Expirience Or Numbers

[+flannelman]

I do it for the excercise too! And it is a great way to get my two older kids out of the house so that my wife will only have to put up with the baby. We went on our third caching trip today. Had 1 DNF and 3 finds. All were traditional caches with swag. The kids like to trade and I do sometimes but I usually just take TB's or just leave swag. We try to trade up too. It has been a great expirience!! We have found several micros too. The have been the most challenging ones for me. The first find that he had was a micro that was well hidden in a place that isn't the obvious hiding place. This cache is only 1 mile from my house close to a campground. I think that it was a great place for a micro. Another one that I found was a bottle in a hollow log. That was a real challenge!! We walked all over it before we found it. This has been a great way for me to spend some time with the kiddos. We took a 4 mile hike that had 2 well hid traditional caches on it. The place was beautiful. I love the expirience and I want to see my numbers go way up too!!

 

[+budd-rdc]

Why do experience and "numbers" have to be mutually exclusive?

 

I do it for the experience, but I enjoy getting credit for having fun. I'm echoing the sentiments of cachers in my area who've posted here, saying it's both.

 

I know of a few cachers who have come up with an efficient "system" to maximize their find count. For some people, that's fun. I have no problems with different ways of having fun as long as it doesn't infringe on other people's ability to have fun.

 

Oh, and it's NOT fun seeing this numbers debate come up again and again. If you have the luxury to worry about other peoples' high find counts, are you sure your caching experience is fun?

[n0wae]

Well to me the two choices are inseparable. I like a good experience and lots of them. I enjoy all the flavors of Geocaching and can't say any particular flavor is better than another even if a particular flavor is "politically correct". One day I might satisfy my "addiction" by doing allot of caches just for the numbers. Another day might be a 12 mile hike to do only one cache. Or I might do a long 4-wheel drive to a very remote 4x4 cache that takes all day. I guess I like my menu to have allot of choices on it so I can satisfy my particular appetite for that day. I like easy caches and I also enjoy puzzles and the hard caches. (My latest DNF is on GCP17W) If I'm having fun and enjoying myself that's all that matters to me.

[+halffast]

The experience and the fun.

 

Logging finds is a way to say thank you to the cache owner.

AND QUALITY TIME WITH MY 3 YR. OLD GRANDSON(my caching partner)

[+TotemLake]

Experience. Numbers is merely a by product.

[Liber-T]

It's all about the experience. It gets my DD and me out of the house and with just the few we've done we have found places within a few miles of my home (and I've been here all my life) that I never knew were there. I've also discovered that I actually LIKE walking in the woods (well, as long as the path is clear...I don't like bushwhacking that much). And as my 3-year-old DGS grows up it will be more the norm for him to be out walking around in parks or the woods instead of sitting in front of the TV or a computer. The numbers don't really matter to me that much; in fact, I hate taking the time to log the darn things (but I know I must, so I will).

[+deimos444]

Experience and outdoors time.

[+TeamAO]

the same people putting experience are the ones hiding one micro per light in the Wal Mart parking lot. A have 400 hides all micros and each exactly 528 feet away.

[+Hobbies Anonymous]

Why do people think anyone who thinks or does things differently than they do is wrong? There is no one right or wrong for everyone. If you are having fun it doesn't matter your reason for doing what you do.

Geocaching got me out of the house all winter, walking searching, spending time with people who's company I enjoy, having fun. In the process I have learned my way around a relatively new area to me and seen many many very interesting places. Even the caches that some call lame micros took me to a place I had not been before and helped my continuing education of finding my way around a new place.

Experience? Numbers? I really can't answer that because some days I feel like finding a cache in a really cool place (experience) and some days I feel like seeing how many I can find. For me the hikes in the woods caches are left for winter when the critters and poison ivy and heat are asleep, urban micros give me something to hunt in the summer when there is no way I'm going to try to kill myself hiking through the woods in the heat, battling the bugs and watching for snakes and trying not to die of heat prostration.

If someone is having fun then they are doing what is right for them and it's no one else's business whether they are hunting for numbers or experienct.

[+BlueDeuce]

the same people putting experience are the ones hiding one micro per light in the Wal Mart parking lot. A have 400 hides all micros and each exactly 528 feet away.

I resent that. My micro is in the woods.

[+Joypa]

Numbers! Numbers! Numbers! In fact, what am I sitting here for when I could be out there racking up numbers? Yes. Who cares about the experience? Not me. I have no time for that. Have to get to the next cache. I can't measure my worth as a human being any other way. The guy down the street has more than me so I have to go out tonight and get more. No trades or nice long notes for me. No time. Just cache and dash. Gotta go. If I hurry, I can get 12 more today...

 

 

Well, somebody had to take the opposing point of view.

[+Jhwk]

I do it to get my old fat butt out of the house, so it's for the experience - but the numbers are adding up too.

[+deimos444]

the same people putting experience are the ones hiding one micro per light in the Wal Mart parking lot. A have 400 hides all micros and each exactly 528 feet away.

Not All.

[Shoobie & the Sand Crabs]

geocachin was intended for the experience but some people decided to make it the numbers.

origanally my area was mostly good quality experience caches but now it is starting to turn into numbers light post cachesall within about .2mile

Edited July 18, 2005 by Shoobie & the Sand Crabs

[+Renegade Knight]

Is caching more for which, expirience or numbers. I love the expirience. My daughter told me after our first find. "Dad this is quality time" (8 year old). I'm in it for the expirience. How bout you?

