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To me, the thrill in being FTF is that there are so many people out there with notifications set up so that they can be FTF. It's actually a major reason why I originally got a paid membership, although pocket queries and bookmarks have since proved their usefulness.

 

The one FTF I've actually managed to score (Champaign-Urbana, IL, is a fairly desolate town as far as geocaching goes) was a thrill because I did hop in a car and go as soon as I got the e-mail, the whole time knowing that there might be somebody else out there with the same idea in mind.

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FTF Hogs? More like FTF Hawks! by the time i get my stuff ready its been found!

I am not saying they should stop. FTFs are fun. but they should just wait 2 3 hours before dashing out once in a while. There was a YouTube video about a FTF hog who had: A hiking backpack, Water Battles, GPSr,

Backup GPSr, road maps, wifi laptop, PDA, and every morning before he ate breakfast he made sandwich and put it in the pile! and HE HAD A FTF SCEDUALE! every hour he checked his E-Mail and made sure there were no new listing as well! :)

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I don't mean the OP with this, but I wonder if those, who come up with this sort of name calling (like FTF Hog), actually ever really tried to WIN fair and square, or if they think like in Kindergarten, someone who already won a game 2 times should stop playing so others can WIN too?

 

Jan

 

I got kicked out of Kindergarden because I don't play. I am one of those that try to grab FTF's. However, I really only concentrate on about a 5 mile radius from home or work. We make caching what we want to make of it.

If I am not the FTF, then I post a note clarifying why I didn't want to be the FTF, usually with some hugely fabricated story of saving hundreds of people from certain death, or saving them from purchasing poorly fitting clothes with pictures of Homer Simpson on them.

So what there are FTF Hogs out there. There are people out there on a mission to find every cache hidden in the next year. Do you have a problem with them too. Because they started caching three months ago and already have more finds than you, and that is killing you. So what. We make this what we want of it.

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With three pages of replies in this thread, I'm certain it has been mentioned that those who are unwilling to go out at 2330 Hrs. in a blizzard do not deserve the FTF garnered by those who were willing.

 

That being said, the FTF usually don't count for squat. Unless there is some exceptionally valuable prize in the cache, all you get are bragging rights, and I couldn't care less about that.

 

The best part about an FTF is finding the cache just exactly the way the owner intended it to be found, and not the way the most recent finder thought it should have been hidden.

 

WOO-HOO, FTF!

BFD

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I will rush out in the middle of the night (to a point) when a new cache gets published. The only thing I hate about being 2nd to find is when the FTFer doesn't log the find in a reasonable time (3 hours?? c'mon!) and gets me thinking that there is still no finder. That irritates the crap out of me....happens quite a bit too.

 

I enjoyed FTFing in Hawaii, because the hiders usually put cool stuff in the caches for FTF (coins, pins, sig items - TIKIs!!!). Here, in KY, all I see is micros with logs....not much fun or exciting to me. This is why I don't chase FTFs as much as I used to. Sometimes I'll go after work or get up early on my way to work to try and get the FTF is it's still available, but I'll still go after it nonetheless (FTF is just a bonus stat then).

 

No matter where you go, there will always be the FTF hounds and hogs....it's just a part of the game.

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I think anyone can get a FTF if they are willing to exert some extra effort.

 

 

It seems to get FTF you have to be either lucky or be willing to exert extra effort of some type. My first FTF was found 12 hours after it was placed but it required a two hour hike (off-trail) to reach it. I found my second FTF two months after it had been hidden and it only require an easy 45 minute on-trail hike but it was well hidden in a cave in a rather remote area.

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How many FTF's are too many? Are we talking amount or percent?

 

If someone has 50 FTF's and they have a found a total of 5000 caches that means they have a .01 FTF rate. So out of every 100 caches they found, only 1 of them was a FTF. However if someone else has 50 FTF's and has found only 500 caches then their FTF rate is .1, which means 1 out of every 10 finds is a FTF.

 

If a cache goes unclaimed for days and someone finds it, they get a FTF, just as if it was found with in moments after posting. My quickest FTF was with in 8 min. and my slowest FTF was 17 days after posting. Before that my slowest was 5 days after posting and it was in someone's front yard in the middle of a city.

