To streak on, or stop?

December 8, 2012

ok so I am currently on day 151 of a streak, but with the weather change and Christmas coming up fast, I have a lot of other calls on my time and going out every day (driving for 20-30 mins) to get a cache is getting harder and harder.

so I need feedback/advice, do I stop my streak and go back to trying to fill in my grid, which will mean I can sigh a huge sigh of relief, my petrol costs will fall dramatically and I might even have time to get some presents wrapped up for my family

or

do I keep going with the streak, because I will never get to this many days streak ever again!

?????

part of me thinks, I have achieved what I set out to do, a 100 day streak to qualify for a challenge cache, and then some! and it is becoming a chore and not something fun, but another part of me thinks I will never get to this point again and looking back over the months of the streak it has been hard work and seems a shame to stop now.

How did other cachers end their streak?

Help!

confused cacher (day 151 of streak)

Edited December 8, 2012 by pixeltash

December 8, 2012

go for the streak, esp. if you think you will never get up to that many ever again. You'll feel good when you hit that 365.

3.7k · December 8, 2012

It sounds like it's becoming more work than fun. I have seen a number of people who did streaks past the point of fun. It was damaging to their enjoyment of the game and affected their families too. 1 person I know who did this hardly caches anymore. I would suggest stopping.

7.5k · December 8, 2012

I was surprised to read, in another discussion, a couple of people who did a 365 day streak complain that they didn't enjoy it and would never do it again. My vote: stop now that it's become a time-consuming, expensive (gas money), uncomfortable (winter-conditions) chore.

Edited December 8, 2012 by L0ne R

December 8, 2012

It sounds like it's becoming more work than fun. I have seen a number of people who did streaks past the point of fun. It was damaging to their enjoyment of the game and affected their families too. 1 person I know who did this hardly caches anymore. I would suggest stopping.

I too have gotten to that point. I wanted to go for 365 and fill the calendar.

I quit at 108 days. I did so many crappy LPC's that it did kind of burned me out on caching.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who has done this for a streak, and I am going to admit I did. Just after 100 (I don't remember which cache it was), I knew I couldn't get in a cache that day. We were in the process of moving and changing jobs and so forth. So my gf (she hated that I was going for the streak) suggested that I "just do two tomorrow" when I was stressing out about not being able to find a cache. I said, that's cheating. But at first light, I went out the next night and signed the log for the previous day, knowing that it wouldn't be likely too many people would be out that early. Then got my normal cache in the afternoon like I did every other day. I felt pretty bad about cheating.

A couple days later I ended up in the same situation, and that's when I said "Screw the streak, I'm not cheating myself". I posted a note in the 200 Day Challenge cache page that "I am bowing out. Not getting this streak does not make me any less of a geocacher."

At the time of me ending my streak, fourteen people in my area have logged the 100 Day challenge. Three people have logged the 200 Day Challenge. Two have done the 300, 400, 500, and 600 day challenge (the creator of the challenges, when he completes it, and then one person to log it). These two cachers are competing to see who can hold out the longest. One is an individual, and one is a family that all logs under the same name.

Edited December 8, 2012 by gustav129

6.1k · December 8, 2012

So do you look forward to your next days caching:

yes -> carry on with the streak while you're still enjoying it.

no -> give it up, it's nolonger fun.

2.6k · December 8, 2012

My streak was forcibly ended after 409 days by a major caching accident and I could not be happier. Caching had stopped being fun and had become work, nearing obsession. Getting my cache for the day controlled every aspect of my life. Now it is all about getting outside and having some fun. When it stops being fun I quit for the day. I'll never go for another streak again, but you have to decide for yourself.

1.2k · December 8, 2012

It sounds like it's becoming more work than fun. I have seen a number of people who did streaks past the point of fun. It was damaging to their enjoyment of the game and affected their families too. 1 person I know who did this hardly caches anymore. I would suggest stopping.

I'll second that. Maintaining a streak is just a good way to get burned out. If it ceases to be fun, then a person had better stop.

December 8, 2012

Sounds like your area just doesn't have enough caches to easily support a daily streak.

1.3k · December 8, 2012

Keep going.

The more adversity you overcome completing the streak, the more gratifying it will be when you get there.

If fuel costs are a concern, use public transit.

