Tools required

[ventilator01]

I spent a couple of hours searching for a cache today, I am still very new to this. I felt like I was very close to the cache, within 3 feet according to gps. Was just wondering, do you ever need a shovel ect, and if so will it tell you on the info page?

thx

Steve

[+wapahani]

I spent a couple of hours searching for a cache today, I am still very new to this. I felt like I was very close to the cache, within 3 feet according to gps. Was just wondering, do you ever need a shovel ect, and if so will it tell you on the info page?

thx

Steve

 

You should never need a shovel, as burying a cache is prohibited.

 

A leatherman is carried by most cachers, but I tend to stay away from caches that need tools.

[+-CacheMonkey-]

Yeah, shovel is a no-no. I carry a multi-tool. I've only needed it a handful of times, but without it, I wouldn't have been able to retrieve the cache.

[+StarBrand]

No shovels.

 

However, caches are often found under a few rocks or grass or weeds or sticks or leaves or ???

 

Don't expect to find the cache right where your unit says Ground zero is at. The general accuracy of our handheld units is about 20 -25 feet. Add that error to the hiders and you may need to search 40 - 50 feet away. Typically you find them well within 20 feet but you need to be prepared to search more.

[+Lacomo]

I looked for a cache for a 1/2 hour one time. It was not a micro so I thought it would be easy. Never occurred to me that I might have to dig for it. Turns out it was below ground level but it was still a legal cache. It was at the base of a downed rotten tree covered with leaves and twigs.

 

When the tree fell the roots pulled up and left a good sized hole that the cache fit in rather nicely. The cache owner had not used a pointy object to dig the hole so it was OK.

[+WRASTRO]

I spent a couple of hours searching for a cache today, I am still very new to this. I felt like I was very close to the cache, within 3 feet according to gps. Was just wondering, do you ever need a shovel ect, and if so will it tell you on the info page?

thx

Steve

 

You should never need a shovel, as burying a cache is prohibited.

 

A leatherman is carried by most cachers, but I tend to stay away from caches that need tools.

You definitely should not need a shovel. Most experienced cachers carry various implements that may help them find or retrieve cache containers, such as a mirror, extendable magnet, tweezers, pliers, compass or a screwdriver. I doubt seriously that most cachers carry a leatherman. Your best caching tools are usually your eyes, experience and common sense. Aside from these the most common tools are a working GPS and a writing implement.

[ventilator01]

thx for all the replies, learn a little more everyday.

[+flask]

i used to go out with every tool i might possibly need.

 

now i just carry water, a bandanna, trade items, TBs, and a camera. oh, and in my pockets i keep spare batteries and writing implements. sometimes i bring gloves, sometimes not.

[+briansnat]

Don't expect to find the cache right where your unit says Ground zero is at. The general accuracy of our handheld units is about 20 -25 feet. Add that error to the hiders and you may need to search 40 - 50 feet away. Typically you find them well within 20 feet but you need to be prepared to search more.

 

This is key. A typical novice mistake is to rely too much on where the GPS says it is and limit the search to that area. You can start there, but if you come up empty start expanding your search radius. As StarBrand mentioned, it usually will be within 20 feet of what your GPS says, but up to 50 feet off is not uncommon. Sometimes even more in areas with difficult reception.