1) *ALWAYS* waypoint the car! :D
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1) *ALWAYS* waypoint the car! :D
2) Be VERY aware of your surroundings...people, cars, terrain, weather...etc.
3) Use common sense, your gut instinct, and the proper gear to keep yourself safe.
4) Don't stick your hand in a hole and feel around. :eek:
Don't go by yourself, go with another person or a few people.
Always carry spare batteries! They're an easy way to score points with your girlfriend when her GPS dies 500 feet from the cache.
Lear to use the track feature on your GPS. Waypointing the car will get you back to the car, but backtracking will get you back out the way you came in (One method often works much better than the other, depending on the situation).
"Found it" log means you FOUND the cache - or at least remnants of one - not just the spot where it was.
"Didn't find it" log means you DIDN'T find it. Whether because you just didn't look in the right place, or you found where it was and it was gone and may be missing, you still didn't find it! Cache owners ned this information to properly maintain their cache.
Bring bug spray (and tick tweezers)
Bring First aid Kit & keep your cache partner downhill from you - they are usually softer to land on than the rocks. :o
When you get close to the coordinates, put away the GPS and start looking for the cache.
If you key the coordinates in manualy always double check them, and bring the cache print out with you. Sooner or later it will save you a lot of walking.
Remember that the GPSr will usually get you within 30 feet of the cache in ideal conditions (no tree cover, clear day, accurate coords from the hider). When you get close stop staring at that little screen and look for what may seem out of place.
This is probably THE BEST hint for any cacher. I've always had an EXCELLENT sense of direction, but when you're been watching an arrow on GPSR for 20 minutes, you absolutely lose all sense of where you are.Quote:
Originally Posted by The G Team
Now I ALWAYS waypoint the car when I start, and it's always a fast trip back.
I also waypoint the car when I go hunting. It's nice to know the fastest way back when you either bag your deer or decide it's time to give p because it's almost dark.
1. As others have said, always mark your car as a waypoint....
2. Bring a bottle of water with you -- especially on hot days. You may not think you'll need it, but if you get way out in the woods for a longer period of time than you expected, you'll be thankful you have it.
3. Cache with a buddy, if possible. It's easy to slip and fall and get hurt...trust me on this one. Also, believe it or not, it's easy to get disoriented and perhaps lost in the woods -- even with a GPS in your hand.
-RanMan22
Also helps to have your cell phone with you - just in case...Quote:
Originally Posted by RanMan22
It does, but a lot of the remote caches in Maine and NH are in areas with no cell phone coverage. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by WhereRWe?
Though it has been said before, I can't emphasize enough how helpful (perhaps important is a better word!) it is to enter the location of your car before embarking on a trek. I have been off trail more than once and wished that I had. One time in particular, I completely lost my bearings and began paying attention to where I could hear traffic. Fortunately, I was near some! Even more fortunate was the fact that I eventually bushwacked my way out of the thick brush that I somehow got into and found a trail. I laughed when I was in the situation and laugh now, but you can be sure that I mark the location of my car now! A good friend suggested that I do this before I even had a single episode of confusion off the trail, but my inattentiveness (perhaps stubborness!) to listen to his good direction kept me from taking the step. I would highly recommend that you not do what I did and instead heed the good advice of others - LOL! :eek:
It's been awhile since anyone posted a tip here, but I thought of a couple while caching this week.
1. Keep your mouth closed at all times while walking in the woods - unless of course you are interested in eating a few bugs along the way. :p
2. BELIEVE that you look beautiful covered in sweat, pieces of wood, leaves, dead bugs, cobwebs, or whatever else you may have on you when you have successfully completed that cache!! :eek:
3. And, well, while I am here - might as well reinforce the mark your car thing - if you are ANYTHING like me - you WILL lose your sense of direction! :o
Always bring a pen with you. Sometimes the logbook is there and there is no pen. People sometimes accidently take them.
Bring several pens, and leave one in the cache!Quote:
Originally Posted by J_Cyr
(Hint: Marden's has a LOT of pens/pencils/etc. right now) :D
Dont forget your water bottle. I did a what I thought would be a quick cache and it took me ten minutes to hike in and over 45 minutes to find (insert rookie jokes here). I wish I hadn't forgotten my water bottle at home.
