+purpletrumpet Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) I have found a little banter in logs between cachers who know each other regarding getting the FTF on a new cache. Is being FTF just a personal satisfaction, or is there some incentive for it other than possibly having your caching (trail) name in the cache description? I've also noticed many cache owners leave a special find for the FTF, but a $2 bill doesn't seem like it would cause such a stir. Am I missing something? I don't see anything indicating First to Find stats in the profile info. Edited August 17, 2015 by purpletrumpet Quote Link to comment
+dprovan Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Yep, just a little side competition. If you don't get it, don't worry about it. In my area, I think the main attraction is that seeking FTF is the most likely time you'll run into another cacher in the field. Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 FTF is just a side-game some play. When we first started, caches and cachers were few, and often a decent ftf prize was included as an incentive to head out. These days, it's an odd day if a cache isn't found within the first hour around here, but sometimes the distant ones remain more than a day. I believe some third-party sites now show ftfs in stats, but not here. Quote Link to comment
+on4bam Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 It's nice to get a FTF but I won't go out of my way to get one. I got 6 in just over 9 years, went out twice immediately after seeing the notification and twice while on holiday where I got them just because it seemed no one care to go out immediately. Around here, if you don't get to a newly published cache within 15-30 minutes, you're too late anyway and I'm not going out of my way or stop doing what I'm doing to race towards a cache. Quote Link to comment
+purpletrumpet Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) Thanks for your replies. We had an owner create about 9 new caches locally. They all got approved and posted last night, close to dark. This morning they were all still untouched. I ran to that part of town to get one. I did, so I can say I have a FTF. Dprovan, I like your point about running into other cachers. I know from some of the logs around here, it must get pretty competitive. I think I could enjoy that part as I get to know some of the locals. Edited August 17, 2015 by purpletrumpet Quote Link to comment
+Chief301 Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 FTF is just a side game some people like to play....for bragging rights more than anything else. It's a big deal in some places, but not so much around here. My latest cache sat untouched for a week before someone logged a find. And it wasn't deep in the woods or on top of a mountain or anything, just a simple 1.5/1.5 just off the highway. That was two weeks ago and still only one find. Quote Link to comment
+purpletrumpet Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 I guess I'm seeing that here too. In my area, there are seemingly fierce battles to get there first. These that were posted last night are still sitting mostly untouched and they are just in another part of town. Quote Link to comment
+J Grouchy Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 We had a new Geo-Art publish a month or two ago just north of Atlanta. They all got published in the early evening and so there were some folks that literally stayed up all night grabbing the whole bunch (about 45), having to wait until 6am for some of them because they were located along a park greenway that was closed overnight. It all got rather silly and I'd rather just stay away from that kind of stuff. That being said, however...any time I have an opportunity to grab an FTF where I don't have to go too far outside my normal routine, I'll usually make the attempt. It's always kind of fun to be part of some "race" (real or imagined). Personally, I prefer NOT to run into other cachers. I much prefer going it alone and will attend the occasional event for the social aspect of the game. Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 I guess I'm seeing that here too. In my area, there are seemingly fierce battles to get there first. These that were posted last night are still sitting mostly untouched and they are just in another part of town. Be aware, there are some cachers that will go for the FTF, but will 'delay' their online log... You may think the cache is still unfound, but when you get there the log is already signed! Quote Link to comment
+J Grouchy Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 I guess I'm seeing that here too. In my area, there are seemingly fierce battles to get there first. These that were posted last night are still sitting mostly untouched and they are just in another part of town. Be aware, there are some cachers that will go for the FTF, but will 'delay' their online log... You may think the cache is still unfound, but when you get there the log is already signed! This is a good time to point out that, no matter how interested you are in getting the 'FTF', never EVER take it too seriously. It's fine to be a little frustrated...but be so with a smile on your face and, when possible, congratulate the person who got it. It's when people get upset about it or start making accusations or doing stupid (and/or potentially dangerous) things to get the FTF, that the fun gets destroyed. Groundspeak wisely avoided creating any 'official' FTF recognition. Quote Link to comment
+purpletrumpet Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Agreed! I'm much more into a "friendly rivalry" than all-out aggressiveness. Quote Link to comment
+Manville Possum Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 I guess I'm seeing that here too. In my area, there are seemingly fierce battles to get there first. These that were posted last night are still sitting mostly untouched and they are just in another part of town. Be aware, there are some cachers that will go for the FTF, but will 'delay' their online log... You may think the cache is still unfound, but when you get there the log is already signed! That is where the FTL (First To Log) comes in. I don't play the FTF side game, but a few months ago I was first to find a cache that just published in a area where I was out for a walk. I logged it found from my android and came back later to edit and dip some trackables and above my log was another geocachers log stating they were second to find but first to log. Don't think so, my log was there first. I'm guessing they stored the cache for offline and did not see my FTF. Also be aware that some sign the back of the log book just for fun. Quote Link to comment
+dprovan Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Be aware, there are some cachers that will go for the FTF, but will 'delay' their online log... You may think the cache is still unfound, but when you get there the log is already signed! I would assume they were just there when it was hidden, signing the log as an assistant, so I'd claim FTF for myself. And I'd continue to pretend to believe that even after they told me otherwise. Quote Link to comment
+purpletrumpet Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Be aware, there are some cachers that will go for the FTF, but will 'delay' their online log... You may think the cache is still unfound, but when you get there the log is already signed! I would assume they were just there when it was hidden, signing the log as an assistant, so I'd claim FTF for myself. And I'd continue to pretend to believe that even after they told me otherwise. I have thought of that. I usually wait until I'm home to log, but thought I should log in the field today since time was a factor. I would consider the first to sign, the first to find. I don't think there are any internet reservations on FTF. Quote Link to comment
