Geocaching Quick Tips: Placing A Geocache BEFORE it is Published

Geocaching Quick Tips: Placing A Geocache BEFORE it is Published

I have found this to be a truly newbie geocache issue.

Filling out and submitting a new geocache hide and not actually place the geocache BEFORE it is actually Published.

I have found the reason it tends to be a newbie issue is if you are the hider and actually have this happen you will get some unkind logs. If you are the possible finder you most likely will be placing a non favorable note to the hider stating your displeasure. For the hider you most likely do this only once.

So what happens:
An FTF Hound or geocacher receives a notification stating a new geocache was just published.
The race is on! How far away are you from the new geocache? How quickly can you get to ground zero and how many other geocachers could get there before you?  Tally Ho.

First To Find hounds all want to be signer number one and enjoy the bragging rights of "Clean Sheets".
Except for one problem. The geocache was not put in it's hiding spot by the hider.

Absolutely maddening to geocachers. Nobody wants to go for a fresh find and have to mark a Did Not Find. Especially if it hasn't been actually placed yet.

So a very good Geocaching Quick Tip is to actually place the geocache in it's hidey whole BEFORE you actually publish the cache page. A very common response from new geocacher is, "I didn't realize it would be published so quickly".

Don't take the chance and hide your geocache first! We would be very appreciative.

HHH

#geocache, #geocacher, #geocaching, #first to find, #did not find, #published geocache, #geocaching quick tips, #quick tips

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HHH's Lunchtime GotD: A DNF - A Valuable Lesson: Check Those Logs!

Whenever I do my Lunchtime Geocache of the Day posts I always try to put some little nugget of knowledge that may be useful when you go out geocaching. Most of them are actual incidents that happen while I am looking for that particular geocache.

Something will happen and I'll go, "Hey, that would be a cool thing to discusss."

Todays DNF (Did Not Find) is brought to you from just such an experience.

Ever go after a geocache where you searched and searched then searched some more only to find out that it has not been found since 1864? Okay maybe not THAT far back but maybe it has a string of DNF's that goes back for months or even longer? Wouldn't you want that 30, 45, hour+ back to go looking for something instead of wasting your time on that geocache?

Here is my geocaching suggestion for the day. If you are really having issues trying to find a Difficulty 1.5 or 2 and it is taking more time than you know you should be searching for it. Check the latest logs!

Many of the paperless geocaching gizmos out there like smart phones, certain GPSr units, netbooks, PDAs, etc. allow you to see what the latest logs are for a particular geocache. Many of them are right up to the latest minute if you have Internet connectivity. There are also other applications for computers like GSAK that will tell you right up front the last four or so DNFs a geocache may have but you have to look first. (Note - there are filters and macros that won't even put a geocache available to you if here are more than x recent DNFs logged - but that's another posting).

The point with today's DNF is that it had not been found for well over a year. If I had checked the logs via Geocache Navigator after the first 15 minutes or so of not finding it, I wouldn't have had such a rushed lunch.

Just something to keep in mind when geocaching. If you can't find that geocache and you know you should have found it by now. Check the geocache logs, you'll save yourself some unneeded headache.

-HHH

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Lunchtime Geocache - You Can't Win Them All - DNF

Yeah well, sometimes when you go geocaching you just can't always find the geocaches you seek. When that happens we mark them a DNF or Did Not Find it.

It's not a disgrace to the potential finder. Sometimes a geocache gets muggled, moved or just plain destroyed. Sometime even with our best efforts we didn't see it. No biggie and this happens all the time. So for me and today's Lunchtime geocache we get no smiley. Better luck next time. Just remember to keep on trying until you succeed.

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My Early Morning 1/1 Geocaching Nightmare

In the geocaching world there is a rating for how difficult the terrain surrounding the cache site (or getting to it) is and another for how difficult it is actually hidden. The range for both is from one to five. So if you ever look at a geocache listing you will see references like D3.5/T2. The easiest of geocaches to find is a 1/1. Normally a cache of this ease is accessable by wheelchairs and usually is wide open or has obvious where-a-bouts like flashing neon arrows and the like.

So when I saw two 1.1's publish last night my first assumption was - cool, piece of cake. Ever see the comedian Benny Hill talk about the word ASSUME. The punch line is how assuming makes an ASS out of U and ME. Well hee-haw for me cuz that's what I felt like by the time I got home.


Geocache #1. Drove into the parking lot near ground zero and after reading the description I walked over to the geocache site and immediately noticed that the terrain was not correct and anybody with a wheelchair better have 4x4 mode to get there. Not completely terrible but definitely not a 1. That little .5 makes all the difference. Started looking around and was greeted by a host of dense bushes. Thought sure no problem and started looking for the small container, and looked and looked. Bush after bush with nada, zip, nothing. Expanded my search even though there was nothing else around and still found nothing but a good soaking from the well rained on bushes.

