What type of cacher are you?

[+bjmccacher]

Just curious, what type of cacher are you? A numbers cacher, a challenge junky, a star chaser, do you go after favorited caches, or a just enjoy a nice hike? I consider myself a hybrid type of cacher, I enjoy all aspects of the hobby. While I enjoy a challenge, I also sometimes just want to pick up a bunch of 1.5/1.5 caches!

[+BlueDeuce]

Unfortunately I'm a cacher who is trying to fill my one cache for every day of the year grid. It has completely sucked the fun out of simply going caching. I wish I could blame it on someone else.

[+dprovan]

Just curious, what type of cacher are you? A numbers cacher, a challenge junky, a star chaser, do you go after favorited caches, or a just enjoy a nice hike? I consider myself a hybrid type of cacher, I enjoy all aspects of the hobby. While I enjoy a challenge, I also sometimes just want to pick up a bunch of 1.5/1.5 caches!

I doubt many cachers are a specific type of the kind you list. I'm out for a nice walk where I can find caches. I'll do any kind of cache to that end, although I admit to being partial to puzzle caches. I've discovered many great parks, explored lots of interesting neighborhoods, and found my share of LPCs that I walked a mile to get to.

 

Unfortunately I'm a cacher who is trying to fill my one cache for every day of the year grid. It has completely sucked the fun out of simply going caching. I wish I could blame it on someone else.

LOL! I know what you mean. I stumbled into doing the local 366 day straight challenge, found the challenge cache itself on day 367, and then took the next three days off. Bliss! I was so glad it was over, and I have no intention of doing anything like it again.

[+jellis]

Just curious, what type of cacher are you? A numbers cacher, a challenge junky, a star chaser, do you go after favorited caches, or a just enjoy a nice hike? I consider myself a hybrid type of cacher, I enjoy all aspects of the hobby. While I enjoy a challenge, I also sometimes just want to pick up a bunch of 1.5/1.5 caches!

I am a numbers cacher, casual cacher and a quality cacher depending one if I am caching with "numbers" cachers, on my own or with a couple of friends. Cachers see my high numbers and assume I do lots of power trails. I can honestly say I have only done one real Power trail and that was the ET Hwy. So if you minus 1500 caches from my amount what do you have? Most of my numbers come from OGC the most Obsessed GeoCacher in the world.

[+Q10]

just enjoy a nice hike?

 

Thats me.

[+redsox_mark]

For me it is mostly about a good hike. I always enjoyed hiking and I need the exercise. I like finding caches, and geocaching motivates me to walk more. Also cachers tend to hide caches in walks they like, so I essentially get recommendations for good walks by looking for caches.

 

But I also like and seek out those caches which are a bit special and more than just a good walk... e.g. crossing tidal mud flats in bare feet, going in underground caves/mines, wading in rivers, climbing trees, etc.

[DannyCaffeine]

Mostly just cache for the fun of it and to explore. I do like to go for harder terrain when I can.

[+nypackman]

I'm an all round cacher. I try to keep the map clean close to home so have to do all type of caches. When from home I look for most where I am. I do prefer hikes to nice spots though so if I have to choose between numbers and quality, quality wins every time.

[+wimseyguy]

I am an omnivorous cacher. I like them all, except for the ridiculous brain bending what am I thinking at level 3 puzzles.I got lucky with the self-imposed pain of the 366 grid challenge. By the time I became aware of it I had about 20 open dates. I posted a list on the wall behind my computer screen to ensure I didn't miss any. I also decided to start the 100 days in a row challenge in March 2011 so that day 100 would fall on Geowoodstock Day, and would also cover the remaining 14 dates.

 

The 100 days in a row was less fun-I didn't really like feeling that I had to go caching but I do like challenges. Here's an excerpt from my log on that one.

 

In order to complete this challenge I have found caches on the same days that I had root canal, a minor surgical procedure (needed to be chauffeured to a cache), worked 15+ hours, and attended my father in law's funeral (and the travel days too). I wanted day 100 to be significant, so I counted back from 7/2 when I would be at Geowoodstock 9, and started on March 25th (one of the 15 hour work days). While I was at it I kept going for a few more days, but broke the streak on 7/6 after getting back home.

