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10 mistakes to avoid while geocaching


niraD

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There's a new blog post: 10 mistakes to avoid while geocaching. The short version is:

  1. Forgetting to bring a pen
  2. Not reading the cache description
  3. Not checking the latest activity
  4. Not using your geo-senses
  5. Forgetting to make a List
  6. Not CITO-ing
  7. Not being safe
  8. Not staying aware of your surroundings
  9. Not wearing the right shoes
  10. Letting mistakes ruin your geocaching outing 

 

So, what's missing from this list? I'll suggest: 4b. Relying too much on your geo-senses.

 

Some of my longest searches have been for caches that were near one or more "obvious locations", but the cache wasn't hidden in one of those "obvious locations". After spending far too much time examining those "obvious locations" in minute detail, I finally took a step back and spotted the cache, which was hidden nearby in a different manner from what I was expecting.

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18 minutes ago, niraD said:

There's a new blog post: 10 mistakes to avoid while geocaching. The short version is:

  1. Forgetting to bring a pen
  2. Not reading the cache description
  3. Not checking the latest activity
  4. Not using your geo-senses
  5. Forgetting to make a List
  6. Not CITO-ing
  7. Not being safe
  8. Not staying aware of your surroundings
  9. Not wearing the right shoes
  10. Letting mistakes ruin your geocaching outing 

 

So, what's missing from this list? I'll suggest: 4b. Relying too much on your geo-senses.

 

Some of my longest searches have been for caches that were near one or more "obvious locations", but the cache wasn't hidden in one of those "obvious locations". After spending far too much time examining those "obvious locations" in minute detail, I finally took a step back and spotted the cache, which was hidden nearby in a different manner from what I was expecting.

#5 seems a little too short.  What list of what? 

 

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19 minutes ago, The Jester said:

#5 seems a little too short.  What list of what?

It's talking about geocaching.com list of geocaches. Apparently they think it's a mistake not to make a list of the geocachings you're going to look for. Seems silly. I think better advice is the opposite: don't be so thoroughly planned that you aren't open to unexpected diversions from caches you didn't plan to be near.

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32 minutes ago, dprovan said:

It's talking about geocaching.com list of geocaches. Apparently they think it's a mistake not to make a list of the geocachings you're going to look for. Seems silly. I think better advice is the opposite: don't be so thoroughly planned that you aren't open to unexpected diversions from caches you didn't plan to be near.

 

Maybe #5 is driving at this, or maybe we need another entry...

 

Forgetting to load your ‘target’ caches onto your GPSr, or to download them for offline use on your App.  I’ve made this mistake more than once. :-(

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31 minutes ago, dprovan said:

It's talking about geocaching.com list of geocaches. Apparently they think it's a mistake not to make a list of the geocachings you're going to look for. Seems silly. I think better advice is the opposite: don't be so thoroughly planned that you aren't open to unexpected diversions from caches you didn't plan to be near.

Some of that advice depends if you are driving, or not, and whether you have another geocacher with you or not. I am planning a several day road trip at present, and although I will have a passenger, my mother, they don't geocache and don't know how to use a GPS. Plus they have bad mobility issues and have difficulty walking. My mother wanted to go for a trip and I volunteered, as long as I can do some caching. She will bring a book, but as I don't want to leave her for long, it does mean it will mostly be drive-bys. If I had another person with me who could watch the GPS and say, "pull over, here's another', I wouldn't need to prepare. But as I am driving I will have a list made for safety and convenience of the caches. I can't drive and look at a GPS. It's illegal and unsafe. I get to geocache and my mother gets an outing. We will do other things besides just geocache. Visits craft shops, art galleries, cafes (naturally :lol:), and she will see the scenery. She will bring a book too to read, when I have stopped for a cache.

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1 hour ago, niraD said:

There's a new blog post: 10 mistakes to avoid while geocaching. The short version is:

  1. Forgetting to bring a pen
  2. Not reading the cache description
  3. Not checking the latest activity
  4. Not using your geo-senses
  5. Forgetting to make a List
  6. Not CITO-ing
  7. Not being safe
  8. Not staying aware of your surroundings
  9. Not wearing the right shoes
  10. Letting mistakes ruin your geocaching outing 

 

So, what's missing from this list? I'll suggest: 4b. Relying too much on your geo-senses.

