First to find? What's the secret?

[+kokopelli66]

I've missed out on a few FTFs and have been trying to figure out how these cachers are getting their information so quickly. Are they all retired folks sitting by their computers? Are they getting some kind of email or texts when a new cache is posted? I've looked around the website for answers, but seem to be missing something. Any Ideas?

[+Stunod]

http://www.geocaching.com/notify/

[+cachepiratz]

I've missed out on a few FTFs and have been trying to figure out how these cachers are getting their information so quickly. Are they all retired folks sitting by their computers? Are they getting some kind of email or texts when a new cache is posted? I've looked around the website for answers, but seem to be missing something. Any Ideas?

 

If you are a premium memeber of geocaching you can set up a "notification" This notification will send you a email with the link to the new cache. So if you have a smart phone, you can recv the email notification instantly.

 

You are able to set the type of caches you want to be notified about, as well as the distnce from home.

 

Happy caching

[+Moose Mob]

If you want advance notice of new caches, ask your local reviewer for their paypal account. The higher the dollar amount, the closer they are to your caching area.

 

Seriously though... yoiu can use the insta-notify feature.

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

If you want advance notice of new caches, ask your local reviewer for their paypal account. The higher the dollar amount, the closer they are to your caching area.

 

I really needed that this afternoon!

[+geodarts]

As noted above, you can set the notification feature, but its also a matter of timing, geography, personal circumstance (work schedules, family matters), and luck. Which is why I never think its something to get too excited about.

[+wimseyguy]

Don't forget that you need to be completely and totally obsessed with the idea of getting the FTF. Even at the expense of your job, health, personal hygiene, and love life.

Edited August 26, 2009 by wimseyguy

[+kokopelli66]

Thanks for all your input. That is exactly what I was looking for. i just couldn't find it on the website.

[greenworldfeather]

I have a way that can get aroun d the PM features and beat it almost. I'm niot a PM and I havae 6 FTF's some of which I have used this for, some not. If you want to know, e-mail me and I will tell you. That way, it is not too likely to get out very easily except to people that care enough to want to know and most likeley aren't PM's. It is actually a piece of cake. I won't tell everyone, biut if you have a lot iof finds with very little or no FTF's you stand a bit better chance of finding out from me. Add the non-PM feature, and you pretty much have a pretty good chance of finding out. Have a great day. gwf[]

[+Cpl. Klinger]

You can know someone who is placing caches and can give you an inside line...

 

My wife just hid one over the weekend, and is still open for FTF. I know how to solve the puzzle, and to be totally serious, I know exactly where it's hidden, even though I wasn't with her. I won't go find it though. Also goes to show that FTF hounds must not like puzzle caches, it's going on 5 days without so much as a note.

[+Scubasonic]

I have a way that can get aroun d the PM features and beat it almost. I'm niot a PM and I havae 6 FTF's some of which I have used this for, some not. If you want to know, e-mail me and I will tell you. That way, it is not too likely to get out very easily except to people that care enough to want to know and most likeley aren't PM's. It is actually a piece of cake. I won't tell everyone, biut if you have a lot iof finds with very little or no FTF's you stand a bit better chance of finding out from me. Add the non-PM feature, and you pretty much have a pretty good chance of finding out. Have a great day. gwf[]

 

2 Words

 

SPELL CHECK !!!

 

SS

[+racingmissy]

You can know someone who is placing caches and can give you an inside line...

 

My wife just hid one over the weekend, and is still open for FTF. I know how to solve the puzzle, and to be totally serious, I know exactly where it's hidden, even though I wasn't with her. I won't go find it though. Also goes to show that FTF hounds must not like puzzle caches, it's going on 5 days without so much as a note.

 

Unless I"m doing it wrong. You can only be notified of one kind of cache. Most people probably don't have there's set for puzzles.

[+simpler1773]

I had my first FTF two days ago, still no one has found it after me. It was a puzzle cache but not very difficult. Glad I didn't run out at midnight to grab it when I first saw it! LOL

 

I didn't get a notification for it either, just happened to see it in my local listings.

 

I think it also depends on how many cachers live in your area!

[+Cpl. Klinger]

You can know someone who is placing caches and can give you an inside line...

 

My wife just hid one over the weekend, and is still open for FTF. I know how to solve the puzzle, and to be totally serious, I know exactly where it's hidden, even though I wasn't with her. I won't go find it though. Also goes to show that FTF hounds must not like puzzle caches, it's going on 5 days without so much as a note.

 

Unless I"m doing it wrong. You can only be notified of one kind of cache. Most people probably don't have there's set for puzzles.

 

But you can have multiple notifications set up.

