First Attempt = Epic Fail!

January 9, 2012

So my daughter (7) and I went out on our very first geocaching expedition today and managed to find ZERO! We took a bike ride through our development and had mapped out 7 caches along the way. I just don't know what we were doing wrong. I have an iPhone 3G and I downloaded the geocache app plus another compass. With the app, I would follow the direction of the red arrow and it would bring me close (sometimes with a few feet), so we would search the immediate area and then when I looked again, it would say it was located 20 feet in another direction. Then I'd go in that direction so we covered a sizable area, but still found nothing. Is that just the "margin of error" for these type things? I felt like I was walking in circles.

My daughter was literally in tears on the ride back home. We biked for miles, climbed through brush and vines, walked through water - I honestly tried, but I just felt like we were missing something!

We aren't ready to give up, and we would really like to try again, but I know we can't just do the same things we did today. Obviously that didn't work, so we need a new approach or soemthing. Any suggestions??

Thanks!

4.8k · January 9, 2012

Is that just the "margin of error" for these type things?

Sadly, for the iPhone, yes it is. The error can be in the double digits on the best of days, and depending on the size of cache you're looking for (some as small as the head of an pencil eraser), can be a monumental feat.

You might find some useful information on the following page:

Finding your first Geocache

Good luck!

January 9, 2012

I've got an iPhone 3G. It's not nearly as accurate as the 3GS or 4G (from what I've read). I used it by itself for over a year before I broke down and bought a GPS.

My kids were less than impressed with their mom's new hunt-and-not-find anything game. I eventually started going out by myself and pre-finding caches, then I'd take my kids to the caches I'd thought they'd enjoy, knowing that at least we'd find the thing.

When starting out, it's much easier to find regular-sized caches than micros-sized or small. Micros can be tiny (like the size of your fingernail). With regulars, look for an unnatural pile of sticks/rocks, etc. Look inside stumps. Underneath fallen logs. Under a brushy bush. Use the hint. To this day there are lots of caches (of all sizes) that I flat-out can't find (and it's worse when everyone else's log says "thanks for the quick and easy cache").

As for the iPhone changing it's mind (20 feet this way, 50 feet that way, etc.), that's normal. Even a regular GPS does that. Even if the iPhone is telling unequivocally that the cache is under "that tree over there," it could be off by 50-70 feet, especially if you're under heavy tree cover.

My kids are older, but I will mention that they were not particularly impressed when we actually did find caches, too. There usually wasn't much for trading inside the cache (what I brought with me to trade was better than the stuff in the cache). This is particularly true of caches located in easy-to-get-to locations (in other words, if you have to hike for a half mile or more, the trade stock improves). If you can get your daughter to focus more on the adventure involved and the thrill of the hunt (and it does sound like you guys had quite the adventure with the brush/vines/water), and less on the "prize" at the end of the rainbow (especially since you may not actually find the end of the rainbow and there may be nothing inside worth trading even if you do), that's neat. I do realize that's easier said than done (and I've not been particularly successful with my own kids on that front). Just a thought.

Keep at it! When you guys do find one, it'll be all the more meaningful on account of the epic battles with brush, etc., that you had to endure just to find your first geocache!

January 9, 2012

Are you sure that you chose caches that were appropriately rated (difficulty/terrain wise) for your newbie status? I only ask because caches in higher-traffic muggle areas (like a housing development) are likely going to be more well concealed than a cache in a low-traffic area (like the woods). Did you choose easy (1/1 rated) caches? And what size were they? I'd recommend looking for smalls/regulars/larges before tackling micros - those can be difficult to spot if you're not sure what to look for. All of this information can be found underneath the cache's name on the listing page.

Regarding the GPS bounce, that's an unfortunate reality for geocaching (whether you have an app or a GPSr). To start, try choosing caches without too much tree cover as that will mess with your reception. Perhaps look for caches within a city park or a cemetery (if that won't freak your daughter out) - both of which usually have easy finds. Familiarize yourself with attributes and look for ones that are "recommended for kids".

