Search strategies

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

I've found most of the caches that are within 6 miles of my home (and there are lots of them). I've found many of the ones that are between 6 and 12 miles from home (and there are many of those, too). As a result, if I've got a half-day or even a whole day to go caching, I'll drive somewhere, say 15 to 30 miles away. Here is my dilemma: When I get there, am I best to thoroughly cover a small area or to cover a wider area, but not try for all the caches in it? And, if that is not enough of a problem, is it worth while to go after some of the caches that are on the way to the location I'm planning on covering or should I pass on those and just wait until I'm where I'm going?

[+brokenoaks]

there are so many caches out there that I know I can't get them all. what I have is a set of criterion and if a cache does not fall in that I pass it up. I suppose I miss some good ones in a given area but there are always more.

[+uxorious]

That will be up to you. Each of those scenarios, would work for me, depending on my mood.

 

I often will try to pick up caches on the way to an area I want to cache in, but sometimes would rather wait. Sometimes I want to get as many as I can in an area, then there are times I just want to go for those that sound the most interesting.

[grammynmaggie]

If I am going to an area for something else doc appt., shopping, what ever I will check out the caches on the way and will try for as many as I can depending on time. If I am just going out for caches I will plan my trip what roads I would like t o travel and go for what is along the way. I am a newbe and I would like to find them all. LOL LOL

blessings to all

G&M

[+Walts Hunting]

WOW you live in a cache deprived area. My closest 500 are within 10 miles and at 20 miles it climbs to almost 2000.

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

WOW you live in a cache deprived area. My closest 500 are within 10 miles and at 20 miles it climbs to almost 2000.

 

I've got more than 500 within the 10 miles. And, since I live on the coast, nearly half the area covered by those 10 miles is in the ocean.

[+StarBrand]

I would strongly encourage you to find caches that interest you , placed in areas that interest you. That could cover just about any of the scenarios you describe.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I'll agree with StarBrand. Go for whatever interests you that day! You can always go back again. There are many hundreds, if not thousands, of caches within thirty miles of the two areas we like to search. Pick an area that looks interesting, and hunt the caches that look interesting. Thursday, we felt like some walking in the woods, so we went for four in an abandoned asylum (now a county park.) Saturday, we were in NYC, so we found three in East Harlem. Sunday, we felt like cache and dashes, so we drove twenty miles to Elizabeth, and found eight caches. Whatever strikes your fancy!

[+boda]

We don't have a definitive strategy, but we generally cache in a particular area and target caches close to each other. We have mountains, valleys and deserts so we just pick one area depending on weather and go for 1 or 2 on a nice hike or larger numbers when we feel like it. We always leave a lot of caches near home so that we can fall back on them if needed. We do pick up caches on the way to the area we have selected, but not many. We even get into the LA area at times - maybe we'll see you there.

[knowschad]

What is it about geocaching that interests you? Are you in it for the numbers race, to experience the creativity and cleverness of some hiders, for the hike and the beauty? Without knowing what you are in this for it is impossible to give you the advice that you are looking for.

 

 

(I'm guessing you're in it for the numbers, based on how you phrased the question)

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

My 'strategy' is to choose a cache that interests me in the target area.

 

I get a Pocket Query of the 500 caches around the target cache and load them into my Blackberry or GSAK on the laptop.

 

Drive to and (hopefully) find that cache.

 

Then select 'Next Closest' and just go from one cache to the next!

 

Sometimes I will read the cache description before going for whatever is next, but usually not, unless I am with someone who says something like "Let's skip multis and long hikes"... then I will look to make sure the Next Closest is ok.

 

Mostly, whatever is Next Closest I will go hunt it, since I like all caches and it's more about the trip than the caches.

 

If I get there, look about for a bit and don't find it, then I will read the cache listing and maybe the clue.

Edited December 2, 2009 by TheAlabamaRambler

[knowschad]

My 'strategy' is to choose a cache that interests me in the target area.

I get a Pocket Query of the 500 caches around the target cache.

Drive to and (hopefully) find that cache.

Then select 'Next Closest' and just go from one cache to the next!

Sometimes I will read (using my Blackberry or laptop) the cache description, but usually not.

Whatever it is I will go hunt it, since I like all caches and it's more about the trip than the caches.

If I get there, look about for a bit and don't find it, then I will read the cache listing and maybe the clue.

That's pretty much the way I prefer to cache, too, but tha t"Next closest" thing is a real trap that can have you going every which way, back, and forth, up and down. I'm not much of a planner, but I find that I do much better (in numbers, that is) when I plan out my strategy beforehand.

[+Cache O'Plenty]

Yeah, too many times that "Next Closest" will take you past 5 others along the route. When that happens, I just go for the next one that pops up. Usually ends up spiraling out of control!!!

 

Planning is the key but you have to have the discipline to follow it.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I've found most of the caches that are within 6 miles of my home (and there are lots of them). I've found many of the ones that are between 6 and 12 miles from home (and there are many of those, too). As a result, if I've got a half-day or even a whole day to go caching, I'll drive somewhere, say 15 to 30 miles away. Here is my dilemma: When I get there, am I best to thoroughly cover a small area or to cover a wider area, but not try for all the caches in it? And, if that is not enough of a problem, is it worth while to go after some of the caches that are on the way to the location I'm planning on covering or should I pass on those and just wait until I'm where I'm going?

 

I have a very similar situation (but with far fewer caches...there are only 7 caches within 15 miles that I have not found).

 

Generally, if I have a few hours to a half day (which has occurred only twice in the last two months) free I will also drive 20-30 miles away and search for caches in that area. In most cases that means heading to a more populated area in one direction.

 

By bypassing a few caches that might be 15-20 miles from home, that provides the possibility of going after those caches later when I only have a couple of hours free. I essentially need a minimum of an hour of free time to find *any* caches as the driving distance/time to get to/from the nearest cache would take about 45 minutes.

[+Curioddity]

My typical caching strategy is to find the caches I search for.

 

Kidding aside, I've always been a "clean out an area" kinda guy and I've also developed a "cache where I am" attitude. I discovered that I was missing out on a lot of wonderful surprises when I limited myself to caching in places which interested me, so I don't anymore. Oh I still go cache in places which interest me but I also cache in the places around and between 'em.

 

Pete

[+GeoGeeBee]

I discovered that I was missing out on a lot of wonderful surprises when I limited myself to caching in places which interested me, so I don't anymore.

 

That pretty much sums up my attitude, as well.

 

Just when I started to think about filtering out micros, I found this series. I had so much fun and learned so much local history, that now I don't filter anything. I really don't need to ever see another lamp-post in a parking lot, but I'd hate to filter micros and miss out on stuff like this.