 

Some of my longest searches have been for caches that were near one or more "obvious locations", but the cache wasn't hidden in one of those "obvious locations". After spending far too much time examining those "obvious locations" in minute detail, I finally took a step back and spotted the cache, which was hidden nearby in a different manner from what I was expecting.

 

I was geocaching in another state this summer, in an area where a lot of the caches were placed by one hider (maybe 80%). I dnf'd my first cache of his, and then tried for another. I spent an hour looking for that cache, checking all the "best" places to hide a fairly large container. It was difficult because there were a lot of downed trees and boulders with good hiding places.

 

I got pretty cranky, and then finally gave up and walked away. Then, I found the cache right out in the open when the sun lit it up. Just laying there, kind of on the outskirts of a tree branch. I realized that this hider didn't understand the "normal" way of hiding things. 

 

But guess what, I spent the week looking for and finding a bunch of his caches (and easily rectified the dnf), because I understood his mindset from then on. My geo-senses didn't help me at all, I had to throw those out the window. I still grumbled a bunch, however (don't get me started on how his Earth Caches were set up :anibad: )

 

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Mistake #9: Not wearing the right shoes
You might be tempted to wear your flip flops or sandals—especially in the warmer months, but these won’t do you much good once you’re hitting the trail. You never know when a that perfectly level path is going to change to mud, get steep, or become slippery.

 

I couldn't let this slip by without comment, could I? From my 971 finds to date, I've only put something on my feet twice and both those involved oyster shells. The rest of my finds, DNFs and hides were all done barefoot. Anyway, what's wrong with a bit of mud? And in bare feet I'm much more sure-footed when navigating steep and slippery.

 

b5360d42-1c16-44a8-b662-fea49f5cab9e_l.j

 

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1 hour ago, dprovan said:
1 hour ago, The Jester said:

#5 seems a little too short.  What list of what?

It's talking about geocaching.com list of geocaches. Apparently they think it's a mistake not to make a list of the geocachings you're going to look for. Seems silly. I think better advice is the opposite: don't be so thoroughly planned that you aren't open to unexpected diversions from caches you didn't plan to be near.

 

Most of my caching trips involve looking for just one cache - in the last couple of weeks I've made four full-day trips down to Sydney harbour to collect all the waypoints for a single multi (GC80RZQ) - so a list of one is a bit superfluous. The only time I've really used lists was for the geoart caches associated with last year's mega here, and even then I'd generate a PQ from the list to load onto the Garmin's flash drive.

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2 hours ago, dprovan said:

It's talking about geocaching.com list of geocaches. Apparently they think it's a mistake not to make a list of the geocachings you're going to look for. Seems silly. I think better advice is the opposite: don't be so thoroughly planned that you aren't open to unexpected diversions from caches you didn't plan to be near.

 

I went off today for some caches in the reservation.  But it was closed today for 'deer maintenance'.  I have 4000 caches loaded in the Gupster and the nuvi.  I guess that's my list?  Instead of hiking in the reservation, I did six urban caches.  I rely on Gupster to show me the nearby caches.  That's my list.

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Hmm, this thread seems to feed the mentality that it's a mistake failing to find a cache.

AAR, here's some I've done:

 

(occationally)

a) Walk past a solved mystery because don't have saved the corrected coordinates offline.

b) Fail to check that coordinates have actually changed since solution.

c) Don't save coordinates when going to remote location and have to come back empty handed.

Maybe these are subsection to #5

 

(not so much anymore)

a) Search cache at bogus coordinates.

b) Search cache at EC or virtual coordinates

These probably go under "not reading description"

Edited by papu66
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Other than the lists I make for personal bookkeeping (e.g., milestones that don't align with Groundspeak's official milestones, progress towards challenges, solved unfound puzzles) and for identifying caches notable for a particular reason (e.g., public art, history), I mostly use lists when I'm planning to search for specific caches (e.g., introducing others to different cache types, finding caches in a series). But tied to this concept is solving puzzles in advance (and putting them on my solved unfound puzzles lists) when I have enough time to do so.

