New to geocaching! Excited, but bummed...

[soapdude]

Hello, I just recently started geocaching and I figured I could use the GPS feature on my phone to find the caches. So I first wanted to get all the ones near me. I wen't to the closest one by putting the coordinates into my phone and went to the spot. However, it took forever to find the cache. Probably because I wasn't looking in the obvious places. I found it in a man made rock structure under a tree which gave me the idea that these are the kind of places to look for. So I went to the next one near me, and I cannot find it for the life of me. So I tried two other ones. I've looked for almost an hour on each. Is there something I am missing like usual places to look. Any help will do. Thanks in advance.

[g_o_caching]

Read the cache description and what everyone had to say that found it, or didn't find it in the log comments. There can be subtle hints in the logs. What kind of cache container is it? Magnetic, bison tube, micro or nano (same thing), small, mystery, or multi stage? Remember that magnetic ones do not have to be hidden on metal objects everytime. You may need a tool of the trade (TOTT) to retrieve it or even see it. Expand your search area, their coordinates and your coordinates may vary by 15 to 30 feet. That creates a 30 to 60 foot circle that cache may be in. Think like the person that hid it, where could you place it to be: 1. out of sight, 2. protected from weather, 3. not likely to be displaced by outside forces, 4. not mistaken for trash and picked up. You should break yourself in on 1 and 2 star difficulty ratings and avoid micros/nanos until you find more of the smalls and larger types. Go to google and do a search of "cache containers", you will see what can be used, and realize you may have ignored that branch that has a hole in the center, or the bottle cap with a container glued in that is stuck in the ground. Every nook and cranny that can hold a container the size of the cache you are searching for should be checked, lift the metal skirt that is on bottom of light posts, a branch with a seam in it can be opened, a pine cone that is hollow, is that a blank electrical cover plate or a magnetic fake, magnets that look like bolts, etc etc

Edited November 12, 2010 by g_o_caching

[+niraD]

A common recommendation for beginners is to stick with small size, regular size, and large size caches. Until you're more experienced, avoid micro size caches, some of which are smaller than most beginners can imagine (sometimes called "nanos"). Save those for later, after you have some experience.

 

Also, stick with caches that have a difficulty rating of no more than 2 stars . Save the more difficult ones for later. You may also want to choose caches with easy terrain ratings. (The difficulty rating tells you how hard it is to find the cache once you get there. The terrain rating tells you how hard it is to get there.)

 

Under ideal conditions, a consumer GPSr will be accurate to about 3m (10'). That applies both to your GPSr, and to the GPSr of the cache owner, so you may find the container 15-20' from ground zero under ideal conditions. Under less than ideal conditions, both GPSr readings can be much less accurate.

 

It might help to look at some of the cache containers available online. For example, check out the cache containers sold by Groundspeak.

 

Also, take a look at the Pictures - Cool Cache Containers (CCC's) thread in the forums.

[+Sol seaker]

I'm actually really impressed that for your first cache you found a 3 difficulty, and it was a puzzle cache.

You should be proud of yourself for that one.

 

As someone else recommended, you might try sticking to standard caches that are regular sized no more than a 2 difficulty for a while.

 

I did a search on cache containers on ebay early on, to learn about them. I found a lot that way.

 

Also reading the forums can be a help. I learned about light post hides that way. I don't think I ever would have thought to look under the skirt of a lightpost. I never even realized that you could lift them up.

 

If you go into a natural situation, look for light trails that geocachers may have created. Piles of sticks and rocks are often giveaways.

 

If you go to events in your area you might find cachers to cache with. I didn't find any of at least the first ten myself. If I didn't have someone to cache with to start (who knew the game already) I don't think I would have taken this game up at all.

 

But there are some who persevere to start, and end up learning the game on their own.

 

Another hint is that phones make lousy GPS's. I've cached with people using them and they are regularly 20-50+++ feet off.

 

I know someone who tried to hide some caches using them and ended up 100 feet off on some of her hides.

 

You can find GPS's cheaper and cheaper all the time. Check out the forums for recommendations.

 

ebay has good deals on new ones. Used is not a good idea because the technology changes so fast you can end up no better off than with your phone.

[+pnwxbcat]

I've had some problems using my phone (tmobile dash 3g) - for some reason, it's always off on the cache locations. I ended up not bothering with the gps feature, putting in the coordinates into google maps on my phone, then comparing satellite images with the images on geocaching.com to triangulate a correct location, then saving that location into my favorites. It's a pain, but it works pretty good.

[+DeathCrow]

Hi Soapdude, welcome to geocaching! Sorry you're having a bit of a problem. The above advice is spot on. Begin by searching for easier caches, then work back to the more difficult ones. One thing I might add, is that if you are serious about getting into geocaching, I recommend getting a real GPS. They are alot more accurate than phone GPS. You may be actually further away from GZ than you realize by using your phone. Don't give up and email me if you have any questions!

[+Simon Mates]

Welcome to the game. As one of those "Lone Wolf" beginners, I still experience some of the same feelings you're having. Although I've been at it for more than a year, I still get humbled quite frequently. Humbled means beginning the search with hopes of finding and ending the search with only experience. If you feel driven by the numbers, you're going to miss out on the satisfaction of just finding where someone else hid it. There are several caches that eluded me more than once and some I may never lay eyes on. You won't win every time unless you re-define winning as finding pleasure in the pursuit. Welcome to the game.

[hoosier guy]

Just keep plugging at it my friend. It takes a bit to learn how to look and you will pick that up through experience. Happy caching.

[+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!!