[+Buddies-Buddies]

I won't pass judgement on those that have the ability to circumvent the system and avoid paying the PM dues, but personally I won't taint my enjoyment of the hobby with this...

 

When you break it down, you are talking about 8.2 cents a day to support your hobby - I pay more in taxes on my daily cup of coffee than this.

 

I will say this - If you figured out how to get the PM features without paying the dues you are probably best keeping that information to yourself. I don't think TPTB would be very happy with you using their website in order to help others accomplish the same...

 

Just my 8.2 cents worth...

[+The magician & his assistant]

Track every TB you ever log, if a CO puts it in a new cache before its published you will get an email telling you it has been placed. Then you can use what ever info you can get from the TB page to try and find the cache............Long shot I know, but it does work.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I had my first FTF two days ago, still no one has found it after me. It was a puzzle cache but not very difficult. Glad I didn't run out at midnight to grab it when I first saw it! LOL

 

I didn't get a notification for it either, just happened to see it in my local listings.

 

I think it also depends on how many cachers live in your area!

 

One of my first FTF's was a puzzle cache. It also was not especially difficult, but there were three stages to the puzzle. The cache itself was on an island (pretty obvious from the cache name) about 1/4 mile from shore on a large lake. I solved the puzzle in a couple of hours while at work (it was a slow day), then rushed home, put my kayak on my car and drove 28 miles to a spot on the lake near the island. I paddled out then after a brief search I found the cache with a blank log. I paddled back, then headed home and logged the find. The cache wasn't found again in over a month.

 

That wasn't too surprising considering the number of geocachers in the area that go after boat accessible caches. However, a couple of months ago I got a FTF on a cache that was in a wooded area where several caches have been placed recently. It was no more than 300' from where my car at a community garden just of a flat trail. I logged it about 30 hours after it was published for FTF and it wasn't found again for over a week. I guess in some areas there isn't much of a race for FTF. Frankly, I like it that way.

[+Singletree Expedition]

Yes, the notifications will make you aware when new caches are published. Note, that you must set up an additional notification for each cache type.

 

Also, you may want to create a Pocket Query to look for caches that have not yet been found. Based on one of your hides, there are currently 6 caches that have not been logged within 30 miles of you.

 

Good luck!

[+Tobias & Petronella]

Be willing to go out in less than perfect weather.

 

Be willing to skip or record that TV show instead of watching it to the end.

 

Be willing to reheat your dinner, because a cache posted while you were eating and you left to go on a run in-between bites.

 

Just go for them. You will be surprised how many people don't even try. But like in baseball, you don't want to swing at every pitch. But when you do, make it count.

 

Learn about the cachers in your area that go after FTFs. What area do they live and work in and what time of day do they go on FTF runs. Most people work and all people sleep, which means they will have a tough time going after a FTF during those hours. If they do take off work or wake up to do a FTF it will take them longer to get ready. A lot of this info can be found in the logs they post and on their "Profile Page"

 

Have your swag bag and coat ready to go at all times.

 

Have your printer turned on so you can print the cache page so you can take it with you.

 

Set up the multiple notifications, one for each cache type that you might go after.

 

One of our big tricks is to set the notifications much farther out than you are willing to go. That way you can find out when the reviewers are working in your area. For example, we set multiple notifications, each for 25 miles from our home, but will only race after the ones close by. So when caches get posted for 15, 20, 25 miles away then we know that one might be posted in our area very soon. So the shoes go on, the printer gets turned on, we do a few other things and then we set back and wait.

 

Be willing to do Co-FTF's. If you are at GZ searching with others and you find the cache first, be willing to share the FTF with everyone that is there searching. Later on those cachers might do the same for you.

 

There are other "tricks", I just named a few. There are some that we learned by pure chance.

[+kunarion]

Just go for them.

On my FTF, I had gotten up late, checked the local list, and saw the new cache. I then took a long route to the cache (unintentionally), and of course took forever to actually find it. This was in an easily accessible spot, on a beautiful sunny day, and the next cacher arrived three days later.

 

So don't be surprised if you don't need a plan.

Edited August 27, 2009 by kunarion

[+Ladybug Kids]

Ooops...already answered more than once...

Edited August 28, 2009 by Ladybug Kids

[+niraD]

So don't be surprised if you don't need a plan.

Yep. I've had 3 FTFs. Two were for puzzle caches that I found days after their publication. That's just a matter of having the necessary "Aha!" moment before anyone else in the area. The other was a "right place at the right time" situation. I was going to be in the area early the next morning anyway, and a cache was published after the park's closing time, but before I happened to check for nearby caches.

[+Scubasonic]

I have just over 340 FTFs in just over a year of Caching, and the excitement never changes, my heart starts racing it's a rush.

 

ScubaSonic