 

And yes, 7 and 8 seem essentially the same to me, and that frees up space for the mistake of thinking you have to find them all. Or if you prefer, the mistake of searching (or continuing to search) for caches when it's no longer fun.

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14 hours ago, K13 said:

11. Posting a photo of the cache or its hiding place an various social media sites.

Spoilers like that suck all the fun out of the hunt for anyone who sees that social media post.

 

I'll add and qualify that with having the intent to spoil the cache. There are two types of spoiling though - revealing a secret against the cache owner's desire, and spoiling a general idea that viewers might not want to have spoiled (even though it's for a specific cache they may never visit - eg, even that first nano or LPC find can be a 'eureka' moment that can be spoiled by seeing that style of hide before finding it yourself).

 

The latter - well, we always risk getting things spoiled by just using the internet. Personally, if it looks like something I might value is going to get spoiled, it's my responsibility to turn away (hopefully because 'spoiler' has been alerted first). If I see it, well, I can only try to forget it.

But the former - yeah that's obnoxious and rude.  If you have their permission though, then you can proceed, being aware that the latter is still in play and some people may still not want to have said experience spoiled.

 

So, I'd qualify #11 by saying in short:

11. Don't intentionally spoil the fun of a geocache hide for others by revealing secrets without permission and a disclaimer :)

 

7 hours ago, niraD said:

And yes, 7 and 8 seem essentially the same to me, and that frees up space for the mistake of thinking you have to find them all. Or if you prefer, the mistake of searching (or continuing to search) for caches when it's no longer fun. 

 

Yeah, that seems like an essential one that was missed: * Have fun!

If it's no longer fun, why are you doing it? Chances are you'll end up ranting and dragging others down too. Take a break, walk away, doing something else fun, then maybe come back and continue freshened up a bit. Especially if it's a puzzle or a task or gadget that's ruining your day. :)

Edited by thebruce0
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13 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

 

I couldn't let this slip by without comment, could I? From my 971 finds to date, I've only put something on my feet twice and both those involved oyster shells. The rest of my finds, DNFs and hides were all done barefoot. Anyway, what's wrong with a bit of mud? And in bare feet I'm much more sure-footed when navigating steep and slippery.

 

 

 

 

 

How many times have you worn a shirt?  I mean, I don't think any of the photos you've posted involve a shirt of any sort.

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14 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

 

I couldn't let this slip by without comment, could I? From my 971 finds to date, I've only put something on my feet twice and both those involved oyster shells. The rest of my finds, DNFs and hides were all done barefoot. Anyway, what's wrong with a bit of mud? And in bare feet I'm much more sure-footed when navigating steep and slippery.

 

b5360d42-1c16-44a8-b662-fea49f5cab9e_l.j

 

Unless I can figure out a way to fix cleats to the bottom of my feet I'm wearing SIDIs

(actually even if I could put cleats on my feet I wouldn't do it, the rigid sole of bike shoes really helps power transfer)

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15 hours ago, IceColdUK said:

 

Maybe #5 is driving at this, or maybe we need another entry...

 

Forgetting to load your ‘target’ caches onto your GPSr, or to download them for offline use on your App.  I’ve made this mistake more than once. :-(

Or if you own an Oregon 450 (and perhaps a few others of that vintage), after loading the caches to the unit, forgetting to do a proper LOGICAL USB disconnect from the OS before pulling the cord.  I've gotten to the field twice and discovered that there were no caches showing on the device because of that.  I'm not sure which would be more annoying ... "forgetting" or not forgetting and still not having the caches on the unit!  Fortunately, I tend to cache as a duo, so the ability to move caches from device to device via the ANT interface saved me both times, though it was inconvenient with an entire day of caching planned.

 

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17 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

From my 971 finds to date, I've only put something on my feet twice and both those involved oyster shells. The rest of my finds, DNFs and hides were all done barefoot.

Sorry niraD for going off topic a second...    :D

I was really concerned for barefootjeff's safety, but in search found , "Although human hookworm (Necator americanus) occurs elsewhere in the world it is virtually non-existent in Australia".

