Would You Rather?

[+BaylorGrad]

Lately, I have been REALLY enjoying Geocaching--the temperatures are in the mid-60s most days, and when it's not raining, the weather is perfect for caching. But these days are coming to an end soon, when I will travel to the Dallas / Fort Worth area for an internship that will last the entire summer (mid-May until mid-August).

 

So naturally, I'm preparing myself for either caching in 100°F weather or caching at Midnight (when it will still be over 85°F). Most mornings I can't count on anything cooler than 80°F. I cached in Houston last summer in these conditions, and even as a native Houstonian, it was miserable.

 

So here's my question (which I will answer below)--Would you rather cache in 0°F-20°F or in 90°F-110°F?

 

Here's my answer, including pros and cons:

 

0°F-20°F:

+ Foliage in the woods is usually quite minimal--easier to find caches.

+ Very few muggles.

+ Potential for beautiful snowy scenery.

- Caches that are frozen shut.

- Too much snow is a distinct possibility.

- Having to bundle up and trying to use a GPS while wearing gloves.

- Two words: Frozen snot. (Being born and raised in Texas, this was a VERY new and interesting experience for me this winter in Indiana.)

- Oh, right--IT'S COLD.

 

90°F-110°F:

+ Very few muggles.

+ Potential for night-caching.

+ Caching before jumping into a pool can be a very nice experience.

- It's HOT.

- That face you make when sweat drips into your eye.

- Sweat.

- Bugs and other critters. Mosquitoes. Ticks. Flies. Gnats. Snakes. Etc.

- Bug spray and sunscreen.

- It's REALLY, REALLY HOT.

 

So with that said, I greatly prefer caching in cold temperatures rather than warm temps. I find it both easier and more enjoyable. In fact, I would even argue that here in Indiana, the terrain rating can be reduced by .5 to 1 star during the winter, especially in the woods.

 

Also, what's the coldest and warmest temperatures you've cached in? I think my coldest is 16-18°F and my warmest is 98-101°F.

 

BaylorGrad

[+NicknPapa]

90-110° hands down. 110 is a bit uncomfortable but when I get cold I'm just miserable and it's hard to have fun that way.

[+Chokecherry]

I would go with like 40-60 being my favorite to cache in with no rain in the spring and fall with less foliage.

 

Although in the summer I don't mind 90 degrees too much most of the time as sometimes it's just nice to sweat it out. Though on one hot and humid full day caching I think I got a case of at least heat exhaustion but by the end of the day starting to ease into heat stroke territory. Full sun just was not a good idea.

[+StarBrand]

When its cold - I can always add another layer for warmth.

 

When its hot - there is only so many layers I can remove (and remain respectable).

 

Having said that - I have cached in 114F heat and -28F cold and most of the in between.

[+WRASTRO]

When its cold - I can always add another layer for warmth.

 

When its hot - there is only so many layers I can remove (and remain respectable).

 

Having said that - I have cached in 114F heat and -28F cold and most of the in between.

 

+1º

[+KoosKoos]

When its cold - I can always add another layer for warmth.

 

When its hot - there is only so many layers I can remove (and remain respectable).

 

Having said that - I have cached in 114F heat and -28F cold and most of the in between.

 

Yes, but when it's hot, I can hop in the pool instead of waiting for my extremities to thaw out.

 

My range is probably 30F (in a snowstorm) to 105F.

[+power69]

I prefer 95 to 115. I won't even go out if its under 70[unless its close and ftf is still open]

[+briansnat]

Last I looked December was the month I found the most caches, by far. August was the month I found the fewest. I guess there is your answer.

[+Isonzo Karst]

The range for me, when not traveling, is closer to low 50s to low 90s.

 

Based on my finder per month stats, apparently I don't care ;-)

I'm somewhat surprised to see that May (a hot month, but generally moderate humidity) is my month with the most finds. I wonder if that is because I'm trying to get stuff found before the summer wet makes so many hides much tougher? I know that by September, I'm sick of the humidity.

[+BaylorGrad]

Seems like we all have VERY different opinions on this--how very interesting... I should add that living in Indiana for 8 months (graduate school) changed my mind. A year ago, I probably would've sided with the "warm" folks.

[+uxorious]

That would be a tough one for me. I guess I would prefer the cold.

 

However, living here in the Puget Sound region, we rarely see the temperature drop below 30, and summer temperatures are rarely in the 90s. The question around here is more like, would you rather cache when it is raining, or when it is just cloudy and threatening to rain.