 

So... How long should a person wait before going after a cache and what is the correct FTF rate?

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I'm not able to worry about FTF's. I'm a teacher so I'm at work from 7-4. In my 3 months caching I've only had one cache publish within 20 miles of me (outside my 2 hides). I was hoping that no one would get to it until 4, but no luck. I was FTF on a replacement, it was a nice feeling, but not amazing. Now over spring break, and summer I will be a vulture waiting for that publishing to try and get FTF just so I can experience one.

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I will rush out in the middle of the night (to a point) when a new cache gets published. The only thing I hate about being 2nd to find is when the FTFer doesn't log the find in a reasonable time (3 hours?? c'mon!) and gets me thinking that there is still no finder. That irritates the crap out of me....happens quite a bit too.

 

Yes, but why is it so irritating that someone was there "first"? How is "your" experience (whomsoever is into the FTF thing) diminished by someone else having been there? Seriously, I don't get it.

 

Is it bragging rights, is that what it is? If so, without quantification who is proving what to whom?

 

Aren't these numbers best increased by concentrating on the easy / trivial finds? Again, not picking on anyone, but I'm totally failing to see the allure of bragging in the pub about being the first to drive to 100 more lamppost skirts than someone else. Is it that the only way to make the hide-a-key hidden under a park bench, or the magnetic nano on a road sign appealing, is to be there "first"? What if the cache was previously listed and found via some other site? Now someone else was there "first". Is that also irritating? If not, why not?

 

Granted, when I make a multi-hour trek out into the middle of nowhere and find I'm the first to log a cache, sometimes months after it's been published, I think "Gosh, this hasn't been logged yet", but my experience isn't going to be diminished if I wasn't the first visitor. In fact, I regularly revisit areas that people have drawn my attention to via a Geocache and my enjoyment is enhanced by learning or seeing something new. Hence, I'm struggling with the concept of deliberately looking for a Geocache that was placed somewhere so implicitly unappealing that the only reason to go there is in writing FTF on some web site.

 

Please explain what it is that I'm missing.

Edited by poohstickz
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Well, Im new to this game, about 60 finds and not a one FTF. The way I look at it is if Im FTF, great, but for me, the thrill of the find, in itself, is plenty enjoyable for me. And I have more things going on in my life than sitting by the comp waiting to grab the keys and run, so I say If the hogs want it,,,go for it. Just my 2 cents worth..

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Well, Im new to this game, about 60 finds and not a one FTF. The way I look at it is if Im FTF, great, but for me, the thrill of the find, in itself, is plenty enjoyable for me. And I have more things going on in my life than sitting by the comp waiting to grab the keys and run, so I say If the hogs want it,,,go for it. Just my 2 cents worth..

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poohstickz I think it is all mental. I want to get one just to get one.

 

Some like yourself don't care.

 

Others (FTF hogs) live for them. If you build it up in your head as something amazing and important then that's how you'll see it if you get it, and likewise be disappointed if you missed out.

 

Plus if I got up at 2 AM to find a cache (I'd be insane) and I wasn't the FTF I could see being upset (esp if it was an LPC or easy P&G).

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I will rush out in the middle of the night (to a point) when a new cache gets published. The only thing I hate about being 2nd to find is when the FTFer doesn't log the find in a reasonable time (3 hours?? c'mon!) and gets me thinking that there is still no finder. That irritates the crap out of me....happens quite a bit too.

 

Yes, but why is it so irritating that someone was there "first"? How is "your" experience (whomsoever is into the FTF thing) diminished by someone else having been there? Seriously, I don't get it.

 

Is it bragging rights, is that what it is? If so, without quantification who is proving what to whom?

 

 

Greetings.

 

Let me talk about my personal take on FTF's. For me it's a race. Since there can only be 1 FTF ever per cache that's what it's all about for us (my wife and myself). It is how many races we have won. We live in an area where there a lot of people who have very stats in all areas, and we feel this is one of the ways we can compete with them.

 

When someone else doesn't log the FTF in a reasonable amount of time, it's like running a race that has been over for hours. It's not really fair to the other players.

