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Attempting first full series tomorrow


u1bd2005

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Ok, so I'm going to try and attempt to complete my first series tomorrow, I've done a couple of caches from other series's and circulars before and found all but one cache from a small series near me.

 

But this will be my first real attempt at doing a full series (11 caches) in one outing.

 

I have my new etrex 10, so smartphone battery isn't an issue as it was on other trips, and this is also reasonably local, so no car needed, just about a 10/15 mile walk in total (there and back)

 

I have a small camping stool which fits in my backpack, I have a notepad and a few pens incase I need to mark anything down.

 

And I have a plan of tackling the caches on the left hand side of the path/rivers on the way there, then loop round and do the others on the return.

 

There were also a couple of other caches in the nearby area which I've made note of and will attempt them also.

 

So, are there any other recommendations/tips you guys can give, the most I've found in one caching trip upto now is about 4 finds.

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If you are doing a series, it is usually easiest to do them in order - so as you leave the last cache, double check you are going to the correct next one - I don't know what the etrex is like, but my gps doesn't display the full name unless I actually read the cache page - Many times I have got confused and gone from number 5 to number 22, and found myself going in circles!!

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Keep in mind that you don't have to find the whole series in one day. If you succeed, you'll feel great, of course, so I'm not trying to talk you out of trying, but don't let a problem with one or two caches ruin a great day. If you have fun the first time, there's nothing wrong with missed caches providing a good excuse to come back a second time.

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You mention a river and path. Be aware that the eTrex lists caches in the order of distance from you, not alphabetically. You may easily find it telling you repeatedly that the next closest cache is one that's across the river instead of next on your trail.

 

Take a list of the caches you plan to get - listed in the order that you plan to get them so you don't get misdirected to ones that are 'closer' but not where or in the order you want. I often take a printed map with the approximate cache positions marked so I have a 'big picture' idea of where I am and where to go next.

 

If you're doing a series that has the same name with numbers at the end, you might not be able to read the whole name until after you click Go and then read the description. You should do this each time, before you start hiking to the next one, just to be sure you have selected the right one.

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As others have said, a map with the caches has always been greatly helpful to me. The 'cache map' feature has been very easy for me to print out a group of caches, making WAY easier to visualize a good route as I went along. If I'm logging them later, I can also mark 'found', DNF, notes, etc. on it which I has been very helpful.

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'What to take?' , water!! Fully charged cell phone, compass, small first aid kit, (actually there's another thread in the forum with great ideas on what to take.... Things you don't think you might ever need, but immeasurably great to have if you do). Bring more writing utensils than what you'll think you'll need....I lose/leave too many to count. More than likely you will encounter wet caches, it's not your job to fix them, but a nice courtesy to try to dry them ( now that's a 'whole nuther' thread there) , new dry paper, antibacterial hand wipes, duct tape, etc.

Please take a camera, and take pictures!!! There's just too many great reasons not to take a camera!! ( not just because of the caches, just, you never know what you might see while you are out caching .

Take a flashlight!! It has helped me many times during the day, and just a smart safety tool in case you get lost.

Again, there's other great threads in the forum on what to take... But most of all HAVE FUN, don't make it a job.

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Taking a map is good advice. At the very least, i would go to one of the cache pages and click on "view larger map" about midway down the page. Zoom in and out as needed, then look closely so that you can map out the caches that you want to go for. The map isn't perfect but it does pretty good at showing streams that might need crossing. Start at the first cache you want to do then write the rest down in the order you want to find them in. Not sure how the Etrex lists caches but hopefully there is a way to distinguish which one is which so that you can go for them in the right order.

 

Sounds like a fun trip,, Goodluck!

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At the very least, i would go to one of the cache pages and click on "view larger map" about midway down the page.

You can go to this same map easier by clicking on the location just to the right of where the cache's coordinates are displayed at the top of the description, although the map is zoomed in tighter that way.

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Well, back from the mini trip, feet are killing me but was worth it.

 

I found 7 of the caches I attempted, as well as a couple of DNF's which I've logged, but overall it was a good outing. :)

 

Snacks didn't last very long though, may need to take more next time.

 

And the cache series I attempted had the numbers near the start of the cache name (M. A. M. #1, etc...) so they showed pretty well on the etrex.

 

There was one, terrain level 5 that I would have had to wade through the river to get, didn't even attempt that as it's been raining lot recently, river was fast flowing, and I only had trainers, no wellies. But I knew before hand I was unlikely to be able to go for that one.

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I'd definitely recommend more snacks and drinks for the trek, and probably wellies, but I knew ahead of time I was likely to need them for one of the caches, but I don't have any, so avoided that cache for now.

 

Better trainers/footware too would be a good benefit (but that was suggested above by NanCycle) My cheap £8 trainers have survived a lot more than most of my previous trainers have in the past, but I think yesterday took its toll on them, will be needing new ones shortly.

 

First aid wise, I never have felt the need to carry anything first aid wise on me, may be a future addition to my backpack though, seems reasonable, I'm already first aid trained so I guess that's a little benefit too.

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If you are doing a series, it is usually easiest to do them in order - so as you leave the last cache, double check you are going to the correct next one - I don't know what the etrex is like, but my gps doesn't display the full name unless I actually read the cache page - Many times I have got confused and gone from number 5 to number 22, and found myself going in circles!!

When I did the Back Home in Indiana series I used MapSource to rename the caches in the order I was going to retrieve them. Named them 1 to 125 on my NUVI so I just would select the next one that was on the route instead of the next closest (which isn't always the next on the route you are taking).

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