A winter trek to the Etna Bog requires snowshoes!
Learn how to identify the poisonous plants where you expect to cache and keep as sharp an eye out for them as you do for the cache. It is no fun :mad: putting up with something like poison ivy (none of that in Maine - right) for days after looking for a cache.
Nuffer - you are right about that!! Unless of course, you want the extra challenge of breaking trail in knee to hip deep snow with boots on - ai yi yi! LOL What an exhilarating experience that was!
;) It helps if you are caching at night to bring a flashlight, and a cell phone, and go with a friend if possible-keep on the look out for muggles, and if the cache is readily evident, leave it better camoflauged.
Even better advice: If the muggles are in their car, DO NOT shine the flashlight on them! :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by bearfirefighter
When the gps says the cache is 0.67 miles away, don't head straight for it. 90% of the time there is a pathway to be found that will be easier walking than the straight line path. Straight line travel is always harder.
Be aware that the pathway it likely to to double or even triple the distance you cover. However the journey is usually more interesting, so look around and enjoy the sites. Sometimes the walk is the point of the cache owner.
Account for the increased travel time both in time and energy. It is dangerous (and a drag) to suddenly be exhausted (and late) and still have quite some distance to travel to complete the journey. (OK, maybe this piece of advice only applies to me.)
1) when the GPS'r doesn't move much in distance, it's in miles not feet.
2) just when you feel wicked geocaching smaaht. Someone puts out a cache that hits you in the mellon, and makes you feel numd as a hake.
3) if your gonna carry those snowshoes, use'em.
4) NEVER tell your navigator, " no it's not over there ".
5) with only a GPS'r and an internet connection you can go geocaching. Right , whats all this other stuff for.
Don't log a find on your own cache, nor on a cache you have allready found before without expecting someone to say something about it. :D That's what the "post a note" logs are for!
hehehehe....I have a good one....never take only this 1/2 of the Blazing Trolls with you....I can't ever remember how to work that dang GPS LOL !!
I guess better late than never! It only took me 4 years to catch on to this "new" sport! I was so excited to give it a shot, at least the easy ones! I was gangbusters yesterday printing out caches in my area when my husband, the police officer pointed out one danger hadn't thought about.... people predators. Has anyone figured there may be danger of someone using geocaching to lure people to secluded areas for other purposes? Frankly, the mere thought of it has put quite a damper on my enthusiasm. Has there been any reported cases of something like this? How do I know it's safe? Anyway, didn't mean to start out with such a bummer of a post. I'm still looking forward to caching, but I think I will have to get myself a very large and viscious dog for a partner! ~R.R.~
I can't answer your question regarding reported incidents of violence (I'd be curious also) but their always exist the potential. Most caches are assigned with the creators/owners name so that may help alleviate some concern. The fact that a potential perp. would have no indication when you were planning to go to caching and which caches you intented to locate also helps reduce the possibility. As with any activity outdoors and away from home excercise caution; tell people you trust where you intend on going and what sights you plan on visiting, bring the right equipment, etc. etc. Read the other post here for great advice. Also, their exist no rules that say you can't go with someone else or with a group. This would be the safest way to get out an enjoy. There are most likely cachers in your area that would like nothing better than to go caching with you. Just post here and I'm sure you can find a caching buddy.Quote:
Originally Posted by rookie riegel
As you have most likely been told by hubby, don't get in a situation that can go bad. If it looks questionable leave immediately. Come back with a group or with hubby if you have to, but just be safe by staying safe and taking no chances.
As for you getting a big mean dog, just remember if you run into someone at a cache site, they will most likely be looking for the cache and nothing more. Speaking for myself, I don't want to be eaten up by a big mean dog by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Fortunately, the only cacher I have met at a cache sight was friendly and curteous. He assured me that he has had many of my singular experience with the same outcome.
Please be safe and take as few chances as possible, caching is great fun and it would be ruinous if even one person got accosted or threatened.