+BCandMsKitty Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I have found a little banter in logs between cachers who know each other regarding getting the FTF on a new cache. Is being FTF just a personal satisfaction, or is there some incentive for it other than possibly having your caching (trail) name in the cache description? I've also noticed many cache owners leave a special find for the FTF, but a $2 bill doesn't seem like it would cause such a stir. Am I missing something? I don't see anything indicating First to Find stats in the profile info. I think $2 bill would cause a real stir ... they're not in circulation anymore, and some Canadian ones are worth $20,000! But actually ... the previous replies answered the question of FTF well .... I just couldn't resist! Quote Link to comment
+dprovan Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Be aware, there are some cachers that will go for the FTF, but will 'delay' their online log... You may think the cache is still unfound, but when you get there the log is already signed! I would assume they were just there when it was hidden, signing the log as an assistant, so I'd claim FTF for myself. And I'd continue to pretend to believe that even after they told me otherwise. I have thought of that. I usually wait until I'm home to log, but thought I should log in the field today since time was a factor. I would consider the first to sign, the first to find. I don't think there are any internet reservations on FTF. Let me be clear: when Bear and Ragged said "delay", I was assuming the case was one where it was obvious, for whatever reasons, that the FTF was delaying his log specifically to be obnoxious by intentionally luring FTF fans to a cache that's already been found, not just someone logging at the end of the day. If I have no reason to think the FTF is trying to be a jerk -- and I've never run into a case where I did -- I log STF and note that I saw the FTF's signature in the log and their time, if they wrote it down. Quote Link to comment
+biggles1024 Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 A 'cacher party' for a FTF hunt is a lot of fun, especially at night if you can see car headlights coming from a number of directions to a place that no-one would go to at night unless it was for a cache. As for FTF etiquette, I always upload a preliminary log from the field as soon as I'm satisfied that I am the FTF as a courtesy to others. There is one cacher in my area who makes a habit of logging anything up to a week after his find and is earning a reputation for discourtesy because of it. Quote Link to comment
+Windstorm+ Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I think $2 bill would cause a real stir ... they're not in circulation anymore, and some Canadian ones are worth $20,000! If I ever see a Canadian $2 bill, I will definitely hang on to it! In the US, $2 bills are still being printed, but they're not very common. Quote Link to comment
+Cachez Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Speaking as a newish cacher, FTF is not that important to me. I had my first recently which was nice, but it was mainly luck and good timing. I would not (and mostly could not) drop everything to go out and find a new cache. It's kind of a shame if some cachers do persist in being FTF on every cache local to them rather than give others a chance though. Quote Link to comment
+hzoi Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 If you get enough FTFs, you get a free, secret platinum membership for life. Can't tell you how many, though, it's a secret. Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Speaking as a newish cacher, FTF is not that important to me. I had my first recently which was nice, but it was mainly luck and good timing. I would not (and mostly could not) drop everything to go out and find a new cache. It's kind of a shame if some cachers do persist in being FTF on every cache local to them rather than give others a chance though. If someone's gonna give others a chance, the ftf side-game is meaningless. Quote Link to comment
+Mudfrog Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Speaking as a newish cacher, FTF is not that important to me. I had my first recently which was nice, but it was mainly luck and good timing. I would not (and mostly could not) drop everything to go out and find a new cache. It's kind of a shame if some cachers do persist in being FTF on every cache local to them rather than give others a chance though. If someone's gonna give others a chance, the ftf side-game is meaningless. +1 There would be no point, no fun, and no feeling of accomplishment if others held back just to give someone a chance. A person who wants a ftf needs to put some effort into getting one. He/she will definitely feel better knowing it wasn't handed to them. Quote Link to comment
+WarNinjas Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 We just play the game with other local cachers. As far as I have seen no one gets upset about it but just a fun side game. Sometimes we meet up to go find them. Others have a goal to get at least one FTF a month. Most of the local cachers around here have it in there profile about there FTF's. As we do but we haven't updated it for a long time so it isn't all that important. Quote Link to comment
+Walts Hunting Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Speaking as a newish cacher, FTF is not that important to me. I had my first recently which was nice, but it was mainly luck and good timing. I would not (and mostly could not) drop everything to go out and find a new cache. It's kind of a shame if some cachers do persist in being FTF on every cache local to them rather than give others a chance though. That's kind of like the "participation trophy" they give all the kids that are losers at events. Not worth much. If you want something you have to earn it. Quote Link to comment
+boothie103 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I'd definitely get into trouble if I replied. FTF chronic addiction is all I am saying. Quote Link to comment
+Panquish Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 We get the notifications by e-mail, but they're usually when one of us is at work or when we're about to go to bed... but, I'm keeping my eyes open for the one that we can get to I guess, for us it's just something fun to try if convenient, but not a necessity. Quote Link to comment
+Scratch Ankle Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I've had one first to find at an out of the way site but hardly in the middle of nowhere that had been in published a couple months earlier but hadn't been found. A marching band came out of nowhere as did 30 dancing girls in teeny bikinis. There was a ticker tape parade to the state capitol where the governor spoke, the mayor gave me the key to the city, and they served surf n turf for dinner. The dancing girls were pretty interesting but the rest was a serious waste of time and I've made a point of avoiding being first to find ever since. Quote Link to comment
+dcaches Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I accidentally had a ftf this summer...searching for it I was all annoyed because I thought something had gone wrong when loading my gps with caches, and there were no previous logs to see. It finally dawned on me when we found the cache and the log book was blank. Doh Quote Link to comment
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