Lucky...

 

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19 hours ago, niraD said:

So, what's missing from this list? I'll suggest: 4b. Relying too much on your geo-senses.

 

Some of my longest searches have been for caches that were near one or more "obvious locations", but the cache wasn't hidden in one of those "obvious locations". After spending far too much time examining those "obvious locations" in minute detail, I finally took a step back and spotted the cache, which was hidden nearby in a different manner from what I was expecting.

Yep. Sorta.

A career in law enforcement, the last 17 in the hoosegow, I'm kinda good at finding things hidden.  ;)

 

But the idea that everyone even knows what "geosense"  is,  (I feel) is incorrect. 

 - If it's simply an "obvious"  spot  for a cache by the one who hid it,  sometimes it's only obvious to the one who hid it

 

"Geosense" (to me) is knowing the environment I'm walking in...    :)

 

 

 

 

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Mistake #2: Not reading the cache description
Geocache descriptions can contain important information about the hide. They may describe the area, share pertinent details, list any TOTT (tools of the trade), or drop subtle hints to help make the find more fun.

 

This one's interesting, as everywhere else they seem to be discouraging people from looking at the full cache page. On the new search map there are buttons for downloading GPX files and logging the cache without ever having to look at the cache page, even clicking on "Description and Hint" doesn't show attributes or waypoints, and in the app all but the first couple of words of the description are now hidden and the instructions for traditionals say to only look at it "if you get stuck". Sometimes I wonder why I bother putting the effort into creating it.

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1 hour ago, barefootjeff said:
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Mistake #2: Not reading the cache description
Geocache descriptions can contain important information about the hide. They may describe the area, share pertinent details, list any TOTT (tools of the trade), or drop subtle hints to help make the find more fun.

 

This one's interesting, as everywhere else they seem to be discouraging people from looking at the full cache page. On the new search map there are buttons for downloading GPX files and logging the cache without ever having to look at the cache page, even clicking on "Description and Hint" doesn't show attributes or waypoints, and in the app all but the first couple of words of the description are now hidden and the instructions for traditionals say to only look at it "if you get stuck". Sometimes I wonder why I bother putting the effort into creating it.

I started typing a reply similar to this yesterday and then got sidetracked. It does seem like the importance of the description is minimized in an increasing number of places. If anything, things like the official app should be encouraging users to at least open the description. It might not be a bad idea to have new users be forced to open the description for the first X caches they seek, in order to reinforce how important some of the information in the description can be.

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48 minutes ago, The A-Team said:

I started typing a reply similar to this yesterday and then got sidetracked. It does seem like the importance of the description is minimized in an increasing number of places. If anything, things like the official app should be encouraging REQUIRING users to at least open the description. It might not be a bad idea to have new ALL users be forced to open the description for the first X all the caches they seek, in order to reinforce how important some of the information in the description can be.

 

FIFY :grin:

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I'll add:

  • not writing down all the information you need about a bunch of caches and then leaving the piece of paper at home and only realising when you're an hour away. I seem to do this on a regular basis and don't have a way of viewing caches in the field. Fortunately I can sometimes find the cache anyway, but it's always annoying!

 

I'd also add:

  •  not using a GPS device until you really need to
Edited by Blue Square Thing
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#9 seems to specific to me.   Wearing the right shoes is just one piece of protective gear that one might consider.   Dressing for the environment might be more general.   Wearing gloves and a hat when it's extremely cold is just as important as the right shoes.   Going out geocaching for an entire day without sun screen could be a big mistake, as would venturing into many areas without insect repellent to prevent getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and ticks.  

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4 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

#9 seems to specific to me.   Wearing the right shoes is just one piece of protective gear that one might consider.   Dressing for the environment might be more general.   Wearing gloves and a hat when it's extremely cold is just as important as the right shoes.   Going out geocaching for an entire day without sun screen could be a big mistake, as would venturing into many areas without insect repellent to prevent getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and ticks.  

