FTF Hourders

October 28, 2010

It's fine that y'all feel the way you do about it. I voiced my opinion & that's that. I feel differently about it, that's all. If a FTF'er decided to stay home one day instead of getting a new cache, and I came along & found it first, I'm still the first to FIND it. I'm not going to know why someone else wasn't there first & I'm not going to care why. Maybe everyone was busy, maybe they were there but couldn't find it..don't know, don't care. I'm just going to be happy about my accomplishment. If a FTF hound was neurotic enough to have to log that he "let someone else have it," first off I'd say he was rude & secondly I wouldn't think any less of my FTF achievement because that's just me. If the rest of you think it takes away from the experience, that's on you. I'm not putting you down for feeling that way. That's my biggest beef here...that a few of us were bum-rushed by the lot of you just because we don't feel the same way.

2.3k · October 28, 2010

Let me put it a different way, if I were the one collecting FTF's & had plenty under my belt, I'd take a step back & say to myself, I don't need to be the first on this one. Let someone else enjoy it.
Sure. But who decides that an FTF hound has "plenty under his belt"? The only one who can make that decision is the FTF hound himself.

And yes, it happens. One of our local FTF hounds got tired of the FTF race. He still finds caches, but he doesn't get dozens of FTFs from one end of the bay to the other any longer. But you know what? There are still plenty of FTF hounds racing towards newly published caches, and getting an FTF still requires work or luck.

Our typical local FTF person is the same way. Once in awhile just doesn't have the desire or time to get out early to find the caches. But generally there's someone else right there on their heels if not a few people. You'd have to ask every single person who typically gets the caches as they are published to take a day off just so someone else could get a FTF. That's just silly.

Cache when you are able to cache. I wouldn't fathom asking any of the local people who get FTF's to stop caching as they are accustomed. Their free time and their ability and desire to get to caches as they are published is their thing. That's how they cache. I have more limits on my time and can't get out there when they do. It is what it is. I don't feel they should stop caching as they do just so I can get a FTF. I think that is just silly.

If I wanted a FTF SO bad then I would make time and put in the effort to beat them out there. I don't want it that bad. So I don't. I'm not going to ask someone to stop how they generally cache just so I can get a meaningless title in the grand scheme of the game.

October 28, 2010

I couldn't afford a premium membership and would stumble on caches that hadn't been found before but just lacked the ambition to be the beta tester.

The person who is typically getting the first to find in your area is like the one in this area. Someone with the time, ambition and a premium membership. End of story. The person in my area who does it zips out anytime there is a new cache because they have basically cleaned out the area of caches so a new one, I would imagine, is entertaining to them. I wouldn't fathom of asking the person in my area to cache differently because I want a first to find instead of them. I've been second and third to find on plenty of caches and honest to goodness aside from a name or two on the log I see no difference. I go out for the cache.

If you're not going out for the cache and you feel this passionate about FTF then you will have to be as competitive as the other first to find hound in the area. It's as simple as that. They shouldn't have to adjust how they play for you. If it's that important to you you need to make it a priority in your life. You need to get the membership. And you need to be able to drop everything and go look for it.

Although I agree with much of this, I disagree with the premium membership requirement. We found our first several FTFs without a premium membership. When we did get the membership, email notifications were sometimes significantly delayed and unreliable. We didn't have our Blackberrys at the time so still needed access to our computer. We maintained a 10% FTF find ratio by simply checking the computer often (usually late at night and first thing in the morning), and being willing to drop everything and go for them.

1.4k · October 29, 2010

I just happened to see this topic and even though I'm not too concerned with ftf's, we do have a ftf hound in our area. My only complaint is that it's boring to see the same person get all the ftf's. I'd love to see a variety of cachers get one here and there. I've even joked about it to him but it went over his head!

Probably it didn't go over his head, since he is a FTF Hound he didn't see the humor in it, nor would I.

Scubasonic

October 29, 2010

That's what the FTF game is all about. If you don't want to play it, then don't. It's really that simple.

