How far would you walk?

January 1, 2013

Hi i been planning some new caches in my area all of which are very rural locations...

The furthest cache is 1.1 miles from my home,It takes me 30-40minutes walk with terrier dog most of which is on bridleways..

I intend this cache to be of good regular size to large.

Just need some feedback on this.

-Fezzy

2k · January 1, 2013

Well, depends. These are factors for me....

Are there other caches in the way?

Would it help me on a challenge?

Does it have good favorite points?

Is it close enough to my home that I would get it either way?

Would I enjoy the walk anyway?

New trail to discover?

You sure the smallest distance to the cache would take 30 minutes to walk? Cachers are very good to find shortcuts.

Basically, I would probably not do it unless very close to home unless I had a reason to do it.

Just place a good cache and you will get finders. Obviously if its a decent walk, that will cut traffic, but that does not mean you should not place it.

January 1, 2013

Actually, I walk a lot, not only for Geocaching.

Usually, I'd consider a two or three hour-walk a short one.

Hiking in the Alps, I walk for several hours per day.

January 1, 2013

Well, depends. These are factors for me....

Are there other caches in the way?

Would it help me on a challenge?

Does it have good favorite points?

Is it close enough to my home that I would get it either way?

Would I enjoy the walk anyway?

New trail to discover?

You sure the smallest distance to the cache would take 30 minutes to walk? Cachers are very good to find shortcuts.

Basically, I would probably not do it unless very close to home unless I had a reason to do it.

Just place a good cache and you will get finders. Obviously if its a decent walk, that will cut traffic, but that does not mean you should not place it.

There is a quicker route but up a farm track which is clearly marked PRIVATE...

Edited January 1, 2013 by -Fezzy

2k · January 1, 2013

well, in that case, hopefully folks won't walk that way. Am sure they won't as a rule.

half hour walk, whether round trip or each way will still get some finds.

Here is an example of one of my caches. When I placed it, there were only caches at the beginning of the trail so I put mine at the end (mainly due to the fact I did not see any great hiding places so I figured the end was a better spot). I figured it would not get many finds but it did and is at 1.25 mile walk, but a nice one, lots of birds, dog friendly.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=6e709560-256f-4b9c-80bc-78e429ee7cb4

Edited January 1, 2013 by lamoracke

7.5k · January 1, 2013

If it's over 1.5km round trip you might consider 2 good quality swag size caches to entice more people. To me, under 1.5 kms round trip on a dirt or stone trail (no steep hills) is an easy walk. I'm in average middle-aged shape.

January 1, 2013

A few weeks ago, in Mexico City, I walked over 30km in one day to pick up a few caches.

Basically, if you make it a long hike and it's not too easy, it's much more rewarding for those who do it.

Plus, you don't only get log-entries from people who are only after numbers.

January 1, 2013

If it's a great location for a cache does distance really matter? It's the journey that's important. Many of the best caches in the world were placed in the early years of caching at the end of a long hike of 3, 4 or 5+ miles one way. People took their favorite hikes and climbs and placed caches there which brought others to share. Here in the Pacific Northwest I'm thinking of caches like Geocache, SiHi, Monte Cristo or Geocache 7/21/00.

It's only been in more recent years that folks have felt the need to fill in every space on the trail to make it "worthwhile". A long hike may not get as many visitors but if you share a great place with someone new I think you have accomplished something far more rewarding.

January 1, 2013

WE have a cache at a light house at the end of a dune.

It is called 22 KILOMETRES = 1 CACHE

http://coord.info/GCWDJX

When we place series on trails close to town we try to make them less challenging than some of the series on old logging roads out in the wilderness.

January 1, 2013

If it's a great location for a cache does distance really matter? It's the journey that's important. Many of the best caches in the world were placed in the early years of caching at the end of a long hike of 3, 4 or 5+ miles one way. People took their favorite hikes and climbs and placed caches there which brought others to share. Here in the Pacific Northwest I'm thinking of caches like Geocache, SiHi, Monte Cristo or Geocache 7/21/00.

It's only been in more recent years that folks have felt the need to fill in every space on the trail to make it "worthwhile". A long hike may not get as many visitors but if you share a great place with someone new I think you have accomplished something far more rewarding.

Some time ago i met a fellow cacher who told me in the early days you'd expect a 1-3 mile hike for an ammo can...this is what inspired me to place a cache...

