Not a newbie, but want my FTF

[+Broshaw]

I wouldn't consider myself a newbie. I have been playing for a couple of months now. Just last night, I recorded my 100th cache. I'm only a few caches away from not having any left in my area.

 

My question is... Is there a way to get email or text messages when new caches are listed so I can get my first FTF?

 

I have been looking all through forums this morning and haven't read anything.

 

thanks.

 

Broshaw

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Notifications is what you need.

 

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

Scroll down on your account page and look under "Premium Features".

 

Select the "Publish" notification. You also should set up a "Retract" notification.

[g_o_caching]

I found this after a few clicks here and there in the Knowledge Book. You may want to check if you have this enabled.

 

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=184

[+IBcrashen]

try this page

 

You have to set it up for each kind of cache. And if you want sent to your phone also/instead, create another one and in the "send to" box put in your phone number. exapmle: ##########@mms.att.net

Here is a list

[+kunarion]

Is there a way to get email or text messages when new caches are listed so I can get my first FTF?

In addition to having notifications, keep an eye on the local cache listings, for new caches that pop up. I've been FTF on a couple of caches that somehow didn't have email notifications, and when I eventually arrived, nobody had yet found.

[cmaille]

I know your pain. We live in the same area, and getting a FTF is a challenge to say the least! There are a couple of folks in our area who are really good at getting most of the FTF's that come out. I snagged a couple, but that was because I was either up really late the night it was published and got it soon after it came out, or for one, I was up early for work and got it on the way. One was about ten minutes after it published and we missed getting one by about the same amount of time!)

 

I'm pretty positive that most of them have a premium membership and are getting text alerts or emails telling them a new cache has been published. I can't work a premium membership into the budget at this time, so I have to rely on chance that I'll see one when I'm browsing the search. I've also done almost all of the ones in and around town, (with the exception of a few mystery and puzzle caches. I cache with my young son most times and he's not into those kind yet.) and it's getting to the point that I have to plan a day for caching outside of the area.

 

I have several containers ready to hide, just looking for a good spot to place them. I don't want to just pick a spot so that I can place one, but rather would have a nice or interesting place to bring folks instead. That's why my collection of cache containers continue to grow I think. lol.

 

Just as an FYI to ya, I'm waiting to find the free time I can stop at the Div. of Forestry office to speak with the manager and get the permits to hide a few in two of the state parks/forests close to us. (Finally found the new revisions on caching the ODNR have, and getting a permit for each hide is one of them.) So, There should be a couple of opportunities for you to get your FTF in the coming month or two.

 

If you ever would like some company on a caching run, please drop me a line sometime! Other than the CITO event last Sept. and meeting a couple of cachers out and about, (the first being Pentrus, and that was over a FTF we both thought we got.) it's been me and my son mainly, and his uncle a couple of times went with us. Would love an opportunity to meet someone new and do some caching!

 

Be patient and keep in good spirits! It will come eventually. The stars and planets will align and it will all just fall into place.

[+popokiiti]

I've seen the text notifications arrive and the FTFers go into action at an event. I wish I had their energy! You'll get that FTF soon enough. Leave your email open and make sure it is set to check for new messages every 2-3 minutes. 10 minutes wasn't good enough, we found! If you can, have it play a sound when new mail arrives...don't forget to have the volume at a level you can hear.

Enjoy, and stay safe!

[+HHD]

I have my alerts go to my email on my phone. I also am a mobile cacher so it is quick easy to get out and grab a ftf. I have 4 atm. My first was at 9pm in a snow storm. sometimes you have to be willing to go out in less then optimal conditions. My 2nd ftf was at 8pm with negative windchill. But sometimes...sometimes you get lucky. I had planned a trip to a heavily populated cachers area and at 8am when I arrived there were 2 caches released. Ftf numbers 3 and 4. As the others said..just keep ready. Also...know your reviewers patterns. We have two here and one of them publishes as they come in so it could be any time. The other however, only publishes caches after 6pm. So I have two nights a week ready to hunt caches on his nights.

[+Tobias & Petronella]

One little secret that is not much of a secret... Go after every newly published cache you can.

 

Many times the first person or group that gets there can't find it, so they leave and an hour or two later (sometimes days later) another person or group looks for it and does find it. Three times now my wife and I have been the first (and only ones) to get to Ground Zero (GZ) right away and we search for over an hour each time without finding the cache. Then someone with a lot fewer finds arrives after we leave and is able to find the cache within a few minutes.

 

There have been a few times when nobody went for the FTF because all of the cachers in the area thought that another cacher would beat them to it, so everyone stayed home. Near a large city, a cache just sat there for over 4 hours when normally it's found within 20 minutes after it's listed. So before going to bed we went out to find the cache and got the FTF on it.

 

As others have said Notifications are a must-have if you want to chase after the FTFs. Know where your coat, GPSr and a pen is at all times. Be willing to leave your house in the middle of dinner or the middle of your favorite TV show or anything else. Regardless of the type of weather there is, day or night, there are cachers willing to chase after these silly little containers.

 

Everything has a cost of either time, money or discomfort. The question is how much are you willing to pay just to be first?

Edited January 22, 2011 by Tobias & Petronella

[+jaaake]

I would +1 on the just go for every new one you see pop-up. This morning I barely got my 1st FTF. We arrived after someone else, I jogged to catch up to the gentleman and asked if I could look first and he said he didn't care about the FTF. 5 minutes later and he would have already found it. Good luck hunting!

-jaaake