You can't separate the two. In gaining experience, you gain numbers. In gaining numbers you gain experience.

[+Renegade Knight]

People who argue that numbers are a bad thing are in effect arguing the quality of the experience. As if their fun is more fun than someone elses fun.

[+wimseyguy]

RK's last two posts summed it all up quite nicely. My last two Sunday's also reflect the impossibility of seperating the numbers from the experiences, and the menu of varying FUN's available to those who like to order from the entire menu. (And if you don't that's your perogative.)

Last Sunday, I was close to a milestone find, so I picked a suitable multi challenge for it. On the way there, I nabbed to quickies to roll the odometer up to 999.

Then I spent 3.5+ hours alone on some really nice trails working on the multi.

On the way back home I found another 5-6, and actually stopped part way through another multi, since it was in a location that my wife would really enjoy.

 

Yesterday, the forcast was for HOT and Sweaty, so I did a few with some hiking early and then focused on some tougher micros that have vexed others who have looked for them. One was even a guard rail parking lot hide. (That doesn't always=easy around here).

 

I guess I'm just lucky that I live in a cache dense area, with some very creative and clever hiders who keep it fun for me when I'm in hunt mode. If they were all just hikes in the woods to a pile of stick, or all just guard rails/lamppost hides I wouldn't be coming up on a three year anniversary.

 

Friday after work four of us plotted the extreme 1K multi test for the next in line to pass that milestone. Around here, you earn that badge, and then we have a fun dinner to celebrate.

 

Now that I have passed my latest milestone, I'll spend the next Sunday hiding a few more of my own. Look out Raleigh.

Edited July 18, 2005 by wimseyguy

[+Sagefox]

People who argue that numbers are a bad thing are in effect arguing the quality of the experience.  As if their fun is more fun than someone elses fun.

Good post. I believe this is why I react to the numbers-are-bad comments.

Edited July 18, 2005 by Team Sagefox

[+Team Perks]

People who argue that numbers are a bad thing are in effect arguing the quality of the experience. As if their fun is more fun than someone elses fun.

Bingo. Some of my best experiences while caching have been on numbers-whoring days. Some of my best experiences while caching have been on days where I spend many hours searching for one or two caches. Some of my best experiences while caching have been on days I spent taking fellow cachers back to caches I had already visited.

 

Obviously, if I wasn't having fun, I wouldn't be out doing it.

[+tozainamboku]

People who argue that numbers are a bad thing are in effect arguing the quality of the experience.  As if their fun is more fun than someone elses fun.

God post. I believe this is why I react to the numbers-are-bad comments.

RK is God?

[+deimos444]

Just when I think I am learning about people I find that I have once again overestimated the human race.

Not only is there an organization in the S.F. Bay Area that discriminates against those who have less than 500 finds but there is apparently a number one and foremost person who has been delegated the leader.

In the media no less.

Experience then becomes lessened by the thrill of being better than the other guy.

So much for personal best.

[+Siberian Cacher]

Is caching more for which, expirience or numbers.  I love the expirience.  My daughter told me after our first find. "Dad this is quality time" (8 year old).  I'm in it for the expirience.  How bout you?

You can't separate the two. In gaining experience, you gain numbers. In gaining numbers you gain experience.

actually, I think you can separate the two.

 

While you are correct in that experience and numbers go hand in hand, I took the question as to mean do you pursure numbers as a motivation or the quality of the geocaching experience - not the cache or swag.

 

For me, the quality of the geocaching experience trumps whether the cache is lame, the swag is lame, the location is lame, etc. I don't care if it's a micro in Walmart lamppost or the ammo can in the woods under a pile of logs. Nor do I care if the cache is full of broken McToys. If you look and view each cache trip as a unique experience, then it is almost impossible to be disappointed.

 

Like I've said, I've never seen a lame cache. They are all good to me - b/c for me it is about the caching experience (not experience in caching). Granted I may not find too many, but I do that for a reason. I have 500+ in my immedate area

so I'm not lacking for caches. each one represents a new area and new hunt, regardless of actual cache size, shape, location, swag, etc. Thus no two caches are ever exactly the same and thus the experience caching is what I enjoy.

 

The ongoing lame micro, bad swag, lame this lame that, yada yada yada proves that many people are in it for different reasons. Personally, I think most people, when it comes down to it, just enjoy it for what it is - a waycool outing experience with a purpose! That and people will always find something to complain about For every "lame cache" "another lame micro" etc there is someone happy with the cache and happy with the micro. Which defaults to just enjoy the experience of getting out and caching!

[+Sagefox]

People who argue that numbers are a bad thing are in effect arguing the quality of the experience.  As if their fun is more fun than someone elses fun.

God post. I believe this is why I react to the numbers-are-bad comments.

RK is God?

Perhaps. Although I do often like what he (?) has to say I have now edited my post to correct a typo.

[+Sonoran Privateers]

I don't really care about how many I have. There's usually a story behind every one of them. I spend a huge amount of my free time out in the wilderness with my family. Therefore, I mostly enjoy caches that are physically challenging, and allow us to have a good tromp, or bike ride, across some beautiful scenery.

 

If given 4 hours to cache, and the choice of coming home with 8 finds that are easy, just to hack of digits, or 1 find that was a great experience that I will remember....I'd go with the later every time.