4.2k · January 1, 2013

If it's a great location for a cache does distance really matter? It's the journey that's important. Many of the best caches in the world were placed in the early years of caching at the end of a long hike of 3, 4 or 5+ miles one way. People took their favorite hikes and climbs and placed caches there which brought others to share. Here in the Pacific Northwest I'm thinking of caches like Geocache, SiHi, Monte Cristo or Geocache 7/21/00.

It's only been in more recent years that folks have felt the need to fill in every space on the trail to make it "worthwhile". A long hike may not get as many visitors but if you share a great place with someone new I think you have accomplished something far more rewarding.

Some time ago i met a fellow cacher who told me in the early days you'd expect a 1-3 mile hike for an ammo can...this is what inspired me to place a cache...

Yes. And many of us stlll would rather find one cache along a nice walk than repetitive park and grabs. A 1.1 mile walk is not very far - it may not have record numbers of visitors but I am sure it will be appreciated.

4.5k · January 1, 2013

I was going to say DO IT until I saw this:

There is a quicker route but up a farm track which is clearly marked PRIVATE...

I wouldn't place it in that location. Some people will trespass; it's inevitable. And I personally don't like to provide the temptation.

As to distance, I'll happily walk many kilometers (a measure of distance outside the USA) for a single cache; I think my record is 19km one-way and uphill.

January 1, 2013

I was going to say DO IT until I saw this:

There is a quicker route but up a farm track which is clearly marked PRIVATE...

I wouldn't place it in that location. Some people will trespass; it's inevitable. And I personally don't like to provide the temptation.

As to distance, I'll happily walk many kilometers (a measure of distance outside the USA) for a single cache; I think my record is 19km one-way and uphill.

The primary route that will be most obvious to the hardened cacher will be the BRIDLEWAY that i use... The farm entrance has a coded gate to stop vehicular access.

1.5k · January 1, 2013

The farm entrance has a coded gate to stop vehicular access.

Is this public property? If so, I'd say go for it. I prefer longer walks.

38.2k · January 1, 2013

I've walked as many as 8 miles round trip for a single cache and as many as 15.

If the cache is good enough I wouldn't hesitate to go 12-15 miles round trip for it. If it was longer than that I'd consider making it an overnighter.

January 1, 2013

The farm entrance has a coded gate to stop vehicular access.

Is this public property? If so, I'd say go for it. I prefer longer walks.

Cache will be placed a few metres from public bridleway UPS.

19k · January 1, 2013

I went on a 4 mile walk before breakfast this morning. Not even for a cache, and the scenery was just terrible. Give me a cache and some scenery and see how far I'll walk.

2.1k · January 1, 2013

Lemme see, I walked something like 14km for a series of interesting caches in London, several similar distances for far smaller numbers of caches, and the record is something like 22km for 2 caches, of which this one here involved walking some 2km in a narrow tunnel with bowed down head (alternatively: headaches) and getting a shower every once in a while :lol:

If there's something interesting to see, the hike itself is nice or the hide is great I'm certainly willing to walk some distances. A for example crater rim cache at a place with small volcanoes everywhere, and likewise caches will only get me up the most interesting ones or those that include EarthCaches, even if they aren't well done.

Mrs. Terratin

January 1, 2013

I was going to say DO IT until I saw this:

There is a quicker route but up a farm track which is clearly marked PRIVATE...

I wouldn't place it in that location. Some people will trespass; it's inevitable. And I personally don't like to provide the temptation.

As to distance, I'll happily walk many kilometers (a measure of distance outside the USA) for a single cache; I think my record is 19km one-way and uphill.

The primary route that will be most obvious to the hardened cacher will be the BRIDLEWAY that i use... The farm entrance has a coded gate to stop vehicular access.

To encourage cachers to take the bridleway route, fill in the additional waypoint on the cache page to show the coords for the proper parking/starting point. You may also include that information in the cache page text, but it is much better to also have the additional waypoint. Remember, even cachers from outside of your area (like me!) may want to search for the cache, and we won't be familiar with local bridlepaths and private roads.

2k · January 1, 2013

Pretty far. Actually I prefer to walk to caches. That's a big part of the reason I cache. Right now my record hike is 16.4 miles. I know of a cache that requires an 18 mile hike. I plan to find in the next two months. I would totally go for a cache thats a 1.1 mile walk no doubt.

7.9k · January 1, 2013

I have placed and found more than a few caches that will take up the better part of a full day on the round trip.

It depends on what kind of crowd you want to cater to, and how often YOU want to visit due to full logbooks.

