Maintenance of geocaches

[+betheriver]

Hi,everyone!

 

We are new to the scene, and went out today for the first time with our 4 and 7 year old. We are probably setting ourselves up for failure going in December with 2 small kids, but we chose 4 easier (2/2 or less) to find at our town park. We found the first one with relative ease, but could not find the other 3. They were normal size, and should have been relatively easy to find based on the ratings. One of them I was certain I was at the spot given the hints. The logs on these had the last find anywhere between August and late November.

 

Is there any way to know other than the logs if the cache is still even there? I.E. does the hider ever check and notify the community it is there or not? These should have been easy ones, and after looking for awhile we got frustrated because we weren't even certain what we were looking for was there! If we knew they were we would have no problem continuing to search.

 

An answer to this question as well as any other newbie advice would be welcome. We were disappointed today and are reluctant to stretch out further since we had such poor results. See you out there!

 

Scott

[jholly]

In absence of any other logs, the last being a found it log, I as a seeker or as an owner would assume the cache was still there. This assumption could be wrong. But even if it had not been found for a while does not raise immediate concerns. What was the frequency of previous finds? After initial placement the find rate does tend downward. If they were being found on a frequent basis and then the finds suddenly stopped, then yes, they might be missing.

 

Normal sized? Just what is a normal sized container? The choices are micro, small, regular, large, and other. Since they are in a town park I'll make a guess the other three were micros. Micros are a bad choice for a first cache. Stick with regular, or possibly small. Keep the difficulty 1.5 or 1. You can try a 2, but find a couple first. After you found some smalls and regulars you can go back and try micros. Keep in mind that the size micro also includes nanos. Nanos are about the size of the tip of your little finger. Many micros are magnetic, some are bison tubes. Some times the bison tubes are hanging in a tree. You get the idea, micros are for more experienced cachers.

 

Don't give up, just readjust the caches you seek and have fun.

[+JesandTodd]

Did you log DNFs on the caches that you could not find? If the most recent logs suggest a pattern of finds, and no difficulties, then chances are that it doesn't need a check up.

 

COs should do routine maintenance, of course, but for a cache that's running fine, during this busy holiday season (but slow caching season), I wouldn't expect the CO to randomly check up on a cache.

 

They way they know something is wrong is with DNFs, and NM logs.

 

For a beginner, a D=2 cache in a park (with trees?) might be difficult. Do you have a lot of leaves on the ground where you are? I just did a bunch of caches in a park on Fri and had a heck of a time on many caches because they were buried under a ton of fallen leaves!

[+betheriver]

Thanks for the responses. The one we found was a small 2/1.5. The ones we didn't find were regular 1.5/1.5, a small 2/1.5, and a regular 2/1.5. It doesn't help that there are alot of new trees down, and leaves everywhere. There are some easier ones nearby, but they're micros, which to me should take them out of the 1/1 rating! Hopefully we'll have better luck next time...

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Part of the problem that you ran into was probably many who Do Not Find the cache, don't file a DNF log. For one reason or another (their choice), they post nothing at all. Perhaps it is missing, perhaps not... maybe it is camouflaged well. It could be that it is hanging in a tree (did you look up?).

 

My question to you (strangely enough)...

 

Did you file a DNF? If no, then why not?

You see, if you didn't file a DNF, you are adding to the cumulative problem. Happens, and it happens a lot.

 

As far as maintenance goes... no DNF logs = no reason for the CO to suspect there is a problem, hence no maintenance. Catch-22!

 

Too, it certainly is possible that you simply couldn't find it. Some are extremely well hidden. It may very well be that you (as yet) lack sufficient experience at geocaching. The best geocachers have DNFs, sometimes strings of them, many (but certainly not all) log their DNF proudly.

 

Personally, we like DNF logs (not actually the DNF itself). Why? Because a find is a find is a find, but a DNF most always has a story to be told!

