Cache Mania

Over the years I’ve watched how people enjoy geocaching and I think you can break them down into four types of players.   There is not “right” way to play the game.  It’s an individual choice.  Play it however you want so that you can get the maximum enjoyment out of it for you.   Knowing how someone prefers to play the game will help you understand why they like certain kinds of caches.

1. Challenge Cacher
2. Puzzle Cacher
3. Numbers Cacher
4. Casual Cacher

This doesn’t mean that a player has only one method of playing.  There is certainly crossover.   This diagram does a better job of describing what I mean:

Casual Cacher:  This is someone that will make caching part of an activity but doesn’t really go out of their way to geocache.  Maybe they’ll take the GPSr on vacation or when they go on a road trip.  These folks are not a real discriminating cacher.  They are just looking to have a little fun without too much work.   Prefers 3/3 or less.

Numbers Cacher:  Anyone that has found more than a few hundred caches will from time-to-time find themselves in this category.  There are some people however that are just numbers mad.  These cachers don’t care how lame a cache is they just want the numbers.   Prefers 2/2 or less but they’ll do anything if they can.

Puzzle Cachers:  Don’t like to be stumped?  Then you are probably a puzzle cacher.  These cachers thrive on the intellectual challenge of a cache.   Maybe they like to solve the puzzle that holds the clue or maybe they like a good camouflaged container.   Either way these cachers will spend a lot of time planning their geocaching outings.   Lots of 4-5 difficulty but lower terrain.

Challenge Cachers:   It is with these kinds of cachers that you’ll find the most crossover from other pursuits.  You might find rock climbers, boaters, scuba divers or people that like some kind of physical challenge.   That challenge might just be geocaching at night.  That is a whole different experience.   A good day for this kind of cacher is a 5/5 or a 5/4.

Does it really matter how you play the game?  Not at all.  As long as you are having fun.  How do you play the game?

Tags: challenges, numbers, puzzles
Posted in Rants | No Comments »

I met yesterday with the managers of Ruthven Park to discuss placing a cache on their property.  The meeting went really well.  I think it went well because I was prepared for the meeting.

Here’s how I prepared for the meeting:

1. I brought along the cache I was going to place so they could see the cache and the contents.  They weren’t sure what would be found inside but seeing it helped them understand that better.
2. I thoroughly read their website to learn what their mission was and how geocaching could help them with that.
3. I had an idea of where I wanted to put the cache and why.
4. I had examples of cache listing pages with me.

I first contacted the park via email and I could tell from the reply that they were open to the idea.  I found out during my visit that they had contacted other facilities that have geocaches on their property to find out if it was a problem.  They had their own concerns and asked me to address them.  Their concerns were as follows:

1. Can we tell people where to park?  Yes, I’ll add a child waypoint for that.
2. Are we responsible for the cache?  No, all you are doing is giving me permission to place it, I’m responsible for it.
3. What will people leave in the cache?  I showed them examples.

This was the first time I’ve met with a property owner directly.  I hope all meetings go as well as yesterday.  I’ve submitted the listing for review.  I need to wait to see if it is approved.  I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.

Tags: Cayuga, geocache, Grand River, Lower Grand Land Trust, meeting, placing, property, Ruthven
Posted in Geocaches, Rants | 1 Comment »

The following list was compiled by Gregory Pleau (NorthernPenguin).

How to Spot a Geocacher

1. They’re the one constantly picking pine needles and cedar bits out of their coat pockets.
2. They’re the one walking in circles around the spruce tree, while the dog waits on the trail.
3. They are the one standing beside that lamp post, trying to not look suspicious as you walk past.
4. They are the one that knows what a used ammo can, a rubbermaid container and a film canister have in common.
5. They are the one carrying a plastic grocery bag around inside a film canister with the word CITO on it.
6. They are the one muttering something about it only being a 1.5 / 2
7. They have an insect shaped barcode on the back window of their car
8. They’re heading outside with a GPS in weather that would keep the postman home
9. They’re the one that can’t walk 100′ on a trail without saying “That would be a good spot for a cache”
10. They are the ones standing under the bridge instead of walking across it
11. They keep repeating the phrase “Why have you brought me here?”
12. They have an XBox360, PS3 or a Wii, and it has an inch of dust on top.
13. They hang film canisters in their Christmas tree.

Greg has other talents. He is also the person behind the Ontario Trails Project. Crowdsourced trail data for Ontario.

Update:  A couple more were submitted by res2100 as comments but moved here for easier reading.

14. When at the store signing a credit card receipt, you accidentally sign your geocaching handle instead of your real name.
15. You buy items in the grocery store that comes in containers that would make excellent geocaches.

Tags: geocacher, Geocaching, humour, northernpenguin
Posted in Rants | 2 Comments »

Every geocache has the option of including hints.  Some caches are so easy that a hint is kind of pointless.  That is until the cache goes missing.  Maybe it is muggled or maybe it is covered in snow.  In either case spending 30-60 minutes looking for a cache that isn’t there is frustrating.

I am probably guilty of not providing great hints with my caches.  Going forward I’ll be sure to post better hints.  What is a better hint?

• is the cache high or low
• is it inside something
• is it far from the trail

Those are the kinds of hints that don’t give away the location but do help the searcher track down the cache.  Standing outside in -15C looking for a cache that is unavailable either from snow or because it is missing is not a lot of fun.

Tags: clues, hints, snow, winter friendly
Posted in Rants | No Comments »

I went out and did a first to find last night.  I was reading the logs to see who has found the cache since then and I just had to chuckle at what was in the logs.

mine:  ”I saw this in my inbox and called Bakers Dozen”

Bakers Dozen:  ”The email came in on the iphone, then the call came in from teamvoyagr.”

kguppy:  ”The blackberry went off, so I decided to jump in the car ans try a ftf.”

So we have traditional email, blackberry push email, iPhone email and a couple of phone calls for good measure.  When we got to the cache site there were multiple GPSr and smart phones for three people.  How much technology do we really need to find tupperware in the woods?  Sometimes that absurdity of it all just strikes me as funny.

Tags: gadgets, humour
Posted in GPS Hardware, Rants | 1 Comment »