2.3k · October 29, 2010

I couldn't afford a premium membership and would stumble on caches that hadn't been found before but just lacked the ambition to be the beta tester.

The person who is typically getting the first to find in your area is like the one in this area. Someone with the time, ambition and a premium membership. End of story. The person in my area who does it zips out anytime there is a new cache because they have basically cleaned out the area of caches so a new one, I would imagine, is entertaining to them. I wouldn't fathom of asking the person in my area to cache differently because I want a first to find instead of them. I've been second and third to find on plenty of caches and honest to goodness aside from a name or two on the log I see no difference. I go out for the cache.

If you're not going out for the cache and you feel this passionate about FTF then you will have to be as competitive as the other first to find hound in the area. It's as simple as that. They shouldn't have to adjust how they play for you. If it's that important to you you need to make it a priority in your life. You need to get the membership. And you need to be able to drop everything and go look for it.

Although I agree with much of this, I disagree with the premium membership requirement. We found our first several FTFs without a premium membership. When we did get the membership, email notifications were sometimes significantly delayed and unreliable. We didn't have our Blackberrys at the time so still needed access to our computer. We maintained a 10% FTF find ratio by simply checking the computer often (usually late at night and first thing in the morning), and being willing to drop everything and go for them.

The argument earlier was that the FTF racer had an unfair advantage due to notifications they got due to their premium membership.

So let me reword it. If one feels that the person who gets notifications then one needs to sign up for premium and get your notifications.

October 29, 2010

Its not a matter of holding back but rather being considerate of fellow cachers.

But what is the difference? If you can't beat the champ you can't be the champ.

This +1

5.7k · October 29, 2010

I don't always try for FTF, but now and again we've been lucky enough to get there first, sometimes just ahead of the next finders. We'd been caching for months before we ever got one, and yes, I did get up at 5 AM to go get it. (Which turned out to be completely unnecessary; it was out in the country a little, and the next finder didn't even show up for three days.)

My favorites have been the FTFs far away from home. We once took a road trip across Germany to Poland, because even though Berlin is pretty close to the Polish border (relativelly speaking), no one had gone for three new caches for a week or so. After that, we were always pleased to get a jump on local cachers -- one in a city park in Florence; one outside a small town in the Maltese countryside; one high up the side of a Swiss valley; and one in a lava cave just outside of Reykjavik.

When we got to our current home town, I didn't think we'd ever get any, because it seems we're the only FTF hunters that don't have a smart phone and so can't get online notification unless we just happen to check email within an hour or so. But sometimes you just get lucky.

A whole string of them came out this past Tuesday afternoon for our area, almost twenty new caches. Eight of them were in the same area, and for whatever reason, no one went looking for them that day. When I woke up, they still hadn't been logged, so I went for it and got six of the eight. Now that my FTF addiction was definitely satisfied, it may be months before we even try to get FTF again.

1.4k · October 29, 2010

I don't always try for FTF, but now and again we've been lucky enough to get there first, sometimes just ahead of the next finders. We'd been caching for months before we ever got one, and yes, I did get up at 5 AM to go get it. (Which turned out to be completely unnecessary; it was out in the country a little, and the next finder didn't even show up for three days.)

My favorites have been the FTFs far away from home. We once took a road trip across Germany to Poland, because even though Berlin is pretty close to the Polish border (relativelly speaking), no one had gone for three new caches for a week or so. After that, we were always pleased to get a jump on local cachers -- one in a city park in Florence; one outside a small town in the Maltese countryside; one high up the side of a Swiss valley; and one in a lava cave just outside of Reykjavik.

When we got to our current home town, I didn't think we'd ever get any, because it seems we're the only FTF hunters that don't have a smart phone and so can't get online notification unless we just happen to check email within an hour or so. But sometimes you just get lucky.

