Create Zero Difficulty Rating?

June 3, 2011

I wondering if there is any call for SUPER EASY geocaches - - something that little girls and demented old men could find.

Case in point: I went on vacation to Paris, and loaded my GPS with 30 waypoints, making sure that at least 10 of them were large boxes with difficulty of less than 2. I found ZERO! I know that I'm inexperienced and don't have the best equipment, but to spend 10+ hours searching and come up empty has to be the epitome of painful frustration. AND I had a pocket full of travel bugs to place. Could it be my lack of skill is the only factor in this failure? Or perhaps the French are diabolically clever at hiding things? Anyway, for clueless folks like me, or people with grandchildren they want to teach the hobby to, I propose a difficulty of 0 (Zero) rating be added to Geocaching ranking for the easily confused portion of the population.

:huh:

What do you think?

Note: I WAS able to log a cache while there only because a simple Earth Cache made it possible.

8.6k · June 3, 2011

Two trains of thought regarding caching difficulty: Some believe (at least partially) that the idea is to require the cacher to "find" it; OTOH, some believe it should be provided on a silver platter for the cacher to (cough) "find".

Why you were unable to find French geocaches only you can answer, I am clueless (nuttin' new there). I doubt that they would have super resources for hiding better than those in the UK, US, Canada, Sweden, Germany, etc.

4.2k · June 3, 2011

i don't see how a "0 (Zero) rating" can be meaningful, "zero" is what it is "nothing"

that would be more appropriate for those that submit their caches before they actually put the container out there, at least will let everyone know not to try looking for it because its nothing there

a rating of "1" or "1.5" should be easy ones

8.6k · June 3, 2011

On your log for the EC I spy a pic of a little yellow Etrex...

When you arrived in France, I just wonder whether you gave your GPS long enough to sort out its new satellites and compute its new location accurately? I'm told that some need to sit out in the open with a good view of the sky for a good 20 minutes before their little GPS brain goes... Whirl...Click..."Oh! I must be in France!"

MrsB

June 3, 2011

Thanks for the comments, and all well received.

I have to admit, looking at this again, that the question is not that serious - - more like a tongue in cheek opportunity to complain and voice my frustration at a total lack of talent in my new hobby. Oh, well, it's only been a month or so, and I'm sure my skills will improve.

:lol:

June 3, 2011

Thanks for the comments, and all well received.

I have to admit, looking at this again, that the question is not that serious - - more like a tongue in cheek opportunity to complain and voice my frustration at a total lack of talent in my new hobby. Oh, well, it's only been a month or so, and I'm sure my skills will improve.

You'll get better. My first attempt on a cache was a nano that was 500ft from my house. I tried to find it 6+ times then called the cache owner for help. I find them pretty quickly now.

7k · June 3, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right? :laughing:

1.5k · June 3, 2011

Are you saying that France does not have any LPCs? :lol:

Edited June 3, 2011 by GrateBear

1.7k · June 3, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right?

Yep, you arrive in the country where the cache is and some guy comes running up to you with an ammo can and pulls out the log for you to sign. :anibad: :laughing:

7k · June 3, 2011

Are you saying that France does not have any LPCs?

Actually I'm fairly certain that LPCs are a purely north american phenomenon. I don't think any other country designs their lamp posts the same way.

38.2k · June 3, 2011

A difficulty of 1 is supposed to be in plain sight or extremely easy. Because some people mis-rate their caches is no reason to add another rating that they will probably also misuse.

2.1k · June 3, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right?

Yep, you arrive in the country where the cache is and some guy comes running up to you with an ammo can and pulls out the log for you to sign.

No! A difficulty zero cache would be one where as soon as you look at the cache page, it is automatically logged as "found."

:lol:

5.7k · June 3, 2011

We had a few finds and a few DNFs in Paris, but we made sure to include virtuals and earth caches in our hunt, as they're hard to miss. I see y'all found the earthcache at Montmartre, there's another one just west of the Louvre and two or three others in town, and there are four virtuals in Paris as well. I'd recommend the next time you travel, include as many virtuals and earth caches as possible to make sure you don't get stumped. It can be hard enough to find urban caches around home as it is, if you're on vacation with limited time in a new city, possibly dealing with translation issues, it just adds more issues.