 

 

EDIT to add: I looked, you did log the DNFs. For that, you get a gold star!

Edited December 18, 2011 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+kunarion]

there are alot of new trees down, and leaves everywhere.

A hiking pole or even a stick made from a light, sturdy tree branch, can help greatly if a container's under a lot of leaves.

 

I was cache hunting with a half-dozen others, a couple of weeks ago after an Event. One cache which had been DNF'd that day after not being logged for a few months was under a blanket of leaves somewhere on a hillside (the cache owner had already been phoned but even he was at a loss). My hiking stick came in handy for narrowing down the possibilities, although someone else in the group found the container.

Edited December 18, 2011 by kunarion

[+betheriver]

Thanks again for the help. No doubt I have no experience, so I certainly wasn't expecting to find them all. But since I had chosen 1.5 and 2 as difficulty, I was hoping to find at least 2 of the 4. I really want to get my kids into it to get them outside, but it's tough to keep them interested when you don't find anything! There aren't really any 1/1's in my area, the only 2 are microcaches, which to me shouldn't be a difficulty of 1! I did log DNF on the ones I didn't find. I certainly don't want to be part of the problem!

 

BTW Gitchee, how did you find my logs? I looked on my stats and didn't find a record of them. I guess I'm not very good at finding things!

Edited December 18, 2011 by betheriver

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

BTW Gitchee, how did you find my logs? I looked on my stats and didn't find a record of them. I guess I'm not very good at finding things!

If I told you, then I'd have to kill you!

 

 

 

Easy really, >your profile >caches >map this area. I see your finds were in the park, it made sense that your DNFs were there also.

[+kunarion]

I did log DNF on the ones I didn't find.

That's a huge help for the next cacher, and an attentive Cache Owner may offer a little hint when a DNF's posted on a low-difficulty cache.

 

Sometimes you can tell whether an area may tend to have caches found by non-cachers (so the container vanishes). And you may even notice a strange "lack of finds" recently, when other caches in the area have been found, which may indicate that some people didn't manage to type their DNFs. A Cache Owner doesn't always notice there's a problem immediately, until a cache log is posted.

Edited December 18, 2011 by kunarion

[+nyhof]

I see several issues.

* You can never go wrong when connecting with your kids. They will remember their "treasure hunting adventures" forever.

* Sometimes the CO (cache owner) abandons their cache. The log reflects this with a string of DNFs (did not find). Usually an attentive CO will disable the cache to check and or fix the cache when he sees a group of DNFs. If the log is full of "found it" logs then it is there, somewhere.

* A GPSr accuracy can be off up to 32 feet or more. If their coordinates are off because of trees etc during the hide and your GPSr is affected during the search then you could be way off. I have found caches up to 50 feet away from ground zero.

* Cache containers can be evil and hidden so sneakily with camo or fake nature. does that branch look right? Why is a pine cone in an oak tree? Watch out for that poop! I have actually picked up a cache container without realizing it was a cache.

* The rating system we use can be relative to the experience of the cacher hiding their cache. A D-2 for me could be different in my opinion than someone with several hundred finds.

 

My advice:

Contact the CO, Ask for a hint.

Get more experience and look for the caches again when you have found a variety of others.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I almost never assume a cache is missing just because I could not find it. I am quite capable of tripping over a 1/1 and not finding it. That being said, I have about a 12% DNF ratio. (And I do not like someone posting NM on a cache, just beause he could not find it!)

Caches are not always as easy to find as you might expect. After a while, you can develop a caching sense. And the challenge in finding a cache can be quite a lot of fun! Work at it and have fun. That's what it's all about.

[+JesandTodd]

I checked earlier to see if you had logged any DNFs. I'm glad you went back and did it. Did you see on CO already commented on the cache? I bet a friendly email describing your search, and requesting a small hint would help you as well.

 

I have a little cache in the woods but it's a pretty easy find. The first DNF I received on it generated an immediate email by me to the cacher with a small hint.