A whole string of them came out this past Tuesday afternoon for our area, almost twenty new caches. Eight of them were in the same area, and for whatever reason, no one went looking for them that day. When I woke up, they still hadn't been logged, so I went for it and got six of the eight. Now that my FTF addiction was definitely satisfied, it may be months before we even try to get FTF again.

Good job on your FTFs they are fun aren't they.

Scubasonic

October 30, 2010

I'm about a month late in replying to this topic, but just wanted to mention a clever series of caches here in northern Virginia, designed to give more cachers a fair chance at being a FTF. The series is titled YOGOFTF, that is "You only get one First to Find". The first in his series is GC1K29P. See it here: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...32-cfdf7b54f534

(I just saw there is another similarly named series in West Virginia as well.)

The CO has it set up so you can only claim a FTF on one of the caches in his series. I think it works well and he's placed quite a few of them; most are easy cache and dash type hides.

October 30, 2010

I'm about a month late in replying to this topic, but just wanted to mention a clever series of caches here in northern Virginia, designed to give more cachers a fair chance at being a FTF. The series is titled YOGOFTF, that is "You only get one First to Find". The first in his series is GC1K29P. See it here: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...32-cfdf7b54f534

(I just saw there is another similarly named series in West Virginia as well.)

The CO has it set up so you can only claim a FTF on one of the caches in his series. I think it works well and he's placed quite a few of them; most are easy cache and dash type hides.

I'm wondering what 'other obligations' means. Seems to imply those who get FTF don't have any obligations and can devote whatever time they like to caching. I wish

This series seems to take the idea of 'stepping back and letting someone else get FTF first' to the next level. If someone doesn't step back then they are named and 'shamed' and 'cursed' (?).

October 31, 2010

In our case, we can't afford a premium membership, therefore don't receive notifications of new caches. Those who do have a distinct advantage over us. Is it unfair? Not at all, but disappointing all the same.

Am I not right in thinking you can buy PM on a quarterly basis?

Then cancel it just before your 2nd payment is due?

So for $10 (£5) you can give yourself a 3 month shot at getting a FTF in the same way everyone else does.

I think it works like that.

If something 'meant the world' to me, I think that I would forego one day's caching and put the petrol (gas) money towards 3 months worth of membership.

If even that sum is beyond your means then you might have to accept that there are some things in life we can't have because we can't afford it.

Owning an Aston Martin DB9 would mean the world to me, but at the grand old age of 46 I just have to accept that it aint never going to happen, and it's no good me asking others who do own one to let me have theirs for a weekend.

(But if anyone does have one they would be prepared to lend me .... ? )

Well said.

Really, paying for a premium membership is not necessary if one wants a shot at a FTF. I don't get 'notified' of new caches, and I've 220+ FTFs in 7 years of caching (1770 finds). Several of those FTFs were found hundreds of miles away by the simple expedient of searching the state pages of states I knew I'd be traveling through on vacation.

I now use a pocket query to see which caches have most recently published, but any member can get the same information without paying for a premium membership. On EVERY page at Geocaching.com, there is a left-hand frame with the Groundpseak logo and some links. The second link down from the logo reads "Hide & Seek A Cache". From that page, you simply click on the box that reads 'By State/Province' and then enter your state. The results that show up are listed by date placed. If they haven't been found, then the 'Last Found' column will be blank. You can check this page as often as you want without spending a dime.

Yes, that method takes several minutes more than clicking 'Preview this query', but it does give the information needed to run out the door and grab a FTF.

In other news: A cacher with 7 finds under his (and his wife's) belt logged, as their 8th find, the FTF on my most recent puzzle cache yesterday, the 5th day they had an active account with Groundspeak. The cache was placed in MAY. Now that he's got the 5/1 combo out of the way, the rest of the Fizzy matrix should be easy, right?

1.4k · October 31, 2010

In our case, we can't afford a premium membership, therefore don't receive notifications of new caches. Those who do have a distinct advantage over us. Is it unfair? Not at all, but disappointing all the same.

Am I not right in thinking you can buy PM on a quarterly basis?