18.9k · June 3, 2011

If a difficulty of 1 is "in plain sight". Zero must be hand delivered in a Limo??

June 3, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right?

Yep, you arrive in the country where the cache is and some guy comes running up to you with an ammo can and pulls out the log for you to sign.

No! A difficulty zero cache would be one where as soon as you look at the cache page, it is automatically logged as "found."

Ha, ha! Funny.

OK, you guys made me feel like a complete idiot, so I'll withdraw the question.

< - slinks away with tail between legs - >

9.4k · June 3, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right?

Yep, you arrive in the country where the cache is and some guy comes running up to you with an ammo can and pulls out the log for you to sign.

No bloody pocket frog caches!

8k · June 3, 2011

Waymarking :unsure:

June 3, 2011

Dont' you have to change the map datum depending on where you are in the world? If you don't, you will be considerably far away from the actual coords. Maybe that was the problem.

7k · June 3, 2011

Dont' you have to change the map datum depending on where you are in the world? If you don't, you will be considerably far away from the actual coords. Maybe that was the problem.

While there are local datums, WGS84 is global and all coordinates on gc.com are in the WGS84 datum, worldwide.

1.2k · June 3, 2011

I wondering if there is any call for SUPER EASY geocaches - - something that little girls and demented old men could find.

Case in point: I went on vacation to Paris, and loaded my GPS with 30 waypoints, making sure that at least 10 of them were large boxes with difficulty of less than 2. I found ZERO! I know that I'm inexperienced and don't have the best equipment, but to spend 10+ hours searching and come up empty has to be the epitome of painful frustration. AND I had a pocket full of travel bugs to place. Could it be my lack of skill is the only factor in this failure? Or perhaps the French are diabolically clever at hiding things? Anyway, for clueless folks like me, or people with grandchildren they want to teach the hobby to, I propose a difficulty of 0 (Zero) rating be added to Geocaching ranking for the easily confused portion of the population.

What do you think?

Note: I WAS able to log a cache while there only because a simple Earth Cache made it possible.

Well...there is the problem...does one really want little girls and demented old men at the same cache?!?!?!

:laughing:

-Disclaimer...that was just a joke...nothing more...

June 3, 2011

As super-easy, I would count the drive-up and ask caches like A Special Memory in Las Vegas. A kick in the pants. Don't worry about missing some. Some days I go blank and wonder if I can find my way back to the car.

1.5k · June 3, 2011

Are you saying that France does not have any LPCs?

Actually I'm fairly certain that LPCs are a purely north american phenomenon. I don't think any other country designs their lamp posts the same way.

Mon dieu! They are certainly missing out on sheer excitement, non?

1.7k · June 4, 2011

Are you saying that France does not have any LPCs?

Actually I'm fairly certain that LPCs are a purely north american phenomenon. I don't think any other country designs their lamp posts the same way.

Mon dieu! They are certainly missing out on sheer excitement, non?

I'm sure the inhabitants of other countries found theire own, just as mundane answer to lamp post caches.

1.9k · June 4, 2011

I wondering if there is any call for SUPER EASY geocaches - - something that little girls and demented old men could find.

Case in point: I went on vacation to Paris, and loaded my GPS with 30 waypoints, making sure that at least 10 of them were large boxes with difficulty of less than 2. I found ZERO! I know that I'm inexperienced and don't have the best equipment, but to spend 10+ hours searching and come up empty has to be the epitome of painful frustration. AND I had a pocket full of travel bugs to place. Could it be my lack of skill is the only factor in this failure? Or perhaps the French are diabolically clever at hiding things? Anyway, for clueless folks like me, or people with grandchildren they want to teach the hobby to, I propose a difficulty of 0 (Zero) rating be added to Geocaching ranking for the easily confused portion of the population.

What do you think?

