New And Confused

[bradleystacks]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum and I am kinda confuse how am i going to start. Can you help me out? And is the game really fun?

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Sure, we can help.

You've already cleared the first hurdle..... by joining.

First... you want to read all that you can find. Click every little link on the geocaching.com home page. Read it all!

It may sound smart-alec (it's not, really), but after you read it all, read it again!

 

If you haven't watched "Geocaching in 2 minutes", it will give you a footing: Geocaching in 2 Minutes .

 

Really, we cannot tell/teach you all, here on the forums. There simply is no way to get you going in this manner.

Many, if not most, have stumbled and bumbled their way through their first few cache finds. It gets easier as you do find some, then more and more. Not easy, really -- but keep in mind that you will stumble, and that is the best teacher.

 

After all of your reading.... use the forums and ask questions. The questions need to be more specific than the generic one you posted here.... there is just too much to cover. Trust me, you will have questions, as you learn.

 

One of the best methods of learning, is to attend an Event Cache. This is where other geocachers are in attendance, most all are ready and willing to help you.

Another very good way, is to link up with a geocaching club near you. To find one, look lower down in the forums, you will find area specific forums. They will have pinned topics with info about contacting those near you. They are categorized by states, regions and countries.

-----------

 

Is it fun? Thereabouts 5 million (according to geocaching.com) think so.

[+Straight-Cache-Homey]

The first bunch of caches is the hardest. The gf and I were absolutely awful the first week or two before we started getting our geosense about us.

[+stijnhommes]

To start you need a GPS device or a smartphone with GPS and a geocaching app.

 

When you've got that sorted you go to www.geocaching.com and type in your home location in the search field to get a list of nearby caches.

You want to try finding a cache with a difficulty and terrain rating of 2 stars or fewer. You can also choose "map this location" to see where they are in your area.

 

When you've chosen a cache, read the page carefully for tips and hints. Input the coordinates in your device and start walking. When you're about 20 ft or 10-15 meters from the cache, drop your GPS and start looking around for good hiding places.

 

Found the cache? Sign the paper log in the cache and trade any items if you so wish. Seal everything up and hide the cache where you found it with the same camouflage. When you get back home, write a log on the site that tells us about your find.

 

Didn't find it? Log it too, so the cache owner and other cachers can learn from you. Maybe it has gone missing. Maybe they're willing to give you a hint to help you on your way.

 

Hope I've been of some help with this information.

[+Ma & Pa]

To start you need a GPS device or a smartphone with GPS and a geocaching app.

 

When you've got that sorted you go to www.geocaching.com and type in your home location in the search field to get a list of nearby caches.

You want to try finding a cache with a difficulty and terrain rating of 2 stars or fewer. You can also choose "map this location" to see where they are in your area.

 

When you've chosen a cache, read the page carefully for tips and hints. Input the coordinates in your device and start walking. When you're about 20 ft or 10-15 meters from the cache, drop your GPS and start looking around for good hiding places.

 

Found the cache? Sign the paper log in the cache and trade any items if you so wish. Seal everything up and hide the cache where you found it with the same camouflage. When you get back home, write a log on the site that tells us about your find.

 

Didn't find it? Log it too, so the cache owner and other cachers can learn from you. Maybe it has gone missing. Maybe they're willing to give you a hint to help you on your way.

 

Hope I've been of some help with this information.

 

That is the best reply.

 

Start out easy, get easy caches, respect the cache, nd write a very simple thank you log. The more you do and the more logs you read, the more comfortable you will get.

 

It is nice to know all the techie stuff (I dont), but here is a story that shows another side.

 

We were caching on PEI last month and met a caching couple doing some of the same caches as us. They are from Nova Scotia and were on a 4 day caching holiday. They have been caching for some time and really enjoying it. They have about 1400 finds. The lady began asking us questions and asking advice that made it clear that they enter most of their coords manually, keep manual record of all their finds, have never hid a cache, have never been to an event, and have no maps in their gps. We told them to contact us and we could give them info about field notes, GSAK, etc. We have yet to hear from them.

 

We also have a friend who has been caching for a year and now has over 1500 finds. She has yet to hide a cache, has given up on GSAK, and has only been to a couple of events. However she goes out regularly, has made friends with other cachers and now has many caching partners.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Ma & Pa

[+Nick&Nora2]

Hi, there! We're new also but having a lot of fun. There's good advice already listed here but one other thing we did (besides reading the FAQs) was to watch the videos on geocaching.com. They contain a lot of useful information, too. Good hunting!

[Cataan144]

Hi, and welcome! I'm a noob, too. If I had one piece of advice, it would be to ignore nano/ micro caches for a bit. It takes a little time to develop an eye for caches, and nano's can be wicked hard to find. And don't get too discouraged when you can't find a cache. Don't ignore the journey just because you don't reach the destination.

[+TxVic]

I'm new too and read all I could. I also watched a bunch of you tube videos, my favorites were the GeoSnippets, informative and sometimes humorous. The best thing I did was to always look for caches that had been found recently, that way I would know it's still there. And, I too, look for the larger ones, but I have found some tiny ones along the way.

 

Is it fun? Heck yes!! But even better, are all the parks, historical places, and creativity that are a part of this hobby. Oh, and as someone else said, go to a group meeting or an event if you can. I went to a CITO, (Cache In, Trash Out) and a class before-hand. I met some cachers and got to look at several different types of GPS's. One cacher was nice enough to explain his in more depth and even let me use it to find a cache. This kind of "hands on" experience is invaluable and all the cachers I have met so far, are just so nice and helpful.

 

One other piece of advice, if you aren't used to being in the woods, look up things that can hurt you in your area before you go out. I didn't and after my first weekend, well, it took a good 2 weeks to stop itching and heal up all the scratches. I was a mess.

 

Cache on!