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Why is it so important to be FTF?


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When I posted my two caches I noticed that the first logs are from those who said that they were sitting in front of the computer when they noticed this cache published, so they rushed out right away to get it. Now, I am new to placing caches so I am not too good at putting FTF prizes in there, is that what is so important? Why is it so important to be the FTF? I don't get it.

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When I posted my two caches I noticed that the first logs are from those who said that they were sitting in front of the computer when they noticed this cache published, so they rushed out right away to get it. Now, I am new to placing caches so I am not too good at putting FTF prizes in there, is that what is so important? Why is it so important to be the FTF? I don't get it.

 

Most people I know that are FTF hounds could care less about any physical prize. They just enjoy being the first one there and the competitive aspect of it when there are multiple FTF hounds in the vicinity to compete with.

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Not important... but FUN!

 

FTF will likely be the only person who finds the cache exactly as you intended. It will also require a bit more skill as there will be no Geo-trails etc. to give away it's location.

 

It's all about the challenge!

 

Oh yeah, and lots of times you'll get to meet other geocachers making the same attempt.

 

Fun, Fun, Fun!

 

DCC

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OK, OK. I'll expand a bit.

 

To some people it is a bit of a thrill to beat the rest of the pack to be first to find. It has been argued at times that only the first to find really gets to find the cache exactly the way the owner intended. While I don't think that is always true I will agree that usually after the first half dozen or so the area changes a bit. Usually, though, it is just the thrill of the race.

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It's not important. It's just fun.

 

I enjoy FTF for the same reason it's fun to win any game... I play to enjoy the game, if I win so much the better!

 

It's certainly not the prize - I don't know anyone who chases FTFs who takes the FTF prize, if there is one.

 

It's not the stats, there are no stats for FTFs.

 

I was FTF on a cache 2 days ago that required finding 26 others (A-Z as first letter of the name) before you could log it... took nothing, left a coin and a toy.

 

Silly friendly competition for no gain, we call that fun!

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Why is it so important to be the FTF? I don't get it.

Whenver there is an aspect of geocahcing that makes no sense to you, that you just don't get, remember that that is exactly what most of the world thinks about caching in general.

 

Imagine you are trying to explain geocaching to someone who has never heard of it. You explain the basics, and then talk about the parts that excite you the most, whatever they may be -- the walks out in the woods, or discovering hidden areas in your own town, or whatever.

 

Most people will ignore the "nice walks" part, because that's nothing new to them; they can take a walk whenevr they want. But the "treasure hunt" aspect -- that's often what gets their attention.

 

"So people leave boxes of stuff out somewhere, and you can go and find it and take whatever you want? What kinds of stuff is in there? Is it money?"

 

"No, no, nothing valuable -- it's usually McDonald's toys, used golfballs, that kind of thing. But the point is finding the cache and signing the log, it's not about the prizes."

 

(Puzzled frown) "...So... you go out in the woods with the ticks and the mosquitos and the poison ivy and the thorns and the mud, to find some old container full of what is basically trash, just so you can write your name in it. What's the attraction? I don't get it."

 

:D

 

Whatever it is that appeals to you about caching, that the those people "just don't get", is similar to what appeals to so many about the FTF race, that you admittedly don't get. It's just something that's fun for some people. It's definitely not for everyone.

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I have to admit I like the FTF and like reading other cachers' FTF logs, but it's not that important to me. I'm not going to drop everything and run to get the it. It's just one more little thing that can be fun about this sport, but I wouldn't be all upset if I never got another or even tried for another one.

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Now you have me thinking, maybe I should watch for my cache to be published, then go wait by the cache location to meet all the FTF hounds. I don't really ever get a chance to meet fellow geocachers in my area. But that probably wouldn't be appropriate.

Haven't done that yet but may do!

 

Caches in central Alabama rarely last more than an hour or two after publication before they're found... usually multiple times.

 

I have often thought that it might be fun to sit nearby with a camera!

 

I would know all of the local FTF chasers, but it would not be an innappropriate way for you to meet some.

