+The Bax Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 (edited) I understand now about Muggles - being the general public. But what if you suspect that someone is also attempting to locate a cache. Do the rules state you can talk or is it STEALTH all the way and talk to NO ONE? Thanks The Bax Edited July 16, 2008 by The Bax Quote Link to comment
+scoutfrog Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I've come to know a lot of the cachers in my area, but every once in a while I come upon someone I don't know that I think is a cacher. Most of the time I just ask,"What are you doing?" in a nice way. I let them try to explain what they are up to and then I tell them who I am. If they ask if i know there the cache is i say yes. If they ask if I'll tell, I say no but I will give hints. It is a hunt after all. Quote Link to comment
+The Blorenges Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 There are no "Rules" for meeting/talking to other cachers in the field - Just go cautiously, using your common sense. If you're literally "in the field", miles from nowhere, approaching a cache location and you see someone else in the distance taking an unusual amount of interest in that fallen log then I'd guess it's a 95% chance they're a cacher and a friendly greeting along the lines of "Hi - are you looking for something?" is perfectly in order. Of course, you may then have to stand there for 10 minutes while they tell you about the mating habits of the rather rare stag beetle... but at least you haven't given the game away In an urban setting with more muggles about it can be more difficult to judge, but observation from afar will usually show if they've got a GPS in hand, or they're clutching some print-outs. Most cachers are pleased to meet other cachers while out on a hunt, because it's fairly uncommon to meet up with others unless, of course, it's a brand new cache and the FTF Hunt is on! MrsB Quote Link to comment
+dctalk007 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I've ran into a few cachers before and really my advice is look at some of the pics of other cachers in your area that find a lot of caches so when you come up on a cacher you might not know there name but you'll reconise them at least Quote Link to comment
+Sandy Hams Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 We now (after more than a year) know a lot of the cachers in our area so when we see them we chat regardless of whether we are both trying to locate the same cache or not. If someone is walking around with a GPS in their hand it is a pretty good bet they are caching and if we are working the same cache we usually communicate. After all, four eyes are better than two -- ) The only time we try to use stealth is if we are unsure of the other people in the area. Quote Link to comment
+LEGO Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Well, when I see someone holding a GPSr and a piece of paper, while looking areound the cache location, I usually ask them if they have found the cache Quote Link to comment
+MarshMonsters Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 If you have figured out that the person is a cacher it is okay to talk. In the seven months of caching I have only come across two other cachers. One was at the site signing the log and going through the swag, the other was wandering around in a field as I was driving up. I was thinking at the time "what are the doing?" Not thinking that the person was geocaching like me. LOL The first cacher I introduced myself as a geocacher and held up my GPSr as I walked up. The second saw my husband and I get out of our car with the GPSr and asked if we were cachers. Both times we talked cache. Quote Link to comment
+ArcherDragoon Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I understand now about Muggles - being the general public. But what if you suspect that someone is also attempting to locate a cache. Do the rules state you can talk or is it STEALTH all the way and talk to NO ONE? Thanks The Bax I usually take a quick look to see if they have a GPS...then ask "So, did you find it yet???" Vague enough to alert a muggle I am there...if it is a muggle...but clear enough that a muggle would not worry about me being there. If it is a muggle...I will turn around and wait for them to leave the area... If it is a cacher...they usually know by the question that I am a cacher as well adn we proceed to have a good time and find a cache together!!! Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 No "rules" anyway. They are guidelines. Anything else is just local ediquette. Feel free to talk to anybody you want. Especially those that are identifiable as fellow cachers. I once avoided going right to a cache location because a group of people was 30 - 40 feet away. I hung around the area and watched for an opening but they just kept milling around the same spot. Finally I moved on to another cache where I ran into the same group. We all laughed that we were avoiding each other and the cache location all trying to be stealthy. Quote Link to comment
+ReadyOrNot Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 The recommended method for determining if they are a fellow cacher is to place your hands on their shoulders and ask, "Are you looking for what I'm looking for?" DISCLAIMER: Please do not actually attempt this. This post was meant in jest. Quote Link to comment
+nekom Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 It's pretty obvious from a geocacher's perspective to spot another geocacher. The best cache hunt I've ever been on, I set out with 2 people and met another cacher in the field, and then another. We wound up all meeting up at the final. Always say hello, no harm in that. Quote Link to comment
+boda Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Do the rules state you can talk or is it STEALTH all the way and talk to NO ONE? Actually, you can talk to muggles as well. We are always up front with what we are doing unless the folks we are talking to don't seem trustworthy. Meeting other cachers is one of the fun things that happens while caching. While 4 wheeling last weekend, we were stopped at a cache. Two jeeps were coming down the mountain - the only vehicles we had seen for quite awhile. Their GPS told them to stop where our GPS told us to stop. We heard "Geocachers?" Ahhh, yeah. It was fun to talk to them, compare a few caching notes and exchange road and weather conditions. Quote Link to comment
+wapahani Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 My best story. Out looking for a cache in an old Cemetery, when all of the sudden a car pulls up, as we are walking back, the guy gets out had a small black box in hand (appeared to be a GPS) and a notebook and I say "we couldn't find it" he says "you get the call too?" to which I said, "no why?" and I let the conversation turn at that point. Turned out he was a grave logger, whatever that is. The device was a camera and his notebook logged death dates and names of soldiers. Other cases I've actually met fellow cachers while going to do maintenance on our caches. Its fun to meet new people. You will slowly learn the regulars in your area. If you have a cache close to your home you might even get visitors from time to time just saying hello! Quote Link to comment
+The Bax Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 G'day and thankyou everyone - you have all certainly answered my question. Out of all that I pick up on FUN. Thats what its all about. I'll see how I go in the North Coast of NSW, Australia. Quote Link to comment
+SixDogTeam Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 There are only three rules: 1. Take something from the cache 2. Leave something in the cache 3. Write about it in the logbook Quote Link to comment
+anakerose Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 (edited) 1. Take something from the cache 2. Leave something in the cache 3. Write about it in the logbook But you can skip to step 3 if you don't want to follow rules 1 and 2. Rules 1 and 2 must be followed together (trade up or even). Edit: Whoops, wrong account. Should have been posted from LordEd (not michelle's account) Edited July 18, 2008 by anakerose Quote Link to comment
+The Blorenges Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 1. Take something from the cache 2. Leave something in the cache 3. Write about it in the logbook But you can skip to step 3 if you don't want to follow rules 1 and 2. Rules 1 and 2 must be followed together (trade up or even). Ummmm You don't have to follow #1 and #2 (many cachers don't bother), but if you do #1 then please make sure you do #2 You get extra karma points when you trade up MrsB Quote Link to comment
+Pottersarah Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 We did. We stopped at a park Saturday. There was a couple sitting exactly at the spot we needed to look for the cache. DH saw the hubby stealthily put back the log. We got out of the car, GPS and backpack in hand so they would know we weren't muggles. Made the find super easy, but it was nice meeting some fellow cachers. Quote Link to comment
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