 

Eta:my autocorrect has gone beserk! (spelling corrections)

Edited December 19, 2011 by JesandTodd

[+ngrrfan]

I almost never assume a cache is missing just because I could not find it. I am quite capable of tripping over a 1/1 and not finding it.

Yep... Took me 10 minutes today to find a 1/1 and it was 6 feet from the front tire of the cache-mobile. I walked right past it, and to add insult to injury.... it was an ammo can.

[+betheriver]

Just an off-topic reply. We went out yesterday for our second trip with the kids and found all 3 we looked for. A much better day!

[+popokiiti]

Just an off-topic reply. We went out yesterday for our second trip with the kids and found all 3 we looked for. A much better day!

Glad to hear it! Once you get your eye in, and think of crafty spots the cache could be, you'll be on your way. One thing though.........kids have very good vision it seems, and can spot things we can't. Get ready for that embarrassment. If you are out of the urban environment, look for cachers' trails...flattened grass, for example and for unnatural piles of sticks or stones.

Welcome to the fun/frustration and don't forget - if the kids are young...a wee bit of bribery (ice cream) may keep them going for one more cache!

[+betheriver]

Just an off-topic reply. We went out yesterday for our second trip with the kids and found all 3 we looked for. A much better day!

Glad to hear it! Once you get your eye in, and think of crafty spots the cache could be, you'll be on your way. One thing though.........kids have very good vision it seems, and can spot things we can't. Get ready for that embarrassment. If you are out of the urban environment, look for cachers' trails...flattened grass, for example and for unnatural piles of sticks or stones.

Welcome to the fun/frustration and don't forget - if the kids are young...a wee bit of bribery (ice cream) may keep them going for one more cache!

 

I would have no problem with either kid beating me to the cache. So far adults have spotted them all. I spotted the second one the other day and told my 7-year old to go "check around that rock" knowing he would find it. He talked proudly about his find the whole way home.

[+Trucker Lee]

I almost never assume a cache is missing just because I could not find it. I am quite capable of tripping over a 1/1 and not finding it.

Yep... Took me 10 minutes today to find a 1/1 and it was 6 feet from the front tire of the cache-mobile. I walked right past it, and to add insult to injury.... it was an ammo can.

Did the same yesterday. Stepped over the log and missed the cache by 2 feet as I just knew it would be in THAT cover. Had to laugh at myself as I turned around and saw it in plain sight.

[diggingest_dogg616]

Just an off-topic reply. We went out yesterday for our second trip with the kids and found all 3 we looked for. A much better day!

Good job! Sometimes you just go back and look.

 

If I don't find one, or if I'm having trouble, then I go through the logs and see when the last time it was found and if it's ever had to replaced. Or if it has any clues, like "Oh, we walked over it a bunch of times and then my best friend found it! What a clever hide" or something like that that will kind of tip you off that maybe it's something that looks like something else

[+Mark+Karen]

I usually only go and check on a cache if there is a DNF log, just one DNF with no subsequent finds will be enough for me to head out on the weekend to check it out.

 

Last weekend one of my caches had 4 DNF's in a row (after a lot of finds) with the loggers insisting the cache was missing, but on checking it was where it always had been!

 

But there are other caches which get found maybe twice a week but I haven't personally visited for over a year!

[+betheriver]

Just an off-topic reply. We went out yesterday for our second trip with the kids and found all 3 we looked for. A much better day!

Good job! Sometimes you just go back and look.

 

If I don't find one, or if I'm having trouble, then I go through the logs and see when the last time it was found and if it's ever had to replaced. Or if it has any clues, like "Oh, we walked over it a bunch of times and then my best friend found it! What a clever hide" or something like that that will kind of tip you off that maybe it's something that looks like something else

 

Oops, I wasn't clear. We found 3 DIFFERENT ONES this day. I haven't gone back yet to look for the ones we couldn't find that first day.