[Tahosa and Sons]

I'm me and enjoy it the way that suits me. First preference is to do backcountry hides, after that if the whim strikes I will look for some.

[+Snoogans]

Unfortunately I'm a cacher who is trying to fill my one cache for every day of the year grid. It has completely sucked the fun out of simply going caching. I wish I could blame it on someone else.

 

You are not the first person I've heard express that sentiment in the past 2 days. Word has it the last few weeks are the most miserable.

 

That's self torture I'm not into. Flagellation sounds about as much fun. I think I'll try that first.

[+terratin]

Unfortunately I'm a cacher who is trying to fill my one cache for every day of the year grid. It has completely sucked the fun out of simply going caching. I wish I could blame it on someone else.

 

Ha! We're currently doing the same, and only need 10 more caches this month and then we're done. For most of it it wasn't so difficult as I could pick up quite a few when cycling to the office or back, and many free days happened to be either during vacations or on weekends were we would have cached anyway.

 

Generally, I think we'd be the nice long hike cachers. But as there are no nice long hikes around here and no nice country side to start with we do that mainly on vacations and otherwise work on challenges that sound interesting enough, solve mysteries or just pick up a cache or two when we feel like it. We (read: me) are occasional FTF hunters if new caches happen to be within cycling distance, we love Earthcaches and mainly I love to fill the country overview. We've cached in 10 countries this year, including 3 new ones for our stats map.

 

Mrs Terratin

[+Mudfrog]

Unfortunately I'm a cacher who is trying to fill my one cache for every day of the year grid. It has completely sucked the fun out of simply going caching. I wish I could blame it on someone else.

 

You are not the first person I've heard express that sentiment in the past 2 days. Word has it the last few weeks are the most miserable.

 

That's self torture I'm not into. Flagellation sounds about as much fun. I think I'll try that first.

 

I know a couple of people who are trying consecutive day caching challenges and i've heard a few complaints come from them. Even so, there's no doubt that they'll feel pretty good if they achieve their goal. It's not something i would ever want to try.

 

By the way, i wouldn't flagellate around my worst enemy. Oh wait, i was thinking the word flagellation meant something else!

 

On topic, i like to be out in the woods myself. Caches that take me out on a hike in the forest, up a mountain, and on a river or lake are my favorites. I do like to challenge myself with harder to get caches such as ones placed up in a tree, in more rugged terrain, or out in the water. I used to really like trying to solve puzzle caches (not real good at most but i enjoyed trying to figure them out) but i've slowed down with them since i have so many irons in the fire these days. I always have fun finding creatively hidden caches as well as caches that take me to a cool places... I guess this means i'm not a numbers cacher!

[+Planet]

Hikes, paddles, and beautiful places.

If I cared about the numbers, I would have all my finds logged. Trying to figure out which ones I missed is a lot of work.

My geocaching app searches generally involve Traditional, letterbox hybrids (but not for the letterbox aspect of it), and sometimes, but rarely, multis. Terrain and difficulty depends on what hurts at the time. Since the brain hemorrhage, I haven't done much hiking at all. I spent my summer in my kayak. I got a few paddle caches in. And did some easy roadside caches in VT and NY. But would have preferred to be walking in the woods, climbing a hill, or even a rail trail.

[+Snoogans]

Just curious, what type of cacher are you? A numbers cacher, a challenge junky, a star chaser, do you go after favorited caches, or a just enjoy a nice hike? I consider myself a hybrid type of cacher, I enjoy all aspects of the hobby. While I enjoy a challenge, I also sometimes just want to pick up a bunch of 1.5/1.5 caches!

 

Not into numbers, but I do enjoy seeing milestones. I could care less for challenge caches, but I was just starting to enjoy the photo challenges which will be erased from our memory in just shy of a week. I could care less about the star grid. I do like to find much favorited caches and caches that have good word of mouth. Those are the only caches I will go outta my way for.

 

I would call myself a socially outgoing well rounded omnivorous opportunistic cacher.

 

No cache is beneath hunting as long as I'm not wasting valuable time and gas to get it. I'm up for anything if a cache has rave reviews. I like attending events and hosting events and participating in online geocaching forums. I always have two dozen or more half baked geocaching projects going. I cache in some way, shape, or form, every single day. Just because my find count says 1250+ after 10 years, don't think for a minute that I'm not much of a cacher. I tend to want to cache more on trips than I do when I am at home which is reflected in my stats and has made some of the locals think, quite wrongly, that I'm mostly retired.

