Patience?

[+Burton wanderers]

Recently started geocaching, but have been amazed at number who phone a fellow cacher if they cant find a cache, but it would seem that some may not have the patience to look if it is not where they themselves think it should be, finding a certain number is more important than searching for a fiew minuites for one cache, is not some of the fun taken out when this is done, does anyone else think the same? thanks.

[+Kohavis]

You're absolutely right. For the way we think, and what we want to get out of geocaching. But for some it's all about the numbers. They'll feel disappointed if they don't find 40 or 50 in a day. And for them, that's what they want out of geocaching. More power to 'em

 

That's the beauty of geocaching - you can make it whatever you want

[+drewman1962]

I agree. I do not use a cell phone for PAF at all. But, it does seem like whoever I am with is very quick to use PAF.

[+GroveBird]

I want to get the numbers, but I want to do it myself. I have been to caches several times trying to find it before I ask someone. But, yeah, if you are in a hurry then use your phone a friend.

[+Bunganator]

I have called the owner of a few caches while I was looking for them because I feared that it may be gone or have bad coordinates based on where my GZ is. I have also called my dad to double check coordinates, hints, sizes, etc. that I may have forgotten to take with. I did called a previous finder on a terrain 4 cache once to make sure I didn't do anything too stupid in retrival (it was near a very steep gourge/cliff).

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Recently started geocaching, but have been amazed at number who phone a fellow cacher if they cant find a cache, but it would seem that some may not have the patience to look if it is not where they themselves think it should be, finding a certain number is more important than searching for a fiew minuites for one cache, is not some of the fun taken out when this is done, does anyone else think the same? thanks.

 

No, I don't think the same way.

 

I know of several people, including myself, that will occasionally phone a friend but I wouldn't consider any of us numbers hounds. My numbers pale in comparison to many I've seen here. A followup post mentioned finding 40-50 a day. I found 31 in a day once, and that was only because I had about 10 hours free to go caching and was a very cache rich area (about 3000 miles from here). I've used a phone a friend a few times but only after I've searched for quite awhile, and thought that the cache might be missing, and then only if I was searching for a cache that wasn't real close to home and might not be able to get back to anytime in the near future. The last time I used a phone a friend it was on a cache that was hidden in a old tree (the hint indicated that it was, and that it was winter accessible). it turned out that the tree had been knocked down and mostly crushed when a bulldozer came through and the cache is now disabled. I also refrained from using a phone a friend on a cache that took me four attempts and over three hours of searching before I finally found it. It's not as cut and dry as you'd like us to believe.

[+hndlbr]

Have not used the paf yet but will give hints for my hides if it is not a 1st to find and cacher has loged a dnf.

[SWEEPER73]

The Help Line / call is not in my play book........to each their own .

[+SkellyCA]

I have sprint, nobody can hear me anywhere! I go for a short hike in a local park, no signal!

 

I last I hiked to May Lake in Yosemite. My friend was up there talking to people from a rock, he has AT&T. I again had no signal until I was almost home!

 

So I couldn't call anyone even if I wanted to!

[+Hikergirrl]

I agree with Kohavis - geocaching is as individual as we are! Some people go in groups, some prefer solo. Some ask for help, some are more independent. So, if you do it your way, I do it mine, and we are all respectful of the environment and other cachers it is a great thing for everyone!

[+fishindaddy]

I don't have any friends to phone...so if we don't find it, we come back again and again and again.....................we have several micros that took more than 4 trips.

[+WRASTRO]

I have friends who I call from time to time and they call me from time to time. None of us are numbers hounds and we give a true effort before asking anyone for help. We are all fine with how we cache. Have fun and play the game in a way that you find satisfying.

[+mfamilee]

We've never even thought about calling someone before for a hint.

We already have the coordinates, the D/T rating, the size, and 3 sets of eyes.

If we ever need to call someone it will probably be a tow truck.

[+The Blorenges]

I don't think we've ever PAF while out caching.

 

If we've had a good hunt around and can't find it then that's it - a DNF.

 

When we get back home I might trawl back through the logs to see what's been said by others, but it's generally not that important to us that we must get a Find on every cache.

 

Having said that... If we were out of our home area, maybe doing a special cache for a milestone or something, one that had required a lot of homework before setting out, then I might well contact the cache owner in advance and ask if our calculated co-ords were correct and maybe ask if we could have a phone number for contact "in case of disaster".

 

MrsB

[+mdplayers]

We've called home to our son (he isn't as in to 'caching as we are) so he could look on the website and look at the cache page again. Sometimes we've missed a picture or something like that. Using an older pda to go paperless sometimes has its disadvantages (no pics).

 

We don't know anyone else who caches so there's noone to call.

[+Allanon]

We've called home to our son (he isn't as in to 'caching as we are) so he could look on the website and look at the cache page again. Sometimes we've missed a picture or something like that. Using an older pda to go paperless sometimes has its disadvantages (no pics).

 

We don't know anyone else who caches so there's noone to call.

Noone is usually pretty good with hints...

[+StarBrand]

The only times I have ever used a PAF - was after at least 3 prior visits with a DNF spending 20 minutes or more each time. Just was looking for a hint or kick in the right direction. I always only called or emailed the CO. I would never want someone to point it out directly.

 

Several have asked for my phone number but I don't give it out anymore as I was receiving phone calls from the same cachers 9 or 10 times a day as they cached through the area. I would only give vague hints or point out info already on the cache page and they would get mad at me. No more.

 

I directly observed 5 out of town cachers visit 2 of my caches. I stayed back and just watched. Well there were 5 of them in the car anyway. One would hop out and walk over to the cache area. Open it up, literally drop it and head back to the car and they would drive off. I figured it was just one cacher or just one that needed that find. Nope - the next day I got 6 "find" logs on those 2 and a few other caches. Yup 6. Five guys in the car - only one got out but I got logs from 6 different accounts. Sigh...........

[+Burton wanderers]

The only times I have ever used a PAF - was after at least 3 prior visits with a DNF spending 20 minutes or more each time. Just was looking for a hint or kick in the right direction. I always only called or emailed the CO. I would never want someone to point it out directly.

 

Several have asked for my phone number but I don't give it out anymore as I was receiving phone calls from the same cachers 9 or 10 times a day as they cached through the area. I would only give vague hints or point out info already on the cache page and they would get mad at me. No more.

 

I directly observed 5 out of town cachers visit 2 of my caches. I stayed back and just watched. Well there were 5 of them in the car anyway. One would hop out and walk over to the cache area. Open it up, literally drop it and head back to the car and they would drive off. I figured it was just one cacher or just one that needed that find. Nope - the next day I got 6 "find" logs on those 2 and a few other caches. Yup 6. Five guys in the car - only one got out but I got logs from 6 different accounts. Sigh...........

 

 

THANKS EVERYONE.

[+Wintonian]

Normaly for me (I hope):

 

1st DNF

 

2nd DNF

 

3rd DNF or e-mail the cache owner.

 

4th if applicable e-mail the cache owner.

[+BCandMsKitty]

Well, we don't have a cell phone, so we can't PAF even if we wanted to!