Thanks all for the info...

[+cheerose]

Hi all...

 

After getting out of the sport for a while (got discouraged not finding caches), I decided to get back into it.. mainly as an additional form of exercise.

 

Of course, this is not to say that I've learned anything since I went to 3 cache areas today and didn't find a single one!

 

When I got back home, I read the topic More Newbie Questions - The last ten feet which helped me out a bit. I think that I had two problems today...

 

1) Weather - very cloudy with off&on rain. I think that this screwed up reception with my GPSr (Etrex Legend).

2) Being impatient - I expect that when I get within 10 feet or so of the posted coords, that the cache should stand up and say "I'm over here!"

 

I think that I just need to regroup a bit and try again later... or maybe try finding Benchmarks... as they seem to be a bit easier.

 

Thanks all...

 

Jeff

[+LarsThorwald]

Don't give up. "Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid!"

 

If that doesn't work, try heading out with a more experienced cacher!

 

If that doesn't work, e-mail the person who placed the cache. Maybve they'll give you an additional hint!

 

And if THAT doesn't work, well... then you can try benchmarks!

 

Charlie

"One should never begin a journey by heading in the wrong direction."

[+gpsfun]

It sure is frustrating to get skunked. I can't wait to get back to Dayton to find one that eluded me for more time than I would like to admit.

 

On any given day there will be a different configuration of satellites overhead than the ones the person who placed the cache had, so we need to expect some ambiguity in the readings. A cloudy day or a dense canopy of foliage overhead makes it worse.

 

While this doesn't always work, I look for things out of their natural position. Leaves and dead branches don't just naturally pile up at the base of a tree or over a stump hole. Rocks don't just pile up in front of places where an ammo box might hide. And at least around where I live, not all caches are on the ground.

 

There's a lot of good advice in the other thread you referenced. The three most important items are:

 

1. use a compass

2. use a compass

3. when in doubt, use a compass

 

I find it helpful to get back away from the target area and get bearings on it from at least two perspectives. Then use the compass to walk one or both of the bearing lines.

 

Good luck!

[+gpsfun]

It sure is frustrating to get skunked. I can't wait to get back to Dayton to find one that eluded me for more time than I would like to admit.

 

On any given day there will be a different configuration of satellites overhead than the ones the person who placed the cache had, so we need to expect some ambiguity in the readings. A cloudy day or a dense canopy of foliage overhead makes it worse.

 

While this doesn't always work, I look for things out of their natural position. Leaves and dead branches don't just naturally pile up at the base of a tree or over a stump hole. Rocks don't just pile up in front of places where an ammo box might hide. And at least around where I live, not all caches are on the ground.

 

There's a lot of good advice in the other thread you referenced. The three most important items are:

 

1. use a compass

2. use a compass

3. when in doubt, use a compass

 

I find it helpful to get back away from the target area and get bearings on it from at least two perspectives. Then use the compass to walk one or both of the bearing lines.

 

Good luck!

[+raouljan]

Hiding (and finding) an ammo-box is different from hiding (and finding) a 5" tupperware.

 

I made the bad mistake of not having the information on EXACT cache type with me on the Mondo Hunt. I am sure that cost me 50% of the finds... that and the rain, and the mud.

 

>Personally Responsible for the Recovery of .00217% of the Benchmark Database!<--watch this number!

[kayak'n]

Sure glad to hear someone finds benchmarks easier to find ,'cause that sure hasn't been our experience!! Seems like most of the benchmarks we go looking for are long gone....things like roads being widened, landmarks (water tanks, schools) torn down and other similar situations. We are getting a good grounding in local history tho' talking with the oldtimers as we try to locate that wiley, elusive benchmark. Okay...now where is that old plat map from 1945.........

.......Gone geocaching......

[Little's Cache]

I've been into the sport just a few weeks and have been skunked a few times also. I spent 2 hours in a heavy tree cover area today and my GPS was all over the place. However, I did find 3 of the 4 caches that I went hunting for. the thrill is there, as is the determination to find the elusive one.

 

What better way to get some exercise, see the world and have fun!

 

Don't give up. heck, invite someone to go with you. they might actually find that missing cache.

 

Doug

[kagekaze]

Did my first try at Geocaching this past Tuesday. After a series of nice hikes, I found myself 0 for 3. Two of the caches I failed to find have been found repeatedly this week, so I'm pretty sure that it's me.

 

Next time I can find some spare time, nice weather, and a sitter (not a common confluence of events) I'll be back at it.

[kagekaze]

Did my first try at Geocaching this past Tuesday. After a series of nice hikes, I found myself 0 for 3. Two of the caches I failed to find have been found repeatedly this week, so I'm pretty sure that it's me.

 

Next time I can find some spare time, nice weather, and a sitter (not a common confluence of events) I'll be back at it.

[+TeeEff]

My wife and I only started geocaching less than a month ago and have had a pretty good record. We've logged 17 finds and only one Not Found.

 

We try not to use the encrypted clue, but if we've done a thorough search and still can't find it, we definitely use the clue. In some cases when we're not sure where to find the trailhead, we've read the clue and the clue has contained the location of the nearest trailhead.

 

One particularly frustrating find seemed to indicate by the name of the cache that it was up in a fallen tree, but we couldn't find anything. We finally found it at the base of the fallen tree, well hidden on the down side of the trunk. Reading the logbook and the online log, we found out that it originally was up in the tree, but that many passersby saw the cache in plain sight, so someone hid it at the base of the trunk. So if you're having problems, read all of the logs and that will possibly give you a better idea where the cache is hidden or particular problems that other people had.

 

My wife has an eagle eye and caches stand out to her like a sore thumb. Keep your eye out for anything that doesn't look quite right or natural. Many time the cache will be by the most prominent thing in the immediate vicinity.

 

[This message was edited by TeeEff on September 22, 2002 at 12:27 AM.]

[+Jamie Z]

I began my career 0 for 2, but now have just over 100 finds (including those two, thank you very much).

 

It takes a little experience to get a good idea of where the cache might be hidden. Now, sometimes, I think its too easy. And then I'll get stumped on a simple cache, and I'll come back to reality.

 

Look at my profile, you'll see a list of each of my no-finds (more than one for two caches). I have 16 no-finds and 111 finds. That gives me an 87% success percentage... or if you look at it the other way, 13% of the time I go out to find a cache, I come back not having found it.

 

Stick with it; you'll get the hang of it.

 

Jamie

[+Red Barron]

When I first purchased my GPS I set several waypoints near my home. Over a storme drain, corner of a parking lot, ect. then went back to them several times over then next few days. It was amazing how far off my GPS was from day to day. Using that information then I was better able to know how big of a circle to inspect when I was looking for a cache.