Also, I'd try reading a few of the most recent logs before heading out to search. Choose caches that have been found recently; they're more than likely still there. If you choose a cache that hasn't been found in months, it may have gone missing and no one has reported it (not necessarily true, though - I've found caches where the last find before me was over a year earlier. But while you're new, look for ones that are actively being found.) Cache logs also might include helpful tips - like, "the coords were off" or the fact that the hint was particularly useful.

Another trick I use when I'm particularly frustrated? I'll pull up the cache map (satellite or hybrid view) and zoom in really close to the cache. The icon is put where the coords are, so if you have a cache listed in a city park - it may put the icon on a pavilion, or in a patch of trees. This will help you narrow your search grid down a bit when the GPS has you running in circles. Keep in mind, though, that coords are only accurate within 10-15 feet so don't expect the cache to be exactly-in-the-center-of-that-third-tree-from-the-left. And this trick won't help when you're in the woods, or anywhere that has a lot of tree cover as the map will just show a bunch of trees

Just keep trying, it gets easier

Edited January 9, 2012 by pteryndactyl

January 9, 2012

my droid 2 can be really accurate until I get into trees.. then it just goes into limbo, even in the winter with no leaves. I got frustrated too today, but I'm not going to give up on it yet without looking for some caches out in the open to see how far off the GPS is, it has been spot on with some caches, and 10-15 feet off with others. From what I've read that's about the best you can expect, and you have to use your eyes. I plan to start some caches around here which are kid and noob friendly. In a wooded area someone could easily move the cache 5-10 feet from it's original location if it happens to fall on the ground too, complicating things. It doesn't help when they are micro, and camoed too boot.

The micros I've found so far are damp and not very enjoyable.. just one piece of paper with an empty matchstick container. If only one person doesn't close it tight and moisture gets in, then it will need a new logbook and to be dried out manually.

They need to add options to filter the map by cache size and username if they haven't already. If they have let me know so I can go premium. Micros are not really my cup of tea at least for now... I like large enough ones to contain decent logbooks and trinkets. I'm sure that will change once I get better at it though.

Edited January 9, 2012 by sholomar

January 9, 2012

I feel for you. I took my 4 and 7 year old out for the first time last month. On the first day we only found one out of the first four and left feeling disappointed. We have had much better luck the last 3 times out, finding all 3 we were looking for on each occasion. Here's my advice as a fellow newbie with small kids:

1. Choose GC's of a reasonable difficulty and terrain. We don't look for anything that is higher than 2/2. This reduces the chances you'll have to bushwhack all over. We also stay away from microcaches, at least for now.

2. Bring lots of snacks and drinks. Hiking is lots of work for these little ones, and if you don't have the fuel, they'll be done before you've even started.

3. Try and find pleasant places to go. A walk in the woods for your kids is pretty fun, even if you don't find anything.

4. I stress to my kids each time we go out that we may not find anything. This reduces the chances of disappointment, and enhances the joy when we do find them. I always focus on how much fun it is to "hunt for the treasure", and part of the magic of the treasure is it isn't always found.

5. Give them a chance to find it. There have been a few times where I see the cache and try to indirectly guide them to spot it. ("The hint said it would be in a tree that looks like a hand; this tree looks like a hand, do you see anything?") My 4-year-old found her first one yesterday with a little indirect guidance from me. She was cooked and ready to go home at that point, but after experiencing the pride in finding it, she wanted more!

6. Don't look for any particular cache too long. I learned this my first time out. We searched for 20 minutes for a cache that it turned out wasn't there. My kids were so beat and frustrated after that one it shortened our day.

7. When the hint and description don't work, use the logs. They will tell you if it's been found recently (if it hasn't or there's a bunch of DNF's, it may not be there). Sometimes the logs might give you hints as well. We found an urban cache with a log entry of a "very clever hiding place," which told us it wasn't just stuffed under a bush or something.

8. Stay positive. I don't have to tell you your kids follow your lead. If you are having fun, they will, no matter what you find. Don't give up, your next day will be much better!

Good luck, hope some of this helps.

PS: If you can afford it get a dedicated GPS with a topo map built in. It's much more easy to find with this than with just a compass IMO.

Edited January 9, 2012 by betheriver

8.6k · January 9, 2012

Best thing to keep a rug-rat from crying about not finding anything... go out and find them... THEN take them geocaching. Just don't tell them that you have already found them.