 

Events would be better however! :D

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Now you have me thinking, maybe I should watch for my cache to be published, then go wait by the cache location to meet all the FTF hounds. I don't really ever get a chance to meet fellow geocachers in my area. But that probably wouldn't be appropriate.

 

I've met more than one owner that way. A couple of times it made me feel a little conspicuous...who is that muggle and why are they watching me so closely? But once introductions are made, it's fun to have met someone.

 

I'll agree with the others...I'm no FTF hound by ANY means, but it's fun now and then to race out and be the first to sign that fresh log.

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In my personal opinion, I like hiding caches and seeing the FTF logs, especially if I leave an interesting or unique FTF prize. I almost like that better than being a FTF! The happy feeling that you get when someone really appreciates your cache and the stuff that is in it is better than your own personal FTF dance at the cache location, I think.

 

To each their own. Some people like getting up at 3AM to get that FTF from the cache that was published at 1AM.. others don't. It's not my bag of chips, but from what I've seen there are those that enjoy it.

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Now you have me thinking, maybe I should watch for my cache to be published, then go wait by the cache location to meet all the FTF hounds. I don't really ever get a chance to meet fellow geocachers in my area. But that probably wouldn't be appropriate.

 

I haven't done that for FTF specifically, but one of my caches is outside my work and one across the street from my parents business and when I see cachers I usually go over and introduce myself. Good times.

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You know, I was FTF once, completely by accident. I had a cache on my GPS, went to it, found it, logged it, then did my other caching, then went home to log my finds. After I got home I realized that one of the caches I found had never been found before. There were like 3 DNF's on it from the local FTF people, I came about a week after it had been posted and found it with no problem. Yes the log book was empty, but I just figured that it was a new log book. I was pretty proud of myself when I realized that I was FTF, and I found it when nobody else could, those people who couldn't find it had like 5000 caches logged, and me here with my lousy 300 logged, found it no problem. But then again maybe the owner re-hid it and didn't report it, I guess, but I still was feeling pretty good about myself. It was a pretty clever hide.

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...what is so important? Why is it so important to be the FTF? I don't get it.

 

It's not important to be FTF. It's not important to place a nice cache. Not much of anything is important in the greater scheme of things.

 

It's much simpler to recognize that FTF is their fun. Your fun is somewhere else or you would get it.

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I think the FTF race creates a sense of community. And definitely competition :D I've never been to an event, but I've met lots of other cachers while going for FTF's. And you also earn a little bit of a local reputation, which is kinda fun. I think everyone appreciates a little recognition every now and then.

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...Why is it so important to be the FTF? I don't get it.

 

Sometimes it is important to be FTF because it irritates the living heck out of those who always must be FTF. If my local FTF fiends did a little less chest-thumping and endzone dancing in their logs they'd spare themselves my occasional FTF sprees.

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...what is so important? Why is it so important to be the FTF? I don't get it.

 

It's not important to be FTF. It's not important to place a nice cache. Not much of anything is important in the greater scheme of things.

 

It's much simpler to recognize that FTF is their fun. Your fun is somewhere else or you would get it.

Exactly!
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Hmmmm, to be first at anything seems to be a big deal not just caching.

 

Everyone knows who was first on the moon and more on topic who hid the first geocache.... Heck, people blow themselves up nearly every day to get 70 virgins. :(:grin::anibad:

 

Now you have me thinking, maybe I should watch for my cache to be published, then go wait by the cache location to meet all the FTF hounds. I don't really ever get a chance to meet fellow geocachers in my area. But that probably wouldn't be appropriate.

 

We have LOTS of events in Houston and a very welcoming and active community. Our local site is HGCS.org.

 

BTW- The FTFrs on both of your caches are at nearly ALL the local events as am I.

Edited by Snoogans
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Yes. It is absolutely, positively important! If you're not the FIRST finder, don't even bother hunting the cache. eery cache should only be found once, and the incinerated....

