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Help for a Newbie? :) :L


Traveller96

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Never even heard of this till today an have a feeling ill find it harder than it actually is :/ :L

anyone got any tips or help?

I live in the uk (wallasey/new brighton, quite close to Liverpool) but i travel regularly as im only 16 yet have already visited 23 countries :)

currently in arizona visiting the Grand Canyon

Thanks to anyone whos willing to give me any help <3

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You're going to have a blast. First, I would suggest reading

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=8749

 

Then you're going to need either a GPS or smartphone. What you get will depend on your budget and what features you want.

 

I would suggest going caching with another local cacher to see whether the game suits you, before forking over alot of money.

 

Really. Geocaching is very popular, but at the same time alot of people hate it. Make sure it's your cup of tea before you commit. Just thinking of my friend with the $500 GPS used twice. :blink:

 

Lots of GPS reviews here:

 

http://www.gpsinformation.net/

 

And...if you have any questions, please ask. :D

Edited by The_Incredibles_
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Hi there!

I live in the UK too and find it highly addictive, just not enough time to find all the caches I'd like to.

 

I would suggest using the "highlight beginner caches" to start off which gives you caches with a low terrain and difficulty. Try to avoid micros and nanos as these are trickier to find, even experienced cachers can struggle with these.

 

Any further questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

 

Happy caching!

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Hang around the forums. There are plenty of threads with useful advice. Here are the tips that helped me best.

 

1. Prepare. Read the entire cache information page, especially the Difficulty, terrain and cache size ratings. If you're looking for a massive cache, that small rock probably isn't the hiding spot. If the terrain is rated 1, you probably won't have to scale that rock face.

2. Once you get within 15-20 meters of the cache location, stop looking at your GPS and look at your surroundings. Think about where you'd hide a cache in this location.

3. Look for geotrails. Paths of flattened plants and grass where previous finders walked to find the cache.

 

And finally, just stick with it. I found 9 caches myself, but I've also failed to find another 6. Once I have more experience, I'll return and see if I can find them.

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Same! My friend suggested it a couple of weeks ago and armed with my Geomate Jr the kids and I et out yesterday - we've been to 7 different spots over the last 2 days - but haven't actually found any! I'm not sure we've got the hang of it , but we've been on some nice walks

Any adivce/help really appreciated!

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Same! My friend suggested it a couple of weeks ago and armed with my Geomate Jr the kids and I et out yesterday - we've been to 7 different spots over the last 2 days - but haven't actually found any! I'm not sure we've got the hang of it , but we've been on some nice walks

Any adivce/help really appreciated!

 

If you can give us the GC number of one or two of the caches you've tried to find we might be able to give you some extra ideas of what to look out for.

 

MrsB :)

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GC25TR6 By the stream

GC21MB6 A Bridge to fear

GC3E5ZT Red Phone box Braunston in Rutland

GCEE87 Church micro 2562 Braunston

GC2B23K Boy’s Bridge

The other 2 – one is on the railway bridge in Oakham and know I need to feel to find this and the other don’t know which one it is as just following my GPS

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GC25TR6 By the stream

Can't offer any extra ideas if you believe you were searching in the right spot. I'd just put it on watch and see if anyone else has better luck.

GC21MB6 A Bridge to fear

Have you read the two hints?

 

GC3E5ZT Red Phone box Braunston in Rutland

Could be something magnetic and very tiny.

 

GC3EE87 Church micro 2562 Braunston

One cacher calls it "something sneaky" - maybe it's disguised as something else?

 

GC2B23K Boy’s Bridge

Someone commented, "easy to see, not so easy to retrieve..." Sounds like it's in a rather awkward spot.

 

 

Can't give you much help on them... If you log a DNF on each one you could then drop an email to any of the cache owners, mention you're very new to the game and ask them to give you another hint.

 

Or just put them on Watch and see if others manage to find them!

 

MrsB

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Here are some general hints:

 

Look for caches with a difficulty of 2 or less for your fist few caches. Stick with regular sized caches for your first few. Micros can be quite hard to find sometimes. Stick to areas you are familiar with. Look for anything out of place or unusual. Look for unusual piles of sticks, grass, leaves, rocks, sand, etc. Feel where you cannot look. Think vertical, not all caches are on the ground. Look up or at eye level. Look for traces of previous searches to zero in on the spot. Think like the hider - where would you put a container in this location? Look for things too new, too old, too perfect, not like the others, too many, too few. Change your perspective - a shift in lighting can sometimes reveal a cache. Keep in mind that many micros are magnetic or attached to something (via string, wire etc). Slowly expand your search area to about 40 feet from where your GPS says ground zero is. Bring garden gloves and a flashlight - they help! Be prepared to not find the cache more often then you think.

 

Most of all - have fun!

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