New To Geocaching

[+BuS_RiDeR]

Hey there! I am new to the game/sport and just wanted to say hi.

 

Actually, I do have a question...

 

Why is it that everyone I talk to says that before I place a cache I should find a bunch? Please dont flame me... This is a fair question. Several people have told me I need to find several caches before I place one... And they sounded pretty condecending about it too...

 

I am an experienced hiker and have a good knowledge of the wilderness, what is safe and so on. I've read all the FAQ's and gotten a few tips from other cachers...

 

I have gone on a couple finds. But there are not a whole lot of caches in my area... plus I dont have that much free time to spend. So I'd rather place a cache or two first.

 

Am I missing something? the GPS will give me the coordinates I need wont it? And if I check it walk away... return and re-check it a couple times... Then why would I need to find caches before I hide one?

 

I am very interested in this game/sport. But I am curious why many other cachers are saying this... Doesnt make a lot of sense to me.

 

--- BuS_RiDeR ---

[+TrimblesTrek]

Hey BuS_RiDeR,

 

I'm definitely a proponent of the "find a few before you place your first one" camp. I think it's all about having a basis for comparison.

 

I've found many caches placed by new geocachers who haven't taken advantage of the experience to be gained by hunting other caches first. Most of the time, it is very obvious that the hider has no prior geocaching experience.

 

By hunting other caches first you learn (among many other things):

 

- What makes a good cache container, and more importantly, what doesn't!

- What makes up a good selection of trading goodies.

- Various hiding/camouflage techniques.

- What a cache logbook should be.

- Whether or not you need to provide detailed hints for your own cache.

- Whether or not you need to provide parking coordinates for your own cache.

- Whether or not you need to provide information on hiking distance, terrain specifics etc.

 

You won't really know these things until you've had the pleasure of finding a number of caches first, because you have no baseline for comparison.

 

Best of luck hunting AND hiding!

 

TrimblesTrek

[+Rogue_monkey]

i believe most people say you should find a few first is so that you have a feel of where to place a cache both the location and the hiding spot. also what goes into a cache, containers used, themes, type of cache. I guess its to get a feel of whats goes into placing a cache. finders what caches that aren't lame, they have to be injoyable and worth visiting. i'm sure you could place a cache right off the get go but there is a lot that goes into it. i just placed my first a few weeks ago and realized what really goes into makeing a good cache, its not easy but it is really enjoyable. i hope that helps a little.

 

cheers and happy hunting

[+Rogue_monkey]

trimblestrek and i must have been typing at the same time as our comments are almost the same.

[+Team Tigger International]

Having a few finds under your belt will also give you an idea of the types of caches in your area. If they all seem to be the same, you might want to try something different. ie shopping centre micros? place a multi!

I'm sorry if the 'experts' seem a bit condescending, but we've all had our share of bad experiences, both in placing and finding. We really are trying to help.

 

Wulf

[+BuS_RiDeR]

Thanks for the tips guys. I appreciate it.

 

The cache I have in mind is simply a log for the visitors to sign. No treats or goodies.

 

My planned location requires a little hike (4.2km) to get to, and a river crossing (not difficult but may require a change of socks and or shoes). And it is only for the serious minded. Since I am planning this hike later this week, I thought it would be a good opportunity to place my first cache. Not so much hidden as the great hike needed to find it.

[+Mud Puppy]

I had only found 3 caches when I placed my first one, but I had read the FAQ and a lot of posts regarding cache contents.

If your area is short on caches then I say go for it. The other cachers in my area have been very happy to see more caches added.

[+Olar]

Thanks for the tips guys. I appreciate it.

 

The cache I have in mind is simply a log for the visitors to sign. No treats or goodies.

 

My planned location requires a little hike (4.2km) to get to, and a river crossing (not difficult but may require a change of socks and or shoes). And it is only for the serious minded. Since I am planning this hike later this week, I thought it would be a good opportunity to place my first cache. Not so much hidden as the great hike needed to find it.

That brings up another point that could be added to TT's list. That is posting a difficulty rating that correctly applies to the cache. In the case of your hike it may be an easy find but it borders on requiring special equipment (extra socks and/or shoes) so the terrain rating should reflect that. Experience is definitely the best teacher in that regard.

I would say that it is a must to state in your cache description about the river crossing and possibly the hike distance.

 

Welcome to the sport. Since I prefer a good hike, I'll be watching for your listing and move it to my "must do soon" list.

 

Cheers, Olar

[+TrimblesTrek]

pssst... Olar... I think he's in New Brunswick.... wanna do that one this weekend?

 

hehe

[+Olar]

pssst... Olar... I think he's in New Brunswick.... wanna do that one this weekend?

 

hehe

Sorry TT I can't make it this weekend but you feel free to go ahead without me.

Actually I'll be in N.B. the last week in July on my annual fishing trip so I may be able to do it then. The only problem is the other eight guys in the group actually want to fish and just smile at me when I talk geocaching. Boy have they got their priorities all wrong.

 

Bus_Rider let me know if your cache is anywhere near southwest of Fredericton between Hanwell and Kingsclear. We always start out with a big party in Salisbury at a Buddy's place then head in to camp the next day. Will be taking a couple of day trips down to the south-end of Oromocto Lake.

 

Cheers, Olar

[+BuS_RiDeR]

Well I am planning for my first Cache to be in Fundy National Park (its in the south eastern end of the province.) Since I am from Riverview, New Brunswick... Its much closer than Freddy is. But I'm sure that once I get more into the sport I will venture outwards.

