ShawnaHatley Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I just wanted to say hello to everyone here! I am new to this and planning to go out looking tomorrow! My husband and I have been looking for something fun and different to do with our son and thought that this seemed like such an awesome way to spend time together as a family! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We found a few locations close to our house so we are going to check those out first and depending on how it goes, hopefully check out some more! We live in Massachusetts and are planning a trip to Maine next month (I grew up there). I took a look and actually found a few locations that are really close to the house where I grew up so I want to check those out. We are also planning a trip to Virginia and South Carolina in the fall and I think it would be really cool to find a few locations along the way! Quote Link to comment
+Gitchee-Gummee Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Welcome... Be advised that there is still time to quit before becoming addicted. Best advice I think, is to forget all that you *think* you know. Drop any preconceived ideas on what to expect... it actually is easier that way. If you can keep it in mind while you are looking, is to think like a HIDER, not a HUNTER. "Now just where would I hide this thing"? Unless you KNOW the size of the cache you are looking for.... look for something smaller, often much smaller... and where it could be hidden. Quote Link to comment
+Chief301 Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Welcome aboard! You're in for some fun times with the family. One thing you should keep in mind, though, especially if you're bringing small kids, is that not every cache contains trade items. There are a LOT of micros out there (the majority in most areas)...the kiddos might start to get bored finding tiny little nano containers with no cool junk inside. So you might consider sticking with Smalls and above for now. Quote Link to comment
+Ben0w Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Depends...my 7 y/o doesn't need trinkets, but is totally willing to wear his geocaching cap, climb on trees/things, find the box faster than me and pressing his own signature stamp into the log. Enough to make him happy. Quote Link to comment
+K13 Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Welcome. As a new finder, it may be beneficial to search for caches with a regular or large container size, and to look for those with Difficulty rating of 2 or less, (these should be a bit easier to find) and be mindful of the terrain ratings - 1 is the easiest and 5 is those which are extremely difficult. Also, when reviewing the search results, you can highlight the beginner caches on that list. Good luck and have fun. Quote Link to comment
+Sealand Rovers Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Welcome to the fun! As K13 said, best to start with a traditional or a big cache that's easy to find. (1 or 2 difficulty, 1 or 2 terrain) just to get yourselves understanding the game at first. I am a casual cacher and have 41 finds over a few years but I still read the hint, description and past logs to see if there are any clues as to what/where I should be looking. I would stress reading the description and taking the time to find out about the reason why there's a cache in the area (unless it's just a generic "I decided to hide one because I can" cache). Welcome again and good luck on your first find! Quote Link to comment
+eightwednesday Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Welcome to the addiction! Like others have suggested, try low terrain, low difficulty caches until you feel like you've got a good sense for the game. You'll soon realize that there are about a dozen common hides that'll help you find at least half of the caches you'll try. Good luck! Quote Link to comment
+ktguthrie Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Welcome, Welcome, Welcome! I also just found out and started geocaching last month and have enjoyed every minute of it. I start each and every day making out my to-do list and then plan out my cache attach along whatever route I may be taking. Nothing like a nice morning breeze with a cup of coffee and the GPS hooked up to the computer. Life is good. Have a great time, and if you ever have any questions the members on the forum are awesome! The only silly questions you have are the ones that are not asked. By the way, don't worry about looking for a 12-step program for geocache addiction. I've already looked. There isn't one. Quote Link to comment
+popokiiti Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Welcome to geocaching and the forums. Geocaching has been responsible for a lot of fun, falls (none serious) and finding neat places - as well as the cache! Quote Link to comment
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