 

>.>

 

Sorry, had to post a conflicting view. Life is no fun without conflict.

 

Truth be told, I've never gotten a FTF, and for a while prolly won't. Unless someone places one withing a couple miles of my house and it goes live at like 3 AM, and I'm not working and I just so happen to find out about it.

 

Would I LIKE to get a FTF? Yes, just one would be fine. Just 'cause.. it'd be fun to beat the people like Shadowace to it.

 

Is it important? Nope, not at all. No more important than making it to level 50 in City of Heroes. It's just another fun way to waste your time. :anibad:

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To some people, yes it's important. For myself, I work on the premise that if a cache is worth visiting, then it's worth visiting no matter if one is first, or if a hundred people have been there before. Conversely, if I thought I'd only enjoy visiting a particular cache if no-one else had been there before, then I wouldn't waste my time going to find it.

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It's better to be first to find than last to find (or, like me, have a string of DNFs making it a never to find).

 

It's just another part of the game: important to some, unimportant to others... For somebody who just doesn't "get it", then it's just not anything to worry about. Let others break in the cache first—hopefully it will still be there (and if it isn't, then it probably wasn't worth going after in the first place). People who are in to FTFing often have to put up with bad coordinates, live beta testing and other mishaps.

 

Also, while some hiders believe in FTF prizes, I feel that bragging rights are all that are needed (and maybe the pick of the best swag). Cache owners would probably be better off going back and adding some cool stuff after all the locals who are going to grab everything have found the cache. That encourages the rest of the pack and people passing through to give it a try.

 

That said, FTFs are a good opportunity to meet the real geocaching freaks of your area... if freaks are your thing (I know I've met a few who've met me at the FTF scene), then by all means join the craziness.

 

By the way, this gets asked a lot: if someone does want to leave a n FTF prize, my faves are unactivated TBs or other travelers.

Edited by fauxSteve
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I'm kind of a curmudgeon about the FTF race. I have a couple myself, though I didn't kill myself to get them (well, one I kind of did). What I really don't like is when it spills over to the rest of us. Every once in a while an FTF hound will complain that a cache owner's actions or rules somehow aren't conducive or "fair" to FTFs. Then it becomes forcing your game on everyone else. I also think it's not cool when people intentionally delay their logging so that others think FTF is still up for grabs. That's unfair to the cache owner. I used to leave a plaque in my hides for FTF. But now it's a more widespread competition thing, and that's not what I want my hides to be about, so I stopped doing it. Please find my cache for the cache and the location, not to be first.

 

I like to think of FTF as a little deeper than a competition. I doubt Neil Armstrong's first thought on the moon was "Sweet, we kicked Russia's butt!" or "I am going to be soooo famous". Running into other cachers is one of the better aspects. There's also the fresh logbook (of course, if you like to read other people's logs, you kind of miss out there); the unmoistened, clean, nicely-packed contents; the intact cool camo.

 

These reasons, by the way, are also why I don't see the problem when people propose a cache where FTF cannot be claimed by someone who already has an FTF. It's ridiculous if you only see it as a competition, of course. But to me, it's more like, "Here, buddy, I always get the first scoop of peanut butter. Why don't you take it from this jar."

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I'm kind of a curmudgeon about the FTF race. I have a couple myself, though I didn't kill myself to get them (well, one I kind of did). What I really don't like is when it spills over to the rest of us. Every once in a while an FTF hound will complain that a cache owner's actions or rules somehow aren't conducive or "fair" to FTFs. Then it becomes forcing your game on everyone else. I also think it's not cool when people intentionally delay their logging so that others think FTF is still up for grabs. That's unfair to the cache owner. I used to leave a plaque in my hides for FTF. But now it's a more widespread competition thing, and that's not what I want my hides to be about, so I stopped doing it. Please find my cache for the cache and the location, not to be first.