 

There are 70+ fully stocked ammo cans in my garage just waiting... There are probably close to two dozen small and micro sized caches ready to go in my car, man cave, & caching bag just waiting for a good spot I can also maintain. There are a couple thousand more containers with cache potential in boxes and bins in my garage. I'm really more of a hider than a finder, but my preferred hiding zone is the Eastern Sierras which is an 1800 mile commute most of the year. If I could live there, I would probably be among the most prolific hiders. Just wait until I retire there.

[+redwoodkestrel]

I definitely favor the hiking caches, though on those days I'm not feeling up to a hike, I also really love finding a remote back road loop that has a few caches along it (not a power trail) and going for a beautiful drive. I've seen some truly amazing places where maybe one or two other cars have passed me all day. On those roads, I figure if I'm going to do a PNG, I at least will get some scenery in. And often on those roads the caches are a short walk from where you park. Puzzle caches are also a favorite, and as long as I can solve it, I'll go find it wherever it is, whether it be a 5 mile hike or in a parking lot.

[GOF and Bacall]

Unfortunately I'm a cacher who is trying to fill my one cache for every day of the year grid. It has completely sucked the fun out of simply going caching. I wish I could blame it on someone else.

 

If it's not fun don't do it.

[GOF and Bacall]

I like caches that take me someplace new the best. But take me for a nice walk in nature and I'll be happy. Teach me something new and I'll be happy. Take me to yet another parking lot or some such and I'll be under-whelmed.

[+Maingray]

Nice post, showing the diversity of what cachers like.

 

This sounded like one of those Character Profile Quizzes with multiple choice questions. Aww, it isn't.

 

Probably hybrid based on the OP...I like everything. Experienced power trails, long hikes, boat, underground etc etc. I think I like Challenge caches as a good personal goal setter and for trip planning over the last few years (Delorme, County, streaks, D/T, Greatest Hits, State Capitol etc etc) which has made for a huge variety.

 

A thing less mentioned above is the social aspect (with or without associated event caches) which is my main reason to cache. My family likes to cache, I have a large set of friends that cache individually or as a group, so its a good dovetail with social life. I also like the community building aspect, and the interactions with muggle land managers / agencies, and have used the social side as an icebreaker multiple times for a couple of adult and teen support groups.

 

So a Social Hybrid (SH) Cacher?

[+Mr. 0]

Mostly I just enjoy a nice hike, or an interesting location.

[+sgtzara]

Have my moments, sometimes I like to head out and go for a rake of park and grabs, other times I'll happily spend the full day hiking for just one cache ... recently discovered a new love for mountain caches. I guess you could say I like all aspects of our hobby.

[+Lieblweb]

It depends..... I love all aspects of the hobby. We have several 'goals' going on at the same time. From filling the calendar, to filling the D/T chart, Filling the Delorme/County challenge and alphanumeric challenges....

 

It all depends on my work schedule, the weather, how much time there is available .... Bla bla bla.

 

Love the quick ones when it fills a challenge. Love the hard ones and the outdoors!

[+JL_HSTRE]

I like geocaching to be a tour guide or teacher. I like Earthcaches, caches to do with history, and "tour guide" multicaches. I enjoy some puzzles, depending on what the puzzle is. Themed caches are fun as are creative containers. I enjoy caches requiring hiking or kayaking or tree climbing. I do care about filling my stat grids and I like many Challenges though I'd prefer if they were just accomplishes in my profile (ala Souvenirs) rather than caches.

 

I usually avoid park-n-grabs and power trails. I don't like to search for a cache for 15 minutes, much less an hour, so I don't usually enjoy very difficult hides and especially not needle-in-a-haystack hides.

[+chasclifton]

I'm an all round cacher. I try to keep the map clean close to home so have to do all type of caches. When from home I look for most where I am. I do prefer hikes to nice spots though so if I have to choose between numbers and quality, quality wins every time.

 

What he said!

[+niraD]

I'm pretty sure almost every geocacher I know is some sort of "hybrid type of cacher". I can't think of any that are interested in only one type of cache, in only one type of geocaching experience.