Next best thing... impress on them that it is "something new" to both of you and that you probably don't know any more about the hunt then they do. Did you play the piano well on your first attempt? If you did learn to play, what was it that lead you to play well? Probably something like practice, practice, practice and just a wee bit more practice.

True too, learn all you can before you even try to play. Types and sizes of caches make a big difference. Micros can be as small as your little fingernail, and many times are made to look like something they are not! Often times, the magnetic buggers are on the bottom of something that you can just barely get your hand under -- kinda tough to look there if it's that low, ya know. Magnetic caches can be attached to almost anything that is metal (steel). Zeroed in on the "No Parking" sign? It may well be between the sign and the post!

And here you thought geocaching was gonna be easy. Well, it IS (kinda, sorta)... once you know the ropes.

In urban and subs, much of the time they will be a micro. Occasionally a small, learn what each size designation means. The difficulty rating (1 - 5 stars) sort of lets you know how hard it will be to find.

Caching in a park, well... one usually can recognize a foot-trail off of the well-traveled path (or walkway). Guess what? It may be a clue.

Phone or GPSr, it really doesn't matter. There are folks that don't use either, and do pretty darn well.

Just don't expect a cache to be delivered on a silver platter -- at least until you know what the silver platter looks like.

Additional hint: RESEARCH each cache before you go after it! Read the logs. Are there a number of DNF logs? It may be difficult to find, if so. BUT, not everybody logs their DNF, did you? Even the best geocachers still get their own quota of DNFs, sometimes on the simplest of caches.

Read the hint, if any. If there is an encrypted hint, it could be tongue-in-cheek or a plain ol' gimmee hint. Sometimes, you may expect to read a hint and there is some goofball statement like "no hint needed", well... what can I say? Some people are like that, sorry.

Last but least, let the young'uns know that you just cannot find them all. No shame in that. It's doing something together that is important and failure goes hand-in-hand with success. You can learn together (there's that word, again).

22k · January 9, 2012

Best thing to keep a rug-rat from crying about not finding anything... go out and find them... THEN take them geocaching. Just don't tell them that you have already found them.

Not sure if I would go as far as calling your daughter a rug-rat. Yes, I fully support going about and finding a cache before taking along the kids. That will let you decide if the cache is close enough for little legs, fairly easy enough to find, and that is actually there.

You going out and finding it first is another matter.

January 10, 2012

Sometimes life is about falling down and getting back up. At least this can be a better way of learning that (hopefully something tragic hasn't happened in her life already, if so, I'm sorry )

Look for easy caches. There should be a feature on here that will highlight beginner's caches. I don't know what makes one 1/1 cache a beginner cache and another one not, besides maybe one is a nano, but whatever. Start with beginner caches if any are available. Otherwise, go with terrain ratings of 1, difficulty ratings of 1, and the biggest container you can find. Cheat a little if you have to and find it before taking her out. Look at hints, look at pictures, look at logs. It helps *tons* when you know what you're looking for.

I'm not sure how accurate the iPhone is going to be, but nothing is really going to put you right on top of what you're looking for. Part of the fun is looking! Of course, it helps when it puts you as close as possible.

I hope you guys can find some caches and have some successes! You can always go back again, too. There's nothing wrong with looking again and finally finding what was eluding you!

January 10, 2012

Thank you ALL for the helpful replies!

We live in a very large planned community with a lot of greenspace and bike/walking trails. I mapped out our course and selected our caches based on the usual bike ride we take, but in hindsight, I should have started with ones that were an easier level (i.e larger) rather than based on location. I get that now! We had all the hints, descriptions, read the attributes and logs etc but I think we were aiming a little too high for our first trip out.

And I definitely did not mean to make out my daughter to look like a crying "rugrat"! She was super excited about the adventure and was very positive about it all even after we started to realize this might not be our "thing". She joked that we needed to be on a reality show for the "worst geocachers" and with 0 out of 8, we would win! :lol: By the end when we had failed to find #7, she was just disappointed even though I tried to prepare her before we left and told her that might happen.

Anyway, she's really looking forward to giving it another try next weekend! We've selected a few beginner level caches in a nearby park, and with a few extra hints on the ones we missed and all the helpful tips here, we're hoping for better luck this time.

