Once I Get Close Then What

[larryt7052]

My GPS seems to say I'm at my destination way to soon. Then when I start searching the GPS doesn't seam to update quickly enough, so before I realize it I’m past my way point. Am I walking to fast? Do I need to do a grid search once I get close? I have found 7 so far, but feel I think most where by luck not skill. Any help would be appreciated.

[+TEAM 360]

When I get about 40' away, I stop for a few seconds and then begin to walk slowly...this allows my GPS to catch up with me and get an accurate fix...I use a Magellan and they are know to "overshoot" the coords by about 20-35 feet. When I get down to about 10' away, I don't even look at the GPS anymore, it's time to stop and scan the area, thinking "Now where would I hide it?"

[+IMLost]

Are you using a Magellan? I have experienced several time what is called the "Magellan Slingshot" when you pass the cache site and need to backtrack to it. I have heard that slowing down helps I usually stop for about thirty seconds or so when I reach 100 ft away it seems to help.

[+dzdiver]

If you are in terrain where there are multiple good hiding spots, or if you are looking for a micro, you might try the following: I will approach the waypoint from a direction and when the GPS indicates somewhere around a couple of feet or less, I will drop a marker. Then I will approach from another direction and do the same. After doing this 3-4 times, you have a very good and distinct area to base your search from. Now I would look at this base area and start looking for good hiding areas. Check inside the boundaries of the markers first, then start working outwards from the boundaries. For makers, red rags tied with a rock inside work good. Some of my finds have been 60 feet away from where my GPS indicates ground zero. Think like a hider. Best wishes.

[+quills]

When I get within about 30 feet or so I set the GPS down and just start looking for it. I found one on Monday that was a very clever hide for the last leg of a multi. The GPS said 20 feet and was right but I wouldn't have found it if I was looking at the GPS. I hope this helps.

[+greengecko]

You might consider navigating your way by the longitude and latitude display. You don’t have to play follow the arrow and it will save a lot on batteries. The “GOTO” function on most units is a major battery drain.

[larryt7052]

Thanks for all the great Ideas. I'm definitely going to slow down as I approach the site. I also like the idea of dropping markers. For the person who asked, I have a Cobra GPS 500. I have been please with it all though I have nothing to compare it with.

[+New England n00b]

I find good luck using a real compass and taking 'bearing' numbers off the GPS as I approach the cache (100' or less).

 

There's at least one prolific geocacher who doesn't use a GPS at all - just topo maps and a compass!

[+JMBella]

Keep it simple. Slow down when you're within 50 feet +-, then scan the area for things that don't look natural. Like branches lined up parallel to each other, rock piles, stumps covered by vertical sticks and branches, or leaves that look like they have been moved around. A lot of times doing a scan like this will cut you search time down dramatically. As you go on more hunts you will know when to trust your GPS and when to put it away and trust your instinct. You will also get a feel for how different players hide their caches. It's good to take note of who the cache owners are and remember how they hid the cache. It may help you on another trip.

 

Good Luck!

[+Lafrog]

I've learned in my short stint here to think like a hider while being a finder.

[GFource2004]

We get within 50 ft or so of the spot and then shut the GPS off and go "hunting". Before we used to try to walk right to the site and look right there and never found a single cache - Little did we know. Yesterday we found four caches and doing it all by hunting in the area. Remember to think, "If this was my cache where would I find it?". Look for things that seem odd or out of place. Just get in there and have fun!!!

[+crzycrzy]

Use the force Luke !

 

Seriously though, I find it is helpful to triangulate by figuring out where the base location is (The first place the GPS leads you to...)

and then trying it from a few different directions where applicable.

This generally does it if it's there...

By the way, I have been doing this awhile and I still think it's blind luck.

Don't feel bad, you are in good company.

[+fly46]

The first cache I went on, the ony real tip I got was something along the following... Once you're within the gps's margin of error (check the gps, it'll tell you your accuracy within so many feet), quit using it.

[+protocoldroid]

bring a buddy... have one of you play with the GPS, and have the other one use instincts (which don't run out of batteries too often, maybe after a turkey dinner!)

 

this is what my girl and i have done everytime... i use the gps and she uses her noggin...

 

sometimes if we're having trouble, I start walking away from the area and back to it a few times to see if I can try to define an area to look in.