 

I'm pretty omnivorous myself, although I have no interest in numbers run trails, and I tend to add challenge caches to my ignore list when they appear within my blast radius. But I love puzzles, caches that feature history or public art, well-camouflaged caches, high-terrain caches, (sub)urban caches, remote caches, etc., etc., etc.

[+Semper Questio]

I prefer going for a hike or a bike ride and doing some bushwhacking or something, but I usually don;'t have the time and often don't have the ability so I settle for whatever I can score whenever and wherever I can get the chance.

[+BlueDeuce]

Unfortunately I'm a cacher who is trying to fill my one cache for every day of the year grid. It has completely sucked the fun out of simply going caching. I wish I could blame it on someone else.

 

If it's not fun don't do it.

 

Thank you for assuming I'm a rational person.

[+Semper Questio]

Unfortunately I'm a cacher who is trying to fill my one cache for every day of the year grid. It has completely sucked the fun out of simply going caching. I wish I could blame it on someone else.

 

Yeah, BD, I know exactly what you're saying. Some time ago I started a streak that ended with a major caching accident after 409 days. I was more crushed by the end of the streak than by the accident. But then, after a few days, I felt absolute relief.

 

Caching had become a chore and was absolutely no fun. It was all about getting the cache for the day and holding back finds in areas just so I would have viable target zones under different circumstances.

 

I may not be able to cache like I want to because of my accident, but when I do, it is about fun and recreation and while I'm caching I have 1 supreme rule...when the fun goes, so do I. That led to my new caching mantra which you will find in my sig line (and not the one about the sledgehammer).

 

The moment I find that I am getting frustrated, aggravated, or anything else and I'm not having fun, my caching day is over or at least suspended until I can get my mindset right again.

[+imanxman]

I'd have to call me a "laid-back diversity goal cacher"

 

somebody called me a diversity cacher...because I have at least 5 types of my own caches out there, and i'm working on type 6. but i cache the same way - i like goals (not challenges, goals), and do things at MY speed, which is playing the looong game. i'm working on my 366 grid now...but only after caching for 5 1/2 years: for the last two years i've taken swipes at it, and when a date gets past me, i think oops...one more year to go... i think this is the lucky year, only about 20+ left to go...mostly in December!

 

i like to let the herd grow back...i do not want to overhunt to the point where i HAVE to go at least 10 miles to find a cache. i keep thinking about doing a 5-mile radius...but it never really happens. i am NOT into numbers, but i am into achievements. download the GenBadges macro for GSAK, it will give you LOTS of things to try for! by it's reckoning i almost qualify for a 'black belt' on the goals, except that I have less than 800 finds, and you need 3000 for a black belt. Hunh. I will finish the goals and not worry about the numbers.

 

I did get to 50 FTFs...and then I stopped, I love watching my friends get them, even moreso love watching other cachers get their FIRST FTF...great moments! makes it worth not running out like a fireman.

 

so i respect my friends who do streaks, but i'll probably never do one myself. i stopped at all of 13 days in a row, when it began to feel like work instead of play. play should never feel like work. I will try the 50 in a day goal at some point...but my way, I found a nice 4WD trail my jeep can help me knock that down one day. my way.

 

so, a laid-back diversity goal cacher?

Edited December 5, 2012 by imanxman

[+BlueDeuce]

For the record. My addiction to the game hasn't lessened since day one.

[+sidekeck]

Unfortunately I'm a cacher who is trying to fill my one cache for every day of the year grid. It has completely sucked the fun out of simply going caching. I wish I could blame it on someone else.

 

I did a cache-a-day for 30 days challenge a few years back and it sucked GMB. This was during the summer and after about 10 days the joy had been sucked out of it for me. I knew then there was no way I would be doing any other challenges, and that's okay.

 

Now I cache whenever, however and with whomever I choose. Essentially, whenever the mood strikes I go. Or lately, whenever the weather is good out in the kayaks we go.

 

I'm not a big fan of parking lot caches or most p & g's, but they do have their place. When we get our group together and head out, with the right prop in tow (think pink feather boa), any cache can be a fun cache. At that point it's all about who is with you and less about the cache itself.

