General questions about technique.

[+TMAN264]

Hello, I am interested on how some of my fellow cachers approach finding their caches. For example, I print the cache I am looking for. If time is a factor, I will decrypt the hint, so if I am in the woods getting shot at by hunters, I can resort to the clue to narrow the search. I also use the GPS to get within 50 or so feet, and then put it away, since I find it a distraction at that point. I also like to take my wife, but only on the easier caches (no micros), since she gets frustrated after 10 minutes of looking.

 

What I am looking for is feedback from some of you in the forum world. Some examples may be:

 

1. Do you ever use the hints, i.e., is it bad form to use it, or do you always use the hint?

 

2. Do you use the GPS exclusively, or do you just use the description to get the booty?

 

3. Do you ever e-mail the cache hider for clues if you cannot find the cache?

 

Thanks!

 

Will cache for food.

[+Majormd&PUNditOK]

Good questions. I think we'll see a lot of different approaches posted here.

 

We bring the printout & go to the coordinates. We'll look around for a while, then decrypt the hint. I do keep the GPS while I'm looking because sometimes the coordinates will change abruptly & you'll realize there is more than on area with nearly identical coordinates. As I get more experienced, I'll probably rely on the GPS less once in the vicinity and trust my searching ability more.

 

If I didn't find one and could go back (so far all 3 of my no-finds finds were in one city 1600 miles from home, where going back was not an option) I would post a no-find to alert other cachers to a potential problem, and e-mail the cache owner to get confirmation that the cache was still there, and any information s/he cared to share with me to make the next trip more successful.

 

- Sue

[+Jennifer&Dean]

We use the hints when we have to, but not before.

We also keep the GPS on 'cause sometimes you get more satellites locked and better accuracy and can get a better idea of where to search.

And we have e-mailed the owner for clues, but only because we KNEW from reading the other logs that the cache had problems and the owner hadn't bothered changing the equations on the page. Still hasn't as a matter of fact.

ANd we have been known to search for more than 2 hours, in the dark, waiting for the full moon to rise over the mountain.

-Jen

[+Criminal]

Two words: Agent Orange

[+georgeandmary]

I like to go in with the basic information. Size and coordinates.

 

I work the just the gps and seach for a while.

 

Sometimes I read the whole page but not always.

 

When I read the page I read it carefully, which words did the hider use to discribe the area, the hunt, the terrain, the effort.

 

If that doesn't work the read the last couple logs. Did they say it was easy or hard, did they make a comment that infers the feeling of the cache.

 

If that doesn't work I go for the hint.

 

I'll go back to the cache site before I email the hider for a hint.

 

george

 

Pedal until your legs cramp up and then pedal some more.

[+TeamJiffy]

As to your specific questions:

 

Do we ever use the hints? Yes. We will try to find the cache on our own. If we cannot, one of us will peek at the hint (usually me, "Jif." We'll then give a general clue to the other, and then try to find it. This works well for us.

 

Do you use the GPS exclusively, or do you just use the description to get the booty? We use both. We read the description, as we are driving to the location. We'll use the map feature of our GPS to figure out where to drive to, and also where to walk to get close to the cache. Once within 200' or so, we'll use the electronic compass to get close to the cache (we use a Garmin eTrex Vista.)

 

Do you ever e-mail the cache hider for clues if you cannot find the cache?. We did that once, for this cache:The Love Shack.......Baby Afterwards, we decided that we wouldn't do this again, as it was more fun to figure it out ourselves.

 

Further things we do: We may try to find a cache a couple of times - we wouldn't mark "Not Found" unless we feel that the cache may be lost - so far that has not been the case. We know others use it to indicate 'failure to find' but when we see 'not found' logs from other users, we worry that the cache may not be there, and other folks who could find the cache may be turned away unfairly by our hasty conclusions.

 

We will also walk away from the site and re-approach it if we just aren't finding the cache; that fresh perspective sometimes helps.

 

For urban caches, we won't let ourselves search for more than a couple of minutes - rather, we go away for an hour or so, and then come back, so we don't arouse any curiosity that could compromise the cache.

[+eroyd]

My usual technique is to make sure my GOTO is going as directly as possible to the cache as I get within about 60m's. Doing this I am able to look ahead (shoot a bearing) on where the cache should be. I find the directional arrow gets confusing when I get too near the coord's.