What is "wrong" for one person isn't always wrong for everybody.  I guess all the caches I've done in my Teva sandals are "wrong"?  They make it easier to cross small streams & puddles without my feet staying wet for hours (or logging a DNF for not being able to cross water).  I wear the sandals pretty much year round (if the snow gets over about an inch I'll switch to shoes/boots), much to the shock of some - but I have very warm feet.  As to the trail getting steep, I've rock climbed a 5.4 climb (low intermediate level) in my Teva's.

As to clothing for the weather, being very warm-blooded, how I dress is different than I would expect others to dress.  But, on the flip side, others shouldn't dictate to me how to dress.  I've had other mountaineer's complain that my example is a poor one for beginners.  But should I overdress (for my body, making me overheat) just to show someone else how to do it?  If they try my 'style' they'd quickly find it too cold for them (either condition isn't good - too hot or too cold).  Or, another example, I ski without gloves most of the time (even back when rope tows were very common - it's all in the technique) but do I tell others to do the same?

 

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I think the point about wearing the right shoes is very important. I often go for a COTD right after work and if I'm wearing inappropriate shoes, even an easy walk through tall grass can be painful. 

 

Another thing I can add, is checking the attributes (I guess it's part of the #2: Not reading the cache description). You don't want to show up at GZ and find a meter of snow when the cache has a "not winter friendly" attribute. Or not even being able to get to the location because it's not 24/7 accessible. Or hoping for a quick find when attribute is indicating field puzzle. 

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I don't see   Not CITO-ing  as a "mistake".

We pick up other's trash every time we're out, caching or not.  Did so way before this hobby started.

We've had cachers who no longer cache with us because of the "time taken" when out.  Many times it's items at GZ.

 - But (to us) CITO is a "choice".  It's something we choose to do in addition to this hobby.

If someone chooses not to, it's not an error ...    :)

Edited by cerberus1
Addition - finally got help for the last of the ice off the drive :D
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2 hours ago, EggsTheBest said:

Another thing I can add, is checking the attributes (I guess it's part of the #2: Not reading the cache description).

 

Not quite, as when you view the Description and Hint in the new search map you don't get to see the attributes. They're only visible on the full cache page, and if you're using the app, it only shows a small glimpse of the attributes spelt out as words - you have to delve down a level to actually see them all. It seems TPTB like people viewing attributes even less than they like people reading the description, which is a dilemma for me as a CO as attributes are often the most concise way of conveying important safety information (dangerous animals, ticks, thorns, cliffs, falling rocks, etc.).

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45 minutes ago, barefootjeff said:

 

Not quite, as when you view the Description and Hint in the new search map you don't get to see the attributes. They're only visible on the full cache page, and if you're using the app, it only shows a small glimpse of the attributes spelt out as words - you have to delve down a level to actually see them all. It seems TPTB like people viewing attributes even less than they like people reading the description, which is a dilemma for me as a CO as attributes are often the most concise way of conveying important safety information (dangerous animals, ticks, thorns, cliffs, falling rocks, etc.).

Yeah I really don't understand why they switch from the icon to text. I often need to click on it to see if the cache is winter friendly or not...

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8 minutes ago, RocTheCacheBox said:

11  - DO NOT replace a cache you think is missing without first notifying the CO and getting permission.

 

 

Yeah.  I've gotten a log, "FOUND IT, but it's just a coke bottle cap.  Stuffed a piece of signed paper into it.  It's only a bottle cap on the ground, the rest of the cache is gone!"

 

… they logged it as Found.  So there ya go.  B)

 

But #11 could be extended to "Communicate with Cache Owners and other cachers".

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#11 Don't rely on Live Mode to find caches when in the field

I'm a cell phone cacher. Since day one I've used offline, downloaded caches to my phone. I've never had an issue being in a cell dead zone. I've never complained about not being able to "get caches" because of poor cell coverage

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4 minutes ago, igator210 said:

#11 Don't rely on Live Mode to find caches when in the field

I'm a cell phone cacher. Since day one I've used offline, downloaded caches to my phone. I've never had an issue being in a cell dead zone. I've never complained about not being able to "get caches" because of poor cell coverage

This is part of my annoyance with Groundspeak's app. The default behavior is not to save cache data for offline use. No other geocaching app that I've used has behaved like that.

