like a good hiding place.' Remember, caches are going to be where they will not likely be accidentally found... I'm thinking that that's some really good advice. The first time I went geocaching, my friend and I just heard about it. We didn't have a GPS, but we said, "well, there's a cache in those woods kinda near the water - let's try it!". We stumbled around for an hour, but noticed a spot that looked like a really good hiding place. Lo and behold, it was there! Since then, I've gotten a GPS and most times cannot find the cache. The few times I have, it was when I stood back and thought, "hmm, where would I hide a cache here?". I'm thinking I'm going to try this from now on, once my GPS says I'm close to the location. I'm not sure if my profile shows it, but I've found barely any caches, so I can use all the advice I can get! It seems like you're a bit better off, though. Sure, you haven't found one, but you can only improve from here! Better than finding a few, and then coming up empty all the time. Happy Caching! Quote Link to comment
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