December 8, 2012

I quit after day 400 because it was more work than fun. This is something only you can decide. Like others have said, if it's more work than fun, QUIT!

December 9, 2012

To me it is do as you want to. If it becomes too much of a chore, then quit. If it is a challenge that you would feel good about completing, go for it. Or................ You could do like some I have seen. Get a stamp, run a power trail or two, just stamping the logs -- no date. Then log them online as you need another for that particular day. :yikes: Or, log one with a statement that you found this one in the past, but just realized that you hadn't logged it online. :unsure: Play the game as you want. It is only a game. If you want to do like some and try to fool others with some statistics, that is your business. If you want to do it for your own satisfaction, that is the way to play it. Please yourself. It is your game............streak or no streak.

As to gas and keeping a streak alive, there is no way I personnally would do it. Where I am at, there aren't many caches and the ones are mostly rural areas, so stats are not important to me. Just find a cache as I am able and when I have time and when I am in the area.

2.6k · December 9, 2012

I don't think I would even try. I have some 4+ plus terrain caches fairly close to me but the closest non-hiking cache is 30 miles away. In order to include 365 unfound caches a circle starting at my home coords would have to be 60 miles in radius, and that's if I include all the high terrain cache and all the puzzles.

That would not be caching. That would be work.

Edited December 9, 2012 by Totem Clan

5k · December 9, 2012

ok so I am currently on day 151 of a streak, but with the weather change and Christmas coming up fast, I have a lot of other calls on my time and going out every day (driving for 20-30 mins) to get a cache is getting harder and harder.

so I need feedback/advice, do I stop my streak and go back to trying to fill in my grid, which will mean I can sigh a huge sigh of relief, my petrol costs will fall dramatically and I might even have time to get some presents wrapped up for my family

or

do I keep going with the streak, because I will never get to this many days streak ever again!

?????

part of me thinks, I have achieved what I set out to do, a 100 day streak to qualify for a challenge cache, and then some! and it is becoming a chore and not something fun, but another part of me thinks I will never get to this point again and looking back over the months of the streak it has been hard work and seems a shame to stop now.

How did other cachers end their streak?

Help!

confused cacher (day 151 of streak)

Hugh sigh of relief? The choice would be simple for me. This stuff is supposed to be fun. As far as the 365 grid, the game isn't going anywhere. It took me three years to fill it after I decided that it was something that I wanted to do.

6k · December 9, 2012

A couple of years ago I filled out my chart for a Day of the Year challenge towards the end it wasn't actually fun. I decided that if it wasn't fun I wouldn't do it any more.

So only do what is fun. this hobby is to much fun to ruin it with some artificial element added that becomes a drudge.

19k · December 9, 2012

I work for a living & I geocache for fun. I have no interest in turning geocaching into work.

2.8k · December 9, 2012

It sounds like it's becoming more work than fun. I have seen a number of people who did streaks past the point of fun. It was damaging to their enjoyment of the game and affected their families too. 1 person I know who did this hardly caches anymore. I would suggest stopping.

+1.

December 9, 2012

Continue on! My wedding was in the middle of one of my streaks. I still found time to grab two caches on that day.

December 9, 2012

part of me thinks, I have achieved what I set out to do, a 100 day streak to qualify for a challenge cache, and then some! and it is becoming a chore and not something fun

Based on this statement alone I would quit. If its not fun is it worth doing?

2.8k · December 9, 2012

I quit a 138 day streak for the exact same reason, it stopped being fun. Right now I'm trying to fill in calendar holes but having to cache I do not enjoy and I already missed some.

December 9, 2012

I ended a streak at 189 days because it was such a chore. It was no longer any fun. I was stressing out about finding a cache for the day. Finally I said enough was enough.

There is a 200 consecutive day challenge cache a couple of hours from where I live. Even though I was 11 days short of qualifying for it, and I thought about hanging on until then, I have no regrets about stopping. My sanity is worth more than a challenge cache or a streak.

19k · December 9, 2012

ok so I am currently on day 151 of a streak, but with the weather change and Christmas coming up fast, I have a lot of other calls on my time and going out every day (driving for 20-30 mins) to get a cache is getting harder and harder.

so I need feedback/advice, do I stop my streak and go back to trying to fill in my grid, which will mean I can sigh a huge sigh of relief, my petrol costs will fall dramatically and I might even have time to get some presents wrapped up for my family

or

do I keep going with the streak, because I will never get to this many days streak ever again!