Then cancel it just before your 2nd payment is due?

So for $10 (£5) you can give yourself a 3 month shot at getting a FTF in the same way everyone else does.

I think it works like that.

If something 'meant the world' to me, I think that I would forego one day's caching and put the petrol (gas) money towards 3 months worth of membership.

If even that sum is beyond your means then you might have to accept that there are some things in life we can't have because we can't afford it.

Owning an Aston Martin DB9 would mean the world to me, but at the grand old age of 46 I just have to accept that it aint never going to happen, and it's no good me asking others who do own one to let me have theirs for a weekend.

(But if anyone does have one they would be prepared to lend me .... ? )

Well said.

Really, paying for a premium membership is not necessary if one wants a shot at a FTF. I don't get 'notified' of new caches, and I've 220+ FTFs in 7 years of caching (1770 finds). Several of those FTFs were found hundreds of miles away by the simple expedient of searching the state pages of states I knew I'd be traveling through on vacation.

I now use a pocket query to see which caches have most recently published, but any member can get the same information without paying for a premium membership. On EVERY page at Geocaching.com, there is a left-hand frame with the Groundpseak logo and some links. The second link down from the logo reads "Hide & Seek A Cache". From that page, you simply click on the box that reads 'By State/Province' and then enter your state. The results that show up are listed by date placed. If they haven't been found, then the 'Last Found' column will be blank. You can check this page as often as you want without spending a dime.

Yes, that method takes several minutes more than clicking 'Preview this query', but it does give the information needed to run out the door and grab a FTF.

In other news: A cacher with 7 finds under his (and his wife's) belt logged, as their 8th find, the FTF on my most recent puzzle cache yesterday, the 5th day they had an active account with Groundspeak. The cache was placed in MAY. Now that he's got the 5/1 combo out of the way, the rest of the Fizzy matrix should be easy, right?

Well all that is true but in an area where there are many FTFers waiting by their smart-phones you have to improvise and overcome 7 years 220 FTFs is not bad for you. But with my PM I have 1180+ FTFs and 7100+ finds in just over 2 years big difference IMO.

Scubasonic

Edited October 31, 2010 by Scubasonic

October 31, 2010

Come on, someone must have a DB9 they're not using

I can pay in FTFs. I have 34 to trade

5.3k · October 31, 2010

What are people's opinion on this?

The people that wake up at ungodly hours just to clean house on FTF's, whole parks, strings, etc. It would be cool if it was one or two and left some for others. After all aren't we here to make it fun, help each other out, enjoy each others company?

My other thought is what about the families that want to bring their kids out for FTF's? I don't think the kid is going to wake up at 3am, so the people that plow through FTF's leave nothing for these families.

Lets not bring political correctness to geocaching.

I was a FTF hound several years ago before the creation of smart phones. To get a FTF many cachers these days have to be ready to leave the comforts of home 24/7/365. It also may require a smart phone.

I went out many times all hours of the day and in any type of weather in order to get a FTF. That is just what it takes. I have had cops ask me why I was crawling around in the mud at 2AM in a rain storm. This is the dedication ir take to be a serious FTF searcher.

Having FTF hounds stand aside so that others may get a FTF is would be like expecting the Texas Rangers to allow the San Francisco to win the world series. It would mean nothing.

You must also realize that going for a FTF may also mean you may have the first DNF. Then later you find out that the coordinates for the cache were off by over 200 feet because the hider entered them incorrectly.

October 31, 2010

Raffling off FTFs has become the thing to do at our events lately. We always have free prizes at our events and I won an FTF. Basically I got the coordinates to a cache fifteen minutes before it was released to everyone else at the event and before it was posted. There was a nice FTF prize waiting for me in the cache, providing I found it- which I did.