My two Cents
Steve
Rookie riegel
wbdent I suppose someone could do this. But then someone could also jump you while getting in you car at the grocery store at night. I have never heard of this being done yet. I think if you look at the cache logs and see that others have cached there before then that would be a good sign that someone is not doing it just to lure someone in. If you are that worried and really like geocaching then a good thing for you to do is to hook up with someone else that likes to geocaches and you will have a caching partner. It would be better to go with someone else if you are worried. If you do not know anyone else then you have a good opportunity to come to the 18 June geocache event this month and meet some of us. Here is the link to the cache event: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...8-45645930ca07.
wbdent But like some else always mentioned there is always exist the potential just like walking to your car in the Wal-Mart parking lot late at night.
Rookie -
Like Atroll I always remember the woman abducted right out of the parking lot at Shaws Grocery store in Scarborough - broad daylight, etc. etc. Many police departments (and the NRA) offer personal protection courses designed for women. I've taken a couple and look at my surroundings and safety much differently now.
On a lighter note - most of the caches we have been to have been deep in the woods and only reached after some strenuous walking, scrambling over rocks, etc. I think muggers would pick much easier prey. Have your police hubby go with you on a few so he can see what's up. We've also cached once with friends and it was fun to be in a group competing for that cache!
Anne
I agree with the previous posts. So many geocaches are located in public parks and on public trails, that the risks are undoubtedly no greater when geocaching than when visiting these locations for any othe purpose.
I'd be willing to bet that the chances of getting hit by lightening while geocaching are a lot greater than being confronted by someone with evil intentions.
:)
Thanks for all the reassurances! I guess it just freaked me a little when I first thought about it, but after reading your posts, I realize that the danger is probably far less than when I was a teenager and used to run at night..alone! Sometimes when you get older, your mind tends to gravitate toward the negative and or danger in a situation. Other parents here would likely agree! I feel much better now and will heed your suggestions. Anybody in southwest maine lookin for someone to cache with??? Maybe start a group of newbies? I am excited to go on my first geocache adventure! Thanks again all. ~R.R~
We're over in the Durham area so not much good to you on a regular basis but I'd be glad to meet up with you and show you some of the things I've learned. Email if you want. I'm still a newbie with only 36 finds but have already probably made all the normal newbie mistakes <G>
Also there is a gathering announced for June 18th announced at Waypoint GCP1GV ("Slipping into Summer Cache 2005" on the www.geocaching.com site. We're going to meet some of the faces here and also maybe get some help with a few questions.
Anne
I would love to go caching with you but I am a little ways away here in Fairfield Me. We go as a group of cachers quite often,in fact 4 of us went on a caching extravaganza just this past Saturday to Deer Island and Stonington and picked up about 12 new caches while spending the day together and having lunch and dinner together. It's a blast.
With your location, you may alss want to consider hooking up with some New Hampshire geocachers. There are a LOT of great caches not too far from you in that state (North Conway area is good for a start), and I've met several great cachers from there as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by rookie riegel
Check the forums at http://newenglandgeocaching.com/
If you are at a cache site and you get a call from nature, always find the cache first. That way you will not accidently "mark" the cache. :o
Anyone can sign a cache log for you. It takes a little more work to talk someone into leaving your DNA at a cache site. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by EGSG
Hi_ I am new to this sport and bring along a gaggle of kids. I have read complaints about the quality of the contents of the cache. Do you season cachers have suggestions of good deposits?......silly putty, cards, play dough....................
I am also having a little trouble dechiphering some log shorthand. I have figured out TB, FTF, TN but help me with some of the others. Thanks for your help.
Hi,
I found a good post on geocaching.com with helpful links:
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/ind...c=8749&hl=tnln
scroll down to the post titled:
"Meanings of Acronyms and Terms Used in Geocaching"
The Lexicon of Geocaching:
http://home.earthlink.net/~prime.suspect/geolex/
On cache deposits I'm not sure, but I try to keep my eye out for small interesting items when I'm out shopping. I once found a nice spider man tin box with spiderman play cards for $1.87 hopefully someone will like. I have found several items in target and ac moore(little dinosaur toys) south portland. I once found some cool keychains at payless for a dollar.
You would be surprised at the nice objects you can find at your local dollar store.