Personal DNF Policy

[+SwineFlew]

I had one yesterday that I didn't DNF. There was a cache in a city park and it's right at a spot where the park is having a Halloween thing. The cache was behind a set of porta-johns they were using. I took a very quick look using the hint but any more than that I would have felt pretty conspicuous. I moved on. I'm not logging a DNF. It's my account and I don't feel like logging it. I know people who sign the log when they find caches but don't log those, either. It's their prerogative.

It may be your account, but saying nothing is unsportmanship.

[+Sol seaker]

...we decide not to search...

See? As I said... its easy. No need to overthink this.

 

i

(However, your use of a note as opposed to a DNF for the "too many muggles to look" scenario does seem to imply that you feel some degree of failure by posting a DNF. I'd suggest that you simply look at it as a report, and not a value judgement)

 

I will also log a DNF if I looked, but if I got there and didn't look (e.g. because of muggles) then I will also write a note, how can you "not find" something you haven't looked for?

 

A DNF can trigger a CO (or subsequent finders) to think a cache may be missing, so it would be wrong to do that if I didn't even look for it.

 

There are two reasons that I look for DNF's on logs. One is to know if the cache might be missing, the other is to know if the cache is tough.

 

Ratings on caches are often off. Knowing others have DNFed a cache clue me in to it being a tough cache I may need to put extra time into.

 

I log DNFs for these two reasons, but also for just not finding it. If I didn't put much time into searching, or other factors kept me from finding it I will write those things in my log. All of this can be helpful to the finders and hider.

 

If the cache owner gets repeated logs that people don't hunt for the cache due to all the constant muggles, and he wants a cache people will look for, then his next cache may be in a more secluded spot. All of that information can be helpful.

[+Don_J]

A DNF is a DNF. It means you didnt find it because you didnt find it. Isnt that clear enough for you guys?

 

If you get lost in the maze of streets on the way to a cache and didnt get close enough to search, thats a DNF because you didnt find it. No need to post a note.

 

Swineflew, I didn't find any of your caches tonight. Should I post DNFs?

If u start heading to my cache, yes.

 

Okay, I have the gps set. 734 miles north. I think I'm probably going to give up and turn back about 730 miles short. I'll make sure to post a DNF.

 

Just pointing out how silly black and white rules can be. Sometimes you need to actually think about things and make a decision.

 

I had planned out a caching hike with 16 caches in the mountains about 25 miles away. On the way, along Pacific Coast Hwy, west of Malibu, I got stopped for a bicycle race. Literally thousands of bikes were passing me on the right, going up about a 1/4 mile and then crossing the highway and heading back. It took 3 1/2 hours to finally get out of that mess. Infuriated and with no time left to do the hike, I looped around and headed home. I had fully intended on looking for those caches. I was on my way to them and I didn't make it. Should I have posted DNFs on all of them? On the first one, which was actually set as a go-to on my device. According to some here, it's black and white. I started towards the caches and gave up, I DNF'ed them and should post logs accordingly.

[4wheelin_fool]

I'm far behind on logging many of my finds. If you think I'm going to log DNFs from 6 months ago, you're nuts.

[+The Jester]

A DNF is a DNF. It means you didnt find it because you didnt find it. Isnt that clear enough for you guys?

 

If you get lost in the maze of streets on the way to a cache and didnt get close enough to search, thats a DNF because you didnt find it. No need to post a note.

 

Swineflew, I didn't find any of your caches tonight. Should I post DNFs?

If u start heading to my cache, yes.

 

Okay, I have the gps set. 734 miles north. I think I'm probably going to give up and turn back about 730 miles short. I'll make sure to post a DNF.

 

Just pointing out how silly black and white rules can be. Sometimes you need to actually think about things and make a decision.

 

I had planned out a caching hike with 16 caches in the mountains about 25 miles away. On the way, along Pacific Coast Hwy, west of Malibu, I got stopped for a bicycle race. Literally thousands of bikes were passing me on the right, going up about a 1/4 mile and then crossing the highway and heading back. It took 3 1/2 hours to finally get out of that mess. Infuriated and with no time left to do the hike, I looped around and headed home. I had fully intended on looking for those caches. I was on my way to them and I didn't make it. Should I have posted DNFs on all of them? On the first one, which was actually set as a go-to on my device. According to some here, it's black and white. I started towards the caches and gave up, I DNF'ed them and should post logs accordingly.