October 31, 2010

I am going to wade in on the FTF fray. The initiator of this thread must not have been picked first for kickball either, come to think of it neither was I. I am not going to hold back for anyone for a FTF, well may be as one cacher mentioned about the child and mother cachers. If you want a FTF, you just gotta put on your big kid underoos and go after'em. Some body has to be first, staying in bed, lounging about the house or heaven forbid one would have to work for a living and stop them from caching ain't gonna get you a FTF. Nearby my home are some guys in the Fayetteville, NC area that are rabid about FTF. It is hilarious to hear of their exploits to get that FTF. IT IS EVEN more HILARIOUS for me to get to one in the not often chance one has to beat one of them on caches nearer to my home. I just laugh and laugh when I see one of their monikers on a log even if it is on a cache 40 miles away from them and nearly at my back door. In another instance, I disticntly remember leaving home one morning to get a FTF on a cache 20 miles from my home (all caches in my area are mine or ones I have already found). I arrived on scene, no one around, am I first to get there, looked about for likely targets as my handheld locked on to satellites. I looked at the machine, followed the arrow to GZ, looked hard for a cache, meantime a gentleman pulled up (who will remain nameless but he has over 25,000 cache finds), he walks right to it and claims a FTF right under my nose. All I could do was laugh, it was AWESOMELY funny, his game was on, mine was not. I bow to his prowese as CACHER SUPREME. It happens, get over it, CACHE HARD if you want a FTF, this is a no whine zone. It is a FUNTIME ZONE, CACHE HARD & have FUN with the game. There is a line in the movie. The Rock, with Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery just before the bad guys capture Sean Connery's character and Nicholas Cage's character is told to accomplish a task. His reply is he will try. Mr Connery's character tells him about about the winner getting the prom queen and the loser not getting the prom queen. It is apropo to life, sometimes you are the bat other times you are the ball, if you get lemons make lemonade. Lighten up and have fun with caching dude. :antenna:

3.9k · November 1, 2010

Raffling off FTFs has become the thing to do at our events lately. We always have free prizes at our events and I won an FTF. Basically I got the coordinates to a cache fifteen minutes before it was released to everyone else at the event and before it was posted. There was a nice FTF prize waiting for me in the cache, providing I found it- which I did.

You were definitely the First To Find, no doubt about it. But there was no competition to get it, so in the eyes of the people that normally compete for these you ran a one person race and "won".

I personally have no objection to you (or anyone else in similar situations) including this in your list of FTFs. I'd disagree with anyone that says you're not the FTF, and I'd disagree because you found it first. I'm just expecting that a lot of people will think that this shouldn't count for you, and that the next person that found it after it was listed online should "claim FTF", whatever that means.

10.2k · November 1, 2010

Raffling off FTFs has become the thing to do at our events lately. We always have free prizes at our events and I won an FTF. Basically I got the coordinates to a cache fifteen minutes before it was released to everyone else at the event and before it was posted. There was a nice FTF prize waiting for me in the cache, providing I found it- which I did.

You were definitely the First To Find, no doubt about it. But there was no competition to get it, so in the eyes of the people that normally compete for these you ran a one person race and "won".

I personally have no objection to you (or anyone else in similar situations) including this in your list of FTFs. I'd disagree with anyone that says you're not the FTF, and I'd disagree because you found it first. I'm just expecting that a lot of people will think that this shouldn't count for you, and that the next person that found it after it was listed online should "claim FTF", whatever that means.

Psst. Hey Mushtang. There's a Private Property thread. :antenna:

Oh, on topic, I agree 100% with Mushtang. Not that we know the poster in this case of an FTF raffle keeps FTF statistics.

Edited November 1, 2010 by Mr.Yuck

3.9k · November 1, 2010

Psst. Hey Mushtang. There's a Private Property thread. .

Um... okay.

November 1, 2010

If you want to give people who don't want to get up at some ungodly hour a chance for a FTF you can request that the reviewer not publish a new cache that you hide until a certain time. They may or may not honor your request but probably would.

November 1, 2010

After I got my first few FTFs and could boast that I had some, being FTF wasn't as important to me. Of course when I got my first FTFs there were only two of us in the area geocaching and so we'd trade turns being FTF on each others caches.

