noobie

[dtr422]

hi guys /gals .

just got into the geocache idea[love walking and i like history ]seems there's loads of cache's were i live [glasgow] but have tried to find a few [4 to be precise]and as yet i ain't found any ,maybe i'm thick [probably i hear you say] but need a starter for 10 .tried antonine garden in bearsden ,spent 10 minutes looking for something unusual [gps said i was 1 metre away ,no find] a few in bellahouston park again no find [i even had a pen with me to write in any log i found ] as we say in glasgow it was a particullarly cold pidgeon [a blue doo] so were do i start ?

[+matt1988]

I'm sure more experienced people will be along soon, but when I found my first, it was a large one which made it easier but I was still looking for it for about 20 mins lol.

 

I would suggest reading the clues on the cache page, and go for some larger ones to start with, micros are very hard to find as a beginner. They are normally a 35mm film case.

 

Don't rely on your GPS too much as there is between 10-20 yard accuracy level. So if yours GPS and the other person who placed the cache are both 20 yards out, it could mean 40 yards away, that becomes more once you get under alot of trees.

 

Hang on in there, you will get your first find, and when you do I'm sure you will be very satisfied. The first one is normally the hardest one to find, as you don't actually know what your looking for.

 

You could also go to meets and meet fellow cachers and go and find some with them.

 

Good luck and I hope you find your first soon

[dtr422]

thanks

Edited November 19, 2011 by dtr422

[+matt1988]

I just had a look at the caches you tried to find I think. Rocky is a fake cache has been archived so is no longer there, I would suggest if it's easy to get to again, is to go for do not make an exhibition, as that has a 1.5 out of 5 difficulty and it's a small cache not a micro. Look for anything that may be out of place, or something like sticks or logs that could be covering something.

[+baack40]

I agree with previous poster, try the easier ones first. I would suggest you might go on ebay and look up geocaching containers. There you will see quite a variety of caches so it gives you a better idea as to what you might be looking for. Read the past logs to see if you can pick up any clues from what people have said about the cache. Someone might say that the coords are off about 25 feet or something like that. Keep trying, it will get easier after you find a few and get used to your gps and types of hides. Great sport and am sure you will love it once you get a few under your belt. Good Luck

[dtr422]

thanks guys /gals or peeps

am going to bellahouston park in glasgow tommorow with my dog , will hopefully have a wee cache hunt [think there's 4-5 in park] and maybe i'll bag a cache or 2 looked on ebay and seen the various containers so will hopefully find some .

thanks for the advice

dave

[+The Frosties!]

Hi dave.

It definitely gets easier once you've found a few, you get a sense for where and how a cache would be hidden (my kids yesterday were finding them when I, and the GPS, were still 20 or 30 metres away!), though some are still way too hard for me still

One thing to be certain of, this website only provides accurate coordinates if you're logged in, I have no idea what you're using to search with ( phone/handheld gps etc..) but double check you got the correct data to start with, otherwise you have no chance.

[+Chief301]

Forget e-bay, check out the Cool Cache Containers thread to see some of the really devious containers dreamed up and made by cachers.

 

Remember, you're not looking for a container, you're looking for a place where someone might hide a container. Look for likely hiding spots, not for the container itself...they'll rarely be lying about in plain sight (unless they're cleverly camouflaged...again, see the Cool Cache Containers thread). It also helps to read the cache description carefully...most importantly, know what size container you're looking for...micros can be tucked into almost any nook and cranny, whereas an ammo can will have a more limited number of places it can be hiding. Nano's (an unofficial size that's about as big as the tip of your little finger, technically classified as a micro) can be especially fiendish to find.

 

If it's a micro and there are metal object around, check them out....micros are often magnetic and so can be stuck on metal things. Don't forget to "look" with your hands as well as your eyes...feel under, behind, on top of, and inside places where you cannot see (just be careful when doing it! )

 

You may have to get down on your knees or lower to check under things like park benches or bushes...at least you have good camouflage (your dog)! Bring along a tennis ball and if there are muggles around you can always pretend that you were playing fetch and the ball rolled under the bush and you're looking for it...makes for excellent stealth!

Edited November 20, 2011 by Chief301

[dtr422]

thanks for all the help and idea's guys/gals

Edited November 20, 2011 by dtr422

[+Fianccetto]

Hi Dave, just wanted to wish you luck with your caching. We had similar experiences when we first started, but the kids soon started finding them, then eventually I got my eye in and have started caching alone. Finding the cache isn't always the most important thing for me, especially in winter if I'm getting cold and it's getting dark, I'm usually happy just to go for a walk somewhere new and interesting. Not finding a cache gives us an excuse to return in different conditions and get to know a place a little bit better.

 

Hope you get on alright and the 'blue doo' comes to and takes off!