 

--- BuS_RiDeR ---

Edited June 16, 2004 by BuS_RiDeR

[gm100guy]

Back when alot us of started to cache, there were so very few caches to hunt. We were happy just to have another cache to hunt. Its to bad that hiding some tubberware with a log book and a few trinkets in the woods has become so complicated.

 

I hid my first to 2 caches before I ever found one.

 

Your cache sounds like it would be a good hike and nice location.

 

Go hide the cache and if you make a mistake you will find out by the logs and learn what you need to do next time.

 

Edited June 16, 2004 by gm100guy

[+Couparangus]

Ah yes, I still remember the days when you punched in your home coordinates to find the nearest cache and there was nothing - and then came the invitation to hide your own.

 

Although I signed up on Monday, January 29, 2001 it wasn't until March 10, 2001 that I actually had a cache to find, and this was a 60 mile drive up the road. A week later, on March 17, 2001, I hid my first cache. That first find set the tone for pretty much all my stashes.

 

Cheers!

Coupar-Angus

[+Team Tigger International]

Fundy National Park ?

 

That might be a problem. I'm not sure about your area, but I'm willing to bet that you'll have alot of trouble getting a cache approved in a national park. I'd suggest you contact an approver and check with them before you go out and place the cache. The hike is probably very nice, but do you really want to do it a second time to remove the cache if they say no?

 

Wulf

[+BuS_RiDeR]

Hmmm good point. But to my knowledge there are already a few caches in Fundy park. But I will check into it first.

 

BuS_RiDeR

[fortrel]

Don't assume that your cache will be accepted because there are already caches in the area. Sometime the rules changes but approvers give priviledges to existing caches, but won't approve any new caches in some areas. Best check with cache-tech first.

 

(Wow! It almost sounds like I've been doing geocaching for years... when I really only started two months ago!)

[gm100guy]

I think the only place you have problems hiding a cache in Canada right now is here in Ontario in the provincial parks. This is not the USA where you can not hide a cache on some Federal lands.

 

And the other thread about hiding around Hamilton in the conservation authority lands.

 

Maybe cache tech can let us know of anyother places?

 

[Dino Hunters]

Hi Bus Rider.

 

My personal take on your question is "Varies by individual". In my opinion a person who carefully reads the FAQs, reads the forums, and asks a question or two should have no trouble placing a cache without having found many.

 

I realize that it is a rare individual who can learn from others mistakes, but if you are one of those folks, than you can probably hide a cache just fine.

 

For folks who are less inclined to book learning, than practical field experience may be a better teacher.

[+The Blue Quasar]

I have to admit that I have two minds on this one....

 

A new cacher placing a cache might develop something that has never been tried or thought of before. They would not be 'contaminated' by previous accepted ideals and may bring something completely new to the geocaching scene.

 

But they might do something unaccepted by the norm and cause problems for themselves and others as well.

 

I can speak for myself when I say that my first cache was WAY TOO HARD. My wife tripped on a slippery slope when placing it and did a face-plant into a log, and no one went after it for about a month, then when someone finally did they told me that the terrain was about a 4.5 instead of the 2.5 I listed. I went to the site two times after that, and it was brutal. I finally decided to move it and I don't regret that decision at all. I had found 10 caches when I placed it and still chose poorly.

 

Another local example was placed so poorly that anyone walking by this heavily used area could see the one-and-only spot it could be hidden. The cache was quickly thrown out by someone that didn't know what it was and figured someone had just left their lunch container behind.

 

But still, I would say that if you can come up with a cache that you think is ready and great then go for it. The best judge of what will work is yourself, and even if it fails you will have learned something.

 

Another quick thing to consider... I screwed up on my first three cache placements, every one of the caches had a problem with them (Bullzie usually helped me by being my unintentional field tester (he was quite the 1st finder in his day)), but you keep working and it gets better. Every cache can be fixed/modified/tweaked/adjusted/corrected or whatever word you need to make yourself fully happy with what you've done.

 

The Blue Quasar

Edited June 21, 2004 by The Blue Quasar

[+geoSquid]

I placed my first cache after I'd done about 10 or so caches. I had read all teh FAQ's so I had a pretty good idea of what needed to be done and not done.

 

The hardest part about placing it was finding the spot to put it where it would meet the level of terrain difficulty I had in mind, was the approved distances from other caches, *AND* wouldn't get hauled off by the Ottawa bomb squad, er, disturbed by passers-by.

 

Setting up the redirects (it is a multi-cache) was actually quite easy.

 

What I learned from this is:

 

** what the terrain looks like in April is not necessary representative of what it will look like in June **

 

Basically, when the grass and leaves came in, my cache became harder, no doubt about that. But it's Ottawa, so by late october it will be easy again

 

If you do your homework before placing a cache, you should have no problem.

[+Algonquin Bound]

OFF ROAD - Luther Marsh is an example of why people suggest that you get more than just a few finds, before placing your own caches. A pretty remote area and a long hike, only to discover that the coordinates are off!!! Not everyone does this, but it is common enough that people warn to get some solid experience first. It takes a while to get used to the nuances of a GPS and to learn how to be sure that your readings are accurate.

[+KD_cachers]

Hey BuS RiDeR you did a good job on this cache. I had a great time hiking into it. Don't become discouraged if it is not logged for extended periods of time, check some of the near by caches sometimes months will go by without a find