[4wheelin_fool]

I like caches which require a long hike, a kayak, climbing equipment, or my girlfriend to solve a difficult puzzle.

The others are okay if there is an unusual aspect about the cache or the area. Caches which haven't been found in a long time are preferred also, as they are similar to time machines. Powertrails can be interesting also.

 

I would never force myself to complete a challenge by changing my natural habits.

[+bjmccacher]

Wow, tons of hikers, you know, until I started caching, I didn't even know I loved the outdoors, now this year for christmas, I asked for hiking boots and a backpack! I wish I lived in an area with more lakes and wilderness, but try and take advantage of a long walk in the wilderness when I can!

[+terratin]

I know what you say. Outdoors is fine as long as it doent need hikes - that's how I used to think pre-caching

[+313JTG]

I'm really into challenge caches, even though I've only completed and found one. Aside from challenge caches and puzzle caches (yeah, I'm one of those puzzle geeks, lol), I am all about the numbers. Seeing my statistics go up gets me motivated to get back on there and find 20 more.

 

I imagine someday I'll be going after my days of the year grid, probably in 2016 when I get my next shot at Leap Day. Until then, I'll keep collecting days of the year so that 2016 won't be so chaotic!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Wow, tons of hikers, you know, until I started caching, I didn't even know I loved the outdoors, now this year for christmas, I asked for hiking boots and a backpack! I wish I lived in an area with more lakes and wilderness, but try and take advantage of a long walk in the wilderness when I can!

 

I'm just the opposite. I did a lot of hiking long before I ever heard of a GPS. Coincidentally, I've haven't really hiked that much just for the sake of taking a hike. Since I was born in a coastal town in Northern California and had an uncle that was a commercial fisherman his entire adult life, I was practically born with a fishing rod in my hands. Once I could drive I began to take frequent trips up into the Sierra Nevada mountains to fish high country lakes and streams for native trout and the best fishing was usually a couple of miles from where one could park a vehicle, thus requiring at least a 4 mile round trip hike when I did a multi-day trip (going solo on quite a few occasions).

 

As a type of geocacher, I'd like to think I've evolved quite a bit since I first started. In the first 2-3 years I tried to find everything, and anything. Now, I going geocaching much less frequently, and geocaching while traveling more than I do locally.

[+briansnat]

I like a nice hike or paddle or caches in historic or otherwise unique locations.

[+Sol seaker]

I vary a lot.

 

Some days I'm only for the best caches. I like caches on hikes, with great views, or caches that take me somewhere great.

 

Then some days I've just got to either go for it, or fill in the blanks.

 

I just get an itch to find as many as I can.

 

Then other days I need to work at increasing the radius of my pocket queries.

I keep pocket queries running of the areas in which I drive on a regular basis. I keep them loaded in my GPS and I'm set to go at any moment.

The problem is, the area I normally drive in is bigger than my GPS. I've got some queries planned out, but there are spaces between them. The more caches I find within each query, the larger the radius of the query.

 

I've gotten a couple of them to merge, but then just created a new one I need to merge with an old one. You know what that means: numbers caching!!! Clear 'em out!!! It's a tough job but someone's got to do it!!

[+Totem Clan]

It depends. What day is it?

[+Panther&Pine]

Generally I like to be the kind to find caches.

Currently I'm working on cache a day, getting to my next mile stone, and finding all of DaveEllen's caches.

[+OZ2CPU]

if you want to know what kind of cacher a person is ?

why not just look up their profile ?

see the stats, see the pictures, see the logs,

I guess this tell the whole story,

in fact lets try this experiment for real..

you look me up OZ2CPU and tell me what you get out of the info you can find there,

and I honostly say yes or no or explain futher if needed..

[+terratin]

Here's another me: I like getting rid of DNFs. I think we have a total of only 71 DNFs over nearly 1700 finds, of which 30 are not archived yet. We always log, btw. I'm sure we'll eventually try to find these caches.

[+ArcherDragoon]

Social

[+alien55]

We like discovering new parks through geocaching. We'll go after urban hides but we're not keen on searching in high traffic areas where it's difficult to avoid attracting attention. It's always a thrill finding a cache; yes, even those under lamp post skirts! We're not numbers cachers or FTF hogs. We'd like to spend more time caching and we envy the retired cachers who seem to be out on the hunt every day. We also get a lot of enjoyment from hiding our own caches and following the logs.

