SudsburyAZ Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 (edited) Hi I’m very new to geocaching, albeit I know what it is and for the most part how it works. My daughter got to do a small geocache last week and wants to try this out. I am wondering if the premium membership would make my experience into geocaching more enjoyable (less confusing, etc) or will it be no different? I’m hoping this can become something we do as a family when we travel up to Northern AZ and I would like our first experience as successful as possible to ensure more interest from everyone. Anyway, any insight would be very much appreciated. One last thing, the take one leave one concept does it matter what you take and leave? I’m asking just in case my daughter wishes to do this. Thanks, SudsburyAZ Edited July 4, 2019 by SudsburyAZ Quote Link to comment
+CAVinoGal Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 Hi, and welcome to geocaching! I hope you and your daughter enjoy it! If you are using only the geocaching app on your phone, your experience as a basic member will be limited to traditional caches rated 2 or lower for difficulty and terrain - a good place to start, but you might not see many caches to find around you. The website will show you all the caches except for those that owners have marked as Premium only, and you can manually enter those coordinates, and still log those finds on the website. The website has some starter videos and a LOT of information on how to do various tasks. Spend some time there! Take one/leave one refers to SWAG left by geocachers - the general rule is to trade even or up, but don't be surprised to find, literally, junk, in a lot of caches. We try to clean out the garbage and leave trinkets and signature stuff. I leave wine corks, kids leave bouncy balls, little charms, etc. NO food, gum, toothpaste (yes, I did find a tube of toothpaste in a cache!), perishable items. Take one/leave one doesn't apply to trackables (a whole 'nuther side game that can be a lot of fun, and you don't have to be a premium member to do that either) Premium allows you to see ALL caches available, and for the app that means many more icons on the map for you to choose from! I waited a few months after joining to upgrade to premium; my husband had a premium membership and I just cached with him and logged caches via other methods if we found any that were premium. Find a local group (look for events to attend) and ask questions - most are happy to share tips and insights, and someone local can guide you and show you local customs and what types of cache hides are more common in your neck of the woods. Events are just gatherings of geocachers, usually at a restaurant or park, to talk and share experiences. It's a great way to meet other geocachers learn from more experienced folks!! Quote Link to comment
RuideAlmeida Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 On 7/4/2019 at 4:43 PM, SudsburyAZ said: I am wondering if the premium membership would make my experience into geocaching more enjoyable (less confusing, etc) or will it be no different? Premium membership trials are available (for users who have not previously had Premium) by contacting Geocaching HQ via the Help Center. 1 Quote Link to comment
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