moncheri89 Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Hi there! Im sorry if this has already been posted but I have a few questions about geocaching. Firstly, my boyfriend and I had found the c:geo app for our android phones and after looking the app over for a little while, we decided to go on our first excursion. One of my biggest questions is how do I use the compass/navigation feature on the app. Is it accurate? Also, how do we learn what kind of trends the hiders use? The one we went to check out said that the cache was hidden in the open and one blogger had said that it was only "in the open" to experienced geocachers. So what are we looking for? lol... Thanks so much! Mountain State Quote Link to comment
+dphickey Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Hi there! Im sorry if this has already been posted but I have a few questions about geocaching. Firstly, my boyfriend and I had found the c:geo app for our android phones and after looking the app over for a little while, we decided to go on our first excursion. One of my biggest questions is how do I use the compass/navigation feature on the app. Is it accurate? Also, how do we learn what kind of trends the hiders use? The one we went to check out said that the cache was hidden in the open and one blogger had said that it was only "in the open" to experienced geocachers. So what are we looking for? lol... Thanks so much! Mountain State Quote Link to comment
+dphickey Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 (edited) I haven't used c:geo much other than to look up cache info at the location when I needed a hint so I can't answer your first question. As for the second, my first cache was 'hidden in plain site' as well. Same complaints in the log, some found it right off and others complained that the difficulty level was to low or that the coords where off. Remember that a good GPS unit is only accurate up to 30-40 feet, so consider ground zero (cache location) as a 30 to 40 foot radius. Once you got to that spot (30 to 40 feet), put your GPS unit away, and use your eyes, ears, intuition and what not to find it. That first cache I found was laying right out on the ground where anyone could discover it, but it was in the middle of a densely wooded park, with good summer undergrowth, fallen trees and bushes all around it. I left the trail and moved around in a circular pattern going further and further from a starting point and I discovered it. So keep that in mind when searching. I am very new to this as well, but I've found quite a few by paying attention to geo signs: footprints, grass trampled, broken branches. I highly recommend going to the library and checking out 'Joy of Geocaching' as this was a very helpful book in learning the game, the social aspect, and just the mindset of the geocache experience. (For me at least). Lastly when going out for your first caches stick to the large caches with 1/1 terrain and difficulty. Everyone suggests that here and I'm experiencing it first hand. I've found 8 regular caches, 1 small, and just this weekend I was able to discover the first couple of micros. I've looked for 3 or 4 before this but logged DNFs. This past weekend I logged 4 DNF on 2 micros and 2 regular size caches but found 2 micros at the end of my run. I plan on going back to the others to try again. Good luck. Edited July 6, 2011 by dphickey Quote Link to comment
+mpilchfamily Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Sorry but c:geo is no longer supported by the author. So if anything changes on the site it will become useless. You may want to look into spending the $10 on the official app. Quote Link to comment
+speakers-corner Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 First of all welcome to the game. I hope you will enjoy it. May I suggest you read through the previous logs before going out on a search, there may be hidden (or open)clues as to where the Cache is. Quote Link to comment
+NeverSummer Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Hi there! Im sorry if this has already been posted but I have a few questions about geocaching. Firstly, my boyfriend and I had found the c:geo app for our android phones and after looking the app over for a little while, we decided to go on our first excursion. One of my biggest questions is how do I use the compass/navigation feature on the app. Is it accurate? Also, how do we learn what kind of trends the hiders use? The one we went to check out said that the cache was hidden in the open and one blogger had said that it was only "in the open" to experienced geocachers. So what are we looking for? lol... Thanks so much! Mountain State Welcome to the fun! Yes, the compass and GPS are accurate on most Android phones, and can help find caches with ease. The best way to understand the hides is to hunt for some caches. As a new person to caching, I recommend starting with "Regular" sized caches, with a difficulty and terrain rating of 2 or less. Find a handful of those, and then start looking for smaller and more difficult caches as you start to understand the game. Look for anything out of place or man-made. Sometimes this means a neat stack of sticks or rocks, and other times it means the cache is peeking out from under a hiding spot. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment
moncheri89 Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Thank you all so much for your help! We are planning on going out this evening...so hopefully, with some luck we'll be able to find it! Quote Link to comment
moncheri89 Posted July 8, 2011 Author Share Posted July 8, 2011 What is a lock and lock cache? Quote Link to comment
+niraD Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 It's a cache that uses a Lock & Lock brand container. http://www.google.com/search?q=lock+and+lock+cache Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.