[Ranger Fox]

I do more than I don't, though I have my preferences. I'm a lot of things and not some others.

 

I am a:

• Travel cacher - Local caching just gets me by, but I like to travel to other areas and do my caching there. Someone once invited me up to Michigan. When I discovered it wasn't just an offhand courtesy, I made arrangements to visit after four or five months. Geocaching is the only excuse I have to experience the world beyond where I live. I try to collect things to remind me of my trips.
  
• Epic logger - My longest logs span eleven pages and took me several hours to write (example). An eleven page log translates to one find log, seven note logs, and between a dozen and two dozen pictures. This conflicts with number caching, so I'm usually always behind on logging. Typical logs are between five and sixty sentences. Needless to say, I strongly oppose form and generic logging. My epic log tagline is "That's my geocaching story; what's yours?" I would like to see an end to the decline of cache log quality, even for light pole hides.
  
• Numbers cacher - The more I travel, the more I find. I do like driving down the cost per cache of a trip to under one dollar, and quantity is the only way to do this.
  
• Quality cacher - The closer a quality cache is to my area, the greater chance it has of my doing it (due to the time required to even attempt). Mindless caches are a way to pass the time until something worthwhile comes up.
  
• Terrain cacher - There's nothing better than hiking up a hill or mountain to find a cache. I've crawled in tubes, shimmied out underneath a vehicle bridge, hiked with mountain goats, and even climbed pretty far up trees. I could do without the latter, though. I enjoy hiking around a national forest in my area. The land rules keep changing, so I've long since given up trying to get anything published there as it's not worth my time to place (or, rather, I should just submit it once a quarter until the rules change to where it's allowed again).
  
• Cache-a-day - I started a streak before I completed my first year of caching. Caches just kept coming out and I kept doing them, partly for the FTFs. Two months later, I had an unbroken streak, so I decided to see how long I could keep it up (this was before I heard of streaks). All that started in March 2007 and I haven't broken it since. Some locals would rather I stop and no one places caches just so I can maintain something like this. I do so via my rather chaotic area caching and passing up a hundred nearby caches to drive half an hour away just to find one (and, sometimes, return the very next day to find the next closest to the previous day's cache).
  
• Wherigo cacher - Enough said. If not, visit the Wherigo forum.
  
• Photographer - I'm active. Therefore, my profile picture should be active. At the very least, it changes once a month. For the past few months, I've changed it once a week. I have now gone through close to 200 profile pictures.
  
• Heritage cacher - I take a photographic archive of as many pre-2006 log books as I can find. I remember when we used to write about our experience in the physical log. Before these caches are archived or lost, I want to preserve for future generations the stories told there. My log book archives are online: the Geocaching Heritage Project.
  
• Virtual fan - The draw to virtuals is that, by now, the ones that typically weren't good quality have been archived. Their value is in their quality and rarity. Allowing virtuals again might introduce silly park and grab virtuals, which will cause virtuals to lose their appeal.
  

 

I am not a:

• Puzzle lover - I program for a living and I dislike having to stare at the screen for any longer, trying to see if I can think of what the cache owner was thinking of. I solved a bunch of puzzles in 2006, when I had more free time. To this date, I think I only ever went out to find five percent of those. It's just not worth my time. I will occasionally solve a puzzle, but whether or not I actually go out to find the cache is a different matter. I have an arrangement with another cacher in my area: she can spend the time to solve the puzzles when we cache together and I'll do the terrain challenges. This has worked out well.
  
• Waymarker - I still have a hundred waymarks to log from my trip to Chicago in 2009.
  
• Challenge junkie - I've done most challenges, thanks to my reserve of found caches. I used to be really into it, but it lost its appeal after I was able to pass most challenges. There's this webcam challenge not too far from where I live. I've completed the challenge, but haven't yet bothered to target that cache. I'll do it whenever I come to it. Other challenges require time I can put into doing other things and vehicle mileage I'd rather not incur (because my commute is a 140 mile round trip every day).
  
• Geocaching Challenges fan - When this first came out, I played around with it and used some photos from my archives to complete the challenge. However, I can only concentrate on so many games at one time, so didn't want to spread myself thinner than I already am.
  