 

I like to think of FTF as a little deeper than a competition. I doubt Neil Armstrong's first thought on the moon was "Sweet, we kicked Russia's butt!" or "I am going to be soooo famous". Running into other cachers is one of the better aspects. There's also the fresh logbook (of course, if you like to read other people's logs, you kind of miss out there); the unmoistened, clean, nicely-packed contents; the intact cool camo.

 

These reasons, by the way, are also why I don't see the problem when people propose a cache where FTF cannot be claimed by someone who already has an FTF. It's ridiculous if you only see it as a competition, of course. But to me, it's more like, "Here, buddy, I always get the first scoop of peanut butter. Why don't you take it from this jar."

 

This is a great post! Especially the part about Neil Armsrong's first thought not being "Booyah, we kicked Russia's Butt". :anibad: I'm speaking as someone who played the FTF game (a little, not too crazy) back in like 2004 and 2005. But then it just started to get too wacked-out and too competitive, and totally turned me off. I now usually purposely stay away from new publications for a while.

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I'm kind of a curmudgeon about the FTF race. I have a couple myself, though I didn't kill myself to get them (well, one I kind of did). What I really don't like is when it spills over to the rest of us. Every once in a while an FTF hound will complain that a cache owner's actions or rules somehow aren't conducive or "fair" to FTFs. Then it becomes forcing your game on everyone else. I also think it's not cool when people intentionally delay their logging so that others think FTF is still up for grabs. That's unfair to the cache owner. I used to leave a plaque in my hides for FTF. But now it's a more widespread competition thing, and that's not what I want my hides to be about, so I stopped doing it. Please find my cache for the cache and the location, not to be first.

 

I like to think of FTF as a little deeper than a competition. I doubt Neil Armstrong's first thought on the moon was "Sweet, we kicked Russia's butt!" or "I am going to be soooo famous". Running into other cachers is one of the better aspects. There's also the fresh logbook (of course, if you like to read other people's logs, you kind of miss out there); the unmoistened, clean, nicely-packed contents; the intact cool camo.

 

These reasons, by the way, are also why I don't see the problem when people propose a cache where FTF cannot be claimed by someone who already has an FTF. It's ridiculous if you only see it as a competition, of course. But to me, it's more like, "Here, buddy, I always get the first scoop of peanut butter. Why don't you take it from this jar."

 

This is a great post! Especially the part about Neil Armsrong's first thought not being "Booyah, we kicked Russia's Butt". :anibad: I'm speaking as someone who played the FTF game (a little, not too crazy) back in like 2004 and 2005. But then it just started to get too wacked-out and too competitive, and totally turned me off. I now usually purposely stay away from new publications for a while.

 

Ok TWU, what say we start a new race. Just between the two of us. Well see who can be 13th to find a new cache.

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We love to see new caches pop up. For our family of geocachers in our area, it is always such a blast to see who gets there first, and it's just as much fun placing a cache, sitting back and hearing about all the fun others have had trying to get to it first. We live for the challenge and fun of it an FTF, the FTF swag is not what motivates us, it's the thrill of the race!

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Here is the funny thing about the watching cachers and meeting them thing. I have a cache that is in a field right behind my house and you would have to park near my house just to get to it. It has over 40 finds and the only cacher I have ever seen find it was one that I knew was coming so i could meet them. Now I dont sit there and watch for them but you would think my dog would alert me of people walking in the field for a cache, he barks at everyone else walking through there. But now that I think about maybe he does and we just tune him out thinking it was just another kid crossing it on a bike or playing foot etc.

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Heck, people blow themselves up nearly every day to get 70 virgins. B):DB)
I thought it was 30... B)

 

Off topic, but I've often wondered what happens when the 70 virgins are no longer virgins. And, are they good looking virgins or are they just any old virgin off the street. And how'd they make it to heaven as virgins in the first place?? Ho humm... to many questions.

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When I posted my two caches I noticed that the first logs are from those who said that they were sitting in front of the computer when they noticed this cache published, so they rushed out right away to get it. Now, I am new to placing caches so I am not too good at putting FTF prizes in there, is that what is so important? Why is it so important to be the FTF? I don't get it.

