Tips On How To Speed Cache!

[+the hiking viking]

Greetings! I come to the 'tree' of knowledge looking for advice, tips, tricks, thoughts, etc.

I'm going on a dedicated caching trip to Atlanta next week and I wish to collect as many finds as I can. What's the best way to do this? I humbly ask you to share your secrets and lessons learned.

I'm going armed with:

*Garmin 60c pre-loaded with 500 waypoints and my auto-route mapping software

*Laptop with GSAK & MapSource, with about 2200 caches listed

*PDA with cachemate and the same 2200 caches listed.

I'm shooting for just traditional caches, from micro to large, rated less than 2/2, don't want to hang myself up. This trip isn't about quality, just quantity!

While out caching, I'll be by myself, in rental car, with just my cache bag, pda, and GPS. Nothing left in the car except my drinks/snacks.

So what do you guys/gals got for me! Don't hold back anything, I've got an open mind!

 

Thanks in advance!

Dan the hiking viking

Akron, Ohio

[+WildGooseChase]

Plan ahead. Look for clumps of caches to save driving time. Know which caches you want to hit before you start. If you wait, a couple minutes wasted here and there looking where to go next will add up quickly.

 

Have fun, I'm jealous!

[+Renegade Knight]

If you don't find it in 5min move on. Hire a guide, or bribe a local to show you around.

[+5¢]

I too am a numbers whore. Best tip in the world. Use the export feature in gsak and map out a route on your mapping program. It will give you turn by turn directions on the quickest way to the locations.

[+The Leprechauns]

Don't rely *too* heavily on autorouting. Most mapping software assumes you're in a car, and will route you to the closest point from the cache that's on a road. Often this will put you in a residential subdivision that backs up to a park, or on the wrong side of a barrier like a fence, wall or railroad track. So use autorouting to get close -- the right freeway exit and main roads. Once you're within a mile of the cache, keep your eyes open for things matching the cache description. If autorouting wants you to turn into Pleasant Hollow Retirement Community to the right, and a road sign says Memorial Park is straight ahead, it's time to switch your GPS to compass mode. Of course, if the cache has parking coordinates, use those and you'll be fine.

 

Start before dawn. Aim to hit the first cache at first light. Arrange your route so that caches that can safely and legally be hunted at night will fall at the end of the list, leaving state park and cemetery caches for the daytime.

 

Carry food and drink in the car. If you find a nice cache location and need a breather, have yourself a picnic. Stopping at restaurants is more expensive and will delay you.

 

Don't trade unless you are quick about it. Even travel bugs slow down speed caching, because you need to take time to review goal sheets, record numbers, etc. Just sign the log and spend your available time replacing the cache exactly as you found it. Once you've found the cache, if it has a walk of more than 200 yards or so, write your log while you're walking back to the car - not at the cache site or in the car. I use the notepad function on my PDA. Then, I flip over to Plucker and I read the cache description for the next cache on the list. Then I set my GPS to start calculating the route. By the time I'm in the car, I can start immediately on the route to the next cache.

 

Last, this may sound stupid, but take time to smell the flowers. If you come across a spectacular view or curious object, take a picture and stop to catch your breath. Many caches are put where they are for a reason. Don't miss that just because you're moving fast.

[+VegasCacheHounds]

Last, this may sound stupid, but take time to smell the flowers. If you come across a spectacular view or curious object, take a picture and stop to catch your breath. Many caches are put where they are for a reason. Don't miss that just because you're moving fast.

Hmm, doesn't sound stupid to me. In fact, that part makes more sence to me than the rest of the post

[WH]

If possible, have some else drive you around so you can just jump out of the car. This trick also proves useful for areas where there is no legal parking near the cache.

[+Isonzo Karst]

Caching alone in an unfamiliar city I find it fastest to PARK the car when I get reasonably close and start walking. In urban areas especially, parking can really hold you up. If I see a parking spot within .2 or .3 of my waypoint I'm likely to take it. (Of course, there will then turn out to be a parking spot 15 feet from the cache). The more preplanning you can do, the better. I skip the high terrain but not the high difficulty caches, and check over the multis - and unknowns.

[+Team Tigger International]

Make sure you weed out all the multis and puzzle caches. Get stickers made up for the logbooks, you can always write a novel on the cache page later. The local guide idea is good, they most likely have found the caches and can give extra hints if needed.

 

Wulf

[+Gorak]

Participate in "cache machines". Someone else finds the cache first and all you have to do is drive up, sign the log book and move on to the next one. No actual cache hunting is required if you time it so that you're never the first one to the cache. I've seen some cachers log upwards of a hundred caches in a day while taking part in a cache machine.

