Virts And Benchmarking

[+CacheCreatures]

A recent thread asked cachers about their favorite virtual. Many folks chimed in with some really neat caches!

 

Of those that like (or love) virtuals, have you found the same enjoyment in searching for a benchmark? We've only completed 2 benchmarks to date, but what a good time both were! We are currently planning a benchmarking weekend.

 

It seems to me virtuals and benchmarks are more alike than not. Do those that search virtuals also search benchmarks (or vice versa)?

 

Just curious cause there seems to be a large divide between those that cache and those that benchmark, with very few folks who do both (if you don't believe me, pop over to the benchmark board! Talk about a different culture!). Might the virtual be a happy median?

[+rover-r-us]

i done some benchmark. i don't like them much because out of the ones i have done lots of them are not there.so i will stick with caches.

[+wildearth2001]

i like benchmarks but am losing interest, they are a great piece of history that is being made obsolite by that multi billion dollar technology that our game depends on, i still will continue to log the bms i come across but i think my days of going on trips with only one purpose to hunt bms are limited, i will seek finding the really old ones or the ones on 14000ft peaks and suff like that, i also enjoyed the one virt i have found as it was a nice change of pace, was easy and i didn't have to look stupid while searching for it

[+astheravenflies]

The only similarity I see between benchmarks and virtuals is that they are a fixed object that you find and log. There's no hidden treasure to exchange or logbook to log. Benchmarks have a common purpose as an aid to surveying. There's no such commonaity in the realm of virtuals. I guess that's why the serious BM seekers are in a class by themselves.

 

I've only found and logged one benchmark and that's only because I practically tripped over it looking for a cache. I don't deliberately look for benchmarks. But if I stumble over one, I'll log it.

[+Sagefox]

I love virtuals. And I love benchmark hunting but the two have entirely different meanings for me.

 

For the benchmark hunter, as opposed to a surveyor, benchmarks come in two basic types:

 

1. Highly visible objects for establishing compass bearings. I consider the visual benchmark as the "virtual" of the benchmark world because, like a virtual cache it is an object of some interest. They are easy to find and many consider them pointless for our game purposes. I prefer monuments but these are also fun for me because I like structures, old and new and I like the secret societies that use them – surveyors and benchmark hunters.

 

2. Physical monuments set in the ground or a structure. The monument benchmarks are small and you have to hunt them down. They are interesting to me because they are living-history artifacts. Most are still used for surveying and many were placed 50 to 100 years ago or even longer. Every piece of property you have ever lived at or visited has a legal description that is based on a monumented benchmark in one way or another. In our rural county I am finding some old roads that were used as the main roads a century ago by plotting out benchmark waypoints on the Garmin Roads and Rec. map. Then as I go after those benchmarks I visualize the early road as it must have been and the people and vehicles that used them. In our coastal county many benchmarks are on prominent ocean bluffs with great views.

Edited January 24, 2004 by Team Sagefox