Well shoot. Checked out the hint that said "Under RESPECT" which made no sense. I figured a sign or some other clue to point me to this simple park and grab..... and bupkis. Okay fine, I wasn't pleased with myself but hey there was a second FTF prospect and so I would go check that out and come back for a second swing. Little did I know that my temporary grief was going to get worse.

Geocache #2. The second geocache was about ten miles away and even though the early morning traffic was increasing it was not all that bad as I pulled into the parking lot. The ground zero was about 140 feet from the parking lot across a grassy yard and pointed to a large tree. Now again the difference in terrain is only slight but would need to be adjusted in my humble opinion and no biggie.

Walked to large oak tree which had a nice crown in the center and nothing else. Looked around and found nothing. Looked in all the reachable places and nothing. This was another small hidden by the same hider as my first geocache today. A pattern was forming in my head. I looked around one last time and expanded to the fence that was about twenty feet from the tree. Nothing. Eventually I figured that maybe the geocaches were posted before the hider realized that they needed to be in place. Didn't know at that point and started walking back to my car. That's when I saw the blue lights and heard the quick "whoop!" that told me the law was behind me. I turned around and smiled while walking over to the car.

The officer was very nice and asked what I was doing there. I informed him about the geocache and that I was just leaving. He then pointed out the white No Tresspassing after hours sign that was on the outside of said wooden fence. I told him I didn't see it from where I came from and that I hoped the hider had permission from the business owner to hid it here. He said no problem and promptly left but it was just one other thing to have to deal with this disaster.

When I went home I wrote to the first time hider and explained a few things including what had happened. For me I am just going to put it behind me and if anything it once again makes for a good story. I do know though that in the not to distant future I am making a GeoSnippits tutorial on some tips for first time hiders. I am hearing more and more about geocachers who have almost no experience and then trying to do hides without knowing the proper procedures and etiquette's. All part of the fun of the game I guess. Then again I have a twisted idea of what fun is.

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Day For Finding Past DNFs

Well today seemed to be a perfect day for taking previous Did Not Finds off my list. This geocache I attempted last fall and the area way very swampy even for horse trails. Went out today and walked right up to it. Not bad for a Friday the 13th.

Nano - Nano, Shuzbott and Stuff

For a quick lunch time grab this was a great day. One particular geocache on my way to work has plagued me for almost a year now. This little bugger geocache has caused me more Did Not Finds than a guy trying to seek Paris Hilton's virginity... Just popped in my head don't ask...

After way more attempts than I will ever admit I went out today during lunch and took another stab. Then as if by magic there it was, just sitting there. Now I know I have looked there before. I know I have and yet, BINGO - Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, there it was. How weird is that? Could I have been so obsessed with trying to find this nano that my mind blocked it when I looked in that area? Dunno but it is signed, resealed and put back in place.

Really does make me think that some caches do have mini cloaking devices and only reveal themselves when they want. It would explain a lot...

Why DNFs Are So Important In GeoCaching

Yesterday was beautiful out with all that bright sunshine yet chilly temps. Here in Raleigh, NC we have had a week or so of cold and gloomy days. Not the norm and when I left from work to sparkling blue and that big bright shiny thing in the sky I just had to try for one geocache.

One in particular has been on my radar all last year. It was an exit further than I usually travel when going home and was next to a lake. "Why not?", I thought to myself. The sun this time of year is out just a tad longer so I would have plenty of time to find this regular sized cache.

I was rather giddy when I took my walking stick from my car trunk. This was a nice 300 foot walk in the woods and I could see the setting sun reflecting off the lake. At the very least I can get a couple of good photos. In no time I was at ground zero and poking everywhere with my walking stick. Then I poked some more, even more and more after that.... nothing. I spiralled out from GZ until I had about 45 feet all away around - nada. Checked every possible hole, log, hill, tree, bush and still nothing. With the sun now close to setting the wind had kicked up and it was getting dark. "Well shoot", guess it was time to call it a day.

I hate marking DNFs or "Did Not Finds" at Geocaching.com but I still do. Lets face it, nobody wants to say, "hey look at me, I failed!!!". Many geocachers do not log their missed finds for just that reason but that does not help anybody. I don't care how many finds you have or have not found. Nobody checks your stats that closely and then ridicules you because of them. In fact, DNFs have a very important purpose. I went back and checked the latest logs for the cache and sure enough there were half a dozen logged DNFs for the sight. Now if I had done that in the first place I wouldn't have even tried but this just goes to show you that this cache is either really buried somewhere or just plain gone. Having a bunch of DNF logs is a clue to the geocache owner that maybe they better check and see if it is still there, but they won't know that unless geocachers log their DNFs.

So that was what I did. I logged the DNF, uploaded a couple of my photos that I had taken and then flagged the cache for maintenance. This way I know the owner is aware of the possible condition of the cache. Hopefully I can find it after the all fixed is sounded.

See ya on the trails!