[+Bjorn74]

Pay attention to GSAK's pictoral representation of the last four logs. If the last two are red or DNFs or any of the last four are yellow or SBAs, leave it alone. No sense in wasting time on something that has more than a 50% chance of being there before you even get on the road.

 

Keep track of the hiders. Generally, you'll note that hiders will use the same container of the same hiding mechanism over and over. This will make it easier to find them quickly after you've done two or three caches by the same person.

 

Do some puzzles before you leave. If it's possible to come up with some coordinates before you leave, do it. This will give you easy access to a cache that is probably easier than usual from a terrain perspective.

 

Keep your eyes peeled for locationless. You can add another 10-15 to your find list by seeing things that are along the way.

 

That's all I care to list for the moment. I don't think these were mentioned yet.

[+wimseyguy]

I would add: Drive real fast. Have change readily available for meters if you plan to be in an urban area. Learn to love the "found it" feature in your 60c and use it to keep track of your finds as well as GSAK.

But the best advice has already been given-plan ahead and aim for clusters, and have FUN.

I'm not so sure I agree with Bjorn's advice about anticipating trends. That would get you in a lot of trouble with some hiders I know.

PS check with AAA, or an Atlanta online traffic site the night before to be sure there are no planned delays or construction projects in your route. Perhaps sending a direct email to an Atlanta based cacher would help with your focus as well?

[+Joypa]

I think you're all nuts!

[+Miragee]

Me too! I set for myself a goal of finding seven yesterday, before the evening's Event Cache, so that could be my #100.

 

I guess the fact that I chose a Difficulty = 3, Terrain = 4, cache for my first one wasn't such a good idea . . .

 

Anyway, the Event Cache was only number 98.

 

And, I decided such "goals" took some of the fun out of looking for caches.

[+The Jester]

I think you're all nuts!

You are what you eat! And I love peanuts and cashews.

[+sept1c_tank]

Don't forget to smell the roses!

[rescue557]

Skip the numbers, play for adventure and have fun. But if you must be all about the digits, be sure to play it safe.

 

[+mtn-man]

Keep in mind where you might be backtracking. Don't turn left if you are going to come back by the same path anyway. Keep finding caches on the right side of the road if you are coming back the same way. Making left turns into a location and then back out of a location will add time, which adds up in power caching. (JoGPS taught me that trick.)

[+sduck]

My advice about Atlanta in particular is to get a guide who can go with you. Traffic is nuts there, and sometimes (often?) there are less than obvious ways of getting places that your garmin won't pick for you.

[+TresOkies]

When going as a group, take the fewest number of vehicles possible. In fact, stick some in the back of a pickup and let 'em hang on for dear life while you cut corners and hop curbs. Think I'm joking? Have your route (more or less) planned out but don't be so rigid that it can't change. Go with someone who's been through the area before and wants to pick up some stragglers--they can show you where the caches are. Take along a few printouts of the geocaching main page to hand to Mr. Police Officer who wants to know why you are driving like a maniac with four adults in the back of your pickup.

 

I'm a big fan of caching for the experience of it--seeing new places, taking photos, and enjoying a hike. But crazy 40+ cache days are fun in their own way too. You get home (or to the hotel) completely exhausted but hyped on adrenaline so that it takes a couple of hours and a couple of beers to wind down. It's possible to have fun both ways.

[+the hiking viking]

Excellent! Getting some really great tips so far. Thanks a bunch !

As far as the few replies about slowing down, smell the roses, enjoy each cache... Forget it! I do that at home with my wife, 5yr old son, and often the dog, all the time!! Which explains why we only have 270 finds in nearly 2 years of caching. Those 270 were nearly all great family time caches, ones to cherish.

This trip to Atlanta is about smileys and to see what I'm made of! See how well my eyes and brain have been trained to spot caches and to see how fast I can find them! Like it was mentioned, when I get back to my hotel room at night, I want to fall 'dead' on my bed, exhausted. Want the day to be a blur! And I want to have 100+ finds for the day

A guide would be awesome. Not likely though since I'll be caching during the week. This is strictly a solo adventure!

Thanks again and keep those tips coming!

 

Dan, the hiking viking

Akron, Ohio

[+5¢]

Excellent! Getting some really great tips so far. Thanks a bunch !

As far as the few replies about slowing down, smell the roses, enjoy each cache... Forget it! I do that at home with my wife, 5yr old son, and often the dog, all the time!! Which explains why we only have 270 finds in nearly 2 years of caching. Those 270 were nearly all great family time caches, ones to cherish.