Thanks again!

1.4k · January 10, 2012

What I notice with my new phone is you have to keep moving. When you stop it will jump all over. Start a distance away and keep walking to it until it takes you close. Then it might start jumping. If you don't find it walk away from GZ again and walk back to it and keep moving. Once I stop it will start jumping all over again. Trust what it says at first and not what it goes to later. Then repeat as needed.

2.4k · January 10, 2012

Lots of good things said already - do bear in mind that little peoples' attention spans aren't as long as ours, so stick with the easy caches (1D/1T) and think about a reward - not every trip - for trying. Ice cream? Do bear in mind, that young 'uns have good eyes, and will spot some caches before you. Happened to us with a 5 year old we met with her Dad. She spotted the micro - up a tree!!

3k · January 10, 2012

No GPS is going to walk you right up to the cache. Accuracy depends on your unit, and the.accuracy of the GPS of the person who hid it, the number of satellites in the sky that day, clouds, trees, solar flares......

So, when the GPS gets you within, say 30', put the GPS down, and start looking. Everywhere. Don't tear apart the landscaping, you might end up just covering it up even more. Look first. Don't give up, it can provide you, and your family, with years of great memories, and quality time together.

January 10, 2012

All of the previous suggestions for helping you to get going and finding caches are great. One thing not mentioned so far is if there is a possibility of finding a local experienced cacher to go with you a time or two until you get the feel of how and where to look...until you build up confidence. Most cachers are more than happy to help out a newbie. Good luck and keep trying.

8.9k · January 11, 2012

My suggestion is to do a LOT of careful planning. Before I took my 5 year old out in my first year (he's now 16), I made sure that I had found a couple of caches, so *I* felt like I knew what I was doing. I wouldn't suggest pre-finding. If you get the area and start "hovering" around where the cache is, a kid will pick up on that pretty quickly.

So, narrow your search. Premium membership (a small price to pay for a lot of benefits) can give you access to an "advanced" search called Pocket Queries. You can use the pocket queries as a way to weed down caches in your area by container size, and also by difficulty and terrain levels. There are also other tools like Geocaching Swiss Army Knife (GSAK) that can examine recent logs. With these tools if you weed the caches to ones that only have "found" logs in the last five logs on the cache, and search for traditional caches, with size "regular" or "large", and a difficulty of 1.0 or 1.5, and a terrain of 1.0 or 1.5, you'd be pretty likely to get the list down to a narrowed bunch of caches that are likely to be successfully found. Just so you get an idea, in my area, caches that make up that criteria are only about 3% of the caches (of the caches within 20 miles of my home, it's only about 1.5%).

You can also increase your likelihood of successful hunts by looking at maps on Google Maps. I found a cache without a GPS because I looked at this google map image. The dot was on a lone tree. I got to the area, went to the only tree in the area, sure enough the cache was there. Easy guaranteed success as long as the logs state the cache is still there and in good condition.

Whatever you do, don't give up. They'll come to love it - and you'll love the time you spend with them.

January 11, 2012

Lots of good things said already - do bear in mind that little peoples' attention spans aren't as long as ours, so stick with the easy caches (1D/1T) and think about a reward - not every trip - for trying. Ice cream?

+1

Hope you guys have a good time this weekend! Find those caches!

January 12, 2012

hi welcome to this forum site you can find many things in this site. if fail in first attempt then you have to try second time.You can also increase your likelihood of successful hunts by looking at maps on Google Maps. I found a cache without a GPS because I looked at this google map image. The dot was on a lone tree. I got to the area, went to the only tree in the area, sure enough the cache was there.

.................................

struts2 jquery

January 21, 2012

When I introduced the nephews, 5 and 7 then, I deliberately chose one that was described as hidden for kids to trade in. Plus it was in a nice park where even if we hadn't found the cache, we had fun hiking through the woods and fording the creek and following the gps too soon bushwhacking off trail, getting caught in the rain, racing back to the car, running into friends, etc. Now they've found more than we have. Often, they play in playgrounds while mom, dad, aunt, etc. look for the stupid little magnetic nano stuffed in a tiny crevice somewhere. Sometimes, they get a babysitter and the grown-ups go out hunting.

First Attempt = Epic Fail!

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