 

We have 26 FTF's (check our Profile), non of them have been "lamppost skirts". 4 of them have been 1/1 Traditionals (2 mirco and 2 small). We have also done 4 Multi's in which one of them was a 2.5/4 regular and another one was a 2/2.5 small that we did at night.

 

I have no problems with lamppost skirts hides, I've not had a chance to go after one on a FTF race.

 

We have gone on a FTF run knowing that the odds were against us. For those we are happy with 2nd, 3rd or even 4th. We want to get there before a geo-trail is made which takes right to the hide. However a few of those times we did get a FTF or co-FTF. Sometimes we even stay near GZ to chat with other cachers that show up (think mini event).

 

Geocaching is a very slow and easy going game/sport. There's no rush to get so many finds in so many days. A FTF race is one of the few ways to spice it up. You never know when or what area one will get posted for. Most of ours were posted at night while we are watching TV. I would check the emails during breaks to see if there is anything new. I now have a cell phone (as of 3.5 weeks) that gets the notification so I don't have to get up as much.

 

These are my thoughts, I know that other people do it for other reasons, that's their choice. We are in it for the fun.

 

Tobias

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I think anyone can get a FTF if they are willing to exert some extra effort.

 

 

It seems to get FTF you have to be either lucky or be willing to exert extra effort of some type. My first FTF was found 12 hours after it was placed but it required a two hour hike (off-trail) to reach it. I found my second FTF two months after it had been hidden and it only require an easy 45 minute on-trail hike but it was well hidden in a cave in a rather remote area.

 

My first FTF was on a cache by JeeperDad. He has done a lot of great caches in utah. The first stage was by a school. the second stage was on a hill that you approached by going up a road by a cemetery that went up and around the cemetery. When I say up and around, I mean that. The parto f the city was in the bottom fothills of a mountain. The road went around the cemetery to a parking lot. It then went around on the hill above the cemetery, and up. I t would have been easier except that I went at 7 p.m. in winter on a hill covered by 1-1 1/2 feet of snow. Add to that it was one of THE first times I had been up on that mountain. We got more snow this winter, which was the one I got my first FTF in, than the last five or more years' winters before. I went up the hill trying to stay on the path and went up the mountain. Oh, and I had shoes on, not boots. I got to the cache, which luckily was an ammo can under a bush. I got down the hill and got home safely without being attacked by a wild animal. I was scared I would be almost the entire time I was there. I got home and didn't catch a cold, luckily. I found a log the next day and found out that I had beaten someone who is a bit of a FTF hog. I have gotten three FTF since. All on my bike and on my feet. Thanks, and have a great day. gwf :):);) P.S. Every time I see or think about the name of this thread, I laugh.

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The FTF Hogs are more than welcome to compete in that aspect of the game. Some people like travel bugs and coins, those people will visit the same caches over and over just to log all the trackables coming through their area.

 

FTF is fun for me too. I have only been a part of 2 FTF. Both of them would be considered difficult caches. Those are more satisfying to me than a 1/1 that others are racing for. I have found that I can not really compete with folks going for sheer numbers of FTF. I have the equipment to get other caches that require some special equipment such as a boat, waders, and snowshoes.

 

To those that race for every FTF please continue with your fun aspect of the game.

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I live in an area where there aren't many geocachers but I am close (within 50 miles) to quite a few caches.

 

I would like to see more FTF Hogs/Hounds/Hawks in this area. I placed a cache November 15 and the FTF wasn't until January 3. Up to now there have only been 6 logged finds.

 

FTF is part of the sport. It adds to the challenge and the fun but like anything else you can become obsessed at which point it may become unhealthy.

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I live in an area where there aren't many geocachers but I am close (within 50 miles) to quite a few caches.

 

I would like to see more FTF Hogs/Hounds/Hawks in this area. I placed a cache November 15 and the FTF wasn't until January 3.

 

WOW that is unheard of in our area even the ramote caches that take a huge hike would not last but a day, most R found witin an hour at the most.

 

Scubasonic

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Do you think there is such a thing as a FTF Hog. :) in our area there are several that go right after them (I'm included) if the opportunity presents itself. I know a lot of None FTFers get mad :ph34r: saying that all the new caches are FTF Hogged by just a few people.

 

Sure there are FTF Hogs; and there are non-FTFers. It's really OK to be either.