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6 minutes ago, niraD said:

This is part of my annoyance with Groundspeak's app. The default behavior is not to save cache data for offline use. No other geocaching app that I've used has behaved like that.

 

But all of them think they're still online.  "Loading Map Tile".  Ten minutes later, "Hold Your Horses, I'm Loading That That Map Tile".  (Huh, didn't I load all the offline data?  Guess not everything.)

 

Or for sure, with all offline stuff loaded, working offline, the Geocaching Apps will still dutifully throw you into another App which only works online.

 

Edited by kunarion
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4 minutes ago, kunarion said:

But all of them think they're still online.  "Loading Map Tile".  Ten minutes later, "Hold Your Horses, I'm Loading That That Map Tile".  (Huh, didn't I load all the offline data?  Guess not everything.)

Well, yeah. That's part of why I put my phone in airplane mode when I'm in an area with no reception, to avoid wasting battery on useless attempts to contact the non-existent cell towers. But Groundspeak's app can show you a cache, and even start navigating to a cache, but then somehow not have the cache data available when you want it without a no data connection. "Oops, you didn't save for offline use. How clumsy of you."

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Not learning how to use your Geocaching device.  Nor understanding what it's showing you.  And every device has its own leetle glitches and stuff, get familiar with how it works.  It's just a tool and you need to think while using that tool.

 

I had no idea with my first cache hunt with my Garmin GPS.  Fortunately, I was in a small wooded area in town, and could practice and switch screens and see where it's pointing, what works and what works best.

 

It took me over an hour to find that ammo box 50 feet away.  Today I can do that in half that time!  See?!  Practice! :D

 

Edited by kunarion
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38 minutes ago, igator210 said:

#11 Don't rely on Live Mode to find caches when in the field

I'm a cell phone cacher. Since day one I've used offline, downloaded caches to my phone. I've never had an issue being in a cell dead zone. I've never complained about not being able to "get caches" because of poor cell coverage

 

That might not make the list as it assumes you're using Groundspeak's app.  A more generic variant might be:
#11: Have all the information you need for a cache available offline (in print, or stored on your device)

:)

ETA: er... these are mistakes, so maybe:

#11: Forgetting to have all the information you need for geocaches available offline (in print, or stored on your device)

 

 

31 minutes ago, niraD said:

This is part of my annoyance with Groundspeak's app. The default behavior is not to save cache data for offline use. No other geocaching app that I've used has behaved like that.

 

Cachly has some pains as well. Make sure you change settings to load full cache details. Otherwise, if you do a map search then go offline, if you view a cache details it's barebones; the map search gets minimal cache detail and requires online to get the rest of the info.

It can work offline, but, a semi-unrelated frustration -- the memory use and app caching is awful. Far too many times I have caches searched or a target being viewed, jump to another app, and if the memory management determines Cachly needs to be released, iOS doesn't keep Cachly's state stored, so I come back and have to start everything over again. I hate that!  Other apps have a similar effect.

 

To contrast - in my experience Geosphere never does that (unless the app is forced closed). I don't know how that dev did it, but I'm guessing he kept his own app-state stored to be checked when the app reloads from an iOS memory clear. I can always come back to exactly where I left off.  ...that's not an online/offline issue, but it's an annoyance that came to mind, lol.

As for offline, you never have to worry about being on or offline in Geosphere since ANY cache that's downloaded is stored in the app's primary database. If you ever go offline, you've still got the data from the last cache load. Sure the database can get big, but I hate doing all these piecemeal live searches especially if I've already done them recently. So redundant. Cache data doesn't change all that often, so I vastly prefer the assumption to save data locally and only update it live when I ask it to. That also saves on server hits and API call limits.

 

But anyway...

Yeah satellite tiles working only online is much more a given, unless you know the app has an offline mapping feature.  Vector map sources are excellent for that; no enormous graphic tile set downloads for multiple zoom levels.

 

Thankfully, gps is offline by nature. So as long as an app doesn't cripple your gps use if it can't get a data signal, the app should be "geocachable" offline. Or something like that :P

Edited by thebruce0
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1 hour ago, thebruce0 said:

Cachly has some pains as well. Make sure you change settings to load full cache details. Otherwise, if you do a map search then go offline, if you view a cache details it's barebones; the map search gets minimal cache detail and requires online to get the rest of the info.

