Newbies

[+thenestors]

My hubby and I just got started in geocaching about a month ago. We got a brand new GPS (Dakota 20, love it!), and are enjoying the adventure so far, although we've stuck to easier ones to start. Does anyone have any tips for us to become good geocachers? Anything we should keep in mind, etc. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[+succotash]

Practice! Just keep looking for ones in places you enjoy so the whole experience is fun. The more you do, the better your skills will become.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Best suggestion is practice, practice then go out and practice some more! Truly, that is about what is best.

 

Oh yeah, read all you can read, here in the forums and on gc.com.

 

Those who spend a lot of time in the forums, LOVE to answer specific questions. Just ask 'em.

 

Enjoy!

[+JJball]

When you do decide to try harder ones, don't overlook anything ..and touch everything. Sometimes a cache can be hiding right under your nose!

[+Intemperance Society]

I've only got 37 finds, so I've got a looooooong way to go before I would even begin to consider myself a good cacher. One thing I have found that may help, though, is variety. A lot of people say to stick to larger caches to start, but I find that searching for a few micros helps you think outside the box a bit. One of my first finds was a micro. A magnetized electrical plate on the exterior of a building. Took a good while to find, but from then on I've always looked at things a bit closer... and a little more skeptically.

 

Best of luck!

[+JJball]

I agree with Intemperance. Variety helps you think outside the box. If you go in with a preconceived notion of what a cache should look like, you could very likely overlook it

[+WhoDis]

Look for anything out of place, a pile of rocks, sticks stacked up, anything that doesn't look like it was made naturally. Holes in trees are popular too. Look for a path. Remember, the cache can be made for anything, it doesn't have to be a box. I found one that was fake dog poop. I must have looked and stepped over it a couple dozen times before accidentally stepping on it and realizing it was fake.

Micros can sometimes be very hard to find. You might want to try a few to get your feet wet, but don't get fustrated if you don't find them. The GF refuses to do them.

Edited May 24, 2010 by EddieB606

[+vw_k]

Thinking "If I was hiding a cache here, where would I put it?" can often help when searching.

[+thenestors]

Thank you all!! We are so excited to keep progressing to be good geocachers!!

[+StarBrand]

Here are some general hints:

 

Look for caches with a difficulty of 2 or less for your fist few caches. Stick with regular sized caches for your first few. Micros can be quite hard to find sometimes. Stick to areas you are familiar with. Look for anything out of place or unusual. Look for unusual piles of sticks, grass, leaves, rocks, sand, etc. Feel where you cannot look. Think vertical, not all caches are on the ground. Look up or at eye level. Look for traces of previous searches to zero in on the spot. Think like the hider - where would you put a container in this location? Look for things too new, too old, too perfect, not like the others, too many, too few. Change your perspective - a shift in lighting can sometimes reveal a cache. Keep in mind that many micros are magnetic or attached to something (via string, wire etc). Slowly expand your search area to about 40 feet from where your GPS says ground zero is. Bring garden gloves and a flashlight - they help! Be prepared to not find the cache more often then you think.

 

Most of all - have fun!!

[jerryrig]

So far for me I think....finding them is a thrill...but hiding them is a really fun part of this whole thing.....I have hidden one in my area so far....just wish more people around here would geocache...I am thinking about hiding some more soon.