 

Often when my 30m proximity alarm goes off the cache is actually closer do to lag time. Within 20 meters of a cache my GOTO directional arrow often does a confusing flip-flop. If my GPS say '0' m's and I can't find the cache I will back off to a place with good satellite reception, let the unit average for a while to give a good bearing/distance and then go in with a compass.

 

I always like to make sure that I'm at least on the given coord's according to my GPS before starting to dig or giving up.

 

Using the clue, if all else fails usually requires a second trip.

[+georgeandmary]

quote:

---

Originally posted by TeamJiffy:

 

Further things we do: We may try to find a cache a couple of times - we wouldn't mark "Not Found" unless we feel that the cache may be lost - so far that has not been the case. We know others use it to indicate 'failure to find' but when we see 'not found' logs from other users, we worry that the cache may not be there, and other folks who could find the cache may be turned away unfairly by our hasty conclusions.

 

---

 

Please post your DNF's, even when you just can't find it. It let's me know that

 

1) people are taking the time to attempt my cache,

 

2) I may need to adjust the difficulty ratings based on how many DNF's I have, and

 

3) I may need to check on the cache to make sure it's still there.

 

DNF's are important feedback I use to maintain my caches.

 

george

 

Pedal until your legs cramp up and then pedal some more.

[Rubbertoe]

1. Do you ever use the hints, i.e., is it bad form to use it, or do you always use the hint?

 

Just to make it challenging for myself, I try not to use the hint unless I'm completely stumped. In fact, I'm a little bit stubborn about it - and it has cost me a couple of finds. I'll download a bunch of waypoints and head off without any hints or descriptions, and I'll end up not finding a couple of them that I could have found for sure with the hints. I guess I'd rather go without hints and fail, first - and then use the hints if I really have to. I feel like it is more of an accomplishment to do it without hints.

 

2. Do you use the GPS exclusively, or do you just use the description to get the booty?

 

I almost always use the GPSr all the way up to the hiding spot. There have been a couple where it wasn't needed, but I still tend to leave it on all the way up to the spot.

 

3. Do you ever e-mail the cache hider for clues if you cannot find the cache?

 

I've done that a couple of times... not only to get hints, but to let the hider know that just because I wasn't able to find it - that they shouldn't worry that it isn't there anymore or something. I know that when someone logs a "not found" on one of my caches, I get concerned that it was stolen or damaged. When I post a "not found" on a cache, it is probably due to my lack of hunting skills - rather than a missing cache.

 

The NEW Toe Pages

[Lyra]

I used to use an e-Trex Yellow that I owned when I first discovered Geocaching, but have since upgraded to a Legend. I haven't had this problem with the Legend, but I found that the Yellow not only gave inacurate pointer directions in heavy cover (sometimes as much as 100-150 feet from the actual cache site), but it would also give inaccurate distances. When I exhausted the me-being-the-search-engine thing by looking in all of the obvious hiding places, I'd look at the actual coordinates where the GPSr says I am. I'd then walk due north until the coords on the GPSr match the first set of coords for the cache, then walk due east or west until the second set of coords match.

 

On one cache in particular, I was skunked my first time out, when the GPSr said I was within 50 feet (clue was not really much help, as it was vague enough to describe the area I was in). When I went back a few weeks later and did the coordinate matching, I found the cache and it was at least 200 feet from where I had been looking the first time.

 

Another method I employed when I had the Yellow was triangulating. When I found myself scratching my head and completely baffled, I'd back off about 200 to 300 feet and get a good satellite lock, walk toward the area until I had a pretty straight pointer and then pick a landmark that I thought was pretty close to the cache. Then I'd do the same thing at roughly 90 degrees from the first straight line to the cache and the intersection of the two straight lines to the cache would usually put me a lot closer than the GPSr itself could.

 

I haven't had much of a problem with the Legend, though. On one cache that skunked me the first tiem, the Yellow had me about 200 feet from the actual cache location. Went back with the Legend and it led me straight to it.

 

Always wear proper caching safety equipment!

[+Sissy-n-CR]

This what I do:

 

First, I make sure that Sissy is with me. No, seriously. You'll have to find your own caching partner, though.

 

We read the discription. Actually, she reads it and I ask her about five more times to read it to me at various parts of the hunt. Short term memory problem comes with age, apparently. (but I'm only 41!)

 

She navigates while in the truck. I navigate out of the truck.

 

She gets us within walking distance and I get us within eyesight.

 

As I approach the cache site, I slow down as to not overshoot the spot. (SporTrak Map) As I'm walking in, I scan the area for possible likely hiding spots, as does Sissy.