I'd say you could log a DNF on the first cache, because you were heading (go-to) for it. You weren't heading for the others yet, just the area they are in. Just like if I hunt for a cache on a trail, but don't go any farther, while I was heading towards the next cache on the trail, I wasn't heading for that cache.

[+Don_J]

A DNF is a DNF. It means you didnt find it because you didnt find it. Isnt that clear enough for you guys?

 

If you get lost in the maze of streets on the way to a cache and didnt get close enough to search, thats a DNF because you didnt find it. No need to post a note.

 

Swineflew, I didn't find any of your caches tonight. Should I post DNFs?

If u start heading to my cache, yes.

 

Okay, I have the gps set. 734 miles north. I think I'm probably going to give up and turn back about 730 miles short. I'll make sure to post a DNF.

 

Just pointing out how silly black and white rules can be. Sometimes you need to actually think about things and make a decision.

 

I had planned out a caching hike with 16 caches in the mountains about 25 miles away. On the way, along Pacific Coast Hwy, west of Malibu, I got stopped for a bicycle race. Literally thousands of bikes were passing me on the right, going up about a 1/4 mile and then crossing the highway and heading back. It took 3 1/2 hours to finally get out of that mess. Infuriated and with no time left to do the hike, I looped around and headed home. I had fully intended on looking for those caches. I was on my way to them and I didn't make it. Should I have posted DNFs on all of them? On the first one, which was actually set as a go-to on my device. According to some here, it's black and white. I started towards the caches and gave up, I DNF'ed them and should post logs accordingly.

I'd say you could log a DNF on the first cache, because you were heading (go-to) for it. You weren't heading for the others yet, just the area they are in. Just like if I hunt for a cache on a trail, but don't go any farther, while I was heading towards the next cache on the trail, I wasn't heading for that cache.

 

Thank you. I think the keyword in your reply is "could". It's when people use words like "should" that I tend to want to play Devil's advocate. I tend to look at each situation and then make a decision based on what occurred, instead of coming up with iron clad policies that I must adhere to. Since I was 10 miles and a county short of my destination, I simply wrote about my experience in our local forums, but you are right, I could have posted a DNF on that first cache.

[knowschad]

It's when people use words like "should" that I tend to want to play Devil's advocate.

You should do more of that.

[+Legochugglers]

I had one yesterday that I didn't DNF. There was a cache in a city park and it's right at a spot where the park is having a Halloween thing. The cache was behind a set of porta-johns they were using. I took a very quick look using the hint but any more than that I would have felt pretty conspicuous. I moved on. I'm not logging a DNF. It's my account and I don't feel like logging it. I know people who sign the log when they find caches but don't log those, either. It's their prerogative.

 

As you say this is your prerogative but did you 'write a note'? As a CO I think I would like to know if there were temporary toilets right next to my cache (for many reasons) and If I was a searcher I think it would be imperative to let others no.

[+unabowler]

As you say this is your prerogative but did you 'write a note'? As a CO I think I would like to know if there were temporary toilets right next to my cache (for many reasons) and If I was a searcher I think it would be imperative to let others no.

 

That was a Halloween event which will be there just one more Saturday. I would have looked longer even with porta-johns there if there wasn't a small crowd.

[+briansnat]

I believe the cache hunt begins the moment I hit the GO TO button on my GPS. If I hit GO TO and don't find the cache, it's a DNF for me.

[+God of Caching]

My personal policy on logging a DNF? I have to have visited the spot at least 2 times. I do a lot of night caching so once at night then definately once in the daylight in case I just missed it due to darkness. Also, my idea of a good, thorough search is at least 15 min at GZ but not more than 45 min searching in a 25ft radius of GZ, just due to many GPSr units being differnt. If after those 2 times and the area serached I don't find it ... DNF!!

 

On the flip side of that ... my other personal DNF policy for my caches is ... I will not go to check on the cache unless I get 2 DNF's in a row. Simply from my experience, most of the cachers that are looing for them are fairly new cachers with very little finds. I've gone out too many times after 1 DNF and BAM there's the cache, right where it's supposed to be ...

Edited October 24, 2012 by ray461