It can work offline, but, a semi-unrelated frustration -- the memory use and app caching is awful. Far too many times I have caches searched or a target being viewed, jump to another app, and if the memory management determines Cachly needs to be released, iOS doesn't keep Cachly's state stored, so I come back and have to start everything over again. I hate that!  Other apps have a similar effect.

 

 

I've used Looking4Cache for 5 years now. In the beginning it had an issue of crashing when I switched to the camera, but now, it rarely crashes when switching between apps. L4C seems to prefer Offline Mode over Live Mode, so even if it crashes, the biggest issue is the satellite tiles. If I'm in a dead zone, I just switch to preloaded vector maps.

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On 2/26/2019 at 7:30 PM, dprovan said:

Apparently they think it's a mistake not to make a list of the geocachings you're going to look for. Seems silly. I think better advice is the opposite: don't be so thoroughly planned that you aren't open to unexpected diversions from caches you didn't plan to be near.

 

Always have a plan. Always be prepared to deviate from the plan when a good reason to do so presents itself. 

  • Upvote 1
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Since #10 is generic, I'll add 'this' to 'that'....

 

When taking a long hike out into the woods from some goat track or forest service road where the vehicle was left behind, remember to mark a waypoint for the vehicle, or start a 'track'.  It's not enough to have good coordinates for the cache if you then have no idea how to get back to the vehicle!

 

  • Helpful 1
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Today in email we have "Outing Planning Mistakes" we're supposed to be making now too.   OPM

 

1. Not looking for which of your geocaching friends have found the cache

I go for the walk.  My friends might PQ an entire area.  We'll walk together,  but I'm heading to one cache, and the only one I'll log. 

I think most already work around that...    :D

 

2. Not looking at the GOTW public list to see if any featured geocaches are nearby

I don't believe I've ever intentionally looked for a "geocache of the week".   How is that a "mistake" if they simply don't interest me?

We don't do most promotions because they change the way we cache too.    That used to be a bad thing...

 

3.Not using Geocaching.com to help plan    

 May be just me, but I bet "using the search map" right about now is a sore subject.   ;)

 

4.Not checking to see if the cache is located somewhere that’s only open during specific hours

I think most can find that sign...   Of course if you're only going after "numbers" and in a rush, it pays to keep track to save time.

 

5. Not refreshing your offline data before you leave.

 

6. Not looking for GeoTours in the area

Like gotw, we don't intentionally search out geotours.  Of four we attempted, none had all the caches available to finish.

 - Like a multi with a stage missing, but  a lot longer drive...  

 

 

  • Upvote 2
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5 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

3.Not using Geocaching.com to help plan    

  May be just me, but I bet "using the search map" right about now is a sore subject.   ;)

;)

 

5 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

4.Not checking to see if the cache is located somewhere that’s only open during specific hours

 I think most can find that sign...   Of course if you're only going after "numbers" and in a rush, it pays to keep track to save time.

One of my FTFs was in a neighborhood park shortly after it opened in the morning. The listing was published while the park was officially closed, and I was going to be nearby the following morning anyway. So I left home a little early and was one of the handful of geocachers who entered the park at 6am sharp. I was actually proud of everyone for actually respecting the little park's hours.

 

5 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

5. Not refreshing your offline data before you leave.

Yeah, over the years, I've tried to find a few caches with stale data. The worst is when I solved a puzzle ages ago, and didn't notice that the CO had since moved the cache and updated the puzzle.

Edited by niraD
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On ‎2‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 7:44 PM, barefootjeff said:

 

I couldn't let this slip by without comment, could I? From my 971 finds to date, I've only put something on my feet twice and both those involved oyster shells. The rest of my finds, DNFs and hides were all done barefoot. Anyway, what's wrong with a bit of mud? And in bare feet I'm much more sure-footed when navigating steep and slippery.

 

b5360d42-1c16-44a8-b662-fea49f5cab9e_l.j

 

 

Good thing you don't cache in Minnesota. You would have a very short caching season.

  • Funny 1
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