?????

part of me thinks, I have achieved what I set out to do, a 100 day streak to qualify for a challenge cache, and then some! and it is becoming a chore and not something fun, but another part of me thinks I will never get to this point again and looking back over the months of the streak it has been hard work and seems a shame to stop now.

How did other cachers end their streak?

Help!

confused cacher (day 151 of streak)

I'd like to point out that, to a purist geocacher, you have neither a streak, nor a grid. Nor do you have anything to "light up" except for your fun button. All these things are enhancements/distractions/variants/perversions that have come along since. Please feel free to ignore them all, as I have done. Just because you love to eat cereal doesn't mean that you HAVE to collect the box tops.

December 9, 2012

I'm pretty addicted to challenges, was going to streak for 366, and just as I neared the end, a challenge came out requiring a streak from jan 1-dec 31. So the streak had to go on! Sitting at around 430 days or so, and I can't wait for jan 1 to get here . Keep going, as long as you can, it's not that bad!!!

5k · December 9, 2012

I quit a 138 day streak for the exact same reason, it stopped being fun. Right now I'm trying to fill in calendar holes but having to cache I do not enjoy and I already missed some.

The things is, they'll be there next year and there won't be as many of them.

5k · December 9, 2012

Kind of related. Our regularly scheduled Meet n' Greet just happened to fall on 12/12/12, so I've been thinking all along, cool, I get the souvenir just for doing what I was planning on doing any way. Now, I find out that I have to work late that day and will miss the event. So I'm thinking, I have to find a cache on the way to work because I have to find a cache that day. But that means I have to leave early. And what if I can't find the cache I decide to look for. I better line up a backup. What if there's traffic. I can't be late to work. Maybe I can find one after work, but I stink at looking for caches in the dark.

It's already starting to seem like a chore and more trouble than it's worth. I may just say, "screw it". I can't believe that someone would put themselves through this for hundreds of days in a row.

2.8k · December 9, 2012

I quit a 138 day streak for the exact same reason, it stopped being fun. Right now I'm trying to fill in calendar holes but having to cache I do not enjoy and I already missed some.

The things is, they'll be there next year and there won't be as many of them.

Yup, I enjoy numbers and stats and as you know I'm extremely competitive but I sure am glad I'm not a slave to having to find a cache. Oddly enough while going for the streak I actually drove more, cached less, spent more money, found less caches and spent more time in the doghouse.

My longest streak without a find used to be 4 days, I fugured I'd keep it at that but without knowing somehow I missed 5 days, maybe I'll keep it at that.

Edited December 9, 2012 by Roman!

2.8k · December 9, 2012

Kind of related. Our regularly scheduled Meet n' Greet just happened to fall on 12/12/12, so I've been thinking all along, cool, I get the souvenir just for doing what I was planning on doing any way. Now, I find out that I have to work late that day and will miss the event. So I'm thinking, I have to find a cache on the way to work because I have to find a cache that day. But that means I have to leave early. And what if I can't find the cache I decide to look for. I better line up a backup. What if there's traffic. I can't be late to work. Maybe I can find one after work, but I stink at looking for caches in the dark.

It's already starting to seem like a chore and more trouble than it's worth. I may just say, "screw it". I can't believe that someone would put themselves through this for hundreds of days in a row.

Find an easy one and go out just after midnight, I've used that tactic to give me almost 48 hours off of caching when I was going for a streak.

There is some fun in keeping a streak going, for me at 138 days the pain outweighed the joy, for others it may be a lot longer till it does or a lot shorter.

Edited December 9, 2012 by Roman!

2.4k · December 9, 2012

I love caching, and think that a streak would diminish that for me. However, achieving 100 days straight is a fantastic thing. I think the OP has to decide for him/herself....and I think the decision is halfway made already.

All I can say is ask yourself "will I regret giving this up?" Will you look back and say that you should have continued this game within a game? Will stopping refresh your love for the game? Good Luck, and I hope those presents are easy to wrap!

2.4k · December 9, 2012

Take a serious look at your life.

What is really most important to you in life?

When you are on your death bed, what will you look back on and think about?