4.5k · January 1, 2013

Oh, you don't have to replace full logbooks on hike-o-caches, trust me. Nor do you get a whole lot of found-it emails. (But the ones you do get, tend to be interesting and appreciative ones.)

Hike-o-caches are the only ones that interest me nowadays.

3.3k · January 2, 2013

Hi i been planning some new caches in my area all of which are very rural locations...

The furthest cache is 1.1 miles from my home,It takes me 30-40minutes walk with terrier dog most of which is on bridleways..

I intend this cache to be of good regular size to large.

Just need some feedback on this.

-Fezzy

I prefer to cache by bicycle but before I bought the bike I'd take off from home on foot and cover anything up to 12-15 miles geocaching. One day I dropped the car off for its MOT/service and went for a geocaching walk while they had it at the garage. I expected them to have it for several hours and took in something like 17 miles.

The reason I got into cycling in the first place was because I realised there were fewer and fewer caches within striking range on foot, I didn't want to have to drive, and so I needed some other means of getting around.

I did a few caches in the US that involved a climb up a structure known as "the 1000 steps" for reasons I'll leave you to figure out (they weren't kidding). A climb up about 800 feet followed by a couple of miles walk at the top, following by a scramble up a scree slope to get to a cache bagged me an FTF. Then I got another one which was easier to get to, just another mile or so along the trail. They were really good caches, I'd recommend them to anyone.

Edited January 2, 2013 by team tisri

3.3k · January 2, 2013

I was going to say DO IT until I saw this:

There is a quicker route but up a farm track which is clearly marked PRIVATE...

I wouldn't place it in that location. Some people will trespass; it's inevitable. And I personally don't like to provide the temptation.

As to distance, I'll happily walk many kilometers (a measure of distance outside the USA) for a single cache; I think my record is 19km one-way and uphill.

The primary route that will be most obvious to the hardened cacher will be the BRIDLEWAY that i use... The farm entrance has a coded gate to stop vehicular access.

To encourage cachers to take the bridleway route, fill in the additional waypoint on the cache page to show the coords for the proper parking/starting point. You may also include that information in the cache page text, but it is much better to also have the additional waypoint. Remember, even cachers from outside of your area (like me!) may want to search for the cache, and we won't be familiar with local bridlepaths and private roads.

It might not hurt to clearly stress that the private track is private and not to use it. Otherwise you probably will get some goon deciding it's a shortcut and not caring that it crosses someone's private land. Chances are the same person would be the first to complain if some other goon decided to go for a walk in their back garden.

7.9k · January 2, 2013

It might not hurt to clearly stress that the private track is private and not to use it. Otherwise you probably will get some goon deciding it's a shortcut and not caring that it crosses someone's private land. Chances are the same person would be the first to complain if some other goon decided to go for a walk in their back garden.

Make it a multi-cache, and FORCE them to go the right way.

Of course there will also be less visitors if it's a multi, but keeping the neighbors happy should be more important.

January 2, 2013

Make it a multi-cache, and FORCE them to go the right way.

Of course there will also be less visitors if it's a multi, but keeping the neighbors happy should be more important.

I agree.

Even better would be to place multiple individual caches (1 or more along the way, and 1 at the final destination) to help direct the proper route. That way the finder gets additional "found it" points which avoids the "negative stigma" of a multi and will actually entice more cachers to attempt the hike.

Edited January 2, 2013 by medoug

13.8k · January 2, 2013

Make it a multi-cache, and FORCE them to go the right way.

Of course there will also be less visitors if it's a multi, but keeping the neighbors happy should be more important.

That's the ticket.

Since even a mile plus hide will lose some visits, the multi will keep 'em on the right track and off private property.

Just a two-stage (with first at parking) may be all that's needed. State on the cache page it's on the same trail and you're good.

3.3k · January 2, 2013

Wait, is the is the CarCaching forum? Over in the geocaching forums, there is no such thing as "too" far to walk. The number of found logs will decrease exponential with the required waking distance, but you can never have too far to walk.

Found logs = [typical for area]/(4*([distance] km - 0.15 km))

I was going to say DO IT until I saw this:

There is a quicker route but up a farm track which is clearly marked PRIVATE...

I wouldn't place it in that location. Some people will trespass; it's inevitable. And I personally don't like to provide the temptation.

As to distance, I'll happily walk many kilometers (a measure of distance outside the USA) for a single cache; I think my record is 19km one-way and uphill.