 

also granted... if you just rely on the gps and not your brain -- you may not find any

[+Criminal]

When you get to 47.8’, stop and drink a beer. When you get to 33.3333333’, drink another beer. Then run at full speed back to 47.6’ and drink two beers. Stand with your finger on your nose and spin ten times as fast as you can and drink two more beers. Then follow the arrow on the GPSr until you are within 27.6’ and 22.8’, stop and drink another beer.

 

Or go buy Garmin.

[+MJinFL]

Yeah Criminal, that's about right. I feel like I've had too many beers everytime I use my buddy's Garmin.

 

I've had my Merigold be 25' off, and once it literally put me within a foot of the cache. Altho I'm sure that was just a coincidence.

 

It's funny, when I first looked into geocaching, I thought, "why bother? There's the coordinates, a map, AND hints. How hard could it be?" How naive I was! I logged my first DNF last week on a micro labelled as a Park-N-Grab(Curse you TheNomad! I WILL find that one!!!).

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

my best mathod when i cant get a solid read is to aproach the area in a straight line and then when i get near, i set the unit down in the same line, then i start looking, and go back to the unit if i need, by then it usually settles down

[+Team Shibby]

I used to follow the arrow down as close to 0' as I could and begin my search but as others have stated I will now walk till the GPS says 20' and I begin my search. This has cut down the search time significantly on many caches. Lets face it, your GPS is not 100% accurate and neither was the persons who placed the cache, so if you ever do follow your GPS till you hit 0' and find a cache, you probably just got lucky

 

Kar of TS!!

[+wimseyguy]

My surplus flamethrower has helped find a few hidden in deep brush, but hasn't helped much with the urban micros.

Ditto what has already been said; trust your equipment to get you close; trust the force to actually find the cache. And toast Criminal every time you open a cold one.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

In a previous post I mentioned setting the unit down in a spot and then refering back to that spot, It works well but be careful, I seem to have lost my GPSr this way, I guess I forgot to pick it up after the find.

[AC Student]

Do I need to do a grid search once I get close?

You could always decrypt the hint. Or even decrypt it ahead of time like I do.

[AC Student]

edit - Oops, double post.

Edited June 11, 2004 by AC Student

[+Mud Puppy]

I have taken to getting just outside the accuracy distance, then turning 90 degrees and walking 50 feet or so. I have found that if I watch the arrow as I walk past I can get a reasonable triangulation on the cache site which will get me to within 5 feet or so.

I use a garmen GPSIII

[+Chuy!]

You might consider navigating your way by the longitude and latitude display. You don’t have to play follow the arrow and it will save a lot on batteries. The “GOTO” function on most units is a major battery drain.

Thats near brilliant; it will also help you qucikly learn latitude from longitude, which I always get confused about. "Which way do I go to increase this number...?"

And as you indicated; Goto drains your batteries; good thing I invested $20 in a charger and 6 AA NiH batteries (plus 2 AAA batteries.)

[+Torry]

I use the little yellow eTrex and have learned to walk the last 100' slowly and set the unit down for a few minutes if the cache isn't obvious.

Edited June 13, 2004 by Torry

[tunacache]

You might consider navigating your way by the longitude and latitude display. You don’t have to play follow the arrow and it will save a lot on batteries. The “GOTO” function on most units is a major battery drain.

Thats near brilliant; it will also help you qucikly learn latitude from longitude, which I always get confused about. "Which way do I go to increase this number...?"

And as you indicated; Goto drains your batteries; good thing I invested $20 in a charger and 6 AA NiH batteries (plus 2 AAA batteries.)

I am very new to this sport. Just started this month actually. The first cache I found was placed in a moderately dense forest. When my GPSr said I was at the cache, I stopped and looked around, but could not find anything. I searched for quite a while with no luck.

 

After getting frustrated, I pulled out the printed cache page and read it over. The clue was area helpfull ony. Then I spied the longitude and latitude and it clicked. I switched the GPSr to that display and compared the readings to the cache location. Slowly advancing in the manner that made the longitude and latitude become that of the cache I was able to find the cache.

 

I used this approach for the next two caches I found. After getting within 20 feet, I used the longitude and latitude to get me close enough to find the cache.