 

I don't see the FTF Hogs complaining about people who don't go for FTFs, but I see a lot of whining about FTF Hogs from those who 'supposedly' don't care about FTFs.

 

Methinks thou dost protest too much.

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Sure there are FTF Hogs; and there are non-FTFers. It's really OK to be either.

 

I don't see the FTF Hogs complaining about people who don't go for FTFs, but I see a lot of whining about FTF Hogs from those who 'supposedly' don't care about FTFs.

 

Methinks thou dost protest too much.

 

 

I think the issue might be FTF hogs not being able to get the FTFs :ph34r:

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I think the issue might be FTF hogs not being able to get the FTFs :ph34r:

 

That's it. It's them hogs getting FTF before I do. Stay home you hogs! I want to stay in bed and get it when it is convenient for me to get it. I do not like having to rush out the door to get the FTF. Back off! Stay home. Stay at work. :)

 

 

 

84.13% HOG and proud of it :D Yes I am sitting here waiting for the new ones to pop up. I also go no place without my phone!

Edited by The finch farmers
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I have a few hundred FTFs so I thought you might like to hear from "the other side." I don't have any notification but rely on being lucky and spotting new caches in the area when they are listed. A number of other local cachers take pride in saying they beat me to a new cache and I have met people in their pajamas that raced out early morning to get to a cache ahead of me then waited to tell me (with a huge grin :) ) that they were FTF. One cacher got phone notification on the road and took a short cut in through a swampy area in street shoes at 11pm to beat me. He figured distroying the shoes was worth it to personally tell me he beat me! It is all good natured and keeps interest in the game. Although a smaller state, New Hampshire has a very active geocaching community.

 

I have also got FTFs 100-200 miles from my home just because no one else happened to go for them. I've also, accidently, found a cache or two before it was listed but didn't claim FTF because I don't feel it's a cache until it is listed. Waiting doesn't always mean you'll miss FTF and being lucky certainly helps.

 

Competition isn't bad and I'll challenge anyone who says it is. :ph34r:

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I have a few hundred FTFs so I thought you might like to hear from "the other side." I don't have any notification but rely on being lucky and spotting new caches in the area when they are listed. A number of other local cachers take pride in saying they beat me to a new cache and I have met people in their pajamas that raced out early morning to get to a cache ahead of me then waited to tell me (with a huge grin :) ) that they were FTF. One cacher got phone notification on the road and took a short cut in through a swampy area in street shoes at 11pm to beat me. He figured distroying the shoes was worth it to personally tell me he beat me! It is all good natured and keeps interest in the game. Although a smaller state, New Hampshire has a very active geocaching community.

 

I have also got FTFs 100-200 miles from my home just because no one else happened to go for them. I've also, accidently, found a cache or two before it was listed but didn't claim FTF because I don't feel it's a cache until it is listed. Waiting doesn't always mean you'll miss FTF and being lucky certainly helps.

 

Competition isn't bad and I'll challenge anyone who says it is. :ph34r:

 

I agree, and I think it was said earlier competition is good for the soul.

 

Scubasonic

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I will rush out in the middle of the night (to a point) when a new cache gets published. The only thing I hate about being 2nd to find is when the FTFer doesn't log the find in a reasonable time (3 hours?? c'mon!) and gets me thinking that there is still no finder. That irritates the crap out of me....happens quite a bit too.

 

Yes, but why is it so irritating that someone was there "first"? How is "your" experience (whomsoever is into the FTF thing) diminished by someone else having been there? Seriously, I don't get it.

 

Is it bragging rights, is that what it is? If so, without quantification who is proving what to whom?

 

Aren't these numbers best increased by concentrating on the easy / trivial finds? Again, not picking on anyone, but I'm totally failing to see the allure of bragging in the pub about being the first to drive to 100 more lamppost skirts than someone else. Is it that the only way to make the hide-a-key hidden under a park bench, or the magnetic nano on a road sign appealing, is to be there "first"? What if the cache was previously listed and found via some other site? Now someone else was there "first". Is that also irritating? If not, why not?