 

Once I get to "zero" I stop and continue scanning if we haven't found the cache yet. Sissy searches likely spots. At this point I try to make sure I'm getting the best signal possible, even to the point of watching the sat page and moving around a few feet to get a better lock if I'm in trees.

 

After a few minutes I do the inevitible readjustment to zero. After the first readjustment I actively start hunting.

 

If we havn't found it within a few minutes of hunting I recheck my "zero." This helpful because it does "move" sometimes.

 

We go out about 40' before we look at the cheat. We try to get the clues from the discription before we use the cheat though.

 

Only after really exhausting the search--an hour or better--will we give up and email the owner.

 

We're really tenacious.

 

CR

 

[+Man In The Wild]

I like Sisy n CR's caption for their avatar. Maybe I'll change mine to Queenfish's chauffer...

 

I check out the caches online that I think would be fun to find. If something looks interesting, I'll mention it to Queenfish, then she usually gets very excited about having a cache to find. Other times, Eli will IM me and say "Let's go do this cache!" (which also gets Queenfish wanting to go find the cache...) I don't have a chance with those two.

 

We read the description on our way out, and sometimes again when we start the hunt. If Eli's with us, both her and I have our yellow etrex's drawn and ready. I'll carry the printout with me (or more likely my PDA with pocket queries.) I follow the GPS all the way to the cache. I find it hard to put the GPS down--even when it says I'm standing on top of the cache.

 

I've picked on how Eli uses her etrex--coordinate matching like Lyra mentioned. After reading Lyra's post, I'll have to be nice from now on since it sounds like she may be compensating for some errors I've been following all along. I've triangulated like Lyra a few times, and I agree that it really helped.

 

Once we get close, it's all Queenfish and Eli most of the time. Queenfish starts looking for the cache before we get out of the car while I have my eyes stuck on the GPS. It's amazing what keeping your eyes open will do for you.

 

We do read the hint if we spend too much time wandering around the same area. No time limits--usually when I feel like we're getting nowhere. I can't remember emailing a cache hider to ask for more clues. I'm sure we would email them if we were really stuck.

[+koneko]

These are great questions =)

 

i try and go with at least one other person (usually my first mate, drlucky) he'll navigate while i'm driving, and then at the sight, whoever has the etrex will navigate. he's got an awful habit of being able to zero in on caches just by lookin around, while i'm off stalking the dadgum thing then again, i'm the one with the eyes for good stashing places

 

quote:

---

1. Do you ever use the hints, i.e., is it bad form to use it, or do you always use the hint?

---

we have used hints in the past - we decrypt, if necessary, on the trail.

 

quote:

---

2. Do you use the GPS exclusively, or do you just use the description to get the booty?

---

we use GPS to narrow down the field. sometimes we find it better to put it away, other times it'll lead us right there. it really depends on the terrain, the difficulty and the description of the cache itself.

 

quote:

---

3. Do you ever e-mail the cache hider for clues if you cannot find the cache?

---

yes! I'm still waiting for a response from the owner of the East Pinnacle cache in Berea, Kentucky. this one killed us - we spent a little over 2 hours just searching for this one. goin back there soon! i won't let it get us down.

 

'neko

The White Diamond Pirates

[+TeamJiffy]

Good point, George and Mary. Oftentimes, we cache 'in between doing other things' and have every intent to get back to the cache an hour or so later. And it is easier to post the final 'found' once we get home vs. logging a not found, followed by a found 30 seconds later, during the same visit to the web site....

 

However - your request is quite reasonable. Therefore, we'll follow this rule, based on your request, because we agree that what you say makes perfect sense: If we find ourselves going home before we finally find a cache, we will log a 'not found'.

 

quote:

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Originally posted by georgeandmary:

Please post your DNF's, even when you just can't find it. It let's me know that

 

...

 

---

[+georgeandmary]

quote:

---

Originally posted by TeamJiffy:

Good point, George and Mary. Oftentimes, we cache 'in between doing other things' and have every intent to get back to the cache an hour or so later. And it is easier to post the final 'found' once we get home vs. logging a not found, followed by a found 30 seconds later, during the same visit to the web site....

---

 

If you find it the same day then it doesn't really apply. But if you don't intend to go back to the cache that day, it's nice to know you've been there. It doesn't even have to be a DNF, a note works just as well.

 

george

 

Pedal until your legs cramp up and then pedal some more.