[+Team Dennis]

I would rather go (and have gone) caching when it is -20 out. I think I was built for the cold and my body deals with it better than most. On the flip side, my body does not handle the heat very well. You won't see me doing a whole lot outside when it's above 95 unless it involves swimming in a pool or river.

[AZcachemeister]

Once it gets above 85-90° the real question is the humidity.

 

100° and 10% humidity is one thing, but 100° and 50/60/70% humidity is a whole 'nother thing.

 

As an Arizonan, I have cached in 110°+ temperatures, with low humidity...no problem.

When visiting 'back east' last summer, even 85° (with 50% humidity) was really obnoxious and oppressive.

[mtbikernate]

after being raised in Indiana and currently in TX for grad school, I really have to say I agree with the folks who prefer cooler temps. My favorite is certainly in the 50-70 range, but I would much rather be out when it's sub-freezing than when it's half-boiling.

 

I did a little caching on my winter break this year - hit AR, MO, IN, MI, KY, and TN, and some of those temps were well within the 0-20 range. Cold, but with appropriate gear, comfortable.

[+Chokecherry]

after being raised in Indiana and currently in TX for grad school, I really have to say I agree with the folks who prefer cooler temps. My favorite is certainly in the 50-70 range, but I would much rather be out when it's sub-freezing than when it's half-boiling.

 

I did a little caching on my winter break this year - hit AR, MO, IN, MI, KY, and TN, and some of those temps were well within the 0-20 range. Cold, but with appropriate gear, comfortable.

 

I think my biggest issue with the sub-freezing range of temps for caching is that I get all sweaty when caching which is fine and makes me comfortable then but then the chill I get afterwards even with a hot shower I can't deal with.

[+A & J Tooling]

Cold and wind chill minus 60 degrees? No thanks. I've experienced frost bite and heat exhaustion. I'll take heat any day.

[+dakboy]

0-20. No bugs, no PI worries, no humidity, no muggles. And as already noted, I can always add more layers.

 

What about the cold weather precludes night caching?

Edited May 1, 2011 by dakboy

[+Running Crazy]

I like there to be a chill in the air. Especially when after those that require a bit of a hike. Coldest = Zero with the wind chill. Hottest = 115 when in FLA last summer.

[mtbikernate]

after being raised in Indiana and currently in TX for grad school, I really have to say I agree with the folks who prefer cooler temps. My favorite is certainly in the 50-70 range, but I would much rather be out when it's sub-freezing than when it's half-boiling.

 

I did a little caching on my winter break this year - hit AR, MO, IN, MI, KY, and TN, and some of those temps were well within the 0-20 range. Cold, but with appropriate gear, comfortable.

 

I think my biggest issue with the sub-freezing range of temps for caching is that I get all sweaty when caching which is fine and makes me comfortable then but then the chill I get afterwards even with a hot shower I can't deal with.

 

If you're sweating in sub-freezing temps, you just need to adjust your layers. I agree that sweating when it's cold out sucks. But an appropriate layer selection will prevent that problem.

[+Team Dromomania]

It's never been really cold when I cached - perhaps down in the high 20's. Last year it was a 110 degrees on one of my hikes while caching. If I'm on a trail I really don't care too much about what the weather is about. But if I'm in a city then I tend to more of a fair weather cacher.

[+likelyladybug]

I'm fortunate enough to live in New England where the weather varies greatly. We do the deep woods caches in the winter when there are no bugs, poison ivy or people. This year we even got to break out the snow shoes! In the summer we do ocean side caches where there is always a breeze to keep you cool.

[+dakboy]

This year we even got to break out the snow shoes!

After post-holing 500 feet (each way) for a DNF this past winter, snowshoes are on my Christmas list this year.

[sabrefan7]

As long as its not windy Id take the 0-20 degree day any time. Any thing over 80-85 is to hot. Its what your used to or were you live. It has snowed on Mothers Day were I live

[+TerraViators]

I'd take the cold. Being a Texan, we know how misearable it is in summer with the humidity.

[+Borst68]

I dehydrate too quickly at 100 F. I'll take the 0-20 F, sans the mosquitoes...

[GOF and Bacall]

Can I have sunny and 70 and leave it at that?

[+roziecakes]

I like basically any temperature; I'm easy! The thing that really gets me about caching in the summer though is mosquitoes. I HATE mosquitoes.