The primary route that will be most obvious to the hardened cacher will be the BRIDLEWAY that i use... The farm entrance has a coded gate to stop vehicular access.

To encourage cachers to take the bridleway route, fill in the additional waypoint on the cache page to show the coords for the proper parking/starting point. You may also include that information in the cache page text, but it is much better to also have the additional waypoint. Remember, even cachers from outside of your area (like me!) may want to search for the cache, and we won't be familiar with local bridlepaths and private roads.

It might not hurt to clearly stress that the private track is private and not to use it. Otherwise you probably will get some goon deciding it's a shortcut and not caring that it crosses someone's private land. Chances are the same person would be the first to complain if some other goon decided to go for a walk in their back garden.

Or, some goof posting a Needs Archived "The cache access is through a "Private" lane-way.

3.3k · January 2, 2013

Found logs = [typical for area]/(4*([distance] km - 0.15 km))

Oh oh, that could result in a divide by zero issue. Maybe this is better

Found logs = [typical for area]/(1+(4*([distance] km - 0.15 km)))

3.7k · January 2, 2013

For a single cache? I usually have time to walk 45 minutes each way, but it's nice if there are a bunch of caches to find along the way.

January 2, 2013

I walk about 7 miles a day, so I'd say that's my limit. I'd also love it if there were additional caches on the way, but that's how far I'd go for one.

4.5k · January 2, 2013

It might not hurt to clearly stress that the private track is private and not to use it. Otherwise...

It might not help either. Some people don't read the cache page.

4.5k · January 2, 2013

If it's a great location for a cache does distance really matter? It's the journey that's important. Many of the best caches in the world were placed in the early years of caching at the end of a long hike of 3, 4 or 5+ miles one way. People took their favorite hikes and climbs and placed caches there which brought others to share. Here in the Pacific Northwest I'm thinking of caches like Geocache, SiHi, Monte Cristo or Geocache 7/21/00.

It's only been in more recent years that folks have felt the need to fill in every space on the trail to make it "worthwhile". A long hike may not get as many visitors but if you share a great place with someone new I think you have accomplished something far more rewarding.

Some time ago i met a fellow cacher who told me in the early days you'd expect a 1-3 mile hike for an ammo can...this is what inspired me to place a cache...

Yes. And many of us stlll would rather find one cache along a nice walk than repetitive park and grabs. A 1.1 mile walk is not very far - it may not have record numbers of visitors but I am sure it will be appreciated.

A big +1

January 2, 2013

Thank you all for your feedback...

I decided to push the distance a little higher and set a string of caches with a clue/puzzle in each leading to the furthest cache...

January 2, 2013

I pick my caches wherever I am going. If I am just driving someplace in a hurry, then its pretty much no more than 300m. If I'm on foot hiking or hunting, I would be covering many kilometres in a day and a cache might be a 2km round trip off whatever I'm up to.

5.7k · January 2, 2013

I have one listing that takes about 2.5 hours to reach, it's in a summit on a hiking trail. We have cached a local hiking trail that is 19 miles long with about 35 geocaches, but that is a overnight hike for me. :laughing:

3.7k · January 2, 2013

I don't understand what the question is.

I have a cache about two miles from home. Any comments on that?

January 2, 2013

I walked 14 miles with over a mile change in elevation to get a virtual cache once.

January 2, 2013

Some time ago i met a fellow cacher who told me in the early days you'd expect a 1-3 mile hike for an ammo can...this is what inspired me to place a cache...

In the early days (2002) if i walked ten miles and got three caches i thought it was an awesome day.

Today:

With friends i'd walk ten miles total for just one cache, no matter how scenic the route.

Alone i'd walk ten miles total for just one cache if the route was extra pleasant or there was something special to see at the end.

Alone i'd walk maybe three miles total (about an hour) if the trail was unexciting and uninteresting.

10.1k · January 3, 2013

Well, when I introduced my sister to geocaching in 2004, we were working on the New England part of the Appalachian Trail. We did the Presi Traverse. 24 miles, 9000 feet of climb. And found two or three caches! But caching was not our prime concern. The Presi Traverse was. Took us four days.

I have several caches hidden that would take an hour or more. And I have found a number that required an hour's hike or more.

Yes. They get fewer smileys, but usually, better logs.

1.2k · January 3, 2013

As long as I can start at the break of dawn and be back before it gets dark, I'm cool with it. A sixteen mile round-trip is our usual upper limit, though our record is a twenty-five mile hike in one day, for geocaching. We're not doing that again. I might do it, myself, but my wife isn't having any of it.