Note: I WAS able to log a cache while there only because a simple Earth Cache made it possible.

A "1" difficulty LARGE probably were all so easy muggles found em and took em.

1.9k · June 4, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right?

Actually it could be one that could be couch logged.

4.2k · June 4, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right?

Yep, you arrive in the country where the cache is and some guy comes running up to you with an ammo can and pulls out the log for you to sign.

perhaps they should reconsider what immigration officers should do :lol:

7k · June 4, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right?

Yep, you arrive in the country where the cache is and some guy comes running up to you with an ammo can and pulls out the log for you to sign.

perhaps they should reconsider what immigration officers should do

Or just pass around the container on the plane for everyone to sign. Would be a beach to keep the coordinates updated though :laughing:

14k · June 4, 2011

Dont' you have to change the map datum depending on where you are in the world? If you don't, you will be considerably far away from the actual coords. Maybe that was the problem.

I have found caches in 12 different countries on four continents and have never changed the map datum. I spent a couple of hours caching in Paris during a long layover enroute to Johannesburg, South Africa and DNFd several caches including a couple that were 4 star puzzle caches. I also found 9 caches in Montpellier, France and although most of them were micros I didn't encounter any LPCs.

June 4, 2011

In a sense I'd agree with a zero rating. When I look at satellite photos and see an LPC, then go and find it without even taking the GPS off my desk at home, then it provided no challenge. Have done this a few times.

June 4, 2011

I cached in Paris last year when I was only a few dozen caches in experience-wise, and I got 7 all told though attempted perhaps twice that many- IRC they were mainly virtuals/earthcaches and I only found one non-micro (in the park at Versailles).

Honestly having cached in other European countries, I think a lot of it is just a different culture of how they do geocaching- ie there tend to be a lot more multis and puzzle caches, and you're often dealing with a language barrier (tho yea as someone joked nope no LPCs there- rather what's "obvious" varies by country and needs to be relearned!). So yeah it just plain doesn't go as easily and you need to be ready for that.

3k · June 5, 2011

Difficulty of 1 = in plain sight. It doesn't get much easier than that. Perhaps the hides should've been rated higher and/or what classifies as an "easy cache" in Paris is harder than an "easy cache" in the US?

June 5, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right?

Yep, you arrive in the country where the cache is and some guy comes running up to you with an ammo can and pulls out the log for you to sign.

No! A difficulty zero cache would be one where as soon as you look at the cache page, it is automatically logged as "found."

Ha, ha! Funny.

OK, you guys made me feel like a complete idiot, so I'll withdraw the question.

< - slinks away with tail between legs - >

There is no need to withdraw the question,

No one intended any harm (I don't think), it gave everyone a chance to have a little fun at your expense.

It happens sometimes.

Don't take it personally and keep coming back, Your input is valued.

Edited June 5, 2011 by student camper

June 5, 2011

There are days when I would SO love a level zero! I swore when I was relatively new to the game that I was going to buy a giant dartboard, attach a cache to the bullseye, stick the dartboard out in the forest somewhere with big red arrow signs that pointed to it. I was going to name it "Now THAT's what I call a Level 1 D Rating!"

1.9k · June 5, 2011

There are days when I would SO love a level zero!

that'd hurt your D/T averages though!

2.6k · June 5, 2011

I found Paris challenging; mostly due to the number of muggles, and in many places buildings causing GPSr bounce. In a day I think I found 10 but with another 10 DNFs.

4.3k · June 5, 2011

How to do a pocket query for "Zero Difficulty" caches:

In addition to selecting the obvious "Is Active" and Difficulty <=1 and Terrain <=1.5

ALSO check the box for "Found within the past 7 days."

2.7k · June 5, 2011

I wondering if there is any call for SUPER EASY geocaches - - something that little girls and demented old men could find.

What do you think?

I'm one of those old men, do you think you can find one of my backcountry caches.

7.9k · June 5, 2011

The 'netflix' cache series!

The log arrives in the mail, as soon as you return it, another arrives.

Only $9.99/month!

Sign up today!