[GOF and Bacall]

I have the good fortune that mosquitoes seem to hate me. I'm not saying I don't get bit. But if you and I are standing next to each other and I get 10 bites, odds are you are almost completely drained of blood. Trust me though. I have enough other problems to make up for it.

[+dakboy]

I dehydrate too quickly at 100 F. I'll take the 0-20 F, sans the mosquitoes...

You can get just as dehydrated in the winter as you can in the heat - you just don't realize it because you aren't sweating it out. The cold, dry air sucks the water right out of your body.

[+rockhoundbmw]

I'll take 90-110F because it does get that hot where I live, but it is a dry heat with no bugs! I can always do some cache and dashes and jump back into an air conditioned car after each find if I wanted too. I also lived in PA for a year and tried caching in below-freezing temps and didn't like it. Spring couldn't have come faster! I have also found a cache across the street from my hotel in Arkansas at 10pm in August when it was still 80F and 80% humidity- that was suffocating to me, but I had to get a new state on my map!

[+medwardl]

In my area 65-70 is perfect once it gets hotter the humidity is unbearable. Unfortunately it wont be long until it gets really hot and humid here.

[+GeoGeeBee]

I grew up in Louisiana. We would get the occasional 90 degree day with 90% humidity -- in February! (We'd also get the occasional 14 degree night in February.)

 

When I was in my teens, I saw an article in National Geographic about an island off Irish coast. The location was so far north that it never got really hot; but it was also a small island, in the middle of the Gulf Stream, so it never got really cold, either. If I remember correctly, the article claimed that the temperature never got below 40 and never got above 65.

 

I wanted to move there, but my parents said no.

[+bflentje]

When its cold - I can always add another layer for warmth.

 

When its hot - there is only so many layers I can remove (and remain respectable).

 

Having said that - I have cached in 114F heat and -28F cold and most of the in between.

 

Remain respectable?

[+Ike 13]

Well it doesn't get 0-20 here often so that's out for me. Down here we'll be seeing temps in the 90s and almost every day has a 100% humidity

 

I prefer cold to hot.

*You can always put on more layers (down here you really only need a coat)

* No bugs, snakes, ticks, mosquitoes, spiders, etc

* less foliage makes it easier to spot caches in trees

 

The only advantage to the summer is longer days in which to cache and I'm off of work since I'm a teacher.

 

If I could set the weather all year round I like the 50-80 range.

[Night_Hiker]

I agree both have pro's and con's. I really don't care how cold it is, but rain or snow put a damper on trips. I prefer the cold just because of the lack of plant life. I rather the warm just for the comfort. I think what frustrates me the most are the leaves on the ground. I always assume the cache is under them if I'm not able to find it, bad habbit but i hate digging through them haha. I'm at a stand still tho you can see so much more when the trees and plants havnt got their leaves yet, however the feel of a hike on a warm summer day is hard to match. So I call a tie 50/50 ...1 to 1 ... mono e mono

[Night_Hiker]

I grew up in Louisiana. We would get the occasional 90 degree day with 90% humidity -- in February! (We'd also get the occasional 14 degree night in February.)

 

When I was in my teens, I saw an article in National Geographic about an island off Irish coast. The location was so far north that it never got really hot; but it was also a small island, in the middle of the Gulf Stream, so it never got really cold, either. If I remember correctly, the article claimed that the temperature never got below 40 and never got above 65.

 

I wanted to move there, but my parents said no.

 

Louisiana would be nice if the mosquito's and ants don't kill you

[+Crow-T-Robot]

I love caching in the cold but I could go the rest of my life without caching in the snow. I also love breezy, sunny summer days but could go without mosquitoes and spiders in the warm months. Walking through the woods at night and getting a faceful of spiderweb gets tiring after awhile .

[+DonB]

When its cold - I can always add another layer for warmth.

 

When its hot - there is only so many layers I can remove (and remain respectable).

 

Having said that - I have cached in 114F heat and -28F cold and most of the in between.

+1

[+GrateBear]

My only preference is that caches in the woods must be looked for in cold weather. No leaves, no weeds, no bugs, no problem. Other than that, any temperature is fine with me.

[+WRASTRO]

My only preference is that caches in the woods must be looked for in cold weather. No leaves, no weeds, no bugs, no problem. Other than that, any temperature is fine with me.

But I really enjoy caching in Hawaii.

 

There are always leaves and bugs. And frequently stickers. But it is almost always warm.