Will you think, "I'm glad I continued that streak, even though my family didn't get their gifts that Christmas"

Or will you look at the loving faces of your family around your bed and say, "I'm glad I put my family first"?

What's really important here?

3.4k · December 9, 2012

... Or................ You could do like some I have seen. Get a stamp, run a power trail or two, just stamping the logs -- no date. Then log them online as you need another for that particular day. Or, log one with a statement that you found this one in the past, but just realized that you hadn't logged it online. Play the game as you want. It is only a game. If you want to do like some and try to fool others with some statistics, that is your business. If you want to do it for your own satisfaction, that is the way to play it. Please yourself. It is your game............streak or no streak.

so what you are saying is to lie or cheat to maintain a false streak? isn't the whole point of a challenge is to do the challenge and a streak is X-number of days caching in a row? why bother to say you have a streak if you don't really have one?

(edited to fix my lousy grammar)

Edited December 9, 2012 by RedShoesGirl

2.8k · December 9, 2012

... Or................ You could do like some I have seen. Get a stamp, run a power trail or two, just stamping the logs -- no date. Then log them online as you need another for that particular day. Or, log one with a statement that you found this one in the past, but just realized that you hadn't logged it online. Play the game as you want. It is only a game. If you want to do like some and try to fool others with some statistics, that is your business. If you want to do it for your own satisfaction, that is the way to play it. Please yourself. It is your game............streak or no streak.

so what you are saying is to lie or cheat to maintain a false streak? isn't the whole point of a challenge to do a challenge and a streak is X-number of days caching in a row? why bother to say you have a streak if you don't really have one?

+1

Or why even do the power trail at all, those caches get swapped out so often that no one will ever know if you found them or not. There you go, an easy 2000 day caching streak.

December 9, 2012

firstly a huge great big thank you to everyone for taking the time to reply :-)

I am going to stop my streak for all the reasons you have all listed above.

I am in a fairly rural part of the UK, and have done most of the local caches (with a couple left for my grid, Christmas day etc), public transport is not an option here, at least not for caches!

I usually cache with my 7 year old son and we have an agreement that we stop for the day when it stops being fun, so I really should apply that to this streak! The idea of not having to go caching until Wednesday (for the 12/12/12) or Thursday (next day not cached on my grid) is such a lovely one, whilst the idea of continuing my streak for another 214 days (for the full 365) is one that fills me with dread.

I knew I would have problems stopping a streak as I have a tendency to get addicted to things. Back in the '90's I had an addiction to puzzle magazines and would have to do 4 a week and when it became a chore the only thing to do was to go cold turkey and not even go into shops where they were. I don't want to have to quit geocaching, because I love it, or at least I did before it became this huge thing I HAD to do everyday.

so once more thank you all for the advice and for sharing your experiences of a streak, but this is me bowing out with a streak of 151 days :-) and going back to enjoying the hobby, when I have the time or the inclination.

7.5k · December 9, 2012

I am in a fairly rural part of the UK, and have done most of the local caches (with a couple left for my grid, Christmas day etc), public transport is not an option here, at least not for caches!

This is clearly the deciding factor in my mind. By the time I got to the end of my 366 (not 365) day streak and claimed the challenge cache, I was tired of caching every day, but caching was still fun and completing the streak was satisfying. But that's because I never had to go too far for a cache. In fact, new caches were being placed so frequently, that after I completed my streak, it took me a few months to get around to picking up some that were placed within a few minutes of home while I was streaking. I can definitely see that if I'd had to travel a lot each and every day, I would have quit by 150, too.

One thing I learned about streaks is that if you have to balance a life with streaking, cache management is a big deal. For example, I often would go to a path, grab one cache one day, then go back to the next day and grab a second cache, 0.1 mile further down the same path. And I always tried to keep a couple nearby caches unfound for the days when unforeseen circumstances left me with only a few minutes to find a cache. If you don't have many caches to start with, those techniques wouldn't be available.

3.7k · December 9, 2012

firstly a huge great big thank you to everyone for taking the time to reply :-)

I am going to stop my streak for all the reasons you have all listed above.

Congrats on coming to a decision. Just think, with all the money you're saving on gas, you can buy more presents for your son and a whole lot of egg nog.