This trip to Atlanta is about smileys and to see what I'm made of! See how well my eyes and brain have been trained to spot caches and to see how fast I can find them! Like it was mentioned, when I get back to my hotel room at night, I want to fall 'dead' on my bed, exhausted. Want the day to be a blur! And I want to have 100+ finds for the day

A guide would be awesome. Not likely though since I'll be caching during the week. This is strictly a solo adventure!

Thanks again and keep those tips coming!

 

Dan, the hiking viking

Akron, Ohio

Good luck dude. Happy caching and I feel your need/pain.

[+IV_Warrior]

I would add: Drive real fast.

You just might get to log this cache if you drive fast enough in the "right place at the right time". No sense passing up a "easy" cache if you're on a numbers run.

[+WYZE01s]

Dan, Dan, Dan....you're not going all the way to Atlanta to be FTF just because you've sworn off being FTF here in Akron, are you???

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

a guide would be awesome. Not likely though ...

 

I'll be glad to be your guide and driver! I've done a number of cache runs, led one today after our CITO in fact!

 

I know a number of Atlanta cachers; you wouldn't believe how much faster a cache run goes when you have someone that owns most of the local caches in the car with you!

 

I am retired and available most any time, so contact me if interested!

 

Ed

TheAlabamaRambler@alacache

205-956-6814

[+the hiking viking]

a guide would be awesome. Not likely though ...

 

I'll be glad to be your guide and driver! I've done a number of cache runs, led one today after our CITO in fact!

**SNIP**

D'oh! Dag gum! I didn't get a chance to come back to the forums and read the last posts on my thread. Thanks AlabamaRambler for the offer, I would have took you up on that IF I would have saw your post. Maybe next time!

Going to Nashville in May for my next caching vacation. I've got a some contacts there that I need to look up. Really looking forward going there. Nashville will be for the quality caches, not a power cache run.

 

Cheers! Dan the hiking viking

Akron, Ohio

[+the hiking viking]

Dan, Dan, Dan....you're not going all the way to Atlanta to be FTF just because you've sworn off being FTF here in Akron, are you??? 

Snicker... You got me Janet. Unfortunately, Georgia cachers have their fair share of FTF commandos as well. No luck getting a FTF while I was down there. I had internet problems with my laptop in our hotel room so I never could get online and check for new caches while down there. Couldn't log my caches until I got home. That was a major pita.

 

Dan the hiking viking

Akron, Ohio

[+cudlecub]

When I go on a numbers run I find an area of high cache concentration, weed out the multis, see if a puzzle can be solved prior to the start and eliminate them if it's not possible. I'll then plan out a route to maximize my time out on the road. I noticed a couple who has found over 2,500 caches will print out the page from gc.com showing the clusters of caches they are going for. They check them off the sheets as they find them. It just takes a little planning to be more efficient and have the greatest number of finds out in the field. Even though you're obviously going for the numbers game, take a little time to catch your breath at a cache site. The cache owner may have been wanting the finders to see something interesting.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Post this OP to the Georgia Geocachers Association forums!

 

Although some Georgians have answered already you'll likely get all the help you could want from their forums!

 

GGA

 

And, for your Nashville trip, post to the Middle Tennessee Geocachers site, MTGC and Geocachers of SouthEast Tennessee, GEOSET. For the geocaching trip of a lifetime get some of these folks to tour guide - AbbysGrammy & NashvilleJoe, JoeGPS, BackBrakeBilly & BetterHalf and dozens of others in the area will make your trip into an amazing experience!

Edited April 27, 2005 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+AtoZ]

Since no ask and your didn't say how many caches did you get in Alanta????

cheers

[+Bjorn74]

I just finished reading all I could take of the "Did they really find that many? I don't Believe it!" thread and remembered this one. I am going to try to compile as much of this into a FAQ as possible and then apply it to a run GirlGeek and I are planning in Louisville, KY over July 4th. We don't intend to have a driver or navigator but we are working with Deermark from the Indiana side of the river to plan the route.

 

My personal target is 100 finds in one day. If we can then put together 50 on the 3rd and 4th and another 70 or so with the next weekend in Cleveland, I might be on target to hit 1000 finds at the Midwest GeoBash and my 31st Birthday. That would also be 500 caches since November or so. It would also take GirlGeek up to 500 in just 8 months or so. Not bad for a Fort Wayner.

 

But those are my own goals. It's good to have them. If I can get this all documented well, I'll be well on my way. If anyone has more to add, please do.

 

And Hiking Viking gave a wrap up on GeoChums.com but I don't remember one here.