Now there are more local geocachers (drat, no more waiting a few days to find the cache) the few times I go for FTFs it's only to frustrate the heck out of the local FTF hound by beating him to it. HeHe

1.4k · November 2, 2010

After I got my first few FTFs and could boast that I had some, being FTF wasn't as important to me.

I'm still waiting for that moment to hit me, sure hope it comes soon. :santa:

Scubasonic

November 2, 2010

Hey now, what is all this nonsense? I have a family and full-time job and am managing to find over 100 caches per month and have averaged just over 10 FTFs per month. Not bad for having only been geocaching for 3 months so far! And I actually have kids!

My secret? Get to 'em first! :santa: If I have to get out of bed at 2am to drive over an hour away I will do that! I have even called out of work to go after a milestone FTF; I wanted it that much because it belonged to a fellow geocacher I was friends with and knew it would make a great 400th find to also get FTF (it was a puzzle multi, btw). If you want something bad enough, you make the time. If you don't have the time, you simply don't want it bad enough and I'm going to beat you to it. And, yes, for the record, if there are 10 FTFs up for grabs in a park I will get as many of them as I can! It's not because I'm rude or inconsiderate, it's because they're available! Be there with me and I'm more than happy to share the FTF! :santa:

I know quite a few of the FTF Hounds in CT because we meet up all the time out in the wild. We know each other's cars and have each others numbers. We have a friendly competition between us and often will decide whether or not to go after an FTF based on what we know of each others work schedules and stomping grounds. It's great fun and if you get up earlier anyone could be out there with us having fun too! :santa:

I've worked hard for everything I have in my life, and while it may not be much, it's mine! I don't have a fancy car or a big house (or even a nice one!) or even a good GPSr (I only have a TomTom auto GPS!) but I make it all work and am happy! People can sit there whining about their next handout, but I'll be in the dark wet woods somewhere signing my next log, and probably being the first to do so!

1.4k · November 2, 2010

Hey now, what is all this nonsense? I have a family and full-time job and am managing to find over 100 caches per month and have averaged just over 10 FTFs per month. Not bad for having only been geocaching for 3 months so far! And I actually have kids!

My secret? Get to 'em first! If I have to get out of bed at 2am to drive over an hour away I will do that! I have even called out of work to go after a milestone FTF; I wanted it that much because it belonged to a fellow geocacher I was friends with and knew it would make a great 400th find to also get FTF (it was a puzzle multi, btw). If you want something bad enough, you make the time. If you don't have the time, you simply don't want it bad enough and I'm going to beat you to it. And, yes, for the record, if there are 10 FTFs up for grabs in a park I will get as many of them as I can! It's not because I'm rude or inconsiderate, it's because they're available! Be there with me and I'm more than happy to share the FTF!

I know quite a few of the FTF Hounds in CT because we meet up all the time out in the wild. We know each other's cars and have each others numbers. We have a friendly competition between us and often will decide whether or not to go after an FTF based on what we know of each others work schedules and stomping grounds. It's great fun and if you get up earlier anyone could be out there with us having fun too!

I've worked hard for everything I have in my life, and while it may not be much, it's mine! I don't have a fancy car or a big house (or even a nice one!) or even a good GPSr (I only have a TomTom auto GPS!) but I make it all work and am happy! People can sit there whining about their next handout, but I'll be in the dark wet woods somewhere signing my next log, and probably being the first to do so!

Yep pretty much what he said

SS

3.8k · November 2, 2010

First To Finds and smartphones?? I have nearly 140 FTFs in 5 years of caching. I only got my Droid two months ago. Go figure. FTF's are the result of drive, determination and willingness to be flexible. Perhaps smartphones might help but I didn't need no stinking smartphone.

November 2, 2010

I snagged a couple a while ago without trying at all. Easy as pie when the stars align. Flew to Sao Paulo Brazil, drove 5 hours into the jungle, bam. :santa:

FTF Hourders

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Join the conversation