 

Granted, when I make a multi-hour trek out into the middle of nowhere and find I'm the first to log a cache, sometimes months after it's been published, I think "Gosh, this hasn't been logged yet", but my experience isn't going to be diminished if I wasn't the first visitor. In fact, I regularly revisit areas that people have drawn my attention to via a Geocache and my enjoyment is enhanced by learning or seeing something new. Hence, I'm struggling with the concept of deliberately looking for a Geocache that was placed somewhere so implicitly unappealing that the only reason to go there is in writing FTF on some web site.

 

Please explain what it is that I'm missing.

 

First off, that isn't what Team DDNight said. He stated that he didn't like it when someone found the cache but didn't log it in what he thought is a timely manner. Normally three hours would be plenty of time to log but i know there can be instances when it isn't so i don't agree with him on that. But i do agree that i don't like it when someone purposely holds back just to "make things interesting" or whatever. There's certainly no guidelines or rules on this, but out of respect, i do think a person should log as soon as they can if they are ftf.

 

As far as being a ftf hog,,, that's hogwash in my book. Again, if ya want it, then make an effort and try to go get it. I speak from exeperience now as i used to sometimes take off at a moment's notice to get a ftf.

For the most part, those days are gone now that the Tx Tadpole has come along. This has knocked out alot of ftf opportunities these days but i sure ain't complaining and i certainly ain't asking that people hold back so that i can get em... :ph34r:

 

Btw, Enjoyed reading your post rjb43nh! :)

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I will rush out in the middle of the night (to a point) when a new cache gets published. The only thing I hate about being 2nd to find is when the FTFer doesn't log the find in a reasonable time (3 hours?? c'mon!) and gets me thinking that there is still no finder. That irritates the crap out of me....happens quite a bit too.

 

Yes, but why is it so irritating that someone was there "first"? How is "your" experience (whomsoever is into the FTF thing) diminished by someone else having been there? Seriously, I don't get it.

 

Is it bragging rights, is that what it is? If so, without quantification who is proving what to whom?

 

Aren't these numbers best increased by concentrating on the easy / trivial finds? Again, not picking on anyone, but I'm totally failing to see the allure of bragging in the pub about being the first to drive to 100 more lamppost skirts than someone else. Is it that the only way to make the hide-a-key hidden under a park bench, or the magnetic nano on a road sign appealing, is to be there "first"? What if the cache was previously listed and found via some other site? Now someone else was there "first". Is that also irritating? If not, why not?

 

Granted, when I make a multi-hour trek out into the middle of nowhere and find I'm the first to log a cache, sometimes months after it's been published, I think "Gosh, this hasn't been logged yet", but my experience isn't going to be diminished if I wasn't the first visitor. In fact, I regularly revisit areas that people have drawn my attention to via a Geocache and my enjoyment is enhanced by learning or seeing something new. Hence, I'm struggling with the concept of deliberately looking for a Geocache that was placed somewhere so implicitly unappealing that the only reason to go there is in writing FTF on some web site.

 

Please explain what it is that I'm missing.

 

First off, that isn't what Team DDNight said. He stated that he didn't like it when someone found the cache but didn't log it in what he thought is a timely manner. Normally three hours would be plenty of time to log but i know there can be instances when it isn't so i don't agree with him on that. But i do agree that i don't like it when someone purposely holds back just to "make things interesting" or whatever. There's certainly no guidelines or rules on this, but out of respect, i do think a person should log as soon as they can if they are ftf.

 

As far as being a ftf hog,,, that's hogwash in my book. Again, if ya want it, then make an effort and try to go get it. I speak from exeperience now as i used to sometimes take off at a moment's notice to get a ftf.

For the most part, those days are gone now that the Tx Tadpole has come along. This has knocked out alot of ftf opportunities these days but i sure ain't complaining and i certainly ain't asking that people hold back so that i can get em... :ph34r:

 

Btw, Enjoyed reading your post rjb43nh! :)

 

I do try to log my FTFs as soon as I can, but there are times for example I was leaving at 4 AM to cache for the day in hopes of getting about 50+ and just when I was leaving a new cache popped up that was right on my way to the Caching grounds I was going to, so I stopped made the FTF and continued for my caching day. I think it was around 6 PM till I was able to post my FTF. I saw that other people had found it, but none of them seemed to be upset about it.

 

SS

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