• FTF junkie - I was this at one time. My commute now puts me at such a disadvantage that I can no longer compete in the game. I'm very close to a 1K FTF milestone. I was planning to stop after that because being an FTF junkie impedes on others' fun. It's so much better to skip out on an FTF and read a log from someone who was so excited at finding a cache first when, had I done so, it would have just been one more to put on the pile.
  
• Stamper - I don't like stamping logs, putting preprinted paper in them, or anything but signing where you're supposed to sign.
  
• Stats lover - The locals in my area ruined this for me. Because of them, I hide my stats and do not announce any of my achievements or milestones. I kee
  
• Fanatic - You can't tell I'm a geocacher by looking at my car or the shirts I wear. I do not like advertising this.
  
• Brief person - Mmm... yeah. I wrote too much. But at least I don't have anything to add.
  

[+bjmccacher]

Ranger fox, I loved reading your post, thanks!

[+Understandblue]

Okay I totally went down the rabbit hole with that awesome Ranger Fox post and log - wow - what a beautiful place.

 

I love being outside and seeing beautiful places on my daily walks. I started geocaching because I walk for several hours each day and found out (thanks to mtnbirders) there were tons of caches on my route. Then I expanded my area and now feel like a tourist in my own town because of the amazingly beautiful places I had never seen and wouldn't have seen but for the caches.

 

I'm not a huge fan of urban caches - I like the peace and solitude of the trails. I like the photography opportunities and the wildlife.

 

I love puzzles and multis. Everything about geocaching speaks to my inner Nancy Drew.

 

I love trackables and I love beautiful and creative containers.

[+WRASTRO]

Unfortunately I'm a cacher who is trying to fill my one cache for every day of the year grid. It has completely sucked the fun out of simply going caching. I wish I could blame it on someone else.

I decided to go look and discovered that I still have 18 days of the year with no finds. Six are in December and three are in January. So I can eliminate half of my days with no finds in short order, but I won't since I don't really care.

[+popokiiti]

A bit of a mix, but I enjoy the caches that make me think. "Within 6 feet of the flagging" - much closer than I'd thought, and was grateful that I had that "check there" moment. Love caches hiding in plain sight. The ingenuity of some hiders is fantastic. Most recent favourite was a cache by the A-Team....you had to be in position to hear the coordinates which took you to a super view spot. B12 - I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

Edited December 8, 2012 by popokiiti

[+Ahern Clan]

Great topic and posts.

 

Geocaching has gotten me out hiking. I was never into hiking and I live in one of the most scenic areas of Arizona. Now I truly enjoy it and if I only get 1 cache in a 2 hour hike, then it's fine.

 

I also like a little diversity in terms of 'numbers'. I am statistics-oriented so trying things like a power trail just to get 100 in a day was fun. I will do another one some day but it's not the only thing in the world I must do.

 

Like others have mentioned, I too am making a more concerted effort to fill in the 366 days calendar since leap day was such a big deal. It makes it hard to do locally when I've gotten a lot of the caches nearby and trying to get one a day isn't feasible if you got to do a 2 hour hike for one. So, when my modest little streak ends, I will try again.

 

More importantly, spending time with my kids. I have and will cache solo, but it's fun as a family event. My kids enjoy competing to get the 'milestone' caches (100, 200, 300 etc). When we first started caching and created our account, I wanted it to be an account that someday will continue on to include the grandkids (quite a ways off!) and give my kids the opportunity to continue caching as a family after they are grown and moved out.

 

I am not a fan of the multi-caches or getting obsessed with getting the first to finds. I have gotten neither of these in over 600 finds and if it happens, it will. Also not too big a fan on puzzle caches but probably because I just have to put more time aside for some of them.

 

I am also not a fan of things like 'web cam' caches. That's not caching to me. Same for virtuals. I've done a few virtuals but I don't go out of my way for them. As a matter of fact, I drive by one every day going to and from work that I've yet to get.

 

If it's gonna frustrate me, then I don't like it. And that often is a result of things like 'micros' in the desert vs. in a parking lot. I won't shy away from micros by any means but if I don't find it, it just takes the fun out of caching.

 

Anyway, I'm babbling on. Look forward to reading more comments on this subject.