 

Your question "Why is it so important" implies that it is, which I don't believe, I don't think it's 'important' I think it's 'Fun,' and I think most if not all cachers I know agree, it can be looked at the same with Geocaching, we all go, but is it "important" ? not really, its just really fun.

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Now you have me thinking, maybe I should watch for my cache to be published, then go wait by the cache location to meet all the FTF hounds. I don't really ever get a chance to meet fellow geocachers in my area. But that probably wouldn't be appropriate.

 

An owner in NJ does just that ! Sorta, "Hey, how ya doin' ?" kinda thing without attending an event.

Also helps see if ratings are correct.

BUT, no hiding behind trees and scaring the beejeezus out of 'em. B)

 

Great for new cachers to get insight on how "the others" do it and a good time to pose questions from the little-more experienced folks...Unless they're scootin' for another B)

 

- then you'll have to run WITH them. :D

 

As of today, we have 218 FTFs.

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Being FTF in geocaching is sort of like life. When you are young and foolish you try to prove you're the best to others. As you mature you realize it just doesn't matter, you only have to prove things to yourself.

 

I'll try not to be insulted by that comment B)B)

I liked that comment. I have found as I have gotten older that I let the unimportant things drift off my radar and I only worry about the important stuff. You'll live longer that way too... :D
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Being FTF in geocaching is sort of like life. When you are young and foolish you try to prove you're the best to others. As you mature you realize it just doesn't matter, you only have to prove things to yourself.

 

Ohhhhhhhhh.. how deep. Not.

 

I don't think the FTF makes me "the best" or even "better". It just makes me FTF. My very first FTF was in Montana and I live in California. I've had a couple where the cache had been sitting for days without anybody looking for it - or at least they didn't log the DNF if they did look for it.

 

I love running into other cachers out trying for the FTF. On one cache series I placed there were a bunch of folks who all ran into each other at the 5th (out of 6) stage. It was a half mile hike into the woods and the folks were all there very late at night. They had a blast running into each other. The gabbing and laughing at such times is far more fun that actually being the FTF.

 

Having said that, I really do like the FTF. I like seeing that empty log book. I don't know why. I was introduced to geocaching by a neighbor who wanted to have 100 FTF by the time he hit 1,000 finds. I thought that sounded like a lot but I did it myself and now have 163 FTF (as of yesterday) out of 1,359 finds. The one I got yesterday surprised me. The cache had been published for over an hour before I saw the listing and, in this area, that would generally mean someone has already found it. I went out to find it right away but didn't especially rush since I figured there was no way I'd be FTF. I was pleasantly surprised to find the empty log.

 

Being FTF often means you are the one to find out the coordinates are very wrong. I was trying to be FTF on a series and needed to find all but the last cache in order to get the coordinates to the final cache. One of them had coordinates that put me 110' down a steep bank in a clump of poison oak. There were a million hiding places near the coordinates. I finally found the cache back UP the hill right near the trail. I tried for one that had sat unfound for several days. I drove 25 miles into the hills and parked at a gate and then hiked almost 2 miles into the woods looking for a cache. The coordinates were wrong and the cache was more than 10 miles away as the crow files - on the other side of the mountain. It was a LOT farther away driving. I've cached on moonless nights along the river and up in the hills and gotten poison oak in some pretty "special" places when on a FTF run.

 

Sometimes I think those who like to be FTF, such as myself, may be somewhat mentally defective. B)

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I'm still a fledgling cacher, but my caching buddy and I have aimed for a couple of FTF's and missed. I just think it adds an extra element of excitement. We weren't disappointed to be 2nd or 3rd to find. We still found it. I just think it's fun.

 

Recently I've had two FTF's for my 7 year old, which I took her to hunt (obviously, since she can't drive). They were both caches aimed at young people, asking FTF honors to be reserved for under 12 & under 18. That was kinda cool. Not exactly the same since the cachers with no kids at home were waiting for FTF to post, so not as much competition, but still cool for the kids.

