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Clueless


iankiksbutt

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Ok so i finally took the first step into cacheing. After reading some local finds i thought this is way easier than expected. Um yeah right. I pulled up the map if the ones close by to me and they look fairly easy. So i partake in my adventure and i cant find not one of them. My gps is spot on and with the clues and pictures posted, i should have been able to locate each of them fairly easy. I dont know what i am doing wrong. I know each spot has its own identifying container but i cant even find anything remotely close. Examples are.......plowboy heaven, stopping for golden furniture, and also, reverse required. Tried all three with absolutely no luck. So please fill me in on what i am doing wrong.

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You're starting out by hunting Micros, you didn't make a log at all on any of them (DNF would be appropriate, with some text such as what you typed here, and important to log for a bunch of reasons), and you didn't post the GC numbers of the caches so we have to guess which caches they may be.

 

But I'd hope you don't just want to know what you did wrong :anicute:. If you want to instead find caches, get familiar with the cache pages, since they can help you figure out what's up with the cache. For example, if it's a Micro, read everything on the page, especially the logs. One of those caches has a log that shows a picture of the Nano, which is an evil, super-tiny container. You'll have your work cut out for you, to go find that. I started caching by finding “Small” and “Regular” sized caches, based on the cache pages where I knew pretty much what I'd be looking for and where to look. The impossible ones came later. "Micros" aren't all Nano caches, but there is almost no limit to the smallness they could be.

 

Also, read the logs to be sure a bunch of people have not recently logged DNF when it was previously being routinely found, such as is the case on one of the caches you listed. Wait til there's a log that indicates that it was found, or a log about the Cache Owner checking on it.

 

Good luck!

Edited by kunarion
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A common recommendation for beginners is to stick with small small.gif size, regular regular.gif size, and large large.gif size caches. Until you're more experienced, avoid micro micro.gif size caches, some of which are smaller than most beginners can imagine (sometimes called "nanos"). Save those for later, after you have some experience.

 

Also, stick with caches that have a difficulty rating of no more than 2 stars stars2.gif. Save the more difficult ones for later. You may also want to choose caches with easy terrain ratings. (The difficulty rating tells you how hard it is to find the cache once you get there. The terrain rating tells you how hard it is to get there.) And it is often best to start with traditional 2.gif caches, which will be at the published coordinates. Multi-caches 3.gif or mystery/puzzle caches 8.gif or other cache types can require more work just to figure out where the container is located.

 

Under ideal conditions, a consumer GPSr will be accurate to about 3m (10ft). That applies both to your device, and to the cache owner’s device, so you may find the container 5-6m (16-20ft) from ground zero under ideal conditions. Under less than ideal conditions, both GPSr readings can be much less accurate. Once you get within that distance of ground zero, put your device away and look around for places where a container could be hidden.

 

Where would you hide something? Do you notice anything unusual? Is anything too new, too old, too organized (e.g., UPS: an Unnatural Pile of Sticks/Stones), too symmetrical, not quite the right color or shape, etc.? Don’t look only on the ground; the cache may be knee-level, waist-level, eye-level, or overhead. How might the container be secured in place? With magnets? With a hook? With string? With fishing line? With something else? Does anything move when you touch it? (Be careful when touching things though.)

 

Go ahead and read the cache's additional hints (if provided), and read the past logs and look at any photos in the cache's image gallery. They may help you understand what you're looking for, and how/where it may be hidden. It may also help to look at some of the cache containers available online. For example, check out the cache containers sold by Groundspeak. Also, take a look at the Pictures - Cool Cache Containers (CCC's) thread in the forums, and check out some geocaching videos on YouTube.

Edited by niraD
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Another suggestion to new cachers would be to look at 'geocaching containers' for sale online. This is mentioned in the last paragraph of niraD's post. Seeing photos of what types of containers are available can be very helpful, not just to find the cache itself but also to see how to open them and get to the logsheet.

 

One of those caches has a log that shows a picture of the Nano, which is an evil, super-tiny container.
It seems the nano was indeed too evil for some finders. Reading the logs, especially those with photos, sounds like cachers thought the nano cache was just a magnet and didn't realize they should "open" the "magnet" to find the log strip.
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Find a geocaching organization in your area and ask for an experienced cacher to help you. I've assisted a few newbies myself and now we're friends. Most cachers would be willing to help you.

 

This is a good idea, or you can search for local geocaching events by going to the home page and clicking "Community" then "Events". Cachers are a friendly bunch and usually happy to take a newbie along to show them the ropes :)

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Dont worry about DNFs on your first caches, It took me a couple of months to log my first find, I was using a Garmin Nuvi to, not the most accurate for finding a cache. I really don't care about the finds and dnfs, but realy enjoy the outings and explorations, its very zen.

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