The furthest cache is 1.1 miles from my home,It takes me 30-40 minutes walk with terrier dog most of which is on bridleways..

That's practically a park-and-grab, for us.

9.3k · January 3, 2013

Both my knees are blown out, and when I hike more than about 4 miles, it feels like someone is ramming butcher knives between the joints. I will happily go that far, for a cache that holds interest to me. Anything farther than that and I'm hunting shortcuts.

January 3, 2013

I don't mind long walks for caches. Actually I prefer walking a few miles to get to a cache.

I'm starting to dislike caches that require me to drive to a location, walk 10 minutes, then hop back in the car. Rural, long routes are a lot more enjoyable. If the scenery is nice it's a plus but I don't need a cool scenic feature to draw me out.

1.4k · January 3, 2013

I just did ~13 miles round trip up and down a mountain yesterday for 11 caches. I'd have done the whole thing for one or two of them alone. Not only that, but there were three up there we didn't have time for. Looks like I'll be doing another 13 or so for 3 caches come spring time.

Place it.

5k · January 6, 2013

It might not hurt to clearly stress that the private track is private and not to use it. Otherwise...

It might not help either. Some people don't read the cache page.

I thought the topic was how far would you walk, not if people are stupid enough to to walk/drive down a road marked as private property which has a padlocked gate across it.

If I had to account for everything that someone stupid could do looking for my cache, I'd probably never hide another one. I have been with cachers and watched them walk through a 6' wide traffic island full of daisies while I walked around it and arrived 5 seconds later, when it was clearly obvious that the cache was 100' away.

My advice. Put the cache where you want, provided that you are allowed to do so. Put a waypoint on the page for the proper trailhead. Put a disclaimer that it can not be accessed by the private road, and start reading your Found It logs when they arrive in your mailbox. You could put a neon sign at the entrance to the private road. GEOCACHE - YOU CAN"T GET THERE FROM HERE! and some bonehead would take it as a challenge.

5k · January 6, 2013

I have one listing that takes about 2.5 hours to reach, it's in a summit on a hiking trail. We have cached a local hiking trail that is 19 miles long with about 35 geocaches, but that is a overnight hike for me.

I could make it 19 miles if there is a car waiting for me at the other end. I don't think that I could do 19, an overnight and then back the next day. I'd be walking like a penguin the next day.

I like to take a 6-10 mile hike at least once a week, and I am going to go to where I can find geocaches. When I started this, hiking 5+ miles for a single find was common. I guess at this point, I would expect to find a cache about every mile where as some of the folks are now expecting a cache every .1mi, even in the back country.

I hiked 6.4 miles the other day and found a total of 6 caches. I choose that hike over a 5 mile hike that would have got me 23. I'll do the other hike someday, but for that day, I wanted to do the better hike.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Don_J

January 6, 2013

I say place it like you want to. A single at 1+ miles, a multi, or multiple caches along the path. Placing it is for your and others enjoyment. Some will like whatever kind you decide and others will only like one or the other or even none of the above. I have one cache hide that just for illustration, can be driven to within feet of it's location, however because it is in a remote area it doesn't get many visits. It was placed almost a year ago and has about a dozen finds/visits.

For my caching, it depends on the time I have, the places I am going and varies on when and if I will go to a cache. Another example, I have solved numerous puzzle caches that because of where they are located and the time (money too), I may never go to find them. That is just the way it is.

Many factors=would I do it.

1.8k · January 7, 2013

Depending upon focus .5mi to 1.5 miles, however, recently 4.0 to 5.0 milers have been relatively common for me.

7.5k · January 7, 2013

Hi i been planning some new caches in my area all of which are very rural locations...

The furthest cache is 1.1 miles from my home,It takes me 30-40minutes walk with terrier dog most of which is on bridleways..

I intend this cache to be of good regular size to large.

Just need some feedback on this.

Sounds perfect to me. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out where to park so I can walk a couple miles to pick up a cache that's designed to be a park&grab, so I really love the ones that are actually intended to be found on a walk of that distance.

January 7, 2013

We've walked close to 2 miles round trip for a few caches. Have one on our short list of to-do caches that will be close to 3 miles. Walked close to 2 miles last weekend for a stage of a multi that the coords had worn off of so it was for naught. Hey, us fat, old guys need exercise

How far would you walk?

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