1.3k · June 5, 2011

I understand your point, but a 1 rating is essentially a 0. It basically means the cache has no difficulty. Currentyly, we have no way of representing on a cache listing that there is a zero difficulty level. It's subjective. There is a local cacher who believes that a d/t of an island cache in the middle of a lake is still a 1.5/1.5 or 1.5/2. His thoughts are that you don't absolutely have to have a watercraft...you can swim. He says that a car is as much as a special piece of equipment as a boat. They are both vehicles.

2.5k · June 5, 2011

Just think, starting to expand the D/T ratings like this would make the Fizzy Challenges so much harder... From 81 combinations to 121! With the increase in caches needed for the challenge, would we have to make a higher rating on the other end so that they could be properly rated? A 6/6? Wait, that would increase the number of combinations to 169...

3.7k · June 6, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right?

Yep, you arrive in the country where the cache is and some guy comes running up to you with an ammo can and pulls out the log for you to sign.

No! A difficulty zero cache would be one where as soon as you look at the cache page, it is automatically logged as "found."

:laughing: You're hilarious!

3.7k · June 6, 2011

I wondering if there is any call for SUPER EASY geocaches - - something that little girls and demented old men could find.

Did you use the hint? What kind of GPS are you using? <shudder> Did you check the logs, has anybody found it recently?

Little girls? My little girl is good at finding caches. She once bumped into one without a GPS. She saw something that looked funny and turned it over.

Edited June 6, 2011 by The_Incredibles_

1.9k · June 6, 2011

The 'netflix' cache series!

The log arrives in the mail, as soon as you return it, another arrives.

Only $9.99/month!

Sign up today!

I'm game if they include puzzle solutions with the shipment.

June 6, 2011

I've never cached in France, but are you sure they were all hidden outside on the ground? In Prague _TeamFitz_ spent considerable time on the outside of a couple of towers until we discovered that many of the caches were hidden at the top of the tower or even somewhere inside... made for very interesting hunts and roamer/lurker dodging.

OTOH, I have a cache hidden outdoors above head-height which numerous cachers have failed to spot. Always makes me chuckle the amount of time they may have spent meandering about with their heads down.

June 6, 2011

Yeah, a lot has to do with your habits. I've watched people search for caches that I've already found and a lot of them never look above their heads. or in very obvious places. They go for the spts that they think should have a cache. Best place to hide is in plain sight.

June 6, 2011

A zero difficulty cache would be one that comes looking for the cachers, right?

Yep, you arrive in the country where the cache is and some guy comes running up to you with an ammo can and pulls out the log for you to sign.

No! A difficulty zero cache would be one where as soon as you look at the cache page, it is automatically logged as "found."

Ha, ha! Funny.

OK, you guys made me feel like a complete idiot, so I'll withdraw the question.

< - slinks away with tail between legs - >

There is no need to withdraw the question,

No one intended any harm (I don't think), it gave everyone a chance to have a little fun at your expense.

It happens sometimes.

Don't take it personally and keep coming back, Your input is valued.

All taken with a good sense of humor.

Actually I find the community very helpful and the humor is a shot in the arm.

I like that "Netflix" idea - caches come in the mail. Now THAT is a lazy-man's dream.

Edited June 6, 2011 by FolsomNatural

June 6, 2011

Yeah, a lot has to do with your habits. I've watched people search for caches that I've already found and a lot of them never look above their heads. or in very obvious places. They go for the spts that they think should have a cache. Best place to hide is in plain sight.

ROFL at this post. I am so guilty!! I actually bumped into one hanging face high and brushed it aside to keep looking at the ground.

June 8, 2011

Personally, feel like to us any cache in france is at least 5/5 - we can't get there easy or cheap or fast. So i'd say crossing the Atlantic alone is worth 5 on the terrain scale for us.

And as for the caches nearby - as long as i gotta get into a car (the prices of gas alone make a drive-to cache deserve at least 1/1) or get on a bike and pedal, i'd like to get more than a zero for it in return (unless i didn't find it) :anibad:

Create Zero Difficulty Rating?

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