 

Still no FTF's just for me though.

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I live a long way from town, so the opportunity for FTF has only presented itself a few times, and I have had to hike to get those.

 

I am not a competitive person by nature, but there is a certain excitement that comes with being on the trail thinking you might be opening a clean logbook when you finally find the cache. B)

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I just recently got my first FTF. For me with not that many finds under my geocaching belt it was fun to try to get a FTF. I think that it is just another facet of the game that makes it so exciting. It goes along with being out in nature (I usually stay away from grab and go micros), rooting through the bush looking for hides. When I got the FTF it was a great, exciting feeling. I think it's a pretty cool feeling to be first but it's not my main motivation for getting out there.

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Hi. My name is Snake and I am a FTF Hound. It has been one day since my last FTF.

 

Now seriously, when we started caching, first to find was something we wanted very badly. Whenn we finally figured out how to do it, the race became an obsession. It was fun, trying to be first. I remember walking up mountains under a full moon in the hopes of beating anyone waiting for morning. This lasted for quite a while until we reached 250 FTFs. At that time, we suddenly just lost interest in it. We no longer keep track and I honestly don't know how many we have. It is still nice to get a clean logsheet every once in a while, but we are no longer willing to jump up in the middle of the night to run after a newly published cache. Other cachers run after the new caches in our area, just as we used to, and I can now smile lazily (and perhaps sagely) as I read that inevitable first line of their logs, "FTF!"

 

I guess the bottom line is: if you are having fun going for FTF, do it. If it doesn't matter to you . . . sleep in. [B)]

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I'm kind of a curmudgeon about the FTF race. I have a couple myself, though I didn't kill myself to get them (well, one I kind of did). What I really don't like is when it spills over to the rest of us. Every once in a while an FTF hound will complain that a cache owner's actions or rules somehow aren't conducive or "fair" to FTFs. Then it becomes forcing your game on everyone else. I also think it's not cool when people intentionally delay their logging so that others think FTF is still up for grabs. That's unfair to the cache owner. I used to leave a plaque in my hides for FTF. But now it's a more widespread competition thing, and that's not what I want my hides to be about, so I stopped doing it. Please find my cache for the cache and the location, not to be first.

 

I like to think of FTF as a little deeper than a competition. I doubt Neil Armstrong's first thought on the moon was "Sweet, we kicked Russia's butt!" or "I am going to be soooo famous". Running into other cachers is one of the better aspects. There's also the fresh logbook (of course, if you like to read other people's logs, you kind of miss out there); the unmoistened, clean, nicely-packed contents; the intact cool camo.

 

These reasons, by the way, are also why I don't see the problem when people propose a cache where FTF cannot be claimed by someone who already has an FTF. It's ridiculous if you only see it as a competition, of course. But to me, it's more like, "Here, buddy, I always get the first scoop of peanut butter. Why don't you take it from this jar."

 

This is a great post! Especially the part about Neil Armsrong's first thought not being "Booyah, we kicked Russia's Butt". :) I'm speaking as someone who played the FTF game (a little, not too crazy) back in like 2004 and 2005. But then it just started to get too wacked-out and too competitive, and totally turned me off. I now usually purposely stay away from new publications for a while.

 

Ok TWU, what say we start a new race. Just between the two of us. Well see who can be 13th to find a new cache.

 

Oh, the bitter irony. :o The same day I posted the above, I was first one to sign a logbook at a great rural cemetery cache. It just happened to be on the way to where I was going. Booyah!! Woohoo! FFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTFFFFFFFF!!!

 

Just kidding. But it really did happen. And I couldn't care less. :)

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Now you have me thinking, maybe I should watch for my cache to be published, then go wait by the cache location to meet all the FTF hounds. I don't really ever get a chance to meet fellow geocachers in my area. But that probably wouldn't be appropriate.

 

It's been done believe me.

It's actually fun to do. We had an "Amusing Race" out here and they brought a cooler of beer out by the cache and waited for us crazys. I'm not a crazy anymore. :o
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