December 9, 2012

I stopped at 112 days when I couldn't find a 1.5 cache at 11.30 at night, it was starting to become a chore and I actually stopped caching for 2 months after, I have set up a challenge cache (well 10) for those who wish to do the streak thing but I also respect those who don't do it, remember it is your game, played by your own rules and in your own way.

It is a relief when you stop, as you are not forced to go out and get one when you don't want to, or when the weather is bad. it actually feels good not to get one.... did i just say that? I do mini streaks now up to 20 days at a time as my work allows me to do it, but I am not stressed if I don't continue them and the enjoyment has come back to caching.

Play it your way, Play it for fun, Play on your own timeline, and keep your integrity! not to mention your sanity!

December 9, 2012

To quote a couple of bumper stickers

"life's too short"

"if it ain't fun why do it"

December 9, 2012

Today is day 337. Still enjoying. Our streak may end early next year depending on airline schedules because our son in California has decided to get married.

We make the caching part of our routine. When a series comes out on a trail system or a country road we go every day and walk for up to two hours picking up only one of the caches. We return many days till we have them all. On the days that we have less available time, we may stop at a lone urban cache. Some days we have to pick up more than 1 cache because MA has a goal of having at least 5 finds on every day of the calendar. And there are the days that our pal Belladan calls and we go a little out of town for a day of caching.

A winter caching contest is on again this winter in New Brunswick involving finds and hides, so there will be enough caches to keep us going.

Edited December 9, 2012 by Ma & Pa

1.1k · December 9, 2012

You can see from our stats that we quit at exactly 100 days. I believe Shark and I went out and had a nice dinner on the evening that followed. We never grabbed a cache during those 100 days that we would not have gone for otherwise, but we would have needed to start going for parking lot caches to go much beyond 100. We do not have a single regret that we started the 100 day challenge or that we stopped. It was a good experience.

3k · December 9, 2012

If it feels good, do it.

If it doesn't feel good, don't do it.

I think my longest streak might be three days. I don't really know. I never paid attention. My only goal was to hit 100 in my first year. (there were a lot less caches then.) When I did it with days to spare, I changed my goal to getting caches in all New England states in a year, and did that, too. My next goal was just to make a 10/10/10/ event my 1000th cache. Do it for the fun of it.

1.1k · December 9, 2012

PLEASE just stop with the streak, if you dont find it fun.

I really enjoy my streak,

(I am number 18 in my contry, 458 days and still running)

I feel it will stop one day, offcourse it will, it is impossible to continue forever, at least in this area,

but not by own choise, I expect it will be fun to see when I am forced to stop.

today we have snow storm, and all caches are far away,

it is even recommended to stay home if not really important to go out,

but offcourse my streak is REALLY important, so I did manage it,

however did offcourse also get stuck in snow

and broke my snow clean tool while digging out the car, lovely :-)

imagine sitting home and experiance.. NOTHING... I rather not..

Edited December 9, 2012 by OZ2CPU

December 9, 2012

We are of the opinion that streaking should always be encouraged as long as you are enjoying it!

3.7k · December 10, 2012

We are of the opinion that streaking should always be encouraged as long as you are enjoying it!

I agree. It's always best if it works for the people around you too.

Edited December 10, 2012 by The_Incredibles_

December 10, 2012

I always think geocaches are a finite resource. If you continue just to keep a streak alive there will be fewer caches to find when you really feel like going out. It's true that someone will hide some more by then but the quality of the hides can be erratic and can't be counted on. When you do feel like going out, you better feel like driving.

December 10, 2012

My 2nd day of not continuing my caching streak and I feel fine, much more relaxed about life now I don't have to fit an hours drive and a cache hunt into my day somewhere.

I did dream about looking for a geocache in a snow filled ditch while a golfer hit balls at me last night.... but that's probably a whole other problem :-)

7.5k · December 10, 2012

I always think geocaches are a finite resource. If you continue just to keep a streak alive there will be fewer caches to find when you really feel like going out. It's true that someone will hide some more by then but the quality of the hides can be erratic and can't be counted on. When you do feel like going out, you better feel like driving.

Most of the people I see doing streaks, myself included, have already cleared out their local area, so most caching trips already involve driving. When I was streaking, I didn't really notice that I was clearing out caches faster and had to drive a little further. But then, I live in the cache dense SF bay area.

3.8k · December 10, 2012

Why don't you just make up your own mind.

To streak on, or stop?

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